The Rioja region is to opened its new, three-suite hotel on March 16, it’s name, Viura, is from the white grape grown around these parts.
The hotel is found in the small town of Villabuena de Alava at the foot of the Sierra de Cantabria. With several terraces with views the mountains and the 16th century San Andres Church it’s a great base for wine-lovers.
It’s a modern hotel in a charming old town, and a glorious area for oenophiles.
Villabuena de Alava has a several wineries including Luis Cañas, Izadi, Baigorri and Arabarte. The town and is only 20 minutes from Logroño.
Internal flights are available from Madrid into the local Logroño-Agoncillo on Iberia Airlines.
First, let me say that Jacquie has been one of the most fun brides to work with! We were introduced by my sister, Rachael, and I couldn’t be more happy she did! With less than two weeks until the big day, the task list is long. But we are making speedy progress! Sunday night Jacquie, her mom and my sister all came over to my house to get down to business. What we weren’t expecting was my fridge to die that day. Needless to say, my kitchen was filled with wedding thoughts and lots of warm, thrown away food.
One of the most creative seating charts I’ve ever seen … little cut out squares of paper all taped to ….
A CAPTAIN CRUNCH BOX! Doesn’t get any cuter than this!
First on our list was the programs:
We created a tri-fold program that matches the invitations perfectly (if I do say so myself). These will slip into a sapphire sleeve with a white band around it. I would love to post a photo to show what I’m describing, but that would mean I’ve got one finished. Not so much …. Jacquie still owes me a small amount of content. Once I have that, it’s off to the printer I go to be followed by lots of folding. I’m insane … I love this stuff!
Next on our our list was the guest book:
We went around on this one for a while. We started with possibly two guest books, to a photo frame for signatures, to signed rocks in a pond (decided that with just over 200 guests, there would be WAY too many rocks!) We decided on a coffee book table on wine … to really drive home the home made wine favors. I just finished the guest book tonight. It’s complete with a wide variety of photos and quotes on the fine hobby of wine. Check out a preview here: Preview Jacquie’s Guest Book
Last but not least … center pieces!
I can’t take any credit on this one. It was ALL Rachael. Her and Jacquie put together really cute vases with water, floating candles, glasses pebbles and of course some flowers. SO cute girls … I can’t wait to see the room filled with them!
Not a second to spare, next on the list are wine bottle labels, name tags to slip over the neck of the bottle and finish off the list with place cards. Sunday we continue our tasks with gluing of ribbons on vases and counting of glass pebbles. Ok … scratch the counting, we are going to guesstimate (sorry Mrs Martell!)!
Jacquie is not only going to be a drop dead gorgeous bride, but she is always an amazing woman and friend! And Doug … we’re getting a taxi!
I’ve gotten pretty used to eating alone and no longer hesitate to go out to eat alone. Yesterday I had a rather enjoyable early St. Patricks Daymeal of beer, fish and chip and a good book.
What We Eat When We Eat Alone By Deborah Madison
(read while in Madison, Wi and eating alone fittingly enough)
It reminded me that there can be a certain romance that can exist in the self-indulgence of eating alone. It has occured to me the I feel a little like I’ve forgotten how to cook for someone else. (Now don’t get me wrong, dinner for 10, I still have confidence enough for). But this book, as it described the quirky meals people make for themselves, made me consider my own solo meals. Many of which are as, Madison puts it, “very personal foods… and are not easily shared” Such as my diner before my rock climbing date on Friday: a wedge of laughing cow cheese and two soft boiled eggs eaten with Frank’s Red Hot. Eggs, in any form, though usually boiled and never for long enough, with Frans are one of my most frequent meals. So far what I love about this book is that some how it makes me feel warm and fuzzy, almost protective, about my two egg meals or “wine in the bath” dinners.
I’ve gotten pretty used to eating alone, being alone. Its nice to find something that makes me value my alone time. Instead of just accept it.
Whenever you want to have the best time and fun filled moments, they would not be completed with the right kind of cuisines. These cuisines have an importance of their own and they add more value and worth to any meeting. When you want to meet some one special in a casual and fun filled way then there can be no better place than a café which provides you the comfort of having a conversation with your friend without any problem along with providing the beautiful and superb environment to you. You can always enjoy your sitting in those places because these are such informal places that are perfect for those who want to have the best environment combined with the ease and comfort of sitting at any place. The food of these cafes is usually very delicious and you can have them at reduced prices as compared to other famous restaurants of your area. You can find many attractive deals for the lunch and also for the breakfast that provides sumptuous food to your taste buds. You would be totally lost in the kind of atmosphere that would be created in that place.
There are plenty of other things that contribute towards making these places a perfect place for you. You can easily enjoy your time sitting there even if you are alone and can relax and ease out your mind. You would forget about all of your tensions once you would enter any such place. If you are alone and want to work on the Internet then you can also take your laptop over there and can easily sit there and work as most of these cafes have the facility of the wireless Internet and it allows you to work while having the most aromatic coffee over there.
If you are a fun lover and want to have a little chat with your friend then you can easily invite him over and have the best conversation ever while enjoying this beautiful environment and having a glass of the world’s finest beer or wine in such places. The whole dining experience would be expanded because of these cafes. Some of the cafes are also made at such a place that provide you water views & licensed to make sure that they have the right to make their cafes over this place. This immediately boosts the beauty, look and feel of these cafes and more people are attracted towards them due to the perfect views.
With magnificent water views in the Port of Eden, the Wharfside Cafe has built a widely recognised reputation for the freshness and quality of the food and beverages it serves. For more information please visit: http://www.wharfsidecafe.com.au/
. . . in to my 30 days of being dry, that is. No alcohol.
In a previous post, I mentioned that I’d be going dry for 30 days in solidarity with my wife (she’s doing a 30 day diet/exercise regime). In the interest of full disclosure, I must declare that I did, indeed, finish the Cotes Du Rhone that was already opened. Hey! It was open!
Otherwise, I haven’t been drinking at all. I wasn’t sure if I’d want to participate, but, since I went to the trouble of writing it down, I find myself compelled to do the 30 days.
It’s science.
The only effect, so far, has been the realization of how much a habit of drinking wine with dinner has been. I catch myself absently casting about for that mysterious “something” I’m missing. Then I realize, oh yeah, no wine with dinner. And so I have water and that’s been okay.
I’ll probably have a Guinness on St. Patrick’s day, or a glass of Jameson. Or, again, I might not.
Happy Friday all… by which I mean Congratulations on surviving the week Here it’s raining and chilly (so much for that spring weather… but it does give the three short sleeve shirts I own a break), and sanity is waning… So thank you all for sharing your life survival tips. Please take a look at my other blog, focused on the fine line we women professional tread:
http://LifeForward.onsugar.com
Thank you to David who left the following:
A glass of warm, quality whiskey (you’ll never find Jack on my shelf!) always does the trick for me. If something’s racking my mind, by the time I’m bottoms-up, I’ve straightened everything out. Or I’m asleep. Either way, it’s not an issue for at least a couple hours
I’m not a great drinker (Actually what I am is a cheap date… I like appetizers better than entrees, chicken better than fish, and beer waaaay better than wine since wine gives me a headache…even half a glass), so I can only say that the power of sleep is fantastic. Seriously — You get to turn off, let your subconscious deal with whatever is going on and if you’re lucky, wake up at the end of a REM cycle without remembering the weird dream that may or may not hold the answer (or whatever part of the sleep cycle is optimal… I get up at the same time every day so its like sleep roulette).
David, if you’re Jewish and as good looking as your blog is adorably funny (which is a lot by the way), please let me know… After a colleague interrogated me this morning rapid-fire style:
Her: Do you have children?
Me: No (The fact that my office space has pictures of my dog and absolutely no picturs of children probably should have told her that one)
Her: Are you married?
Me: No (trying to walk faster to catch up with ANYONE ELSE)
Her: Do you have a significant other?
Me: No (now fearing that she thinks I’m a. gay or b. the unibomber), Mr. Right hasn’t shown up yet and I’m between Mr. Right Nows
Her: Long lecture on a lot of frogs
Me: (Polite smile, mentally calculating odds of moving offices and/or buying a husband/family online to end awkward conversation and preclude all future encounters)
I obviously need proof that goodlooking (or not deformed) straight single men are still out there…somewhere…
Everyone has a preference. When it comes to fine drink, some live for wine, others indulge in hard liquor, and many prefer imported beer over both. With so many variations out there, how are you supposed to find the perfect drink that defines you? The options can seem endless.
To choose the right social lubricant, you need a strong image you can count on. A familiar face that compliments the taste. Someone with grace and presence.
If you look around, you’ll find there are very few who can live up to the task. Only two men have proved themselves potent enough to reveal the perfect drink in short, masterful strokes:
The Most Interesting Man In The World…
… and legendary filmmaker, Orson Welles.
Entertaining, influential, and downright classy. What more could you want? Interestingly enough, this is the exact question I could not stop asking myself. For some reason, as much as these suave spokesmen made their impact, I still found myself at a loss. Why couldn’t I find my perfect drink?
Over time (seconds upon minutes), I grew wise and realized what was missing: Reality. That was the problem. These grandiose image makers didn’t feel like me at all. I couldn’t relate. Their effortless simplicity made me feel so common. This discovery was a bit of a downer as I began coming to terms with the fact that I would have to figure this puzzle out all by myself. I was scared and alone.
But as luck would have it, something miraculous happened instead. Little did I know, I had missed a very important extract. As soon as I watched it, my choice came to me almost immediately…
Eureka! Fine champagne. My drink of choice. Stay thirsty or stay French. The choice is yours, my friends.
Here it’s raining and chilly (so much for that spring weather… but it does give the three short sleeve shirts I own a break), and sanity is waning… So thank you all for sharing your life survival tips. Please take a look at my other blog, focused on the fine line we women professional tread: