We’ve built this blog around one very simple belief: food and wine aren’t a side note to travel, they’re the reason to go. Whether we’re peeling off from a cruise ship dock to chase down a family-run trattoria, learning to spot Ripasso from Amarone in a Veronese wine cellar, or working through a tasting menu in York, every post here traces back to something we ate, drank, or learned along the way. You’ll find real-time dispatches from ports of call across the Mediterranean, the Baltic, Norway’s fjords, the British Isles, and closer to home along the Pacific coast — plus the land days, precruise stopovers, and full city stays that bookend them. Read on for shore excursion reviews, food tours, wine country deep dives, and the occasional honest admission that not every “must-try” lived up to the hype.
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A Day Among Oxford’s Colleges
A day wandering Oxford’s colleges without a map, the Radcliffe Camera, the Bridge of Sighs, and pub meals at The Punter and The Victoria.
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Oxford to Oxford: Our Arrival Day
Our arrival day in Oxford, UK — the Heathrow Express, Christ Church Meadow, a Thames river cruise, and pub dinner at The Plough Inn.
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Athens: Guards, Greek Delicacies, and the Acropolis on Our Last Day Ashore
Our final port day in Athens — a food tour of Greek classics, the changing of the guard, and a small-group tour of the Acropolis.
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Mykonos: A Seabus Ride to the Whitewashed Streets of Mykonos Town
Our last full cruise day in Mykonos — the Seabus over to Mykonos Town, getting lost in the whitewashed streets, and a lovely evening sail away.
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Istanbul: Sailing the Dardanelles and a Chaotic Food Tastings Tour
Our Istanbul port day — sailing the Dardanelles Strait into two continents, then a food tastings tour through baklava, kebabs, and more.
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Worth Every Bite: A Wine Tour and Farm-to-Table Lunch at Dourakis Winery
Our Chania, Crete port day — a countryside drive with Chania Wine Tours to Dourakis Winery for a tasting, farm-to-table lunch, and orange wine.
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Walking Naples: Old Town Pastries, a Hidden Church, and Neapolitan Pizza
Our first port of call in Naples, Italy — sfogliatella at Bar Anaa Bellavita, the Church of San Ferdinando, and real Neapolitan pizza.
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Milan, Verona & Bologna: A Northern Italy Pre-Cruise Recap
Our pre-cruise stay in Milan, Verona, and Bologna — Lake Garda wine, a Bologna food tour, and a Rome stopover on the way to the ship.
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A Slow and Relaxing Afternoon in Rome
Our Rome layover between land and sea — Hotel Triviho, a rooftop aperitivo, and dinner at Piccolo Arancio near the Trevi Fountain.
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May Day in Bologna: The Sanctuary of San Luca and Basilica di San Domenico
Our May Day in Bologna — the San Luca Express to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, and the quiet Basilica di San Domenico.
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A Day of Food in Bologna: A Food Tour with Delicious Bologna
Our Bologna food tour with Delicious Bologna — tortellini making, the Quadrilatero market, and tastings of tortellini in brodo and ragù.
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Arriving in Bologna: La Rossa, La Dotta, La Grassa
Our Bologna arrival day — the train from Verona, Piazza Maggiore, San Petronio, Mortadella Lab, and dinner at Trattoria Del Tempo Buono.