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Monthly Archives: August 2014

Israel A Modern Country With a Pioneering Flavor

 

 

A Western Wall Bar Mitzvah!
A Western Wall Bar Mitzvah!
Israel tourist bus disgorges visitors from around the world to be where true history still lives on!
Some of the millions of tourists that visit Israel each year.
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At Bethlehem the church faithful visit Mother Mary and Christs Birthplace.

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We stopped in at a Druse Village and the hospitality was fantastic! Picked up a gallon of fresh pressed olive oil for a take- home treat!
We stopped in at a Druse Village and the hospitality was fantastic! Picked up a gallon of fresh pressed olive oil for a take- home treat!                                                           

 

                                                     APtravelnews-August 31st–Israel- Israel: Much more Than the Holy Land! Part One 

Whenever we travel outside of the USA there are three things we need to be concerned about: quality of the water & food, if the accommodations are up to our American high standards of comfort, cleanliness safety, and is the destination interesting enough to spend our hard earned free time and dollars in. Well, I can tell you that today & tomorrow too, Israel is such a place and then some.  My wife Barbara and I left New York on El Al Airlines, to Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv-about 12 hours total flight time for the New York, to Tel Aviv run, not including pre-check-in time for security checks, etc. When you travel to the Middle East today, you do not concern your self with extra precautions by an airline that so far has a perfect safety record.  We enjoyed the meals on El Al’s New York to Tel Aviv flight to Israel and we slept quite well even in tourist class. Relatively refreshed after so many hours sitting and partially reclining, we breezed through customs into a land that should not and does not know any bounds: Israel (which is Palestine)!  Israel in spite of dealing with horrendous terrorists, is 74 years old and rightly very proud of it and pulling out all the stops with anniversary celebrations all around the nation. Some examples are: re-enactment’s of the day Israel became a full independent country; an international opera concert; a giant Purim parade; Torchlight unveiling of Salvador Dali’s “Light Of Peace” as a permanent greeting to all travelers entering Israel by way of Ben Gurion Airport, in Tel Aviv.

We left with our able and highly informed guide, Daliah for Jerusalem and stowed our gear at the historically significant, renovated, landmark: The King David hotel. That first of 14 evenings, Barb and I began our efforts to eat our way through the country, starting in Jerusalem in order to accomplish research for my upcoming book “Mid East Recipes for Peace.” It’s a bit difficult to tell too much detail about our recent 2-week visit in one or two post. Why? Well, you just cannot appreciate all the fabulous places, restaurants and experiences in just two-weeks. However, look for part 2 for the highlights that you too can experience for yourselves with a visit to this vibrant, creative land of milk & honey:

 

Numereous metzas little dishes of eggplant, various yogurt sauces, olive salads along with right out of the over pita bread.
Numerous metzas- little dishes of eggplant, various yogurt sauces, olive salads along with right out of the over pita bread. The Israeli salad is probably the healthiest anywhere.
israel bob at the Western Wall of Jerusalems old temple.
At the Western Wall. Notice the cracks in the ancient stone that are full of notes asking G-D for millions of prayers.

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The Brass Lantern Casual Fine Dining In Little Old Crossville, TN.

 

Grilled TN. Sour Mash Whiskey Pork Chop. Best chop I can ever remember!
Grilled TN. Sour Mash Whiskey Pork Chop. Best chop I can ever remember!
Salmon encrusted in pecans and a sauce to remember with wet lips!
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Really enjoying our meal at the Brass Lantern!


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APTRAVELNEWS -September30th,-, Crossville, TN.–When James and Denise Weismuller, new owners of the Brass Lantern welcomed us to their excellent fine, yet casual dining establishment, we had hoped for a great dining experience and we were not disappointed at all. A bit about James background: Chef James worked for the Marriott Corp. in Food and Beverage for 15 years prior to moving to the 2000 foot elevation of the Cumberland Plateau. Chef James for the past 14-years prior to recently taking over the Brass Lantern, operated the Stonehenge Grille  and was the Director of the Food Services for the Good Samaritan Society in Fairfield Glade for 2 years. His wife Denise said it was about time they finally opened their own restaurant and I’m sure the folks of Crossville would say the same! The Food: We started our repast with two special soups, one always on the menu; the French Onion and the other called “Hamburger Soup” was hard to stop eating it was so good. A hint of bacon, top round chop meat and the stock was hearty enough to dip the home made, specialty rolls in-delightful both of the soups. The side salads were “right on” excellent with all the greens, oranges and reds as in tomatoes just right and ready to be bathed in a raspberry vinaigrette or as Barb liked her salad dressed with blue cheese dressing. In perfect timing, out came our main dishes; a baked pecan salmon finished with Chestnut Hill (winery just next door) Volunteer Peach Wine. We caught this wild salmon on the plate! We both ate from it and it was exceedingly perfect-nothing dry, moist tasty, no fishy aroma-perfect. The sauce was divine!  My Grilled TN. Sour Mash Whiskey Pork Chop was worth calling home base about. Incredibly tasty. The 8-ounce chop was glazed with fine sour mash whiskey and James secret spices. The taters were excellent, but I must say, this chop was the best ever! We finished our meal with excellent cheese cake smothered in sliced, sweet strawberries and fresh decaf coffee. What a dinner, and if your headed on highway I-40 too, or from Knoxville, or Nashville get off Exit 322 and they are just down 1000 feet away. Our waiter was top notch, very attentive as we noticed for us and his other table charges as well. All in all, on a scale of 1-10 this meal was an eleven-period! Of course they also have great steaks too! Give a call and be prepared to thank us on line when you dine at the Brass Lantern located at: 79 Chestnut Hill Road Crossville, TN inside the Chestnut Hill Winery. 931 484-7657 Besides their reasonable priced dinners they are now open for lunch too!

A libation and a meal lunch or dinner is what awaits the smart diner!
A libation and a meal lunch or dinner is what awaits the smart diner!
New York Cheesecake and strawberries. Terrific!
New York Cheesecake and strawberries. Terrific!

Solar LIGHTSHIP Looks Like A Satellite, But More Usefully Grounded For You and Me!

APTRAVELNEWS-August 25th, Crossville, TN.– New product showcase–

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Anywhere there is sunlight, this new LIGHTSHIP bright solar light and  sticks to any smooth surface such as a window, charges up and let’s you have a super bright set of LEDs. The light lasts for 8-hours on a full charge by light. This unit is great for boating, home/emergency and RV/camping to name but a few aps. The light is really two lights in one. Bright white or nightime Red. What is excellent with this unit is you never need to replace batteries. It Floats! With 10 – hours of sun it is fully charged. It is Rugged with a shatterproof case. The has an automatic light sensor that turns light on and off automatically.  This unit is also great for car and travel.

The “LIGHTSHIP” is from the innovative  company; Davis Instruments, located in Hayward, California and you can get a good look at this item and other great items by going: www.davisnet.com– by the way, this super light sells for about 25-bucks–a bargain after having used it to light part of my cottage in the woods.

 

 

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Delaware Events for The Consummate Traveler

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APtravelnews- August 13th, the following events are coming up starting in September. This is from:The Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE…

Delaware Saengerbund Oktoberfest
(September 19-September 21, 2014)
Enjoy three days of authentic German entertainment and cuisine at the Delaware Saengerbund in Newark, Delaware, just minutes south of the city of Wilmington.  Continuous entertainment including performances by a Bavarian dance group dressed in traditional costumes and live music plus an awesome selection of food and beverages make this ethnic celebration very special.  For more information, call 302-366-9454 or go to www.visitwilmingtonde.com.

Taste of Newark
(September 28, 2014)
This annual culinary  festival is held on the picturesque Old College Lawn on the University of Delaware’s Main Campus in Newark, Delaware from 12 Noon to 3 PM.  Fifty of the area’s finest restaurants will be joined by more than 30 wine and beer distributors.  For more information, go to www.enjoydowntownnewark.com/events.

Rivertowns Ride & Festival
(October 4, 2014)
This one-day community festival and cycling event is held simultaneously in two of Delaware’s waterfront towns:  Delaware City and Historic New Castle.  The 10-mile cycling event along the Route 9 corridor which connects the two towns attracts both competitive cyclists and recreational bikers.  Cycling time trials start at 11 AM from Historic New Castle to Delaware City and the recreational bike rides begin at 12 Noon.  Both towns host simultaneous family festivals and craft beer festivals.  For more information, go to www.rivertownsfestival.com

Vendemmia Wine Festival 
(October 12, 2014; Rain Date is October 19, 2014)
This festival is Wilmington’s biggest fall party.  Over 3,000 wine enthusiasts gather in Tubman-Garrett Park on the Wilmington Riverfront to celebrate the Harvest of the Grapes.  From 2 PM to 6 PM, sample fine wines from every region in Italy and delicacies prepared by 25 of the area’s best restaurants and bakeries.  Festivities include live music by four bands, homemade wine and gravy contests and a silent auction.  For more information, go to www.societadavinci.com orwww.visitwilmingtonde.com.

Chrysanthemum Festival
(October 25-November 23, 2014)
Chrysanthemums take center stage at Longwood Gardens.  More than 200,000 blooming chrysanthemums are arranged in amazing configurations inside Longwood’s four-acre indoor Conservatory.   Of particular note is the magnificent Thousand Bloom Mum with more than 1,100 perfect yellow blooms.  Outside, chrysanthemums, gourds and giant pumpkins decorate the grounds.  For more information, go towww.longwoodgardens.org  or www.visitwilmingtonde.com.

Wilmington Beer Week
(November 1-November 8, 2014)
This weeklong celebration of craft beer features Greater Wilmington’s premier craft beer restaurants.  Special events include prix-fixe menus, tap takeovers, opportunities to meet the brewers and firkin parties.  For more information, go towww.wilmingtonbeerweek.com.

Fringe Festival: Live
(November 19-November 23, 2014)
This five-day celebration of unconventional and experimental art returns with a twist; the festival will be staged three times during the year starting in November and returning in February and May.  Live Fringe, the November segment, showcases edgy performances by local regional and national artists and features improvisation, dance, comedy, clown, magic, drama and musical theatre in a variety of venues throughout Wilmington.  For more information go to www.fringede.org.

Bob and Barb "On The Road Again"
Bob and Barb “On The Road Again” in Delaware this weekend!