Baba's (Mediterranean) Kitchen

09/12/2026

One final stop before coming home to Baltimore: Lisbon. This city was my first major expedition post-Baba’s, and at the time was anticlimactic. I stayed in Alfama: too touristy, too steep and just too cold. THIS TIME I stayed in Santos, and was overjoyed with the architecture, food, and warmth emanating from the streets. I also reconnected with close friends Dave Forer and Katia Canton, which made my end of trip, and for that matter the whole 6 week voyage, complete! 🙂🇵🇹❤️

09/06/2026

On this trip I inadvertently found myself in the Canary Islands, visiting my good friend Kalpana (originally from mid-90’s Austin days). The people of Gran Canaria were kind and gentle, calmly living life seemingly light years away from the tumult of the modern world. We took a trip to seaside sand dunes and a 1,940 meter mountaintop that were both breathtaking, as was the ease of the lifestyle on the ocean front promenade.

09/04/2026

After Barcelona with Courtney Malvik, I did a 6 day hike on the Camino de Santiago del Norte between Bilbao and Santiago, with my good friends Jodi and Bob. Northern Spain was incredibly challenging and still incredibly beautiful, as we connected to the coastline, nature and small medieval towns.

08/28/2026

08/28/2026

Barcelona was as impressive as it gets. Courtney Malvik and I enjoyed a Real Madrid-Espanyol match, multiple forms of Gaudi including the jaw dropping Sagrada Família, and the indescribable Montserrat at sunrise. We were so impressed by the pace and comfort of the city, including the artwork graffiti immersed in it. And of course being a food guy, I can’t help but highlight the tastes and foods through the city that were fresh and fantastic! Barcelona: I’ll miss you but will be back! 😊🇪🇸

08/19/2026

Next Euro-stops: Ghent (Belgium), Paris (one of my favorite cities in the world) and 1300’s Papal HQ Avignon. The crowd in the park was us watching the solar eclipse, which was super cool, as this whole trip has been!

08/13/2026

After experiencing the amazingly beautiful tundra of Iceland, I ventured to London, England for a week. More diverse, and ethnographically deeper and richer. I saw the Pride musical, visited Ted’s Richmond, saw the bizarre sport of cricket, and spent quality time with David and Annabel (from my Cape Horn trip) and Chris and Ann (from my Danube trip with Courtney). I especially loved hanging out in Covent Garden, and may have fallen in love with London for the very first time.

08/06/2026

My (and by proxy Baba’s) 2026 trip to Europe starts in Iceland, a country of raw beauty and incredible food, with my long-time old friend Rich. One country down, five to go… 😊

03/04/2026

The final chapter of my South American excursion landed in Cartagena, Colombia (w/an “O”, not a U), an amazing Latin American walled-in city, where I was happily joined by Courtney Malvik. We island hopped, went to literally one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to (Celele), and went to the Anthony Bordain-approved (though for us, less so) Bazurto Market. It was a great end to an exploratory visit to our neighbors in the far, far south 😊

02/28/2026

Nearing the end of my S. America trip… Cusco and the amazing Machu Picchu. The only injustice is that there is no way these pictures can capture the grandness of the Andes and this city wonder.