As most of you probably know, I recently spent a month overseas. I thought it might be fun to gather all the best moments from our trip into one list.

1. The New York Marathon. Such a great race, well organised and a great result for G. It was also an excellent experience for me as a spectator. The official course map included colour-coded subway stations making it easy to cheer on G at different points. The crowd was the biggest and most enthusiastic that I’ve experienced.
2. & Juliet. Great fun, awesome singing and acting. Great seats and an audience there to enjoy themselves.
3. Dinner at The Dabney. We did not do the degustation, we did the fixed-price meal at the high-top tables in the bar. Fantastic cooking, great value, interesting food that made the most of the local ingredients and the massive fire taking centre-stage in the kitchen. The meal of the trip for me.
4. Pastrami at Katz Deli. This was one stop on our Lower East Side food tour and the pastrami was a revelation. I don’t like corn beef so I was unsure about pastrami, but you wouldn’t believe it could be so tasty and melt in your mouth. Our guide got us on a table and navigated the idiosyncracies of the ordering system.
5. The Egyptian wing at the Met. I just love old things.
6. Seeing in person the sights that form a backdrop in many of our favourite movies and TV shows. A little, almost daily thrill, in DC, NYC and Berlin.
7. Interacting with Secret Service Guy on my run … it’s the little things, people.
8. Roman Ruins in Brescia. See #5. Also sharing with G the ruins of the Roman houses that I visited by myself last time I was in Brescia.
9. The pasta class. Learning how to mix, roll and fold pasta by hand. I must try to make some tortellini and tortelloni soon before I forget how to do the folding.
10. Our day trip out to the food producers near Bologna. All the rules and procedures for their regional products are fascinating … plus, so much good food, wine and conversation.
11. Cremeria Cavour Gelato. On our second visit I had pistachio–always a risk that it might be made from imitation flavouring, but this was perfect and definitely made with real nuts.
12. Very Old Buildings, quaint winding streets. I love the old sections of Italian towns. All the narrow, winding streets, cute cut-throughs, and old buildings.
13. Bike tour in Berlin. Berlin is a great city for bike riding, very flat and good infrastructure … at least where we were. The guide was excellent and we covered a heap of ground.
14. A robot putting the windscreen in a Porsche Taycan. It was so good to be able to plan our trip around our son’s interests. I am not into cars or planes but wasn’t bored even after our fourth factory tour. A pleasant surprise. Our son’s favourite was the AMG engine factory.
15. Berlin’s fascinating history. Brought to life at The Wall Memorial, DDR museum, Templehoff Airport and Stasi Museum.
16. Dinner at Cube Restaurant. A spectacular setting, good food and our son really enjoyed this meal.
17. Drinking Mulled wine at a Christmas Market. Quintessential German experience ticked off.
18. Dachau. Not a fun highlight … but an important visit.