Questions Remain...

A few more questions have hit the comments section in the last week or two, so I'm going to take the opportunity to answer them now.

From Petra Bellejambes of Voyages en Rose:

What is your go-to summer cocktail hour wine?

Always a tough one for me, since I'm such a big fan of the earthy reds.

On a hot summer day, though, nothing will cool you down quicker than the Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc from Chateau Ste. Michelle. Otherwise, I'll be more than happy to watch the sun set with a glass of Cakebread Napa Valley Chardonnay.

Also from Petra:

Do you take the time to hand wash your finery?

Depends.

For leg wear yes. 100% yes. Always. Particularly for sheerer hosiery, hand wash is a must unless you like going through pairs of hose at an alarming rate.

For lingerie, on the other hand, for the most part I like to, but it doesn't always happen. For the more expensive stuff, I always hand wash. If its a delicate fabric such as tulle or lace I always will. If its something I'm particularly attached to I still will. But if its VS cotton that I bought at their 5 for $25 promotion...yeah, those are going in the washing machine.

For lingerie that I do wash, I like to sink wash with Woolite. For hosiery, I swear by Hosiery Mate. With a 15 second wash, you're extending the life of your hosiery for countless wears. So yeah, I find it to be worth the time.

From Sher of Beneath the Crystal Stars:

Where have you been to in Europe and which was your favorite?

In the course of my lifetime, I've been lucky enough to make multiple trips to Italy, as well as visits to Ireland, England, France, and Portugal. I can actually say I've never had a bad time in Europe...well...except maybe when I was really young and my parents used to "drag" me there...but anyway.

Thinking back, I'm realizing that every trip I've made to Europe has been centered around eating. I mean, sure, there was sightseeing, shopping, and in some cases, visiting with family and/or friends. But my idea of soaking up the culture has always been sampling the local fare (to say nothing of the wine...or sometime beer as the case may be). To me, a perfect day in Europe is starting the day at a sidewalk cafe, ending it in a restaurant, and if I've found the time, mix in some shopping and sightseeing in between.

It's really tough to pick a favorite, but I'm going to go with Italy, and more specifically, Florence. It's really the ultimate city. It's got a ton of history, plenty of shopping, and the right amount of nightlife. But most importantly, its in Tuscany. In other words, the eating and drinking can't really be topped. And what could be better than that?