It has become a tradition for me to celebrate my birthday by climbing the scenic Stelvio Pass, in the Italian Alps. It is something that I look forward to, plan,…
Last summer, at about this exact time, Alvis and I journeyed to Gothenburg, Sweden to attend an Ed Sheeran concert. And ended up falling in love with Sweden’s second largest…
As a designer of homes, I am always looking at the quality of solid stone surfaces. To be fair, I can spend hours researching, looking at, touching and imagining how…
Last week, during a particularly sunny and warm morning, I laced up my sneakers and headed out on a long training run. I was still feeling the joy of completing…
In my native language of Latvian, the words ‘Vecās Pēdās’ literally translate into ‘old footprints’, and they elegantly describe our recent trip to Prague. Alvi and I first visited Prague…
I am not sure if I should even disclose this, but my little family harbours a secret. I have tried to keep this secret, but in the past two years…
So, there we are, on an extreme downhill forest trail, struggling to hold our bikes from crashing down the mountain, when after taking several steps, I feel explosive, mind-numbing, searing…
UMAMI IN MODENA – Part 2 Parmigiano = of the Parma area Reggiano = of the Reggio area The definition of Parmigiano Reggiano: The legally protected (by both Italian and…
UMAMI IN MODENA Balsamic vinegar tasting One cold December Sunday, while enjoying a roaring fire and a cup of tea, Alvis exclaimed to me, ‘Holy Cow! The Rolling Stones are…
“Music making is the most joyful activity possible, the most perfect expression of any emotion.” Luciano Pavarotti One autumn day in 1988, my father asked if I had any…