Chris' Travel Lounge

Winning is Predictable

2012-01-10T16:57:00.000-07:00

I’m off the road a few weeks, so I thought I’d share a blog from home this time. In between seminar seasons, I’ve enjoyed my favorite sport – American Football.

The “FRS - Find Your Fuel” television commercial featuring Tim Tebow sums up what it takes to be a winner – Determination. Tebow also clearly illustrates the point of this blog – winning is predictable.

So, after watching Nick Saban’s Alabama Football team win the NCAA National Championship last evening, and witnessing Tebow’s performance on Sunday when he led the Denver Broncos to an NFL playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, I was inspired to write about this topic.

First- Nick Saban and the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. Is Saban’s winning 3 NCAA National Football Championships coincidence? No. Luck? I don’t think so. I like the saying, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” To accomplish this major football triumph, it was neither luck nor coincidence. Winning is predictable.

The Alabama Crimson Tide Football program has a proud history of winning thanks to coaching legend Paul “Bear” Bryant. As the head coach at Alabama, he lead teams to six National Champions during the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Bryant, who earned his nickname by wrestling a bear at age 13, was known for being tough. As a college football player he played an entire game with a broken leg.

His toughness carried over into his coaching. In his first coaching job at Texas A&M University in 1954, upon arrival he began cleaning house. He felt that many of the players on the team were weak and not properly trained or coached. He decided that his players needed a camp away from the distractions on campus so he arranged for the camp to be held at the small town of Junction, Tx. The Junction Boys was the name given to the survivors of Bear Bryant’s 10 day summer football camp. There has been a book and a movie made in the same name.

The oppressive heat combined with the brutal practice schedule caused many players to drop out of the football program from illness or disgust. Practices began before dawn and usually lasted all day with meetings in the evening until 11:00 PM. The conditions were too much for many players and each day, there would be fewer and fewer players at practice as men would quit the team. By the end of the 10-day camp, only a fraction of those that started were left. In his first year as the head coach at Texas A&M only 35 of his 111 man roster made it through his brutal boot camp where he banned water breaks in 100 degree weather.

Recognized as one of the greatest coaches ever, he cited his 1-9 Texas A&M team of 1954 his favorite. Those that didn’t quit bonded together like no other team after learning what they were capable of. I remember my college football coach, Jim Butterfield, telling us stories about the Junction Boys during our summer camps. Coach Butterfield won three Division III Football National Championships for Ithaca College. Winning is contagious.

Bryant was old school. He might actually be the definition of old school. After some mediocre seasons in the 1990’s and 2000’s, The University of Alabama sought to return to its winning days. After all, Winning is Predictable.

In 2006 they searched for a new head football coach to turn their program around and bring them back into National Championship contention. They looked to Nick Saban, who had won a National Championship as coach of Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2003 and who was coaching in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins. Saban arrived at Alabama a year later, and by 2009, Alabama had won another National Championship. Winning is predictable.

Saban and Alabama won again last night in total dominance over the undefeated #1 team in the country shutting down their powerhouse offense only allowing them to cross the 50 yard line once in the entire game. Renowned announcer Brett Musburger commented on the incredible coaching effort of Saban. In fact, it wasn’t until three minutes left in the game that Alabama received its first penalty of the entire game.

When Courtney Upshaw was handed the award for defensive MVP, he said the whole Alabama defense deserved it and handed it to his teammates. When Nick Saban was asked about becoming the first coach to win three BCS national championships, he talked about the performances of his players. When Heisman Trophy finalist Trent Richardson talked about scoring only one touchdown in what was, for him, a subpar game, he said that what mattered was winning it. That team-first attitude coming from the top down, as much as anything, won Saban and the Crimson Tide its second national championship in three years.

Musburger added, “I think the winner of this game walks off as a legend.” Saban is a legend. Saban becomes one of only ten college coaches to win three National Championships. Winning is predictable.

There are so many other examples that come to mind. Imagine collegiate and NFL Archie Manning star having two sons that go on to start at the Quarterback position for Division I Football programs, both go on to be No. 1 Draft picks in the NFL draft and both go on to win Super Bowls. Coincidence? No. Winning is predictable.

Currently featured on Fox NFL Sunday, Jimmy Johnson was the first football coach whose teams won both the National Championship and the Super Bowl. wins No matter the sport …Sisters Venus and Serena Williams becoming World leading Tennis Champions. Winning is predictable.

TEBOW

… and last but not least, Tim Tebow. I’ve lived my life by the adage, “Successful people do the things that unsuccessful people don’t want to do.” Whether it was on the playing field, in the practice, on the lecture circuit, or in my relationships, this adage served me well.

Tim Tebow’s favorite quote is, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” So as NFL analysts compute his passing efficiency, Tebow throws a the winning touchdown pass in the NFL Playoffs leading his team to a playoff win. Tebow becoming the starting Quarterback for the Denver Broncos or winning last week’s playoff game wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t luck. It was predictable. Winning is predictable.

While the media has caused a broader audience to follow Tebow recently, he’s been a winner all his life. Just have a brief look at his resume:

Winner of the James E. Sullivan Award as the Nation’s most outstanding amateur athlete in any sport
Two-time winner of the Maxwell Award as the Nation’s top College Football player
Winner of the Davey O’Brien Award as the Nation’s Best College Quarterback
First-ever sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy
Winner of two NCAA National Football Championships
First Round NFL Draft pick in 2010
Winner of the starting Quarterback position with the Denver Broncos

Winning is predictable.

With Tebow at the helm In 2008, early in the season, his University of Florida Football team lost to the University of Mississippi 31-30. In the post-game interview Tebow apologized and made a promise.

This promise led his team to the National Championship game. Watch his determination, confidence and conviction in his halftime rally speech to his team mates in this game. The intensity is palpable.

Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators went on to win the National Championship Game that season. Winning is predictable.

So whether or not Tebow’s Denver Broncos advance any further in the NFL Playoffs this year, Tim Tebow has proven that he can be a starting Quarterback in the NFL. He’s a first class individual and an inspiring leader – traits that will carry him throughout everything he accomplishes in his life. Winning is predictable.

Relationship expert and motivational speaker Mel Robbins talks about how to get anything you want in life. Simply stated, you have to harness the force required to step out of your comfort zone, be impulsive, and get things done – especially when you don’t feel like it. Successful people do the things that unsuccessful people don’t want to do.

~My thoughts from the Lounge.

2011 is Yesterday

2011-12-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

'Cause yesterday's got nothin' for me
Old pictures that I'll always see
Time just fades the pages
In my book of memories
~Yesterdays, Guns N’ Roses

Each December, it’s time to wind down at the end of a busy year. The term, “Busy”, is relative. I like the adage, “if you want to get something done, give it to a busy person.” You’ll find in this year-end blog, that I was busy. At least I think so. I logged over 210,000 air miles in my travels in 2011 and it was an absolutely incredible year. I don’t blog as often as I should, so here’s my year in review beginning with that which is fresh in my mind – the GN’R show this week!

On December 27, 2011 my wife and I were in the pit for the Gun N’ Roses concert in Phoenix. Prior to arriving at the show, I have to admit that I was kind of “anti-Axl” biased. Maybe it was from what I had read about the band’s break-up or his feud with Slash. I’ve seen Slash in Velvet Revolver and Snakepit since, but regardless, I guess I missed the days of GN’R, the band I grew up with, the music of my high school and College days.

I hadn’t seen the band live since they opened for Aerosmith at Weedsport Speedway in New York in 1988. It was on that tour that Sweet Child O’ Mine went #1, and their album, Appetite for Destruction, also went #1. I remember that they stole the show from Aerosmith – as a matter of fact, Rolling Stone showed up to do a story on Aerosmith on that tour, but Guns N’ Roses ended up on the cover of the magazine.

Axl Rose’s voice was better than ever and despite the unfamiliarity of the new band members, the setlist and the music were sensational. Like many other fans, I’m hoping that the original band members can come together for a jam during their upcoming induction to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

For me, this was the entertainment event of the year. For my wife, she loved Sebastian Bach and the Skid Row tunes that he rocked as the opening act.

As we get ready to toast to 2012, here’s a look back at a fantastic 2011.

January 1, 2011 - Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix Tailgating with Dr. Chris Pierce. A gracious and generous man, Chris has the beers poured – literally on the tailgate – for everyone else and savors the last drop for himself in true Pierce style!

January 10, 2011 – BCS National Championship Game in Phoenix unfortunately sees the Oregon Ducks fall to Auburn.

January 14, 2011 – Our Impulse Adjusting Team Exhibits at the Las Vegas Parker Seminars.

We adjusted over 400 people at the conference with the Impulse iQ Adjusting Instruments.

With the Washington Redskins cheerleaders at Parker Las Vegas.

January 24, 2011 – Ozzy Osbourne concert in Phoenix – Slash opens the show.

January 29-30, 2011 – Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Pittsburgh, PA and our visit to Hydeholde (blogged on Jan 29, 2011)

February 6, 2011 – Super Bowl party at the Colloca residence with my favorite fans …

February 7, 2011 – Visit to the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort (blogged on February 9, 2011)

February 12, 2011 – Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Orlando, Florida. In striking distance to my favorite restaurant in the World, Bern’s. My brother, John flew in from New York just for dinner to join his soon to be wed son, John H, and I for a “mature bachelor party” Bern’s style = 5 hours for food and fine wine! Here were some of the courses …

Oysters two ways … paired a 1978 Mersault in honor of John H’s birth year.

Pan seared Foie Gras paired with Sauternes just may be my brother John’s favorite starter….

… and where else can you find these kind of vintages on a commercial wine list ??? We ordered a course of duck just to accompany the 1970 Hardy’s St. Thomas Burgandy.

As I’ve blogged before, Bern’s does everything over the top …Caesar salad is prepared tableside … and for the main course … the decision was easy … Chateaubriand… their specialty, paired with some a horizontal of 1993 Bordeaux… This, was an evening we’ll remember for a while!

February 19, 2011 – Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Charlotte, North Carolina

February 25, 2011 – My nephew John and Lauren’s wedding in West Palm Beach, Florida was a family celebration for the ages!

Mindy and I with my Dad – who turns 96 this year and still lives at home. I’m so proud of my Dad!

March 5, 2011 – My brother, Joe, and I attend the Fingerlakes Grape Growers Conference in Waterloo, NY to learn how to care for my vineyard in Fair Haven, NY. I took the opportunity to visit the vineyard … in March, there are some pretty winter scenes…

The property is known as West Bay Estate, and the vineyard is called the Lake Effect Vineyard® which I trademarked a couple of years ago. The name reflects the microclimate of the property, nestled on the shores of Little Sodus Bay, an inlet of the Great Lake Ontario, where the cool air of summer keeps the vines cool, and the lake-effect of winter blankets the vines with snow protecting them from winter injury.

March 12, 2011 – Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Orange County, California affords the opportunity to take our kids to Disneyland for the first time. This is one happy little Tinkerbell!

March 17-18, 2011 – Association of Chiropractic Colleges/Research Agenda Conference in Las Vegas.

March 19-20, 2011 – Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Columbus, Ohio.

March 26-27, 2011 – Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Boston, Massachusetts … and no visit to Boston is complete without seeking out some seafood. The Island Creek Oyster Bar was awesome!

April 2-3, 2011 – Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Seattle.

Those that know me know that when I’m in Seattle – I make it a point to visit Ray’s Boathouse.

Oysters, smoked salmon, and fresh Dungeness crab at Ray’s …. literally, “Off the hook!”

April 7-10, 2011 – The Impulse Adjusting Team travels to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the World Federation of Chiropractic Congress where we exhibited and I presented a scientific platform presentation.

Here are some pictures from the visit… Our booth was buzzing!

April 16-17, 2011 – Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Toronto, Canada.

April 24, 2011 – Easter celebration at the Farm at South Mountain, in Phoenix.

“Look, it’s the Easter Bunny!”

April 30-May 1, 2011 – Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Bournemouth, UK.

May 2-4, 2011 – Quick pop over to Antwerp, Belgium where white asparagus is in season.

This is the land of Belgian beer and chocolates.

I was an invited guest of the “Peace of Cake” Cooking club on the Tuesday evening. We made Sole Meuniere and Rack of Lamb … fantastic!

May 14-15, 2011 – Impulse Adjusting Seminar in San Francisco, California

May 18-21, 2011 – Visit to Beijing, China

The evening street market is wild … they are selling everything from snake to starfish, and scorpions on a stick.

May 27-29, 2011 – Our fifth (almost) annual Memorial Day weekend with the DMX gang in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.

The turquoise water at the sandbar allows for swimming with the stingrays ….

June 8-12, 2011 – Trip to Iceland (blogged on June 21, 2011).

June 14-17, 2011 – Trip to Gothenburg, Sweden (blogged on June 21, 2011) attending the orthopedic conference, International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, where I presented a scientific paper on the effects of vector on vertebral motions.

June 27, 2011 – Thank goodness for upgrades … our last opportunity for Kai to fly for free as a lap … the seats are big enough for both kids to nap on the plane while Mom has a cup of coffee … with Baileys?

The sure sign that summer begins when we put the docks in at West Bay Estate.

July 1, 2011 – Nik and Dillon prepare the Colloca Wines float for the Fair Haven, NY July 4th Parade.

There she is, ready to set sail in the parade!

Melia and with her cousin, Ethan (in green grapes), [Left], and with her Aunt Anne [right] on the float in the parade.

Man, do I like a microphone and a crowd … We won the Dr. Hanford award in the parade for most original entry!

Summer fun in NY with my fishing companion and friends.

July 17, 2011 – Our third annual Paella on the Bay-a bash at West Bay Estate.

Serious Paella:
~22 lbs. of rice
~40 lbs. of chicken
~40 lbs. of lobster
~40 lbs. of shirmp
~20 lbs. of clams
~10 lbs. of mussels
~25 lbs. of onions and peppers
~Fresh saffron, etc and yumminesses to feed 150+.

August 15, 2011 – Summer fun continues at the vineyard. Our second year vines have reached the fruit wire and we began training them to a cordon for vertical shoot positioning. This means, perhaps, a 2012 harvest?

Setting the trusses on our new 3500 sq. ft. garage at West Bay Estate.

The final product.

Construction begins on our outdoor bathrooms on the property for events expansion.

August 17-21, 2011 – Quick trip to Shanghai to lecture at an international conference on spinal manipulation.

September 10-11, 2011 –Impulse Adjusting seminar in Islip, New York. A great excuse to visit my brother John and family and grab some Long Island Oysters.

September 17-18, 2011 –Impulse Adjusting seminar in Portland, Oregon and a visit with Drs. Chris and Huma Pierce to one of our favorites …. the Willamette Valley.

Argyle’s cellar door in Dundee …. as Chris Pierce says, “time to bubble-up.”

This is Pinot country and the vines are luscious in fall.

September 24-25, 2011 –Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Tampa, FL … and yes, another visit to Bern’s (blogged September 2, 2011).

September 30, 2011 – Visit to my alma mater, Life University, in Marietta, GA to honor Dr. William M. Harris’ “Red Hat Day” to support this scholarship program.

October 1-2, 2011 –Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

October 8-9, 2011 –Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Kansas City, Missouri.

October 15-16, 2011 –Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Chicago, Illinois.

October 22-23, 2011 –Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Louisville, Kentucky.

October 29-30, 2011 –Impulse Adjusting Seminar at the Ohio State Chiropractic Association.

November 1-4, 2011 –North American Spine Society Conference in Chicago, Illinois where I Karl Rove was a Keynote speaker.

I found oysters at the cool and trendy Publican Restaurant while in Chicago.

We visited the Michelin Star Restaurant, Everest, on the 40th floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange. The Alsatian chef, Joho, is highly acclaimed, however the consensus from our table was that it was vastly overpriced and over rated.

Another evening, we dined on big steaks and stone crab at Joe’s where you couldn’t possibly go wrong – and as upscale as Joe’s is, it was more than half the price of Everest.

November 12-13, 2011 –Impulse Adjusting Seminar in Atlanta. The family accompanied me on this trip and we visited Stone Mountain and the Georgia Aquarium

November 17-19, 2011 – Traveled to Brussels, Belgium to speak at the Annual Brussels International Spine Symposium.

November 28-30, 2011 – Flew to Auckland, New Zealand and met with New Zealand College of Chiropractic president, Dr. Eric Russell.

December 5-11, 2011 – Traveled to Adelaide, Australia for our annual research collaboration.

We visited all of the Cellar Doors that have become known as my favorites and ate at the acclaimed Appellation Restaurant in the Barossa Valley.

We also visited our friend Karina’s new tasting room and restaurant, Taste Eden Valley, which is a must stop for anyone visiting the area.

There is nothing like a vineyard tasting …

Most exciting, however, was being able to taste my 2010 wines that I had arranged to be made in my own style.

About 250 cases each of Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux Blend, Old Vine Grenache, and Shiraz have been aging in barrel for nearly two years and await importation to the USA for us to carry on the Colloca label at our tasting room in Fair Haven.

My winemaker, Alex, arranged a private tasting of the wines and to discuss the finishing and transport to the USA. I couldn’t have been more pleased.

December 15, 2011 – My little Boy, Kai’s, 2nd birthday party and Melia’s Christmas performance at School.

December 18, 2011 – Our company Christmas party at the Colloca residence has grown to 40+

December 24, 2011 – Christmas eve at Grandma and Grandpa’s.

December 27, 2011 – GN’R Show (see above).

December 31, 2011 – a quiet New Year’s Eve at home with family.

In 2012 may all of your dreams come true!

Thanks for visiting the Lounge! See you in 2012

Bern’s Remains my #1 Tampa, Florida

2011-09-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

Bern’s is my favorite restaurant in the World. When visiting Orlando, I’ve driven to Tampa, just to have dinner at Bern’s. I’ve flown across the country just to have dinner at Bern’s. I’ve even flown my brother from New York to meet me in Tampa so he could join me for dinner at Bern’s.

This time, I a held a seminar in Tampa … you guessed it … just to have dinner at Bern’s. It was another epic evening.

So, whenever the topic of conversation brings up “Tampa”, I always ask, “Have you been to Bern’s?” Eyes light up and its the same story each time – incredible service, incredible meal, and incredible story.

Liking something comes from inside. You resonate with it, you share the same values with it, you relate to it, or maybe you want to inspire to be like it. A favorite takes it a step further. Favorites are deeper feelings earned from repetition and consistency that reinforces our belief. A favorite means loyalty to the brand.

“Why is Bern’s your favorite?” I’ve been asked. It’s not something I can relate in a sentence or two. It’s a story that takes time to tell. The analytical thought used to describe “why” I like Bern’s comes from the neocortex part of the brain. In reality, the reason I am a Bern’s fanatic, is much deeper rooted in my Limbic System, the part of the brain where emotions arise. That’s why its difficult to explain, because of this disconnect.

Sure, I learned this in school, but my recent read of the book, Start With Why, by Simon Sinek brought it back to my consciousness. It also made me realize why I like Bern’s so much. Simon’s book explains why we connect with certain brands, and why some companies . It’s not “what” they do – There are lots of Steakhouses, and I dined at the best of them. It’s not “how” they do it – many restaurants can serve up service. It’s the “why”. The “why” is the story of Bern’s.

More importantly, I learned the story of Bern’s first hand from the Bern’s waiters over the years. The “why” is Bern’s uncontested commitment to quality in everything he did. He searched the world to build wine list. He purchased land to grow his own vegetables to be served. He made space for a meat locker to age his own prime beef. He created an in house bakery for breads and desserts. He developed a training program for the service staff to communicate these details to customers. That is the secret sauce.

Bern’s commitment to quality was engrained in the employees. The kitchen staff knew that all evening, the waiters would be brining diners though for a tour. Thus, cleanliness and efficiency would be showcased. When a company can get employees on board with their vision they are in it for the right reasons and for the long haul.

Bern’s wait staff goes through years of training and even have to take a test of their knowledge before they are released to the public. Different colored ties indicate the level of seniority of the waiters. Some have been there for decades.

Our reservation at 7 pm, I arrived at the restaurant 30 minutes early to study the wine list and prepare selections for the evening. From experience, I knew that Bern’s had a 500,000 + bottle wine collection – believed to be the largest private collection in the World, and I needed some alone time to study it.

A 1947 Double Magnum of Chateau Latour on the Bern’s list for $30,000, was found unknowingly among other wines in the Cellar last year.

The 181 page list reads like a novel to wine lovers. There are bottles hundreds of years old and verticals of Bordeuax and Burgandy that would make a King envious. Bern Laxer, the restaurant’s founder began the restaurant in 1956 and fell in love with wine in the 1960’s. He purchased bottles for $2-$3.00 that today are worth hundreds. Some 90,000 bottles are stored beneath the restaurant and the rest across the street in a temperature controlled warehouse. You can tell that’s where they are, as the waiter explains, because the building doesn’t have any windows.

My friends arrived, and we were escorted to our table.

From the reception room, the atmosphere boasts tradition. Bern acquired pieces from his trips to Europe and many of the wall hangings were obtained from old theatres. Gaudy and outdated, a casual observer may think, but that is exactly the point. You are beginning a new experience – one where Caesar salad is prepared tableside, where wine is poured with candle flame assistance. Tradition means going back in time when quality and trust were the norm, not the exception (more credit to Simon Sinek here).

As the evening began, I ordered a bottle of Mumm Cordon Brut Rose (NV). It arrived and upon opening the cork didn’t expand and the bubbles were minimal. My suspicion that the wine was bad was confirmed on the palate and another bottle was quickly fetched. Again, the same. The apologetic sommelier recommended the Piper Heidsieck Burt Rose Sauvage (NV), which was on the mark. Champagne in hand, we were able to browse the menu. Oh, by the way, the reason I have the labels from the evening is because the waiter went to the trouble of having the bottles soaked and removed the labels placing them on Bern’s remembrance cards for us to take home.

Bern’s motto is, “we do things differently here.” It’s not just a motto, it’s the truth. The menu is filled with traditional Entrees from Duck to Fish, but the highlight are the steaks. Bern’s steaks are U.S. Prime only and aged 5-8 weeks, cut to order trimmed of fat and broiled over real charcoal. Bern’s lists their steaks by cut – Filet Mignon, Chateaubriand, Delmonico, Strip Sirloin, Porterhouse, and T-Bone – and then by the serving size in ounces. You simply choose your cut and size and each steak is hand cut to order in the kitchen. I knew that the menu discussion at our table would warrant another bottle of wine, so when the Champagne was served, I ordered a bottle of 1994 Domaine Weinbach Pinot Blanc to enjoy.

I visited Domaine Weinbach in Alsace, France, in 2001 and had personally been poured this wine by the owner, Catherine Faller. I knew it would be a great wine to start with.

Complimentary cheese toast arrived to prime the palate and went well with the Pinot Blanc.

Our Appetizers came next, which we shared. The Bern’s Original Steak Tartare is hand chopped flank steak with red bell peppers, shallot wine, and egg yolk.

The Foie Gras a la Plancha arrived with truffle roasted wild mushrooms and a Napa Valley Merlot reduction that melted in your mouth. The shrimp cocktail was colossal.

I ordered a 1994 Domaine Gerard Chavy & Fils Puligny-Montrachet to accompany the apps. This French White Burgandy is from the finest expression of chardonnay that has set the standard for this varietal around the world.

We put in our Entree orders and four of us decided to share a 48 oz Chateaubriand. Like the foie gras, it also melts in your mouth. Unlike other steakhouses, where salads and vegetables are ordered ala carte for an additional $10 a piece, Bern’s included these dinner accompaniments with the entree. All the more money to spend on wine.

I ordered a 1986 Newton Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. After all, how often do you find a 25 year old Napa Cab on a wine list?

Bern’s French Onion Soup Au Gratin was served, followed by their Steak House Salad. To accompany the steak, we took advantage of the older vintage Bordeaux wines on the menu.

1973 was an off vintage – which is probably why the ‘73 Chateau Cheval Blanc was only $150. Bordeaux First Growth’s are exclusive and expensive. To put it in perspective, the ‘82 was $5,900. To give you an example of the depth of Bern’s list, they offered ‘06, ‘05, ‘04, ‘03, ‘02, ‘00', ‘98, ‘95, ‘93, ‘82, ‘73, ‘66, ‘64, ‘38, ‘30, ‘25, and ‘23 of Cheval Blanc alone. You can most likely find your birth year of some wine here no matter your age.

Cheval Blanc is the wine popularized in the movie, Sideways, that Miles cherished and finally drank with a Burger proving the point that there is no time like the present. It made for great table conversation, but for me, this was a wine experience. It had an earthy nose with dark fruits, cherry and tobacco on the palate.

We kept the sommelier and waiter busy, as side by side to accompany the main course we had a horizontal of two more 1993 Bordeaux’s. Chateau Cos D’Estournel and Chateau Leoville Barton, both places I visited on a 2008 trip to Bordeaux, were special wines to enjoy. Having them side by side allowed for comparisons and even more enjoyment.

As the meal wound down, the energy at our table continued to rise as we knew what would come next – a tour of the kitchen and the wine cellar. This experience is terrific each time, but when you have a newcomer with you, it’s so enjoyable to see their amazement of a restaurant willing to share this with you.

Our glasses were nearly empty and with the tour set to begin, I ordered one more wine, a 1994 Chateau La Louviere, from the Graves region of Bordeaux. I had also been fortunate enough to visit this Chateau and I knew their wine from that visit.

Wine in hand, we were escorted through the kitchen to see the action. Stations were assigned for vegetables, salads, even croutons – made from scratch. Bean sprouts are grown on trays to top salads, and even the coffee beans are roasted in house at another station. The stainless steel countertops were personally fabricated for the kitchen and you got the feeling that nothing is left to chance here. It’s all been designed for the vision of the owner.

The kitchen leads down to the stairs to the wine cellar. From floor to ceiling the wines are stacked and arranged to their own inventory system for efficient retrieval. Being invited into this cellar is like being invited into someone’s personal den.

The evening wasn’t over. In homage to Englishman Mr. Harry Waugh, an internationally known and respected wine connoisseur, and former director of Chateau Latour (and a friend of Bern Laxer's), the restaurant created an upstairs dessert room where diners can adjourn. Bern got the idea from a visit to Harry’s home where after a delicious meal, Harry and his wife invited the Laxer’s to their drawing room where they werer served vintage Port, Stilton Cheese, and old bonded vintage Cognac, coffee, cigars and “the warmest, most relaxed conversation possible.”

Seven years after that experience, the Harry Waugh Dessert Room opened. Here, several hundred dessert wines, from Port to Madeira and sweet white wines are offered by the ounce, and you can taste 100-year-old Madeiras and Ports to your heart's content or wallet's resilience.

The entire upstairs is designed in a series of alcoves and the rooms are designed with portals that look like large wine casks, so there is privacy for everyone. They range in size from an intimate setting for two to a larger room that can easily accommodate 10 to 12. There, we had Bananas Foster prepared tableside while sipping on a Bern’s coffee and 20 year old Sherry.

It was now midnight. How could five hours pass so quickly? Maybe it was the wine? As Simon Sinek explains in “Start With Why”, Bern’s passion for food and wine together with his commitment to quality and service were the standards on which he built his leadership. You could hear the pride exude from the waiter as we were given the tours. Bern’s passion was contagious and even after his passing, his son, David, has been able to carry the vision of his father through by abiding to these same principles. Bern Laxer’s original philosophy was, “The customer must come back.” Simply stated, “I’ll be back.”

Iceland and the Edge of the Arctic

2011-06-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

A traditional two mast Icelandic schooner that took us to the Arctic Circle

A scientific spine conference in Gothenburg, Sweden paved the way for an adjoined side trip to meet up with two friends in Iceland – a place I’ve never been. Connecting in Boston from Phoenix, the domestic segment was longer than the flight from Boston to Reykjavik (4.5 hrs), Iceland’s capital.

The church of Hallgrimur in the heart of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, whose steeple rises 220’ is higher than any other building on the city landscape

Our Hotel Odinsve was in the middle of the city, near the striking historic church.

I arrived in the morning and after a quick shower and breakfast we were off to explore the nearby area. I had read briefly about Iceland and its active volcanoes, green valleys, glacier-cut fjords, and raving waterfalls and was anxious to see its beauty.

Iceland’s landscape looks a bit like something out of Planet of the Apes – with a lunar landscape feel.

The volcanic soils make for black sand beaches and rugged terrain. There are few cars on the road and you have a feeling that there are still some less traveled roads in this world that remain.

In the distance we saw steam exiting the ground marking the site of sulphur springs called Krysuvik - Seltun.

The steaming sulfuric pools were excavated out of the land and a walking trail installed to allow visitors to walk among the geothermic display of nature.

It’s an awesome display of the earth’s energy when you appreciate the contrast between the cold air on your face and the boiling pools around you. I shot a quick video that you can view below.

A short drive brought us to Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon, a geothermic spa that is a must see for any foreigner visiting the island.

The entrance walks you through a volcanic lava field brining you to the entrance to the spa.

After checking in, visitors take a shower and move outside through the frigid air to quickly submerge into the blue water.

The spa holds six million liters of geothermal seawater, which is renewed every 40 hours. The seawater originates 6500’ below the ground heated by the earth’s natural forces. Coming in contact with cooling magma it captures the earths’ minerals including a high concentration of silica, resulting in its unique blue color.

We soaked in this natural wonder for over an hour. There were areas that felt like a luke warm bathwater, and others that were really hot forcing us to only stay there briefly. We saw the women around us putting the silica on their faces – since that must be the thing to do, we promptly followed suit.

The next morning we set of from Reykjavik to the North flying to Akureyri where we were driven to the seaside village of Husavik.

Flying domestically in Iceland today is what it was like to fly in the USA thirty years ago. No identification needed at check in, no security screening – it was amazing to witness.

As we flew to the North, snow capped mountains were intermixed with green fields and rivers.

Husavik is a small fishing village where we private chartered a schooner from North Sailing to take us to the edge of the Arctic Circle.

Our schooner, Haukur, is a traditional made 50’ wooden vessel used commonly to take groups whale watching. Our excursion planned for an overnight journey to Grimsey, a small Island, 25 miles North of Iceland situated directly on the Arctic Circle.

So while the boat’s capacity is 46, it was just the three of us plus the captain and first mate/cook.

With our warm clothes packed, we set out on our journey to the edge of the arctic.

Cruising to the bay of Skjalfandi, we began our trip by doing some whale watching. We saw two Humpback Whales and some Minke Whales also.

The Humpback Whales surfaced and rolled to the awe of us all.

The Minke Whale is the most common whale seen in the bay. The captain told us that the Blue Whale had been sighted the day before so we intently watched the sea for its presence. I hadn’t really thought about blue whales since I did a report on them in elementary school – they are the largest animal to ever live on Earth – some measuring 100’ long and weighing 200 tons.

Harbour porpoises swam with us as we approached Flatley Island – our stop for a hike while lunch was prepared on the boat.

The schooner moored offshore as we explored the tiny island. The natural beauty of this far away place was inspiring.

The island seemed deserted, yet the summer homes on the island should be occupied, after all it is June.

After a short walk and a brief rest, the schooner returned to the dock to fetch us.

Lunch was local pickled herring with brown bread, and lamb soup.

The sails were hoisted and we again set sail North for the Arctic Circle.

Before arriving at our port at Grimsey island we did some fishing. Robert landed the first cod.

David was next. I was feeling ill from rough seas and sat out this round of fishing.

With dinner secured, we landed at port in Grimsey.

The captain prepared the cod which was barbecued onboard.

We ate together onboard below deck and chatted about our eventful day. This is the land of the midnight sun, where daylight persists for 24 hours in summer as the Earth’s axis is tilted not allowing the sun to set at these latitudes.

The boat’s sidewalls served as sleeping quarters. It was a tight squeeze for me, but I soon realized how little room that I actually needed to sleep. From this experience, I told the guys that I was selling my house and moving my family into our master bedroom – which is really all we need.

Following breakfast the next morning, we circled Grimsey entering the Arctic Ocean and the Arctic Circle. The seas were rough so I traded off laying on deck with sitting and dreaming about the warmth of the Phoenix, Arizona Desert and the Blue Lagoon as we headed back to port at Husavik.

When you need a blanket over your snow suit, you know it’s cold!

As we neared Husavik, we stopped to fish again and this time I was feeling better. I landed this nice Haddock, one of my favorite fish, which went in the overhead compartment for our one hour flight back to Reykjavik.

The church overlooking the port at Husavik, Iceland

We delivered the fish to the front desk, as I placed the plastic bag on the counter and told them that we’d be back down in the restaurant in a half hour for dinner.

We started with a plate of Icelandic lobster tails and on the right is how the chef prepared the Haddock.

The next day, we decided to tour one of the local peninsula's near the capital city. The countryside ranges from grassy fields to volcanic rock, crystal clear lakes and snow capped mountains.

We stopped at Budahraun, an old lava field where a small church lies in the foreground of Icelandic mountains.

Not far outside of the city, you find the pristine beauty of Iceland.

Incredible natural waterfalls abound in Iceland.

We also drove to see the edge of the glacier.

A small restaurant where we stopped for lunch.

Driving along the sparsely populated roads of Iceland reveal a land of beauty.

Settled by Nordic people in the 9th Century, it’s the land of Vikings and folklore. It is said that when the Vikings first saw Iceland -- with volcanoes, black lava fields, sulfurous steam, and bubbling mud pools -- they thought they had discovered the entrance to the Netherworld.

Today’s Icelanders can trace their ancestry back thirty-four generations to these early explorers.

The Icelanders still today speak the language of the Vikings, and they had continued the tradition of patronymics rather than surnames – i.e. Icelander’s Christian name is followed by his or her father’s name and the suffix –son or –dottir.

Dinner that evening was at the Fish Market. A sashimi starter, followed by giant king crab claws with chili mayo began the meal before the main course of fresh line caught wild salmon.

The following day we trekked along the Golden Circle stopping at Strokkur, we stopped to see the world’s second largest Geyser erupt.

It’s not every day that you walk by boiling water in the ground as you stroll by.

A bit further down the road we came upon the waterfall Gullfoss.

And onward in our drive back to Reykjavik, there is nothing to see and everything to see all at the same time.

We departed Iceland for the conference in Gothenburg, Sweden, where of course less leisure time, and more business would be had. An afternoon outing took us by boat to tour the Harbor and see the beauty of this Scandinavian city.

Wind turbines line the harbor taking advantage of the natural energy of the region.

Summer cottages line the coast line.

We arrived to dock and hike up to a 14th Century Fortress. We were told that construction of the building took over 200 years to complete.

Dinner was served inside the fortress for a truly unique experience.

Speaking of dinner, the next evening, we dined at Gothenburg’s hip fish restaurant, FiskeKrogen.

A freshly caught ling cod garnished the fresh fish selections.

We began with an assortment of local seafood on a huge platter to share.

The main course was poached fillet of turbot served with white asparagus, Swedish caviar, champagne sauce and artichoke, which was fantastic.

The fresh turbot is shown to the right.

My visit to Iceland and Sweden was a memorable one and I hope you enjoyed this blog as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you.

Scottsdale’s Backyard Paradise

2011-02-09T05:13:00.000-07:00

South Pool Cabanas, The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, Scottsdale, AZ

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and to me, Arizona is a true paradise. I moved here fifteen years ago and still can’t believe that some 320-days per year we wake with blue skies and gorgeous weather. So many times, jewels are found right in your own backyard, and the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort is just that Jewel.

I had the opportunity to be a guest at the resort this week to do a site inspection for an upcoming conference at the property. I had been to the resort before, but not as a guest.

The resort is home to the Tournament Players Club, TPC Scottsdale, where the Phoenix Open Golf Tournament is played each year.

The course is fantastic and not as challenging as you might imagine. It has those special holes that are mesmerizing.

After checking out the pool scene, it was time for a Spa appointment at Willow Stream Spa.

The Spa offers a waterfall treatment where three intensities work your trap muscles while you sit in the whirlpool. This is a great warm up before massage. One could write an entire blog on the spa, suffice it to say, it’s all it’s cracked up to be.

After a stroll around the South pool, it was time for dinner at Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak on property.

The entrance shows off the restaurants’ wine cellar – heavily comprised of Napa Cabernet and not short on price.

Mina received two Michelin stars for his Restaurant in San Francisco, before expanding to now 16 Restaurants. Vision? Imagine this young chef, who hasn’t reached 40 yet, feeds more than 30,000 people each week at his restaurants to the tune of $94 million in revenues this past year. He was recently featured on the cover of Wine Spectator magazine where I learned of him.

Amuse Bouche (French for mouth amuser – a complimentary treat from the kitchen) to start is his signature duck fat fries – three ways with three sauces.

Yes, the fries were amusing to the mouth, but what was more amusing was the mark-up on the wine list. It’s always difficult for me to justify paying 2-3x markup for a wine at a restaurant that I have in my own cellar, but I think that I found 4x markup on this list. The ‘96 Araujo Cabernet that I poured along side a ‘00 New Year’s eve was $933.00. No, that’s not for a magnum – just a 750 ml. When asked my opinion of the list, I politely told the Sommelier that I’d like to sell him some of my wine. He gave me his card.

This engaged a nice chat and we found a justifiably priced Napa Cab wine made by Philipe Melka, CJ from Napa, his last bottle.

Napa cab is my favorite pairing for Cowboy Ribeye, and for me, there is no other choice on the menu at a steakhouse, unless they have bone in filet.

The recession certainly wasn’t showing its face in Scottsdale and it’s good to see prosperity and success in Chef Mina’s vision.

A Taste of Scotland at HYEHOLDE Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

2011-01-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

Hyeholde Restaurant, Moon Township, PA, U.S.A.

The 2011 Impulse Adjusting System seminars kicked off in Pittsburgh, PA, and admittedly as excited as I was to begin our new season’s tour, I wasn’t enthralled with traveling to Pittsburgh in Winter.

My blood has grown thin having lived in Arizona, and the weather reports of this year’s snowfall had contributed to my attitude. Still, there’s something about seeing snow for the first time of the season – and this was my first time. It brought back anchored memories that I have from my days living back East in Upstate, New York.

At the recommendation of a local doctor friend who accompanied us, we booked in to Hyeholde Restaurant near the Pittsburgh Airport. Set upon a hill and adorned with winding stone paths Hyeholde was built as a home and a restaurant in the 1930s by from several old barns.

We were greeted by the owner, Barbara McKenna, daughter of the original builders and owners. As we complimented Barbara on the grandeur of her place, she explained that the property had been sold by her parents and seventeen years later, she and her husband were able to buy it back. Seeing Barbara’s smile and pride assured us that the property was in the right hands again.

By happenstance, Hyeholde happened to be offering a special set menu choice this evening called The Roving Scotsman – An evening and dinner to Celebrate renowned Scottish poet, Robert Burns (1759-1796).

A cultural icon in Scotland and among his Countrymen and around the world, celebration of his life and work became almost a national charismatic cult during the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been strong on Scottish literature – thus the evening’s dinner dedication.

Burns is perhaps best well known to the popular world by his poem (and song) Auld Lang Syne, sung around the world on New Year’s Eve.

We began with a Single Malt Scotch tasting of:
~ Balvenie Doublewood 12. Yr.
~ Lagavulin 16 Yr.
~ Laphroaig 18 Yr.

All enjoyable, my favorite surprised me – the Balvenie 12 Yr. was smooth and sweet, distinctively characterized by the two woods it is aged in, one of which being sourced from former Sherry barrels.

As we sipped our Scotch, we were graced with Burn’s poetry recited in Scottish accent by one of the staff.

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing the deer -
A-chasing the wild deer, and following the roe;
My heart's in the Highlands, wherever I go.

Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North
The birth place of Valour, the country of Worth;
Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,
The hills of the Highlands for ever I love.

Farewell to the mountains high cover'd with snow;
Farewell to the straths and green valleys below;
Farewell to the forrests and wild-hanging woods;
Farwell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods.

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing the deer
Chasing the wild deer, and following the roe;
My heart's in the Highlands, where ever I go

I’ve never been read poetry at my table by a kilt laden lad, but then again, I’ve not yet been to Scotland.

A bottle of South African Chenin Blanc was ordered and the meal began.

Soup

Cock-a-Leekie

Chicken Leek Consommé

Entrée

Grilled Leg of Lamb

Herb fingerlings, cabbage with hot vinaigrette

Dessert

Cranachan

Drambuie cream, berries, and toasted oats

We sat in the hayloft overlooking other diners below. Great waxed beams, slate floors, stained glass windows, tapestries and crackling fireplaces create a warm and inviting atmosphere that we enjoyed.

Barbara must have sensed our interest in the place and brought a photo album to our table, showing the property through the years.

The story of the property can be found on their website, excerpts below.

     “It began with a romance the day William Kryskill told his bride that someday he would build her a castle on the crest of a cornfield where they stood. The cornfield became the grounds now surrounding Hyeholde. Hyeholde is the castle. What he did not tell her was that they were going to build this dream with their own hands. It took them seven years. The tale of this extraordinary labor of love is told in Mr. Kryskill's book, " The Story of Hyeholde" .

     The original half of the building was begun in 1931 with the intent of using it as a restaurant and living quarters. Bill and Clara spent the three summer months operating Clark Studio Tea Room in Noank, Connecticut, then returned, in September of each year, to continue to work on Hyeholde. In 1938, they served their first meals in the West Room. It became an instant success. Bill quickly began construction on the Great Hall.

     The beautiful materials used throughout the building came from the old Stonesifer barn in present day Robinson Township. The Kryskill's dismantled and, using every bit of the structure and its stone foundation, created Hyeholde.

     The second chapter of the Hyeholde romance concerns Pat Foy and his family. Foy’s contribution to Hyeholde was to convert it from a charming country restaurant, geared to serving limited numbers of guests into a sophisticated operation with an elaborate menu and fine wines, without losing the comfortable charm of a French country inn.

     Now a third chapter is being written to this real life fairy tale. William Kryskill’s daughter, Barbara and her husband, Quentin McKenna, repurchased Hyeholde in August 1991. Building on its beauty and on the best from the previous owners, they are creating their own magic castle.”

Needless to say, we enjoyed an outstanding evening at Hyeholde. They offered a truly unique experience that was as rare as this find in Pittsburgh. I recommend it fully.

Restaurant Accolades. Hyeholde was selected in Gourmet Magazine (October 2008) as one of 21 ‘legendary restaurants’ in the United States; has been featured in Wine Spectator magazine and numerous Pittsburgh publications, and has been seen many times on the Food Network’s “Best of” programs. The Dirona award has been conferred on the Hyeholde every year since 1993.

My First Visit to China

2010-07-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

One visit to the Great Wall and you soon realize that no task is too great – just a subtle reminder that anything is possible.

A conference in Shanghai prompted my visit to China. I detoured to Beijing a few days early to fulfill a dream. This was my first trip to China and I wanted to see the Great Wall.

Fresh from the recent Summer Olympics and the staggering economic growth China has enjoyed, Beijing's airport is monstrous. Clearing customs in the arrival hall is a feat in and of itself, with the hundreds of fellow passengers all eager to visit this foreign land.

Friendly street vendors sell fresh fruits, like apricots and cherries to passers by. Sweet potatoes and corn, among other eats are hot and ready to eat on the street.

This is how I like to shop – on the street with the folks – a quick snack and you’re on your way.

The streets are busy, after all, China does have a 1.3 Billion person population. That’s just about a Billion more people than the United States. Although there is a ever-growing population of middle-class, China is split between the affluent and the poor. Factory workers in DuongDong, near Hong Kong fill the factories that spread as far as the eye can see and work for $200/month. We should remember this when shopping at Wal-mart. Wal-mart can be thanked for their share of Chinese imports – amounting to a staggering $200 Billion/year.

We visited the Summer Palace, the grounds of Chinese Royalty throughout the Dynasties.

Emperor’s ruled from this compound, thousands of acres in all….

The UN included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List, declaring “a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value.” It is a popular tourist destination but also serves as a recreational park as well.

The workmanship was astonishing with hand painted murals throughout the property. We trekked on foot and then back via Dragon boat across the lake.

Lunch was at a cozy local spot on South Luogu Lane. This street was built in 1267, part of the market area in the urban layout of the day that served the imperial government.

The street has been historically preserved by the Beijing Municipal Government to preserve its character and cultural legacy.

I loved the fresh fish prepared Chinese style and the renovated old style buildings are still built authentically.

Not far from here, we happened upon a welcome American staple – Starbucks!

An elderly man, painting Chinese characters with water on the sidewalk welcomed me and invited me to write with him. His mastery of penmanship was remarkable.

Fresh vegetables are sold by farmers in the street. This true farmers market features everything from Chinese long beans, to peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and leeks – whatever is in season can be found here – literally for pennies, everyday.

Beijing cuisine ranges in specialties. One night we had “Hot Pot” where meats and vegetables are submersed in broth in the middle of the table to be enjoyed family style by all.

Beijing duck is a specialty heralded by the locals and I was fortunate enough to be treated to a wonderful meal of this fantastic dish one evening.

Beijing Duck, fresh shrimp, and fresh tofu still resting in its cheese cloth was enjoyed another evening.

Beijing also has a contemporary side as well.

The city is sprawling with growth and expansion everywhere.

From the modern drive through the city, we set out on a two hour drive to see the Great Wall. Getting out of the city, the beauty of China’s countryside revealed herself. Lush green hilltops and valleys filled the landscape.

I was anxious and excited like a kid on a field trip. This is something I’ve always wanted to see and finally, my day had come. From the car, I could see it – the Great Dragon, as the Chinese call it – one of the Seven Wonders of the World, The Great Wall! This feat of engineering and workmanship is testimony to the work ethic of the Chinese people. This wall is awe-inspiring and breathtaking. When you consider the man hours to construct this structure you quickly realize how anything is possible with determination and work ethic.

We were able to climb the wall to the top peak. It was the workout of the day shared by every person on this journey.

The Great Wall museum was also an interesting tour to learn about this legacy of World history. We learned how each stone was carried on the backs of men.

Over 150 million visitors including 460 state chiefs, presidents, government heads, and figures have visited the Great Wall.

President Nixon’s 1972 visit with his wife to the Great Wall is memorialized with other heads of State from around the world.

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Stopping to snap photos is a good excuse for a rest. Truly, though with each elevation change and each new winding bend, the view entirely changes.

Having told my hosts that I enjoyed the traditional lunch we had the day before, they took me to a quiet farming village for a late lunch after our day at the wall.

Our stop for lunch after climbing the Great Wall.

The spread was fit for a king with local produce and meats. See if you can find the chicken head in with the chicken dish. I felt like I was in an Anthony Bourdain episode … if he could only be here to share this meal. Dinner this night wouldn’t be necessary.

My last day in Beijing, I visited Tiananmen Square, the historic site that captured the World in 1989, but its history dates back to 1417 when the Tiananmen Gate to the Forbidden City was built during the Ming Dynasty.

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Last, we visited the Royal Imperial Gardens surrounding the Forbidden City – the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. For 500 years it served as the home of emperors and their households as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese Government.

Climbing to the top of the gardens hill, a gorgeous view of the Forbidden city is appreciated.

I said farewell to Beijing and headed for Shanghai where the conference was to begin the next day.

I had the distinct privilege of being invited by the Department of Rehabilitation at Xinhua Hospital to present my research and introduce the Impulse Instruments to medical delegates who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation.

The Hospital is affiliated with Shanghai Jiatong University School of Medicine and was a wonderful opportunity for me to introduce chiropractic to China – in a land where chiropractic legislature does not yet exist. They honored me with a visiting professor plaque in addition to the red carpet treatment during my stay.

During my stay in Shanghai, I was able to visit the village of Zhou Zhuang, known as the water village for it’s quaint streets built upon waterways.

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With one more day before traveling home, I visited the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. This event is the talk of the City as it attracts about 500,000 visitors each day.

Stories of long lines and 4-6 hour waits to enter some of the pavilions had me concerned. The Exposition was absolutely over the top!

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As I walked around the miles of exhibits I asked myself what in the world are they going to do with all of these pavilions when the Expo is over? Then, I quickly did the math. 500,000 visitors per day x $20 expo pass is about $10 million/day in revenue, and that’s before anyone even buys anything. I think it’s safe to say that it doesn’t matter what becomes of the pavilions – they’re paid for.

My trip to China was an adventure. The sheer magnitude of the country and its cities is awe inspiring. It truly brought home the understanding of just how real this new world power is.

Oxford Inspires

2010-06-27T05:32:00.000-07:00

Christ Church College, Oxford University

June brought me to Oxford where I hosted a spinal research symposium for our non-profit organization, the International Spine Research (INSPIRE) Foundation at St. Anne’s College at Oxford University.

June is the perfect time to visit England – with moderate early summer temperatures and just prior to the summer tourist season.

I’ve been to Oxford a few times and every time that I visit I find myself immersed in scholarly desires.

This is the quintessential College town. Oxford University was the first University in the English-speaking world. Students from over 120 countries make up its 20,000 student body. The University is comprised of 38 Colleges each with its own distinct flavor for academia. Walking around the historic city you can’t help but dream of what it would be like to attend Oxford.

I met up with my friends who convened for our course, and took a stroll through the city. We came upon Oxford University Press, the origin of the famed Oxford English Dictionary and publisher of a myriad of over 4,000 books per year.

Oxford is historically renowned as a holy place in the annals of English literature. Take the pub, The Eagle and Child, owned by St. John’s College, just a short walk from the city center. In a small back room every Tuesday morning between 1939-1962, a writers’ group known as The Inklings’ would meet to chat over beers discussing their latest books and manuscripts in progress.

The Inklings was an informal literary discussion group including the likes of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien penned ‘The Hobbit’ as entertainment for his four children and in 1933 shared the book with Lewis. The rest is history. The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy that followed were some of the first books I read in grade school for pure pleasure.

In June, 1950, C.S. Lewis distributed the proofs for ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’, the first of the Chronicles of Narnia, which he read aloud to Tolkien – who is said to have absolutely hated it. More recently, Tony Blair who studied law at St. John’s College in the 1970’s was also a regular at the Eagle and Child.

New graduates exit Hertford College under the Bridge of Sighs

Oxford is known as “The City of Dreaming Spires” so nicknamed by poet Matthew Arnold in regard to the steeples pointing to the sky throughout the historic city.

With the conference over, my work for the day done, I set out for a pint at The Bear Inn public house. This is the kind of place that I seek out – one of the oldest pubs in town, dating back to 1242.

Unique to this pub is its collection of over 4,000 snippets of ties, given by customers in exchange for a pint. The tie pieces are displayed in glass cases on the walls and ceiling in the pub.

Walking throughout this magnificent city the stone architecture is appreciated to have stood the test of time. The landscape is meticulously manicured everywhere you look. Dating back to 1525, the grounds of Christ Church College are impeccable and impressive. This college has produced thirteen British prime ministers, equal to all other Oxford Colleges combined.Popularity in the public eye, the college is the setting for Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. More recently, the Harry Potter adventures were notably filmed at Christ Church. Notably the dining hall scenes among others.

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The Bodleian Library, the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe.

Across the street from “The Bod” is the King’s Arms pub, one of the main student pubs in town. A popular local myth is that the King Arms has the highest iQ per square foot of any pub or bar in the world. I had to see what all the fuss was about. Students having just finished exams were enjoying themselves in relaxing celebration. I brought my journal along that I use to write to my kids when I’m away, and took the opportunity to sit and write to my son about all Oxford had to offer.

My last stop of the evening was The Turf Tavern, a 13th century ale house acclaimed for the many famous scholars who have graced its doors throughout the years. In fact, President Bill Clinton’s famous failure to inhale took place at this very pub while he was attending Oxford as a Rhodes’s Scholar.

If you’re over 5’10”, you literally have to duck your head to enter – testimony to the authenticity of the age of this place – built in a time where people were significantly shorter.

At each of these pubs, a chat with strangers becomes an interesting sharing experience with new acquaintances. People don’t keep to themselves, abroad, as we do in America. I don’t think it’s the beer talking – locals are genuinely keen on getting to know you, and vice-versa.

As you’ve probably heard, England is not very well known for their food. However, you’ll find the pub food of local peasants fare always delicious. Bangers and Mash are usually on the menu, but I opted for the fish and chips.

I finished Kai’s journal for the day and headed back to the Old Bank Hotel to get some rest before the morning’s bus ride to London and flight home. Oxford is one of those places that makes an impression on you. I look forward to my next visit.

Thanks for visiting the lounge,
~Chris

Grand Cayman, British West Indies

2010-06-02T09:07:00.001-07:00

The crystal clear turquoise water that is unmistakably the Caribbean and undoubtedly Grand Cayman Island, British West Indies.

Each Memorial Day weekend, the annual Digital Motion X-Ray Innovators Conference is held on Grand Cayman Island in the British West Indies. On four occasions since 2005, I’ve had the pleasure of being one of the presenters on the course faculty for this one of a kind seminar.

My good friends, Dr. John and Linda Postlethwaite who host the course pull out all the stops for the weekend providing a First-Class experience. They are the most generous and gracious hosts.
Mindy’s parents volunteered to watch the kids to allow us the opportunity to have a mini-vacation over the long weekend. Mindy looked forward to the adult conversation the time would bring. We took the red eye out of Phoenix to Charlotte and connected on the first flight out to Grand Cayman the next day.

The Cayman Islands are located just South of Cuba, and the captain announced that we were flying directly over Havana in flight. Looking down out of the window in 1A, I wondered what it would be like to visit there. I have heard that Americans have been known to enter Cuba for a holiday from Grand Cayman. As the story goes, the Cuban Customs agents simply don’t stamp your passport and nonchalantly let you pass into the Country. I think this would be a cool – the adventure of it all! I had to settle for smuggling home two bottles of Cuban Rum - Havana Club. That was as close as I would get to Cuba on this trip.

Grand Cayman on approach

As in year’s past, John and Linda gave us the VIP welcome. We took a short taxi from the airport to a nearby marina, quickly changed into our bathing suits and hopped on a boat, exchanging our luggage for Red Stripe Jamaican beers and off we went to swim with the stingrays.

The color of the water is awe-inspiring and photos simply cannot capture the beauty of this tropical paradise.

Stingray City is a protected National Park that is actually a sandbar on the North Side of the island. The sun and sky reflecting on the white sand provides the dazzling tranquil colors. Larger tour boats bring guests from the cruise liners and vacationers to visit this glorious place. Even the locals don’t get bored with the uniqueness of such a place.

It’s called Stingray City due to the many rays that patrol the bottom. This massive sandbar is sheltered by a coral reef that divides the four-foot shallow water to a drop off to 6,000 ft. You can see the dividing line from the turquoise water to the deep blue sea at this juncture.

Fisherman wanting to cool off after a day’s work would come into the sandbar to take a dip and use the opportunity to clean their fish. This is what initially attracted the Stingrays and they’ve been there ever since to the delight of all who visit.

The conference was held at the Kaibo Yacht Club, a beachfront venue looking over the Caribbean.

This is the only venue where I don’t need to wear a tie during my presentation.
This year’s faculty included a neurosurgeon who has been using the Digital Motion X-Ray technology to diagnose upper cervical spine instability, personal injury attorneys who utilize DMX to document ligament injury, and chiropractors who depend on this advanced radiological technique to identify spinal dysfunction, as well as soft-tissue injury in their every day practices. It is amazing state-of-the-art technology with a growing research-base and utilization among medical physicians, biomechanists, and chiropractors.

After the course, we had dinner on the beach while sitting on swanky pillows atop the sand on the water’s edge.
Fresh fish seaside would be the evening’s fare. Mindy had red snapper with a ginger soy sauce and I opted for the fresh grouper.
As the evening progressed, dancing on the beach was followed by lighting sky lanterns that floated off into the night sky.

Drs. Mike and Sylvia Smith launch their sky lantern.

The following day, Dr. John and Linda took the entire seminar on a boat cruise to Stingray City for an afternoon of fun and networking.

Dr. Royce Jones examines a conch that he picked off the bottom to share with friends

At Stingray City, it’s your chance to get up close and personal and swim with the stingrays. The Rays are tame and used to human interaction. The tour boat guides bring squid with them to entice the Rays to stay close and interact. I’ve watched the guides handle the stingrays for several years now and have gotten the knack of corralling a stingray.
The trick is to hold their wings in your arms and let their nose go right into your chest. You have to resist the natural tendency to lift up on them, as this removes them from the water. If you allow them to stay submerged on the surface, they will stay with you for minutes at a time.

Contrary to the media that followed Steve Irwin’s death, Stingray are very gentle creatures. They are known to release their stinger when threatened and the known instances of this would be when stepped on, or when their tail is being tugged by a predator such as a shark … or just a careless human.

From Stingray City, the boat went to the reef for an hour of snorkeling. The reef fish were gorgeous with vibrant colors and schools of fish. Caribbean lobsters lurk beneath the safety of the coral and a green moray eel came out to greet us.
The boat tour concluded back at the Kaibo Yacht Club where a Caribbean barbeque complete with Ox Tail awaited. As be exited the boat, we were greeted on the beach with Rum Punch to enjoy and the fellowship and sharing continued over a delicious beachside lunch.
That evening we went to my favorite restaurant on the island, The Lighthouse.

This oceanfront hotspot has all of the island charm you would expect. Hard plank floors, seafaring windows, and a lighthouse tower. Even the wait staff dresses in captain’s uniforms. All of this adds to the ambiance of the experience.
But, most importantly, Dr. John had reserved the Port Room – the air conditioned, humidity controlled wine cellar where a huge round table for 20 fills the room. We filled every seat at the table.
The Lighthouse has made Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence each year since 1997, and I was appointed the selector of the evening’s wines. We began with 2008 Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, and moved on to the 2007 Frog’s Leap Chardonnay. 2007 Conundrum from Napa was next up followed by a beautiful Sangiovese, 2006 Poliziano Rosso di Montalcino from the Brunello Region in Tuscany, Italy.
Mindy began with Ceviche and I enjoyed the Red Conch Chowder. For our mains, she had the Caribbean platter of lobster, shrimp, and fresh mahi, while I was treated to Island surf and turf. John and Linda ordered Beignets for the table to share for dessert which arrived in oversized Martini glasses. The Beignets came both regular and in chocolate and were served with chocolate and strawberry sauces. Cafe Du Monde has nothing on these Beignets!

Touring Grand Cayman is a treat for the eyes. Driving along the North Shore affords a look at the island’s ocean front homes, secluded beaches, and the lush tropical views.

Along the East End, history abounds. One of the most told stories in the islands history is the story of "The Wreck of the Ten Sails". Legend says that one night in November, 1788, the "Cordelia", the lead ship of a convoy of merchant ships bound from Jamaica to Britain ran aground on the reef at East End.

A signal was given off to warn off the other ships, but was misunderstood as a call to follow closer and nine more ships sailed onto the reef. The Cayman people of East End are reported to have shown great heroism in ensuring that no lives were lost and legend further states that one of the lives saved was one of royalty.
For this, King George III is said to have granted the islands freedom from conscription, while another report claims that freedom from taxation was bestowed on the people of the islands as a reward. Either way, the tax-free status of the Cayman Islands is legendary as well.

From shore, you can see the reef and the Wreck of the Ten Sails.

True island living is cutting a coconut from the tree with a machete and drinking the fresh milk moments later.

On Sunday, with the conference over, many of the delegates headed for home.

We were fortunate to have one more day in paradise. We took a leisurely boat tour, and anchored at Rum Point. White sand, cafe’s, water sports, and hammocks make Rum Point a favorite spot among locals and tourists alike.

This was the perfect opportunity to soak in the crystal clear water and enjoy a Cuban cigar. There aren’t too many days that I’m able to do “alot of nothing.” It was a great time to recharge and relax.

Saying, “so long” to Grand Cayman is hard, but it’s reassuring to know that next Memorial Day weekend we’re booked to return. Thanks John and Linda!

Sunset at Rum Point, Grand Cayman

Australia and New Zealand Whirlwind

2010-05-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Sunset at Waiheke Island, New Zealand

At the invitation of the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia, a 4-city lecture tour was planned for me to introduce chiropractic instrument adjusting down under. I’ve done this tour before and knew it would be a whirlwind of a trip.

According to plan, I teach one-day seminars each on Saturday and Sunday in Sydney and Brisbane, have the week off in between where I would attend a spinal research conference in New Zealand, and then return to Australia do the seminars again in Melbourne and Adelaide the following Saturday and Sunday.

Rock Bands on tour change their sets to deter monotony. I have no such ability as my program is sequential … beginning with research, on to basic technique, and advanced chiropractic adjusting procedures. I told the class that I felt like Bill Murray in the movie, Groundhog Day. Here are the details of the tour’s itinerary.

2010 Australia Tour Schedule

Date	City / Schedule
07 April	Depart Phoenix, Arizona
09 April	Arrive Sydney – Tour Sydney
10 April	8 am – 5 pm Sydney Seminar; 6:30 pm flight to Brisbane
11 April	8 am – 5 pm Brisbane Seminar (8-5); 7 pm flight to Auckland, New Zealand
12 April	Tour Auckland and Waiheke Island
13-16 April	Scientific Conference, Auckland
16 April	5 pm flight to Melbourne
17 April	8 am – 5 pm Melbourne Seminar; 6:30 pm flight to Adelaide
18 April	8 am – 5 pm Adelaide Seminar
19-22 April	Tour Eden Valley and Barossa Valley Wine Regions
23 April	10 am flight to San Francisco
24 April	9 am – 6 pm San Francisco Seminar
25 April	8 am – 12 pm San Francisco Seminar 3 pm flight home to Phoenix

09 April - Sydney

Flying from LAX to Sydney has become a familiar flight for me. I’ve made this trip once or twice a year for over a decade. So, I know the drill. The evening flight affords the opportunity to relax, watch a movie or two with dinner, get about 6-7 hours sleep, and soon, you are hovering over Sydney Harbor on approach to SYD at sunrise. Sydney is a gorgeous city and Fourteen and a half hours doesn’t seem so long when broken down this way. The flight path over the Harbor is a highlight of the flight and it seems that the pilot almost purposefully tips the huge Boeing 747 to introduce you to the city.

An early Hotel check-in was arranged to accommodate our 8:30 am arrival downtown. I suggested we take a few hours for a morning nap and freshen up prior to hitting the city at noon. The whirlwind tour of Australia was about to begin.

Accompanying me on this trip were my cousins, Maxine and David. Maxine’s father and my dad are brothers. David began working with me this year as our new Implementation Specialist. David would handle our product sales and the implementation questions during the tour while I did the lecturing and adjusting. Maxine and David took me under their wing when I first moved to Arizona and were patient numbers 1 and 2 when I opened my new Arizona practice in 1997. We’ve had more wonderfully fun family get-togethers than I can remember. This would be their first time in Australia, so we had a lot to do in a short amount of time.

Our hotel was perfectly positioned to walk to Sydney Harbor, so we took a stroll through the park adjacent to the Royal Botanical Gardens in route to the Sydney Opera House – our first stop. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day for our one-day tour of the city.

The Sydney Opera House with the Harbor Bridge peeking in the background.

It’s great to see the Opera House close up and view the over one million glazed ceramic roof tiles that make up the structure.

The building houses six venues. The two largest venues, the Opera Theatre and Concert Hall, are housed in the two larger sets of shells. As one of the busiest performing arts centers in the world the venue provides over 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people. Another 7 million people visit the Opera House each year.

From the Opera House we walked along the Harbor to Circular Quay – a popular pick-up port for the many ferries that service the harbor’s suburbs. In my experience, this is the best way to view Sydney – from the water. Tickets in hand, we boarded the ferry and secured outside seats on the upper deck for the best views.

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As we cruised the Harbor, we took in the scenic landscape with the crisp sea air in our faces. We were in route to Watson’s Bay, home to my favorite Sydney restaurant – Doyle’s on the Beach. This is the original site of Australia’s first seafood restaurant in 1885 and has been family owned and operated for 5 generations.

The paper menu contains the history of the restaurant and the listing of fresh daily fish and Australian wine list. We began with a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which would pair well with the Oysters we’d start with.

Next, an un-oaked chardonnay from the Hunter Valley was sure to change the mind’s of my cousins who believed that they didn’t like Chardonnay. For the main, I chose the red snapper which couldn’t have been better. It was a leisurely afternoon. Having a terrific meal at a spectacular site overlooking the beach with the backdrop of the Sydney skyline was the perfect accompaniment. Doyle’s on the Beach is a must, when visiting Sydney.

Back on the ferry, we cruised back to Circular Quay on the scenic route. Upon arrival, we walked up to The Rocks, Australia’s first European settlement in 1788. The area got its name from the shoreline combined with its sandstone buildings. Today' the Rocks area is an upscale urban neighborhood – a great place to shop, people watch and explore.

We popped in to Sydney’s oldest pub, Fortune of War, for a short beer.

The Rocks has cool shops and cafe’s that wind throughout the historic neighborhood.

Fortune of War Pub, The Rocks, Sydney

10 April – Brisbane

Saturday was the first seminar of my 2010 Australia tour held in Sydney. After an action-packed day, we finished at 5 pm and went straight to the airport to catch our flight to Brisbane. After checking-in, we headed for Eagle Street Pier, where I recalled eating last year. We walked along the boardwalk of the Brisbane River checking out the sites and decided on Italian food for the evening. Il Centro fit the bill. We began with an Australian white Bordeaux blend with a mixed seafood starter. David and I both had the Osso Bucco, and Maxine had pasta. David and Max felt that it was one of the best Italian meals they’ve had – which speaks volumes as they are both excellent cooks!

After a good night’s sleep, our Sunday Brisbane seminar was on. Then, it was again back to the airport to catch the evening flight to New Zealand.

12 April – Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland’s Sky Tower

We checked into Auckland’s Sky City Grand Hotel smack dab in the heart of the city. You have to walk under the Sky Tower to get to the hotel. While we’d stay in Auckland all week, I only had one day free (Monday) prior to the conference beginning on Tuesday. So, I wanted to do something fun on Monday. David and Maxine agreed. After a good night’s rest, we met in the lobby for a debriefing of the day’s plan – Ferry over to Waiheke Island and rent scooters to see the island. David and Maxine were all for it.

Walking down to the waterfront to catch the ferry, we came upon the Auckland Fish Market. This place looked interesting, so we popped in to have a look.

The morning’s fresh catch was being displayed as we had a look around.

New Zealand Green Lipped Mussels

Salmon and Snapper

More Fresh Fish

It was on to the harbor to catch our ferry. The Ferry over to Waiheke Island is about 40 minutes. Being out on the water on a beautiful day is always enjoyable. The views of Auckland from this perspective was equally cool.

We disembarked at Waiheke and went to meet our scooters.

We were off … on the left side of the road, no doubt.

This was a great way to tour the island and aside from driving on the opposite side of the road, constantly going against your every driving instinct, we managed to aimlessly scoot along the coast taking in the fresh air and sights of the island.

Waiheke Island is known as the island of vineyards, so map in hand, we found our way to our first stop – Cable Bay Vineyards.

The entrance to this contemporary winery was its focal point of glass looking directly through the building with the backdrop of the city of Auckland in the distance.

“Stunning” is the word that came to my mind in seeing this picturesque property.

It was harvest time and the aromas of freshly crushed grapes and their fermentation filled the air. After our tasting we were invited to take our glasses of Sauvignon Blanc along for our walk of the property.

The estate vineyard is planted on a steep slope adjacent to native olive trees. Airflow is enhanced and even in the Southern Hemisphere the North-South row orientation maximizes sun exposure.

The vista from Cable Bay Vineyards with Auckland in the background

Lunchtime was rapidly approaching. From Cable Bay, in the distance, I saw an adjacent vineyard and asked about it. The Cable Bay staff told me that it was a must visit. Fortunately, we were able to secure a reservation at the nearby Mudbrick Restaurant and Vineyard with their assistance. We set back out on our scooters to adventure around the bend to this beautiful spot.

Mudbrick Restaurant and Vineyard, Waiheke Island, New Zealand

A garden graces the entrance of the restaurant. Lavender and flowerbeds expand into Potagers, a French term for vegetable patch where herbs mingle with vegetables, cleansing teas and edible flowers.

We enjoyed a leisurely tasting at the Cellar Door before moving on to lunch. We couldn’t have had a better table if we had made reservations weeks in advance.

The table overlooked the vineyard slope below with views of the garden in the foreground and Waiheke Bay and Auckland in the backdrop. We all agreed that this was the appropriate way to enjoy a Monday afternoon.

Starter: Filo wrapped Prawn & King Scallops
Sweetcorn puree, lime jus paired with 2009 Mudbrick Reserve Viognier

Taste of Waiheke Lamb, eggplant mille feuille, olives & sauce Vierge paired with 2008 Mudbrick Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

The food was as good as the spectacular views from our vantage.

Back on the motor bikes, we continued our journey to sightsee around the island.

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Along the ride, we came upon a public beach that I found particularly intriguing. The daily catch limits that were posted looked more like a restaurant menu than a public beach sign.

I grew up with a love of fishing and I imagined returning here to spend a day doing exactly that.

We ventured back to the Ferry dock and returned our scooters in time to catch a sunset ferry back to Auckland after a day on Waiheke to remember.

Arriving back in Auckland we strolled along the Viaduct Harbour and its restaurant district. We happed upon a busy restaurant that smelled fantastic and we able to get a table on the terrace.

New Zealand Green Lipped Mussels served two ways (Curry and tomato sauces) at Degree, Viaduct Harbour, Auckland.

Degree was the place for us to relax and unwind with some New Zealand Green Lipped Mussels and some Sauvignon Blanc. This place also had a unique approach to serving meats.

Four our mains, they brought out beef on a hot stone, which we would then cook ourselves at the table. Local scallops decorate the meat.

We found Viaduct Harbour to be a great place to take in the fresh sea air, people-watch and take in the sights of the city.

13-16 April

The scientific conference in Auckland afforded me the opportunity to update on the latest research relating to the spine. The short 6 minute platform presentations are just enough time to be appraised without overkill. I’ve been a member of the society for almost ten years now which has provided the opportunity to visit many far-away places, as the annual meeting is hosted in a different country each year around the world.

The Society also plans social events in conjunction with the conference, one of which being a trip to the National Maritime Museum in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour. The museum has many exhibits that tell the tale of the seafaring nation. I enjoyed looking at the America’s cup yacht the most, though.

Several years ago, some friends and I began each bringing a bottle of wine to share with each other to represent our respective countries. As the word got out, each year has grown a bit bigger and this year’s get-together was the largest – with over 20 of us attending with an incredible spread of wine to share.

Favorites of the group included:

~ 2009 Saint Clair Family Estate Pioneer Block Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand)

~ 2005 Ben Glaetzer Amon-Ra Unfiltered Shiraz (Barossa Valley, Australia)

~ 1994 Fox Creek Shiraz (McLaren Vale, Australia)

16-17 April

Friday afternoon, we flew back to Australia to continue my seminar tour. Auckland to Melbourne is an easy direct flight.

Melbourne is a bustling city with the charm of parks and old world European buildings combined with contemporary city flare.

After getting the seminar room ready, we set out for dinner in Melbourne.

The Saturday seminar was another great day of study and sharing. Again, I finished at 5 pm, and we caught a 7 pm flight to Adelaide, our last stop on the tour.

Adelaide, South Australia

Adelaide in South Australia, is my favorite part of the country. Maybe its the small town feel, or the countryside with its rolling hills where sheep graze among ancient gum trees, or maybe its the vineyards of the Barossa and Eden Valleys. It was the place I had selected to end the tour, give a final seminar, and spend a week in wine country.

I’ll end here, as the tour of the Barossa and Eden Valley are a blog in an of themselves.

~Chris

Belleza Argentina

2010-03-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

A historic church in Buenos Aires’ Recoleta neighborhood

The sun rose over the Argentinean horizon as we descended upon Buenos Aires. CO Flight 53 connecting Phoenix from Houston was a breeze, departing at 10 p.m. and arriving at 6:20 a.m. the next morning. Chenin Blanc and Bordeaux accompanied dinner, I was able to rest well and the service was excellent. It was nice to have Continental back in the Star Alliance and now I felt comfortable flying with them. Consolidating air miles with one alliance is a must. Just watch the movie, “Up in the air” and you’ll understand. The standard issue toiletry bag comes in handy on these flights. A quick brush of the teeth, a fold-up brush through my hair, some lip balm, and it was time to clear customs.

International arrival in Buenos Aires is at the Ezeiza (EZE) Airport. Connecting to Mendoza made it necessary to get over to the J. Newbery Airport (AEP) where most domestic flights operate. I met my friend, Robert, at the international arrivals hall, who landed about the same time from Europe. Almost an hour car ride and we were at AEP. Just something to remember, when traveling in Argentina.

Mendoza’s airport was small and quaint. Just one baggage claim carousel brought our bags. Bags in hand, we were off to meet our friend, David, who flew from the other direction in Australia, via Santiago. We were off on our Argentinean adventure.

It’s Robert that brings adventure to our lives. He organized a 3-day horse backing trek into the Andes Mountains for us. These excursions come natural to Robert. I don’t know that I would have ever planned to do this on a holiday. After the trip, however, I don’t think I could ever not share this trip with someone else. It was spectacular.

Our guide picked us up and we drove 90 minutes West where we were to meet the horses at the base of the Andes. We were provided a list of essential provisions to bring with us – a sleeping bag, wide brimmed hat, pants for riding, a refillable water bottle, etc. Only day time necessities were placed in our saddle bags, and the rest of our stuff were loaded on two pack mules for the trek.

Our guide, Veronica, originally from France, led the way on the two hour journey across the desert toward the Andes.

The horses belonged to our Gaucho (the equivalent to an American Cowboy), Julio, who brought up the rear.

David, Robert, and I were joined by to others – Pedro, on holiday from Buenos Aires, and Hayley, from Perth who was traveling the World. So, the seven of us on horseback joined by two pack mules, set off on our ride. One freeloader, an eight month old Donkey, named Caramel, also joined in for the adventure. We came to affectionately call her PITA – for “pain in the ass,” since she would stop in the middle of the trail on steep embankments holding up our entire convey while she decided to graze.

We came to an oasis in the desert where a mountain stream supported the natural grasses.

The horses were able to get a drink and graze while we had a sandwich and talked about the gorgeous scenery. After a short siesta in the shade under a tree, we were off into the foothills of the Andes.

Photo ops were everywhere. So I shifted between holding on to the Reins to reaching for my digital camera on my belt.

We had begun to slowly ascend in the foothills and this reminded me a lot of the beautiful Sonoran desert where I live in Arizona.

Six hours on horseback isn’t something that I’m used to, so it was relieving to finally stop for the night in a canyon selected by our guide. David agreed. We unsaddled the horses while Julio unpacked the mules and set up camp for the night. The horses grazed for the evening and I took the opportunity to fill my water bottle from the mountain stream. The purity and freshness of the cool water made me appreciate the wilderness.

Veronica taught us each how to make our beds for the night. Using the horse saddle as our pillow and the horse blankets and sheep skins would serve as our mattress. With my bed made, and the campfire set, it was time for some Valencia Family Malbec and conversation about the days events. It was the best $3.00 bottle of wine I had ever tasted!

Amazingly, night time can be just as incredible as daylight when you’re in the mountains, away from the lights of the city. Staring up at the night sky was the milky way, like I’ve never seen so clearly. The Southern Cross, my favorite constellation pokes out vividly and I must have counted over a dozen shooting stars. How staring up at the sky can bring entertainment can only be appreciated in a setting like this.

With daybreak upon us, it was time to saddle up and continue our journey.

The horses knew this path. They had done this before. Sometimes single file, other times, in competition to take the lead, we would pass one another.

The scenery was spectacular, and we couldn’t have asked for any better weather.

The hills were steep as we climbed up to 10,000 ft. Sometimes, I looked down and thought to myself, if this horse slips, I’m dead. Robert reassured me that horses have better proprioception than us because of their four legs, allowing them to recover. The smirk behind his smile made me wonder if I should believe him.

Robert attempts to convince himself and his horse that he is a horse whisperer.

David enjoying the ride …

The mountain vistas of the Andes …

On the trail, you feel the warmth of the sun on your face as you breathe the crisp thin mountain air. We, of course, had short conversations during the ride, in the valleys and low lands, but mostly we were alone with our thoughts as we appreciated all of nature’s bounty panoramically surrounding us. I think we all need time like this to think, create, plan, appreciate, and share. For me, to be alone with my thoughts for three days had me reaching for my Blackberry to write notes about new ideas so I wouldn’t forget, and later journal to my kids so they know what I’m thinking and what I want for them in this life.Putting in about 7 hours per day on the horses was exhilarating, refreshing, and new. Our guide estimated that we traveled about 55 miles on horseback. Not bad for some amateur riders.

Our Gaucho, Julio, looks after the horses, pack mules, and us all. This is the Argentina he knows.

As we rode back out of the mountains on the last day of our trek, we had the wonderful memories of this trip and the eagerness to now get back to civilization and hit the Mendoza wine trail!

Our small villa at Casa Glebinias in Chacras De Coria, outside of Mendoza was a gem of a find. This well manicured retreat would be our camp for the next three days as we visited the wine farms.

Our first stop – Achaval Ferrer – founded recently in 1998, from an Italian-Argentinean partnership, these wines have achieved acclaimed scores by wine critics which has been responsible for some sold out wines. What a nice problem to have.

The winery has a really cool crush pad design on two stories.

There couldn’t have been a better time to tour the property. It was harvest time, and there was a buzz with fruit being brought in from the fields, de-stemming and crush taking place, and juice being pumped into the fermenting tanks. I was in my glory.

Hand sorting cabernet sauvignon at Achaval Ferrer at the 2010 harvest, March 25, 2010

This was a quaint yet impressive operation. Concrete tanks, hand sorted grapes, and hand-labeling all gave the feel of quality and caring.

I picked up a couple of bottles of their Cabernet Sauvignon for my cellar which made an impression on me during the tasting.

Our next stop was Ruca Malen also recently founded in 1998.

We were a bit early for our tour and took the opportunity to have a look in the vineyard. The malbec clusters were ready to come off the vine.

This is what I call “low hanging fruit.”

After our tour of the property, lunch was served on the terrace of a garden house with the views amidst the vineyards and the backdrop of the Andes. A five-course lunch with pairings was enjoyed as we relaxed and enjoyed the glorious day.

Speaking of food, that evening we secured a reservation at Francis Mallmann’s 1884 Restaurante. Many reviews have touted 1884 as the best restaurant in South America. We couldn’t resist getting a booking to see for ourselves.

As we were about to place our order, Robert suggested we have a look at the meats being grilled on the open fire – Tuscan style. This helped with our selections. David selected a a local Chardonnay for us to enjoy with our starters, followed by a stunning Malbec from the Uco Valley to enjoy with our beef mains. The 1500 meter elevation of this region produces delicate and slow ripening fruit that David felt was analogous to his Avon Brae vineyard in Australia’s Eden Valley.

Argentinean beef being prepped for the outdoor grill at the open kitchen of Francis Mallmann’s 1884 Restaurante in Mendoza

The meal and wines were terrific and another enjoyable evening was had.

The next day, we had a 10:00 a.m. appointment at Catena Zapata. A Wine Advocate Robert Parker score of 98 for their 2005 Bordeaux Blend perhaps put their wines on the map. Just one visit to their property, and you can be assured of quality. It is all around you.

Their Mayan inspired estate was incredible, with stone amassed everywhere, inside and out. A glass tower provides passage to the open air deck on the second story, while the huge open subterranean entrance to the cellar was equally impressive.

Looking down from the first floor at Catena Zapata.

Looking up to the glass tower …

Catena Zapata has a wonderful history, which was shared with us during our tour. Over a century ago, in 1898, Nicola Catena immigrated from his native land of Italy to Argentina and planted Malbec in 1902. The winemaking traditions through the years were passed down through generations as a quest to improve quality and rival the old world wines. Son, Nicolás Catena, with a PhD in Economics, stopped bulk wine production, and focused on his vision of rivaling the best – something unheard of in this new winemaking region.

In 2001, Nicolás’ daughter, Laura, an ER physician with degrees from Harvard and Stanford, took over the R&D department at the family winery experimenting with planting varietals at high altitudes to stress the vines and improve quality. The results speak for themselves.

The view from the veranda at Catena Zapata

This was a tough place to leave.

Dinner was at AzaFran, a recommended restaurant serving authentic Argentinean cuisine.

David and I enjoyed selecting the wines for dinner from the adjacent wine room where the Sommelier answered questions and gave his best advice about our pairings.

Our last day in Mendoza would be spent driving out to the Uco Valley to visit the winery of Andeluna Cellars.

Founded by Ward Lay, as in “Frito-Lay” and “Pepsi Co.”, this place was big and equally impressive.

The vineyard points towards the Andes as the mountains peak above the clouds in the Uco Valley view from Andeluna.

The private tasting room looks into barrel storage in the Cellar

Robert, who loves to cook, was especially impressed with the open kitchen layout where we had lunch.

Here’s the pairings menu we enjoyed from Chef Pable del Rio:

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Andeluna Bistrot ~ Summer 2010 Menu

First~ Andeluna Torrontes 2008
Trout ceveche with citric meshed potato and sugar cane honey

Second ~ Andeluna Reserve Chardonnay 2006
Baked beetroot capeletti filled with blue cheese and eggplant, carrot juice sauce and fresh herb salad

Third ~ Andeluna Malbec Reserve 2006
Sweet and creamy corn (humita)

Fourth ~ Andeluna Grand Reserve Pasionado 2004
Calf Steak, blackened squash emulsion puree and tomato preserves toasted with olive oil and coffee beans

Fifth ~ Palate cleanser, Fruit Season Popsicle

Sixth ~ Andeluna Chardonnay Reserve 2006
Dulce de leche Flan, Toffey, and saute banana with lime and white chocolate and corn ice cream

We left Mendoza for Buenos Aires, which could be an equally long blog in and of itself.

Buenos Aires is divided into forty-two barrios, meaning neighborhoods. Each with their own style and flare – from historic and traditional to more eclectic – from high end shops to open air markets – truly, there is something for everyone. In a city of 13 million people, broad boulevards combine with small walkways giving a unique charm to the city all its own.

Dinner at Estilo Campo combined a great atmosphere, service and traditional Argentinean food.

Other Buenos Aires highlights included a walk through the Cemetery at La Recoleta. This is a unique resting place was initiated in 1822 and is today regarded as the most relevant historical and artistic monument of Argentina. Thoughts of Père Lachaise Cemetery, where French philosophers and statesmen join The Doors’ Jim Morrison in the Cemetery in middle of the city.

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Tombs of notable Argentinean families – politicians, writers and poets, military men lie in silence honored by the thousands of Argentine and foreign visitors who enjoy this incredible creation.

It is here that Maria Evita Duarte de Peron, the spiritual leader of Argentina was laid to rest.

The story of Evita, of course inspired the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical and movie that starred Madonna and Antonio Banderas.

Because of my busy professional life and schedule people often ask me, “what do you do for fun?” I often respond, “Travel”.

The history, traditions, cultures, and cuisines of the World are what interest me. Second to being with my beautiful family, in the vineyards of the World, I’d have to say … this is where I love to be.

Thanks for visiting the lounge. Until next time …

~Chris

Spring in Sardinia

2009-05-28T05:11:00.025-07:00

The sunset view from our hotel looks upon the Sardinian coastline along the Mediterranean Sea.

We flew to Sardinia in May to attend the European Chiropractors Union’s annual conference, where I was invited to present a paper, and we took advantage of the opportunity to exhibit.

Team Neuromechanical lead instructor, Dr. Jim Gudgel adjusts conference delegates with the Impulse iQ Adjusting Instrument.

When Dr. Gudgel is adjusting, there is always a crowd. Instrument adjusting, although the 2nd most popular chiropractic technique in the USA, is foreign to many in Europe – where chiropractic legislation is only decades old. It doesn’t take long for chiropractors to quickly learn the benefits of instrument adjusting with the Impulse iQ.

The conference was informative and full of social events to keep us busy. A hosted dinner for the

delegates was held at a near by venue in old world Sardinian style. We were welcomed with small glasses of Sardinian wine, Charcuterie, and local cheeses. Yum!

Dr. Jim and Kathy Gudgel with Mindy enjoying the local flare.

Dinner that awaited was also, of course, traditional and in pure Italian style – the food kept coming and coming.

Yet, an opportunity awaited to work off all of that food when we journeyed North to visit Grotte Di Nettuno, or Neptune’s Grotto. There are two ways to enter the marine caves – by land or by sea. We chose land and just look at the trek down – 656 steps – but who’s counting.

The entrance to the Grotto lies at the bottom of the 350 ft descent, just about three feet above sea level. As we descended, I thought to myself, what goes down, has to come back up – these stairs were going to be a workout on the way back!

The views were spectacular on the walk down to the grotto. The crystal clear Sea and birds catching a breeze all made for a relaxing and enjoyable view.

We stopped off often to snap a few pictures and say hi to passers by climbing back up.

A gorgeous day, a successful conference, and a couple of days of holiday, I thought to myself. C’est bon la vie!

Alas, the entrance to the Grotto…

Arriving at the entrance, we were able to tour the inside of the cave. Once inside, it was absolutely incredible!

Stalagmite formations like organ pipes decorate the grotto. We slowly walked through the caves admiring and appreciating this wonderful gift from nature.

The climb back up wasn’t as bad as I anticipated. Nevertheless, I took my share of opportunities to stop off and snap pictures as an excuse to bring up the rear of our convoy.

It was time for lunch, and we found this cool little town near the Grotto with a square to grab a bite.

Mindy was digging the pizza being her first trip to Italy and “when in Rome.”

We took the opportunity to take in some of the sights including a church dating back to the 14th Century.

I always marvel at the stone architecture anywhere in Europe. There is something about the longevity of stone and the craftsmanship that always makes me stop and appreciate the hard work and the beauty of this history.

With afternoon upon us, it was time to hit the beach. Ah, the white sand, the beautiful sunshine and the sea!

I took a dip followed by a siesta.

The next day, we decided to spend the morning doing one of my favorite things – exploring local wineries – and the afternoon, back to visit another glorious beach.

Our first stop was at Cantina Santa Maria La Palma. We tasted their traditional Sardinian varietals, Cannonau (red) and Vermentino (white) among the other wines that they make including Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

While we were enjoying out tasting, we noticed locals coming in to have their wine jugs filled up, much like you would fill the gas tank in your car.

They actually had a nozzle with a digital display to sell their wines by the liter directly from the tanks.

This was a cool idea and impressive. Plus, hey, much like finding a restaurant where the locals like to eat, you can be assured that if the locals like the wine – it’s probably pretty good.

We then drove to our next destination winery, Stella & Mosca. On the way, the Sardinian scenery was true Mediterranean in style.

Stella & Mosca is a well known wine producing property in Sardinia with renowned wines. The Estate was as impressive as their wines.

We had lunch at a near-by bistro serving up lots of delicious starters.

The Spanish influence on this Italian island is apparent, and if it reminded me of anywhere I have visited, Portugal comes to mind.

From the architecture, to the island beauty – from the beaches to the food, Sardinia was all I thought it would be.

So long, Sardinia – I hope to visit again one day!

South American Adventure

2008-10-13T16:33:00.118-07:00

Native Toucans fly freely in the open air resort at the Sofitel
Cartagena Santa Clara where we stayed in Colombia.

I was invited to present my research at an International Spine Instructional Course held in Cartegena, Colombia on October 4-6, 2008. Having never been to South America and with the rumors of serious crimes including kidnappings, I have to admit, I was nervous about going.

Cartagena, Colombia street scene outside of our hotel

To make matters worse, our flight was delayed causing us to arrive on the day the conference started, rather than the day before as planned. We were literally shuttled from the airport to the conference center to go on stage 30 minutes later. Maybe all of the activity actually eased my concerns.

While its good to be cautious, I have to admit that my imagination of Guerilla's capturing me and holding me ransom was probably a bit extreme.

I found the Colombian people charming and the doctors at the conference shared the same challenges and earnst for learning that I have found most anywhere.

Cartagana is a historic old city with a Caribbean charm all its own.

Situated on the northern coast of Colombia, it was founded in 1533 by Spaniard Don Pedro.

The city has a huge wall and fortress to protect its riches of gold and emeralds from looting Pirates.

Historically, Cartegena was a major trading port which still holds true today. Yet, as tourism grows in Colombia, the city has become a favorite South American destination.

Following the conference, we toured the city by horse-drawn carriage with a tour guide to tell us all about the sights we were taking in.

Cannons point to the sea atop the fortress walls and you can feel the history of this far away place deep inside of you.

We stopped off in the square most notably famous for where the public slave trading used to take place. It evoked a somber feeling.

The architecture and colors of the city to be as impressive as the warmth of the Colombian people we met.

With the conference behind us and having traveled to another Continent, my friends Robert, David and I set off to explore. We were off to Brazil and Rio de Janerio.

If you've never been to Rio and stared at the statue of Christ the Redeemer commanding over the city - add it to your bucket list. It is an amazing sight.

The statue rises 120' atop of Corcovado mountain and has become synonomous with Rio since it was erected in the early 1930's.

We headed up to the statue of Christ on what appeared to be a clear day. The winding road up the mountain seemed endless and you get a real appreciation for the work it took to even begin to erect such a statue.

Upon arrival, however, the Christ statue was amidst the clouds and subsequently, we couldn't see the top half. After waiting for a few minutes, the clouds softly passed to reveal the awe-inspiring structure to the roaring applause of all those that were there.

The view from the statue of Christ the Redeemer looking out over the city and sugar loaf.

The beautiful vistas looking out over the natural landscape reveal the city which has filled in the foothills to the sea all under the commanding hug of Christ.

We ventured over to sugar loaf and took a cable car to the top of the mountain for a different perspective of Rio, the statue of Christ and the marvelous views.

In Rio, we stayed on the famous Copacabana beach. Strolling along the beach at Copa and Ipanema, you just can't help but hum the song, The Girl from Ipanema, over and over again. Of course, I sang it out loud ... making up my own words.

Sugarloaf mountain rises up out of the Atlantic some 1300 ft., and is comprised mainly of quartz and granite.

It's a favorite destination of rock climbers who we watched from the safety of our glass encased cable car.

For me, while I loved being up close to the statue, my favorite view of Christ the Reedemer was from afar.

Seeing this powerful yet humble symbol high up above the city with his arms outstretched to the people and his back to the heavens is unforgetable.

From Rio, we flew three hours to Campo Grande, Brazil, to then catch a small 4 passenger plane to take us another hour into the Pantanal.

Aerial view of Rio Negro tributaries while flying in.

The Pantanal is the largest freshwater wetlands in the world. At first glance, I was reminded of my trips across Alligator Alley in Florida - yet, the Pantanal is nearly ten times the size of the Florida Everglades.

We landed on the private grassy landing strip of the 29,000 Acre Barranco Alto Eco-Lodge.

We were greeted at the plane by our host, Lucas Leuzinger, a biologist who runs the lodge together with his lovely wife, Marina.

After getting our things unpacked, we sat down for lunch with the other 5 or 6 guests who were staying at the lodge.

We learned of their adventures at the farm, such as tracking the Jaguars and Pumas, and the other activities available to us during our stay.

The peaceful and natural beauty of the lodge was truly another world. The tranquility of the terrain with the incredible trees and winding river with wildlife abound made for a completly unique setting.

That afternoon, we set off on an open air safari to get a feel for the place.

If you look at the left side of the track, you can see that we were sharing the dirt path with an ostrich.

Soon, we happened on some Capybara, large rodents, who enjoy both land and water.

The Pantanal lies in the western part of central Brazil and abounds with forests, rivers and lagoons. During the rainy season from October through March the area floods and plant life explodes. Then in April as the waters recede, over 600 species of birds return in vast numbers and variety.

To my liking on this trip, I officially became a bird watcher.

If you look closely at the photo you'll see two blue Macaws sitting atop of the fence posts.

These endangered birds fly free in the wild here.

We were told that the Hyacinth macaw
bird are monogamous with their mates for life and we often spotted them together in pairs.

On our safari we saw a giant anteater, foxes, feral pigs, giant otters, and several marsh deer.

Just being out in the open air together with nature was wonderful enough.

We also came across the playful ringtailed coati, a relative to the North American racoon.

If you look closely, you can see the baby ostriches, busy following their mother through the grassy plains.

Beautiful birds are everywhere in the Pantanal.

Looking up to the trees from the boat we were crusing in, these birds were keeping watch over the river for fish to swoop down upon as we drifted by.

Evenings were filled with good conversation during dinner and the opportunity for Robert and I to sit down on our research in the most quiet of settings.

Breakfast was at sunrise each morning with fresh fruit and juices followed by any number of morning excursions.

We opted for a boat ride dowin the Rio Negro where caymans were everywhere.

Caymans are closely related to alligators, except for their skin on its underside is reinforced with bony plates unlike alligators.

As we continued to explore down the river we spotted this white hawk, a spectacular raptor.

It hunts mainly snakes which it spots fom its perch or when soaring.

Also along the waterway was the Ringed Kingfisher.

As we watched this bird he swooped down and did a nose dive straight into the water to retreive a fish for lunch.

We also saw its cousin, the Amazon Kingfisher, who is bright green in color.

Having ventured a couple of miles down river, we beached the boat and went for a hike through the jungle.

Our guide had a machete to chop the brush as we made our way through interesting and foreign looking plants, flowers and trees.

These bananna looking clusters are a food source for monkeys and macaws.

A turmite nest rests high in the trees, with its trail winding up the tree trunk is visible.

Other raptors look for insects to eat and stiking rainbow colored macaws were seen in pairs.

Sunset in the Pantanal

The next morning, it was time to round up the horses and saddle up for a three hour safari on horseback.

Out of all of the activities that we enjoyed, horseback riding was my favorite. Now, I can't say the same, however, for the horse.

In Arizona, where I live, we have many kinds of cacti that I'm always proud to show off to guests.

In the Pantanal, I saw some familiar plants, but also many that I had never seen before such as this beautiful one.

Similarly, I've seen woodpeckers before, but never one that had a head like a cardinal. More importantly, I had discovered the inspiration for Woody Woodpecker!

It looks just like him, doesn't it?

We found this crimson-crested woodpecker working hard to retrieve insects beneath the bark of the tree.

Bison graze in the pastures freely as well as thousands of cattle at the ranch.

Our guide, Carolina, was extremely knowledgable about the surroundings, offering explanations of the terrain, species of birds and plant varietals throughtout each excursion we went on.

Adding to the experience was a native of the Pantanal, Fernando, who has always known the area as his home.

We came upon some armadillos and our guides had some fun catching them so we could have a close-up look before releasing them.

My horse is trying to figure out why he drew the short straw and had to carry me! Poor horse.

I had never crossed water before on horseback. We were taught two techniques - either extend your legs out in front of you, or flex them back. No one even got wet - except the horses or course.

Along this stretch we galloped ... which was great fun!

Giving the horses a break, we took a leisurely hike through the forest and I continued to notice these trees that grew right along side of palm trees and wrapped themselves around the Palms' trunk.

The tree actually appeared to be strangling the adjacent Palm, and growing at a faster rate so as to pull the Palm out of the ground, as if competeting with it.

I asked Carolina about this and she told me that the tree is called the Strangler Fig tree.

Carolina explained that as the Strangler Fig tree grows, gradually the roots wrap around the adjacent tree.

Eventually, the neighboring tree dies leaving the fig with a hollow trunk-which provides an important home and food source to many rainforest creatures.

Just like endangered animal species in Brazil, trees too have become put at risk from heavy logging that has taken place over the past couple of centuries.

Luckily, the Brazilian government has begun to stop the poaching of the forest.

On an afternoon excursion we found a flock of Jabiru stork.

These Jabiru Stork stand four feet tall and have a wingspan of 8 feet. Their blood orange colored necks are uniquely characteristic of this species.

On another hike, we were lucky enough to come upon a Stork nest.

The nest of twigs is builed by both parents around August-September in tall trees.

The baby Stork occupied the top of the nest, while parrots used the bottom of the nest for their own uses.

At sunrise early the next morning, we thought we'd try our hand at fishing - Pantanal style.

We began by trolling for Dorado and David was first up.

When I say, "Fishing Pantanal Style," I mean without a pole and the wound line alone in his hands, David was trolling and Bam - fish on!

When I heard we were going to fish for Dorado, I was confused, as I knew Dorado as spanish for Mahi-Mahi from my fishing excursions in Mexico.

The Dorado in Brazil, are fighting game fish that resembles a golden trout. They are regarded as a prized fish to catch, and ferocious predators of the South American waters.

After trolling for a while, the temperature continued to rise and the late morning sun made the thought of swimming a great idea.

We beached the boat and the three of us jumped in and swam for a bit before getting out. Each teasing about feeling a nibble from a Pirranah.

Little did we know, this was the spot our guide had selected for us to do some Pirranah fishing.

Well, we didn't have to worry about scaring the fish away. We used beef for bait, and casted from shore into the river and pulled up pirranahs just as fast as we could get our lines in the water.

Check out the teeth on these fish!

The Caymans had a real interest in our fishing skills and stood by at close watch (like 5-10' away!).

Each time one came closer, I moved further.

This fishing partner of mine was literally 4 feet away. Just a little too close for comfort, despite me being assured that they don't attack humans.

Ya, right.

Nevertheless, we kept the larger Pirranahs which made for a terrific Pirranah soup for dinner, and we tossed the smaller ones on the shore where our Cayman friends quickly feasted on our catch without having to work themselves.

I also pulled in a large tiger catfish, that put up a nice fight and reminded me of my old "Bullhead" fishin' days with my Dad and brother, Joe.

This was another trip of a lifetime - my first to South America - which only made me want to go back again.

Spineweek in Geneva

2008-05-31T02:38:00.023-07:00

The view from our hotel window in Geneva overlooking the Jet d'Eau (water-jet), one of the city's most famous landmarks.

On May 24th I departed for Geneva, Switzerland to attend Spineweek - a synchronization of the annual meetings of leading scientific societies concerned with disorders of the spine.

I was especially exicited for this trip, not only to attend the conference and hear the many wonderful presentations - but also because this was the first time that our research had been accepted for platform presentation at this prestigious conference.

Simply stated, the societies that participate in Spineweek are orthopedic societies - and my presentation was the only research presented by a chiropractor during the entire week. It was a humbling and very honoring experience.

Geneva is the second largest city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). Situated where the Rhône River exits Lake Geneva, Geneva is widely regarded as a global city, because of its home to headquarters of some 200 international organizations, including the agencies of the United Nations and the Red Cross - the world’s first humanitarian organization and was formed as an offshoot of the Geneva Convention, in 1859.

Geneva has the second-highest quality of living in the world (narrowly outranked by its Swiss neighbor, Zürich). The city has an important and old finance sector, which is specialized in private banking managing assets of about 1 trillion $USD.

Surrounding the lake downtown are the facades of dozens of bank buildings, and on the streets, top end Bentley's, Masarati's, Ferrari's and the like. The smell of money is in the air, and with our week US dollar, the smell was stronger than usual.

There is a long tradition of watchmaking (Breitling, Baume et Mercier, Chopard, Patek Philippe, Rolex, and others) as Geneva is the watch capital of the world. I wanted to add to my Breitling collection, but with the weakness of the dollar, this wasn't the time.

We stayed downtown at the Beau Rivage, a beautiful hotel overlooking Lake Geneva. The city's reputation for being clean and prosperous was obvious.

My friend and colleague, Dr. Deed Harrison and I ventured out on the town to check out the sights and seek out the acclaimed swiss fondue. Our consierge recommended Auberge de Savièse, just a few blocks walk from our hotel, which didn't disappoint.

Amidst the research presented in the scientific sessions of the conference, were the enjoyable social events. The all-socieities gala was held at the Polo Club - which was a great opportunity to visit with friends and meet new people.

Another social highlight of the conference was the EuroSpine dinner where I was seated next to a young spine surgeon from Kansas City - he did his undergraduate training at SUNY Stonybrook, so my New York roots gave us alot to talk about.

The dinner also had live entertainment with dancers and musical performers that made the evening not only entertaining but inspiring.

My friend and research collaborator, Dr. Robert Gunzburg served as the President of the European Spine Society this year, and to celebrate this year's meeting, he hosted a special dinner for his friends at one of Geneva's finest restaurants, the Relais & Chateaux Auberge du Lion d'Or.

Set overlooking Lake Geneva the restaurant has a marvelous terrace overlooking the lake which was admired by all.

Throughout the dinner Robert's friends roasted his personality and toasted his accomplishments. It was an evening to remember.

On June 1st, I flew from Geneva to Bordeaux, France to spend a week touring their infamous wine country. I'll share my thoughts of that trip with you in the next Travel Lounge blog.