"Carpe Diem - Complexo Nox" travelgourmet's Profile

..........................................Spring is here. Time to trim the vineyard...............................................

.........................................................TASTING THE FOODS...............................................................

.......................HEARING THE LAUGHTER............ENJOYING THE SUNSETS................................

......THE SUMMER WINDS EMBRACE........................THE WINTER RAINS REFRESH,..................

..LOOKING FOR THE RAINBOWS..................................TRAVEL, THE PATH OF KNOWLEDGE..

.....I trust you will give my reviews and tips a glance and enjoy my travel pages. I have visited some places many times, mostly accompanied by my wife, Sue, who said to me early on, "One day you must take me to Paris." I did, and the adventures began. The photos are mine or have come from my camera. Some reviews are just my opinion, others are tips that you may not know about, and some tips that millions and millions of other travelers know about, have been there and done that. Some travel locations I have visited have no travel pages, not because I have no tips for these locations but they were traveled long enough ago to be old news, today. Some locations I have listed have but one review and others I could not give enough tips about. I trust you will check out my reviews and tips that may help you on your travels or remember some place you also have memories of; good ones I trust.

.....I have a fondness for gourmet foods. I have had the fortunate past to have enjoyed learning the ways of preparing food and cooking diversified foods that include among the varied recipes, world class chili, of which I entered cook-offs with my "Blasted Chili" during the years as a member of the International Chili Society. I enjoyed lessons to acquire the ability to make the refined gourmet dishes of many renowned chefs. I belonged to a gourmet group that had me plunge into learning about different food cultures around the world and prepare dishes as if I were a local. So, my restaurant reviews and photos might go into a little depth on the courses offered or a dish that pleased my palate. The restaurant review will also be my opinion with no reservations as to the critique of the beckoning bistros.

.....Many lodgings throughout my travels are reviewed and listed on the destination pages "Hotels and Accommodations" tips for your perusal. I have attempted to include more than one picture per review of the accommodation so that you may get the feel of a property. Most are in the mid-price range. I listed the "price per person" when I was writing a hotel review as requested by VT, but when reading a hotel review in my pages it will say the "Price", not "Price Per Person", so please just double whatever the range it says on the hotel review.

.....For those of you who will find information not known by you or enjoy reading my reviews and tips that might help you or maybe even just entertain you, I thank you for browsing. Sometimes, one of my photos may say more than a thousand words, so few words are necessary. Not self promoting, but let me know if you enjoyed my reviews or tips by rating them. Thank you for any consideration given. I trust that I could please your virtual travel appetite. Bon Appetit!

Thanks for the memories!

VT'S FUNNIEST PAGE BARNEY AWARD 2012

I would like to say Thank You to "G", VT General Manager and VT name Giampiero6. A shout out to VT Staff member, Kimberly, VT name Usctwin, and VT's other staff members for making the 2012 Barney Awards Live such a delight. Great to see and meet old and new friends at the event. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees in each Virtual Tourist 2012 Barney Award Category. A special thank you to all the members who voted for me in the VT's Funniest Page category. I am proud to be the recipient of this Barney Award. See my Barney Award 2012 VT;s Funniest Page in my Pismo Beach pages, " A Seagulls Tale." Thanks for stopping by and trust that my writings and photos help to brighten your day! May you have revealing road trips, fantastic flights, smooth sailings, and palate pleasers from around this planet we all call home, Earth. Most of all, where ever you are traveling, be it near or far, I follow the policy of enjoying one's surroundings as a respectful visitor with a genuine smile. It's infectious. I drink to your health and peace, travelgourmet.

The meaning of Carpe Diem - Complexo Nox.

Sunrise

"Carpe Diem" (seize the day) and "Complexo Nox" (embrace the night) because in the scope of time, life seems over before it begins! As with every sunrise, a new day has dawned and the following sunset will surely bring the night. Imitated in life, as one has a sunrise and a sunset. So.....enjoy your life. Be happy. Good health to you. "Carpe Diem - Complexo Nox."

Westlake Village, California. Where I live.

Sunset

Living in the city, out in the country. Open streets and winding roads through the hills to the Pacific Ocean at Malibu. A beautiful lake in the middle of all this, at Westlake Village. Sail, electric boating, fishing, but no swimming allowed in the lake.

Lake Sherwood/Hidden Valley and North Ranch/Oak Park are south and north, while Thousand Oaks and Agoura Hills are west and east of Westlake Village, making for a very upscale city/country setting. My family has been blessed to be able to enjoy this beautiful area of Southern California. Vehicle travel is essential, jogging and bicycling are great pastimes.

Hiking trails throughout the area gives one the opportunity to get away from it all, perhaps glimpse a bit of wild life that include rabbits, raccoons, possum, skunk, snake, coyote, deer, bear, and even a wildcat, as well as with the many bird life flying above and into the trees and shrubs from the tiny hummingbird to the ground running quail and the honking geese to the gliding hawks and circling vultures. All this out in the country but still within walking distance of your home.

Now that I have told you about the area surrounding my abode, have some fun and click on the blue writing "Please sign my GuestMap". I thank you for visiting. Now, let me see where you live. PLEASE SIGN MY GUESTMAP.

Man's best friends

Sir Chauncey Puddles & Lady Phoebe

Travels are great, but getting home to your loving four pawed family is pure joy. They greet you with a big slurp of the tongue and a wag of the tail, no need to have sent mail. We have both a male and female Miniature Long Haired Dachshund. They are truly a hound dog, but high class and a friend of mine. Sorry, Elvis.

Take the time to smell the flowers

If there is no scent, at least enjoy the beauty!

Life is your best travel experience. That's my opinion. As you go through it, you see, hear, taste, feel everything that life throws at you, be it good or bad. You learn what you like and what dis-pleases you. You may not see eye to eye with all, but you will also find those that seem like your twin in every thought. When you are up, the world is your playground, but as sure as there is an up, beware of the down. It may be difficult, but something about life makes you strive to get up when down and sometimes you could use a guiding hand to help you stand. Take it if offered and if there, be thankful.

Good health is a major factor in enjoying life, but despite any problems, as serious as the problem may be, if you can still smile while staring at the first rain of the season or just hearing the laughter of a small child, you are living. If you can smile when answering your phone to the warm hello from a loved one or be able to send an e-mail greeting to a virtual friend, you are living. What is wonderful about life is that you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy it. So, where ever you may roam, be it near or far, please do stop to smell the flowers and if there is no scent, at least enjoy the beauty.

VT is meeting an old friend you never met before.

Odinnthor-travelgourmet-Roadquill, "Three Amigos"

If you have been to a VT meeting, small or large, you will put together the VT name and the real name of a person you have known through VT. Old friends meeting in person for the very first time. It is the part of VT that is hard to understand if you are just starting to be a VT member, but one that makes you become addicted to VT. Travel is the mutual link and experiences are the common bond. I have met VTers at several VT meetings as well as meetings set up by myself or another VTer to get together to say our hellos or finally say, "I know you," without ever having met each other in person before. The common bond, Virtual Tourist.

This is a few words of encouragement to the "Newbies" at VT. In my opinion, and to avoid any problems in the VT forums, your opinion keeps the sanity while on line with those who you meet virtually with different opinions. The common bond, travel, links you to other VTers, sometimes more than that of lifelong friends from high school. Habit forming and addictive, VT is here for you to enjoy. Become part of the family and go to the forums to discuss, answer, reply or just be another opinion to a question asked in the travel, miscellaneous or technical forums to get the full appreciation of Virtual Tourist. Putting your travel experiences in writing with tips and photos is only the beginning of the start of a beautiful relationship. Here's looking at you, kid.

Last but not least, my children.

Jason, Kelly, Me, Colleen, Eric & April kneeling

Last but not least, a word about my children. I love them all.
My rays of sunshine. The smile on my face and the gray in my receding hairline. The laughter and the tears. The happiness and the worries. The closeness and the separations. The proud and the fearful moments. I have been blessed with five children. Three girls and two boys. Blessed as well with good health for all of them. Travel wise, they all have their own ideas and locations to visit. It gives us all more to talk about. Of course, they are getting up in age now and four of the five have their own child or children. Now, in the sunset years, I remember the words of the old testament, Psalm 128; "and may you live to see your children's children." I have been blessed to see that Psalm 128 has come to pass, even unto my children's children's children. My family tree grows with five children, fourteen grandchildren, so far, and ten great-grandchildren, so far. I celebrated the arrival of the latest great-grand child, a boy, born on 3/19/2011. Wow! I just received confirmation that as of 10/27/2012, the arrival of the latest birth in the family, a boy, makes it eleven great-grandchildren. Come what may, I love them all, no matter what they say or do, for they are my children. God Bless them all.