The Rice House

Travel Experiences

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep."                 ---Robert Frost

Holiday in France: September 18 - October 3, 1999

We wanted to break up our family trip to the US with some vacation time so we chose a two week camping/touring trip to France.  Our adventure took us to Burgundy wine country, Vaugine, a tiny village near Aix-en-Provence, to see our old friends Richard and Isa Gombin;  the Abbey de St Martin, on top of a mountain; Andorra where tourists flock for bargains; St Gaudens, a macrobiotic retreat operated by Rene Levy; Lourdes, where the sick and crippled seek miracle cures; the Pyranees and a side trip to Pamplona where the bulls run one day a year; Biarritz where the rich and famous seek pleasure on the Atlantic Coast.  It was a memorable holiday with variety, profound experience and friendship.

 

Cuernavaca, Mexico: June 26 - July 13, 2006

When we visited Vancouver in the summer of 2005 we contacted Linda Moscona to visit with her in Seattle, not realizing that her daughter lives in Seattle, but she has a beautiful home in Cuernavaca, Mexico, about an hour's drive from Mexico City.  As we made our travel plans for the following summer (2006) we contacted Linda inquiring about the possibility of traveling to Mexico from California, and staying with her at her advertised bed and breakfast.   The response was so positive, inviting, and warm that we didn't hesitate for a moment to book our flight to Mexico City.

Linda proved to be a perfect hostess.  She lives in a beautiful hacienda bordering on a golf course.  The house and grounds are in a perpetual state of  improvement by a full time staff of workers.  She has four large dogs that are the best fed beasts on the planet enjoying fresh macrobiotic food daily.  We were housed in a separate guest house that was perfect for our needs. 

Our daily routine consisted of writing our respective books in the morning followed by sightseeing, or simply a stroll to the zocalo about twenty minutes walk from the house.  We had a field day shopping for thin cotton clothes  suited to the perpetual warm climate of Mexico. 

We visited the Teotihuacan pyramids with Linda, and a town called Topaztlan where we climbed a mountain with hundreds of others visiting the pyramids on top, and enjoying the glorious views of the town and lowlands below. 

 

Holistic Holiday At Sea: March 4 - 11, 2007

Our first cruise ever was a macrobiotic adventure in the Caribbean starting from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and stopping at Puerto Rico, St Thomas, Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos Islands.  The highlights of the week, however, were the Costa Magica, the classes, the wonderful teachers, and the more than 700 people who attended.  I was thrilled to have the opportunity to teach numerology, and provide consultations to those people seeking my help in finding guidance in their lives.

 

Seattle to French Meadows: July 15 - 19, 2007

After leaving the Abraham cruise ship in Seattle, we rented a car and had a leisurely drive to French Meadows Summer Camp via Washington, Oregon and Northern California.  We were due to arrive at FM by July 19, so that gave us four days of touring to get there.  It was a glorious camping experience through National Parks, forests, and some of the most beautiful countryside in the Northwest.  We were surprised by the ease with which we transitioned from a luxury cruise ship to living off the land, and sleeping in our sleeping bags and tiny tent. 

 

Travel to Barcelona and Ibiza: August 30-September 8, 2007

Itzhak Helman contacted us to see if we would be interested in hosting a Thai Yoga seminar at our home when he visits Israel in the near future.  Itzhak is Israeli, has a Spanish partner named Bebe, and they have a young baby called Asia (pronounced Asya).  We arranged the seminar, attended by several local women.  In our conversation with Bebe during the seminar, they described a week long Thai Yoga retreat to be held during the first week in September at a villa in the center of the Island of Ibiza, just off the coast of Spain.  When we suggested that we come and cook for the participants, paying our own travel expenses, they were delighted.  And so, it came to pass.  It sounded like a lot of fun, just hanging out and cooking without paying for our room and board.  As Ginat was interested in the yoga, and I was open to have a good time away from home, it was a perfect match. 

We took advantage of the flight arrangements to spend a night in Barcelona before reaching Ibiza, and another full day in Barcelona afterwards. 

 

Vicenza, Italy: October 9 - 21, 2007

Viviane Silverstone studied cooking with us at Nadine Taieb's house in Raanana.  One day she asked if we would be interested in using her apartment in Vicenze as it remains empty during the time she is living in Caesarea in Israel.  We couldn't believe the offer as Viviane was only willing to accept payment for the electricity and water that we used during our visit.  The opportunity to accept Viviane's invitation came during the above dates.  Our twelve day stay enabled us to visit Verona twice, Venice three times, and Padua and Asiago in the nearby Alps once.  It was a glorious vacation in a completely furnished apartment, including a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a large living room.