Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/350 sec, ISO80 “Fish Tacos and Mezcal Margarita” Austin, 2025
This afternoon I met up with some family who were in town for a wedding, and it turned into such a nice little get-together. We met at La Piscina and treated ourselves to tasty Mexican food and some really good cocktails. It felt great to sit around the table and catch up with people I have not talked with in a while. The whole thing had a relaxed and happy vibe, and it was such an easy and fun way to spend the afternoon.
As a little bonus, I somehow scored a perfect street parking spot. I even got to put my parallel parking skills to work, which always feels like a tiny victory. Fun stuff!
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO640 “Peppers” Cedar Park, 2025
Today I made a simple salsa that consisted of roasted jalapeño peppers, lime, and salt. It is a straightforward recipe, but the result is tangy and delicious! It was also fun to use the comal we bought in Mexico City to roast the peppers.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/6.4, 1/60 sec, ISO1600 “Egyptian Cat and Egyptian Honey” Cedar Park, 2025
I brought back this tiny packet of honey from our trip to Egypt and tried it in my yogurt today. The flavor was really mild, which surprised me. It was a fun little souvenir to taste, but I still prefer good old American honey. To be fair, this packet probably is not top tier Egyptian honey!
Today was a long day filled with unforgettable sights. After an early breakfast, we boarded a plane and flew south to the city of Luxor. Our first stop was Karnak Temple, another incredible highlight of the trip. The massive pillars and towering obelisks are absolutely overwhelming in scale, and the carvings are breathtaking. It is hard to even imagine the effort, planning, and motivation it took to build something so enormous and detailed.
After wandering the grounds and enjoying a strong Turkish coffee, we boarded the tour bus and headed to our home for the next several days, the Viking Thoth. The Thoth is a brand new ship in the Viking fleet, and we were the very first group of guests to sail with her. It felt so special knowing we were the first to stay in the cabins, dine at the tables, and dip our feet in the pool. For lunch, I went with the burger, yes I know, but I was craving it and it was actually really good. We always share our dishes anyway!
We rested for a few hours, enjoyed another wonderful meal, and then headed out for an evening excursion to Luxor Temple. The grounds were beautifully lit and offered a completely different experience at night. Seeing such an incredible site in the cooler evening air was truly magical. It is something I will never forget.
