Travel With Betsy

“Filoxenia is the Greek word for traditional hospitality, in which a stranger (xenos) is instantly made a friend (filos) after being welcomed into one’s home.”

I learned the meaning of this very special term at “Dio Deka”, the restaurant where I chose to dine on my last night in Los Gatos. “Filoxenia” is the base of the culture, and it was evident in every aspect of this fabulous restaurant.

“Dio Deka” is a former Michelin rated Greek restaurant located in the Hotel Los Gatos, where I made my base for the great Forester “bonding” adventure. It is the only Greek restaurant in the United States that has received a Michelin Star. When I visited Los Gatos years ago, eating in this restaurant was part of my plan. It didn’t work out on that trip. But, I vowed to come back and have a meal here sometime.

This was the time! What better way to end my stay in Los Gatos than by enjoying a meal and the fine company of the family at “Dio Deka”?   Not only was the food spectacular, the hospitality experience was unparalleled. I was dining alone, but truly felt like I was having a fine meal in the company of friends.

Truth be told, I went back and forth about whether to take a chance on this restaurant.   It was relieved of the Michelin star in the last few years, and I read a few reviews that were not stellar. So, I did my usual survey of locals to get an opinion. Even those were mixed. But….seasoned traveler that I am….I know how it goes with reviews. One needs to take them with a grain of salt.   There are lots of different slants on what constitutes “good” and even more variation on “great”. And, frankly, the Michelin star is a good quality measure, but does not always guarantee a great meal. Still, I was so conflicted that I waited until about an hour before I was planning to go to dinner and decided that if I could get a reservation, I would give it a try. I’m so glad I did.

After I was seated and had a minute to review the menu, the waiter came by and we established that I was dining alone. He wondered if I would have a glass of wine. But, of course! I wondered if he had a recommendation. I had decided to have the Moussaka. He recommended several wines that would pair well with that choice, but I landed on an “Old World” Bordeaux Blend.

He explained that the Moussaka was not “traditional”, but a “deconstructed” version, which made me question my choice a bit. But, his description sounded so good, that I decided to stay with this. I also ordered some marinated Greek olives. For those of you who have traveled with me, you know that I have an olive fetish. I love them….all kinds….and have tried them everywhere I have visited. So good!

The Moussaka was, indeed a treat. It consisted of 2 short ribs, each of which was topped with a slice of roasted eggplant that was topped with a small mound of pureed potato that had been crisped in the oven. The ribs were placed decoratively on the dish surrounded by an eggplant puree, a balsamic reduction and a sprinkling of roasted cherry tomatoes. There was a crisp, homemade potato chip propped up on the side of each of the short ribs. It was a work of art.

I constructed each perfect bite with a small bit of each of the components of the dish. The combination of crispy, smooth and chewy textures along with the savory and sweet flavors was unbeatable. And, the wine choice was a perfect match for the flavors and the richness of the meat.

A few minutes into the meal, the waiter came by to get my thoughts. All I could say was

“This is fantastic! So delicious!”

We chatted for a few minutes about my visit to Los Gatos, and I asked him about the lost Michelin star. Apparently, they had a change in chefs and things went awry. He said it happens all the time. But, they now had someone new, William Roberts, who is showing great promise. I agreed and said that if this meal shows any indication, they would certainly win back their star.

Well……he relayed my compliment to William, who communicated back a hearty thank you through the waiter. Then, as I was nearing the end of my meal, William came by to meet me and thanked me for my comments. He was so appreciative….and humble. I passed along my card from the tasting room where I work. I hope he stops by sometime. He said he would…..we’ll see……After he left, the General Manager came by to see what I thought of the Moussaka.

Again…..Delicious!

At the end of the meal, my waiter came by with the check and said that William was so glad I enjoyed my meal that he waived the cost of my glass of wine. How nice!

As I left, each of the staff members I passed spoke to me, thanked me for coming and wished me a good evening. What a wonderful experience! I truly felt like I was a welcome part of their family!

This experience was the highlight of my day, even a little higher than my discovery of the “off-roading” capability of the mighty Forester!

It even topped my wine tasting follies for the day, which is always a favorite for me! In the end, I did find a few open tasting rooms where I met some interesting characters and had some great wine.

This tasting room had a tropical theme!  Funny!

My favorite for quality was Wright’s Station.

The owner and winemaker was behind the bar pouring. He was retired from another career and decided to try his hand at making wine. So, he went to UC Davis to study winemaking, got a certificate and went to town. He has a fairly new tasting room with spectacular views of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

I loved his Pinot Noir….and other things, too…..but, the Pinot was my favorite!

My favorite tasting room for interacting with interesting characters was Savannah-Chanelle.

The wines were good, but the staff was better. Mike and Luke were behind the bar. They kept me quite entertained….and informed about the wine…..while I was there. We swapped tasting room stories and had a few laughs. Very fun!

So, all in all, I would deem my “bonding” adventure a great success. I am one with my new car (which, by the way got a stunning 34 miles per gallon on my trip home….another thing to love), my tummy is full of yummy food and wine, and I have some new friends in Los Gatos….my favorite part of travel.

I also have a new word in my repertoire….“Filoxenia”. I think I will take this on as my new travel mantra.

I like it. I think it suits me……

“Off Roading”…..What is That….Exactly……?

When I was buying my Forester, the dealers that I talked to really emphasized the fact that it was a great “off-roader”. Each time this came up…….and it came up often….I assured them that I would not be doing any “off-roading”. Truth be told, I don’t really even know what that means. I was buying the car because the seating position was so comfortable. Not only could I adjust the seat a million different ways, I would also be able to sit high up off the ground and be able to see really well out of the massive windows. I stand firm on my reasoning. But, today, I got a sense of the value of having a car that can go, literally, anywhere.

I started out this morning ready to explore the Summit Road wine region! I got in my trusty Forester, engaged the GPS system and took off. Down the highway I went, once again relishing in the comfort features of the car. When I got close to the Summit Road area, the nice GPS woman spoke to me and told me to get off the highway at the next exit, which I did. Then, as soon as I left the highway, she said that I needed to make a sharp left turn. I missed it. UGHHHH…….

I thought, “No worries. I’m sure it will recalculate.” And, it did!

I was happily listening to my free Siruis radio and following the guide when I realized that I was off the main road and really had no idea where I was. I kept on going, following the directions because….I really had no idea where I was. So, I thought it best to follow the GPS. It must know what it’s doing. Right?!

All of a sudden, I realized that I was driving down a single lane dirt road. The road was lined with giant trees…..maybe redwoods…..whose branches had created an arch across the road as far as I could see.   As I went along through the center of the arch, I realized that the road was becoming quite narrow. It was also getting pretty dark underneath the arch. I looked at the GPS on the dashboard where it was counting down the miles to my destination. It was still counting, so I figured I was still OK.

I thought about a conversation in regards to the Forester that I had with my friend, Nancy.

She said, “You could flip the back seats down and sleep in the back if you wanted to. Isn’t that great?!”

I wondered if, later,  I would have an opportunity to test this out, as I continued to creep along on the unfamiliar road.

But, still I kept on going. Honestly, what else could I do?

It reminded me of my trip to France a few years back when I rented a car to go to Les Baux from Aix en Provence. Near Les Baux, the GPS led me off the main road into a field where I landed in front of a herd of donkeys that had the biggest heads I have ever seen! It was shocking! This was kind of like that, but without the donkeys.

Anyway, I digress…..it was becoming a bit of a challenging drive, so I slowed down to a crawl. As I looked ahead, I saw some small tree limbs across the road.

Oh boy………..

I stopped and assessed my surroundings….even thought of turning around and trying to go back. But, how, exactly, would I do that on this tiny, narrow tree lined road? I couldn’t turn around, and I didn’t want to back up the whole way  to the main road. The back up camera is good, but it was a long way back. So, I looked at the tree limb, thought about the “off-roading” capabilities of the grand Subaru Forester and just kept on going right over the small tree limb. Then, I did it again a little further down the road. WOW!

When I did the paperwork with the man at the dealership, we went over a form whose purpose it was to inform Forester owners that they should never put chains on their tires. The man I was dealing with said to me,

“The Forester will go anywhere. If you think you need to use chains to go somewhere, you shouldn’t be going. Stay home.”

He wasn’t kidding when he said this thing would go anywhere. I have never driven a car that could go over a small tree limb. It was pretty small…..but, still….a tree limb! I don’t want to do it again, but I could!   Another of the virtues of the Forester that I have discovered on my new car “bonding” adventure!

You will be happy to know that I did get to the tasting room I was looking for, (the GPS was right on. How does it do that?) only to find that the tasting room was closed on Friday.

Really?!  After all that?!

It turns out that Friday is not a great day for wine tasting in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It’s a weekday. Many of the smaller, more interesting tasting rooms are only open on the weekend. Oh well……

The story for the day is the mighty Forester that can climb over a small tree limb and live to tell about it another day. I’m so impressed! No kidding!

So, I am officially checking “off-roading” off of my list of things to do before I die. (Not that it was on my list to begin with.  But, why not?) Since I really don’t know what that means, I am counting this experience as “off-roading”. It’s the closet I will ever get. This is a fact………

Who knew that I would be an “off-roader”!  Maybe I could add an acronym to the end of my name to highlight my expertise.   Betsy, “O-R Expert”….or some such thing……

Hmmmm………I’ll have to give this some serious thought…….!

Ahh……the Smell of a New Car……

….well… almost 9 years, 150,000 miles and a few dents and dings later (for both of us), I am parting ways with my Honda Civic Hybrid. I can’t believe it. We have been together a long time and have been through a lot since coming to California.   It’s been a good run…….But….it’s time…..

It’s been….well….about 9 years….since I have searched for a new car…..or, frankly, even thought about a new car. I had to jump start my brain a little bit to remember how to sort through the myriad of options to find the best selection for me from the multitude of cars that are on the market.  I read all of the reviews….Consumer Reports, Edumunds, Kelly Blue Book, J. D Power….on and on it went.  I had forgotten how maddening….and exhilarating….the whole process could be!  Whew! But, finally, I landed on a Subaru Forester.

It had everything I wanted….the perfect seating position with lumbar support, extra space to carry things, all the bells and whistles, and a seat height that is even with my butt when I am entering the car….no more crouching to get in…..just an easy slide……..Great!

I was ready to make a change in cars, but I have to say that it’s been a bit of an emotional ride. The Honda is the first thing of substance…..after the house, of course…..that I purchased here in California. It has been part of my support system here….a friend of sorts.  The thought of parting with it brought tears to my eyes. And, yesterday after I took it in for it’s last service, I almost wept.   My grief over selling the Honda was compounded by the weight of the very challenging decision about what kind of car “fits” my lifestyle now, the outlay of money for such car, and some unnecessary sarcasm from a friend about my choice. The whole thing left me with a rather poignant and stressful week that ended in a bout of “Buyers’ Remorse”…. the likes of which I have never seen.

I wanted to love this car!  I needed to take action! So, I decided that I would take the car on a ”Road Trip”! Perfect! A little “bonding” is what I need! What better way to put the Forester to the test and get to know it’s many attributes?!

This afternoon, I “bonded” with my Forester on my trek to Los Gatos, deep in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains. I only have one full day here, but I plan to make the most of it!

I decided to stay at The Los Gatos Hotel.

It’s an old historic hotel close to the center of town. I visited the hotel just to look around when I first came to California. Ever since then, I have wanted to stay here. However, now that my dream has been realized, I’m not sure what the attraction was. I’ll just say that it has “Old World” charm. It’s a little dated and could use a little buffing up. But, it will suffice for my short jaunt. And, the staff members I have met so far have been very nice and helpful.

I have also wanted to explore the wine region here, which is known for yummy Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This will be part of my “bonding” exercise.  I have already been to visit Testarossa.

They had some excellent Pinot Noirs, my favorites coming from Doctor’s Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands and the Sierra Madre in the Santa Maria Valley.

This place has a great story! It was started in the late 1800s by a group of Jesuit brothers and fathers from Santa Clara College. They planted the vineyards, tended them and did all of the winemaking and sales. There were some great vintage pictures of the brothers on the walls of the long hallway leading to the tasting room.  Over the years, the operation was sold and the vineyards went into disrepair despite the best efforts of the new owners to keep it up. So, there are no longer grapes growing in the old vineyards. Now, the grapes are purchased from all over the area and are made into some very fine wines. Biz, the tasting room attendant, told me that some of the aging Jesuits who worked in the winery still live on site and come to the tasting room periodically. Some of them are 100 years old. I’ll bet they have some interesting stories to tell!

I finished my day with dinner at “Nick’s Next Door”, a recommendation from the people at Testarossa. It was a great choice out of the many good restaurants here.

The friendly staff helped me to craft a plan for my day tomorrow.  I am going to the Summit area, where there are several wineries with outstanding views and tasty wine.  Tomorrow is supposed to be a clear day.  So, it should be perfect for viewing the surrounding area.

I also spent a little bit of time walking around in the downtown area to walk off my dinner. The town reminds me a lot of San Luis Obispo, only bigger. There are lots of quaint shops mixed in with some newer stores…and lots of restaurants. It’s cute!

It was a great day! I’m feeling happy, and the “Buyer’s Remorse” is gone! After my 3-hour ride to get here, I realize that the Forester is everything I want it to be and more. And, how could one not love the “new car smell”?!

The road trip was a great idea! But, now I have something else to think about.  How will my new car fare for the night in the underground garage at the hotel? I hope it will be there in the morning….just where I left it….and that it is ding free when I retrieve it.

Parking is a little  tight in the underground garage……

The first ding is always the worst…….

Where in the world……is my luggage?

I am in San Miguel de Allende……

….came yesterday. My luggage is……well……I haven’t a clue and neither does “Volaris” airlines, my airline of choice for this trip. They think it might be in Los Angeles. But, I think it is in a big black hole with all of the lone socks that I can’t find!

Volaris Airlines…..I got a great deal on their nonstop flight from Los Angeles to Leon….$240.00 and some change. Such a deal! But, about $100 plus later for new toiletries, hat, hair brush, underwear, t-shirt to sleep in and mounting international cell minutes spent to discuss my plight with the airline, it wasn’t as good of a deal as I thought.   The very rude and highly disorganized airline staff tempted me to think I might get my luggage tonight. And, silly me, I thought it could happen. But, after my last call with them, I now see that my big challenges on this trip will be to see how many different ways I can mix and match the few pieces of clothing I happened to pack in my small carry on bag and to stay positive about being on vacation for a week without my things. So far, so good, but the week is young.

Today, my 2 travel buddies and I spent part of the day trying to figure out what the Spanish word for underwear might be and the rest of the day searching for it.  Not easy. But, we did find some. I decided to pass on the red bikinis with the cute bow on them (too frilly) and the children’s underwear with “Hello Kitty” (that I possibly could have fit into) and the thongs (too stringy) to get 2 pair of Plain Jane panties that will probably do just fine, but are not very attractive and may not fit. Tomorrow, I am on the lookout for a few tops that I can interchange with my stylish bottoms and some mascara that won’t make my eyes itchy. Wish me luck!

On the up side, the weather here in San Miguel is great. It’s bright and sunny….not too hot….not too cold….and no rain, a plus for those of living on the California central coast right now.

The house we are renting is spectacular and in a good location a few blocks from the center of town. The house has a contemporary look with 3 levels and high ceilings. The stairs to the right of the picture lead to my little apartment.

My 2 travel buddies have their own rooms and baths that walk out into small living rooms.

We have a kitchen where we can cook meals if we like or ask our housekeeper to cook for us.  I’m not sure how much cooking we will get into, as the restaurants in town are quite good and also inexpensive.

Both of the bedrooms have small balconies that open out to look below at a small relaxation fountain and a hot tub.

We even have a rooftop terrace where we can sit and look at the beautiful city while we sip our wine and unwind from our busy days.

Wonderful!

The town of San Miguel is just as I remembered. The main square is the center of town and is anchored on one end with the “Parrochia” (church). The sides of the square are lined with restaurants, a myriad of fun shops selling just about everything one can imagine and galleries with all types of interesting art in all kinds of different forms.   The streets beyond the square are filled with more of the same.   The food is good and the Margaritas are even better!

Somewhere along the way, we ran into this fella’…..kind of creepy after a few drinks. But, still fun!

As I remembered from my last visit, the streets all around town are mostly cobbled, making the walking somewhat challenging. Without some good shoes, one could turn an ankle or rub some blisters. Luckily, my best walking shoes were also tucked into my carry on bag. So, I may not be the best-dressed visitor to San Miguel, but my feet….and back…..will be happy….a plus in the whole luggage debacle!

All in all, I think it will be a fun and relaxing week for the 3 of us…and, a great birthday celebration for my travel pal!

I am now getting ready to turn in for the night. As I look down at my new t-shirt that is decorated with a jeweled owl and the words “Love Owl” written along the side, I sigh, and wonder again…..

……where in the world is my luggage?……and I think about my next Margarita…….