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sonoma coast

California, Destinations, North America, USA

I Left My Heart in Northern California

Catherine Sweeney
July 21, 2021
7 Comments
I Left My Heart in Northern California

A sentimental and rejuvenating road trip in Northern California

california, food, healdsburg, northern california, san mateo county, sonoma coast, sonoma county, USA, wine, wine country county

About Catherine Sweeney

Catherine Sweeney is a travel enthusiast with a lifelong passion for going places. A weekend getaway, an international journey, a cross-country road trip, or a local jaunt — they’re all on her radar. And it’s all made extra special when she’s enjoying the finer things in life with Mr. TWS, her husband and co-blogger. Get inspired as they share photos and stories highlighting the best of destinations, food, wine, history, culture and the arts.

Thank you, Getting on Travel!

Traveling with Sweeney, Best Baby Boomer Travel Blogs 2022, Getting on Travel

2018 NATJA Silver Award Winner

Recent Posts

  • Indulging the Senses on the Mediterranean Coast of France
  • Capturing the Essence of Catalonia on a Coastal Journey
  • Breathe, Relax, Contemplate at the Japanese Friendship Garden
  • Best Things to Do in the Phoenix Area: Art and Culture Venues
  • Sears-Kay Ruins and Hieroglyphic Trails: Hiking in the Tonto National Forest

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Pretty as a picture … that’s Portofino, Italy. Pretty as a picture … that’s Portofino, Italy. On our @gocollette Mediterranean Coastal Journey tour we took a boat from Santa Margherita Ligure to this beautiful town on the Ligurian coast. A hint of what’s coming soon on the blog. #catherinexcollette #gocollette #portofino #liguria #italy #traveltuesday #ifwtwa1 #mediterraneantrip #visititaly #beautifuldestinations #travelgram #lovetotravel #italianriviera #prettyplaces
Viking ocean cruises tip for #foodiefriday — be Viking ocean cruises tip for #foodiefriday — be sure to make a reservation for dinner at The Chef’s Table as soon as it is possible after you book your cruise. It’s a wonderful culinary experience tasting chef-inspired menus (which change during the cruise) paired with carefully-selected wines. On our recent journey on the @vikingcruises Sea, we enjoyed a “Voyage to Korean Cuisine” that introduced us to delicious new flavors. A sample of our dinner from top left: - Amuse Bouche with eel, octopus, and egg custard (out of my usual comfort zone, but tasty) - Me with one of the fine wines 🍷 - Healthy “Ocean Party” appetizer with crab meat, scallop, and more goodies - Korean soup pot — very spicy! - BBQ marinated beef short ribs — my favorite - Kimchi fried rice - Matcha cheescake and yuzu ice cream for dessert - Glass of Madeira #myvikingstory #vikingsea #chefstable #cruisetravel #cruise #cruisedining #koreanfood #chefinspired #diningatsea #vikingcruises #ifwtwa1 #foodiefriday #travelblogger
The Palace of Knossos in Heraklion on the Greek is The Palace of Knossos in Heraklion on the Greek island of Crete. Loved our tour of this archaeological treasure of ancient Minoan civilization during our @vikingcruises shore excursion. #ifwtwa #traveltuesday #myvikingstory #minoancivilization #palaceofknossos #crete #greecetravel #visitcrete #heraklioncrete #travelgram #ifwtwa1 #myvikingstory #shoreexcursion #archaeology #travelblogger
A full day on the Greek island of Rhodes included A full day on the Greek island of Rhodes included a visit to the charming village of Lindos and the Acropolis at its top. Just a few pics for now, but you know there’ll be more to come about our @vikingcruises Ancient Mediterranean Treasures cruise that is going by way too quickly! #myvikingstory #cruisetravel #greekisland #rhodes #lindosgreece #travelgram #shoreexcursions #ifwtwa1
What a way to end the day! Mr TWS and I are relaxi What a way to end the day! Mr TWS and I are relaxing in the @vikingcruises Sea Explorer’s Lounge where we caught this sunset. We visited the ancient ruins of Ephesus in Turkey today. On our way to Rhodes … #myvikingstory #vikingcruises #sailingtheaegean #sunsetonthesea #cruisetravel #vikingsea #travelblogger
Did you know that Istanbul is in both Europe and A Did you know that Istanbul is in both Europe and Asia? It was so cool to take the ferry to visit the Asian side — first time I’ve set foot on Asian soil! Bustling area with lots of cafes, pastry shops and more. Great way to enjoy free time on our @vikingcruises Ancient Mediterranean Treasures #cruise. #myvikingstory #istanbul #turkey #ifwtwa1 #shoreexcursions #travellingthroughtheworld #travelblogger
Free time tip while exploring Instanbul @vikingcru Free time tip while exploring Instanbul @vikingcruises. After touring the amazing landmarks of Istanbul take the funicular F1 to the Taksim neighborhood up a hillside on the European side of the city. Cool area, bustling with locals on streets and the square. Lots of colorful character and delicious aromas. #myvikingstory #istanbul #freetimeinport #turkeytravel
Hey, @vikingcruises! We’re back on board the Sea Hey, @vikingcruises! We’re back on board the Sea. Loved our Mediterranean Odyssey cruise two years ago on the same great ship and now we’re back on board to sail from Istanbul to Athens. Cheers! #winewednesday #cruisetravel #cruise #exploretheworld #ontheship #myvikingstory
Art among the columns of the ancient cistern benea Art among the columns of the ancient cistern beneath Istanbul. Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı) is a large water reservoir built in the 6th century. The now nearly empty cistern can be toured and is a must- see in Istanbul. The contemporary sculptures among the 336 columns is a striking exhibition. This was part of our pre-cruise excursion of our upcoming @vikingcruises Ancient Mediterranean Treasures cruise. There’s much more to share soon. #myvikingstory #istanbul #turkey #basilicacistern #sculptures #shoreexcursion #artappreciation #istanbultourism #visitturkiye #travelblogger
How cool to make my own perfume at @fragonardparfu How cool to make my own perfume at @fragonardparfumeurofficiel in Grasse, France with @gocollette! I think my scent fit me perfectly. The floral part of the ingredients was lilacs — in my version, the lilac fragrance was very subtle. Have you ever made your own fragrance? New post coming soon about our time on the French Riviera on the Collette Mediterranean Coastal Journey small group tour. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #france #traveltuesday #ifwtwa1 #explorefrance #fragonardparfumeur #grasse #parfumeur #perfumelovers #travel #lovetotravel
Catalonia on my mind … some of the highlights of Catalonia on my mind … some of the highlights of Barcelona and Costa Brava from our Mediterranean Coastal Journey tour with @gocollette: . Strolling around Eixample and the Gothic Quarter . Cable car up Montjuic for castle and Barcelona views . Visiting Gaudi’s Casa Batllo and Sagrada Familia . Sea view hotel on the coast . Dali museum in Figueres . Tour of Girona These and more in latest blog post “Best of Barcelona and Costa Brava (link in bio). #gocollette #catherinexcollette #catalonia #visitcostabrava #barcelonatrip #visitspain #catalunyagram #traveltheworld #guidedtravel #collettetours #ifwtwa1
A day in Paso Robles wine country — #winewednesd A day in Paso Robles wine country — #winewednesday pics from a great day of wine tasting with friends at @sculpterra @mcpricemyerswines and @daouvineyards we also loved the art at Sculpterra and spectacular views at Daou. Cheers, all! #california #pasorobleswinecountry #art #sculpture #wineandart #ifwtwa1
Antoni Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia — one of the Antoni Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia — one of the highlights of Barcelona and Costa Brava on our @gocollette Mediterranean Coastal Journey tour. Work began in 1882, and the project was taken over by Gaudi in 1883 until his death in 1926, with other architects continuing with his plan. Although it has been said that the work will be complete in 2026, locals we talked to don’t think that will be the case. Link in bio to new blog post. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #barcelona #spain #catalonia #travelblogger #guidedtravel #mediterranean #spaintravel #gaudi #architecture #sagradafamilia #traveltuesday #ifwtwa1
Can you see yourself spending some time here on a Can you see yourself spending some time here on a hot summer day? A summer place to dream about … the charming seaside villages of the Costa Brava region of Spain. We had a lovely walk between the popular beach holiday towns of Calella de Palafrugell and Llafranc with @gocollette and imagined ourselves staying in one of the apartments overlooking the harbor and Mediterranean Sea. 🏝️🏖️☀️🌊 #gocollette #catherinexcollette #mediterranean #beachlife #coastalliving #seasidetown #travelblogger #costabrava #visitcostabrava #summerdays #ifwtwa1
Happy Monday! Starting my week with a look back to Happy Monday! Starting my week with a look back to awaking to this lovely sunrise over the Mediterranean in the Costa Brava region of Spain. This was during the first part of our coastal journey with @gocollette. Post coming soon! #catherinexcollette #gocollette #mediterran #spaintravel #sunriselover #visitcostabrava #travelgram #mondaymorning #lovetotravel
Imagine yourself on the French Riviera and follow Imagine yourself on the French Riviera and follow the sun! 🌞 I loved taking in the sights and vibes on our @gocollette Mediterranean Coastal Journey. These scenes include Monaco, Nice, Èze, and sights along the way. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #mediterraneantour #followthesun #coastaljourney #europeantravel #travelgram #frenchriviera #mediterraneanvibes #traveltuesday #ifwtwa1
Some of our favorite dishes of our @gocollette Med Some of our favorite dishes of our @gocollette Mediterranean Coastal Journey tour for #foodiefriday -- penne strascicate in Florence; sliced tuna tartare in Marseille; scallops in Barcelona, Spain; mussels in creamy garlic sauce in Marseille; beef ravioli in Nice (my personal favorite!); panisse (chickpea) fritters in Marseille; cheese-filled focaccia in Recco, Italy; chicken croquettes in Figueres, Spain. Follow along for more specialties we loved, too. . . #gocollette #catherinexcollette #mediterraneanfood #mediterraneantour #foodiegrams #ifwtwa1 #favoritefoods #travelforfood
Happy and romantic travelers, @mrtws1 and me, on o Happy and romantic travelers, @mrtws1 and me, on our @gocollette Mediterranean Coastal Journey small group tour (link to itinerary in bio). There’s much to share in upcoming posts here and on the blog, so stay tuned! Pictured: 1, 2, 3 Barcelona; 4 Girona; 5 Besalu; 6 Abbey of Fontfroide; 7 Marseille; 8, 9 Nice; 10, 11 Genoa; 12 Cinque Terre; 13 Florence; 14 Tuscany #gocollette #catherinexcollette #europeantravel #landtour #guidedtravel #mediterraneancoast #travelgram #happytraveler #travelblogger #traveltheworld #summertravel #ifwtwa1 #traveltuesday
Along the way between Costa Brava in Spain and Mar Along the way between Costa Brava in Spain and Marseille France on our @gocollette tour we visited the @abbaye_de_fontfroide, a beautifully-preserved medieval abbey near Narbonne. We were guided through many parts of the Cistercian abbey and enjoyed the gardens. Special events, concerts, and art shows are also held at the abbey. After the tour, we savored locally-produced food and wine in the restaurant. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #france #abbayedefontfroide #explorefrance #occitanietourisme
Focaccia is a specialty of the Liguria region of I Focaccia is a specialty of the Liguria region of Italy and we had a chance to see a demonstation of making a cheese-filled version at Da ö Vittorio in Recco, followed by a delicious lunch. Here’s a virtual taste for #foodiefriday. Buon appetito! #gocollette #catherinexcollette #ifwtwa1 #italianfood #focaccia #italianrestaurant #travelforfood #guidedtravel #travelgram #mediterraneantour #foodlover
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