2025 Brazil Trip: Day 6 - Rio to Sao Paulo

Day 6 - The Shift

There's a risk in front-loading a vacation. To be honest I'm not sure what the best way to order a trip is, especially when all the places are generally new so even if you have a preconceived notion of which is the best, you may be wrong. But that said, I came into this knowing there was a really high chance I would love Rio, and of course I did, and now I run the risk of the back half of the trip being relatively disappointing. Granted, that's part of the reason I threw Santiago onto the last couple days (a place that much like a Cape Town, or HCMC, I know well and know I will like). But what's really giving me anxiety is having left Rio where I had five basically cloud-free and literally rain free days, with what's becoming a pretty harrowing forecast for Iguazu Falls.

Well, after that long preamble, if we get to the day, it featured maybe the most notable tourism aspect of Rio, one that I intentionally left for a last - a trip to the Christ the Redeemer statue. I will say, I do wish the landing area at the summit was bigger - a la the midpoint stop up towards Pao do Acucar, but in reality maybe it was quite big but just way more crowded.

You can either buy tickets in advance or buy day of in line - but seemingly buying in line, despite Monday being a relatively quiet day, seems at least a 90min proposition in searing heat. The tram that takes you up takes a while, and sadly most of it is going through dense forest, but at a couple points there's a clearing and some spectacular views. Granted, these are teh same views you get even better at the top. 

Once you do reach the top (the tram takes about 15-20 minutes) there's either a series of stairs or an elevator, of which I took the elevator up and stairs down (probably for the best). After the elevator, another series of stairs with this time the alternative being an escalator, which very weirdly was hardly being used (many did use the elevator). Anyway, I zoomed past the stairs people on the escalator and got finally to the summit. I do like that when you reach the top you are initially placed at the rear of the statue - truly saving the best for last.

In a couple worlds the setting is phenomenal. The statue itself is regal and beautiful and a testament to old inventiveness, to have this statue lording (pun intended) over Rio de Janeiro. I will say, I always assumed it was bigger than it is, but having seen it from the ground level many times now I wasn't surprised today. Separate to the statue is the amazing views of Rio below you. I truly believe this gives better views than from the top of Pao do Acucar, by quite some distance. You can see the city so clearly below you - the crazy curvature, the giant lake near Copacabana (i.e. not the ocean side), and many details that I hadn't really seen before. Rio laid out like this is amazing.

After a fairly harmless trek down, I took off for Parque Lage, my last bit of tourism in Rio. This is a large park at the base of the mountain that the Christ the Redeemer sits on, and also at a corner of the Tijuca National Park (of which you can access the rest of through a trail out of the park). The main site in Parque Lage is the Palacio that sits towards the front, with a clear view of the mountain and Christ the Redeemer behind it. It really is a glorious view. Less glorious was the diabolically slow moving line to get in the palace (and the grounds of it, which take up the back two-thirds of the park). I gave up after 20 or so minutes with it seeming like the line was advancing 5 people per 15 minutes (I was about 30th in line). Overall, the view is great, but I'm notreally sure why it is so slow moving.

I left partially because I needed to grab a final steak in Rio before leaving (not planning to eat steak in Sao Paulo). The last spot was Majorica, which is an upscaled version of Braserie de Gavea from last night. Not really upscale in cost, but was mostly indoors, white tablecloths, more classy. In Brazil, this doesn't really mean better - it was about the same in being still fantastic. They have the same starting link of sausage, and then I ordered a heart of palm salad which was outstanding. For the steak, I got a top sirloin, which I wanted medium rare but it seemed they heard it through my accent as medium well.

I've never given back a steak in my life (though admittedly never really had reason to....), but kind of had to do so here. We joked about the lost in translation nature and they kindly refired another, which was bigger and if anything they went a bit too far the other way and gave it more rare. Was still excellent however. Brazil steak is for me right up there with its more famous neighbor in Argentina.

From there I had to head to the airport - this one being Santos Dumont, which is a story in itself. It is like London City airport, basically right in downtown, and the flight path when taking off takes you right over Pao do Acucar. Lukcily I had booked a window seat in the direction facing Rio, because I have to now admit two lies from earlier in teh piece. First, Parque Lage was not the last bit of tourism, and the best view of Rio is not from the Christ the Redeemer - because my God was that view from teh plane just magical. It was dusk when we took off, and you can literally see Rio just perfectly splayed out in front of you. We literally flew basically over Pao do Acucar - so early on you get the northern part of Rio (Centro, Santa Teresa, Botofago, etc.) and then the plane banks perfectly over to where you get a perfect view of Copacana and Ipanema, glistening with theri lights now on. Sure the view would have been even better during the day, but this was still a perfect way to say goodbye to Rio.

Landing in Sao Paulo and getting to my AirBNB was a breeze, the AirBNB in a super modern building - though the space itself is a small one bedreem, but with every amenity. It takes two seconds to realize in a way what Sao Paulo is about - this is the financial hub of the country and therefore is richer, more well built up, with fancier shops, restaurants, bars, etc., but ones that are far more similar to those in NYC than the uniqueness of Rio. Completely understand anyone's view that Rio is the better place to visit, but if you want / need to live in Brazil, Sao Paulo is a better go.

Dinner was at A Casa do Porco, the super highly rated pork-focused spot. More on that in a minute, but first was drinks at Fel, a really beautiful cocktail spot - large stone columns inside, calssy decor. The drinks were good, if not amazing, but again you get a level of precision (driven by wealth) in Sao Paulo. Anyway, to the meal, which was unreal. It is pork in every way. It is also $45 - the owners making a commitment to serving tweezery, 15-course meals (technically 8, but with a slew of small bites bundled into separate courses) at an affordable price point. All the plaudits to them - even getting the wine pairing gets you to $80. 

The meal was great, as is that they have a routine 10pm seating window which allowed me to eat here despite landing at 7:30pm. It did leave me with few options for postt dinner, as Monday truly is a quiet night, but after a bit of googling (after my initial spot was closed for a private event) I ended up at a scene. The spot was Riveira Club, which is open 24/7 - like literally so. It is a mob of people late at night,  but is also super secure and has the same pay by hotel room key card type thing that D-Edge had. There were people from all walks of life. The weirdest part is while it isn't really a cocktail bar (most were ordering beer) their cocktails were amazing. I spent way more time there than expected, and of course was able to end the night at a shawarma spot two blocks from the AirBNB. You can run from Shawarma, but can't escape it.

2025 Brazil Trip: Day 5 - Rio de Janeiro

Day 5 - Crisscrossing the City

I was wondering if Sunday in Rio would be notably quieter than Friday or Saturday, bur as I figured out fairly soon it is most certainly not. Much like my favorite Cape Town, Monday seems to be a bit of a "everything is closed" day, but Sunday is definitely not this way. Now, some of the late night spots that would've otherwise been open to 1am - 2am maybe close earlier (as we'll get to), but the Boteco's and street bars serving Chopp (draft beer) that are generally open until 3-4am and still open to that time on Sunday as well.

After that long preamble, let's get to the actual events of the day. It started with a trip in nature, in theory doing so before the height of the heat but as I'm quickly learning, it is inescapable here. Not that I'm complaining - I knew what I was getting into coming to Rio in the middle of their summer. Anyway, the first stop was the Jardim Botanico (Botanical Garden) of Rio - a tight 15x15 type area tucked into another new neighborhood called Gavea, which I would return to much later. 

Actually I was dropped a ways away from the actual garden entrance, as right now on one side of the road sits the gardens adn the other side is the Jockey Club, which converts into a tennis area during the Rio Open, which of course is starting today. So it made what was already going to be a heavy walking tourist stop into more of one, but the street was well lined with trees - as of course is the gardens themselves. 

The garden itself is quite beautiful. It's not as audacious as say Kirstenbosch, but also is far closer to the actual city - it's always nice when places carve out a big area that otherwise could be prime real estate for this. Inside the gardens were a number of areas that all had their own style - from overly foresty, to one area featuring Amazonic ferns and flora, to more open areas with flower beds, statues and fountains. The middle two intersecting lanes are lined with giant, truly giant palm trees, and the view of the montain with Christ the Redeemer sitting on top on one end. It's a stunning main event within the gardens. 

The gardens are a great time waste of about 60-90 minutes (I was on the shorter end, given the heat), and is probably the easiest way to get in touch with flora within Rio - the other two being Parque Lage (which i plan to go to tomorrow) and Tijuca National Forest, which sits outside the city and will be high on my list for a subsequent trip (that and the Maracana are basically the two things I didn't check off my list this time).

From there it was time to head to lunch, this meal also inspired by Somebody Feel Phil, as I took a trip to Aconchego Carioca, which serves dishes taken from the streets. In a way, all my lunches have been similar so far, but this was the place with street food most at its heart. Now, in Brazil that means a whole lot of fried stuff, and cheese and what-not, but damn if some of taht still isn't just really good. First off, their version of a standard Gin & Tonic  is always execllent, and doubly so here with a nice touch of juniper berries directly in the glass, slightly cracked to infuse even more flavor. 

For food, I started with two sets of three bolinhos - one a croquette filled with minced pork belly (excellent, if a bit dry), and manoic balls that come with a gorgeous yellow shrimp sauce that you put on top. Those were otustanding. My main was nearly as good - a guava sauce slathered pork rib set with "angu de pastel" meaning fried bread stuffed with cheese and with a dusting of sugar powder outside. Yes, this was super decadent. I was planning a good amount of walking and dinner wouldn't be until 9pm or so, and I admittedly didn't finish all of it. Not due to taste - Aconchego Carioca was fantastic, with my only quibble a lack of AC (they had fans, though not the most effective).

From there, I checked off the last two art museums, and probably last two new neighborhoods, off my list. First was the Museum of Modern Art (stylized as MAM) which sits in the Flamengo neighborhood, right up agaisnt the water and basically opposite the Santos Dumont airport (the road leading to it is the same). The museum is built in this modern industrial building, is free - and probably rightfully so as there isn't a ton of exhibits. What there is of there, though, is quite good - mainly now was an exhibition called "shapes of water" with various modern art pieces inspired by water, and then a side exhibit of "History of Brazilian Art" which focused on like the 1900-1980 period, with various Brazilian luminaries artwork being exposed. It was quick, but super effective. 

As was the nice walk along the water next to it as well. The Flamengo area being notable for having a small beach but a wider strip of park area with running lanes and the like alongside the coast. A different vibe than Copacabana or Ipanema to be sure.

The last stop was a ways away and flatly probably not worth the time it took to go and get back. It is the Museum of Contemporary Art Niteroi which is in Niteroi, a separate city on the other side of the bay. It took about 20 minutes to reach, a good amount on a giant bridge that connects Rio with Niteroi. The view from the bridge is stunning, and Niteroi itself seems to be quite an upmarket area - something similar in my memory to Vina del Mar in Chile. There were some beautiful seaside buildings that almost immediately start risiing up the cliff face.

The museum itself is notable first for its design - craeted by famous Brazilian architect (at least famous in architecture circles) Oscar Niemayer, the swirling design right on the cliff face is truly beautiful. Inside is anotehr smallish museum with three exhibits in this case, though again each one is curated well. The main one was featuring the art of Carlos Coelho, who seems to be something of a luminary himself. Then there was a series of modern sculpture from 1980-2017, which was a fun walk through forty years of design. Lastly was what might be to a Brazilian the least interesting, but to me the most - a circular walk through of costume designs used in last year's Carnaval. There was some theme from last year that I couldn't really discern, but the grandoise nature of the costumes, adn a collection of photos showing the size of the Carnaval on each side, was illuminating. It truly does look like such the scene, and one I'm probably fine missing this time but would like to experience at some point.

From Niteroi, I took the reverse route back over the Rio and back to Santa Teresa - the main stop being a handicraft store named La Vereda, but also to do a bit of walking around central Santa Teresa. It's small alleyways humming with life around 5pm - botecos filled to the brim, quite a few of tehm with live bands playing samba or bossa nova. There's just a constant sense of life in places like this. Even teh stores themselves were great - many selling clothes, which I'm not really into, but La Vereda did turn our amazing - just what a wanted, a place with a ton of everything all made in Brazil. If you want simple coasters, they have that. If you want prints, they have those. If you want stone work, they have that. If you want giant, good artwork, they have that. I did want the first three things - not the last.

From there, I went to a brewery called Three Monkeys, which I'm pretty sure is a name used by craft beer providers across the world - for instance I'm pretty sure that there was a Three Monkeys brewery or bar in both Palermo and Victoria Falls. Anyway, this one has the fairly novel setup where you pour taps yourself, pay by mL which is really nice allowing you to try out a bunch. They had a really amazing stout which sadly they did not have in bottle form for sale. Beer is key in Brazil, though I will say their craft options do seem maybe more limited than other recent countries I've been to.

After a session of R&R at the AirBNB, and packing up, I headed over to Gavea to go to Braserie de Gavea, a famed local steak spot that churns through tables and giant cuts of steak at good pace and quality. The place was packed - as was the nearby botecos and other bars, most open in this little enclave of Rio to 1am on a Sunday (as was the steakhouse). After about a 10 minute wait I was seated and given a menu with just pictures and portugeuse. I soon learned they come around with freshly smoked sausage that you can buy per link, served in churrascaria style. Then you can order a series of steak options but all cut to feed 2-3. They didn't really have single size portions of any of the interesting stuff. So I of coursed order a picanha with sides of farofa and rice mixed with a ton of veggies and pork (of course!). It was of course way too much food, but was so damn good. Even the fried rice was excellent - the steak was sublime, with me finishing about half of it and taking the rest to go (though as a spoiler, I had maybe two more slices late night). Overall Braserie de Gavea is popular for a reason.

I decided to go back to Leblon, another area that seemingly has more open late night on Sunday options than other areas. First I went back to Liz Cocktail, which closes at 12:30, but was once again excellent. I tried all new ones this time, including a few which is their spin on old classics (like their version of a paper plane), and all were just really well crafted and easy to drink (if anything, too easy). To end the night, and the nightlife portion of my time in Rio, I walked down the road to Jobi, a old school boteco type place that is open till 4am daily, with white shirt and tie waiters that sold ice cold chopp (draft beer - basic choice), and a series of late night sandwhiches in the like. I didn't have space for the sandwhich options, but juding by how others looked, I imagine they were excellent. It was a great place to thrown down a couple chopps (as always served in small portions - Brazil is crazy about ensuring a beer is never drank room temperature), and called it a night in this marvelous city. 

2025 Brazil Trip: Day 4 - Rio de Janeiro

Day 4 - Pao do Acucar

There are two main prominent geographical features (at least from a "look up" perspective) in Rio. One is the mountain where sitting atop is the Christ the Redeemer statue. I'll see that on Monday, one of my last bits of tourism before leaving this beautiful city. The other is Sugarloaf Mountain (Morro Pao do Acucar), which sits right in the middle of the city - somewhat dividing it, with Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon all sitting below it, and Centro and others North of it. Today was my day to see Sugarloaf, it was all encompassing, taking a bit longer than I expected - but so, so worth it.

The day started with a bit of a pain, whereby my tour of Maracana stadium was cancelled due to some maintenance issue that popped up as they prep for Carnaval. Now, Carnaval isn't hosted in the stadium, but I guess it plays some role or something. Who knows. So, with a morning now free (granted, I got up at 10:30), I decided to take another stroll along Copacabana beach. I'll say it now - I am not a beach person. Of course, even I can marvel at how beautiful the beach is, and more to the fact it sits right in the heart of a major city. If I was a beach person, I would have really loved it. This is doubly true when it comes to Ipanema beach, which we'll get to.

After getting my fill of Copacabana, and aroudn the time the searing heat was starting to maximize (I've gotten super lucky with zero rain in my time in Rio, but it has been very, very hot), I headed over to lunch at Miam Miam in Botofago (another neighborhood! this one similar to Leblon), which is a well reputed place serving plated up versions of classic Brazilian dishes. To start I got a dish of duck terrine and roasted chicken hearts - which I should say was me taking a risk. I'm not historically a fan of heart, and don't think this converted me, but the hearts were about as tasty as any I've had. My main was more successful, a classic dish - pineapple and pork fried rice - but elevated with fried onion for crunch, a mix of ponzu and clove for spice, and a truly slow cooked pork that just broke up on contact. It was great. It is this type of seemingly blah food that probably made me a bit averse to Brazil, but if you can get it in great versions like this it all works.

From Miam Miam, I started the trek to Sugarloaf. You technically can hike it but need to get tickets and get it approved. It also takes a long time. Instead, 99% of people (me included) go up to the top by cable car. It's far quicker - far more beautiful (I assume) and works in a super organized way. Technically there are two rides that are not connected. The first ride takes you from ground level to Morro Urca, which is a peak about halfway to the top of Sugarloaf. From here already you get truly amazing views of the city of Rio. There's a great view of Centro, with teh Santos Dumont airport where if you time it right in the day yoiu can have planes take off seemingly towards you. At this point, the Southern view of Rio (e.g. Copacabana) is a bit obstructed. The rest of the city is gorgeous. There's a lot to do at Morro Urca - way more than what's setup at the peak of Morro Pao do Acucar. Here at the medium stop you have a series of food stalls, bar stalls (including a craft beer one that was excellent), shops and even a DJ taht was spinning some good vibes, and of course this being Brazil prompting a fairly well attended dance party. 

After taking a 30 minute break to take it all in, I took the second cable car to the true top. The view is better - you see really the entire city from here. Copacabana beautifully splayed out to the South, with so many umbrellas and life on that beach when seen from afar. Ipanema is a bit harder to see but you can see parts of it jutting out from in between buildings. The rest of the city to the North as beautiful as ever. The Christ the Redeemer statue above it all. Other than Cape Town, be it from atop Table Mountain or from Signal Hill, I don't know if there's a city with a natural viewpoint quite like this. The crazy curvature and hilly nature of Rio lends itself to such a beautiful scene.

I came late enough in the day by the time I was heading back towards ground level so were most of the people so I had to wait at times 5-10 minute to get a cable car - they only run one in each direction at a time, though the ride itself is super quick (3-5 minutes). In the end, the entire process of going up, chilling around and on it, and then going down, was about two hours, but two hours really well spent.

From there I headed over to Ipanema Beach - again I had planned to spend time strolling the beach, but a combination of it being a perfect beach day for people who like beaches (sunny, blisteringly hot, enough wind to create waves) making it super crowded, and my own stupid lack of planning and not having swim trunks, made this much like my morning Copacabana stroll - one that was more about acknowledging waht a cool setup this is but realizing that beaches, even two of the more famous locations for them in the world, just aren't for me.

Ipanema is good for more than the beach though - just like with Copacabana go a block or two up from the beach and you are in a city. If anything, I prefer Ipanema the neighborhood - more bohemian, more townhouse type buildings and bars and restaurants, rather than the more concrete jungle of Copacabana. The last stop in Ipanema for me was the Delirium Cafe, a brewpub built by the Delirium brewery from Belgium, but they serve all types of beer - a mix of Delirium classics and then mostly Brazilian brews. Brazil seems to have a super strong beer culture, what with this place and RioTap as my two examples so far.

If it seems like I didn't do a lot in the day, that is probably fair, what with the late start, the Maracana tour being scrapped, and the last factor, which is my dinner at Lasai was a 7pm reservation. If taht name is familiar, it is because it was featured in the Somebody Feed Phil episode of Rio, as a tasting menu spot focusing on the best of Brazi. That all is still true. Their location changed - now in a small 12-person chef's counter setup where, and i mean this truly, I've never seen as much of the meal prepared in front of you like this. Usually these places may be only doing the last bits, but this was all of it. The whole production was mesmerizing. The food great as well - I prefered it to Oro despite it being more vegetable / produce focused, mainyl because Lasai was also a bit more inventive and audacious, with generally great success.

After Lasai, I stayed in Botofago, but headed first to Hocus Pocus DNA, a brewpub run by Hocus Pocus, a local craft option. Not sure what the DNA part of the name is about, but it doesn't really matter. The place was great. They served only half pours, which I liked as it let me try more of their offerings. From there, I had about an extra 90 minutes or so to kill before ending my night at D-Edge. I had a few options, but didn't realize that Canastra Rose, the cocktail bar/lounge taht I loved my first night, was about a 10-minute walk (again in a very well off and crowded area of Rio) away, so I headed over there for a repeat. 

It was busier (unsurprisingly, given this is a Saturday vs. that being Thursday), but the vibe no less great. I'm amazed how quick the four bartneders are with service given how many people are there. I generally had to wait no more than 5 minutes to get a drink. Their negronis are something truly special. In the end, I grabbed a pair of those, an old fashioned, and got into the dance groove - though this place is far more latin and/or hip hop than D-Edge, which is straight EDM.

D-Edge was about teh same as yesterday, namely excellent. The open warehouse style still has some pretty damn powerful air conditioning to make it all still feel quite airy. The bathrooms also shockingly clean for a place like this - to be fair though I've seen that trend across all the places I've been to so far in Rio, there's a general trend of cleanliness that I wasn't expecting. On this night I spent a bit more time on their roof bar, which I guess in busier times has its own DJ, but here was more just a place to chill. From there you can get a view of the city, though all the mountains and whatnot are dark - except for the top cable car station on Pao do Acucar, which they keep alit all the time. A great way to end a great night by staring at the beauty of what lies above.

2025 Brazil Trip: Day 3 - Rio de Janeiro

Day 3 – The Many Neighborhoods of Rio

The day started lazily, with me probably going out later than anticipated on night one (adrenaline is a hell of a drug), and then intentionally planning for a lighter first day. The morning started around 10:45, with a stroll down Copacabana. There’s a lot of signage about Carnaval, which is of course coming up in about two weeks. You may ask why go to Rio so close to Carnaval but not for it – and I guess all I’ll say is it’s better saving Carnaval for a subsequent Rio trip. Anyway, the beaches of Rio all seem to have their own life – Copacabana, at least near where my AirBNB is, is mostly about sports as there’s dozens of beach volleyball courts set-up – and nearly all were occupied (11am on a Friday). I can’t imagine what this area was like during the 2016 Olympics.

Anyway, after that it was time to leave the cozy confines of Copacabana and head north towards one of the many various interesting neighborhoods of Rio, this one being Santa Teresa, which is built on a hill. Rio’s geography is super unique – well, actually not sure unique is the right term as in many ways it is a bit like Busan – a city built around a bunch of hills and mountains that almost create 4-5 different cities that are loosely connected. Most of the Rio neighborhoods I’ll visit are at sea level, but Santa Teresa is an exception. Most of the other hills with stuff are favelas – Santa Teresa is not, and deep in the heart of it (and I mean after 10-12 winding turns) is Aprazivel – my lunch spot.

The main calling card of Aprazivel is the view – it is built on the side of the hill, with the road level being just an elevator that takes you to the restaurant below. I came early so was given a prime table with a view of a part of Rio just splayed out in front of me. It really is a stunning city. Anyway, Aprazivel may be known for the view, but the food is also quite good as well. They serve hardcore deep Brazilian cuisine, many things with an Amazonic twist. For instance, my starter was a squid soup with herbs and tucupi, which is a slightly fermented juice from the manioc (cassava), which was so perfectly tart. It truly was a great soup – almost a Brazilian version of a Tom Yum, if you will. The main was more staid but still excellent – a duck breast with black rice (a specialty in Brazil) and various greens. Just really solid food, and combined with a gorgeous view and Aprazivel was a hit.

From there I headed down the mountain to Centro – which is as close as Rio has to some sort of main financial area. Sao Paulo is certainly the business hub of Brazil, but this area had a few skyscrapers and whatnot. It also has two museums that are a draw, right up against the water in a large open square. The first is the Museu de Amanha (Museum of Tomorrow) which is as much an architectural marvel as a museum. It is a stunning white building that extends deep over the water (granted, on a pier) and is about realistically the world and climate change. I guess it’s a science museum, but halfway through it turns into a really nice display of climate change, overcrowding, deforestation (a big issue in Brazil especially given what they’ve done to the Amazon). It is chilling at times, beautiful in others (it almost doubles as a modern art museum) and is just a weirdly cool experience.

Next is the Rio Museum of Art – which granted is one of about four or five art museums in Rio, and despite its name isn’t really the best place to see classical art (Brazilian or otherwise). To be honest, not sure if there is such a place within Rio. This museum had about 4-5 exhibits, one large one featuring Brazil’s love and infatuation with first funk and then hip hop – with a ton of art and music posters and the like, mostly all from Brazil (with some NYC thrown in). Other exhibits were more classical art – featuring various Brazilian artists, all from the 20^th if not 21^st century. Is this an art museum that can stack up to the great art museums of the world? No, but in a way it was refreshing and new.

After this I was in centro which is near some of the more famous sights, but also a fairly empty financial district now that it was nearing 5pm. There were still enough people around to make me feel okay walking. Uber is easily used in Rio and in a pinch could take me from point a to point b well enough, but using my legs I was able to check off three spots that were all in close proximity. First the Portugeuse Library, which is basically a giant (four story) open hall of a library, with reams upon reams of old books on the sides. Now, this is all for show – they are real books but are now part of this large art piece. 

From there is a simialrly large hall, the Catedral Metropolitano, which is a giant open tepee like structure with vibrant stained glass, muted statues all kinds of light. It is haunting in a good way - unlike any cathedral other than a somewhat similar setup in one of Berlin's main churches (a nice 11-year old pull for me... man I'm old...). What's interesting about Brazil is it is the largest majority catholic country in the world and they don't have a neogothic like mega cathedral. Again, I'm happy they're going about it their own way.

The final stop was at the Escaladaria Selaron, the famous painted tile steps in Lapa (another neighborhood, a bit more bohemian vibe). It was unsurprisingly packed, but more suprisingly pleasant - the crowd was generally quite understanding of everyone's hope of getting a picture as unobstructed as possible. There was almost a natural order to it. As for the steps themselves, they are beautiful but so are the tile walls on the side iwth various drawings, outcrops, etc. The whole scene feels more European than South American, but the music, color and vibe was fully South American.

At this point I headed back to the AirBNB to rest up, charge the phones a bit, and then head out to another neighborhood for dinner at Oro, a 2-michelin star restaurant serving very fancy versions of upscale Brazilian cuisine. The restaurant was in Leblon, a tucked away upscale semi-residential, semi-nightlife neighborhood in the southern corner of Rio. Dinner was excellent (a full post to come on the tasting menus later), especially enjoying the incredible seafood and use of Brazilian produce, such as their second to last main, which was a delightful "Mushroom Many Ways" dish. Oro was a great time.

As was my cocktail spot for the night, at Liz Cocktail & Co, also in Leblon (about a 10-minute walk - this is a busy, in a safe, good way, night area). Liz Cocktail had a great theme of presenting two cocktails that relate to every decade from the 1890s to 2010s, all linked with an artist of the decade (e.g. the 1960s had two cocktails, one of which called the 'I want to hold your hand" for the Beatles). I tried about five of them (was there for 2.5 hrs), during which chatting with various Cariocas who all got a treat out of my story of being someone with a very Brazilian name, but knows no Portugeuse.

Finally when it was time to leave Liz, I headed over way to the northern end of Rio, to D-Edge, a club in a converted warehouse (it's near the port), that was a truly great time. There's two levels, and a pretty novel card system to pay for drinks where everyone gets a card of theirs (like a hotel key card) and then you settle up before leaving. The drinks were cheap, the bartenders fast. The music was great. The crowd got progressively bigger from 1:30 when I arrived to 3:00 when I left (it closes at 7am). It was a graet, great way to end the day, enjoying myself dancing the night away.

2025 Brazil Trip: Day 1-2 - Getting to Rio

Day 1-2 – Braziliero

I have never been to Brazil. Not that this by itself is all that notable, except I’ve been to a lot of other places within South America, and loved all of them – from Peru to Patagonia to Santiago to Buenos Aires. I love those places so much that I forced a two day retreat to Santiago at the tail end of the trip. For a long time, I’m not sure what really put me off on going to Brazil. It isn’t like it is difficult to get to – basically slightly further than Peru, closer than Santiago or Buenos Aires. It isn’t like I don’t have a fondness for the culture – especially since my last name is Portuguese. But whatever, the time has finally come.

The trip started nicely with a ride down to Sao Paulo in Polaris, with my upgrade stunningly clearing a couple weeks in advance – allowing me to avoid the always annoying last minute guessing game. It did give me also a few hours in the Polaris lounge, which was nice especially since seemingly the Sao Paulo flight from Newark is the last Polaris-accessible flight of the day, leaving at 10:45pm. By the time I was leaving the lounge it was basically empty other than my fellow travelers. No better way to start a trip than with a really nice Old Fashioned and then a Macallan neat.

The flight itself was actually pleasantly surprising. The food is always a dice roll on Polaris – with certain routes having decent food and others the old United garbage. Well, this one came out on the better side, with a really nice chilled ginger beef starter, and one of the better beef mains I’ve had on a plane – a really nice short rib and polenta. The wine list is always on point on Untied as well. The flight itself isn’t too long (9h15m), and before you knew it I was asleep and then being awakened to scarf down a surprisingly decent breakfast (frittata) before we landed in Sao Paulo.

I had about three hours to kill on my layover, which went quite quick with an ice cold beer (the glass was so chilled that the top bit of beer semi-froze – really nice!) and croquettes. The flight to Rio was something of an adventure, with a still pleasant outcome. The flight itself is 40 minutes. But first there was a mechanical issue on the plane that at least luckily they discovered just as they began boarding. Gratefully, GOL Airlines had another plane ready to go but it was in the other concourse. Then as we were taxiing the dark sky opened up and it began pouring. It seems like I have perfect weather lined up for Rio (granted, it’s hot) but this bit of a rain was an annoyance. Anyway, we ended up landing about 30 minutes late, which wasn’t too bad all things considered.

For this trip I’m staying in various AirBNBs, and the Rio one is a pleasant 1-bedroom, with really powerful AC (a must – the daily temp is about 75/92), and one block up from Copacabana beach. In a day or so I would come to learn that maybe I shoudn’t have just picked that location because I knew of it. Nothing wrong with the Copacabana neighborhood – and my stroll on the beach at dusk was a super cool feeling, but there are nicer neighborhoods across Rio.

Dinner the first night was at Assador, a churrascaria at one end of one of Rio’s many beaches, with a ton of outdoor seating that overlooks Sugarloaf Mountain (Pao de Acucar) glistening in the distance, and with a view of planes taking off from Santos Dumont airport (the secondary Rio airport). It was a great scene, even if a tad too hot for my liking. It was classic churrascaria setup with two interesting distinctions – first they did not care about the red v green card system – you can put whatever side you want, they will come around to you anyway. And maybe more interesting was their salads were served in a cart that went around as well – and there were some great things, especially some really nice heart of palm preparations.

But realistically, this place is about the meat – it started slow with rib-eye and sirloin, but then the real stuff started with round after round of Picanha, the now infamous Brazilian preferred cut. It was amazing – so juicy, so well cooked, the fat just perfect. The sauces they give you add so much as well. Then towards the end of my time there, they brought out a spit roasted half-lamb which was also just incredible. Maybe not as good as Borago’s lamb, but for a place like this, it was great. Pairing all that with a bottle of Brazilian red, and a glistening moon lighting up the bay and Sugarloaf, and it was about as good an intro to Rio as you can have.

My night activities on the first day (Thursday) kept me in that part of town, first to RioTap Beer House, which is like most bars in Rio – a semi indoor, semi outdoor spot with just a bunch of cool ass people. I don’t know if I’ve been to a city where the average coolness of a person is so high. Anyway, RioTap specializes in beer, in that they have 6-7 local tap options and then about 50 bottles, a mix of Brazilian and notable American craft labels. The bartenders also were quite knowledgeable, as on stout I wanted wasn’t available so thy recommended a few alternatives.

I didn’t really want to leave RioTap, but glad I did as the next spot was even cooler – called Canastra Rosa, this lounge turned semi-club at night was perfect – a perfect level of crowd (would probably be too much on a weekend), a good mix of locals and foreigners (at least judging by language, and great drinks – nothing too inventive, but good cocktails made well. The place had a good sized dance area, a side hall with giant chandelier and funnily audacious style, and then a second floor with some air. Just a great spot – granted one I probably won’t make it back to. Maybe on a subsequent trip – and yes, even 0.5 days into my time in Rio, I’m already thinking about subsequent trips.

2024 NFL Playoffs: Super Bowl Review

Player / Coach of the Game: Vic Fangio

It's weird because to some degree what the Eagles did wasn't all that crazy. It wasn't Spags crazy blitzes last year, or even Gregg Williams famous four gameplans in the Super Bowl win over the Colts. No, this was more him coaching up a team to just be perfect. Yes, the front was dominant just rushing four, but also his back seven was perfect. They covered and passed off routes so well. Fangio had drilled into that team these are teh route combinations, the way the Chiefs play. Mahomes can get rid of the ball super quic, but those guys just weren't there. This was a masterclass of a defensive performance, right up there with the Seahawks against the Broncos, or the Bucs against the Raiders.

Runner-Up: Jalen Hurts

I understand the sentiment people had around a defensive player winning MVP, as a symbol of how incredible the defense was. But units can't win MVP (granted, I'm open to it being a "Most Valuable Unit" award for the Super Bowl), so if we are going to go with one player, why not Hurts. He was great - making super accurate throws even to covered receivers (the back shoulder to Brown was practically Rodgers-ian). His scrambling was great - super quietly putting up the most rushing yards of any Super Bowl QB ever. He was great when the one thing people feared (the Eagles run game gets shut down) happened from the jump. The Chiefs defense played reasonably well, but Hurts was brilliant.

Goat of the Game: Patrick Mahomes

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll talk about the GOAT of it all later. But let's not mince words, this was maybe the worst game of Mahomes career. The funny part is that in garbage time he made two outrageous throws deep - hopefully the Chiefs learn from that (and reinforcing the OL). But in the first half Mahomes was bad. He was inaccurate when he was trying to get rid of the ball quick. He was skittish in the pocket. The two picks were just bad throws, if impacted by pressure. It was a nightmare. The Tampa Super Bowl loss everyone was comparing it to was him going above and beyond against impossible circumstances. This was him making things worse.

Runner-Up: Travis Kelce

Drops, slow play, and a failed attempt to draw a penalty. Kelce was able to breath some life into the offense last year in the Super Bowl (granted, only after Dre Greenlaw went out). He was able to breath some life in the Divisional Round win over the Texans. He was a slow, plodding mess in this one. Now, this wasn't the worst part of the game for the Chiefs (oh, we'll talk about the OL in a minute), but Kelce's drop to nothingness was stark.

Surprise of the Game: Serena Williams

Look, it was a blowout. There's not so much to talk about. I've actually not written one of these about a blowout, seeing that the last two blowout Super Bowls had some personal connections in the negative sense (Manning losing to Seattle, Brady beating the Chiefs). Anyway, Kendrick said there would be some surprises, and man, getting Serena Williams to crip walk in front of 130m people was about as surprising as you can get.

Runner-Up: Jake Elliott

Again, I'm struggling here to think of things to be honest. There was a whole lot surprising about the game - but those work better in the other categories. Especially since surprise is supposed to be a positive. For Jake Elliott, he was perfect on four field goals, three of which were 45+ yards, three of which after getting the field goal made longer by the Eagles somehow committing a false start on a field goal three times. Jake Elliott had a super up and down year, but he was nails in this game, a key part really as any miss (especially first half to make it 10-0) could've given the Chiefs great field position, something they really didn't have the whole game.

Disappointment of the Game: The Chiefs

I mean jesus that was an awful performance. Everything was bad. The only player coming out of the game looking better is Xavier Worthy. The OL sucked (more on them to come). The weapons, again Worthy excluded, all sucked (more on them too). The defense wasn't bad, but wasn't great either, with even dependable players like Jaylen Watson getting roasted by lesser Eagles players (Dotson). The only thing they did well was shut down Saquon - but even they should know while running can win games, at the end of the day stopping the run won't win you a Super Bowl.

Runner-Up: Saquon

I hate bringing this up, but man would it have been amazing if Saquon bust off a long one. The only thing that was missing from the Eagles domination (not that they, or Saquon himself, really care about). He did do just enough to set a new record for rushing yards in a season, but it was a downer of a finish. Granted, it seemed like the Chiefs really only cared about stopping Saquon, but would it have been great for after the capper TD to Smith they could have had a capper long rush with Barkley.

Team Performance of the Week: Eagles DL

Ok, let's get to the real stuff. The unit that dominated the game was the Eagles defense pitching a masterclass. Take it a step further, the sub-unit that dominated the game was the DL. It's funny because two years back I named the Eagles DL as the main disappointment - they had 70 sacks taht year and didn't get to Mahomes once. This year, it was insane. The no blitz stat is a tad misleading since on a handful of plays they brought a LB and dropped a DL, but Sweat, Carter, Davis, Smith, and even the backups Williams, Ojobo and somehow even barely playing Brandon Graham, all got in on the action. It was incredible. It was the best performance by a front since at minimum the 2007 Giants, if not further back. That was an incredible performance.

Runner-Up: Eagles Secondary

What helped the DL do even better is the secondary was super sticky as well. Dejean gets the headlines for the pick-6, but all along the secondary they were able to pass off routes so well, react to the Chiefs overloaded formations, and gave the DL just long enough to get home play after play. Hell, even long ago benched Avante Maddox had a big pass breakup on 4th down. The Eagles secondary didn't need to play amazing to win, but they did and that's why we get a historic level blowout.

Team Laydown of the Week: Chiefs OL

I'm overly critical of the Chiefs OL because unlike in the 2020 Super Bowl loss to the Bucs, this wasn't a bunch of backups. This was four of their five starting OL - granted one out of position. The mainstays in Taylor, Smith and Humphrey were barely better than Thuney and Caliendo. They were all just disasters, beaten play after play after play. Zero push in teh run game either - you can't even criticize the Chiefs for not running the ball more since they get nothing on run plays anyways. The Chiefs OL if they played their best may have still not really turned the game, but at least made it closer and at minimum entertaining.

Runner-Up: Chiefs weapons

Well, even when the Chiefs OL gave Mahomes time to throw the ball, the weapons were of zero help (save for Xavier Worthy). The Kelce drops and missed blocks. The terrible drop by Hopkins on what would've been a ~50 yard gain. The nothingness from Pacheco and Hunt. Did the other TEs even play? This was an overall team disaster. We get on the Chiefs weapons a lot - and I get it, this isn't a top unit. But they're sure as hell of a lot better than that...

Storyline that will be Beat into the Ground: The end of the Mahomes GOAT talk

There's a reason why I didn't bask in the glory of the Mahomes > Brady discourse following each of the last two Super Bowl wins. And this is 100% of the reason why, because of course the scores of never-ending tweets and articles and talking head segments about how this ends the GOAT talk. Can we just let this Mahomes brilliance just ride out. Also, the idea that it is a non-starter because Mahomes has been blown out in the Super Bowl is such nonsense. We're seven years into Mahomes career. Through seven years he is way outpacing Brady's first seven years. This is the 5th best outcome of Mahomes's career (3 Super Bowl wins, and a slightly closer Super Bowl loss). The 5th best outcome of Brady's first seven years was blowing a 21-3 lead in the AFC Championship. There's no comparison. The only real thing that matters in the inevitable debate is if Mahomes can either (a) build up enough of a lead over the next seven years, or (b) match Brady's longevity in a third set of seven years. So let's all just pause any GOAT discussions for at least three years.

Storyline that Should be Beat into the Ground: The Eagles Dominance in team building

It's so funny that the Eagles team building approach basically boils down to: just draft dominant players and sign them in free agency. They've overloaded on SEC players (remember all the "they're only drafting the 2021 Georgia defense... not so funny now!). They went out and traded for AJ Brown. If that's not their maxim, then it is their propensity to over focus on making sure their OL and DL are super strong. This was true in 2017, when they had the league's best OL and a super strong DL (Fletcher Cox and Co.). This was true in 2022, when they still had a strong OL and a record setting DL (Hasson Reddick and Co.). And it is of course true now. The Eagles I'm sure are super smart, and we know they're analytically inclined, and of course I'm reducing their brilliance to these simple maxims, but sometimes the "keep it simple stupid" approach just, you know, works.

Screw It - Super Bowl LX pick: Bills 27  Eagles 20

2024 NFL Playoffs: Super Bowl Pick

(A1)  Kansas City Chiefs  (15-2)  vs  (N2)  Philadelphia Eagles  (14-3)

Sun, 6:30  -  FOX  |  KC -1.5

The Matchup:  I'm going with my gut and going with the Eagles pulling this off. Granted, I picked against the Chiefs in the Championship Game, and picked the Texans to cover in the Divisional Round. That said, I'll go through my five key raesons shortly that at least have me believing I'm being rational. I'm not a Chiefs hater. I would actually be perfectly fine with the history of a threepeat, and have generally found them a fairly likable dynasty (well, at least compared to the last NFL one...). I didn't make a pick last year, but I did have the Chiefs going into that game. I did two years ago as well. I just think this is a better version of the Eagles that lost two years ago, playing a slightly worse version of that Chiefs team. Anyway, here are my five key reasons for picking the upset:

1.) The Eagles run game can take over in a way the Bills came close to doing: the Chiefs are generally good at not giving up huge explosives, but as the Bills shoed (and more scarily, the Texans showed the week earlier) you can run on them and get chunks. That is an awful weakness against the Eagles.

2.) The Eagles OL should be able to contain Chris Jones better than others to date. Granted, this is probably of the five, the most likely for me to jsut be wrong. Chris Jones in the playoffs the last three years is on all time heater. He can dominate this one, but the Eagles OL is great side to side, and at the very least can easily double team him with good trust that the other guys can go 1:1 and be successful.

3.) The return of Dallas Goedert. The Chiefs match up well with the Eagles two outside receivers. Though much like my view of Chris Jones, it shouldn't be a shock to anyone if Brown and Smith win their 1:1 matchups against McDuffie and Watson. But Goeder matches up super well against a Chiefs team that struggles against TEs.

4.) The Eagles can dominate the interior. The Chiefs moving Joe Thuney to LT has been a masterstroke, fixing the biggest issue of the Week 1-16 Chiefs. That said, moving Thuney outside has undoubtedly made the Chiefs interior protection lesser. Hasn't mattered against teams with so-so interior DL like the Texans and Bills (though even there, Ed Oliver had a great game). That is not as good a setup when needing to go against Jalen Carter.

5.) The Eagles won't be scared. The Eagles are a good sitautional football team. Definitely not as good as the Chiefs - but from a tush push that actually works, to a line that can give Jalen protection, to a secondary that can play well in teh red zone, the Eagles are to me the second best team situationally after the Chiefs. There's still a gap - and of course if this comes down to a last drive where Mahomes has to make something happen, of course that is a terrifying place to be in. But if the Eagles find themselves like the Bills did driving up 22-21, I trust them to get those yards and get the points.

The Pick: Eagles 27  Chiefs 23

The Doncic Trade

I was sitting at a very busy, more so than usual, The Moose & Firkin in Vaughan, chilling at a barstool, chatting with some local Vaughan-ites, when I checked twitter and saw Shams initial tweet, taht Luka Doncic has been traded to the Lakers for Anthony Davis. I immediately had to re-read it three times to ensure I was actually taking it in properly. Then I saw that Tim McMahon retweeted it, so I was pretty sure he wasn't hacked. Still, it seemed fake. Like was I misreading it and ignoring Shams saying "they woudl explore in offseason" or something. Like this can't be real.

I texted my friends group chat and groupme and we launched into a great 90 minute back and forth on it. All of su, as is to be expected, were on teh side of this is ludicrous, stupid and completely braindead for the Mavericks, but at the very least it made 12:15 through to The Moose & Firkin's 2am closing time a lot of fun (don't worry, I uber).

Two days later, I'm still not really sure of what to make of it. Reports have emerged that are at least attempting to explain it (slightly), from reports of the Mavs just disgust with Luka's effort into conditiioning (more on this to come), to the what was once hairbrained but has some legs theory that this is some 3D chess move to tank fan interest for the Adelson's to be able to move them to Las Vegas. But it all remains that this is by far the most inexplicable, stupid, unprecdented trade in NBA history. 

Every layer makes this even dumber - including the revelation today taht the Mavs intentionally looked to keep it quiet between them and the Lakers, lest Luka find out and create noise by wanting out. Of course, they wanted him out, so that was ridiculous. Then was the even better revelation that the Lakers brilliantly negotiated the Mavs to give away less, in a situation where the Mavericks should ahve held all the leverage.

Simply put, what makes this the wrost trade ever is very simple: we've never seen a player of this caliber been willingly given away when money wasn't the main factor. Granted, money was a bit of a factor - seemingly the Mavericks not wanting to tie up supermax money in Luka -  but critically they could from a financial standpoint. They just actively viewed that as a bad investment. In a capped league, it absolutely is not. But anyway, truly this was unprecedented.

The only comparison I could even think of was the Red Sox trading away Mookie Betts in 2019, fresh off winning the World Series, with Betts as at worst the #3 player in MLB. The Red Sox could afford him of course, but squarely said money was the issue in trading him away. It was dumb, as dumb as this. But at least they (1) made it clear it was about money, even if that was ridiculous, and (2) at least held something of an auction. 

We also have situations like the Edmonton Oilers trading Wayne Fucking Gretzky in 1988, but again they squarely blamed money from teh beginning. If anything, the Oilers stand as the best case scenario - they still had a good enough team to win the Cup in 1990, and then slid into irrelevancy for 25 years, save for one fake, crazy run to the Cup Final in 2006. That slide into mediocracy and irrelevancy may easily befall the Mavericks.

You just don't trade players of his caliber, especially in capped leagues. I don't care if he's fat and lazy at best (and I guess potentially something of a functional alcoholic at worst), he is one of the Top-5 players in the league despite that, and someone who drug your team to the NBA finals literally seven months ago. It is malpractice to just willingly give up on him. If we want to focus on his weight, let's turn our attention to the Pelicans, who have moved heaven and earth to keep Zion Williamson, a player who hasn't hit Luka's highs and has been far fatter at his lows, on the 10% chance he turns his life around. And you know what? That's the right thing for the Pelicans to do.

The Mavericks are not acting rationally. It either will be that this is part of a giant long ploy by ownership, or truly Nico Harrison is just dumb. Honestly, even if he's proven "right" in that Luka stays oft injured, oft in-shape, and ultimately never leads the Lakers to a title, you still don;'t make this move, because the alternative is worse. The Mavericks got so lucky that the Suns and Kings stupidly passed on Luka, and the Hawks preferred Trae Young (who ironically is still there). They had a generational player fall into their laps, and he delivered - from five 1st team All-NBA selections, to making the WCF in 2022 and Finals last year. And they threw it all away.

The view on this trade was so overwhelmingly negative, so overwhelmingly shocking, that I don't think it changes anything long term in the league. People will realize this is an outlier of a rogue GM just acting dumb and emotional. I don't think other league superstars shoudl be on notice. 29 other teams would have seen the fallout and it has been enough to spook any team even contemplating something similar back inside. And for good reason - you don't trade 25 year old Top-5 players. 

Favorite Client City Bars

Not Ranked - largely because they are in too large of cities: Falling Rock Tap House (Denver, 2019-20), NYKS (Montreal - 2019-20), Bar Hop Brewco (Toronto, 2017, 2019-20), Clark Street Ale House (Chicago, 2022-25), 

10.) Gatsby's  (Indianapolis, 2024-25)

Gatsby's is the type of place where you can overhear talk radio style sports debates happening live around a table of big brews. That's a good thing by the way. That's life in middle America, which a suburb of Indianapolis rightly fits into. There will be a few places that meet that middle america standard coming up, and truly it is my time in these places that makes me feel that I am myself a bit well adjusted. Anyway, back to Gatsby's - what they do have is a really nice, if short, local beer selection - usually 2-3 IPAs and 2-3 stouts (and some other stuff) from local Indiana breweries. Also, they have some amazing fries. Food won't matter a whole lot here, but it still helps. It's grimy and grungy in a way most of these places aren't, but still is worth a visit if you for some reason find yourself in Northwest Indianapolis.

9.) One Eyed Betty's  (Southfield, MI - 2019)

This was like 10% less grimy than Gatsby's, and therefore is higher up. Also my love of various Michigan craft beers is, rightly so, higher than the same for Indiana. The food was really nothing special, same with the overly bright decor, but the beer was great. They served really a whole mix of Michigan beers. Nothing fancy, nothing special, just straight good, craft, local beer.

8.) Knuckleheads  (Wallingfort, CT - 2017-18)

Can griminess work in your favor? If so, Knuckleheads is a class among itself really. It was a small place, that did have some amazing wings. The most notable really was that the people inhabiting it were, so to say, knuckleheads. You wouldn't think Connecticut is the heart of "knucklehead" country, but so is the random outposts of Route 15. They had like 10-12 craft brews, all fairly local. Again, some excellent food. They also had really nice, loud, heavy, metal music which set a nice tone. It was still grimy, so can't move it too much higher, but it was a really nice spot.

7.) Griffin Pub  (Battle Creek, MI - 2013-14)

This was my first beer spot I went to as a consultant. It was a cold, snowy, way less than zero degree day in Battle Creek, and a few blocks down from the Kellogg's HQ was Griffin Pub. What I learned there was a crucial lesson: what a Midwest beer pour looked like. The normal pour was giant - basically in an effort to warm you up to brave the cold (my theory, at least). Griffin had only Michigan brews, which as mentioned are super plentiful. I have no idea if they have food to be honest, but I was young enough that the food aspect wasn't really a thing back then.

6.) OL Beershop  (Walnut Creek, CA - 2017-18)

If OL was open later, it may have ranked in the Top-3. Like most California (Bay Area) type places, it closed at 12 - there is just no real late night scene in the PST. The place was a true bottle shop, with hundreds of bottles, and a dozen or so taps - mostly California but also from all over the world. They had, as you would expect in California, super intelligent, verbose, interesting bartenders that could recommend beers for days. Is that what you want in this type of place? Unclear, but it added to a great setup. They didn't have food (another reason why it isn't higher - truly their beer alone was amazing), and neither did the town at large, as Walnut Creek was a super posh suburb. Glad then within its hoity confines laid a pretty damn cool place.

5.) La Biererie  (Lamanon, France - 2018)

This is almost cheating, because yeah, this is France. But Lamanon is a nothing town, not one anyone should visit. Of course it's beautiful in its own right, but so are like 50 other places in France. But what Lamanon had was a bar tucked in a corner of an alley with like 5-6 taps, none standard beer. It was craft stuff (as far as I could tell). Unlike most places in this ranking, the place was more a general bar than a beer bar (despite its name). But the beer it had was great, and from the porch in front of the bar, you saw the glimpses of the local Lamanon castle in the background... so yeah, Europe!

4.) The Raleigh Times  (Raleigh, NC - 2019-20)

The beer part of the equation makes up roughly 75-80% here, with the rest being the food. If it was closer to 50/50, the Raleigh Times may be higher. I remember they had some really interesting food options - from curries to jumbalayas to so much more. Anyway, as mentioned the food isn't as important, let's focus on the drinks. They had a really nice tap list from around the Southeast - from Virginia, though a lot of the Carolinas, through Georgia. They didn't beat your head with this as a theme, it was just... there... 

3.) Magerk's Horsham  (Horsham, PA - 2018)

Horsham honestly maybe didn't deserve such a nice place. Magerks is a chain - granted the only one I've been to is the Horsham location. It was large, it had a giant bar in the middle with about 40 taps, of which 25 were craft, nearly all from Pennsylvania. It was an amazing spot tjat also would show any sport, and had decent food. It was a bit corporate, in that every week inevitably one night would be taken up by some corporate function, but the nights that didn't have one, it was pure magic. I'll say this, the Top-4 and the Bottom-6 of this ranking has a fairly clear delineation. Magerks is in the high end of that, and again, if you teleport the place to New York, it might be higher.

2.) Hop Scholar Ale House  (Spring, TX - 2018-19, 2022)

I've long extolled Hop Scholar. I have no idea how this gem exists - you take a pliace like Spring, a good 45-minutes from downtown Houston, and you add about 20 taps, all interesting, and some amazing food (like gyro fries, 4-5 types of gourmet dogs, and more) and you get a truly perfect place. They also had a great vibe. Out of all thje places on the list, I got to know the bartenders at Hop Scholar more than any other place - they were just curious about the life of everyone who ventured in. Let's not overstate the beer - despite Texas, with its hot weather, not being a place you would expect Stouts to thrive, Hope Scholar always had a great set of those. It just had great beer period. It was an incredible place, especially given the project I was there for I was there solo.

1.) The Moose & Firkin  (Vaughan, Canada - 2017, 2019-20)

I don't know why nothing will top this. Maybe it is becase this spans both the companies I've worked for, with somehow clients at these two different companies being serendipitously in the same Toronto suburb. The Moose and Firkin is an English Pub in style, but it is great because it has a great set of local brews and os much atmosphere. It is always crowded - granted, I have no idea who these people are. Apparently Vaughan is a fairly popuilated suburb. This place also has really nice pub food - if anything, better than a standard UK pub. As they don't say - "Experiences Makes the Heart Grown Fonder" - and god Damn have I experienced the Moose and Firkin a lot over the years, and always a good time.

Re-Post: Rafa Climbing the Mountain

**It's been three years since Nadal won his 21st major, putting him at the moment on top of tennis's ladder. It was also his long awaited 2nd Australian Open, and the first time he came back from 0-2 sets down in a Final. It was mesmerizing, it was tense, it was ectasy, and it is everything that is great about sport and following Nadal. We'll never get those moments back, but so glad we got them.**

*************************************************************************

What's interesting for me is the last time I felt the urge to write about Nadal was after he beat Daniil Medvedev in a 5-set, grueling final in a major. It was his 19th, his 4th US Open, and put him squarely in line for the race to be best ever. Then Covid hit, Novak ascended to another level, guys in the Next Gen won major titles finally, and Nadal had a flare up of a foot injury he first had in 2006, one that was scary enough at the time it many times over the years became a nightmare memory.

And then there was Sunday, and all of that went aside, the injuries, the prospect of Novak, the next gen, and Rafa was Rafa, in ways that he hasn't done before (coming back from 0-2 sets down in a final) and ways he has (general ridiculousness and audaciousness of his shots). And when it was, I found myself both in shock that he pulled it off -- I entered the day fairly sure he was going to lose to his younger, more in-form, foe, and even more assured of this after those first two sets -- but a bit stunned at the sudden revelation that Rafa has done it - he stands alone at 21. I have many thoughts on this, on the match, on the record, on my life as a Rafa fan.

Rafa remains one of the least conceited all time greats in basically any sport, but even he very bluntly said in his press conference after the match that "[he] knows the significance of this number 21". He knows the history he made, he knows it was staring him in the face. Nadal will never engage directly in GOAT discussions, at least while he's an active player, but it was cool for him to so clearly speak to, and show in his reaction and presence, the momentous achievement that this was.

I started following Nadal basically from day-1 of his main breakthrough in winning the 2005 French Open. I was fairly anti-Federer back then, for no real reason, and really the only connection I had with Nadal was that he owned Federer on clay. For the first three years of that rivalry from 2005-2007, Nadal was the only thing keeping the sport's balance somewhat equal - the only person that stood between Federer and 10 straight slams from 2005-2007. 

Well, nearly seventeen years later, Rafael Nadal is the athlete I've followed as a fan longer than anyone. Manning was 12 years (2003-2015), Brodeur for about the same (2000-2012). Oswalt was a decade. No one is really close. I was 14 when Nadal won his first title, during a tournament where he turned 19. We are still similarly 4-5 years apart in age, but a gap that stood as massive, watching this teen/adult jack-rabbit around a court, has turned to something else, watching someone adapt to changes, to getting older and remaining just as good.

I don't know when was the first time I seriously considered the chance that Nadal would one day take the lead in slams. I'm sure the first time I thought it, the idea that he would break a tie with both Federer and Djokovic would've seemed absurd. I was confident enough in 2014 to bet my friend $200 that he would end up with more than Federer (the count was 17-14 at the time). But it probably started before that.

It probably, coincidentally, was when he won his first Australian Open in 2009, in a brilliant 5-set win over Federer. To that point, he had never seriously threatened in a hardcourt major, turned aside easily in two prior Semifinals. He had won Wimbledon and made two other Finals, and of course was peerless on clay, but to make a case of best ever he had to do better on hard courts. Then in 2009, he flattened his backhand a bit, got more aggressive, and won the Australian Open. The count was 13-6 at that point, but Nadal was significantly younger and we seem poised to enter the Reign of Rafa. And then he got hurt.

Getting hurt was always supposed to be part of the plan - from nearly day one everyone questioned Rafa's longevity given the bruising way he played. I remember people back then thinking he couldn't make it to 28, let alone 30. To be fair, at the time no one played well in their 30s, but it is still hilarious to think a man we all thought would not last ends up winning 7 (and counting) majors in his 30s.

But anyway, when Nadal first (1) lost a match at the French Open and then (2) pulled out of Wimbledon with a knee injury, and finally (3) lost meekly in the US Open and Australian Open after that, it seemed like things would never be the same - well then Rafa pulled off the still unprecedented since Rod Laver run of winning the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open back-to-back-to-back - completing his career slam in he process, and bringing the gap to 16-9.

For the second time we were in the reign of Rafa, but a funny thing happened right after that: Novak Djokovic took off. It was 16-9-1 at that moment the 2010 US Open ended. It is 4-12-19 since. Djokovic's rise was unpredicted and sudden, but let's not lose sight that Rafa still did add in 12 more slams,

The road to the top had a few more twists. The first major one was in 2012, when he lost in the 2nd round of Wimbledon and basically didn't play again until the next Spring. He returned by winning the French Open, sweeping the US Summer and getting a 2nd US Open and reclaiming the #1 ranking. 

The most serious one was soon after I made that bet, when he got hurt later in 2014 and returned in 2015 a changed, seemingly broken man. The year-by-year chart of Nadal's slam results are wondrous to look at, but that period from 2015-2016 is a huge black hole. Two quarterfinal defeats to start it to Berdych and Djokovic (at the French) were the high points, followed by six slams of losing early, not once making the quarters. And that leads us to the final rebirth - ironically for Federer as well.

I wrote about the 2017 Australian Open Final at the time, calling it one of my 'Acceptable Losses' because it was just great to see Nadal play in a major final again, something that seemed so far away in that 2015-16 period where Djokovic fully took over (before ironically having his own two-year malaise) and when he entered that dreading '30' age where tennis players normally fall off. I wrote in that piece I was ok if he didn't win again, if he never caught Federer, because we had that comeback.

Well, now we have a far better comeback. I truly put that match on Sunday morning with low expectations. Nadal had played well in the two weeks but Medvedev was on a roll, was on track for a #1 ranking, was ten years Nadal's junior, and showed all of those advantages in those first two sets. And then Nadal fought back.

And fought back, and fought back some more. It was probably as he won that 4th set that I finally started to believe, and maybe more worryingly for my own sanity, started to hope. I was very calm as he was seemingly on the way to getting rolled in the Australian Open final - at least this time it wouldn't be to Djokovic as it was three years back in Melbourne. But by the time Nadal forced a fifth and especially as he took a break lead and served for the match, I was all in.

And then he threw away a 30-0 lead. We've been here before, us Rafa fans. Maybe just behind winning the 21st slam, for us Rafa fans, him getting his 2nd Australian Open was just as important and just as meaningful. This was the site of his first hardcourt major, but also the biggest site of heartbreaks. 

Whether it was pulling his hamstring and losing to Ferrer in 2011 in the quarters after rolling through that tournament to that point when he was going for his 'Rafa Slam'. To pulling his back in warmups in the 2014 Final against Wawrinka. To of course the dual 5-set losses in 2012 to Djokovic and 2017 to Federer, each time by and large being the lesser player that day, but both times finding himself up a break in the 5th set only to see it slip away.

Nadal himself admitted that he had these thoughts in his head. Not about losing a chance at #21, but just having to relive those two terrible moments, but for whatever reason he was able to block it out and immediately break back with some inspired tennis given we were 5:20 into the match at that point. When he got a second chance to serve it out, he saved us all some tension and won the game easily.

Rafa's reaction when winning said it all - pure joy, relief and contentness, with that giant wide grin, a celebration that seemed so different than his usual fall to the ground in exultation that he had done for so many of the prior twenty. For us Rafa fans too it was the same, for seeing him finally getting his 2nd Aussie after so much heartbreak, and seeing that graphic flash up on ESPN that put him at 21 slams and Federer and Djokovic at 20.

Unlike Rafa, I do want to dwell a bit on just the feeling of seeing him get there. And I think the best part is we know the same things that Rafa does, that he isn't retiring and Novak isn't retiring, and there might be some random five year old wonderkid to win 25 or something. But for this moment, the record is his. There's a non-zero chance he doesn't have it at the end of the year (more and more unlikely given of course the Vaccine-question of it all with Novak). There's a pretty decent chance he doesn't hold this record if we fast forward to 2024. But he holds it now.

For however long he has it, this man who was questioned as a clay court specialist while also clearly being the 2nd best player in the world, is now a man with more major wins than anyone else, including eight (as many as Jimmy Connors and Andre Agassi for their careers) outside of clay. This man is the target, the guy at the top of the mountain after for years staring up at that Swiss legend. He got him, he passed him, and did it before Novak did so he gets his time as the all time leader.

Maybe I shouldn't be that petty -- as stated, Rafa isn't. But I can't help it. You invest 17 years of your life as a sports fan watching him grow, improve, win, fall, get hurt, win more, get hurt again, and win more and more at ages you didn't expect him to even play at. It was an incredible ride and incredible climb, and he's there, conquering his personal house of horrors, in the most unexpected, incredible way possible, taking his place on top of that mountain.

2024 Playoffs: Championship Sunday Review

Player of the Week: Steve Spagnuolo  (DC, KC)

Sure, we can all talk about the now famous 4th and 5 corner blitz with cover-3 behind it. That was just a perfect play call. Spags is great at those - see his blitz on 3rd and 2 in the Super Bowl last year, which forced an incomplete and allowed the Chiefs to get the ball back. If the 49ers got those two yards, they could've essentially run out the clock and kick a field goal for the win. Here, the Bills still had 50 yards to go but I think they would've. But beyond that 4th and 5, there was his team being expertly coached on how to stop the Bills short-yardage Allen runs, which until this game were nigh impossible to stop. They also repeatedly got free or pressure rushes attacking the few weak spots on the line. They spooked Allen early. Down to down, the Chiefs defense won (yes, that's how good the Allen offense is that this game was indeed a poor performance for them). Spags is pretty much clearly the best big game defensive coordinator of all time.

Runner-Up: Saquon Barkley  (RB, PHI)

I'll talk about the Hurts of it all in a bit, as it was fun to see the Eagles remember taht they can pass the ball pretty effectively. But when Saquon broke off that 62-yard TD on the first play, we all had the same reaction: just laugh in glee. It is amazing he is doing this this late into the season. There have been other 2,000 yard seasons in the last 20 years, but almost all of them ended with a thud - a poor playoff performance. I geuss that can still happen, but even if he has a less than stellar Super Bowl, he also has three 50+ yard TDs in the playoffs. He is absurd.

Goat of the Week: Kaiir Elam  (CB, BUF)

I feel bad putting him here - there's a reason he's a backup. But the second he got put into the game, adn the Chiefs figured out how to almost force the Bills to play man, they just abused him repeatedly. The Chiefs do this type of thing - see them going after Treylon Burks who replaced Dre Greenlaw in the Super Bowl last year. The Chiefs are ruthless, and they embarrassed the former first round pick. Elam wasn't the main reason the Bills lost - admittedly they nearly still won, but man was his awfulness just so on display.

Runner-Up: Dalton Kincaid  (TE, BUF)

It feels weird picking two Bills here given they barely lost and the Commanders gave up a record number of points, but the Commanders loss was a team-wide downfall. The Bills also had their first round pick the year after Elam show up in the worst way. It turns out Kincaid was hurt, which makes sense since the Bills went away from 2TE formations that they did well with in the regular season. But when Kincaid needed to make a huge play, he had a huge drop.

Surprise of the Week: Eagles Passing Game

Hey, who would ahve guessed that the team with a fairly accurate QB, and two great receivers, and a nice TE option, can actually throw the ball well!? Sure, maybe it is just the ease of playing that Commanders defense, but that is a real jumping off point for what they probably need to do more of in the Super Bowl. Sure, Hurts still escaped the pocket a beat too early too often, but when he did throw he was decisive, accurate and was able to push it deep. A really nice day for the Eagles oft most critiqued unit.

Runner-Up: Chiefs DL aside from Chris Jones

Chris Jones was unblockable. He always is come playoff time. But what was surprising was how well the other Chiefs lineman held up in pass rush. Karlaftis was great again. Mike Danna had one of his better games in a while. Yes, there were a couple drives where the Bills ran over them, but when the Bills did go pass, Allen was often chased off the spot, or forced to get rid of it sooner than he wanted. The Bills moved the ball because Allen hit some ridiculous throws, but they forced him into those 3rd and longs all night.

Disappointment of the Week: Referees

Yeah, I can't not talk about it. I absolutely do not think there is some grand conspiracy to fluff up the Chiefs. The Chiefs are a popular team, even more so with the Taylor Swift support, but I guarantee a Bills v Eagles Super Bowl would've gotten a better rating than the upcoming one. No, the refs are conspiring - they just suck and are way too inconsistent. Allen absolutely got that 1st down. The Worthy/Bishop play was almost certainly not a catch by Worthy. They also missed numerous early jumps by both teams tackles. The unsportsmanlike penalty against the Commanders for teh late hit on Saquon was bullshit. I said last week I hope the refs weren't a huge talking point coming out of the AFC Championship, and I was sadly too hopeful. I'll keep up that hope another week.

Runner-Up: Fumbles and Fumbles and Fumbles

The Commanders were probably never going to win that game, but for 2.5 quarters, the Commanders were staying in shouting distance. They were having more success against the Eagles defense than I expected - even if admittedly that success took the form of countless 5-7 yard gains. But those fumbles. The first and third were at least the result of key Eagles defender's pulling a Peanut Tillman, but the special teams one was just brutal. It turned a fun, fairly close game into a historic laugher.

Team Performance of the Week: Chiefs Receivers

A receiving core of Worthy, Hopkins, Hollywood Brown and Juju is still not good, but that was about as strong a performance as you can expect from that group. The didn't drop passes. They made good YAC. They caugth contested balls (the Worthy/Bishop play). They helped Mahomes run the offense as effectively as we've seen it all year. They were the silent stars of that game. As much as we can say the Chiefs are just "turning it on for the playoffs", let's not lose sight of this receiving group being healthier, and more comfortable, than they've been all year long.

Runner-Up: Eagles OL

The only issue the Eagles had all game was when Dickerson was truly hampered and getting beat inside. They replaced him with a (I guess...) slightly less injured Jurgens and went right back to dominance. The Commanders strength of their defense, relatively, is the DL and they were neutralized for much of it. The Eagles OL was as good as advertised, even when facing some adversity.

Team Laydown of the Week: Bills Defense

Lost in the fact the Bills only lost by three, and could've easily won the game, was the Bills defense allowing one of the most efficient days for the Chiefs in ages. The Chiefs barely hit 3rd down in the first half. Like 70% of the Chiefs passing plays went for first downs. The Bills were just dominated. Maybe it's McDermott (who I think is great, but there's ample evidence he's not able to win the battle against Reid/Mahomes - even their regular season wins are generally because their offense plays ball possession) and not being able to adjust. Maybe it is not having a true game-changer at DL ever since Von's 2022 ACL tear (could've really used the Greg Rosseau that showed up for much of the season). The Bills defense didn't give their offense any margin.

Runner-Up: None

Again, I can say the whole Commanders. 55 points is the most ever given up in a Championship Game - but truly no one expected them to be here.

Storyline that will be Beat into the Ground: The Threepeat

And honestly, this one should. We've never seen a threepeat in the Super Bowl era. In fact, we've never even gotten this close - the Chiefs being teh first team seeking one to make it back to the Super Bowl the 3rd year - something the 1976 Steelers, 1990 49ers and 1994 Cowboys couldn't do (all losing in their respective Championship games). To some degree, I would rather us talk about the impending history, than the "oh my god the Chiefs magic and vodoo of it all", so that's good. If you told me to pick at gunpoint who I would rather have win, I guess I would pick the Eagles - I too, like many, are kind of sick of the Chiefs at this point. But you know what? I'm open to seeing something historic. Something those dastardly Brady Patriots never did. So it's kind of a win-win when you look at it this way.

Storyline that should be Beat into the Ground: Potential SB LXV Rerun?

Let's take a walk back four years ago, when a defending champion Chiefs team reached the Super Bowl after a 2-loss regular season, despite not being that good by most metrics. They beat up on the Bills in the AFC Championship Game, and were favored in the Super Bowl against what was pretty clearly a better 1-53 roster in the Bucs. And of course, the Bucs blasted them. Now, those Chiefs had one critical flaw (their OL) which the Bucs mercilessly dominated. 

This Chiefs team doesn't have that - but if not for Mahomes and the Chiefs magic, adn if we could distract ourselves from that for a second - we see a matchup that there is a chance the Eagles just go out and dominate. Their OL should be able to do as much if not as the Bills in beating up on the Chiefs run defense. The weakness of the Chiefs line is now their middle (after moving Thuney outside) which does not bode well against Carter and others. The Eagles secondary should be able to lock on and play man if forced to in a way the Bills couldn't. I can't imagine this ends 31-9, but I wouldn't be shocked, truly if the Eagles win without too much fuss. Let's put it this way - there's probably a 59% chance the Chiefs win a close game, a 25% chance the Eagles win a close game, a 15% the Eagles win comfortably, and a 1% the Chiefs win comfortably. To me the Chiefs are more likely than not to win, but if you tell me we all wake up on Monday, Feb 10th, and the Super Bowl ended 34-17, I think the Eagles are the far more likely team to have won.

My Top 67 Favorite International Cities, Pt. 2: #34 - #1

34.) Lisbon (2021)

I truly don't know how in the many times I've done this exercise I've neglected to go with Lisbon as one of the cities. I first went there in 2001, I turned 10 in teh city. I remember liking it then, but definitely remembered it only moderately. Going back this past year was eye opening, from my newfound love of Natas, to the incredible food, to appreciating the views more than I would have earlier, to so much more. Lisbon also had great nightlife, even with the pangs of Covid still reverberating, with packed streets in Barrio Alto (where our AirBNB stupidly was...), to bars with live music and so much more. The food was excellent, the people were great. Sintra, just an hour away, was a fantastic little town with even more great views. I truly want to go back, Lisbon honestly can go higher after a few more trips.

33.) Palermo (2019)

There's a few cities on this list I like for hard to describe reasons - be it Turin, or Krakow. Add Palermo to that list. The sites can basically be visited in barely more than a day, but the atmosphere and culture of Palermo can last a good week. The old town is one of the nicer ones I've gotten lost in, with so many bars and restaurants that spill out into the streets. As you approach the water, you get fancier, more upscale restuarants that could fit in Rome, Milan or any fancier city - but at small town prices. Palermo is also relatively untouched by tourism, the last vestige of true Italia.

32.) Bilbao & 31.) San Sebastian (2021)

Another combination, this time not because I can't truly remember the difference (like Prague & Budapest), but because they're similar. Both cities have beautiful little old towns just jam packed with Pintxo Bar after Pintxo bar. Both cities have truly world class restaurants as well, including Azurmendi which was a truly amazing experience. They have nice coasts, great scenery and beaches, and so much else. Gun to my head, I would pick San Sebastian, whose old town is a little more cozy and inviting. Bilbao is slightly bigger, with its larger churches and museums, and open squares, but honestly I would gladly go back to either, two gastronomic capitals of the world. Especially would love to go back in a time where we have some ability to go out at night, as the few instances of being out until 1:30am belied towns with great drinks, pretty good craft beer, and a love of dancing. Honestly, the basque region is awesome.

30.) Busan (2024)

Busan as a truly interesting place, built around various mountains and peaks, it's basically 4-5 cities built into one. You can be strolling a beach with a glistening bridge in front and twenty minutes later be up in the mountains at beautiful temples. The food is great, with fresh seafood all over, be it the fish market or just random places to drop in. They have fancy areas (with fancy restaurants) and homely areas. If there's only one thing to knock Busan on is their nightlife seems scores below Seoul. Granted, maybe going in November when they had one of their coldest weeks in years is not the best way to judge, but have to call it like I see it. Amazing city - but also a good way to rest up before going back to Seoul (or detox-ing after...).

29.) Paris (2006, 2018) 

There’s obviously a ton to see in Paris, and the city center around the Eifel Tower, on either side of River Sein, is beautiful. Paris is a probably a city that certain people would love, but I am not one of them. Of course, I liked it enough to put ahead of some damn good cities, mostly on the ridiculous amounts of things to see alone. I actually don’t remember much of my Paris trip, which is strange given its relative recency, but I do remember thinking one day in the Louvre was far from enough, and the city center of Paris containing some of the best architecture of any European city. **After going back in 2018, I can say I might be being harsh on Paris, but to me it is a slightly less great version of the other great European capitals like London, Madrid, Rome - unsurprisingly all higher up the rankings.

28.) Vienna (2000 & 2009)

The 2^nd time I went to Vienna was on my high school’s Orchestra’s tour of Austria during my Senior year, and much of my high ranking for Vienna is based on that trip. There is a ton of history in Vienna, with the music scene being located there (Mozart and Beethoven’s houses), with the adjoining arts scene with a bevy of theatres. If you like classical music, then Vienna is heaven. I am including the adorable little town of …… where we performed, which was half an hour outside Vienna. The best part of Vienna is how modern it is. The city center has some of the largest streets and public squares of anywhere in Europe, with grand architecture all around. The food isn’t great, but it is no worse than Germany and Switzerland, and Austria is generally less expensive. It took a second trip to get acclimated with Vienna’s charms, but they are there, and plentiful.

27.) Cusco (2016)

Full disclosure, I'm cheating by including Machu Picchu as one of the associated sites of Cusco, which is a large part of the reason it places so high. Machu Picchu is a spectacular tourist attraction, from teh never-ending views of Hauranya Picchu's face, to the cascaiding hills on every side, to the great hikes. When you peel back to Cusco proper, it remains a great secondary city, a South American, high altitude version of Krakow (next on the list). The food is great, with so many small, but fine quality, restaurants. It has a vibrant restaurant and bar scene, and quite a bit of tourism locally, including other Incan ruins near the city limits. Finally, the altitude, as Cusco us probably the highest city that is easily and heavily visited. Plus, I owe a lot to the Loki Hostel, a wondrous place of Blood Bombs and fun.

26.) Tallinn (2024)

My parents visited Tallinn in 2011 and raved endlessly about it, and more pointedly how much I would love it. I think I'm probably a fairly different person in 2024 than 2011, but they were still very right. Tallinn's old town is among the loveliest and most picturesque that I've visited - with maybe just Krakow (to come) as better in my mind. The pastel-colored alleys and shops and cafes around it are amazing, as are the bars and restaurants hidden inside. But where Tallinn is really separating itself is what lies outside the old town, a design/modern forward city with museums, giant parks, great waterfront and incredible restaurants, like NOA Chef's Hall, one of the better tasting menus I've had in Europe. On the whole, Tallinn was a special place.

25.) Taipei (2019)

I should have figured that Taipei would be a really great city. Still, however, I was surprised by how well built, how green, how beautiful it was. The food was great, from beef noodle shops to fancy high-end restaurants. The bar scene was excellent, with a burgeouning craft beer culture was shocking. The tourism was great, with nice pagodas and temples tucked away all across the beautiful green city. If only the cuisine was slightly better Taipei would have ended up much higher. There's also a lot of hills and forests and greenery within an hour of the city in every direction. Taipei has so much going for it.


24.) Berlin (2014)

Berlin is the only German city I've gone to as an adult, and from what I read it was a good one to pick. The city is sprawling, and has covered it's whole 'we had a giant wall' thing with some really modern buildings and a few nice memorials. But what it also hides is an incredible city. The main squares, or platzes are all incredible, including that entire stretch between the Brandenburg Gate, through the Tiergarten, and ending with the Berlin Island. There are various areas of the city with incredible churches, restaurants, bars (and bars, and bars) and historical buildings. The city houses some fascinating museums that touch on the long, varying history of Germany is a country. Berlin as a city is too big to do in 3 days like I did, but it is definitely alluring enough to go back.

23.) London (1999, 2000, 2010, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022)

I probably should just go to London more, because both my Dad and my Sister, who lived there, swear by London as an incredible city. But again, I’m not ranking this by how livable they are, but how good they are as tourist destinations. London definitely has enough to see, including the nicely compact Royal stuff (palace, parliament, other stuff), and a neatly packed city center (West End, Trafalgar Square, other stuff I’m forgetting), but it is a little too big. It’s subway system is clean, but doesn’t have the expansiveness that it needs (something I give huge credit to the NYC Subway System for, no matter how dirty it is). Of course, it is damn expensive, and the weather is mostly lousy. It may get better with more trips, but I think London is too big for its own good, and a little too confused, as it tries to be both Rome and New York. **So I went here in 2017-2019 and 2022, and really have nothing more to add. I think what I wrote back then is more or less accurate. In the end, being in any English speaking city outside of the US just doesn't seem as foreign & exciting. And I really can't get over how bad the street layout is in this city. Makes me really appreciate New York being a grid.

22.) Bangkok (2003, 2013, 2019, 2022)

Here’s the gist of what I remember from Bangkok: nice Wats to see, incredible food, up all night, eating all the time. Bangkok is a food-lover’s paradise, especially for those who like Thai food. Bangkok is also close to areas where you can do all those Asia type things like ride elephants and see the jungle. The weather is surprisingly decent for a city in Southeast Asia, and from what I remember it is pretty easy to navigate. My thoughts regarding Bangkok have indeed changed with my one-plus day visit. The city is better than I remembered, with sprawling malls, an advanced metro system, and new urban centers. The weather isn’t quite as good, as it is still hard to get to different parts of the city, but the city center of Bangkok is about as good as any I’ve seen in Asia. ** After going again for a few days in 2019, my opinion of Bangkok is largely unchanged, but improved in a way. The food is great, particularly the soon to be closed Gaggan. There are some really nice districts. But what it lacks is the cleanliness and constant modernity of a Singapore. **After further going in 2022, while the food remains Top-5 in the world, the bustle, the maw, the "oversized Bangalore" of it all kind of hurts it to me. Any place with Gaggan, Le Du, #FindTheLockerRoom can't be any lower, but there's a lot to dislike amongst that brilliance.

21.) Granada (2001, 2021)

I'll admit, I have very limited memory of Granada - like I do with most of my trip to Spain and Portugal in 2001. But from what I do remember of Granada, mainly around the magic that is the Alhambra. Granada also has great food (as does most of Andalusia), including amazing seafood and lamb. Spain itself is probably my favorite country to visit, and a large part of that is even outside is major metropoloses (which are good enough to both be in Top-10 for me) it has incredible gems with incredible history and culture. **After visiting in 2021, I'm justified in my original love of Granada. The Alhambra was as good the second time around, but the food even better. The great old town was just lovely to wander about, pick up tapas at their various tapas bars hidden down alleys with great seating spilling into the streets. That is Spain, so were teh wine bars, and even beer bars, in this beautiful little town.

20.) Buenos Aires (2017, 2023)

The only new entrant this time around, Buenos Aires was a joy to visit in full for four days. Similar to its South American counterparts in Lima and Santiago (both higher), Buenos Aitres mixed the culture of South America with the architecture of Europe, leaning a bit heavier on the European side. The neighborhoods of Palermo and Recoleta were an unending joy to stroll around in both during the day to witness the greenery, and at night to witness the joy. The food is more steak and heavy, but when steak is cooked as well as it is in Argentinean parilla's one can forgive that part as well. Someone who is more Europe leaning in their proclivities will probably rate Buenos Aires higher than Lima or Santiago. I don't, but that's more about love for the other two, and the Pacific side of Sud America, than anything negative about the people from the port.

19.) Tokyo (2013)

As a tourist, I don't care what the work and life culture are of the people in the city, and good thing, because if I did I may hate Tokyo. To see people in full suit in the subway at 11 PM coming home from work is jarring. But this isn't about any of that, it is about Tokyo the city, and it is a really fabulous metropolis. Tokyo is sprawling, in a way that makes New York seem small. There are really bustling regions like Shinjuku, really fun late night spots like Roppongi. There is a ton to see, and great food options. The food may be more corporate than traditional and homestyle in Tokyo, but that isn't all bad. The biggest complaint with Tokyo is just the size. It is so big that it is tiring to navigate at times, getting from one end to the other. Even with the reliability and the local JR Train lines, it takes time to get around. **2023 Update: Going back didn't change my opinion of Tokyo too much, just crystallized what it does so well, from its art museums, its nightlife scene, and of course the food (if you're willing to pony up). Separately, the things keeping it from being higher up, such as the truly just endless urban maw of it all, and the sheer size, are still as true in 2023.**

18.) Budapest (2024)

I had Budapest on the earlier versions of the list before I cut it because I needed slots and I only went in 2000 so barely remembered it. Well, now going in full and I probably underranked it initially if anything, Budapest is a special place, combining many of the bests of Europe without the pretension of a Paris or London. There are amazing museums, great gothic architecture, great parks and castles and palaces. The parliament building is an world-class, stunning building. And then the culture - the great food from street goulash shops to fine dining; amazing cocktail spots and a party district in the Jewish Quarter that is among the most fun, compact places I've explored. There really was no downside of Budapest. Then again, there really aren't many downsides of any of the cities to come either.

17.) Mexico City (2014, 2018)

I put 2014 there, but I went to Mexico City two different times, staying in two different areas of that expansive, massive, festive city. Far safer than most areas of Mexico, La Cuidad is incredibly impressive. There are tons of historical sites, like the entire Zocalo, the Chapultepec, and La Reforma. Mexico City also has a wealth of food options, with incredibly authentic Mexican fare from around the country, including the incredible Oaxacan food. Really fun night spot as well. Mexico City blew me away also with its strange, mysterious beer culture. The City is a sprawling testament to how secretly, behind the dangerous cartels that line the exterior, the soft interior of Mexico is a gorgeous, cultural attraction that is bettered by so few cities. **After going again in 2018, I realize how much I missed out of Mexico City's overwhelming culture. The neighborhoods of Polanco and Condesa may some of the most cultured and serene in North America. The food scene is incredible, be it world class Pujol or the street taco vendors. Just an amazing city.


16.) Dubrovnik (2017)

My expectations were raised on Dubrovnik from a number of friends and families had already visited, and oh man was it great - matching everything I would have hoped for. Dubrovnik, like many cities that line my top half of the list, aren't huge sprawling metropolises, instead smaller, untouched little power-packs of culture and beauty. The actual structure of the town reminds me of a European Cape Town, with the old town and fort replacing the V&A Waterfront area, and the hills of the newer part of the city similar to East Cape Town, and the hills in hte background, fixed with their own version of Table Mountain, being, well, Cape Town's Table Mountain. The history in Dubrovnik is amazing, with the old town such a beautiful array of nooks and crannies, with steep stairs on alleys down to the water. Within it contains history, and amazing restaurants, and, of course, Game of Thrones. Dubrovnik is one of the gems of the Adriatic Sea, right there with the other great ports of the Mediterranean.

15.) Singapore (2012, 2013, 2019, 2022)

Singapore is one of those places that has to be seen to be believed. There is no city any cleaner. There is no city as tightly situated while having enough external attractions. There is no city better built for a short stay. What doesn’t Singapore have? It has a theme park for kids. A bird park (highly recommended) and a night safari for kids and adults. It has a brand new casino for adults. It has a centralized bar/pub/club area near the waterfront. It has a preponderance of food from really, really cheap to really expensive. It has livable weather year-round. It also has the most interesting and enjoyable airport I’ve ever been to (there is a pool and gym that everyone can use for free in it!), and the cleanest, best organized subway system I’ve seen. So why is Singapore only #3? Because there isn’t that much to do, and Singapore’s not cheap enough to just sit around and eat/drink/do nothing. The sights have no historical resonance, and are replicated in other cities. Still, for a period less than a week, there is no better city to visit. **Part of the reason I call this a living document is that I'm not going to correct where I reference Singapore at #3 which it was the first time I did this. Anyway, on subsequent trips, the sterility of the place is what drops it slightly in my mind. Still a whole lot of positives, and a "must visit" at some point, but it just doesn't have the culture some of its Asian brethren do.

14.) Krakow (2014)

By rule I like smaller cities over sprawling ones. Well, while there are expanses to Krakow that extend in all directions, almost everything worth seeing in the city is in a 10x10 block radius circling the best city square (Rynek Glowny) I have seen in Europe. When you get a city that has (their claim) more bars per capita than any in the world, combine that with amazing open space and roadside/streetside restaurants, and an economy that does not use the Euro and is far cheaper than comparale cities in Western Europe, you get a pretty fantastic city. Also, you want history near its borders, you get Auschwitz about 2 hours away. Krakow is an incredible secondary city, arguably the best secondary city I've ever been to. The beer, food and endless beautiful women makes it Top-25; the sites, easily walkable goegraphy, and amazing history (Copernicus lived there too) makes it Top-15.

13.) Lima (2016, 2022)

Lima has a few things going for it. First, its culinary brilliance, with two restaurants ranking in the Top 10 in the World per San Pelligrino's list (the most accepted of that type of list), one being Maido, a Japanese-Peruvian sensation. The sites aren't the best, few major cities are in retrospect, with a few museums and halls. The real sites of Lima are the whisping cliffs, the shops and the eclectic nightlife. The best South American cities combine Andean views with European charms, and few big ones do it better than Lima. Big jump here afer my trip in 2022. The food remains incredible, adding Central to Maido on my list of culinary adventures. But also getting more time in Lima this time around, and doing a bit more research to understand neighborhoods like Barranco and others a bit better, I learned to love a lot of it. The greenery is incredible, the museums are nice. The walk along the Malecon is one of the cooler feelings out there. Everything about Lima is great. **2023 update - it moved up again. I explored more neighborhoods this time, like San Isidro and even now further away from Covid, even the historic center is a bit more vibrant. For what is also a great entry point to a brilliant country outside it, and a place with near perfect weather, Lima is stellar**

12.) Seoul (2022)

I don't know if there's a city I saw more of in my initial trip visiting a place. I went all over it, to different districts, different elevations, different stories - all of them amazing. The food, from bustling (but clean) night markets, to tasting menu bliss of Ryunique and Mingles. The cocktail houses, all inspired in their design and craft. The clubs that surround buzzing districts like Itaewon (RIP to those who dies on Halloween 2022). Everything about Seoul was great, including the sights, from large palace-come-parks in the heart of the city center, to art museums showcasing the beautiful tranquility of Korean art (white porcelain, jade, buddhas, etc.). Seoul was a masterful city, a place I easily could have spent even more time exploring different areas. Despite spending much of five days there (and the neighboring city of Suwon, that fits in my 90-minute window), I left a bit sad I didn't spend even more time - partially to get more of Seoul, and also because I want to see more of what Korea has to offer having loved their crown jewel so much.

11.) Sydney (2013) 

Take the weather and leisurely attitude of Australia, combine the waterfront facade of a Chicago, add some pub and club nightlife of any city in Europe and you get Sydney, a city that combines the great aspects of every major city I have been too. It doesn't have a true culture of its own which hurts it in my mind. What I really mean by that is, much like the problems I have with England, there are too many similarities to the US. You don't really feel you are in a foreign city too much. Of course, that all changes when you walk towards the Opera House, or go to the night spots with the Australians out partying, or eat great meats. Sydney is a wonderful city, probably the most livable of any in the Top-10 (of course, it is helped by being English-Speaking), but sometimes I would sacrifice livability for uniqueness, which is why it isn't any higher.

10.) Ho Chi Minh City (2019, 2022)

The great food, the wide open streets and lanes, the great balloons, the sights. Ho Chi Minh City was truly a perfect Southeast Asian retreat. The place is so full of joy and pride in their city, be it the pristinely conditioned temples, the French architecture. There are great museums and sights all over. What set Ho Chi Minh City apart for me was you get the food of a Bangkok, with the infrastructure and lack of traffic of a Europe - the city so well blending their French history and Asian sensibilities. The nightlife and food was truly incredible. If not for the weather (unavoidable in that part of the world) it probably would be Top-10 for me. **After going back in 2022, Ho Chi Minh City equaled every bit of nostalgia-fueled love and memory from the first time, arguably getting better. Each year that goes by thrusts HCMC into more and more of a first world type city, with amazing food, amazing drinks, and the best (to me) club in the world in The Observatory. There is just a joy, such an energy here.


9.) Rome (2003, 2019)

Speaking of Rome, history’s most famous city checks in next. I haven’t spent any time in Rome as an adult, but I don’t think Rome is the type of city that would change much from an adult’s perspective. It is good for its history and sites first, and if you like Italian cuisine, the food second. If you include the Vatican, and as a Catholic I do, in Rome, then there is even more to see, as you have two different parts of history, the formation of the Catholic Church in the awe-inspiring Vatican grounds near and inside St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Roman history which is very well kept up. I can’t remember how their public transport was, and we went in December, so the weather was bad, but I don’t think it is a very big city. And then there is that food. I don’t want personal biases like my ambivalence towards Italian food to sway this. Many do like Italian food, and the city is even better for those people. That said, what hurts Rome in my book is I think it is too dependent on the sites, and if you aren’t there on a religious pilgrimage, I can’t imagine the allure of going to Rome more than once.

8.) Athens (2010)

So Athens is very much like its historical partner, Rome, with a few less sites, a lot less crowds, less expensive, and with better weather. So does that whole equation spit out a better city? In my mind, it does. Part of this has to do with visiting Athens at the perfect time (19, during March) and Rome not (13, during December), but Athens has it all. It has a lot to see, but not so much that sightseeing takes over the trip. It has a city that is hard to navigate by car and by walking, but has an adequate subway system. It has excellent food, and a great environment that bursts with fun and enjoyment. Just a grand old time in Athens, as I’m sure it was 2,500 years ago.

7.) Barcelona (2007, 2021)

I really want to go to Barcelona again, because it could easily be #1. All the ingredients are there. Pristine weather. A people who don’t care about life, making the tourist experience more fun. Good beaches within reach. Stuff to see. An airport that is easily reachable and a city that is easily maneuverable. My issues with Barcelona (other than my dislike for the Blaugrana) are simple. There isn’t a lot to see in terms of history, mainly because the Catalans want their own history so they destroyed or shunned any Spanish national history. Barcelona is a nice city in terms of seeing the sights for a day or two and then doing nothing the rest of the time, but I do want more from my cities. **Going back in 2021 didn't really change my opinion of Barcelona at all. It remains a great city, with a whole lot to see. Getting to see the Sagrada Familia more complete - in that you could go inside - was a nice touch. The food remained excellent, from random tapas bars, to nicer restaurants.**

6.) Istanbul (2007, 2024)

Istanbul is kind of a secret still, but there is really nothing to complain about. It has a waterfront, an easily accessible city center, a lot to see (the palaces, the Bosphuros, the Red & Blue Mosques). Istanbul also has a brilliant food scene, with both Muslim and Meditterannean influences but all sorts of bases (including a ton of seafood). There is little to separate any of the cities this high in the list. My only knock on Istanbul would be the public transport is lacking without a proper Subway (this could have changed since my last visit). Overall, Istanbul combines the palate and affordability of Asia, with the energy and cleanliness of Europe, the best of both worlds. **2024 Update: Istanbul drops a bit, mostly due to some weird fogginess of brilliance I had around the city past my 2007 trip. Anyway, what it did do is remain overall just a fabulous blend of cultures. You want Eastern temples (mosques), architecture, customs? You got it. You want palaces that could rival Versaille? You got that too. You have a unique cuisine that can spread from the late-night-street-food of the world (doner kebab) to refined Michelin-star restaurants, and a burgeouning night scene to boot. The only real reason it drops is that it is a bit too big and sometimes tough to get around in, but as a city it is truly a fantastic blend of East and West**

5.) Santiago (2018, 2024)

Midway through my second day in Santiago, I started debating how high it would go. Honestly, on the initial drive to the airport, through beautiful underground tunnels and well manicured streets, it earned its place on the list. Many great meals, multiple vibrant and differing neighborhoods, enough sites to last you days, and a cleanliness of Europe and culture of the Americas, and Santiago morphed into a truly special city. You have views, like at the top of Santa Lucia Hill. You have museums. You have regal government buildings. The restaurants are amazing, going from good street food to world class tasting menus. The competing Barrio Italia, with its Portland-esque vibe, and Barrio Bellavista, with fun bar after fun bar, add the neighborhood vibe as well. It all mixed to a truly brilliant city. ***2024 Update. So, Santiago is basically as perfect a locale as I remembered, spending more time there this time and getting to see some of the best parts. The museums and cultural aspects remained great, but now let's add on top of it everything about its modernity. You really don't feel you are in South America, with its wide roads, greenery, hills and life. The restaurants like Borago are timeless. Wandering the streets of Barrio Bellavista at night is a never-ending joy. Ride that funicular and cable-car and you see a city jsut bursting with life, energy and fun.***

4.) Jerusalem (2018)

Religion's most important city remains the best new city I've been to since I last wrote this piece. I'm floored by how much I enjoyed every aspect of Jerusalem. The obvious important religious sites were incredible, but the food spots in the city, the areas in the old town that are disconnected to religion, the great beer bar tucked inside the great Mahane Yehuda market. All of it was excellent. If I spend more time in Tel Aviv, maybe I add that to the list to, but for Jerusalem, it was a perfect mix of history and culture. Truly, the religious sites are so enormous in their gravity it is hard to not be astounded, even for someone who is practicing but not necessarily devout. The energy in the city is just tremendous - helps we went around Christmas of course. It was a perfect mix of circumstances, but it was just incredible from start to finish, a perfect mix of first world  luxuries and historical beauty. 

3.) Kyoto (2013, 2023)

Kyoto is the 3rd biggest City in Japan, but resembles so little of Tokyo (the biggest city) that makes it seem like a different country. Sure, the food options and the bustle is still there, but Kyoto, in some ways, is like a supersized Siem Reap. The real highlight of Kyoto is the ridiculous amounts of Temples and historical Japanese buildings. All of these are encircling the downtown area of Kyoto. Of course, that downtown is quite large, with beautiful malls, tall buildings with summer beer gardens (umlimited beer buffets for $30) and plentiful up-scale food options. Kyoto even has the most expansive Geisha area of Japan. Kyoto is the perfect city to experience what people's idea of Japan is, temples and pagodas and sushi, oh my! **2023 Update: Everything I wrote about is true in 2023, but the stuff I didn't get overly into - mostly because I didn't focus on that as much - from the high end restaurants, to the bar & nightlife scene, upped its game. The fact the main parts of the city, be it the shopping districts, the nightlife drag, and where the sights lie, are all within sort of walking distance, ups the game for Kyoto. Also, there is a chance I was, if anything, underrating the sights. There was truly ne negative to Kyoto, other than maybe the heat but that's more on me picking this specific time of year than anything else.**

2.) Madrid (2001, 2010, 2018, 2021, 2022)

I’ll never forget Madrid. It was where I turned 10 years old, in April of 2001. It was where I saw my first naked woman in real life, as I saw two nude woman near the pool in Madrid (given my age and their age, this wasn’t a good thing). It was where I first traveled alone, and where I learned the inherent joy of visiting a place a 2^nd time. Barcelona might be more ‘fun’, but I can’t think of a place that combines everything I want from a city more than Madrid. Madrid has a dependable airport, and a dependable subway system. More than that, the city is small enough in its center that you can easily walk from the Prado side on the East, to the Palace on the West and not break a sweat. It has some of Spain’s best museums. There is more than enough to see. And, of course, you are still very much in Spain. It isn’t as relaxed as Barcelona, but is just as Spanish, with open squares, easy food and drink,  a lot of youngsters (and a lively area for them at night). This wasn’t a criteria, but a lot of people speak English there to boot. Madrid is basically a perfect city. Small enough to walk, with enough sites to not get bored, enough food to not go hungry, and a relaxed, but not too relaxed nature that you won’t ever get tired of doing nothing for an afternoon or two.

1.) Cape Town (2013, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022)

I've been wondering whether doing Cape Town first helped increase my perceptions of it. I was at my most curious and excited at the start of the trip. Then, I remember everything amazing about Cape Town, like the incredible scenery and breathtaking views, the active harbor and Long Street areas (for the youngsters among us), the great food of every type and the wine region to one side with the Cape of Good Hope below it. Cape Town is a special place on the total other side of the word (laterally speaking). I've really never been any place quite like it, which is why I want to go back there more than any place in the world. **I've oddly never updated my write-up of Cape Town since the first time I did this list. Mainly because I from the start had it ranked #2. But after going back (and back, and back...), I think it is time I just move it to #1. The restaurants, bars, clubs, and unending hikes and views just give it such a perfect balance in terms of what I would want out of a city to visit.