Halloween, Almaden Winery

Today, we had fun trick-or-treating in our neighborhood at the Almaden Winery.

Inna dressed as a Blue Monster, and I was Ted the Bear.

Our neighborhood had many well-decorated houses.

Alex collected tons of candy, and we had fun exploring the neighborhood at night, seeing all the fabulous costumes.

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Review: Sarah Brightman's Dreamchaser Concert

We saw Sarah Brightman's Dreamchaser concert at SAP Center in San Jose today.

I really liked "La Luna" and "Nessun Dorma" (though Nessun Dorma is written for a tenor - not a soprano voice). I also wanted "Scarborough Fair," the "Phantom of the Opera," and "Time to Say Goodbye."

The guest tenor - Erkan Aki - had a voice and was the show's highlight. There were a lot of special effects in the show, and all the images were related to space, though many songs have nothing to do with space.

Overall, I liked the show, being a big fan of Sarah Brightman, but it did not move me as much as Leonard Cohen's show last year.

The setlist for today's performance was as follows:

• Act 1:

1. Angel
2. One Day Like This
3. Glósoli
4. Hijo de la Luna
5. La Luna
6. Eperdu
7. It's a Beautiful Day
8. Ave Maria
9. Canto Della Terra
10. Nessun Dorma

Intermission

• Act 2:

1. Close
2. Breathe Me
3. Figlio Perduto
4. Kaze no Toorimichi (not performed in China)
5. Scarborough Fair
6. A Song of India
7. The Phantom of the Opera
8. Time to Say Goodbye

Encore

1. Venus and Mars
2. A Question of Honour

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Bouchon Bistro, Yountville

Today, we had our lunch at Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, CA. Bouchon Bistro and Bakery are run by the legendary chef Thomas Keller (owner of French Laundry - the only 3 Michelin Star restaurant in the area).

Inna ordered the French Onion Soup (which was delicious), and I ordered the Carrot and Squash Soup. My Carrot and Squash soup was exceptional, too.

My Carrot and Squash Soup both looked and tasted delicious!

Inna really liked her French Onion soup.

I ordered Boudin Blanc, a white sausage with mashed potatoes and plums, for the main plate. The plums were incredibly delicious, and the sausage was very soft.

Inna ordered Grandmother's Rotisserie Chicken, and it was also quite scrumptious.

For dessert, we had Baba Au Rhum. It was so delicious!

We plan to eat here again when we're in the Napa or Calistoga area.

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Wine tasting in Benziger Winery

Today, we enjoyed exploring the beautiful Benziger Winery in Sonoma, CA. Benziger was the site where I first proposed to Inna - 12 years ago on May 5, 2001.

The winery has not changed a lot; it still looks well taken care of and well-groomed.

Fall colors are everywhere, with many trees changing colors.

We saw a lot of water lilies and frogs in the ponds surrounding Benziger. There is even an owl house for the local owl. The owl is used to control pests - as it is a bird of prey that hunts rodents and keeps the vineyard clear of pests.

The grapes were ready for harvesting.

The autumn colors of yellow, red, and green permeate the winery. It's definitely the "fall" in California.

After walking around the Benziger grounds, we did a little wine tasting. We tasted 5 of Benziger's vintages but did not like them. However, we want the Benziger Winery to be a nice place to escape the city.

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Pancake Heaven at Solbar, Calistoga

We had a delicious breakfast and lunch at the Michelin 1 Star rated Solbar Restaurant in Calistoga, California.

I love the Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup and enjoyed them a few times. These are my all-time favorite pancakes anywhere!

Inna ordered the "Bodega Bay" - an English Muffin with Dungeness Crab - and it was also delicious!

During lunchtime (after a beautiful bike ride to Sterling Vineyards), we stopped at Solbar again - this time for lunch.

Inna ordered a cocktail - "Sex in the Valley," and it was a bit refreshing.

We ordered "Spicy Shrimp Lettuce Wraps" and a "Chicken with Lettuce" for lunch.

We also tried some Donut Wholes, which were also delicious.

Both dishes were delicious and healthy. We really like Solbar!

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Relaxing at Indian Springs Resort & Spa in Calistoga

We arrived late in the evening, around 11:15 p.m., at Calistoga's Indian Springs Resort & Spa.

Given the light traffic, the evening drive was not very exhausting. Luckily, we had just enough time to dip in the hot thermal pool of Indian Springs.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

The next day, we got up early and went for a morning swim at the thermal pool. The morning was gorgeous, and we enjoyed the warm water. It's so relaxing to float around in the naturally heated pool.

When we finished relaxing, we returned to our suite to change for breakfast. We drove to our favorite restaurant - Solbar - less than a mile away.

I ordered my favorite Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup. I swear the drive to Calistoga is worth it just for these beauties!

Inna ordered the "Bodega Bay" special, which was also delicious.

After breakfast, we decided to ride a nice bike to Sterling Vineyards. Here is a short video of our bike ride there:

Sterling Vineyards looked quite busy - and they have a ramp to the top of the mountain for a nice overlook, but we decided against going up.

We had a wonderful relaxing stay at Indian Springs Resort and Spa and hope to be back there again.

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