Heineken beer got its start in 1592 in a Dutch brewery under the name of De Hooiberg, but it got its name in 1864 when Gerard Adriaan Heineken acquired the original brewery and developed a special yeast that gave his beer its distinctive taste. — Bryan Henry, Contributing Editor, Hollywood, FL
During our 6-day stay in Paris the first week of May 2015, my daughter Linda and I discovered two restaurants we especially liked.
After dining at the Little Zoo Café (Sukhothai Ave 99, Muangthongthani, Nonthaburi 11120, Thailand; phone +66 92 448 1116, www.littlezoocafe.com), guests can visit a few animals, including fennec foxes, meerkats and a raccoon. The animals, in a separate room, can be visited by only six people at one time. Guests must sanitize their hands and remove their shoes first.
Purchase of food in the café is required of anyone wishing to visit the animals. Meal prices start at THB165 (near $5). The café is open daily, 10:30 a.m.-7p.m.
The Republic of Moldova is a place I long wanted to visit, as it’s near my usual destination of Romania. On a solo trip, May 3-15, 2016, I began in Bucharest, Romania, where I had the pleasure of staying at the Grand Boutique Hotel (Negustori 1B, Bucharest 2, Romania; phone +40 31 425 62 30, http://grandboutique
hotel.ro), located behind the National Theatre Bucharest on a lovely residential street.
As of July 15, passengers on Norwegian Cruise Line (866/234-7350, www.ncl.com) ships are not allowed to take any beverages on board (including water) other than sealed bottles of wine (no boxed wine). Norwegian said it had been taking too long to inspect each beverage during boarding, causing delays.
Wine must be checked upon boarding and will be held until it's consumed on board or until disembarkation at the final port. There is a corkage fee of $15 for a 750ml bottle or $30, 1,500ml.
Situated deep in a natural limestone cave near the center of Helsinki, Caverna Restaurant (Yliopistonkatu 5, 00120 Helsinki, Finland; phone +358 50 555 9325, www.caverna.fi [prices on Finnish version only]) opened on June 22, 2016.
Visitors to Tokyo, Japan, can spend an hour or more playing with harinezumi (hedgehogs) at the pet store Harry (Harinezumi) Café (Tokyo, Minato-ku, Roppongi 6-7-2 IWAHORI Building 2F; phone +81 03 3404 8100, www.harinezumi-cafe.com/cafe-english). Up to 30 hedgehogs of multiple species call the café home at any given time.
My husband, John, and I have been to Nicaragua several times since our first visit in the ’90s. We returned in December 2015 and stayed on the island of Ometepe, home to twin volcanoes connected by a narrow isthmus.
During our 6-week koyo (autumn foliage) trip to Japan in November-December 2015, my husband, Clyde, and I took many of our dinners at small, family-owned restaurants and izakayas (taverns), also exploring the side streets and back alleys where such places abound.
