Bon Vivant: One Woman's Exploration of the Culinary Landscape: Buy!

A much anticipated vacation in South Africa was complemented by the unmatched thrill of World Cup fever. From the electrified city streets of Johannesburg to the vast and all-encompassing beauty of the bushveld, South Africa opened its arms wide and welcomed the world. Valerie Albarda was there among the revelers celebrating not only the historic sporting event but a special occasion of her own as well.

Travel alongside Valerie as she spends nine days in Johannesburg soaking up the sights, sounds and smells of the city and outlying areas. Along the way she encounters a cast of vuvuzela-toting characters, experiences an emotional excursion to the Apartheid Museum, romps in the dirt with rare white lion cubs, allows her stomach to be her intrepid guide as she samples local fare and more.

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In the Fall of 2007, Valerie's love affair with travel led her and Maarten on a long-awaited journey to one of Valerie's top three wish-list destinations: the beautiful country of Italy. Travel along with the intrepid explorers and take a peek into twelve days of unforgettable sights, bungling mishaps, enticing cuisine, one renegade partridge and more as they journey from Atlanta, Georgia to the world's most famous boot. First stop: Venice.

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