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Mr. Burberry – Fragrance Review

So here goes for my first lifestyle/fashion post. I’m a guy who loves a good fragrance. I usually keep several, as I like to have a different scent for different moods or occasions. My close friends and family know this as well. I was pleasantly surprised though, a couple weeks ago, when my sister brought me a surprise gift from her trip to Sephora, a small bottle of Mr. Burberry fragrance.

It’s a brand new fragrance, and she always thinks of me as a Burberry fan (classic, yet modern). Thus, she generously decided to get me a bottle.

I had never tried it before, but I love the smell. It’s got a bit of a seductive/sensual tone (similar to Gucci Guilty black), so it naturally feels like more of a nighttime/going out fragrance. Yes, it will work fine for that occasion, but I also decided to spray some for work today, and it works quite well. The smell isn’t too strong, and later in the day, it turned to a more casual, subtle tone (like Eau de Lacoste – White).

Thank you sis! I’ve definitely found one of my favorite fragrances.

Topdeck Travel: Trail to the Alps – The Final Chapter (Munich)

Our last destination on the Trail to the Alps trip was also a short one – Munich. That said, I was really looking forward to the city. We arrived on a cloudy day and got a tour of the heart of the Munich. The best part though was much sausage lunch with a pretzel and beer at the famous Hofbrauhaus.

Our hotel was all the way out in the suburbs (and traffic was terrible), but I decided to make the trek back to town with the group for dinner. There was no way I was staying in on my last night! We got back to the Karlsplatz and had dinner at the Der Pschorr beer house. I was really excited for it (and I love Hacker-Pschorr beer). In all honestly though, it wasn’t that great. I was a bit disappointed in the letdown.

And that was my trip! The next morning I left the group to get some rest at the airport hotel and flew back to San Francisco the day after. In all, I had a blast! Yes, I was exhausted at the end, and it wasn’t always the greatest having the long bus rides or sharing a hotel room. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic way to experience Europe for the first time (and it also changed my mind about group travel, as I was skeptical before I took the trip).

Expect to see some more lifestyle posts now that I’ve finished with this long travel series. Later this year though, be on the lookout for a second group of Topdeck posts after I come back from another European adventure!

Topdeck Travel: Trail to the Alps – Part VI (Austria)

With our exit from Italy, we were back into the gorgeous Alps, this time in Austria. Many on the trip had rarely seen snow, so the white landscapes were a brilliant site to many. Thankfully, we made it to our site in Tyrol before the big snowfall hit.

Our hotel was quite nice, with an excellent location right next to the slope where we had our ski lessons. In fact, we had a great view of the morning snowfall when we woke up.

My first day was spent on the slopes. I took the beginner/intermediate lesson since it had been a while since I had been skiing. It was fun, and the slopes were good. I was exhausted by the end of the day though. That said, I still went to the apres-ski party at one of the local restaurants. It was a blast, with traditional music and some delicious schnitzel for dinner. I feel like the whole town was there.

The next day, I opted for the trip to Salzburg instead of deciding to go skiing again (I can always go skiing near Tahoe if I feel like it). The city was gorgeous. We went up the hill to castle, and the views were spectacular. We could see both the city and the countryside – the countryside kept reminding me of ‘The Sound of Music.’

In Salzburg, I also got to see the Duomo and the Residenz, but unfortunately not Mozart’s birthplace (ran out of time). That night, we had one of our best dinners on the trip – ribs!

One more stop – Munich.