Why Are You Here?

When I ask this question, I’m not inquiring why you are in the location you’re in, or why you are in the city you’re in, or even why you are in whatever country you’re in.

I ask the question, because I’m wondering why you exist at all?

In the fall of 2003, I released a book I wrote called The Why Are You Here Café. It is a fiction story of a man who wanders into an all night café and is surprised to find three questions on a menu. Why Are You Here? Do You Fear Death? Are You Fulfilled?

I am not so arrogant now to think that I have the answer to how anyone except for me should live their life. I do know though, that there are certain things I’ve learned that help me think about life in a different way. There are things that I wish I had learned earlier in life, things that I reflect on often and that continually give me a boost and help me on my journey to achieve the life of my dreams.

My hope is that in sharing those things with you, they will in some way assist you on your journey to live the life of your dreams.

1. Know your Purpose For Existing (PFE), or at least be looking

Your Purpose For Existing is exactly what it says. It is the reason you exist, the reason you are alive. It is the answer to the question I asked you at the start of this article. Why Are You Here?

Your PFE is like your own personal compass for life. Should you go to New York City and become a commodities trader? Go back to your PFE. Why are you here? Should you travel the world as a peace corp. volunteer? Go back to your PFE. Why are you here? Should you stay in a relationship you’ve been questioning? Go back to your PFE. Why are you here?

In addition to taking a great deal of the stress out of decision making, it also takes a lot of the anxiety out of everyday life. You don’t have to justify to yourself or anyone else why you do what you do. You know the answer. You meet someone and they say, “Hi, what do you do?” You respond, “Oh, I teach yoga,” or “I’m an insurance salesperson,” or “I’m a chiropractor.” “Interesting,” they say, “what made you go into that line of work. “Well, it helps fulfill my Purpose For Existing,” you respond. Wow! That is a powerful statement. You do what you do because it helps you fulfill the exact reason you exist. It doesn’t get much simpler, or more powerful than that.

2. Fear is a terrible thing; don’t let it control your life.

Someone once told me a great quote about trying something new. He said he had been battling with fear for a long time until one day his friend told him, “Listen, realistically what’s the worst that could happen.” I think that is great comment to remember. We are often paralyzed into non-action by the concern that something drastic might happen. But the reality is that almost any decision we make or action we take can be changed if we don’t like the outcome.

We can almost always go back to whatever it was we were doing before we tried something new. Furthermore, what are the odds that the “worst thing” will happen? It probably isn’t likely at all, and yet that remote chance keeps us from doing the things we want to do.

My major “Aha” moment which enabled me to get past my fears, came one day when I suddenly realized that there are very few things that have not already been done by at least one, and probably thousands of people. Certainly everything I was attempting, other people had already tried and succeeded at. Well heck, I thought. If they could do it, so can I.

It is likely that whatever you are trying to accomplish in life, someone, at some point in history, at some spot in the world, did it, and proved it could be done. If they could do it, so can you.

3. Either we can live as a speck of meaningless existence, or we can live a life of meaning

Have you ever been somewhere on a very clear night when you could get a great look at the stars? You were in a place nice and dark without any local lights distracting your eyes. How many stars do you think you could see with your naked eye when you looked across the whole sky? It seemed like millions I bet. The sky seemed just packed with stars. Well, the reality is that the immense quantity of stars you see on a totally clear night when there is no outside light is actually about 3,000.

To put that number in perspective, keep in mind that in our galaxy alone, there are 100 billion stars. Now, our star, which is the sun, has 9 planets and 54 moons that rotate around it. Using our star as a proxy, that means there are 6.3 TRILLION stars, planets, and moons floating around in our galaxy. So what you see on a perfectly clear night, that immense amount of stars and space, is around .00000005% of everything in our galaxy. Amazing isn’t it. Now consider this. That is just our galaxy. Do you know how many galaxies there are? Scientists estimate there are over 500 million of them.

So with all that as perspective, how important are our individual lives in comparison to the entire universe? It is pretty easy to see how someone could think that they are just a speck of meaningless existence. Certainly we are all just specks in the big picture. But suppose we aren’t meaningless. Suppose there is a specific purpose that each of us is here, a reason that we exist right now that goes beyond just sperm met egg and nine months later out popped a little you or me.

I believe there is a reason. I believe we each have a specific Purpose For Existing, or PFE as I like to refer to it. My suggestions is, find that purpose. Fulfill that purpose.

I’ve had people say to me, “But what if you are wrong?” “What if I think I have a PFE, and I live my life like I do, but I really am just a speck of meaningless existence?” My reply to that is always the same. If we find what we think is our very purpose for being alive, our purpose for existing, and we live a life to fulfill it, then by default, we will have given meaning to our life. What has meaning, can no longer be meaningless.

4. Realize something is fulfilling because we decide it is fulfilling, not because someone else tells us it is.

There are a lot of people out there trying to get you to buy things, and they will tell you almost anything to get you to do it.

Do you know how much money was spent on advertising in the United States last year? The answer is a staggering $124 billion dollars. The goal of those expenditures is to get you and me to buy things, and advertisers are getting more and more savvy about how to do it.

For example, they have learned that memory and emotion are significant factors in whether or not a customer has brand loyalty to a product. So they review brain responses of test subjects who are shown advertisements, to see if a particular advertisement invokes a reaction from the emotion center or memory center of the test subject’s brain. That way they can tell if the advertisement will stimulate long term brand loyalty for a particular product. Can’t you just see that? Someone is walking down the street, they pass a billboard, and suddenly have this tremendous, compelling, yet unexplainable urge to buy lottery tickets.

Are we to that point yet? No, I don’t think so. Will we get to that point? I don’t know. The point is, marketers and marketing technology are, and will continue to, make it harder and harder to sift through all the noise so that we can form our own perspective on things.

The challenge is to realize something is fulfilling not because someone tells us it is, but because we individually determine it is fulfilling. Does love really come in the form of diamond earrings, which say “You love her and would marry her all over again”? Does self worth and empowerment truly lie in owning a particular automobile? I personally don’t think so in either case, but don’t listen to me anymore than you would listen to the advertisement. You decide.

5. Be thankful for and leverage the advantages that come from living in this country

We have some amazing opportunities at our fingertips simply because we live in this country. Now, I don’t know about you, but all I did to get these opportunities was pop out of the womb in what turned out to be a very fortuitous spot.

Do you know how much the average college graduate in Myanmar (formerly Burma) makes? They make 10,000 Kat per month. That is about $12.00 U.S. How about the average college graduate in China? How much do you think they make per month? That number is 1500 Yuen, which is just under $200.00 U.S.

Now salaries of that magnitude are enough for those people to function in their country’s respective economies. In all likelihood though, those people will never be able to travel and see the world. They just can’t afford it. But we can. We have the financial benefit of a strong currency compared to the majority of the world.

In this country we can get an education, and we can go out and get a decent paying job. We think unemployment is really getting bad when it hits 6%. In places in South Africa it is over 40%.

As a country we have our fair share of problems. When you get outside the borders and travel to other places, you see things that make the U.S. look like paradise. We have freedom. We can say what we want, buy what we want, become what we want, travel where we want, and for the most part the only thing we did to get all this, is pop out of the womb in the right geographical area. We shouldn’t take it for granted.

6. Look at the little picture, but with a big perspective

People often say, look at the big picture. I say look at the little picture, but with a big perspective.

Do you know what life is? Life is actually a day multiplied by about 27,500. Sometimes it is less, hopefully more, but usually around 27,500. The easiest way to make sure we have a life we enjoy is to make sure that each day we do something we enjoy. I’m sure this sounds simple to you. It took me decades to figure this out.

Doing something you enjoy each day is an example of looking at the little picture. But keep in mind the big perspective, which is what is your PFE? What is it that you want out of life? Why are you here?

Here is an example of little picture and big perspective. Do you do some form of work for at least 20 minutes each weekday? Do you go to a job, work from home, something? How about this. Do you wake up each weekday and stretch for at least 20 minutes?

Ok, different question. What is more important to you, health or money? Would you permanently trade the ability to walk up a flight of stairs in exchange for money? Would you permanently trade the ability to take a bike ride along the beach, garden, lift up a grandchild, play sports, or go fishing in exchange for money?

Then be careful about how you spend your time each day, because making the decision to head off to work 20 minutes early, or spending an extra 20 minutes at work, instead of taking 20 minutes per day to stretch, is a slow version of trading those abilities.

We have a propensity as a society to spend all kinds of time on other things, and when we are good and tired and barely have the energy to say hello, then we go interact with those who mean the most to us, or spend time on ourselves. This is the fast track to finding yourself feeling like a complete stranger with the people who mean the most to you, and yourself.

7. Seek out near life experiences

At the age of 28 I began to have near life experiences. Have you heard the term near death experience? That is when people survive a heart attack, or almost get hit by a car and they get this tremendous sense of lucidness about how short life is and how they should give some thought to how they really want to live it before they don’t have a life to live.

Well, at 28 I started to have those revelations without the potential for a trip to the emergency room. I started to have near life experiences.

Near life experiences are the times when you are doing exactly what you want. You are enjoying life, you are having the exact experience you want out of life, and because of that you feel truly fulfilled with the life experience. Near life experiences (NLE’s) can come from something as simple as hugging your significant other or as complex as achieving a particularly difficult goal you set for yourself. They come when you are fulfilling your PFE.

When you are having a near life experience, you are absolutely and completely happy. It is the most amazing feeling in the world.

Find those moments for yourself and figure out how to get more of them into your life every day. Experience so many of them that you get to the point where you insist on having a life full of them, a life where you fulfill your PFE.

Have them as soon as possible, because the fantastic thing about experiences, especially near life experiences, is that the sooner in your life you have them, the longer you have to reap the benefits. What you learn at 20, 35, or 50 can be applied for a lot more time and to a lot more situations than what you learn at 85. Even better, the experiences build upon each other. Once the insights start coming, they create this fantastic foundation of knowledge upon which everything else rests.

8. Choose your own metric of success in life

When you have spent time in other countries, and then you come back to the U.S., you realize just how strongly our culture equates success with money. How much do you make? What kind of car do you drive? How big is your house? These are all money based metrics.

If we choose that as our metric, that’s fine, just so long as we make sure that we chose it. And when we are deciding what our metric will be, we should keep in mind that money is not the only one. The amount of time we spend each day doing what we want, our degree of fulfillment with life, how happy we are, how much love is in our life, and many others, are also metrics for success in life.

Evaluate them closely because the metrics we choose become the driving force for our actions.

9. Act like your life depends on your decisions, because it does

Have you ever been in a discussion where you were debating what to do, and someone said, “Well what would you do if your life depended on it?” It really puts things in a different perspective doesn’t it? Now all of a sudden it is more important. MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!!!

Well, in reality, our life depends on the decisions we make every day. Whether or not we achieve and experience what we want out of life is entirely dependent on our daily decisions.

Have you ever heard the term “The Big Five”? The big five is something that you hear all the time when you are on safari in Africa. It stands for rhino, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and lion. People are always asking, “Have you seen the big five? How many of the big five did you see? Where were the big five?”…

I think we should adopt this term for our lives. The Big Five for Life will be the five things we absolutely want to do, see, or experience in our life. The things that on our deathbeds, we will look back on and go, yeah, I did my Big Five for Life.

Wouldn’t that be a great conversation starter? “Hi, I’m John, and you are?…” “Nice to meet you. So, what’s on your Big Five for Life list and how can I help you fulfill them?”

Although they can be, items on the Big Five for Life list don’t have to be things that are one time events. For example, number one on my list is to have a lifelong loving relationship with my wife. It is something with a non-defined end date. As long as I am here, it is on the list.

The reason I think this would be so fantastic is because we often forget to act like our life depends on our decisions. We get into a pattern and pretty soon we have all these reasons why we can’t go do the things we want.

Make your daily decisions as if your life depends on it, because it does.

10. Choose to work on things you are passionate about and you will always be passionate about what you are working on

Here is a statistic you may find shocking. It shocked me. In an average week, including the two days of the weekend, a person will spend over 52% of their awake life either at work, getting to work, or on work related activities at home.

Over half of our awake life is spent on work. Now that is something to keep in mind when we are making decisions about what type of work we want to do. “I am choosing to give half of my life to the pursuit of whatever this job is.”

If you are going to spend 52% of your awake life on work related items each week, you might as well choose to work on something you are passionate about. I know this can be challenging. We live in this interesting world where people value experience at something over much more important skills like aptitude, general intelligence, drive and many more.

Nonetheless, think of it this way. If there is something else that you have always wanted to do, but lack experience in, every day you don’t go do it is a day less of experience you will have. You might as well get started right away.

Most people visiting a country like trying its cuisine. Telling you the truth, authentic Hungarian dishes are definitely not for people on a diet. These dishes are a bit too heavy and fatty, however, their rich flavor and texture compensate you for the slightly excessive calorie intake. By using modern cooking methods Hungarian cuisine can be healthier, low in calories, but still rich in vitamins while preserving authentic Hungarian flavors. If you want to taste the real Hungarian cuisine, I highly recommend you check any of these places out.

21 Restaurant

21 Fortuna utca, H-1014 Budapest

21 Restaurant is located in the narrow Fortuna Street in the Buda Castle. They offer traditional Hungarian cuisine with a modern bistro feeling. Their philosophy: “Hungarian cuisine as it was in good old days, but updated to the 21st century”. In the light of this slogan all the ingredients keep the essence of classic Hungarian gastronomy but without feeling too much overwhelmed and heavy, so these dishes are not so fatty and are much lighter than Hungarian food used to be. After a pleasant lunch or dinner in the restaurant you can walk around and enjoy the beautiful surrounding of the Buda Castle.

Náncsi Néni

80 Ördögárok utca, H-1029 Budapest

Náncsi Néni is like an old farmhouse decorated with wood panels and paintings in a calm, wealthy suburb among the hills of Buda. Even if it is in a rich area, Náncsi Néni is not a fancy place with those red and white table covers. It represents traditional Hungarian cuisine with all the sinful heavy food how a typical Hungarian grandma cooks them, though international dishes are also available. The outdoor seating area is in a nice garden with century old oak and chestnut trees, which has a great atmosphere in the summer. The restaurant pays special attention to families with babies, guests with pets and bikes are also welcome.

Café Kör

17 Sas utca, H-1051 Budapest

Café Kör is one of the most popular restaurants in the heart of the busy Fifth District, near St. Stephen’s Basilica. If a café can be called a second home, this bistro feeling makes you feel comfortable. It serves excellent traditional food prepared with loving care – just like at home. The portions are large at prices are friendly. Those visiting this café frequently already know the menu by heart, but there is always a surprise in the daily menu which is scribbled on the wall as you expect in a bistro. This café is always full of people living social life here and bustling with conversation.

The capital of Nilgiri district, Ooty is the Queen of hill stations, which is also known as ‘The Blue Mountains’. The beautiful Kurunji flowers that bloom every twelve years, spread a blue hue in the valley that bestows the name ‘Blue Mountains’. Once the summer capital of Madras Presidency, Ooty has now become a popular tourist destination that allures tourists from different parts of world. If you are also planning a holiday to Ooty, then you can book Bangalore cabs and make your journey joyful and comfortable. But before you plan your vacation, here are five things that you need to know about Ooty.

1. Where To Stay – Most of the hotels in Ooty provide rooms with beautiful view of the luscious green valleys. The small town includes accommodation ranging from budgeted hotels to luxury villas. So, tourists can choose a hotel depending upon their requirement and budget. Some of the good hotels and resorts in Ooty include Gem Park, Savoy Hotel, Delightz Inn Tiger Hill Resort, Meadows Residency, Fairstay Holiday Resort and Fern Hill.
2. Where To Eat – Ooty is distinguished for its home made chocolates, breads, buns and cakes. If you wish to savor the local cuisine, then there is nothing much better than local bakeries. Many restaurants here prepare Madras cuisine, but there are some junctions, where you can also delight in the delectable, spicy and aromatic Chettinad dishes. If you wish to dine in a hotel with great ambience, food and atmosphere, then you can try Earl’s Secret, Big Bite Chicken, The Garden Café, Nahar’s Sidewalk Café and Shinkows.
3. Where To Shop – If you are a shopaholic, then you must visit Commercial Road. Here you can find government outlets, Khadi Gramudyog Bhavan and many Kashmiri shops. Apart from this, Green Shop, Tibetan Market and Higginbothams are some popular shopping spots where you can buy honey, tea and other organic products that are harvested by local farmers.
4. What To Do – Ooty is known for its natural splendor and exquisiteness. The best way to explore the hill station and its lush green tea estates is through trekking. Ooty provides many long and short treks, which fascinates numerous enthusiastic tourists. If you are also willing to try your hands on trekking, then you can choose to trek in the second highest peak in Western Ghats, Dodabetta. It is nearly 10 kilometers from Ooty and you can easily reach the destination by booking a cab from Bangalore to Ooty. A trip to Ooty is always incomplete without a ride on ‘Nilgiri Toy Train’. The train moves slowly at a speed of 33 km/hr and crosses the quaint town, Mettupalayam. It covers a total distance of 46 kilometers and is fun
5. When To Visit – Ooty is a destination that can be visited throughout the year. With pleasant summers, beautiful monsoons and cool winters, Ooty is a place that is attractive in all seasons. But if you wish to enjoy the beauty of flowers in this picturesque hill station, then February to March is the ideal time.

The types of coffee drinks that you can find at your favorite coffee shop seem to be so numerous. Having a look at the full list makes it hard for you to choose your cup of the day. Although it seems that all coffee has the basic ingredient, coffee beans and water, it is the way that this coffee is brewed and prepared what makes so much choices available.

In this article I would provide you with a list of the coffee drinks that are most popular. Next time you visit your coffee shop you will have better information about what your order will be.

Americano: This drink is a combination of a single shot espresso and seven ounces of hot water. The name is derived from an insult to rude Americans who were not able to drink full espresso.

Black Coffee: Brewed by drip method, this type of coffee is prepared with French press style or with a percolator. The coffee is served with no milk.

Café au Lait: This type is very similar to Café Latte. The difference is that Café au Lait is prepared with brewed coffee as a substitute to espresso. In addition, the ratio of coffee to milk is 1:1 thus making the taste less intense.

Café Breva: This is one variety of cappuccino. The difference between the two is that it is made of half and half milk and not full milk. The half and half milk gives a creamier and richer flavor than the whole milk. If you are preparing this type of coffee at home you should be aware that it is harder to foam half and half milk than full milk.

Caffe Latte: Basically this type is made of one shot of espresso and steamed milk, the milk is not frothed. The ratio used of milk to coffee is 3:1.

Café Macchiato: One shot of espresso with steamed milk. As you notice this is very close to Caffe Latte with the exception that the ratio of coffee to milk is 4:1.

Cappuccino: This is a combination of equal portions of coffee, frothed milk, and steamed milk. Flaked chocolate or cinnamon is usually sprinkled on the top. Some coffee shops increase the quantity of milk used so that the customer gets a bigger cup. This will make the taste of coffee lighter than it should be.

Double, or Double Shot: As the name implies this is double the quantity of espresso mixed with milk. To prepare a double shot put two shots of espresso in your coffee cup and drip mix together.

Dry Cappuccino: Less popular than the regular cappuccino. This variety comes with less foam and without any steamed milk.

Espresso Con Panna: Your regular espresso with whipped cream at the top.

Flavored Coffee: This can be any variation that is added to alter the plain flavor of your coffee. It comes in different forms such as syrups or spices. The most popular is the chocolate and cinnamon.

The different types of coffee drinks that I have mentioned in this article are not all what you can find in coffee shops. The variety that you see shows how much popular coffee is as a beverage. If you are not sure what to order next time then I suggest having a taste of each to make an informed decision.

Nestled in Berwyn’s urban strip of Lancaster Avenue, Baxter’s Black Sheep Saloon offers an elegant, casual cuisine at a more than reasonable price. The warm, dim candle-lit pub supplies a romantic destination to the hungry duo or group who desires a good, affordable filet, quality scallops, a nice, juicy burger, or perhaps just a cold draft beer. Commuters departing from the train station across the street and individuals seeking a spot to relax and converse will find comfort in the front lounge area equipped with wicker sofas, tables, and even an inviting piano bar.

The space that occupied Main Street Cafe since December of 2003 re-opened as Baxter’s Black Sheep Saloon in October of 2009. Although Main Street Cafe did change hands in November of 2008, Baxter’s Black Sheep was started by the original owners who transformed the Stouffer’s outlet store (which was the Berwyn Acme in the 1940’s) into Main Street Cafe. The words “Baxter’s Black Sheep” that were, in fact, always on the Main Street Cafe sign under the picture of the black sheep allude to a family joke about Baxter’s creator Ronald Morrison and his wife Jennifer Baxter Morrison’s black sheep daughter’s involvement in the restaurant.

The name change reflects Ronald Morrison’s current partnership in the Saloon and stresses the other meaning of Baxter’s Black Sheep, that it is like the original Baxter’s restaurants, but a little bit different. The current menu combines some of the traditional Baxter’s favorites, such as the sizzling strip steak with herb butter and the hot carved roast beef sandwiches for lunch, with some of the Main Street Cafe favorites like the Berwyn Chicken Sandwich, the Ginger Chicken Salad and the sweet potato fries. The saloon also offers some new dishes including Apricot Habenero Scallops, Crab Cake Sliders, Cedar Plank Roasted Salmon and an Ahi Tuna appetizer. The concept of the restaurant is essentially the same; Baxter’s Black Sheep Saloon is a romantic family restaurant that will satisfy any appetite and quench any thirst for any occasion.

The inside of the new restaurant is very similar to that of the former. Renovations include new paint, the refurbishing of all booths, tabletops and bar tops, and the expansion and opening of the front area that now includes wicker lounge furniture and a piano with a piano bar. Live piano music is played on weekends and on special occasions. The romantic decor is the same with candles and fresh flowers on each spaciously placed hard wood table beneath the hushed pub light. The booths intimately conceal couples, good friends, and families that wish enjoy burgers, strip steaks, salads and items from the children’s menu at the same time. Baxter’s Black Sheep Saloon offers daily specials every day of the week that include a Whole Maine Lobster, Prime Rib and Rack of Lamb. For more information on the restaurant, visit their Facebook page or call the restaurant: (484) 318-7211.

Hard Rock Café

This is the place to be for an experience that will rock all of your senses! At the Hard Rock Café in Niagara Falls, Ontario you can view timeless, rare pieces of rock & roll memorabilia, set to the backdrop of some of Rock & Roll’s most famous (and infamous) musicians & groups from every era of Rock’s history! Located on Falls Avenue, you will even find a specialty room dedicated specifically to “The King” Elvis Presley. It’s quite the walk down memory lane watching familiar videos, viewing your favorite band member’s actual instruments played at venues you may have been too yourself. Be sure to check out profound quotes from the likes of many of Rock Music’s most remembered, like Jim Morrison, Eric Clapton or John Lennon, just to name a few.

Let’s not forget the popular American style menu with all your favorites, including staples like cheeseburgers, fries, sandwiches, gourmet salads, appetizers, and of course your favourite cold beverages served from the iconic 80 ft Guitar Bar.

Planet Hollywood

The Planet Hollywood in Niagara Falls, Ontario CANADA is located on Falls Avenue, in the heart of Niagara, by Clifton Hill and literally beside the Rainbow Bridge connecting Canada and the U.S.A.

This popular themed restaurant is well known across North America for its Hollywood themed memorabilia decorating its walls & ceilings.

The popular restaurant swaps prop items with other Planet Hollywood locations in North America making a guest’s repeat experience even more enjoyable since there is always something new to be viewed. What also makes the Planet Hollywood a great restaurant is the fact that they will allow you to come visit without a reservation, in fact go visit even if your don’t plan on staying for their fabulous California inspired menu, you can explore the restaurant and view the timeless stage and screen items.

Rain Forest Café

Now talk about fulfilling your senses, this themed dining establishment not only has the visual and audio experience to make for a great visit, but also includes a thunderstorm every 20 minutes with lightning and rain to make it a truly one of a kind adventure while enjoying a safari jungle-themed menu of all of our favorites.

The entrance to this location, which is on Clifton Hill, is ideal for the shopper in the family looking for exclusive Rainforest Café souvenirs including items that feature your favorite Rain Forest animal to cute stuffed animals, endearing yourself to that special someone. Be sure to check out the Live Shark or Reptiles while your there. Don’t Knock on the Glass!

Massimo Capra’s Rainbow Room Fallsview Restaurant

This dining gem is located within the luxurious Crowne Plaza Hotel Niagara Falls – Fallsview a Niagara Falls Hotel with a rich history in the Niagara Falls area, which has been frequented by many celebrities over the years.

While not themed dining like some of the other options on the Falls Avenue Resort, Massimo Capra’s Rainbow Room Fallsview Restaurant carries celebrity cache of its own in renowned Chef Massimo Capra. Most often recognized as the host of Food Network Series “Restaurant Makeover”, Capra and the Crowne Plaza culinary team have designed a menu using a fresh market approach that results in the rich ingredients produced in Niagara in the spotlight. The Rainbow Room’s exquisite fine dining and spectacular view of the Falls is an experience not to be missed.

12 hours may sound too short to tour Paris but if you have a long layover, you can actually enjoy the best of Paris if you know what to do. What you really want to do depends on your interest. But Paris is full of delightful historical attractions, excellent food and lively entertainment spots to choose from.

The Notre Dame Cathedral

If you love exploring historical attractions, then the best place to start is the Notre Dame Cathedral located in the eastern half of Paris. Regarded as one of the best examples of French Gothic architecture, the Notre Dame houses some of the finest specimens of the Neo-Gothic periods including paintings, sculptures and furniture.

You can climb atop the North Tower to enjoy a bird eye's view of Paris. The view is particularly breathtaking at sunset when you can see enjoy the beauty of the famed stained glass windows.

The imposing beauty of the Notre Dame was nearly destroyed during the radical era but was later restored by one of France's best known architects, Viollet-le-duc.

The Cathedral is open to visitors from 6:45 am until 7:45 pm in the evening. If you're interested in exploring the crypt, you have to visit between 10:00 am and 6 pm but you might want to remember that the crypt is closed on Mondays.

Admissions are charged at roughly $ 10 plus another $ 4.30 for the crypt. Children under the age of 14 are allowed free entry. You can also request a free guided tour of the Cathedral at the information desk.

Cafe Panis

If you get hungry after your tour of Notre Dame, there is this wonderful cafe right across the street from the Notre Dame called the 'Cafe Panis'. This is a popular cafe that offers a spectacular view of the Notre Dame and an excellent menu. Prices may a little on the higher side (be prepared to pay more for food than you would in the US) but the experience is worth it.

The Louvre

No trip to Paris, whether short or long, is complete without paying a visit to the Louvre Museum. The Louvre is situated on the banks of River Seine and the building itself is as fascinating as the priceless collection it houses. The collection includes some of the finest paintings like the famed Mona Lisa among many others.

The massive museum spans an impressive 15 acres and displays close to 35,000 pieces of art. The Louvre is open everyday of the week except on Tuesdays. The timings run from 9 am in the morning until 6 pm in the evening. On Wednesdays and Fridays, closing times are extended until 9:45 pm. Tickets to view the Louvre is roughly about $ 20 for a full pass. If you're under the age of 18, you go in free.

Cafe Diane

There are plenty of picturesque cafes and restaurants close to the Louvre. You might want to try Cafe Diane, that overlooks the Louvre and the Tuileries Gardens. You can choose from a long list of delicious foods. Choices include salads, hot main courses, pies and sandwiches.

Top Must-Try French Foods

You must try what is called 'Croque Monsieur'; this is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich that has cheese melted on the sides as well as on top. The 'Croque Madame' is a variation that also contains egg. You can also try ordering what is called 'Confit de canard' or pan fried duck served hot with potatoes.

If you're feeling homesick for a good old steak, opt for the French avatar, the 'Bouef Bourguignon'; this is succulent beef cooked in red wine and served with a side platter of bacon, mushrooms and onions. If you're partial to seafood, then you may want to try the 'Plateau de Fruits de Mer'; a delicious blend of prawns, oysters, crab and shellfish.

The Moulin Rouge Cabaret is worth a visit if you are visiting Paris at night. They have shows starting at 9 pm and 11 pm but the tickets are pretty steep at roughly $ 90; this does include half a champagne bottle. If you're lucky enough to visit in summer, you can attend free music concerts from late June at several places in Paris.

How to Get Around in Paris

The best and most economical way to get around is to purchase a one day pass. Paris has at least 300 metro stations which can take you wherever you want.

You can do a lot of exploring in Paris in 12 hours but remember to invest in travel insurance as a precaution against loss and theft of baggage as well as other contingencies that may arise.

Timeworks clocks are truly in a class all their own. They have always inspired a feeling of warmth with their time worn dials and whimsical nature. No other company does it better.

Take for instance the Children’s clocks. You can use these as a wall clock for your child’s bedroom. With characters such as kitty, bear and pig, your child will surely enjoy looking at it as they are going to sleep. These clocks, with a 13″ diameter, can also serve as a great birthday gift. Young girls will surely love receiving one with kitty while a young boy will like receiving one that has his favorite bear.

Another great choice for the little girls room is the Timeworks Alice in Wonderland wall clock. It has a pendulum, pink details and sweet graphic design. Boys, on the other hand, would be happy to get the Bear Scouts clock.

The living room is a very special place in home décor. The perfect accent makes all the difference. The Alexandre Martinot wall clock is very special style that has the rich colors of red and black that is so popular. This French reproduction dial has old looking, aged , brass details and a diameter of 23 inches. Perfect for the living room or for the office, this Timeworks piece can truly add so much pizzazz in just about any space. It’s classy and rich in detail – truly a must-have for those who are meticulous when it comes to taste and design.

What also sets these wall clocks apart from others is the fact that they have several “themed” clocks. For entrepreneurs, for instance, they could opt for the innovative Café Paul corkboard style which also has a calendar mechanism. This Timeworks clock can go very well in a busy bistro or bar, in a quaint little coffee shop or even in a small bed and breakfast. Alternatively, they could get the Café Rouge chalkboard clock instead. It does not only have a working mechanism, it also functions as a message board of sorts as well as an easy place to store some keys and little trinkets. Now that’s some major versatility! Given all these, one can safely say that Timeworks clocks are very good investments and great choices. The nostalgic look that Timeworks Clocks offer truly can change a room. Not many other decorative pieces for your wall can have that impact.

“We’re trying to turn a negative into a positive,” explained the happy young woman who took my drink order. I asked her if someone loved rabbits or was the cafe’s name a Bible reference. Apparently, one coffee shop in Deep East Texas is willing to poke fun with residents of the Bible Belt.

Thumpers Coffee and Gift Shop recently opened in the town of Nacogdoches, Texas. The spiritual hub has a few customers in the morning but it’s at night that it fully comes to life. As soon as classes end at the nearby campus of SFA-Stephen F. Austin University-students converge on the storefront shop to drink coffee and study.

Biblical sayings are painted on canvases throughout the property and a huge, ornate mural is displayed on the ceiling. The cork/message board displays bible studies, resources and places to worship and pray. In fact, a prayer box is hung next to it for specific prayer requests.

The customers were nicely dressed and polite. It’s peaceful environment is like a library where everyone lowers the voice to chat. The ever-present personal computers dotted the place and were accommodated with a high-fi signal provided by the cafe.

Prices were normal-about $2 for a medium coffee. There were light snacks and offerings along with a variety of hot and cold beverages. Hot chocolate was a nice addition to the menu and hard to find.

One positive about the place that actually drew me in was the constant crowd. As soon as Thumpers opened, the parking lot always seems to be full. We actually had to park behind the building because all the spaces in front were full.

Overall, I think this place will make it. Automatic acceptance is hard to come by in any town-big or small. This cafe filled an obviously needed spot on the North Street row of restaurants. Competition like Starbucks and Java Jacks is far enough down the road that Thumpers stands alone as the area coffee stop.

With traffic flow and a popular product, I see this business turning a negative into a big, financial positive. They built it and people came, the classic recipe for success.

In a town that is full of the faithful and churches are plentiful, it’s nice that they can relax a bit. Not taking yourself too seriously is surely a sign of a peaceful heart. This cafe brings those of faith a safe place to share fellowship.

I am sipping on a frothy cappuccino, sitting on a bold red leather chair on a trendy terrace under a Parisian stripped awning-how divine! A "fashionista" struts by in 6 inch heals on the cobble stone walkway below. Seated next to me is a guy on his iphone. I experience at once a feeling of displacement and elation. Am I in Prague, Vienna or is this possibly Krakow?

I look down the way and memories are quickly returning. Cars are parked on the narrow sidewalk and the stop sign is written in Cyrillic. The dead giveaway is the lady selling dried field flowers and sunflowers just around the corner. Now I know! I am in Lviv-the cultural capital of Eastern Ukraine and the Coffee Mecca of Eastern Europe.

Flash back to the post Soviet Era when vodka at breakfast was more so "de rigueur". As a North American coffee snob, I would search high and low for my early morning caffeine as the shops then did not open till 11:00 am. At that time, to ask for milk in your coffee was unheard of and even frowned upon.

Fast forward to 2011 and welcome to Lviv's coffee mania. The city now boasts nearly 700 coffee houses. Cafe terraces litter the urban landscape, through the timeless "brahmas" of the ancient center float the aromas of strong coffee. Every conceivable concoction on the planet is available here now. Turkish coffee brewed three times and over hot sand is more popular here than it is in Istanbul. There are numerous cafes that are open 24-7.

Actually, the cafe is a microcosm of society, has come to epitomize the art of living here. The intellectual and artistic Bohemia meet here to philosophize. Lovers linger, this is the place to see and be seen. Not only is the cafe a refuge it is also a "fashion cult". Waiters themselves are a vibrant element of the decor. The staff meanders about in the french traditional "rondeau", a black apron that reaches to the floor and wraps around the waist.

Lviv (often called the Mini Paris of Eastern Europe) is as renowned and infamous for its coffee culture as is Paris. Just as notables like Toulouse Lautrec and Baudelaire have immortalized certain cafes in Paris, Lviv too has had its' cafe celebrities. Lviv born Leopold Masoch (of masochism fame) comes instantly to mind. Picture him composing his famous "Venus in Furs" during the heyday of the Austria-Hungarian Empire as he drank his daily java.

In this city, coffee traditions are steeped in history. It was actually a local emigrant to Austria (Yuri Kultschyzky) who opened the first coffee house in Vienna. He started up his venture with beans left behind by retrieving Ottoman Turks. He called his cafe- "under the blue bottle". A cafe by that same name exists in the Market Square. It's carefully restored 16th century walls are reminiscent of the days of the Empire. Most fascinating is the 1960's cafe called "with their backs to Soviet Authority" where intellectuals drank coffee with their backs facing city hall, then the seat of the Soviet Imperialists.

Since 2007, Lviv has hosted an annual Coffee Festival which occurs in Late September-the essential antidote to the chills of autumn. At this time, coffee tours set different cafes in competition for the honor of the best brew in town.

Back to my favorite cafe terrace- Dianna's (by the classic fountain statue of the goddess of the hunt) in the Market Square. I love people watching here and I love the anonymity of this crowded inner city cafe.

Are your taste buds ready for some very fine Java? Are you yearning for posh yet antique cafe ambiance with free wifi, all in an exotic setting? If so, Lviv is the place to be, coffee mania and all.