Victoria Tea Festival It was raining and the fog was thick when we drove into Victoria. The Trans-Canada highway going right through the downtown core made the drive easy. Our first stop was the Visitor Centre to pick up our information package. Followed by checking into our hotel. The Gatsby Mansion is comprised of three houses and the main hotel. […]
The Time We Were Surprised In The Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso, Riomaggiore, the Cinque Terre have been through a lot over the years. Attacked by Turkish pirates, been through a war, a resistance, naked hippies and lately, a devastating flood. Through it all, the grapes have grown along this beautiful coast known as the Italian Riviera. 5 Terre Card Whether […]
The Magic Isle
Sovereignty Around this time last year, we were on a plane on our way to Maui. Maui reminds me a bit of Quebec in that it’s struggling to keep its cultural identity while being part of a larger entity. Like Quebec, there’s a sovereignty movement here but this isn’t a political blog so I won’t […]
Dumpling, Pot Sticker, Gyoza
Dumpling Call them what you will, dumplings are delicious! According to Beijingservice.com the dumpling “dates back 500-600 years. As the Spring Festival marks the start of a new year, people choose to eat dumplings to connote their wishes for good fortune in the new year. Perfection China has been perfecting the art of dumpling making since […]
SPECULAAS ALMOND BISCOTTI
Speculaas Remember the windmill cookies you used to eat as a child? Maybe you never stopped eating them. They’re called Speculaas, odd name, tasty cookie. The word means figurine or log. They used to be a tradition during a holiday called St Nicholas’ Eve in Belgium and the Netherlands. Now they’re available year round. The spice […]
Homecoming – PECAN/PUMPKIN PIE
Homecoming Touching down in Montreal, it seemed as though we had just left. The European whirlwind was now a memory and while being thankful that we could make it happen, we were a little bummed out. Moving from country to country diving into the local culture and (of course) food was truly a wonderful experience […]
City Of Lights – PORCINI RISOTTO
Paris It was a trudge, weighted down with gear, to get to our apartment in the 11th arrondissement of Paris but it was worth it. The small dwelling on the ninth floor overlooked Paris with the Eiffel tower standing tall in the distance. Non-existent kitchen Although it was a studio with a virtually non-existent kitchen […]
No Plans In Les Vans (part 2) – CASSOULET
Thines With the heat still pushing over 30 degrees most days, we felt really lucky to be able to enjoy some great hiking and drives in beautiful sunny weather. One wonderful drive, down a very twisty, mostly one lane road, took us to the ancient and tiny (microscopic) village of Thines. The road takes you […]