Paris, France…a cold and wintery city of lights. I stumbled upon a cool and also delicious restaurant in the 11th Arrondissement near Republique! A former Pharmacy converted to a restaurant with amazing food, low key vibe, cute servers, and reasonable prices….
A delicious steak with the finest sliced and roasted potatoes! Oh, Paris always delivers on gourmet but this new find makes it really hip too.
Bon Appetit!
Istanbul, Turkey…this bustling city is a literal assault on the senses…smells, flavors, and colors!
Food is a major element to any culture, but here food may look unusual, but it’s out of this world! Amazing dips and spreads, kebabs of every kind, sticky nutty baklava type deserts, and wonderful breads and pitas. Of course, aromatic teas accompany everything served in clear hourglass shaped glasses.
I love street food, even though I am not always brave enough to indulge in it; I think it gives insight into local tastes! A must try are the freshly caught and grilled fish sandwiches sold off elaborate barges on the Bosphorous at the Galata Bridge. Also you can sample here a array of fresh corn, roasted nuts, sweet pistachio topped donuts, and sesame bread rings. So much to savor!
There is nothing like a Mezze platter of different Turkish salads and dips! On my final afternoon in Istanbul, that’s exactly how I bid farewell to this delicious city…it was to die for! Tomato Couscous made tasty with fresh parsley, zucchini fried and then topped with Tzatziki, Hummus and Babaganoush, stuffed grape leaves, and assorted fresh salads. We grazed and grazed!
Farewell to Istanbul…a place that really spoils a visitor with it’s many riches!
Krakow, Poland…well, the weather still won’t cooperate! I see people in sweaters and shearlings, but I refuse to give in; shorts for me! It’s August and it’s cold and dreary…today is a public holiday in Poland as they celebrate the Assumption of Mary and honor their military. More importantly, it’s the start of the famous Pierogi Festival…Polish dumplings of every kind…meat, cheese, fruit, you name it! I am a traditionalist and I prefer classic versions such as potato & cheese (“ruski”) or cabbage (“kapusta”). I may get my fill for a lifetime!
Women dressed in traditional Polish costumes and freshly picked wild flowers decorate the square. People line up to get their Pierogi fix…this is Poland’s treasured food and they celebrate it in a big way! Of course, none can compete with my grandmother’s pierogis; I remember spending all day with her as she prepared them and then I would sneak the potato filling when she wasn’t looking!
The four day fest will last through the weekend and I cannot imagine how many of those hand pinched dumplings will be consumed!
Alot more carbs and a bit of nostalgia here in Poland! I feels as if I am reliving all my favorite food moments of my childhood.
Pylos, Greece…the days are starting to blur! More amazing azure seas and a crystal clear sky over a quaint place I have never heard of! I headed to Gialova Beach on Navarino Bay today with no plans in mind. It was windy which kept the temperature from sweltering and made the seas choppy, bringing out all the windsurfing enthusiasts…I staked my claim under an umbrella and settled in for the afternoon.
It was beautiful watching the brightly colored sails cutting across the brilliant blue waters. I took a dip and the slight chill of the salty water was refreshing…Today had no agenda, I just totally relaxed, worked on my tan, and downloaded some shows on the excellent WI FI at Zoe Resort beachside!
I topped the afternoon off with a Greek lunch of Spicy Cheese Dip and Greek Salad…the tomatoes were so homegrown and sweet, yet the feta cheese was way more pungent than I have tasted so far; the combo was delicious! Eating out of what coulda been grandma’s dishes made it all feel that much more authentic! What else do you need?
When I woke up this morning to Pylos, I looked out and said disappointingly; “another sleepy Greek town”…how unfair that statement was…It hit me today that we place too much expectation on destinations to entertain or wow us! It was exactly this sleepy slow paced simplicity that I coveted most about this place today. I live my life in the fast paced whirlwind of NYC…it has taken me till today, exactly 1 month to the day I left on this adventure, to really understand how to “chill”!
I know how to travel; but maybe I am just starting to learn how to live!
WhereamIgoingto 