Try New Foods on Vacation

One of the great things about visiting new places on vacation is that you get to try different cuisine as well.  When you go to Italy, you get to sample the original Italian cooking that Italy is famous for.  In Jamaica, you can taste the jerk pork or the patties that we have here in North America, but are only available in their truest form in Jamaica's own backyard.  Every country seems to offer different cuisine and their own specialities.

It is true too that when you travel, the food you eat can have a major impact on how enjoyable your vacation is.  If you go to a resort, for instance, and the food is not up to par, that can seriously hamper your enjoyment of your stay there.  Needless to say, food is important on vacation.

But, when you do travel to different places, you should try new foods - ones that reflect the country you travel to.  For instance, in Greece be sure to try especially souvlaki, gyros, pita such as tyropita and spanakopita, which are some of their local specialities.  If you travel to Thailand, try their own style of Thai cooking.  Even if you don't care for the type of Thai cooking you may have eaten at home, trying the original Thai food made in their own country may be a better experience (just like the Chinese food served here in North America is not the same as the type of Chinese food you would get in China.)

Don't be afraid to try new foods either.  If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it.  But why not be adventurous and discover something new to add to your diet repertoire.  You may surprise yourself!  And it can be a fun activity.  Try, for instance, choosing beetle grubs in China.  That would certainly be something to remember and to brag about when you come home. 

Everyone has their own tastes of what they like and don't like.  But while you are on vacation, try to loosen up a bit and sample the food that the country you are in is famous for.  After all, those foods must be famous for a reason (a lot of people have liked them in the past).  And you never know.  You may come home with a new set of taste buds that crave those new flavors.  You may even want to replicate those dishes to add to your own household meals, and remember your wonderful vacation as you savour them.

Here are a couple of cookbooks from different cultures you may enjoy:

    

The Importance of Food While Vacationing

There is no doubt that food and dining can make or break your vacation.  Having to deal with crappy food or unsanitary dining conditions simply doesn't cut it when you are trying to have fun on your vacation.  The food you eat is very important.  It can set the whole cultural experience if you are visiting a foreign place.

Take for example, Mexico.  Of course the beaches are nice, but when in Mexico it is a must that you try out their unique food as well.  Who can visit Mexico without at least trying a taco or some of their famous chili?  You may also want to try out some of their more unique cuisine as well, such as their mole sauce or a Spanish paella.  Sampling and trying out new and delicious foods enhances your vacation experience.

It seems every country and culture has food or ingredients that are unique to that particular area or that they are famous for.  What is a visit to Tuscany without trying their wines or olive oil?  Who would want to travel to Jamaica without trying their famous jerk pork or chicken, or sample a pattie (which are all the range in the U.S. and Canada now) right from the source of the invention?  Italy, of course, is known for its pasta (and wines), France is known for its breads, wines and cakes, and even England has it own brand of food that you as a tourist may want to try (like their famous fish and chips, for one) or haggas from Scotland. 

Trying new food and dining experiences can really add a lot to your vacation.  Your dining experiences can take in the culture of the place, like eating with chop sticks in China, or eating with your hands in a community bowl in Indian cultures. 

When you are on your next vacation, don't be afraid to try the local cuisine.  You may be surprised at how good it is, and you may want to add that certain to your own menus at home, and when you do you will feel yourself back in that great place you vacationed in.

Here's a little cookbook to help you bring back a little from your Caribbean vacation:

That Caribbean Flavor Cookbook

New Travel Website

Hi everyone:  There is a new travel website you may be interested in.  It is Best Beach Destinations.  It has reviews of beach locations that you may be interested in visiting.  The newest article is "Ten Top Best Beach Destinations" where you can find information on some fantastic beaches, from South Africa to the South Seas, the Caribbean and more -- a very informative article.  Check out this new travel website and see for yourself.  Be advised though, it is a new site, but it seems to be constantly up-dated with new information.

New Travel Review Website!

Beautiful Beaches

If you are interested in travel (as I am sure you are if you are reading this blog) you may enjoy viewing this new travel website.  Its just new!  It's called Best Beach Destinations...and it is dedicated to reviewing beach destinations worldwide.  As I said, its just new--but the article keep coming.  Stay tuned to this site because I'm sure its going to be a good one.  It has a lot of possibilities.

To date, the site includes the best beach destinations reviews of Jamaica, Panama, Turks & Caicos, as well as some others.  It also has a good article on how to take great vacation photos.

Try this new travel website out...you might just like it!

Best Beach Destinations


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The Tastes of Travel

One of the things most people love when they go on vacation is trying out the different types of food offered in the places they travel to.  Food can be a major factor in whether your total vacation is successful or not.  If the food is bad, then that particular place tends to get a bad review, never mind if the view is terrific or the beach world-class.  The food has to be good to, in order for any travel destination to receive a thumbs-up.

Every place you visit tends to have their own particular type of food that they are famous for.  Italian food, for example, has many dishes that are considered 'Italian', such as pizza, pasta, wine, etc.  In other countries other foods are consider local favorites, like chili in Mexico or jerk chicken in Jamaica. 

Most times the type of food offered in a particular country centers on the country's local foods that are available, or that thrive in that area.  For example, coffee from Costa Rica is famous due to the growing conditions in that area, or pineapples from Hawaii, or seafood from most Caribbean islands.

Some places have particular spices that enhance their local cultural dishes.  Indian food is famous for their curries, for instance.

With most travellers it is a wonderful delight to discover the different flavors and types of food offered in each area they visit.  Sometimes it is a surprise to discover dishes that they have never heard of before.  Often they will remember a particularly flavorful offering as a highlight of their vacation.

When you next travel to your vacation destination, don't be afraid to try the local specialties.  You may discover a dish worth remembering, or one that you may wish to try making at home as part of your own family traditions.

Here are a couple of cookbooks you may be interested in to bring home some of the tastes from your travels:

That Caribbean Flavor, available at:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004T3VKBC

20 Jamaican Recipes, available at:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007IUOMZ4

Venice - Put It On Your Bucket List!

We recently were fortunate enough to take a Mediterranean cruise.  Our last port on the cruise was in Venice.  I can't begin to tell you how much we enjoyed that unique city!  There is no place like it in the world and it is definitely worth seeing.  Here is a bit about Venice, but this article doesn't begin to tell you how you feel as you marvel in Venice's uniqueness!

Venice is one of the most intriguingly different places to visit on the face of the earth. Today the brilliance and influence of the long-ago merchantile sea culture has long since faded, leaving a town of tarnished glories, out of time and out of place but so beautiful it's hard to resist. I found visiting Venice one of the most memorable of experiences.


Venice is busiest in spring (Easter-June) and September/October and accommodation can be hard to find, as well as around Christmas, New Year and Carnevale (February). In high summer (June/August), Venice is crowded, and oppressively hot and sticky. The most pleasant time of year to visit is late March into May, with milder spring days and fewer crowds. September is the next best in terms of weather, but October is quieter. Flooding occurs in November and December, and winter can be unpleasantly damp and cold, but seeing Venice under snow is truly a sight to behold (although snow in Venice is a rarity).

So what is there to see and do in Venice? Do you mean besides taking a gondola ride through this magical city situated on its maze of narrow water canals? For the hopeless romantic that is a treat making any trip to Venice worthwhile. But, if you stick to the main tourist areas between St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge it is a crowded place with many tacky souvenir shops. But the architecture, the history and the magnificent artwork makes it all worthwhile.

One of the truly impressive sights not to be missed is Basilica di san Marco, a magnificent Byzantine cathedral that many tourists “Ooh” and “Aah” over. The 11th-century exterior, with its soaring domes, spires, and statuary is only the beginning. Inside the basilica the interior walls and ceilings are covered with one and a half square miles of dazzling, painstakingly assembled mosaics, and other similarly impressive treasures are held inside, including the spectacular, gem-encrusted Pala d'Oro altarpiece. The original bronze Horses of San Marco are on display inside (the ones currently adorning the cathedral's facade are replicas) and were believed to be stolen from Constantinople's Hippodrome in 1204. The basilica still holds Mass at 7:00 a.m. and one can see the beauty of the early-morning light gleeming onto the mosaics.

Other churches sure to impress the tourist are the Dominican’s church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo and the Franciscans’ church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (generally known as I Frari). When the Dominicans and Franciscans arrived in Venice at the dawn of the Renaissance, they enticed parishioners by filling their churches with art, some of which rival exhibits in major art museums. The church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, begun in 1246, holds a polyptych by Giovanni Bellini, magnificent ceiling paintings by Paolo Veronese, and works by Titian and Lorenzo Lotto which were all commissioned as adornment. The Franciscans’ church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (1330) is also magnificent with Titian's extraordinary Assumption, with the Virgin Mary soaring heavenward above the high altar in a swirl of sumptuous hues, and his gracious Madonna di Ca' Pesaro dominating the left aisle, and Giovanni Bellini’s Madonna and Child is one of his finest works.

The Gallerie Dell'accademia holds a viewable collection of valuable art from masters, including Paolo Veneziano, Mantegna, Giorgione, Titian, and Tintoretto. doesn't disappoint. Although the gallerie is presently under renovacations, it is due for completion in late 2007. When the Grandi Gallerie dell'Accademiahe is opened in their entirety the exhibition space will have doubled to almost 40,000 square feet and will display 650 works instead of the current 400. At present look for gorgeous narrative works like Bellini and Carpaccio's Miracle of the Relic of the True Cross on the Rialto Bridge, and Carpaccio's Life of Saint Ursula; both exquisitely detailed depictions of 15th-century Venice.

Re-opened in spring of 2006, the Palazzo Grassi was formerly an art exhibition space owned by Fiat, the car manufacturer. The 18th-century palazzo, which overlooks the Grand Canal, was taken over by French luxury-goods magnate François Pinault in 2005 and refurbished by architect Tadao Ando. It now hosts major shows of contemporary art.

Peggy Guggenheim's personal art collection, turned down by London's Tate Gallery, was brought to Venice in 1949. The 20th-century collection moved into the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni on the Grand Canal. The collection, which grew to incorporate works by Dalí, Klee, Picasso, Mondrian, Duchamp, de Kooning, Pollock, and Man Ray, among others, is now a memorable must-see for modern-art buffs.

Piazza San Marco, an immense open public space of almost 40,000 sq. ft., was once known as as "the drawing room of Europe" when napoleon and his army descended on venice in 1797. the museo correr, in the southwest corner of the square, now houses a statue of napolen along with an impressive collection of historic globes, weapons, and artworks by tintoretto, vittore carpaccio, and antonello da messina. visitors can pay an the entry fee which gives access to other attractions around the piazza, like the museo archeologico and the biblioteca marciana (st. mark's library), with its collection of historic tomes. visitors can also visit the doge's palace, a huge gothic structure that was the nerve center of the venetian republic; and take the itinerari segreti guided tour to see the difference between the frescoed, gilded public rooms and the plainer offices where the real business was done. one of the piazza's two towers, the campanile, at 325 feet, is the tallest structure in venice and visitors can climb to the top for a breathtaking view over the city. the 15th-century torre dell'orologio (clock tower), unveiled in late 2006, is now open to the public and visitors can finally go inside.

I could go on and on about the many art works and magnificent architecture of Venice, but then I might not get around to telling you about the shopping that Venice is also famous for. As with any Italian city, Venice offers the big-name fashion labels of Fendi, Gucci, and Ferragamo and shops are located in the area immediately northwest of St. Mark's Square: Calle Larga XXII Marzo and the labyrinth of alleyways known collectively as the Mercerie and the Frezzerie.

Venice is truly a place you must see before you die.  Put it on your Bucket List!

If you like travel reviews and travel recipes, you may want to try this great ebook:  Tastes and Travels, available at:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004DUMXJY

Travels to Costa Rica

We recently returned from a trip to Costa Rica.  Many of our family members and friends had visited there so we felt it was our turn to see just what the others were raving about.  Of course, we loved Costa Rica, but not for the things we normally love.  Generally we are fairly dominant in beach swimming and snorkelling activities.  Although these were offered, we were somewhat disappointed in these areas.  Don't get upset yet, though.  Let me tell you what we did love!

We travelled to the pacific coast of Costa Rica and stayed at the all-inclusive resort of Allegro Papagayo, which is about 30 km. from the Liberia airport.  The hotel was beautiful, but you had to be in fairly good health to traverse the steep hills going up and down to the restaurant and beach.  Alternatively, there was a shuttle bus that rode around the resort at about 5-8 minute intervals where you could ride instead of walk up the steep hills.  The scenery was gorgeous. 

Here is the view we had from our balcony window:

The best thing about Costa Rica is the nature and wildlife.  We saw an abundant amount of monkeys (which was a highlight for me).  There were two kinds of monkeys that resided in the area, the white faced monkey and the howler monkeys.  We saw both on the hotel grounds, as well as other wild ones in the trees on the roadside when we travelled off the resort.

We also saw other wildlife, such as many different types of birds, iguanas, etc.

There were many excursions available where we could explore the nature.  My husband went zip-lining, which was a highlight of the trip for him.  We also took a boat tour and went fishing (I caught a fish!).  There were river boat tours where you could see a lot more of the wildlife and nature in the area, as well as bird-watching tours and excursions to visit the volcanos, several of which are in the area.

One of the best things we loved about Costa Rica was the people.  They had to be the friendliest people of anywhere we had travelled before...and this was at the hotel as well as off the resort.  

O.K. Now about the beaches.  The sand was black sand because of the volcanic activity in the area.  We knew this beforehand so that was not a surprise and we didn't expect it to be like the pristine while beaches of the Caribbean.  But we were a little disappointed because you could not swim on the beach before about 3 in afternoon when the tides came in.  Also, the water was murky and did not lend itself well for snorkelling.  We did take a road day trip to visit other resorts and locations along the coast.  Although we saw a few areas of nicer beaches, they still did not measure up to what we would be looking for in a great swimming/snorkelling setting.

We would love to go back to Costa Rica and discover the Caribbean side and see what the beaches and swimming are like in that area (but we have been told to be careful because there is a lot of crime there.)

All in all, we did enjoy our trip, and you will too if you venture there, as long as you are concerned more with the natural aspect of the country instead of the beaches.  Here are just a couple more scenes to entice you to visit Costa Rica:

You may be insterested in reading my travel ebook "Tastes and Travels" which combines travel reviews and recipes of the different places outlined in the book.

You can get it at:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004DUMXJY