Tag: Food

Lübeck: Family, Marzipan & the Baltic Sea

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Old men are stubborn. This saying is notoriously true, and was a prominent part of our trip to Lübeck. We stayed with Richard Wolf, who was my grandmother’s neighbour before her and her family left Germany in 1952. Richard turned 90 this year! His wife of over 60 years, Barbara, who I met last time I visited Lübeck in 2008, passed away three years ago. Richard’s English is minimal at best and thus we were thankful that Brigitte, Richard’s current partner, was around to help translate, although sometimes things get lost in translation. Continue reading →

The Netherlands: Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague

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The Netherlands far exceeded our expectations and is, according to Dan, his favourite country in Europe and the “only one he could live in.” The country is simultaneously modern and historical, while being extremely organized and efficient. And it’s not just one city; the whole country is like that. My only dislike of the infrastructure design would be the insane crosswalks throughout the country: crosswalks often consist of two or three portions crossing bike lanes (which are everywhere, not surprisingly, and mopeds are allowed to use them!!), tram lines, and car lanes. Continue reading →

Athens, Greece

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In 1987 Dan’s parents left Poland claiming they were going on vacation to Greece but actually planning on leaving Poland permanently. They drove to Greece and lived just outside of Athens for just over two years before little Henryk Daniel Palyska was born in Athens, Greece. In 1991, once their immigration papers passed, the family of three picked up and moved countries again – this time to Canada – and Dan has since never been back to his birthplace. Therefore, when planning our around the world trip, Athens was a must-see place. Continue reading →

Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast by Car

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Dalmatian dogs originated on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia, hence the name, and we saw plenty of them strutting around. I saw a postcard which would make the perfect cover photo for this post: a Dalmatian sitting tall and proud on an ancient stone wall overlooking the Adriatic Sea. I would have loved to Google that photo and stick it in here but that would be strictly against our rule of only posting our own photos so you’ll just have to live with imagining it (or Google it yourself). Continue reading →

Zagreb & Plitvice Lake National Park

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Zagreb turned out to be ten times the city I expected it to be. It was cultural and alive, bustling with a mix of tourists and locals, day and night. The “cafe culture” that was present in Italy is even stronger in Croatia. While to North Americans, a cafe is somewhere to sit and enjoy a coffee and a snack; here, cafe’s are as much bars as they are coffee establishments. And at night some even double as night clubs. Something we have noticed across Europe is that it’s publicly acceptable to drink beer or wine at almost any time of day. We stopped being shocked by someone sitting and enjoying a beer at 10AM weeks ago. But nowhere was it more present than in Croatia. Continue reading →

A Day of Food in Ljubljana

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I have always wanted to do a food tour. I’ve heard so much about them from friends and fellow travellers expressing what a great way they are to experience a new city/country. We looked into it in Venice but it was insanely expensive. So, the next day we scheduled a food tour through old town Ljubljana with “ljubljananjam.” The company is a one-woman show; Iva was enthusiastic and energetic, she clearly loves her job as much as she loved food. Continue reading →

Our Fav’s

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Favourite Tropical Vacation Spot: Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

Favourite Ruins: Machu Picchu, Peru – As ridiculously expensive as this place is, it is worth every penny.

Favourite Waterfall: Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil – Make sure to visit the falls from both countries, the different viewpoints are worth it.

Favourite City to Visit: It’s almost impossible to chose one, so here’s our top three:

  1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (especially during Carnival)
  2. Medellin, Colombia
  3. Miraflores, Lima, Peru (oddly Peru has three mentions on this list but as a country as a whole, we disliked it)

HONORARY  MENTION: Chiang Mai, Thailand – We spent a couple days here on a previous trip and absolutely loved it, which is why we are going to spend a whole month in the city in the Winter of 2016. Stayed tuned for a detailed post.

Favourite Wine Region: Maipu, Argentina

–> Italy is filled with wine as well, but the entire experience in Argentina was something else. Much more so than we found anywhere in Europe. In Croatia we visited a winery advertising “wine tasting” and when we showed up the response was “what do you want?”; you had to pay per glass and when we asked our options, they were bluntly put “red, white, or rose” with not details about the grapes.

Favourite Glacier: Perito Moreno, Patagonia, Argentina

–> Another perspective that is equally beautiful but very different: Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, Iceland

Favourite Sunset: Máncora, Peru – This town deserves a mention on this list not only for it’s sunsets but its laid back vibe and our awesome beach bungalow

Most Picturesque Beach: Varadero, Cuba

Most Fun Beach: Montanita, Ecuador – it had everything from the best surf to the best parties, beautiful sand and endless beach, along with international food, bars and shops

Favourite (most unique) Landscapes: Iceland – Iceland has an incredibly diverse landscape in a very small area and you will find something new and stunning around every corner (highly recommend renting a car here!)

–> A close second is Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

Favourite Foodie Spots:

A top list is necessary in this case:

  1. Miraflores, Lima, Peru (La Mar – you have to go there)
  2. Juayua Food Festival, El Salvador (something completely different, tasty and unique)
  3. Playa del Carmen, Mexico (There’s much more quality to offer here than in resort-covered Cancun: Ceviche Tacos are my first choice, with guac, tacos, burritos and fajitas not far behind)
  4. Modena, Italy (It’s amazing how many specialties and delicacies originated here, and everyone proudly shows it off)

Cheapest Country: Nicaragua

–> El Salvador might have been cheaper but we didn’t spend long enough there to judge and it has less to offer (it’s REALLY small)

Let us know what else you’d like to here our favourites on in the comments below and we’ll update the list!