Tag: Wine

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!

Venice

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The “City of Water”; “City of Masks”; “City of Bridges”; “The Floating City”; “City of Canals”; “City of Romance” all describe one city: Venice, a city sited on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. A city built up from mudflats, using closely placed wooden piles, still intact after centuries of submersion. Continue reading →

Modena: The Truth and Tradition of Balsamic Vinegar

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For such a small and relatively unknown Italian city, Modena has many things to be proud of. It is a city full of traditions famous world-wide from opera to engines to cuisine, although often not attributed to the city of Modena. The hometown of Enzo Ferrari, Modena, is where balsamic vinegar originated with production documented as early as 1046. It was a family tradition, making balsamic vinegar in the attic of your house – enough to use yourself and give as small gifts at Christmas to those families who didn’t have the tradition. Continue reading →

Rome: An Ancient City in Full Restoration Mode

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The founding of Rome is dated back to around 753 BC – the Colosseum was completed in 80 AD, almost 2000 years ago – and thus, it’s not a secret that many of Rome’s ancient and aging monuments are in desperate need of restoration. It appears that many high-end Italian fashion brands have stepped up to make that restoration possible. All at once. To name a couple, Fendi, one of the biggest names in Italian fashion, has donated approximately 2.10 million Euros to restore the 18th century Trevi Fountain in order to preserve this precious heritage; the first of five fountains they have pledged to restore. And Tod’s shoes founder Diego della Valle donated approximately 25 million Euros to help restore the Colosseum from its aging and deteriorating state. In addition, Renzo Russo, founder of clothing company Diesel, is providing $6.7 million to restore and clean the oldest bridge spanning Venice’s Grand Canal, the Rialto.

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Argentina’s Famous Wine Region: Maipu

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From El Chalten we took a 12 hour bus to Los Antiguos (a small lake-side town famous for it’s delicious cherries) where we spent one night. From there we bused another 12 hours to Bariloche – an extremely over-priced ‘resort’ town (we paid 90$ CAD per night for a tiny private room and shared bathroom). *No post on Bariloche* After three nights, we hopped on a ‘super-cama’ bus (executive class) to Mendoza. 19 hours later, we arrived in Argentina’s famous wine region.

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