-
The Art of Poutine and Other Tasty Treats From Canada
Even though I’ve never thought of Canada as a foodie paradise I have to say that on my trip I did find some authentic Canadian food and it was pretty tasty. If I had to say there was a stereotypical Canadian food it would have to be Poutine, pronounced Poo – Teen. Some would immediately go to Maple syrup but while extremely yummy it’s not an everyday staple like Poutine. You see it on every corner and in almost every restaurant. Poutine was originally started in Quebec but now can be found almost anywhere.. Even in some places in the US. The makeup of Poutine is pretty simple. Its basically…
-
Electric and Eclectic Kensington Market
I’ll start this blog with a little bit of honesty…. Kensington Market is not a market. What it is, is so much better. What it is, is a crazy cool, offbeat, charming, eclectic, extremely diverse neighborhood set in Toronto. It’s very much like one of my grandma’s crazy quilts. Bright and colorful with the only cohesiveness being the edges drawn together with hard work and love. To give you a little history of the area. In 1815 George Taylor Denison bought a 100-acre plot and built his estate on it. Then in 1850-1860, the land was divided up into plots for the British and Irish immigrants. As the influx in…
-
Toronto’s Own Mystical Magical Bookstore
While on my flight from Omaha to Toronto I did a little research. Being a confirmed book-a-holic I was instantly drawn to a bookstore called The Monkey’s Paw. After arriving and getting a good night’s sleep I start my trek to find this mystical place. I decide to walk because on the map it didn’t look that far…. Note to self never trust me when looking at a map… I’m very bad at judging distance. Approximately 2 hours later I arrived and I have to say it was definitely worth it. This little unassuming bookstore is chock full of interesting used books. I’m a huge proponent of buying used books.…
-
My Top 10 Things to do in Bangkok
Here are my top 10 absolute must see things on a visit to Bangkok
- Uncategorized
My Free Trip to China…. Well Sort of :)
Ahhhh China the land of the rising sun…. Also the land of peking duck, spring rolls and wontons and a ton of other cool stuff but I’m hungry so those are the most important to me right now. I’m certain my growling belly is not why you clicked on this story so let’s delve into my free trip to China. Let me start by saying it wasn’t entirely free but it was wayyyyyy more affordable than most of my trips. China has in recent years started one of the most inventive ways to get your tourism dollars that I’ve seen in a while… how you may ask. Well they make…
-
New Year, Old Me… 5 Steps to Becoming Who You Wanted to be
OK.. the title of this post may seem a bit backward but please give me a minute to explain. As I sat on the cusp of a new year, like always I started making of list of things I wanted to accomplish. Not necessarily resolutions but goals , things I want in my life. Looking through the list I found a common theme, everything revolved around things I used to do but gave up on for some reason or another. One thing on the list was dance… I used to love to dance but I grew up and had children, jobs, marriage… in a nutshell life became more important than…
-
Mexico City’s Cathedral… a Big Church with an Even Bigger Name
The Metropolitan Cathedral or the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary Into Heaven sits on one side of the Zocalo, the main square of Mexico city, and on top of the pyramids of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. Originally built after the Spanish conquered the Aztecs. To add insult to injury they tore down the Aztec temples and used the stones to build the Catholic church. They wanted to show the power of not only the Spanish but also the church. Mexico city is now predominately Catholic but they often incorporate the Aztec customs. The church has undergone enlargement many times and each time they…
-
Dancing With the Aztecs
From across the Zocalo, Mexico City’s largest square , I can hear the beat of drums and the chants of the Aztec dancers or Concheros as they are known in Mexico. While their bright costumes and rhythmic dancing may make you think their purpose is to entertain tourists, while that is a side effect that does bring them some money, these dancers do it to show a history rich in culture that was almost eradicated by the Spanish. Concheros a name given to them by the Spanish is not the original Aztec name, that may be lost forever. Concheros were names for the Concho a stringed instrument that they danced…
-
5 things you should know before eating tacos in Mexico City
I finally made it to Mexico City after spending all day in various airports with multiple delays…. thanks to mother nature we needed just one more snowstorm to make this year complete… ughhh but the fact is I made it in one piece and extremely hungry. Lucky for me I had the forethought to book a taco tour prior to leaving the states and boy was I ready for some tacos. I met my guide Axel a native of Mexico City and a world-traveled chef so I was in good hands. Which was a good thing because I realized I knew NOTHING about tacos!!! Our first stop was for veggie…
-
Natures Stage, a Look at the Beauty and History of Red Rocks Amphitheatre
In a land not so far away about 230 million years ago dinosaurs roamed the earth and some beautiful red rocks were formed. They were huge in size , made of sandstone and heavy with iron which gave them a striking red color. Many years later movement in the tectonic plates under the ground caused a shift in the land and these rocks were pushed upward into the most perfect acoustic amphitheatre in the world. While all of that may sound easy it took this magnificent formation millions of years to form into the premier venue that we see today. In 1820 it was discovered by an army expedition led…
