All posts tagged: food

The Best Things I ate in Cusco, Peru

Published by Jenn

The food in Peru blew me away. Before arriving in South America I had set my expectations low, envisioning plates heaped with gallo pinto and guinea pig. Boy, was I wrong. In fact it wasn’t until we reached Peru that dining became travel priority numero uno. Here are our most memorable bites in Cusco, and where I think you should dine too: Pucara Address: Plateros 309 Location: Centrally located, just off the main square Price: Mid-range, very good value Website: Click here This quaint eatery is flooded with warm, low light and flickering candles. A few blooms sit atop each table and clay pots with small wooden spoons dish up Peruvian salt, pepper and granulated brown sugar. At S/8 per glass, the house wine satisfies budget-minded travellers though wine snobs might take a pass. Start with one of the many enticing soups; I recommend sopa de ajo (garlic soup with poached egg and a slice of baguette). Other options include sopa la criolla (a mild and milky Creole soup), sopa de quinua (quinoa), potato cream soup and aguadito de pollo …

My Melia Varadero Destination Wedding: the good, the bad & the ugly

Published by Jenn

Photos by Wild Whim Photography + Design by Wade Carr Where are all the Cuban wedding blogs? One of the greatest challenges of planning my destination wedding was a lack of real wedding blog posts. I scoured the internet and bridal websites like TheKnot.com for more resources. To my initial surprise, there were few-to-no personal stories. Presumably, this is because most wedding blog posts are voraciously penned by American brides…American brides who can’t travel to Cuba. A second challenge was Cuba’s web presence, or lack there of.  It was, and to some degree still is, offline. Official statistics indicate less than 5% of Cubans have access to open (non-state controlled) internet. Lest I conclude, Cuban vendors (venues, photographers, florists, etc) are not creating promotional web content for prospective brides. This even applied to the resort we eventually selected. There were few wedding photos apart from a small white gazebo and pictures of a dated, pink satin-draped reception. TripAdvisor had some user-contributed images but nothing which really inspired romance, wanderlust or a dreamy (modern) wedding. This …

5 Things You Need to Eat in Northern Spain

Published by Jenn

  Jamón Jamón, it’s Spain’s equivalent of proscuitto. Except that I think I like Jamón  better. Where the south of Spain has olive trees, the north is blanketed by oak. The fruit of an oak tree of course is an acorn. In a type of if-life-hands-you-lemons-make-lemonade sentiment, acorns are fed to hogs which produce jamon. The degree to which acorn mae up a swine’s diet dicatates the quality of the jamón. Subsisting on pure acorn meal is the difference between 7 euro per kilogram and 100 euro. Charcuterie enthusiasts will delight; jamón is found on most menus and even hotel breakfast buffets. Cabrales Calabres is a strong flavoured blue cheese specific to Asturias. It is aged for 2-5 months in natural limestone caves. Eat with a cracker or baguette, topped with fruit preserve. Tapas Tapas bars are a foodie’s playground and the presentation, a photographer’s muse. Tapas in Santiago de Compostela was heavy on seafood and shellfish. My favourite? Creamy crab salads piled high on toasted baguette topped with slices of dill pickle. Asturian Cider Drop every notion …

6 Reasons I’m Getting Married in Cuba

Published by Jenn

It’s not Mexico. Everyone’s been there. Time to go a different place. It’s a comparable price point. From the guest perspective, Cuba is as easy – if not easier – on the purse strings as Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Bali. The beaches. Do I need to elaborate? It’s all about to change. The prevailing fear held by Canadians is that Cuba is 100% going to change once the Americans arrive. I won’t lie, Barrack Obama is kind of a factor in our guest list. Now is the time to go right? Havana. The darling culture capital of Caribbean. Good enough for Hemingway and the Godfather II, good enough for a Hubbert-to-be. Direct flights. Did you know you Vancouverites can fly direct to Varadero. Winner winner chicken dinner!   Have you been to a destination wedding? Would you have liked to go to Cuba for one?

Siem Reap: My Boutique Shopping & Dining Happy Place

Published by Jenn

Siem Reap is a dream. There’s a fantastic boutique culture where you’ll find trendy women’s fashion, hand fashioned silver jewelry, vintage clothing and crocodile accessories. Chic cafes vend macchiatos and witty postcards with bold type font that read: ‘Impossible. A word not known in Dubai.” Buy anything and everything under the sun at the Old Market. Tour its winding stalls, gawk at mystery meats, try to identify vegetables in the produce section and contemplate teas and spices to bring home. After the sun falls, head over to the Night Market and barter for silverware, sustainably made goods, name brand polo shirts and Kroma scarves. For an informative lesson on stone and wood carving, silk painting, lacquerware and other handicrafts head over to Artisans Angkor. This organization teaches disabled  persons the skills necessary to create the aforementioned, providing them with  a sustainable income. Not only are their goods sold for a good cause, they are top quality pieces. Flawed pieces are not sold but showcased, try to spot the defect. Artisans offers free guided tours of the workshops daily. It is mind …