Sardinia, Basque Country and Northern Spain

Arriving in Dorgali, Sardinia

Taking a break ~ Procida Island, Italy  © 2012 Amy Lee

An amazing and wonderfully created website by the amazingly talented Amy Lee of our summer 2011 travel adventures
http://www.lurgee.ca/travel/italy_spain/ITES_Day1.html


For more photos on Sardinia:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gigglesyee/sets/72157628616418263/
For more photos of Basque Country:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gigglesyee/collections/72157629078459231/

At Pearson waiting to leave on a jetplane....destination: Roma, Italia

Summer of '08 Gone By ~ W. Europe + Morocco

Initially posted on Facebook [Notes] on December 31, 2008
Excerpts and transcripts taken directly from my personal travel journal
In late July, I departed for the "meat" part of my summer vacation & headed to W. Europe & Morocco.

My adventures included stops in:

Spain Madrid, Segovia, Valencia, Barcelona, & Malaga

Morocco Chefchaouen, Fes, & Marrakesh

Portugal Faro, Portimao, & Lisbon

Sicily Salemi, Palermo

Modes of Transportation included:

ferry, taxi, car, train, bus, tram

Some memorable highlights:

I succumbed to & became a well accomplished beach bum!

Never before have I visited so many beaches. Not being a lover of beaches, I must confess I did pretty well in going with the flow and chilling under the hot European sun!

We hit beaches in Valencia, Barcelona, the Algarve of southern Portugal and Sicily.

The mass exodus from the Spanish enclave of Meilla (which is on the Moroccean side) to the Moroccean governed territory of Nador was one thrilling, scary & nerve-wracking experience all rolled up into this multi-layered experience! First, let me start off by saying that we had started our day by leaving early from our Malaga pension to catch the ferry to Meilla (Spanish enclave on Moroccean side). The ferry ride was a few hours. I mostly slept because we had to get up early that morning & I had still felt tired. Now, picture an exodus, a "mass" exodus that is, where all you see is people!!! In fact, a sea of people carrying their many loads, bags & packages. Then, picture also cars, a huge line-up of cars with the same intentions of wanting to enter into Morocco! We lined up like all the others. The line-ups weren't too long but there was only one poor soul in the Passport Control booth! There were many other plains clothes people who looked mighty suspect. I didn't know if they were the police or something other. Some Moroccean joe came up to us and wanted to "sell" us those custom papers that you fill out before entering a country! He asked us to give him our passports so that he could fill it out for us. Then, of course, he would ask for a fee. I declined & ignored the guy by getting & staying in line. Factor in the blistering heat into all this & you can imagine that the situation gets a little heated (no pun intended). When it comes to my turn, I'm relieved & just hope the control officer (he's wearing a legit uniform - whew!) can give me clearance to go! With all the hectic action happening, people everywhere, under that unforgiving sun, I thought to myself, please, please let us just get through! I felt like a person marching in a massive crowd of refugees seeking authorization to cross the border. And, actually, this is the very way of daily life for many people!

The coveted stamp

After close to an hour or so, we finally cleared through the various checkpoints & got our valid stamp to enter Morocco.
Once we pass the solider, we were met by oodles of people wanting to sell us everything from food, gum, to taxi services. In our state of still being overwhelmed & dripping with sweat, we kindly declined all advances. We needed to figure out how to exit this place! In due time, we figured out that we needed to get to a place called Nador. This is where we could catch long distance buses travelling to different locations in Morocco. We ended up deciding to get on a packed local bus with our big packs, in the blistering heat & head to the bus terminal. At the bus terminal, we were stuck in a few predicaments. We needed to get to Fes but that was a long shot since it was further south (we were in the north) and we had already dealt with an ordeal of a day getting into Morocco! Plus, we felt famished and didn't have a place booked to stay! So, destination unknown... This was hardcore backpacking at its best because we were scrambling with ideas & possibilities. We ended up deciding to go purchase tickets to Chefchaouen which was about a 4-6 hour drive from the bus terminal. We ended up waiting for a few hours before the bus was scheduled to depart. The terminal was suspect...many little shops selling food to eat, candies, clothing, shoes, bus tickets...We didn't speak French or Arabic so we had some communication problems because we had assumed the bus was coming earlier than it was scheduled to & was wondering about the delay??? Everywhere we went, we got the customary stares - it didn't matter if it were a kid or a senior. They all liked looking at the "foreigners". Ha! Finally, we ended up boarding the bus & took 4-6 hrs. before getting to Chefchaouen at 2 am in the morning! Thankfully, we did make one stop in the middle of the night in some small town to pick-up a quick bite & have a washroom break. Thankfully, I didn't have to use the washroom in the station because behind the closed door, let's just say, the light wasn't working & you couldn't see a thing! We ate what the locals ate...some sandwich thing..not sure what it was & it tasted a little "different"...let's just leave it at that...

The long bus ride was torturous. I couldn't sleep & it was extremely uncomfortable. The bus was quite cold. The constant zigzagging of the mountain switchbacks had us swinging like bowling pins about to fall. It also didn't help that we had been on the road for the whole entire day! The only positive note was that the shimmering stars & mountainous terrain was gorgeous to watch & in fact looked like a picturesque scene right out of a Hollywood movie set! We had finally arrived in Chefchaouen in the wee morning hours. We got off the bus with 4 other Moroccean young men. They were helping us look for the hostel where we had made a reservation. We got off and gathered our packs. The direction in which we were headed had one gigantic hill going up! After one super long day, that hill angered me & I just rolled my eyes in disbelief! Without exaggerating, that was one wicked incline, with all our gear and all. We had walked around in vain for what seemed like "forever" looking for our hostal. We finally found it & discovered that it was FULL! Since we got in a later time than we anticipated, I guess we lost our room & were brought to check out another place. Thankfully, the other place had a 3-bedroom which worked out fine for us. I quickly showered, conked out & disappeared into a deep, deep abyss of sleep.

We were now in Morocco & I'm glad we went to Chefchaouen because it was such a gorgeous town in the Rif mountains!

Since we were travelling in the dead of summer, the sun was intense & the heat nearly unbearable! This was another time that the hankerchief, aka hanky, came in handy & was most especially useful after we washed our hands from using the facilities. So..one of our travel rules was to always have a hankerchief on our person! Not having one would mean busting a serious "amateur move"!

The hospitality in Sicily

AA had some relatives in Salemi, Sicily so they hosted us & opened up their summer home for us to stay in. Let's just say that although Sicily was undeniably beautiful & we had a really amazing "homestay" (as we affectionately coined it) experience, our whole time there had its fair share of "drama".

The homemade food there was fantastic and the beaches were gorgeous!

The hospitality that we received was both remarkable & memorable!

All in all, my travel experience this summer was tremendously awesome! Backpacking has its elements of fun & excitement as well as its challenges of planning, organizing, being on top of things, researching etc. I find that in traveling there is so much beauty to soak in, cultural differences to gain insight and openly embrace, languages to appreciate, and age old traditions to learn & welcome. The reward is in the journey & there is so much to gain through travelling that it makes the whole experience so worth it!

An unforgettable experience!

Visit my photo collection of my Western Europe adventures

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gigglesyee/collections/72157629078563203/

Next destination: Perhaps touchdown in South America ~ Chile or Argentina?

My 12 Most Favourite Moments in NYC ~ Summer '09

Originally posted on Facebook [Notes] on August 31, 2009 

[In no particular order]...

1. Pasta taste testing & wine pairing at Babbo Restaurant (It was such an adventure!)

2. Having a field day w/ ice cream + gelato: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, Red Mango, Laboratorio del Gelato, Blue Marble

http://www.chinatownicecreamfactory.com/

http://www.laboratoriodelgelato.com/

http://www.bluemarbleicecream.com/

http://www.redmangousa.com/default.html

3. Hanging out w/ Maddy who was my ever constant & loyal companion

4. Checking out different foods/restaurants (Sal's calzone, Frankie 17, Fatty Crab, Shanghai Cafe, Stone Park Café for brunch (Brooklyn), Blue Ribbon, Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich, Café Habana, The Republic...)

5. Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural exhibit, Guggenheim Museum

6. Exploring the streets of Manhattan...with a Google Map (GPS)!

7. Mixing in w/ the tourists/shoppers in SoHo

8. Meeting up w/ SYH's friend's, Margaret, Jimmy, Anthony, Karen, Tony, Lisa & of course, my bro-in-law, Scott!

9. Visiting the Strand bookstore, walking through/around Washington Sq./Union Sq.

10. Driving around in Manhattan (that was a great score Sue! Thx. Lisa!)

"Driving in Manhattan is like a video game except the consequences are more dire!" SYH When I was in the car, I felt it was more like a roller derby...cabs cutting & driver's neither here nor there in committing to a lane!!!

11. Love the regular New Yorkers I came across & interacted w/.....of course, what I loved the most was the forward thinking/abrupt men on the streets [Yeah right! Sickos!]

12. Hanging out w/ my sister, Sue! I especially liked making her lunch & having it w/ her at the office (*after she kept FBing me what ingredients she wanted in her salad....like I don't know!?!! Haha!)...

*What I missed most of course was not being able to see Maddy regain her title of "America's Fastest Chihuahua"! Boohoo...I guess it wasn't meant to be...You're always the CHAMP in my book Momo!

European Food Craze and Pinxtos

Eating our way through Europe...

Eating and trying different cuisines has always been the highlight of any travels to different parts of the world...España & Italia?  Are you kidding me?  I was stoked at the possibilities even before I bought my plane ticket! Haha...

Here are some highlights thus far...

 While at the (Agriturismo Guthiddai)  farmstay just outside Oliena (on the central east part of Sardegna) 

-homemade & incredibly delicious....a la authentic Sardenian style!

http://www.agriturismoguthiddai.com/versione-inglese/lazienda.php

-wild boar in some salty sauce (I wasn´t a great fan - too many bones & the dish was too salty) 

-what´s called shepherd´s bread (shepherd´s used to pack this as they went out on their trips b/c it was light)...crunchy thin pieces of pita like pieces drizzled with homegrown olive oil - I could eat it all day....it was at the table both nights we ate dinner there

-maccarones furriaos - strips of pasta folded & topped with a tomato-based sauce

-risotto with zucchini & proscitto

-porcedda - suckling pig (much like how the Cantonese do it but the pieces here were thicker!  And they don´t have the sweet brown sauce) 

-meatballs with pomodoro sauce

*All the frutta in Sardenga was incredibly sweet: figs, melone, pesca, kiwi, orange, & apricots

vino vino vino

-Best pizza ever at Sorbillo´s in Naples! 

a yummy thin crust Neopolitan pizza for only 6 Euros & all the ingredients were very fresh & delicious...huge pizza! 

-penne and cozze (mussels)

vino vino vino

Elsewhere...in Sardegna...

-homemade ravioli w/ fresh sweet tasting ricotta & in pomodoro sauce (Sardenga)

-grilled calamari w/ bacon bits (Palau, Sardegna)

- splurged on spaghetti all'aragosta (rock lobster) in Alghero, Sardegna

vino vino vino

Immersing in the Pinxtos´ Experience of Basque Country of Northern Spain

The Gist:

Here in the Basque Country of northern Spain, pinxtos are what is popular to consume at the many bars and restaurants.

Pinxtos are traditionally served in a bar...and some restaurants.  They normally includes pieces of cheese, sliced cold cuts like proscitto or some other cured meat, & seafood/fish (a lot of fish - cod, sardines, monkfish) as the toppings on a piece of baguette. There´s also octopus and all kinds of fish which I´ve tried so hard to stay away from and have been pretty good!  Amen!  (Have to brush up on the Basque language - yet another language in order to stay safe).  We´ve also encountered some Baque/Asian fusion where there were crepes offered with the likes of foie gras, asparagus, and mushroom.  Just this evening we had a pinxtos with canard (duck) mousse with a walnut - rather good!  And, an Iberian pieces of meat mixed with cheese....all yum.

Sorry, no photos yet.  They take too long to load from my SD disk. 

This is how Sophia infiltrates Basque eating & does-it-like-a- local:

[N.B. You know how I can very well be timid many a times BUT if I was wishing to get some action on them pinxtos, I was sure well going to do it like a local to get the truest authentic experience!] 

Let me set the scene for you...

We head to some pinxtos´ recommended bars and scan the 1) crowd then depending on if we like what we see...not too crowded we 2) head in & vie for a spot at the bar...Now, this is the not-so-easy part as I have to look out for Amy and I so they may mean that in a very small spot for merely 1 regulary sized person, I have to get in there with my elbows up and shove my way through and put up my back so I can secure a spot.  I got good once I saw how the locals did it..."don`t think that just because I´m a foreigner I don´t know how to do it."

You order the pinxtos you want...order a drink and wait to enjoy it all! You stand or sit on a bar stool if its available and put 1 foot up on the foot rest and savour your food and enjoy your drinks....oh yeah, one more important part of this whole process...*There are always napkin dispensers available at the bars and you just take, wipe your mouth & chuck it on the ground...it´s hilarious b/c the whole ground by the bar will be littered with napkin papers!  To me, that´s a true mark of a good pinxtos eating bar! 

Many people hang-out standing up having drinks or even have drinks while standing outside...there are also eating stands or bar tables outside to enjoy your food.

And...there´s no time for shyness...you want to eat and get in on the experience you have to throw timidness out the window...if even for a meal!  Haha...

Please be warned (as Amy and I were)...if you go nuts ordering your pinxtos you may be paying some serious coin b/c they can range in price from 1,50 Euros to 3,00 Euros!  Add a txakoli (which is a young white wine of the Basque region), glass of wine, Sangria or beer & you´re looking at 20,00 Euros for 4 pinxtos and a drink each.

With our 15-20 kg packs strapped onto our backs...all I can say is that each time we lug our stuff around for an extended period of time and then we also go on hikes and treks, I´m thankful for the gym classes I go to! Trust me...I know that they have really helped me survive on our adventures...

For more pics. & stories, please visit: http://www.lurgee.ca/travel/italy_spain/ITES_Day1.html

http://sophlurgsadventures2011.blogspot.com/

Food Inc. Documentary

This thought-provoking documentary left me with some concluding thoughts...

The food industry - whether it be engineering foods, meat inspection, farming, political games, lobbyists, scrutinizing & being critical of the industry, food contamination in the food chain, etc...

Some points of interest:
• Corn is heavily subsidized by the U.S. government

• snack food calories (cheap)

• bigger predictor of obesity is income level (e.g., $1 burger VS. $1.29 brocoli)

• high fructose corn & refined carbohydrates leads to spike to insulin -> wearing down the system of how are body metabolizes sugar....

• Commodity crops (e.g., corn is the heavy hitter) - soybean, wheat
• Hamburger meat filler that’s been cleansed with ammonia to kill E. Coli...
high fructose corn found in coke!

• We're hard wired for 3 tastes: salt, fat, & sugar

• Engineered foods presses our evolutionary buttons

• Food industry has protections that other industries don’t which makes it difficult for consumers such as you & I to openly criticize

• The meat industry sued Oprah for saying something on her show. Texas cattlemen sued Oprah for disparaging a food product and for loss of profit (she mentioned something about never eating another hamburger)...

takepart.com/foodinc

The author, journalist & activist, Michael Pollan (Omnivore’s Dilemma) is one of the authorities on the food industry that was featured in the documentary.

Also, read his book, In Defense of Food - An Eater's Manifesto
http://www.michaelpollan.com/indefense.php