Porter Airlines

The aircraft: “Porter Airlines flies Canadian-built Bombardier Aerospace Q400 turboprop aircraft.”

Prop Plane

I was off with three travel partners to Quebec City for a weekend getaway.

We almost missed our plane. I show up  to the airport by 8:05 (across the ferry), plane takes off at 8:30, and my companions all have suitcases to check!!

They were told they had to wait for the next flight in Q-City to pick up their luggage since they checked it in about 5 minutes before the plane was supposed to take off.

It was an entertaining adventure though, I was smiling about the whole mishap, glad it wasn’t myself who was late. I have always wanted to run up the steps on a plane So great that I waited for the rest of my crew, so we could all run up together.

The service was good, no waiting in security for more than 2 minutes. The places where we experienced the longest waits were the check baggage (10 mins) line and the line for the ferry back from Toronto island (10 mins).

Food, good…for airplane food. At least you get hearty snack for a 90 minute flight.

To end the trip, the flight and Quebec City airport were great. Although again there was a wait, this time they were late…

Mr. Tomato

My tomato plant, basil plant, and my dog hanging out on the balcony

I am a little worried that I got a tomato plant to grow happily on my balcony this summer. Where will the travelling bug take me with my 2+ months off? Will my tomato plant wilt away to nothingness when I am away? Probably.

There is something about nuturing a plant to produce something useful (basically any fruit, vegetable, or herb) that I love. Flowers are ok, they are pretty and colourful, but give me a plant with more meaning. I even like Aloe plants better, so I can rub the sweet, sweet goo on my cuts and burns as they come along.

Oh how I wish this tomato plant would start producing already, while I am still giving it my undivided attention. Hopefully my sister will miss visiting my condo, and decide that she wants to come once a week while I am away to water it. It’s possible!

This is what I would do to my tomatoes if they came to life soon:

Homemade Salsa:

1 jalapeño diced

3 tomatoes from Mr. Tomato plant chopped

10 basil leaves from my basil plant chopped

1/2 a white onion, chopped

2 tbsp lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Pair this with my favorite Que Pasa organic chips (thanks S. for these), or toast up some whole wheat pitas, and voila, a great use for my green thumb.

Come on little guy!

Fantasy Friday Part V – Peru

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I would say Peru is in my top 5 places I would love to see most, very close to my ultimate Egyptian fantasy and another Fantasy Friday location, Iceland. All the history and culture of Peru is quite enticing. As I did a bit of research for this post on things to do in Peru, I came upon the Lonely Planet top 15 list of things to do. I couldn’t have added a list more appealing…

1 Lake Titicaca – Home to floating islands and singular cultures, the world’s highest navigable lake is, literally, breathtaking

2 Arequipa – The ‘White City’ is a colonial-era jewel within reach of smoldering volcanoes and deep canyons

3 Lima – Peru’s sprawling capital has expansive museums, thumping nightlife and some of the continent’s most spectacular food

4 Río Amazonas – Isolated villages, remote rainforest and well-equipped wildlife lodges can be found on South America‘s greatest river

5 Máncora – Warm water and rippin’ waves attract surfers, kitesurfers and sun worshipers all year long

6 Nazca & Huacachina – Condor’s-eye views of the mysterious Nazca lines, plus giant dunes for sandboarding

7 Machu Picchu – Peru’s legendary ancient Inca citadel clings to the top of a cloudy, forested peak

8 Huancavelica - Well off the tourist trail, this is a charming colonial center bursting with beautiful churches

9 Parque Nacional Manu – High-altitude cloud forest to lowland rainforest – and all the wild animals to go with it

10 Chiclayo – A seaside metropolis surrounded by ancient tombs bearing dazzling gold artifacts

11 Huaraz – High in the Cordillera Blanca, this is a center of inexpensive trekking and mind-boggling mountain views

12 Chachapoyas – Peru’s wildest archaeology: the mountaintop fortress of Kuélap and scores of little-known jungle sites

13 Ayacucho – Vivid folklore and a fascinating archaeological museum in a storied highland city

14 Cuzco - The ancient Inca capital’s cobblestone streets house artisan shops, world-class restaurants and raucous discos

15 Trujillo – An attractive colonial city near monumental archaeological sites and famed surf spots

I am starting to think that this is actually officially my #2 fantasy behind Egypt. Wow, it’s so unbelievable how much I would enjoy each number in this list. Ok, this Friday is also officially a write off…time to daydream.

Health on the road

Mmm..scoop of olives in Vieste, Italy

I know its usual to splurge, to go all out, and devour everything in sight when you are travelling. It’s sort of an excuse, and I actually use it all the time. But when I come home, this guilt takes over and I feel like I need to go to the gym for hours just to get back the healthy self that I want to be.

It doesn’t have to be that way though, and I have been feeling less guilty lately about my travel tush.

There are certain tricks you can use to feel less guilty about everything you put into your mouth on a trip.

First – As you are wandering around the place you are visiting, check out the local markets for fresh fruit and veggies. These will keep you satisfied during the day, and you might order less, or eat less when you sit down for a meal.

Second – Exploring a new place means walking. Or even jogging! It was nice, when in Italy, to take in more scenery while jogging around in the early morning. You see much more when you can travel further distances, and it’s sometimes less busy when you go in the early morning. When I was in Quebec City, I burned off all my food calories by walking for hours and hours around the beautiful city.

Third – Hotel gyms. They are amazing, amazingly air conditioned. With great equipment and usually all the water you need. I enjoy the high tech cycle and treadmill. They usually have weights and medicine balls as well! I find now that when I work out, it wakes me up, gives me energy, and am more motivated to go out and explore.

Fourth – Cooking at the hotel room. Sometimes you get lucky and end up with a kitchen in your hotel room. This is when you can put your healthy cooking skills into action. The hotel in Maui that hosted a kitchen was very useful for making my own healthy meals (either breakfast, lunch or dinner) while I could feel better about splurging on the other 1 – 2 meals of the day. If there is no kitchen, I sometimes buy meal bars, or get a few snacks to hold me over until dinner.

Fifth – Start with a salad or soup, or skip dessert when you order a meal. I am usually good with the skipping dessert portion of a restaurant, no sweet tooth here! But adding salad or a nice (non-creamy) soup will help cut down on what you eat for your main meal. This rule is very hard for me, because I love to start with a heavier appetizer and still have the main meal I was attracted to in the first place….and maybe a specialty coffee to end the meal with.

Anyway, when you are travelling to a new place, food is something that should be indulged in. Don’t feel the guilt.

Cappuccino in Quebec City

Une réflexion

Sigh, Quebec City. So gorgeous in the late spring. The tulips are in bloom, the street performers are at full force, patios are pouring out onto the sidewalks, and the people all have smiles on their faces. I walked and walked, on average for about 6 hours each day. There is so much to see, and it’s all worth it.

Here are my top five things to do when in this beautiful city:

1. The Plains of Abraham and the wall. So much fascinating history here, and it is host to a spectacular view of the St. Lawrence River as well. The wall spans 4.6km, and the plains have been transformed into a gorgeous park.

2. Chateau Frontenac – filled as well with so much history, it has seen many people of fame. It was built in the 19th century! How did they do that?

3. Parliament Hill – Beautiful fountain, and the building is quite spectacular as well. Watch out, the brick around the fountain is actually a major road….oops.

4. L’Astral – Go for the cheap early brunch Saturday mornings and gaze out, sleepy eyed, at the gorgeous Plains of Abraham and slowly rotate around the city from 183m above it.

5. Old Quebec – Every time I walk down those narrow and steep stairs, I feel like I have been transformed to the 1800′s and feel as if I should be wearing my corset and my huge hoop dress. Great shopping, wandering and the Notre-Dame-de-Québec Basilica-Cathedral.

Restaurant Review – Q City

Gambrinus - GO!

My visit in Quebec City was more than I hoped for. It was the best weather to travel in, to start with (20 degrees, sunny). It had so many great aspects going for it, where can I start? But I need to talk about this restaurant I visited to begin with…so this was probably the best part of this quick trip…

Background: I was in Quebec City in November for a long weekend, and my boyfriend who is amazing at ‘sniffing’ out a great restaurant, discovered this menu when we started to feel our hunger pang come to life on that cold evening. I said, no way, it’s so close to the Chateau Frontenac and the touristy areas, I can’t do it…but then we walked up and down, around, and back again to this original restaurant. I was still not feeling it (ps – this menu tour took about one hour), but I was still a taste-bud novice. I needed to trust his outstanding palate.

So we went to this place – Gambrinus (the online menu is not what you get when you go, just so you know). Then with my new travel partners, I had to show off my amazing find, right? Ok, I did tell them it was not my find. Had to give credit where it was deserved.

Should I recommend anything if you go there? I could, but just ask the waiters/waitresses (I saw the same waiters both times I went). They are the owners, they know what to do, they know their food, they know their people.

Just to make you drool…

This is what I tasted:

1. Soupe a l’oignon (French Onion soup) – YUM, this is why I wrote my French Onion soup post.

2. My main – Salmon tartate – can I swear *%$#@ on this? Those flavours – spectacular! No words, just try…slowly… enjoy it.

3. Shrimp and scallop in mustard sauce with greens. WOW, why didn’t I order this? Oh yes, because I am not the biggest scallops fan. But the sauce, the gigantic shrimp, the side of veggies. Daaaaaamn.

4. The steak (arg, filet mignon if I recall? I don’t usually eat meat…but I tried). My companion declared that this was the best steak he has tasted in “a long time”.

5. Rack o’ Lamb – can I say the same thing about the meat part from #4…I loved what I tasted, but I would never order it. Those who have (two times to date), have said it was one of the best lamb dishes they have ever taste.

6. Wine – the list is amazing. I went for the first time with my man, who enjoys wine and we had one of the best wines I have tasted EVER that night. It was an Amarone, the name escapes me…it looked like a bottle you would find if you were a pirate. Hah! I hope that helps. The second time, and more recently, it was a Masi red. Good for the price, but still am daydreaming about that Amarone.

7. DESSERT – I needed to bold that becaue I know so many people love dessert. I, personally love salt… appetizers and the mains. BUT…what was ordered and tasted by MOI. Chocolate mousse. AMAZING (I am allergic and I had a few scoops of it still, that’s saying a lot!). And Maple pie. Yikes, it was great. But only for the sweet tooth. Geez, is it sweet! My companions, though, wanted to order a second piece.

Just go, please? Don’t fool around with those other places. I have tried a lot of them. You will be satisfied, but not WOW’ed. The next great restaurant I will talk about, at a later time, is Savini. Stay tuned!

Sing me a song

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Wherever I travel, I bring my iPod, or before they existed, my mp3 player, and yet before that my walkman (I never had a portable cd player) to help me get through some of those moments when you have to sit around and wait. Most recently, I had a bit of a wait at the airport on my way to and from Quebec (more details on that to come).

Following are some great songs that I listened to while biding my time at the Toronto Island airport.

1. Africa – Toto

2. New York, New York – Frank Sinatra

3. Here I Go Again – Whitesnake

4. Roam – B52′s

5. Mambo Italiano – Frank Sinatra

6. Beautiful Day – U2

7. Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd

8. Born to be Wild – Steppenwolf

9. Cuba Libre – Gloria Estefan

10. Habibi ya Nour el Ain – Ishtar Alabina

Give me a sign

I love stumbling upon odd street signs while exploring a city. It could almost be classified as a secret hobby to me. I have many random street sign pictures and billboards from all of my travels. Check out a few that bring a smile to my face every time I see them.

'Scuze, where can I find pizza in Italy??

Sorry, which way should I run in case of a tsunami? Hilo, Hawaii

Marrakesh, Morocco, it happens!

Caution - spelling errors - read at your own risk. Kona, Hawaii

What would the milk look like? The Big Island of Hawaii

Fantasy Friday IV – Boston Boo-ins

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Since it is the NHL finals, I thought I would spotlight the city that will lose (Sorry, I am Canadian!).

I have heard so many great things about Boston, and cannot wait to visit this city (hopefully this summer!). The one thing I have heard from several people is that it is not a drivers city. In the way that you get lost, or end up driving in circles trying to exit a highway.

Here are some of the things I fantasize about doing when I visit Boston, Massachusetts:

1. Watch a baseball game at Fenway Park. I can just picture myself sitting in one of those old green seats, hotdog in hand, cheering on the Red Sox.

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2. Wander around Boston Commons and The Freedom Trail.

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3. Try out the restaurants and cafes in the north end.

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4. Visit Copley Square and see great buildings including Trinity Church, Boston Public Library, and The John Hancock buildings.

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5. EAT – New England Clam Chowder, perhaps at The Union Oyster House

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Au revoir!

It’s Thursday, one day before a relaxing weekend trip to Quebec City. I am very much looking forward to this quick get-away. My mouth is actually salivating a tiny bit as I think about the French onion soup I had there last time.

I attempted to make my own once, semi-succeeded, but I could never beat the kind you can find there. BUT, if you can’t quite make it to Quebec right now, why don’t you try out this recipe to hold you over:

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French Onion Soup

What you need:

8 large shallots, sliced
5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 Bay Leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of red wine
8 cups beef stock

Preparation

1. Heat olive oil in a soup pot on medium heat.

2. Add shallots, garlic, salt, pepper, and bay leaf

3. Sautee, stirring every few minutes for about 40 minutes, until onions are brown.

4. Add a 1/4 cup of the red wine and sautée for 5 more minutes.

5. Add the remaining red wine.

6. Add beef stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat.

7. Allow to simmer for a few minutes.

8. Ladle soup into oven-proof bowls.

9. Place a slice of French bread or sourdough bread on each bowl.

10. Top each piece of bread with a thin slice of Gruyere cheese.

11. Place the bowls on a cookie sheet, and place under the broiler. Broil until cheese begins to bubble, and remove the tray from the oven.

12. Allow to cool for a few minutes, serve, and enjoy!