Looking for a bit of ‘joie de vivre‘ for brunch? take a trip out to Queen West just past Shaw St, for a visit to La Bréhandaise crêperie to indulge in traditional french galettes (buckwheat crepes), french wines, or if you prefer to stay local, quebec apple cider and cheeses. From the first step in, you’ll … Read More
I haven’t written about a restaurant for a while, but last night I ventured out to Leslieville (my favourite neighbourhood for the past 4 years), and visited Hanoi 3 Seasons again, and had to spread the good word. If you’ve been following my choice restaurants, then by now, you’ll know that I opt for the … Read More
Istanbul is by far the jewel of Turkey, if not the Near East – not sure if I’d go so far as to say that it is a cross between Asia and Europe though – not quite sure what Euro-philes mean when they say that anyway, but it felt more ‘Modern’ than many European cities I’ve … Read More
Somehow I had lost my bus ticket I bought yesterday. I went back to the ticket office and even though the agent didn’t speak the same language, he seemed to understand that I had lost my ticket and replaced it at no cost or fuss… Turkish hospitality at its best. Riding … Read More
‘Come, come whoever you are, whether you be fire-worshipers, idolaters, or pagans. Ours is not the dwelling place of despair. All who enter will receive a welcome here.’ the inscription on the entrance sign to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul is a perfect quote for Turkey. The people are inviting, the country magical, … Read More
I don’t get this…. Is this a form of modern day colonialism or just plain greed and child labour exploitation? I guess the argument is that, the child actors from Slumdog Millionaire should be happy they have a job at all – after all, there are over 65 million people (twice the population of Canada) … Read More
Oman has got to be the sleepiest place i’ve ever been… well I only had a chance to check out the Muscat region – but it was still boring… really beautiful with white washed houses all less than four stories, and surrounded with mountains, trees and the ocean – but dead boring… The most excitement I had is when I … Read More
To be honest, although I really like it now, I wasn’t a huge fan of Ethiopian food when i first tried it… i found the tastes completely different to what i would expect – but the atmosphere of going to a traditional Ethiopian restaurant is a lot of fun… I had to go again before leaving just to get … Read More
Up until Easter last weekend, most Ethiopians had been fasting for the previous 55 days…kinda like Lent, but stricter and longer… they basically don’t eat anything until 6pm each day (some break their fast at 3pm), and then even after that they won’t eat any meat or meat by-products. I haven’t really understood the reasoning – some … Read More
So I finally got a chance to go out to the Rift valley this weekend – although it wasn’t really intentional. We were supposed to be on a flight to Harar (a walled Muslim city from the at least the 12th century), but Ethiopian Airlines gave us the wrong time… they gave me an itinerary … Read More