February, 2010

• 13 February

  Walking Segovia through pictures
• 13 February

  Crazy basilica police and cold fingers

  Standing outside the side facade at El Escorial, looking at another work of the church, one cannot help but wonder what the world of architecture would have been without the church and its money. El Escorial was, at once, a monastery and a Spanish royal palace. Originally a property of the Hieronymite monks, it is now an monastery of the Order …
• 13 February

  Can Cochinillo Asado come with a smile?

  Trinidadians are a very particular people when it comes to their meat and the preparation of meat in dishes. I prefer meat that is well seasoned with herbs and spices, and after this afternoon’s lunch of cochinilo asado, I know that meat only seasoned with salt and smoke, just isn’t for me. Cochinillo Asado is roasted baby pig. Its fatty outside …
• 12 February

  You CAN go up the Matterhorn with only a vest and no sleeves …

  

  provided that the following conditions are met : One has ample insulation to buffer cold temperatures One doesn’t mind answering questions about the cold One had large arms to dissuade people from asking questions about the cold It is a sunny day with no wind on top of the Matterhorn Walking through Zermatt is an experience and a cliche all in one. Seeing the …
• 10 February

  Las Cuevas Bay

  If Maracas Bay is the poster child for Trinidad’s beaches with its imported sand, “Bake and Shark” stalls and decent bathroom facilities, then Las Cuevas Bay must be her ugly sister. One has to drive about 10-15 minutes further down the North Coast road. It is easy driving with no forks in the road till the beach. This is another …
• 9 February

  10 day Spanish Travel Itinerary

  For those who like trip itineraries and making things shorter, my first draft of the Spanish Inquisition. Also here is the google map for this trip. For those who know better, please comment on this first draft via comments and let me know if this is a realistic first draft. Day 1 – Saturday 13th February 2010 – Madrid The …
• 9 February

  Impromptu travel planning 101

  When planning any last minute trip there are a couple things to keep in mind The first rule of any last-minute trip is to have no expectations about where you want to do. Specific locations add mandatory requirements to your planning. As long as something is mandatory and inflexible, one has to pay for that inflexibility. This is firm rule with popular tourist destinations like …
• 4 February

  Tapas and Hockey : the perfect mix … ok maybe not

  I’ve on the fence when it  comes to Spanish Tapas as actual food. In Trinidad, this would be considered ‘finger food’ or  “Cutters” as known in Trinidad, but in North America, it is a posh concept since the tiny appetizers are paired with good Spanish wine. That should be my new idea, pair Saheena or Pholourie with some Cabernet Sauvignon or a  nice …
• 3 February

  I’ll never understand Art.

  Oh how I wish I could wax philosophically about the meaning of the lines in a Kandinsky or how the jagged lines in a Picasso painting represented his madness or passion. Art is just one of those things, that I just don’t get. I love photographing sepia old buildings , beautiful vistas supersaturated with blues and greens, cracking black and white …

January, 2010

• 31 January

  Why bother with the farce of Winterlicious?

  When “Summerlicious” and “Winterlicious” started many years ago, I thought this was a great idea. There are many good aspects of the festival including: It made ridiculously high priced restaurants affordable and accessible to the masses. January is typically a slow month for the industry and the restaurants offer their fixe-prix menus during a slow time to lure new and old diners through …