There are a couple things I really happen to like in this world …

• Scotch
• A good curry duck …
• Gondolas / Skycars
• Waterfalls

If you love waterfalls as much as I happen to … then the next place on your bucket list should be Iceland. The land of fire and ice has a couple great things about it

• Extreme landscapes with raging glacial rivers
• Vast sand deserts
• Simmering hot springs
• The cleanest air and tap water in the world (Probably some of the coldest tap water also)

however, you can’t really pass up looking at waterfalls in Iceland.

As you navigate the country on the Ring Road in your rental (and you really must rent a car in Iceland, even though it can be horrifically expensive … it is one place in the world, where it is completely worth it), you can see most waterfalls with a simple detour off the Ring Road.

As you drive from Reyjavik, your first waterfall stop will probably be :

1. Gullfoss.

I don’t know why it’s called the Golden Falls, but it is the most famous waterfall in Iceland because of its size, volume and accessibility – it is also by definition a major tourist spot.  The Hvita River, coming off the Langjökull Glacier, falls 32 meters into a deep canyon that is hidden by a wall of mist.

A safe walk way has been built for people to walk rightup to the falls, while at the top of the falls is another viewing deck where a different vantage point is available – I do love the fact that there aren’t a gazillion safety rails blocking you from the falls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcQwzDurYgY

2. Seljalandsfoss

Your next stop from the road will probably be Seljalandsfoss. Seljalandsfoss is another famous waterfalls – due to the fact that you can walk behind the falls with no issues whatsoever. Also it’s right by the ring road and you can see the falls from the road – how much more convenient, would you like your attractions and waterfalls?

Now you have two options for viewing this waterfall.

1. You can take the safe route and go see it in the day … this is understandable and you’ll enjoy yourself.
2. Or you can go the waterfalls in the darkest night at 2am with wind and freezing rain slapping you in the face and then traverse the trail that goes behind the waterfalls

Guess which option, I prefer? Obviously, excuse my pronunciation of the Seljalandsfoss – but I did manage to figure out how to say Kirkjubæjarklaustur (pronounced [ˈcʰɪrcjʏˌpaɪjarˌkʰlœɪstʏr]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVaKAjsc0cU

 3. Skógafoss

Your next stop about 15 minutes down the road from Seljalandsfoss is Skógafoss. Again, super convenient and awesome … how much better can you get for a lazy Trinidadian. I want all my highlights quick and easy to get to – to hell with all this damn nature hiking and fresh air and clean water! The cliffs are a former coastline, much like Seljalandsfoss. Those cliffs, among other mountains, mark the borderline between the coastal lowlands and the highlands of Iceland – that’s a nice fact isn’t it?

Want another awesome fact : Skógarfoss is astonishingly white, just like everyone in Iceland!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5-8grbZQVo

Along the way, if you manage to get some sunshine (the weather can be notoriously fickle in Iceland), you run into random waterfalls just to grant you awesome pictures. Foss a Sidu (or more accurately Foss á Siðu, which literally means “waterfall at Siðu”) was a conspicuous waterfall as we drove along Southern Iceland along the Ring Road … and thankfully the sun made for a great picture.

4. Svartifoss

The first waterfall that we actually had to get out and do a bit of hiking was Svartifoss. You can see the people walking on the rock bridge in the distance.

Svartifoss was one of those memorable waterfalls thanks to hanging hexagonal basalt columns underlying it. While basalt columns aren’t anything new around waterfalls nor is this waterfall very big (it’s only 20m tall), it seems that the basalt columns on this waterfall are very pronounced.

Unlike Gullfoss, which I couldn’t figure the Golden Falls nickname … The name of the falls is translated into something like “black falls,” … it’s pretty easy to figure out the name. With the basalt columns, it looks like something from Star Trek …  but it is definitely another tourist haven. I really liked these falls …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhtTx0pGdTY

Driving along the Ring Road, you’ll continue to see more waterfall at the side of the road, again with very little hiking or walking. Litlanesfoss is shown below.

5. Barnafoss

Another one of my favorites is the little hike to see the children’s falls …

We did a little bit of a walk to reach this rapids flanked by lava walls and rocks. The walk probably takes around 20-30 minutes round trip.

I am missing two obvious waterfalls in Dettifoss and Goðafoss – the days we passed by those waterfalls, we had extremely bad weather … and it was pretty unfortunate, since those are also great lazy waterfalls.

© rishiray for Rishi Sankar: Ah Trini Travelogue / Ah Trini Traveller, 2012. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: iceland, Iceland’s favorite waterfalls, land of fire and ice, skogafoss waterfall iceland, svartifoss travel blog, waterfalls, waterfalls iceland travel blog, waterfalls in iceland, waterfalls of iceland

On my first trip to Mexico years ago, I remember my friends telling me that it was unsafe, full of drugs, hookers, bandits and that everyone would try to take my stuff at every turn. In Trinidad, the bandit copied the “Colombian” kidnapping habit, hence my Trini friends would tell me that they knew someone, who knew someone else who was kidnapped or murdered in Latin America, about how their favourite pastime ”is kidnapping tourists”. Of course, the media sensationalizes everything today and has a pesky habit of accentuating the negative aspects about different parts of the world.

It’s like when I go to US every other week to work. The average American client person thinks that Canada is cold all the time and that there are marauding polar bears everywhere and that we have rogue weekly avalanches  – I’ve never seen a Polar Bear outside of the zoo … but it is about what generalizations will spread.  As ridiculous as some of the assumptions people have about parts of the world, there are some very simple things we can do to ensure that we don’t become a part of other people’s stories.  Here are my quick tips to traveling safely in the Latin America or even in Trinidad – but they are applicable generally everywhere.

1. Take the taxi around – they’re cheap, especially if you can haggle!
   During the day, I am usually pretty confident about just walking around, however at night, taking a recognized taxi is always the safer approach. For instance, In Buenos Aires, I walked around as much as I could, especially since taxis are a chore but at night I always took a taxi. In Rio … I always took a taxi, even in the day… Rio is rough … ! In Morocco, I had the best tour of Fez ever for a couple dollars. Although it might seem like overkill at times, especially if your hostel or hotel is just blocks away, taxis generally are much safer than walking, above all at night.  We hear horror stories all the time about taxis taking people for all they have, but in reality this is a rarity.  If you want to be extra careful, have the bar call a certified taxi and make sure you are not alone. We all know the stories where drunk tourist decided to walk .. got robbed and lost hundreds of dollars/cameras/shoes etc … when they could have spent 2.50$ a person and gotten home safely.

   

2. Spread the money around … your body
   Simple and easy tip, yet I read travel forums and horror stories all the time about people being robbed of everything and their religion. Don’t keep all your money in one place. Do however keep “enough” money, in case you ever get robbed … hence walking with 20 pesos in Mexico per pocket is stupid … if you do get robbed, handing over only 20 pesos will get you beaten up plus robbed, and probably strip searched by your potential bandits.

   

3. Always keep a copy of your passport and never your actual passport
   When traveling to a foreign country, especially one where you don’t speak the language, never take your passport along with you. Have multiple photocopies and scan a high resolution copy and email it to yourself, in case you lose your copies.

   Repeat after me : Your passport is your life. Say it 100 times. Losing your passport in a foreign country, is akin to you being in a non fatal car crash. It’s serious, stays on your record if your embassy has to get involved and will absolutely RUIN your trip. Photocopies will quickly prove who you are, and get you back on the road quickly. Plus in some parts of Latin America, it is the law to at least have a photocopy.

   

4. Walk it, like you invented it
   Do you ever question a guy who said he invented something? Nope .. why? Cause he said so. When going to anywhere new, act like you’ve been there before and walk with confidence. This is a difficult trick to master for the inexperienced traveler – it only comes with experience and that certain “screw you” attitude that some people naturally have.If you stand around looking like a hyper-vigilant, paranoid tourist; then you will be treated like one. Do you see locals staring around? No .. cause they know what they are doing … even if you have no clue where you are going … you can always simply ask to get to somewhere interesting. I’ve done it enough times and it’s worked 100% of the time for me.   

   
   

5. Talk to the locals
   They know where to go and where not to go … simple, easy … now write that down <scribble> “Talk to locals .. check!”  The locals are hidden in this picture!

   

6. Don’t fall asleep on buses … unless …You’re at the back of the bus, by yourself.
   I’ve met too many people who lost their stuff on the bus. Food, bags, shopping … all gone with a little nap.   
   
7. Trust your insincts … if it doesn’t feel right, it isn’t right!
   

© rishiray for Rishi Sankar: Ah Trini Travelogue / Ah Trini Traveller, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: argentina, brazil, chile, honduras, how to, latin america travel, mexico, travel, travel in latin american, travel safely in latin america

A must do side trip when visiting Toronto is visiting Niagara Falls. In fact, it is one of the most frequently asked questions on any “Visit Toronto” travel forum and it is a question I always get, especially those of us who like to play cards. Here are a couple cheap ways to get to Niagara Falls - the first two methods involve the Casino. If you’re against the Casinos … there are other cheap ways to get there. Using the regular bus service is about $70, which is a complete rip off.

Approach #1

Safeway tours goes to the casino in Niagara Falls for $5. Here’s how it works:

• Call and make a reservation. The number is you call 416-593-0593
• You get on the bus at a designated time Chinatown or at the intersection of College St and Yonge St. Bus Schedule is here – click on “Toronto”
• The fee is $25
• The bus takes you Casino Niagara, which is about a twenty min walk from the falls (you can ask them for a map at the front desk – later on)
• Make sure you have valid ID (Passport, Valid driver’s license) and go to the rewards desk and sign up for a free members card as well as a coupon for 10 dollars
• You walk into the casino and can immediately cash in the coupon and receive your 10 dollars back
• Hang out at the Falls and have to spend a couple hours there – take pictures, go on a ride, take the PeopleMover bus (Fee required)
• NEXT time you go, and you already HAVE the member card, you will only pay 15 dollars on the bus and receive a 10 dollar coupon. you will therefore only pay $5  for a return trip to Niagara Falls

  good good?

The bus fare for regular Players Advantage Club (PAC) members is $5 each person and free of charge for Elite, Premium, Platinum or Gold card holders. For guests without a PAC card, $25 bus fare applies. Participants must be over 19 years of age, and a valid government-issued photo ID is required upon boarding buses bound to the casino. Backpacks are not allowed. Safeway Tours reserves the right to charge $25 if either valid photo ID or PAC card is not presented at the time of boarding.

Approach #2

• Take the Niagara Fallsview bus.
• Simple – go through the schedule, pick your time and head out. Once you have a valid members card, then you’ll be fine.

Approach #3

Avis rents cars for super cheap ($30) if you have your own insurance, you just need gas. Free unlimited mileage.
Gather 4 friends and voila, the trip’ll cost you about $15-$20 each and you can stop and see some of the beautiful sites on the way as well.

Approach #4 – For Bikers

Take the GO train to Burlington ($15 roundtrip) and bike to Niagara Falls. It’s roughly 74kms each way so depending on what kind of a biker you are, you may want to stay overnight somewhere. In summer you can stay at Brock U’s res for real cheap or camp out somewhere.

© rishiray for Rishi Sankar: Ah Trini Travelogue / Ah Trini Traveller, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: how to get from toronto to niagara falls, how to get to niagara falls for free, Niagara Falls, Toronto

Nothing like a reminder of lovely places and sunrises as a pick me up in the morning.

© rishiray for Rishi Sankar: Ah Trini Travelogue / Ah Trini Traveller, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Tikal

I can’t tell you how many people were tickled by our attempts to pronounce the name of this town. It was ridiculous and I think that while travelling through Iceland, the two trickiest town names that we tried were Kirkjubæjarklaustur and Höfn.
Trying to pronounce Höfn is like trying to inhale and speak at the same time, and there doesn’t seem to be a firm rule on how it should be pronounced. Its seriously pronounced like you hiccup and get startled at the sametime. Another blogger described pronouncing Höfn somewhere between “hep” and “hup”, with a glottal stop. I always wonder about how people come up with this stuff… the same question comes up when I think about the rotting shark dish : Hákarl or kæstur hákarl. Who exactly decided that they would eat this stuff??

I found a receipe on how to prepare “rotten” shark but the awesome thing about this webpage was the warning that you shouldn’t try this at home unless you know what the end product is supposed to taste like and that Putrefied shark can become spoiled. WHAT!?!?!? How can something that is rotting become more spoiled?? It is like a dead person being more dead – you dont have more than one type of “DEAD”. Dead is always dead! Yanno!!!

So quoting from http://www.simnet.is/gullis/jo/shark.htm

I read in a book that fresh shark is unsuitable for eating because there is uremic acid in the flesh. This I am inclined to believe, considering that cured shark smells like stagnant urine or ammonia. It has also been claimed that that there is cyanic acid in shark meat. Fresh shark meat is said to have caused people to vomit blood. The curing process removes the acid from the flesh and makes it easier to digest. Connoisseurs of strong cheese generally like cured shark on the first bite. Others find it to be an aquired taste…

Traditional method:
Take one large shark, gut and discard the innards, the cartilage and the head. Cut flesh into large pieces.Wash in running water to get all slime and blood off. Dig a large hole in coarse gravel, preferably down by the sea and far from the nearest inhabited house – this is to make sure the smell doesn’t bother anybody. Put in the shark pieces, and press them well together. It’s best to do this when the weather is fairly warm (but not hot), as it hastens the curing process. Cover with more gravel and put heavy rocks on top to press down. Leave for 6-7 weeks (in summer) to 2-3 months (in winter). During this time, fluid will drain from the shark flesh, and putrefication will set in. 

When the shark is soft and smells like ammonia, remove from the gravel, wash, and hang in a drying shack. This is a shack or shed with plenty of holes to let the wind in, but enough shade to prevent the sun from shining directly on the shark. Let it hang until it is firm and fairly dry: 2-4 months. Warm, windy and dry weather will hasten the process, while cold, damp and still weather will delay it.

Slice off the brown crust, cut the whitish flesh into small pieces and serve, preferably with a shot of ice-cold brennivín.
 
The modern method for curing shark relies on putting it into a large container with a drainage hole, and letting it cure as it does when buried in gravel.

Like seriously! Who figured this stuff out??? How does that first person figure out that they can eat this stuff??? It still amazes me!!! The Icelanders have a festival in which the goal is to eat the most crap. Its called Þorramatur and this consists of many different foods. The only thing in the list that I would even consider eating would be the dry bread.

It includes:

Kæstur hákarl, putrefied Greenland shark
Súrsaðir hrútspungar, the testicles of rams pressed in blocks, boiled and cured in lactic acid.
Svið, singed and boiled sheep heads, sometimes cured in lactic acid
Sviðasulta, head cheese or brawn made from svið, sometimes cured in lactic acid
Lifrarpylsa (liver sausage), a sausage made from the offal and liver of sheep kneaded with rye flour
Blóðmör (blood-fat; also known as slátur, meaning slaughter), a type of blood pudding, which is prepared like lifrarpylsa without the liver and adding blood.
Harðfiskur, wind-dried fish (often cod, haddock or seawolf), served with butter
Rúgbrauð (rye bread), traditional Icelandic rye bread
Hangikjot, (hung meat), smoked and boiled lamb or sheep meat
Lundabaggi, sheep’s loins wrapped in the meat from the sides, pressed and cured in lactic acid
Selshreifar, seal’s flippers cured in lactic acid

© rishiray for Rishi Sankar: Ah Trini Travelogue / Ah Trini Traveller, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: how do you pronounce Höfn, how do you pronounce Kirkjubæjarklaustur, What is Hákarl, What is kæstur hákarl

I think back to 2007 and touring Tokyo and Kyoto… now perusing the papers while I’m on the bench and I happen to see this gem of an article….oh tourists (myself included in tourists, why do we fuck things up for everyone else, excluded from fucking shit up)

TOKYO: CAN TOURISTS BE TRUSTED IN TSUKIJI?

Just don’t lick the tuna

Foreign visitors overwhelm the world’s largest seafood market

SHINO YUASA

Associated Press

February 7, 2009

TOKYO — Tourists are known for acting silly sometimes. You have to cut them some slack. But licking the tuna?

Overwhelmed by an increasing number of misbehaving tourists at the world’s largest seafood market, Tokyo fishmongers decided last month to put their foot down, temporarily banning all visitors from one of the most popular tourist destinations: their predawn tuna auctions.

The ban, which was lifted earlier this month, was front-page news in Japan. Now, the tourists are back, but the debate goes on: Can tourists be trusted in Tsukiji?

“We understand that the sight of hundreds of frozen tuna looks unique and interesting for foreign tourists,” said Yoshiaki Takagi, the deputy director of the market. “But they have to understand the Tsukiji market is a professional place, not an amusement park.”

The sprawling Tsukiji market dates to the 16th century, when the military rulers who had just moved Japan’s capital to Tokyo – then called Edo – wanted to ensure that they had a proper channel to get enough fish to their hungry vassals at the nearby castle.

Today, Japan is the world’s biggest consumer of seafood. The market handles 480 kinds of seafood, bringing around 40,000 buyers and sellers daily. The value of its seafood trade amounts to about $25-million a day on average, making it the heart of the national seafood distribution system and the biggest fish wholesale market in the world.

It is the kind of place that Japanese take for granted, like, say, a big pencil factory might be ignored in the West.

But because of its long history, the traditional way that the fish are auctioned off by men in rubber boots and baseball hats using arcane hand signals, and the volume and variety of fish available there every day, it has become a big hit with foreigners.

Takagi said nearly 90 per cent of visitors for tuna auctions are non-Japanese.

“In Holland, we have a flower market, a cheese market, but nothing like the Tsukiji market,” said Jan Groeneweg, a 55-year-old banking analyst from the Netherlands who came before sunrise to see a tuna sale. “It’s one of the top 10 attractions in Tokyo.”

But popularity has brought its problems.

One of the more notorious recent cases was that of a drunken British tourist – caught by a Japanese TV crew – who licked the head of a frozen tuna while two others, also caught on TV, rode on a trolley used by wholesalers.

“Tuna is a very expensive fish,” Takagi said. “One tuna can easily cost more than $13,000. But some tourists touch them and even try to hug them.”

Fed up, the market decided to impose a ban on visitors to tuna auctions for its peak season at New Year’s.

So, when on Jan. 5, the first auctioning day of the year, a premium bluefin tuna fetched $132,000, the highest in nearly a decade, no tourists were anywhere in sight.

The restriction was lifted on Jan. 19, despite some grumbling from the fishmongers.

The most common complaint from auctioneers is tourists using flash cameras, which makes it difficult for them to read the finger signal code used for bidding. The market put up English signs saying, “No Flash!” but that was widely ignored, Takagi said.

“The flash of cameras really bothers me. Since I don’t speak English, I make gestures to ask foreign tourists not to use a flash. Most of them stop, but some just keep doing it,” tuna buyer Yasumasa Oshima said.

After the ban was lifted, the market began distributing leaflets at the entrance of the tuna auction site in English, Chinese, Korean and Russian, as well as Japanese. Along with the no-flash warning, it tells visitors to stay within the observation area and leave promptly after the auctions, which open at 5.

The post-ban crowds have been better behaved.

“This is something you only see on the Discovery Channel,” said Chris Szydlo, a 33-year-old American business consultant from Florida. “We don’t have anything like this, not even close.”

© rishiray for Rishi Sankar: Ah Trini Travelogue / Ah Trini Traveller, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: http://www.hungryinhogtown.com/

Things that one doesn’t think about.. but is different about this city!!

1. Warm up to shopping in the Underground City
2. Ride the funicular to the top of the leaning tower over the Olympic Stadium, part of the ‘legacy’ from the 1976 Games, and the city’s best viewpoint.
3. Eating the best bagel around at St Viateur and Fairmont Bagels
4. Having dinner at the Delta Centre-Ville with one of the best views in the city.
5. Hanging out in the Old Port in Montreal.
6. Go check out the stars in
7.  the Planetarium
8. See a show at Place Des Arts
9. Good music at the Montreal Symphony Orchestra or McGill Student Orchestra
10. Speaking of McGill, tour the grounds and explore the campus.
11. Go skating in the Atrium.I’ve done this once and I know I won’t do it again but hey it is something fun to do!
12. BioDome and Botanical Gardens…in the winter … I don’t know about that!
13. Eat a Foie Gras poutine, have two steamies at La Belle Province and then head to Schwartz or Rubens for Smoked Meat.
14. Go smoke shisha and have turkish coffee with some of Lebanese food on the continent.
15. Sit in the horse drawn sleigh rides in Mont Royal
16. Food touring in Jean Talon market…and have a poutine in there!
17. Sugar shacking in Mont Tremblant.
18. Have coffee at Second Cup at Stanley St and St Catherines
19. Go for the lunch buffet at Chez Paree! ha!
20. Bar Hopping on Crescent St
21. Go paddle boating in Beaver Park, or Jean Drapeau park or the Old Port
22. How about clubbing on St Laurent and have a pint at Vol De Nuit and then some pitchers at Annie’s and then go dancing and hang off the rafters at Le Lodge
23. Biking on the Lachine Canal
24. Climb Mont Royal and hike through the forest at the top
25. See Montreal from Notre Dame Basillica and the view at Snowdon
26. Go shopping during the St Laurent Street Sale
27. Boustan and Amirs on De Maissoneuve, nothing else needs to be said.
28. Have dinner at O’Noirs….

I guess most things I can associate with Montreal is food. Now I’m determined to have dinner at O’Noirs… and I guess time to start Toronto F’n'C…

© rishiray for Rishi Sankar: Ah Trini Travelogue / Ah Trini Traveller, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 25 things to do in Montreal, a weekend in montreal, best things to do in Montreal

So two days ago I was reading the news and I saw that Venice had suffered it worst flooding in more than 20 years. I saw the pictures on the news and realized that no matter how much technology we have and how much engineering we have, we really cannot defy Mother Nature.

December 2, 2008

Tourists warned to stay away as Venice suffers worst flooding for two decades

Sirens sounded across Venice yesterday as flooding submerged 95 per cent of the city and left tourists in St Mark’s Square thigh-deep in water.

The highest water levels in more than 20 years paralysed services. Elderly residents were carried to high ground and some people took to the piazzas in inflatable dinghies.

As the water retreated it left a layer of sludge and debris. There were fears of more flooding, with another surge into the city from the Adriatic predicted today as high tides coincide with bad weather. Temperatures in the past few days have barely risen above freezing.

“Venice is completely paralysed,” one official said. “We are submerged.” Massimo Cacciari, the Mayor of Venice, advised residents and tourists to avoid moving around unless it was unavoidable. “Anyone thinking of coming should think again,” he said. “These are exceptionally high waters. Don’t venture out unless it is necessary.”

Driven by strong winds and heavy rain, the water rose to just over 5ft above sea level, the highest acqua alta since the 5ft 2in (1.6m) of 1986. The tide monitoring centre gave warning that the levels could yet reach a 30-year high.The water reached 6ft 4in above sea level in 1966, causing devastation to homes, shops and historic monuments and artworks.

Workers set up duckboards and elevated walkways, and text messages with updates were sent to those who had registered with the flood warning service. Ground-floor pumps were activated in homes and shops.

Officials said that the red alert put out yesterday at dawn remained in force. With wellington boots defeated by the rising waters some residents used fishing-style waders. Householders without pumps struggled to bail out water with buckets.

Some tourists were seen photographing each other while wading through the flooded streets and piazzas. Many said that they had been charmed by the water wonderland. “The hotel had to turn off the gas and the electricity but they made us a nice candlelit cold lunch,” said Yacob Laurent, a visitor from Paris. “They gave us boots and my wife and I went for a walk. It was a lot of fun.”

The flooding was compounded by a national transport strike, which affected the Venice vaporetto or water bus service. Giancarlo Galan, the head of the Veneto region, said that the workers had chosen a bad time to strike. “I’d like to give them a medal for their sense of responsibility,” he said sarcastically.

The entire city, founded on a collection of marshy islands in the 5th century, suffers from periodic flooding. The growing severity and frequency of the floods is attributed to silt deposits raising the floor of the lagoon and a rise in sea levels caused by global warming.

Italian meteorologists said that the entire country was being affected by bad weather, with driving rain, snow, hail and high winds causing flooding from the Alps to Palermo. Many roads in Piedmont, Liguria and Lombardy were closed and Rome was hit by hail and rainstorms, with fallen trees blocking roads and cars submerged in flooded road tunnels.

In Udine, not far from Venice, one man was killed when a wall collapsed. Another died when driving rain, wind and poor visibility were blamed for a traffic pile-up. Residents of Trieste said the main square had been flooded.

Then I thought back to the pictures of Venice that we took when we were there earlier this year….

© rishiray for Rishi Sankar: Ah Trini Travelogue / Ah Trini Traveller, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: st mark's square, venice at night, what to do in italy, what to do in Venice at night

So on Saturday afternoon, after our Blizzard nightmare on Friday night, we decided that we would do lunch and the Alexander Keith’s Brewery tour.

Our course I was told that I looked like a pirate… hence I was pointed to the sign!

I really enjoyed this tour! As I think one young lady said during the tour “let go of your burdens and really enjoy yourselves”. If you do this you will have a fantastic time on the tour. I think the whole point of this is to be unique and it is treated more like an experience rather than a tour, as if you are actually traveling back in time to meet Mr. Keith.
The actors really brought the history to life and the songs were great as was the beer, icy cold and straight out of a keg. The price was 15$ a person…. now as far as the price goes, how much is a beer in downtown Halifax? 5 dollars maybe six plus add cover charge where ever you are going? You get two beers on the tour so that’s $10 and the difference is not bad considering the quality entertainment and information was so great.

The tour really consisted of the Video, then seeing the Boilers

After that, we got serenaded and got to tasting of the beer. The beer was fresh and cold and refreshing!!

All in all…. quite a great tour…. and awesome food!!!!

© rishiray for Rishi Sankar: Ah Trini Travelogue / Ah Trini Traveller, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

So we start our morning at the Westin Nova Scotian and after meeting the girls last night at a bar in Downtown Halifax, the first thing that struck me last night was how small the city was. Once you cross the bridge from Dartmouth into Halifax and pass the Canadian Forces Base, you’re greeted by the Casino (more on the Casion in a bit), then drive down Barrington Street for 5 minutes and your at the end of Downtown Halifax. That’s it!

Anyways, after the semi-early wake up, we decided to head over to Historic Henry House for brunch and I was introduced to the first post drinking custom of Maritimers…. the morning after Caesar…. seriously. I thought the Newfies I knew were kidding, but there are always brunch specials on Caesars in the morning. The thought of a Caesar in the morning is almost enough to make me barf, since Water and a good meal are always my saviours.

I has previously decided that I was going on a F’n C tour of Halifax, so this morning was my first F’n C of the weekend, I knew right way that there would be many more F’n Cs. Now I would write more about Henry House, but why should I when others can do it better….here is a write-up on the Best Canadian Pubs blog…http://greatcanadianpubs.blogspot.com/2008/07/henry-house-halifax-ns-part-1.html

In 1985, Kevin Keefe a brew master by trade, purchased the building at 1222 Barrington Street to re-locate his Ginger’s Taven, which was the 2nd brew pub in the nation at the time (the craft brewing industry had yet to grapple the country). The move allowed Keefe to expand his brewing capacity of English style, unpasteurized ales and he called the new location the Granite Brew Pub. Here Keefe brewed ales like Peculiar, Best Bitter’s, India Pale Ale, Stout and more using only natural ingredients with no preservatives or artificial carbonation. His ales along with his terrific food menu created a following and it didn’t take long to see that Keefe was onto something. Not long after, due to the Granite’s success, Keefe’s brother Ron opened a larger brew pub and store in Toronto, ON that has helped create the Ontario craft beer scene. It wasn’t until 2001 when a man by the name of Bill Alsop would happen to visit the Granite and change Keefe’s operating plans for the future.

In September of 2001, Bill Alsop would get in his car and make the drive from his home in Toronto, ON to Halifax to get his daughter settled into her new residence at Dalhousie University. As the story goes, Alsop figured he needed a couple of days to make sure his daughter had everything she needed before he got on his way. After meeting her roommates though, Alsop was left to wander the city during the day while his daughter socialized. By sheer chance, Alsop stumbled onto the Granite Brew Pub and was fascinated by the grand architect of the building’s granite and ironstone structure. Hailing originally from England, Alsop was quickly reminded of homes back in his native country. Upon entering the establishment Alsop fell in love with the ambiance of the place, the beer and the pub. He called his wife Donna on his cell phone and promptly asked her if she wanted to purchase the pub. Her response, “sure”, and for a year and a half, the Alsop’s did everything they could to convince Kevin Keefe to sell them the building.

It is believed that the house was originally built in 1834, yet some visitors and historians alike have told the Alsop’s that the house might have been constructed closer to 1812. It was built in the suburbs of Halifax on what was known as Pleasant Street which was home to other wealthy Halifax descendants. It was built with granite that was shipped over seas from Scotland, and ironstone from Nova Scotia creating a strong foundation. The building’s architect as a side hall building is unique in itself and led the house to garner distinction as a Historical Property. The house would go on to be the home of one of Canada’s most influential leaders of the 1800’s in a man by the name of William Alexander Henry.

Henry was born in 1816 in Halifax but moved away to Antigonish where at 24 years of age he became the youngest member of the House of Assembly. He went on to be named the Attorney General of Nova Scotia, a job which relocated him back to Halifax in 1854 and prompted him to purchase what is now known as The Henry House. Henry wasn’t done there. He went on to be a founding father of confederation, helped write the British North American Act, and was the first Supreme Court Judge appointed from Nova Scotia.

After Henry’s departure from the house, the building endured years of new residents and was primarily used as a home. It was in the 1960’s, where some renovations took place in the house to create a fine dining restaurant. The owners decided to name the restaurant “The Henry House” paying homage to the man who once lived there. The downstairs pub was created and named “Little Stone Jug” and not much has changed since. In 1985 Keefe entered the picture and the Granite Brew Pub was created.

After the Alsop’s purchased the building in 2003, they relocated to Halifax from their home in Toronto to embark on a venture. Both retired and with no experience in the hospitality industry, they didn’t’ know what to expect. They knew that the Granite Brew Pub had a loyal following of people that appreciated great ales and terrific food so their first decision was a simple one: keep Granite’s ales on tap and don’t change the menu too drastically. One decision the Alsop’s made was to change the name back to “The Henry House” out of respect to the man who once lived there.

Like in every great pub, you must serve great food. The Henry House’s food goes above today’s standard pub grub like deep fried wings and deep fried potato skins by serving delicious pub food prepared by Chef Eric Orickle, with specialties like the Ultimate burger, Bangers and Mash, and Steak and Kidney Pies which are all crafted by hand. The burgers are the most popular item on the menu next to their beer, and Donna credits their success to Orickle’s preparation and attention to detail. Everything on the menu is fresh, bought locally and prepared the day of. All sauces, dips and soups are made in the morning ensuring freshness and Orickle creates wonderful daily specials that leave you completely satisfied. But the Henry House isn’t just known for its terrific food. No, the Henry House is known for its beer, its hospitality and its good nature.

When Keefe sold the building to the Alsop’s in 2003, Bill already knew that Haligonians and Nova Scotians alike were finding the Granite’s ales interesting in taste and flavour and the pub had developed a loyal fan base. Bill, being from England and all, loved the ales himself and thought he shouldn’t mess with something so good. So the Alsop’s stuck with Keefe’s ales and to this day Keefe delivers the fresh cask conditioned beers and kegs to the Henry House personally. The lineup of ales include: the award winning Peculiar ale (that was designed after the famous “Old Yorkshire Peculiar Ale” in England), Best Bitter, Best Bitter Special, India Pale Ale, Keefe’s Irish Stout, and Ringwood Ale. There are also mixed beer creations like the Black and Tan, Lunatic Stout and more. The Peculiar, Bitter and Best Bitter Special are all cask conditioned, which means the beer is still fermenting in the keg and later it is pushed out with beer gas through hand pumps which prevents CO2 that causes bloated-ness.

So the F’n C was pretty good, not too heavily battered, fresh and tasty and the fries were homemade. Diane has the Pies and Fries, which she really ordered just because it rhymed; I have never been a fan of English meat pies, because they just taste like boiled ground meat in puff pastry… once again, I have not been proved wrong, it was pretty bland and tasteless, but typical English fare. I forgot what Eryn got, but couldn’t have been that memorable, if I don’t remember. However, the beer was great….the Maritimers love their Beer and I could see why…. The Keith’s draft was fresh, such a change from the regular bottled barfness that one can get. BTW the Keith’s Brewery was down the street and with such a small town radius, I wouldn’t be surprised that there was an underground Beer line running through Halifax.

So after lunch, it was straight on to Peggy’s Cove. Peggy’s Cove is Halifax’s biggest tourist trap for sure. Wanna know how I know, there are signs everywhere leading to this place. Signs from Halifax, on the road from Halifax and all outside Halifax. However, we were blessed with some gorgeous weather and lighting that made for some great photography.

Now obviously Fishing is the number one occupation in these parts and boats and lobster traps lined up each bay and small harbour we drove past.

The drive from Halifax to Peggy’s Cove was quite picturesque and the great lighting made for some great scenes. There was snow covering all the pines trees along the road and with the slow thaw, it made for great shooting, unfortunately we never stopped to take pictures of the road *sigh*…. but we didn’t know that the whole world was talking about Shaw’s Landing until we saw it for ourselves…

So after about a 45 minute drive, we got to Peggy’s Cove and it was definitely a postcard type town and vista.

Quite the cold day though.. or so we thought until later that night. More pictures…

However after our trip through Peggy’s Cove, the next stop was the small Historic Town of Lunenberg..

I think the Tourist blog for Lunenberg is pretty apt here…

The Town of Lunenburg, in Nova Scotia, Canada, was formally established in 1753 as the first British Colonial settlement in Nova Scotia outside of Halifax. These early settlers were from various parts of Germany, Switzerland, and the Montbeliard region of France. They ship imagefollowed in the footsteps of earlier Mikmaq and Acadian inhabitants in the area. A vibrant and stable economy was built on farming, fishing, ship building and ocean-based commerce, particularly in the West Indies trade. More than 200 years in fishing, ship-building and marine related industries has provided Lunenburg with a strong economic base.

A view from Lunenburg’s beautiful waterfront today will take in many of these established marine industries. Among these are: High Liner Foods Inc., one of the largest fish processing plants in North America; Lunenburg Industrial Foundry and Engineering Ltd., founded in 1891; Scotia Trawler; Adams and Knickle; Deep Sea Trawlers; ABCO Industries Ltd., founded in 1947; and the Lunenburg Marine Railway, one of the largest marine railway complexes in Nova Scotia. A diversified economy based on the fisheries, tourism and manufacturing has become firmly entrenched in Lunenburg. The Town of Lunenburg’s 250th anniversary in 2003 is a testament to this.

The Town of Lunenburg offers visitors many architectural delights. Houses, businesses, churches and public buildings from the late 1700s and particularly early 1800s are still being used today. The Town’s German heritage has been maintained and promoted and the history of the fishing industry has been captured in the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. In 1992, the Government of Canada designated “Old Town” Lunenburg as a National Historic District. In 1995, the World Heritage Committee, under the auspices of UNESCO, recognized Lunenburg’s cultural and natural heritage by adding it to their World Heritage List.

Old Town Lunenburg has been designated by the Government of Canada as a place of National Historic Significance. Lunenburg is part of the family of National Historic Sites, one of more than 800 places across Canada which help define the important aspects of Canada’s diverse heritage and identity. For more information visit the Parks Canada Website.

Due to its strong Maritime culture, Lunenburg has retained close ties with fellow Maritimers in the New England states, such as Gloucester, Massachusetts. Lunenburg’s rich German heritage has also made it a popular destination for European visitors.

There some stunning houses and quaint shops in Lunenberg.

Of course at the harbour, I had my second F’nC for the day as well as the Captain’s Feast… all fresh scallops, mussels, pan fried salmon, baked haddock. Yum!

The seafood did not disappoint me at all, and I have come to the conclusion that Halifax is kinda like a Texan or Carolinas town…. people are friendly, the service is good, the locals haven’t seen many brown people, they like their beer and the food portions are ridiculously huge. You cannot come to any Maritime town in my experience (Moncton, St John’s, PEI) and not appreciate the people and how nice they are. So refreshing after working in NYC for the last couple months… with the snarky & smarmy people, high prices for everything and small portions of bland food.

© rishiray for Rishi Sankar: Ah Trini Travelogue / Ah Trini Traveller, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Canada, Halifax 2008