Category: Uncategorized

Tacos and Tequila, A Mexican Christmas!

Published on by unanchoredeve1 Comment
This year my family and I escaped the cold and commercialism of Christmas and fled to Playa Del Carmen for 2017. My mother was thrilled to avoid spending hours waiting in line-ups and traffic for Christmas presents, ingredients for indulgent meals and unpacking boxes of Christmas decorations.

Playa Del Carmen

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We stayed at a beautiful Airbnb just a few blocks walking to the beach and right behind the Mexican version of Walmart, Mega, which my father adored since his favorite tequila was a third of the price there! My favorite restaurant was Nativo; you can get a liter smoothie for under $2.00, I got one stuffed with celery, parsley, and fresh orange juice. Also, a great place to eat local food for cheap.

 

Tours:
One day was spent on a tour we booked through our Airbnb to take a catamaran trip to Isla Mujeres.

Isla Mujeres

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We planned another small daytrip, for $10, we took a taxi to go to the day club, Grande Coral Beach. The beach was clean and beautiful, and you get a change of scenery from the busy, crowded beach near 5th ave.

Grande Coral Beach Club

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A bit of a further trek, but well worth it,  we took the ADO bus to Tulum, this was a neat jungle-like an oasis. If you are the adventurous type, book a kitesurfing lesson. We stayed for drinks and breakfast at La Zebra, a posh boutique hotel on the beach. It costs $25/per person for food or beverages to park here for the day, but well worth it, as to stay in this boutique hotel is $700/night! There was a mixologist from New York making the drinks.

Tulum

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Getting from -30 C to +30 C was the best present this year. You just can’t get a bow-tie around the sun! Anyone else have any interesting destination for the holidays? I need help planning next years escape!

Veggie Lasanga

Published on by unanchoredeve1 Comment

This is my second attempt at going sugar-free! Inspired by the current book I’m reading, Year of No Sugar, by Eve O. Schaub, I opted to try a new recipe. A vegetarian lasagna, both sugar-free and gluten-free, as a way to get more veggies and sharpen my culinary skills. I started out with making the veggie base, and it consisted of roasting a few vegetables in the oven, then adding a container of pumpkin puree and turning it into a puree in a Vitamix.

Tons of green veggies, ricotta, and mozzarella cheese were the main staples for this healthy meal! I found the recipe when I signed up for the 8 week, I quit sugar program.

 

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Voila!

Veggie Lasagna 4 (1 of 1)

 

 

How Hvar Stole my Heart!

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While it can be fun to visit tourist attractions during a vacation, at times this can mean waiting in long line ups, crowds and expensive tourist packages. One of my favorite ways to explore a new city is to meet a local and hire them as my guide. While hanging out a rooftop bar in the center square of Hvar, I was fortunate enough to meet a local, Ivo, who was kind enough to take his day off and show me some hidden gems of Hvar.  If you can’t befriend a local then be sure to rent a car! Here are some highlights from our day.

The Lavender Fields

A great souvenir to pick up from Croatia. Lavender oil is good to use on mosquito bites, for stress relief and it said to help put you to sleep when used on the bottoms of your feet.

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Farm Life

The old stone houses in Hvar were built for farmers, called kazun. Farmers carefully placed layers of stones stacked to build a small hut; the top of the conical roof had a hole so that smoke can come out.

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Reaching New Heights 

The highest point in Hvar: Sveti Nikola. This was a truly magical moment, I love reaching new highs, if only I was a bird!

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The Desire of Dubrovnik!

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Hello, a few words about my first city stop in Croatia! Once the shuttle into town took off, and the views of the Adriatic sea appeared I knew I was in love. I was dropped off at the Pile gate and took a taxi to a lovely Airbnb with an exceptional view.  I spent the evening exploring the old town, a huge stone palace, a perfect setting to get lost.

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Dubrovnik’s Ideal Sunset Spot: Busco Bar

Sit at the bar for a drink to watch the sunset. Tip, if there is no place to sit, venture further down and sit on the rocks belowDubrovnik2017-49Dubrovnik2017-51Dubrovnik2017-60Dubrovnik2017-52

Surrounded by the Sea

Take a day trip to Lokrum island. Take a 10 min ferry ride to break away from the excitement and bustle of the city center. Here you will find an ideal space for tranquil day.

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A High Up City Highlight!

Walk the city walls. If you are going during the busy tourist season, go after 5pm to avoid the busy hours full of buzzing cruise ship patrons.

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Accommodations:

Dubrovnik Airbnb (walking distance to city)

Dubrovnik Airbnb #2 (inside city walls)

 

 

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Split, the City for Romance!

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I was only three months old when my mom decided to leave me with my grandma and enjoy her honeymoon in Split, Croatia. Fast forward to about 31 years; now I was able to experience the charming city as well with a few friends from Montreal, Canada.

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A must for  is to wander through market stalls in any new city I can. Fortunately, the Pazar Green Market, open every day from 7 am to 2 pm and is located near the ferry port.  Items we picked up, fresh fruit, cheese, prosciutto, candied fruit.

Pazar Green Market

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Remember, it’s a market, this is the place to practice your negotiation skills 😉

Food for Thought

Since restaurants will use fake flavored truffle flavored oil,  you can get a good deal on these tasty morsels in the market, as the real thing is quite expensive!Split2017-7

Pizza & Pastry Pit Stop in Spit!

Food is good but mostly touristy. A Croatian girl I had met earlier in Hvar recommended that I try pizza in Split. It is a bit different, not a greasy from thick layers of cheese. Instead, I picked a vegetarian one. Elena, the lady in a shop, said was her favorite, a cartoon portrait of her drawn on the pastry shop wall.

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ZA!!!

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I imaged that since my parents chose Split for their romantic vacation, it would be a city full of romance. I think love was in the air, the love that comes from friendships, both new and old.  We adopted two goofy and heart-warming male escorts from Florida on our last night in Hvar. Luckily for us, they were also on their way to Split and we were thrilled they could join us for some sightseeing, dining and dancing!

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Accommodations:

Where we stayed: Split Airbnb

 

April 2017 Playlist

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Well, spring is in the air! With the warmer weather and longer hours of daylight, I chose to spend more time outside enjoying good music. Let me leave you with a few tunes and a great quote:

“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.” Ernest Hemingway

1. Kaleo- Way Down We Go
2. The Lumineers- Angela
3. Mark Farina – Dream Machine feat. Sean Hayes (Downtempo Mix)
4. (feat. Tove Lo) Nick Jonas- Close
5. (Ft. Son Mieux) The Him-Feels Like Home
6. Banks-Beggin For Thread
7. Ft. Bipolar Sunshine DJ Snake- Middle
8. The Arctic Monkeys- Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High
9. (Jane Doze Remix) Norman Laass-Pumping Blood
10. Chet Faker-No Diggity