Tag Archives: Year-end Lists

Posts from Base Camp

Food Highlights of the Year – Part 1

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I ate very, very well this year.   So well, in fact, that it is impossible to compile a single list of my dining highlights…even if I disregard the restaurants where I didn’t take pictures of my food!   As a result, I’ve decided to assemble two food lists and intersperse them with my other “best of” lists.  Here’s the first list of food highlights!

My lunch at Rumerlo - Insalata Carciofi (artichoke, reggiano parmigiano, walnuts, pomegranate, etc.)
My lunch at Rumerlo – Insalata Carciofi (artichoke, reggiano parmigiano, walnuts, pomegranate, etc.)

1.  On-mountain dining in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

Who says you can’t eat well while skiing?  I’ve always enjoyed European ski food, as the mountain restaurants have a demanding clientele and also need to justify their existence outside of the ski season.  The photo at the top of this post shows one of the best on-mountain places at Rumerlo:  everybody in our group raved about their food.

In this part of Europe, they call it " Bečka šnicla" rather than Wienerschnitzel. (Durmitor Restaurant, Žabljak, Montenegro)
In this part of Europe, they call it ” Bečka šnicla” rather than Wienerschnitzel. (Durmitor Restaurant, Žabljak, Montenegro)

2.  The Schnitzels of the former Yugoslavia

I was so taken with the schnitzels in Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina that I ate them almost every day.  I forgot to take pictures of most of them but the quality was generally excellent and the portions were huge.  Typically, I had already eaten a bunch of the fries before taking the above photo.

"Pierogi Max" at the Café Tachles (Vienna, Austria)
“Pierogi Max” at the Café Tachles (Vienna, Austria)

3.  Perogies in Vienna

I had plenty of Wienerschnitzel before arriving in Austria, so I was more than happy to try something else for my only dinner in Vienna.  I found an unassuming café just outside of the downtown core and was served the best perogies I’ve ever had:  the filling was not mere filler!  Expectations were low but sometimes that creates the best food experiences.

Lemon Chicken at Yung's Chinese Restaurant (Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland)
Lemon Chicken at Yung’s Chinese Restaurant (Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland)

4.  Lemon Chicken in Ireland

I rarely eat Chinese food in Canada but I tried it a couple of times in the British Isles.  I found the Irish take to be the best:  I ordered lemon chicken in both Cashel and Dun Laoghaire and each time it blew away any version I had in Canada.  Hardly any batter, lots of chicken and a very tart sauce…not high cuisine, perhaps, but very tasty.

Some very hot peppers/tamales at Huchuy Qosqo
Some very hot peppers/tamales at Huchuy Qosqo

5.  Andean Feast in Huchuy Qosqo (Peru)

This was my first Peruvian feast and it featured a remarkable assortment of dishes.  These peppers were an appetizer but the other courses were extremely tasty and colourful too.  As with the pachamanca meal below, I was completely stuffed but still wanted more.

The pachamanca, just before we helped ourselves (Urubamba, Peru)
The pachamanca, just before we helped ourselves (Urubamba, Peru)

6.  Pachamanca in Urubamba, Peru

This was so good that I’m posting two pictures, one of the “spread” and one of my (first) main course.

My pachamanca main course (Urubamba, Peru)
My pachamanca main course (Urubamba, Peru)

A pachamanca meal is prepared in large pots that are (ideally) cooked underground for hours and hours.  Everything is cooked together in layers:  potatoes, vegetables, chicken, plantains…it is extremely filling but it is almost impossible to stop eating because of the wonderfully intermingling flavours.

Blueberry Alpaca in Aguas Calientes, Peru
Blueberry Alpaca in Aguas Calientes, Peru

7.  Blueberry Alpaca in Aguas Calientes, Peru

I rarely eat red meat but I was convinced to try alpaca in Peru.  I always ordered it well-done and it suited me perfectly:  the taste of well-done steak but much leaner and healthier.  I also had alpaca with a spicy “criolla” sauce in Aguas Calientes and it was almost as good as the blueberry version (but didn’t have the same supersized fries).

My completed lomo saltado - I ate mine with brown rice, but French fries are often added too.
My completed lomo saltado – I ate mine with brown rice

8.  Lomo Saltado, from Cusco Culinary Tour (Peru)

I wrote a long post about my culinary tour of Cusco back in July.  After the tour, we made our own lunch and prepared our own drinks in a real restaurant kitchen.  I ate lomo saltado (an Asian-influenced stir fry) on several occasions but I’d have to say that my own version was the best.   I didn’t create the recipe, of course, but I did tone down the garlic a little bit and took a few other liberties to customize the flavour for my palate.

Peruvian food was likely the culinary highlight of the year…but there is still lots of interesting food to come in the second part of this list!

Posts from Base Camp

Top 5 “Wow” Moments of the Year

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Since returning home from my last trip, I have been asked on several occasions to name my favourite trip, place or experience of the year.  My answer changes daily and, yes, I usually say “it depends”!  However, I’ve now put together a number of different lists to try and describe some of the most memorable elements of the year.

I’m starting with the Top 5 “Wow” Moments of the year.  Many of these could also fit into my “Top Experiences” category (coming soon!) but I’ve chosen to separate these 5 because they were unexpected and/or carried an intense emotional rush when they happened.  At each of these moments, I said to myself:  “Now you’re really living!”  Here they are, in chronological order…

Shocked and awed at Forcella Staunies
Shocked and awed at Forcella Staunies

1.  First descent from Forcella Staunies piste above Cortina d’Ampezzo (Italy)

For the past 15 years, my favourite ski piste has been the “Black Rock” piste located just below the famous Jungfrau near Wengen, Switzerland.  The piste parallels a massive black rock and was unlike anything else I’d ever skied.   The scenery is spectacular and the piste is challenging enough to be exhilarating without even considering the scenery.

Now that I’ve skied the piste at Forcella Staunies above Cortina d’Ampezzo, however, I think I have to change my answer.  With massive, towering rocks on both sides (chair lift shown at top of this post), you can’t help staring upwards and marveling at your own insignificance.  Add to that the complete absence of crowds, the deep snow, a sense of impending doom and a long and challenging piste…well, there really is nothing else like it.  It was so awesome, in fact, that I could only ski it a few times.  I was utterly exhausted and began to worry that I would make a bad mistake if I continued.    The picture above says it all:  there really is no other place I’d rather be!

That's 200m straight down, people...Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare
That’s 200m straight down, people…Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare

2.  The crazy part of the Cliffs of Moher (Ireland)

Don’t get me wrong:  all of the Cliffs of Moher are impressive.  But there is one portion north of the main entrance that many visitors never see.  It takes some effort to get there and there are several signs reminding you that you are proceeding at your own risk.  The formerly paved and “fenced” cliff-top trail is now unfenced and little more than a dirt path.

When you arrive at the highest and most treacherous part, you are overlooking the ocean from a height of more than 2 football fields.   It is straight down and it is terrifying.  Even more terrifying is how some people are actually sitting on or leaning over the edge.   I don’t think I’ve ever walked as cautiously as I did here.  At the same time, however, it is so beautiful that I didn’t want to leave.

A "classic" view of Machu Picchu...can't have too many of these!
A “classic” view of Machu Picchu…can’t have too many of these!

3.  First view of Machu Picchu (Peru)

We had to get up at an uncivilized hour and ride a packed bus up a narrow, winding and scary mountain road.  We had to wait for 45 minutes to get through the maddeningly slow line-up at the main gate.   We had to carry a lot of (heavy) water to get us through the day.   Despite all that, it was still a “Wow!” moment to see Machu Picchu for the first time.  And once you get beyond the initial “wow”, Machu Picchu will change everything you think you know about “civilization”.

The puck must be very close to me, as I look very intense here!
Barnstorming through Eastern Europe!

4.  Scoring the opening goal for “Team Canada” in Bratislava, Slovakia

This game was very meaningful for my team and there was a lot of emotion in the air.  We were also playing in a KHL (the Eastern European version of the NHL) arena with all of the luxuries and facilities you can imagine.  There were national anthems and lots of officials.  There was music pumping between whistles and we were wearing Team Canada uniforms.  The ice was fast and the pace of play was faster.

For whatever reason, I was “in the zone” for this one and playing like my life depended on it.  I felt like I could slow the game down and make moves that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to manage.  Scoring the first goal was such an adrenaline rush that I think I actually jumped up in the air when the puck went in.  I never do that – but I did here.  I guess it was a combination of representing my country, doing something I love, and having every element of the game just the way I wanted it.  It was a dream that actually happened.

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5.  Meeting a howler monkey on the Monteverde rainforest canopy (Costa Rica)

It was such a rainy day that there was nobody else on any of the hanging bridges.  I was starting to get discouraged about the apparent lack of wildlife on the canopy tour.  All of a sudden, however, a very large black animal was 20 feet away from me.   I was utterly alone, suspended 40 metres above the forest floor, with an intelligent, unpredictable, non-captive and non-human primate.   We spent 10-15 minutes just hanging out; the monkey didn’t seem to feel threatened at all and I took hundreds of photos.  How cool is that?

Stay tuned for more lists!