Chocolate – mmm-yoso

Ecuador – Mariposas de Mindo, Lunch and a Chocolate Tour at El Quetzal de Mindo.

August 29, 2026 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, BBQ, Chocolate, Ecuador, Ecuadorian Restaurants, Latin American Cuisine, Travel

After an amazing time at San Tadeo Birding, we set off for our next stop. We drove thru the town of Mindo and down a short dirt road to a little parking lot and this place.

You see the name of the place right?

Yes, Mariposas de Mindo is a breeding and conservation project for the butterflies of the Cloud Forest.

We were escorted to the enclosed butterfly garden.

Where we were instructed on which butterflies are ok with humans and if they land on you, how to handle them. You never, ever touch their wings!

The amount of colorful butterflies fluttering and gliding around us was mind boggling!

All the colors, shapes, and sizes…..

And of course, one of the main purposes of the farm is breeding…..

And in case you’re not into the butterflies; right around the garden are all the birds!

Such amazing vibrant colors!

Another amazing stop!

It was getting close to lunch time; so we headed back to Mindo proper. When we first headed out, our driver/guide asked us if we’d had chocolate in Ecuador yet. I mentioned having visited Yumbos in Quito. Which was very helpful for him; because I guess there’s a Yumbos in Mindo as well. Instead, we headed to El Quetzal de Mindo, which is the restaurant location of Mindo Chocolates.

The menu was quite interesting, many dishes featured chocolate , but it seemed quite fusiony – touristic in a sense.

We started with some fried plantains which came with a very tart, mildly spicy Aji de Tomate de Arbol.

Our favorite dish of the meal was the Hearts of Palm Ceviche.

The earthy hearts of palm went well with the tangy-tart-sour-citrus forward sauce.

I was quite curious about the Cacao BBQ Wings. Which were much too sweet for my taste.

Somewhat earthy in the flavor, the wings were really tough and chewy. Really enjoyed the fried cassava.

We also got the Pollo al Chocolate. The chicken was overwhelmed by all that cheese and hardly had any chocolate flavor.

We figured that the chicken might be dry and tough, which it was….but we were interested in what that chocolate sauce would be like.

It was an interesting meal to say the least. Which was followed up with a chocolate tour.

Since we had done a pretty indepth tasting at Yumbos, we were more interested in the whole chocolate making process. From the various cacao plants.

There was an interesting variety, from the one’s that are native. The preferred species is the native Cacao Nacional, which is very slow growing with a low yield. We were told that it has the “best flavor” of all the cacao. Which is why most chocolate producers use CCN-51 Cacao which does well in direct sun, has a large yield, and is more resistant to disease. We were told that it now makes up close to 90 percent of the cacao used for chocolate in Ecuador. There are some reservations and worries about the growing use of CCN-51.

We were walked thru how cacao is made into chocolate.

Which culminated in a tasting.

We must be wimps, because we still enjoy chocolate with less than 7 percent cacao.

We were also given a very rich and sweet dessert as a finale.

El Quetzal de Mindo/Mindo Chocolate Makers
9 de Octubre
170167 Mindo, Ecuador

From here it was an over 2 hour drive to the airport. And our flight wasn’t leaving until 1130pm, plus we had a two-and-a-half hour layover in ATL. Luckily we were flying first, so we had lounge access. And the lounge at Mariscal Sucre Quito International Airport was nice and peaceful.

And our flight from ATL-SAN was right on time as well.

All the waiting and flight time gave me a chance to reminisce about what an epic trip we had. From arriving in Quito and checking out the TelefériQo and visiting Latitude 0°0’0 and the Basilica to spending seven amazing days cruising the Galapagos and then feeding the hummingbirds by hand at San Tadeo Birding…..man, we’ve been blessed to have experienced all of this!

And thanks to all of you who’ve allowed me to be able to share these moments!

Quito – Intiñan Equator Museum, Basílica del Voto Nacional, La Vid Restaurante, Yumbos Chocolate, and More

November 15, 2025 mmm-yoso Chocolate, Ecuador, Ecuadorian Restaurants, Latin American Cuisine, Travel

We were having a fun morning exploring Quito and our next stop would be quite entertaining. Of course one keeps hearing about the “Center of the World” here. And after all, the name of the country is Ecuador, which in Spanish literally means “equator”. And this is where Charles Marie de La Condamine part of the French Geodesic Mission to the Equator from whom he split after disagreements and differing beliefs and methodologies, tested out the hypothesis of Isaac Newton and his work in Principia, that the Earth is not a perfect sphere. And that place where Charles Marie de La Condamine determined was the equator is where Ciudad Mitad del Mundo is located. Where the monument to the Equator is located.

Cool, right? But like a rather famous actor said “Hang on there, pilgrim”. His measurement was off. The “actual” location is about 250 yards away, which is where the Intiñan Equator Museum is located.

It’s a kind of kitschy , fun place….

The fella’s above’s name is…well Inti of course.

We did enjoy the exhibits of the Native Tribes and former residents of the area. One even had Cuy running around! Dinner bells must be ringing somewhere!

And yes, that’s a real shrunken head on the right in that glass case.

And there’s a pole to mark Latitude 0. Of course, I’ve read that this location is also a bit off; but not by that much.

Not that this sweet little one cares about it. He just wanted to be pet…..

There are some interesting activities as well. There’s a movable sink which shows how water drains from one side of the equator to the other.

And then there’s balancing an egg on top of a nail. It is said that it is easy at the equator which I’ve read is a myth. But of course, the Missus had to try, right?

Well, so much for that one…..

Regardless of if this is really the center of the world; we enjoyed this stop!

Intiñan Equator Museum
Manuel Cordova Galarza
Quito, Ecuador

We then headed back to the Old Town, stopping on top of a hill was this huge, imposing Gothic Cathedral. This is the Basílica del Voto Nacional.

Construction was started in 1892 and…well, never officially finished. You see, there’s a legend that says if the Basilica is ever finished, the world will come to an end.

You can actually pay to climb to the top of the towers for an extra fee.

And of course the Missus just had to do it. I think I’ve mentioned before….I’m not a fan of heights. Not that it really mattered to the Missus.

The views from the towers were wonderful.

I later mentioned that the Basilica reminded me of Notre Dame and was told it was modeled after it.

Of course, what goes up must come down….which was more scary for me…..

Yikes….

Look at the lovely stained glass window!

After our visit to the Basilica, we headed into the Old Town.

This lovely building was the home of our destination for lunch. We were told that it used to be the Archbishop’s Palace, but now houses shops and restaurants.

La Vid Restaurant is located on the second floor.

A lovely and classy dining room with a view of Plaza Grande.

The menu had a combination of various Ecuadorian dishes which I was really looking forward to, along with western dishes like Carpaccio, Beefs dishes, and pastas. Of course we stayed with the Ecuadorian dishes.

I’d been wanting to try Ceviche Ecuatoriano – Ecuadorian Ceviche ($11.95) – I think I’ve forgotten to mention; Ecuador uses the American Dollar for currency. We cracked up when the “side dishes” for the ceviche arrived……popcorn anyone?

We were told that Ceviche in Ecuador is commonly served with “Canguil”…..basically popcorn, unsalted to provide textural contrast.

We chose to go with ceviche pescado; in this case sea bass for our ceviche. This was almost like a soup. The fish very plump and instead of being “cooked” by citrus, it seemed to have been precooked? The liquid seemed to be big on “shrimpiness”, though lacking in acidity and spice.

We also got the Bandera Ecuatoriana ($8.95), a platter of two types of Ecuadorian Empanadas.

The Empanadas de Verde; green plantain empanadas were a surprise as it was not sweet as expected; but the cheese made it rich and savory….it also really stuck to the roof of your mouth! It was enjoyable. The Beef version made with white corn was crisp, with a wonderful texture if a bit on the salty side.

I was interested in trying the Seco de Chivo La Vid ($17.95); the Goat Stew.

Which came with plantains, super delicious avocado, tasteless steamed potatoes, and yellow rice. I liked the rice; but the Missus isn’t a fan of tumeric, which is one of the ingredients in the rice. Loved the gameyness of the goat, which a bit on the chewier side. Kind of strong in terms of clove tones; with a hint of cumin. Fairly rich and pretty good.

This was an interesting and enjoyable meal, which gave us a look at what Ecuadorian cuisine was like.

La Vid Restaurante
Venezuela Oe4-56
Quito, Ecuador

Right across the street from the restaurant’s location is Plaza Grande (Independence Square) which dates back to 1612!

The Independence Monument, which was unveiled in 1906 honors those who fought for Ecuador’s Independence from Spain.

Many grand buildings surround the square, like the Metropolitan Cathedral.

We were led around the corner to yet another grand looking church; the Iglesia de El Sagrario (“Church of the Tabernacle).

And were encouraged to take a look at the interior, which was quite grand and opulent….wait, did I really write “opulent”? Well, it was!

Check out the main altar!

From here we headed down Sebastián de Benalcázar, passing yet another church.

The Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco (“Basilica and Convent of San Francisco“).

Where our final destination of the day is located. As you know from previous posts; the Missus loves Her chocolate. And across the street from the Basilica resides Yumbos Chocolate.

Which is an artesenal chocolate maker. We were given a short tour, then directed to a table.

Where we were given a tasting. We were the only customers in the place, so it really felt like a private tasting.

Man, that 90% Cacao was potent, a bit too intense and bitter for my taste. The Missus preferred the 60% which had a nice balance of rich and sweet, with a hint of bitterness. I guess we’re kinda wussy when it comes to chocolate?

We did manage to get a few gifts even though we’d be lugging it around for the rest of the trip.

And we’d be having an even more interesting chocolate “meal” later on during our stay.

Yumbos Chocolate
Sebastián de Benalcázar
Quito, Ecuador

From here we headed back to our hotel. It had been quite a day! And since we weren’t very hungry and had access to the Club Lounge at the JW Marriott, we just had a light dinner there.

We had another private tour coming up the following day, plus reservations for a more “fancy” dinner. So, I thought we’d rest up.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tequila Part 3 – Chocolate and Tequila Tasting at La Rojena, Fonda Chivo y Vaca, and the Sky Bar (Hotel Solar de las Animas)

June 7, 2025 mmm-yoso Chocolate, Distilleries, Guadalajara/Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Sandwiches, Travel

**** Here's part 3 of my mostly photo posts on our stay in Tequila

We started our last full day in Tequila, with a birote as I noted in my previous post. We wandered around a bit before heading to a tour and tasting I scheduled. We were in Tequila and it would be almost sacrilegious to not visit the oldest Tequila distillery, right? And to make things more entertaining for the Missus, I decided to do the chocolate and tequila tasting as well.

This would take place at Jose Cuervo's Fabrica la Rojena distillery. I mentioned that Jose Antonio Cuervo was the first person granted permission to produce Tequila for sale in an earlier post. Fabrica la Rojena, the distillery was established in 1812, making it the oldest active distillery in Latin America.

Finding the place was easy…..it's located on, you guessed it, Calle Jose Cuervo. The view up that street is quite lovely.

We met in front of the Mundo Cuervo Hall, where that giant crow statue stands and were soon guided on a tour of the place.

Making it to the back of the distillery where we got to see the "pina", the heart of the agave plants being delivered and prepped.

Like the previous day, it was getting pretty darn warm….this is hard work.

I had worried that doing tequila distillery tours two days in a row might lead to a lot of overlap; but to our extreme pleasure, what we learned here actually added to what we had learned the previous day. We got to be much more close up to things as well.

And there were actual displays along the way as well. I didn't know that American Oak barrels were used for Reposado and Anejo aging.

After the tour, the Missus and I met up with the nice young man who guided us thru our tasting which the Missus truly enjoyed.

What I most enjoyed was chatting with him about his life; he was born in Glendale and his family moved back to Jalisco and Tequila when he was 10 years old. Can you imagine how being seprated from your friends at that age must be? And he was more comfortable speaking English at that time. He also liked that we enjoyed the varied tastes of Blanco. And then we asked him about the new Cristalino Tequila; where Anejo is passed thru a filtering process, making it clear, and taking it back to almost being a Blanco….but charging a person even more than a Anejo? He laughed and said it's kind of a hipster thing right now…..'nuff said.

We enjoyed our tour and tasting at La Rojena.

When we were done; it was…well time for lunch. We just wanted something simple and hearty. And yes, we were in Jalisco; so Birria de Chivo was high on our list. And there was a place named Fonda Chivo y Vaca close by!

Turns out it was a three story restaurant with views of the street. We were seated on the ground floor.

Of course we got some Birria de Chivo and also Carne en su Jugo.

The Carne en su Jugo had a very upfront acidity, which was interesting…..the beans were so earthy and perfectly cooked.

The Birria de Chivo was slightly gamy; nice smokey flavors, a bit of spice.

The meat was on the chewier side. Definitely not like Birriería Las 9 Esquinas, but miles ahead of what we have here in San Diego.

Fonda Chivo y Vaca
Jesús Rodríguez de Hijar 17
Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico

On this day, we actually managed a nice siesta……..

And then we woke and took a nice stroll. On an interesting note, we saw the really nice young man who did our chocolate pairing at La Rojena in the lobby of the hotel talking to the staff. Apparently, Jose Cuervo owns Hotel Solar de las Animas!

As the evening rolled around we took a nice stroll. This was a Thursday and the hotel was getting busier. As we strolled around Plaza Principal we could see the families doing there "evening thing".

IMG_0043b

We looked for a spot to have a seat and just take in the evening, but it was busy. It was then we saw a couple waving to us, they moved over on a bench and beckoned us over so we could enjoy the sights and sounds. These are the moments that make travel so special!

When dinner time came around; we just decided to head back to the hotel. On our first evening in the town, we enjoyed having a drink at the Sky Bar at our hotel. We also noticed that they had an abbreviated menu of La Antigua Casona, the very popular restaurant in the hotel. So, we just decided to have our last dinner there.

With a nice view of the town.

The Aguachile Negro and Jicama was just as good as what we'd had in the restaurant.

The Ceviche less so; but overall this was a nice, light meal.

Sky Bar (in Hotel Solar de las Animas)
Calle Albino Rojas #14
46400 Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico

And of course, our room with the amazing view was just a minute away.

The next morning, we woke a bit earlier than usual and took a stroll around town before our ride to the airport.

We were indeed taken be the art, the colors…..the Tequila…..but there was more that made our stay wonderful.

It was the warm people….and the pooches…..

That had us contemplating as I got that Birote yet again…..

That we'd return once again, in the middle of the week to enjoy Tequila…both the town and the drink!

Snapseed

Road Trip – Treehouse Bar & Lounge (Taos)

April 6, 2024 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Chocolate, Mexican Restaurants, New Mexico, Pubs and Pub Grub, Road Trip, Santa Fe/Taos, New Mexico, Travel

After our lunch at Manzanita Market we decided to check out a couple of shops we'd seen the day before. The Missus wanted more chocolates, so we stopped in at Chokola.

Which had a nice selection for the Missus.

The Missus got a nice box of chocolates which She enjoyed.

Chokola
100 Juan Largo Ln.
Taos, NM 87571

We enjoyed window shopping.

Here's an interesting sign in the gift shop for the Benedictine Monks of Taos.

We found a shirt that both that Missus and I liked in one of the shops and decided to get that. It's one of my favorites currently.

On Kit Carson Road, past all the art galleries and shops we saw a tea shop.

And popped on in. The girls working were really nice, but didn't have much knowledge regarding some of the teas they sold, so they got the manager to chat with the Missus.

And in the end, the Missus got some Early Grey and stuffs for Her.

tea.o.graphy
125 Kit Carson Rd.
Taos, NM 87571

After which we headed back to the hotel for a break.

As for dinner; well, I hadn't made any reservations for this evening, but had shown the Missus the menu at Lambert's which many consider to be the best fine dining establishment in Taos. The Missus really wasn't feeling like having that type of meal, wanting something more relaxed. I then showed Her the menu of Lambert's more casual bar and lounge called the Treehouse and we knew where we'd be getting dinner. The place was basically a half block from where we were staying and we strolled over getting there a bit after 5pm.

The place was already fairly busy! We got one of the small high-tops with stools, our bartender, I wish I could recall her name was awesome. We asked about the various wine and cocktails and once she knew our tastes, heck, we just left it up to her! She didn't let us down.

As for the food; things started off with the Smoked Trout Deviled Eggs.

Quite smoky and savory, creamy, with a slight eggy-richness. Not overly fatty, this was quite nice.

Next up was the Duck Confit and Waffle.

The duck confit had been breaded and fried, the batter was super sweet, the duck tougher and drier than what we'd consider duck confit. The blue corn waffle was crisp, but the supposed chipotle-agave glaze was overly sweet as well. We loved the charred turnips.

We enjoyed the Bison Relleno.

Crisp exterior, the bison short rib had a light, seet-beefiness to it and was very tender. The cilantro-lime crema really helped to cut the richness of the dish.

Last up was the Goat Birria Tostada. Knowing how much I like birria de chivo, you know I had to try this.

Loved the crispy-crunchy blue corn tostada. The queso was mild, so it didn't mess with the flavor of the goat, which was milder in gaminess than other versions I've had but not bad. Mild spices, did not like the broth/sauce which were bland. The pickled onions really helped things by adding acidity to the dish.

Overall, a pretty nice, relaxed meal. Most of the customers on this evening seemed like locals. I'd return if we're in Taos again.

Especially if that bartender is working, she was amazing.

Treehouse Bar & Lounge (Above Lambert's of Taos)
123 Bent St.
Taos, NM 87571

After dinner, we took our usual walk. This time, we headed south down Paseo Del Pueblo Sur.

Again taking time to appreciate the art and beauty of the town.

Before heading back to our room for a nice night of sleep.

I'm sure we'll return to Taos!

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip – Pecos National Historical Park, Saint Francis Cathedral, and the Bell Tower Bar (Santa Fe)

February 25, 2024 mmm-yoso Chocolate, Cocktails, New Mexico, Road Trip, Santa Fe/Taos, New Mexico, Travel

**** No food in this one; but if you'd like to see photos of what was once considered one of the crossroads to the west, along with what is considered the oldest statue of the Virgin Mary in North America, read on.

After spending the evening in Prescott and visiting Montezuma Castle National Monument and having lunch at a favorite spot of ours, we headed off to our next destination. Taking the 40 East, then transitioning to the 25, we bypassed our next destination for the night, Santa Fe, and went to Pecos National Historic Park. Once upon a time, the Glorieta Pass was considered the most direct route to the west. Everyone from the ancient Pueblo Indians, to the Spanish, to the settlers head to the west used this pass. In fact lest you think that New Mexico was too far west, the decisive Battle of Glorieta Pass was fought here during the Civil War. The park is fairly large and sprawling, nearly 350 acres.

The main area I wanted to check out was Pecos Pueblo.

Here stand the ruins of the Pueblo, with the foreboding walls of the Mission Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles rising up from the area.

There actually a recreated Kiva. Which really stirred one's imagination of how things must have been.

The large eye-catching ruins are of the Pecos Mission Church.

The first church was completed on these grounds headed by the Franciscans who gained permission from the Spanish. Of course, the labor was provided by the Puebloans. To quote the NPS page:

"Construction of the Mission Church and the Convento were supervised by the Franciscans, but Pecos people provided the labor; the Pecos received no pay for their work, raising questions today about the nature of slavery in the Southwest."

In 1680 the Puebloans rejected the religion and rule in the Pueblo Revolt and the church and convent were razed.

In 1693, the Spanish retook the land and reestablished control and the current structure was built.

We had parked, seen the ruins and immediately headed on over. In retrospect, I'd recommend heading over to the visitors center first as it provided history and context.

And we loved this map as it added to what we had learned about trading of the native peoples during our visit to the Museo Nacional de Antropologia in Mexico City.

Pecos National Historical Park
Pecos, NM 87552

It was a mere half hour drive to Santa Fe from here.

The Missus wanted to make one stop on the way to our hotel at Kakawa Chocolate again.

Where She restocked on some of Her favorites from our previous visit.

Kakawa Chocolate House
1300 Rufina Circle A4
Santa Fe, NM 87507

As before, we stayed at the Inn of the Governors. And as on our previous visit, our room wasn't quite ready yet, but we were able to park and do some exploring.

On our previous trip to Santa Fe, there was a place I wanted to check out but it was closed during our stay; the Saint Francis Cathedral.

On my previous trip, I found the following statue to be fascinating, so I did a bit of research…..

This is a status of Kateri Tekakwitha, the First Native American Saint. If you're interested in a bit more, this entry might be of interest.

As we entered the church, I was struck by how brightly colored it was.

At the Northeast part of the Cathedral is a chapel that was once part of another church that stood on these grounds. It is the oldest part of the Cathedral.

In this chapel resides the oldest existing statue of the Virgin Mary in North America, often called "La Conquistadora".

You can read even more about that here.

We enjoyed our visit and then headed off to our next stop. I've mentioned the architect Mary Colter a couple of times in posts; she the Desert Watchtower and one of our favorite hotels, La Posada in Winslow. I had read that she had also designed the interior of the very popular La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe. So, we decided to head on over.

The restaurant looked lovely, but we had reservations at another place for dinner.

There is however, a bar on the rooftop of La Fonda, which is open from 3pm to Sunset during weekdays. The clock had just struck 3 so we headed up the elevator.

And then to the host stand. Luckily, we had gotten there right when the place opened.

There were people who had gotten in before we did! I guess they waited for the place to open?

The Missus got a Frozen Sangria and I got a Spicy Serrano Margarita.

And we relaxed and enjoyed the view.

Bell Tower Bar (in the La Fonda Hotel)
100 E San Francisco St.
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Open from May – late October
Hours:
Mon – Fri 3pm – Sunset
Sat – Sun 1pm – Sunset

Before strolling back to the hotel to check in. We were looking forward to our dinner!

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris – Ten Belles ( Canal Saint-Martin), Breizh Cafe (Marais) and Revisiting Edwart Chocolatier

September 16, 2023 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Chocolate, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

Since we were spending two weeks in Paris, the Missus decided that She wanted to get Her hair done. So, after doing a bit of research She found a place in 10th Arrondissement. So, we headed off, up Rue du Temple past Place de la République.

Crossing over to the 10th, which we were not familiar with. There seemed to be a real "local" vibe to the area.

I've seen dog walkers, but this woman carted pooches around…..not sure what this is called? Kinda cute though.

We found the salon without much of a problem. While the Missus was having Her hair done, I decided to take a walk around the area and find a place to grab a cup of coffee.

There was quite a bit of interesting street art in the area. There was a place named Holybelly that was the subject of one of the Earful Tower's Podcasts and since it was in the 10th, I thought I'd walk over to check the place out. Hole smokes was the place busy, with a line waiting to get in.

I had done a bit of research the night before and did have a coffee shop on my list of places to check out.

This one was on the other side of Canal Saint Martin.

Which by the way, I had never visited in all our trips to Paris. Go figure.

It was a nice, mild, winter day, so the walk was quite pleasant.

Right across Canal Saint-Martin, down Rue de la Grange aux Belles is a location of specialty roaster Ten Belles, which I believe has three shops in Paris.

The folks working were quite friendly. I tried to order an Americano in French, but the girl laughed and started talking to me in English and told me "good try"!

And it was a decent Americano to boot.

I took a seat at an empty table and just had a nice relaxing moment. A few minutes later, I saw the gentleman on a small single table next to me greet a woman. Unfortunately, he had no room, so I scooted over and made the hand signs to trade tables with him and we switched. He made sure to walk over after and shake my hand, giving me a nice, warm "merci beaucoup"! As I left the couple both waved goodbye to me. Such nice folks….

Ten Belles – Paris 10
10 Rue de la Grange aux Belles
75010 Paris, France

As I strolled back down along the canal, who should I see but the Missus walking up to meet me!

It was still fairly early, we decided to grab a bite to eat. Both the Missus and I had heard and read about the chain of Crepe shops in Paris that were highly recommended; Breizh Cafe. So many folks mentioned this place and they have several shops in Paris, Lyon, and even one in Tokyo if I recall. The Marias location on Rue Vieille-du-Temple is very popular, but we easily got a table.

IMG_4003_02

So Breizh Cafe specializes in crepes from Brittany, that would be buckwheat "galettes". We aren't into overly sweet main sweet dishes for breakfast-lunch-brunch, so we both went with savory galettes.

The Missus got the Complete Champignons, which included jambon, Comté, and a sunny side up egg.

I got the Complete, which is jambon, egg, and comté.

Both the Missus and I were quite underwhelmed. The food lacked seasoning, the galettes were bland and this just wasn't too our taste. Perhaps galettes aren't our thing?

At least the people watching was fun.

Breizh Café
109 Rue Vieille-du-Temple
75003 Paris, France

We've run into folks who've been to Briezh and they echo our opinion. And the owner of Hola Paris told me that buckwheat galettes can tend to be on the bland-dry side as well. So, like I said, perhaps galettes aren't our kind of thing. But we're glad we tried them and will again if we're in Brittany.

We had a nice walk to our last stop before heading back to the apartment.

During a previous visit to Paris, we dropped by Edwart Chocolatier. And even though we had a good amount of chocolate on hand from other places we visited earlier during the trip, the Missus wanted to add to Her collection.

And after a few samples, the Missus added to Her ever growing chocolate collection.

Edwart Chocolatier
17 Rue Vieille-du-Temple
75004 Paris

I'm guessing Edwart is now a regular stop on our visits.

We'd headed back to the apartment for a break before doing a bit more exploring and heading to one of favorite restaurants in Paris for dinner.

Thanks for stopping by!

Toulouse – Marche Victor Hugo (Again), Lunch at Restaurant Attila, Criollo Chocolatier, a Walk Along Canal de Brienne, and Other Stuffs

July 30, 2023 mmm-yoso Chocolate, Festivals & Events, France, French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Seafood, Toulouse, Montpellier, Carcassonne, and Occitania, Travel

We started our last day in Toulouse by taking a short walk in the area.

We had really enjoyed Toulouse, there's a down to earth, relaxed vibe to the place. We spent the morning wandering about.

Nearing 11, we walked on over to the huge March Victor Hugo, which I covered in an earlier post.

We ended up getting some stuffs for a nice self catering dinner for our last evening in the city.

We then headed upstairs where the restaurants are located. Man, the passageway is pretty cramped.

We settled on a seafood place named Restaurant Attila. I really wanted to have some Coques (Cockles) and Langoustines.

Of course there's a plat du jour and other lunch specials as well.

We were guided to our table where we placed our order. The seafood in the marche looked wonderful, so we were quite excited about this meal.

First up was the Salade de Coques Persillade (10€ – $11/US).

The cockles were prepped well, no gritty bits. I was surprised at how tender these were, with a nice hint of savory-sweetness. Strangely, I expected more of a briny flavor, but these had a nice butteriness to them. The greens and such was fine, but those cockles were definitely the star.

The Langoustine with Aioli (13€) was a disappointment.

The langoustine were over cooked and really dry and even though it was supposedly cooked with a court bullion the flavor was lacking.

Last up were the Huitres ( 9 for 15€ – $16.50/US). These were from Marennes, an area famous for their oysters. These really delivered.

Pleasantly briny with a wonderful clean finish! Definitely a winnah!

Restaurant Attila (in Marche Victor Hugo)
5 Place Victor Hugo
31000 Toulouse, France

After lunch, we headed downstairs.

And just wandered around. I ended up buying more Tarbais beans in the shop/deli above….yep, 35€ a kilo and I bought another half kilo.

After which we headed back to the chocolate shop that the Missus had enjoyed earlier named Criollo Chocolatier.

Man, the place was humming!

The pieces here are sold by weight and the Missus bought a good sized box of it.

Of there's any reason for us to return to Toulouse, it's so the Missus can restock on chocolate from here.

Criollo Chocolatier Toulouse Victor Hugo
23 Place Victor Hugo
31000 Toulouse, France

We then headed back to the hotel and started doing some packing.

After which, we decided to go on another walk. I picked out the Canal de Brienne area. The canal which connects to the Garonne is a short 1.6 kilometers in length, but tree lined and quite peaceful. You totally forget you're in the middle of a large city.

Apparently, that building above was an old tobacco factory, which now houses a building the university.

It was a lovely walk and fun to see a different part of Toulouse.

We walked back to our room and just relaxed and then had dinner. Later that evening, we heard singing and chanting. Looking out the window we noticed a endless line of folks, waving the Moroccan flag. Apparently, Morocco had just beaten Belgium in a World Cup match. We decided to head on down to the square. It was a fun parade, one of joy and celebration, peaceful without any antics….a refreshing scene to be sure!

A couple of groups had even set-up around the perimeter of the Christmas Market and were singing and dancing.

We decided to head into the Christmas Market.

To get some Vin Chaud of course!

Egad! I've posted on Vin Chaud before, we have a kind hate-love-hate relationship with this warm mulled wine drink. We really don't care for the taste….but we love that it really puts you in the holiday spirit.

And perhaps we're developing a (bad) taste for this????

Warm mulled wine in our bellies, we slept soundly, got up early and finished packing. We then took the metro to Toulouse Matabiau. We were a bit early and crossed the street for some coffee.

Before catching our train to our final stop on this month long journey.

We had enjoyed our time in "La Vie en Rose", the Pink City – Toulouse. But next we were spending most of two weeks in….well you know where, right?

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip – Jean Pierre Bakery & Wine Bar (Durango), Kakawa Chocolate House, and the “Miraculous Staircase” of the Lorreto Chapel (Santa Fe)

February 18, 2023 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Chocolate, Colorado, New Mexico, Road Trip, Santa Fe/Taos, New Mexico, Travel

We headed out from Mesa Verde fairly early in the morning. It would be almost a five hour drive to our next destination, Santa Fe. The Missus enjoyed the drive on the 160 East thru the greenery. There was hardly any traffic on this, a mellow Sunday morning. I had heard some nice things about the town of Durango and I'd read about a nice bakery-breakfast spot in there, so we decided to stop.

We found street parking and walked over to Jean Pierre Bakery, which was doing some good business on this day.

The front area holds a bakery, while there's a restaurant area to the side. And on this morning, a piano player was in attendance.

After a quick discussion we decided to relax and dine in as most of the folks were taking pastries to go and the dining area was empty.

The service was friendly and we got our caffeine fix and shared a nice, refreshing Melon Bowl.

It was a pleasant stop and we'd eat here again if in the area. And we saw Jean Pierre walk to the dining area and engage in a lively conversation with another gentleman……in full on French. The Missus and I loved it!

I'll be sure to try the croissants next time!

Jean Pierre Bakery & Wine Bar
601 Main Ave.
Durango, CO 81301

After breakfast, the Missus and I decided to take a little stroll around town.

There's a definite outdoorsy – "old west" vibe to the town.

Durango is also known as the starting point for the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. And folks were picking up their package lunches at the depot and boarding the train as we walked pass.

You know me and trains, right? This might be something we'll want to do in the near future.

We headed across the tracks and spent a bit of time exploring the D&S Rail Road Museum.

I'm sure we'll be back this way one day.

From Durango, we headed down the 550, passing thru towns with names like Aztec and Cuba, until we got to Albuquerque, where we swung up Highway 25 into Santa Fe. We were a bit early for check-in, so we made a stop at a place on our "list"; Kakawa Chocolate House.

Man, this place was quite busy. The lines did move quickly though. The Missus bought some chocolates and a couple of bags of "elixirs" and we headed on out.

The folks did a really nice job of packing things and even marked the box so the Missus would know what She's trying.

Kakawa Chocolate House
1300 Rufina Circle A4
Santa Fe, NM 87507

And while the chocolates were pretty good; we had them after checking in at our hotel. It was the elixirs that we really enjoyed after returning home.

While we had arrived too early to check-in at the Inn of the Governors, the nice staff told us that we could park and explore. One of the reasons I had chosen the hotel was the location and free parking.

There was one place I wanted to see right away, the Loretto Chapel. The Missus didn't understand why I was so interested in visiting this church until She saw it.

Apparently, She had seen an an Episode of Unsolved Mysteries about the chapel.

Well, to be more specific; it's about the staircase in the chapel. The construction of the Lorreto Chapel was completed in 1878. Unfortunately, due to some weird "oversight", there was no way to reach the choir loft which was 22 feet above. After many consultations the Sisters of Loretto were told that the only way to access the choir loft would be by ladder as a staircase would interfere with the design of the chapel. At wits end, the Sisters started praying to the Patron Saint of Carpenters, Saint Joseph. On the ninth, and last day of prayer a stranger appeared on a donkey with a toolbox! He started work on the staircase and months later it was finished. The man then promptly disappeared without requesting to be paid, never to be seen again.

The Sisters tried to find the mystery man, even placing an add in the newspaper to no avail. And that is just one of the mysteries of the staircase. To quote Atlas Obscura:

"When the Sisters and others examined the stairs, they were shocked to see it was apparently holding itself up with no supports and was made of a non-native wood which they didn’t know how or where the stranger had acquired. To top it off, the staircase, which was made with no nails, had exactly 33 stairs. (In the bible, 33 was the age at which Jesus was crucified.)"

"The twenty-foot-tall, tightly wound stairs make two full 360-degree revolutions, and indeed have no central support."

The outer railing was added 10 years after the staircase was built.

We love stories like this! And whatever the case may be, it was fun visiting the Lorreto Chapel.

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris (2022) – Edwart Chocolatier and Dinner at Le MaZenay

November 25, 2022 mmm-yoso Chocolate, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

On the way back from lunch we passed this chocolate shop. We were given samples and the Missus ended up buying a variety of items.

This was Edwart Chocolatier and would end up being Her favorite chocolate shop during this trip.

Edwart Chocolatier
17 Rue Vieille-du-Temple
75004 Paris

So I'm certain we'll return the next time we're in Paris.

We then worked our way back to the apartment stopping at a few shops along the way. This was back in May so the days were fairly long.

We headed out for our dinner destination at bit early…the better to do some shopping you know. As we headed up Rue St Denis we came across a couple of women, probably in their 40's-50's, tons of make-up, dressed somewhat provocatively, just standing around. From which this short conversation arose….

Me: "Hmmm…..must be the remnants of the old Saint Denis" (It used to be the Red Light district but is now gentrified)
Missus: "No, way…maybe they are hairdressers taking a break"
Me: "But I see no salons around here…."
Missus: "Maybe they're taking a smoke break from work."
Me: "But none of them are smoking…"

Bless Her heart….

For dinner I had made reservations at Le MaZenay, a modernish bistro, located in the Marais.

The setting was quite simple and the service friendly.

As with how we typically order, we ended up getting 3 entrees and one plat, with a side.

The Missus really enjoyed the Ouef Confit.

The buttery, creamy egg yolk went so well with the petit pois, which brought a nice, mild sweetness to the dish. The sauce, made with creme fraiche was lighter than it looked and went well with the dish. The croutons added texture.

I got the Tartare de Veau and when it arrived totally drenched in sauce, I was a bit hesitant.

It was still a bit too much sauce, which was nicely flavored. The cut of the protein was to my liking, the meat was tender, and it was chilled well.

We enjoyed the rustic Chicken Liver Terrine.

The rustic terrine wasn't overly offal-ish, had a mild sweetness and went well with the cornichons. It had a pleasant texture and there seemed to be mashed potato in the terrine as well. This was a lot milder in flavor than we expected.

For the main, we chose one of the specials of the evening, the Skate Wing.

A very pleasant dish. The skate had been nicely prepared, buttery in texture, good black pepper, though perhaps a bit more salt would have helped. Very moist and tender. The accompanying veggies were fine and the caper butter sauce did well with the fish.

We also ordered the Pommes Dauphines which were excellent, crisp on the outside, light and fluffy inside.

This was a nice meal and like I mentioned earlier, the service was quite friendly. At the table next to us sat two women who seemed to be regulars, the chef and his wife, who runs the front of house came out to chat with them. The women were from London and arrived via the Eurostar. Something I'd like to do in the future!

Le MaZenay
46 Rue de Montmorency
75003 Paris, France

It was a nice evening and we took our time heading back to the apartment.

Tomorrow would be our last day in Paris before heading home and we wanted to make the best of it.

Mexico City (2022) – It’s Tout Chocolate and Pasillo de Humo Yet Again, Fonda Garufa, and a Private Tour of Museo Nacional de Antropologia

October 8, 2022 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Chocolate, Croissants, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

**** I though I'd give you all a break from those really long Islay posts and do a couple on our recent trip to CDMX. I've posted on two of the places several times; so perhaps skipping down to our tour of the Museo Nacional de Antropologia might be worthwhile?

Yes, I know we'd already been to Mexico and CDMX earlier in the year. But the Missus had enjoyed that trip so much, San Miguel de Allende and especially Guanajuato was so much fun, that the Missus wanted to do another trip. This time to Oaxaca. However while Volaris, has 2 direct flights from TIJ, well, we really don't like flying Volaris. So, we decided that a layover would be fine one way and we'd go ahead and spend two nights in Mexico City. As a plus, I knew the Missus loved our visit to the Museo Nacional de Antropologia, though it was quite overwhelming, so I booked us a private tour. She was excited about that!

Getting in was the same 'ol routine. We stayed at the same place as on the last three trips. It was quite simple and easy. Like I said, we now had kind of a routine if you will. After checking in, we headed to Tout Chocolate so the Missus could get Her chocolates and some gifts.

Choosing Her chocolates was one of Her most difficult decisions of the trip.

Tout Chocolat
Amsterdam 154
6100 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

In keeping with the routine, we had dinner at a place I've posted on three times already, Pasillo de Humo. So, I'll spare you all the gory details. I will say, that unlike our last visit we weren't misted by vinegar to prevent Covid this time around.

We have an approach that works for us at Pasillo de Humo. We've learned to stay away from the entrees and go for smaller plates.

And we enjoy the cocktails as well.

Two of our favorite dishes, the Memelitas de Cerdo and the Hoya Santa Relleno, were good as always.

But this time we found something we enjoyed even more; the Tripas Tacos!

The pork intestines were fried perfectly; crisp and light……the texture was amazing!

One other reason that I purposely chose to revisit Pasillo de Humo was that we were headed to Oaxaca and I was interested in seeing how the food at our favorite restaurant in CDMX lined up.

Pasillo de Humo
Av Nuevo León 107
06100 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

It was a nice and relaxing start to things. Though I did notice many more "tourists/ex-pats" here then I recalled. And then I started reading articles like this one.

The next morning, before heading to the Museum, we decided to get a croissant from our favorite bakery in the area, but changed our mind when we noticed this place sold croissants and thought we'd try it out.

We then headed on over to Cafe Toscano, our usual morning coffee stop.

Unfortunately, the croissant was overly doughy and lacked the butteriness we like in our croissants.

Fonda Garufa
Avenida Michoacán 93
06140 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

Creatures of habit that we are; we had our typical morning coffee at Cafe Toscano.

Nothing amazing mind you, but a nice way to start the day.

Cafe Toscano
Calle Michoacan sn Mercado Condesa
Hipódromo Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

After our caffeine fix we headed out to the Museum. As always, it was a fine walk.

We had really enjoyed our previous visit to the Museo Nacional de Antropologia, so I went ahead and booked a private tour with Mexico a Pie Walking Tours.

Our guide was Andres and he was amazing. The tour was so full of info!

We met Andres at the Tlaloc Statue that sits outside the museum on the corner of Reforma.

IMG_0582 (2) Andres met us and after introductions and an overview of what was going to be covered in the tour today, he went over Tlaloc, the Aztec god of water and rain. He noted the key features, the round eyes, the fangs and said that we'd be seeing several different status of Tlaloc during our visit and that many folks think it's of a different go, but keep in mind the key features and it's easy to identify.

Andres covered exactly what we were interested in; the Archaic to the Contact Period. It was so much info; I'm just going to go over a couple of things that really stuck with us.

Andres quizzed us as we moved along the museum.

IMG_0615 (2) And yep, if you're thinking that's Tlaloc above, you'd be right. Check out the eyes and the fangs!

Another interesting story was that of King Pakal of Palenque (K'inich Janaab' Pakal). It is claimed that Pakal ruled for nearly 70 years and in 1952 a tomb was opened in the Temple of Inscriptions in Palenque. In it was found a skeleton with an intricate jade mask and clothed as you see to the right. The actual jade mask can be found close by in a replica of the tomb.

We got to another interesting topic was when I asked Andres if Jade was actually found in Mexico and he told us that items like Jade, Turquoise, and Cacao which are not endemic to Mexico. We were then brought to this map which detailed how trade occurred between different peoples!

Turquoise actually came from what is now the American Southwest! Cacao and Jade from what is now Guatemala.

Andres went over the amazing Aztec Codex with us.

And even dispelled a couple of things we thought were true; like this famous object; the Aztec Sun Stone, which many people believe is a just a calendar.

It is now believed that the stone is actually a sacrificial altar! Here's something I read after returning from our trip.

It was an amazing nearly four hour experience, with so much information that I've forgotten more than I remember; but those few items stick with me. And we just covered half the museum! I guess we'll have to get the other half done the next time we're in CDMX!

Museo Nacional de Antropologia
Avenida Paseo de la Reforma y Calzada Gandhi s/n
Chapultepec, Mexico City 11560, Mexico

After the tour we took a short break and then we were off. It was time for a taco crawl!

Stay Tuned!