Travel – Page 70

Granada: A Revisit to Saint Germain and Dinner at Alacena de las Monjas

March 26, 2016 mmm-yoso Granada, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

We'd had a pretty busy day, starting the morning with a visit to The Alhambra, then getting some train ticketing straightened out and taking a walk around the Old Town. We were bushed when we got back to the apartment and had a well deserved siesta. There's something to be said about an afternoon nap. We awoke refreshed, ready to take on…….well, dinner, of course! This being Spain, dinner really doesn't start until 9pm or thereabouts, so we decided on taking a nice little walk along Paseo de los Tristes (Walk of the Dead Ones), the street that runs parallel to the Darro River, just past Plaza Nueva.

It's a wonderful stretch of road and the views of the Alhambra form here, especially at night are wonderful.

On one side you have the Darro River and the Alhambra; on the other tiny alleyways leading up to the Albayzin, the Moorish Quarter.

The walk was short, but enough to stimulate our appetites. Thinking (wrongly), that we might tire of tapas in Granada, we booked dinner at Alacena de las Monjas, when we passed by on our first day in Granada. They didn't start dinner service until 9pm, it was 745….what to do? Well, head back to Saint Germain of course!

It was about a 15 minute walk to Saint Germain, which was just opening when we arrived.

There was something about this place that we really loved. The selection of wines suited the Missus, who found that She really enjoyed the house Blanco-Seco. I really loved Encaste, a nice very balanced Cabernet Savignon from Dona Felica Winery in Ronda.

We also wondered if we'd get a repeat of a tapa from our first visit. Well, we didn't! This time around it was a nice brie, brushed with honey and a fruit compote on bread…..love the way they toast the baguettes here.

Without a doubt, our favorite wine bar in Granada.

Saint Germain
Calle Postigo Velutti 4
Granada, Spain

We then headed off to Plaza del Padre Suarez….pocket wifi is wonderful, we initially used it on our first trip to Japan and it was invaluable, especially with Japan's crazy address system. For Spain we used Wifivox which I highly recommend. It was delivered to our hotel in Madrid and we used it without incident. Nothing like being to use Google Maps and other apps while roaming around unfamiliar territory.

Alacena de las Monjas was an interesting experience to say the least. The atmosphere is somewhat romantic and the prices not cheap….for Granada standards. It's not quite fine dining; the staff is young, very nice, they work hard, but really aren't very polished. We really didn't need reservation as we were the only table for most of our meal and there were only two other tables occupied when we left. I did love our table which was located in the cellar.

The young staff really wasn't able to help us in wine selection so I chose something randomly…..

The amuse arrived…..

It was kind of funny….just sliding around the plate. For some reason, the presentation bothered the Missus. So I went ahead and plated it the way I thought it should be presented.

Much better, eh?

We started with the "Traditional" Salmorejo (9 Euros).

This classic Andalucian cold soup is a favorite of mine. While gazpacho, the more well known cold soup is seasonal, salmorejo is consumed year 'round. This version was very smooth and creamy, though according to the Missus, it needed more olive oil and "where was the hard boiled egg garnish?"

I got the Anchovies with Iberian Tomato and Beet Carpaccio (18 Euros).

The flavor of the anchovy was too strong for the Missus. Meanwhile, I loved the savory-brininess. Lovely peppery-grassy flavors from the olive oil, the tomatoes added a mild acid component, though I could have used more acid and perhaps some additional pungency. The flavor of the beets were very mild, I expected a bit more sweetness.

The Missus got the "Charcoal Smoked Octopus" (18 Euros). Isn't that simply called "grilled"?

While the "smoked" flavor was almost non-existent, I think the octopus had been sous-vide first, then grilled. The texture was outstanding, crisp exterior, almost melt in your mouth. I'd have appreciated a bit more seasoning as I felt more salt was needed.

I got the "Suckling Lamb Shoulder Cooked at Low Temperature" (24 Euros). Man, this was a huge portion, we ended up taking most of this back to the apartment.

Again, this dish could have used more seasoning and perhaps some time in a pan to crisp up the skin which was gummy. Still, this was obviously sous-vide and the wonderful gamey flavor made up for any shortcomings. The lamb melted in your mouth…the potatoes were basic, but quite tasty as well.

As a whole, I don't think I'd return here if/when we're back in Granada. The service was very nice, though rough around the edges, and I expected better execution at this price point. Not a terrible meal, but not memorable.

Alacena de las Monjas
Plaza del Padre Suarez 5
Granada, Spain

Granada: Cafe Bar Mercado

March 25, 2016 mmm-yoso Granada, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

After having some nice Bocadillos at Cafe Opera 5, we made our way back to the train station. You see, I went to check our tickets for the rest of our trip and noticed that one set was missing! Luckily, I had my receipt. Along the way we finally found a supermarket and stopped to get a few items.

Along the way we pass the Monastery of San Jeronimo.

We walked parallel to Gran Via, then LAC, actually walking through the University. Making it to the train station and the Renfe Desk, I was told that since I'd purchased our tickets at El Cortes Ingles, I'd have to go to their travel office. He was nice enough to point out; grabbing a map, the closest office of their travel agency, even drawing out the path we should take! All of this with his minimal English and my inability to speak much Spanish! We managed to find the nearby office and the woman who worked their was amazingly nice….even though it took about an hour, she straightened everything out for us and we left tickets in hand.

The office was right next to Plaza del Triunfo, so we took a nice little stroll through the plaza.

That's the Triumph of the Virgin Column above. Though there's not much out there on this plaza that's not in Spanish; I've read some interesting stories about this location. There originally was a Basilica at this location, but it was destroyed and replaced by a Muslim Cemetery. When the Christians took Granada, a hospital was built here. When the forces of Napoleon took Granada, this was the site of public executions. Mariana Pineda heroine of the famous play (with the set and costumes by Dali) and an opera was executed here in 1831.

Business taken care of; the Missus broke out the Rick Steve's book and we set off on one of the walks. We started off at the Corral del Carbón (Coal House) which was built in the 14th century by the Moors. Like the Ungelt Courtyard in Prague and even more so, the "Hans" in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, this was a place for merchants to spend the evening, their camels and pack animals resting on the ground floor; a caravanserai.

Across the street is a rather colorful alleyway; the Alcaceria. This was once the location of the silk market. The street between these two locations used to be a river and a bridge connected the Corral del Carbon and the Alcaiceria. Now it's a long alleyway full of tourist shops.

We headed down the lanes and ended up in a plaza we'd walked through the night before….Granada was already starting to get smaller; full of cafes and shops named Plaza de Bib Rambla and the fountain with Neptune on top called "Fuente de los Gigantones" (Fountain of the Giants).

Right around the corner is the Cathedral, which looks quite impressive.

I think being tucked in between other buildings just makes it look that much more impressive. As with other churches and cathedrals we saw during this trip, this is built on the former site of a mosque.

I really enjoyed the view of the rest of the square, Plaza de las Pasiegas, from the Cathedral steps.

We went around the side street of the Cathedral past a building that for some reason was one of my favorites in Granada.

And back out to Gran Via. By now, the Missus was getting a bit hungry. We decided to head back toward Mercado Agustin. We'd seen a Café/Bar/Restaurant when leaving Café Opera, with signs posted with a really nicely priced menu del dia – basically daily lunch specials.

The place was very comfortable, a section with little tables below and a larger bar area up above. They did offer a rather inexpensive menu del dia; like 8 Euros and also full and half servings (media raciones) of dishes. The missus took the menu del dia; Sopa de Calabaza, Pumpkin Soup to start, Calamares de Granada, and a glass of wine.

I went with a Cerveza……

And a media racione of the Morcilla con Pinones; blood sausage with pine nuts.

Good thing I got a half order. This was quite good; blood sausage, more like a nice earthy, slightly sweet, blood pudding, studded with pine nuts which provided a nice contrast in flavor and texture. The Missus really enjoyed this as well…it went so well with bread.

The Missus enjoyed the pumpkin soup.

The "Granada style calamari" turned out to be basically fried squid rings……

The flavor was quite nice, but the squid was on the tough side.

The Missus got an Americano for dessert and our Server was nice enough to bring me one as well. This was a nice relaxed lunch. The service was very friendly and the prices were more than reasonable.

Cafe Bar Mercado
Calle Alvaro de Bazan
Granada, Spain

Funny thing, we left the restaurant by the back door and walked into a courtyard. There were tables filled with folks having wine and tapas. The Missus said, "hey, this looks good!" I had to laugh, it was the outdoor tables of Saint Germain! We'd come full circle it seems. It was time to head on back for a nice afternoon siesta…….

Granada: The Alhambra and Cafe Opera 5

March 18, 2016 mmm-yoso Granada, Sandwiches, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

The main reason for visiting Granada was The Alhambra of course. This grand Moorish Palace resides on top of a hill overlooking Granada. I had bought tickets well in advance and printed them out in the bookstore the night before. This enabled us to take the "short cut", up Cuesta de Gomerez, which was basically right outside our apartment door.

Right up the street was Puerta de las Granadas and it was a nice short walk to the "Justice Gate", the original entrance to the Alhambra. Because we'd printed out our tickets beforehand, we could use this gate to access the palace. Our designated time for Palacios Nazares was 9am, so we had some time to check out the Alcazaba, a large looming fortress and tower, the oldest part of the Alhambra.

In Arabic, Qa'lat al-Hamra' ("Alhambra") means "red castle" and in the morning light, this structure, which dates back to the 13th century did indeed look like a "red castle". If you wind your way though the passages and walkways, then climb up to the tower, you'll be rewarded with a stunning view, which also highlights the strategic location of the Alcazaba. The view is wonderful and is well worth the climb up the tower……..hopefully, it will be a rather clear day and the view will be like this.

You need to get in line for the Palacios Nazaries, the Moorish Royal Palace complex. There are so many features of the palace; like the Courtyard of the Myrtles; basically the central courtyard.

The Mocárabe (Stalactite Work) is amazing as is the symmetry. This is the ceiling of the Grand Hall of the Ambassadors, the wooden ceiling is made up of 8,017 wood inlays and is room itself is a perfect cube.

You could spend hours here just admiring the tile work and visiting places like the Courtyard of the Lions.

And while a sort of fatigue set in; I started looking for random and whimsical features to balance out the perfection of the place, I never got tired of the view. Near the middle top of the photo is the Church of San Nicolás, at the bottom is the Paseo de los Tristes (Walk of the Dead Ones), once the funeral procession route in the city.

We exited the palace and passed through some quaint gardens and then a series of towers. This is the "Torre de los Picos" (Tower of the Points).

Ending up at Generalife Gardens.

The Court of la Acequia is especially pretty.

As is the view of Palacios Nazaries.

After exiting, we headed down Bib Ramblas and ended up where we started.

We then headed to Mercado Agustin, but other than buying some really olive oil were quite underwhelmed….I mean, the jamon here was cut by machine! By this time, we needed a bit of a break. Down the small street next to the market we found this place.

We had intended on just getting some espresso here, but were feeling a bit puckish as well. So the Missus decided we should go ahead and have a Bocadillo as well, which sounded just fine to me. So She had me order a jamon and an anchovy (!) bocadillo. One of the things we really enjoyed about this little shop were the bottles of roasted garlic infused olive oil…..which folks just poured like crazy on their bread.

That Jamon Bocadillo must have been pretty good….because I never even had a shot at it!

The Anchovy version was too fishy-oily-salty for the Missus, but I kinda liked it with the garlic olive oil.

It was nice and briny, man that infused olive oil was good. We quickly learned that it was okay to pour like a gallon of that stuff on your bread. There were some interesting photos in this shop; when I exited the restroom, the older woman sitting at one of the tables pointed to the photo of what looked like the Emperor of Japan on the wall and said something to me in Spanish. Sorry to say I didn't understand.

We really enjoyed this little shop and would return on our way to the train station as we left Granada. Folks here seemed more friendly (and folks in Spain were pretty friendly as a whole) than anywhere else in Spain.

Cafe Opera 5
Ivaro de Bazán 12
Granada, Spain

Brussels: Les Brassins and Revisiting Moeder Lambic (St Gilles Location)

March 17, 2016 mmm-yoso Beer, Belgian Cuisine and Restaurants, Belgium, Brussels, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

It was really hard leaving Cantillon, there was something really cool about the place…..you just wanted to hang around.

Alas, our time in Brussels was coming to an end. I had a place in mind for lunch, but first the Missus wanted to revisit a couple of places we'd gone to on our first day in the city. It would have been but a short ride on the metro, but of course, this is the Missus we're talking about so we walked.

Back to see the "Little Squirt", who was getting a lot of attention as always.

And since we were there, a visit to Grand Place was in order as well. For some reason, the Missus really never took to Grand Place….not sure why.

From here, we headed south, skirting the hills and then back up to the very popular shopping district of Ixelles.

Full of big time chains, boutiques, trendy shops….big city life. But, just head up one of the side streets and you'll find quaint little shops, apartments, and on this street a ton of construction. I was looking for a brasserie I'd read about, in several food blogs and even the New York Times, Les Brassins. The word "traditional" was sprinkled about in most of what I read, so I thought this would be a nice farewell restaurant meal in Brussels.

We'd arrived early and the place was empty except for one table….it was packed when we left. I found the place very comfortable.

Our server was very nice, relaxed, but very efficient. This is of course, Belgium, so we'd get some liquid refreshment with lunch. Nothing too heavy for the Missus; a Silly (how appropriate) Blonde (well, maybe not so much). I had a Caulier Blonde.

The Missus wanted to get Her last fix of Sausage and Stoemp. This was a nice version of the dish. The stoemp was full of greens and was delicious. The sausage well.

The "bacon" was probably the weak link, but the sauce was very nice….a good last version for the Missus.

I had intended to get the Carbonnade Flamande, the classic beef and beer stew that I enjoyed everywhere in Belgium. But all those posts and the New York Time recommended the Rabbit Leg in Cherry Kriek. So I went with the Lapin a la Kriek.

First off, I gotta say, that sauce was just plain delici-yoso! The kriek added a nice sweetness, but wasn't too cloying, that cut the richness. Also, the frites here might be the best I had in Belgium, crisp exterior, fluffy interior. The rabbit, if you've never had rabbit…..when done well, it's fairly mild in flavor, as this was. It was a bit too tough and dry for my taste though. Still, that sauce….

While I think my favorite meals in Brussels were at Viva M'Boma or perhaps Le Fin de Siècle, I don't think you can go wrong at Les Brassins.

Les Brassins
36 Rue Keyenveld
Brussels, Belgium

We walked back to our apartment in Saint Gilles. It was a beautiful day for a stroll. We had our customary nap, then made dinner with stuff we'd bought at the Marche du Parvis.

So this was it huh? Last night in Brussels. The Missus and I looked at each other and instantly knew, this was not the way to end our trip to Brussels. We got dressed and headed out….and back to Moeder Lambic.

It was a bit busier than on our last visit. However, most everyone had taken a table outside. I told the Missus to shoot for the moon and I got a Hop-Ruiter, which I loved so much on my previous visit. So She did…..

I then tried a Vicaris Tripel, which was fairly creamy, though bit too sweet for my taste.

I then helped the Missus finish Her Gueuze. I couldn't help but think that this was why we work so hard. To be able to have a bottle of Cantillon at Moeder Lambic in Brussels. Life doesn't get better. Of course, eventually the glass was empty.

But "my glass" was more than full!

Moeder Lambic
Rue de Savoie 68
Brussels, Belgium

Thanks for reading!

Seoul: Gwangjang Market and Brother’s Raw Beef

March 15, 2016 mmm-yoso Korea, Korean Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Seoul, Travel

It had started raining fairly hard as left Myeongdong. But we really weren't through eating. We went back to the apartment, had some tea, showered, and headed back out. This time the target was Gwangjang Market; established in 1905, I read that there were over 5000 shops in the market.

It is indeed quite a beast as we entered and immediately got lost….surrounded by textile shops.

After wandering around for quite a while….almost in a dazed state we found the area that sold food products and some of the "alleys".

Of course there are a ton of food stands…..

Serving every part of the animal.

And then there are the congregations of shops that specialize in specific dishes that have their own "food alleys"; gimbap alley and jeon (pancake alley), where you can watch mung beans being ground to make Bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes).

There was one alley I really wanted to visit. I love yukhoe, the Korean version of beef tartare, so I really wanted to try it during my visit to Seoul. We'd had Yukhoe Bibimbap at Gogung, but I really wanted to try it straight up. So we hunted down Yukhoe Alley, a small collection of shops specializing in the raw beef dish, and chose one that I had read about named "Brother's Raw Beef". The only way I found it was by the cow logo as all the signs were in Hangul.

No English spoken, but the gentleman running the place as well as the woman who served us were very friendly.

And really, all you need to do is put up one finger and say "Cass" and then raise that index finger again and say "yukhoe"……

And in case you wondered about how fresh the meat was; there were three women in the back of the restaurant prepping the beef.

The Missus recalls the beef-daikon soup that came with the raw beef was really tasty…..

But all I remember was how very good the Yukhoe was. Just enough Asian Pear to add crunch and some sweetness, some pine nuts adding another dimension of flavor, the egg yolk lending a richness to the whole dish.

A touch of sesame oil….that's all I really needed.

The beef, while lean was surprisingly tender. This was my favorite dish from our time Seoul.

Brother's Raw Beef (형제육회) – In Gwangjang Market
160-8 Jongno 4-ga (near exit 10 of the market)
Seoul, South Korea

It was still raining when we left the market and headed back in the direction of our apartment. We took a short look around Tapgol Park.

As we were leaving, the Missus decided we needed to head back to Myeongdong………

From Saint Jean de Luz to Bordeaux, a Visit to Bar a Vin, and Goya Lives!

March 11, 2016 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bordeaux, Breakfast/Brunch, France, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

After a wonderful day and evening in Saint Jean de Luz, we woke refreshed and rested…..I guess this town will do that to you. Before breakfast and heading off on the train to Bordeaux, we took a nice stroll around the town.

Down past the port down to the beach and back around to the street we stayed on.

We didn't know what to expect for breakfast, but it was quite substantial…..great fresh pressed coffee, and egg made to order….all by the wonderful owner of our little hotel.

We bade our farewells and headed off to the train station. Waiting for our train was, well interesting….while the Spanish were rather boisterous, fun loving, out-going….the French as a whole were very polite, precise, and in most cases to the point. We loved the contrasts in personalities….I told the Missus that the Spanish very social personality reminded me of the Chinese, while the more reserved, yet very polite French, the Japanese. Anyway, for some reason folks seemed confused about which track the train to Bordeaux would arrive on, and in spite of all the other folks there, they would undoubtedly ask me….the most "un-French" looking person you could possibly find. The Missus couldn't stop laughing….."je parle non Francais". Strange thing, even after saying that they would show me their tickets! And after the second time, I could figure out where the car they had seats on was stopping!

When we got to Gare Saint Jean, the train station, we found the tram that we needed…it was all easy, as the ticket machines had an "English button" that made selections simple. Then it happened again, folks in line kept asking me, very politely, how to use the machine! The Missus explained it away by telling me, "the French are asking the only Japanese they could find, because he thinks like them how to get to their destination……"

The location of our apartment was awesome, a few blocks from the city centre, bit not too close, and a short walk from the tram stop.

Our unit was not quite ready when we arrived, so we dropped things off and set out to explore. We were also quite close to one of the city squares, Place des Quinconces, and were quickly noticed the Monument aux Girondins, built in the 1880's to commemorate the Girondins from Bordeaux, who were executed by Robespierre during the Reign of Terror.

The column itself is made up of several pieces, each of which has a meaning, from the statue at the top which represents the spirit of liberty, to the three lying at the feet of the horses in the fountain representing Ignorance, Lie and Vice.

From here it was a short walk to the area called the "Golden Triangle". There was a place I had marked on my Google Maps along the way. Years ago, the Bordeaux Wine Council wisely bought a 18th century building near the center of the city. In this building, the wine council holds a Wine School and Classes (L’école du vin), being a somewhat of a neophyte when it comes to wine, I would have loved taking those classes, but it was too early in the season for those.

What we really enjoyed was the wine bar located on the premises; Bar a Vin. First off, the prices were amazingly reasonable….even though we'd find that everyday table wine in Bordeaux was very affordable, here we could have a generous pour of a Chateau Landreau Bordeaux Superior for 3 Euros, then have the Server explain to us what the designation of a Supérieur is; the wine must be aged at least 12 months and the wines are from "old stock:, meaning vines of a certain age, along with the actual land the grapes were grown on being documented as parcels that have been growing grapes for a certain amount of time.

Folks that read this blog regularly know that I'm more of a beer guy, but all of this fascinates me…plus, the Missus enjoys a nice glass of wine…nothing fancy per se, but a nice glass. And with the pretentiousness that sometimes surrounds the consumption of wine, it's really nice to have a place like Bar a Vins. It also puts things into perspective; wine is something for everyday…..

We seem to have our favorite places when we travel. Those places that we visit more than once on our trips…..Bar a Vin, with the wonderful staff, the bright and friendly setting, and the location was one of these.

Bar a Vin
3 Cours du 30 Juillet
Bordeaux, France

We then headed down to the Grand Theatre a few blocks away.

More on this beautiful building in a future post, because there was something that immediately grabbed our attention.

Across the way was a piece of modern art, a bronze head that completely mesmerized us. It was flat, yet looked so real and alive…angles were everything….was it 2D or 3D, or 2.5D? It depended on the angle you viewed it. After getting into the apartment, I found out this was by Catalan Artist Jaume Plensa. It just looked so real that we were stunned…..

I'm still not sure what it was about this bronze sculpture that always got our attention, but we could not help but stop whenever we passed it and view it first from one angle….then move over a bit and check it out from another.

It's always nice to find something you don't expect that catches you attention this way.

We then headed down the major shopping street, Cours de l’Intendance….the Missus loved this street and I ended up spending a few Euros here later on.

While walking down the street, I noticed this……

It was a plate with the profile of Goya on it. Goya? I'd seen his works at the Prado Museum in Madrid, I knew he lived in Madrid, I have a postcard of his rather disturbing work; Saturn Devouring His Son on my desk….a reminder for me that things are never as bad as you think. But why Bordeaux? Well, it turns out that Goya left Spain in 1824, accompanied by his "maid and companion" Leocadia Weiss and lived at this residence until his death. All these facts I never learned in school…..

Down one of the many arteries that feed into the large main street and squares, we found a large church; the Church of Notre Dame (Eglise Notre-Dame).

The Baroque stylings caught our eye and we decided to check the place out.

The interior belies the rather over embellished exterior. I really enjoyed the simple, yet elegant stonework. The light really enhanced the choir, as it seemed to come down from the heavens.

What was interesting, even here, in the square where the Eglise Notre-Dame stood, there was the presence of Francisco Goya, as his statue stands in Place du Chapelet, a few steps from the church.

It does make some sense as Goya's funeral was held at Eglise Notre-Dame….and yet, it seemed quite interesting that a city in France would celebrate the life of a Spanish artist!

Well, at least here, Goya Lives!

Ok, enough of that….by now our apartment would be ready. It was time to head back there; freshen up, and then get some lunch.

Thanks for reading!

A Night in Saint Jean de Luz and Chez Maya Petit Grill Basque

March 10, 2016 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, France, French Restaurants, Seafood, Travel

You've heard of Saint Jean de Luz, right? I wouldn't blame you if you haven't…..when I mentioned this charming seaside town; once a major Basque port town, now a major resort and beach town, folks often respond with "huh? Where?"

Initially, I had originally planned to go straight from San Sebastian to Bordeaux. But then I started to wonder about French Basque country and thought a short stop over might be good. The obvious destinations would be Biarritz and Bayonne, but for some reason, Saint-Jean-de-Luz caught my attention. It would be offseason and a Tuesday, so we'd avoid weekend crowds. Whether it's Poperinge, Miyajima, or Evora, we like taking these interesting side trips during our journeys.

Which is how we found ourselves catching the train from San Sebastian to the border town of Hendaye, via Euskotren, then walking over to the SNCF station in Hendaye. One interesting woman spoke perfect English on the train to the border, then as soon as we entered France would only speak in French to everyone. We walked across the street from Hendaye Station to grab a cup of coffee and there she was chatting to folks in French! Train tickets and such was easy as the ticket machines all had English translation buttons and we simply typed in our reservation number, etc….. The ride from Hendaye to Saint Jean de Luz was a mere 10 minutes or so. I had booked a little hotel named Hôtel Txoko which was a few seconds away from the main shopping streets and less than five minutes away from the beach. The owner was a wonderful, warm and friendly woman, and while the room was rather small, it was comfortable.

We soon headed off down the main shopping street Rue Gambetta.

Past all the shops; many of which tempted tourists with local delicacies…..

And gave folks; both the four legged and two legged kind the opportunity to socialize.

There was one place I wanted to visit in the town; the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste (Church of St. John the Baptist), which is one of the most important churches in Basque Country.

It was in this church on June 9th, 1660, that Louis the XIV of France and Maria Theresa of Spain were wed in what was an arranged political union, one which ended hostilities between the two countries. I read that little Saint Jean de Luz was chosen because it was just about halfway between Madrid and Paris.

At the time the church was constructed, the village was famous for its shipbuilders. Thus the ceiling looks like the bottom of a boat. There's also the replica of a ship hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the church. This was a gift from Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, a model of a ship that sunk offshore with her on board.

Right outside the church is a bricked up doorway. According to legend, this was the doorway was closed up after the wedding of Louis the XIV and Maria Theresa to symbolize the closing of hostilities between France and Spain. I've been told that the story isn't true though…..

We walked North than headed to the shore. This area is dominated by resorts and Casino La Pergola.

And headed down along the beach…..

And eventually ended up on Rue de la République, the street the hotel was on and the close by Place Louis XIV and the famous Maison Adam which was founded in 1660.

Well in 1660, Maison Adam made the favorite macaroons of Louis the XIV. There's a nice story here. These are definitely not macaroons as you probably know them. According to what we were told; these are still made with the original recipe in mind.

Maison Adam
6 Rue de la Republique
Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France

The Missus enjoyed Her macaroon…..

After a short respite, it was dinner time. We had chosen a shop on one of the side streets that served up what we were told more traditional French Basque dishes of the region named Chez Maya. When I mentioned the place to the woman at the hotel she smiled and said "très bon"…which I believe means very good.

This quaint, rustic little shop was staffed by what I can only term women who will totally remind you of your aunts!

We both ordered a glass of wine and a nice amuse was delivered, a tiny bowl of small shrimp. It's perfect for the Asian palate; very shrimpy and straight forward. If you like dried shrimp; you'll love these.

The Missus went with the Chipirons Sauce a la Encre ( 17,5 €) – a very nice mild briny flavor, the squid very tender.

I went for what I read was the house specialty; a Basque Seafood Stew called Ttoro ( 18,5 €).

This was quite delici-yoso! The seafood was cooked perfectly; especially the shrimp. The broth was like a peppery caldo de siete mares; Mexican seafood soup. It really had that "aaaah" effect. As the Missus and I were halfway through the stew, one of the women brought a bowl with more broth to the table……so we wiped out all the bread sopping up the soup.

They have an interesting fan system in the place that really grabs your attention. Even though it wasn't hot, they turned it on for a minute….just so everyone could see…..

Very warm and friendly folks, with a nice, rustic, comforting meal.

Très bon indeed!

Chez Maya – Le Petit Grill Basque
2 Rue Saint Jacques
Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France

As we rolled out of the place, the Missus decided that we (I) needed to walk off a few calories so we headed back to the beach. Along with some folks with the same thing in mind.

And was rewarded with a beautiful sunset.

The evening here was much different than the day had been; the day-trippers were gone and I think folks retreated to their resorts….plus it was a Tuesday night.

Seoul: Bukchon Hanok Village and Hadongkwan

March 8, 2016 mmm-yoso Korea, Korean Restaurants, Seoul, Travel

The forecast called for rain on our second full day in Seoul. This meant one thing for the Missus…..get an early start. We decided to head back to Bukchon Hanok Village as we believed (rightly so), that we wouldn't have to deal with the hoards of tourists. A Hanok is a traditional Korean house, and this collection of structures between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, once the lair of high ranking government officials, Bukchon Hanok Village is full of little alleyways, with these traditional structures, some of which date back to the Joseon Dynasty.

It's a wonderful place to wander in and out of the alleyways during the early morning. Even though some of the structures have been turned into cafes, shops, galleries, and guest houses, there are still many residences here. Which is why we felt really bad seeing the place mobbed with loud tourists….geez, can you imagine if you lived here?

If you've been reading our little blog long enough; you'd know that the Missus loves Hachiya Persimmons and was mesmerized by a tree full of them! She stood under that tree for a good ten minutes trying to will some of the fruit to fall. Alas, there was to be no divine intervention here. No fruit falling from the heavens. So we left Bukchon Hanok Village, taking some of the quieter back alleyways back to the hustle and bustle of the morning rush.

The wind was picking up and there was some intermittent drizzle as we got back to Jong-ro.

We were getting hungry and headed off to another place from my "list". Walking back to Myeongdong, over the Cheonggyecheon Stream.

As you could tell from my previous posts; I'd been seeking out classic Korean dishes and down the street, across from Myeongdong Cathedral, stood another shop I wanted to try.

Hadongkwan has been in business since the 1930's and serves basically two things; suyu (boiled beef or pork slices) and gomtang, a clear beef soup.

The drill here is that you order and pay at the register first, then have a seat. The woman working looked mighty tough…..she looked at me and said "you big…." and then "small" to the Missus. In other words she ordered for us. And frankly I wasn't going to argue as I'm fairly certain she had a ruler to whack me over the knuckles had I disagreed.

As we sat, she walked over to another table and grabbed the bowl of sliced green onions right off it and brought it to us….the guy was still eating! We couldn't help but chuckle…what if he wanted more green onions? I guess he would have had to deal with her and we were fairly certain who would come out on top.

The kimchi here was very good, not salty, mild fermented flavor, very clean tasting. Ah yes, clean tasting, that also describes the gomtang, in spite of the nice fat, and collagen infused broth, it tasted very clean……sea salt, rice, and a ton of scallions for me. Just like Japan, scallions are considered a veggie here. And, as much as I joke about the woman running the front of house, she was very efficient. When she saw how much I enjoyed the green onions, she nodded at one of the servers, who instantly refilled our bowl….same with the kimchi!

Very nice, straight up beefy flavors. This might seem simple, but getting things right is deceptively hard.

Hadongkwan
10-4 Myeong-dong 1-ga
Jung-gu, Seoul

After breakfast, the Missus decided to do some shopping and we wandered the side streets of Myeongdong. And while we saw a very familiar sight…..

Though the Missus really couldn't find the cosmetics She wanted. So we headed to the huge Lotte Deprtment Store….this being the main branch.

Unfortunately the department store didn't open until 1030, it was just getting to 930. We noticed that the Lotte Duty Free store was just opening so we decided to head on over……to the feeding frenzy! Sheesh! It was a huge rush of Darwinistic, every woman for herself, Chinese tourists. We started walking around a bit and noticed many of the women dragging along huge suitcases. Naturally we thought that these folks were heading off to the airport and just making a stop along the way, until we noticed that once items were purchased, they'd open the empty suitcases and fill them up. We saw women literally buying a thousand dollars worth of cosmetics and dumping it into a empty steamer trunk! Yikes! This was just too much for the Missus and She needed to leave…..

We decided to head back to the apartment for some calming tea, before heading back out…..of course crossing Cheonggyecheon Stream yet again. This time we walked on down and along the stream for a bit. A nice, relaxing walk.

We meandered through the back streets parallel to Jong-ro. There are a ton of restaurants down those streets and alleyways. I came upon one which caught my eye…..it was a hot pot place….I could tell they served goat and lamb. But what was that creature between the goat and lamb?

Well….perhaps I really don't want to know. Because I think we've been down that road before……

Seoul: Korea Samgyetang and Kkanbu Chicken

March 3, 2016 mmm-yoso Korea, Korean Restaurants, Seoul, Travel

As the sun set on Seoul, we realized what a full day we'd had, crisscrossing Jongno, from breakfast on Supyo-ro, then off to Gyeongbokgung Palace only to find that the palace was closed that. It was then onward to Bukchon Hanok Village, only to find that place crawling with tourists. Then deciding to walk to Changdeokgung Palace and a wonderful tour of the Secret Garden, followed by a walk through Insadong with lunch at Gogung. Whew. When evening hit, man, we were pretty hungry. The Missus had Samgyetang, ginseng chicken soup, on Her "wish list" and who am I to deny Her?

So we headed out….the Missus wanted a different route, so we headed down to the Cheonggyecheon Stream area, once an elevated freeway area and crossed over to the very busy Myeongdong area, bustling with post-work and pre-Christmas shoppers. Around this time of the year, lanterns adorn the stream.

Walking past Lotte Department Store, we headed in the direction of City Hall and soon heard some loud singing. It was this guy singing his heart out….unfortunately, it was just to an empty field of grass.

That didn't deter him from giving it his all though……

This palace is Deoksugung, which had evening hours. After getting the Missus Her Samgyetang we returned but decided one should only visit so many palaces a day and decided to pass.

A busy intersection and few blocks away was our destination; Korea Samgyetang, which claims to be the first Samgyetang Restaurant in Seoul, opening in 1960.

The place has four floors. We sat on the first floor which was pretty empty when we arrived, but quickly filled up. A mix of tourists and locals.

As the Missus loves Her Black Chicken, She ordered the Black Bone Chicken with Wild Korean Ginseng Broth and Abalone……which I think came out to something like $30!

Things started off with some panchan and some (free)ginseng wine, which I found a bit too medicinal for my taste.

I think I already mentioned how good the kkandugi was in Korea, this one was probably the best….not too salty, not bitter, slightly sweet, and with a nice crisp, but not hard texture. It must be the type of daikon used as the texture is totally different from what we have here in the states. That raw garlic…was quite potent.

Like I mentioned above; I'm not a big fan of Samgyetang and this didn't really change my opinion. Personally, kind of flat tasting, the abalone was very tough and hard…..same could be said for the black chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, dried dates, and ginseng. The Missus? She loves black chicken and really enjoyed this….

The place sure does get busy. As we were finishing up, a group of Thai arrived. When we were leaving I started cracking up as I saw a Ziploc bag of Thai Chilies being passed around from person to person.

The service was efficient, if not a bit perfunctory. I was happy for the Missus…..

Korea Samgyetang
55-3 Seosomun-dong
Jung-gu, Seoul

And while Samgyetang is traditionally "hot weather" food, the Missus seemed energized by all that rubbery chicken and ginseng floating around in Her belly, so we decided to walk around for a bit.

King Taejo, who founded the Joseon Dynasty, chose Seoul to be the Capitol in 1392. Security of the center of government was important to Taejo, so he ordered that a wall be constructed to protect his city. The wall had 8 gates, which also is the number of mountains which surrounds the city. So you'll come across many gates during a visit. This one is Souimun (Seosomun).

I was again struck by the contrast of the ancient and modern in Seoul……

We made our way back in a roundabout way, finally deciding to walk along Cheonggyecheon Stream to admire the lanterns.

We fully intended to stop when we got to the apartment, but for some reason we just kept on walking down Jongro….pass a shopping street where the Missus said, "you can't go down there….you're too old."

Somehow, we ended up back near Supyo-ro and I was feeling a bit hungry. I remembered a "KFC" (that would be "Korean Fried Chicken") place I saw the previous evening and was suddenly hungry. You can't go to Seoul without getting some KFC, right?

Which how we ended up at Kkanbu Chicken……..

We ordered the Crispy Chicken, which came with a bowl of popcorn (?!?) and water kimchi. Man, this was like a whole chicken!

The chicken was super crisp, the batter very light, the chicken very moist…..but the flavor seemed bland and in need of seasoning to us. The Missus looked at me and said, "you'd kill for a bottle of Crystal hot sauce right now wouldn't you?" The chicken sure did need a bit of flavor and something to cut all of that…friedness. Some of my Roasted Ghost Pepper hot sauce would have been killer…heck, if I'm coming back to Seoul, I might invest in those tiny keychain bottles of tabasco!

On a cute note; there was a young couple who sat on the table next to us. We saw some kind of fruity soda and a mug of beer arrive at the table. To crash those stereotypes; it was the tiny young lady who had the mug of beer and the guy had the soda. I did notice that the girl only ate the kimchi and nothing else though, which I found kind of strange…the guy just whacked the whole chicken.

The service was nice, though I was really looking forward to the KFC place I had on my list scheduled for a few nights later.

Kkanbu Chicken
202 Nagwon-dong
Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea

By this time I was kind of feeling all those miles and I was looking forward to hitting the sack. But it was not to be…at least not right away. As we got to the highrise where our apartment was located, the Missus kept on walking…..we ended back up on Sejong-ro on Gwanghwamun Square, staring at the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-Shin.

As we got back to the apartment the Missus looked at Her smartphone and said "perfect….we just put in 20 miles of walking today!"

What?!? I needed a shower and a good night of sleep…….

Thanks for reading!

Seoul: Changdeokgung Palace, the “Secret Garden” and Gogung (Insadong)

March 1, 2016 mmm-yoso Korea, Korean Restaurants, Seoul, Travel

Since we had pretty much struck out at Gyeongbokgung Palace (wrong day of the week….damn you jetlag) and Bukchon Hanok Village (crawling with tourists), we went for "Plan C", Changdeokgung Palace. Walking over, the place looked quite busy, but once inside it was rather sedate.

Completed in 1412, this was considered the "second palace", after Gyeongbokgung. You enter through the Donhwamun Gate into a large courtyard that fronts the Injeongjeon, the throne hall.

The markers you see indicate where the court stood….basically in terms of rank. So of course the Missus stood next to rank 1 for Her photo and took one of me in front of the last rank! Not really knowing much about the history of Korea, the Missus was fascinated to see that Chinese was used as the written language.

From this throne the king received envoys and oversaw ceremonies.

We walked along Daejojeon Hall, the official residence of the queen.

This was all very nice, but there was one area I'd read about and really wanted to visit; "Biwon" (비원 The Secret Garden). This area can only be visited via a guided tour and you need to purchase tickets. Also known as Huwon (후원 Rear Garden), this series of pavilions and ponds were originally created for the royal family.

We had a hint of things while walking around other parts of the palace.

There are times when travelling when everything just seems right, your timing is perfect. In spite of the other 50 or so folks on the tour, this was the highlight of our time in Seoul. Our guide was so very knowledgeable, She explained the use of Chinese writing and the transition to Hangul to the Missus later on during the walk…..she was oh so very patient, keeping a group like this together was like herding cats. And listening to the three Filipino girls was a hoot; "pleeease, no more hills", "what, more steps?", "ok, enough leaves already…."

The colors were stunning as was the backdrop.

The photo above show the area named Juhamnu; this is where the Royal libraries were located. The pond in front of it is called Buyongji Pond.

One of the most stunning sites was the next stop; the "Love of Lotus" pond and pavilion (Aeryeonji).

We don't have an intense changing of the seasons here in San Diego, so just the colors had us mesmerized.

For a kid from Hawaii like me….this was like being on a different planet…..

This is the Jondeokjeong Pavillion, known for the double roof.

This is the Soyoam Rock. Notice the carving in the rock. Along with the name of the area carved by King Injo, there's a poem carved into the rock by King Sukjong.

At the end is a Chinese Juniper Tree that is supposed to be over 750 years old.

It was nothing short of spectacular to us……the timing was just perfect; the next few days were quite windy and somewhat rainy which I'm sure changed things. Sometimes you just get lucky!

We were getting hungry, so we headed down to the bustling streets of Insadong, full of shops, little restaurants….tourists and locals.

In the basement of the very popular Ssamziegil Mall is a restaurant named Gogung, famous for their Bibimbap.

The restaurant specializes in Jeonju Bibimbap, supposedly a specialty of Jeonju which was declared one of the Creative Cities for Gastronomy by UNESCO. Jeonju Bibimbap is supposed to be serious stuff; sometimes with up to 30 ingredients used for a single bowl!

The Missus really enjoyed Her meal here and considers it Her favorite meal in Seoul.

There were two items that arrived with the panchan that caught our attention. The first was Deulkkaetang a perilla seed and mushroom based soup. The flavor was quite interesting, like basil, mildly sweet with an anise finish combined with the earthy flavor of the mushrooms. This was nice, but I found the fragrance kind of odd, mildy fishy-earthy, not sure if my olfactory was working well on this day.

The second being some fermented thick cabbage stems which smelled almost exactly like the suan cai we make at home. Funky fermented flavor. So of course the Missus just loved this.

We noticed that folks on the other tables pretty much stayed away from this….the Missus was tempted to grab them……..but She displayed great restraint.

The Missus went with the Jeonju Dolsot Bibimbap; which might have been one of the best dolsot bibimbap I've ever had. Amazing textures, especially the bean sprouts which tasted oh so good.

As the rice crust formed things got even better; adding a layer of nuttiness and even more contrasting textures to the dish.

The Missus though, really enjoyed what I ordered; the Yukhoe Bibimbap. The amazingly clean tasting raw beef had perhaps a bit too much minced Asian Pear in it, making it a tad to sweet for me; but the Missus really loved the flavor and texture of this.

She polished this off in no time.

The traditional Sujeonggwa was served as dessert/digestif.

We both enjoyed it as this was not as sweet as most versions back in the States, making it quite refreshing. The prices weren't too bad at all; the Dolsot Bibimbap at ₩ 11,000, about $8.75 and the Yukhoe Bibimbap at ₩ 15,000, about $12.

Gogung Insadong
44 Insadong-gil
Jongno-gu, Seoul

After lunch we wandered around Ssamziegil Mall, through all the little shops; but mostly people watching…….

Kids are the same everywhere, aren't they?

Soon enough, our afternoon nap came calling and we headed back to our apartment amongst the highrises of Jongno-gu……..

We'd already put in a good amount of mileage, but little did I know we'd put in another big chunk this evening.

Thanks for reading!