Author Archives: Martine
2 nights in St-John’s with an “s”
We begin our 2 weeks trip to Newfoundland with our landing in St-John’s landing mid afternoon. After picking up our rental car from Avis we make our way easily to our first home here, The Murray Premises Boutique Hotel.
We are pleasantly surprised with convenient free parking right in front of the hotel and a quaint reception area.
We decide to begin our hiking right away and head for the long path along the water up to signal point. Absolutely beautiful views of the city as we hike up and several stretches where Chuck finds it much too close to the edge 😂
We are also excited to see our first of many icebergs!
Our Fitbit indicates that we covered 12km that day and 18,000 steps!!
After visiting at the top a bit, we head back down via the city on a steep decline which turns out to be much harder on my knee!!
Back in the city, we head to Trapper John’s for the screeched in ceremony. We are greeted John who was a very colourful fellow with lots of stories.
We discover that this involves 4 things. We must eat something from Newfoundland which turns out to be bologna or what is known as a Newfoundland steak. We must have a shot of screech rum. Which is Jamaican rhum bottled here in Newfoundland. We must repeat a local saying about old friend being the support for our sailing forward, very lovely. Then we must kiss the king of Newfoundland which of course is a frozen cod. We perform all these steps to John’s multiple stories and receive our certificate making us honorary Newfoundlanders!
We then head to a local pub on George St for some cod and local music.
On Sunday we head south to Cape Spear, the easternmost point in North America and hike part of the eastern coast trail toward Maddox Cove.
We are treated to beautiful cliffs and more icebergs. The scenery is reminiscing of the northern Scotland we visited a few years ago. Very windy coast!
Our stop for lunch is at the Murray Landscaper Grounds cafe (farm to fork) as featured in an article in the Globe and Mail that we had read. Excellent vegan food in a nice, bright and airy dining room.
We then drive up to Stiles Coves to hike up to the beautiful cliffs and waterfall.
Well worth the drive/hike. A little bit down the road we stop at the end of the Pouch Cove trail in Flatrock to take a look at the flat rocks, the waterfall in Big River and the stunning waves crashing on those rocks. Loved it!!
We then make a stop at the Quidi Vidi brewery for a few sampler of the local beer, one of which made with iceberg water, before heading back home.
Our Fitbit today says 14 km, 20,500 steps.
Well earned dinner at Exile, the restaurant part of the Jag hotel owned by the cousin of one of Chuck’s friend. What an awesome decor and atmosphere with multiple posters of music legends.
“No-beef” and Barley Soup
Ingredients
Batch 1:
- 2 shallots or 1 Spanish onion diced.
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 large carrots diced
- 3 branches of celery diced
- 2 cups frozen green beans
Batch 2
- 2 cups homemade tomato sauce or a can of diced tomatoes
- 8 cups of vegetable broth
- 1 cup of barley
- 2 tbsp of fresh parsley or 2 tsp of dried parsley
- 2 tsp of dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp of black pepper
- 1 tbsp of Himalayan salt
Batch 3
- 2 cups of frozen green peas
- 1 small can of black beans and white kidney beans (398 ml)
Instructions
In a large Dutch oven or saucepan, put a few tbsp of vegetable broth with the onions and the garlic. Cook for 5 minutes watching to ensure there is still some liquid, otherwise add some as needed. Add the remainder of the ingredients from Batch 1. Cook for another 5 minutes continuing to ensure that there is liquid at the bottom of the pan.
Add ingredients from batch 2 and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the carrots and the barley are cooked.
Add the ingredients from batch 3 and continue simmering for 5 minutes.
My Seasoned Salt
My special mix that I use to season most of my soups!
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp of garlic salt and paprika
- 2 tbsp of onion powder, Chili powder and black pepper
- 1 tsp of celery salt
- 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup of Himalayan salt
- 1 tbsp of parsley (optional)
Mix all ingredient in a bowl and store in a dry area.
Cream of brocoli (vegan)
I love the creamy texture that can be achieve without any cream!!
Ingredients
- 2 very large bunches of brocoli cut up (peeling the stem before cutting)
- 2 medium onions
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 medium sized carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 large potatoes cut in pieces
12 cups of broth
- 2 tbsp each garlic salt
- 1 tbsp of Himalayan salt
- 1 tbsp each dried basil and dried thyme
- 1 tsp of celery salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Heat up a Dutch oven saucepan or large saucepan.
Turn the heat to medium and place the onion in. Add about 1/4 cup broth and let it cook for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, adding broth as needed.
Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the broth and the spices and bring to boil.
Turn the burner to simmer, add the herbs and cover the saucepan. Let it simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.
Let it cool down and put the mixture through the blender to achieve a creamy consistency.
Return to pot and adjust seasoning to taste as needed.
Mom’s vegetable soup
Ever since my boys were little, I have been making a completely vegan vegetable soup. This was one of the puréed food I fed them when they were babies, albeit with less spices 🙂
Now that they are away, they are looking to reproduce this recipe. Well here it is!!
You can be creative with the vegetables, adding or omitting with what you have in your fridge. This is a catch all soup 🍲!!
Ingredients
1st batch:
- 2 small cooking onions diced
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 4 large carrots sliced or cut in chunk as you prefer
- 2 branches of celery sliced
- 1 zucchini cut in half and sliced
- 2 big handful of green beans cut in 1 inch pieces or 1 cup of frozen green beans Optional:
- 2 cups of frozen peas
- 2 cups of chopped spinach
2nd batch:
- 8 cups (or 2 litre) of vegetable broth
- 750 ml tomato sauce (or 1 mason jar)
- Optional Add 2 cups of broth after pasta/rice is cooked to thin the consistency.
3rd batch:
- 1 can of white kidney beans (or romaine beans)
- 1 cup of rice, orzo or small pasta
Spices
- 2 tbsp of garlic salt, celery salt, onion powder
- 1 tbsp of black pepper
- 1 tbsp of parsley, dried thyme and/or basil
Use a large pot or preferably a dutch oven. Spread 1 tbsp of grapeseed oil and heat. Add the onion and caramelized them for a few minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables from 1st batch EXCEPT the optional ones if you are using them. Cook for 7-8 minutes.
Add ingredients from the 2nd batch and bring to boil.
Add ingredients for the 3rd batch as well as the spices and herbs and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.
Add the optional vegetables if using and cook for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables and rice or pasta is cooked.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
This makes a large pot of soup. At least 22 cups of soup. A typical bowl of soup (serving) is 2 cups.
Adjust the recipe according to the number of servings you would like to make.
Moroccan Red Lentil Soup (Red Chard)
I am a huge fan of soups of all colours and textures, so I am always excited when I find a new recipe.
My husband mistakenly bought red chard this week so I searched Pinterest to see what would be a good use of it and came across a recipe similar to this. I have modified it a bit to up the heat and also to adjust it to my taste in terms of consistency. This version is very tasty and filling. It makes for an excellent and nutritious lunch; a wonderful plant-based meal.
The goodness of red lentils
Red lentils are rich in slow-digesting carbohydrates and dietary fiber that keep you feeling full and satisfied for two hours or more following a meal.
The protein content of lentils is comparable to that of one serving of meat, but generally healthier because they contain low levels of fat. In one cup of red lentils, you consume nearly 18 grams of protein.
With 358 micrograms per serving, red lentils are rich in folate, a vitamin your body requires to create new cells and produce iron. One serving also provides about 16 international units of vitamin A. The minerals in a cup of red lentils include 731 milligrams of potassium, 356 milligrams of phosphorus and 71 milligrams of magnesium.
Ingredients
1st batch
- 2 tsp of grapeseed oil
- 1 cooking onion diced
- 2 large carrots diced
2nd batch
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp each chili flakes, black pepper, turmeric, ginger, salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3rd batch
- 1 large can (15 oz) of diced tomatoes or 6 large plum tomatoes diced
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- 1litre (4 cups) vegetable broth
Add at the end
- 1 Bunch of red chard chopped
Steps
Heat the oil and sautée the onions for 1 minute before adding the other ingredients from batch 1 and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add a bit of broth if it starts sticking.
Add ingredients from batch 2 and coat the vegetables well. Cook for 1 minutes.
Add the ingredients from batch 3 and bring to boil uncovered. Cook for 10 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
Add the chard and cook for 5 minutes or until they are wilted but still have vibrant colours.
Slovenia
Omg We decided to leave Istria early and spend a night in Ljubljana. On our way we stop at the Postojna caves and the Prejnama Castle. What a treat!!
First the caves. We had no idea of the magnitude of these. They are huuuge!! And so ovez caves. Just spectacular. 
Then on to the nearby Prejnama castle built in the 1200s right out of c a rock for protection. Fascinating history and visit inside. Damp and dark castle but so ingenious!!
We then make our way to the capital Ljubjiana. What a quaint and lovely town of 320,000 people. We are told that close to a million people come into the town everyday.
Lovely hosts and staff in our hotel!! We visit the local castle which hosts an exhibition on the history of Slovenia. Chuck is enthralled and finally gets his questions answered!
The climb up to the bell tower is fantastic with a red staircase! View at the top is spectacular.
The next day we are off to Lake Bled stopping first at the Vintgat gorge. A local networks of small waterfalls with a very neat passeway built along the side of the rocks.
At Lake Bled, our hotel is waterfront facing the beautiful lake. What a treat!! We walk the 6km trail around the beautiful scenic lake and climb the hill to the castle located atop the rock cliff. Ouf!! But what a view again!!
The next day we are off toe Lake Bohinj and take a walk around that lake as well. Much quieter little town and beautiful lake surrounded by mountains. Reminiscent of back home!! Back to the hotel we finally treat ourselves to our first ice cream. Those cones vendors are everywhere and everyone seems to be eating one!! Yum!!
Back to Zagreb the next day we sit at a patio in the heart of the city and marvel at how busy the place is as everyone seem to be taking advantage of a beautiful Saturday!!
we checked into the Royal airport hotel for our final night, 5 minutes from the airport. Great big rooms and good restaurant and free breakfast included. We fly back home on Sunday at 10:15. Another epic trip!!
Istria, Croatia
This was our first rainy day with strong wind. Good timing since it was mainly a driving day. We took the most winding and narrow road driving up to our airbandb in Oprtalj from the coast. We arrive to an almost abandoned town with one taverna that is closed and one restaurant only opened till 7PM and a small market opened till 3PM. Thankfully we are there at 2:45 and can purchase a few items to make dinner.
The house itself is the best example of an old house renovation I have seen but is lacking in a lot of small amenities and fairly dark as all the windows open to a wall nearby. The house was found on airbandb and is called Case Sterna. It is recommended NOT to book.
We take a nice lunch at the restaurant overlooking a beautiful valley of olive groves and vines of grapes as well as the nearby famous Panzerana biking and hiking trail.
We arrived at Prodan Tartufi and are impressed right away by the installation, the pretty gardens and the warm welcome by Vishna our host.
This was an absolutely awesome experience in all respect. The wonderful 4 cuddly and energetic dogs made me miss my pups and added to the experience. They love to be handled and pet and were running around like crazy.
We walked in the wood while our host described their lives, how truffles grow, are traded and her family’s 3 generations tradition. We (the dogs) find 2 white truffles and 1 black! We are treated to an exquisite lunch including truffle salami, butter, cheese, pate and eggs. It is all so flavourful and fragrant…I am now addicted to the smell of white truffle!!!
We learned that black truffles can be cultivated by infecting the roots of some trees but white ones are still a mistery. White truffles can only be found in Croatia and Italy whereas black ones are not found in many places around the world including Oregon and New Zealand. Truffles grow from animal eating some and pooing near the roots of trees who lend themselves to growth such as beech, ashes and walnut trees. The selling fee of white truffles can range from 2500 to 4000 euros a kilo!
In the afternoon we drive to 2 nearby medieval towns, the town of Motovun and Grosjnam. The latter has been taken over by artists and we stroll the cobble street while shopping. Both towns are built on a hilltop and are surrounded by a medieval walls and are mostly pedestrians. I buy a neat ring and we decide to have a meal there since our town will not be offering much in terms of food.
Both town are on the same favours biking and hiking trail and we meet several people going on it. We see the trail outside the walls of Grosnam and the view is breathtaking and can understand the attraction.
We decide to leave a day early from there as our airband is very disappointing and we keep getting power outage. Upon the recommandation of a couple from India we met at the truffle hunt who had been travelling from Austria and then Slovenia and now Croatia, we decide to go spend a day in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital.
Sibenik
We leave Dubrovnik early for Sibenik as we plan on making a few stops.
Our first stop is in the town of Ston. What a great decision!
We are amazed with the wall complex built in 1313 to protect their salt factory. We are told that at the time 1 kg of salt was worth the same as 1kg of gold!! We visit the small factory and see the ingenuity to harvest that salt with the same process as years gone by. Very little automation. They use evaporation….It can be harvested 3 times a year and takes 10 days each time.
We hike the walls surrounding the city but will not have time to walk the more than one hour to the next town. The walls are very narrow and steep! What a feat!! Hard to believe their are holding a marathon tomorrow on the walls. Yikes!
We have a meal at Bakus on the recommandation of our host in Dubrovnik. The town of Ston is renowned for its crustaceans fishing.
A beautiful meal of oysters, marinated anchovies and salted sardines. Chuck finally gets his sardines!! All fresh, local and very good. We get a starter of fish pate. Love it!
Great view of the bay and all the traps for mussels, oysters etc..
The walls from the road leaving the area.
Our next planned stop was the town of Split but after driving to the main area of the city along the beach and seeing the invasion of cruise boats, tourists and commercialism, we decide to not even stop and keep driving. What a difference from Ston!
We arrive at our Hotel Bellevue, very well located on the water besides the old town and after dropping our bags, go for a walk in the old town to check it out a bit before our reservation at the 1 Michelin star restaurant Pelligrini.
Located right besides the Basicilica in the old town, the service at that restaurant is absolutely next level. Waiters coordinate depositing your dishes so that everyone at the table gets it at the same time! The sommelier is very friendly and knowledgeable and our waiter tells us a bit about the history of the restaurant and the town.
This restaurant was opened, is owned and operated by the chef and is only opened for 11 years. Most of the staff are in their 20s. 
Flavours are well matched and the food is inventive but what will stay with us is the number of personnel on the floor constantly looking after their guests and their attention to details. Whenever a guest goes to the washroom, one of the staff will come re-fold the napkin on the table, one of them even using only a spoon!
The next day we decide to forgo the boat ride and drive ourselves to Krka which is very close. We first go to the main area nearest the bottom of the national park and again are overwhelmed by the number of buses and tourists. Although the falls are beautiful, The 2 km trail to see the main waterfalls is packed and we move at a very slow pace.
After a chat with one of the staff at the information desk, we decide to get in our car and drive the 45 minutes in the hills to the top of the park where the biggest waterfall are as well as some archeological site of Roman ruins.
We arrive to nearly no-one there and follow the signs to where Emperor Frantz Joseph and his wife Elizabeth had come to see the falls.
Upon continuing down we come to a belvédère where we have a great view of the falls.
We noticed some other trails further to the left and decide to go explore.
The trail is exceptionally steep and made entirely of gravel which can be slippery. But we continue on. Thoughts of having to climb it back start creeping in!!
We arrive at the end where the path simply stops at a cliff with a view to the side of the fall.
We begin the climb back at a good pace. Our hiking legs are now kicking in but we are completely out of breath at the top and have to sit for a moment! The heat of more than 30C does not help!
We then drive the very short distance to Burnum and the site of the recently discovered 1st century Roman legion training centre and barracks. It was built under emperor Augusta to quell a coup by one of his general.
Back home exhausted, sweaty and just in time for our 2 hours guided walking tour of Sibenik.
We meet Dario at the fortress of Baronne way above the city, driven there by our friendly driver ( thank god)…his knowledge of the area is spectacular as is the view from there. We have a particularly privileged view of the St-John castle that is currently under re-construction. Both of the castles were built in the 16th century under the Venetian regime to prepare for the ottoman attacks.
We can also see the whole city, the coast as well as the third castle, St-Michael which was the first one built.
That is where the king of Croatia wrote from in 1066 confirming the existence of Sibenik back to that year.
We are then driven back to the centre of city for a hugely informative walk around the city, Dario pointing out some of the 27 churches of the cities and their different architectural type.
We begin with the fortress of St-Michael where Brian Ferry just held an outdoor concert, and where some of the outdoor walls were used for the Games of Throne background scenes.
Again the view to the river Krka is beautiful. It is the river that separate Croatia in 2.
We see the bridge where the Serbs located their tanks to bomb the city in the 90s war.
We are treated to a visit to the Basilica of St-James where we are told it was the first time the “montage” technique was used to built the coupole, similar to LEGO, the structure is assembled ahead of time and then numbered to be re-assembled up at the top. It took 150 years to build this basilica using men and horse power to hoist stones weighing several tonnes.
We get behind the scene views because our guide’s wife is the conductor of the choir here.
The stairs to upstairs are built to enable the light to filter down below.
First time ordinary people were depicted in a basilica.
We finish with the monastery where one of the 3 most important libraries is located, holding some of the most ancient books of Croatia’s history as well as the only functioning organ built in the 1700s.
Along the way, Dario points out how much the medieval people loved their cats and dogs, building into their walls drinking receptacles. 😀
As well as a medieval water cistern used to hold 27,000 litres that is now turned into a cafe-bar. Interestingly, the restaurant we went to last night is built on its roof!
We finish a perfect day where my Iphone health app tells me we climbed 67 floors, with the town’s specialty: mussels. We learned also today that mussels love a mixture of fresh and salt water which they find in the mouth of the Krka river in the bay of Sibenik!!
Time for bed!!
Dubrovnik/Montenegro: day 4-5-6
We arrive in Dubrovnik after a 5 1/2hour drive with a few stops. Several sections are maximum 60km and we followed large trucks often.
Because we made last minute changes, our airbandb was not available for the first night so we had booked a hotel room. We found our hotel for the first night without problems but we arrived and they were out of parking spots despite the fact that we had called and reserve a spot. Drag!!! They had to drive it 30 minutes walk away so we decided to trust them and leave the key 😬……figured we would have no car, no bags and no room when we got back from our day trip! But all good! Phew!
It is exceptionally well located, almost across from the entrance to the old city. We decide to go walk the walls today and see what the food is like. Of course more steps to get to the entrance of the walls where we climb more steps but the view is excellent!!
After we were done, we end up at the cliff bar, very easy to get confused in the many alleyways of the old town, not easy to find but fun to have a drink there and watch the youngsters jump off the cliff into the sea. 😬
There are so many kayaks making their way to the Lokrum island!
Of course we come across some of the Game of Throne set. This is the stairs where Cersie and chuck begin their walk of shame! So cool!
We have dinner at one of the restaurant and enjoy the best fish pâté ever!! Flashback to France where people light up a cigarettes on the patio right besides other people eating. This is everywhere 😭😭
The Main Street in the old city is jam packed at the night!!
The next day is our day trip to Montenegro, we are ready at our nearby stop waiting for the bus at 6:10…but the pick up is at 7:10. Chuck misread his watch!!🤦♀️buuurrp! 🍷
We visit 3 cities and begin by crossing both borders. Not sure why but at that border we have to show our passport at the Croatian border to exit as well as the Montenegro border to enter. 🤔
First stop is Pevast where the only artificial island of the Adriatic is located. We take a boat across to visit the small church and look at the scenery.
The view on the way is really beautiful.
We leave for Kotor, where we discover that the city and its residents have adopted cats… not a dog, a rat or a mouse to be seen!! There was a Black Plague a long time ago and they brought in cats to get rid of the rats and they stayed. They are everywhere!
17 churches in this tiny villages, 14 of which are catholic despite the fact that most of the population is orthodox…we’ll leave that one alone!!
The only church that was not affected at all by the earthquake of the 1970s
This is a wall city as well and the walls extend all the way up a mountain behind the town with a church on the way. We are told that we do not have time to climb all the way but have time to go to the old church. What a hike!! Steep and hot.
We are happy to be there and sample the beautiful view. This is the bay of Kotor which is named one of the 25 most beautiful bays in the world!! We are surprised by the mountainous horizon.
Back on the bus we now make our way to Budva where we have lunch by the sea. Mainly a small city along the sea. We had a lunch at the restaurant recommended by the tour guide and had very excellent mussels served in a fantastic bowl. We also dip our feet in the Adriatic for the first time. Mainly rocky beaches here but water is nice if a little cool. And FAR too many Speedo’s, thot we we were in Quebec for a moment!
After a 2 hours stop at the border we are finally back in Dubrovnik and move to our airbandb. If you take this tour, plan to be back a few hours later than expected. Tour guide and driver were excellent!
Our first day at the apartment, we wake up to a beautiful view of Dubrovnik and the sea from our balcony. Spectacular! Added bonus, it is a 10 minutes walk to the old town. The owner helps us park the car and tells us to forget it. He is right!
On the advice of our excellent airbandb host, we discovered a small beach very close, used mostly by locals. No signs to point to it anywhere. We had to climb down 277 steps to reach it and of course 277 steps to go back home!!
Absolutely gorgeous, with water so clear and salty! You can basically float with very little efforts. Very refreshing!!
In the afternoon we take the 5 minutes ferry to Lokrum island. We hike to “the rocks” which are reminiscent of Peggy’s Cove except not round rocks. Really neat….nearby is the dead pool.
We then decide to hike up to the church. Very steep ascent but fantastic view!
Tonight is the night we have reservation at the 1 Michelin star restaurant 360. I am not feeling well but it can not be missed. The view is beautiful, staff extra attentive and the menu is creative and interesting.
We are treated to “amuse-bouche” followed by our first course of mackerel for chuck and the chef’s signature dish of carrot for me. For our main, Chuck has ordered a dish of pigeon with foie gras and I choose the turbot with clams.
We try a nice Cabernet from Istria with a label like Chuck wants for his wine. Where you can’t read what is on it! Martine threw up, but not from the food! 😛
All is excellent!! The manager stops by for a chat where he tells us that the head chef Mario Cucic is Croatian and started with them in 2007, growing with the restaurant and traveling to work at Michelin restaurant elsewhere in the world during the 6 months when the restaurant is closed. The restaurant is owned by the town but with the high taxes, they barely make it profitable despite the fact that it is always fully booked. We are told that Croatian here all have to take English from the beginning of school and a third language in grade 4. Smart!
Dubrovnik was beautiful, a city built on a cliff basically, where walking to places really means hiking. Gorgeous sceneries and beautiful water.
Just a week prior to leaving we decided to change our plans to leave a day early from Zagreb to have an extra day in Dubrovnik and go to Montenegro. Best decision!
Martine's food and places 