Author Archives: Martine
Croatia: day 2 and 3: Plitvike Lakes
Day 2 and 3: Sept 17-18, 2018
We arrive midday in Plitvike Lakes, a famous national parc and check in our villa. We drive back to have lunch towards a small town but come across the Baca Caves and decide that we should explore them. We have lunch at a nearby local restaurant…vegetarian options are few and far between here but we make do…Chuck really likes the local beer 🙂
Back at the cave, we are joined by a group of Germans and some Brits. The guide takes us up to the higher cave opened to the public. Temperature inside the caves is always 9C no matter the season and humidity 100%. Two types of bats live in the cave and we spot some right away shortly after entering.
She explains that archeologists have found mementoes proving life in the medieval times as well as animal remains from 20,000 years ago…yes no typo, back in the ice age. They have unearthed the squeleton of a cave bear that would have been more than 3 metres high and weighing over 700 tonnes. Bigger than the grizzlies and the polar bears. The have also found cave lions and a cousins to rhinoceros in those caves.
The scenery is spectacular and she turns the lights off at some point to show what complete darkness actually means….the perfect representation of pitch dark….
Chuck and i LOVE our helmets! Especially since I hit my head….
Back at the villa for a dinner onsite and off to bed for the big hiking day tomorrow.
The next day begins earlyish at 8:30 and we get to the park ready to board bus at 9:30AM. We decide tp start with the lower lakes loop per the recommandation of Ivy at the villa. We are swamped by large groups of tourist, mostly from Asia….it is a selfy party!!!
This park is mainly about the waterfall and the turquoise water. The lower lakes do not disappoint although we find a striking ressemblance to lakes in the Ontario and Quebec cottage country.
At the end of the hike, we get to the boat pick up that will bring us back to mid point.
We then begin the hike up the hill and the highlight of the day…what I called the ’circular waterfalls’. For many minutes, we walk and are able to see this combination of falls from several different angles.
We continue upwards to the top and after a short break, we decide to forgo the bus ride down and instead, we walk back to the bottom. All in all, my app is indicating 18,000 steps, 12 km and most importantly, 47 floors!!! That is some elevation. Feet and knee survive very well which is great!
We make it back to the hotel for a well deserved shower and beer. A great day.
I feel that the recommandation we found online to take a 2-day pass for the park is completely unnecessary. A brisk walk for 4-5 hours will do the trick. Glad we chose to only stay one day.
Off to the coast tomorrow…can’t wait!
Croatia: day 1 – Zagreb
Day 1: Zagreb: September 16th. 2018
Landed in Zagreb 7:30 after an overnight flight. Managed to get 1 to 2 hours sleep only. I bought a local SIM card for my phone for 80 kunas ($16) with unlimited internet for 7days. Why can’t we get that back home?!? Can’t beat that for navigating!!
Got our small Skoda rental car and drove to the centre of Zagreb and left the car in a parking garage to walk around the lower and upper town. From the garage we decided to walk up to the upper town in the hope to cut through.
We ended up near the famous museum of broken relationships and decided to take a look. Some funny, sarcastic, tragic stories all connected to one artifact on display. There was even one from Toronto with a stuffed loon as the artifact. Stories from all over the world.
We came to the church of Saint-Marc which is a historic building.
A little further up the road, we discovered the stairs to the lower town giving us a very clear indication of the elevation….packed!!
We came across lovely markets and some traditional singers along the way and finally had a caffe and croissant for breakfast on an outdoor patio.
Our airbandb was located right in the centre between the lower and upper so great location. Lots of stairs reminiscing of Edinburg.
We then decided to go on a historic war walking tour of the city which lasted almost 3 hours and was excellent. The majority of that tour was in the lower town. The 26 year old guide referred a lot of the history back to the story of his family which helped connect the events to the impact on every day life. We walked through great small alleyways where cafes were hidden at each turn.
Highlights included walking through the tunnels that were built to serve as bomb shelters for passerby during both WW2 and the recent war-1990-1995. Hidden from the sky, entrances to the tunnel are located in peoplés backyards. They were built under the natural hills and elevation of the town as the upper town is actually that….up the hill, therefore impossible to detect from the air. We are told that every house had a basement serving as a bomb shelter, stocked with necessities and mattress to survive while they were being bombed.
He gave us a very objective description of the role of Croatia during the WWII (aligned with the Nazis, those tunnels were restricted to Jews, Gipsies and Serbs) we are told that the Serbs had to wear a large embroidered S on their clothes to identify them similar to the Star of David for thé Jews. He explained the period under Tito and how the Yugoslavians were able to travel to the west AND the east countries as Tito navigated quite successfully the diplomatic relations with both sides. They still to this day have free health care and free university. We discussed the impact of the economic downturn following the death of Tito in 1980 which led to the political debacle which lead to the atrocious war of the 1990s
This tour is provided by the local tourist information centre located right at the edge of the main square. They meet at 11am at the statue and is 130 kuna per person. So well worth it.
After going back to the parking garage to grab our things, and walk back to the airbandb. I realized that I left my phone with the Croatian SIM card on the roof of the car. Back at the parking garage, we are told that someone found it and left their phone number to give it back. We begin starting calling her with no success. A nice Serbian server at a local bar across the street helped us place the call properly but still no answer. We gave him our email after his shift as he was trying to reach her for us. We walked to a main square in the lower town and had a meal. Lots of pizzas and burgers on all the menus!! I ordered a Gin martini which ended up being sweet martini and Rossi mixed with a shot of gin. He had no idea what a martini is!!!
We finally received a call back from the lady who found my phone and she drove back to us to return it. She would not accept money, just « some positive vibrations ». Great introduction to the kind Croatian people.
We walked to a bar where they played NFL games and as luck would have it, a group of Minnesotans on a tour walked in to watch the Minnesota game with Chuck. What are the chances.
And then on the TV next to the football, a handball game comes on…Youpi!
A day well spent, and early to bed, we leave tomorrow.
Vegan Black Bean Stew
Black bean stew.
In a large dutch oven, cook:
- 2 tbsp grape seed oil.
- 2 medium onions chopped.
- 4 garlic cloves minced.
- 2 large carrots diced
- 1 branch of celery diced
- 1 large red peppers diced
- 1 large green peppers diced
- 1/2 tsp jalapeño pepper diced
Once all vegetable are soft then add:
- 2 cans of black beans
- 1 can of 14 oz diced san Marzano tomatoes
- 2 tbsp of tomato paste
- 1 tbsp of honey
- 4 tsp Chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
Cook for 40 minutes or until water evaporated.
Once cook add:
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
Add cilantro and stir for a few minutes.
Garnish with green onions, shredded cheese and sour cream as you like.
Mushroom-lentil and veggie stew
It all started with wanting to try Millet….and I searched Pinterest and decided that I wanted to try a vegan lentil stew to serve over it.
Updates January 2021
Recipe:
- Soak 1 cup of dried mixed mushrooms in a 3 cup measuring cups filled with boiling water let soak for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1 tbsp of grape seed oil in a medium size pot.
- Add 1 medium onion chopped and let it soften and caramelize for 2 minutes.
- Drain the mushroom but save 1 cup of the water. Dice the mushrooms and add to the onions. Cook for a minute.
Add:
- 2 carrot diced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 2 celery branch diced
- 2 tbsp of Tamari sauce
- 1 tbsp of dried thyme
- 1 can of lentils drained and rinsed
- 1 medium potato diced for thickness
- 1.5 tbsp of salt + 2 tsp black pepper + 1 tbsp onion powder.
Cover and let simmer to sweat the flavour for a few minutes.
- Place the mushroom water in a 2-cup measuring cup and fill it up to 2 cups with vegetable broth then add to the pot with the following ingredients.
- 2 tbsp of tomato paste
- 2 tbsp of Dijon mustard
Stir and bring to boil. Cover and simmer at low heat for 20 minutes.
Vegan Gumbo
Here is a nice spicy version of a vegan gumbo, developed while teaching cooking my beautiful youngest son. I am blessed, life is great!
Ingredients
- 1 onion diced
- 1 1/2 tbsp of fresh diced jalapeño pepper
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 7 Cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 green peppers diced
- 3 branches of celery diced
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (796ml)
- 3 cups of vegetable broth
- 1 can of white kidney beans, lentils
- 1 cup chick peas
- 1 Tbsp garlic salt, onion powder, paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne, black pepper, Chili powder, oregano, thyme, basil
Heat oil at medium heat in a creuset pot or other heavy pot. Add onions and caramelize for a minute. Add the garlic and the jalapeño and cook for a minute. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 7-8 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and simmer at low heat for 20-30 minutes.
Nice spicy 🌶 !!!
Lentil-potato soup
A favorite hearty soup that brings comfort on a cold winter night. Rich with healthy lentils and satisfying starch, it is a whole meal in itself!
Ingrédients.
- 2 can of lentil or 1 cup of dried lentils soaked in water for 3 hours and drained.
- 1 tbsp of grape seed oil.
- 2 large potatoes peeled and cubed.
- 1.5 litre of vegetable broth
- 2 garlic minced
- 1/2 large sweet onion diced
- 3 branches of celery diced or replace 1.5 with a zucchini diced.
- Bunch of fresh parsley or 3 tsp of dried.
- 1 bay leave
Heat the oil and caramelize the onions. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the celery and lentils and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the broth, the potatoes and the herbs and simmer for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
Enjoy!
Tomato, cucumber, avocado salad
This is my go to lunch, particularly late summer when tomatoes are fresh! In this case I added chickpeas to add proteins but I make different variations of this. For example, replacing the chickpeas by adding pitted kalamata olives and Feta cheese (which makes it vegetarian) will create a lovely Mediterranean salad. I often pair it with my green soup which I make regularly.
Ingredients
- 2 plum tomatoes cut in chunk
- ½ english cucumber peeled and cut in chunk (I slice them in half lengthwise and then in half again, then slice them about 1 cm wide)
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 3 tbsp chick peas
- 1 tbsp caper (or sometime I use green or black olives)
- ¼ avocado cut in chunk
Dressing
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- Juice from ¼ of a lemon
- 1 tsp of Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp of seasoned salt (I mix my own. I will post a recipe shortly)
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp of dried thyme
I make a few variation of this dressing depending how I feel. Replace the Dijon and lemon juice with red wine vinegar for example.
The key for this salad is to make it at least half an hour before eating it so that the juices all mix together, creating a marvelous sauce! Place all the ingredients in a bowl, then mix the dressing in a separate bowl. Add to the salad and let it sit for a bit.
Lunch for 2
Vegan chili
I am on a journey to transition at my own pace, to a mostly plant-based diet and chili is a favourite at our house so I began experimenting to create a version that we would love as much as the original one. I think I am pretty close!!
Cancer-fighting: This combination of white kidney beans that rich in antioxidants, fibers and B9 (or folic acid) with known cancer fighting ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms (high in vitamin D) and the lycopene released from cooking tomatoes make this dish a powerful cancer-fighting comfort food in addition to the benefits of black beans which are known to support heart health!
Enjoy!
1st batch of ingredients
- 1/2 large Spanish onions diced
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 12 large cremini mushroom sliced
- 9 mixed sizes shiitake mushrooms chopped
- 3 celery stalks diced.
- 1 each red and green bell peppers diced
- 1 large jalapeño peppers diced (optional, according to the level of heat you are looking for)
- 2 large carrots diced
2nd batch of ingredients
- 2 tbsp of Dijon mustard
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp of Chili powder
- 2 tbsp of garlic powder/salt
- 1 tbsp of onion powder
- 1 tbsp of black pepper
- 1 tsp of cumin
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
3rd batch of ingredients
- 1 – 19 oz can of black bean
- 1 – 19 oz can of red kidney beans
- 1 – 19 oz can of white kidney beans
- 2 – 28 oz can of diced San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 cup of vegetable broth (I rinse the tomato cans to get all the good stuff and throw it in the pot so I simply add concentrated bouillon after)
- I can of pitted black olives
- 2 tbsp each of chopped fresh parsley and cilantro
In a large pot, place 2 tbsp of grapeseed oil and heat at medium heat. Add the onions and caramelize (until golden brown). Add the rest of the 1st batch of ingredients one by one, stirring to coat and to sautée all the vegetables.
Add the 2nd batch of ingredients and mix well to coat all vegetables, cook for 30 seconds.
Add the 3rd batch of ingredients, mix well, cover and let simmer for about an hour at very low heat.
Trip to Maui day 6-7
Saturday we were booked for a tee off time at 7:30AM at Kahili Golf club. We arrived with a full bag of balls, courtesy of Pam and Bill 👏🏻👏🏻
What a beautiful course, with elevations that provided several different views of Maui. We apparently were lucky that the winds were taking a hiatus and it was not excessively hot. Nothing to blame for our missed shots!!
We finished just in time to drive over Mama’s fish house for our lunch reservation at this famous Maui restaurant. Super pricey but what a setting! Our table overlooking the beach and the ocean was perfect. The food was scrumptious and imaginative. I had crispy mahi mahi rolls and Onaga (white fish) as a main in a mushroom and caper sauce, while Chuck had the 3 fish sashimi dish and the Hawaiian wild boar and fish platter. Just perfect!
Back home for some packing and shower before heading out to Lorraine and John to cook dinner for them. We had stopped at Mana Foods in Paia to pick very fresh ingredients. Fabulous shop!
Enjoyed the best sunset yet as well as John’s amazing Mai Tai. They win the prize for sure!
Another perfect evening of conversation and food with great people.
On Sunday morning, I prepared to walk over for oceanfront yoga at 8AM while Chuck settled in for his football game: Vikings versus Rams. The 15 minutes walk over was enough to warm me up 😎🌞. 
The session was challenging and exactly what I needed in preparation for our long journey back home.
Walked back on the beach to take in the ocean one last time. 
Off we go. What a perfect week! Exactly what we needed.
Trip to Maui day 5
On Friday, we pick up our Jeep for our road trip to Hana. 
We leave at 9:30, armed with a few maps and a list of highlights on a mission to see some waterfalls. Right from mile 1 we realized we are in for a treat!! They say the journey is the destination, here that is an understatement! We stopped right away at mile 2 for the twin falls. We are able to walk along the fall but the top is closed due to flooding. Still some nice photo op
We continue on and get into the hairpin turns and one lane bridge part of the trip!! Reminiscing of the roads in Scotland’s west coast !!
It is hard to describe with words and even harder to show it with pictures as stopping on the sides of these roads is an adventure in itself but needless to it was spectacular. Chuck is drawn by a big BBQ sign on the side of the road so we stop at 11am for a delectable traditional Hawaiian BBQ using bamboo chopsticks, no plastics, all compostable dish, I love it!
Slow roasted wild boar and grilled bananas to die for!
We stopped shortly after at one of the wayside park with restroom and stumble upon a great view of the Honomanu bay.
Continuing on we stop on the side of the road for a spectacular fall right off the side of the road with a one lane bridge over the upper and lower side of the Waikani falls. 
More hairpin turns and signs to NOT PASS and SLOW DOWN, we finally arrive at Waianapanapa State Park for a stunning view of the black sand beach and the Sea Arch. It is stunning !
We begin our return tracing back our steps with Chuck gaining confidence on the road, we are experts now!! Quick stop at the Hoopika Beack Park for a quick photo op of the giant sea turtles who beach there and an opportunity to watch some serious surfing!!
We hurry back home for a quick shower and we are on our way back to The Becker’s cottage in Makena. Pam and Bill join us this time and Pam treats us to some Pū and a quick lesson. Lorraine and Chuck manage a few sounds but I am struggling despite my efforts. I figure I might as well look like I know what I am doing!!
Great conversation ranging from politics to travelling to life experiences. What a day!!
Martine's food and places 