We started this day by lounging around our hotel for at bit before heading out to  Animal Kingdom.

A look at the aft side of Gran Destino Tower.

 

And back out to Lago Dorado or Golden Lake.

 

We grabbed some breakfast at the grab and go and took advantage of this glorious morning.

This hotel is a new section of an older resort complex, Coronado Springs. After breakfast we decided to wander over to the old side to check it out.

Boardwalk to Coronado.

 

There’s no was we could get lost.

 

Solid details.

 

Fountain in the reception area.

 

This place was much more attractive than I expected. I thought it would be all southwest style.

 

Waiting for our chariot to Animal Kingdom.

 

Boom! There it is!

 

Oh, Tree of Life. When will you get a face lift? Your leaves look like a fake ficus that’s been in the sun porch for 15 years.

 

We took the time to wander all the way around the base of the tree. So peaceful back here.

 

Spotting all the creatures.

 

Walking over the bridge to Asia.

 

Somehow, Mr. Jones consented to a ride on this runaway train. We survived.

 

Looking for tiger in Maharajah.

 

Love this architecture of ruin.

 

The dancing had already begun in the town square.

 

Ill distract you with this plant vignette while we have a morning beer.

We would now be crossing over into the next brand new experience (for us)…Pandora: The World of Avatar.

The bridge to Avatar.

This land was many years in the making. Disney was stung pretty hard by the launch of Harry Potter World at Universal Orlando. There were rumors of Disney landing some sort of Lord of the Rings deal, but alas it turned out to be Avatar. Most of us Disney nerds were not enthused by this prospect. Avatar was a huge movie, like the hugest really, but at this point, a full five years after the film it was no longer on anyone’s radar. I saw the movie…once but had no connection or nostalgia for it. That being said, like the Star Wars Land, the world they built is incredibly immersive whether you’re into it or not.

Pandora’s floating mountains.

 

The Lush landscape is a blend of real tropical plants and fantastical alien vegetation.

 

We wound through the rock formations to enter the ONE (real)  ride in the land, Flight of Passage.

 

Alien plants or sea creatures?

Once within the mountain you’ll enter ACE lab where guests are linked to an “avatar” and fly aboard a banshee across the Valley of Mo’ara! Yeah, I don’t know what that is either.

Genetic “Matching” pre-show.

This attraction was incredible!!! It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. If you are afraid of heights, claustrophobic or at all sensitive to 3D, the one ain’t for you. I could try and explain the ride systems but I wouldn’t know where to begin. Below are two videos for your pleasure. The first is a complete point of view of the visual aspect and the second is a behind the scenes of how the mechanics work.  See you in twenty minutes.

As with Star Wars Land, my complaint is that there is nothing else to do here. The land is astonishing, but once you ride Flight of passage and have a look around the only other thing to do is a pretty lame boat ride. That’s it… for the cost of four hundred million dollars.

It sure is beautiful.

 

We headed back out and ran into a celebrity! Kevin!

 

This way to  lunch,

 

A short bus ride later we were at Kidani Village.

 

This may be my favorite on property restaurant.

 

I believe this is our fourth visit to Sanaa. Barely need the menu.

 

We beat the crowd.

 

You MUST get the bread service.

 

With all the dips.

We went tapas style with a few different appetizers. Everything was marvelous.

Lamb Kefta

 

Wracking my brain to remember what this is. It was delicious, I assure you.

 

Phenomenal Samosas. That, I remember.

 

We took a leisurely stroll over to the main resort, the Animal Kingdom Lodge. You just have to see that lobby.

 

The lounge was free and ready for our business.

 

The Victoria lounge looks down over the buffet restaurant downstairs.

 

Oh look, there’s my drink.

 

Let’s take one last look at that lobby.

 

This brass medallion is set in the lobby floor. On rainy days, kids can make crayon etchings of the animals. They won’t let me.

After lunch we went back to our room for a nap, as you do. We were feeling a bit peckish when we awoke. We ventured across the lake for a bite.

A short walk over the bridge.

 

A look back at the Gran Destino Tower.

 

This bar had a long name.

 

The lounge had lots of rustic charm.

 

We once again, beat the crowds.

 

A little queso fundido and chips did the trick.

 

We decided to have a nightcap back at the hotel. This is when the fact that it is a business hotel is a detriment.

 

I looked at the art while waiting for the mister to retrieve my Sambuca.

 

Ahhh.. But only two coffee beans? Bad luck!

It was quite a pleasant day spent at Animal Kingdom. Tomorrow, we’ll have one more escapade in Disney!

Up Next: We take to the Skyway!

Animal Kingdom

Posted on August 25, 2020 by hjones | Leave a comment

Off The Wall

Posted on June 24, 2020 by hjones

Today we will be taking ourselves over to Epcot. I just adore roaming around World Showcase nibbling foods of all nations and sipping all the drinks. Future World has its limited charms, but on this visit there were none to be found. You see, the front of the park was under a severe renovations project. Instead of refurbishing one or two sections at a time, someone in corporate said “Just do it all!”.

We were rerouted around Space Ship Earth..

There were walls everywhere you turned. I’ve been to Future World a gazillion times, but I was still completely turned around. Get me outta here!!!

Can’t quite see it from here.

Ahhhh. Freedom.

 

 

Our first stop was in Norway for a bit of breakfast.

Kringla Bakery.

 

This is the type of stuff they should be selling in the gift shops. I would have bought the whole lot!

Skool Bread. A must.

Would you like some atmosphere with your breakfast?

We were just in time for our Fastpass for Frozen. Didn’t care for the movie. Love the attraction!

This was the first year we caught the Festival of the Arts! To summarize, it was Meh.

There were some colorful decorations about.

Art was for sale in temporary tents. What was offered was really no different than what you would find in the gift shops anyway. I was hoping for more local crafts. This set up wasn’t nearly as professional looking as the Food and Wine or Flower and Garden.

One could insert themselves into a work or art.

Chalk art.

One could get a lil’ tub of paint and contribute to a mural. No thanks, I didn’t come here to work.

On to Canada! You guys, we stayed at the Quebec Hotel that was inspiration for this pavilion. I would never had known about it if it weren’t for Epcot. Same with my fascination with Japan. This world may be “fake” but it can inspire the love for travel. It did for me!

Can you hear the rushing water?

Guess who rope dropped the Unibrou beer cart?

Let’s stroll to the United Kingdom.

And Morocco.

And Japan.

 

I really wanted to visit this original store while we were in Japan, but alas.

Pick a pearl.

Bonkers snacks.

Some colorful crockery.

Oh, these peaceful gardens.

Looking back to the Mitsukoshi. We probably had a Saki here.

Serene.

On to America!

I spent some time earlier describing this Festival of the Arts as lame, which I stand behind. However, the food was some of the best bites I’ve had at any Epcot festival, Food and Wine included!  Really, any of these events are essentially about the food.

Pan-Seared Scallop with Chorizo, Roasted Red Pepper Coulis and a Parmesan Crisp

Beef Wellington with Mushroom Bordelaise, Fennel Cream, and Roasted Baby Vegetables

Some dark beer.

Some sort of red wine.

These guys need to get themselves a Wellington!

Things are looking “Macabre Cute” here in Mexico.

Nothing, just laying back.

How many pics do I need of these guys. A whole lot I guess.

A new edition! The Three Caballeros!

We stopped by the UK for a listen to the band.

And a look at the garden.

This act has  been here in France forevah!.

It exists just to make me nervous.

Ok, you proved your point. Get down.now.

When we initially planned this anniversary trip for May last year, I scored a reservations at the legendary Victoria and Albert’s restaurant at the Grand Floridian Hotel. You can imagine my excitement! When we decided to move this deal to February, I was unable to get in. Boo!!! Guess I have another reason to return. In lieu of V&A I reserved dinner at the brand new Takumi-Tei in Japan.

Discreet signage.

I chose this experience because they offer an Omakase menu, which is similar to V&A in the way that it is multiple courses chosen by the chef. This is pricey here, but not even close to the cost of V&A. I won’t say how much, because Mr. Jones sometimes reads this blog and we don’t need him to know what our eventual Victoria and Albert’s dinner will set us back.

Kimono napkin fold. Kawaii!!!

Menu

I started with a lychee cocktail.

This was an amuse bouche from the chef. Don’t remember what. Pork belly?

 

First couse: Roasted Bone Marrow, Braised Wagyu Shortrib, Yuzu Kosho, Wasabi Shiso Bavaroise Warishita. Get all that?

Second: Ponzu Crab, Toasted Crab, Heirloom Tomato, Watermelon Radish Tsukemono, Leek Gel, Sesame Pollen, Plum Wine

Not too many diners tonight.

Preparations for our final course.

 

Temari Sashimi: Tuna, Toro, Salmon, Yellowtail, Uni, Ikura

I tried Uni for the first time! I approve.

This round “Temari Sashimi” was something I’d never seen before. Every bite was delightful, but it was more rice than fish.

All in all, this was an exceptional meal. The service was honestly a little too good. The charming young Japanese server who took care of us lingered to an uncomfortable degree. We hardly had a moment where she wasn’t checking in. I’ll forgive it.

One last stop in Mexico.

When in Rome…

Does this margarita look fuzzy to you?

Time for bed, Epcot.

So our theme of firsts on this trip continued today with the Festival of the Arts and brand new restaurant experience. We’ll continue the tend tomorrow at Animal Kingdom!

Up Next: Is the World of Avatar worth $500 million bucks? Uh….

Posted in Dining Review, U. S. Travel, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World | Leave a comment

Magical Mystery Tour

Posted on April 9, 2020 by hjones

Today we nearly got up with the sun. Why, you ask? Because we needed to be up and on our way to the Magic Kingdom for a behind the scenes tour!!! Whoot! This would actually be our second excursion. The first was the very entry-level and short  “Behind the Seeds Tour” at Epcot.  This time we will spending the whole day with the “Keys to the Kingdom” tour. Time to head out!

This view, right?

The Barcelona lounge, where we had our drinks yesterday serves chi-chi coffee and grab and go breakfasts. Very smart.

Thank you Disney, for not listing the calories.

We arranged a Lyft this morning to be sure sure arrive on time.

Good morning, gorgeous!

Intricate tile floor, reminding you where you are.

We were given these devices so we could hear our guide loud and clear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our vested tour guide, Alex. He was a cutie pie.

Our first stop was a look around and the windows of Main Street. Disney Legends are honored there, with cheeky signage.

We made our way towards Adventureland. We gathered for our first attraction, the Jungle Cruise.

Our group got their own boat, not this one.

 

Our Skipper held back the groan-worthy puns and just steered us around as our guide spewed out facts like this one: The waterfall here is where they add the dark green dye that colors all the waterways at Magic Kingdom. Now you know.

Trader Sam wears bloomers fashioned out of the former awnings of the junk boats. Oh, the facts we learned!

“Thatched Roof” of the Tiki Room is actually metal. Yup, I paid attention.

The tour even included lunch! We pre-ordered from the Pecos Bill’s menu. There was a room set aside for us with drinks and all the fixins’. Taco salad for me.

Jeff got Taco Tacos.

 

After lunch we got to slip into the back door of the Haunted Mansion.

 

Very blurry pic of the “Servants’ entrance”

The tour continued into the renowned “Utilidoors” or underground tunnels. Photography beyond this point was a strict no-no. There is a whole city of activity that goes on under the Magic Kingdom. This was a wondrous experience for this Disney nerd. The tour lasted five hours and cost one hundred bucks per person, plus the cost of your ticket. Was it a value for money? One hundred percent, yes! Even if you’re not really into the Disney trivia, you are ushered through the crowds as a VIP, you get access to at least two attractions with no lines, enjoy a private lunch and see exclusive areas of the park. I would do it again in a heartbeat if I could be assured we’d learn new things.

Time for a break. We did do a lot of walking!

How about the view without my feet? I love this side street.

 

We scooted back to the hotel for an afternoon nap. But first, a beer.

Just like that, we’re back at the Magic Kingdom. We had a fastpass for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train that we had to hustle to make in time.

Mr. Jones was hankering for a snack. He got in line while a snagged a prime spot for people watching and enjoying the twilight.

When in Rome.

We headed over to Tomorrowland to defeat Zurg.

On the way out we manged to see the newest fireworks show “Happily Ever After”. As you can see, we didn’t exactly stakeout the best spot.

 

Time for drinks! We had reservations at California Grill. Cucumber Martinis.

Did not steal.

We had dinner here years ago when we took the kiddos for the first time. They had done a major refurbishment since then.

Well stocked wine fridge.

K-razy lights.

They brought us champagne for “Anniversary”!

First course: Braised Beef Short Rib Wontons Doenjang Miso-Cola-Onion Sauce, Crispy Garlic-Chili Oil, Radish, Pickled Lotus Root

California Combination Roll Jumbo Lump Crab, Avocado, Cucumber, Shrimp Tempura

Apple Tarte Tatin Applejack Brandy-roasted Granny Smith Apples, Cinnamon Streusel, Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream

We enjoyed our dinner very much. I regret ordering sushi only because I forgot we are going to a Japanese restaurant tomorrow, but it was excellent. I have to say the dessert was not good. It was not really a “tart tatin” as advertised, and that would be okay, but the apples were hard. Not sure if the chef intended it, but I didn’t enjoy it. The ice cream was yummy though.

Also, did not steal the mat.

Up Next: Is this Epcot?

Posted in Dining Review, U. S. Travel, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World | Leave a comment

New Memories

Posted on April 9, 2020 by hjones

Last June Jeff and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. I know, I can’t believe it either. We do look so young!  We had planned to spend a week in Walt Disney World whooping it up, but things just got too busy so we decided to reschedule. So here we are, nearly a year later. This was just a four day jaunt this past February. We’ve covered Disney territory so many times that one might think “Really, again?”. Stay with me folks, everything we are doing on this trip was brand new. No repeats, *I promise.

Let’s start with the hotel. We stayed at the brand new Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs.

A grand entrance.

Gorgeous embellishments in the foyer.

Beautiful and comfy areas in the lobby.

We will take a more detailed took at the hotel later. We just dropped our bags and headed right to the parks.

First stop: Hollywood Studios.

Premier on the agenda was beer and food. We’ve been up since four o’clock in the morning for Pete’s sake!

This is Baseline Taphouse, a new craft beer joint .

The theme is something about type setting? Seems to be a nod to the old Writer’s Stop, maybe?

We got this cheese and charcuterie board. This was a good value with a fair amount of meats and cheeses for ten bucks. They just didn’t do themselves any favors putting it on a board that was three times bigger than necessary.

We also got this brobdingnagian pretzel for $9. Yes, I learned a new word.

Beer and nosh on board, we headed over to see a brand new land. Whether you are a Star Wars nerd or not (like me) chances are you are aware of Galaxy’s Edge.

Filing in.

Just like entering the tunnel that leads to the Magic Kingdom, the Imagineers give you a moment to leave the real world behind before you enter Star Wars Land.

Coming ’round the bend.

Here we are on Tatooine or Alderaan or Hoth! I really have no idea.

This land is all about theming.

Some of the locals.

A glamour shot.

Ooh Ooh! I know what this is. It’s a Tie Fighter! I don’t know what they have against ties though.


There are characters milling about at all times instead of planned meet ups. This is Rey. She’s somebody.

Security here is pretty intense.

Guess who feels 9 years old again?

The world building here is really quite impressive.

This building houses one of the two restaurants here at Galaxy’s edge. They are both quick service.

This guy is working himself to the bone tending the grill.

A little jet fuel for flavor,.

This area is fashioned after Moroccan markets.

Some model vehicles.

Details

Upon details.

So, my take away from Galaxy’s Edge is this. The theming is astounding, however it is example of an emerging trend for Disney imagineering which is to create a huge land with barely anything to do. (We will be visiting the new Pandora: Land of Avatar later in the week which is another example.) This Star Wars project has just TWO attractions! Why did I not cover them, you ask? Because it is nearly impossible to get into either one, even for a vet like me. That leaves very little, if nothing  left to do. We spent a total of maybe thirty minutes experiencing this one billion dollar land!

To put this in perspective, let’s compare Galaxy’s Edge to Fantasyland  in California. While Fantasyland is one third bigger in square acres than Star Wars, it also houses THIRTEEN attractions! (Alice in Wonderland, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, It’s a Small World, King Arthur Carousel, Mad Tea Party, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Pixie Hollow, Fantasy Faire, Royal Hall, Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through, Snow White’s Scary Adventures and the Storybook Land Canal Boats) as well as restaurants and shops. A family could easily spend a good part of the day enjoying this one small area of Disneyland. I’m guessing that this new way of approaching lands makes sense in terms of profit margins or they wouldn’t do it, but it seems like a waste of all that space.  Onward to another new land!

Howdy Partner!

Toy story land has been up and running since June of 2018. It is a small off shoot with three attractions and a lot of character meet and greets. This land is uber cute as it makes you feel as if  you’ve shrunk down to toy-size. The down side is that there is absolutely no shade to be found.

Slinky Dog Dash Coaster, we didn’t get to ride.

I really wanted to get back at night when it’s cooler and there’s some nice lighting, but it didn’t happen. Next time!.

Palm trees, that’s all.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen this ice cream stand open!

I know, I know, I said *no repeats, but this one is my favorite!

They still haven’t dusted the joint.

We were pretty well pooped, so we bussed it back to the hotel.

This lobby is just stunning!

This is also a convention hotel, so this back wall had work stations and charging capabilities.

The layout and use of the lobby space was so well thought out. Down the stairs is Barcelona Lounge tucked under the mezzanine.

Once seated at the bar, it felt like we were in utero.

Sure, I’ll have a glass of wine.

We got a quick bite before heading up to the room: Lentil Hummus: Arbequina Oil and Pumpkin Seeds served with Sourdough. This was phenomenal and a very generous portion.

This art piece behind Bell Services tickled my fancy. It was bolted on. Oh well, let’s check out the room.

You guys! Look at this view!!!!!

I asked for an upper floor with a lake view. Boy did we score!

The room was surprisingly large fore a new build. The tend has been to shrink the square footage. Not here.

King sized!

This sofa also serves and a fold out bed.

Bathroom was well appointed.

Love the tiles.

Why, thank you!

After a luxurious nap, we headed four floors up for our dinner reservation at Toledo, the signature restaurant at the Gran Destino.

But first, drinks.

Dahlia lounge is directly across from the restaurant. Just gorgeous.

Their version of a Manhattan. Very nice.

The entire theme of the Gran Destino Resort is based on an animated short film of the same name. Destino is unique in that its production began in 1945, fifty-eight years before its eventual completion in 2003. The project was originally a collaboration between Walt Disney and Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí, and features music written by Mexican songwriter Armando Domínguez and performed by Mexican singer Dora Luz.

The surrealist sensibility is throughout the hotel, but at the Dahlia bar, the actual short runs on a loop. I don’t recommend having too many drinks while watching this because it is bizarre!

It’s actually quite stunning if you want to check it out. It’s only six minutes.

Time for dinner next door at Toledo.

Gorgeous ceiling art.

The menu was this all-in-one situation. Awkward.

We decided to split our meal so this is a half portion: Manhattan Steak ,olive oil-potato purée, forest mushrooms, date jam, sherry vinaigrette. Just lovely.

They brought us some anniversary truffles! We already ordered dessert…

Café con Leche’ Choux: dark chocolate, vanilla whipped cream

Classic Crema Catalana Valencia orange, chocolate tuile

This meal was delightful and made even better by being just a few steps from our room. We took our stuffed selves back to the room to get some good rest, because we would be up and at ’em early in the morning! Yup, I said early- on vacation. Crazy!

Up Next: We receive the Keys to the Kingdom!

Posted in Dining Review, U. S. Travel, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World | Leave a comment

Au revoir, But Not Goodbye

Posted on March 6, 2020 by hjones

Today will be our last full day is beautiful Quebec city.

Still overcast, but getting brighter!

The Notre Dame Cathedral was just around the corner. The facade was under major construction.

We missed the entrance the first time around.

Once inside, the beauty was overwhelming.

 

These little balconies have the overhang for sound dampening during orations.

Stained glass lines the church walls.

Such an amazing achievement. Im so glad was found our way in!

We took a long stroll around a neighborhood we hadn’t yet explored.

The foliage was just at the end of it’s peak.

Mistake? Artfully framed shot? Who’s to say?

We made our way to Battlefield Park or the Plains of Abraham.

Here there are spectacular views of the St. Lawrence River.

A look back towards the city.

Adjacent to the park is the La Promenade des Gouverneurs, a lovely boardwalk that takes you all the way back to the Hotel Frontenac. Shall we?

More choice foliage.

The promenade takes you right past the outer walls of the Citadel.

We’re walking….

Look at all those stairs! Glad we weren’t going in the other direction.

And we’re back!

This toboggan slide has been here for over 136 years! Yes, I had to pull out my calculator.

We circled back to the very cutest part of the city.

Here’s a shot without the bald guy.

We may have popped in to the bar where we had lunch at the day before. Just drinks for us this time. Such nice people. We got some advice about some other places to hit later.

Walking about in search of lunch.

We landed here at L’Oncle Antoine.

The pub is located in the stone cellar of one of the city’s oldest houses which dates back to 1754.

This was a deep, dark cave where one could lose a day drinking micro brews.

…and playing Jenga. I won BTW.

Another round?

We tried some fish cakes. Yummers.

Done with lunch, do we take the Funiculaire?

Nope, more stairs.

The window decor around here is next level.

We made our way to a younger, hipper part of Quebec.

Deux 22 is a funky Mexican Bar, restaurant and boutique.

The food was exceptionally fresh and beautifully plated.

Dinner and a show.

Our next destination was to be MacFly Barcade. We’ve hung out at several of these old school gaming bars during our other trips, so I was psyched there was one nearby. Unfortunately, it being Halloween weekend, it was jam packed with twenty somethings dressed in costume. We decided not to try and navigate through the sexy devils and nurses and find another place to hang.

This cozy dive bar was recommended to us by our bartender friend earlier. They offer $5 burgers with a pint, if you haven’t already eaten a rack of tacos.

When your favorite imported beer is domestic.

And it had game tables! First time playing Foosball for me. I killed it.

Our last stop was here at Bar Sacrilage. It was super chic and dripping with gorgeous plants.

Next morning , and time to check out of our castle. Oh look! It’s raining!

The journey back was uneventful. We made one stop for lunch at this adorable brew pub in Littleton New Hampshire.

Wood fired grill within.

Cute!

The bar was small and full up.

Good stuff.

The brewpub is a renovated 18th-century grist mill overlooking the Ammonoosuc River.

Resilience is their brew Brand, and is brewed right next door.

Arugula Salad

Looks like we got ahead of ourselves before we snapped the pic.

Perfection!

 

So, we’re at the end. Once again we had a fantastic time in a beautiful city, despite the crappy weather. With Quebec being so much closer than I thought (thanks, Weymouth public schools) we will most definitely make another trip up to visit our friends in the north.

Jusqu’à la prochaine fois, Quebec!

Posted in Dining Review, International Travel, U. S. Travel, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Over the Waterfall

Posted on February 15, 2020 by hjones

Today we will be visiting Parc de la Chute-Montmorency or Montmorency Falls Park. This is just a few minutes away from Quebec City. It’s here you can find falls that are actually one hundred feet higher than Niagara Falls… and we could actually see them!

The first view.

An indecipherable plaque.

One can pay through the nose to ride this cable car to the top…or you can just drive on up.

Either way you make you way up, you’re greeted by this Victorian welcome center.

Stunning views as you wander the path to the falls.

Getting closer.

Move aside, ladies.

These gnarly roots were busting through old retaining walls.

A waterfall for little ants.

We made it to the first phase.

Here’s a bit of the falls in action:

It’s stunning how calm the water is just before the turn.

We crossed that foot bridge to get over here. Did I mention that I’m afraid of heights? I scooted right on over.

The top of the falls is so calm it’s hard to know which way is up! Can you tell?

Hint: Jeff is not standing on his head.

 

A bridge to nowhere.

The park itself was quite beautiful.

When we were having coffee in the hotel lounge this morning, I took advantage of the concierge service to get some information about our next destination, Île d’Orléans.  This Island is connected to Montmorency via bridge and boasts of vineyards, orchards and plenty of dining. Our adorable concierge went about circling all the must do’s on our tourist map.

We turned into the first vineyard on the list. Gorgeous!

Closed!

This is where we would have enjoyed a fine Pinot Noir.

The second stop was just a coffee shop, but we were looking for lunch…and booze.

After a couple more dead ends we gave up. Our sweet concierge knew everything about the island except that no place is open on a Monday! We’ve been burned by this before. Shame on me. We headed back to the mainland in search of a drink and some lunch. We landed at a bar on my list that was highly rated.

It’s tucked into this unique fusion of old and new architecture.

Bar Artifact, in case you can’t read backwards.

The cocktails were bit pricey and the menu wasn’t what we were looking for so we just had a beer whist we regrouped.

What adorable artwork..and I just noticed the golf clubs. Must be a story there.

The bar was really cool. The shadow boxes lining the wall showcase relics unearthed on site during a recent excavation dig, hence the name.

Bottles and coins.

Glassware and lamp bases.

A very symmetrical reading nook around the corner.

Back out in search of food.

This is where we landed. You may remember that I previewed this place in a prior post.

This place was so cozy and friendly. We were greeted with a free shot of maple whisky!

Wine and whisky.

We enjoyed a crock of the best french onion soup I’ve ever experienced. We were watching a sous chef chopping a gazillion onions as we ate it.

We also shared a Croc Monsieur. It was good, but that soup!

After several more drinks, we stumbled out for a walk about. This lady was singing awful Karaoke.

He’s thinking about soup and beer.

I think we spotted a bit of blue sky!

These funky glass structures let you peek into the old foundations.

We probably could have gone down there.

We just kept walking.

A few canons for safety.

Time to head up to our room for a beer nap.

The clouds broke enough for a colorful sunset.

Pretty.

After a thorough rest we took a stroll in search of dinner. We walked past some impressive Halloween displays.

Afraid of Spiders?

Hubble Bubble

Beetlejuice!

We enjoyed our lunch at La Buche the previous day so much that  we decided to take no chances and have dinner there.

Remember when we had lunch right over there?

Yeah, I remember.

We went all in on naughty food here. Smoked ribs, fries and coleslaw.

Decadent Mac and Cheese with smoked sausage and curds.

We ended up back at the Irish Pub for a Jameson and some music.

French Irish Country music with some sketchy percussion.

 

Speaking a sketchy, that’s my husband playing the Wash board. We had a lot of drinks.

Goodnight Quebec! We’ll be taking one more run at you tomorrow.

Up Next: We’re walking, we’re walking…

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Charm City

Posted on January 12, 2020 by hjones

Today is a new day! The weather,while not blue skies and sunshine, was quite a bit better. Well, at least it wasn’t icy rain, blasting sideways. It’s the little victories! We started the day by having breakfast in the concierge lounge. Ooh la la! This was a part of our room upgrade. We’ll assess the overall value of this move at the end of the trip. I bet you can’t wait!

The view from the lounge.

The space was elegant and cozy.

My choices.

They had a coffee machine that looked as if it were from NASA. We stood stupefied until a hostess came by and asked if we needed help. We just nodded slowly. She said, in a French accent of course, that it was quite simple and then proceeded to explain an impossibly complicated series of steps to make our java.

Easy peasy.

We enjoyed our cafe and croissant and headed up to our room to prepare for the day. First, I nosed around the hotel a bit more.

The place is truly stunning.

All these upper areas were roped off. Drats!

Off to explore! We will be making our way to Le Petit Champlain.

Samuel Champlain, the founder of Quebec, so I’m told.

First, another angle of the Castle, er hotel.

The street we’re headed for is close, yet oh so far below. One can walk down a gazillion stairs or you can lay down three bucks Canadian to ride the Funiculaire.

What is a Funiculaire, you ask?

It’s a frightening combo of escalator and elevator.

Here we go!

If you’d like to ride along…

Horrifying, right? Just me?

The rickety ride behind us, we were transported to what seems to be Old Europe. This place was truly stunning!

Shops upon adorable shops.

Jewels

Stairs. There will be so many stairs.

No excuse for not finding a gift here.

Aren’t these yellow shutters just yummy?

This guy beckoned me in.

This shop was filled with hand cared goods. Very cute

Once inside, we were invited upstairs to the workshop where we were given a tour. Quite nice of them! We still didn’t buy anything.

I just loved this flower pot decor. I read more about this place later. We really should have eaten here. Next time.

Actual photo of me sizing up our options for lunch.

I will be buying some mapley treats here later.

There are several of these hyper-realistic murals around the city that display historical events.

Back up the Break Neck stairs. More foreshadowing…we will get swacked at this little bar.

Even the mannequins were prepared for rain.

This is the Place Royale. The acoustics here were amazing.

Notre Dame des Victories.

It was closed.

I thought these cement barriers were cool. How old might they be? Who knows.

I told you there’s a bunch of these.

A view of the Church in the plaza.

Can you believe this architecture?

These were some foundations preserved post-war. Not sure which one. My note taking was lax.

This brave musician added a lovely atmosphere.

The residence of floors 1, 2 & 4 are all in on the plants theme. Third floor, not so much.

This guy…always messing up my photography.

The charm just goes on and on.

Is Juliet up there?

We’re at the edge of the fortress here.

Watch your step!

Time to loop back.

We could have taken the Funiculaire back up.

We took the stairs instead.

My quads!

On to lunch!!!

They let me keep this menu. I didn’t steal it…this time.

This place was so cute. Canadian hunter/trapper themes with a bit of hipster.

Graffiti was part of the art here. Wait until you see the restroom.

Some local beer.

The menu boasted of the local appertif called Kariboo. I looked up its origins. according to Wikipedia: “Kariboo is supposed to have derived its name from a drink consisting of a mixture of caribou blood and whisky which was consumed by hunters and loggers in colonial times to stave off the cold when working.” This is just wine and whiskey. Not nearly as bad ass.

We started with some Rabbit Wings. Yup. I told you it was hunting themed. They were Sweet, sticky yumminess.

Meat Pie Croquettes. The star of the plate was the tomato fruit ketchup. Yum!

Flambeed Vegetables with Almonds. Crazy as it seems, this dish was my favorite! All the veg was perfectly cooked and tossed in a maple dressing. The unique flambe smokiness was delightful.

The graffiti theme continued into the downstairs unisex restroom. The hand washing taps are the pipes above the tub. Very hipster.

I couldn’t find anything about this mural, but it’s preserved behind Plexiglas. The graffiti is on the glass.

Our server was a sweetie by the way. She called us out on our really bad attempt at speaking French . She said we just shouldn’t even try. She brought us a free taste of a Bailey’s-like liquor in case we were offended.

Au revior, La Buche!

We strolled past this art corridor which has it’s wares stored along the alley in lockable steal boxes when not in use. Clever. As I took this photo I was scolded by the artist for doing so. Guess I’m not buying anything.

Can’t make a turn without seeing a historic church.

We’re nearing our next destination.

.

After reading this, I realized how insufficient my public school history education was. I had no idea.

We enter the fortress.

Here we waited for our English speaking tour guide. We were last tour of the day and we were the only guests.

He told us something about this tank. It’s from the Korean war maybe?

I should have taken notes.

I did feel safe.

Inside a bunker.

This austere looking building hosts royalty such as the Queen and Celine Dion.

We reached the highest point of the fortress. Here is where the guide informs us how far we COULD see if it wasn’t so crappy out.

The view of the city was utterly charming, though.

The tour was really great. Our “English speaking” guide was a bit hard to understand, but he was utterly charming even as he cheekily called us “Evil Americans”. It seemed that his disdain for the US was only bested by his loathing for Montreal.

We made an uniformed decision on dinner. This was a mistake.

The place was teeming with old world charm.

Lovely watercolor likeness of the restaurant.

Some of the friends on the menu.

Place setting were adorable, as well as the servers’ uniforms of which I have no pictures. Picture St. Pauli Girl with less bosom.

The atmosphere did not let us down, it was the food. First up was Escargot. It was puzzlingly smothered with cheese. Not necessary.

Jeff ordered a dish that seemed to be composed of several different game meats. Technically true but it turned out to be more of a sampler. Some elements were good but it was sloppy and just too much.

I ordered Beef Wellington, one of my favorite dishes. It was just bland. I’ve made better, sorry to say. Oh well, I should have looked it up first. Don’t be deceived by cuteness!

We wandered out to the more modern business district for a night cap.

It still had some interesting architecture.

We always manage to find an Irish pub.

We had one beer here, but it wasn’t the warm and friendly pub we hoped for. No worries, we were cooked!

UP NEXT: We’ve done the food, the history, tomorrow we’ll tackle nature!

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I’m No Stranger to the Rain

Posted on November 19, 2019 by hjones

After a very busy summer of playing about a gazillion shows, we typically look forward to a short October getaway. This year, the plan was to road trip up to Quebec. It’s a lot closer than you think at only about seven hours from here. We would drive four hours up to Maine to visit Jeff”s folks then continue on the next day to Old Quebec. As the date came closer, the weather forecast looked more and more grim. The thing is, we’d have a great time no matter what, I know that. However, I really didn’t want a replay of the “Niagara Falls Incident”. If we are only ever going visit this place once am I okay with it being cold and rainy with no good pictures to be had? Am I? We ultimately decided to go. I bought us two very warm, waterproof coats from REI which proved to be invaluable. I also decided to upgrade our hotel stay. If we were going to be stuck inside it might as well be in a premium room, right?

Time to hit the road!

The ride was decidedly bucolic.

The foliage was still looking gorgeous.

We kept pulling over to take in the views.

Like this one…

…and this.

Come on, we gotta keep moving!

We made it to our Castle!

I found a great price on a room at the most iconic hotel in Old Quebec, the Le Château Frontenac. This is the gorgeous castle that can be seen in most photos of the city. It was a good deal, until I upgraded our room to concierge, that is.

Our room wasn’t ready yet so we headed out in search of food.

The aforementioned coats earning their keep.

Lucky for us that there’s an amazing French restaurant around every corner. We just crossed the plaza to this little boite, The 1640 Bistro.

The bar at Bistro 1640.

So cute.

Look at this meat!

We would hear this piano being played before the trip was over.

White tablecloth elegance.

 It was mid afternoon, so we didn’t want to go too crazy, so we split a poutine.

Pulled pork, cheese curds and fries. Oh, Canada!

After our snack, we took a quick stroll around to get the lay of the land.

The window boxes were looking pretty nice for mid-October in Canada!

Oh look! Our hotel.

Our room was ready, but we felt beer in the lounge was in order.

Some substantial bar snacks were served. Cancel dinner.

The bar was pretty swank. The beer was cheap, cocktails were outrageously expensive.

On to the room!

Our room was nestled in the corner, so I had a brief hope that it was a suite. It wasn’t.

 

It was a very nice room. No complaints.  Shall we have a look around?

 

Don’t touch the ten dollar snacks!!!

 

With the room upgrade we were promised a high floor which meant we would be assured a great view.

Not disappointed.

 

We took a bit of a nap to recover after our long drive and several beers.

Night fell.

We put on our coats and donned umbrellas to try and go walk about. Let’s just say it was absolutely gross out. My umbrella turned inside out as we were pelted with icy rain. I was ready to turn back, but we decided to forge on! We had looked up some bars that had live music to check out.

Doesn’t matter where you are in the world, there’s always an Irish bar.

They had my favorite Canadian beer on tap!

This is where the musician was. Bad photography moment.

We hung around listening to a Frenchman singing “Wild Rover” and the like. It was getting on time for dinner. The weather was too gross to wander around looking for a good spot so we decided slip right into the same place we had our afternoon snack, 1640 Bistro.

Remember those meats hanging in the glass display???

Seafood Pasta with Chardonnay Sauce. Delectable!

Because we seem to like duplication today, we stopped at the same hotel bar for a night cap.

 

Dear readers, the worst is now behind us. We will have a respite from the rain to visit the cutest old City in North America!

Bon Nuit!

 


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Sayonara Tokyo

Posted on September 12, 2019 by hjones

Here we are on the very last day of our trip. It seems as though it went by like a shot and at the same time our first days at Tokyo Disney were a lifetime ago! Our flight wasn’t until until 8:0o pm, but this nervous gal didn’t want to do anything too far flung for fear of getting lost or stuck somewhere. No worries! There was lots of fun to be had as we wound down and made our way towards the airport. First, breakfast! We went to our little cafe to enjoy our american coffee, but this time I skipped my egg salad and toast for a most divine sandwich.

Tonkatsu Sando!

This ginormous sandwich is served on the heavenly milk bread I’ve been going on and on about. Within is a delicately fried piece of tender pork with a tonkatsu sauce slathered on and finished with just the right amount of shredded cabbage for crunch.

You can see the layers right the way down.

After breakfast we decided to go on a quest in nearby Shinjuku. We took a slow stroll through the city as it awakened for the day.

I’m going to miss seeing Kawaii everywhere.

Some fish markets we sorting their morning deliveries.

Mr.Jones leading the way.

Mr. Jones leading the way.

Our mission was to find the Godzilla! Somewhere in Shinjuku the giant monster’s head peers down from one of these skyscapers!

But where?

Not here.

See anything?

We are lost.

There he is! If you scroll back you’ll see we walked right past it.

The giant Godzilla head is mounted on Hotel Gracery Shinjuku in the Kabukicho entertainment district. The building also contains a Toho Cinemas theater.

A view from the theater level of the Gracery Hotel.

To the head!

There’s the little fella!

Looks lie he needs a pedicure.

Geez! Sorry!

In addition to the Godzilla, there are some pretty sweet views of the city.

If we were here at night we’d see some fire breathing action. Next time.

Around the base of the stature were reliefs depicting the different movies through the years. Here’s one.

Here’s another one.

Good byeeee!

We wandered back to our room to pack up.

If you’re wondering why we did’t bring you back any souvenirs, we didn’t exactly have room to spare. Two weeks with just one carry on each.

The room was a bit of a mess whilst we were living in it. Now that it’s all cleaned up, let’s take a tour!

This is the living room/spare bedroom.

The entertainment room.

The master bedroom.

The ensuite.

The kitchen and laundry room.

We rolled our wheelie bags to the train station for one last ride.

We took the train to Tokyo Station where we would later board a bus to Narita Airport.

But first, a beer. We didn’t stay here for food. It was too American. We wanted our last (it wasn’t our last after all) meal to be decidedly Japanese.

Here we go! I just love to watch a kitchen in action.

Doing the Ramen dance.

Oh. My. Goodness.

The broth!!!

This chef was making some sort of egg foo yung type dish. It looked so amazing but our bellies were full.

 

I could watch this show all day, but we have a bus to catch.

An hour’s bus ride and we were at the airport exchanging our yen back to dollars. Boo!

Once we were all checked in and close to our gate, it was time to eat again. Not to say we were really hungry but come on, this food?

Tempura octopus.

Sashimi Tuna Belly.

Duck. This is the airport food, you guys.

I love you guys too much to subject you to the blow by blow of the flight back to LA, the overnight in the crappy motel and the leg to Boston. Just read the first post backwards.

We’ve been on some pretty cool adventures since I started this blog nearly ten years ago, but I never, ever thought we’d get to Tokyo. I hoped, but it seemed too far out of reach for so many reasons. With a little sleuthing for bargains and a whole lot of planning, it can be done! Thanks for coming along, my friends.

Until next time.

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Goodnight Tokyo

Posted on August 28, 2019 by hjones

It was late afternoon but we still had another destination to check out before we headed back to the room for a disco nap. We were pretty lucky on this trip to catch the very beginning of Sakura or cherry blossom season. The blooms were coming on a good two weeks earlier than usual. Ueno Park is one of the most popular places in the city for Hanami, or cherry blossom viewing. At it’s height, families come to the park with blankets and picnic baskets and spend the entire day enjoying the blooms.

Some early blooms putting on a show.

You can spy some people camped out on blankets in the back.

These lanterns lined the walk ways. I had to disagree with the color choice. Hello? Clashing!

This promenade will be over arching with pink blooms soon enough.

I could find nothing about this beautiful fountain.

I just adore this picture of girls dressed in Kimono. Try and ignore the iPhone.

So pretty!

This tree is right by one of the entrances. Great advertising, tree!

The hugest wall of lanterns yet.

A few more blossoms for your enjoyment….

This park includes many, many museums as well as a proper zoo. We just didn’t have enough time to visit any of these. This strengthens my stance that we absolutely need to come back. We headed to to what I thought was Ameya Yochoko,Turns out it was just another pop-up food fair. The former we never ended up finding. Yet another reason to return!

Stairs leading down to more festival food.

It was shoulder to shoulder here.

Say it with me now…Takiyaki!!!

These were similar to Takiyaki but bigger with a whole egg in the middle. Didn’t Try.

No idea what’s happening here.

Some more crazy state fair food.

Beyond the food stands there were small temples.

I’m not sure if this was a museum or not.

Another small temple.

Stunning gardens

Framable.

The waterways were boiling with Carp here. A homage to the inedible fish.

Not a snake.

The main temple that we saw here was the Shinobazuike Bentendo. It stands on an island in the middle of Shinobazu Pond in Ueno.

Shinobazuike Bentendo

The cherry blossoms here were a deeper fuscia color. Just gorgeous.

I tried to take as many artsy photos as possible.

This is the first place where we encountered Temple cats! These guys just wander around here. I’m not sure if they are fed by the monks or are just here keep the mouse population at bay.

They were moderately friendly.

No pictures, please.

Okay, but I won’t open my eyes.

This beauty was ready for his close-up.

The far end of the park opened up to Shinobazu Pond and a gorgeous  city center.

Swan boats! What fun.

It was chilly, but the boater sailed on.

Some view, huh?

We set about finding a train station. Some colorful flowers were just planted along the way.

So when we left early this morning our little street in Korea town had orange cones blocking off the street. Now we know why. Some K- Pop boy band was paying a visit.

All the blue sweatshirts are the band.

The young girls were swooning!

We joined the parade due to the fact that it was they way to our room!

More swooning.

We successfully navigated through the hordes of frenzied teen girls to our room. Fast forward now to dinner. To this point, we had mostly been catching snacks here and there. We decided to try and find a sit down restaurant right in our Korea-town neighborhood.

Heo-chan Shin-Okubo A vietnamese restaurant in Korea-town in Tokyo. Meta.

 

A beer that’s not Kirin!

 

The food here was fresh and delicious! This was a sort of Pad Thai.

If I ever got another tattoo…

Next course, these gorgeous prawns!

Finally, roasted duck.

The space age vacuum tubes over the tables are for Barbecuing.

Our last stop for the evening was a bit of a pilgrimage.  You by now know that Tokyo Disney was the impetus for this adventure, but there was another bit of pop culture that lured us to the city of Tokyo.

Image result for lost in translation suntory time

For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.

One of my favorite films is Lost in Translation.  If you say that that’s the movie where nothing really happens, I’m afraid we can’t be friends. The movie is set in Tokyo, mostly in the Shinjuku area where we stayed. This film beautifully illustrates the vast dichotomy of the city, from the mammoth neon city centers to the serene temples, and the unique customs and morays of the Japanese people. One of the more recognizable scenes takes place in the very real Park Hyatt Tokyo. The hotel occupies the top fourteen floors of a  fifity-two story skyscraper.

Image result for tokyo park hyatt entrance

The portico of the Park Hyatt.

Bamboo in the large atrium.

We are headed to the New York Lounge. It’s not so easy to locate. Luckily I found a blog post with detailed instructions on how to get up there!. First you take an elevator ride from the main entrance to the 41st floor where the Park Hyatt Tokyo hotel lobby is actually located.

Almost there!

Once you’re on the 41st floor, signs will lead you through this gorgeous library and to your second elevator ride.

This second elevator will take you up to the 52nd floor, where New York Bar awaits.

We made it!

The view from ten more stories up!

The rub here is an exorbitant cover charge of $25 US. I know, I know, it’s a lot. However, I didn’t travel all the way around the world to skip this over fifity bucks. Plus, the high entrance fee most surely keeps out Looky Loo’s that wouldn’t be laying out fifty thousand yen for drinks.

The drinks were crazy expensive too, but we got bar snack AND extra Luxardo cherries!

I whittled down the four thousand pictures  I took of the skyline

This chick kept hopping up as I tried to get a pic of the band.

Lady, please!

How about a lap after drinks?

Drinks were drunk.Now, back down to the library.

Down to the lobby. You missed a spot.

This creepy dude bids you adieu.

See here ends the last full day in Japan. Fear not, dear readers. We have a few hours to explore Shinjuku before we have to leave this phenominal place.

Up Next: How hard is it to find a thirty story  fire breathing monster?

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