During the two months I lived and worked in Banff town, I completed some incredible mountain hikes amid the most breathtaking scenery I’d ever seen. I also got to visit several beautiful turquoise-blue lakes that were out of this world. This final trip to Lake Minnewanka – the longest lake in the Canadian Rockies – really was the cherry on top. Native people from the Stoney Nakoda Nation tribe refer to it as ‘The Lake of Water Spirits’.

We arrived at around 8am to a dewy morning haze that made everything look silvery and stunning. After following the path around the lake, we headed back to follow a route through the forest where there were remnants of an old coal mining operation. There was a dilapidated mining building that had been covered in graffiti. We followed the path upwards until we came to a fabulous viewpoint over Lake Minnewanka where it was possible to appreciate the water in a whole different light.

Have you visited Lake Minnewanka or the Canadian Rockies generally? What were your highlights? 

This vegetarian Thai red curry was not planned. The second installment of my ‘Taste Of’ cooking challenge was supposed to be chicken laksa – a spicy Malaysian noodle soup. However, after offering to cook dinner for my parents on a sunday evening, and finding myself staring at a can of coconut milk, I just couldn’t resist concocting something with delicious Thailand flavour.

As a lover of spicy food, I’ve made my fair share of Thai curries before. However, they’ve usually been green curries created using paste out of a jar. Plus, they’ve always included meat! This vegetarian red curry came about due to the presence of sweet potatoes that needed to be eaten and the fact that I basically just didn’t feel like anymore meat on this day, after indulging in a bulging bacon butty for breakfast. So, just like my first taste fest with the falafel and tabouli salad recipe last week, this was also going to be a veggie meal! 

I looked up a recipe for red curry paste online and managed to put it together okay, minus a few ingredients which I tried to compensate for with alternatives. I also threw mushrooms in with the sweet potatoes to add more texture to the curry. It turned out alright in the end and was rather tasty considering it was a last-minute meal.

The fact I didn’t have any lemongrass – a key ingredient in Thai cooking – diminished the recipe somewhat. I also used an onion instead of a shallot, chilli powder and flakes instead of fresh chillies, soy sauce instead of fish sauce, ginger instead of galangal and lemon juice instead of lime. But it was okay and still tasted Thai. Sometimes, you just have to make-do with what you have in the kitchen! This curry was just enough for three people and took around 35 – 40 minutes to make, including preparation time. 

Red curry paste recipe:

• 1 small onion chopped 
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1tbls of chilli flakes 
• 1tbls of hot chilli powder
• 1 tbls of ground cumin 
• 1 tbls of tomato ketchup
• Small handful of coriander seeds
• 1 tbls of sugar
• 2 tbls of soy sauce 
• 2 tbls of lemon juice 
• 1 tbls of coconut milk

 

Other ingredients for the red curry:

• 3 sweet potatoes
• Mushrooms (a few handfuls)

 

Thai red curry instructions:

1. Peel and chop three sweet potatoes
2. Chop mushrooms
3. Place water in a pan and bring to the boil
4. Add sweet potatoes and boil for around 1o minutes
5. In the meantime, mix all of the ingredients for the curry paste in a blender
6. When the sweet potato has softened, drain and leave to the side
7. Empty the curry paste into a pan on a low heat and stir in the remainder of coconut milk 
8. Add the sweet potatoes and mushrooms, place the lid on and simmer for 20 minutes
9. Serve with jasmine rice and a sprinkling of fresh coriander 

 

 

 Do you like Thai curries, what’s your favourite Thai recipe? 

Philipsburg is a popular cruise stop and there was actually a massive, and I mean MASSIVE, American cruise ship there at the same time. Needless to say, St Maarten was buzzing. Philipsburg is a popular spot for shopping. Seriously, there are street upon streets brimming with shops.

While shopping is not really my thing, my family were on the look out for tropical print Caribbean shirts for presents! So, yes, there was a bit of retail non-therapy. Anyway, I took loads of photos of this beautiful place. Cue images..

What do you think of St Maarten? Do you like the photos?

Cooking and I have never really seen eye to eye and, besides making the odd mediocre moussaka over the years, the extent of my culinary patience rarely extends further than throwing together a quick curry or stir fry. Well, here’s where things are going to change! In a few weeks time, I’m moving into a new flat in Liverpool with my boyfriend and I want us to cook healthy, delicious meals as oppose to hitting the local takeaways.

So, I looked up the recipes for falafel and tabouli salad online, purchased the ingredients and made a massive mess in the kitchen! But the end result wasn’t too shabby. Okay, I could have mashed the chickpeas a wee bit more and I may have gone slightly overboard on the flat leaf parsley. But, whatever, it tasted FIT! It only takes about half-an-hour to make as well – including 10 minutes preparation time. Don’t worry, that’s not according to Jamie Oliver!

Falafel recipe and cooking instructions

Ingredients: 1 small onion, 1 garlic glove, can of chickpeas, 1 tbsp of cumin, 1 tbsp of coriander, a handful of  flat leaf parsley and 1 egg, salt and pepper.

1. Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the onions and garlic
2. Tip into bowl with chickpeas and spices and mash together
3. Stir in parsley and an egg
4. Mould into flat balls and place on an oven tray (you should get around 4 out of this mixture)
5. preheat the oven to gas mark 6 and bake for 12-15 minutes

How to make tabouli salad

I’d never even heard of tabouli salad until my sister recently introduced me to an incredible Syrian restaurant in Withington, Manchester called Aladdin. It’s unbelievably fresh and delicious – the perfect accompaniment for the falafel!

Ingredients: 1 cup of bulgar wheat, 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves, bunch of flat leaf parsley, 4 tomatoes and 1 cucumber, 1 lemon, salt and pepper.

1. Boil some water in a pan and place the bulgar wheat in to simmer for 20 minutes
2. Blend the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic
3. Add mint leaves, salt and pepper to mixture and blend
4. Chop parsley, cucumber and tomatoes (peel and de-seed the cucumber)
5. Drain bulgar wheat and add on the dressing
6. Add the parsley, tomatoes and cucumber
7. Leave to cool down and place in the fridge for an hour or so before serving

I added a dollop of hummus on the side and served with mint tea to stick with the Middle East theme. 

I’ve got no idea what to make next for my ‘TASTE OF‘ challenge? Do you have any suggestions? 

It was a heavenly haven of tranquility landscaped over different levels. Towering palm trees filled the view above, while the brightest of tropical flowers and luminous leaves spectacularly graced the undergrowth. What struck me most about Hunte’s Gardens were the personal touches that could be seen everywhere in the form of charming sculptures featuring everything from a laughing Buddha to Renaissance-style figures. 

Something else that made our visit here more personable was the fact that the garden owner, Anthony Hunte, was the guide. Horticulturalist Mr Hunte was born and bred in Barbados and seems to be regarded as somewhat of a local legend. His warm, sociable character and charismatic Barbadian accent were evident as he led our group around, followed by his adorable little dog, Flora, who couldn’t have been cuter as she friskily rolled around on the grass, relishing the attention from garden guests. 

Opera music was blasting out all over the garden and he jokingly said it was his wife practicing. Later on, we were all inviting into his home – a stunning converted barn – for some homemade lemonade or rum punch. His house had an alluring Bohemian feel to it that I loved and there were captivating paintings adorning the walls that I couldn’t take my eyes off. The whole place was just gorgeous and has left a lasting impression. If I ever return to Barbados, I’ll be heading back here in a flash! 

What do you think of Hunte’s Gardens? Would you like to visit or have you already been here?

Stairwells were charmingly carpeted, immaculate plant pots and floral decorations brightened up entrances, and retro front doors and wind chime displays brought a quirky edge to home fronts. Another hard-to-miss aspect was the abundance of bicycles that really added to the aesthetic appeal, as did the tree-lined streets. Have a look at these Montreal photographs and let me know what you think! 

What do you think of Montreal’s lovely house fronts? 

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Are you a fan of gelato? What’s your favourite flavour?

No, I didn’t throw the towel in and decide I couldn’t spend another night in a hostel (I like staying in hostels). Nor did I necessarily feel like indulging in luxury. It was a set of circumstances that led me to be in Toronto one Friday night with nowhere to stay. The International Toronto Film Festival was underway and everywhere was fully booked.  How had I missed the small detail that a major event was taking place here and why was I arriving so unprepared?

Longtime readers of my blog might have read about my unfortunate time spent working on a farm near Ottawa, where I slept in a dark, dirty basement that reminded me of a scene from a horror movie. Well, I was running away from this situation and the only bus heading out of town that afternoon was going to Toronto. During my three long days at the farm, I had been offline and hadn’t had a chance to book accommodation. Saying this though, I’d planned on staying here for two weeks and didn’t know I was leaving until I finally decided to stop fighting against all of my instincts and just get the hell out of there.

On my way to Toronto, I didn’t think there was anything to worry about as there always seemed to be space in hostels last minute for one person; even if it meant going in a mixed dorm for a few days. I quickly realised this wasn’t the case when I was sitting in a food court in Toronto on my laptop, looking up availability. ALL of the hostels were full and ALL of the budget hotels were full. It was then that I clicked about the film festival.

It was 9pm and getting darker by the minute. I was in an unfamiliar city. I didn’t know anybody here. Was I scared? Not at all. I was just tired, very tired. I decided to walk around and pop into any hotel I came across to see if there was any space. I had become resigned to the fact that, despite being skint, I’d have to probably have to fork out a lot of money if I wanted to find somewhere to sleep. The first hotel I went in had the honeymoon suite available some ridiculous amount of money and didn’t budge on the price despite me trying to negotiate (a night in the honeymoon suite would’ve made an interesting article!). I gave up and the guy in reception said they had a database showing availability at the local hotels.

He said there was a room left at a hotel down the road that wasn’t too expensive. Ah great, sounded like I might get some sleep after all. As it turned out, it was a smoking room. I’d rather spend the night in a train station than sleep in a smoke-filled room. The receptionist said there were rooms left at the Ramada Plaza Toronto a short distance away and I decided to just pay out on my credit card and get some rest. I must’ve looked like a dishevelled mess, but decided to turn on the charm to work for a discount. Ha, who am I kidding, it was more like ‘hope they take pity on me’ situation rather than a me ‘working my charm’. Either way, they gave me a small discount and a free upgrade to the executive suite.

To say that the room was nice is an understatement. It was one of the loveliest hotel rooms I’d even been in. Funnily enough, I didn’t do any sleeping and decided instead to enjoy the room to the fullest. That’s where the long luxurious shower and fluffy white dressing gown bit came in. I pulled an all-nighter, did a bit of work and took advantage of this luxurious time out that was a far cry from the horror film basement I’d been in 24 hours earlier. Spending the equivalent to a week’s hostel stay hurt quite a bit though!

Have you ever landed somewhere with nowhere to stay? Do you have any stories like this?

It was a nice sunny saturday morning so we decided to head to Crosby Beach to see Antony Gormley’s Another Place. This is a permanent art work consisting of 100 cast iron statues stuck firmly in the sand. It’s an incredible sight and looks particularly atmospheric on a cloudy dull day, which is exactly what we had by the time of our early afternoon arrival.

The life-size figures are a representation of the artist himself. They were placed at Crosby Beach in 2005 for what was meant to be a temporary installation. However, by popular demand, they were allowed to stay and have been at home here ever since. They’re stuck down solidly in the sand to the extent that they remain still as the tide comes in and out. If you’re ever in Liverpool, it’s well worth taking the 15 minute train ride from the city centre to see Another Place. 

I really wanted to get an ice cream, but the brief morning sunny spell had transformed into a windy cold day. After losing sensation in my hands and face, it was time to head back to town in search of stodge and hot drinks! I’m going to return for that ice cream this summer. I was feeling a bit creative and wrote a little poem about the Gormley statues – or you can just skip down to the photos if you want . By the way, none of the dogs pictured belong to us, including the friendly sheep dog that made Andy throw a stick!

They keep their feet firmly in the ground

Through wind and rain, low and high tide

Blindly staring, not making a sound

Just watching and waiting for the water to subside

Waves crash down and sunsets burn

Dogs run around and children play

Just like clockwork, the tide will turn

And they’ll still be here every hour every day

They keep their feet firmly in the ground

Silent watchmen in the sands of time

Buried under water until they’re found

Claimed by the sea, but just for now

 Do you like these statues at Crosby Beach? Do you like the idea of using art to enhance natural locations? 

Have you ever travelled somewhere and instantly knew that there was something special about it? This is how I felt in St Vincent which turned out to be my favourite island out of the nine visited on a Caribbean cruise. I can’t pinpoint exactly what differentiated it from the others. The fact that it’s stunningly beautiful – as are all of the islands – certainly helped. However, my affinity with this place stemmed more from what can only be described as a radiating ‘happy vibe’.

I don’t know, maybe there’s something in the rum! So what did I actually do in St Vincent? I took a short boat trip past Pirates of the Caribbean filming locations, went snorkelling near a black-sand beach that was backdropped by a working coconut plantation and wandered into the centre of Kingstown to catch a glimpse of local life. It was a very good day.

St Vincent is the largest island in the country of St Vincent and the Grenadines, which consists of more than 30 Caribbean islands. The main port is located in the capital, Kingstown.

“Do you see that clothes line up there? That is a prison for women who have committed crimes of passion,” our guide told us as we speedily skimmed the coast on a small power boat, en route to a snorkeling spot. “The women here are very passionate,” he humorously added with a characteristic Caribbean accent that was as deliciously smooth as his lovely chocolate skin. Yes, the guide was very cute (I should’ve taken a photo to demonstrate this fact!) and kept us all entertained with little anecdotes and jokes along the way.

This women’s prison he was pointing to was a facility housed in a small section of Fort Charlotte. Apparently, there are only a handful of inmates kept here at any one time. The rest of the fort is open as a tourist attraction and was a shooting location for the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Fort Charlotte was used by the British to defend the island from the French in the 19th century. 

We passed some distinctive rocks that were used during the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

As I looked out of the boat, my eyes were drawn to the colourful homes prettily dotting the  mountains. These houses complemented the landscape perfectly and every now and then, I’d spot an equally vibrant washing line hung across a balcony like a necklace. However, St Vincent was not as vibrant as Willemstad in Curacao.

You will not find any golden sands on the volcanic island of St Vincent. Well, that is unless it’s been imported from somewhere like Ghana which was the case for one beach we passed during the boat trip. Buccament Bay, pictured above, is a firm favourite with the likes of Liverpool Football Club.

It wasn’t difficult to see the appeal. A stunning beach backdropped by lush hills and misty mountains, with neat lines of palm trees – the perfect idyllic scene. A bit too perfect.  We were heading for one of St Vincent’s beautiful dark sand beaches further along the coast. 

After half an hour or so of snorkeling, I and my sister swam over to the beach to lie on the gorgeous dark sand for a short while, before we had to head back to Kingstown.  Us fair-headed milk bottles had never felt so pale!

Before getting back on the cruise ship, we walked around a bit and took in some scenes from Kingstown Market.

Do you like the look of St Vincent? Have you ever visited?