Travel Casserole

Blog moved to ArtSindlinger.me

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 00:53:00 +0000

This blog has moved to ArtSindlinger.me

Quick Review: Saks, Mexico City

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:40:00 +0000

If you are in Mexico City on a Saturday you should consider making the trip down to San Ángel. It's a great area to walk around, relax and shop. According to TripAdvisor, Bazar del Sábado is the #1 shopping option in the city. I certainly don't have the breadth of shopping experience to weigh in on its absolute rank but I can say we've been there twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times.

And when it's time to refuel, Saks hits the spot.

Chile Relleno

Given its premier location in a tourist hot spot, you might expect Saks to slack on quality of food and service. But it doesn't. And I find that to be pretty amazing.

Enchiladas con pollo

My wife and I were fortunate enough to snag a table outside so we could continue people watching and soaking in the atmosphere.

Live music - Cuban band

Not only was the band genuinely very good, it was nice that they didn't follow each set with an awkward round of pass the hat and 'buy our cd' sales pitches. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But on a pleasant, leisurely Saturday it's nice to know that Saks is apparently paying the band enough for their performance that they don't need to hustle around the dining room interrupting meals for tips.

Handy purse rack

Couple of quick tips: (1) The patio umbrellas will keep you dry during a light rain. We sat right through a decent passing shower. So don't let a threat of rain drive you to pick a table inside. (2) The little bag racks are a nice touch. The wife could use a couple of these to organize the litter or purses that have multiplied like rabbits around our condo.

Links:
* Check out this NYTimes article from January 1989.
* Fodor's call's Bazar del Sábado a 'must'.

Quick Review: Coco Boutique Hotel, Santo Domingo

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 19:20:00 +0000

Considering how well the folks running the Coco Boutique Hotel treated us and how much we enjoyed our brief stopover with them in Santo Domingo (April 2009), I am inexcusably tardy in posting some sort of positive review of our experience there. However, judging by their inclusion in the TripAdvisor 2012 Best Hotels list, they've done just fine without me weighing in yet.

Exterior of Coco Boutique Hotel

Though the location is fantastically convenient in the Zona Colonial, very close to Parque Colon, it is a little bit difficult to find. Once you get there, though, it is worth the journey.

Bar / public computer (off to right of the liquor cabinet), Coco Boutique Hotel

Interior, lower level Coco Boutique Hotel

Stairwell up to the rooms, Coco Boutique Hotel

One thing to keep in mind is the twisting wooden stairwell that takes you up to your room. If you're smart, you won't be traveling with multiple heavy suitcases in the first place. But if you do have something heavy to lug, they have young strong staff to help you out.

Black Vanilla room, Coco Boutique Hotel

The rooms are fairly simple. And sadly my pictures don't do them justice. One key thing to note is they do not have a/c, but they do have some seriously heavy duty ceiling fans cranking.

Black Vanilla room, Coco Boutique Hotel

Another thing you'll want to know is they don't have TVs in the rooms. We didn't miss it. What you get at the Coco Boutique hotel a comfortable place to sleep at night, get ready in the morning and maybe take a short siesta in the afternoon.

Bathroom of Black Vanilla room, Coco Boutique Hotel

Bathroom of Black Vanilla room, Coco Boutique Hotel

We found the fact that the room wasn't an over the top air conditioned oasis was a helpful extra nudge to get us out doing what we should be doing anyway -- savoring the passage of an an afternoon into evening with a cold beer and some nice olives at the cafe around the corner.

Leisure time @ cafe in Parque Colon, Santo Domingo

Or pop up to the rooftop area of the hotel for some late night fresh air. We grabbed a couple of beers from the bar and watched a dvd on our laptop. Nice way to wind down the night before bed. I guess I was too focused on relaxing with my beer to get any pictures of that, but you can see the rooftop area in the photogallery on their website.

Bottom line - should I ever be going through Santo Domingo again, Coco Boutique Hotel would be on the very short list of places I'd want to stay.

Review: Hotel Nacional de Cuba: Part I - The Rooms

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:22:00 +0000

On our first trip to La Habana (March 2008) we arrived at Hotel Nacional de Cuba a bit after midnight local time. We had navigated customs, collected our luggage, successfully taken a taxi to the hotel. All little things that in any other country you take for granted. But in Cuba each of these carried the stress of the unknown and operating without a safety net. So it was late, and we were equal parts tired and relieved at having cleared the potential landmines at HAV. But we didn't know what the Hotel Nacional held in store for us. Online reviews repeatedly warned of tired furnishings and service that could be indifferent at best. The woman who 'greeted' us at registration checked us into room 267, which was a standard room. Two double beds. Old furniture. Old, thin, office grade carpeting and a view of the parking lot. We'd be here for 4 nights. I had to try and see if we could do better than this. I went back downstairs and politely asked if there were any alternatives available. The front desk agent let us know that a one bedroom suite could be had, but it would be an extra 50 CUC per night. I had pre-paid the hotel stay through a travel agent outside the U.S. And this 200 CUC upgrade fee would chew up a not insignificant fraction of our walking around money. But room 267 sucked. I thanked the desk agent for her trouble of checking us in twice (doesn't hurt to be overly nice and appreciative), then handed over the 200 CUC.

This was easily a top 5 all time vacation decision.

Here's Judy's reaction when we opened up room 439 @ roughly 1am.

Furniture and carpeting were still dated. But we now had king size bed in a massive two-room suite. Each room had views onto the malecón and the water beyond.

Unfortunately the first few shots I took were with my Helio Ocean, which actually had a decent camera for a back-in-the-day phone. But the on/off the plane experience reset my default resolution to 320x240, so all I have of those first jubilant moments in room 439 are teeny postage stamp size images that feel like they are from a million years ago.

The bathroom in room 267 must have been pretty lousy as I was clearly excited to document how awesome I thought this one was.

It was by no means perfect. But if you have read any guide book or any tripadvisor reviews you knew to leave your luxury expectations stateside.

For example, the shower in the tub needed to be jerry-rigged a bit with a towel in order for the showerhead to aim the water at you, not the wall. And those vertical blinds would slap around pretty crazily with the amazing cross breezes you get when you open up all the various windows you have in this room (small price to pay in my opinion, for those amazing breezes; plus, I found a way to tie them back before too long.)

TV was modest, especially since it's a good 15 feet from the head of the bed. But, you're not in La Habana to watch a lot of tv, are you?

All of these shots are just of the bedroom.

Somehow I managed not to take any shots (or have lost the shots I took) of the 'sitting room' that was on the other side. Had its own TV, big windows looking out to the water. Really amazing space.

View from the sitting room, facing west.

Sunrise seen from the bedroom window, facing east toward Habana Vieja.

So when we came back in 2009, I asked for room 439 again. And somewhat miraculously, we were able to get it. Had to spend one night in a random room before it became available. But some charm and determination with the front desk got us in there for the final 4 nights of our second stay in La Habana.

My advice is if you can comfortably handle the extra 50 CUC per night, go for the 1 bedroom suite rooms. It's roughly a 20% price hike over the standard double room, but it is a infinitely superior space. You cannot beat the corner configuration of room 439 with windows on each wall that provide both amazing views and refreshing breezes at virtually all hours.

One detail to note, though, is time of year may impact how much space you get with these rooms. We stayed twice in March and once in December, over the Christmas / New Year's week. While March is busy, December is jammed. So in December they consolidate rooms a bit and room 439 does not include the extra sitting room. That is apparently rented out separately.

Fast forward to 2011

When we returned during Christmas / New Year's week of 2011 we once again requested room 439. Upon arrival at registration we learned that we had reserved a one bedroom suite on the executive floor. Sounded okay, but with room 439 we knew what we would be getting. Would this executive floor room be at least as good as that?

Short answer: yes.

We got room 809/810. And now I think we have a new favorite room @ HNC.

All the space of 439, but with more recently updated furnishings.

Fully functional shower that needed no MacGyver tactics to aim the water stream.

The second 'sitting' room was included.

With its own flat screen tv and second bathroom (not shown).

And we were assigned an exceptionally friendly and upbeat camarera, who left us those little towel origami-like creatures that you hear about on TripAdvisor.

The only downside of this room compared to 439 was the view. It was in a different tower, so our sightlines were facing a bit more east than northeast. Which means our direct shot was these neighboring buildings.

But, if you leaned out the window you could still get your water view fix taken care of.

Quick Review: W Mexico City

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 19:06:00 +0000

After a 2006 stay at the Condesa df that was mixed at best, we decided to cash in some Starwood points and check out the W Mexico City on our next two visits. This review is based on 6 nights over 3 short stays between December 2011 and March 2012.

The greeting in the lobby is prompt and sharp. The entire staff is bilingual and willing to either indulge your attempts en Español or let you off the hook and roll en Inglés if you need it.

The rooms we stayed in (1502, 1909 and 1409) were all Fantastic Suites. They were indeed fantastic.

Sleek and comfortable. For the most part anyway. That circular shower set right in the middle of the room is probably an instance of substance being subordinated to style. But I'll concede it's kind of cool.

Friendly greeting with chocolates and bottled water was appreciated.

Room service was friendly, prompt and tasty. We had one issue where an order just really didn't hit the mark, so we called down to let them know. It was removed from the bill immediately and our replacement dish was up in our room within 10 minutes. Then the manager called after the replacement was delivered to apologize and confirm everything was alright. Solid comeback service after the initial disappointment.

Views were pretty stellar in every direction.

Having a balcony that we could open the room up to was terrific. I love access to fresh air in a hotel room.

And the floor to ceiling windows made for great viewing of both the setting sun and the neighborhood lights at night.

Location is great if you want to base in Polanco (and it's just a quick walk over to Dulce Patria). I do prefer the vibe and greater walkability of Condesa. But at the W you are definitely within easy walking distance of shops and restaurants. The closest metro stop, Auditorio, is a bit of a hike, but still doable.

We did not dine in the restaurant so I cannot comment on how that is (room was so pleasant we just kept having room service brought up). But the gym is decent. Not too big, but it wasn't overrun either.

Pro tip: when you do want to head out to Condesa or perhaps San Angel, rather than take one of the cars in the hotel drive, walk down the block a bit and flag a taxi on the street. It will cost half to one-third the price.

Quick Review: Dulce Patria, Ciudad de Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 21:35:00 +0000

Dulce Patria was a great recommendation from the concierge @ the W Mexico City. My wife and I were just in town for an overnight stop before continuing on to Havana in the morning. After a somewhat long day of travel (car to ORD, wait around, flight to ATL, connect, flight to MEX, go through customs, taxi to hotel in evening rush hour traffic), we needed dinner. And we had just a few key criteria in picking a place. It had to be close, and had to be relaxing. Dulce Patria fit the bill.

The walk is 5, maybe 8 minutes through Parque Lincoln and a block or two of the sleek Polanco neighborhood. First impression of the restaurant is its sharp, contemporary exterior. It was pretty quiet when we walked in @ 7:45 on a Tuesday night the week leading up to Christmas. By the time we left ~9:15 it was buzzing. Since we had to be back @ MEX ~8am we were not ashamed to be eating so 'early'.

The first thing we noticed inside was the service. It was team service. Like SWAT team service. Every glass, utensil and napkin was placed, replaced, adjusted, etc. seemingly every minute. Honestly it was almost too much. One of the servers literally swooped in and moved my knife a millimeter back into its proper position after I had accidentally nudged it while putting my drink back down. If these guys were getting paid by the touch, they were racking up the pesos. On the positive side, one of them was quick to advise my wife about not leaving her purse on the heated floor and brought over a stool for her to rest it on. Good call, since we weren't expecting a heated floor. Especially since the air temp outside was probably ~70F.

Maybe anything would have tasted great after a long travel day, but the horchata con mezcal was amazing. It was like a rather sophisticated adult milk shake. Tasty.

Food was mostly good. Los antojitos (the starters) we tried were mixed. The quesadillas (which are more like empanadas in Mexico and I need to remember this because I've ordered them more than once expecting US style quesadillas) with huitlacoche were nice. The corn dish, esquites, was less pleasing. I like corn. A lot. It's very hard to serve me something corn based and have it not be a raving success. The esquites here were just okay. But as I've learned since esquites is a dish that lends itself to customization and interpretation (perhaps similar to how every has their own custom mac and cheese recipe). So try esquites if you see it on the menu. Just maybe don't try it @ Dulce Patria.

For my entree I went with a enchiladas con platanos en mole, which were very flavorful and rich. That richness could have used a bit more citrus or something to balance it out and break things up a bit. But on pure flavor, I'd get those enchiladas again.

Links: Reviews on TripAdvisor
DulcePatria website which is honestly kind of useless as of the date of this posting.

Quick Review: Edgewater Beach Cafe (Chicago)

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:56:00 +0000

Inexplicably and inexcusably it took us over 9 years to try this place even though we live no more than 100 yards away. A couple weeks ago we finally had circumstances align for what we hoped would be perfect trial conditions : a snowy Friday night when we could make the short walk over here, grab a window table inside this allegedly quaint neighborhood place and have a nice meal while enjoying the picturesque wintry scene outside.

Maybe we had built up our expectations too much, but the actual experience left us feeling only okay.

First, and through no fault of the restaurant, the view of the snowstorm through their windows wasn't that great. Streetlight glare plus exterior building light glare just kind of washed it all out. So much for that.

Focusing on the food, service and atmosphere, then, here's my take:

Atmosphere was pretty sleepy. This wasn't one of the live performance nights, so it was just the three or four quiet tables eating in a mostly quiet room.

Service was pretty helpful. One guy seemed to be running the whole show, waiting on the tables and handling the bar orders. He was friendly.

Food was good. The menu is limited and the prices aren't inexpensive, so the food quality is a make or break element here. My wife enjoyed her shrimp cachonette and tournedos of beef. My onion soup gratinee and filet mignon were tasty too.

Bottom line, though, is if I'm going to spend $130 for dinner in Edgewater, I'm going to head over to Francesca's. Twice. I'm glad I tried EBC, but it's hard to justify the premium prices unless you really, really value a dark, extremely quiet atmosphere.

Quick Review: Trump Hotel (Vegas)

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:55:00 +0000

Disclaimer: I'm not a Vegas guy. Not a big gambler, not a seen-and-be-seen kind of person. View my review through that lens.

Great room. I completely prefer rooms with a kitchenette or at least a fridge. And since I was here for 4 nights, the set up at the trump was key. Fridge, sink, stove top if you want it and microwave. Beyond that the room is also a nice space, with a comfortable bed and good work area. As mentioned by at least one other reviewer, the shower door situation is a little funky. That probably could have been designed better.

Great fitness center. There are a number of treadmills facing the pool area and a decent assortment of machines, too.

Super convenient to be across from that mall. Walk through Nordstrom and you've got yourself a Chipotle no more than 300 yards from front door of the hotel.

Short walk to El Segundo Sol and StripBurger.

Short taxi lines. I was here 4 nights and in and out multiple times per day. Never had to wait more than 2 minutes for a taxi. During CES.

Only issue I had was upon check in. I made my reservation through http://Booking.com and had adjusted the original reservation by adding a day. Even though I'd done this at least four or five days before my arrival it wasn't picked up in 'their system'. So I had to stand there while the desk guy called and faxed (yes, faxed) someone a copy of my http://booking.com confirmation. Kind of a drag after flying across the country, but in the end it all got sorted.

Quick Review: Pasteur (Chicago)

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:54:00 +0000

Saturday night @ 7:45. Place was packed. Unfortunately, their computer system wasn't working so everything was s-l-o-w-e-d down considerably. But we'll call that a growing pains fluke.

Interior is really well done. Immediately transports you far away from Edgewater. Decor is sophisticated. And whether it was intentional or just a lucky outcome, the acoustics are kind of amazing. Tables are pretty close together and on this busy night it was loud. But somehow my wife and I could talk with each other comfortably and not feel like we were hearing everything being said at the tables on either side of us, which is no little detail in my world.

Food was strong.

Apps: Fried chicken dumplings were delicious, vegetable tofu rolls were interesting (touch of mango works wonders here). One regret - why no sticky rice?

Entrees: Beef curry was a great balance of heat and sweet; Pasteur beef steak was a hit, too.

Also, they have a Lebanese red wine available by the glass. It's a little lightweight / thin, but I appreciate the opportunity to try a Lebanese red wine nonetheless - that wasn't something I expected when I walked in the door.

Quick Review: Dino's Sports Bar (Falmouth, MA)

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:35:00 +0000

Dino's took great care of us.

I needed a place for 8 clowns (self included) to watch the US / Ghana game after golfing at Ballymeade. This was part of a wedding weekend, so we needed to keep on a schedule and I didn't want to leave anything to chance.

I stopped by Dino's the day before the game to explain my situation and they said they'd set us up with a couple of tables in the room with the big screen.

Next day we ran a little late so I called to give them a heads up and they were still cool about it. Ended up getting there moments before kick off (and about 20 minutes after we said we'd be there). They immediately hooked us up with the two tables square in front of the biggest screen in the place. Genius. Then they kept the pitchers, nachos, poppers, etc. flowing.

Great guys, great service. And not a bad crowd for a soccer game on a beautiful Saturday afternoon down the Cape.

Quick Review: Il Villagio (Boston)

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:26:00 +0000

Il Villagio was exactly what we were looking for.

Strolling with my wife around the North End one 90 degree night in late June our wish list was this:

* A/C
* Good food
* Not crowded
* Not some cavernous money minting operation
* Not too far away from the main action and energy of the neighborhood

I'm pretty sure we walked past every restaurant in the neighborhood as I searched for the exact atmosphere I was in the mood for. But Il Villagio nailed it.

Winter Vacation '08 - Paris - New Year's Eve in Montmartre

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 02:22:00 +0000

Celebrating New Year's Eve up in Montmartre at Sacre Coeur was one of the main things we were looking forward to on this vacation. We had kind of stumbled into it in 2006. But this time it was a focal point of the trip. I did not pull it off as smoothly as I would have hoped, but it was a good time nonetheless. As I write this now I am inclined to swear off cold destinations for any future winter vacations, so I don't expect to be back for another NYE in Paris. But I will leave some thoughts and tips for anyone who finds this post while planning their own trip.

Be smarter about your dinner plans that I was
Almost every restaurant in Paris apparently puts together a fancier, multi-course set menu kind of event on NYE. I had read about this in the guide books and should have known better than to do what we did. But we also got lucky in 2006 when we just found a nice neighborhood place that was offering its regular menu, so I guess I was hoping to just pull the same kind of thing off this time. We expected that Corso, a place we had tried earlier in the week, was offering its regular menu. But we didn't call and check and didn't think to ask as we walked in. Found out about the set menu once we were seated and would have felt pretty dumb and impolite if we decided to leave at that point. So it was to be a fancy dinner for us -- both longer and pricier than I was looking for.

Get where you're trying to go earlier than we did
I don't know exactly how early you need to get up to Sacre Coeur to claim some of the spaces with a prime view, but I can tell you that 11:45pm isn't early enough.

Walking up the steps to Sacre Coeur

In '06 we were a bit lucky here, too, as we got to the top maybe 11:35 or 11:40 and were able to maneuver into a position that could at least glimpse the Eiffel Tower at 12. But that was standing on our toes and looking over and through rows of peoples' heads. Not ideal. This year was the same kind of thing. Due to the six course dinner we had we didn't leave the restaurant until 11:30, so we didn't get up to the top until maybe 11:50, by which time we were left to drift around in the areas with obstructed views. However, that wound up not being a huge deal this year because ...

Weather can make or break this experience
It was pretty gray for most of the week, but it was really misty and foggy on NYE. You just flat out could not see the tower except at extreme zoom levels on the camera.

This mist/fog prevented us from seeing the Eiffel Tower this time

That was kind of a buzz kill. Seeing the Eiffel Tower's lights at midnight is one of the 3 cool things about being up the hill in Montmartre on NYE. Given the weather, which wasn't a surprise, we could have gone down to the Champs-Élysées, which is supposed to be party central anyway, and been guaranteed to see it from a much closer perspective. But I'm not a fan of massive crowds and knew the schlep back to our apartment just wouldn't be fun from that part of the city. So, we missed the tower. Luckily, the other 2 cool things were still available to us.

Just about everyone has fireworks
Be alert. Every other person in the crowd seems to have bottle rockets, roman candles or some kind of novelty items that spin and sizzle around your feet.

Crowd & fireworks @ Sacre Coeur. The sequence at 1:31 - 1:38 is my favorite part.

More crowd & fireworks @ Sacre Coeur

It's definitely cool. But pay attention to your surroundings.

Public drinking is rampant
Not surprising, right? It's NYE after all. But this has something of a Bourbon Street to-go cups are okay kind of vibe that still tends to stun someone whose formative drinking years took place in the Boston area, where the authorities take a decidedly hostile stance against fun. (Some 16 years later I still recall with wonder the time I was intercepted by one of Boston's finest because I had taken literally two steps outside of a Brighton bar with a beer bottle in my hand ... good times.)

Walking along the side of Sacre Coeur, being greeted by some friendly fellow celebrants

If you're inclined to partake in the public drinking, consider the byob approach. While there is something to be said for camping out at a cafe and sitting in one of the sidewalk tables under the heat lamps just watching the parade of partiers pass you by, going byob allows you to meander freely about, following the pockets of ad hoc exuberance wherever they may lead.

Walking to Place du Tertre

Most of the action is concentrated in two areas. First is in front of Sacre Coeur, the second is in Place du Tertre. So after most of the DIY the fireworks had subsided, we made our way over to Place du Tertre.

Place du Tertre

Place du Tertre

And this is where we busted out our bottle of champagne, procured earlier that day from a Nicolas store on Rue des Abbesses.

This is also where we posed for the obligatory, I'm-drinking-champagne-in-public-on-NYE-in-Paris shots.

For entertainment, there are still some fireworks to be seen. I remember a bit more action in '06, though.

Fireworks in Place du Tertre

After enjoying some free, low scale pyrotechnics and a couple glasses of champagne, we went back over to the front of Sacre Coeur to see if anything was still going on. I don't think we did this loop back in '06 because we had gone the grab-a-table-on-the-sidelines route. I have to say the aftermath we saw diminished the magical vibe a bit. Most of the crowd had moved on and what was left was the debris of their drinking and a number of characters that seemed like wild cards.

NYE aftermath on the steps of Sacre Coeur

But we did catch one pretty cool thing before we made our way out of there and back to the apartment. These guys were putting together a home made, unmanned hot air balloon. Didn't see exactly how they were doing this, but have to admire the ingenuity. Though I do wonder what happens when it lands. Does it crash into someone's terrace, still aflame?

Revelers send a small fire up into the Parisien night. The exchange you hear between 1:28 and 2:00 or so is me deflecting some cat hopped up on Smirnoff Ice who thought Judy was unaccompanied. Wound up being pretty harmless.

Travelogue: Hotel Intercontinental, Managua, Nicaragua

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:59:00 +0000

Lobby of Real InterContinental Metrocentro Managua

We had some specific needs when we stayed in Managua, so we wanted to make sure we stayed at a place that could help us out and minimize any potential points of stress. On that score, Real InterContinental Metrocentro Managua took good care of us. With the exception of one disappointing hiccup in our shuttle out to the airport as we were leaving, they were really terrific.

Lobby of Real InterContinental Metrocentro Managua

Our first request was that we could stash some of our luggage and souvenirs with them while we were in Havana. We started our vacation in Granada, bought a couple of hammock chairs as well as some ceramic pieces in Masaya and definitely did not want to schlep everything with us back and forth from Havana. The InterContinental agreed to hold our things for us. This was pretty impressive service. We would only be staying one night with them, but they allowed us to drop a significant pile of stuff off 4 days before check in and held them safely for us while we were in Cuba. Incredibly helpful.

Lobby of Real InterContinental Metrocentro Managua

When we did check in, on a Saturday afternoon, we had to make another special request. Our plan was to ship some things to the U.S. so we wouldn't need to bring them with us on the plane. However, we soon found out that one's UPS / Fed Ex options are limited in Managua on a Saturday afternoon. And our flight was very early the next morning, so we couldn't do anything ourselves on Sunday (and I imagine one's options are no better on a Sunday morning than they are on a Saturday afternoon). Thankfully, the concierge worked with us, lining up everything he would need to take care of it after we left. It wasn't necessarily easy and we wound up spending a decent amount of time and money coordinating the whole thing, but it was what we needed to do and again the InterContinental folks came through for us.

Restaurant of Real InterContinental Metrocentro Managua, with bird

Beyond the service, the property itself is solid. The decor and amenities are on par with anything you would expect from an upscale place in a warm U.S. climate like Arizona, California or Florida. This was nice because we were so tired that we didn't leave the grounds. Aside from shuttles to/from the airport, we spent 100% of our ~18 hours in Managua at the hotel.

Restaurant of Real InterContinental Metrocentro Managua, with bird

We had a nice lunch in the hotel restaurant with artistically sculpted flamingos keeping watch over us.

Restaurant of Real InterContinental Metrocentro Managua, with bird

And after zonking out for much of the afternoon, we hit the hotel restaurant again for dinner.

Restaurant patio of Real InterContinental Metrocentro Managua, looking inside

Restaurant patio of Real InterContinental Metrocentro Managua, Judy and I having some laffs

The restaurant staff for each meal was completely attentive and helpful. All in all it was a very mellow, but pleasant way to unwind with good food in a relatively quiet atmosphere, just lounging in the heat.

Short clip from the restaurant patio of Real InterContinental Metrocentro Managua

My main disappointment with the InterContinental was something that I suppose they cannot really control. Based on nothing but hope and my interpretation of the claim on their website that you are "in the heart of the entertainment and commercial district", I was expecting we would be able to walk around something that resembled an urban neighborhood. That definitely wasn't the case. What comes to mind is a suburban commercial intersection. Like Tysons Corner in Virginia, but on a much smaller scale. And hotter. With a chicken-based fast food restaurant as one of the key hubs of activity and life.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. The guidebooks give you not so subtle hints, with things like, "Managua's layout is perplexing to the first time visitor", and "this big sprawling city has no real downtown", and "Managua is not an ideal city for walking". I did read all that, so I wasn't clueless. And from the little glimpse of Managua that we got during our car ride from the airport to Granada (wish I had video of that -- truly eye-opening stuff we saw on the side streets), I saw nothing to suggest the guide books were wrong. Just had a different expectation of what "in the heart of the entertainment and commercial district" might mean.

If we ever find ourselves in Managua again, our expectations will be re-calibrated. And we'll consider getting a tour of some kind, because a few of the places recommended in the InterContinental's video tour look pretty interesting.

Travelogue: Casona de los Estrada - Granada, Nicaragua

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 16:38:00 +0000

Exterior shot of La Casona de Los Estrada.

When we were looking for a place to stay in Granada last year I started with the places mentioned in a couple of guide books -- Adventure Guide Nicaragua and Moon Handbooks Nicaragua.

The Adventure Guide listed a couple as "exceptional" -- like Casa San Francisco and Patio del Malinche, which do get quite solid reviews over on TripAdvisor.

Street scene in front of La Casona de Los Estrada.

But it was La Casona de Los Estrada, a place given a mere 'highly recommended' by the Adventure Guide, that stood out to me. I liked the fact that it was quite small, with only a few rooms. And if I could snag "Room 1", which got some good reviews on TripAdvisor, then that would close the deal for me.

Entry way of La Casona de Los Estrada.

After trading a couple emails with Carlos (who justifiably gets numerous shout outs over in the TripAdvisor reviews), we locked down "Room 1" and our lodging in Granada was booked.

Room 1 @ La Casona de Los Estrada.

Room 1 @ La Casona de Los Estrada.

View from room 1 @ La Casona de Los Estrada.

This place was a great value. At something like $85/night, our room was huge, with great a/c (which was critical, since it was in the mid 90s every day) and a massive, cool bathroom that I somehow failed to take pictures of.

Video of the walk from hotel's front desk to our room. I cut off the video in the middle of what was meant to be a humorous exhalation of wonder and refreshment, so the effect is just kind of creepy. I apologize for that..

The hotel is also in a terrific location. Just couldn't have been more convenient for what we were looking to do.

The service was mostly strong. The aforementioned Carlos was money. When he was around, you were in good hands. Whether you needed a recommendation for where to get some food or you needed him to grab a cold beer out of the fridge for you at 1:30am, he took care of you. The two girls we saw working a couple of front desk shifts over the course of our stay, however, weren't quite up to the bar that Carlos set.

However, we were taken good care of at breakfast.

Plate of fresh breakfast @ La Casona de los Estrada.

I believe we had 3 breakfasts here. Maybe four. Each day we were helped by the same woman. And what was brilliant was that she tried to tailor our plates each morning based upon what she noticed we did / didn't eat. For example, on the first day, I left all my bananas on my plate (at least the pieces that Judy didn't snag). On day 2, no bananas for me, more pineapple. Our tag team / food swap approach to eating threw her a couple of curve balls, and she never quite picked up the fact that Judy hates papaya. But just the fact that she was paying attention and trying to cater to our tastes was amazing, in my opinion.

Walk from room 1 to the breakfast area @ La Casona de los Estrada.

Sitting in the breakfast area @ La Casona de los Estrada.

Bottom line: if you're looking for a place to stay in Granada, you could do far worse than La Casona de los Estrada. And if life ever swings us back down that way, I don't think I'll bother looking for any other option than Room 1.

Assorted Observations from Quito & Otavalo

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:13:00 +0000

I've been sitting on these shots that don't roll up neatly into any single theme for far too long (trip was in August 2007), so how about a 'random slices of Ecuador' catch all post?

Snapped this from the back of a taxi in Quito, I believe. (See it larger)

I'm pretty sure this, too, is from the back of a taxi on the way to a shopping center in Quito. (See it larger)

Another shot from a taxi. If you look closely you will see a man in the back of that garbage truck. (See it larger)

I love the signs of fast food places lower on the totem pole than BK, McDs, Taco Bell, etc. Even more so outside the U.S. (See it larger)

Shoeshine boys in Quito. Quick tip: if you're thinking of getting a shoeshine in Quito, make sure you have change or small bills. I only had a $5 bill on me. I didn't mind giving the crew $5, but it was a little sad to see them fighting over it as I walked away. Would have been better off with five singles. (See it larger)

This guy with the bread was pretty cool. Saw him in Plaza de la Independencia in Quito. The little bread loaves cost something like $0.30 - $0.40, an we were able to pass one to a shoeshine boy we made quick friends with as we sat around in the plaza this morning. (See it larger)

(See it larger)

On Calle Venezuela in Quito. I'm a sucker for old / small car shots, and the way these colors all lined up struck me as a nice bonus visual effect. (See it larger)

A view of El Panecillo from Basilica del Voto. (See it larger)

One of the shots I took at the house of Oswaldo Guayasamin. Some other shots we took start here on Flickr. (See it larger)

It has been a while so I can't say this with certainty, but I think this was somewhere near Mercado de Pulgas Ipiales. Just liked the way the shot was naturally composed. (See it larger)

This was also near Mercado de Pulgas Ipiales. Was trying to get a shot with the Ecuadorian flag snapping straight out in the wind against the backdrop. Never quite got it timed right, so we took this and moved on. (See it larger)

Plaza de la Independencia / Plaza Grande, Quito. (See it larger)

Plaza de la Independencia / Plaza Grande, Quito. Specifically, Palacio de Gobierno. There was something going on this afternoon, with a lot of men in uniform, both the traditional army / police type and these more formal / ceremonial cats. (See it larger)

Plaza de la Independencia / Plaza Grande, Quito. Hombres Viejos. (See it larger)

Plaza de la Independencia / Plaza Grande, Quito. (See it larger)

Plaza de la Independencia / Plaza Grande, Quito. (See it larger)

I'm rifling through my guide books to try and find out what this pseudo ice cream / custard was called because I could swear it had a distinct name. But I'm coming up empty. Regardless, I liked this scene with the man in his uniform and the father / son combo stepping up to get some dessert on the street. (See it larger)

Street musicians and one of their fans, Quito. (See it larger)

Plaza Santo Domingo, Quito. These solid blue buses kept passing by the solid mustard building and there was something about the contrast that captivated me. Tried multiple times to get a shot I liked. This was the best one, but I still don't love it. (See it larger)

This was near Otavalo, taken from a car we hired to take us over to an area where some of the local weavers have shops. Was a little surprised to see a basketball court appear somewhat out of nowhere amidst the general surroundings. Seeing the girls playing hoops in traditional Otavaleno dress added another element to it all. (See it larger)

Winter Vacation '08 - Paris - Views Around the City

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 04:38:00 +0000

Similar to the Brugge post, I'm not going to try and tie these shots together with any kind of unifying narrative. Just off the cuff notes about some shots that I liked from our trip.

Even the ads on the Metro struck me as more sophisticated. To be fair, though, you do see plenty of ads asking if you speak Wall Street English, I just didn't take pictures of those.

UPDATE 2/21/09:
Got my videos together on YouTube and can now embed them in these posts. Found another cool thing about the Parisien Metro - great amateur performances. I haven't taken the L in over two years since I bought the Yaris, but I can tell you I saw nothing like this in my first 9 years of taking public transportation in Chicago. And I don't recall ever seeing anything like it in D.C. either, for that matter. Also, for the record, we did drop them a 5 before we split.

We always stop here. This is where we got engaged in 2002. Crazy nerve racking at the time, but in retrospect the play-it-by-ear approach worked perfectly. We randomly stopped here, Judy mentioned it was one of her favorite spots in the city, I pulled the trigger.

Holiday lights in the streets of Montmartre.

Street corner shots in Montmartre.

Another street corner shot in Montmartre.

A look toward the small streets that wind their way to Place du Tertre in Montmartre

We didn't go up the tower this time. Really weren't planning on it and when we saw the ridiculous lines, that confirmed any outside, long shot chance of going up was just not going to happen. But it's nonetheless pretty cool to be walking around the neighborhood and suddenly see it pop out from behind a building.

Had to get some crepes, at least once. Judy went with the Nutella and banane, I opted for jamon et fromage. Both were solid.

Didn't use any bikes from the Velib program, but thought this rack made for an interesting shot. The larger shot will hopefully look good on the wall someday.

These shots are from the Rue Montorgueil area. Would be pretty cool to be able to have this kind of market within walking distance for your daily bread / fruit / fish / olive oil / etc. needs.

Winter Vacation '08 - Brugge - The Scenery

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 04:02:00 +0000

Not going to try and thread this together much. Just some assorted shots from our time walking around Brugge.

I was intentionally going for the close-to-the-horse effect here in the Markt square. Got scolded a bit by the driver as she passed. Given how many people are just all over this little town are have to always be in the line of fire for these chariot drivers, I must have been doing something particularly annoying for her to pop off at me.

UPDATE 2/21/09
Got some video clips up on YouTube so I can embed them for added context. This is just a quick view of the Markt area, taking it in upon our arrival.

Obligatory 'wafel' shot

This was a pretty funky bike. Would have loved to have seen people actually riding this. Are there Belgian acrobats like the Chinese acrobats?

Even the handrails are cool

Just a bunch of bikes

The irony here is this was perhaps the most alluring arch / entryway we saw and we didn't go through it

I'm such a crap tourist I don't even know the real names of these towers, but I think they are actually a couple of the main touristic attractions of Brugge. I just like how they looked at night.

UPDATE 2/21/09:
Video added.

This was my favorite local piece, without a doubt. What you don't see is it was set beneath a tree strung with simple white lights that added to the whimsical nature of it.

Night sites, by the river and in the Markt

UPDATE 2/21/09:
Videos now available.

Winter Vacation '08 - Paris - The Neighborhood

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 01:26:00 +0000

As I noted in an earlier post, I thought I had made a huge mistake during our first trip to Paris when I realized we were going to be pretty close to the Pigalle red light district.

However, we soon determined there was nothing to worry about and that most of the area was actually pretty great. It has since become something of a 'comfort zone' for us. So when I found a good deal on an apartment just off the Pigalle square, I didn't hesitate to grab it.

View Larger Map

This turned out to be a great base for us, with good access both up the hill into Montmartre and down to Rue des Martyrs.

UPDATE 2/21/09:
Finally got my videos uploaded to YouTube so I can now embed a few in these posts. This is the walk from our apartment to the Pigalle square. And, to answer the question Judy asks at the end of this, yes, there was someone in Santa's sleigh, which is what I was trying to capture w/ the zoom.

These are just a few of the shots I snagged while walking around during the week we were there.

Just liked something about how simple this was. Was happy to get a shot of it, but glad I wasn't staying there

Le Grenier a Pain -- Judy loves bakeries. We stop and look in the window of almost every one we pass. This one was just up the hill from our place and we got some bread here as well as the reusable bag that Judy is holding.

The holiday lights on some of the main streets were pretty amazing (as seen further below). But even some of the little side streets like these had modest displays that added to the seasonal atmosphere.

This street was always bustling at night, with a number of cafes open to the sidewalk even though the temperatures were in the 20s and 20s. Hard to do the vibe justice in this shot, especially since I'm a hack with the camera. This larger shot is better, but not great.

UPDATE 2/21/09:
Adding a video that gives a bit more of a sense of the feel on Rue des Abbesses.

What was really lively was the bar in this next video. Kind of random. This was a bit further up the hill but not all the way up to Place du Tertre. It was a little sad when, after 'Jump' ended, a couple of the women tried to keep the 'look at me I'm dancing on the tables' vibe going into the next song, which wasn't anything particularly cool or fun. Just gave off that stink of trying too hard, like they were convincing themselves of how much fun they were having by staying up there on the tables.

This was cool, just catching a glimpse of Sacre Coeur as you walk along Boulevard de Clichy.

Another view of Sacre Coeur. This one is near Corso, an Italian place we tried during our stay.

Winter Vacation '08 - Paris - The Eating, Part IV (Sourire de Saigon)

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:16:00 +0000

We found Sourire de Saigon on our last trip to Paris in 2006. It was total chance that we found it, as it was directly across the street from the apartment we rented. And we loved it.

So it was a given that we would be eating here again on this trip, even though we had to hoof it a good bit further this time.

View Larger Map
Map of the walk from 7 Villa Guelma, our rental apartment, to Sourire de Saigon @ 54 Rue Mont de Cenis

What you don't necessarily get in that map visual is that you're dealing with a couple sets of serious stairs in the middle of it. For us this meant a return trip uphill with bellies full of Vietnamese food.

Imposing staircase, Montmartre

But on the way down you get to spot the restaurant's lights like a beacon of deliciousness.

View of Sourire de Saigon from above

We arrived a few minutes early for our reservation, so we walked downhill a bit more, getting a view from the other direction.

This angle illustrates just how in the middle of nowhere this restaurant is

We still had a couple of minutes before our table was ready, so they set us up with two glasses of champagne while we waited.

There is something about the red / violet light motif they have going one here that I really like.

It's chic, but soothing.

We ate here twice during this trip and both times the food and service were fantastic.

View of the bar, which is a tiny, one-man operation

One slight drawback of the low light ambiance is that the pictures I tried to grab with my BlackBerry were just too dark to be useful. And while I'm willing to risk being something of a conspicuous dork to get photos, I wasn't willing to put the flash on here. So there is no photographic evidence of our main courses. But I did get some shots of the side dish that fascinated us in 2006 and continues to fascinate us now: Riz Gluant (aka, 'sticky rice').

Riz Gluant - aka, the best damn rice I've ever had

They bring it out to you in these wooden cylinders and peel it open for you in a banana peeling / corn husking kind of fashion (it's far more elegant than it sounds, though, as it's performed in almost a ritualistic fashion by deft waitresses outfitted in colorful, traditional Vietnamese dresses).

A sad attempt to capture the flambe in action

There was one mild disappointment, though, which was the flaming dessert we ordered. It sounded much better than it tasted, as it was some kind of pineapple croquette soaked in a liqueur. Had the makings of something tasty, but just really didn't work for either of us.

The disappointing croquettes

Nonetheless, if we ever make it back to Paris I am sure we'll look this place up again. The atmosphere is cool, the food is amazing and we highly recommend it.

More shots from inside Sourire de Saigon

Buddha statue near the bar

French / European notables featured in the menu, none of which I recognized, exposing my cultural ignorance. But I'm glad they went with the pictures in the menu approach rather than the pictures all over the wall approach.

Even the bathroom is cool

Interior door of the bathroom

Not sure what the symbolism is of having the Chairman supervising your business in here

Good to see they keep the sink tidy

And apparently they are fans of Tintin

Winter Vacation - Paris - The Eating, Part III (Kastoori)

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 16:16:00 +0000

Kastoori is another place we found on our first trip to Paris in 2002.

It is ~100 yards from the hotel Les 3 Poussins. Somehow I have managed to not have any pictures handy of the triangular plaza it faces, which is a shame because that setting really adds to the charm of the restaurants in this little strip.

A = location of Les 3 Poussins; K = location of Kastoori; click image for Google Map of location

Neighbors and families congregate in warm weather on the benches and kids pretend to be Zidane or Henry, occasionally bouncing balls off some defenseless Smart car or scooter parked nearby. Lends a nice atmosphere to the whole casual dining experience here. But you'll have to trust me on that since pictures are nowhere to be found right now.

EDIT: Hold the phone. Light bulb went off and I grabbed a screen grab from Google Street View (I love The Internets). This is facing north toward the plaza, Kastoori is up on the right, about where that larger tree is.

Click for larger image

View of interior from our table in the window, at the end of the evening - we were the night owls closing the place down

We have a tradition of going out for Indian food every December 29th in honor of our first date (which was at since-closed Jaipur Palace in Chicago).

Colorful, cushioned banquette

We have something of a love / hate relationship with Kastoori, having had a mixed bag of experiences with them. On the one hand, the service can be spotty. A couple of years ago the guy told us "15 minutes, you'll be next table" and when we came back from a quick stroll we saw he totally slid people in front of us - just not cool.

On the other hand, it's cozy -- maybe 25 people can fit inside.

View of snug dining room

The food, in our experience, has been pretty good more often than not. And you can keep on eye on the guys making it.

View of 'the kitchen'

It's BYOB, which adds to the feel-kind-of-like-a-local vibe that I particularly enjoy. And it was our first Indian place in Paris. Plus, on this Monday night the other Indian place right next door was closed, so we had limited options if we were going to keep our anniversary tradition going.

A surprisingly tasty bottle of Pinot Noir we grabbed just up the street. Snapped a picture of it in hopes of being able to find it somewhere online but no luck thus far.

Judy - enjoying the wine, enduring me

Our experience on this night was more good than bad. Service was decent if not especially warm and welcoming. And the food was really good.

Judy got a tikka masala, which was solid. But my dish was the big winner. I can't remember the exact name, but it was a specialty of the house. Something a la Kastoori. And it was chicken in a pistachio flavored sauce that was ridiculously tasty.

If you look closely you can pick up the green sauce - that was my pistachio dish, which continued the trend of me ordering better than Judy

For dessert we got one order of gulab jamun and one mango kulfi. I'm sure both were pre-made somewhere else, but I liked them. I'm usually not a huge kulfi fan, but this agreed with me. Judy was disappointed that the gulab jamun wasn't as hot as she likes it. I still don't know why some places serve it cool while others serve it hot. Will need to get to the bottom of that mystery some day.

Net - it was a pretty good meal, but we were a little disappointed that the place next door wasn't open, as the service is stronger and food is as good if not better (though it isn't byob, so it ends up a bit pricier). Just bad luck this year that the 29th fell on a Monday.

Winter Vacation '08 - Paris - The Eating, Part II (Corso)

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 23:58:00 +0000

After getting off to a good start with a pleasant dinner experience at Festivo on our first night of vacation, and a ~36 hour side trip to Brugge we got lucky once again on the third night with dinner at Corso.

View Larger Map

It is on Avenue Trudaine, which is just off Rues des Martyrs. This is another spot we had seen before and wanted to try but hadn't.

This blurry shot from my BlackBerry doesn't really do it justice, but there is a cool patio that flows out onto the sidewalk.

In winter it is covered with plastic and has some heat lamps so some people actually were eating out here, but it was mostly where folks were taking their smoking breaks. Must be quite nice in the spring and summer, though, when the plastic isn't needed.

We stepped in and got a little table for two along the window.

Once again we were fortunate to get a friendly server who spoke English and did not in the least make us feel stupid for not speaking French. In fact, the handful of staff we engaged with all seemed to go a bit out of their way to help us out.

We started with what was a breaded and fried mozzarella appetizer that was fantastic. This was not your TGIFriday's caliber mozzarella stick.

I went with a safe order of pasta in a cream sauce, which was solid.

While Judy enjoyed a seafood risotto.

Note - Judy is also showing off a new crafty thing she got into during this trip -- making felt flower pins.

One thing that was very cool about this neighborhood was right around the corner you had a spectacular view of Sacre Coeur, accented by the holiday decorations strung across the street.

We actually came back here on New Year's Eve hoping to get similar dishes, but I had forgotten that just about every restaurant in Paris goes rather fancy with their menu on NYE. Before we could abort the mission without feeling like total clowns we were on our way into a 6 course set menu. It was nice, but definitely tailored to someone whose tastes are more sophisticated and refined than mine. And I didn't want to queer the vibe for our fellow diners by breaking out the BlackBerry for more photos.

Related Side Note For Anyone Into Design:
While trying to find a website for Corso, I did find something about its interior being designed by Robert Stadler, for whatever that is worth. I know nothing about design. But there are some nice daytime interior shots of the space here.

Winter Vacation '08 - Paris - The Eating, Part I (Festivo)

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:57:00 +0000

Through a fortunate hotel selection for our first trip to Paris in March 2002, Judy and I became familiar with the neighborhood around Rue des Martyrs in the 9th arrondissement (profiled in 2005 by the NYTimes).

It was sheer luck then that I booked us at Les Trois Poussins. I found it on Expedia -- the price was right and the pictures seemed decent. This was in the day before TripAdvisor had built up 179 reviews on the place. So with fairly limited info I pulled the trigger and hoped for the best.

I panicked a little bit on the flight over as I read more about the area and was realizing that we were really close to the 'red light district' of Pigalle. I had visions of the old Combat Zone in Boston where my friends and I would occasionally venture for sport during high school and college. But once Judy and I were on the ground and wandering about the neighborhood we realized it really wasn't that big of a deal. We did see a few dicey places, but it was nothing you don't see in just about every big city.

A = Les Trois Poussins; B = Pigalle; red box highlights part of Rue des Martyrs

The point of all this background is that Rue des Martyrs turned out to be a great place with a number of nice little restaurants and shops. On each of our successive trips here we always end up gravitating back into this "hood". And this time we finally got a chance to try Festivo.

We had wanted to try it during one of our previous visits but never made it in as it always seemed pretty crowded.

But on our first night out this time we got lucky. We got a table for two right in the window and our waiter was great. I always worry a little bit about the response I'm going to get when I break out the "est-ce-que vous parlez anglais?" But this guy (1) did speak English and (2) was very friendly.

So I exhaled. Then we both settled in and had a nice meal. Starting with a preposterously large 'appetizer' of caprese salad. This seriously was enough tomatoes for 6 people.

The entrees were great. Not sure how appetizing these dim pictures from my BlackBerry make them look, but trust me, they were quite nice.

Judy got some linguine in a spicy honey pesto sauce (which she has promised to try and emulate back home because it was that good).

And I got a fairly simple gnocchi with prosciutto. But just because it was simple doesn't mean it wasn't excellent. It was. After a long flight, followed by the car ride and bag schlep to our apartment, followed by a 3 or 4 hour zonk out nap, followed by a ~20 minute walk down the hill, this was a spectacularly comforting meal.

Winter Vacation '08 - Brugge - The Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 04:13:00 +0000

Brugge ---at least the areas we were in--- seems all about the retail. In addition to chocolate shops there are general gourmet food stores, clothing stores, plenty of souvenir type stores and various chains like H&M and Zara.

Judy must have done this in about 12 different chocolate shop windows looking for the same kind of chocolate covered walnut we got on the train from Paris. No dice, though

UPDATE 2/21/09:
Finally got my videos up on YouTube so I can embed them in these posts. More evidence of Judy's relentless search for the special chocolate covered walnuts.

Zara has become a vacation staple with us. They seem to have a store everywhere we go. And while it's lost some of its appeal now that they have a location at Old Orchard, we still got caught in its magnetic field in Brugge. It almost couldn't be helped since it was only a couple hundred yards away from the hotel.

View Larger Map
A = hotel; B = Zara

We have dialed down the haul we take out of Zara nowadays since the novelty has worn off and, if I'm being honest, I just really can't pull off those shirts like cool Spanish guys can. But we were still able to pick up a couple of wine glasses and keep our tradition going of grabbing 2 glasses from every country we visit.

The rest of our shopping activity was right out of the bad tourist handbook. First, there were the miscellaneous kiosks around the Markt.

Most of them were selling exactly the same things, just like every other market in the world.

But that didn't stop me from picking up a sweet winter hat so I can finally show off my life long love for Club Brugge.

I also couldn't resist what seemed like the sock bargain of a lifetime. These were like 10 pairs of socks for 6 euros, or something like that. How could you lose?

As it turns out, the socks aren't great quality. At least not as socks. But I've since repurposed one of them as a sweater for my 3.8 pound dog. So 20 dog sweaters for 6 euros might be an even bigger bargain.

The other joint that sucked us in was this crazy chocolate place.

I was in here for like 15 minutes and as far as I can tell the only thing they sell is chocolate covered almonds. But they seem to be making a pretty good racket out of it.

What was impressive is that apparently to qualify for a clerk job at La Cure Gourmande in Brugge, you need to be able to speak 4 languages. As a Rosetta Stone wannabe, watching these people switch deftly between French, Spanish, English and Flemish was pretty amazing.

Finally, there was the "one that got away". Walking around another market during our last afternoon there I spied a stall selling Romanian wines. I circled the place like 5 times thinking 'how cool would it be to grab some Romanian wine from Belgium?'. And it would have been cool. But my rational side prevailed. It was cold, I didn't want to carry any more crap, and really, how good would that wine be once I got it home? Plus, maybe we'll just save that particular souvenir for some future trip to Romania. I hear it's just like Napa was in the 1960s ...

Winter Vacation '08 - Brugge - The Eating

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Even though we failed to sample some the Belgian standards, such as moules, or frites, or --- blasphemy! --- beer, we did enjoy some interesting eating during our ~30 hours in Brugge.

Waffles & hot chocolate

First, the cliche hot chocolate and waffles. We stumbled upon this place at an incredibly lucky time when a little table in the window had just opened up. Trying to find seats at restaurants and cafes in Brugge was like playing musical chairs with a 10:1 people to chairs ratio. Not great times. But this one worked out for us.

The place obviously gets crushed by a relentless stream of tourists, which is reflected in the weary stoicism bordering on resentment with which the staff serves you. Civil and efficient, yes. But don't hold your breath waiting for a smiley face to be drawn on your check.

The basic hot chocolate was very good. And they didn't skimp on the schnapps in my amped up version.

The waffles were so light and clean tasting (if you can say that about something drizzled in chocolate and ice cream), that you can't even compare them to the stuff that gets passed off as waffles in your local diner. But then, that's not really saying a lot, eh?

Net: nice little rest stop to warm up for a few minutes before rejoining the touristic horde.

Dinner @ Maximiliaan's

Recharged by the sugar and warmth of the cafe, we ambled about the town looking for a place to get dinner later. We selected Maximiliaan von Oostenrijk almost entirely on looks. The setting on the outside was picturesque (though this shot from by BlackBerry doesn't really do it full justice).

Plus, from what we could see through the windows it looked to have the kind of rustic vibe we enjoy.

Tucked away a bit from the main streets, we also thought it might be a bit less crowded than some of the other places we had passed.

Image source: Maximiliaan von Oostenrijk

So, we decided to give it a shot. When we showed up for our reservation the atmosphere was mostly what we had expected it would be ... with the exception of our waiter. He was a cross between John Goodman and the guitarist / singer (aka, the 'Austrian Larry Bird') who can be found pleasing crowds at Chicago Brauhaus. He didn't really give us a warm fuzzy right off the bat. Actually, it was almost as if the manager and the waiter were giving us the good cop / bad cop routine. Weird. And kind of a buzz kill.

Once he did warm up to us, though, we had a mostly enjoyable time. The wine was good, but the quality of the food we ordered was inconsistent.

We got off to a great start with the 'croquettes au fromage' (which sounds a lot nicer than the English translation of 'cheese fritters' on the multi-lingual menu).

The Chateaubriand was pretty solid, but the fries were disappointingly bland.

And the creme brulee was a joke. Looked like creme brulee, tasted like low grade pudding.

Net - nice space, but if for some reason I ever find myself in Brugge again, I won't be making another reservation at Maximiliaan von Oostenrijk.

UPDATE 2/21/09
Finally got some clips up on YouTube so I can embed them here. This is from the area near Maximiliaan von Oostenrijk. Honestly I'm not sure if the restaurant Judy is in front of is Maximiliaan's or a neighboring place. But it's definitely in the general area of where we had dinner, so you get the gist of the vibe where we were. Relatively quiet.

Gluhwein & potato salad

The next day we had to try the gluhwein. It was everywhere (actually saw it a decent amount on the streets of Paris, too). (FYI, as of this writing there are more than 600 YouTube results for gluhwein, if you're interested.)

We see its Nordic cousin, glogg promoted heavily in Andersonville every holiday season, but haven't tried it since a DIY attempt at home went horribly wrong a few years ago.

But when in Brugge, drink like the Bruggians, no?

So we ponied up our 2 euros for a styrofoam cup of gluhwein and gave it a shot. Really wasn't much different than what I remember pulling off the stove during our disappointing at-home attempt in 2001. Next time I'll be content to just take the photos and maybe not try the product.

Next, the potato salad.

Have to admit that there is something oddly compelling about a big pile of potato salad.

And this particular pile was overseen with some flair, which added to the allure.

But the verdict from Judy was "okay". And "okay" on Judy's scale is akin to "really wish I didn't order it" on most people's scales.

Go figure. Potato salad made in 20 kilo batches at an open air market catering to tourists isn't that great.

Redemption: one final Belgian hot chocolate before the train

But we closed out Brugge on a high note, with a hot chocolate in the lounge of the Hotel Kempinski. Very nice.

Winter Vacation '08 - Brugge - The Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Art Sindlinger) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:20:00 +0000

After perhaps more deliberation than was necessary, we decided on Brugge as our side trip destination during our winter vacation. Next step then was to find a hotel.

During the deliberation process, Brugge had just edged out Luxembourg City.

Luxembourg had two big 'pros' in my mind:

(1) It's kind of random. You don't often hear about people going to Luxembourg. That appealed to the competitive traveler in me.
(2) The Sofitel Luxembourg Le Grand Ducal looked like a pretty sweet hotel.

And if I'm going to do one random night in a somewhat random place, I'm going to make it pleasant. So on the hotel front, the bar was set kind of high for Brugge.

Overall, though, Brugge was clearly the better option. Multiple friends had told me "Brugge is cool". Brugge is renowned for its Christmas Market. And Brugge promotes itself on YouTube.

Edge: Brugge.

But I was having a hard time finding the 'perfect' hotel.

I checked out some suggestions from the NYTimes, without much luck.

I tried the listings from Venere.com, which yielded a couple of interesting candidates in the Hotel Aragon the Hotel Crowne Plaza and the Hotel Heritage. But each of them gave me some pause. Whether it was the photos on Venere, something said in a review or just flat out 'no vacancy', I was still coming up with nada.

That's when I hopped over to the hotel reviews on TripAdvisor and wound up finding the Kempinski (officially the Kempinski Hotel Dukes' Palace).

I have no idea why this place is #20 (20?!?) on the most popular list on TripAdvisor. Most of the reviews were pretty positive, and we found that it definitely lived up to the hype.

It was visually impressive on the outside...

... and charming on the inside, with a nice mix of vintage and contemporary features.

Our room was fairly compact, but well appointed.

Forgive the disheveled state - totally blanked on taking pictures until just before check out

The bathroom was excellent.

And we had a pretty cool view of the courtyard.

There's also a chill little bar on the first floor, where we enjoyed a nightcap after dinner.

Loved the snacks they provided - an Asian mix, including Wasabi coated soy nuts. Surprisingly good complement to the Sauternes, in my opinion.

Finally, this is where we made back some of the money on the cost of the room. Free chocolates. We weren't here more than 24 hours, but Judy hit this bowl 4 or 5 times. After eating a handful over the rest of our trip, we still came home with more than 20 in our bags. Ridiculous. Might need a 12-step program.

UPDATE 2/21/09:
Finally got a couple of brief video clips up on YouTube so I can embed them here. Nothing amazing, just a bit more life than a still shot, obviously.