Our trip to Varadero – Days 6, 7 & 8

This is the last post about our trip to Varadero, Cuba in October of 2012.

Day 6 – The day after the hurricane.
Ok, not to sound quite so dramatic, WE didn’t experience a hurricane, more like the tail end of Hurricane Sandy – a tropical storm. It wasn’t a horrific experience, it could have been MUCH worse given that the hurricane hit the eastern end of Cuba, but it was still something that neither Salem nor I had ever lived through before. That being said, I will take a blizzard any day of the week over a fierce tropical storm. I cannot imagine what living through a hurricane would feel like. Then again, I am sure many people living in very warm places would feel the same about some of our winter storms.

We went out for a walk around the hotel and on the beach. There was a bit of flooding around the resort and the beach looked like it had taken quite a beating with seaweed everywhere, beach chairs strewn about, beach hut roofs tossed around and part of the beach-side eroded. We walked all the way to the tip of Varadero and found a nice little spot there where the water was calm but the sand was so unstable that we didn’t go in. We just stuck around to enjoy this quiet little place no one really ventured to.

Flooding at the resort. Des innondations à l’hôtel.

Red Flag – No swimming, kids! Drapeau rouge – pas de baignade les enfants!

Washed up on the beach. Retrouvé sur la plage.

Seaweed. Des algues.

The beach. La plage.

Our little “private” beach. Notre petite plage “privée”.

The next 2 days were going to be about relaxing, enjoying the sun and swimming. I was starting to feel better but,unfortunately, Salem started feeling sick that day. Since the beach was off-limits to swimmers, we stayed by the pool which is not what we usually do. But you take what you can get!

The pool! La piscine!

A little bridge over the pool. Un petit pont pour traverser la piscine.

The sun, water to swim in, my husband and a book – what more could I want? Le soleil, de l’eau pour aller me baigner, mon mari et un livre; pourrais-je souhaiter pour mieux que ça?

Fresh coconut water for Salem! De l’eau de noix de coco frais pour Salem!

Caro had some too! Caro en a profité aussi!

Food was mainly from the buffet for breakfast and lunch. As always, a great assortment of things.

Lunch buffet – fixings and pickled things! Le buffet à l’heure du dîner – des marinades!

The lunch buffet – fruits galore! Le buffet du midi – des fruits, des fruits et encore d’autres fruits!

It’s not a buffet without desserts! Ce n’est pas un buffet sans le dessert!

More walking around the hotel too (of course).

Pool seen from the lobby. La piscine à partir de la réception.

Hotel grounds where they host shows. On vient ici chaque soir pour les spectacles.

Show plaza. Quartier des spectacles.

We tried out the resort’s Italian restaurant, Firenze. The lighting was a bit bright but the food was good and the service was great, as always! A nice little bonus: a pianist played a bunch of love songs. Funny thing: I told Salem we’d have to get up and dance if they played our song. As it so happens, he started playing our song just after we got our main meal. We didn’t get up to dance though – we’d look a bit weird dancing alone, no actual dance floor, our food getting cold. We did get a good laugh out of it though and it made us enjoy our evening that much more.

Bread basket to start off dinner. Un assortiment de pain pour débuter le souper.

Alhamdullilllllllaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!

Pasta with an alfredo sauce – we kept it simple. Pâtes avec une sauce alfredo. Nous avons décidé de simplifier les choses.

Chocolate covered ice cream ball. Yummies! Boule de crème glacée recouverte de chocolat. MMMmmm….

We also walked around the resort and on the beach to end the night.

The (empty) pool at night. La piscine le soir.

Pool and pond at night. La piscine et l’étang le soir.

A show at night. Un spectacle la nuit.

The beach at night, long aperture opening without tripod… La plage le soir avec l’objectif ouvert pendant plusieurs seconds (sans trépied).

Beach at night, again, no tripod, aperture open for a little while. La plage le soir, toujours sans trépied et avec l’objectif ouvert pendant quelques secondes.

A palm tree and the full moon. Un palmier et la pleine lune.

On our last night at the resort, we tried out the French restaurant – Marseilles. It has a very nice decor – white, flowing curtains and lots of low lights. We ended the night with our usual stint at the lobby – coffee and espresso!

Getting ready to go eat some French food! Salem prêt à manger de la bouffe française!

Marseilles, the French restaurant. Marseilles; le resto français.

My starter – asparagus and cheese shavings. J’ai commencé avec des asperges et du fromage.

A huge shrimp cocktail. Des crevettes géantes!

Chicken with vegetable vol au vent. Du poulet avec un vol au vent aux légumes.

Caro on our last night in Varadero. Caro lors de dernière journée à Varadero.

Another view of the hall with its huge chandelier. Le hall avec son immense chandelier.

The lobby at night. Le hall au soir.

Day 8 was our departure, bright and early! Everything went well except for our return flight home – I had the worst experience I have ever had on a flight. Cabin pressure + what’s left over of a headcold = you feel like your brain is going to come right out your ears! It was excruciating and everything I tried didn’t help (chewing, taking a decongestant – too late, and drinking water). Alhamdullilah for the flight attendant who knew a trick that worked for me almost instantly - 2 little cups with paper towels stuffed in the bottom that have been moistened with hot water. Put that over your ears and give it a few moments. I am forever thankful for that. I apologized to the woman seated next to me for my crying and general state of panic for a good 5 minutes. It honestly was one of the worst feelings I have ever had in my life. Nowadays, I take 1/2 to 1 decongestant before takeoff in hopes that it’ll work. So far, so good.

After all that, our trip was over. We were back home, happy to see family and our dear little Pumpkin. Although we were trying to decide when we could go back for our next trip.

All in all, we really loved the resort, we really couldn’t complain. The food was good and we had plenty of selection, the staff really tried to do all they could to please you as well. The grounds were well maintained, so were the rooms and the beach. You feel safe walking around and taking public transit. The only somewhat negative thing – people will hassle you here and there when you’re walking around in the towns or cities. Most of them are just trying to make a living, offering you a service or selling you some artwork, etc. It’s fine, we all need to make a living.

I’m honestly debating making a post about my impressions of Cuba – on a more political level, simply based on my observations from this trip, but also from our latest trip to a very similar place (trip journal to come soon). Maybe Salem could join me on this one given that he loves politics. We’ll see what the demand or interest is.

Otherwise, please do go to Cuba if you can – it is a place so very different from what we are used to. It can be a very cultural experience, like it can be a relaxing one – you decide which one you want.

A little DIY – Homemade deodorant

Yes, you heard me! Homemade deodorant!

Most people who know me best know I can be quite the granola person. That, and I like to make things! Why buy it when I can make some myself? Pfffff…

A few months ago, I purchased a book by a fellow Canadian – Ecoholic Body by Adrea Vasil. She also has a column in a Toronto newspaper and has a blog. Her book opened up my eyes even more to just how much crap we put in (and on) our bodies. I got very paranoid about so many things, considered throwing out all of my body products and starting from scratch although that would be wasteful and would also cost me a lot of money.

What was I to do? I decided to be smart about it and take baby steps. Phase 1 consisted of going through the products I had, keep a few to work through, give some away to the people I know or pass it on to the Salvation Army (we have a center near home). I still had plenty of things left though. Phase 2 had me buying better alternatives to replenish my stock when needed (or making my own natural alternatives).

Already, I wasn’t too happy with the results from my own pharmacy-bought deodorants, the price was a bit nutty (3-5$ a stick) and the ingredients made me worry. Natural food stores sell deodorants but they are at least 5$+ a stick and I’ve heard mixed reviews on them as well. So off I went to look at online recipes used by others. I tested a few things out, talked to Salem about it and he agreed to try it out with me. I was surprised that Salem would give in to some of my granola stuff, but very happy!

It’s been nearly a year now since we took the plunge into homemade deodorant and I doubt we’ll ever go back to the store-bought stuff unless we have it as a backup in our gym bags for convenience. Salem says it’s the best stuff he’s ever used and even gets a bit cranky when he gets low on his stash.

So, if you’re looking for a more natural alternative, willing to spend a few bucks on basic ingredients and have about 10 minutes to throw it all together, here’s the recipe.

I love my deodorant! J’adore mon déodorant!

Homemade Deodorant
Yield = enough deodorant for 2 people for 3+ months
Ingredients
-4-5 Tbspn coconut oil, room temperature
-1/3 cup corn starch
-1/6 cup arrowroot powder
-1/6 cup baking soda
-.5-1 Tbspn jojoba oil
-15 drops tea tree essential oil
-10 drops “scented” essential oil (Caro’s mix: 2 drops cedarwood, 3 drops of lime, 5 drops of lavender – Salem’s mix: 5 drops of lime, 5 drops of cedarwood)
-a container (with lid) of your choice (or 2 if making a batch with 2 scents, like I do)

Putting it together:
1- In a medium ceramic bowl, mix all ingredients with the help of a fork (mixes better). The consistency should be fairly thick, almost like semi-soft cake frosting. Too thick? Add a bit more coconut oil. Too thin? Add more corn starch or arrowroot powder. Your consistency will differ depending on temperature so just go by eye.
2- Transfer your mix to a container of your choice, let set for 24 hours until hardened.

To use: take a small amount onto your finger and spread it under your underarms. Your body heat will help melt the oils and it will disappear into your skin.

White lines: Yes, it can leave white lines on your clothes but they will quickly go away with a bit of friction. Nice bonus though: this stuff doesn’t seems to leave some weird accumulation like some deodorants do in the armpit section of your clothes.

Temperature changes: As we all know, room temperatures are not the same year-round. Your deodorant may be harder during the winter and very liquid during the summer – no worries, it still works! Just stir it a bit when it feels melted (to avoid separating) and apply as usual. This happens because of the melting point of the coconut oil. If it really bothers you, put the deodorant in your fridge, but be ready for really cold pits in the morning!

Enjoy!

***********************

Aujourd’hui, je vais vous parler de notre déodorant! Oui, vous m’avez bien compris, du déodorant.

J’ai toujours été un peu granola et j’ai toujours aimé faire des choses moi-même. Pourquoi acheter un item quand on peut le faire soi-même? Pffff….

Il y a quelques mois de cela, je me suis procuré le livre Ecoholic Body de Adrea Vasil, auteure canadienne, qui parle des produits chimiques que l’on retrouve dans plusieurs des produits qu’on achète quotidiennement dans une chronique et sur son blogue. Quelle horreur! J’étais en mode “paranoïaque” pendant quelque temps mais je me suis dit de me calmer.

J’ai alors décidée de passer à travers tout les products que j’avais à la maison. Première phase: Au lieu de me débarasser de tout, et de me coûter très cher en nouveaux produits pour tout remplacer, j’ai décidé de garder certains produits et en donner le restant aux gens que je connais ou en faire des dons à l’Armée du salut. Deuxième étape: acheter (ou faire) des produits naturels au fur et à mesure.

Il y a quelque temps de cela, j’ai pris la décision d’essayer de faire mon propore déodorant. Je n’étais pas super enchantés par les résultats obtenus avec ce que je trouvais en pharmacie et ce qui avait dans les magasins d’aliments naturels était plutôt cher ($5+ par bâton) et j’avais entendu des commentaires mixtes. J’en ai duscité avec Salem et j’ai été capable de le convaincre d’essayer un déodorant fait maison. J’étais surprise qu’il décide de suivre sa femme “granola” mais j’était très contente.

Ça fait maintenant presqu’un an qu’on utilise le déodorant que je prépare à la maison. Nous somes très satisfaits des résultats, même que Salem commence à se plaindre quand il commence à voir le fond de son contenant. Je ne pense pas que nous achèterons à nouveau ce qu’on trouve en mangasin à moins d’en garder un dans notre sac pour le gym.

Alors, si vous souhaitez essayer quelque chose de plus naturel, êtes prêts à dépenser un peu d’argent pour les ingrédients nécessaires et avez 10 minutes pour préparer le tout, je vous présente ma recette de déodorant.

Déodorant fait à maison
Rendement = assez de déodorant pour 2 personnes pour une durée de 3+ mois
Ingrédients
-4-5 c.à.table d’huile de nois de coco, température de la pièce
-1/3 t. fécule de maïs
-1/6 t. poudre de marante
-1/6 t. bicarbonate de soude
-.5-1 c.à.table d’huile de jojoba
-15 goutes d’huile essentielle de théier
-10 goutes d’huile essentielle de senteur de votre choix (mélange de Caro: 2 goutes cèdre, 3 goutes de lime, 5 goutes de lavendre – mélange de Salem: 5 goutes de lime, 5 goutes de cèdre)
-un contenant (avec couvercle) de votre choix (ou 2 si vous préparez 2 senteurs différentes)

Instructions:
1- Dans un bol en céramique, de taille moyenne, mélangez tous les ingrédients à l’aide d’une fourchette. La consistence devrait être environ comme du glaâce à gâteau à température de la pièce. Trop épais? Rajoutez un peu d’huile de noix de coco. Trop liquide? Rajoutez un peu de fécule de maïs ou de poudre de marante. La consistence va dépendre de la température de la pièce alors c’est à vous de juger.
2- Transférez votre mélange à votre contenant et laissez reposer 24 heures, jusqu’à ce que le mélange durcisse un peu.

Comment appliquer: Prenez un petit montant sur votre doigt et l’étendre sur le vos aisselles. La chaleur de votre corps fera fondre les huiles et le tout disparaîtra.

Lignes blanches: Oui, ce déodorant peut laisser des traces blanches sur votre linge. Il est facile à enlever avec un peu de friction. Point positif: nous trouvons que ce déodorant ne laisse pas de drôle accumulations sur le linge au niveau des aisselles.

Changements de température: Comme nous le savons tous, la température de la pièce ne rete pas la même à l’année longue. Votre déodorant pourrait être plus solide l’hiver et plus liquide durant l’été. Ne vous en faites pas, il est toujours bon! Simplement le remuer un peu (si liquide) pour vous assurer qu’il est bien mélanger et l’appliquer à la normale. Ceci est dû au point de fusion de l’huile de noix de coco. Si ceci vous dérange beaucoup, vous pouvez toujours le mettre au frigo, mais attendez vous à un petit choc le matin lors de l’application.

Bonne journée!

Our trip to Varadero – Day 5 – Habana!!!! Part 2

So here is part 2, no worries, it’s a lot shorter than part 1!

Greater Habana tour map. Où nous sommes allés à la Habane.

After our tour of Habana Vieja, our tour took us to a restaurant near the El Morro fortress. The lunch was actually quite good and included in the price of the tour. Thankfully, it was fish with a shrimp-based sauce so we were good. Woohoo! Please remember to tip the nice waitresses!

The view of Habana from the restaurant. Notre vue de la Habane à partir du resto.

We then got back on the bus and were whisked away passing by the monument dedicated to Máximo Gómez y Báez (a military commander in the Cuban war of Independence in the late 1800s), along the Ave Malecón (which had been closed earlier in the day due to violent tides flooding the avenue), around the monument dedicated to Antonio Maceo (the second in-command in the Cuban Army of Independence) and then down to Plaza de la Revolución (Revolution Square and monument to José Marti).

Revolution Square was used as a meeting place for many political rallies and and where political figures addressed Cubans on special occasions. It has a memorial dedicated to José Martí (a Cuban intellectual referred to as the “Apostle of Cuban Independence”) and a 100m tall tower behind the statue. The Plaza has many government ministries around it and this is where you can see 2 buildings with the images and quotes of Che Guevara and Camilio Cienfuegos – 2 major figures in the revolution and very close allies to Fidel Castro.

Che Guevara mural at Plaza de la Revolucion. La murale de Che Guevara à la Plaza de la Revolucion.

See the monument, see the tower, see the touristy husband! Venez voir la tour, le monument et le mari “à la touriste”!

Back on the bus, we got to drive by what I call the non-touristy (or off-the-beaten-path) part of Habana. It’s quite eye opening to see the major tourist hubs and then the regular, every-day reality of the Cubans living in this city, even if just for a few moments, as we a zooming by. I actually wish we could see more of this kind of thing. Travel isn’t just for fun, or to experience the nice things destinations have to offer – I think it should also include a good dose of reality, to open our minds to the lives and experiences of others, make us more aware of what is going on in the world and get out of our bubble. Perhaps next time?

Non-touristic Habana. La partie de la Habane qui n’est souvent pas “destinée” aux touristes.

Look Dad, more cars! Regarde P’pa, d’autres voitures!

El Capitolio is, as you may have guessed it, was the seat of the Cuban government until after the 1959 revolution. It’s no the Cuban Academy of Sciences. Looks familiar? It was actually built by a U.S. firm in the 1920s, and made to resemble the U.S. Capitol building in Washington. We didn’t get to go inside, but we did get to walk around the block for a few minutes.

A note to tourists: Yes, the classic cards are nice and shiny. I must warn you though (as our guide warned us) that there is a picture scam going on. The guys will agree to let you take a picture of their car for 4-5 pesos. Once the picture has been taken, they will often double that amount. When you refuse to pay extra, they call in a “witness” who vouches for the 10 peso price tag – these people are often the actual owners of the cars. You’ve been warned!

Take pictures as your tour bus is pulling in – it costs you nothing! Prenez des photos des belle bagnoles à partir de votre autobus; ça ne vous coûte rien!

More free car pictures! D’autres photos gratuites!

Colourful buildings across the street from El Capitolio. Des édifices de toutes le couleurs de l’autre côté d’El Capitolio.

El Capitolio.

Afterwards, we went off to the craft market – be ready for sensory overload! It’s in a warehouse-type setting crammed with narrow rows of small booths to both sides of you. Vendors make noise, try to talk to you, invite you into their small booth to look at what they are selling. Artwork (get a certificate for paintings – you need this to take the artwork out of the country), crafts, jewelry, food, clothing, etc – it’s a freaking zoo I tell you! After 20 minutes, I started feeling a bit aggressive after 10 minutes. I think the best thing to do: do a first sweep to get an idea of what there is. Then dive in and bargain. Vendors are really nice, eager to get you to try things on, make a sale. To my surprise, some even spoke French!

What did we get? Jewelry, of course! And things in which to put the jewelry! I think we were there for 45 minutes. We were on sensory overload and pooped by the time we got out. This marked the end of our Habana tour.

Tips for the market:

• Get certificates for paintings in order to take them back home with you – they could be ceased if you don’t have this!
• Be polite.
• Breathe.
• Bargain but don’t be too stingy either. You’ll get a feeling as to when you’re low-balling it too much
• Breathe!
• Canadians: do not buy black coral – it’s illegal to import into Canada
• Put your purchases away in your backpack before leaving!

The ride back to the hotel started off well but it got pretty bad a little less than halfway there. Why? Well, while it was beautiful in Habana, this just happened to be the very same day the Hurricane Sandy hit the eastern half of Cuba. Thankfully, we missed the Hurricane but we got a taste of our very first tropical storm. All of a sudden, the skies darkened and it started getting windy and the rain started to fall.

Tropical storm along the countryside. La tempête tropicale!

When we got to the town of Matanzas, it had started flooding (some places had over a foot of water in the streets). I’ve never seen anything like this before. Once back in the hotel section of Varadero, it was dark as night, the rain pelting the tour bus as well as the wind (the road is on the coast) and I was getting really worried at times. Thankfully, the driver was amazing and got us back to our hotel. It was pouring and so windy! We made it to the buffet, somewhat wet and had dinner (we were hungry). The power went out for a few moments twice but, as they say, third time’s the charm! It went out for good. Here we were, sitting at our table, hearing the wind blow, watching the protective blinds of the buffet get batted around like no tomorrow (the buffet is open at the entrance and for a few feel on 2 other sides). We could see the palm trees swaying violently, the rain beating down outside. Once in a while, a water-drenched couple would come in to seek refuge from the conditions. It was quite a sight to see. After a few minutes, we decided to go to the hotel lobby and ask them if this was normal and how long these types of conditions usually last. Their answer – this is normal, things should get better in the morning. The fact that the staff was not panicking was nice, it seemed as though it was business as usual.

After an hour of waiting it out, we figured the rain and wind wouldn’t let up so we might as well make a run for it to our rooms. The walk from our building to the buffet usually takes about 3 minutes. We ran it in about 60. We were completely soaked by the time we made it about 40% of the way. The storm was angry! Salem held onto my hand, we tried to run and stay low all at once. I remember being stopped in my tracks by a huge gust of wind when we got to the basketball court. Its one of those times when you consider throwing yourself to the ground for fear of getting blown away. “Hold onto my hand!” I heard Salem scream at me, and off we were, running again and that’s when I lost it – I started laughing! As crazy as it sounds, running in this crazy wind and rain it made me feel so alive. I was actually enjoying it! Salem, on the other hand did not!

Once in our room, Salem was shouting to take our clothes off or we’ll get sick. Still giddy from the adrenaline, I remarked “I’m already sick!”. He was getting mad at me as I was trying to snap pictures of us, soaked to the bone in our powerless hotel room. This gave me one of my favorite pictures of our trip!

“Take off your wet clothes! You’re going to get sick!”. J’adore cette photo.

We cleaned up and went to bed around midnight to the sound of the wind blowing through the vents. I was fine until the power went back on and our phone emitted this horrible alarm sound. In my half-asleep mind, I thought it was an alarm and that they were evacuating the hotel. Needless to say, my heart was racing and it took me a good 45 minutes to calm down enough to finally drift back off to sleep.

Our trip to Varadero – Day 5 – Habana!!!! Part 1

This is the day we went to Habana! I will have to break up this day in a few parts simply because of all of my blabbing and all the pictures. Part 1 is based on our departure from our hotel and includes our walking tour of Habana Vieja (Old Havana).

We booked a tour through our rep at Sunwing and opted for the day tour (we left around 7:30 am and got back around 5 or 6 pm). If I recall, the cost was about $90 for a guided tour, transportation and lunch. There were 2 other options for the Habana tour but paying considerably more to go to the Tropicana show didn’t interest us at all. Thankfully, we were able to grab a few things at the buffet before we left (our buddy Yadrian helped us out).

Unfortunately though, I was still very sick – actually, I think this may have been the worst day of my cold. But I took more pain killers, some Gravol and had a whole roll of toilet paper for my mucus-y self. It was bad! I’ve never felt car sick in my life but I was eye-ing the toilet at the back of the bus. Thankfully, I held on and used the washroom at a hotel along the way because, it turns out, the toilet at the back of the bus was locked (I guess no one had the keys?). Thankfully, I started to feel better a little more than halfway to Habana.

I must say that the scenery on the way is actually quite nice – Cuba is very green and has amazing coastal views. They have hills and valleys and it just makes the time pass by quickly while stuck in a vehicle for 2-3 hours. A note to travelers thinking of taking the public bus to Habana: From what we could see of buses we encountered along the way, it’s very crowded in there – sometimes standing-room only, and the trek is longer (I’ve heard closer to 3-3.5 hours). We also went through the town own Matanzas on the way to our final destination. There was a stop but for alcoholic drinks of some kind (Pina coladas? Mojitos?) and a bit of a washroom break – Salem and I simply stretched our legs there.

The coast along the way to Habana. La côte le long de notre trajet.

A few facts about Habana

• You can pronounce it Havana, or do as the locals do and say Habana
• Habana the capital of Cuba
• It has a population of about 2.1 million, making it the most populous city in the Caribbean
• Habana was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century (settling in the area around 1514-1519) and declared a city in 1592
• Originally a trading port, attacks by pirates and other entities active in the region called for the building of fortresses in order to defend the territory and exert more control over trade in the area
• The city attracts over a million tourists each year
• Habana Vieja was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982

A map of where our tour guide took us. Une carte des endroits dont on nous a apportés.

Our tour of Habana Vieja started in the Plaza de San Francisco. It’s the second-oldest plaza in the city. Main points of interest here are the basilica/convent/monastery/church built in the late 16th century and remodeled around 1730. Also of interest are the old stock exchange building and a few cafés in the area. Buy a cone of peanuts from one of the peanut ladies for 1-2 pesos to enjoy during your walk. Also enjoying the Plaza with you: the local pigeons.

A view of the Plaza and the basilica. La plaza et la basilique.

Another view of the Plaza with cafés and the old stock exchange building. Quelques cafés et l’ancienne bourse.

Finally off the bus! Finalement arrivés!

The pigeons love it here too! Les pigeons aiment aussi jouer aux touristes!

We walked down a few streets to take in the colourful buildings and mixed architectural styles of Habana. Please note that some streets are paved with asphalt or cement while others are made of cobblestones so make sure to wear some comfortable walking shoes – this is, after all, a walking tour!

Our second stop was at the Plaza Vieja which was first emerged in the mid-16th century. Its purpose changed many times from residential to public entertainment to market – it has been the place to go to partake in many things from executions to bullfights to shopping to fiestas. It still contains colonial houses and lots of restorations have taken place here. Honestly, this is one of my favorite plazas which we had the chance to visit during our tour. It’s just a shame we didn’t get to see it at night as it would seem that’s when it comes to life. Maybe next time!

A view all the way through to El Capitolio! Vous avez même une vue du Capitolio.

For some reason, I just loved this little corner. J’ai vraiment aimé ce petit coin isolé.

Colourful laundry hanging on a balcony in the Plaza. Du linge de toutes les couleurs mis à sécher sur le balcon.

We proceeded down a few more streets and took in even more of the mixed flavours of Habana. I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Cafés dot the streets here and there. Les rues sont parsemmées de cafés, ici et là.

I actually quite likes Calle Mercaderes – each house is different. J’ai bien aimé la Calle Mercaderes car chaque maison y avait son propre charme.

Unfortunately, architecture no longer includes this kind of amazing detail. Malheureusement, l’architecture de nos jours ne contient auncunement ce genre de détail.

Simply breathtaking. À couper le souffle.

A small green space – perfect for a break. Un petit espace vert; j’aimerais bien m’y installer!

While walking along Calle Mercaderes, the group stopped off at the Armeria 9 de Abril which contains arms donated by Fidel Castro relating to the revolutionary struggle (one of which belonged to Che Guevara). We then continued down the street to reach Obispo and our next destination.

There is no shortage of stray animals in the city. Il y a beaucoup d’animaux sans-abri dans la ville.

Hotel Ambos Mundos is a coral-pink and white building, it’s hard to miss and it’s very nice to look at. So, what’s so special about this building? Well, Ernest Hemingway stayed there for part of his writing career. They even transformed his former room into a mini museum of sorts (which we didn’t get to see). I must admit, the lobby on the ground floor looked amazing! It also contains (from what we were told) the oldest elevator in Habana – there’s even detailing on the iron! The real treat for this place – the rooftop terrace which offers you refreshing beverages and a view of different sectors of the city (some good, some not so good).

Fancy lobby! Très beau salon!

You can see the El Morro fortress in the distance. On y voit la forteresse El Morro à l’horizon.

Salem posing on the rooftop. Salem prêt à faire prendre sa photo sur la terrasse.

I have to get a picture up here too! Moi aussi! Moi aussi!

A few blocks away is Plaza de Armas – no multi-coloured glass building, no China-town, or BMO here! (Sorry, I just had to throw in a bit of a Montréal joke) It’s actually my other favorite Plaza in Habana and one of the oldest. Near the El Templete building is a tree and it’s said this is where the first square of the city was built in the late 16th century – unfortunately, the original tree is no logner there, but another has taken its place. Another important landmark is the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, constructed in the second-half of the 1700s. It has had many incarnations but is now a museum. Fun little factoid: the generals staying in this building complained of the noise created by the hooves (and carriages) going over the cobblestone. The solution – replace the stones with wood! Unfortunately, we did not get to go into this museum.

Of note to fellow bookworms (and I was not aware of this prior to coming back from our trip): it seems this square has an amazing second-hand book market.

If you have the time, do see if you can take a bit of time to relax in this plaza. There’s a green space in the middle, where locals tend to gather to play cards or dominoes. The tour guide did bring us to Casa del Cafe – a cigar store with good prices but the employees are not the nicest (I got mocked by one woman working there for asking a cigar-storage question – sorry for not being an aficionado). Still, we made some good purchases – now put those in your backpack, you’ll soon find out why (check the pictures)! Oh, and don’t buy the contraband cigars sold by the guys just outside of the store – it would seem the quality isn’t all that great.

The Palacio with used books for sale. Le Palacio avec des livres à vendre.

Wooden path in front of the Palacio. Le pavé en bois en face du Palacio.

The cigar shop. Où on peut acheter de bons cigars.

In the Plaza with El Templeto in the background. À la Plaza avec El Templeto en arrière-plan.

Obvious tourist + bags full of purchases = $ One guy from our tour got followed and heckled for 2 blocks by these 2 musicians. Un touriste + des sacs pleins d’achats = $ Ce gars de notre groupe s’est fait suivre et quêté pendant 2 blocs par ces musiciens.

Our last stop on our walking tour had us going to the Plaza de la Catedral. Prepare for a bit of a tourist trap! The square was completed in the late 18th century and contains cafés, terraces and lots of people. While there, a group of locals dressed in colourful clothes, making noise and banging drums came around. If they catch you taking a picture, one of the girls will come and shake a collection plate at you until you give them some money. What are the funds for? Restorations from what I understand. Thankfully, I know the art of taking pictures without looking as though I am taking pictures. One of our fellow tour-mates was not so lucky.

And here I have a little story to share. As previously mentioned, when visiting Cuba, you will often be approached by locals, big smile, eager to start up a conversation, and often offering you some kind of service (check out my artwork, crafts, a special restaurant deal, etc). And that’s all fine and dandy, we all have to make a living. Salem got tired of always being asked this question. He joked a few times about giving them some BS answer. Well, the time finally came where Salem had had enough. Here we are in the plaza, we had wandered maybe 10 feet away from our tour guide (quite a few of us dispersed for a few minutes) when a local comes around and starts trying to chat up Salem. I immediately turn around and start taking pictures of the cathedral, hoping not to have to deal with answering the question. “Where you from, frien’?” Salem replies, in a broken English, “no english”. So the guy asks the same question again, maybe with more gestures, possibly slower. So, Salem turns to him and says “Afghanistan”. At this point, I’m trying not to turn around and look at them and laugh. The guy’s response “Ahhhh! Comrade!” and shakes Salem’s hand! He then went on his merry way. We still laugh about it months later.

This last stop concluded our tour of the old city.

The Plaza, terraces, tourists and locals asking for donations. La Plaza, les terrasses, touristes et les gens du coin qui ramassent des dons.

A few notes to tourists:

• Bring a backpack, water and some snacks. You can put your purchases in your backpack, avoiding harassment from locals – see picture. And you can have a drink when you feel the need for it.
• Locals survive on tourism (yes, I am repeating myself) – be careful who or what you take pictures of – they may seem very friendly but may very well ask for monetary compensation.
• Watch out for sketch artists – one they start sketching you, they will ask you for money to get the sketch. Better to stop them in their tracks or turn away if you’re not interested.
• There are a lot of stray animals – you’ve been warned.
• Be nice, be courteous, smile and enjoy your time in Habana.
• If possible, make it a daylong trip. Guided tours are great for first-timers. If you’re a bit more adventurous but still want a guide, there are a few taxi drivers mentioned on the Trip Advisor site that give custom tours in blocks of 3 hours. I think we might opt for something like this on our next visit – Yes, I would LOVE to do a return visit.

Our trip to Varadero – Days 3 & 4

Morning
And this is where the fun started – I woke up with a sore throat which I thought was simply due to the air conditioner but soon turned into a full-blown cold (one of the worse I had in a long time). Breakfast was at the buffet and then we decided to make an excursion to Downtown Varadero. Thankfully I have a good looking husband to cheer me up!

He makes me feel so much better! Ce beau gars me fait oublier mon rhume!

Caro posing outside of our room – the grounds are amazing. Caro prends une pose juste à l’extérieur de notre chambre. C’est un très beau terrain.

Downtown Varadero
Varadero is equipped with public buses that cost 5 pesos for the whole day – you can then take the double-decker bus to the city. Sit on the top if you like views but don’t mind the wind. It’s a 40 minute ride with stops made at what seems to be every resort, and then for a good part of the way you have the shore to one side. It’s actually quite an enjoyable ride.

Riding on the double-decker! On se promène au 2e étage!

The coast along the way to Varadero. La côte le long du chemin vers Varadero.

We got off around Caille 52 and proceeded to walk west along their main street. A few words of advice: bring sunscreen, bring cash, be mentally prepared to be honked at every minute or so by taxi drivers, caleche drivers and cocotaxi drivers, as well as being offered a spot at a good restaurant. Go and check out the little arts and craft shops. The artisans will try and chat you up, sell you some of their wares, etc. That’s fine, just be polite and if you find something you like, there’s nothing wrong with bargaining. Now, a word on these arts & crafts – are the people in the stalls really the artists themselves? Darn good question! To this day, I am not so sure myself. I don’t really think the items are imported but perhaps produced in more remote areas of the country and then sold in larger tourist centers. Either way, these people will do what they can to make you a happy customer but also make a living for themselves. Please, don’t bargain too hard though – help stimulate the economy a bit. What we bought: a wooden classic car for my dad, some wooden jewelry and a wooden vase.

An old house in Varadero – people live here, they had plants on the porch! Une vieille cabane à Varadero. Des gens y habitent; il y avait des plantes sur la veranda.

A classic car for Dad! Une auto ancienne pour Dad!

All methods of transportation which love honking at or heckling you while you walk along the main street. Tous les genres de véhicules qui vont vous claxonner après lors de votre promenade.

Can you feel the love between Salem and the CocoTaxi? Ça se voit que Salem aime bien les CocoTaxi.

A note to travelers: While we may not be used to people being so forward, please be polite. Many locals survive on tourism dollars. If someone offers you something you are not interested in, a simple “No, gracias” is enough. Also, people will often ask you where you are from “Where you form, frien’?”. It’s up to you if you want to answer or not. They will try to conversate with you and there is nothing wrong with that, but keep in mind that these people may hope to get you to buy something. We see the same thing here, but I find the way the Cubans go about it is much more interactive. Also, please try not to get into a pissing contest with the locals, it’s just a waste of time – just keep walking and ignore them.

A windy afternoon
We made it back to the hotel just in time to catch the last few minutes of the lunch buffet. By then my pain killer had worn off, my throat was hurting and the sunburn had reached the whole “feels like my skin is paper” stage. Our regular waiter wasn’t there but our waitress was kind enough to get me tea with honey. All spots by the pool were taken when we got out so off to the windy beach we went (which didn’t last long). Thankfully though, Salem was able to find a basketball and got to play for a while (yes, they have a basketball court!). We finally found a spot by the pool later on and swam a bit before freshening up for dinner.

Our first dinner reservations: Sakuro – the Japanese restaurant
Unfortunately, the dinner service started off somewhat badly and it was pretty much the worst experience we had during the trip. For years I have wanted to go to a Japanese restaurant – the type where they cook on a giant grill right in front of you. I had the experience once, while in Germany, many years ago. I had seen pictures of the shows they put on at the restaurant and it looked great but it seemed it was a set menu (which we weren’t shown) and I knew they used lots of alcohol for the flambés. We were more than willing to sit there and watch the show, but all we wanted was to eat sushi. We called over our waitress and told her of the issue and she said she would talk with the chef. We wanted to have this resolved before the chef came because it certainly had nothing to do with him, we didn’t want to insult anyone. After waiting a few minutes and not getting an answer, we asked another waitress and she said she would check. The spots started filling up and I was on the verge of a panic. Finally, Salem called over one last guy, he went over and talked to our waitress and finally they took us to this little sushi-bar area (they had 2 spots) and we ate there, just the 2 of us. I was a bit sad we got to miss the show, but the other chefs in the place took amazing care of us – they actually made our night! While we were made to feel like we were bothering our original waitresses, the chefs were super kind with us. We told one of them (Adolis) what had happened and he told us to forget about it and that he would take care of us. All the chefs that came chatted us up here and there and really made quite an impression on us. One of them, José, stayed with us for a bit. We ended up having mixed sushi, tempura veggies (one had pumpkin and Salem was crazy about it, he even got seconds) and ice cream with papaya for dessert. We tipped the chefs… I guess they weren’t expecting it as they thanked us a lot and even recognized us and chatted us up again a few days later when we saw them working at the buffet. They saved the night! Thankfully the waitress we had while we were seated at the sushi bar was quite nice as well.

Salem is a happy boy when you give him tempura! Salem est instantannément content quand on le nourrit du tempura.

Simple desserts can sometimes be the best. Un dessert si simple, mais si bon.

On our way back to our room, we happened upon Perro. I asked Salem to go ahead to our room to get my pashmina and the second half of a wrap we had bought at the airport. While I waited for him with Perro, we encountered a fellow Canadian and him and I ended up chatting about how animals are being treated in the area. Somehow, we got onto the topic of tipping while staying at all-inclusives – the man was quite disappointed in people not tipping the staff. Turns out he had just dined at the Japanese restaurant as well and out of a table of 8-10, he was the only one to leave a tip. Honestly people! No worries, I’ll stay off of my soapbox since you already got to hear about it once before in this post. We chatted for a few minutes more when Salem came around. Once he left, I fed Perro the leftover lox wrap and we were on our way to watch the “Rock” show.

An amazing concert – now if only they had kept playing longer!
Unfortunately, I do not know their name, but they were great! They had a male and a female lead singer and they played a lot of the more retro Rock songs (AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Guns N Roses, etc). It was great! Even though I was really starting to feel like crap from the cold, I wanted to dance. Thankfully, the audience seemed to really enjoy dancing. I honestly wish they could’ve played for another hour. The energy was great and the singers were really talented as well as the rest of the band. It seems they had won some kind of competition they held in Cuba. I can see why. I really hope they find even more success in the future.

We stocked up on mojitos and pina coladas while in Cuba. Still virgin though – be good! Nous en avons consommé des mojitos et des pina coladas lors de notre visite. Mais sans alcool; il faut être sage!

Amazing band! Ayoye!

Looking suave Habibi! Ah que t’as l’air bon mon homme!

Caro, pooped and ready to hit the hay momentarily. Caro, épuisée et sur le bord de se coucher.

Awwww! I love these little touches. J’adore ce genre de petit extra.

The night ended with a trip to the lobby bar and then off to bed I went – I could barely talk at this point and was shivering under the blankets when falling asleep.

Day 4
A day to relax
Yadrian, our waiter at the buffet, seemed quite worried about me because of my cold. But that’s life! Always nice to get good service though. We basically relaxed by the pool all day – unfortunately, it was very windy on the beach. My throat was better but this cold went into my sinuses. Hello mucus! *sigh*
A note to travelers (an a note to myself): don’t just pack meds for tummy troubles, also pack meds for colds! Duh!
Lunch was at the grill, we had fish – it was very good! Our buddy, Perro, was there too so she had fish as well (shhhhh, don’t tell anyone). But, in my defense, I did not feed her from the table. She would go from table to table, making sad eyes but staying quiet, then she would grow tired of being ignored and would curl up in a corner. I fed her fish on the grass, next to the restaurant. It’s quite interesting to see an animal rely on their instincts – she wouldn’t eat on the open grass, she would rather bring the food to a more secluded spot, usually near bushes and then ear it there.

The fish dish all 3 of us had! Le poisson que nous avons mangé, tous les 3!

Our second dinner reservations: Bamboo – the Asian restaurant
Again, true to itself, the service in Cuba is great, this restaurant was no exception to the rule! We started off with a soup, which I was really happy with. I also really liked the plates simply because they were not the normal round or square variety we often get.

Soup, it’s good for the soul. La soupe, que c’est bon pour le morale.

Waiting in between courses. Entre 2 plats.

Salem ordered a battered fish on seafood and veggies. Yes, the little pyramids you see are fried rice. So cute! I had the chicken with veggies on crispy noodles and rice. Dessert was vanilla ice cream atop pineapple.

Habibi and his meal. Salem et son assiette.

Caro loves this kind of dish! J’adore ce genre de mets!

Bamboo had a nice atmosphere and decor. It was actually quite nice. The walls were all a bamboo tapestry. Le resto Bamboo avait une bonne atmosphère, un bon décor. Les murs était recouverts de bamboo.

Our trip to Varadero – Day 2

Breakfast
On the morning of day 2, we met the man who would become our main waiter for most of our meals at the buffet (he works the breakfast and lunch services). His name? Yadrian. So, if you ever go to the Paradisus Princesa del Mar in Varadero, sit in his section, give him a smile, chat him up a bit and you will get some of the best service you have ever gotten! He was always smiling, very attentive, found a good table for us, brought us our coffee and asked how we were. The rest of the ladies on his team were really nice too.

Our morning and lunch Buffet buddies. Unfortunately, one lady is missing! This was actually taken on our last day. Nos amis du buffet pour le déjeuner et le dîner. Malheureusement, il y a une dame qui n’y est pas! Cette photo a été prise la dernière journée de notre voyage.

On a side note: These people work so hard to please you so please reciprocate – show your appreciation with tips and just simply by being polite. I cannot believe how many times I saw people being very grumpy with various wait staff and not leaving any form of tip. Also, how often do we tip 10-15-20% in Montréal (or Canada) for crap service? I know it’s an all-inclusive, but considering that these people go above and beyond in order to serve you… to me what is a peso or two? And they share it amongst their team as well. So please, don’t be stingy, you can afford a trip to some sunny destination, while some of these people have to hold down 2-3 jobs to make ends meet.

What can you expect at the buffet? One station had omelets and eggs; another had pancakes and sauces; another had pastries; another had fresh juice along with yogurts, cereals and fresh fruit; there was a bread table (note: go for the bread you slice yourself, not the already sliced bread – it was a bit stale) and one last station with cheeses, meats and fish (hello smoked salmon!). Expect it to be crowded! Order a caffe con leche, bring your soup spoon to serve yourself form the back of trays if you’re like Salem and I.

After breakfast, we went to beach, applied sunscreen and went into the water for a bit. And here’s where I guess I lost my brain. Thinking I would let myself fry off for 5 minutes, I didn’t reapply my sunscreen. I then fell asleep. What felt like 15 minutes (on the front and another on the back), I later found out was closer to 2-2.5 hours! Yes, you guessed it – hello lobster! To this day (we’re now April 1st), I still have a hint of a tan line! Thankfully, Salem got a bit burnt too, just not as much as I did (he was smart, he was under a bit of shade).

A quieter afternoon and evening
Lunch was at the beach grill! Yummy! I had the chicken and Salem had the shrimp along with some virgin mojitos. This is also where we encountered our new friend – Perro. She’s actually a cute female dog, who’s had at least one litter of pups. I consider her like the resident dog of the resort. You’ll spot her here and there.

We all like virgin mojitos! Nous aimons tous les mojitos; sans alcool bien sûr!

Lunch is always nice after a few hours in the sun. Un bon dîner est toujours apprécié après quelques heures passées au soleil.

Our buddy Perro. Notre amie, Perro.

We made our dinner reservations for the week (please do this early as restos book up quickly) and spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool.

Dinner was at the buffet and we ate a lot less this time around.

My dinner consisted mainly of fish and veggies. Lots of selection though! Mon souper était plutôt basé sur le poisson et les légumes. Très bonne sélection!

Salem opted for more shrimp, fish and veggies. Salem a mangé encore d’autres crevettes, du poisson et des légumes.

No need to worry if you have a sweet tooth, Cuba has you covered! Vous avez la dent sucré? Ne vous en faites pas, les cubains ont aussi la dent sucrée!

A sunburnt Caro… Caro et coup de soleil…

After dinner was a water show in the pool. The things these people can do in such shallow water is amazing!

Aquatic show. Just… WOW! Le superbe spectacle aquatique.

So many costumes! Lots of thongs though… Des costumes émerveillants mais aussi beaucoup de tangas… euh….

Afterwards, we went off to the lobby lounge for some a late-night espresso and another caffe con leche. These guys are so nice! 1 peso tip and it’s all smiles and amazing service. Fine by me!

Salem in the lobby lounge, a little sunburnt too. Salem dans le lobby, aussi avec son petit coup de soleil.

Mmmmmm caffeine!

Our trip to Varadero – long overdue post – Day 1

I’ve been working on this post for a very long time and have decided I rather post something now than never post anything!
Salem and I went to Varadero, Cuba back at the end of October. We stayed in at the Paradisus Princesa del Mar all-inclusive, which happens to be near the eastern end of the Varadero strip. Click here for the Trip Advisor review page of the hotel. We booked through the travel agency at my work and chose to opt for Sunwing Airlines.

The flight
Our departure was on a Sunday morning, returning Sunday afternoon a week later (Oct 21-27). The flight was pretty good, no major frills plane (one TV screen for every few rows) but the service was AMAZING! We actually had breakfast included on the plane: French toast with juice, coffee or tea and a little snack cake. I wasn’t expecting that. They also came back around later handing out snacks and drinks. They also serve a small glass of champagne but I think everyone now knows just how pointless it is to offer us champagne! While on the flight, you have to fill out a form for immigration, please make sure you fill out both sections – they keep one and you keep one. Don’t lose it! Otherwise, you cannot leave the country at the end of your vacation! The flight was just a few hours (3-4 hours?) and there wasn’t too much turbulence. Landing was a bit rough-ish but nothing I haven’t experience in a roller coaster before.

The Arrival
The Varadero airport is fairly small, the tarmac reminds me a bit of Québec roads (hahahahaha!) but the process of picking up luggage and going through immigration is fairly quick. They take your picture and send you on your merry way. We didn’t see a cadeca (exchange office) on the way out and headed straight for the doors. The Sunwing staff was organized, pointing us to the right bus – there must have been 5-7 buses, get on the right one to get to your hotel! No worries though, the employees speak both English and French and are very helpful. WE HAVE ARRIVED!!!! The drive from the airport to our hotel took about 40 minutes. Here are some images of the view from the drive.

On the bus, waiting to get whisked away to our hotel!
Sur l'autobus en attendant le départ vers notre hôtel!

The coast on the way to the hotel.
La côte le long du trajet vers notre hôtel.

Our vacation begins!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know – our vacation technically begins once we take off, but I really feel like it begins once you see your hotel. I had made a request for a certain block of rooms when booking and I got my wish! I had heard that some people were not too thrilled about their rooms facing the current construction area (they are expanding the resort) so I asked for a room in blocks 1-2-3, which are on the western side of the hotel, with a room on the 3rd floor. Bonus: our room was ready when we arrived! Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhh!!!

While the paperwork was being settled, I couldn’t help but peek over into the garden and pool area. I think I was already out there, tanning! But, paperwork and the cadeca call! A golf-kart shuttle brings you to your room, and the bellboy (or man) brings your luggage up for you. Honestly, a very good first impression.

Salem putzing around with our luggage while we wait for the golf cart ride to out room.
Salem en train de niaiser avec nos bagages pendant qu’on attend le caddie de golf qui nous apportera à notre chambre.

Our lovely home for the next few days. Notre chez-nous pour les prochains quelques jours.

Since it was mid-late afternoon when we arrived, by the time we got settled, it was about 4:00pm when we finally headed out to grab a bite to eat and then headed out to the beach. Beautiful but, I must warn you, quite windy and the water was pretty turbulent but that didn’t stop us. I think we must’ve spent a good 2 hours in the water. We were finally ON VACATION!

Dinner was at the buffet which, I must admit, is very well stocked! We decided to stay away from the meat grill though (chicken, beef and pork being cooked on the same surface) and stuck to the many other stations that served food. At lunch and dinner, the food stations offered: Fish and seafood (easily 5 kinds of fish and lots of seafood!), pizzas, pastas, baked vegetables, salad bar (oh wow!), cheese (4-5 different kinds – helloooooo!), fruit bar, dessert bar… Yeah, we totally took advantage of this!

At the buffet, ready to eat! Au buffet et prête à manger!

Sexy vacationer! Beau touriste!

Lots of veggies, fish and a slice of seafood pizza!
Beaucoup de légumes, du poisson et une pointe de pizza au fruits de mer.

That night, we took it easy and watched a bit of a Cuban dance show they put on. We actually fell asleep a bit in the corner of the courtyard. We then went off to the lobby bar to have coffee, stayed up for a bit but then called it a day. A great first day!

One of the many shows put on – they move too quickly for my camera!
Un des plusieurs spectacles qu’on nous propose. Mais ils bougent trop vite pour ma caméra!

Gibby’s in Old Montréal (le Vieux port) – our first experience

Alright, this post has actually taken me a week to write – things are busy and I am currently under the weather with my ever so lovely flare-up I get from time to time. Just great! Oh well, I am dealing with it.

For Salem’s birthday dinner (en tête-à-tête), we decided to try out a restaurant we had never been to. A restaurant I hear about every single day thanks to CJAD talk radio. We went to the ever so posh Gibby’s in Vieux Montréal (Old Montreal).

I knew it would be expensive but I figured “what better way to celebrate my Habibi’s birthday than with a nice, expensive dinner”. With reservations made a few days earlier, all dressed up and perfumed, off we went to the resto.

There’s one really nice feature about this place, which you can enjoy from the moment you arrive: valet parking. Of course, Salem being as paranoid “cautious” as he is, decided he didn’t want anyone else driving his car and parked a block away and supported the greedy city of Montréal by feeding a few bucks into the parking meter. Thankfully, it was very mild outside and the sidewalk wasn’t covered with its usual winter black ice just yet.

Gibby’s is located in a nice, old stone building, which seems to have been stables at a point and time. Don’t worry, it doesn’t smell like horses anymore – far from it. There’s a coat check in the basement and a smiling hostess to receive you when you come in.

We were seated in a corner which is great considering how much I dislike being bombarded by the noise from tables all around me. This is when the hostess hands you your menu and the “catch of the day” card. Brought to our table: a fresh loaf of bread (it was still warm and covered with a cloth), butter, bowl of pickles and bacon bits (the waiter promptly took them away when informed we were allergic – the poor guy seemed embarrassed; it’s ok, no worries). The bread was great, but we were quite perplexed by the pickles – are you supposed to eat them alone? Or does it have something to do with the whole “bread and butter pickles”? I told Salem to take a look and see what the people seated at the other tables were doing, he found no indication. We had only ever been served pickles with coleslaw or smoked meat. We decided to slice the pickles and sneakily tried a slice with some buttered bread – “Act like we belong here!”. Not bad, but I’ll just eat my pickle as-is next time.

Salem at his birthday dinner. Boy do I have a handsome husband!

Our waiter came around and, of course, we refused drinks and just stuck to water. He didn’t even bat an eyelash when we said no alcohol, which was nice. I sometimes feel awkward or wonder “how much will the service suffer” when we don’t order alcoholic beverages. The waiter made a joke about “Château de la pompe 1968″ being a very good year. I liked that he had a sense of humour and didn’t just rush off right away.

For the main course, Salem ordered the grilled arctic char (fish) with the marinated tomato and onion salad. I ordered the chicken Kiev along with the Gibby’s salad. Also available is the gazpacho. Here I thought the salads were side dishes, but no, they are more like starter salads. That was a nice surprise! Oh, and I have to mention the stance the waiter takes when he offers you freshly ground pepper; it’s like they are presenting you with a bottle of wine! It made me smile, maybe even smirk a bit. As we were finishing off our salads, the waiter brought us 2 little bowls with a ball inside and a small spoon. Salem “What’s that?”, Me “I’m not sure… margarine? *looks closer* It’s crystallized! Oh! I think it’s sorbet, you know, to cleanse your palate”. Indeed, it was a lemony-limey sorbet. “Don’t look at it too much, just eat it and act like you belong here!”

Salem opted for the tomato and onion marinade.

Caro and the rustic decor. I love it!

The Gibby’s salad: mixed greens with tomatoes, croutons and a light garlic dressing.

Cleansing our palettes with a little lemon sorbet. A pleasant surprise.

Our main course came soon after. Along with the arctic char and chicken Kiev, the plates came with asparagus and a baked potato (you can opt for sides other than the baked potato such as the Monte Carlo potato, etc). Salem’s fish was actually quite a large piece given what we’re used to getting in restaurants; and my chicken Kiev came with 2 pieces, not just one. It turns out that arctic char is somewhat similar to salmon, but the flavour being a hint more “meaty” while still being light and fluffy in texture. The chicken Kiev (chicken breasts stuffed with herbs and butter, breaded and topped with chives) was excellent! I wasn’t able to finish my plate so the 2nd piece and half of my potato were taken home in a doggy bag. I’d like to take a moment here to mention the other waiter that was also serving our table. He took my plate to prep the doggy bag and I was just surprised at the absolute care he took when bringing the doggy bag back to our table. I don’t know why it struck me, but he put the container in a Gibby’s bag and folded the bag over and then placed it on the table (almost as if presenting it). Man! I’m just glad if most places don’t just throw the half-closed container down on the table!

Gibby’s chicken Kiev: pan-fried chicken breasts stuffed with herbs, butter and chives. With baked potato and asparagus.

Salem telling me to take the picture quickly. On his plate: the grilled arctic char, baked potato and asparagus.

Caro ready to dig into her chicken Kiev.

We were having a hard time deciding on dessert and had to ask our waiter for his opinion. His description had me going for the hot apple croûte. I was thinking apple crumb à la mode but boy was I wrong. 2 forks are a must for this dessert! It’s basically a puff pastry topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, apple chunks and drizzled with a savory (not overly sweet) caramel with a bit of whipped cream on the side – AMAZING! Salem had a coffee and I opted for a cappuccino. The waiter chatted us up as we were finishing our meal – very nice fellow. He talked to us about the restaurant and the owner and the culture of the restaurant (ie customer service and care). It was really nice – I can’t remember the last time a waiter even chatted us up.

A nice, foamy cappuccino for me and our dessert… Mmmmmm.

Hot apple croûte – a puff pastry topped with bits of apple, vanilla ice cream and rich, hot caramel. 2 forks please!

All in all, yes, it was expensive but I think the food and experience were well worth the price tag. I guess I can say that I have fallen for Gibby’s. I wouldn’t fail to recommend it for special occasions and hope to return sometime. Total for 2: just under $100, plus tip.

Happy Birthday Habibi!

Tags

ballon, basketball, birthday, cake, fête, gâteau, Salem

Today is Salem’s birthday. – Happy birthday Love of my life! – He’s turning XX years old and he’s been so-so about his past couple of birthdays. I think he’s just crazy. So it’s my job to do my best to make him happy on his birthday.

For some reason, I got it in my head to try making him some crazy, amazing cake I saw here. Wow!

I’ve never worked with fondant, made my own buttercream (or at least I don’t recall) and I think I never went over 2 layers… So of course I had to go ahead and make him a life-sized basketball cake!

It was hard work, a long day and I hit quite a few bumps in the road (watermelon-flavoured marshmalows for the giant Rice Krispie that makes up the bottom half, colouring the fondant, covering the ball with the fondant without tearing it and getting too many folds – F****CK!!!, and the cat trying to lick the cake). In the end, it was worth seeing the happy and surprised look on his face when I came out with the cake.

Happy Birthday Habibi – I hope to see you this happy for every one of your birthdays.
See pictures after the French post.

C’est la fête à Salem aujourd’hui. Bonne fête à l’amour de ma vie! Il a maintenant XX ans et, depuis quelques années maintenant, il n’est pas trop positif quand à ces fêtes. Je croîs qu’il est fou, quoi, alors c’est à moi de faire de mon mieux pour m’assurer qu’il soit content le jour de sa fête.

Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais je me suis fait l’idée que je devrais lui faire ce gâteau que j’ai trouvé sur ce site. Ayoye!

Je n’ai aucune expérience avec le fondant, n’ai jamais fait mon propre glaçage à la crème au beurre (Du moins, je ne m’en souviens pas) et je ne crois pas avoir fait un gâteau de plus de 2 étages… J’ai alors eu la magnifique idée de lui faire un gâteau en forme de ballon de basket! Maudite folle!

C’était beaucoup de travail, ça a fait une longue journée et il y a eu quelques pépins (guimauves au melon d’eau pour le Rice Krispie géant qui forme la partie du bas, colorer le fondant, placer le fondant sans trop de plis et sans le déchirer – merde!!!!, et la chatte qui a tenté de léché le gâteau). Mais, en fin de compte, ça valait le coup quand j’ai vu à quel point il était content et surpris quand je lui ai présenté son gâteau.

Bonne fête Habibi; j’espère te voir aussi content à chaque année pour ta fête.

My workstation. Have I ever mentioned just how much I can’t wait to get a decent kitchen?

The cake, 5 minutes after completion. It’s not perfect, but I’ll just have to shut up and take it.

The cake from a different angle.

Salem’s 2012 Birthday Cake – yes, it’s the size of a real basketball. No, you cannot go shoot some hoops with it.

Salem and Caro with the cake – Caro is exhausted at this point.

Yes, there’s cake inside!

There’s stuff coming – please be patient

To make a long story short, Salem and I have been very busy for the last few weeks. We had a few things to wrap up with family, tried to fit in a few gym visits, a trip to Cuba and getting over a horrible cold once back home.

I’m doing my best to go through all our 500 pictures from the trip so I can start posting them up on here (lots of requests coming in from family and friends). Please be patient – I have to go through all the pictures, hand-pick which ones we want to put on here, do the colour adjustments (and some were taken at night without a flash so that requires even more work), add in our watermark for each one and then save it. I’ve also been trying to re-trace our steps for the trip to Habana (I wish they had given us a map!).

I also have a few recipes I want to add on here since we tried out a few new things since our return and we also had my parents over for dinner on Sunday. Dinner was a success this time – thankfully! I was about to lose faith and consider my cooking skills nil.

I’ll try my best to post up a few things over the weekend. Sorry for being so flaky!