Author: ginnyinshanghai

Bordeaux Food Tour

by ginnyinshanghai

We’ve discovered that finding a walking food tour has been a good way to see a new city, find interesting places to eat and tap into the local knowledge for all kinds of recommendations. After catching up on some much needed sleep this was our first full day.

This tour didn’t include any wine with the tour – you can purchase your own – but that allowed them to include more stops for tasting. I like it!

We met near one of the local covered markets, Marche des Capucins.

We arrived early to walk around – loved looking at all of the produce.

Our guide was Louise, but asked to call her Lou. Guess our first stop on the tour? Marche de Capucins. Ha! Ha! The market’s primary focus was on local produce either from the land or the sea.

First stop was ……………….

Poulette is french for little chicken. However, this eating establishment featured mussels. Huh? Their first location specialized in chicken and this was their second…………. with seafood. The mussels were steamed in a creamy wine broth (great for dipping bread – BTW) accompanied by frites.

Yes, I ate one, and another one and another one or let’s just say I had my share. First time ever. They were okay, not sure I would ever order a meal of mussels but would help others eat a few.

Second stop at the Marche…………

A trio of items were brought to our table: oysters (nice & salty) with sausages, pastry wrapped boudin noir with apples and croque monsieur. BTW – I tried everything, including the second choice. If you’re not sure what that is, google it. I knew but I still tried it. I’m good for the rest of my life.

I kind of liked the sausage with the oysters. We may be trying that at home. Besides, every meal is better when you eat outside.

We walked off some of those calories before reaching our next stop…………..

The canneles are a Bordeaux specialty with the name coming from the French word for ‘wavey’ or ‘fluted’ as they are made in copper fluted molds. The mold encouarges the batter to caramelize on the outside, and stay soft on the inside with a taste similar to a creme brulee.

LOVED the crunchy outside.

After this sweet treat, we went back to savory with burgers.

I had noticed this place as we walked the old city, never expecting to eat there. With this food tour, we did. Three choices were purchased for our group to taste.

L to R chicken, beef and portobello mushroom

We cut the sandwiches in quartesr for the group to taste more than one type if they chose. I had the chicken – absolutely delicious. Definitely one of the best chicken sandwiches I had tasted. Adrienne had the veggie option and also said it was one of the best. We made it a ‘picnic’ sitting in one of the many city squares. The two in the background were part of our tour with the guide, Lou to the left.

The following stop was one of my faves.

They had these interesting pizza sandwiches. We tasted the Gina and the Claudia. We agreed we preferred the Claudia.

Gina
Claudia

They had some eclectic decorations. Couldn’t resist a snapshot. Not expecting to see this in Bordeaux.

We finished with two separate and very different sweets for our final stops.

OMG these were rich. Top left was a chocolate chip cookie. Going clock-wise was double chocolate chip and the bottom left was chocolate with peanut butter. I couldn’t do it. I could not eat all three different types. I only managed two. Again………..so rich!

A short walk down another cobble-stone street led to our final destination.

Little puffy clouds of goodness. Crispy dough topped with powdered sugar with the inside being a creamy gooey goodness. I was able to eat one of these – so light. Ha!

As this was the final stop, I grabbed a quick shot of our group. The other couple were from Australia, visiting their daughter that lived in London.

Very fun tour, way too much food, but nice to walk the city to get our bearings for the remainder of our time here. In the beginning I wrote that wine wasn’t included so you stopped at more places. This was waaaaaaay too many places for me. I’m definitely full.

Ginny

Bordeaux – the first hours.

by ginnyinshanghai

We typically book AirBNB for our accommodations. It gets us a little closer to people & culture, a chance to eat breakfast leisurely whenever we get up and the opportunity to wash clothes – we don’t need to pack nearly as much.

Eric’s research found this place looking at reviews and location, location and location.

Our room is near the v.e.r.y top – 86 stairs were between the front door and the apartment we are renting.

The owner met us upon arrival and after a quick tour of the place, we were on our own.

Nice open living room with the 3- 8′ windows opening above the street, letting in plenty of fresh air and light.

The TV works with 7 channels available, only in French. We’ve turned it on occasionally for background noise and to look at the pretty pictures.

Kitchen was nice, larger than other places we’ve stayed in. One counter for appliances and small pantry.

A kitchen island, holding plates, cups, wine glasses, bowls and serving-ware below.

Stove and sink with storage for pots & pans and utensils.

Three bedrooms with the corner doorway leading to a small balcony.

Ginny & Eric’s choice.

Here’s a quick shot of our balcony.

Second bedroom, love the lamp!

Adrienne’s choice

Third bedroom with a skylight – got to watch out for the low ceilings.

Right past the third bedroom was the other outdoor sitting spot. it was a g.r.e.a.t place to end the evening with a few glasses of wine.

Teeny tiny washrooms.

The view out the window includes the Garonne river to our right.

With the view to the left leading into the heart of the old city.

Now that we’re situated, what’s next before crashing? Walking, eating and a few groceries for the morning.

We stopped at Michels, not realizing it was one of the top-rated locales. We can see why. Always love sitting outside to enjoy the weather and people-watch. Wine and a sangria (one of the best ever – just saying) started the meal.

I guess you can figure out who had the Sangria. 🙂

Foie gras started the meal and yes, I tried it. I’m good for the rest of the trip.

Adrienne’s meal was pork sausage with mashed potatoes.

Eric ordered the beef tartar, accompanied with frites. Not really my thing.

Mine was probably the most boring – Croque-monsieur, a hot ham and cheese sandwich and yes, frites came with it.

What was next – crashing in our apartment. I think we look pretty good for being up almost 24 hours.

More exciting things are coming while in Bordeaux.

Ginny

Finally! We’re out of here.

by ginnyinshanghai

We all know that traveling has been stunted due to the recent ‘plague’ (that’s what I’m calling it) and overseas travel has only recently started to gain ground. We are finally breaking our traveling dry spell since 2019. I’m talking real travel – out of the US.

What is a trip without a few trials? Ours started when we got to the airport. Since we’re going overseas we needed a specific QR code from a specific European website. Nope we didn’t have that. However, a Delta angel named Ashley was extremely patient helping us. Eric tried, I tried with my laptop, then tried with my cell phone. There were multiple attempts (I will admit some of those were user 😦 error.), at least once handing over my phone for her to input some things. Needless to say, there was stress!

Meanwhile Adrienne was already over in Concourse B patiently waiting for us. Time was on our side , even with this extra frustration downloading the app for the needed code. Ashley apologized and shared she might be the only one to ask (that was the rule) and possibly no one else on our journey. She’s right, thus far.

Our next stop after stepping onto Concourse B…………. stepping into The Club MCO.

We sat at the bar after selecting some ‘breakfasty’ food. One of those drinks below looks innocent – its not. I got my cappuccuino and the bartender said he could add a splash of something – Bailey’s Irish Cream. It took half a second before nodding Y.E.S. please.

The Bloody Mary and Bloody Maria were not my choice for morning beverages – just saying.

Soon enough we were on the first leg of this adventure, heading to Atlanta and The Club at ATL.

While we haven’t visited many of the airport clubs (perk from our credit card) Atlanta is one of the smallest. Still, we grabbed lunch-type items. And possibly a few alcoholic drink choices. Mimosas anyone?

No other ‘trials’ in the day’s travels as the trip become more real, next stop Europe.

Our flight landed 1+ hour late and a number of passengers were going to miss their connections. Not us, we are stopping at Paris, to catch our first train. No trains here yet, it was a very empty platform.

After such a long flight (9+ hours) l walked around stretching my legs and came across these birds – pigeons. No matter where you end up in the world, there are pigeons .There was one odd-ball. Hope they weren’t picking on him.

What else did we do to pass the time before our train departed? Eat at the hotel’s Sheraton. Got to keep refueling or we’re all going to fall asleep.

Mask-wearing up to this point had been fairly lax. Not so with the Train. To walk onto the platform a mask was needed and it stayed on throughout the ride.

Those two crashed almost before we got out of the station.

Moments later we were seeing the country-side and ‘wowed’ by this vibrant yellow. We believe it is mustard or possibly rapeseed.

Most bridges had these stairs as part of their structure. I wanted to ask what they were for – duh, to climb of course. Luckily I didn’t ask and make a fool of myself, but still just not sure of the why.

Second leg of our train trip took 2 hours – on the high-speed train! Excellent!

This was our view…………the train’s direction was backwards for us. Alway looking at what we passed instead of what was coming up. At least we were on the upper level of the train carriage, a definite plus.

The train’s not even moving and Eric was breaking the rules.

We flew past more yellow fields and starting seeing wind turbines along-side.

So refreshing to start traveling again. Next up, first hours in Bordeaux.

Ginny

Food Hall vs Food Court – different? Marketplace at Avalon Park

by ginnyinshanghai

Is there a difference? Oh my goodness yes!!!

One of the biggest differences…….a food hall is a destination for foodies catering to people who love to eat and try different foods. A food court is designed to keep shoppers shopping, stopping briefly to refuel – for more shopping.

Marketplace at Avalon Park

Opened in summer/fall 2020 there are a number of food options, a general store and (of course) was anchored by a local brewery – Bowigens.

Food Halls are usually a collection of small locally developed restaurant concepts offering an assortment of unique food and beverage items, usually cooked from scratch.

Here’s a sampling of choices at Avalon Park:

There is one shop, specializing in local and/or Florida Merchandise.

So what did we eat? We haven’t tried all of the options but visited 3 different ones on this visit.

Pulled Brazilian chicken sandwich with yucca fries – Ginny

Poke bowl with salmon and other goodies – Adrienne

Gumbo was a starter – Eric

Followed by Korean BBQ beef and various sides – Eric again.

We topped it off with ice cream and beignets.

Just another line-up for Orlando’s food hall scene.

Ginny

Mamak……….pronounced Mah-mahk

by ginnyinshanghai

What in the world! This was the beginning of another culinary adventure.

As can be seen in the photo above, mamck is an asian street food establishment – in Orlando no less. So, what exactly does that mean? The name ‘mamak’ comes from Southeast Asia meaning street vendor or food stall. These stalls are owned and operated by local chefs putting their own spin on traditional recipes. Here’s a bit more info found on their website.

This restaurant was founded in 2014 in Orlando, Florida. The first generation of the Lo family immigrated to New York in the early 80s, making a living from what they knew best – cooking. They eventually opened four restaurants before relocating to Central Florida.

Many of the home-grown recipes on their menu came straight from their grandparents. But enough talk, let’s see the food.

They have a robust selection of menu items, along with wine, beer and soft drinks.

Drinks were ordered and came while still looking over the menu……………BTW, the beer is mine. Occasionally I try saki, but have yet to acquire a taste for it. Of course, that’s what I used to say about beer. 🙂

A good deal of their menu was small plates, perfect for sharing and tasting LOTS of items. Upon preparation, they were brought to the table when ready, never served together – which I love. These skewers were ageta shokushu – lightly battered octopus tentacles. I had such great, awesome, mighty tasty octopus in Iceland, I keep trying to find something similar. While the others thought these were quite good, I’m still looking.

I’m always up for fried rice or Nasi goreng Indonesia – fried rice with an egg, simple yet satisfying. Wok-fried shrimp and chicken are hidden under that egg.

OMG – Golden wontons – one of my favorites no matter where we eat.

NEVER expected to order fries – but here you are. They were tossed with their signature five-spice seasoning and served with a side of sweet thai chili dipping sauce. They will be a repeat!

Left you have 2 potstickers (we ate the other 3 so fast, didn’t get a photo) with roti canai malaysian flat bread and spicy dipping gravy on the right.

This was not for me – nope. Tender seasoned, fire-roasted pork belly. They had plenty to share with each other.

A different fried rice………..mamak nasi goreng. Little bits of shrimp, chicken, eggs and onions. YUM.

Another dish ordered was Char kway teow – Malaysia’s signature street dish, fried rice noodles, with shrimp, chicken, eggs, beansprouts and chives.

I personally like the curly noodles – much easier for me to use chopsticks. And the name………don’t know and couldn’t find it on their on-line menu.

Can you have a meal without dessert? A rhetorical question usually. We tried the fried banana – battered and deep fried, dusted with powdered sugar, drizzled with honey and caramel, topped with sesame seeds, served with vanilla ice cream. It was good, maybe not a repeat, but satisfying none the less.

Whew! Lots of food photos to share, Really should let everyone know………..this was a compilation of several visits! There’s no way we could have eaten all of this at one seating. Man-o-man there were more items we wanted to try. Going to have to schedule another visit. Twist my arm.

Ginny

Oompah! Let’s go to Greece

by ginnyinshanghai

Well…………….kind of. We revisited a Greek restaurant in downtown Orlando.

And yes, it is on a corner on the banks of Lake Ivanhoe. I was a little curious about it’s history and found out:

~ owners immigrated to US from Greece in 1988, settling in Boston, MA

~ both had restaurant experience in Greece and the places they opened were successful.

~ they decided a change of scenery and climate was needed and Central Florida was their location of choice, moving here in 2000. The rest is history.

It’s located in one of the districts informally called Lake Ivanhoe Antique District. The day we visited the weather was perfect for sitting outside under the covered porch seating.

While perusing the menu, our waiter brought our beverages of choice. Guess which was mine?

HAD to start with some appetizers: hummus w/pita triangles and dolmathakia. What? Okay, much easier to call them stuffed grape leaves. I had turned up my nose in the past, but gamely agreed to try it again. Nope, still not my thing. The hummus – totally my thing.

Our friend had a burning desire for salad this weekend. That’s never happened to me, but who’s judging. It was met with this Greek salad, topped with grilled chicken as her protein.

Eric and I both went for the souvlaki with chicken my choice.

Eric chose the lamb sausage version.

But wait – don’t they look similar?

Yep.

Eric called the waiter over, picked up the plate and said yes, that is lamb sausage. Eric dug into his meal and said nope, nada, no way. He took his plate inside the restaurant and came out with his french fries. Ten+ minutes later he got the meal he ordered. Spoiler Alert – no photo. He was too hungry and devoured his meal. I didn’t want to get in his way!

Today’s food was exceptional – or I was really hungry – or possibly a bit of both. We can’t wait that long for our next visit.

Ginny

Organica World – Groveland, FL

by ginnyinshanghai

Just never know what you’re going to find in Central Florida.

Located in Lake County, this place was in the middle of nowhere. They obviously had enough open land to build some greenhouses .and a market, along with a restaurant attached. The last part was what initially drew us.

After parking, these picnic tables were under cover with plants for sale along the edges.

I use the term ‘restaurant’ loosely, it was more like a food truck – which is still acceptable. We both ended up with BBQ. I chose the quarter chicken with Eric selecting the brisket.

The food was fine – nothing special, but filling. The market inside was interesting. Some produce was displayed on these tables.

Along with produce being in these coolers.

Another cooler had fresh eggs and canned fruit. We got a jar of peaches and Y.U.M. I made a peach tart later in the week and the only thing missing………..ice cream – we were out. 😦

There was your basic jelly, jams and preserves.

A few other jams…………typical Florida.

Way south, Scuppernong fruit can be found.

So just what is a scuppernong????

~A large variety of muscadine grape, native to the Southern U.S.

~greenish or bronze in color outside, white inside, larger and rounder than a white grape.

Couldn’t resist a shot of these jams. What???? Are you kidding me?

Bear Jam – made with blackberries, elderberries, apples and raspberries.

Frog Jam – Fig, raspberry, orange and ginger. (get it?)

Traffic Jam – Strawberries, raspberries, cherries and cranberries.

Lest you think it is all about the sweets, these canned tomatoes looked awesome!

Next to them were these salsas. I’ve had a kumquat salsa, and it was delicious. I was skeptical at first but the taste won me over. Maybe our next visit we will try one of these.

And then there was this in a cooler by the register. Hmmm. What were those greenhouse really being used to grow?

When we first pulled in, there was several RVs parked in their large grassy field. What? Really?

There’s a group/club called Harvest Hosts. For a yearly membership fee, you’re given access to a map with 3220+ wineries, breweries, farms and more across North America. This is one of those places. Really.

What’s so special about this RV? They had a donkey tied to the back of their RV. Who knew.

Ginny

Christmas Post #2!

by ginnyinshanghai

Don’t get spoiled It wasn’t the plan to write two blogs on one day, but had a few more things to say. Here we go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone has traditions. Ours for a number of years has been to spend it with our two oldest godsons (and their parents!) in North Florida. Part of that time together has always included a walk on the beach Christmas morning – no matter the temps. Here are a few memories.

December 25, 2017
December 25, 2018
December 25, 2019
December 25, 2020

Three of us never change, we’re always in the photos. We are going to the beach no matter the temps or the weather! Sometimes we can persuade others to join us, other years we can’t. This year turned out a bit different. Something ‘world-wide’ got in the way of our plans. The walk still occurred and while I was there in spirit, bring along an iPad……………voila! I’m on the walk.

December 25, 2021

Another tradition is sausage balls (and a fried egg – just saying) for Christmas breakfast. It has been Connor’s job for a while to make the sausage balls. Eric tried really hard to copy him – nope, Connor’s were better.

Staying home meant Eric had to cook. No turkey for us today. It was being fried in north Florida. 😦 Filet was the substitute. It was mighty fine, but would have enjoyed the turkey. Soon.

When the plans changed unexpectedly, you’ve got to make adjustments. Through the years, I’ve told a number of people ‘take lemons and make lemonade’. It was now our turn.

So the friends we didn’t get to spend Christmas day with…………………ZOOM! Technology, isn’t it wonderful. Would much rather see everyone in person, but for the moment it works. While it’s not the best shot below, it still counts. These expressions are priceless.

How do you end a Christmas night post? With a great photo from your favorite sister. Thanks sis.

Ginny

My Christmas Special

by ginnyinshanghai

~So many professional bloggers and blogs.

~So many professional photographers.

~So many professional writers.

Where does one start? You start typing one word, followed by another word and eventually you get it together. It begins by sitting down, taking a deep breath and creating a pathway for your thoughts. That’s what I needed to do for this blog.

This is a ‘sweet’ time of year………..and I mean that literally. LOTS of sugar being devoured by kids and the young at heart. Back in the day……….I did a lot of baking and usually had a cake plate sitting in the kitchen with goodies, be it a cake, cookies, brownies or whatever. But you know what? It’s a lot easier to buy a single sweet, savor the flavor and continue on your quest for the next sugar masterpiece.

What’s not to love when these cookies surround you at work.

Or these sugar delicacies. Got to share……..the chocolate peppermint donut could possibly be seen sitting on my desk earlier. It’s possible. Maybe? That’s the beauty of sugar. The clues have been devoured.

Let’s throw in a little ice cream, topped with peppermint dust. Who heard of such a thing? Peppermint. Dust. Never would have put those words together. I didn’t until this year and saw it on several sweets. Aaaaannnnndd, I like it! YUM

If you can step away from sugar……………….let’s talk about lights. Christmas lights. Growing up in the Midwest, we would drive around town, taking in light displays when it got close to THE date. It would be SUPER special if there was a recent snow on top of the lights – WOW! Don’t really see that in Florida, but here are a few interesting sights.

Nope, never saw this growing up. Lights on a palm tree.

These people had a r.e.a.l.l.y tall ladder. I kept the car in the photo for perspective.

Quintessential Florida. Flamingo? Really? Really. With the fake palm trees. At least the wrapped palm trees above were real.

With all the rage being the blow-up yard decorations, our neighborhood did not disappoint. That is a TALL Santa – no forced perspective. It was as tall as the roof.

Couldn’t resist this Disney vignette from another front porch.

Just think. Back in the day……….this was a traditional mid-western holiday display and I found it in our neighborhood this year.

Speaking of traditional, my sister’s Christmas tree……..

……….and my Christmas tree. HAD to have the Grinch.

Actually, the Grinch has his own Christmas tree and photo-bombed the above photo.

Let me close with a final sweet………my sister’s holiday cake. Now that totally looks yummy. Can you send me a piece, maybe several pieces? 🙂

Merry Christmas from Darden Travels.

Ginny

P.S. – thanks sis for the many sweet photos.

Lakeland Florida and beyond!

by ginnyinshanghai

Although we had a recent visit to Lakeland, one of our closest friends was coming to Florida on business and able to spend a bit of time with us enjoying Florida’s sunshine. What better way than eating outside and walking through a garden. The weather did not disappoint for either of these activities.

First up was lunch at The Joinery – a fairly new food hall in Lakeland. We visited several weeks ago and it was worth another visit. We hit different food places than the last time. I TOTALLY loved my choice, Super Duper Spot, ordering a burger and fries. This was no ordinary burger, nope! It had special sauce and when asked she said it was their ‘trade secret’. Good for them. I can tell you, it worked. Besides, who can turn down crinkle cut fries – not me. 🙂

Other food purchases were tuna sushi roll (a l.a.r.g.e. roll) and carnitas tacos.

I still think that ‘I won’ with my selection – just saying.

Next stop…………Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, a short distance south and east.

After parking you’re greeted with a few floral masterpieces and their entrance fountain.

This is a nice touch – identifying what is currently blooming in the gardens.

Eric is a friend of the director, David Price, and he met us upon arrival, spending some time walking the gardens with us. LOVE when designs incorporate edible plants & herbs.

It was quite exciting to see one of their uninvited guests rambling through their plantings. This gorpher tortoise made a beeline for some greens and our presence wasn’t deterring him at all, no siree.

He was helping ‘prune’ away some of the yellowing foliage………..and filling his belly.

Eventually we walked up the ridge to one of the highest points along central Florida to see the main attraction – Bok Tower. Google it. I could do a post just on that alone.

The pond near the tower used to have a number of swans but now showcase these giant lily pads. I asked about the swans……………they became a bit too possessive of the gardens and have a new home.

I was able to capture a quick shot of our group as we were touring the grounds.

There is a reflecting moat surrounding the base of the tower. My photo below is the reflection, complete with a stick and leaves floating on the surface of the water – not scratches or dust on my lens.

Beautiful Florida day, enjoying the sun, the breeze and good company.

Ginny