Tag: food tour

Rennes Food Tour – France 2026

by ginnyinshanghai

The food tour started at 11:30am but we needed a light breakfast. Rennes has one of the largest markets in France, after Paris. That was our destination – Marche de Lices. Once we headed in that direction, it was easy to find, even if we didn’t use any map. Just follow the locals pulling their shopping carts (there were three ahead of us).

There were both inside and outside stalls. We went inside first to see their products and make a few purchases for later.

I probably enjoyed the outside stalls more since it was fresh produce.

These fruits looked great!

Peaches!

Next I found the veggies.

I’m ready for Fall.

Eric’s highlight was the seafood stalls. Yes, we started our day with a few oysters.

We only purchased oysters, but much, much more was available.

We missed the market area with the flowers. We passed individuals with pre-made bundles but alas, it was not to be. Walked past these sunflowers secured to a bike and couldn’t resist a quick photo.

It was time to head for our food tour’s meeting point: Basilica Saint Sauveur de Rennes. It is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church, located in the heart of the historic city center. The foundation was built in the 11th century before expanding several times and rebuilt in the 18th century.

There are four stories of miracles attributed to this basilica with the first in the 1350s. I had just enough time to walk in and grab a few photos.

Main Alter
Side Chapel

We try to find a local food tour early in our trips. It helps us get the lay of the land, meet people and also get recommendations. This one in Rennes was fairly new, only available the last several months. Mateo was our guide.

Our first stop………….Madame Claude. Eric and Adrienne are in the photo below along with the other two that joined our tour. They have been touring Europe for the last 6 weeks (2 retired schoolteachers from Ireland). They are pulling a camper and rode their bikes into the heart of the city for the tour.

Galettes are a specialty of the region. Much like a crepe, but savory. Buckwheat flour gives it a nutty flavor and the dark color. Mateo felt this was one of the best in the city. All products going into it was grown within 10 km – very local ingredients – I like that! The meat was local pork, local cheese and the buckwheat was grown in the area also.

Yes, yes I needed some coffee first thing this morning. 🙂 After a short walk, we were at the second stop: bouchon.

I only like pate in Europe – must be the ingredients. The pate had pork, poultry and pieces of local apples. The pickled onions and cornichons were also tasty. Red onions were a local crop this area was known for. We had plenty to share between the 5 of us.

I will give the guide some points for our next stop. He wanted to showcase the mixture of cultures and the resulting food scene.

Not my favorite stop by a long shot, but I did try it and picked out the ingredients that I liked. Underneath was a bed of rice that had soaked in the flavors. The spices were Indienne which I don’t traditionally enjoy. Again, I tried it.

This wasn’t only about eating but also hearing a bit about the city. Eric was asking lots of questions from our guide, Mateo.

These statues were numerous and prevalent around the old town on the older buildings, warding off the ‘black plague’ from the Middle Ages.

Mateo also shared this was part of ongoing construction to open up the waterway. In the past, the city had covered over this space and created parking. It was slowly being removed for the waterways to be seen and other parking created. Nice.

Okay, let’s get back to the food. The next stop was a sandwich place. He was talking about their local beef and the ‘smash burger’ we were about to have………………then a vegetarian burger appeared. Oops, he forgot. The burger available for the tour was seasonal. It had local cheese, lettuce and red onions, along with the local eggplant. It was still good.

It was time for sweet endings.

This was the place we had kouign-amann – a Breton specialty where it originated around 1860.

The photo above doesn’t do it justice. This was absolutely delicious! I had tasted it in other European shops, but this was hands-down the best. My research indicates the recipe should be 40% bread dough, 30% butter and 30% sugar. The shop sold other sweet treats and gave us some samples of their cakes.

But wait! We had one final stop. We were given the choice of pastry puff or ice cream.

I was stuffed and able to get a sack to bring mine home. Thank goodness! We were given the option of selecting two flavors and all were mighty tasty. This was the spot it came out that we were in France celebrating Eric’s birthday. Mateo found a tealight and the group sang Happy Birthday.

As we were walking back to the original meeting point, Mateo talked about the half-timbered buildings that were part of the city’s history.

This block had a slight modification that had been added for stabilization. The white (skinny) building to the left of the four houses was a facade built to support and hold up the others. It was not truly a house or apartment but built to look like one. Ingenious.

One last photo of the group before we went out different ways.

It was a great (and tasty) introduction to the city of Rennes with a knowledgeable tour guide.

Ginny

Iceland 2026 – post 3

by ginnyinshanghai

We travel for food and culture, usually in that order. This trip was no different. The five hour time difference messed with our eating schedule. After a nap upon arrival, we walked to a nearby food hall for lunch(?) or dinner (?) or whatever our schedule is on.

While not everyone enjoys food halls, I like them since each of us can pick a different type of food. Shockingly, I felt like sushi and ended up with a poke bowl.

Eric wanted fish. HIs entre was Ling, similar to cod. Then he added the fries for us to share. 🙂

Most cities we visit we start with a food tour early on. This trip was no different. In 2025 it was rated #1 Food Tour in the World – pretty high recommendation! We scheduled this for our first full day in the city.

First stop on the tour was at Fjallkonan, translates to ‘The Women of The Mountain’. They combine Icelandic tradition with international influence. Essentially three buildings along the street are owned by them and are different food/drink stops: gastropub, lunch/dinner restaurant and a cocktail bar. We were in the middle spot for the tour.

We were served two tastes from their menu: slow-cooked lamb & flatbread with a carrot puree, red onions & horseradish and arctic char blini on a chickpea flatbread, roe, horseradish and popping lentils. I liked the lamb tasting the best. Iceland was the reason I started eating lamb. Only problem……………I only like Icelandic lamb, and we can’t find it in the states, yes we have tried.

Something a bit different on this tour was that drinks were not included – I’m fine with that. We had to add a bit of time at the end of each stop to pay for any drinks ordered.

The second stop was Messinn – a place we had visited several times in the past. Our guide, Dave, is talking about one of the dishes we will be getting which is their specialty: fish pan, with arctic char, butter roasted potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Did you now they grow tomatoes in Iceland? With all of the geothermal heat, it has been channeled into heating greenhouses. During our travels in the past we also saw greenhouses growing banana plants! I couldn’t find any history about Messinn but every tour guide has always commented, this was a place their families stopped in years ago and it remains a consistent spot for family gatherings.

We had another pan that was smashed fish with mashed potatoes – but alas, no photo. I got the photo of the arctic char fish pan with crispy potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Oh yeah, and a coffee to warm me up.

Our third stop was another repeat for us – Baejarins Bezto Pylsur hot dog stand and yes, it’s outside. We had no problem with this being a repeat. If a food tour didn’t stop here…………..I would question their integrity – just saying. Pretty much any time of day there is a line, day or night, cold temps or snow. It doesn’t matter; this was the original spot for Icelandic hotdogs. Their business began in 1937 with lamb being the primary meat but also includes a small portion of beef and/or pork in the mix. Please note, this is one of the few places that serves coke products! The largest beer distributor has the largest soft drink distribution – which is Pepsi. Bummer. The few places that sold coke product, I ordered a second round.

I didn’t get a photo of our hot dogs, but found this one on the internet. Icelanders like their sauces and their hotdog has a number of them. If you get one ‘all the way’ it will have fried onion pieces (yum – who knew), fresh cut onions, sweet mustard, Icelandic ketchup (sweetened with apple cider – yuck) and remoulade.

Three stops down, two more to go. Next up was Islenski Barinn. Since 2009 this family-run gastropub is where Icelandic home-cooking meets a modern twist.

The main event was the lamb soup and local beer, GULL. BTW – they are the ones that have the largest drink distributorship in Iceland.

There was another ‘event’ during our time at this stop. Fermented shark was a subsistence food that has now become a tourist attraction.  It stinks, it has a weird texture and the taste lingers on long after it’s gone.  Nope, I’m not doing it. They cut it in small square chunks and keep it in an air-tight container. Tradition dictates after eating said shark, it should be followed with a shot of Brennivin.

Brennivin is considered to be the country’s signature distilled beverage. It is distilled from fermented grain mash and then combined with Iceland’s very soft high-pH water and flavored only with caraway. The steeping of herbs in alcohol is a long-held folk tradition in Nordic countries. It is typically drunk chilled.

Okay – back to the food.

This was also the stop where I got a group photo.  The guide was in the middle of the table, left side, wearing a baseball cap. Our group was composed of individuals from California, Massachusetts and two couples from United Kingdom – all Iceland rookies.

Our final stop, which will be dessert and coffee – Kaffi Loki.

In the past we’ve eaten here for breakfast and it was touted as a traditional Icelandic breakfast. 

But this was our sweet treat for the food tour:  rye-bread ice cream with chocolate chips, rhubarb syrup and whipped cream.   It must be growing on me.  I’ve had it a few times and made a token effort to try it.  This time, most of mine was gone. Coffee or hot tea was included.

One evening, we wanted something different and Eric suggested pizza.  Really?  Really!  He had been looking at some You-Tube videos for bloggers in Iceland and after checking their website, this stop was one of their favorites.  FYI – this was the same place we had a breakfast snack the day we arrived.  They obviously can create a variety of items – great!

Started with a little wine as we settled in.

Seems like we were a tad bit hungry that evening.  We ordered their garlic bread – O.M.G!  it was excellent.  Just the right amount of garlic & salt and not swimming in butter.  This would be a definite repeat if we’re back in town.

Perfect timing for the pizza to arrive.  When the utensils were brought to the table, we also got pizza cutters – interesting.  Now we see why.  The pizza doesn’t come to the table cut.

A few evenings we stopped in for a night-cap.  The Einstok Bar was one we visited. Eric was looking for a cocktail and this one struck his fancy.  I had a sip. I will agree it was pretty good.

Me, I wanted a beer.

Finally time to end this post and curate my photos and geothermal experience for the next post!

Ginny

Bologna Food Tour

by ginnyinshanghai

This is something very common for us – booking a food tour, especially when we stop at a new city for us. Why?

~you’re talking with a local that is typically passionate about their city.

~able to get local recommendations tailored to your wants.

~find those ‘hidden’ gems that aren’t in a guide book.

Eric does a LOT of research prior to our trips and reads LOTS of reviews for said tours. Occasionally we’ve gone back to revisit places that was on the tour because we enjoyed it so much. Now, we’ve also gone a bit crazy and done too many food tours (Lyon, France) during one visit – we learned.

This was our tour for Bologna.

What better way to start than with coffee and croissant. This is one of the only places in Bologna that roasts their own coffee beans.

Options for croissants were plain or creme.

Next up – pasta factory. Upstairs was where the pasta was being created.

At this time of the year, only one table occupied for pasta. At other times of the year, every available space in this room is full of pasta-making.

Enough of looking, let’s get some food! Eric and Adrienne were drooling at what was inside.

Part of this business was prepared food but the other side was fresh pasta for sale.

They had lots of goodies for sale. Yes, a few of them made the trip to Florida.

What did we pick up from this location? This delectable platter.

This is also where I was introduced to a dry Lambrusco – delicious!

A glass of that along with a plate of meats – I was happy.

Parmesan cheese with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar – perfect.

before sitting down to each these goodies, we walked through tight alleyways that were full of open-air markets. Notice those cheeses? The stickers (numbers) indicate how many months they have aged. They go up past what I captured in my photo.

This was also a great place to find this map and see where some of these culinary gifts come from.

It was f.i.n.a.l.l.y time to eat some of that pasta we saw being made earlier.

tortellini in broth
spinach noodle lasagna & pasta bolognese

What better way than to close with some gelato? Sorry, no photos.

We had a great tour and enjoyed the introduction to Bologna.

Ginny

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