Eclectic Trips

Toronto Spring blossoms

Toronto, Ontario

I love Toronto, it’s one of my favorite metropolises in North America. It has a great restaurant and bar scene, adorable boutiques, great coffee shops, and nice parks. If you visit in the spring, you will enjoy the cherry blossoms blooming, and walking around Toronto for hours, through it’s many lovely neighborhoods, stopping in at cute shops, cafes, just strolling leisurely and discovering this great city for yourself.

We are very lucky as we have good friends in the city that were amazing guides, and we had our day itineraries custom designed for us. Nice!

First we stopped by Hawk Eyes-  which I think happens to be the sweetest antique shop in existence. Well selected collection of adorable finds, curated with such taste and creativity, it is well worth a visit.  Rachel, the store owner, and Tallulah her tiny dog are so sweet and welcoming, and I just love Hawk Eyes’  bowls, and chairs, and pretty pink glasses, and the loveliest writing desk. Too bad I couldn’t buy it all and take it home.

The window at Hawk Eyes

Our hotel is on Queen street, which  is one of the nicest strolling/shopping, people watching streets in Toronto. The hotel itself is so lovely, the rooms are small, but the decor is so chic and the location simply can’t be beat. It is, to put it simply hipster heaven. It was a lovely spring day, and we stopped at Clafouti for a Clafouti and grabbed some coffee from the place next door. Clafouti (love the name!) is the most amazing pastry I’ve ever tasted – a mix of custard and flaky crust, with berries or figs or lychee nuts. Clafouti is more than a pastry-it’s an experience

Across the street from Cloafouti on Queen is a nice park  called Trinity Bellwoods Park. Siting on the bench in the  park, watching the hipsters walk by with their well groomed dogs, or sipping their soy lattes on the benches or on the grass, the atmosphere is pretty serene here-it’s one of those perfect days that promises only the pleasant surprises.

Kensington is pretty much hippie town, smelling vaguely of  musk and Nag Champa, dreads are big here, and “one love” plays on random boom-boxes in stores. There are some fun little stores around. Good Egg is extra cute with a great selection of souvenirs and home accents If you are one of those people that can not go home without buying some trinket in every place you visit, this store is tailor made for you. There are lots of outdoor cafes, and on the whole the area is worth a visit.

Colorful alley in Kensington

Super cute home/souvenir shop in Kensington

Great coffee on Queen street next to Clafouti

Tai Chi in the park

The goodies at Clafouti

Sunny day in the park

Restaurant culture is rich in Toronto, there are lots of great restaurants to suit every taste.
Some of our favorites are :
Terroni is grand, a large space with high ceilings, cool decor, young hip crowd. The food is great, and very authentic- to the point that they will not serve parmesan cheese with entrees containing any seafood. Says so right on the menu. I had the mushroom appetizer and mushroom ravioli both of which were perfect. The wine list is extensive, good variety, some nice Italian wines here, and the desserts are yum.

Guu, the Japanese tavern is an experience- a must for foodies. There is usually a pretty long wait, and the space is communal tables with a few private tables and seats at the sushi bar. The Japanese specialities here are good and diverse. Loved the yellowtail special, the pumpkin something or other and the bibimbap. The staff acknoweleges each new patron’s arrival and departure with a Japanes greeting in unison, it’s definitely a nice quirky touch.

Swan is tiny, a bit vintage diner like, super fresh nice seafood, cute and quaint, great service, a real boutique restaurant. Always a treat.

Mildred's Temple Kitchen

My favorite paper shop on Queen

Open kitchen at Terroni

Gooooood

The reflections at AGO

Brighton beach-day trip to little Odessa

At the last stop of B train a different world awaits any New Yorker or a visitor who has a hankering for a bit of the unusual within the reach of the MTA

Brighton beach is a Brooklyn area by the shore, right next to the old Coney Island amusement park, the aquarium, and home to some of the best Russian and Ukrainian food you’ve tasted this side of Eastern europe.

Pick a nice, sunny day, warm enough to walk around for hours, take your camera and take the B train to the last stop- Brighton Beach avenue. Take a stroll down boardwalk to Coney Island, and if you are brave enough and are there during the season, take a ride on the cyclone. Cyclone is officially the scariest roller coaster I have ever been on- and it’s not scary in the usual PG rated Disney kind of way. It’s scary in the way that when you ride it you feel like it is about to fall apart at any second, and you will plummet to your immediate demise. Real scary, and totally worth it.
if the cyclone proposition has piqued your interest, you better hurry, as there is all kinds of controversy about coney island getting demolished, and bought over by Disney, and there are all kinds of coalitions fighting to preserve it as historical site. I hope history wins, and coney island remains for many years to come but as experience shows, good does not always win in real life.

While you are here, grab some cheese fries from Nathan’s and a soft serve ice cream or cotton candy on the boardwalk. My favorite thing to do is to take my unhealthy snack with, as i take a ride on a ferris wheel and take some silly pictures.

Next stop is aquarium. It is really just your run of the mill aquarium, but it fits nicely into the day’s itinerary, and is fun to visit once and view the various marinelife. As you walk back towards Brighton beach on the boardwalk, there is some fun mosaics and street wall art to look at.

Brighton beach itself runs under the train tracks, and if that doesn’t make it loud enough, the hustle and bustle of brighton’s inhabitants- about 90 percent immigrants from the  former USSR certainly will. Produce stores and fancy delicatessen delis line the street, and people look very busy shopping. There are all kinds of delicacies and delicious looking items everywhere. Russian and Ukrainians do love their food. Stop by International deli’s 2 floor food emporium and see for yourself. Buy some Russian sweets for the train ride home.

Gina’s cafe on Brighton 5th street serves some of the best  Russian fare the street has to offer. The decor here is cozy and homey, it’s warm and inviting It is also very inexpensive. I have known the owner, Gina For about 15years, during which time she has not aged a day. I am convinced she has somehow discovered some potent youth serum, and won’t share. But I digress
Vegetarian borscht and mushroom soup are a hit every time. Gina’s Salad -a version of a Caesar salad with smoked salmon and red caviar is yum, and my personal favorite main course is shrimp in white sauce served with buckwheat. I could eat at Gina’s every day.

Zhanna and I at Gina's cafe

Within the same price range is  GLechik, on coney island avenue (not to be confused with coney island park) right of Brighton beach. This place serves pretty authentic Ukrainian dishes, it is meat heavy, i recommend pelmeni- the meat dumplings, and vareniki with potatoes. my favorite desert here is penki- which literally translates as tree stumps, the name remains a mystery to me. But the delicious fluffy pastry with coffee cream and jam is such a treat, I  would eat it even if it was called “the witch’s wart”

Kebeer

Right on the corner of Brighton Beach and Coney Island avenue is a good beer bar- Kebeer, that has I believe about a 100 beers, lots on tap, and the food is pretty good.

Tatyana’s on the boardwalk is a much more upscale and pretty overpriced establishment, as popular with brighton’s day visitors, as it is with locals. It is lovely to sit here on a sunny day and look at the water. I guess think of the overpriced menu as paying the premium for the view I allow myself to come here only once in a while, if I am planning a particularly long lunch with friends, and it is particularly beautiful out. They try to upsell you so hard, it gets to be a bit comical, so that’s a little extra entertainment

All in all, I think Brighton Beach is very much a worthy day trip for a jaded New Yorker- some nostalgic elements, some pretty views, some culturally diverse food- all make for a nice day.

Bogota is a beautiful metropolis with great residential architecture, consisting of modern brick buildings each with a totally unique edge. The hilly layout of the city requires for the architecture to be very creative, and it is indeed- no two buildings are the same, though they have some cool common elements- large windows, asymmetrical balconies, and rooftop gardens. Definitely one of the best modern architecture trends I’ve noticed in recent travels. Te city is very green, with lots of parks, and to explore it you have to drive up and down winding roads with large mountains in the background.

Residential architecture

One thing to pay attention to when you go is that high altitude affects mostly everyone on some level. Some people are short of breath, some get headaches. or as was the case with my husband- he COMPLETELY lost his voice and could not speak for 3 days. At first he sounded kinda sexy, but progressively it got worse, and got to the point where it was as painful for him to speak, as it was for others to listen
Make sure you bring plenty of painkillers for potential headaches, and if you are asthmatic, keep your medication close. Most people get over it in a day or 2 max, so it’s not something to be too concerned with- just better to be prepared

Through mutual friends we made some new friends in Bogota – Jesus and Catalina, who took us on a tour around the city. Catalina’s narration was better than any tour guide i’ve ever encountered. We went to the old city, where Jesus showed us his favorite hippie square complete with musicians, storytellers, artisians and odd characters of all sorts. There are several universities located in close proximity to or inside the old city, so there are a lot of students, tourists, locals- the crowd roaming the streets is pretty varied. The old city is busy and fun on Friday and Saturday evenings, other nights of the week it dies down, our friends warned us that it might be less than safe on weekdays, so if you go do try to go on Friday or Saturday. After our great city tour we went for dinner at a wonderfull Italian restaurant in Zona T, and laughed and drank wine and enjoyed a very long dinner and fantastic conversation… The restaurant is called Di Lucca, it is small and cute, delicious, inexpensive, and located on Carrera 13, nº 85-32.

A word about Zona T- It is a nice walking area in Bogota – kind of like a street mall. Fun and lively, you can get a feeling for Bogota’s younger generation here, do some shopping and possibly see a street performance… Some other noteworthy restaurants here are:
Wok- Asian with a giant menu of Thai, Japanese, and Vietnamese specialties, the outdoor patio is a nice people watching spot.
Balsac- upscale traditional French, with impeccable service and good food- loved the onion soup and the oysters

The trip to Usaquen flea market in Usaquen on Sunday was definitely one of the highlits of our trip. Usaquen is a nice bohemian “artsy” area. At the Usaquen market there are all sorts of artisan goodies, tea, candles, clothing, souvenirs, bags and belts- something for everyone. The hand crafted little friendship bracelet I bought here hasn’t left my wrist as of yet. The Usaquen square is pretty and the whole area is very picturesque and perfect for walking around on a nice day, plenty of great restaurants here as well. Colombian staple “Crepes and Waffles” has a fun menu of… (surprise!) – crepes (and waffles They also have good soups and salds- perfect for a light bite.

Street art in Usaquen

Our favorite Bogota restaurant Abasto is also in Usaquen- we had dinner one evening, and came back for brunch the next day. I can’t be too particular in menu recommendations as every single thing we ordered was delicious, and they have tons of daily specials. The atmosphere here is great- relaxed and lively at the same time. Decor is kind of rustic and is a mix of couches and velvet armchairs, with wood dining tables small and large. They have a nice wine list, a great variety of teas, and fantastic coffee. Something to be said about Colombian coffee- it’s considered one of the best, and for a good reason- it truly is excellent. I havent had a less than perfect cup of coffe once in Colombia.

Usaquen market

Get your old fashioned picture taken in Usaquen

Usaquen

A few words of advice- if you are having dinner somewhere, and it’s late, ask the waiter at the restaurant to call a taxi for you, as opposed to finding one on the street. This is generally a safer practice.
I must say we felt completely safe in Bogota, but it is always best to wear more casual clothing, and no loud jewelry/watches etc.

Although a short trip- this one was definitely one to remember.

Cartagena view

When booking your ticket, if you have an opportunity to fly Avianca,  do so. Clean, comfortable seats, the service personnel is friendly and helpful. They serve food and WINE on a very short flight. You get a tv with movies and a nice blanket and pillow. Love Avianca!

On the taxi ride from the airport the “downtown” area looks much like any town in central America, mom and pop shops, a bit rundown, crowded and simple. We stayed in Boca Grande- the beach area. Not much to say about the beaches in Cartagena. No white sand or turquoise water here, and no chic beach clubs complete with white umbrellas. The beaches are simple, the chairs are old, you have to bring your own towels, and you will be hassled pretty relentlessly by guys selling cigarettes and gum, beer, jewelry, and  sombreros;  ladies of all ages and sizes trying to give you a massage using a very odd looking Neon colored oil of some sort. What you will get and actually enjoy on the beach in Cartagena is the freshest just caught white fish brought right to your chair on the beach and fried in a shack a few meters away. It’s deep fried fish, always served with sweet coconut rice, and fried plantains. If you are weary of eating fish directly on the beach, there is a place at the end of Hollywood beach called ElPony, that serves simple beach fair in a small, open hut. It is more of the same here- several types of the deep fired fish, some ceviche, cerveza and a light breeze.

Boca Grande beach

The old city or the Walled City of Cartagena is quite beautiful, and the houses here are pretty well kept and some pretty posh. The hotels and guesthouses are gated, so it is pretty much impossible to see what goes on inside, and some of them are well worth a visit. The new and chic hotel Sylvia Tcherassi   is one of those. Located way out of the way on a completely non touristy street it has a good upscale Italian restaurant, a nice bar and a lovely pool with waterfalls inside. great for picture taking.

The thing to do in the evening in Cartagena is roam the cobblestone streets of the walled city, go through it’s many labyrinths and inevitably end up where you started. The horse and buggies will pass you by, the street lights will cast some lovely ambiant light… Some streets are rowdy and touristy and some are quaint and quiet, they intersect and interchange, and it’s best to let the flow just take you, and roam aimlessly-you will definitely stumble upon some beautiful sight.

Our favorite places to eat: 
Juan del mar next to the Santa Clara Hotel was the best.  It’s  located in a lovely square called de San Diego, near hotel Santa CLara. The restaurant is on the right side of the square if you are facing the hotel.  They serve Peruvian food, and it so well executed, with a nice presentation, it is fresh and delicious. We sat outside, and it’s pretty nice for people watching, but inside is very nice as well. The wine list is pretty good too, which is a rarity for Cartagena.  

Cevicheria is vety quaint and has a lot of local charm, in other words it is a hole in the wall, but in the best possible way . Everything we had was just delicious, the ceviche is out of this world.  it is located on a side street adjacent to the hotel Santa Clara.  The street runs on the left if you are facing the hotel.

La Vitrola is the most famous restaurant in Cartagena, and you will need to make a reservation to dine here. It is definitely an upscale place, and pricey, but well worth it for the food as well as the atmosphere.  It has a Cuban vibe with live music.

Some others that are noteworthy are Oooh La La- a French place with a Colombian influence, and Mar Del Juan, which is located directly across from Juan Del Mar  

 Taxis are very reasonably priced, but they don’t have meters.  So it helps to ask how much before getting in the cab-although they quote you pretty much the same amount usually, with a difference of  about fifty cents to a dollar. From Boca Grande, where we lived to anywhere in the old city was  $3- $4 dollars.  To the airport it less than $10

When you are on the beach, some “agents” will approach you to go to Rosario Islands. It’s a day trip, and if you do decide to go, be prepared for a pretty raw experience. You will see some poverty and very run down areas on the way to the islands. The the boat gets dirty, wet and is a far departure from comfortable. It’s a speed boat and you must remember this- DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT seat in front of the boat. If you do you will be in pain for days as the boat is jumpy, and it goes fast. The middle is fine, but the back is best. The trip includes lunch which is-surprise!!! Fried white fish with coconut rice and plantains. And though this fare is not particularly imaginative, it is fresh and yummy.

Ceviche on the way to Play Blanca

You will need to speak some basic Spanish- only a few people speak English, so if you don’t know the basics,  try to learn a few sentences, or bring a dictionary. I would say that a 3-5 day stay in Cartagena is ideal, it gets a bit repetitive after that. Or at least it did for us. The four days that we were there we did enjoy thoroughly.

Enjoy

The expatriate- tourist hangout on Deribasovskaya is Mick O’neil Irish pub. The place is open late and serves German, American and some Ukrainian food. Here you will hear a potpourri of International languages being spoken, some very loudly .It’s a good place to grab a beer and a snack late night, and some of the waiters speak some English sometimes, which helps.

In the Summer time Arcadia beach area is the nightlife capital. The two big clubs here are Itaka and Ibiza. Both are huge, outdoor and thematic. (yes, the theme of thematic establishment is pretty consistent here

Itaka

Itaka of course has the Ancient Greek theme complete with giant columns and an amphitheater. It faces the Balck sea, and is open late enough for the patrons to watch the sun rise. The crowd here is pretty diverse. It consists of older German, American, and Swedish tourists and the very thin, very tall and very pretty young ladies who love them. Also, crowds of young men, groups of people, Ukrainian tourists and locals, and all those that were unable to get in to Ibiza. The music here is pretty eclectic- to put it mildly. It is kind of all over the place- from Russian and Ukrainian to house, hip-hop, pop and disco. You can get a table in the amphitheater, Or hang out by the bar. We got ourselves a table and drank a pretty unreasonable amount of vodka, danced on the stage for good measure, and then moved on to Ibiza.

Dancing in Itaka

Ibiza has a much stricter door policy or as the locals call it “face control”. Here the crowd is mostly young, very hip and trendy, attractive. You’ll see an occasional older tourist, but for the most part everyone in Ibiza is consistently fabulous. Ibiza has a very interesting architectural design, reminiscent of clubs in Ibiza, Spain.

It’s a bit of a maze with many levels, a big dance floor, neon lights, smoke machines and all the other attributes of a full fledged night club.

Ibiza is mostly happening on the weekends, and hosts some renowned international dj’s. The music is strictly electronic- house, techno or trance.  Our experience in Ibiza although slightly blurry I recall as lots of fun. Soon upon entering the club some gentleman and his girlfriend graciously invited us to join them at their table. As I later found out the gentleman, Vladimir was a deputy of the Ukrainian “Duma” (The Parliament) and his lovely girlfriend Natasha was a fashion editor of a high end Ukrainian publication. We had so much fun with our Ukrainian friends, drank more vodka, and got home extremely late. Definitely an experience to remember.

So if you are in odessa during the Summer months- which incidentally is the best time to go there, and you are up for a little adventure- check  out Arcadia, and pop over to Itaka or Ibiza for a drink or two, or stay till the sun rises over the Black Sea.

The atmosphre in Ibiza