New-York, New-York

October 20, 2019

I’ve been meaning to write a post about New-York for a while now. It’s one of my favorite cities in the world and the only place I’ve traveled to where I’ve always felt right at home. If the cost of living wasn’t so expensive, I really could easily picture myself moving to New-York and living there. I’ve visited that city countless times and so far, I’ve never been bored. Ever.

Every time I come back is like a new experience. There’s always something new to do, visit, taste or see. New-York is, in my opinion, one of the greatest cities in the world. It’s packed with life, excitement and adventures while at the same time, it’s also steeped in pop culture. So many films and TV series were shot there over time, that I’ve always felt like the city is part of my life.

I could go on and on and on about New-York but in this post, I will try to condense it all to some of my favorite things to do and mostly, eat.

Accommodation

There are numerous hotels in New-York, ranging from the super fancy to the downright awful. Do your research properly to find the right hotel for your needs and budget. For our last trip, we stayed at the CitizenM Bowery Hotel and we absolutely loved it! The hotel is relatively new, is in a great neighborhood, close to a subway station and to a Wholefoods (don’t roll your eyes, that’s important!), the decor is cool, original and modern and the rooms, though a bit small, give way to a spectacular view! The service is impeccable, there’s a 24-hour cafeteria as well as an awesome rooftop bar.

The streets of New-York

You could just organize a trip to New-York and spend your whole time there just walking around. The streets are rife with history, architecture, design, pop culture references. Try to stray away from the very tourist-y areas like Time Square, and just wander in the streets and parks, look around you. The graffitis alone are worth being explored. Here are just a few.

Things to do

Alright, so if you are tired of walking around and exploring the streets, there is plenty else you could do.

Museums

Of course, there is more than a handful of museums, like MOMA, the Guggenheim, the MET, the Natural history museum, just to name a few. If you are a movie buff, I highly suggest that you pay a visit to the Museum of Moving Images. It’s awesome. There’s a permanent Jim Henson exhibit and, if you plan to go to NYC between January and July 2020, there will be an exhibition about Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey! There is also the Morgan Library and Museum, if you are, like me, into old books. The Morgan library is among the very few institutions in the world that possesses a copy of the Gutenberg Bible!

Rooftop views

Some hotels allow you to take advantage of their rooftop bar even if you did not book a room with them. My personal favorite is the Library Hotel because it’s not too crowded so you can actually sit, have a drink and enjoy the view peacefully. Though not as high as some other NYC rooftops, the Library Hotel provides something that few other New-York places offer: intimacy. Their cocktails are also pretty good!

Of course, you could go to the top of the Empire State building, but everybody goes there. There are other options, like the Rockerfeller Center and the One World Observatory, the latter being my personal favorite. Whether you choose the Empire State Building, the Rockerfeller Center or the One World, one thing’s for sure is that you will not be disappointed. The view is spectacular! Don’t be surprised that it’s crowded, though! If you do not want to waste time waiting in line to purchase tickets, I highly recommend that you do so beforehand and buy them online. The only inconvenience is that you have to select a specific date and time, so think ahead and plan your trip carefully. But buying online will save you a ton of time because the lines are crazy long. All ticket prices are around 35-45$, but they could be a bit more expensive depending on the packages you choose. Evidently, it’s always better to be there around sunrise and/or sunset.

If feeling in shape, you could also climb up the stairs of the Vessel. It is definitely not as high as the above mentioned skyscrapers, but it is a superb piece of art that provides a beautiful view of the city. Same day tickets are free but you must reserve them beforehand, due to the popularity of the place. Check it out! It’s worth it.

Roosevelt Island Tramway

If you find the rooftop options too crowded, try the Roosevelt Island Tramway. It’s awesome. This 15-minute ride will give you an aerial view of New-York from 59th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan to Tramway Plaza on Roosevelt Island and the best thing about it is that you only need an MTA metrocard to have access to it! The view is unbelievable! Too bad I cannot load videos here because my films are a lot more representative of the view and fun we had on board!

Ferries

Boat rides are a must! They are so much fun and provide a view of the city from a different perspective. To purchase tickets, it’s easier to download the NYC Ferry app, choose a route (there are currently 6, with 2 more to come in 2020 and 2021!) and pay! An adult one-way ticket is only 2,75$, so if it’s nice out, you could pretty spend a whole day on a boat, floating around the island!

There’s also the Staten Island ferry that I absolutely love. It runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it is free, there’s a ferry docking every 30 minutes or so, and provides an upclose view of the Statue of Liberty. What more could we ask for?

Parks and the likes

NYC has over 1,700 parks, playgrounds, and recreation facilities. This information comes directly from the Official Website of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Some are more interesting than others but bottom line is that you have ample choice! Obviously, Central Park must be visited at least once. It’s huge and awesome. I personally enjoy the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park. It opened fairly recently, in 2012, is almost entirely made of granite and offers a spectacular view of New-York. It is accessible by any means possible but the tram or the ferries are my recommended modes of transportation to get there. You could walk to the border of the park, sit there and admire the sunset over NYC. Trust me, it cannot get more beautiful than that. If that’s too far for you, check out the High Line. The High Line is a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side that was repurposed into a beautiful park. Magnificent plants and flowers, food and drinks, art works, the High Line is a marvel of urban planning.

The Oculus

If you go to the One World Observatory, make sure to check out the eye-catching Oculus, right next to it. Its construction was completed in 2016 and it serves as a transportation hub.

Great food!

So, so much can be said about the food in New-York! The choices are endless, enough to satisfy all tastes and needs. Being a melting pot of so many different culture, NYC gives you access to the best meals from all around the world, right there, at your finger tip. How awesome is that!?! You can eat at some of the best 4 or 5 star restaurants in the world just like you can eat the best meal for less than 10$. There are, however, some pretty terrible places, so do your research well and check out reviews before stepping into a new place to eat.

In this segment, I will quickly name some of my favorite places, ranging from higher end to street foods. There are so many culinary options in the city that you will need a whole book to cover it all. Taking picture of the food I eat is only a habit I developed recently, so I apologize in advance for not having any photos to accompany some of my recommendations.

High-end restaurants

I must admit that I haven’t been to that many high end restaurants in NYC. Primarily because I’ve never really felt comfortable in these types of environments but also because my wallet would not permit me to eat there. I can only recount 2 or 3 times I’ve eaten in a “fancy” restaurants (and they are far from being the fanciest!) and they are: the Gramercy Tavern, The Modern and Keens Steakhouse. As I recall, the culinary experience at the Gramercy was fine. The food was delicious but not mind-blowing. As for the Modern, which currently holds 2 Michelin stars with a third one on review, we did not exactly eat there; we had a table in their bar room where the food is less expensive as it mainly consists of bites. As for Keens, well, they have pretty good steaks.

That being said, when I go to New-York, I do not aim to eat in these fancy, expensive restaurants (though if invited to, let’s say the Bernardin, I would not say no!). They dig too big a hole in my pockets. I want to eat and enjoy the most food as possible and you do not need to spend too much to eat well.

Burgers

You have ample choice in NYC if a good burger is what you crave. My personal go-to places are the Shake Shack (yes, it’s a chain but a good one!), the Burger Joint and the Black Iron.

Hot-dogs

There are hot dog stands pretty much everywhere in the streets. But if you want something a tiny bit more elevated, of course there are staples like Gray's Papaya and Papaya King, and on our latest trip, we tried out Crif Dogs, which was awesome. They have a wide variety of hot dogs with different toppings, theirs prices are more than reasonable and the place is pretty cool as well! There’s a phone booth in there that leads to a secret bar, if that’s your thing.

Breakfast

Maybe I should have started with this but anyways… Diners are my favorite places to be in NYC. Maybe it’s because of all these TV shows I’ve watched since I was a kid, but I’ve always associated NYC with diners. Like everything else in life, some are terrible while others are pretty great with a lot ranging in between. Follow your gut and common sense. On our last trip, we went to the Landmark diner. We pretty much stumbled on it accidentally by simply looking for a cheap breakfast place near our hotel on Google Maps. Little did we know that this little unassuming diner is a SoHo staple that serves pretty awesome food! The service is incredibly quick, the coffee amazing and the food, though typical American diner meals, is excellent. Of course, when we think NYC diner we immediately think about Katz’s or Tom’s restaurants but go there only to take pictures from the outside. Because they have become hot tourist attractions, they are often crowded and expensive.

Russ & Daughters is also a great place for breakfast or brunch. Though way more expensive than a regular diner breakfast, Russ&Daughters serves some of the best lox and bagels you can find. Make sure you get there early enough because there is usually a long line. We were lucky enough to have a table available for us upon arrival but that doesn’t always happen. This is were I discovered something that changed my life: pastrami-cured salmon. Never in my life have I tasted it before and it was a revelation! Now I cannot stop thinking about it!

Pizza

When it comes to pizza, there is only one place for me: Joe’s Pizza. I ate there several years ago and it was the most perfect slice I had ever had. The crust was super thin and crispy, the tomato sauce tasted incredible and there wasn’t too much of it, neither was there too much cheese, and the pepperoni was slightly crunchy. Ever since, I never stopped thinking about that slice and I never could find anything like it at home. This year, we finally came back to NYC and I could finally eat my slice again. I was disappointed they did not have pepperoni available but their cheese slice was just as perfect as the first slice I had a few years ago. I am sure there are countless other great pizza places in New-York but my heart belongs to Joe’s.

More food recommendations

If you like food on sticks, Yakitori Totto is the place to be. Their food is out of this world, and among the best yakitori I’ve ever had. You could also go to Nonono, which is a great place for yakitori as well, but I do feel that they do not grill their meats as much as I would have liked.

If, however, you feel like eating noodles, there are innumerable places in New York where you can find affordable and delicious noodles. Just walk around Chinatown. Last time, we found this great little place called Spicy Village. Their noodles are, as mentioned in the restaurant’s name, pretty spicy, but super delicious! The meals we had there are pictured bellow. As for dumplings, well, same advice as for noodle meals. There is a crazy amount of places that make incredible dumplings (steamed, fried, boiled) but it became a tradition of ours to always go back to Mimi Cheng’s. Yes, it is a chain, and no, they do not serve the best dumplings around but truth be told, they are not bad either!

For something a bit different, check out Bao Haus. Their specialty is steamed buns stuffed with either pork belly or fried chicken. There is something so comforting about steamed buns; I cannot explain it. We tried their Birdhaus Bao and it was delicious!

If you are a big fan of fried chicken, or of chicken and waffles, I would recommend that you try either Sweet Chick or Pies-N-Thighs. Their fried chicken is crispy, flavorful and so tender inside, while the waffles are soft but crunchy on the outside. Heavenly!

There are a whole bunch of other places but I really cannot remember them all. I am hitting myself on the head right now for not having written every name and restaurant down as I go along…

Lastly, if you are as big an ice cream fanatic as I am, here are a few recommended places: Van Leeuwen, Big Gay ice cream and Soft Swerve.

Our last trip to NYC took place during a major heat wave so we were looking for something light and refreshing to help us deal with the heavy heat. That’s when we found Bonsai Kakigori and it became a life-saver. We practically came back there every day! Last year, in Montreal, I discovered the bingsoo which is a Korean dessert made of shaved frozen condensed milk with a variety of different toppings. That discovery was a revelation for me because I had never had anything so refreshing in my life! In New-York, under the scorching heat, I was looking for a similar dessert. Then, with some research, I found out that there is a Japanese version of the dessert, called kakigori. And lucky us, there was a kakigori place a few streets away from our hotel! These frozen treats are incredible! So, so light, packed with flavor and textures, they are highly addictive!

You could also walk around Koreatown and you will find the most awesome desserts there is. One of my personal favorite is Grace Street, which serves the most beautiful plates of shaved snow. That place is always crowded but the staff if so efficient that the lines move along very quickly and smoothly. Their shaved snow is like a super creamy bingsoo that is just as light and delicious. At Grace Street, you could choose among the 5 available flavors or you also have the option of assembling your own, by selecting your preferred shaved snow flavor with the toppings as well as the sauce of your choice! The first time I went there, I went for the O.G. which is a black sesame shaved snow, with a condensed milk sauce, and strawberries, mochi and red beans on the side. Delicious! One would think that black sesame would be too heavy but it’s not! The second time, I assembled my own dessert! They are pictured below. Aren’t they just beautiful?

So this is pretty much it for New-York. I could go on and on some more but honestly, it’s best to just let you go there and experience the city for yourself. No amount of words could describe what it’s like to be in one of the greatest cities in the world. It really is something that must be lived.

If you want to see more of New-York and learn more about its music scene, I collaborated with Stephane Richard on a series of Youtube videos called New-York City music & food. You should check it out!

Enjoy and have fun!

Hawaii really is paradise on Earth

April 7, 2019

Beach destinations are usually not our thing. At all. It’s not our style to spend 2 weeks lying on a beach, somewhere touristy, and do nothing but sunbathe; we very much prefer walking around cities or going on road trips. However, I must admit that ever since our trip to California, we’ve been nurturing a certain yearning for water, sand and sun. So, for our big annual trip, we thought long and hard about where we wanted to go. There was a lot of back and forth between several destinations, but somehow, Hawaii kept coming up. It kept coming up until it became our top destination of choice.

And if we were to go to Hawaii, then there is only one island we wanted to visit: Oahu. The decision to go to Hawaii was both exhilarating and a bit nerve wracking! As previously mentioned, we are not beach people and yet we decided to spend our vacation exactly there. There were so many things to think about and logistics to plan out for this trip that we normally don’t go through for our other vacations (like how do we change in and out of our bathing suits? We really had no idea! And I’m still not sure we nailed it…). Originally, we were supposed to leave in May, but we had a few things to sort out, so the trip was postponed until October, just before the rainy season starts.

All in all, we did not regret our decision one bit. The 2 weeks we spent there were magical.

Accommodation

We stayed at the Surfjack hotel and it was awesome. The staff was extremely welcoming and helpful and there are no complaints to be made about the room. If you are into socializing and meeting new people, the Surjack holds events almost every night around their pool area, but for those of you who are not into theses kinds of things, rest assured, you barely hear a thing from your room. Besides, the events rarely last beyond 9 pm.

What we loved best about our hotel is that it’s only a 15-minute walk away from Waikiki beach. You can simply ask for a big towel at the front desk and take a short stroll before you can rest on one of the most beautiful beaches on earth. My only complaint about the hotel concerns the food. The hotel’s restaurant offers a very limited choice of meals and they are quite overpriced.

Weather

Hot. Very hot. And humid! When sunny, the sun can be pretty strong so make sure you have a good hat on and carry sunscreen with you at all time! Also, it’s extremely important that you make sure you have an eco-friendly sunscreen, especially if you plan to go swimming in the ocean. If you forgot to pack your sunscreen, worry not because there are convenience stores on every street corners and they all sell a wide variety of eco-friendly sunscreen.

The weather changes regularly between sunny and cloudy, with occasional moments of rain, but the rain never really lasts for a long time. It can be pretty heavy, though! But, the reward afterwards is rainbows! So many beautiful rainbows!

The beach

There are numerous beaches you could visit on Oahu. Drive all around the coast and all you’ll see are beaches! It’s fantastic! Some are more crowded than others, some have stronger waves, lighter sand… but one thing’s for sure is that they are all breathtakingly beautiful. ALL of them. Just drive around and visit them all; that’s what we did!

Surprisingly, my favorite beach was Waikiki. I say surprisingly because Waikiki is by far the most touristy beach and since I don’t like crowds, I was dead certain that I would enjoy it the least. But, as it turned out, Waikiki was a dream! It had, according to me, the best sand and its waves were calm enough that we can walk in the water without being carried away. I am not a strong swimmer so that was perfect for me. Since we weren’t there during high tourist season, there were a lot of people on the beach with us but it wasn’t overwhelming. We could still sunbathe without feeling like our personal space was being invaded.

What we did was rent a car, and everyday we’d drive to one beach or two. We’d sunbathe for a while and if the wind permits it, we’d go for a swim. Then, we’d get back in the car and drive to another beach! The landscape is so beautiful that we wanted to soak in as much of it as possible!

Road trip

Even though finding parking spots if very difficult and we had to pay a daily parking fee at the hotel, we decided to rent a car for this trip because we wanted to visit as much of the island as we could. We did not regret these additional expenses. We were free to go anywhere, whenever we wanted, and that was a major plus. As mentioned previously, Oahu has a magical landscape and we wanted to see as much of it as possible. Every morning, after coffee and breakfast, we’d hit the road and explore! It was liberating.

Places to see

The beach, of course! But if sunbathing isn’t your cup of tea, rest assured that there is still plenty else to do, like visiting Pearl Harbor, the Dole pineapple plantation, Diamond Head, the Polynesian Cultural Center, just to name a few. We passed by these places but did not go for the full tours because of a time restraint. However, my two personal favorites are Ho’omaluhia botanical garden with its very instagrammable entryway and the Byodo-In Temple with its koi pond and napping “guard cats”. Access to the botanical garden only costs 10$ and 5$ for the temple.

Also, as mentioned several times already, Oahu has a beautiful landscape, so driving around and exploring it should already take up a lot of time. Of course, there’s also plenty of shopping to be done in Chinatown and downtown.

The food

My favorite topic! Food was AMAZING!!!! It ranges from super fresh to hyper decadent, but always delicious. The cuisine in Hawaii incorporates diverse styles of food which stems from its diverse history and the many different cultures that live there. This is where I ate the best noodles, bibimbap or poke in a long while! So here are my favorite places to eat:

For coffee and/or breakfast pastries: Kona Coffee Purveyors. Hawaii is known for its amazing coffee, so where ever you go, chances are that the coffee will be pretty great. We personally enjoyed going to Kona Coffee Purveyors. This place is great. Not only is it a short 5 minutes walk away from our hotel, it also offers a great selection of pastries and excellent coffee. Don’t worry about the long line. The employees run things pretty smoothly and you won’t be waiting for too long. Take advantage of that time in line to study their wide selection of baked goods. Trust me, you’ll have a hard time choosing and will end up like me, ordering more than needed! Whatever you’ll order will taste great but my heart goes for their lilikoi bostock (see picture bellow). Life changing is how I would describe it. Or addictive. I like to pair it with a flat white for a full euphoric effect. Before leaving the place, I also order Liam’s punch, which is a refreshing blend of pressed pineapple and grapefruit juice, with passion fruit puree. It is by far the best juice I’ve had in my life and it gives me a much needed energy boost for the busy day ahead. It’s also ice cold, which helps in the heat!

Breakfast meals: Duke’s Waikiki. OK, it’s a pretty touristy area but it doesn’t matter. The food was amazing and the view was even better. There are 2 floors in the place. The first floor is a buffet while the second floor is a restaurant. We went to the second floor because buffets are not our thing. The restaurant is almost always full so it’s better to reserve a table ahead. We were lucky to just show up and have a table ready for us within minutes, but that’s just what it was: luck. I ordered eggs on fried rice and it tasted exactly like the rice my mom made when we were little! Doesn’t sound or look like much but it was delicious! The simplest things always are the hardest to make. And the view we had from our table was the cherry on top. We were right on the beach! Could not have asked for a better way to start the day!

Loco Moco: Loco moco is a typical Hawaiian meal consisting of white rice, burger patties, fried eggs, gravy. It is hearty, extremely filling but oh so comforting! It’s like eating the best hug in the world. That meal should exist worldwide. You can pretty much find it everywhere but the best place to eat it is Ethel’s Grill. This incredible little hole in the wall is a staple in Oahu. That being said, it is not located in a touristy area, quite the opposite: it’s in an industrial neighborhood, pretty much surrounded by nothing. The restaurant is quite small, so then again, you must be lucky to have a table. Or else, you must wait in line for there is no reservations to make ahead. You can get a variety of Asian meals there like ahi tataki, furikake saba or saba katsu, but their loco moco is out of this world. The meals are really not expensive, considering that they come with a soup, salad and ice tea! It is important to note that it is a cash only restaurant and that it’s open for breakfast and lunch only.

Plate lunch: Rainbow Drive-In. So what is a plate lunch? It’s also a typical Hawaiian meal that consists of 2 scoops of white rice, a large portion of meat and macaroni salad. There are variations where gravy is poured on top, or others that also serve noodles. Like the Loco Moco, the plate lunch is sinfully good. And like the Loco Moco, it is extremely decadent, hearty and filling. At the Rainbow Drive-In, I chose the boneless chicken and gravy. Little did I know, it came with 2 huge deep-fried chicken breasts! It was to die for (and I almost did, trying to finish it!).

Best noodles: MurakameUDON. That restaurant is only 10 minutes away from our hotel and it is fabulous! It serves udon noodles, which are thick wheat flour noodles. I love them because they have a bite. There is always a long waiting line outside but worry not because everything is run so fluidly inside! The menu is outside, so make up your mind while waiting. Once inside, pick a tray and a small plate and give your order to the first man behind the counter. Slide the tray along the rails a bit and your bowl will be handed to you. Yes, already! The staff behind the counter works in chain, so the first guy takes your order, then puts the prepared cold udon noodles in a bowl and hands it over to his colleague who ads the broth and/ or other condiments like boiled egg, fried onions and whatnot. Once you have your bowl, slide the tray some more to reach the side dishes. The hardest part for me was to make a quick decision and chose among the wide variety of options they offer! There are a lot of people waiting behind me and I don’t want to be that person who makes everyone wait, so snap decisions are in order! But there are so many possibilities to pick from! Most of them are deep fried (tempura), by the way. So, when in doubt, go for tempura shrimp. Slide the tray again and pay. Then, find a place to sit, eat, enjoy your meal and leave. Out of respect for all the hungry people waiting outside, do no linger and clean out your eating area, and by that I mean bring back the tray and your bowl so that the next client can just come and sit. Their udon noodles are by far the best I’ve ever had in my life! And I think that’s why we came back here so often during our stay. So warm and comforting (and somehow not clashing with the hot weather), full of textures and incredibly flavorful, these udon noodles are probably the favorite meals I had in Hawaii!

Best poke: Maguro Brothers. You cannot be in Hawaii and not eat fresh fish! Poke is a typical Hawaiian dish consisting of diced raw fish, and the best place to get it from is the Maguro Brothers. Thankfully for us, they have a small and discreet take out counter in Waikiki, not that far from our hotel. We’d go out for a late evening stroll and stop at their place to order 2 portions of poke to bring back to out hotel room and enjoy in peace. Their fish looks and tastes like it was freshly caught and it probably was! Poke has become hype lately and restaurants serve them with lots of stuff on top, like corn, salad, avocados, etc, which is fine and super delicious, but the Maguro Brothers serve the diced fish straight up on a bed of white rice. That’s it, with nothing else, except 2 packets of soy sauce. And it tastes amazing! The fish should be the star of the plate and the Maguro Brothers make it so! Quite frankly, the experience is indescribable.

Best bibimbap: The Lucky Belly. We were in Chinatown for some shopping and to meet a friend, and since it was past noon already, we started looking for a place to eat. The Lucky Belly’s pretty sign stood out and we decided to give it a try. I just love it when we just stumble on a gem, without having made any research beforehand! The ambiance was great and though their ramen menu looked out of this world, I was drawn to their bibimbap. It’s made with Kochujang brisket, pickled radish, kimchee, bean sprouts and of course, rice and a fried egg. That bowl was packed with flavor! The portions were also pretty generous so I had a bit of a hard time finishing it… I paired my lunch with a beautifully refreshing pink lemonade.

Malasadas: Leonard’s Bakery. Malasadas are Portugese donuts without holes. Some are plain, coated with white sugar or with cinnamon sugar, while other are filled with either custard or chocolate, sometimes other flavors. I am obsessed with donuts and so Leonard’s Bakery was on my must-go list. Unfortunately, it was never on our way and I was beginning to think I would not have an opportunity to get my hands on these beautiful fried balls of dough! Thankfully enough, they also have MalasadaMobile and we did happen to run into it! We chose the plain ones with white sugar coating. They looked and smelled amazing, tasted even better! Fluffy, sweet, not too greasy and everything I expected them to be!

Shave ice: Waiola Shave Ice. Saving best for last! Shave ice is the best remedy to stay cool in the heat! Waiola Shave Ice is an institution and one of the oldest shave ice places in Hawaii, for a reason. There are numerous places to purchase this refreshing frozen treat but we always came back to Waiola. They have a wide selection of flavors, and you can chose more than one on a single serving. My personal favorite flavor is lilikoi and I usually pair it with other flavors like strawberry, grape, pineapple or mango. This is not to be confused with snow cones. Absolutely not. A snow cones is made with chunks of crushed ice whereas shave ice is as light as a cloud. You have no idea how monumental a difference that is taste-wise until you’ve tasted a shave ice! A lot of people and articles talk about Matsumoto’s Shave Ice. We tried to go there but ended up not going in because it was in such a touristy location. The crowd was overwhelming. Waiola is in a quiet neighborhood, almost residential, so you can hang out and enjoy your frozen cone in peace. It is important to note that this is a cash only counter, so make sure you have a few bills on you.

Video summary

This is a super cool video my boyfriend made, recapping our trip. It encapsulates way more effectively everything I’ve tried to tell in this post! Enjoy!

Other note-worthy details about Hawaii

There are no billboards. And what a game changer that is! Free of distraction and no huge eye-sore in sight, we can enjoy the beautiful landscape at will.
Hawaii is an amazing melting pot of several different ethnic communities, so technically, everyone is a minority. It’s actually one of the most racially diverse places in the world.
Never have we been in a more welcoming, friendly and chill place! Everyone is kind, helpful and happy to help.
Make the effort of saying “aloha” and “mahalo”; such attention is appreciated. The shaka sign also is welcomed.
Although I did say that Waikiki beach was my favorite, do not spend all your vacation there. Do explore the other beaches the island has to offer; they’re all public!
Do not honk your car horn. It’s considered to be extremely rude to do so.
Do not forget to tip. A lot of people’s livelihood depends on tips, so show your appreciation.
This goes without saying, but keep your hands off wildlife!
And lastly, relax and enjoy your time there! Take things slow, savor the moment. You’ll go home with a whole new perspective on everything.

Now I want to go back there. And I probably will in a foreseeable future! And why shouldn’t I? It’s paradise!

Iceland: The most amazing place on Earth

August 8, 2018

Last year, after much thought and consideration, we finally made the decision. We'll go to Iceland. It's been a dream destination for the both of us for a while now and we decided it was time we took a leap of faith. Iceland is not a typical tourist destination and most people around us did not quite understand the appeal. Well, joke's on them because those 10 days we spent there were by far the most amazing, magical and memorable moments of our lives. It's the best vacation I've ever had and quite frankly, it would take a lot for another trip to be able to beat the one we had in Iceland!

It was difficult to decide when to go but we ultimately decided to visit Iceland in early June. Winter would be amazing because we'd get to witness one of the most incredible natural occurrences on earth: an aurora borealis. That being said, winter in Iceland is pretty harsh. It's very cold and the days are incredibly short (4 hours of daylight!). Coming from Canada, we had enough of the cold weather and are not particularly attracted to it. Summertime is peek tourism season and the prices go through the roof! So, we decided to go in early June, between 2 high tourism seasons.

Accommodation

Our plan was to rent a car and a room in Reykjavik for the whole duration of our trip. We would leave early every day and hit the road. The country is not too big so in one day, you could drive quite a distance from Reykjavik, and come back for a good night sleep. The following day, take the car again and drive in another direction, and so on.

We stayed at this great hotel, Nordurey Hotel, on Hrisateigur. Our room was modern, warm and spacious, with the upside of having a pretty little backyard! We had our own table and chairs outside, right next to our room, so we could sit there and peacefully enjoy our breakfast every morning, if the weather permits it.

The staff is welcoming and friendly, nothing bad to say here. What was great there, however, is that our stay included free breakfasts. That is huge because everything in Iceland is crazy expensive! My advice: stock up on food in the morning and snack the rest of the day! That's pretty much what we did!

Oh my god, the landscapes!

That country is so beautiful! It's unbelievable! I took so many pictures I saturated my camera! It took me hours to sort through them all and pick the ones I want to use for my blog! So be prepared to see a LOT of pictures. Everywhere you look you are in awe of what's before you. It's nice to step way from city life, with all its loudness, chaos and annoying people, to escape into this peaceful wonderland and be reminded of the astonishing beauty of nature.

The greenest green

I saw so many variations of the color green over there! Everywhere you look, the landscape offers so many different shades of green, it's unbelievable! It's just a shame that the pictures do not do the landscapes any justice...

The weather

The weather changes a lot over there. It can go back and forth several times between sunny and heavy rain within an hour! So be prepared when going out for excursions. Although we were there in June, the temperature was still pretty cold. I usually wore jeans with walking boots and layers of shirts (long sleeve T-shirt with a sweater and a rain jacket) and, when it was sunny, I was quite comfortable. However, under the rain, I must admit I was very unprepared! The rain was icy cold and, after a while, it seeped through my rain jacket (it was rain jacket intended for city life and not for a walk in nature...). Also, jeans are a horrible idea because they soak up the water, become heavier and so, so cold! So if planning a trip to Iceland, invest in a good pair of water-proof pants and a jacket intended for heavy rains. When I was caught under the rain, it did not take long before I was just shivering and completely soaked! That being said, sunny, cloudy or rainy, the landscapes are just breathtaking! You just get different types of scenery depending on the weather. Isn't it amazing?

Little side note: I always carried a pair of gloves, a good scarf and a toque with me, even though it was June. As we went higher up in altitude, the temperature drops a bit and the winds get stronger.

Another little interesting thing about Iceland: I mentioned earlier that we only got around 4 hours of sunlight in winter, well in June, we never saw the night. The sun would completely set at around 3 A.M., so when we went to sleep, although it was pretty late at night, it was still broad day light outside! That was a bit weird. So if you're a light sleeper and light prevents you from falling asleep, do not forget to bring a mask to cover your eyes!

This picture sums up very well the type of day we usually had in Iceland! Sunny, cloudy and rainy weather in one single picture!

The clouds!

I have always been obsessed with clouds; I find them beautiful and mesmerizing. So if you are like me, this country is for you!

Driving

I will quickly go over this topic. Since I don't drive, my boyfriend handled that part of the trip (renting and driving). However, I will tell you what I know:

If renting a car, take all the insurances. Because of volcano eruptions, there is still a lot of volcanic residues and ash that can cause some serious damage to the car. If not insured, it will cost you. A lot. Also, some roads are not paved, so rocks could easily break your wind shield or other parts of the vehicle.
There are also 2 types of cars that you can rent: some roads require heavy-duty cars like Jeeps, so if you rent a regular car, like say a compact, and go on these roads, you will not be insured. Be careful and do your research thoroughly. Make sure that you check out the roads that you intend to take before reserving a car.
The winds are quite strong so be careful with your car doors. Never go out and leave them open, even if it's just to take a quick picture. We've heard of winds ripping the doors away from the car! That usually happens in winter, but still... When opening the doors, hold them firmly and always close them.
The gas pumps are color-coded to make things easier for tourists. So no matter what company you go to, you always have to look for a specific color. In our case, we had to use the green pumps.
Exits are not announced miles ahead so stay alert and keep your eyes on the road. A good GPS also helps a lot because the road signs in Icelandic are kind of hard to read.
Lastly, we read a guide book specifying that Iceland expects tourists to not act like idiots. So, you know, don't.

Reykjavik

We spent some time walking around the beautiful, colorful and lively streets of Reykjavik. There were 2 landmarks we absolutely wanted to see: the cathedral and Harpa. We started with the Hallgrimskirkja cathedral, one of the tallest structures in Iceland. Walking around and inside such an enormous building was humbling. And then, we took a look at Harpa, a concert hall with an impressive glass architecture. This ultra modern building is in great contrast with the gothic look of the cathedral. We also paid a visit to the Perlan Museum because it offered a great view of the city from higher up but there was too many people and it was hard to find a proper place to enjoy the view without being pushed or pressured to step aside. The museum was closed for renovations so we could not see any exhibit. That was a bit of a letdown. The rest of the time, we just walked around, exploring the streets, stores and cafés/ bars. If you love music, make sure to visit 12 tonar, a record shop/ record label/ gift store. That place is pretty cool!

The road trips

The road trips were awesome!!! No traffic, just us on a road, with an occasional passerby. We could not have asked for better. We could just relax, enjoy the view and roll toward the horizon.

Vik

One of our most awaited road trip destination was Vik, mostly for 2 reasons: the black sand beach and the Sólheimasandur plane wreck. They did not disappoint!

The black sand beach was breathtaking. It was too cold to take our shoes off and play in the sand and water but it was tempting. I think I stood there for quite some time, looking at the waves rolling in. It was mesmerizing. We took a stroll on the beach and then decided to visit the plane wreck. It's not exactly in Vik, but next to Vik. It took us a while to be able to locate where it is precisely. We soon realized that once the location was found, we had to walk a considerable distance to reach the wreckage. 4 km. We had to walk 4 km from the parking space to the beach to be able to see the airplane. To top it all off, the road was anything but stimulating. We just walked and walked and walked on a flat deserted land. It felt like we were walking on a another planet! And, to make matters worse, it started to rain heavily. By the time we reached the airplane, we were all soaking wet. I would have preferred to see the plane under different circumstances but it was still pretty awesome! And then we realize that we had to walk another 4km back to our car...

Land of waterfalls

Iceland is known for its gigantic awe-inspiring waterfalls. And although the airplane wreckage was very close to Skógafoss, one of iceland's most famous, biggest and most beautiful waterfall, we had to skip it. Rain was pouring down and we were already drenched from our excursion to and from the airplane. I was really disappointed I didn't get to see it, but the following day, we got to visit Gullfoss, also one of Iceland's biggest waterfall. While Skógafoss is big in terms of heights, Gullfoss is extremely wide. Once on location, we don't see the waterfall right away but it's so powerful that we can certainly hear it. Then, it appeared before our eyes! What a sight! Once again, the pictures did not capture the awesomeness of what we witnessed, but it was truly magnificent!

Thermal pools

Because of the high concentration of volcanoes, Iceland has an amazing amount of natural geothermal pools. Heat naturally emanates from the ground. So if in Iceland, do not go to tourist traps like the Blue Lagoon. Not only do they charge an outrageous amount of money and make you reserve a specific time slot to use the pools, the Blue Lagoon, I’ve learnt, is not even a real geothermal pool! It’s artificially made! No. There a tons of less expensive or even free naturals pools you could go to. We went to 2 geothermal pools: the Secret Lagoon and the hidden pool of Seljavallalaug. Both experiences were fantastic but very much different.

Seljavallalaug is one of Iceland's oldest pools. It's free, it's outdoors and a bit hard to reach, but the experience is worth it. The pool is hidden in the middle of a mountain so once you've parked the car, you have to walk a while. Now. For any regular person, it wasn't that hard to get there, but for a city girl who is definitely not used to walk on uneven ground, it was a bit of a challenge. I think I made a fool of myself when I freaked out in front of the 2 meter wide "river" that we had to cross. There were small boulders we could walk on so our shoes do not get wet but they were shaky... That being said, the view was breathtaking! And being in that pool was a once in a lifetime experience. Side note: Seljavallalaug is a free outdoor pool so do not expect a high level of maintenance. It's cleaned once a year by people. The rest of the time, it is naturally self cleansing.

The Secret Lagoon, on the other hand, is not free but its prices a very reasonable. It does not have the same breathtaking landscapes that Seljavallalaug offers but it's got tiny erupting geysers! Baths are a big part of Icelanders' daily routine and there are strict rules to follow. Make sure to be respectful and read them thoroughly.

Horses and sheep

One thing that struck me was the amount of horses and mostly sheep. In most cases, they seem to be roaming free and do not appear to belong to anyone. We encountered more animals than people during this trip and that is probably what made it one of the best vacations ever! They were fearless and extremely friendly!

Geysers!

If in Iceland, one must visit Geysir for, obviously, its geysers! They are spectacular! You have to wait a bit but when it happens, it's huge. And addictive. I stayed for more and had to be pulled away because I would have stayed there all day.

Food

As mentioned earlier, everything is crazy expensive in Iceland. Our hotel room came with free breakfasts so we definitely took advantage of that. Every morning, they would serve lavish amounts of fresh fruits, breads, danishes, cheeses, cold cuts and salmon, so we ate very well every morning.

We found out pretty quickly that Iceland makes amazing bread but also pastries! And they can be found everywhere! Where ever you go, it seemed that you could not find bad cakes, danishes or donuts (yes, donuts!!!). The best donuts I've had in my entire life are in Iceland! We stopped at a gas station in the middle of nowhere and I had an amazing donut! So fresh and moist, it's unbelievable!

We stopped at a bakery, Braud&Co. It was among my many food destinations in Iceland. The line was pretty long but it moved along very smoothly. The shop was beautiful and it offered a great variety of baked goods but we opted for their vanilla roll. Heavenly would be an understatement. The thought of taking a picture did not even cross my mind because I was too focused on savoring this deliciousness. I haven't had anything that could remotely compare to Braud&Co's roll.

We were walking around Reykjavik one day and realized that everything was closed. We quickly learned that most stores are closed on sundays. Then, we stumbled on this cute little coffee shop: Kumiko. Kumiko is Iceland's first japanese inspired tea house and it is awesome! The waitress was extremely friendly and took a lot of her time to explain the shop's history. The food was delicious and we were so thankful that everything else was closed, otherwise we never would have wandered into this amazing place.

And finally, the famous hotdog, from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur's stand. We heard so much about it. And it did not disappoint. The meat had a nice crunch and it tasted like no other hotdog I've ever had! Their mustard also tastes a bit like peanut butter! But the surprising part is that it was delicious! So, so good! I will even go as far as saying that it's one of the best hotdogs in the world!

Other note-worthy details about Iceland

No matter where you are, there is an Internet connection.
Everybody in Iceland speaks perfect English.
You can pay with your credit card everywhere, so there is no need to stop at a currency exchange office or at the bank before the trip.
If you know me, you are probably aware that I have a fear (or shall I say, disdain) for public bathrooms. I try to avoid them at all cost because they are disgusting. But when traveling, using them is inevitable. Iceland was a revelation on so many levels, including their bathrooms. They are all so clean! And by clean, I mean spotless! From the busy airport to the gas station in the middle of nowhere, all the public bathroom are super clean.
Tipping in Iceland is not customary.
There are no McDonalds and Starbucks in Iceland

If you ever have a chance, I strongly suggest that you visit this amazing and beautiful country. We only had an opportunity to visit half of it but we will come back in a foreseeable future for the second half!

California road trip

May 4, 2018

This horrible weather we've been getting lately made me reminisce about the amazing vacation we took 2 years ago, in California, during the month of may of 2016. We only went there for a week but what a full-packed 7 days that was!

SAN FRANCISCO

The trip did not begin well. Our flight was delayed for 2 hours for reasons we still do not understand. And, because we missed our connecting flight in Calgary, the airline scrambled to reroute us. We were supposed to go from Montreal to Calgary and from Calgary to San Francisco, but ended up leaving Calgary for LA, rushing across LAX to board a plane going to San Francisco. To top it all off, the bad weather in Calgary caused a minor delay, meaning that we had very little time to run from one side of LAX to another and to pass security for the 4th time. Needless to say that we were exhausted once we reached our destination! The worst part was that all these flights made us loose almost a day of vacation: we were supposed to arrive in the early afternoon but ended up arriving during the night. We had a quick bite to eat and went to sleep.

Accommodations

We were lucky enough to have a friend who lives in San Francisco and who kindly let us stay at his home. His house is in a very calm, beautiful neighborhood and was at a walking distance from pretty much everything. This was great because it helped us save a few dollars!

The Golden Gate Bridge

We are not the type of travelers who enjoy the touristy stuff. What we like to do when in a new city or country is to just walk around and get the feel of the environment. That being said, we could not be in San Francisco and not visit the Golden Gate Bridge!

That place was amazing! The view, breathtaking! We walked from our friend's place to the bridge and though it's not close-by, we did not see time pass. The streets were clean and beautiful and walking on the beach is never a bad thing! The great advantage about May is that it is not peak tourist season. There were a few people on the bridge but no crowds, which allowed us to enjoy the visit without feeling pushed round or having our view blocked by a bunch of heads.

The streets of San Francisco.

My legs were put to the test there. Never had I experienced such steep hills! There were a few places where I suffered a little bit from vertigo!

The photos do not do justice to the amazingly steep hills we walked on but they do give an idea.

The weather

Someone from the West Coast once told me that there are 4 seasons within a single day in San Francisco. Being from Montreal and having lived through its sometimes extreme weather, I internally rolled my eyes. But when I got there, I understood what she meant. I still think it was an exaggeration, but I get it. The weather was very difficult to predict and was ever changing. One minute we were cold, shivering and wore 2 layers of clothing, while the next, we were so hot we wanted to take everything off. So, if ever in San Francisco, wear layers and expect to spend the day taking them on and off.

Some landmarks

We very loosely planned our San Francisco visit because we were only there for a little over 2 days. This allowed us to avoid disappointment. We knew from the get-go that there was no way we could possibly see and do everything in such a short period of time, but walking around and taking the bus allowed us to make the most of it. That being said, we still managed to see quite a bit: the Coit Tower, the Transamerica Pyramid, the Vaillancourt Fountain, Pier 33, the City Light Bookstore, Francis Ford Coppola's Cafe Zeotrope... I'm sure I'm missing a few, but the point is that we did a lot with very little time. We were even able to get an appointment to visit the offices of Dave Smith Instruments! How cool was that?!? The staff there was extremely welcoming and kind. We ended our trip with a baseball game at the At&T Park. I am really not a baseball fan (the games are waaaay too long!!) but there is something about going to sporting events live that is just thrilling. The people, the atmosphere, the food, made it all very exciting! I don't remember who won, though.

The food

I really regret not having taken pictures of the food. I am really mad at myself for not having a photo souvenir of what I ate. We did not eat much but what we did eat was great! Starting with In-N-Out Burger. Oh my god! Anthony Bourdain is right: it is THE best fast food joint in the world! The service was polite and super quick and effective. The restaurant was so crowded but no one waited for more than 5 or 10 minutes. That's how effective the staff was. And the burgers! Cooked to perfection with an addictive sauce. It's a real shame that the American pacific coast is the only place in the world where we can find an In-N-Out Burger joint. This is what makes this chain so special, I guess.

Our friend took us to one of his favorite restaurants: Halu, which serves Japanese meals. The food was great: we had a variety of meats on sticks (the best possible way to serve meats, by the way), rice and dumplings. But what made this restaurant stand out was the decoration. The walls are covered with Beatles memorabilia!

We could not go to a baseball game and not have a hot-dog! Then again, I regret not having taken a picture because my hot-dog was huge! And delicious! I ate it all and regretted it later. So full... I also discovered something interesting: garlic fries. Up until that moment, I had no idea that was actually a thing, but almost everyone in the stadium had some. Since I don't process garlic well, I did not try these special fries but had to work really hard to resist temptation.

There was a great variety of bakeries and cafes near our friend's house, which allowed us to have quick delicious bites to eat before we started our days. But there was also a pizza place, Giorgio's Pizzeria. We found it by accident as we were walking home. We were starving so we decided to stop at this friendly looking pizza place and order 2 slices to go. They were amazing! Just the way I like them: thin crusted with not too much topping (too much topping makes the pizza soggy). This is the only meal for which I have pictures so I'll show them all just so you get how much I enjoyed eating my pizza!

And now I want pizza...

THE ROAD TRIP

We rented a car in San Francisco a decided to drive along State Route 1 to Los Angeles. I had heard so much about Big Sur being one of the most beautiful places in the world, I wanted to see it with my own eyes. The goal was to drive for 2 days (with a stop in Cambria overnight) to reach L.A.

The road trip did not start off great because it was so cloudy. We were in California, the Sunny State, and it was cloudy! The sky was dark and gloomy, and at some point, it became foggy. we were seriously concerned that the great road trip along Big Sur would be a disappointment.

But all of the sudden, the sky finally cleared up! What a relief! From that moment on, a weight was lifted off our shoulders and trip finally became fabulous. The view was just amazing and the great thing about route 1 is that there are stops all along, allowing us to halt and fully appreciate the landscape. You'd think that 1 or 2 stops would suffice but no, we practically stopped every time we could! The view was so breathtaking that we wanted to take it all in! I had never seen water so blue! And Big Sur did not disappoint. It really lived up to its reputation.

Cambria

We stopped half-way through, in Cambria, for a good night sleep. We rented a room at the lovely FogCatcher Inn. The exterior looked rustic but the the rooms were really modern, spacious and welcoming. The best part was that the inn was right on the beach! Well, next to it. We could take a stroll on the sand, get our feet wet in the ocean and watch the most beautiful sunset ever! It truly was a magical evening!

The road trip continues

The rest of the road trip was great and happened without a single hiccup. We briefly left the ocean and went inland for a while, to get to know the landscape. The weather was still amazing! It was in May so it was hot but still with a cool breeze.

LOS ANGELES

Before reaching L.A. we stopped at a beach in Santa Monica. It was still the off-season so we basically had the whole beach to ourselves! We stayed there a while, just long enough to get our feet wet again and play in the sand a bit. The water was too cold for us to swim in it but walking far enough in the water, until it reaches our knees, just to feel the power of the waves was awesome. Then, we got back in the car and drove until we saw coconut trees! L.A. at last!

Traffic

We knew traffic was bad in L.A. but once we were there it still caught us off guard. We were also tired and wanted to get to the hotel as soon as possible. It took a lot longer to arrive at the hotel than anticipated, but it was ok because it was our first time in L.A. so the slow car ride allowed to take good pictures!

Accommodations

We stayed at the Parc Suite Hotel. It looks like an old apartment building that was transformed into a hotel. Our room was really nice! I particularly loved that we had our own little balcony! It looked less like a hotel room and more like a studio apartment, which was great. The hotel is in a very quiet neighborhood and the staff was super friendly and helpful.

The weather

We expected very warm and humid weather but it was actually very comfortable. The air was dry and the temperature was warm with an occasional cool breeze. Actually, the weather was just perfect!

Some landmarks

Again, we were only there for almost 2 days so we obviously could do or visit everything but, like in San Francisco, we managed to do a lot in such a short period of time! We did pass by the famous Chateau Marmont, the Rainbow, Capitol Records Building, we very briefly stopped by the Hollywood walk of fame and the Chinese Theator, drove around in Laurel Canyon and visited the Griffith Observatory. The observatory was amazing because it allowed us to have a great overview of L.A.'s landscape. And of course, we're in L.A., so we had to stop by Venice beach! Again, it was during the off-season so we pretty much had the beach to ourselves! It was during this trip that I discovered how much I enjoy the sand and the ocean. Now, I think I'm addicted. I keep thinking about the beach and wanting to come back there!

The food

Like in San Francisco, I totally forgot to take photographic pictures of what I ate! I don't even have a single picture! This is a real shame. Our hotel is right around the corner of a Shake Shack. I had heard of this fast food chain but never had the chance to eat in one. I know there are a few Shake Shacks in NY but there are none in Montreal, which sucks big time. The burgers were amazing! So were the fries! Now here's my biggest regret: I did not order a milk shake. I always though that mixing burgers with milk shakes would be too much for the stomach, because burgers are usually pretty big and filling. But what's great about Shake Shack's burgers is that they are small enough to be complemented with a shake without being overwhelming. I did not know that when I ordered my meal. By the time we received our order and ate it, the line was just too long for me to go back and order my shake. The line was ridiculously long and I really had to choose between going back and wait probably for about an hour for a shake or spend the limited amount of time I had left in the city to actually visit it. I chose the latter but never stopped thinking about that milk shake I never had. You must know that I am obsessed with milk shakes. Have been for years. I keep looking for that perfect, thick vanilla shake that I never seem to find anywhere. But, enough rumbling about milk shakes. We also had the best fruits we ever had in our entire life, I think! We stopped at a random fruit stand on a sidewalk and ordered the mixed fruit salad. Never did we have such fresh, flavorful and sweet fruits in our mouths! There was pineapple, coconut, papaya, watermelon, cantaloup, with a drizzle of lime juice, mixed with some chili powder. It was so refreshing! On hot summer days, I keep thinking about that spicy lime fruit salad and become nostalgic. I tried to recreate the recipe but we do not have access to fresh enough fruits to get satisfying results. On our last day, we grabbed a sandwich at Michael Voltaggio's Sack Sandwich, where I had one of the best Cuban sandwiches ever.

The end...

The following day we returned the car at the airport and flew home. We were so exhausted but we also had the time of our life! We'll definitely come back soon!