vacation

Montreal

in

Over Memorial Day weekend I ventured out to Montreal for the first time. Is it sad that being a Canadian I've never traveled to the east coast of Canada?

I loved Montreal. Coming from New York I was blown away by all the greenery and farmers' markets. I was particularly impressed by the scale of Jean Talon market—there were endless quantities of fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers.  I found myself fantasizing about buying fresh fruits and vegetables from here everyday and cooking every meal. It was a nice thought. 

The food was amazing. Every place we ate at was exceptional! And really good value. Thank you Canadian dollar! :D Granted I did do my due diligence before coming and made reservations based on friend's recommendations and reviews.  My favorite were dinner at Tuck Shop, breakfast at Lawrence and lunch at Bouillon Bilk.  

Activities / Places

Marche Jean Talon

Parc du Mont Royal

Mile End Neighborhood / Plateau Mont-Royal 

St. Henri / Atwater Market

Zipline Montreal

Vieux Montreal / Rue St. Paul

Food

Tuck Shop

4662 Rue Notre-Dame O

Porcini mushrooms

Quebec snow crab brioche with bacon

Grilled leg of lamb

Steak frites with chimichurri sauce

Wild blueberry pie

Brownie

Damas

1201 Avenue Von Horne

Fattouch salad

Grilled lamb

Grilled Akkawi cheese

Fattet Mozat

Bouillon Bilk

1595 boulevard saint-laurent

Hamachi

Beef gnocchi

Mascarpone

Lawrence

5201 boulevard saint-laurent

English breakfast

Scrapple

Doughnut

Marche Jean Talon

Rue Saint Paul

St. Henri

Maui

in

Last week I went to Hawaii for the very first time with my family. I can't believe I've never been! I never really had the desire to go as it never seemed exotic enough. But I must say, Maui was surprisingly very rich in history and culture. It was so beautiful and the landscapes were breathtaking. I can't wait to explore other islands in Hawaii. 

10,000 ft, Haleakala crater

Santorini

in

A few snippets from my recent trip to Santorini. One of the most beauitful places I have ever been. Food was surprisingly amazing and every meal had a spectacular view. Not a single meal was dissapointing. Everything was just so fresh and high quality. Although the vast majority of our meals were in Imerovigli. I'd say that we used TripAdvisor signs as a point of measure. I also recommend staying in Imerovigli as opposed to Oia, because everyone stays in Oia and it's more touristic and crowded. Imerovigli is much more intimate and equally scenic if not more. You can always take the bus to Oia which takes about 15-20 min or hitch hike. The buses in Santorini are also not crappy buses you'd find in America, but it's actually more of tour buses.

Food:

1) Pirouni - A great lunch spot, spectacular service and wonderful view.

2) Kapari - I recommend making a reservation in advance and dining here to watch the sunset, it was absolutely stunning. The food was beautifully presented and of a creative Greek style with a mix of modern and traditional. The service was fantastic. 

3) Sunset Taverna - This restaurant is located in Ammoudi Bay, I recommend making a reservation to watch the sunset right by the water far in advance. It's a lot pricier but the view is fantastic and the seafood was very fresh.

Activities:

1) Book a half day semi-private or private boat cruise

2) Climb on top of the volcano

3) Visit Thira, Firastefani, Imerovigli and Oia

4) Santos Winery

5) Red beach, white beach

6) Swim in the hot spring - BEWARE - do not wear a light colored swimsuit as it will STAIN.

7) Get a fish pedicure! - Though there are some discrepancies about its sanitation but do your own research before deciding.