For myself, I am all about creating an awesome high vibe life, and feeling awesome and high vibe everyday. What makes me feel most incredible, is boosting those around me and helping to make them feel incredible.
Here I am cruising around the streets of Palma De Mallorca, Spain, just enjoying a leisurely afternoon stroll. I was in the one of the main districts of Palma called the ‘Paseo de Born’, a beautiful spot always bustling with tourists in the summer. As I took a few minutes to sit on a bench to do some people watching, my eyes instantly got fixed on one man sitting on the bench straight across from me.
He was an older gentleman, dressed in a tattered little clown outfit. He was dosing in and out of sleep. To me, he looked tired and worn out. At his age he should be retired and enjoying life. Instead he was trying to create an income by putting on his little clown outfit everyday and making balloon animals to try and sell. My heart cords were struck, something about him made me want to do something nice for him. It’s almost as though I could sense he needed a positive boost.
I contemplated going and buying him a large bottle of water and a bite to eat and taking it to him, but I only had 5 euros in my pocket at the time. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do for him, I just knew I was going to do something to make him feel good.
As the gentleman arose off the bench to get back to work, I watched as he continually got turned down, and people would keep giving his balloons back and say no. He was exuding discouragement.
As he began to leave the area, he crossed the road, and was walking away, still trying to make sales to no avail. I got up and knew I had to take action before it was to late. I intended on making this mans day, and nothing was going to stop me.
Finally I caught up to him, and it happened to be right after he was once again turned down. I approached him and offered him 5 euros to buy a balloon. 5 euros really isn’t very much, but it’s all I had, and considering he would probably only get a few cents, maybe sometimes a euro for a balloon, I knew it would make him so happy.
Well let me tell you, he was over-joyed, his face lit right up, and he was giving me huge thanks, he was just as appreciative as I imagined, and a little more. My mission was accomplished – I made his day. Seeing him so happy over something so small, made me feel amazing.
Yes I live an amazing life, full of adventure and incredible experiences, but, unless I am spreading awesome vibes to others everywhere I go, it would never be truly fulfilling. What you put out into the world is what you get back. Some of us have more and some of us have less, but what is having abundance if not to share it.
When I put a smile on someone else’s face, it puts a smile on mine. Giver’s gain my friends. Happy days!
If you have been on an endless search for a serene mountain oasis, where you are surrounded by lush enchanting nature, in an ultra chic cabin on a hill with a view to boast about, and impeccable service by people whom genuinely love there job. Then I have found the place for you.
Made for heli-skiing in the winter and hiking adventures in the summer, not to mention the ideal location for weddings and events, or a relaxing, and rejuvenating get away.
Recently I had the pleasure of experiencing what its like to stay and be pampered at this gem.
From the minute I arrived I was already taken by it.
I received a very warm welcome by Becky whom is the manager, and has been with Heather Mountain Lodge for 6 years.
She did welcome me at the front desk and not the bar, although from my sauna video you may not think that.
She provided me with a wealth of information about the Lodge and surrounding area, and got me all booked in for dinner. I was booked into the King cabin, which is one of the two newly built cabins on the hill above the lodge.
I didn’t know exactly what to expect, and was completely blown away by the ultra-chic cabin. It’s the perfect combination of luxury and nature.
Each cabin is equipped with in floor heating – which would be perfect on those chilly nights in the winter after an epic day of heli-skiing, a wood burning stove, king size bed, a very large bathroom with both a beautiful tub, and separate shower. I was loving the decor and amenities.
Although as soon as I pulled up to the cabin and seen the view I was in for, my soul was already feeling soothed. I zoned in on the little deck, and knew I was going to be spending some chill time basking in that view.
Incredible.
This trip was also serving as a reunion with my sister, so as I was taking in my surroundings, I was also impatiently awaiting her arrival.
Once she arrived, and we enjoyed some catching up on our little deck, it was hard to tear ourselves away from the cabin to go for dinner, but, we were about to be treated to a culinary experience that heightened all of our senses.
The patio where we chose to dine rather then in the dining room has picturesque views of the mountains and property. The property is conveniently located just off the highway, but when your immersed in Heather Mountain Lodge’s environment, you feel as though you are far away from the hustle and bustle of life.
Muzza was our server, and he was exceptional from the get go.
Full of personality, and he more then happy to recommend or describe anything about the menu, or even anything off the ‘hiking menu’ if you were already trying to figure out how you would wear off this fine food.
He is extremely knowledgeable about the area, and any hiking excursions you could want to take.
Our dinner experience began with cocktails(would you expect any less really), while we read through the menu trying to narrow it down to actual choices.
Everything sounded wonderful, so it was hard to choose. Although in the end we were so spoiled we were able to sample a variety of things.
We ended up starting with Caramelized Tomato & Juniper Soup
The flavor of the aromatic soup was enough to wake up our palettes immediately. That way they were on full form for what was next.
The Triple Creamed Brie.
Cheese is an addiction of mine, one that I don’t give into very often, usually only when I am out. So, clearly this was one of those occasions. Baked in phyllo pastry until molten, accompanied with pickled Okanagan peaches, apple mint jelly, reduced blueberry balsamic, and black pepper crackers. It was exactly as amazing as it sounds. When you dug a cracker into it, the perfectly backed brie, spilled out, begging to be enjoyed.
A glass of Pinot Noir was a must to compliment our mains. They have a very elaborate wine list to choose from. I was pleasantly surprised. My little wine loving heart could have been happy there for weeks with a list such as that.
For my main I went for the Alberta Rack of Lamb, served with fondant fingerling potatoes, grilled summer squash and roasted chipolini Jus.
My sister tucked into the BC Farmer’s Game Hen, which was slowly braised in white wine and herbs, accompanied with potato gnocchi, baby spinach, golden beets, toasted almonds with roasted garlic Gorgonzola Cream.
It’s not very often I can say that every dish I tried at a restaurant was amazing, but literally, everything was amazing. The love and passion that was put into creating these dishes was very apparent! We had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know the Chef, Josh Gaudet.
I was so impressed to learn that he creates all the menu items himself. Not only is he a fantastic person, but he really is very skilled at his craft. We enjoyed some very good chat throughout the evening with him.
We were absolutely out of room(where the heck did I put those sweat pants?!), but we couldn’t not try the amazing desserts created by their in house pastry chef, Ryan Doggart.
We went for the Rhubarb Crumble and Creme Brulee.
Both were absolutely divine, and tasted as fresh as you can get. It was obvious that Ryan also know’s his skill very well, and his passion shows in his creations.
This was a feast fit for a couple of queen’s, that’s a certainty.
Before we weren’t able to move anymore, we had to answer the beckoning’s from the hot tub and sauna. The hot tub is out doors but also enclosed, which is great, as I love having the best of both worlds. It was so relaxing.
Now being an avid sauna lover, and having grown up with one in my back yard – you could say I was very excited for that experience.
Let’s be real here though, I sipped on vino(personality in a bottle) for quite sometime before hand(obviously like a classy lady), I am pretty sure that the only thing detoxing out of this ladies pores was fine wine.
After an amazing afternoon/evening, the king size bed in the cabin swallowed me right up. I can’t even tell you how comfy that bed was, like probably the most comfy mattress ever! I didn’t want to leave it in the morning. I bet its even better in the winter. I could envision myself all wrapped up on those chilly winters nights on the mattress sent from mountain lodge heaven. Bliss!
Coffee on the little deck was the best way to get the day rolling the next morning.
Basking in the view and taking it all in. I could get used to that. I was contemplating just buying the cabin and becoming a permanent resident of the lodge. Alas, not this time around. That cabin was rocking our world, but at some point we had to head down for breakfast…..
Thank goodness we did! The beautiful breakfast surprise that awaited us, was nothing less then amazing.
Seeing as how we were fashionably late, they had so graciously set up a table for us on the patio(which we had all to ourselves), and Josh & Ryan, treated us to some more incredible culinary delights.
Seriously, however Josh cooked those eggs, I am telling you, for sure the best scrambled eggs I have ever had.
Between the view, and the spectacular breakfast it was hard for me to put my camera down and just enjoy the moment. This was something that had to be shared. Oh the life of a blogger. Before we continued on our adventures and ‘tore’ ourselves away from this amazing piece of heaven we had to take one last walk around the area to get the last feel for it all.
There is a very comfy little lounging area upstairs that is more so used in the winter.
But the property is pretty amazing in and of itself.
All I could think of was how badly I wanted to climb up to those mountain peaks. Being such a short and whirlwind trip this time, it only means that I have to return.
You can check out my Video Blog about the experience.
There are so many reasons that Heather Mountain Lodge is so special, but one of the main things that stand out is how the staff treat it as their own, and welcome people as if welcoming them into their own home. They love what they do, and they love the lodge, and it creates an environment that you feel warm, welcomed and pampered. I want to give huge thanks to the phenomenal people at Heather Mountain Lodge that made this such an unforgettable experience.
This lodge, is not a place to be missed if you find yourself in the area. Heck, even if you don’t find yourself in the area, plan a trip there. You will not soon regret it.
Adventure and fine dining. Two things that go together like me and wine. Meant to be. One of my absolute favorite destinations ever, is Golden, British Columbia. Literally, I just love that place. The energy there is fantastic – as well as the natural charm. With the green river flowing through it, the majestic mountains surrounding, and the small quaint size of it. I just cant get enough.
Golden has loads of activities on offer from, cycling, hiking, white water rafting, paragliding, and so on and so forth, I intend on spending quite a bit of time around there this summer. Endless excitement for my little adventure loving heart.
This time around, it was a weekend road trip with one of my long time gal pals.
Even though it was raining, it didn’t stop us. I am a damn trooper, it takes a lot more then that to stop this gal. There is nothing like hitting the open road, cranking your tunes, and laughing with one of your nearest and dearest. It’s always a nice change for myself as I do tend to do a sufficient amount of solo travel. It’s not my fault I like spontaneous adventures, and I don’t always have the time to wait for anyone else to join. Besides, ‘me time‘ rocks too!
Obviously aside from physical activities, Golden does offer a fine little culinary scene. One I also need to explore more of. I ever so graciously received a gift certificate from Tourism Golden for The Island Restaurant, an establishment in which I had not yet had the pleasure of being acquainted with. I love trying new things! Clearly. I think that goes without saying.
The Island Restaurant is a beautiful log building, and the location was prime with a patio that was over looking the river. It has such a warm and inviting atmosphere that draws you right in.
Mother nature decided to be a gem and hold up on the rain for us so we could enjoy the splendid patio ambiance.
Yes, I was already in my happy place with the way things were progressing – and it was about to get a whole lot happier when the vino started flowing. Anyone who know’s me, know’s that wine is a hobby of mine. It’s an art, one that I like to enjoy.
Before I decided on the bottle, we were offered a sample. A generous one at that. She said these two mixed together would taste the equivalent of Summers night. So off I went to experience it.
Wait it was a bit difficult, so I tried another route.
Yup, sold! Pretty darn delicious. Bring on the Summers Night.
Clearly I am a total class act, 100% of the time.
The service was top notch! Super charismatic, and above and beyond. Right from the get go.
We were having the best time ever. Having an awesome person taking care of you, always takes the experience way up as well!
Since you can’t live on Vino alone, it was time to begin our culinary journey.
I decided to try the Elk for my Entree. I like to keep things as local as possible no matter where in the world I am, so I figured you can’t get much more local then Elk. It was served as an Elk patty plated on top of rosti potatoes and roasted vegetables.
With a side of salad, and a pastry stuffed with cheese.
I love salad!!
The Elk had a very interesting flavor to it. I mean the flavoring they added was great, but the meat itself has quite a different taste to me. I am not sure I would be ordering Elk myself again anytime soon. However, everything else I had was ridiculously good.
Natasha went for the Mozzarella & Grape Quasadilla.
She also loved hers, and couldn’t resist in finishing every last bit.
Clearly we had to top it off with dessert, and went for the Apple pie. Freshly baked and perfectly delicious. Party in my mouth. Ok, that was the wine.
Looks like someone was enjoying their vino
I can tell you one thing, if you come hungry, you absolutely will not be leaving hungry. They take very good care of that. Perhaps I should have worn sweat pants…..
I was also treated to a tour by the chef. I always love a behind the scenes look at things. We even hung out with the owner for a bit.
The whole experience was so much fun, it was hard to leave. ‘No, I don’t want to go!’
Although I did leave in the end, and I know one thing for a fact, well two things actually. Firstly, I am going to be back in Golden in no time. Secondly, I will be visiting The Island Restaurant again. It has the view, the ambiance, the service, and the cuisine. Everything you could ever ask for in a culinary experience. When you wake up in the Golden area, don’t miss out on the chance to heighten all your senses.
We all know that I like a classy establishment where I can dress up and put on my heels, but I am a small town girl at heart, so sometimes I like those down to earth, home cooked flavors in a more rustic ambiance. I have driven by ‘The Corner House Cafe‘ many times and it always caught my eye – I knew I had to stop and check it out at some point.
Finally, long behold I was once again in the area visiting my family, and this time I made it a point to stop in! It had to happen. I am also the type of person that once I get something in my head, I will not be able to get it out of my head until I have tried it or done it. This situation was no different.
It has a charming, warm and inviting feel. There was just something about it. Clearly, otherwise it wouldn’t have been calling out to me for so long.
Upon entering I was pulled right in to the homey ambiance.
Not a bad view.
It’s family run, quaint, busy, and very friendly. Apparently from what I am told, they are always very busy, which doesn’t surprise me, I can absolutely see why.
It’s a great place, with great food. I was impressed with their little menu.
We were all in need of some grub at this point.
Being Sunday they were only offering breakfast, which really was not a problem for me as a Sunday Breakfast was exactly what I was after.
I was stoked to see that they made smoothies, and the smoothie of the day had loads of green ingredients in it, and for me the greener the better! So I was one happy patron.
I made sure to share it with my nephew, I do believe it’s never to young to prepare for a life of health and vitality.
Train those taste buds as soon as you freaken can!
All in all, it was a pretty awesome experience, and I was finally able to check it off my list(let’s not forget how important that is to me). I will say – if you ever find yourself in the Millarville area and happen to come across ‘The Corner House Cafe‘, pull on over and treat yourself! It was pleasantly surprising, and I will absolutely return to try out their lunch menu.
Keeping it random, local and classy every day of the week.
First of all, intelligence makes people more attractive. Not to mention expanding your mind is cool. Don’t let anyone tell you different.
I love reading, you know, there is nothing like getting lost in a good page turner. As much as I appreciate the functionality of a kindle, the feeling of holding a real book in my hands is something special. There has even been numerous studies done, that have shown reading print helps you retain the information better, and a book is more easy to navigate, as you can very quickly turn flip between pages. Getting away from staring at screens also improves concentration.
Being a writer and blogger, I am staring at a computer screen far more then I would like. It just has become a major part of every day for me – and believe you me, I do feel it! You know those times when you have been staring at the screen so long that your brain starts to feel like mush, and your eyeballs are glued open. At which point you have to peel yourself away from it just to unmush your brain and lubricate your eyeballs. Ahhhh, its like a good stretch.
One of many articles I have read on the subject titled ‘Reading Books Instead of Kindles Can Improve Your Memory, Concentration and Good Looks‘ on a sight Mic.com, that I find very interesting, even stated ‘Reading is sexy and makes you a more empathetic person‘. See, I told yah so.
With so many good scientific backed reasons to pick up a paper print book and take your imagination on a nice excursion – plus its just a personal preference for my own enjoyment purposes, a library card only made sense. I don’t have a personal library at home where I can stack books to the ceilings, and I am on a book reading mission right now. I want to continually expand my mind, and gain more writing skills. So you can call me your everyday book worm. With a library card, not only can I go and be immersed in an environment with like minded people, but I can read my little heart out, and hold as many paper print books as I can take. Oh and another perk that I learned upon signage is that they give you free credit to print things off with every month. Ha! Since I don’t have a printer at home at the moment either, this is just über convenient.
Well there you have it. That is why I made the leap, did something new for myself, and went and got a library card. I was excited as heck too, surely I was one of the most excited women they have ever seen over a new card. So on that note, does anyone have any good book recommendations for me?
First of all, how in the heck do I end up these situations?! Really now, the most random situations always seem to sneak up on me. It’s either the most incredibly amazing things, or the most ridiculously random. There seems to be no middle ground.
So yes, in case your wondering, I did get locked into a damn outhouse. I have been accustomed to outhouses all over the globe. Or at times shall I say versions of outhouses…. I mean the rotted wooden hole filled caving in ones that I had to use when I was working in the jungle’s of Central and South America were one version, oh and there was that one in very rural Mozambique which was 4 thatched walls, strung together, and inside is no hole in the ground, yet just a pile of boulders, in which you have to step on top of other people’s business and find a spot to do your business – and being the only foreign person these people have ever seen, you have a whole village just stand there watching you go inside and do your thing. Of course I maintained my classy composure, did it like a rockstar(literally rock-star), while smiling and waving at everyone while I entered and then preceded to try my best to hover over these rocks that you would rather not step on. When in Africa…. Sounds like pretty pleasant experiences don’t they?! They definitely weren’t the most glamorous loos that I have ever had the pleasure of using, nor did they smell like a bouquet of roses that some hunk bought me. Trust me that’s only a couple of many outhouse stories.
Of course I prefer porcelain and marble, however in some circumstances, you just ain’t got that option – and if there is one thing that I am, it’s Adaptable. Whether I enjoy the experience or not, its still an experience that I am alive to feel, so I always maintain a smile, and a good sense of humor to the best of my ability.
So here I was yesterday morning, on my 15 hour drive from Northwest Territories to Calgary, in – 30 c weather, and ridiculously icy road conditions, when nature decided to call.
I should know better then to drink a coffee and a tea directly before hitting the highway, as there isn’t much of anything for the first few hours of the drive.
The first road side turn out with an out house that I came across and I immediately pulled over to try and answer natures call…..
Holy geez! Someone did their business all over the toilet seat rather then inside, and it was -30 so it was frozen to the seat. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty – and I could darn well hold it and give nature a busy signal.
40 km later, and I reached the NWT/Alberta boarder, where there happened to be another outhouse. I pulled over once again, jumped out, looked inside, and was once again flabbergast at what I saw. Are you freaken kidding me?! Is it the new in thing to use the toilet seat rather then the toilet hole? Is there some sort of stomach bug in the area? So many questions. Yet I couldn’t stand looking at the sight, so I put nature on hold once again and hit the road. You and I both know, nature does not like being put on hold, and she was getting a bit antsy and starting kicking me in the bladder. Ok, ok, I promise not to ingest so many liquids before my road trips in the future.
20 kms down the road again, and I came up to a little place called Indian Cabins, where you get snacks and cheap alcohol in the middle of nowhere.
I seen the frozen out house and instead of going inside to see if they had a nice warm ladies room, ‘as there just wasn’t time for that’, I went straight to the outhouse and answered the call. I mean third times a charm right?
Mother nature was peeved though, and not so charming this time around. As soon as I found my relief and went to vacate the stall, I realized I was locked in. What the!? There is no way this is happening I thought. I rattled the door knob, and to no avail…. I kicked the door a couple times… Wearing my sneaker wedges weren’t exactly the most ideal for the job. I rattled the knob and pushed the door at the same time… Well it didn’t take me long to realize that Nature was obviously pissed at me, and was trying to hold me captive! In such brutally cold conditions, and not having mitts a hat, or proper boots, I could feel frosty starting to bite at my toes.
I dug in my jacket pockets and all I had with me was my car keys, and my bottle of Abundance essential oil…. I started calling for help, knowing that the one person that was inside would never hear me, and in that kind of weather people don’t go outside unless they have too. I also contemplated inhaling my abundance oil, although I wasn’t sure what kind of abundance it would bring me in that moment, but it would never fail to be relaxing.
So on to Plan B, ‘Survival of the fittest’
I am pretty quick thinker, and I do have loads of wilderness first aid and survival training… So, I stayed calm, and rationally assessed my situation. Freaken Petrena…. How do you find yourself in these places. Here are the three steps I took, to free myself from Natures cold ass cage.
Step 1 – Call for help, I mean even if no one can here you. Call your little heart out. Not to mention it keeps your blood pumping, which keeps you warm, and keeps your vocals singing. Its darn cold outside, and I was about to turn into an ice princess. I have too many ambitions in life for that shit.
Step 2 – Use whatever you have in your pockets as a tool to help you. I realized that on my keys was the car alarm!! I know whomever was inside would never hear me calling for help, but perhaps they would hear the car alarm. So I sounded the high alarm! It would only go off for about 5 minutes at a time before I would have to press the button again, but I wasn’t giving up.
Step 3 – Look at other ways of escaping. Seeing as how my super human strength wasn’t happening when I tried to kick the door down, I looked up and seen there was a bit of openings going over to the other side. It was quite high, but I tried my best to shimmy up. I realized I could probably do it, I would have had to kick off my wedge heels though, and then figure out how I would get down on the other side without breaking a leg on the 6 foot drop. So I decided to wait it out bit longer before that attempt at being in Cirque De Solier.
45 minutes later, I was starting to lose hope and body heat…. But it was in that moment I heard someone come outside, and boot steps coming towards me. It’s always in the moment where you feel like you hit rock bottom that something amazing happens.
A man got to the door, unlocked it, opened it, and said, ‘What are you doing locked in the outhouse?!’
Oh you know, I was just hanging out for some shits and giggles, no big deal. Who doesn’t like a good outhouse sesh? NOT! Clearly I had to pee like a race horse and ran into the first clean looking outhouse I could find. Although sarcasm aside, he was my night in shining armor, and I wanted to through my arms around him and thank him for saving my life. I didn’t though. I mean I did thank him, but I also kept my classy composure, and hands to myself.
He told me maybe I should go inside and freshen up in the nice warm washroom. Oh Petrena, you silly silly women, you shud have followed your gut in the beginning when it told you to go inside and look for a warm ladies room.
Moral of the story: Always listen to your gut – and when you fail to do that, then, be a survivor in the most awesome fashion possible. An hour behind schedule, but I was back on the open road of adventure, and I have finally arrived in Calgary!
So here you go, keep this trusty little step-by-step guide handy to get yourself out of being locked in an outhouse, or you can use this guide to not do what I did, and just don’t get yourself locked in a darn outhouse.
Winter time entertainment. It come is all forms, shapes and sizes. I love a good ol’ winter adventure sesh, especially when you find yourself amidst a beautiful balmy winter day. Not to mention in the stunning Northwest Territories region of Canada. It’s not uncommon to find temperatures dipping down to -50c in January/February, yes freeze your limbs right off kinda weather, so -22 was feeling like a Arctic summer dream. I always say, once you get past -30c, its just friggen cold, and the number of it no longer matters.
That is where my fire place comes in handy, oh yes, a nice toasty warm fire. I get that bad boy blazing in the winter, so when you come in from the ridiculously cold conditions, and need to thaw your lungs since the air pretty much froze in there – your house is like a oven sent from heaven! I absolutely adore it. It’s a winter pleasure for sure. Every season has its perks, no matter what, you can always make the most of any situation, and this is an example of me looking on the the bright side of any circumstance.
Being a balmy winter day, my friend Krystina and myself decided that we needed to get out and enjoy some time with mother nature and all her winter glory. Gosh, its damn stunning out here in the winter. Sheer winter blanket beauty coating all the tree’s and landscape. So I kicked off my high heels, covered my bare feet and we dawned the best shoes for the wintry occasion, which happen to be none other then, snowshoes, and we hit the trails at the golf course just outside town, in Hay River, NWT.
Literally I hadn’t gone snowshoeing since high school, which was quite awhile ago now…. I mean at the very least it was 16 years since I had a pair on – which made this little excursion extra exciting. Not that snowshoeing is a great level of difficulty, its just a nice, relaxing form of winter exercise.
Once we got out there and got ourselves together, it was GO time! Initially it was feeling cold ass out there with the wind chill. Even through my 3 pairs of socks my toes were feeling frozen, but we trooped on. Knowing that once we got our blood pumping we would warm up.
It really didn’t take long before frozen toe syndrome was a thing of the past.
The trails at the Hay River Golf Course are very well done. Full of snow shoe and cross country skiing tracks.
It’s apparent that these are pretty popular winter sports from all those tracks. We were in awe of the winter wonderland-esque beauty that we were surrounded by. Totally engulfed in it.
There wasn’t the best path markings, and we did get lost in and amongst it all for awhile, not in a bad way though, in an adventurous way. As any good traveler knows, “It’s not always the destination that’s important, its the journey along the way”. Oh, and we did at one point find our way, or should I say, ‘Ricardo’s Way‘, so we followed the snowy brick road.
It was so peaceful, calm and serene. At many parts the snow was being blown off the branches giving the effect as if it was snowing. There was another area where there were birds chirping, and squirrels playing. It was majestic to say the least.
In the end we covered just shy of 6 km of distance, and killed a few hours, enjoying every moment, stopping to bask in the endless splendor, playing background music(when my phone was actually working), and held up trees….
Oh, come on now, who doesn’t like to spend some time holding up a pine tree?!
I say when my phone was working because the darn thing kept freezing and shutting off on me….. So I would stick in my shirt and un-thaw it. It’s not as though I have loads down there, so there was plenty of room for it. Worked like a charm I tell yah. Iphones clearly aren’t built to brave arctic winter conditions, but she did well considering. We even had icecycles on our hair and eyelashes.
Being awesome kept us warm though. It never fails.
We knew we found base again when we came into view of the club house.
Yes we were melting with enthusiastic joy of our accomplishment of the day.
Another afternoon of rocking my little world, and doing so with the epic company of a life long friend. It was a breath of fresh scenic air, and a bonding event with mother nature herself. So if your feeling like a nice chilled little winter adventure, slap on some snow shoes, grab a good friend, and get your asses out there.
I am already preparing for round two before I leave my Northern homeland, this time busting out cross country skis. Let’s put our best foot forward. Happy winter days!
Live tunes, cold drinks, amazing people and an epic atmosphere. Sounds pretty darn awesome doesn’t?! That’s because those things are awesome! Agua Bar in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, is exactly where it’s at if those are things that are up your alley. Agua Bar has it all.
That’s actually a fish tank in the window, and looks really cool when you are beside it. You know, makes sense as Agua translates in English to Water.
One of my absolute favorite water holes for years now – and for good reason.
Agua has been around for about 11 beautiful years. It makes Palma a better place. Even though Palma is generally ridiculously amazing, Agua is the cherry on top.
Throughout the week they offer lots of various excitement for you to enjoy. Monday’s are flip night, where you can try your luck at a coin toss to see if you can call the throw correctly to nail yourself a beverage on the house. Thursday’s are ladies night, where the ladies can indulge in free wine & cava, from 7 – 10:30. Wine & cava not your thing? Well in that case you can instead receive 50 percent off any other drink your little heart desires. Friday and Sunday are the famous ‘Open mic nights‘, and then there is Charity Saturdays, where the generous, thoughtful and awesome guy’s who run Agua, Rich & Lee, will donate 50 cents from every drink purchased throughout the night to a charity. So you can drink with a cause and not feel guilty about being a party animal.
Care for a shot?
When in Palma, I frequent Agua bar on Friday and Sunday nights to take in their open mic nights. There is always some incredible talent to enjoy, and loads of Agua bar locals. Music feeds the soul, and makes my little world go round.
Why not have a little listen for yourself.
The famous open mic nights are exactly that, so that means they are pretty popular and the place fills up. Everyone wants to either hear or be part of the epic jam sesh’s.
You could say Agua is almost like a small community, its a place where everyone knows your name, and everyone just happens to be awesome. I am sure you agree that it’s rare and rad to find a bar that’s pretty much rammed with cool peeps. That would be Agua’s magnetism. It attracts exactly what it is. If you are good to the bar, they are just as good to you.
One of the best things ever is the ‘went for a pee card‘. If for whatever reason you have to leave your drink, all you gotta do is grab a card and pop it on your glass. It works like a freaken charm. Being such a kick ass establishment, its totally legit, and no one tampers with your drink. Not many bars you can say that about now-a-days.
Trust me when I say, no matter what day you go to Agua bar you are always guaranteed to have a damn good time. I have had many endless great times there.
It has some pretty sweet decor, show casing all the amazing classics all over the walls. The place is warm, inviting, and air conditioned in the summer. Let’s not forget Palma is hot as hell in the summer, so why not go cool down in Agua. Good ol’ Agua, just consistently checking all the boxes. It’s definitely a bar not to be missed in Palma. It will reel you right in – just like it did me. The first time I visited it, magic happened, I felt right at home, and the rest is history.
Sooo, see yah there this weekend? What are you waiting for?! Whether your there to play or just to listen, it will rock your socks off. Yup, that’s my kinda Jam.
One thing to remember when embarking on a dinner mission in Spain – ‘Most restaurants don’t open before 8’. Freaken heck though, most westerner’s don’t like to eat after 8. It can be a tad bit of an adjustment. Seeing as how I am programmed to have dinner quite early in the evening, I always tend to forget this late dinner fact.
My friends and I had dinner plans, and we decided to just wing it – meet up, be spontaneous and just find a place. It just so happened to be about 6 pm, and the streets were quite and most restaurants chained up, dark and lifeless. Yes it was way to darn early. ‘Dang’ we thought, where the heck are we gonna get some chow?!’
Long behold, we came across ‘La Cueva’. With 20 people standing outside(well maybe 10, but in dead streets it looked like 20) we figured there was a good chance it was open. We took a peak inside – and damn straight, it was OPEN! Score! We were in there like flint.
Not before having a photo shoot in front of the door.
From the entrance we had to go down a few stairs(I know from the previous photo you would assume up, BUT, it was down), and enter into the restaurant which is very much like a cool ass little cave. With ‘La Cueva’ translating to ‘The Cave’ in English, it only made sense really.
I am all about fresh and local ingredients, and they definitely had the fresh part going on. I didn’t have a chance to ask about the local part though.
My eyes were already liking what they were seeing. Although, once menu was in hand, and you are presented with what appears to be loads of delicious plates, it ain’t so darn easy anymore.
Oh geez, what the heck to choose?! How about just one of everything?
OK, ok, that’s excessive, it would be far too much…… So we each just chose 2 tapas each for the table.
It was still way too much in the end, but at least we got to try a bit of everything. They have their system down pat, and are ready to rock with the plates at any given moment. It was very good service. The only thing I did notice was the microwave.
We were a bit shocked at how incredibly fast it came, and not being someone whom uses microwaves myself, it was a small bit daunting, but being as hungry as we all were – we weren’t about to complain, and in reality, its not like they were hiding the fact they use a microwave for some things. Everything was made fresh, and I suppose it was necessary to keep up with the capacity of clients they receive. So really, it is what it is. No biggy what-so-ever.
We opted to choose a different Vino then the one on the table, and instead went for the Jose. L. Ferrer. One of my favorite vineyards in Mallorca . We tested out a bit of everything food wise. From olives and aioli,
onward to, potatoes with aioli, mushrooms, pepper padrons(one of my all time Mallorcan favorites), Mallorcan bread and cheese.
Not to mention, shrimps still sizzling.
Calamari, octopus, and shaved ham. Don’t forget to share – sharing is caring.
The food was all ridiculously good to be honest, and super traditional. If there is one thing I enjoy most in life, it’s taking in as much of the local cultures and traditions where ever in the world I may be. Even when it happens to be in my own Country of Canada.
Just when we thought we were having the time and feed of our lives – in came the live music. My little world would not turn without music, and I am ALL about live music, in any and all forms. So this rocked my darn world.
In came the cavalry.
Pucker up princess. They were freaken awesome! And such good sports. Not to mention, I do love the accordion oh so much! I am into the most random things. I also happen to play a few tunes on the harmonica. Bet you didn’t expect that.
My time was running short in Mallorca. Even though I am never gone that long, I like to end my time here with the most Mallorcan experiences as possible. Considering we thought we were outta luck unless we waited for places to open – we were pleasantly surprised. A feast for a king – a hungry king at that. This little gem of a restaurant was absolutely great, and I would go back to ‘La Cueva‘ in a heart beat.
Hungry for some traditional tapa’s before 8 pm? Well meet me at La Cueva.
Mallorca continues to provide me with ample reason to absolutely love it. My love for this amazing place just never ceases to continually grow. As any good thing does – it just gets better and better with time. Winter in particular is my favorite time of year here. I love the temperature, its perfect for my Arctic blood. Not like in the summer, when I am sweating my ass off. Sounds attractive doesn’t it?! Just as classy as ever.
With holiday season approaching us, Palma pulls out all the stops to make it a magical experience – and its darn freaken amazing.
The whole city is decorated with lights, and not just a few lights. The effort put into it every year is incredible.Although, in Mallorca they always know how to throw a kick ass party, bringing thousands of people together all the time. The epitome of true urban living, on one the most beautiful islands on this planet. Oh I could go on about my love story with Mallorca forever…. And I most likely will.
November 27th, 2015, marked the day the lights get a good old power surge, and transform the city to your very own fairy tale. It’s undeniably romantic.
Just like the Northern lights back home in Northern Canada, the magnificence of this never gets old. They began hanging the lights a few weeks ago, and every day when I was seeing them, I was waiting in eager anticipation for them to be turned out. I wasn’t the only one. Literally they whole downtown and old town area of the city is covered.
It rocks my world, and it slows time right down. Every night when you are walking through it, you can’t help but stay in the moment and take it all in. It’s a beautiful thing when time almost stops for a bit, as life just seems to fly by, and I like to be present in every given moment. Just loving life. As I do.
Next weekend all the Christmas markets are beginning, and they are full of Mallorca’s finest local products. From hand crafted local artisan products, to local cheese’s, meat, olives, and goodies. Let’s not forget the Mulled wine! It’s the best winter beverage ever! Warm, spicy, and made with my fave juice, which just so happens to be vino. As we all know. Mmmmm, I can taste it now. In the next couple weeks there are also going to be stages set up around the city with live music. Something for everyone to enjoy, bringing the community together. It’s gonna be epic.
Until then, I am still going to live in this moment, and enjoy the heck outta today. Why have it any other way? And yes, in case your wondering, I do believe in fairy tales.
Cheese is an addiction of mine, one that I don’t give into very often, usually only when I am out. So, clearly this was one of those occasions. Baked in phyllo pastry until molten, accompanied with pickled Okanagan peaches, apple mint jelly, reduced blueberry balsamic, and black pepper crackers. It was exactly as amazing as it sounds. When you dug a cracker into it, the perfectly backed brie, spilled out, begging to be enjoyed.
Care for a shot?
Don’t forget to share – sharing is caring.
A Pursuit of Life - Barefoot& High Heeled 