lifestyleblog – A Pursuit of Life – Barefoot& High Heeled

Epic Eats And Treats At the Corner House Cafe

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.

Why I Signed Up For A Library Card

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?

3 Steps to take when your locked in an Outhouse

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.

Happy road tripping days!

Snow, and the shoes for the occasion.

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!

Tunes, drinks, and epic times at Agua Bar

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.

Eating typically traditional in Palma at La Cueva

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.

Living Dreams in Santa Maria

There is nothing like a Mallorcan adventure. More so, just a nice afternoon excursion out of Palma. It’s always good to get out of the city when you can, there is just way too many things to experience on this wondrous island. The winter weather has been so incredibly awesome, it just asking to be basked in.

Santa Maria was the destination on the dice. A beauty of a little town on the interior of the island. No massive plans really, just take a nice walk around, find a beauty of a spot to enjoy some lunch, and sip on some fine wine.

Previously I have been to Santa Maria, but only by car. This time around, we were taking the train. You would be amazed at the awesome little metro system here on the island. I sure the heck was. I had been planning on taking the metro for years here on the island – just for something different, but always ended up driving everywhere. Knowing we had the intention of indulging in some vino, driving was not the mode of transport for us classy ladies.

The trains actually come much more frequent than expected.

We grabbed our tickets, and it was GO time!

Aaaalll aboard. Next stop, Santa Maria.

Ok, not the classiest looking train stop.

The rest is damn classy though. You just hang tight…..

It’s such a nice and quaint little town – epic little place to enjoy a stroll.

This little gas station was too cute not to photograph.

Let’s not forget that it was also during the hours of siesta. So it was extra quiet in the streets. There is no messing around when it comes to siesta time in these necks of the worldwide woods.

Suddenly along our path, we came across an establishment called ‘Livingdreams‘.

With a name like that, I was intrigued and drawn right in. It has such a crisp modern chic and naturally minimal appeal to it.

So we grabbed a table in the front and preceded to get on the vino and olive wagon. The service was given with all smiles, and super welcoming personalities. I was diggin it -that’s for darn sure.

A little while into the day dreaming, nature was calling. That vino was going right through me. So I had to search out the ladies room. I didn’t expected to be astonished. Little did I know, I was absolutely about to be living a dream. A kick ass one that you are happy to not wake up from for as long as you possibly can.

I was pleasantly surprised just walking through the lux establishment, absolutely thinking, ‘well hello, this is enchanting now isn’t it?!’

Very appealing on the eyes.

However, upon entering the courtyard to which I was directed in order to find the ladies room, my eyes widened with sheer delight.

Hiding in the back was a classy courtyard ambiance. The next big thing in my head was, ‘We are moving! right freaken now!’

Wait though on second thought, it’s best I visit the ladies room….. Gotta stick the with program.

After that business was taken care of, it was straight back to Kassandra to say my thoughts outloud ‘We are moving, right freaken now! You will see why.Let’s go’

It was incredible. Right up our freaken alley. We ran around loving the secret garden, taking photos like mad.

I had no problem imagining all the people I want to shared the little gem with(obviously this means you lucky duck).

Before that could happen, we needed to get back to business, sipping our vino and grab a little lunch.

It was all ridiculously good.The wine, the food, the ambiance. I can’t wait to go back for round two.

Yes you could definitely say,

I found my secret garden, with the fountain of Vino!!

The best part about having no plans or expectations, is that it always turns out better then you could have expected, as you didn’t have any – and more often then not, you always end up getting completely blown away by pure epicness.

Palma Indulginces at the San Juan Gastromarket

Gastromarkets. These concepts are a rave around the globe at the moment, popping up all over the show. For darn good reason too. Here in Palma de Mallorca, it is just the same. The art of food is a massive focal point for foodies – gastronomy is the craze. Enjoying a meal however, does always begin with your eyes. Although if it’s to be an incredible culinary art, as in a cut above the rest, something to write home about – it will bring something to the table that heighten’s almost all of your senses. That is a much more difficult feat. Yet is an astounding experience. I do very much appreciate gastronomy culinary art.

S’Escorxador is where San Juan, the newest and hottest gastromarket is located in Palma. Having opened in June, it has taken off very well. Since I returned to Palma, I had so many people telling me it is a must try; So I did just that. I went and tried it.

Considering it was raining, what better a day to choose to engage in an affair such as this. Sitting inside an exquisite establishment, sipping on fine wine, and indulging in an exceptional culinary experience. Yup pretty perfect if you ask me.

Okay, well actually, on that note – as a child when it would rain(or even hail) outside, I took it as the perfect opportunity to slap on the ol’ swimsuit, and head outside to have the time of my life in mother nature’s glorious shower. For hours my little heart would be content in it. Not gonna lie, even as an adult, I still like to play in the rain. Although I haven’t donned my swim apparel in quite some time for the occasion. Although the thought has crossed my mind. I mean, ‘why the heck not?!’ It’s refreshing, natural and fun. For a trip down memory lane, so little Petrena can live on inside of me. You catch my drift.

Second to that though, sipping on fine wine, and tantalizing my taste buds in a gastromarket – would be the next most ideal choice. One in which my sophisticated classy lady side happens to love.

S’Escorxador itself dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, and was the cities original central slaughterhouse. The re-vamp of the building has completely modernized it. I have a massive appreciation for history being restored and turned into something exceptional. Urbanization at it’s finest.

Upon arriving to S’Escorxador I immediately was drawn straight to the cinema posters. Dang, I love going to movies. They even played movies in English at this theater. Not that I mind watching Spanish movies, but to see a movie in my own language, is always enjoyable. Sooooo yah, 6pm movie after an afternoon gastromarket session, was exactly what my list of things to do entailed on this particular rainy day.

When I walked into San Juan I was instantly impressed.

I was digging the decor. Bright, crisp, clean, airy, and inviting. The lighting fixtures are very eye catching as well. It was undeniable, I was in for a fabulous experience. Seeing as how it is a gastromarket, and they have 17 gourmet food stalls there – you best be prepared to sample a few of the various delectable’s that are on offer.

First thing is first though. Get the vino flowin! Very important. Step freaken 1.

We grabbed a bottle of red called Damana 5 to get us going. Why on earth did we start with red?! Beats the heck out of me. Alright, alright, it was me who ordered it… I was eager to get the party started. So we did things backwards. First red, then rose, and onward. We were enjoying ourselves regardless of the wine sequence, and that is all that matters.

With Vino in hand, you can see Belle was ready to check out the various stalls. Let’s do this!

In accompaniment to the vino, we did do our utmost to sample various dishes. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed how social it was sitting there. Different locals would come and sit beside us and would end up having a little chat. Socializing with different people absolutely adds to the experience. Bringing people together, one gastro experience at a time. Hmmm, new slogan perhaps?

Wendy was right in there being a gem and starting us off with some ceviche.

After which we had, Pad Thai, and some Mallorquin Ham and Cheese platters.

Onward and upward to some of my favorite things, Aperol Spritz’s and Oysters.

Oh heck yes. Now we were talking. Nothing like slurping an Oyster down the hatch, and then cleansing the palette with an Aperol Spritz(made with Cava of course). Oysters and bubbly just go hand in hand. Well in my case, hand to my mouth.

Wait she looks a bit unsure.

We even had a suck at some Percebe(otherwise known as goose barnicle).

As you can see the girls were absolutely loving them!

Wendy actually does love them though, I think she just got squirted in the eye.

Not my fave if you ask me, tastes a bit too much like a combination of rock and strong fishy sea water. Oh well, tis the way sometimes, I will always give things a try at least once though.

Space had become quite limited in our stomachs at this point. It was a must to go out with a bang though. Rarely do I eat red meat, but when its local, and a fine cut, not to mention, so tender it melts in your mouth like butter. Well, then its a different story.

It was ridiculously good. Save the best for freaken last – as they say.

After it was all said and done, we did still in fact take in our movie. The flic of choice was Desert Dancer – and it was nothing less then amazing. For myself it was one of the most emotionally moving movies I have ever seen. I loved it. Giver a go if your into an emotionally touching film. Its a fantastic little theater as well, with very friendly and happy attendants waiting to welcome you.

Well what can I say, San Juan did not disappoint.

We went, we indulged, we laughed, we socialized, and thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance. A gastronomic experience not to be missed.

Spontaneously, I woke up back in Spain.

As per usual Petrena style, I made the spontaneous decision to return to Spain for a bit. My other home. Palma de Mallorca, Spain. It seems I just can’t stay away for that long, it drags me back. Well, in all honesty it doesn’t take much dragging. Hello Palma!!

Holy man, first of all, the mid summer heat nearly did me in. My Arctic blood always has an interesting go at acclimatizing to the heat. Trust me, I am not in my most attractive state when I am sweating my ass off…. It’s a great way to detox your body. At least that is what I keep telling myself in order to power through. It’s a small price to pay though to be back in the one of the most epic places on this planet. Although summer is ridiculously busy on the island, and there are loads and loads of tourists – so I still prefer the winter here, however, I love it any and all times of year. It’s just undeniably amazing.

I also decided to bring my sweet ass Canadian made Lochside bicycle on the journey with me. I have traveled with quite an array of interesting things, from a massage table, to hoola hoops, and onward. This was my first time with a bicycle though. So packing it was also an interesting little feat.

Yet with some bubble wrap, tape, and some help from my awesome friends after a few glasses of vino, she was pulled together quite well. I even used a piece of rope to make a handle(which ironically was very handy). She made it though! Intact(well just a couple bumps and scrapes) and equally as excited for the Mallorca experience.

We were greeted by one of my best friends, and a fab wine and cheese spread. Let me just say, I am beyond happy I brought my bike, we just rock these bike paths together. She really is just such a smooth ride. It helps that the island is built for cycling, and there are loads of bike paths all over the place. I knew I wouldn’t regret bringing her along. My piece of home that I get to share with my other home.

Coming home Palma always also means one thing(among many). Catching up with my awesome friends. With time away, the excitement to catch up is always building.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Absence also creates in-between adventures, which in turn creates loads to talk about. Never a dull freaken moment. Between catch ups, cycling, and visiting my favorite restaurants, with Vintage(pictured below) in the trendy area of Santa Catalina being one of my all time favorites, I have been kept very busy.

I even had a quick trip up to Northern Spain, where I was able to have another reunion.

And while I was there, a visit Santiago De Compostela.

A place full of mucho history, it’s a beautiful area.

There is a well known pilgrimage called the Comino de Santiago, which takes about a month to complete. I have wanted to do it for years, more so for the fact that I want to say I have completed a month tour by foot. Santiago De Compostela is where the pilgrimage ends. So you see loads of happy people with their backpacks, exuding satisfaction at what they have just completed. Being there and seeing that reinforced inside me that I want to do the walk. And I will indeed.

I also checked out the little town of Poio. It is a small place with nothing too major to see. However it is still rich in history, and I fell in love with it’s little old town. It came out of nowhere. We went from a quiet lunch and streets of not much.

To jam packed little old town streets. In the matter of a turn of a corner.

I loved the atmosphere it had. Until it started raining. And then I was soaked. I love playing in the rain, I will dance in it, put on my swimsuit and love life in it. I just wasn’t equipped with the proper footing for it at that moment. However it was a memorable area.

Oh Spain. I absolutely adore you. Your just so darn fantastic. Not a bad place to wake up to – if I do say so myself.

My Top 3 British Columbia Winery’s:)

Wine Tours. Glorious wine tours. One of the best past times of my life. I have had the privilege of doing wine tours all over the globe. This time around, I had the pleasure of doing wine touring in my own spectacular Country. It’s often we forget what we have in our own back yard – and this was the perfect opportunity to remind myself of the incredible things we have right here in Canada. Not to mention the incredible vineyards Canada boast’s.

Trust me, seeing as how I was road tripping like a solo rock star, it was only fitting that I wine tasted like a solo rock star. I took full advantage of being in wine Country while in beautiful British Columbia. Wine is an art, and here in BC wine Country, they take their art seriously. There were so many too choose from, I couldn’t get them all in, but made a massively good effort – if I do say so myself. I was blown away at the beauty of pretty much all of the vineyards I visited. I mean this is British Columbia, it’s over flowing with endless beauty. I also really appreciated the fact that all the winery’s I visited are family run – it definitely adds to their charm.

The wine touring I partook in was between Kamloop’s, Salmon Arm, and Vernon. That being said, as much as I would love to write about every winery I visited, I can’t. That would be very long, and I have so much to tell about at the moment – that I have to narrow it down and tell you about my favorites. So here are my top 3 wineries of this trip.

Monte Creek Ranch just a 10 minute drive outside Kamloops. An area rich in history – the family whom began Monte Creek Ranch, wanted to maintain and cultivate the land. Livestock share the ranch with grape vines and wild stock. They have two vineyards, Lion’s Head Vineyard, and Monte Creek Ranch Vineyard(where the tasting room is located). Everything they grow on the farm and vineyard is organic and chemical free. Just the way I like to live my life. Not to mention, every person working there, was very knowledgeable about about the ranch, and happily shared as much information about it as I could take in. Customer service at it’s finest.

They have quite the array of wines, and I love their labeling, just as much as their wine. The view from the tasting room, is as salivating for the senses as is their wine. With majestic mountains sprawling around you for your viewing pleasure.You can sit and enjoy some incredible vino and canape’s while taking it all in. Before you go, don’t forget to top up on all their farm fresh products, including grass fed beef, all the way to honey. I am happy to say I enjoyed every wine that I sampled, it was hard to choose just one to purchase, as I could have taken a couple cases, but in the end settled on a bottle of the Rose.

Sunnybrae Vineyards & Winery Nestled at the base of the Bastion Mountain and on the shores of the Shuswap Lake, you will find the radiant and meticulously groomed vineyard of Sunnybrae. The staff were also very welcoming and friendly. Sunnybrae has also received awards for their finely crafted wine’s.

From the tasting room you have an exquisite view of the lake and Mount Ida.When you step out to the Vineyard, you can not help but be blown away by the picturesque beauty. I had to just stand there and take a hard 10 of basking and taking it all in. When I say it is meticulously groomed, that is no exaggeration.

They proudly offer wines made from their Kerner, Ortega, Siegerrebe, Schonburger, and Marchel Foch grapes. Once again, not one of their wines I sampled disappointed. However my palette fell head over heels for the Ortega, and the Siegerrebe, and I ended up having to get a couple bottles of each(they had a sale). What classy lady can say no to a sale?!

Larch Hills Winery A farm winery located at the Northern end of the Okanagan growing region, not far outside of Salmon Arm. There is a nice little drive up the mountain to reach this little stunner, and also warm welcome awaiting you in the tasting room.

Larch Hills has some phenomenal wines, and as you can see, have received numerous awards.

Specializing in cool climate grape growing, they offer wines made from Ortega, Madeleine Angevine, Madeleine Sylvaner, Siegerrebe, and Agria grapes, grown right there on their vineyard. Also Foch, Merlot, and Pinot Noir grapes outsourced from contract vineyards. I ended up getting a couple bottles of the Lemberger, as they were so kind enough as to give me one as a gift too. Being ridiculously good, and very limited due to the fact that there were only so many bottles made from what they yielded from the crop, and its popularity was very large – so they were down to their last few cases. Now I have more stop that needs to be mentioned. It’s not wine that is produced from what they grow, however it is something even more unique that comes from their crop, that being – Haskap Liqueur.

High Mountain Farm located in Salmon Arm, BC, is the first commercial grower in the North Okanagan of the marvelous haskap berry. Up until this point in my life, I had never even heard of the haskap berry, let alone Haskap Liqueur. However, thank’s to my lovely sister’s recommendation of visiting this particular farm, a whole new world opened up to me. Run by the most lovely family ever, they were more then happy to give me a tour of the 108 year old farm – and teach me everything I needed to know about the wondrous little haskap berry. I learned that not only does the haskap berry contain 3 times more antioxidants then blueberries, there are also various types. Here at the High Mountain Farm they proudly grow, Indigo Yum, Indigo Gem, and Aurora, all grown naturally and pesticide free.

Let me tell you, these little berries pack a punch of flavor! Axel and Doris were so amazingly hospitable during my visit, I had the best time ever just visiting with them. Not only did I get to sample some of their delicious berries on ice cream, and some refreshing frozen haskaps.

We also cracked open a bottle of the Haskap Liqueur that is not made on the premises, but is made directly from their lovingly grown haskaps.

Careful though, haskap’s do stain the fingers. Stopping here was one of the highlights of my trip. Thank you so much High Mountain Farm! Well I can’t wait to go back to BC for round two of my wine tasting adventures. I will happily re-visit any of these places, and can’t wait to check out some new ones. With all my goodies, I was able to share some tasting’s of these fine wines with some other special people along the way of my adventures.

Happy wine tasting days!

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