winter – A Pursuit of Life – Barefoot& High Heeled

Relishing In The Unique Beauty Of Early Winter In The NWT

With Winter having arrived in its early stages, there is always this unique and stunning beauty of the area around Hay River, NWT. Being built on the shores of the ninth largest lake in the world, the Great Slave Lake, and in very close proximity to a few different waterfalls – the ice always freezes over.

As it is still the early stages, the freeze is not totally complete yet. I absolutely love appreciating the abundance of beauty this area has to offer all year round. With each changing season, the beauty alters to another unique state.

With the weather being so mild, I decided it was the perfect day to go on some ‘me time’ adventures, and do a bit of cruising. One of my favorite past times in life is my solo adventures, and going on scenic drives. I figured I would go to the beach and check out the lake before heading out to Alexandra Falls.

The beach was so pristine and tranquil.

With a thin sheet of ice blanketing the top, no wind, and not a sound other then my shoes crunching in the snow to be heard. It was incredible. Moments like that totally sooth the soul.

In the distance not far out you could still see a bit of water where the ice has not covered yet. It will not take very long to be totally covered with the cold snap that is due to come in.

I was feeling so relaxed on this peaceful walk, it was one of those soul soothing moments for sure.

I hit the road towards Alexandra falls after I was done frolicking on the beach. A nice 40 minute drive. The snow was lightly falling, and it added to the early winter feel. Cruising on the highway and being in my thoughts is another very relaxing place for me to be.

As I was walking on the trail to the falls viewing point I could already hear water flowing, so I knew the falls were not frozen over yet. I was so pleasantly surprised with the showcase that the falls had on display.

Half frozen, half flowing. Such a stunning contrast. It is one of those things that you can get lost in. It is so easy to just sit and stare, and listen to the sounds, it becomes mesmerizing. Well it’s without a doubt healing and soul soothing.

There was beauty to be appreciated from all angles.

I took it in as long as I could before getting a chill. The wind out there was a bit nippy.

Seriously though, the sights here never get old. Growing up here, I must have done the tour hundreds of times, and yet, every time is better then the last. It is never boring or run of the mill, instead it always just makes me feel so darn amazing.

I highly suggest getting the North on your bucket list.

If you are interested in veiwing my YouTube Video of the excursion you can check that out here.

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!

Ice Fishing in the depths of the Great Slave Lake.

Where there is winter and a frozen lake – There is winter fun and ice fishing! With winter taking up the majority of the year, you have to keep life as entertaining as possible so as to keep your blood pumping so you don’t ice over. Although, that being said, I still love winter just as much as ever, and I don’t mind the cold at all. Usually that is… If I am stuck outside and freezing my butt off getting frost bite, then yes, perhaps in that case I would beg to differ. But with the proper attire, I am all game!

It was a balmy winter day, and the frozen over lake was calling our name. Calling us straight to the fishing derby that it! It’s a little competition held annually in town on the Great Slave Lake.

I grabbed a ticket and I was good to go! Cruising onto the lake you can see everyone’s vehicle’s parked by their little fishing shacks.

I had the most awesome crew of friends waiting for me at our designated hole. Having just returned from Spain, and not having been here for a winter in years, I was definitely not equipped with proper winter apparel, and I also forgot just how freaken cold it gets out on the frozen lake! Yah you could say I got a few looks when I rocked up onto the ice in my jeans, boots(not winter boots), a jacket, scarf and mitts…… It took me all of a few minutes to feel the bite of the cold, and also realize I may be a tad under dressed for the event. I suppose seeing everyone else in their full on snow pants and parka’s may have also been a bit of a hint, or should I say brick wall! Not always the brightest crayon in the box, absolutely one of the most entertaining though. But seriously, it’s easy to under estimate the winter deep freeze up here. Lesson learned. Well at least until the next time I end up abroad for years of warmer winter’s.

After they were done poking fun at me for my ensemble, they wrapped me in whatever they could find to try and provide me with some warmth before hypothermia set in.

We prepped our fishing hole as any good northern fishing hole should be. Beer, beaver, rod, and hook dropped deep into the icy depths Looks like a pro hole if you ask me.

It was so cold that even our hole kept freezing over! Swift little kick with the ol’ boot clears that right up.

Even my beer kept freezing onto the can, and a piece of mitt fuzz. Along with my face freezing stiff while I was trying to speak. It’s those moments where its so cold your nose starts running and your hoping its not going down your face as your skin is so cold you probably wouldn’t feel it. Hopefully though, if that happened, your friends would be so kind as to let you know. Otherwise it’s just embarrassing. Need a ride anywhere cause your frozen stiff? If you did, there also happened to be that option.

With no bites in sight, the girls resorted to doing a little ice fishing chant around the hole in hopes that a fish might have jumped out and sacrificed itself. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and there was a $1500 prize to the best fish caught, so obviously you want to win!

Sadly the chant didn’t provoke any fish to get a front row seat of the show. I enjoyed it though! Speaking of desperate, I was starting to turn blue. My blanket and what ever else I was wrapped in was not cutting it. So a couple of my friends took me to get more appropriately suited up for the weather.

Ok, and to grab a quick Bailey’s and Coffee. Its best to also warm up from the inside when you are that frozen …. Not to mention it was darn delicious!

Wow, what a difference the proper clothing made! Happy days!! I was more than ready to get back out there and catch a fish by that point. Except when we got back, a snow storm had ensued. It ended up making for the event to get cut short, as it was just ridiculously cold by that point, and the blizzardy white out wasn’t helping. There was also a tuna shot, where you take a golf club and try and shoot a can of tuna into a hole. Although it too was not really possible due to the blizzard that came in.

So after all the prizes were drawn, and the one guy who actually caught a fish got his pot, we high tailed it outta there and straight to the little party shack to un-thaw and have a beer that wouldn’t tease you by turning into a block of ice before you could indulge in it. Gotta love a Canadian party shack!

Obviously if there is a seat with a saddle on it, you have no choice but to hop on! It’s not your typical ice fishing experience. However with an awesome crew, and the right clothing, it’s an epic day of endless laughter and Northern adventure. What more could you ask for?!

Tantalizing my taste buds with market perfection;)

It was one of those days where I had a craving for some fresh food and Spanish market ambiance. After gathering the troops and getting a meeting point sorted, I was off to Mercat de l’Olivar, to indulge in some fresh seafood, and in addition to that of course, some very tasty Vino.

I love the fact that it is winter and the market is remarkably empty, in such a way that you can actually walk around it and even better than that, ‘find seats’!!
In the summer it just gets chaotic, and because of that, it can kind of lose the charm it has in the quieter winter months, where you can actually move and not get claustrophobic;)

We ended up at a little place called, Bar del Peix, well I didn’t actually pick it, it was my friends choice, yet cu-do’s to her, as it was a fabulous choice. Funny enough I made a pit stop to the ladies room, and upon my arrival there was a weigh scale welcoming my entrance. I suppose that is one way to make sure you keep your portions in control, as the food is pretty ridiculously awesome;) Only in Spain….. I love Spain, and its randomness. Well hello there Mr. Weight scale, it’s not everyday a public bathroom comes equipped with one of those bad boys.

After jumping on the scale(isn’t that what it’s there for?!) to make sure I had some room to spare for some tasty splurges, I set route back to the market stall we chose to dine at. At which point we ordered up, and preceded to feast on mussels, calamari, a little seafood mixture in a tomato based sauce, sardines(one of my personal favorite’s of all time at any Spanish market ), and last but not least fresh bread with olives. Mmmmmm, did I happen to mention how much I love a good ol’ mussel?! not just on my men, but also on my plate;)

Everything was spot on. You could taste the freshness of it, nothing was chewy or stringy, just tender and melt in your mouth delicious. They offer 1/2 orders or full orders of most dishes, but most things are so good that you start with a 1/2 order just to be classy and then end up ordering another half anyway. Oops!!! – Yes, and maybe I am referring to the mussels…..

I have to say the service we received was also fantastic and friendly, and at this establishment they leave the bottles of wine right in front of you for you to help yourself, no need to order a whole bottle, just order a glass and get in there! And that we did. Yes Sir, that is exactly what I was after to wash my tasty cuisine down with. Thank you very much. My kind of establishment!

I would say if you wake up and find yourself in Mallorca, then take yourself on a date or amuse a group of friends – head to the Mercat de l’Olivar, and treat yourself to a culinary and cultural experience. Happiness is guaranteed to ensue. That just so happens to be an above average day if you ask me!

Snow in Mallorca?? Oh heck yes! And I was all over it;)

Once in a blue moon in Mallorca you get those rare moments where the mountains get a nice little blanket of snow. It’s a big excitement here, even causing roads to be shut this past weekend as there was far too many people trying to get to it. For some this is their first real glimpse of snow, for others, such as myself, it is just a tease, compared to my Canadian winter wonderland. However, as I do miss snow and this is as close as I am gonna get at this moment, I was all over it! It called for a day of ‘Me time’ adventures. I could see the snow covered peaks where yonder breaks, and they were all too enticing, so I had no choice but to rent a car and go frolic in it all.

I cranked my tunes and headed straight North on Mallorca island, towards a town called Pollensa. I couldn’t have asked for a more stunning day to do some cruisen, the sun was shining and the weather was warm, a dreamy little winter day. The minute I got to the mountains and there was snow on either side of the road, I couldn’t help but have a massive grin on my face.

I needed to make a pit stop at the gas station along the way to get some juice for the car, I love this gas station, its location, its little gas station ambiance. Look at it, you have to admit its quite a good backdrop around that station. Any time I am on a road trip I always hold out to gas up there. Yup, life’s simple pleasures;)

While I was there I decided to park my little adventure wagon and take a hike. Literally. Seeing as how I was seriously missing some snow action in my life, what would a visit to the snow be without making a little snowman?! Rolling a snowball never felt soooo darn good!

Maybe I was amusing myself a bit much with my little creation:) What can I say…He was extremely photogenic, and very well constructed. It’s just what you gotta do when you are on a solo adventure.

Just past Pollensa I arrived in the breath taking Tramuntana mountain range, all the tops of the mountains had snow, you were surrounded by them, it was so massively awesome. Right before heading up the mountains, I paid a little visit to the Lluc Sanctuary, it just so happened to be staring me right in the face. Oh how I also love an unexpected and spontaneous activity. As long as it’s interesting and/or fun, I am always game!It was the first Christian sanctuary on Mallorca Island, dating back to the 13th century; But I learned its more than a sanctuary, it’s also a secular national symbol. It has also been turned into a hotel of sorts, and you can rent rooms at the sanctuary, there are bontanical gardens(which sadly were closed due to it being winter), a museum, and of course incredible surroundings. If you are not into staying in the sanctuary, there is also a campsite. Always great to have options; Do you want to wake up to the sound of birds or the sounds of a choir? It’s an ideal area for cycling trips, incredible cycling might I add, cycling is one of my fave hobbies. After I gallivanted around the premises a bit, and expanded my mind with some new knowledge, I headed up behind the sanctuary to the top of the mountain to check out the view. The hike itself was rockin my world. Super serene.

Holy freaken heck, what a view!!! I just stood there and let my eyes absorb it all. Amazing.

After my eyes had their fill I ventured back to the car to continue on my escapades. You can see that the locals were loving the snow pile in the parking lot! It’s awesome that it is such a novelty. It was even one for me!

I ended up taking the ‘Extra’ scenic route back towards Palma through the town of Sollier, on the very windy(wine-dee) roads through the mountains,with nothing less then sheer beauty to set your gaze on. Watch where your going though! Beautiful yes. However, also very narrow, heaps of cyclist’s and cars all over the show. But if you happen to be the wing man, then keep looking out your window and take in as much of the view as you can!Ahhhhh yes…. An incredible Mallorcan day. This Island just continually gets better and better. Happy snow filled days!!

An Unforgettable Dining Experience at Bens d’Avail

So here we were on a beautiful summeresque Saturday, thinking it would be a brilliant idea to take a little road trip and go for a lunch excursion. And what an excursion it turned out to be!! Off we cruised to that beautiful little town of Deia, well we were actually just outside town, on a Mountain, where there was the place of all places, Béns d´Avall. I Almost couldn’t believe my eyes when we arrived. First of all, the view, was just hanging there like a priceless painting, it was unbelievable. The most spectacular view I have got to enjoy while having an equally as spectacular meal. This was the topper of all the places that I have had the pleasure of visiting while in Mallorca, not to mention one of the best restaurants in my 9 years of travelling the world. We got there before it opened, to my dismay… As after the little road trip, I really had to Pee!!! Darn it… and we had like 45 minutes till it opened.. It’s amazing how long 45 minutes can feel, when you have a bursting bladder! But none the less, we took a little walk to check out the beautiful scenery. I already knew I was going to absolutely love this establishment. It had the perfect energy and ambiance to it all. The minute I heard the gate open though, it was like heavens gates opening! And I ran straight for the relief of the ladies room;) Happy days! And then when I walked out onto the terrace I was welcomed with this stunning vision, literally, stop in your tracks kinda stunning, the view and the table. Wow. This alone was enough reason to come. Béns d´Avall has been here since 1971, it is owned by Benet Vicens(whom is also the chef), and his wife, Catalina Encrypt, together with their son James, whom is the second Chef to his father, and they are all absolutely LOVELY, might I add. So friendly, and inviting, and you can see they are there because they are doing what they love, and they want nothing more than to create a memorable experience for all of their guests. It is located in the most pristine location, right with mother nature, and all she has to offer. They have a set menu every day, that changes monthly, and offers only the finest cuisine, with local products from Mallorca. You have the option of the Express Menu for 50 Euros, the Short Tasting Menu for 65 Euros, or the Full Tasting Menu for 75 Euros! Well if you are going to come this far, you mine as well go for the full one:) I decided it was only fitting to start off with a glass of Cava(Similar to Champagne), I mean being in that place at that moment, was something to be celebrated, and bubbly always makes things seem like that much more of a celebration. Once we had put in our order for the full menu, it wasn’t long before the incredible culinary delights began to arrive. I think ‘Delight’ may even be an understatement. Mr. Vicens, knows exactly what he is doing in the kitchen. It’s Amazing. Of course, we were offered fresh bread to start, with olive oil for dipping, along with some little finger snacks, to get the palette ready. I had no idea, that the full menu, is basically endless, and you best come prepared with your biggest appetite…. BUT, when the food is that salivating, you can make sure to keep eating whatever pleasure they put in front of you. Once we started our magical taste bud journey, I knew I had to combine it with a fine Mallorcan wine(I wanted to keep the experience as local as possible), I had the beautiful Catalina assist me in my choice, and it was a fantastic choice indeed! I ended up taking a red wine that goes by the name of ’12 Volts’, which is a Crianza make. Delicious! It paired very well with all the courses. I will be buying more from the shop for sure!

We started with a Mallorcan pizza Next up was a Free range chicken Crepe Souffle with artichokes and black truffle.Then we were onto Foie Gras 2014. To be followed by the fish, which was Ray Pave with Black butter, wild green asparagus and capers. What follows fish but the meat dish! Candied and spiced Sierra de Tramontana lamb with legumes and winter vegetables. After all those courses, you have 2 desserts!! What the?! it just keeps on coming. You definitely get your moneys worth. And one more thing to boot!!

Well 7 courses and 3 hours later, and we were beyond stuffed, with absolute lusciousness. It was very nice that it is spread out over such a long period of time, you really get the opportunity to savour every morsel, and not rush through it, not to mention there is no one pushing you rush either. After it all, we still managed to have a coffee, it was kinda necessary or we would have succumbed to food coma, and never made the drive home;) They were so sweet, to even bring the whole crew out and take a photo with us. All the people that play their part in creating an astonishing experience. What can I say. Amazing Venue, Amazing People, Amazing Food and Wine. I will be back there, FOR SURE! The end. Or maybe I should say, to be continued… This could be a monthly stop, since the menu is always changing;) Thank you Béns d´Avall!!

It was a day for Deia!!

It just so happened to be another day of kick ass Mallorca adventures! We road tripped, we dined, we cycled, and we just took it all in! Would you actually expect anything less?! I think not.

We picked up a little chariot for the day from the car rental and put the pedal to the metal. No real route planned, just to eventually end up at the town of Deia, and just seeing what adventures ensued.

Having this mind set, you will always embrace every moment, and leave no room for disappointment. As per usual the scenery was breath taking. We just cranked out tunes, sat back, and enjoyed the ride. Passing through quite a lot of little towns, that all seemed to be ghostly that day.. It almost felt a bit eery. In some towns there was no one to be seen… We put it down to the fact that in Spain, come mid afternoon, people love their siesta’s, so obviously everyone must be sleeping, as mid afternoon it was. It was the only conclusion we could come up with.

A couple hours into our journey, and we were ready to find a place to get some grub.. A few empty towns later, and we had no choice but to stop in one and see what we could find. Well at first, all we found was cats. Basically everywhere… There truly was a large population of felines roaming about. Cute cats at that though! And so we took a moment to dish out some love and pets to a few. However that didn’t help the hunger pangs we were having. So we kept on walking through the quiet town. Only finding places to be closed.. Darn siesta’s!

Finally though, long behold we found a place that was open!! Woohoo!! Done and done. It didn’t look open at first, and we were still skeptical even when we opened the unlocked door… But once inside the empty establishment, we were warmly greeted by a big smile that a local Mallorcan women was wearing on her friendly face. Well we had a nice choice of seating, since it was all open.

The only real reason these places were so quiet was down to the fact that it is winter. In the summer, you would never ever experience this. So we were loving it! It’s amazing to have places all to yourself, and just kick back and relax. As Britney hadn’t tried a Paella yet, and it just so happens to be a typical Spanish dish, we thought we need to seize the moment and get right on that. So we ordered a Meat and Seafood Paella. I find, Paella’s are hit and miss. You either get a really fantastic one, or a mediocre one. Well this one was pretty darn good! A bit more oily then either of us would have liked, but the flavor was spot on, and we dug right in, devouring as much as we could.. The serving was super big though, so we couldn’t finish it off.. But we enjoyed every bite we had, while we basked in the view out of our window seat.

Once we were all charged up again, or rather filled up, we went back out into the quiet cat filled streets, and this time, gracefully got back into our little Cadillac and continued on our ventures to Deia. Another hour of spectacular scenic driving later, and there we were. Or there it was. Deia.

The location, and beauty of the setting, are nothing less than amazing. You have mountains, sea, and sun, all there just waiting for you. Apparently a lot of famous people own property around the area, and I can see why. It’s Fantastic! A few more people than none were around, but not many.

We took a nice stroll around, taking in the splendor of it all, and once again, petting all the cats, that seem to own the streets! We instantly made a little buddy, and he followed us for awhile, and I couldn’t help but stop and pet him again and again, till we walked to far.. in which case he disappeared. We ended up even visiting a grave yard at the top of a little mountain that was located right beside an old church. After some tripsing around, we headed back down, and guess who was there waiting for us?! None other than our little feline friend, who actually came running to greet us. Yup, he knew good peeps when he seen them. After a glass of wine at a quaint little place, we were on our way again.

This time, on route back to Palma. It was time for a cycle! Upon arrival we went to a local bike shop called ‘Winora Bikes’ to rent a couple. It is a great centrally located little place, and super friendly service. Cycling on this island is sooooo amazing. I love it. Full stop. You can go on full cycle trips if you would like.

It is a very popular sport here, and there are endless paths covering the island.

Just when you think your eyes have had their fill of absolute impressive beauty, you decide to take a cycle on the stunning shoreline, and they almost overflow with delight.

The bike path follows the coastline, and it is heaven on earth for your freaken eyes. We smashed about 30km, got our heart and blood pumping, and put the cherry on top of the cake for what was an outstanding winter day:)

Palma Celebrations

As in Palma there is always a reason to celebrate, with different festivals happening all the time:) And so came to pass the weekend festival to pay patronage to Saint Sebastion, the Saint of Palma de Mallorca, from way back in the day, a day in 1523 to be precise, and whom is honored by the whole nation, year after year. This is one of the biggest festivals of the year, and it lasts the whole weekend. It’s amazing how many people come out in the city, pretty much like every person in Palma is out and about! So it’s pretty awesome to just be around it all, so much energy in the air. I just so happened to be taking a leisurely stroll on the Friday morning of the festival weekend, and came across a Parade! Amazingly enough it was going straight through the narrow cobblestone streets, and they put a nice blanket of sand on the streets, which they cleaned up ridiculously fast when the parade finished. Now you see the beach, now you don’t:) I am used to seeing parades on large streets, so this was an interesting and pleasant little surprise. I took it in for a few minutes, and appreciated the cultural aspect of it before I then continued on my little journey.

Come evening it was time to head to the big streets for the display of people dressing as devils to represent evil and human temptation. So with masses of people parading through the streets, with large firecrackers going off, shooting sparks everywhere, you get lost in the exhilaration of it all, while also at the same time running from the sparks so you don’t have your hair go up in flames! Ooph, that was close! But also very enjoyable at the same time:)

I know, I know, it looks like my friends eyes are closed(Sorry buddy), but its the only shot of that I got!

After that all wrapped up, you could head back to the Borne where there was some stages set up and live music, where you can just keep on living it up. The only problem was if you needed a toilet, that became a bit of a mission…. but of course you troop on, as any good explorer would do. Just envision the desert, and hopefully that will buy you some time….

Saturday was a pretty quiet night, as it was all being saved up for the big Grande finale of the weekend, I mean save the best for last right?! Sunday was the day!! Yup, come Sunday evening, there were BBQ’s and bonfires set up all over the different squares in PTown, as well as stages, where there was live music, and each stage had different types of music.

It was incredible, and a bit wet…. Of course it rained. But nothing a good old umbrella can’t sort out. The rain absolutely didn’t dampen the spirit. So to say;) It also didn’t last all night, and all the plaza’s were still super packed. All you had to do to partake was bring down something to grill, pick your favorite grill spot, and get in there! After grabbing a refreshment, it was go time.

It’s pretty funny to be BBQ-ing in the middle of the downpour, but it also added a new aspect to the whole experience. After our little street feast, it was time to check out some music! You can bounce around from stage to stage all night, constantly mixing it up or boogying it down, you could even just pick your favorite stage and soak it up, if that is what your little heart desires. Gotta love the celebration of life that is always around every Palma corner.

Bon Appetit!

One Fine Day in Mallorca

When in Mallorca a must visit restaurant is Meson Ca’n Pedro, located in the little village called Genova, right on the outskirts of Palma. So that being said, we had no choice… It had to be given a go.

It serves up some of the most delicious real Mallorquin cuisine on the island, as real as it gets. It was first started in 1976, by a couple named Pedro and Ana, and they obviously knew exactly what they were doing since it’s still absolutely thriving, even being re-done in 1991 to make it a larger establishment, so it can fit in its popularity:) Its nestled right in between some little mountains, absolutely gorgeous location. It’s huge! You walk through the iron archway, and up the steps, and you are greeted with some nice green grassy manicured lawn areas, and then at the top of the steps, there is a playground, which is great, gives the children some extra excitement to burn off some of their endless energy:)

We walked in and the place was going off!! Super packed, and a line up waiting for tables. Yes, looks like we picked the right spot. We are off to a good start! The interior is total Spanish style, and there are Iberian hams hanging from the ceiling, some ranging in prices up to 600 Euros! I mean it is a typical Spanish thing, but to pay that much, you would really have to love your ham. This place is all about meat, so if you are vegetarian, it may not be so appealing to you. Well as long as you’re not bothered having meat staring you in the face, there are for sure options for you on the menu. Endless food choices. Ok, well perhaps that’s a bit exaggerated, eventually the menu does end…

Once we were seated at our table, and had a gander at our menu, we got right in there ordering some of the must try snacks. There was fresh bread, garlic aioli, local Mallorquin tomatoes, garlic cloves, and olives. What you got to do is cut a piece of garlic in half, then rub it on your bread, after that, you cut the tomato in half, and also rub that on your bread. you can then dip it in some olive oil, or put some aioli on top, holy man, soooo freaken good! And very entertaining. While doing this, we had this great view of the mountains out the windows, and a handsome waiter to boot;) Details always set the ambiance of the experience.

Once we were done basking in the incredibleness of our starters, it was time for course two! We both opted for the roast lamb, even though apparently they are famous for their rabbit dishes… Nailed it though!!! once again… Man we are so good at this. The meat was barely hanging onto the bone, which made it that much easier to get in our mouths. Literally, was so flavorful, tender and delicious. It was accompanied with some roast potatoes and salad. I don’t eat a lot of meat, but having meat and potatoes, is like a piece of home.. Gives me a moment to reminisce about when I was growing up. Haha, nothing like a good ol flashback;) That meal was a total winner! We thought about dessert, but there was no way, no possible way… Can you say ‘Stuffed’. Although there was a great selection of homemade desserts, from cheesecake, tiramisu, chocolate mousse cake, to banoffee cake, just to name a few. You will never leave this place hungry. By time we left, the place had emptied out quite a bit, just perfect for me to snap a few pics. From what I am told, and what I observed with my own peepers, this place is always busy. I can say for sure, I am not surprised!

The fun didn’t stop there though!! After we finished up at this gem of a restaurant, we ventured on up the mountain, driving on the little loopy road, right to the top, where there is this little cafe with the most spectacular view! It’s not really a place to go for an amazing meal, but it’s a fantastic spot to go and have a coffee and take in the stunning view of Palma. Once again, being winter, its quiet, so we had the whole place to ourselves! Like our own private venue.

WOW!! is exactly what I thought while I was gazing out the window. I mean look at that would you, that is a vision if you ask me;)

We ordered a couple “Cafe con Leche’s”, and just took it all in. So much so, that we had to invite another friend, this is something to be shared! I am sure you agree:) And we sat there till the sun went down, way down, till it was gone, and the sky was black, and PTown was lit right up! I mean really, how can you not want to embrace every moment of that amazingness, it doesn’t get much better than this! What can I say, another epic day in Mallorca, and absolutely unforgettable, that is nothing less than one I would highly recommend!! Never a dull moment around here;)

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