Foodies Day Out @ Canada Photo Essay

My previous posts on Canada
Canada All Posts
#Canada Travel Video
Adventures in Canada at Blue Mountain Village on Huffington Post


If there's something called variety in true sense,its here.As Isar gave tips in my first post on Canada on where to find Indian food for Indians,the Canadian food itself has lots to offer.Since Canada welcomes people of different ethnicity and cultures kindheartedly,we also have street names as Chinatown(Chinese),Greek Town(Greek),Little Italy(Italians),Little India(Indians) to name a few.The beauty of these places are as the street starts you feel you are in the country of origin.For example,China Town reflects real China with local food,shopping goods,and even a Dragon Sculpture to symbolize the beginning of the road.

1)The Local


                                           Poutine,Image Source :labanquise.com

Poutine is a common Canadian dish made with french fries and served with gravies.St. Lawrence Market,according to National Geographic is one of the best food Market in the world.At St. Lawrence Market we get the Classic Peameal Bacon Sandwich,which is also a Canadian Classic.We had the sandwich at the Carousel Bakery,one of the market's 120 food vendors.

We'll discuss some more options of how to food in next post where we learn to Backpack Canada.In that post "we'll have our guest as Adam Waxman,Publisher of Dine Magazine Canada and he will suggest us tips on how to Backpack Canada"

2)The Unusual

                              Gulping down the Octopus@ Tholos Greek Restaurant

Gulping down an octopus wasn't my dream but I am happy it wasn't alive but fried.The funniest part is before you taste something this unusual,the whole image of the Octopus live and crawling comes in front of your eyes.And then you are like "Won't be that bad!" and yes it wasn't bad at all.It was great.This time,I tried food which I otherwise wouldn't have like the Octopus,Oysters and Calamari.


                          ...And the yummy Oysters at Pure Spirits Oyster House and Grill

If you are a non-veg and you haven't tried Oysters yet,its one of the tastiest fluid that goes smoothly down your throat like a magic potion.Its yummy.

3)The Vegetarian


                                The vegetarian delight at Westin Trillium House Hotel

I often tell my friend who is a vegetarian that you are missing a lot in your life.Sometimes I feel may be not.But there's definitely a need to create more interesting recipes out of just not Potatoes and Cottage Cheese,but may be Pumpkins,Brinjals so many green leafy shiny vegetables.However,Canada is Vegetarian friendly.Being in Canada,you wouldn't have difficulty finding a specialty restaurant or just general vegetarian food at almost all restaurants.

4)The International

                                        Or the yummiest Thai Food at Mengrai

When it comes to International,nothing beats Canada.From the award winning Thai Food at Mengrai to the Japanese food at Distillery District to the Indian Food at Elements on the Falls,Niagara;Canada would surprise you with the authentic flavors the country has to offer.The owner at Mengrai,Allan Lim is a very interesting person and chatty to talk to.His achievements include serving the best of best Thai Food to Hollywood celebrities.Situated at the corner of Richmond Street(East),this small cute place is a must visit.

                        And the Butter Naan with Butter Chicken at Elements on the Falls

And to top it all I had Butter Chicken with Butter Naan(Imagine!) with the view of the majestic Niagara at Elements on the Falls,what would you say,coincidence or just a candid celebration of diversity?

5)The Deserts and Wine  

Remember the super yumm ice-wines(Georgian and Inniskillin) I was talking in post 1 and in my video,the icewines are definitely the best buy.Along with it,we have desserts which are prepared with love almost everywhere in Canada.The world class Chocolates are produced in Soma at Distillery District.I had the yummiest hot chocolate shot there(Spicy and Plain) and it was thick,rich and just the shot I wanted in the perfect summer breeze.

                                 The rich and the best Hot Chocolate Shot at Soma

Along with it we have Mill Street Brewery,which was Distillery District's first brewery.And of course do not forget to bring back Collingwood whiskey(Sweet) from Blue Mountains or Crown Royale Canadian Whiskey from the airport or the local store.

6)The Ambiance



Fancy a romantic Candlelit dinner with your better half,or just a luxury eat out experience?Indulge in fine dining experience at the revolving restaurant at the top of CN Tower or just have a sweet,candid and sophisticated food experience at Creme Brassiere,Yorkville.

Next I take you to the adventurous side of Canada,we have a look at where I stayed and we also learn how to Backpack Canada on our own :)

*Courtesy : Ontario Travel

                                     Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.
                              I pray for my well being and yours too at the world's smallest church

The charming and romantic town of Niagara-on-the-lake is only 30 minutes from Niagara Falls.The town is carefully preserved with 19th century architecture and charming inns,B&B's,boutique shops and golf.Some of the attractions of the town are Fort George and annual Shaw Theater Festival.The horses are lined up on the road and the maple syrup in in abundance.Just a little down the road is "Wayside Chapel",the world's smallest church with renovated interiors.We,actually went inside the church and it was a very peaceful humble experience.

Niagara Enroute: Inniskillin Winery


"The more expensive the wine is the more it comes from one vineyard and the less expensive the wine is,it could be a blend of others.In wine tasting its always interesting to try the raw product with the end product.Every grape here is 80% water" - Says Debi Pratt Inniskillin winery.

 The first time I tasted ice wine,I was like voila! The sweet and rich flavor of the ice wines,makes it the best souvenir to bring back from Canada. 


Inniskillin winery is the first winery to be granted license in Ontario.Debi says that people thought we were a land of ice and snow but what people wouldn't understand is positioning of our land with our climate was the very key.They said that we don't have enough sunshine to ripen the grapes.What they didn't know was since this region is very close to the Niagara Lake,the warm air comes off from the lake in the winter and its caught by the escarpment that creates an air flow pattern and that keeps it warm or rather warmer.

                                    The frozen grapes and the frozen ice wines are a delicacy

The ice wines are made in winters.By the time,we pick the grapes for ice wine they are brown.The leaves are all gone,we put nets to keep a check from the birds and the wind.At Inniskllin we pick them at -10,even though the VQA(System that guarantees quality of wine) says -8 minimum. The natural sugar of icewines with good acidity gives a very clean and dry finish and its quite surprising.When people say what's the difference between German icewines and Canadian icewines,we have higher acidity. Inniskllin Winery arranges wine tours,to wine tasting year around to even picking of frozen grapes in the winter.

Niagara Enroute: Niagara Helicopters 

                                              And so I got a certificate of ......Niagara

All it takes for a lifetime of joy is that one moment of surprise.Imagine the huge Niagara River and Niagara Falls from the topmost view.Imagine an Ariel adventure of "over the falls" with Niagara Helicopters. The view is unparalleled to any.The Google map zoomed.

Niagara At Night 

                                    The smiling sunshine(me) at night with the most powerful stars

The Niagara itself is a very small town where you can explore the nightlife or many shops and boutiques.We enjoyed our best at the wax museum and sky wheel.The walk at 11 o' ish at night with the lighting and glow of Niagara was mesmerizing.

                                          Around the top of the town @ Skywheel Niagara

                                                             When the night got lit up!

The Niagara Falls

                                                   Niagara : The super Ariel view

Operating for over 150 years,the Maid of the Mist boat ride is a must see attraction for viewing the falls.The ride is for 30 minutes although there is generally a queue for about an hour to get into the boat and exit.The boat takes you right under the falls,making you almost wet like a fresh bath.The thunder of the falls falling on you,like pitter patter raindrops is what makes it so popular.The light raincoats are provided,and that's what makes us so blue or yellow!

The journey behind the falls provides another unique perspective to the falls where you can cave in and see the water pouring in.The path also contains history about Niagara falls and how and when was it frozen. Elements on the Falls restaurant situated at Table Rock Welcome Center provides the best view with Niagara Falls in front and the great food.We also have Indian delicacies on board in the menu,so you can have great food with an amazingly lovely ambiance.

With my lunch with Indian delicacies,I take you to a couple of hot food joints in Canada tomorrow.In Canada,you get the best Thai food,the best burger,the best wines and the best everything..Unbelievable isn't it?Wait until I tickle your appetite with food that's super yummy..Also coming up how to backpack Canada,the hotels I stayed and Blue Mountain village.wait till tomorrow.Tada.

Do not forget to visit the below site for more details:
Ontario Tourism
Niagara Tourism

Charisma is the fragrance of soul.The soul begins from home.The home we always cherish.The places where we all flourish.Listing 12 of the fragrances that light up my sense of smell any day ,from the smell of cologne to the smell of rotten:


                                                I leave memories where ever I go
                                      Because I know the fragrance of paper is everlasting

Fragrance of an Old Book: An Old Book smell like ancient Egypt. Entrapped by dogma,living in its stories of past are those books which still create a spark in my heart.Some are those which I recently bought,they smell like fresh amber.Being a travel freak,my cup-board is full of recent Lonely Planets and Nat Geos .The oldest are the Sidney Sheldon which I used to read when I was a teen,the old Mills and Boon which used to titillate me in college with fantasy.

The old class X,XI,XII books that scares me even now!Those Physics,Chemistry and Maths textbooks which has scribbles of Flame with Friends,Love,Acquaintance,Marriage and Enemy.The Game "Flame" we used to play.

                                                     The games we used to play...

Those endless drawings on the back of the cover depicting just nothing.Those hidden so called beaming with infatuation love letters and the secret meanings.The cards my friends gave me and the cards I gave them.The intelligent Computer books which I hated,the sweet English stories I loved,the ABCD books with visuals I now make fun of.The scrapbook with the stickers,the school book with the stamps.The school book with the red pen dots and some with grade A's.The past has a smell,the smell of undefined ecstasy and the best example are the books I still treasure and every time I open them by chance,the magnificent aura repeats itself with everlasting smell that never will go.

Fragrance of the Man I love: I am a die hard romantic,I believe in first love.The fragrance of first love is sweet and sharp.The Gillette Aftershave to the whole range of men's cosmetic has certain nostalgic smell.So when the man I loved,proposed me on his knees in air balloon,I couldn't resist.Not that I wasn't in love with him,but because the feeling of the sweet smell to linger life long was interesting enough to not let go!The Cologne did the magic sweeping me off the feet.


                                         Fragrance of a fresh paint is creatively strong
                                   The reason I love my walls,my canvas and my oil paints

Fragrance of the Fresh Greasepaint/Paint: It was my dream to paint my room when I was a teen.Stubborn as I was,I wanted the colors to be a mix of orange and red,which my parents reluctantly refused - The color cream was then in.So I gather my paint and brush and started to decorate my wall.Every night the smell made me afresh and gave me confidence to complete the whole of it next morning.I worked hard,harder than my exams and voila! It was my room with my paints and the smell I loved.Fast forward I step my first foot forward to my new home after marriage.The shine was terrific,the walls set to welcome me.I opened the door smoothly and was smitten by the paint or the smell of it.I,then took my own canvas and created a girl of freedom with the paints I had.The canvas still smell the same and it gives me a feeling that I preserved what I love - My love with the fragrance of paints.

Fragrance of a Fresh made Coffee: I took out the old wrap of Nescafe.I was fighting a deadly headache,I had work,and I had reasons to not sleep.The coffee always does the trick but what it brings along with it is a smell that takes me back to days when my friends and me had beauty on our radar.Coffee with Mehndi gives a great color - They used to say,and of course the great smell.Every Saturday,it was our hostel ritual among girls to take the shower with the Mehndi dipped in coffee for the hair we used to dream about.I took out my Sachet again at my home,should I now?I give it a miss and just smell the coffee.The smell was refreshing even now.


Fragrance of the Rotten: A smell and a fragrance isn't always a rewarding word.For me,many times when my neighbors used to throw something in our backyard at home,the smell made me sneeze.The smell which I loathe.The smell which was in my own home,for sometime with piles of garbage when my maid was on leave.The smell of utensils lying bare in the washbasin.The smell of the rotten vegetables when I came back from travelling.The smell of unforgotten,rotten.

Fragrance of the Fried Chicken: Cooking is a pleasure.Though I do not cook so often now,I used to when I had just started with the mania of love of cooking 4 years back.The fragrance of fried Chicken,Fish or even ghee is unbelievably strong,the smell that makes me hungry,even if I have had a proper full course meal before.With ghee are my fondest memories of Diwali.Every Diwali when my mom used to put Ghee in Diyas,my only thought was what if they can be used in a Parantha,or can I just lick the leftovers.The smell which is irresistible and the taste delicious and plain,and that's why I love it!That's why others loved it and that's why I now have more friends.

Fragrance of the first Leaves: It's always been my dream to have a garden.Living in an apartment in Bangalore doesn't always give me that facility.But the dream doesn't remain a dream.I still have plants in my balcony,and sometimes they bloom on and off.And when they so,they bring along with them the smell of fresh new leaves.Rains make it more earthy and the moment turns more sweet for me,as my dreams are a new life.Recently along with the few plants,grew Tulsi and Chillies on its own,bringing a fragrance that I always wanted to add onto the list .Tulsi reminds me of my mom doing prayers,and Chillies of course gorging on a spicy Chicken gravy.

                                   Sneakers that has worked as much as I have.

Fragrance of my worn-out Sneakers: Some hate it.I love it for the effort I had put in.While travelling,I usually put on sneakers,or for adventure sports.But as always when I come back,its a stingy smell I have to deal with.I wash it but the effort never goes.The smelly shoes are my best shoes.They bring back memories of my latest adventure,they remind me of my recent travel stories.

                                   Those innocent smile and that lingering smell

Fragrance of the newborn Baby: The most lingering smell is the fragrance of a newborn baby.The milky way is I guess favorites with many.Smelling of the soft Johnson,the babies are god's gift to humans.When my friends come to my place with their babies,I hug them kiss them and immerse myself in their smell that makes me love them even more.

Fragrance of the Agarbatti: The prayers are our savior. We Indians are god lovers.The Agarbatti calms down the mind. Every time I light one,I go back in an era where my Dad and Mom used to ask me to pray to God,to an era where I take my footwear off and with peace in my mind calmly ask the god for my well-being and others.The era where we celebrated festivals together and the era where death was buried in the presence of holy smoke.The humble Agarbatti does the magic like no other.

Fragrance of Dettol: The hygiene comes first,say many.I do not.Suffering from periodic illness for last 2 years,my home smell of a hospital in disguise.Initially I hated it,but now its been a love-hate affair.The Dettol is everywhere on my clothes,on my face,on my bruises,but what I like about is the smell it holds with the promise it makes to our mind,that everything is going to be ok. It reminds me of my past when I used to fall often and with every bruise was this humble Dettol that made me happy.The marks still remain on places I have had hurt but the smell is the same "encouraging me" to move forward.

                              Fashionable to have grace and some sprinkles of perfume

Fragrance of my own: Fragrance takes you on a journey of time.My own fragrance has to be mix of potions and lotions,the things I apply and the things that apply to me.That honest fragrance I have learnt to live with over the years,the choices have changed.Bathing with the recent soap to the newly launched hair shampoo to my sunscreen,I am indeed a changing fragrance.The feeling of applying a perfume to oneself to uplift my own spirit has worked wonders for me personally and in the outside world.It's kind of exciting because it brings back memories to days when along with perfume came me in a dazzling sari and my friends laughed off and said "Oh you look gorgeous and smell divine".I always wanted my own fragrance because I could never find the right scent for me.And now when I have,I am happy.It is ever evolving,but the change is paying off well with compliments I have earned by trials and testing.It's always wonderful to be elegant, it's always fashionable to have grace, it's always glamorous to be brave, and it's always important to own a delectable perfume! Yes, wearing a beautiful fragrance is in style at any age!”

/*Please note that this is a contest entry for Indiblogger*/
Visit www.facebook.com/AmbiPurIndia to turn the Smelly Air to Smiley Air:)

Of late,I have been getting quite a lot of mails and comments on being an inspiration to travel.It isn't impossible,I must say.What holds us back are our own fears.Once we know ourselves and the kind of travel we like,comes planning and making arrangements.It need not be solo travel,it can be travel with families,with friends,with anyone for that matter.Solo travel doesn't require so much guts either,just a little more homework.


                                                             Me,backpacking Maldives

The most useful piece of information I found on internet on travelling the world is the slideshow below;It literally will provide a step by step insight on how to backpack different countries on your own and on a budget you think will suit you.

 60 countries on a plump shoestring hacking global travel from Mahesh Murthy

                        

Solo Travel or Group Travel


                                                       Group Travel Can Sometimes Be Fun

Haven't we all traveled solo to either meet our families living at a distance or to appear for an engineering exam?The fear factor is in your mind.Letting go of your fear is easy.Start travelling to nearby places to begin with before you take huge steps.Why not consider travelling to Singapore which is considered the Safest ? Research more when travelling solo specially if you are a women.

Be prepared for adverse situations which might happen to anywhere anytime in the world.Though we all crave for that support from either our parents,partners or friends,travelling solo boost your confidence.If you think solo travel is not for you,why not start networking and travel with friends or people who are like-minded.While Solo travel has of late gained momentum,it depends from person to person on how comfortable they are with the idea.Solo travel also means that you get a new opportunity to make new friends along the way,making you not so solo anymore.


                                                     Travelling Alone isn't scary,its a matter of mind

However,with solo travel comes responsibility.I admit,whenever I am travelling solo,I check and recheck my passport number of times;I have traveled almost half the night in Edinburgh and Toronto solo and I would say Drunkards are everywhere.The trick is to ignore,ain't we Indians very good at it?The more you present yourself as weak and scared,the more likely you are going to get attacked.However,even though these cities are safe and management is in place;your attitude matters.

Travelling in a group or with a partner lowers down your responsibility. And hence you feel more light when you travel.Some places specially Maldives,J & K,Andaman,Thailand,Spain can be enjoyed fully when in group or with a partner.Haven't most of us been to Pattaya for that little tweak of mind.Imagine there,going alone.Would be drop dead boring.Some places like Singapore,Bali,Darjeeling,Rajasthan,parts of Europe,parts of US are best suited for travelling alone.

Travelling solo in India late at night should be best avoided.Some cities,specially the rural areas get dark and incidents might happen.Since the Nirbhaya case,I have seen people talking about carrying pepper spray and defensive action courses.While these can help to some extent and boost your self confidence a little;it is still not recommended to travel solo at night.Certain incidents cannot be predicted and its best to keep your dignity safe than indulge in mindless travel.This goes not only for India,but everywhere.The degree of being safe differs in each country and depending on that you can choose your ways of travelling.It indeed is an individual choice.

Dressing Up Or Dressing Down


                                                             Travelling the rural villages of Bihar

Big question.If suppose tomorrow I go to Bhutan where their traditional dress is Kira and Taego,should I be wearing those?Or if someone comes to India where the traditional dress in Salwar Kameez or Sari should they be wearing those.Of course not.With changing times,change the fashion of the country.Not everything is listed on internet,so what do you do?Dressing up is as important as travelling to an unknown place to avoid stares.For example,in Bhutan it isn't permissible to wear shorts/bare shoulder dress etc at the dzongs.


                                                               Or getting into the seaplane in Scotland

In South India,at some of the temples,the same rules apply.In main Maldives,bikini is prohibited.The trick is to not pack the traditional but pack a variety.Carry a stole at all times,or a light jacket.Carry a bikini along with a swimsuit.Carry 1-2 shorts along with full length jeans.Do not carry much,but carry what is required.This intern would make you feel safe and culturally happy.Do not forget to bring back "locally anything" as a souvenir.

We'll discuss some more points in the next chapter but for now,tada :)

Other Sources Which Can Help You Make Up Your Mind On Travel
6 Alternatives to Travelling Alone by Shooting Star
7 Useful Tips to Travel in Half Your Budget by Arnab Maity
How Do You Explore A Place by Mridula