Flowers from my apt in Paris!

I’m in Paris!  Just had some baguette with Roquefort cheese and a couple of crossaints . . . mmmmmmmmm

The view from my apt, nice flower eh?

Good hotel in Ecuador

Hotel Bambu
www.hotelbambu.com in Canoa, Ecuador next to the ocean, a really nice backpacking beach town very nice, especially the hammock next to the hotel, best place to take a nap while listening to the waves

099263365
052616370

Good tour guide in Egypt

Mohamed
Mohamedguide2@yahoo.com
He took us to Abu Simbel, Nile tour and Luxor, Karnak, etc, really really great guide, very hard working. If you take Egypt Air domestically, don’t sit in the back near the latrine . . . yes, it smells there

Belated Santorini pics

This is an amazing picture that Jane took from the top of our hotel in Santorini? Amazing huh?

Sweet pic from the top of the Acropolis (again, taken by Jane)

Belated Athens pics!

Nice view of Athens from up here

Jane at the Parthenon – yes its still under construction

Hey, there ARE hot, unhairy women in Greece after all . . .

Temple of Poseidon overlooking cliffs and the Mediterranean- them greeks sho know how to build a temple

and where to put em too!

my artsy attempt

Best fish soup I ever had (in greece)

Satisfied customers of the fish? Well, until we tried it anyway . . .

These trains were pretty cool, cheap, fast, probably German

Athens restaurants – don’t get your hopes up

In general they were very disappointing. I really think the best food in Greece is just the basic stuff grilled meats, tzaziki, pita, etc. We tried one “gourmet” place that was really more gourmet in price than in quality.

If you just want the best black fish soup you ever had (made from cuttlefish ink) try it at
Varouklo www.varoulko.gr.
Don’t order anything else on the menu especially not the fish dishes which it is supposedly famous for but we found it to be rubbery and not that good.

good place for souvenirs in Santorini

Amforeas Silver Workshop of Museum Copies in Fira
2286023232
www.Greekartcenter.com
They have these GREAT handpainted pottery plates and vessels for holding olive oil. The brand I liked the most are made by someone who calls herself “The Centaur” and lives in Athens and is a friend of the owner.

Wenda Gu’s studio in Shanghai

In case I forget it, apparently Wenda’s studio is in the emerging “modern art center” in China. The address

101 Ground Floor Building 3
50 Moganshan Rd
Shanghai, China
t 8621 62996293

Restaurant list in Montreal

Here is the list of great restaurants we actually went to or really want to go to next time (in order of recommendation)

La Croissanterie Figaro
(514) 278 6567 open til 1am
5200 Rue Hitchison
-kind of in the outskirts so you have to drive but parking is good
-Almond Croissant is friggin amazing, the best almond dessert I have ever had

L’Express
(514) 845 5333
3927 St Denis
-French bistro, quite expensive but very good an foo foo
-NEED RESERVATIONS

Isakaya
(514) 845 8226
3469 Avenue du Parc
-Not bad but disappointing in that I was expecting a real isakaya complete with benches a good sake list and lots of Japanese tapas, this was more of a family sit down and eat restaurant but the food wasn’t bad

L’Academie
(514) 849 2249
St. Denis and Duluth right next to SAQ the wine store
-bring your own wine French place

Jardin Nelson
407 Place Jacques Cartier
(514) 861 5731
-seasonal only open in the spring, they were closed when we went there
-good for Crepes and breakfast in the Old Port

Bishoku
1184 Bishop St
-apparently it is mostly a sushi place, the Sushi pizza is supposed to be pretty good

Magic Idea
1675 de Maissoneuve Bloulevard
Good Bubble tea place

Chains you can find anywhere
-Dagwood’s
-Amir’s for middle eastern
-Basha for lebanese

Monreal is AWESOME

Man, they aren’t kidding when they say that Montreal is like a little bit of Europe in North America. It definitely was in many ways very much like France except WITHOUT the snobbery. The people in Montreal were really friendly. I was there for our break after exams for just two days and had at least three encounters with the friendly French Canadians. For example, one guy across from us on the train platform signalled to Jane that she had dropped her hat even as he boarded the train going the other direction. In addition, we ran into a family sitting next to us at L’Express (a really good french bistro btw) who talked to us for sometime (The grandpa even spoke to me in Japanese). Even right before we left, the gas station attendant was teaching me how to say how are you in French! It was really great.

The city itself is really awesome! Lots of amazing food of all kinds (they are like a Hub for immigrants from Francophone countries, North Africa, Vietnam, Middle East). In two days, we at the following menu:

Lunch at L’Express (french bistro) of Foie Gras, Steak Tartare with fries, Fish soup (which was amazing) and Goat cheese salad

Dinner at Isakaya (Japanese Izakaya) of Amaebi (not that great), Miso ramen (not bad), Gobo tempura (very good), okonomiyaki, Isakaya salad (very good)

Brunch at a Creperie at the Old Port in Old Montreal
Snack Pho in Chinatown

Dinner at Le Croissanterie Figaro (THE french bistro, highly recommended) – THEY HAVE THE BEST ALMOND CROISSANT YOU’VE EVER HAD and awesome very very fresh salads (I got the avocado salad myself) and great coffee. Definitely a great place to sit and chat and drink a coffee and have a snooty french meal. Great service too

The best part of all is that its really accessible from here, only 2h 40min by car . . . and seriously, I feel totally rejuvenated after this weekend and eating a chocolate croissant from Figaro and middle eastern lunch from Amir’s that we brought back.