Category Archives: Travel

Pura Vida in Costa Rica

Posted on March 23, 2015 | 1 comment

After years of talking about taking a family holiday to Costa Rica we are finally here! And it is beautiful. We’re based near the small town of Nuevo Arenal, on the shore of Lake Arenal about one hour from the Arenal Volcano and adventure centre La Fortuna.

Family hike at Villa Encantada near Nuevo Arenal.

Family hike at Villa Encantada near Nuevo Arenal, Costa Rica. Posing in front of a 400-year-old tree.

No resort for us — we’ve rented gorgeous Villa Encantada that sits on 40 forested acres and comes with hiking trails, a waterfall, a pond for fishing and kayaking, and a pool and water slide. If we run out of things to do there’s a bird feeder that attracts ridiculously colourful birds (identifying them in the Birds of Costa Rica book is hopeless, as there are so many different kinds), plus a slew of nearby adventure activities. We’ll be here another three days, then it’s off to a beach house at Playa Grande for the final week.

Avery enjoyed a soak in the waterfall at Villa Encantada. Photo by Lisa Kadane.

Avery enjoyed a soak in the waterfall at Villa Encantada.

Kayaking around the pond at Villa Encantada. Photo by Lisa Kadane.

Kayaking around the pond at Villa Encantada.

Everyone who comes to Costa Rica raves about it and now I get it. Fresh air, fresh fruit, unspoiled cloud forests and picture-perfect volcanoes. It really lives up to its unofficial national slogan: “Pura Vida!” (Pure Life). I’m excited to share some of our adventures over the next couple weeks, and write about experiencing the country with kids for an upcoming issue of WestJet Magazine. Until then, Pura Vida!

A turquoise bird and a green bird dig in to the papaya rinds. Photo by Lisa Kadane.

Tropical birds dig in to the papaya rinds.

Hiking Indiana Jones style at Villa Encantada. Photo by Lisa Kadane.

Hiking Indiana Jones-style at Villa Encantada.

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Posted in Outdoor Adventure, Travel

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Drink of the Week: Chartreuse Swizzle

Posted on March 13, 2015 | Leave a comment

It seems ages ago that Blake and I visited San Francisco for a working (for me) holiday (for him) where we joined active tours by day and enjoyed delicious cocktails by night. Because I’m dreaming of another trip, and also because my Three Days in San Francisco story is coming right up in the April issue of WestJet Magazine, I decided to revisit the City by the Bay’s delicious drinks for this week’s post. (Ask any bartender what’s the top cocktail city in North America and it will likely be a toss up between New York and San Francisco.)

Forget the Golden Gate Bridge, let's talk about San Francisco's cocktails. Photo by Blake Ford.

Forget the Golden Gate Bridge, let’s talk about San Francisco’s cocktails. Photo by Blake Ford.

 

We started our initiation into the city’s cocktail culture on Avital Tours’ Union Square Cocktail Tour, which takes thirsty travellers to some great bars in the city centre. Guide Zev Keppleman kept us entertained while we learned about San Fran’s signature cocktail, the Pisco Punch, at Cantina, and sipped our way through a Sazerac at Tradition and a Chartreuse Swizzle at Clock Bar.

The Chartreuse Swizzle is a great introduction to Green Chartreuse, a liqueur made from a staggering 130 herbs and plants.

The Chartreuse Swizzle is a great introduction to Green Chartreuse, a liqueur made from 130 herbs and plants. Photo by Lisa Kadane.

On its own Green Chartreuse has a strong, assertive flavour that’s at first sip sweet, but then becomes spicy and pungent as it expands across the palate. It makes interesting cocktails, and I really liked it in the Chartreuse Swizzle. The Velvet Falernum added an exotic sweetness, the lime a hit of tart and the pineapple juice rounded it out nicely. Blake could’ve just sipped it straight.

Our trip carried on with more cocktail bars, including the famous Trick Dog (in itself deserving of a post…), but the Chartreuse Swizzle stayed with me as a great introduction to San Francisco’s cocktail scene.

Chartreuse Swizzle, Clock Bar at The Westin, San Francisco

  • 1.25 oz Green Chartreuse
  • 0.5 oz Velvet Falernum
  • 1 oz pineapple juice
  • 0.5 oz lime juice

Method: Shake, strain into a rocks glass filled with shaved ice, garnish with nutmeg and mint.

— Created by Marco Dionysos

 

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Posted in Cocktails, Travel

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A taste of France: Piper Heidsieck Cuvee Brut

Posted on February 20, 2015 | 2 comments

This weekend I’m toasting the Oscars with the official champagne of the Academy Awards: Piper Heidsieck.

Let's toast the 87th Academy Awards with the exclusive champagne of the Oscars, Piper Heidsieck.

Let’s toast the 87th Academy Awards this weekend with the exclusive champagne of the Oscars, Piper Heidsieck.

I was first introduced to this delicate and deliciously fruity bubbly in Paris, over dinner with Cecile Bonnefond, president and CEO of the 230-year old champagne house. As she poured the range of Piper Heidsieck bubbles, from Cuvee Brut to Rose Sauvage, she talked about how champagne shouldn’t just be for special occasions — it really sets the mood for any occasion.

“It’s special, it’s limited, it’s so French. It’s about style, the way you set a table, the way you share a meal,” said Bonnefond. She summed it up with her signature toast, “Grand soit la vie!” which translates loosely as, “Let life be grand.” Bonnefond neglected to mention the way champagne makes people feel — larger than life; a bit like the stars we’ll be watching on Sunday, in fact.

The Piper Heidsieck cellars feel ancient, like you could get lost in a champagne catacomb but at least not get thirsty!

The Piper Heidsieck cellars feel ancient, like you could get lost in a champagne catacomb but at least not get thirsty!

That’s how I felt — red carpet ready — as we toured the Piper Heidsieck headquarters in Reims and later, the cool, catacomb-like cellars (former chalk quarries) where bottles are aged and stored. We ended the day in the vineyards, toasting the grapes that would one day become champagne.

These grapes in France's Champagne region will one day be champagne.

These grapes in France’s Champagne region will one day be bubbly.

My trip to France ended on a final celebrity-esque note: Piper Heidsieck table service at Paris club Le Magnifique.

The closest I will ever get to hoisting an "Oscar," a.k.a. the official champagne of the Academy Awards.

The closest I will ever get to hoisting an “Oscar,” a.k.a. the official champagne of the Academy Awards.

I wish I could say I returned to Canada and began ordering bubbly for every occasion. Sadly, no. But there’s still time to change my ways, right? I can start by popping the cork on a bottle of Piper Heidsieck Cuvee Brut for no good reason except to set the mood on what’s going to be a great night!

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Posted in Cocktails, Travel

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