One of the only activities I planned ahead of time for our European Adventure was a food walk in Ljubljana, Slovenia with Ljubljananjam. Brett and I love to try new foods and get a sense of new places by sampling local cuisines, so I felt that a food walk would be a perfect way to get acquainted with Ljubljana! Ljubljananjam offers a variety of different food walks, from "Ljubljana Essentials" to a craft beer tour to tours focusing on coffee and cakes. To set up the reservation, I got in touch with Iva, the owner of Ljubljananjam. She was very easy to communicate with and very helpful in figuring out our preferences via email. We let her know that we were interested in a "Ljubljana Essentials" tour and would need gluten-free food because Brett was just diagnosed with Celiac Disease. It was great to hear that a gluten free tour would be no problem. We met Iva by the Tourist Information Center in the center of Ljubljana, an easy walk from our Airbnb, though we initially went to the wrong Tourist Information Center. Luckily, she waited for us even though we were a few minutes late. Iva was friendly, knowledgable, and eager to share about Slovenia's food, culture, and history. Iva, Brett, and I spent the next three hours walking through the streets of Ljubljana, trying a wide variety of foods and learning more about this place. We started in Ljubljana's central market, which is set up almost every day and offers stands filled with produce, cheese, plants, and meats. Personally, I love markets, so I had fun perusing the various offerings as we made our way through the market. Iva had some specific stands for us to sample, including a stand that made goat and sheep cheeses and a meat stand where we tried bear sausage! Yes, it is made with real bear meat mixed with pork! From the market, we sat down at a small shop to eat bowls of vegetable soup before heading to a restaurant where we shared sea bream with lemony potato puree and chicken fillet with buckwheat and pumpkin seed oil sauce. Iva warned us ahead of time that we should expect the fish to be served whole, and, sure enough, on the plate was the entire fish, bones and eyes and all. She was nice enough to de-bone most of the fish for us. We learned that pumpkin seed oil is a common ingredient in Slovenian cuisine. Armed with that knowledge, we headed out of the restaurant to sample some pumpkin seed oil. Next, we stopped in a shop that sold a variety of Slovenian products, including pumpkin seed oil and Slovenian liquor. We were able to taste pumpkin seed oil made from raw and roasted pumpkin seeds. I liked the unique flavor of the pumpkin seed oil and ended up choosing it as salad dressing for other meals in Ljubljana. We also sampled some flavors of Slovenian liquor, which came in flavors like honey, sour cherry, and blueberry. Our next stop was at one of the cafes along the river to drink Slovenian wine. Iva picked a Lisjak Sauvignon Blanc for us, which was quite good. Google tells me that Boris Lisjak is a Slovenian winery in western Slovenia, only 16 km from Trieste, Italy. Brett and I typically choose red wines more often than whites, but we both really liked Iva's pick for us. It was highly enjoyable to drink our wine at a table outside, surrounded by the beautiful buildings of Ljubljana's Old Town with the river in the background. We actually went back to this same cafe the following day to relax with another glass of wine in the sunshine. Following the wine stop, we got gelato! After sampling a few different flavors, I ultimately chose a combination of lemon-ricotta gelato and a flavor with pumpkin seed oil, one scoop of each flavor in my cup. The food tour finished with coffee and espresso. Because Brett loves coffee, Iva and the guy in the shop showed him how to make espresso using the machine, which he had never done before. We chatted for awhile with the guy working in the cafe and found out that he is in a band called Koala Voice, just back from a tour around Europe. Throughout the tour, Iva gave us a number of recommendations for food and drink in Ljubljana and marked them on our map. We appreciated hearing where to go from someone familiar with the food and drink scene in Ljubljana, rather than wandering around by ourselves and guessing which shops were good. Our favorite recommendation from Iva was Moderna, a cafe in the Museum of Modern Art. They roast their own coffee beans and were the only shop in Ljubljana that served pour over coffee (or filter coffee, as they generally called it in Europe). Overall, I highly recommend Ljubljananjam Food Walks! Iva really personalizes the tour for each group and provides a wonderful experience. I didn't include the restaurant names in this post because I don't want to give away all of Iva's secret spots! The only name that I included - Moderna Cafe - wasn't actually on the tour, just a recommendation of Iva's. Brett and I felt that the food tour was easily worth the money that we paid, given the variety of foods we tried as well as the personalized service. The food walk doubled as our lunch, since the tour started at 11:00am and lasted until approximately 2:00pm. It was a fantastic introduction to the city of Ljubljana, and it was clear that Iva was happy to show off her city. I recommend doing a food walk early in your visit to Ljubljana, since it will help orient you to the city. You will also benefit from Iva's recommendations for the rest of your stay! If you are headed to Ljubljana, go to the Ljubljananjam website and find the right food walk for you!
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The main reason my friends and I planned a trip to Chilean Patagonia was to hike in Torres del Paine National Park, which I discussed in a previous blog post. However, after booking plane tickets to the southernmost tip of Chile, we asked the question, "What else is there to do?" A little internet research turned up the idea of staying at an estancia, a working ranch, and from there we stumbled across Estancia Cerro Guido. Getting ThereFrom Puerto Natales, we rented a car and drove to Estancia Cerro Guido. I think this is really the only option, since the estancia is pretty isolated. The EstanciaEstancia Cerro Guido had beautiful accommodations. We called the beds in the guesthouse "cloud beds", as they were topped with fluffy white comforters that you could sink right into. There was only wi-fi (intermittently) in the main building. I personally enjoyed this because it made it easier to actually disconnect from technology and slow down our pace. Instead of checking email, we read books, went for walks, and enjoyed the surroundings. The estancia is also a working ranch. One night at dinner, we watched a gaucho ride by, rounding up horses. The restaurant is incredible, since the ingredients come from the estancia's own gardens and livestock. Things to DoYou won't find attractions, museums, or shopping near Estancia Cerro Guido. Or even close by. Visiting an estancia is an opportunity to experience a taste of Patagonian life, get away from city life, and relax. Activities around Estancia Cerro Guido include:
The first day, we arrived, checked in, and explored. We met the pet sheep, walked around the garden and the guesthouse, and read for awhile before dinner. The next morning, we opted for a half-day horseback riding tour, an incredible experience as we rode across the open land with the Torres del Paine in sight. Horseback riding at Estancia Cerro Guido is an extra cost beyond the accommodations, and the tours can vary from 2 hours to a full day. The five of us were the only guests on our 4 hour tour, so we had ample opportunity to talk to our guides and we even got to see how fast our horses could go. (Spoiler: It was fast and fun.) That afternoon, we took a walk on the property, napped, and read some more. Some members of our group opted for another horseback ride the following morning before departure, while the rest of us enjoyed the breakfast buffet. Both nights of our stay, the five of us feasted on leisurely, multi-course dinners at the restaurant. How often do you actually sit down with friends and enjoy a dinner that lasts for hours, filled with fresh food and good conversation? I can tell you, I don't do it often enough. We sipped on pisco sour, a South American cocktail, while eating soup, fresh salad, slow-roasted meats, and fish. Also, the restaurant has a huge window that overlooks the Torres, so, as we dined, we got to watch the stunning mountains fade into a night sky. SummaryI would recommend Estancia Cerro Guido for people who love the outdoors and want to actually "get away from it all". People who need attractions to keep them busy or who prefer to stay indoors will likely be disappointed by the remote surroundings and slower pace of life. Yes, our stay was pricey, particularly for graduate students, but we decided that this would be our one splurge on the trip. The lunches and dinners are not included in the room rate (breakfast is included), and they are expensive at about $30 per meal. After hiking and camping for 5 days/4nights in Torres del Paine, it was a nice break. We had really saved money earlier in the trip by eating cheaply, camping, and staying in inexpensive hostels, so I felt like I could splurge on an experience that would be hard to find elsewhere.
I loved our stay at Estancia Cerro Guido. It's hard to say what was my favorite part - the fluffy "cloud beds", the fantastic restaurant with its fresh food, or the free feeling of galloping across wide open land on our horseback ride. When heading to New York City, I asked around for recommendations from my friends. One comment on Facebook suggested a "Lower East Side Food Tour", which sounded like a lot of fun. I started looking into tour options and stumbled across Free Tours by Foot, a tour company that offers walking tours in various cities...on a pay-what-you-wish basis. Since I was on a tight budget, especially by New York City standards, Free Tours by Foot sounded like the perfect opportunity compared with tours that cost $40-$50 or more. They believe that everyone should be able to enjoy a tour for whatever price they like, even free, and guests can decide what to pay after they experience the tour rather than pay upfront. After perusing the numerous New York City options (Greenwich, Chinatown, Williamsburg...oh my!), my friend, Heidi, and I selected the Greenwich Village Food Tour. I figured that, with no upfront cost, we didn't have anything to lose by trying it out! The Tour: We selected the Greenwich Village Food Tour on Saturday at 11:00am. This was a fantastic decision for multiple reasons. First, a two-hour food tour at 11:00am can be your lunch, and, as you'll see, it ends up being a very cheap NYC lunch. Second, the neighborhood wasn't super crowded on a Saturday at 11:00am, despite it being the weekend of the Pride Parade. We figured a lot of people were still sleeping off their Friday night. Third, the food in Greenwich Village is awesome. Fourth, we got a lot of information about the history of Greenwich Village, even though it was a "food tour". Greenwich Village has a long, fascinating history, from the early farmer's fields and bodies buried under Washington Square Park to the bohemian culture that launched many musicians and writers to being the center of the LGBT movement. I appreciated that the tour guide took us to Washington Square Park and pointed out landmarks like Cafe Wha?, The Gaslight Cafe, and the Stonewall Inn. The Food: Our tour consisted of 6 stops, including many classic NYC foods. Free Tours by Foot has great relationships with these establishments, so they have "tasting options" at each restaurant. For example, you could go in and order your own slice of pizza for $3.50, or you could have 1/4 slice for $1 with the "tasting option". Even though it's only a 1/4 slice, New York slices are huge and, when tasting food at 5 or 6 stops, you will be full by the end. Here were our stops:
Food allergies and Preferences:
The Cost: If you do the math, you'll see that one of each sample item on the tour adds up to $5.50, plus whatever you decide to get for dessert at Sugar & Plumm. Our dessert cost was $5 each because we each indulged in two macarons. It was really hard to stop at just one, but, if you have more restraint, it could be even cheaper. You could choose to spend more if you buy double of something. There is no upfront cost for the tour, but, of course, the tour guides always appreciate tips. They say that you can decide what the tour is worth or pay what you can afford. Our guide was personable, very helpful, and offered free maps for us at the end. She definitely got a tip from each of us at the end of the tour. Heidi sampled everything and had 2 macarons, bringing her cost to $10.50 plus a tip for the guide. I couldn't sample everything (see the Food Allergies section), so my cost was a bit less. I spent $1 on falafel, $3 on corn from a street stand we passed, and $5 on macarons, bringing my total cost to $9 plus tour guide tip. For an awesome activity and lunch, we felt that was pretty affordable. In New York, you can easily spend much more on a meal. Even our cheap lunches in the city cost about the same without the fun tour. Recommendation: Highly recommended for a fun, low cost activity! We got to spend two hours in Greenwich Village, sample a variety of restaurants, meet some other people, and hear the history of the area. Our tour was great, and I appreciated that I could still enjoy a food tour, even on a tight budget. I would not have been able to afford a $50 food tour at this point in my life. They have a variety of tours, some involving food, some involving bikes, and some that just explore certain neighborhoods. Check them out in New York, London, Chicago, Washington DC, Paris, New Orleans, Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston, San Francisco, or Berlin! http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/
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AuthorMy name is Alyssa Good and I have a passion for travel, adventure, culture, and new experiences! I focus on budget friendly travel, trip planning resources, and seeking out new experiences. Archives
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