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!
0 Comments
On Easter Sunday, we found ourselves in the middle of an exuberant procession, drums pounding, flags waving, incense wafting our way. A church with the dates "1525-1535" painted near the top towered over the square and the hoards of people celebrating. At unpredictable intervals, fireworks boomed around us, surprising me every time. The men carrying statues of saints were clothed in wool ponchos and the women donned wool skirts, woven shawls, and colorful blouses. Inside the church, straw covered the ground, making the floor slippery. We saw more than one person fall and almost followed suit. The inside of the church was an open space, with no benches, pews, or chairs to be seen. Groups of worshippers knelt on the ground in front of statues of saints, burning candles and making sacrifices to heal themselves. The procession of men, flags, and statues rounded the square before heading inside, pressing everyone more closely together. It was loud, exciting, and different than any worship I had experienced before. We were in the Mayan village of San Juan Chamula, only 10 km from San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico but very distinct in traditions, culture, and language. Chamula is made up almost entirely of indigenous residents who speak Tzotzil. The town is autonomous, with their own religious leaders, town leaders, and police force. Experiencing the unique culture of San Juan Chamula and San Lorenzo Zinacantán, another autonomous Mayan village, was one of the highlights of our trip to Chiapas. We signed up for a tour through Alex y Raul Tours at the recommendation of our Airbnb host. The host called the company to reserve our spots. The only information we had was to show up in the main square of San Cristobal de las Casas at 9:15am on Sunday and look for Caesar. Luckily, we found him standing very obviously in the center of the square. They divided us into an English-speaking group and Spanish-speaking group, and we were off to San Juan Chamula. I HIGHLY recommend the Mayan villages tour with this tour company. Our guide for the English-speaking tour, Raul, was superb. He told us that his father owns the tour company, and he helps out by giving tours on weekends. During the week, he teaches college history and language courses in San Cristobal. His English was excellent, he ensured that the group stayed together, he was friendly, and he had a wealth of information about the villages. When we first signed up for the tour on Easter, we were concerned that there wouldn't be anything to see, since we are used to restaurants and shops being closed for the holiday. However, as Caesar assured us, it was the exact opposite. The villages were bursting with life to celebrate Easter, a special occasion we would have missed on any other day. In Chamula, we started the tour by a cemetery and abandoned church. The cemetery contained graves with multiple crosses on each grave, the stone crosses representing Catholicism and the wooden crosses traditional to the Mayans. Raul explained that the Mayans of this village have blended their traditional religious beliefs with Catholic beliefs introduced by the Spanish in colonial times. In Chamula, they revere St. John the Baptist above all others and consider themselves children of St. John - hence the name San Juan Chamula. While people in Chamula say they are Catholic, their church is not recognized by the Vatican due to the differences in their beliefs from Catholic doctrine. For example, during a healing ritual, worshippers in the church kneel in front of particular saints, burn candles, present chickens, and drink posh, an indigenous liquor from sugar cane. We entered the home of a religious leader, who had a curtain of plants set up to protect the statue of the saint in that house. Raul explained that it is an honor to be a religious leader in the town and that men who are chosen for that year quit their jobs to devote all of their time and money to the saint they represent. The leader was tending to the altar as we talked, setting up candles and changing the plants. We presented a donation to the leader and took a small sip of posh, the liquor used in religious ceremonies. Next, lead by the sporadic booms from fireworks, we headed to the church where the Easter procession was in full swing. On the way, we passed markets and stands selling everything from mangoes to seafood, wool clothing to kitchen tools. The previous days, I had observed women and children selling trinkets, shawls, and other handicrafts in the streets of San Cristobal, all wearing furry wool skirts wrapped with belts and colorful blouses. I had wondered whether this was actually traditional or whether these clothes just made them look more authentic to tourists. I was happy to see in San Juan Chamula that all the women and young girls were wearing this same outfit. I saw very few people wearing Western clothes, often the men who travel outside the villages. I was assured by Raul that this was the traditional dress of Chamula. He explained that Chamula is known for wool products, used in the skirts, ponchos, and other clothing items. Raul informed us that we were not permitted to take photographs of the church, the celebrations, or the people, as they believe photographs steal your soul. I wish I would have been able to take pictures of the beautiful dress or the inside of the church, but it was important to be respectful. Raul let us know that the townspeople might demand to delete the photos or take your camera if you violated this request. One thing that I found odd was that a few people said we could take photos for 10 pesos (about 60 cents). Some tourists in our group took the residents of Chamula up on this offer. I understand that many of the townspeople are very poor, but all I could think was, "If they truly believe that photographs steal souls, did they just sell their souls for 10 pesos?" Rather than take photographs, Brett and I donated our pesos to the religious leader we visited, the Mayan woman who made us tortillas, and one of the churches we entered. After eating lunch in Chamula, we headed to San Lorenzo Zinacantán, also a Mayan village, also autonomous, but quite different from Chamula in many ways. Zinacantán is known for flowers and cotton, giving their traditional garb a different look than in Chamula. The women's skirts are cotton and the blouses and ponchos worn by the men have elaborate, colorful, floral embroidery covering them. I preferred the clothing in Zinacantán, probably because I love bright colors and thought the floral embroidery was incredibly beautiful. We started in one of the main churches of Zinacantán, this one recognized by the Vatican, as Zinacantán has become more assimilated to the outside culture than Chamula. In this town, as you might guess from the name, the patron saint is San Lorenzo. This church had elements that we saw in Chamula, such as statues of the saints around the inside, but also elements that you would see in a Catholic church in the United States: candles on tables instead of the floor and pews to sit on. After viewing the church, we walked to a local house, where the women of the house welcomed us. They showed us how they weave with a back-strap loom and made blue corn tortillas over a fire. We tried the corn tortillas, still hot from the fire, with ground pumpkin seeds wrapped inside. Before leaving, we examined the traditional clothing that they make by hand and were able to try on some pieces. I loved their beautiful embroidered shawls, but ultimately bought a handmade scarf that I knew I could wear more often. My simple scarf was also less expensive than the elaborately decorated blankets and shawls. I was pleased to learn that each woman keeps the money that she earns from weaving. When we wanted to buy an item, the girl or woman who made it was called to name the price, since she was the one who put in hours and weeks and months of work to craft the piece. If you are in San Cristobal de las Casas, you must do the Mayan villages tour. San Juan Chamula and San Lorenzo Zinacantán are distinct from the city of San Cristobal and offer a glimpse into a different culture. It is possible to catch a bus or taxi to these places, but you will miss out on key information, interesting stories, and meeting residents of the town without a knowledgable guide. Book with Alex y Raul Tours (250 pesos per person + guide tip) and you will be in good hands! Read more about our Chiapas trip with my blog posts about the Sumidero Canyon and San Cristobal de las Casas.
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/
|
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
December 2017
Categories
All
|