Before travelling to Mexico City (CDMX) and knowing that this trip wouldn’t provide enough time to visit coffee farms or understand the industry in Mexico, I wanted to understand the cafe culture there, understand the unique flavour profiles of coffee that are specific to Mexican coffee beans, and take in the cafe culture vibe in one of the great metropolitan cities of the world, Mexico City. Over three days, we explored Mexico City on foot, visiting coffee shop to coffee […]
An Unexpected Jaunt into Dublin’s Hacienda Bar
“Well come in then lad, get to know someone!” were the words from Shay to me at the doorway leading into Dublin’s Hacienda Bar. Little did I know about this place and little did I expect. Ten minutes earlier I had been walking around the dark streets around 11pm in Smithfield – just north, and across the river from Dublin’s tourist famed Temple Bar. I stumbled across this nondescript white Spanish building with windows up top that were high enough […]
Hydra Island, A Photo Journey
Hydra is beautiful and idyllic during the off season and is experiencing somewhat of an off-season revival of it’s former 1960’s bohemian glory. Leonard Cohen lived primarily on Hydra Island in the 1960’s, and frequented there throughout the rest of his life. In my previous post, I documented my pilgrimage to Leonard Cohen’s house. Looking at Hydra now, in low season, it’s hard to imagine it looking any different fifty years ago or even a hundred years ago. There is […]
A Hydra Island pilgrimage to Leonard Cohen’s house
In 1960, Leonard Cohen bought a $1,500 house on a greek island popular among greek’s and expats alike, named Hydra Island. From the book Various Positions: A Life of Leonard Cohen, Cohen describes his house on Hydra to his mother in Montreal: It has a huge terrace with a view of dramatic mountain and shining white houses. The rooms are large and cool with deep windows set in thick walls. I suppose it’s about 200 years old and many generations […]
9 Shots and a Dog Bite. Street Photography in Bolivia’s La Paz!
“There isn’t a modern rabies vaccine in La Paz – or in Bolivia for that matter!” were the words from our doctor, albeit in Spanish, after running around La Paz to every hospital, clinic, and doctor’s office we could find! Unfortunately a dog bite had cramped our style and our plans, and we were in desperate search of a rabies vaccine. Bolivia has to have it – we thought. We never would have imagined that there could possibly be a […]
European Charm in Barrio París-Londres in Santiago, Chile
Central Santiago is charming, and albeit it looks different, it’s got that same European flair as Buenos Aires or Montevideo, but there is another neighbourhood that will transport you further into a “South American Europe” just by walking through the small street intersection of Calle Londres and Calle Paris. It’s called, and rightfully so, Barrio Paris Londres. It’s a stones throw from centro; across Avenida Libertador Bernardo Higgens; a few blocks from the University. Barrio Paris Londres was developed in the 1920s […]
A Beautiful Photo Journey from Mendoza to the Chilean Border
Mendoza is wine country in Argentina, and the city itself is beautiful with some old colonial charm with mountains on one side and plains on the other. Westbound through the foothills and deep into the Andes you’ll meet with the Chilean border. This 200km trek will wind you through some incredible natural beauty designed for the site-see’ers, the adventurers, and the mountaineers alike. Hit the border crossing at the 200km mark and you’re half way to Santiago. But, for me, […]
A Modern Gaucho in Salta
As I was walking through central Salta, a group of 6 gauchos rolled in on horses. An interesting display, but what caught me most off guard was one young gaucho who seemed to be navigating his steed well all while conversing, with I can only assume is a girl, on his mobile phone. Eyes glued to the phone, he rolled in with the rest, and then rolled (rode) out! Good people, I can assume.
Stories of Russian Spies, Royalty, and Celebrities at the Admiral suit in St. Johns’ Sheridan Hotel
Stories about Bryan Adams, Dubai Royalty, Russian Spies, Elton John, and the Queen of England. All elitists who have stayed in the Admiral Suite. Almeldia, a Labradorian who has worked at the Sheraton for 32 years guided us through the Admiral suite in the St John’s Sheraton Hotel. We asked the hotel if they would be able to take us somewhere where we could get great photos of the city and Almeldia volunteered. She took us up to the Admiral […]
Andy and his Wife. A Conversation in St. Johns.
This is Andy. He’s showing us the skull of a small animal he and his wife found up atop Signal Hill while they were blueberry picking earlier in the afternoon. After a long day of exploring St. Johns, Newfoundland, we stopped at a small parkette just off of Water St, St. John’s main strip where we met this man named Andy along with his wife – they are both presumably in their mid 50’s. We sat at opposite benches, but […]
