Iceland’s gastronomy is inventive. A function of it’s extreme climate, Norse/Irish influences, rich natural resources and creative food culture. Until very recently, fishing was the primary industry, now second only to tourism. Sheep outnumber the Icelandic population. Not a single citrus fruit can be grown but root vegetables are abundant. Winters are long, dark and cold and summers are brief and cool. Here are my top tasting recommendations if you’re …
Icelanders are very serious about their trolls. In fact, more than half the population accepts the existence of the “Huldufólk” or “Hidden Folk”; supernatural beings that reside in, beneath or behind the rocks and mounds. They decorate homes and gardens. People refer to them with a peculiar reverence, sometimes with a wink and a nod as if to challenge the non-believers. One day in July I visited Arnarstapi, a small …
I wasn’t expecting “holy ground” when we stopped in the tiny town of Stöðvarfjörður (pop.184), tucked between Iceland’s eastern-most fjords and mountains. But that’s the way it felt. One woman’s collection of stones, cleaned and on display outside the home where she’d lived and raised four children. Where now ten years after her death, her family welcomes visitors to view their mother and grandmother’s life’s work. “Petra was sincere and …
Filling the valley between the mountains with blue-white light. Vatnajökull Glacier in Iceland is the largest glacier in Europe, covering eight percent of Iceland’s landmass. This glacier looms in the distance. It appears to breathe, a living organism. I can imagine it shape-shifting under its own weight, a moving sea of many century’s old ice. What is a Glacier? And Why is the Ice So Blue? A glacier is a …
The country has over three thousand NAMED waterfalls and countless unnamed. They thunder over rocky mega-crevasses left by million year old volcanic eruptions. Deafening. Hypnotic. Intimidating. These are Iceland’s “Foss” or falls which, along with their fjords and the glaciers, define the country’s landscape. Here are three of my favorites: Seljalandsfoss This 1.2-mile out-and-back trail near Þórsmerkurvegur is an easy, but slippery hike once you’ve climbed down into the area …
How do you like your herring? Brined, pickled, smoked? Me? I prefer mine brought to my table marinating in cream in some swanky, upper East Side restaurant. Today, these tasty little fish are processed and packed by machines, but up until fifty years ago, this arduous work was done by the hands of women…from young teens to seniors. On the docks of Siglufjörður, Iceland. From 1903 until 1969, women from …
Dress up night!
My recent Peruvian adventure included a deep, delicious dive into the country`s authentic cuisine with seafood as a highlight.
High in the Andes Mountains of Peru live direct descendents of the ancient Inca people, invaded by Spanish Conquistadors in the 1500`s. This indigenous group of people are called the Q`ueros.
#abroadtravelingabroad #incahistory #incatrail #peru #sacredvalley #seniortravel #shaman #soloseniortravel #solotravel #womentravelingsolo
Although the trail to the remarkable Inca engineering and cultural achievement called Machu Picchu is Peru`s most famous destination, Cañon del Colca, or Colca Canyon is a grand and extraordinary experience...one not to miss!
#abroadtravelingabroad #colcavalley #condors #peru #seniortravel #seniorwomentravel #soloseniortravel #solotravel
We did it! #Machupicchu #incatrail #wiracocha #abroadtravelingabroad #hirambingham #sevenwonders
Sacred Valley of the Incas #ollyantaytambo #peru #wiraquocha #abroadtravelingabroad
Near Saqsayhuaman Inca site #shaman #shamanism #perushaman #healingrituals #abroadtravelingabroad
Island life #uros #urosfloatingislands #laketiticacaperu #Peru #abroadtravelingabroad
Colca Valley #condors #chivay #andes #andeancondor #abroadtravelingabroad #peru #inca #incatrail #colcacanyon
A day in Arequipa, La Ciudad Blanca #santacatalinamonastery #laiglesiadelacompañíadejesús #elmisti #ceviche #peru
Croatia`s Secret Genius: Sculptor, Artist, Designer...Meet my friend Ivan Midzic
#abroadtravelingabroad #croatia #ivanmidzic #jewelry #midzojewellry #midzoart #rovinj #seniortravel #seniorwomentravel #shopping #soloseniortravel #solotravel #steuphemia #statementjewelry #womentravelingsolo
Before landing in Tokyo I was perfectly content with a plastic tray of grocery store wannabe sushi.
Not any more.
#abroadtraveingabroad #bestsushiever #keioplazahotel #kuybeyrestaurant #nigiri #seniortravel #seniorwomentravel #soloseniortravel #solotravel #sushi #tokyo #travelsafetyabroad #womentravelingsolo
Thousands of vermilion Torii gates blazing in the August sun which straddle a network of trails behind its main shrines. The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari.
#abroadtravelingabroad #FushimiInariTaisha #kyoto #seniortravel #seniorwomentravel #shinto #soloseniortravel #solotravel #toriigates #womentravelingsolo
A morning walk along the Miyagawa River finds farmers and craftspeople selling sansai (mountain vegetables), wasakana (river fish) along with selections of local pottery and vintage kimonos repurposed as ornate handbags and a subtle rainbow of silk jackets.
#abroadtravelingabroad #japan #japanesefestival #onsen #sake #seniortravel #seniorwomentravel #soloseniortravel #solotravel #takayama #womentravelingsolo
7th Annual Hawthorne Family Cooking Class #chefalyssas #thaifood #familytime
An afternoon at Tokyo`s Tsujiki Outer Market introduced me to the art of Japanese shopping. This is Japan’s “Food Town,” featuring every imaginable traditional Japanese food.
https://abroadtravelingabroad.com/japans-ultimate-shopping-experience-at-tsukiji-and-nishiki-markets/
Maiko Performance #Kyoto #maiko #geishamakeup #japan #abroadtravelingabroad
Kyoto #🈲 #abroadtravelingabroad #goldenpavilion #kimono
Bullet train to Kyoto station late afternoon. Massive complex with floors packed with luxury designer shops, restaurants and 10 floors of the Isetan department store! Kyoto Tower replicates a lighthouse design. Looking forward to its topmost view tomorrow. @abroadtravelingabroad
Hello Kyoto #kyoto #kyotostation #everythingyouneed #abroadtravelingabroad #japaneseculture #japanesefood #japanesefashion