| May 29, 2012 |
| Enjoy Porto’s São João Festival! |
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| In 2004, a journalist from The Guardian commented that "Porto's Festa de São João is one of Europe's liveliest street festivals, yet it remains relatively unknown outside the country." Almost a decade later the lively celebrations surrounding John the Baptist continue to pulse through the Portuguese city – but more visitors than ever are joining the party. Will you be one of them? |
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Miguel, an experienced guide and traveler who was born and raised in Porto, explains what São João is all about – and why you shouldn’t miss it!
São João is almost here! It is Porto's most famous festival, already known throughout the world and experienced by more and more tourists and visitors each year. The city gets dressed up and the streets are filled with colour, tradition and joy.
Particularly in the evening and the night from 23 to 24 June, the São João Night, Porto embraces thousands of people in an unparalleled and unforgettable gathering lasting until dawn.
In the Churches and Chapels, and particularly at this time, visitors can tour the altars dedicated to the saint and admire the artistic representations conjured up by renowned national and international artists.
In the streets, the cascatas (cascades), unique in Portugal, call the attention of passers-by to a tradition that involves the representation, in miniature, of scenes from around the city and customs from times gone by. They include houses, paths traced out in sand and moss, clay figurines painted in lively colours of people going about their daily business, working at their professions (many of which have now disappeared) and animals that, these days, are rarely seen inside the city. The most famous of these is the Cascata das Fontaínhas.
The festival program has space for competitive activities too, such as the now traditional regatta of ‘rabelo’ (port wine) boats which runs over a 1.5 km course from Foz do Douro to the Luís I Bridge. There are also activities along the riverside and more competition in the form of the S. João race and the contests for best cascata, shop window, ‘rusga’ (parade) and popular poetry celebrating S. João.
The night of the 23 June is the most jubilant of the year. Crowds of people come out onto the streets to celebrate this patron saint of amours. In the ‘Baixa’ area the streets ring out with the cries of the sellers of the traditional basil plants, carnations, lemon verbena, “leeks” and the modern hammers that are used to dole out friendly whacks on the head to passers-by and which spread like wildfire throughout the city from early on in the day, acting as harbingers of the fun that is coming later on. The S. João bonfires are set alight in the streets, by groups of neighbours and friends who prove their bravery by jumping right over the top of them. At midnight on the 23 June, there are fireworks, or São João’s fire, on the river. The banks of the Douro fill up with thousands of spectators who have come to watch the biggest show of the year, bursting with light, colour and emotion.
The traditional S. João balloons, made out of paper and brightly coloured, are carefully launched into the sky, providing an unparalleled spectacle of hundreds of ascending points of light.
On the Feast night or on the day of S. João, people eat ‘caldo verde’ soup with cornbread, mutton, lamb or grilled sardines, pepper salad and, for dessert, egg and milk custard or S. João cake, deservedly washed down by a delicious Port Wine.
The night of S. João comes to a close at Foz do Douro, with people rowing out towards the sea until the dawn breaks.
Come and have fun with us. Porto awaits you!
It sounds magical! If you’re headed to Porto this summer, feel free to send Miguel a message about your trip plans. You can get in touch with him here: Miguel’s guide profile. |
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| May 28, 2012 |
| How to eat like a local in Thailand! |
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| Do you have a favourite Thai meal? Personally, I love Red Curry with beef or chicken. The richness of the spices and coconut blending together, the flavourful broth soaked up by fluffy white rice...heaven in a bowl. But I know there are a lot of dishes I have yet to try! Today our Bangkok-based guide Swai describes six very popular Thai meals that we aren’t typically served in Thai restaurants overseas, but are delicious staples of the local diet. |
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Thai cuisine is quite famous for its healthiness, and especially its particularly delicious taste. Also, there are many varieties so you can choose to cook one dish several ways, with a mixture of many kinds of ingredients that taste beautiful together. Many foreigners know only a few Thai dishes like Phad Thai (fried grass noodle) or Tom Yum soup (strong ingredients of herbal soup) since they are so popular even in Thai restaurants abroad. The following courses are samples of popular Thai cuisines which are really native throughout the country.
1. Kraphrao or Thai basil leaves with meat: This is common for a Thai local meal. It is always fried with some meat, either pork or chicken or beef or even squid. The main ingredient is from basil leaves which will be stir-fried with some chili and meat. If you’re not already, get used to spicy food, although it is possible to reduce chili for your own need.
2. Larb or minced meat with rice powder: This one is cooked in a very particular way, and after well done the flavor is very nice. It is always served with side dishes of mixed fresh vegetables. The taste is a mixture of salty and a bit sweet, but the real body element is a strong sour and spicy taste. The major ingredients are dried hot chilis and dried rice powder. Chili can be reduced to avoid too much spic in case you're not yet used to a strong spicy taste. The plain rice is sometimes replaced by sticky rice.
3. Kratiam Phrik thai or meat with garlic and pepper: The choice of meat is depending on your own favorite taste like pork, chicken or beef. Sometimes it can be replaced by squid. When eating with rice it is so tasty, especially with fried garlic and just a little bit of spice from pepper powder. It is simple to prepare and enough for one meal when served together with a plate of plain rice.
4. Som tum or papaya salad: This type of dish is very local. The main ingredient is fresh raw papaya, sliced into pieces. With a mortar, pound slightly together with some coconut sugar, fish sauce, baby tomatoes, dried tiny shrimps, roasted peanuts and fresh chili. It is always eatable with sticky rice and a side dish of some fresh vegetable of native morning-glories, cowpeas and cabbage.
5. Kuaytiew or basic soup noodle: This is really local and so popular throughout the country, from street food to restaurants, to food shops in a food plaza. It is also called soup noodle with fish ball. Generally, it is served in a bowl of soup with fish balls (cook-minced fish meat and forming up to shape like a white ball). There are also choices of noodles for selection like flat noodle, skinny noodle, rice vermicelli or yellow noodle (egg noodle) depending on your own preference.
6. Kaeng Khiewwarn or green curry: This one is a tasty, simple meal. Just pour atop onto a plate of plain rice and it can be enough for one meal. The meat can be either chicken, beef or minced fish meat. The curry is a little bit spicy and the soup is quite flavourful since one main ingredient is made from coconut milk.
Most Thai meals are usually served together with a little bowl of sliced fresh chili in fish sauce. And while eating, according to Thai custom, the practice is using a spoon with the right hand side and fork with the left. All main courses are shared in the middle of the table, with extra serving spoons separately. Each individual’s plate is always filled up with boiled plain rice. And there will always be a glass of cold water or water with ice cubes for each person.
Thanks Swai for explaining these authentic Thai meals to us! Travelers to Thailand should be sure to sample at least one - if not all! - of these delicious dishes before they return home. |
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| May 25, 2012 |
| Golden Gate Bridge Turns 75 |
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| A very big icon is about to celebrate a very big birthday. While it won’t be able to blow out the candles on its cake, hordes of adoring fans will give it a hand on May 27th. So what are we celebrating? San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge is turning 75! |
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When the bridge was finished at the height of the Great Depression, it became the longest suspension bridge in the world. While it no longer holds that title, its icon status is indisputable. Our local guides in San Francisco are unfailingly asked by visitors where to capture the quintessential shot of the Golden Gate, along with recommendations for the best spots to eat and shop in the surrounding area. There’s no doubt that the Golden Gate is a major crowd-pleaser.
This year, with the bridge turning 75 on May 27, the city is prepped to celebrate. Foot and bicycle traffic across the bridge is peaking, as locals and visitors alike all strive to become a part of the bridge’s living history, snapping photos of the bridge and themselves from the purpose-built viewing areas.
Two full days of music, dance, entertainment, art and exhibits begin tomorrow morning, culminating with a major fireworks display on Crissy Field on Sunday night, accompanied by elegant 1930s-themed dinners served at Bay-side restaurants and grand private homes with views of the bridge.
If you want to be a part of the celebrations without necessarily getting caught up in the crowds, Alec Scott (a San Francisco resident writing for the Globe and Mail) has a suggestion:
...there’s a quieter place to meet the bridge – and to get that key shot – away from the crowds and anniversary hoopla. Get onto one of the surprisingly unfrequented trails that wind along the Pacific coast, just southwest of the landmark – one leading through an abandoned Second World War bunker, past native shrubs and flowers, down to Marshall’s Beach.
Many of our San Francisco guides would agree, and can take you on the peaceful hike that leads to this prime viewing spot – or to other secret locations they’re familiar with. If you’re planning a trip to the San Francisco Bay area anytime soon, consider getting in touch with Ryan, Elizabeth, Gary, Rick or Craig to introduce you to the Golden Gate and San Francisco’s many other unique attractions. |
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| May 24, 2012 |
| The Perfect Time to Visit Vicenza, "the Museum of Museums" |
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| Vicenza, located an hour from Venice, is renowned as the former home of Renaissance master architect Andrea Palladio. This fall, the city is experiencing another artistic renaissance, as hundreds of works of classical and modern art will be displayed in the newly restored halls of Palladio’s masterpiece: the Basilica. |
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Today our local Vicenza guide Ruben tells us about all the “big names” about to be on display – and why you should make a trip to Vicenza a part of your next Italian itinerary!
The most important architect of all time, Andrea Palladio, awaits you in Vicenza to show you his masterpiece. After many years of restoration work, the Palladian Basilica is again open to the public! You will be able to visit it and see its interior, until now closed for six years, and finally see the huge hall, the corridors and staircases completely restored.
On this special occasion, a hundred extraordinary paintings from museums of various continents will be exposed inside the huge hall. From October 6th 2012 to January 20th 2013, visitors can enjoy the Palladian architecture and the exhibit “Raffaello versus Picasso” at the same time. Raffaello versus Picasso represents the long path from the perfection of form and the breaking of that same form with the Cubist movement.
Displayed in four thematic sections, the exhibit tells a story in images of the people represented in the paintings. The painters on exhibit include Raphael, Botticelli, Mantegna, Bellini, Giorgione, Titian, Dürer, Cranach, Pontormo as well as Rubens, Caravaggio, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Velázquez, El Greco, Goya and Tiepolo. Finally, the exhibit ends with the Impressionists, from Manet to Van Gogh and the great painters of the twentieth century: from Munch, Picasso, Matisse and Modigliani to Giacometti and Bacon - to name a few of the many that will turn Vicenza into a superb museum of museums.
In fact, during this time there will be three more museums in the city open with extraordinary exhibits. On October 6th, the local art gallery of Palazzo Chiericati, another Palladian palace, will also be open with an extraordinary exhibit of sixteenth to the twentieth century paintings by the most important painters of Vicenza, who will show you the society of Vicenza through portraits of the most important local aristocratic families.
Palazzo Barbarano da Porto is the only Palladian palace completely finished by Palladio. Starting October 5th, this palace, which holds the CISA (Centro Internazionale di Architettura Andrea Palladio) will become the new Palladio Museum where visitors will be able to discover Palladio's personal life, his original designs, his architecture in Vicenza and Venice and the historical period during Palladio's life in the sixteen century.
The third museum is situated in Palazzo Thiene, another palladian masterpiece decorated with frescoes and stuccos of the sixteen century that holds an extraordinary collection of Venetian paintings of the last five hundred years and the sole complete collection of oselle (antique venetian coins) in the world. Entrance to the palace will be free and visitors will be able to visit the three floors of the building.
Besides all these special events and new museums, Vicenza will still show you its timeless masterpieces including the Olympic Theater, Villa la Rotonda, Villa Valmarana ai Nani and so many more. Don't miss this exceptional moment to visit Vicenza: there won't be another one like it!
If you’re planning a trip through Northern Italy this Fall, be sure not to miss this abundance of great art and architecture on display in Vicenza! And if you make it here, consider getting in touch with Ruben , whose local knowledge will enrich your time in this splendid region. |
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