Posted Feb 22, 2012, 11:28 pm
Josie is taking part at the GTVT. I hope she enjoys her journeys through Germany.
We all cuddled her. Bye bye little beautiful lady!
Posted Feb 28, 2012, 11:10 am
Philly is also leaving today. He and Alex gave me a big hug for goodbye. I think I will miss them a little bit.
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But, there was a lot of lovely clover!
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We made quite a dent, but there's still plenty more to be done... we plan to go back in 2 weeks and do some more
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Posted May 13, 2012, 1:56 am
No time to meet everyone, because I arrived as my host was leaving to take out some other TVs. I was very excited to tag along!
In the car I made friends with Luisa, Lola Rabbit, and BlueBunny.
Minnesota is called "The Land of 10,000 Lakes" so we went to visit a lake. This is Hyland Lake here in Bloomington.
Hi!
I am looking forward to lots of new adventures here!
Posted May 22, 2012, 12:35 am
Posted May 22, 2012, 12:49 am
Shoes! This town loves them! I have never seen a shoe this big!
I found lots of fun shops and cool buildings.
After all that walking, we decided to relax at the park. There I found this funny statue.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-o6FALC1f_dc/T7rP3JeRn0I/AAAAAAAABHk/1nTdiAazjiU/s640/P1060848.JPG
This rose is the same size as me!
I had lots of fun, and now we are heading home.
My host promises another trip to Wisconsin to find a state line sign! I can't wait!
Posted May 28, 2012, 4:42 pm
Today in America it is Memorial Day! It is a day to honor and remember fallen soldiers.
We spent the day playing outside in the yard.
Check out this garden. The leaves are HUGE!
Rolling around on a ball seemed like a fun way to explore. I didn't even fall off.
Time for a picnic with my friends. Blue Bunny shared his Blue Bunny Ice Cream with us.
It was super good!
Posted Jun 3, 2012, 3:56 am
Today I did a little painting. I decorated a birdhouse!
Time to add some purple. I really hope this looks cool when I'm done.
Now we have to find a place to hang it outside. I can't wait to see who moves in!
I think it turned out nice. I had a lot of fun painting, and I didn't get dirty. I really didn't want purple and pink spots on my fur.
Posted Jun 9, 2012, 3:16 am
Today we took another trip to Wisconsin to try to get some pictures of the state line signs. We failed again! There was too much road construction and we couldn't get close enough for a picture. We will try again soon!
I had a great time anyway. First we stopped by the Lion's Park. I looked all over, but I couldn't find any Lions.
I did find a Pelican. He was a fun ride.
I also found a few horse swings. I picked the black one.
Next we took a walk down by the St. Croix River. I saw some Canadian Geese.
It's so pretty here.
Check it out! They have Muskies and Walleyes here. My host says they are really tasty.
Further down the river, we stopped to check out the dam. The water was going really fast! This dam is the reason the town was named St. Croix Falls.
I did some rock climbing by the river.
I found some wild raspberries. We found a few that were ripe. They are so sweet!
I stopped inside the Visitor Center to cool off. Here I learned all about the St. Croix River.
I stood inside a giant clam. I don't think they really get this big. I really hope not!
I learned about the Silver Carp. They are an invasive fish that they are trying to keep out of the river. Looks big enough to eat me in one bite!
Before we left, I saw an American Flag. Just below it is a Wisconsin Flag.
I had a great time, but today was just too hot! I'm really hoping we get back soon and get pictures of the state signs.
Bye for now!
Posted Jun 21, 2012, 4:47 am
Today we visited the Mall of America. This Mall is HUGE! Four stories of shops, plus an indoor amusement park called Nickelodeon Universe! The park looks like so much fun!
Here's the fish! Underneath the Mall there is a giant aquarium full of fish, sharks, and turtles. Tubes in the bottom allow us to walk through and see everything without getting wet - or eaten!
This is one of the smaller tanks.
The Rainforest Cafe looked very cool. In the restaurant, they have lots of animal statues. Every 30 minutes, they shut off the lights and have a thunderstorm and the apes go crazy!
After all that walking, my poor little feet were so tired. We stopped for a few minutes and rested on this bench. This bench is a model of the bench from the movie Forrest Gump. I was hoping that the chocolates would be tasty, but they are not real.
What a wonderful way to spend a morning!
Posted Jun 21, 2012, 4:50 am
Today is the Summer Solstice. It is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. I was really hoping to go out and enjoy some of the sun, but it rained all afternoon. It's still raining now.
I did sneak outside for a few minutes to watch the sunset. It was just to pretty to miss!
Posted Jun 27, 2012, 4:05 am
We drove up to St. Paul for some walking and some bread. I found this mural on the wall outside the bread store. It's old, and peeling, but still awesome!
We walked past Macalester College. It's a Liberal Arts College. It is very old, with lots of old buildings.
After all our walking, we stopped by the Breadsmith and Jamba Juice. I had an awesome banana smoothie and a mini chocolate babka roll. It was then perfect size for me!
On the drive home, I found a tower! It's called the Highland Park Water Tower, but I think I want to live here after I am done traveling. Imagine the parties I could have up there at the top! Now I just need to find some disco lights...
I had a very fun day. Maybe my host isn't all bad. We will see.
Posted Jul 5, 2012, 8:16 pm
July 4th is America's Independence Day. A lot of people celebrate by watching fireworks. Even though we are in the middle of a heat wave, we decided to venture out and watch some too.
My host won some tickets to ride the Fireworks Train. First a scenic train ride, than fireworks!
It's still very hot, but the train ride was fun! With the windows open, we could cool down a little. So many trees! The conductor had to stop the train once to move a tree that fell on the tracks.
Here we are relaxing on our blanket waiting for the sky to get dark. The sun has finally gone down, and it is cooling off a little.
Getting dark! My orange glow stick makes it easy to find me in the dark. Without it, I would be very hard to see. The wait is almost over! Look at all the people who came out to see the fireworks.
The tree blocked out view a little, but the fireworks were amazing!
After the fireworks, we took the train back. It stayed very hot all night, but it was a wonderful adventure.
Posted Jul 9, 2012, 12:00 am
Tonight my host was busy hanging out at a place called The Nerdery with some friends. It is an office building, so I decided to do a little exploring on my own. I was really hoping to find snack to fill my little belly.
After finding this sign, I knew it was ok to wander around. This is definitly a dog friendly place!
These people love nerds! Looks like there are a lot of nerds that work here.
I made a few new friends. This is Pikachu. She just sits around here all day. I wonder if she is a nerd too? She doesn't know where they keep the food, so I will keep looking.
Wall-e is a robot. He said that he was in a movie, but I haven't seen it yet. He doesn't have any food either.
Mr. Potato Head was cool. He likes to talk a lot! He looks like food, but I would never eat a friend!
Mauro is from a movie called Rio. He isn't a traveling toy like me, so he really enjoyed hearing about all my adventures. He told me that he had seen a banana laying around somewhere, but he couldn't remember where.
This robot was hard to talk to. I asked about the snacks, and all he said was beep beep beep. I think his name is R2D2. Once he started beeping at me, he wouldn't stop, so I had to sneak away.
I saw a coffee cup and got my hopes up. As I got closer, I could see that it was full of paper. Who drinks paper? Not me!
This little dog told me where to find the doggy treats! I think he's my favorite!
Finally! Only one problem... I was just not able to get this container open. ARG! I pounded on it, and pulled on it, and nothing worked. Sadly, I will have to look elsewhere for a snack.
This robot was no help. I think he wanted to shoot me with his laser. RUN!
I was so tired, I was ready to give up. Finally, I found a snack! I LOVE Bananas!
After my belly was full, I wanted a quick nap. Looking around to find a good nap place took me to this place. It is the command center for a Star Trek space ship. Since no one else is here, that makes me Captain! MAKE IT SO!
Wow! Now this is blue! It is also very soft. I will settle down for a quick nap while I wait for my host to take me home.
Good night!
Posted Jul 25, 2012, 11:58 pm
This park is very pretty, with lots of green growing things and little streams.
I love this stone bridge. Very cool!
I heard rumors of a 100 year old snapping turtle that may reside around this area. I looked very hard, but I couldn't find him.
This was just a little waterfall, but still cool. In the water, I saw a crayfish. It looked like a baby lobster!
Almost time to get back in the car. Guess where to next?
Posted Jul 26, 2012, 12:10 am
We found a little park to run and play at. Soon, lots of kids showed up and we had a great time!
At last we came to Lambeau Field. This is where the Green Bay Packers play their at home games.
We had to walk all the way around to the other side to get in. They had entrances all over, but only this one was open today.
Sadly, since there wasn't a game today, we couldn't watch them play or go see the field. This is part of the training area, and I believe back there right above my head is where they practice!
Awesome!
Posted Jul 26, 2012, 12:15 am
Posted Jul 26, 2012, 12:21 am
Michigan!!!
After the sign, we did a little shopping in Iron Mountain. Then it was time to start our journey home. On the way out of town, we found another sign!
Wisconsin!!!
I'm so happy!
Posted Jul 26, 2012, 5:48 am
Up here, it's so easy to feel lost. It's a little magical!
Now we are on our way back to Minnesota. What a fun adventure!
Posted Jul 29, 2012, 11:48 pm
My host tells me that it's probably the last one I'll be able to see here. I'm sure we'll find lots of other fun things to do!
Posted Aug 11, 2012, 2:21 am
Today I met some new animal friends.
This is Oliver. He's a Shih Tzu Bichon dog. He just likes to relax. I asked, but he doesn't have any black schnauzer friends. He said he'll look around the doggy park for me!
This is Puzzles. He's a rat. He was very excited to see me. He wouldn't be still long enough to get a good picture.
His brother Slinky was a little more relaxed. He just wanted to know if I had any snacks for him.
Lots of new friends!
Posted Aug 12, 2012, 7:14 pm
Tonight, we are in St Paul. We had plans to leave the city to see the Perseid Meteor Shower at it's peak, but the clouds blocked the view.
I decided that we should take a walk and check out some dog parks in the city. The first one we found is called Wacouta Commons. It is a nice park for dogs, and people too. I really wanted to play in the water fountain.
This beautiful place is called Mears Park. There is a stream that runs through it with water fountains, but the water was shut off this late at night.
I was a little worried that I would get in trouble without a leash, but it was ok. Don't worry, I didn't leave a mess for you to clean up!
It was a beautiful night! The city lights were beautiful! After walking around so much, we were all very tired.
Good Night!
Posted Aug 21, 2012, 5:54 pm
This morning, we decided to make sugar cookies for breakfast. What tasty fun! My new friend bolly and my old friend BlueBunny were very excited to help.
Rolling out the dough was hard work, and I think we all got a little bit of flour on us. Because I'm black, I look so very dirty now. Don't worry, it shakes right off!
I choose a giraffe shaped cookie for me. My cookie will be taller than me!
Now the cookies are ready to go in the oven.
While the cookies baked, we worked on cleaning up the mess. I washed the table.
So pretty...
And tasty too! This is what I want for breakfast every day!
I wish I could send one home to you, but I think we ate them all!
Posted Sep 21, 2012, 4:24 am
The big lake behind me is Lake Superior. It's so big that we couldn't see the other side!
Best Wishes,
Charly
Posted Sep 25, 2012, 11:28 pm
These leaves are beginning to turn yellow.
I really like this red tree. It's so much fun to hide in!
When I saw this big pile of leaves, I just had to jump in! They are so crunchy! I had lots of fun stomping around!
Charly
Posted Sep 26, 2012, 8:35 pm
Finally, I found the right tree. This is the house of Mr. Little Guy. He lives here in the Summer. Many people leave letters or gifts for him, and he writes back.
I knocked on the door, but then I noticed a sign. It says that he has moved from this cabin to his castle for the Winter. I guess Minnesota Winters are just too cold for him. On the side of the tree, I could see the letters he left for his friends.
I am a little sad that I wasn't able to meet Mr. Little Guy, but it was still a great adventure to go out to the lake and find his home.
Best Wishes,
Charly
Posted Oct 30, 2012, 11:23 pm
Today I took a walk in the forest to check out all the fall colors. Down here by the river, many of the trees haven't changed yet.
I found this little stream with a little waterfall.
This tree is growing in the middle of the path! I like it!
These red leaves are as pretty as flowers.
This huge tree is very yellow. I love how it glows in the sun!
The sun is setting and it is time to go home with my friends. I really don't want to get lost out here in the dark.
Bye!
Charly
Posted Oct 30, 2012, 11:31 pm
Today I am going to carve a pumpkin. I picked out the biggest pumpkin I could find. It's HUGE! With all my tools ready, I am ready to begin.
I cut off the top, and EWWW! It's so slimy! Now I have to clean it all out.
That was a lot of hard work, but now I am done. Next I have to sort out the seeds from the slime. My host likes to bake them and eat them.
Time to carve a face. I hope it doesn't turn out too scary! Don't worry, I am being very careful with the sharp knife.
All done! How's it look? On Halloween night, they will put a candle in it and it will light up.
I won't be here on Halloween. I am leaving here tomorrow. My next update will be from sunny and warm Florida! I can't wait. Hopefully it's a short trip.
Bye from Minnesota for the last time!
Charly
Posted Nov 3, 2012, 12:09 pm
Looks like my host is packing to travel somewhere. It may be a little while before we can post, but I look forward to having fun here!
Posted Jan 11, 2013, 7:29 pm
Let's take some Miami-looking pictures.
Hmmm wonder where we are going?
It's a pretty airplane. It says Portugal on the airplane. Is that where we are going?
Looks like we are flying across the Atlantic! Are we heading home? I miss home, but, but I haven't seen much of the world yet!
Wow we are about 17km from Lisbon!! That's the capital of Portugal!
Posted Jan 13, 2013, 4:48 pm
First thing first. We need some breakfast! Naturally we want to try the famous pastel de nata with coffee. It is an egg tart from Portugal.
We buy the ticket for the subway. It can be used on buses and trams too.
Let's check the map to see how we get there.
We are on the subway now!
We arrive at the terminal. Here they have trains too.
We get outside the terminal to get on a bus.
Portugal sure looks very different from where I've been before.
After the bus ride we arrive at our destination, the Azulejo Museum. Azulejo is a type of painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tilework that was introduced to Portugal by the Moors in the 15th century, and has become a typical aspect of Portuguese culture. A major aspect of Portuguese architecture, they can be found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces, houses and even railway or subway stations.
The museum building looks very old.
The moment we enter, this azulejo painting of soldier greets us.
These tiles from the 16th centuries are some of the earliest examples of azulejos.
These are examples from the 17th century.
This is a peony pattern.
I have to say, the painter is not very good at drawing!
We see examples of how the tiles are used to decorate churches.
The corridors are decorated with azulejos too.
Some of the azulejos are very large in scale. They can be used to decorate the whole side of a wall in a room, instead of using tapestry.
Here's an example of tiles along a flight of stairs.
This one has different flowers, animals and boats in it.
This one is pretty, isn't it? Each tile shows a different picture.
By the 18th century, people certainly can draw much better. This is depicts maritime and country life.
I really like the colorful tiles.
Sometimes a series of tiles are used to tell a story.
This one is supposedly scenes from China.
Wow, look at this! A paranoma of Lisbon.
Now we go on to some more contemporary designs.
We are getting tired, let's take a break.
Afterwards, we visit the chapel that is also part of the museum. There are a lot of artifacts on display.
The ceiling is very beautiful.
I see a reproduction of the Last Supper.
The inside of the chapel is very beautiful.
As we exit, we pass by the workshop area. Wish we can see the artisans at work.
Posted Jan 17, 2013, 5:31 am
We start out at Praça do Comércio. The square is still commonly known as Terreiro do Paço (Palace Square), because it was the location of the Royal Ribeira Palace until it was destroyed by the great 1755 Lisbon Earthquake.
We walk through the triumphal arch onto Rua Augusta. This is a lively pedestrian street with mosaic pavements, outdoor cafes and many shops.
Here is a newspaper kiosk. The front page of newspapers are displayed, so people stand there to read them.
There are souvenir shops too. Do you see the many rooster figures? They are called O Galo de Barcelos, and is the unofficial symbol of Portugal. There is a story behind it. At a banquet given by a rich landowner in Barcelos, a valuable piece of silver was stolen and one of guests was accused of the theft. He was tried by the court and was found guilty, despite his claim of innocence. On the day he was to be executed, he was brought to the magistrate. The magistrate was having dinner with his guests. Seeing the cock on the plate, the condemned man said, “If I am innocent, the cock will crow.” The cock stood up from the plate and crowed, and the prisoner was allowed to go free.
We stop for lunch. As Portugal is famous for its codfish dishes, we decide to try one. This one is baked with potatoes.
This is the Santa Justa Elevator which can take you up for a view of the city.
Can you see the car passing under the little arc?
We reach Rossio Square, with the column of Pedro IV in the center and the national theatre behind it.
There are many shops around.
This is a beautiful fountain. In the 19th century the square was paved with cobblestones in wave patterns, a design seen today in many other pavements all over Portugal, and that has spread to Portugal's former colonies from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) to Macao (China).
We see an old tram.
And a modern one! Running on the same track!
We find a shop and go in for our daily quota of pasteis de nata!
What interesting pattern they have on the streets!
We continue to walk around the streets.
This is a nice-looking police station but we are not interested in a tour.
This is the Rossio Railway Station. What is special about it is its facade, made in Neo-Manueline style unique to 16th century Portugal.
Look this guy is selling chestnuts!
We find the funicular tram that will take us to a Miradouro (viewpoint).
Let's get on the tram.
After a few minutes we are up the hill!
The tram goes up and down the same track, so it has doors on both sides.
We are rewarded with a nice panorama of the city.
Time to leave. Should we walk down the steep slope or take the tram?
Hmmmm we are tired. Let's just hop onto the tram!
We find the metro station and take the subway back to the hotel.
Posted Jan 23, 2013, 4:12 pm
It's a small hotel with only 11 rooms.
What a nice fireplace it has!
The wines lined up here in the corridor is from the vineyard.
We have a really nice room!
You can see the garden from the room. Let's go out and explore!
What a nice pool! Sadly it's too cold to swim.
We can see the vineyard from here. Alentejo is famous for its wine.
Harvest is over so we don't see any grapes on the vines.
We do see a lot of olives though!
We try some fresh olives and find out why we never see fresh ones for sale. It's very astrigent! This place pick their olives to make olive oil.
Posted Feb 13, 2013, 4:04 am
The region of Santarém has been inhabited since pre-historic times. The city was named after Saint Iria (or Irene).
Look at the beautiful street signs!
Even the facade of the buildings are decorated.
This is the Igreja da Graça, a church built between the 14th and 15th centuries in a mix of mendicant and flamboyant Gothic styles. It is closed so we cannot get in for a visit.
Posted Feb 15, 2013, 4:51 pm
First, we have to take the tram to go to Alfama. There is a long line!
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We wait and wait, and finally our tram comes!
We get off at Miradouro das Portas do Sol. This is a statue of St. Vincent, the city's patron saint, holding a boat with two ravens, the symbols of Lisbon.
From the terrace we get a very beautiful view of Lisbon.
The weather is gorgeous and the houses look very lovely viewed from high above.
A short walk away is Miradouro de Santa Luzia where we get more views of the city and spot this wall tile.
There are a lot of souvenir shops around, and we visit some of them.
Look at all the bottles of Port and other wines! Port is a famous wine from Portugal and here you can see them from different vintages. New ones to some that are decades old! Some people buy the wines that are made from years of great harvest, while some buy the ones from their year of birth or anniversary.
Posted Feb 17, 2013, 3:08 am
As it's on top of the hill, we get a great paranoma of the city.
This is remnants of the old gardens.
In the main square (Praça d'Armas) there are many cannons.
Watch out for enemies!! Ready to fire!
We continue on to the castle.
You can see the Portugal flag. The tower and wall was built during the Moorish occupation.
We see some peacocks around the castle ground.
I wonder what activities used to go on here?
Still checking for enemies!!
The castle and tower had been rebuilt and fortified over time.
Posted Feb 17, 2013, 3:09 am
As it's on top of the hill, we get a great paranoma of the city.
This is remnants of the old gardens.
In the main square (Praça d'Armas) there are many cannons.
Watch out for enemies!! Ready to fire!
We continue on to the castle.
You can see the Portugal flag. The tower and wall was built during the Moorish occupation.
We see some peacocks around the castle ground.
I wonder what activities used to go on here?
Still checking for enemies!!
The castle and tower had been rebuilt and fortified over time.
Posted Feb 17, 2013, 3:59 am
The main façade of the cathedral looks like a fortress, with two towers flanking the entrance and crenellations over the walls. This menacing appearance, also seen in other Portuguese cathedrals of the time, is a relic from the Reconquista period, when the cathedral could be used as a base to attack the enemy during a siege.
The west façade with a rose window is among the oldest remaining part of the building, from the Romanesque period.
This part is from the Gothic architectural style.
Posted Feb 17, 2013, 5:25 pm
We pass by this building with beautiful azulejo tiles on its facade.
We arrive at the restaurant.
Cervejaria Trindade is the oldest brewery in Portugal. In 1294 a convent was built on this spot. Destroyed by fire and earthquake in the 1700s, the remains was purchased and reconstructed as the first beer brewery and factory in 1836. Here you can see the banner announcing its 175 year anniversary.
The tiles in this room were designed and decorated back in 1860.
We sip on the beer as we go through the menu. It's nice they draw pictures of the seafood so we know what they are!
First we enjoy a caldo verde. It means "green broth" and is a popular soup in Portuguese cuisine, made with potato and kale.
Next we enjoy a codfish dish, another favorite of the Portuguese.
After dinner we walk around downtown a bit. We see vendors selling roasted chestnuts on the street. They look delicious!
We pass by this bookstore in Chiado district. Founded in 1732, Bertrand is certified by Guinness Book Record as the world's oldest bookstore!
Quite a historic tour we have today!
Posted Mar 15, 2013, 4:34 pm
We arrive at the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. The monastery is one of the most prominent monuments of the Manueline-style architecture (Portuguese late-Gothic) in Lisbon and is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The construction of the monastery and church began on 6 January 1501 (and were completed 100 years later). The project was funded with commerce from Africa and the Orient.
The monastery was designed in a style that later became known as Manueline: a richly ornate architectural design that includes complex sculptural themes incorporating maritime elements and objects discovered during naval expeditions, carved in limestone.
The local gold-coloured limestone adds a very beautiful aura to the buildings.
We enjoy looking at the intricate carvings.
No wonder it took so long to complete!
We go to the second floor of the cloister.
We next enter the Church of Santa Maria.
This is the entrance of the church. The tympanum, above the double door, displays, in half-relief, two scenes from the life of Saint Jerome: on the left, the removal of the thorn from the lion's paw and, on the right, the saints experience in the desert. The Madonna (Santa Maria de Belém) is located on a pedestal on top of the archivolt.
This monastery is really beautiful.
Posted Mar 23, 2013, 5:34 pm
Look at this beautiful tower by the Tagus river! It's called the Belem tower. It is one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal and also UNESCO World Heritage Site, like the nearby Jerónimos Monastery we just visited. The tower was constructed on a small island but with development the shoreline changes and now it's right by the shore.
On the Gothic-rib-vaulted ground-floor bunker, there are canons along the niches.
The bartizans, cylindrical watchtowers, are topped by Moorish-looking cupolas.
Now we will climb up the tower. (I am in the photo but I'm a little too short and the sun was strong so my host couldn't see the viewer very well...)
What a beautiful view of the city!
Here we get a nice view of the river with its bridge.
This is the inside hall of the tower.
Nice view indeed! A beautiful day!
The Monument to the Discoveries is a 52 metre-high slab of concrete erected in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator. The monument is sculpted in the form of a ship's prow, with dozens of figures from Portuguese history following a statue of the Infante Henry sculpted in base relief.
After all the sight seeing we are a bit hungry. Time for a coffee break! Wow looks like everybody is hungry and lining up for food!
The cafe has been around since 1837! What's so special about it?
Ahh, we are here for the pastéis de nata!
The counter is very busy w all the customers!
The tarts in the photo looks delicious!! Where are the real things?
We pass by the kitchen. Look, there are the tarts!!
Lots and lots of them! I want the whole tray!
Let's get a seat.
We look at the menu, but of course we know what we want!
Hey waiter, where is the waiter?
We want some fresh from the oven, hot pastel de nata with a delicious cup of coffee!!
It was a fun day of sight-seeing but sadly it's time to leave!
Posted Mar 25, 2013, 4:01 am
We go to a restuarant. First, we order some pata negra. The black Iberian pig is from Spain and Portugal, and the best ones roam free in oak forest and eat a diet of acorns.
We also get some delicious Portuguese cheese and bread.
Now the best: a glass of Madeira from year 1850!! That's very very old wine! And of course it's very delicious and memorable, perfect to celebrate our last night in town!
We are a bit sad as we leave and go to the station to take the subway home. This is the Rococo station.
Posted Apr 1, 2013, 8:53 pm
We arrive at the Largo do Chiado (Chiado Square). The famous Café A Brasileira is not open yet, but we can see the statue of Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa sitting outside. This is one of the oldest cafe in Lisbon.
We walk around the neighborhood a bit.
Here we are at the Praça Luís de Camões.
Ah, the familiar tram 28, which we rode a few days ago! Goodbye little tram!
We spot this little shop selling coffee and tea.
We find the bakery we are looking for.
Everything looks delicious. We have some lugguage space so we decide to fill it with fresh bread!
Now when we get home we can munch on the bread and recall the fond memories of our travel!
Adeus Portugal!
Posted Apr 11, 2013, 11:53 pm
Well this is a very old sign. The admission is definitely not 10 cents now!
Hmm I wonder what we will see?
There is a sign that says "Ring Bell Twice". In the past, visitors would drop a coin and then ring the bell to enter. Leedskalnin was very strict about "ring bell twice". If the visitors rang it too many times or only once, he would not let them in till they got it right! He sure sounds like a weird fellow!
The whole place is built with big limestone! According to our guide, the man who built the castle, Edward Leedskalnin, was eccentric indeed. He came from Latvia after his sweet 16 broke up their engagement the night before marriage. He lived alone and built this whole place by himself, craving and moving stones weighing many tons, never letting anyone see him work! There is a lot of mysteries and legends about how he built the whole place, people claiming to peek in at night and saw him levitated the stones around! Not to mention the man was only 5 ft tall!
Here are some lounge chairs for you to rest in.
This board meeting table is craved in the shape of the state of Florida. The puddle of water in the center is Lake Okeechobee.
These are the "beds" though they must be very uncomfortable.
And a bathtub!
This table is carved in the shape of heart. Some visitors liked to propose or renew their vows at this table.
The sundial is accurate within minutes.
Oh a dungeon! I wonder what creepy creatures live in there? Well, our guide said this was where he stored his food, keeping it cool underground.
And a well for nice, cool water.
Guess what this is? His stove! He put food inside the metal ball, built a fire underneath, and the food would cook up nicely.
This door was built so cleverly that even a child can push the stone door open, but sadly the mechanism is broken now and cannot be repaired.
We are shown where he dug the coral stone for his castle.
These are signs of different planets. I bet it's great sitting here and watching the stars in the sky at night!
It's impressive indeed! Very beautiful and we cannot imagine how a man was able to build the whole thing back in 1930s without any help from machine or men!
We went up the second floor of the the building. (How did he even build this?)
This is the bed he slept in.
Everything looked somewhat primitive.
Quite an interesting tour indeed!
Posted Apr 14, 2013, 12:01 am
Hmm, what does it say on the sign?
Ah, it's the Thai Buddhist Temple in South Florida.
The building sure looks unusual.
The entrance to the temple looks very grand, and there are two golden lions guarding it.
The inside looks equally grand! The Buddha statue was sculpted in Bangkok and is 23 feet high and weighs 5 tons.
Wow this gong must make very very loud noise!
These chairs are for monks to sit in.
A monk there is very happy to see us. He gives everybody a string of prayer beads and sprinkle water on us as blessing.
Posted Apr 26, 2013, 5:09 pm
We go to the counter to place our order. This is a Brazilian burger and steak place.
Then we find a table. Look at all the giraffes on the wall!
We are number 73. We first get our drinks and the cheese bread, which are round little balls.
This is the quinoa salad. It's delicious!
There is also steak. Like many South American cuisines, the meat comes with black bean and rice. There is the chimichurri sauce, made from parsley and garlic, for dipping the steak in.
We have a good dinner together. It's sad saying goodbye, but we promise to stay in touch.
Posted May 9, 2013, 10:45 pm
Oh it's a moose. Mocha is very happy to finally see another moose friend. He says there are too many rats and mice in the house. He is joking of course. Anyway, we give Jasper a good welcome party!
Mocha He proudly introduce Jasper to his grandpapa, Cappuccino. His Grandpapa is too old to travel but he loves having visitors. Then he can tell his stories all over again. (Not that he doesn't repeat his stories with us...
Posted May 10, 2013, 1:52 am
Look at the colorful tents!
The show has not started yet, so we browse around the shop where they sell T shirts and other things.
There are also souvenir books, CDs and more for those who want to relive the show.
You can also buy pop corns, pretzels, drinks and other snacks.
We finally get inside and watch the show! It's very good!
Posted May 10, 2013, 2:58 am
No, I am not kidding! Turns out it's the lunar New Year, or more popularly known as Chinese New Year.
My host and her friends are throwing a new year party. Yay!
First we find a plate of gold nuggets! This is chocolate, similar to the chocolate coins, but made in the shape of what Chinese money used to look like!
There are some Chinese BBQ roasted pork and duck.
And of course there will be fried rice!!
These are actually not Chinese spring rolls, but a Filipino lumpia, brought by a Filipino guest. There is beef inside.
Another guest made dumplings.
And someone bring along Korean kimchee (spicy pickled vegetables)! Wow I am trying food from all over Asia.
The kimchee is too spicy we need some drink. I wonder if there is some Asian beer? But we only see American beer, and some Red Strip from Jamaica, that is brought by a Jamaican Chinese guest.
For dessert we have the Chinese New Year pudding. It's made with sugar and sweet rice flour. Mmm we have such a feast!!!
Posted May 10, 2013, 4:20 am
Naturally, we shop for some fresh, local vegetables.
There are many varieties of tomatoes.
Wow they have lobsters too! Unlike Maine lobster, Florida lobster do not have the big pincher claws.
This stall makes conch fritters, and conch salad, a specialty of South Florida and the Caribbeans.
There are a lot of food. This French (looking) guy is making crepe. It looks delicious!
We see this stall selling things with an ocean motif.
They have bags too with seahorses, shells and other decorations.
We buy some local honey.
Look they even have local rice grown in Florida! Florida is actually the 7th largest rice-growing state in the U.S, but most of its production is used locally, as there is a heavy population of South American immigrants whose main starch is rice rather than potatoes. It is used as a cover crop in sugarcane fields during the fallow period.
Here are some home-made cookies.
These are empanadas, stuffed pastries. There are many varieties, filled with different types of meat, vegetables and cheeses.
These hand made soaps look very pretty!
Oh the popcorn smells so delicious!
There are flowers for sell.
These dwarf trees are called bonsai.
We can pick up some spices and herbs.
Or some blend of tea.
We sample some of the home made dried fruits. Yummy!! The market is a lot of fun!
Posted May 23, 2013, 8:36 pm
These are some pretty flowers!
The garden has been around for a while so the tropical foliage is very thick.
It feels like we are in a jungle! I hope there's no tiger!
Look at this fruit! I wonder what it is?
We see some bamboo too.
We come to a different part of the garden.
Here people can enjoy a picnic and just sit and relax.
We see a swam!
The lotus flowers are very beautiful.
Wow look at this banyan tree! Banyan tree is special because when its air root touches ground, it will grow into another trunk, so all you see here is just one tree. As a result, one tree can grow to cover a big area. Covering 2/3 acre, this tree is among the largest of its kind!
Posted May 23, 2013, 9:22 pm
First on the agenda: visit a Greek restaurant to try some Greek food.
We are ordering the gyros. It is a sandwich, with some grilled lamb & beef wrapped in a pita bread, with some tomato, cucumber, onion and tzasiki sauce.
Look at all the pita bread!
Can you see the roaster where the meat is grilled?
Our gryos has arrived. We also have a lamb souvlaki, similar to gryos but with lamb inside. They are both very delicious.
Posted May 23, 2013, 10:15 pm
There is a statue memorizing all the sponge divers who had lost their lives when sponge harvesting.
This is an example of a sponge boat. Maybe we should go and try harvest some sponge?
Or maybe not. I don't want to be shark dinner.
It's safer to go to check out the shops.
What do they have?
Lots of sponges!!
This one is called finger sponge.
This one is your plain old yellow sponge. And the sign says it's harvested locally!
And these are vase sponges!
These are called sea biscuits but I don't think they are very tasty.
And these are sand dollars. You can find them on the beaches, though usually not as complete as this. They are the skeletons of sea urchins, although in folk legends, they were thought to be the coins lost by mermaids or people of the Atlantis.
Ah, I know these! Star fishes!
Next we go to a Greek bakery.
There are many kind of sweet pastries, like bavlaka.
Our host gets some of her favorite, diples. It's a roll made from a thin sheet of fried dough and drizzled with honey.
Posted May 31, 2013, 12:48 am
Look there is a bridge coming up.
This is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The Travel Channel rated the Sunshine Skyway #3 in its special on the "Top 10 Bridges" in the World.
We come to visit the Cigar City Brewery.
The brewery was first built in Ybor City, which is a historic neighborhood in Tampa founded in the 1880s by cigar manufacturers. Later it moved this current location, hence the saying on the sign.
Here is the star of today! The special brew, Hunahpu, which is available only on this day of the year, which we come here for. Each person can buy only 3 bottles at $20 each. The limited release bottle has received very high rating among drinkers and can fetch up to USD $200 on ebay. People from all over the country come to line up from early in the morning to buy it.
There are some food trucks here, because we all love some food to go with our beer!
This one called Oki Doki, sells Okinawan food.
We take a peek inside the truck. They are very busy cooking!
Everybody seems to enjoy themselves, walking around with a beer in hand.
Some people bring their own chairs, coolers filled with beers, and food to just enjoy a nice day out here. They chat, drink beer, and listen to the band playing.
There is a booth selling cigars made in Ybor City.
Hmmm... I guess big cigars need a big lighter?
Let's check out the tasting room!
Look at all the beers on tap!! What a selection! Most of them are local craft brews.
Wow look at the stack of cups.
The brewery has won a lot of awards, which they proudly display.
Before we leave, we check out the shop so we can buy some souvenir.
Posted Jun 5, 2013, 11:34 pm
These metal plates are very beautiful!
These paintings are really cute.
These are photographs of the islands in Florida. Looks like paradise indeed!
There are some food stalls. This one sells popcorn and lemonade.
There is also a music band playing.
This one has Chinese style paintings on gold paper.
This artist creates interesting pieces with metal.
This one displays South Western inspired artworks.
Posted Jun 6, 2013, 7:22 pm
Ah, I think we find the right place. We can see the Brazilian flag on the sign.
This is the name of the restaurant. It means Rice and Beans, but our host assures us that we will get a lot more than that.
Mmm it sounds good.
Here is a poster reminding us that the 2014 World Cup will be in Brazil! Hmmm needs to start planning my trip there!
We sip some cold, refreshing cashew juice while reading the menu. The juice is make from the cashew fruit, where the cashew nut is actually the seed of the fruit.
At the buffet line you can see the salad and dessert.
This is the grill where they have various cuts of meat: sirloin, chicken, pork loin, filet mignon, flank steak, sausages, and more.
You let them know what meat you like and they cut it for you. At fancier place you will have waiters come by to your table with the sword skewer of meat.
Bom apetite!!
Posted Jun 6, 2013, 8:05 pm
The Little Free Library is an organization that promotes setting up little "library" boxes in communities around the world, to encourage people to gather together, and to promote read. People are welcome to visit the libraries to take and leave books.
We put our books into the library, and check to see if there is anything interesting.
Hmmm, maybe we can just live here for a few days and enjoy some books? It would be nice and cozy here. Hey can you bring us some snack?
Posted Jun 6, 2013, 8:56 pm
This little sign says: "Drink Like A Local" which we certainly would today!
Here is a sign marking all the microbrewery nearby. The Cigar City Brewery, which we visited a few weeks ago, is 219 miles away on the west coast.
You can also get some souvenir t-shirts.
Look at all the fermentation tanks!
We can see packs of ingredients lying around.
These are the malt barley, a major ingredient in making beer.
You can see the brew kettles on the left, where they add the barley.
The grain after using in the beer will be given to nearby farmers. I am sure that will feed some happy animals!
We notice that all the tanks are named after Space Shuttles!
These are some apple brandy barrels, used to brew some special edition beer.
Now is time to enjoy some beer. We go to the bar area.
Hmm which one shall we order?
We go to the lounge to enjoy our beer.
There are lots of beer-related arts on the walk.
Some are made with beer bottle caps.
Yessir, we are doing our part: Support Florida breweries and drinking like a local!!
Ahh it's delicious!!
Posted Jun 6, 2013, 9:27 pm
Lots of people are here already.
We set up our chair and get our popcorns ready.
Yay movie is starting!
We enjoy the movie a lot. It's about a boy who is lost on the sea and spends the time with a tiger on a small boat. I am glad I am not on that boat!
Posted Jun 7, 2013, 3:42 am
Mmmm these cupcakes and lollipops look GOOD!!
This stall sells different types of french fries, wrapped in newspaper-looking grease paper.
Machu Picchu is the "Lost City of the Incas". So this must be a Peruvian restaurant!
It's a rather hot day and great for some snow cone. Which flavor would you like?
This is a big plate of pulled pork. It's pork barbecue where the pork, after slow cooking, is tender enough to be pulled into shreds. It is then mixed with barbecue sauce.
Hamburger, anyone?
You can also get some delicious and healthy smoothie.
There is a band playing music.
There is also a line of food trucks, for even more options.
It's not easy at all deciding what to try!!
When you eat so much your clothes feel tight, you can do some shopping here as well!
There are also some games for children.
I sure hope they haven't eaten too much food... I know I can't be swinging around and bouncing up and down with all the food in my stomach!!
Posted Jun 11, 2013, 3:46 am
No, I don't mean the Hard Rock cafe or casino, though that's very American... (BTW this casino is located in Hollywood, Florida. So I did go to a casino, and I did go to Hollywood but it's in Florida)
Let's follow the sign... to the American Indian pow wow!! The Seminole tribe owns the casino, that's why there is an Indian village and have pow wow here. It may sound weird, but because it has been determined that the Native Americans are here before the white American government, they do not have to abide by many laws of the U.S. govt and do not pay tax. As a result, many tribes open casinos because it's such a profitable business for them...
There is no big prairie here, the dancing are done inside a stadium. We see them all dressed up ready to dance.
First they say a prayer and then introduces the little Miss and Mister Seminole.
Next all the dancers come out in a parade. It's leaded by the warriors. Following behind are the little Miss and Mister Seminole.
Look at the beautiful outfit!!
The face paint makes them look very fierce!!
The ladies look very graceful in their buckskin dresses.
Do you see how the little toddler is dressed up like his father?
The drummers sit in a circle. I can't imagine how they can sit down in their outfit!
They have competition where different dancers were performed.
This is the Southern tradition.
This one is called Grass Dancing. The head dress makes us think of moth antennae.
There are many stalls at the pow wow.
Look at all the moccasins!
These jewelries are very beautiful.
There are some paintings.
The traditional Seminole clothings are very colorful.
These pendants are made with tiny beads.
Mickey Mouse moccasins!
There are also books and CDs.
Posted Apr 3, 2014, 10:09 pm
Are you wondering what I am doing? I'm enjoying my time in beautiful Florida!
Look! So many beautiful plants around me. I should take them with me home to Mommy.
Damn! Photobombed by a kitty! Hmm, I'm sure Pouncer didn't realize yet that I'm a dog!
Charly
Posted Jan 4, 2015, 5:40 pm
While I was enjoying my time in beautiful Florida I met a guy. First I thought that I'm seeing a ghost, but no! It was my brother Squab!!!
He took my back home to Mommy.
Charly
Posted Jan 27, 2015, 9:08 pm
But I'm thinking about a new journey!
Charly