Wine Dine & Travel Magazine Issue 2, 2016

WINE DINE&

TRAVEL VOL 3 ISSUE 2 | 2016

NORWEGIAN FREIGHTER CRUISE

IN SEARCH OF HOBBITS ADVENTURE IN MAGICAL MUNSTER CRUISING THE “KING” RIVER IN EUROPE

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LOOKING FOR A GREAT DINING EXPERIENCE?

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COVER PHOTO

COVER PHOTO: In search of Hobbits in beatiful New Zealand we stumbled across Bilbo Baggin’s Hobbit hole home. Unfortunately he wasn’t home. Taken with Olympus EM-1 with 12-40 mm 2.8 Pro lens. ~ Ron James

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Plunge Winery Tours take you to the heart and soul of the Mornington Peninsula with local knowledge that seeks out the finest makers and producers and the rich bounty this stunning region has to offer 4

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w w w. m p p l u n g e . c o m . a u

RON JAMES

publisher/executive editor

EDITOR’S NOTE

THE PAIN OF GETTING THERE

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t used to be – a long, long time ago – that getting to your destination was fun. Still is –if you count road trips in the family car – although my co-publisher would argue that point.

Cruise ships and trains can be pleasurable modes of transport to and from destinations as well. Road trips, cruising and rail aside, when you travel the globe frequently, as many of our readers do, you have to fly. And frankly, flying today pretty much sucks.

Once upon a time, flying was special. You dressed up, sometimes in a suit bought just for the occasion. Stewardesses, looking like beauty pageant contestants, were smiling and gracious.

Seats were spacious and comfortable, with lots of room to tilt your seat back without causing a fist fight with the big guy behind you. Even the food was decent -- in first class it was excellent.

Those were the golden days of flying – except for the smoking of course – but we didn’t know better at the time. Can you imagine ashtrays on a plane today?

Ron James is the "wine, food and travel guy." He is a nationally award-winning print and online journalist, graphic designer., television producer and radio personality. The native Californian's nationally syndicated wine and food columns have appeared in newspapers and magazines around the world. He is passionate about great wine and food and enthusiastically enjoys them every day!

MARY JAMES publisher/editor

And there are some airlines that still seem to care for their customers and their comfort, including Japan Air and Turkish Airlines, two I’ve flown recently. Southwest is at least consistent with its offerings which still include some snacks.

But most airlines, especially US carriers, offer passengers nothing but pain - a pain in the wallet, body and palate. American Airlines and even United used to be two of the best but now are less than mediocre with uncomfortable seating and more often than not, surly attendants.

Don’t get me started on Frontier; they are the worst in almost every way. Oddly enough, their counter staff and attendants seem friendly enough.

It wasn’t so long ago that full meals and snacks were served on cross-country flights. Today, airlines have turned their domestic and sometimes international in-flight food service into a significant profit stream. Attendants now push snack carts up and down the aisle taking just credit and debit cards – no cash allowed.

We also pay through nose for just a little more leg room and for early boarding in hopes there still room in the overhead to stow your bags. Pillows and blankets are extra – even sitting together with your family can cost you. Baggage fees are a whole horror story on their own.

Mary Hellman James is an award-winning San Diego journalist and editor. After a 29-year-career with the San Diego Union-Tribune, she currently is a freelance garden writer and a columnist for San Diego Home-Garden/Lifestyles magazine. Mary and her husband, Ron James, travel extensively.

Upcoming in October is a global adventure that will take us from Rome to Dubai through the Suez Canal and from England to New England by sea.

I could be somewhat sympathetic about their tightfisted ways if fuel prices were still sky high, but they’re at historical lows. Now, it’s all about corporate greed and bean counters who never fly economy. If I were King, I would make all airline executives and plane designers to do an international flight in coach at least once a week for a full year. I bet service and comfort would improve quickly and significantly.

Rant over.

Have safe travels and we wish you the best of window and aisle seats .

Ron & Mary

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REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS

Alison DaRosa Alison DaRosa is a six-time winner of the Lowell Thomas Gold Award for travel writing, the most prestigious prize in travel journalism. She served 15 years as Travel Editor of the San Diego Union-Tribune and was the award-winning editor of the San Diego News Network Travel Page. She created San Diego Essential Guide, a highly rated travel app for mobile devices. Alison writes a monthly Travel Deals column for the San Diego Union-Tribune and is a regular freelance contributor to the travel sections of the Los Angeles Times, USA Today and AOL Travel.

Sharon Whitley Larsen

Sharon Whitley Larsen’s work has appeared in numerous publications, including Los Angeles Times Magazine, U-T San Diego, Reader’s Digest (and 19 international editions), Creators Syndicate, and several “Chicken Soup for the Soul” editions. Although she enjoys writing essays, op-ed, and people features, her favorite topic is travel (favorite destination London). She’s been lucky to attend a private evening champagne reception in Buckingham Palace to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, to dine with best-selling author Diana Gabaldon in the Scottish Highlands, and hike with a barefoot Aborigine in the Australian Outback. Exploring sites from exotic travels in the Arctic Circle to ritzy Rio, with passport in hand, she’s always ready for the next adventure!

Carl H. Larsen Carl H. Larsen is a veteran journalist based in San Diego. He now focuses on travel writing, and is summoned to pull out his notebook whenever there’s the plaintive cry of a steam locomotive nearby. In San Diego, he is a collegeextension instructor who has led courses on the Titanic and the popular TV series “Downton Abbey.”

Maribeth Mellin Maribeth Mellin is an award-winning journalist whose travel articles have appeared in Endless Vacation Magazine, U-T San Diego and Dallas Morning News among others. She also travels and writes for several websites including CNN Travel, Concierge.com and Zagat, and has authored travel books on Peru, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Hawaii and California. Though known as a Mexico pro, Maribeth has written about every continent and was especially thrilled by the ice, air and penguins in Antarctica.

Judy Garrison Judy is the editor of Georgia Connector Magazine and Peach State Publications as well as a freelance writer/ photographer/traveler for national/international publications including Deep South Magazine, Interval Magazine, Simply Buckhead, US Airways Magazine, Southern Hospitality Traveler and has a bi-monthly blog in Blue Ridge Country’s online edition. Her first book, North Georgia Moonshine: A History of the Lovells and other Liquor Makers, is available at Amazon.com. She and Len own Seeing Southern,L.L.C., a documentary photography company.

Priscilla Lister Priscilla Lister is a longtime journalist in her native San Diego. She has covered many subjects over the years, but travel is her favorite. Her work, including photography, has appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Alaska Airlines’ magazine and numerous other publications throughout the U.S. and Canada. She is the author of “Take a Hike: San Diego County,” a comprehensive hiking guide to 260 trails in amazing San Diego County.

But when the distant road beckons, she can’t wait to pack her bags.

Robert Whitley Robert Whitley writes the syndicated “Wine Talk” column for Creators Syndicate and is publisher of the online wine magazine, Wine Review Online. Whitley frequently serves as a judge at wine competitions around the world, including Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Sunset Magazine International and the Dallas Morning News TexSom wine competitions. Robert also operates four major international wine competitions in San Diego: Critics Challenge, Winemaker Challenge, Sommelier Challenge and the San Diego International.

Jody Jaffe & John Muncie Jody and John are the co-authors of the novels, “Thief of Words,” and “Shenandoah Summer,” published by Warner Books. John was feature editor of the San Diego Union-Tribune, arts editor of The Baltimore Sun and writer-editor-columnist for the travel department of The Los Angeles Times. His travel articles have been published in many major newspapers; he's a Lowell Thomas award-winner. Jody is the author of "Horse of a Different Killer,"'Chestnut Mare, Beware," and "In Colt Blood,” As a journalist at the Charlotte Observer, she was on a team that won the Pulitzer Prize. Her articles have been published in many newspapers and magazines including The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times.

They live on a farm in Lexington, Va., with eleven horses, three cats and an explosion of stink bugs.

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WINE DINE &

PUBLISHERS Ron & Mary James EXECUTIVE EDITOR /ART DIRECTOR Ron James EDITOR Mary James STAFF WRITERS Alison DaRosa Priscilla Lister John Muncie Jody Jaffe

COLUMNISTS Amy Laughinghouse Robert Whitley Susan McBeth

FEATURE WRITERS Sharon Whitley Larsen Carl Larsen Maribeth Mellin Photo by Ron James

Amy Laughinghouse Joanne DiBona Judy Garrison

WINEDINEANDTRAVEL.COM CONTACT editor@winedineandtravel.com

This is a little girl enjoying a Vietnamese something on the deck of her houseboat in a floating village in Halong Bay. She is looking forward to seeing her picture in Wine Dine & Travel Magazine.

WDT respects the intellectual property rights of others, and we ask that our readers do the same. We have adopted a policy in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) and other applicable laws.

Wine Dine & Travel Magazine is a Wine Country Interactive Inc. publication @ 2016

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INSIDE WDT

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IN SEARCH OF HOBBITS Recently when my wife Mary and I were planning shore excursions for an upcoming Celebrity cruise around New Zealand and Australia, she asked if I would be interested in visiting a place called Hobbiton while we were in port at Tauranga, New Zealand. “If it has Hobbit’s associated with it, you’re damned right I do!” And we did.

NORTHERN DELIGHTS There’s no guarantee when or where nature will trip the light fantastic, but chances of seeing the elusive solar-powered cosmic light show are best in the wintry Arctic wilderness.

That’s why I found myself on a Norwegian freighter cruise, deep in the Arctic Circle, in the dead of winter. The dancing lights were even more dazzling than I’d imagined.

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EUROPE’S KING RIVER We had all chosen this winter adventure down the Rhine, Germany’s longest river and the second-longest, next to the Danube, in Central and Western Europe, to shop at the many different Christmas markets. These wintertime crafts and food festivals originated in this region of Europe and fans of the holiday will find more collectible keepsakes than they ever imagined.

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ENCHANTED IRELAND Within the first twenty-four hours of landing in Dublin, we are welcomed by no less than five rainbows in as many hours.

We are amazed, inspired and intrigued. We then reminded ourselves to remember the legendary pot of gold at each rainbow’s base. We will keep our eyes wide open for each pot of gold.

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ROSTOCK REMEMBERS Leaving the dark and dingy prison on a cloudless day, I needed to shake off some of the depression by taking a short train ride to Warnemunde, Rostock’s beachfront resort on the Baltic Sea. The quaint seafront town is known to thousands of travelers.

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MAGICAL MÜNSTER With some 60,000 university students— one-fifth of the town--Münster, situated on the River Aa, is a youthful, energetic city of culture, with over 30 museums (including the popular Pablo Picasso Museum), and sculpture by international artists.

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ONE AHHSOME SPA With just 40 rooms, Lake Austin Spa Resort is a boutique version of its all-inclusive glass and stone mega-cousins. And that’s just one of the differences. This is a place to be pampered and coddled; a place where you come to slow down.

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KITCHENS OF THE GREAT MIDWEST During a childhood shaken by tragedy and poverty, young Eva Thorvald meticulously tends to the plants she secretly grows in her bedroom closet until they reach maximum potency, at which time she harvests them for, well, “recreational” purposes.

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IN SEARCH OF HOBBITS J.R.R. Tolkien’s Shire from The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings lives

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| STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON JAMES |

ecently when my wife Mary and I were planning shore excursions for an upcoming Celebrity cruise around New Zealand and Australia, she asked if I would be interested in visiting a place called Hobbiton while we were in port at Tauranga, New Zealand. I said I had never heard of it. “It’s the set where Peter Jackson filmed the Shire scenes from the Hobbit and

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Lord of the Rings movies,” she explained, holding up her iPad with a photo of a Hobbit home.

That got my attention. I’m a huge fan of J.R.R Tolkien’s books and Jackson’s movies about them. But Hobbiton was news to me. With a couple clicks, we added a visit to our ever-growing itinerary Down Under.

A few weeks later in Tauranga, we joined about dozen cruisers aboard a mini-bus bound for Hobbiton. Most of our fellow passengers became fans of the Hobbit more than a half century earlier, decades after it was published in 1937. The bus ride was nearly two hours, but viewing the amazing New Zealand countryside kept us occupied through the journey. As our bus unloaded us at the staging

area, The Shire’s Rest with its cafÊ, gift shop and restrooms, it was obvious that the movie had forged ardent new fans from every generation. Tours sell out quickly during the New Zealand summer season, so reservations are highly recommended. We had just enough time to refresh before we were herded into a Hobbiton bus and introduced our young New Zealand guide who would lead us through the Shire.

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The visit is basically a guided walking tour through the set of the Shire, which, while not strenuous, involves a bit of a hike up and down hills with frequent stops at each Hobbit hole and key scene locations.

Be sure and wear good walking shoes, high-heels definitely not recommended. We didn’t see any baby strollers or wheelchairs, so check the website if you have walking issues. The bus dropped us off in a parking lot surrounded by farmland with one side walled off by a small forest of trees and shrubs. We were led along a dirt path and through an opening where a 14acre magical world appeared before our eyes.

For as far as we could see, the Shire’s green hills

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and valleys were dotted with 37 Hobbit houses, storybook gardens, and connecting narrow dirt paths. This was not Disneyland.

There were no costumed characters roaming around or Magic Kingdom music being piped in from hidden speakers. We were in the Shire, just like the movie, only the Hobbits (and film crew) were away.

Our affable guide took us from one wonderfully detailed home to another and began to tell the tale of Hobbiton. Even though the tours were time limited, our group didn’t feel rushed and we accommodated those

who had to take their time climbing or descending a hill. The Hobbit houses looked inviting but were all false fronts with no interior except Bilbo’s hole where you could open the door into a small room cut out of the hill.

We stopped at almost every Hobbit house where the guide would add a little tidbit of trivia about the movie or the set. There was plenty of opportunity to take pictures of each other and the group in front of our favorite movie Hobbit houses. It was the stuff of a fantasy – a story of a relatively prosperous

Top: Martin Freeman plays Bilbo Baggins (pictured) in the film. He makes a humble hero out of the unadventurous hobbit plucked out of obscurity. Photos on this page courtesy New Line Cinema.

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farm family tending 13,500 sheep and around 400 cattle, suddenly thrust into a storybook that dramatically changed their lives and fortunes.

The story began on normal Saturday afternoon in 1998 on the Alexander family farm near Matamata, New Zealand, when there was a knock on the door by a “fairy godfather.” The

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stranger happened to be a film location scout for Sir Peter Jackson who would be directing The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Jackson had spotted the farm during and aerial search of film sites.

The Alexander sheep and beef farm in the bucolic rolling hills of the Waikato region fit perfectly with Jackson’s vision for the “Shire.”

There was a large established pine tree, later renamed “the party tree,” ideally placed in front of the lake. The surrounding farmland was free of highways, modern buildings and power lines making it perfect for Hobbit homes.

The Alexanders’ and Jackson came to an agreement and set construction began in

1999. Jackson convinced the New Zealand Army to bring in bulldozers to build the road to the set and contour the rolling hills into the Hobbit village. Jackson didn’t build with sequels in mind, so the Hobbit houses were constructed from untreated timber and Styrofoam. When shooting began in December,

the set was truly a little village. At its peak, 400 people were working on site, including Jackson, and actors Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Elijah Wood (Frodo), Sir Ian Holm (Bilbo), Sean Astin (Sam), Billy Boyd (Pippin) and Dominic Monaghan (Merry).

The first daily two-hour tours began in

Panorama of the Shire with the Party Tree in the center and the Green Dragon Inn with its thatched roofs in the background. You can see the tour groups are well spaced out as they follow their guides along the paths.

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Photos from The Martian. Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

December 2002 led by Russell Alexander who assumed the responsibly of running tours while his brother Craig and father Ian ran the farm. “I think it was basically the day after the premiere of The Fellowship of the Ring… I made contact with New Line Cinema in America, and I think that took me eight months to get their approval to do what we are doing today in tours,” said Alexander in a recent interview.

Even before the first movie was released the set had deteriorated and most of it was

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torn down. The early tours left a lot to the mind’s eye as visitors hiked through the village pockmarked with the empty Hobbit holes along winding paths where the occasional story board told tales of the early filming.

When Jackson got the green light for The Hobbit Trilogy, he arranged with the Alexander family to rebuild the Shire set. But this time, with dramatically upgraded tours in mind, the farm family insisted the set be built to last. Jackson agreed.

Rebuilding got underway in 2011 and this time they did it right: Gardeners and artisans created an idyllic 17th-century English countryside complete with hedge rows, orchards, bountiful gardens, lichen-covered fences and well used paths. “I knew Hobbiton needed to be warm, comfortable and feel lived in,” wrote Jackson “By letting the weeds grow through the cracks and establishing barberry hedges and little gardens a year before filming, we ended up with an incredibly real place, not just a film set.”

Top: One of the 37 Hobbit holes, this blue door beauty shows the detail the artisans and gardeners put into their work in Hobbinton.

Top right: Mary James sits on a Hobbit size bench in front of one of the smaller Hobbit holes.

Right: A tour group stops for a photo opportunity.

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Top: Near the center of the Shire is the large communal garden full of out sized fruits and vegetables. Right: Hobbit hole with yellow door and chimney peeking from out of the turf.

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Skilled craftsmen were brought in to build the new Hobbit holes, fences and create authentic looking handmade pots, wood piles, clotheslines and chopping blocks complete with axes. The bricks used in the chimneys and houses were made on site. To patina fences and facades, workers applied a vinegar and yogurt mixture to encourage lichen growth. The village garden burst with plump vegetables and flowers.

A 26-ton oak tree overlooking Bilbo’s home was cut down and brought in from a

local farm. Each branch had been cut and numbered so the tree could be bolted back together on top of the Hobbit hole. Thousands of artificial leaves were imported from Taiwan and individually wired onto the dead tree to bring it to life for the film. When he saw the finished tree, Jackson didn’t like the color of the leaves and had each leaf repainted by hand to get the look right. Shire 2.0 took two years to complete.

“When the tourists come here they don’t quite know what to expect,” said Russell in

a recent interview. “They have no idea how big it is, and the detail - I suppose for want of a better word - it actually blows them away, what’s involved in making a major movie.”

Our group of walked down the path from Bilbo Baggin’s house to the Village Green anchored by the party tree where several scenes from the books and the movies took place. Bilbo had his farewell Birthday Party speech her with and lanterns were hung in its branches before leaving the Shire on his quest. And here is where they found the tree

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cut down on their return. Fortunately for us the tree was alive and well and made a great backdrop for more photos.

At the end of tour, we were escorted to The Green Dragon Inn, a replica of the Inn featured in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies and the last new addition to Hobbiton. Over 60 craftsmen created a true old world English pub with hand-carved doors, windows and beams. Thatch on the pub and nearby mill roofs was cut from rushes around the Alexander farm.

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We had mugs of complimentary apple cider, ginger beer and ale custom-brewed locally for The Green Dragon. Light pub grub is also available for a reasonable fee. I had an excellent meat pasty. Once a week during the season night tours are offered along with dinner in the Green Dragon dining room.

Our shore excursion to wonderful Hobbiton far exceeded our expectations and ended up being one of the most memorable discoveries on our adventure Down Under.

It is a monument to the vision of Jackson,

the Alexander family and J.R. Tolkien who set things in motion with his pen almost 80 years ago. “You can’t help but be proud of this place,” said Russell Alexander, “… there’s obviously a huge sense of responsibility. But you also have to have huge passion. If you haven’t got passion it doesn’t work.”

Top: The bridge to the mill house and the Green Dragon Inn. Top right: Bilbo Baggin’s Hobbit hole home. Right: One of the 37 Hobbit holes that dot the Shire.

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IF YOU GO Tours depart from The Shire’s Rest, 501 Buckland Road. Including transport to and from the movie set from The Shire’s Rest please allow approx. 2 hours.

Tour prices from the Shire’s Rest (check website for changes) Adult (17+) $56.00 Youth (9-16yrs) $28.50 Child (0-8yrs) Free with full paying adult Check in to The Shire’s Rest ticketing center no later than 15 minutes before your tour is due to depart.

Ph: +64 (7) 888 1505 Freephone: 0508 4 HOBBITON E-mail office@hobbitontours.com http://hobbiton.centaman-apac01.net/ Home/tabid/38/Default.aspx

Right: The Green Dragon Inn, a replica of the Inn featured in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies. Photo courtesy of New Line Pictures.

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NORTHERN DELIGHTS | STORY AND PHOTOGRAPY BY ALISON DAROSA|

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Experiencing Northern Lights Had Long Been A Dream

here’s no guarantee when or where nature will trip the light fantastic, but chances of seeing the elusive solar-powered cosmic light show are best in the wintry Arctic wilderness.

That’s why I found myself on a Norwegian freighter cruise, deep in the Arctic Circle, in the dead of winter.

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A guest walking the long frigid hallway to the bathrooms at the Kirkenes Snow Hotel.

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But there are few other bells and whistles aboard the Finhe dancing lights were even more dazzling than I’d imagined. And so were the experiences I hadn’t imag- nmarken. No casino, spa or kids club, no lavish shows, come-

ined: dog sledding through the Arctic outback, hunting dians or karaoke. Cabins are comfy, but simple and compact. the Aurora aboard a snowmobile that zipped along a vast icy Bathrooms are small but efficient, with much-appreciated heattundra on a moonless night; lodging in a Snow Hotel, where ed floors – but water temperature sometimes changed erratically in the cramped even my bed was made shower. The shower entirely of ice – and feastwas equipped with ing on king crab harvesta flimsy curtain and ed from a hole cut in a an all-purpose liquid frozen fiord, savoring one soap dispenser. (Many of the best (and certainly, passengers bought most memorable) meals shampoo, conditioner, ever. body lotion and tissues My Arctic Winter during shore stops; turned out to be a trip of none of these basic a lifetime. amenities was providI traveled aboard Hured in cabins.) tigruten’s Finnmarken, a For a week we sailed 455-foot-long working north along the Norfreighter. We visited 34 wegian Coast, from ports during our weekBergen to Kirkenes. long voyage, delivering Some of our stops oceverything from tea to curred in the dead of toilet paper, from cars to night, sometimes for corpses. The ship also as little as 15 minutes – serves as a mail boat, a commuter ferry for local families and day-tripping backpack- just long enough for something or someone to be boarded or ers – and a 320-cabin cruise ship. It’s the Rolls-Royce of its off-loaded. During day stops, we usually had time to explore breed, even boasting a sauna, outdoor swimming pool and two ashore on our own, or by joining one of the optional Hurtigruten shore excursions. hot tubs.

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Aboard ship, relaxation ran rampant. Some cruisers napped, others cozied up with paperbacks or Kindles – but most of us gathered in the upper deck glass-walled Panorama Lounge, where we stretched out on sofas and soaked up magnificent coastal scenery. The driven among us attended a handful of talks about Norwegian culture and phenomena – including the Aurora Borealis.

“We don’t like fancy,” said Carole Bonass from Lancashire, England. “But we love exploring a different side of nature – and appreciate that we don’t have to dress for dinner or be subjected to nonstop entertainment or hard-sell retail in the process.

That’s why this is the third time we’ve done this cruise.”

Exploring ashore – whether in tiny fishing villages or storybook towns that date to the Viking era – left lingering images: When I think of Bergen, my mind’s eye immediately recalls the colorful wooden buildings in the old merchant quarter along the wharf (Bryggen.) I see salt cod hung to dry on rafters at the fish market, steaming bowls of creamy fish soup (of which I became a connoisseur) – and public art everywhere, even a sculpture of a homeless man slouched against a down- Clockwise from opposite page. Hurtigruten’s Finnmarken is a town building.

455-foot-long working freighter. Passengers enjoy the sunshine, Bergen is also where I got my first lesson in surviving Arctic heated pool, hot tub and small but efficient cabins.

Winter. It’s where I bought ice cleats to clip onto the soles of my hiking boots. They’re a staple of Norwegian winters – for sale everywhere, even in drugstores. Though the Gulf Stream warms the waters off the Norwegian Coast (there are no icebergs here), there’s still plenty of ice and snow.

Alesund, known for its art nouveau architecture, is a fairytale town of turrets, spires and colorful wooden fishing boats.

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Vibrant morning sun warms historic homes and warehouses banking the Nid River in Trondheim, Norway.

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Colorful wooden buildings line the waterfront in Bergen. Below: Salted, dried cod is a common sight in fish markets along the Norwegian Coast

From the windy peak of Mount Aksla (418 steps up from town park) I got a panoramic view of it all, crowded on to a giant fish-hook-shaped peninsula. At nearby Atlanterhavsparken Aquarium, I got a fisheye view of the cod that swim off the coast and have made Alesund the largest exporter of seafood in Norway.

In Trondheim, I started my day with locals at Baklandet Skydsstation, a small neighborhood restaurant where I stuffed myself on hot-from-the-griddle waffles served with gobs of help-yourself whipped cream, lingonberry preserves and brown goat cheese. Owner/chef / waitress Gurli Riis Holmen insisted I sample from among 100+ bottles of aquavit she offers. It would have been impolite to refuse.

I worked off Gurli’s treats by climbing 170 steps to the top of Nidaros Cathedral, the national church of Norway. It was built beginning in 1070 over the grave of Olav II, the canonized Viking king who became Norway’s patron saint. (Our 32

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guide and modern historians concede that the saintly king was actually something of a brutal thug.) In Tromso, I joined cruisers for a dog sledding adventure. After changing into thick, winterized jumpsuits, we had time to cuddle with husky puppies before setting out. The pups’ parents seemed as excited as we were to hit the trail. “Yip-yip” meant go – and we were off in a spray of ice crystals kicked up by 32 powerful paws. Glorious.

The next day, we stood at Nordkapp, near the windblown top of the world. There’s a museum there and a metal globe. But in winter, surroundings are vast, desolate and forbidding.

The single 8-mile access road opens only twice a day; commuters convoy in and out, behind a snowplow.

That evening, near Mehamn, the world’s northernmost mainland town, we wrestled once again into Michelin-man polar suits, covered our faces with woolen balaclavas, added helmets and fleece-lined leather gloves. After a two-minute driving lesson, we set out on snowmobiles, single file into the pitch darkness of the tundra – our night lighted only by the ma-

The view from the top of Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway.

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Dried codfish has long been a staple of Norwegians. Opposite: Fishershoist trap full of king crab.

chines’ headlights. Like obsessed big game hunters, we scoured the skies for any sign of Northern Lights. No luck.

A day later, near the Russian border, we suited up again – this time for a sled ride onto the frozen Lang Fiord near Kirkenes.

When we stopped, guide Michael Decker sawed a large square in the thick ice and pulled up a huge cage-like trap crowded with live king crabs – more than a dozen enormous ones.

Our next stop was Decker’s log cabin, tucked away in the snowy Siberian-like Taiga, a forest of pine and arctic birch.

Our crabber became our chef; he steamed our catch outdoors in a giant kettle on a propane burner. Inside, warmed by an old wood stove, we sat at candle-lit pine tables and relished every morsel of the best king crab I've ever tasted.

It wasn’t the only dining delight of this trip.

For most Finnmarken first-timers, meals aboard ship were a surprise to savor. Breakfast and lunch buffets were abundant and always included regional specialties (cloudberries and cream anyone?). Dinners were multi-course affairs with set seating and wait service. Food was expertly prepared with fresh ingredients sourced from local farmers and fishers in ports we visited. We dined on reindeer steaks, Lofoten lamb and a cornucopia of just-caught seafood: Skjervoy salmon, Fossen trout, Nordland prawns and Arctic char that had been

swimming in the Sigerfjord that morning.

It was during a grand celebratory seafood feast on our last night aboard ship, as we sailed the Barents Sea, that we finally had an encounter with Northern Lights. Just as we were sitting down, the public address system stopped us; the captain announced a sighting. Most of us eagerly abandoned our prawnspiled plates and raced to the frigid, windswept deck lugging cameras already attached to tripods.

Our celestial show was brief – but the Aurora’s dazzling beauty was jaw-dropping awesome. It made us hungry for more.

We got our main course the next night in the skies above the Snow Hotel in Kirkenes, where many of us had booked a post-cruise stay. The hotel, which operates December through March, is built new each year – entirely of ice. In every room, a thick queen-sized slab of ice serves as a platform bed; it’s topped with a two-inch vinyl-covered foam mattress. Sculptures are carved into the rooms’ ice walls and headboards. To survive the night, each guest is issued an industrial strength sleeping bag and an old-fashioned rubber hot water bottle. There’s an ice bar of course; it serves core-warming shots in frozen glasses.

The most chilling aspect of the Snow Hotel: No ensuite bathrooms. The loo is a long lonely walk down a frigid icicle hallway.

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Delaying bedtime is a no brainer. That’s why so many of us were wide awake when nature commenced her heavenly show.

It was well after midnight when the skies above the Snow Hotel began to shimmer. Undulating shafts of soft light met for a slow dance – blue-green, violet, even red. For nearly an hour the Aurora performed a spellbinding celestial ballet – arcing , snaking, swaying on a star-spangled stage that stretched all across our night sky. We were mesmerized – frozen in time, almost literally. Unforgettable. Memories for a lifetime.

IF YOU GO See Northern Lights on your 2017 winter Norway Coastal cruise – or get a free future cruise. It’s Hurtigruten’s guarantee to U.S. travelers. You’ll have to book a 12-day roundtrip cruise between January and March 2017. If the lights don’t show, you’ll get a free 6- or 7-day voyage (in an inside cabin) departing between October 2017 and March 2018.

Fares on the classic 7-day Bergen/ Kirkenes cruise I sailed aboard the Finnmarken start at $1,136 per person, based on double occupancy. Trips can be customized to enjoy longer stays in various ports. Learn more at www.hurtigruten.com/us/.

For more info on travel to Norway, go to www.visitnorway.com/us/.

Left: Norwegians are masters at making fish soup. A bowl like this is an everyday treat at the Atlanterhavsparken Aquarium near Alesund. Right: Michael Decker cooked the crustaceans on a propane burner outside his log cabin in a snowy forest near the Russian border.

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Europe’s King River CASTLES, CATHEDRALS & CHRISTMAS MARKETS CRUISE DOWN THE RHINE | STORY AND PHOTOGRAPY BY PRISCILLA LISTER |

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hile floating quietly and seamlessly down “Europe’s down the Rhine, and never have I experienced a more convivial King River,” we wandered through castles, Christmas adventure. On Viking Kara, my fellow travelers and I mingled and markets and classic cathedrals; we ambled through shared stories as well as exceptional excursions to destinations picture-perfect riverfront cities whose half-timbered homes were along the way that were simply splendid. models for those collectible ceramic Christmas villages; and we enIt may have been the most relaxing way to tour one of Europe’s joyed new friends while we shared gourmet meals and world-class most fascinating regions. From Amsterdam to Basel, we cruised wines in our beautiful home away from home. down the placid river, stopping at the fascinating ports of Cologne, I was traveling by myself on a December Viking river cruise Rudesheim, Heidelberg, Strasbourg and Colmar, where expert 38

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Viking Kara, docked at Kehl, our gateway to Strasbourg

guides showed us why these cities are appealing anytime. And we never had to pack between ports.

But the camaraderie onboard Viking Kara may have been the best gift of all to those of us gathered during our eight-day December is when this region of Europe becomes even more cruise. “I admit that I was concerned at first about the open magical because traditional Christmas markets take over historic seating policy and the structure of the meals,” Dr. Ben Bratchcity squares to sell seasonal gifts and local foods. Sipping gluh- er, a dentist from Texas who was celebrating his 25th wedding wein (mulled wine with brandy) and munching on various ver- anniversary with his wife, Julie, told me later. “I am not a vetersions of fried potatoes, including my favorite, reibekuchen (po- an cruiser so my expectations were based on what I had heard tato pancakes), we’d navigate the crowds to find perfect presents. from ocean cruises. I was quickly corrected and thoroughly enWine Dine & Travel 2016

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joyed the way (Viking does) it. We met several nice couples and knew instantly that we would be seeing more of them.�

Passengers came from Canada, the U.S., all over the United Kingdom, Australia and even China.

Our fellow travelers on this particular Viking cruise ranged in age from their 20s to their 80s, with groups of friends traveling together, couples celebrating important milestones, cohorts toasting various birthdays and mothers and daughters and mothers and sons making memories together. A few of us braved the experience on our own, and we were each quickly adopted by welcoming new friends.

We had all chosen this winter adventure down the Rhine, Germany’s longest river and the second-longest, next to the Danube, in Central and Western Europe, to shop at the many different Christmas markets. These wintertime crafts and food festivals originated in this region of Europe and fans of the holiday will find more collectible keepsakes than they ever imagined.

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Our home base, Viking Kara, is one of 64 longships built by the U.S.-based company specifically to cruise Europe’s many rivers. While today there are several river cruising operators, Viking River Cruises continues to garner the most accolades.

For five consecutive years — 2011-2015 — Viking has earned “Best River Cruise Line” and “Best New River Ships” and “Best River Cruise Itineraries” from the international team of Cruise Critic editors. “In an expanding river market, Viking continues to reign,” says Cruise Critic. Travel + Leisure also awarded Viking the highest score of all river and ocean cruise lines in that

Left: Strasbourg was a favorite for its unfailingly lovely homes lining canals framed by trees. Its historic city center, the Grande Ile (Grand Island), was named a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1988, the first time such an honor was placed on an entire city center. Top right: Cruising down the regal Rhine, we passed by more castles than we could count. Terraces like these, our cruise director told us, date from Roman times when grape vines were often planted. Above: Weeping willows draping over Strasbourg’s canals.

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The riverfront town of Heidelberg sits on the Neckar River, which empties into the Rhine. One of its Christmas markets takes over a central square, here in the foreground.

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magazine’s annual World’s Best List in 2015; it has been recognized 11 times on that list for #1 River Cruise Line.

Breakfasts were bountiful buffets, with omelettes made to order and all manner of sausages, potatoes, pastries and fruits filling our plates.

From the moment I received my impressive box of travel Lunches offered several choices, changing every day, of such documents prior to my cruise to my first step aboard Viking Kara, I was delighted with the details. My spacious Veranda delectable dishes as vegetable terrine, tuna melt on toasted bristateroom with its open-air balcony and remarkably commodi- oche, smoked river trout on toast, ricotta gnocchi with eggplant ous bathroom was a true comfort. Viking longships accommo- and tomatoes, Monte Cristo sandwich, coq au vin, herring and date only 190 passengers each, so merry-making among new traditional garnishes, fettuccine Alfredo, roast beef and herbed companions is easy to realize in the lounge and restaurant areas. cream cheese on crusty baguette, and always dessert, like Black Meals were served at the same time for breakfast, lunch and Forest ice cream coupe, banana split, or the Flying Dutchman dinner in The Restaurant, where panoramic windows kept that (caramel-filled waffle) with ice cream.

river in constant view. These seatings paved the way for those new friendships, where tables for four to eight invited mingling.

And menus typically offered a few regional specialties, while keeping certain favorites always available.

Dinners were decidedly gourmet, with choices among appetizers, entrees and desserts. Choices typically offered meat, seafood or vegetarian options. It was often hard to choose between appetizers such as smoked salmon carpaccio with salmon cav-

A delicious shrimp pasta enjoyed my first night in the casual Aquavit Lounge upstairs on Viking Kara. Opposit:e Castles and cathedrals were on view while we cruised down the Middle Rhine.

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These puzzles were an intriguing find at a Christmas market in Strasbourg. Opposite: Strolling through the town of Heidelberg was a special delight. Opposite page: Strolling through the town of Heidelberg was a special delight. The Main Street (Hauptsrasse) is a mile-long pedestrian-only street that runs the length of the old town. iar on sweet corn blini or potato-crusted Mascarpone cheese with truffle sabayon sauce, or between seared crab cake with corn or tomato mozzarella tart with tomato confit or Filipino shrimp egg roll; or between entrees such as pan-fried char fillet with pea puree, baby corn, tomato concasse and cauliflower or Chateaubriand with buttered vegetables, potatoes and Bernaise sauce, or gratinated cannelloni with cherry tomatoes, zucchini and parmesan foam, or potato leek crepe with Gruyere and baby vegetables. Delightful desserts included French tarte tatin, Marscarpone & sour cherry cake with brownie streusel and marinated berries, warm apple hazelnut crumble, Black Forest cake or always ice creams or sorbets.

rant scene. Lunches here were more casual buffets, offering sandwiches and salads, or sometimes, hamburgers and French fries.

We often cruised at night, waking to a new port each morning. We’d disembark, board buses for short drives to the cities of note along the route, then follow a guide on walking tours before being released from the group to wander on our own.

Two girlfriends traveling together from Florida told me they were disappointed by all the bus rides and group tours. But there seemed no better way to reach Cologne or Heidelberg or Strasbourg when docking on the river, and if you didn’t want to follow the guide, you could be on your own in the cities in no Beer and wines flowed during dinners. Rieslings and pi- time for plenty of shopping at those Christmas markets. not noirs specially chosen from Alsace and other regions we But the guides were all great, and you really do learn fascinatcruised through gave us yet another connection to the places ing tidbits when you follow them. we were experiencing.

In Cologne, Marion Dijkman guided us through the historic The Aquavit Terrace was a quieter, more intimate option anytime anyone wanted to have a meal away from the lively restau- core of her beloved city’s old town, centered by the magnifiWine Dine & Travel 2016

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cent Cologne Cathedral, regarded as a masterwork of medieval Gothic architecture.

“It took 600 years to build,” she told us through our radio ear pieces as we navigated our way through the crowds. “It was started in 1248 to house the reliquary of the Three Kings” — their supposed mortal remains brought back as a victor’s spoils of war with Milan in 1164. “It remains the largest shrine of the Middle Ages today,” she said. Indeed, Cologne Cathedral is said to be the most visited landmark today in Germany, drawing 20,000 visitors every day.

Of special interest here, of course, is cologne. “It wasn’t until the end of the 19th Century that an underground sewer was built,” Marion said. “With no sewage treatment, lots of garbage and water often contaminated, people didn’t bathe. In 1709, an Italian man named Farina was the first to use citrus oils to mask personal odor — only the very wealthy could buy it. Queen Victoria, Mark Twain, Mozart, Beethoven all used it and Napoleon was said to use a bottle a day.” World-renowned perfume 4711 was Farina’s first competitor and these two perfumers are still in business in Cologne today.

In Heidelberg, Susanne Hofer von Lobenstein led us to the impressive Heidelberg Castle, a dominant landmark on the hill overlooking the charming city.

“A ruin must be rightly situated, to be effective,” wrote Mark Twain after visiting Heidelberg Castle in 1878. “This one could not have been better placed. It stands upon a commanding elevation, it is buried in green woods, there is no level ground about it and one looks down through shining leaves into profound chasms and abysses where the sun cannot intrude.”

Though abandoned more than 300 years ago, the castle still commands fantastic views of the Neckar Valley and its river that flows into the Rhine.

“The Rhine, Neckar and Danube were very important and a main way of travel during medieval times,” Susanne told us.

“The oldest Jewish settlements are also along these rivers.” She pointed out some of the brass plaques in front of historic homes in the city center that once were homes to Jewish residents before World War II. In Strasbourg, our guide, Vivienne, shared its volatile history.

It was an independent Alsatian republic for 700 years until after the Thirty Years War (1618-1648). “Strasbourg held out until 1681, when it became French for 200 years.” But in 1870 it went to Germany until 1918 when it went back to France, then under Nazi occupation during World War II before returning to France at the end of that war.

Strasbourg proved a favorite for many of us — it is unfailingly lovely with its half-timbered houses lining canals punctuated by weeping willows. It has its own imposing Cathedral de Notre Dame that soars over the old town’s center, at 426 feet, the highest medieval building in Europe. The town is filled with antique shops, artisans and craftspeople as well as beer makers and purveyors of tarte flambe — Strasbourg’s version of a verythin-crusted pizza.

And finally the medieval Alsatian village of Colmar captured our imaginations. Our guide, Peter, told us about its turbulent history which also involved going back and forth between France and Germany.

“Colmar is an intact medieval town,” Peter told us. “Ruins and houses here date back to the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, 48

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largely saved from World War II destruction.” It is home to the Unterlinden Museum, “the second most visited site in France, after the Louvre, for its 16th century altar piece,” Peter said. He showed us the smallest house in Colmar, just 12 square meters on two floors with no first floor, “so they didn’t pay taxes, since they were levied only for first floors.” On our way back home on the bus, Peter serenaded us on his accordion with several lovely French tunes.

“I am usually a sound critical thinker and in all honesty I have thought about it a lot and my Mum feels the same way, but we can hardly find anything we didn’t like about our week with Viking,” wrote Darren de Warren, one of my new friends from the ship whom I asked to weigh in on our experience.

“I really liked the contrast of the smart casual cruise and the relaxed, friendly, efficient staff in the context of deluxe cruising.

It was a real paradox but it really worked,” he wrote.

“Sensitive to the details of design, I loved the Nordic space and the influence this had on my mood. Having done a little ocean cruising with 2,000+ others on board, there was no comparison in the relaxation stakes. I was amazed at the silence of the engines, the mix of activity and non-activity on different days and the absence of on-board hoopla. Just the piano each evening, a cocktail and a chat before dinner finished great days.”

Darren, “pushing 50,” was traveling with his mother, Pam, 70, both from Brisbane, Australia. “Having ocean-cruised with her before, there was no comparison to the flexibility we had to do our own thing,” Darren wrote. “I could take off and do walking tours while she remained on board, caught some pics of the riverbanks I didn’t see, had lunch, while I could also do a reconnaissance for her on shore at the next port and then suggest things her mobility would permit. She never felt she missed anything and nor did I.” Bratcher also commented on the attentiveness of the crew.

“Obviously, the crew gets the majority of the credit for our experience,” he said. “They really can make or break an experience.

Considering the length of the cruising season and that fact we were there toward the end of their time, I thought they did a great job of staying engaged… I truly did not have one time where I thought they acted tired or worn down.”

He noted that the highly social nature of our cruise may not be for everyone. “I saw a few people who seemed more inclined to stay by themselves,” he said. There were a couple of chances for dinners on your own in Rudesheim and Speyer, and the onboard concierge will make that an easy choice.

But for many of us, the experience was thoroughly enhanced because of new friends.

And I found the best holiday presents ever.

IF YOU GO Viking River Cruises: www.vikingrivercruises.com. The eightday cruise down the Rhine, including all meals and included excursions, begins at $1,999 per person.

Left: The Cologne Cathedral, the third highest church in the world, soars above one of the city’s seven Christmas markets. Cologne’s Christmas markets draw some 4 million people each year, making them among the most visited holiday markets in Germany.

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ENCHANTED IRELAND | BY JUDY GARRISON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEEING SOUTHERN |

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ell grandma I have what she needs,” mama instructed. I did just that. I bolted through the back screen door, down the un-even cement steps, and in about three minutes tops, I delivered the message to grandma as she sat at her kitchen table stringing green beans. Some 50-years-later, I wish it were that simple.

ing smooshed or kisses being planted. I’m old-fashioned, and no app can replace a granny’s touch, so granny and gramps have two tickets to travel. We are excited, for travel will not only take us to our grandchildren but also to the enchanting country of Ireland.

Keeping our sights on Donegal Town in the northwestern region of the county as our final destination, we think boldy The distance between me and the grandchildren I have never (as they say in Ireland) of the possibilities before us. Even with seen is thousands of miles. Not around the corner, up the hill, or the cold and wet of January at our heels, layers of wool socks down the street. Tired of audible sounds of pity from others (and and local purchases of Aran wool sweaters ease the frigid winds admittedly, from myself as well), I dismiss the notion that Skype, with which this Southerner is not accustomed. We were quesWhatsapp, and Facetime are acceptable substitutes to cheeks be- tioned frequently about our choice to visit Ireland in the winter; 50

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come to find out, winter was the best choice of all.

Within the first twenty-four hours of landing in Dublin, we are welcomed by no less than five rainbows in as many hours.

We are amazed, inspired and intrigued. We then reminded ourselves to remember the legendary pot of gold at each rainbow’s base. We will keep our eyes wide open for each pot of gold.

Above: The ruined church of Kilmalkedar was the center of worship for the Normans on the Dingle Peninsula. Left: The western most point in Ireland is Slea Head on the Dingle Peninsula.

Our route is quite simple: south from Dublin through the Wicklow Mountains, to Kilkenny, onward toward the Dingle Peninsula, then northerly toward Westport and finally County Donegal. We learn quickly by simply gazing out car windows that this country is infused in history. Monasteries, churches, Wine Dine & Travel 2016

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Glendalough is one of Ireland”s remaining monastic settlements; it was founded in the sixth century by St. Kevin. Below: Muckross Gardens is a favorite spot for hikers who are trekking through Killarney. cemeteries, all declare a history of faith and a people of stamina millennias old.

In Glendalough, a monastic settlement dating back to the twelfth century, we walk through a series of ruins including a church, cathedral and a round tower which rises from a foundation of tombstones. The cathedral, one of the largest early Christian churches in Ireland, is open, with only its four walls erect.

Alongside one of the arched doorways, in Irish and English, we read its history and significance. Pausing in the middle of spattered and weathered gravestones, we hear only silence with the exception of the wind as it whips through the snow-covered Wicklow Mountains in the distance.

It’s a familiar pattern we will continue see. Four walls of weathered stone tell centuries-old stories. At the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, four walls of the thirteenth century North Transept frame a visitor’s skyward view, while twelfth century Cormac’s Chapel receives a life-saving preservation, rescuing one of the last remnants of Romanesque architecture in the country. Underneath layers of plaster, an unexpected gift from time; workers discover an original painting of the suspended Christ flanked by Mary and John.

Further north along the Dingle Peninsula, another unpredictable sight. Gallarus Oratory, built 1,300 years ago and resembling an upturned boat, stands stalwart as if waiting for the monks to arrive. Held together by ingenuity and stone, not a dab of mortar to be found, and as watertight as the day it was erected. We move to the Kilmalkedar church nearby at the end 52

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Along the single lane road of Conner Pass – the road which connects Dingle to Brandon Bay – you’ll see the grazing sheep of Ireland. Below: The Rock of Cashel’s stone fortress was donated to the church in the twelfth century. of a gravel road. This twelfth century Romanesque church fell into ruins during Reformation. Again, only four walls remain, facing a small parishioner’s graveyard with a haunting view of the green hills succumbing to the distant Atlantic Ocean.

Ireland’s religious heritage shouts loudly. So does its coastline which offers its own majestic verse. Cliffs of Moher in Country Clare, touted as the country’s most natural thrill, rise a sheer 650 feet above the Atlantic. Barraged by rumors of January’s bad weather causing the Cliffs to be closed to visitors, we crossed our fingers for sunshine, and scored a morning of sunshine. The exhibition area, edged by tall standing Liscannor slate, offers up the iconic vista of jagged edges converging with the pounding sea. Just past O’Brien’s Tower, built in 1835, is the Coastal Walking Trail which extends about three miles connecting Liscannor and Doolin. The warning sign tests your intent, as this demanding trail offers no barriers from the sea.

We ventured a few hundred yards, returning with a new respect of Mother Nature.

Just as impressive is the coastline of the Dingle Peninsula and its western most point, Slea Head. It’s the “edge-ofthe-world” point they say of the Wild Atlantic Way. Driving the loop of the Dingle, you are introduced to narrow lanes, stonefenced fields, fairy forts disguised as mounds of grass, beehive huts, and then, at a sharp curve, a life-size crucifix signifying your arrival at Slea Head. The mighty seas charge against a solitary coastline where only a few homes in the small village of Dunquin remain. In clear view, the Blasket Islands rest off the Wine Dine & Travel 2016

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Poulnabrone Dolmen, better known as the stone table or portal tomb, sits erect in the middle of a limestone field. Arrive early or late to avoid tour buses. coast, abandoned since 1953 when its last handful of residents moved to the mainland. There’s very little there now, but a ferry will usher visitors to what is at most, a ghost town. However, no ferries run this visit and we must wait to venture closer.

As dramatic as the ruins and coastline are so is Burren National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – in the heart of County Clare. Literally, “the rocky place” tugs at your soul as you drive through a 10-square-mile plateau of limestone.

Rich in historical and archeological discoveries, its most striking monument is its Poulnabrone Dolmen, often referred to as a stone table. Here, we are allowed a closer look, teetering on limestone sediments holding tightly to each other in order to maintain balance, and it’s at that moment, we realize our moment is unique. With only a lone security guard in sight, there is an eerie silence skipping across the stones, over the hills. It’s the sound of footsteps and hands, walking and moving in this very place we are standing, thousands of years ago, and we are 54

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in their spot. Their home. Their community. It’s humbling. It’s hopeful. We are lucky because these sounds are mute in the midst of crowds.

In addition to harsh terrain, we continue to face visual reminders of an Irish struggle, including the potato famine in the 1840s which was considered the worst in Europe in the nineteenth century. In Westport, the most chilling reminder of its heartache and victims, The National Famine Memorial, resting alongside Clew Bay across from Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s holiest mountain. Known as the coffin ship, swirling masts are skeletons symbolizing those who attempted to escape suffering but who died on route to the America. Today, dark clouds hover above as we read inscriptions in silence, trace our fingertips over the skeletal figures, and speculate, how even today, hunger plies the world like the Flying Dutchman.

The juxtaposition of Ireland is true: harsh and breath-

The National Famine Memorial was unveiled in 1997 to mark the anniversary of the Irish Famine. taking, all in the same whisper. Winter clothes Ireland’s landscape much differently than it would in the summer months.

We experienced the rigid winds, the soggy lands and even a three-minute hail storm; however, without those, rainbows would have eluded us and those random pubs alongside the road, well, we would have passed them by never seeking solace from the cold. Instead, we laughed and shared a pint with John at the South Pole Inn in Annascaul, a bright blue two-story we would have never given a second thought about had it not been for our innkeeper in Kenmare suggesting we stop. And so we did. Even if we knew where we were headed, we asked directions of the locals. And in doing so, we happened upon the shop of Louis Mulcahy Pottery in Ballyferriter, all because we needed coffee to warm our soul. His works of clay have been gifts to the Pope and to presidents; now, his work is in my kitchen.

withstood a relentless history and, year-after-year, a bitter climate. As we say in the South, “that which does not kill us makes us stronger.” An adage, we believe, the Irish discovered long before the South. As travelers, we discovered that as Ireland’s weather blows cold, the warm welcome never wanes.

The country itself was our pot of gold. Each day, each stop, each story – added to the intangible wealth we soaked up in only a few short days. With all this, how could there be more?

In fact, there was more. In northwestern Ireland in County Donegal, we finally squished the cheeks of our two Irish grandchildren who will forever link us to the country of Ireland.

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ROSTOCK REMEMBERS FREED FROM ITS PAST, ROSTOCK REMEMBERS EAST GERMAN POLICE STATE

| BY CARL H. LARSEN |

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No sooner had I arrived in Rostock, Germany, than I landed in jail.

hat may be a strange place to start an exploration of a pros- 200,000 that I had read about for years. Something that presented perous and pleasing city that was once part of the formida- a tangible expression of a totalitarian government that for years ble Hanseatic League. The league, dubbed the first European had an all-powerful role over the daily lives of its East German Union, was a trading partnership that wove together cities on the citizens.

Baltic Sea in the late Middle Ages.

My jail, you see, was the regional pre-trial prison used by the But I first needed to see for myself something in this city of East German Ministry for State Security until the fall of the com-

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Photo of Rostock courtesey Wiki Commons.. Above: An empty cell block recalls the terror-filled days of Rostock’s former Stasi prison. Government informers seemingly were everywhere in the city. – Sharon Whitley Larsen photo

munist state in late 1989 and the reunification of East and West Germany. Here was the home for Rostock and the surrounding area of the feared and notorious Stasi, the not-so-secret East German secret police.

inside it’s a fortress with windowless cells and rows of heavy iron doors that make a jarring, clanking sound when opened. Today it is a museum, one of several in the former East Germany that now document the abuses of the communist regime.

The prison is in the middle of the city yet is hard to find. From the outside, it looks like an unremarkable office block; from the

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Viewed from the entrance of the Baroque Rostock Rathaus (City Hall), the Neuer Market is one of the city’s oldest squares, that features an outdoor farmers’ market. The square is surrounded by gabled houses and the St. Marien Church. -- Photo by Nordlicht

them.” The Stasi had “almost unlimited official and unofficial tained by the Stasi in the final years of East Germany's existence,” powers. Imprisonment was a severe form of repressing ‘devi- the magazine reported in July. ants,’” said the English guidebook. “From 1960 to 1989, around To reward the citizen informers, the Stasi would hand out re4,800 male and female detainees suffered here.” tainers in the form of small cash payments or presents. The perIt didn’t take much to be a political prisoner, or “enemy of vasive system is depicted in the 2006 thriller “The Lives of Others.” the state.” To engage in subversive activities could be as simple That year, the German movie took home the Oscar for Best Foras telling a political joke, receiving publications from the West, eign Language Film. or making requests to emigrate to prosperous West GermaThe tour through the Stasi prison in Rostock is fascinating. ny. “Wears Western clothes.” “Likes punk music.” That could be Former prisoners relate their experiences while being held in the enough to get you into trouble. Stasi agents came in all stripes. lockup, accused of maligning the state. Exhibits show the extent One photo in the museum shows an undercover Stasi agent with of Stasi activities: widespread postal surveillance and wiretapping, an "Elvis look" dressed in a leather jacket thumbing a ride along illegal searches based on whims and patrols along the waterfront to an autobahn. prevent citizens from fleeing to freedom across the Baltic to nearby In all, the Stasi imprisoned approximately 200,000 in its years of stifling the political aspirations of East German citizens.

To do this, they had help. A lot of it.

East Germans were the most spied-upon people in the world, but it was neighbors and acquaintances who did much of the spying.

The German magazine Der Spiegel speculated on the extent of this snitchery in 2015.

Denmark or Sweden. One room shows the ingenious devices, such as a makeshift surfboard, that some East Germans used to seek their freedom.

Much of the punishment was psychological, especially through extended interrogations, uncertainty over daily schedules and a sense of despair and hopelessness. Prisoners exercised in a small courtyard called the “Tiger Cage.” On a gangway overhead, a guard patrolled carrying a submachine gun.

In the dank basement are four “dark cells." "They were used “Historians haven't yet been able to say for certain how many sometimes to coerce confessions … or to punish them for violatEast German citizens offered their services as informants. The ing the prison rules," said the guide. Former prisoners remember majority declined to do so. But it is a certainty that there were these cells as having no bed, no toilet and not even a bucket. Meals many more informants than the 180,000 (informants) main- were served at the discretion of the guards.

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A typical political prisoner would be held in the jail for 6 months IF YOU GO and sometimes longer before his or her case moved up through a Historic Highlights of Germany: www.historicgermany.com rigged judicial process.

Leaving the dark and dingy prison on a cloudless day, I needed to shake off some of the depression by taking a short train ride to Warnemunde, Rostock’s beachfront resort on the Baltic Sea. The quaint seafront town is known to thousands of travelers.

Each year, big cruise ships from Celebrity, Holland America and Cunard call here. Some passengers take a grueling day trip to Berlin, but those who stay in Rostock are rewarded with the city’s charming architecture and rich seafaring history. In Warnemunde, passengers can stroll along the beach, the broadest in northern Germany, and try the freshly caught fish or search for souvenirs.

A vintage lighthouse, seen throughout the town, makes getting around easy.

Germany Tourism information: www.germany.travel

Hotel Neptun & Spa: Overlooking the Baltic Sea in Warnemunde, this high-rise hotel was built as a showplace resort by the East German government. Totally remodeled, it is now a luxury hotel with an extensive spa that is steps from the beach. Each guest room has a sea view. www. hotel-neptun.de Motel One: With a trolley stop just outside, this economy hotel is a convenient location from which to explore Rostock and environs. The main Tourist Office and pedestrian shopping street, Kropeliner Strasse, are a short walk away. www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/rostock/

Rostock Card: A great value that offers tourists free public transportation throughout the region by bus and train and admission to many Standing out on the beachfront is the Neptun Hotel & Spa, built museums and attractions. Included are free city tours, discounts on by the East German regime as a showplace for dignitaries and shopping and spa treatments. Available year-round at transit centers, lucky guests whose stay had been blessed by the Communist Par- tourism offices and many hotels.

ty apparatus. Totally remodeled, with an extensive spa, the hotel Stasi Museum: Officially called the Documentation Centre and Memotoday offers sea-view rooms and an elegant restaurant. One thing rial, it is located in central Rostock at Hermannstrassse 34b. Entrance is has been left unchanged since the Communist era ended. A café free. Tours in English by advance reservation. www.bstu.de remains decorated in the style of the Socialist days.

Tourism offices (Warnemunde, Rostock): They offer the Rostock Card,

Rostock left me with great memories as a city as vibrant as an guided tours of the city, including by bike, and information on lodging ocean beach, but there’s one that rises to the top. and attractions. www.rostock.de/en/tourist-board.html

As I left the Stasi prison with my wife, we met a man who was Transportation: The beachfront town of Warnemunde, Germany’s largexcitedly showing his young grandson the small, windowless cell est cruise-ship port, is a 25-minute ride away by train (free with the Roswhere he had been held. tock card). By air: Rostock is connected to major cities in Germany. By He clanked shut the cell’s heavy metal door. train, Berlin is two and half hours away, while the Frankfurt airport is It’s a sound you never forget.

a six-hour journey. Ferries offer frequent service to Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Train information: www.raileurope.com

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Magical Münster | BY SHARON WHITLEY LARSEN |

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“W

atch out for bikes!” my tour guide Annette Stadtbaumer cautioned as we strolled along the cobblestone streets of charming Münster.

“Look up! See those cages?”

As I stopped and craned my neck to gaze high up at the tower of St. Lambert's Roman Catholic church, she told me the story of the 16th-century Anabaptists—a protesting religious group. In 1536, the corpses of three male ringleader/martyrs were displayed in the three 7- by 3-foot vertical cages—which hang from the church tower--as a deterrent to the townsfolk. She described the “wide-open mesh” on the cages that allowed ravens to feed on them; their bones finally were removed some 500 years later.

This doesn't exactly sound like a great tourist draw, but it's part of the fascinating history of this northern German city of 300,000. During the Protestant Reformation, a group of religious zealots calling themselves the Anabaptists--Community of Christ--was on a European crusade, advocating what some felt were radical changes in Christianity. That included promoting adult baptism (“re-baptism”), polygamy, the belief that paradise on Earth would be found within the city walls--and that the end of the world was imminent.

“They were radical with changes and reform,” explained Stadtbaumer. “They thought they were the chosen people, and they found this chosen place in Münster. If you joined them, you would survive the world.” The Anabaptists gathered by the thousands in Münster—then a heavily-fortified walled city—in 1533, taking over the local political leadership, advocating a communal, sectarian government, and evicting nonbelievers from the city. Following bloody rebellions, brutal beheadings, drownings, torture, and a siege, their regime ended in Münster 18 months later. (One fascinating book is “The Tailor-King: The Rise and Fall of the Anabaptist Kingdom of Münster” by Anthony Arthur.)

On January 22, 1536, powerful Anabaptist ringleaders Bernard Knipperdolling, Jan Van Leiden, and Bernard Krechting were publicly tortured to death, then their corpses placed in the cages, which were hung above St. Lambert's tower clock, 200 feet up. In 1987, lightbulbs were installed, and at night visitors can see the eerie, dim glow in each cage, “in memory of their departed souls.”

“It was the worst thing, not to be buried,” observed Stadtbaumer.

Left: The Paulus Dome formed over many centuries the center of Domburg in the heart of Münster. Photo: Press Office Münster / Andreas Lechtape

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Sailing, rowing, the Aasee is popular with boaters. Right: The flea market on the Münster boardwalk. Photo: Press Office Münster / Tilman Roßmöller.

In the 1880s the cages had to be repaired due to rust, and during World War II they were damaged by British bombs and repaired again.

“Münster has a reputation for a lot of rain,” added Stadtbaumer.

There's a local expression: “Either it rains or the church bells ring, and if both occur at the same time, it's Sunday.”

In fact, most of the city (over 90 percent) was destroyed during With some 60,000 university students—one-fifth of the townthe war, with the main shopping district—Prinzipalmarkt--pains- -Münster, situated on the River Aa, is a youthful, energetic city of takingly rebuilt in the previous medieval style, retaining its archi- culture, with over 30 museums (including the popular Pablo Pitectural charm. casso Museum), and sculpture by international artists dotting the With a monastery founded in 793, Münster—derived from landscape (the “sculpture project” is held every decade—the next the Latin “monasterium”--has been honored over the years with one in 2017).

several awards, including “The Most Liveable City in the World,” The Radstation Münster (Münster Bicycle Station), convenient“Bicycle Capital of Germany,” and “The Most Child-Friendly City ly in front of the main train station, makes it easy for tourists to in Germany.” Castles abound in the magical region. rent a bike to sight-see. It houses Germany's largest underground 62

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bicycle parking, with spaces for 3,300 bikes! Many residents bicycle everywhere, rain or shine!

Münster is also a great walking city. Locals stroll or cycle along the popular tree-lined promenade, circling the city, that replaced the old city walls. Boating and other water sports on Lake Aasee are also fun outdoor activities.

In the Rathaus (City Hall) is the Hall of Peace, where the Treaty of Westphalia was signed in 1648 to end Europe's Thirty Years' War, and where world leaders have gathered throughout the years.

“We claim to be a city of peace,” said Stadtbaumer.

And, of course, Münster is renowned for its dark beer! Since 1816, Pinkus Müller, the only remaining brewery of 150, is still The town holds various sporting events, has botanical gardens, serving its special recipe! festivals, outdoor cafes, a Christmas Market, and a popular farmAs my husband Carl admonished me (whom he dubs “Charers' market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, where locals gather donnay Sharon”), ”You're in Germany! You have to drink beer!” to chat and shop. Massive St. Paul's Cathedral—with its historic, So, in the interest of research, I did, discovering several popuentertaining astronomical clock—is a must-see. Münster is also lar pubs, including Blaues Haus, Ziege, Cavete, Stuhlmacher—and, known for its Baroque architecture—and is a shoppers' paradise, my favorite, Pension Schmidt. It's a cozy place with bookshelves, with the modern Münster Arcades opened in 2006.

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Since 1816, Pinkus Müller Brewery is still serving its special recipe. Photo courtesy Pikus Müller

wallpaper, and comfy sofas and chairs, arranged so you feel as IF YOU GO though you're socializing with friends in a living room--a popular spot to relax and listen to music. It's said that Münster boasts 90 Münster Marketing: www.tourism.muenster.de churches—and 900 pubs!

And then there's “the girl in the tower.” Musician Martje Salje, 35, has had the most unique job since January 2014: For six nights a week (Tuesdays excepted), she carries on the tradition—since 1383—of keeping watch over Münster from the tower of St. Lambert's. The only female in Münster to have this position as Tower Watchwoman (called a Türmerin), she certainly doesn't need to work out at the gym: Each evening she climbs 300 steps (which takes her 15 minutes) to her “office.” At 8:30 p.m., she checks in with the local fire department, then every 30 minutes from 9 p. m. to midnight she blows a brass horn, announcing to all below that there are no fires or invading armies to report, and that “all is well.”

In between horn blows, she reads, writes, checks the Internet, or plays her guitar.

“She loves her job, she does it with all her heart,” said Stadtbaumer. “Münster has kept up with this tradition from the 14thcentury--with only a small gap during the war. In the early days when the watchman would sit in the tower to watch the city, to make sure he didn't fall asleep, every half-hour he had to sound the horn.” And so the tradition continues, with Münster's first female Türmerin.

Adds Stadtbaumer with a smile: “Martje's officially our highest state official!

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Historic Highlights of Germany: www.historicgermany.com Germany Tourism information: www.germany.travel We stayed at the centrally located, family-run Hotel Feldmann, which has a great restaurant: www.hotel-feldmann.de We also dined at Altes Gafthaus Leve, Münster's oldest restaurant (since 1607): www.gasthaus-leve.de St. Lambert's church: www.st-lamberti.de/en/ St. Paul's Cathedral: www.paulusdom.de/start/ The Pablo Picasso Museum: www.kunstmuseum-picasso-muenster.de/ index.php?id=46&L=1 The Sculpture Project (next one is June 10 to Oct. 1, 2017): www.biennialfoundation.org/biennials/skulptur-projekte-muenster/ Pubs: Pension Schmidt: www.pensionschmidt.se Stuhlmacher (since 1890): www.gasthaus-stuhlmacher.de Blaue Haus: www.blaue-haus-muenster.de Toddenhoek: http://www.toeddenhoek.de/ Ziege: www.alteziege.de Cavete: www.muenster-cavete.de Pinkus Müller: www.pinkus.de/

St. Lambert’s Church in Münster Photo credit: Münster Marketing; Ralf Emmerich

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ONE AHHSOME SPA Four Relaxing And Restorative Days At A Texas Spa | STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MUNCIE & JODY JAFFE |

I

magine you had a rich aunt with exquisite taste in fabrics, antiques and food. And she owned 19 acres on the banks of an agate green lake. Then imagine a comforting (and elegant) lake house furnished with deeply cushioned sofas fronted by stacks of coffee-table books, softly carpeted floors to muffle sounds, hand-painted floral draperies, fringed lampshades by the pool, padded satin headboards and fluffy comforters. Now imagine your aunt hired a French chef who can hit all your taste buds in under 400 calories.

Got it? Welcome to Lake Austin Spa Resort, a spa that doesn’t look or taste like a spa, but sure does ahh like a spa.

We spent four relaxing and restorative days at this Texas spa -- a version of which has been around more than 35 years, though it wasn’t until the current ownership took over in 1997 that it’s been a regular on the “best destination spa” lists of “Travel and Leisure” and “Conde Nast Traveler” magazines.

With just 40 rooms, Lake Austin Spa Resort is a boutique version of its all-inclusive glass and stone mega-cousins. And that’s just one of the differences. This is a place to be pampered and coddled; a place where you come to slow down.

We’ve been to the bigger spas and, while we’re not complaining, the pace can be hectic. First thing in the morning, you rush to the sign-up sheets to secure a spot in the classes you want — and often the popular ones are filled or so crammed you can barely do a leg lift without hitting your neighbor. Then it’s off to breakfast, followed by a dizzying schedule. If it’s 10 a.m. it must be Flying Dragon Yoga, followed by Extreme Core Blast, followed by Aqua Boxing.

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Rushing to Cardio Drumming isn’t Lake Austin Spa’s style.

Everything’s relaxed. Granted we were there in the dead of winter, their slowest time and we often had the class instructors to ourselves — essentially personal trainer time. But even at the peak, the classes top out at 20. And there is never a rush to sign up, because they don’t fill up. In fact there’s never a rush to do anything at the Lake Austin Spa. Despite its name, the spa isn’t exactly a lakeside resort. It’s bordered by a dammed-up portion of Texas’ 862-mile-long Colorado River. Sitting in the Spa’s dining room, which is just a few yards from the water, you feel like you’re on a riverboat idly floating with the slow-moving current.

In the morning, the mist is heavy over the river; the sky looks like white cotton candy. As the sun cuts through, you can make out the mallards and shore birds. Occasionally a fishing boat putts by. And the wooded cliffs on the opposite bank are part of the local park system so they are untouched. You feel secreted away in the Texas Hill Country, instead of a 21-miledrive to the state capitol building in downtown Austin.

Water is the big draw at this spa, at least during the warmer months. There are plenty of water fitness activities: stand-up paddle-boarding, hydro-biking, sculling, kayaking, water-skiing and wake boarding. It was too cold for any of that when we were there; we were content to sit on the dock and watch the river life float by.

Still, we weren’t total chill slugs. We took a pontoon boat ride down the river to a park where we hiked a trail thick with native juniper and pecan trees and punctuated by a gushing waMorning mist surrounds a viewing platform jutting out into Lake Austin.

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terfall. In cooking classes we learned the trick of home-made of our bodies. Which, after BEAM class, was everywhere. queso fresco. (Who knew it was just hot milk and lemon?) And After Styrofoaming, we wandered over to the Spa’s indoor we discovered how to make a healthy Pork Wellington. (Really, pool for a water exercise class. The instructor, Monica Gutierrez, it’s possible.) was from Mexico so we strengthened our abs at a salsa tempo.

One morning we tried to improve our balance in the Wake After we’d run, swam and kicked in the shallow water, Gutierrez Up BEAMing class where we postured, stretched and flexed ended the session by demonstrating a water-aided myofascial atop plastic beams a couple inches from the floor. Sounds easy, technique on each of us. Instant back-pain relief. until you try it, especially at 8:30 in the morning. After BEAM After such a vigorous morning we owed ourselves a treat, class, we attempted a kind of self-massage involving Styrofoam which at a spa can mean only one thing: massage for one of us, tubes. We sat and rolled on them, keying into the hurting parts a facial for the other. You can guess who got what.

Tassled lampshades and curtains -- the Lake Austin Spa version of pool-side decor.

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We waited for our therapists in a room any rich aunt would love. Deep sofas, upholstered chaises, wing-back chairs, all with soft wool throws. A long side table was stocked with flavored waters (lemon, cucumber, mint) almonds and dried apricots, under crystal chandeliers and botanical prints.

But decor is only one of the Spa’s charms. There’s the food.

During our introductory tour, a guide pointed to greenery in the pool-side gardens and said, “You’re going to eat this stuff.”

A fact that was confirmed by the kitchen staff and Trish Shirey, the “director of flora and fauna,” who’s been taking care of the

spa grounds for 31 years. “I’m steward of the land,” she told us proudly.

Among other things, Shirey oversees the spa’s ten 50-footlong vegetable/herb/flower gardens. It was too wintery for tomatoes or cucumbers, but there were more than a dozen types of lettuce and at least five kinds of kale, including a version whose leaves “are supposed to look like dinosaur skin,” Shirey said.

All of this made it to the spa’s lunch and dinner table, along with a generous spicing of the garden’s herbs. Shirey is a self-ad-

Relaxing in the outdoor Jacuzzi.

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mitted herb geek. She showed us some of the garden’s 28 types of rosemary and bragged about her basils. “I collect basils,” she said. “We’ve had as many as 45 different kinds -- though this year we only had 35. It’s a total bust,” she said with a laugh.

Guests are encouraged to take home whatever herbs or flowers they want and the front desk is stocked with scissors and plastic bags. “Our cuttings are now all over the country,” said Shirey. We snagged Texas bay leaves and rosemary.

We’ve been to a number of spas and Lake Austin has the best food of them all. Perhaps its because five years ago they hired French chef Stephane Beaucamp who goes by Julia Child’s phi70

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losophy, “Everything in moderation.” This is a chef who doesn’t shy away from butter. Just not too much.

From our first meal of Lobster Cake with house-made pickles and ginger aoli (80 calories) followed by an Umami Bison Burger (395 calories) and Avocado Lime Pie with Almond-Date crust (357 calories) to our last meal of Fresh Crab Mini Taco (92 calories), followed by Rack of Lamb (360 calories), followed by Molten Chocolate Cake (553 calories). Every bite was exquisite.

Just like the Lake Austin Spa.

SPA CHECKLIST – THE TOP AHH MOMENTS • • •

Body: Myofacial release in water exercise class.

Taste: Avocado lime pie, mushroom risotto Sight: Mist on the river during breakfast; explosion of colorful fabrics in each room.

• Smell: Rosemary bushes by every building.

• Sound: Guest performer, Michael Fracasso, singing “Killing the Blues” in the Spa’s “living room” on a Friday night.

• Service: Food manager stopping by our table at dinner and saying: “Go ahead, order the scallops”

Top right: Inviting lake-side resting spot. Above: Spa services waiting room, just like your rich aunt would want it. Top left: Pontoon bikes at the Lake Austin water-sports facility.

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RECI

Two great recipes from lake austin spa Raw Avocado and Lime Pie with Almond Crust Crust Ingredients

• 2 cups almonds • 1/2 cup coconut flakes • 1/2 cup date paste • (To make date paste, pit and soak 6-8 dates in 1/4 cup water for a hour, then blend in a food processor) • 1/8 cup coconut oil, melted • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract • 1/8 tsp salt Add almonds to food processor and blend until fine, add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until blended but crumbly. You want the “crust” mixture to stick together when pinched between your fingers, but not too sticky. Press firmly and evenly into a tart pan with a removable bottom.

Filling Ingredients • 3/4 cup fresh lime juice (About 6 limes, or 12 key limes) • 1/2 cup honey or agave • 1/4 cup coconut milk • 1 cup avocado (About 2) • 2 tsp vanilla extract • 1/8 tsp salt Blend in blender until creamy.

Then add: • 2 Tbsp lecithin powder • 3/4 cup coconut butter Blend well in a high speed blender. Pour into crust and chill about 2 hours in freezer. To serve, unthaw about 10-15 minutes. Alternately, you can pour the filling into bowls or glasses and refrigerate for an hour and serve as a pudding. You can also freeze the filling for a few hours and serve as an ice cream.

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IPES

Wild Mushroom Risotto Ingredients

•

•

2 cups, Arborio Rice (any short-grain rice works) • 3-4 cups, vegetable stock • 1/2 cup white wine • 2 T. Butter • 1 T. Olive oil • ½ onion, minced • 2 cloves of garlic, minced • 1/4 cup, Parmesan cheese, shredded 1/4 cup Herbs, chopped fine (Parsley, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary) • 1/4 cup Hazelnuts, toasted then roughly chopped • 1 cup mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

Directions •

Combine stock and wine in one pot. Heat over low, boiling is not necessary, the stock just needs to be hot • In another pot, heat oil • Add onion, sweat • When onions become translucent, add garlic • Add rice immediately and stir until the grains become somewhat translucent • Add enough liquid to cover the rice and stir • Adjust heat so the mixture is boiling lightly (Stirring constantly is not necessary, but the occasional stir lets you get an idea of how much liquid has been absorbed.)

• When most of the liquid is absorbed, add liquid to cover. (A good indicator is that the rice separates when a spoon is pulled through.)

• Repeat these steps until the rice, when tasted, has a bit of texture left ("tooth" as it's called) • Remove from the heat • In a separate pan, heat a little oil • Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes • When the mushrooms are done, add the mushroom, as well the herbs and the cheese into the rice • Finish with the butter and stir until it's incorporated • Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper • Plate and garnish with more herbs, cheese and the toasted hazelnuts •

Drizzle with a good olive oil

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CELEBRATE WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT! For a party as bright, bold, and colorful as you’ve ever seen, come to Tri-Cities and celebrate at a multitude of vibrant festivals and events. Revel in the brilliant colors of our world and the bold colors of our lives. Thrill your senses with exceptional entertainment and world-class food and wine. We don’t do anything halfway. Add an exclamation point to your life’s biography. To learn more, visit www.VisitTRI-CITIES.com.

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www.VisitTRI-CITIES.com

Susan McBeth’s TRAVEL BY THE BOOK

Kitchens of the Great Midwest

by J. Ryan Stradal (Pamela Dorman Books, 2015)

T

he menu: “two perfectly browned isosceles-triangle toast points, thin as tortillas, framing a curl of bright pink ham, accompanied by a white ceramic spoon of pale red chutney…two glistening little rectangles of white fish on identically sized mounds of yellow succotash…a tiny cut of venison steak, about half the size of a playing card, with tomatoes and sweet pepper jelly…a pavlova the size of a mini-donut, with five blackberry halves clinging to its tiny plateau, and a copper shot glass filled two-thirds with a creamy dark brown liquid.”

If this sounds gastronomically enticing, just wait until you sink your teeth into the literary feast that J. Ryan Stradal has concocted in his New York Times bestselling debut novel, Kitchens of the Great Midwest.

During a childhood shaken by tragedy and poverty, young Eva Thorvald meticulously tends to the plants she secretly grows in her bedroom closet until they reach maximum potency, at which time she harvests them for, well, “recreational” purposes. But perhaps not the kind you think. You see, Eva was born with a once-in-a-lifetime palate, and while her hydroponic chocolate habaneros initially supply fodder for pranks on school bullies and earn her a few extra dollars by wagering tasting bets with unsuspecting diners, eventually Eva’s talents grow beyond a childhood fancy and lead her to become one of the nation’s most in-demand chefs.

J. Ryan Stradal reveals the soul of that chef, one menu at a time, with ingredients inspired by Midwestern terroir, starting with the pureed pork that her father feeds her as a infant, to the extraordinarily spicy chili peppers Eva grows as a child, to the winning peanut butter bars in the county fair bakeoff,

and culminating in a tantalizing feast of the senses that epitomizes the comfort and sense of belonging that food provides to the six foot, two inch food goddess.

Employing a unique structure that may initially tend to confuse, Stradal commences each chapter abruptly, so that the reader must deduce whose perspective is next and what their role is in Eva’s life. And while not offering chapter transitions may derail some novels, in this case, it is sheer brilliance, as it uproots the readers much like Eva has been uprooted in her brief life, but then eventually settles as satisfactorily as a black truffle oil macaroni and cheese with bacon and smoked Gouda.

As she gains renown, Eva becomes more elusive and, in fact, only one of this character-driven novel’s chapters is even related from Eva’s point of view. Diners, however, are ubiquitous, salivating for their coveted reservation, even though they must wait up to four years and fork over $5,000 per person to dine. And when they are called, and are required on short notice to travel to a clandestine location where the meal will be served, they can only hope to gain a glimpse of their chef, as she works with her small team behind the scenes to create a multi-sensorial feast worthy of culinary orgasm.

Equal parts hilarious, touching, and creative, the novel is a recipe for success, not bad for a debut author. J. Ryan Stradal may be new on the authorial scene, but his cast of flawed and loveable quirky characters is literary ambrosia. Taste Kitchens of the Great Midwest, savor it, and then like any unforgettable meal, you will leave yearning for more. ~ by Susan McBeth

Cartoonpublished with the permission from AirlineRatings.com

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“No one knows its trails quite like Priscilla Lister, whose Take a Hike: San Diego County highlight 260 trails from the sea to the mountains to the great inland desert of Anza-Borrego. It avoids the most popular (and hence overcrowded) as well as the very difficult trophy trails.

This book is for those of us who want to get outdoors and see the land, the plants, and the animals—and maybe hear a story or two about the evolution of the landscape and the patterns of human habitation in this very special corner of California...“ A Review from Amazon.com.

NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM & AT FINE BOOKSTORES 76

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INCREDIBLE INDIA FOR THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME

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