Our first meal in Croatia was in the northern Istria region in the town of Novigrad. We had some beautiful, fat scallops followed by tagliatelle with mixed fish and truffle oil. Fun fact: scallops and truffle oil are both local to the Novigrad area. I’m not a truffle fan and I can say that’s the best truffle pasta I’ve ever tasted. After that meal we had dedicated ourselves to seafood-exclusive dinners.

The next day was our longest driving day. Five hours total, up and down switchback mountain roads and then major freeway with tunnels galore. The outskirts of urban Zadar were a relief. In fact, the city reminded Billy and I both of Kelowna, British Columbia. Big, box stores upon entry heading straight towards water as we made our way to the city centre.

Old town Zadar is along the coastline and feels quite separate from the modern Zadar. Once we found parking in Old Town, we met up with our AirBnB host and got settled in.

Our host was concerned about where we had parked as there was going to be a cycling race the next day. There were notices everywhere (in a language we couldn’t read well, even with Google translate) about the race and the towing of cars. We did some research and figured that we would be fine to leave our car there overnight and safe to leave at 9 AM Sunday morning before the race started at 3 PM. The host agreed and he gave us a restaurant recommendation for the evening – Restoran Bruschetta.

Restoran Bruschetta is absolutely fantastic. First off, the service was friendly, relaxed and very professional. We were a little bit rattled and fatigued from our 5 hour drive through the mountainous region of rural Croatia and our server took really good care of us soon as we sat at our patio table. We started off with an aperitivo – a drink and a light snack before dinner. After that, we put ourselves in his hands to guide our meal selection.

We had:

• Pasta with zucchini and pesto – a Croatian specialty “little fingers”
• Octopus carpaccio
• John Dory fish (YUM!) with potatoes and deep-fried leeks
• Grilled calamari with Dalmation-style swiss chard

This meal blew the doors off our house. Afterwards, we were so full, we went for a romantic walk along the shore. And then we stumbled on a very nifty interactive light installation.

Zadar was so relaxed and charming that we woke up the next day and decided to slow down our trip and cancel a few spots so we could really enjoy the rest of Croatia.

We packed up our stuff eager to see Split. As we rounded the corner, low and behold, our rental car was being hoisted up onto a tow truck. I left my suitcase with Billy and went running, my arms waving in the air, to plead to the tow truck guys. There was no need to worry. The drivers immediately started to unhook our car. We expressed our gratitude and hightailed it out of there. We would have stayed longer in Zadar but we both saw that as a sign our relaxed moment in time there was up.

This trip to Italy was entirely different. I’m in my 30s and seem to possess a confidence that I didn’t have all those years ago. Or, I’m too old to be of interest to lewd Italian men. Either way, it’s all good with me and I’m pleased to say I had the best time in Italy and now I get what the hype is all about!

Here’s a little photo tour of our short 24 hour stay in Bologna. Come here for great eats, cool vibes, charming architecture, and a general “warm belly, happy heart” feeling.

The Food

I discovered two of my favourite drinks in Bologna; the Aperol Spritz and the short macchiato. Gamechangers that are both good for a little “pick-me-up”

We also hunted out Tortellini al Brodo, a pasta specialty of the region. This humble meal is the definition of “warm belly, happy heart” food and I can feel the warm blanket of broth in my stomach just writing about it.

We noticed that the locals of Bologna are very friendly and even nice to peddlers in the street. In this square, we saw several peddlers get a nice welcome from locals with either a fist bump, chit-chats, and the boisterous “Ciao Bello!”

Nightlife is fun in Bologna with lots of opportunity for nice cocktails or wine and lots of snacks. Mmm, snacks.

You won’t be hard-press to find a delicious lunch either.

Did I mention that I gained close to 10 lbs on my honeymoon? Worth it.

The Sights

There are so many things to do and see in Bologna. Billy and I were focused on eating but we did a lot of walking through the city. We also climbed the tower (all 498 wooden steps) and felt like we earned the lunch seen above.

While we were walking around, I thought a lot about a connection I’ve noticed between Japan and Italy. While we were planning our trip to Japan Billy and I saw Porco Rosso, a Hayao Miyazaki film. Once I arrived in Northern Italy, more of this movie made sense to me in terms of setting and some lifestyle commentary. I find that Japanese and Italian cultures both value tradition, artisan craftsmanship, and beauty. 

I fell hard for the beauty of Bologna and would return in a second.

Why Slovenia? Hiša Franko

Our interest in Slovenia first began with an episode of Chef’s Table about Ana Ros and her husband Valter Kramar’s restaurant Hisa Franko. Their story is an incredible tale of love, determination, talent, and motivation. Ros and Kramar met at Valter’s parents restaurant and began dating. They fell in love and traveled the world together. Later, they had the opportunity to run Valter’s parents restaurant and Ana switched gears from planning to be a diplomat to a chef. She’s entirely self-taught and her determination and intelligence has made her a world-renowned chef. Valter is a sommelier who specializes in Slovenian wine and ages Slovenian cheese.

A couple in love with each other who make the culinary arts their life’s passion? YES. We had to experience this for ourselves so we based our entire honeymoon around our reservation at Hisa Franko.

The meal was one of the most decadent experiences I’ve had so far. It had Billy and I talking about creativity in taste, presentation, and experience. The whole evening was quite inspiring and entirely special.

Road Trip in the Julian Alps

After our night at Hisa Franko, we hopped in our little rental car and traveled the winding roads in the Soca Valley as well as up and down the Julian Alps. The Julian Alps stretch from Italy to Slovenia. The highest peak, Mount Triglav is in Slovenia and featured in their national coat of arms.

There were hairpin turns and we went from lush green grass to snow at the highest part of our journey.

If you are in the area, I would highly suggest stopping in the town of Tolmin and hiking the Tolmin Gorge. Several festivals occur in the Tolmin Valley throughout the year. 

Slovenia is gorgeous and the nature feels rugged and reminded me of home in Canada. Perhaps, that’s part of the reason I love it so much – the environment and the people of Slovenia felt strangely familiar.

Montreal Skyline from Mount Royal

Conveniently, my better half has created a map of our microbrew pub crawl so you can experience epic Quebecois craft beers for yourself. I may have slipped a book store in the mix because what’s more fun than shopping for books with a buzz on?

We did most of these bars in a couple of days. But if you want to try to fit in all in one day, be my guest. Just know when to park your bike and call a cab. On with the tour!

1st Stop: Vices & Versa – This brasserie has 3 amazing qualities: a great patio, the best Quebecois microbrews, and a downright delicious charcuterie plate. This is our start off point because you can enjoy the sunshine, have a nice lunch, and experience Quebecois culture right of the get go. When we were there, Vices & Versa had a great artist on display. They must display different local artists in their bar on a regular basis, which I think is fabulous.

Beautiful Quebec cheeses served with tartine, bread, nuts, and carrot slaw.

Drinking beer on the patio of Vices & Versa

My prized surprise: D&Q Tote Bag

2nd Stop: Drawn & Quarterly Book Store – I spent over $100 and I got this sweet bag to hold my books in while I pub crawled. This beer girl has a book problem. Drawn & Quarterly is also a publisher of graphic novels, magazines, and other books. From what I’ve seen, they have an excellent eye for the intelligent and trendy. I also had the chance to pick up a signed copies of author Heather O’Neill’s two novels. She’s from Montreal and lives in the area. How cool is that?! On top of all that, they also hold author talks and readings. From now on, whenever I go to Montreal I’m going to make a point to stop at D & Q.

3rd Stop: Helm Microbrasserie – Celebrate your literary discoveries by having a cold one at Helm. There is a great vibe in this brasserie. I especially enjoyed sitting at the bar by the open windows so I could people watch those who live and hang out in the Mile End neighbourhood. Mile End is a well known cultural neighbourhood with many artists, musicians, writers, and filmmakers living in the area. I was hoping to spot Heather O’Neill but I didn’t see her. Arcade Fire also hails from this borough. If you are hungry, be sure to stop at one of the two famous bagel shops in the area, Fairmount Bagel or St. Viateur Bagel.

2 AM Bagel Run

St. Viateur Bagel

4th Stop: Dieu du Ciel – This was the first bar that we visited on our arrival to Montreal. It’s warm, inviting, and has excellent staff. I would suggest sitting at the bar so you can learn about their brews. Their menu of beers is extensive and it may be the most diverse of Quebecois microbreweries. I recently found out that Albertans may be able to find these beers in some of our speciality liquor stores.

Didn’t get a bagel in Mile End? You have a chance to eat again because the flat bread pizzas here are yummy.If you are thinking “Why would I ruin a good buzz with food” then you better eat something. This is advice from someone who has uttered that statement more times than I care to admit.

Having our first beer in Montreal at Dieu du Ciel.

5th Stop: Benelux Brasserie Artisinal – Ok, so we didn’t make it to this brasserie but we wish we could have. It has excellent reviews. Please pop by and then let me know how it is.

6th Stop: Brutopia – When we went to Brutopia there was a live band playing and busy, fun atmosphere of guests. In all honestly, we sat here quite a long time and I can’t remember how the beer tastes so it was probably really good.

7th Stop: Le Saint Bock – This place has a very trendy atmosphere. I had a good time people watching due to the men peacocking around and trying to pick up women. The patio looked great but I have a feeling that it’s often busy. We didn’t have a chance of getting a table out there as it was completely packed.

8th Stop: Brasserie Artisanale L’Amère A Boire – This is a really cute brasserie for a quiet beer with someone special.

9th Stop: Le Cheval Blanc – Honestly, we had a bit of rough service here. It seemed like it was a popular local watering hole and had a fun patio that made it easy to meet and talk to some new people. If your French is good, I would suggest stopping by. This is the bar where we learned that Montreal folk are more up front about giving tips than in Alberta. If they think you aren’t going to tip, they WILL tell you that you need to tip. We always tip but found this approach to be rather abrasive and assuming. Good service gets a good tip and that’s all I have to say about that.

10th Stop: La Banquise – By now, you may be quite drunk. Time to work off that booze, hop on your bike, and follow the bike trail to La Banquise to fill your belly with copious amounts of poutine. This place is a local hotspot for poutine. There must be close to 30 different poutines to choose from. I had the reggae poutine with advocado, fresh tomatoes, and beef… and it was heavy. It’s a fun place to see while you’re in Montreal. After this meal, bike back to your hotel, lay in bed, and rub your food baby belly.

This is not my poutine but my dinnermate’s.

So now, you’re good and buzzed. If you do this tour, please let me know your favourites. Mine are Vices & Versa and Helm.

Back in September, the boys and I journeyed out of Leuven for the 14th edition of the Belgian Beer Weekend in Brussels. I haven’t been to Oktoberfest in Munich yet, but I think this could rival the famous German festival in terms of quality beer.

There were three beer stations set up in Central Brussels; the Grand Place tents, Beer Street and Beer & Food. The location of the festival is charming because it’s in the heart of Brussels, mostly outdoors, and surrounded by unique architecture. Beer lovers from all over Europe come to visit. We met Germans, Dutch, French, as well as some Americans. Most of the Americans were noticeably drunk. Obviously, they have become accustomed to what we folks in Canada call “watered down beer” and they simply can’t handle the intensity of Belgian beer.

The event featured 51 breweries who offered over 350 different beers for one to choose from. The selection was immense; I even tried a “Speculoos Cookie Beer”! The feeling of excitement I had must have been the ‘grown-up’ version of a “kid in a candy store”.

The only disappointment we encountered was at the Beer & Food station. The selection of beer and food trios changed hourly, but when we showed up the trio was terrible. The set included an Arend, a Leffe Ruby, and a Reserva dark stout. We couldn’t finish them and decided to skip on the food pairing because it was simply over priced for the portion sizes. On the bright side, I really enjoyed the Stock Exchange setting and I sincerely hope the rest of the pairings were more tantalizing than what I experienced.

Looking back in my blog archives, I’m happy to see that my beer knowledge has evolved considerably in the past year. After some experiments and research, I can say I know the basics of pairing food with beer.

The general rule for food and beer pairing is to keep sweet with sweet and tart with tart. Of course, there is a lot of playing to be done by offering a contrast. It’s important to experiment because this is fastest way to build your knowledge of flavours. Here are some general rules to get you started:

–Blonde Beers compliment dishes with lots of spices and heat; Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, and BBQ are all fair game. You and your guests are going to need a cool and refreshing beverage with carbonation to soothe the taste buds. As for cheese, blonde beers compliment those that are nutty, tangy, sharp, or pungent like Gorgonzola or feta.

–Amber Ales go hand in hand with pork, poultry, and salads. Try one with a weekend lunch, as Amber beer is great with hamburgers, sausages, sandwiches, and soup/stew. Pizza and Mexican cuisine are also a safe bet. The best cheese would have peppery or sharp flavours like a pepper jack or cheddar.

–Dark Beer are great for beef, smoked meat, and BBQs. Try a dark beer paired with a fruit and chocolate dessert or a dark chocolate cake smothered in raspberries and you will be in heaven. As for cheeses, bring out earthy and buttery flavours such as brie, camembert, gouda, havarti, and Swiss.

The Belgian Beer Weekend was one of my most enjoyable events of the summer. I made sure to take a bunch of photos as an added effort to convince beer lovers it’s an event not to be missed. Skip Germany and come Belgium if you are on the hunt for some top quality beer made with passion and tradition.

Typically, the Christmas meal begins with aperitifs, a boozy beverage to share a ‘toast’ with family members and guests. The aperitif is fairly bitter in order to stimulate appetite for dinner as opposed to a sugary drink that ‘closes’ the stomach. The main course is often game, goose, duck, turkey, or roast lamb accompanied with a variety of vegetables and a potato dish.

The Billiau Christmas dinner featured many ingredients that are common in Belgian cuisine. Historically, since the Middle Ages, Belgian food follows ancient practices such as including a variety of mustards and spices in dishes. Over the years (centuries really), Belgian chefs have remained loyal to traditional Belgian dishes while being open to incorporating new ideas that will enhance their meals.

The following list features classic ingredients in Belgian cuisine. Each different ingredient compliments the other resulting in a lot of creative and tasty dishes.

Seafood – Belgians love shellfish, especially mussels (Moules) which are considered to be a national dish. A wide variety of fish species are brought in from the fishing boats into ports such as Oostende. Seafood is always fresh and plentiful offering a variety of choices such as cod, sole, herring, turbot and monkfish along with freshwater fish like trout and eel.

Meat, Poultry and Game – Meat is an important feature of Belgian dishes. Pork, beef, and veal are used often as well as chicken, pheasant, venison, wild boar, and rabbit. Meat is prepared with the addition of specialty beers or a combination of fruit and spices which compliment the meat.

Dairy – Despite being a small nation, Belgium produces more than 300 varieties of artisan cheese and dairy products that are enjoyed by Belgians instead of being exported. Perfect with bread and beer!

Vegetables – Belgium’s climate and geography has contributed to the availability of many different types of vegetables. White asparagus, Brussel sprouts, celeriac, kohlrabi, hop shoots, potatoes, and mushrooms are just a few! There are some veggies that are unique only to Belgium. A special vegetable is the Belgian endive (Witloof) that has white leaves that grows from the chicory root and is typically a winter vegetable and a feature of seasonal dishes.

A popular use for the potato is for the famous Belgian frites (fries). Frites can be served with ritzy dishes like mussels on a silver plate or as street food in a paper cone with lots of sauce. Sooooo yummy.

Herbs & Spices – Popular spices in Belgian cuisine are parsley, tarragon, sorrel, chives, bay leaves, sage, thyme, chervil, and saffron. Cloves, ginger, vanilla, and cinnamon are used lightly in baking except when making speculaas (the best little spice cookies ever). Nutmeg is popular in numerous potato dishes, sauces and soups.

Fruit – Apples, pears, blueberries, cherries and sour cherries, peaches, and plums are abundantly available. Apples are often used an accompaniment with poultry, game and sausage dishes. Cherries can been used in many ways such as in meat stews and beer.

Condiments – According to Suzanne Vandyck, “Pickles, mayonnaise, and mustards are Belgium’s most beloved trio of condiments, indispensable at any Belgian table or pantry, and used to enrich appetizers, soups, meat and vegetables dishes and a multitude of sauces.” I have fallen in love with mustards in Belgium because they are spicy and give a certain little kick to any meal or snack. The amount of different sauces available is actually astounding and makes it easy for anyone to add a bit of their own personality to the meal.

Bread – Breads come in a wide variety of grains and are commonly enjoyed as a meal when combined with cold meats and cheeses. Bread is very important in Belgian cuisine and is usually present at every meal; and I’m talking about a fresh soft baguette that is perfect with just butter, no yucky preservatives here. And don’t get me started on the deliciousness of Belgian broodjes (sandwiches)!

Chocolate – Belgian chocolate has some of the best chocolate in the world, thanks to their very meticulous chocolate process in which no preservatives, artificial flavours , or colouring are ever used resulting in high quality chocolate. Chocolate is enjoyed in many different forms such as pralines, candy, desserts, or even as a bread spread.

Beer – Beer in Belgium rocks my world. Belgium is equally famous for its beers as it is for chocolate. There are over 500 types of beer and around 130 breweries. There are pilsners such as Stella Artois and Jupiler, trappists and ales like Chimay or Westvleteren, and a wide variety of ales. But even with such great variety there is a unifying factor: the alcohol content is commonly around 7-8%. Whooopah! For a look back to my first impressions of Belgian beers please see my previous blog post “The Belgian Beer Special”.

Wine – If I am not drinking beer, I am drinking wine. I haven’t been in a grocery store that didn’t have a wide selection of high quality, decently priced wine compared to what I have to pay for wine in Canada. A bottle of wine is carefully selected to compliment the flavours of the meal. For special occasions it is common to have 2 or 3 different bottles to be paired with certain courses.

Liquors – The juniper-infused grain alcohol called jenever, is very popular in Belgium (especially at Christmas). It is usually drunk in shot glass in the evening as a nightcap or in a shot of espresso. Jenever is also used in cooking as a flavouring agent, offering approximately 200 different flavours such as cactus, passionfruit, and mocha.

And this is just some of what I have learned about Belgium food during my 3 months here… so much to learn… So many recipes to try!

The atmosphere was lovely with a nice patio and friendly service. The food is presented in an impressive manner for sharing the experience with friends and family. Eating from one plate signifies the bonds of loyalty and friendship. The injera bread serves at the base for a giant platter which various meats, salads, curries, and sauces are then served on. Then the sauces are served separately in cast-iron pots that have coals underneath to make sure it stays warm, bubbly, and aromatic.

mmm Ethiopian Platter of Yum!

The waiter and the manager found out this was my first experience with Ethiopian cuisine so they made sure they were around for my first bite. I was taught that the trick to eating this tasty, taaaasty food is to flop the injera onto the sauce, pick the injera up with 5 fingers to get the optimal amount sauce, then grab up some grilled meat and toss it in your mouth. Aahhh – It was so good! There are a variety of sauces to choose from with varying degrees of spiciness. My favourite was an orange one that was made of chickpeas and unique spices, that was pretty mild because I am wussy with spice here.

From a quick internet search of Ethiopian cuisine I found out some interesting facts:

1. “Injera” is the staple flatbread made of a fine grain called “Teff“, which is unique to Ethiopia. The teff is fermented, so the bread is nice and light but expands in your belly when it is being digested and suddenly you find yourself very full.

2. A big part of Ethiopian food is “Wot“, which is a stew that consists of a lot of red onions, some cooking oil, berbere (a chilli pepper sauce), meat such as chicken, beef, lamb, or goat, and then veggies such as legumes, lentils, potatoes, carrots, and chard in different combinations.

3. Ethiopian food uses a variety of cooking oils such as sesame and safflower.

4. Many of their dishes are vegan because the Ethiopian Orthodox Church requires a number of fasting periods.

5. “Tibs“, which is what I had last night, is meat such as beef, chicken, lamb, or goat and veggies that are sautéed with salad as an accompaniment. I really enjoyed having the injera, sauce, meat and some salad in one bite.

6. Food is served under a Mesob, which is like a little straw woven hat for the plate to keep the food warm.

7. Ethiopian food is meant to be eaten with your hands. The right hand is used to rip off a piece of injera and pick up all the fixin’s and then eaten. There is a tradition called Goorsha, where one would prepare a bite of food in this way BUT then feed it to their friend as a display of friendship. The bigger the Goorsha, the stronger the friendship.

8. Ethiopia is famous for excellent coffee and it is a big part of the dining experience and at the end of every meal a coffee ceremony is prepared and enjoyed.

For more info check out this website!

I recommend everyone to look up a good Ethiopian restaurant and try it out one night… Food Adventure! Prepare yourselves friends … I’m introducing you to Ethiopian when I get home. And I am definitely going back to Abyssinia before I leave Nairobi :)

“Hey Honey, I know your blog is supposed to be focused around food and drink but don’t you think your readers would like to hear/see more about your work there? Just a thought, of course it’s up to you. Love, Mom”

Now, my mother is a wise lady and if she is wondering about my work and life in Nairobi there are probably a few more people who are as well. Maybe residents in Lougheed have asked her what I have been up to… or my Grandma is getting sick of all the recipes? I gave the issue some deep thought this morning and I have come up with a few reasons why food has been a constant for me in Nairobi.

1. Food Culture is HUGE here! My social life revolves around food and restaurants. Feeling like going out? We might as well make an evening of it and go for dinner and then drinks at a nearby bar/nightclub. Kenyan people love to gather and chat over some great food and drink. Nairobi has a fun food culture that is very accessible for visitors. The food restaurant website Eat Out Kenya provides the location and reviews of many, many restaurants. Most special events held in the city have an area dedicated to buy food and drink, sit at picnic table and relax in the sunshine. There is a wonderful event, that I haven’t had a chance to attend yet, called Blankets and Wine, where people bring their blankets to an outdoor park, watch live performances of Kenya’s rich music scene and enjoy a few glasses of wine while showing off their hippest clothes. Football is HUGE here, and it is common to go to local sport’s club (our’s is K1) to watch the game, drink some Tuskers, and eat some Nyama Choma or chicken wings.

Stuffing our faces, drinking beer, and watching Liverpool vs. Man. U on 3 big screens

Enjoying a Vanilla Latte

2. Too Tired to Go Out? This happens fairly often. I keep pretty busy at AKUH working on the redesign of the Pediatrics’ print media and by the time Friday comes around I want to stay in the house, do some yoga, make something sweet & yummy and watch a movie. Or, there are days where I really don’t feel like putting in the effort of getting beautiful, calling a cab, and then rejecting the advances of men at the bar who want to buy me for 5 goats… kidding! That doesn’t happen.

3. No Power? Muffins are the solution. There are days when we wake up in the morning and there is no power. This means no tea (because our oven is electric… wait, everything in our house is electric!), no toast, and lukewarm juice or yogurt. As result our house is full grumpy girls who don’t want to go to work. My solution is to make muffins almost once a week. Now, the girls and I can each grab a yummy banana muffin, then go to work and enjoy a tea with warm milk there. Problem solved!

Work is going really well though. I am well on my way to accomplishing the goals I laid out for myself and I have met a lot of very nice and fun people who are teaching me a lot about Communications as well as life in Kenya.

I realized this week I only have 5 weekends left in Kenya! It seems a lot shorter when I think about it in terms of weekends as opposed to weeks. So I sat down and made a list of things I NEED to do before I leave: see flamingo’s and rhinos, climb Mt. Kenya and Mt. Longonot, ride a bicycle through Hell’s Gate National Park, and have a beach holiday on the South Coast. After doing some research and arranging, all of my weekends are booked up from now until I leave on December 22. It’s going to be a whirlwind! And this means that my dear friends and family are going to get a break from reading recipes ;)

On another note, a giant beetle bug flew into our house Sunday morning. Of course I documented it.

Giant Beetle Bug

"Jess! Act Terrified!"

Close-up of the Giant Beetle Bug

I love going to Diamond Plaza and sitting in the food court enjoying a fresh glass of Tree Tomato + Mango juice with the girls sharing a plate of cheese samosas (something else I didn’t know existed.. maybe this is Kenyan thing?). Anyways, these cheese samosas are amazing… and I actually find that I crave them. I’m craving juice right now… and sunshine. After this I am going to gather up the girls for a juice date. Here are some pictures of us at our favourite local ice cream parlour/juice bar/cheese samosa overdose haunt.

We were invited out to a bar in Karen district by a friend of Jessica’s that she bumped into so we ended up kiboshing a relaxed meal for a night on the town to ‘break me in to Nairobi nightlife’. It was a fancy little bar with a tented roof, BUT it was crowded with really young people (I’m talking 12-17 yrs old) in addition to 20-50 year olds. Jessica thought that maybe the parents who live in Karen just dropped their teenagers off because it’s a safer bar than a lot in Nairobi and is probably close to home. People are friendly here and we were invited to go out to a private safari park today, however they were going hunting for zebras and gazelles. This is illegal in Kenya but still happens on private parks. It sounded like a beautiful estate and it was very nice to be invited but I don’t really want my first African animal sighting experience to be of a Zebra getting shot.

Photo taken by my sister Lisa on her safari in Tanzania

The girls also gave me a lesson on bartering with taxi drivers. In Nairobi, I think it would be wise to enjoy a couple of drinks but still have your head about you when the night is finished because you are likely to barter for a better rate and not jump in a shady cab that might not be safe.

All in all, a nice introduction to Nairobi nightlife and I am getting more used to precautions you have to take. Once you know what to do it is a lot less intimidating. I spoke about this with another expat last night and she said ‘It’s important to be aware of the dangers in Nairobi but you can’t live your life in fear either’. Well said.

Saturday – This was a productive day for me. I had a nice little sleep in and then tea and the most delicious cantaloupe for breakfast. The fruit in Kenya is amazing… I try to eat as much as I can. Then Jess and I went for a walk over to Westlands but tried out a different mall. We each had a few errands to do… I ended up buying myself some nice wool slippers for the house. A necessity in Kenya. Who would have thought, but so far its hot here during the day and it really cools off at night. I always throw on a light hoody and now my feet will always be cozy. We also decided to get some groceries and I went to Uchumi,the other major superstore of Kenya. I looooved this grocery store, their produce selection was awesome and I walked out of there with mangos, bananas, peppers, and more cantaloupe. It definitely got me fired up to start cooking at the house. And to make 21 Hirani a bit more homey we went and bought some cheap patio furniture so we can have our own ‘terraske’. So excited! There are some beautiful little plant nurseries here on the side of the road and now that we have our little patio up and running I am very tempted to pick up a couple of plants and try my hand at a little Kenyan gardening. There are so many trees, shrubs, vines, and pretty flowers…Nairobi could be a gardener’s paradise.

Sunday – Today I woke up with 20+ mosquito bites on my right leg and both arms. I fell asleep with the window open and was attacked! But I have taken some anti-histamines that relieves the itchiness a bit. Jessica and I also decided to take a meander through City Park today and it was a great way to spend a sunday afternoon. I saw my first wild monkeys! Parts of the park were really busy with Sunday picnic people. There were a few little children who would follow us around asking for money or food and shout “mzungu!” which translates to “white person”.

We also found a little outdoor restaurant-bar that served cold beer and had a paintball course as well. We spent a bit of time there and I had my first Kenyan meal of Ugali (a starchy sort of rice that you mould with your hand to pick up food) with fresh sliced tomatoes, red onions, and green chili’s. We also had bbqed goat ribs. Goat meat is so rich and filling that you don’t need much in a meal to feel satisfied. Finally we stopped by the City Market… that is the place to get produce! Next Sunday I am going to go there around 4ish so it should be pretty quiet and I will be able to get nice produce for a great price. It’s nice to be living in Parklands because everything you need is close so you can walk everywhere. But other parts of the city, it is definitely easier if you have a car; Nairobi is much like Edmonton in that sense.

I’ve officially made it through my first week in Nairobi! Now I need to start planning some sightseeing trips…