Month: May 2011

Re/discovering Myself Through Travel

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

One of the unintended benefits of traveling, for me, is discovering something new about myself or rediscovering some personal quality that time and life had made me forget.

On my last trip to London, I stayed with my sister and her family. While it was a holiday for me, it wasn’t for them so I knew I’d be navigating the city on my own.

It wasn’t like that on my first trip. I stayed with my favorite female cousin who worked, but I didn’t venture out much. Fresh from completing school in Barcelona, I can still remember the energetic and confident 20-something I was then but I can’t remember why I stayed in so much. I missed out on a lot and it wasn’t because it rained everyday except the day before I left.

In the 20+ years between these two trips — the third doesn’t count as the 4 days were consumed by preparations for my sister’s wedding — I’ve logged several thousand miles of both solo and group travels.

This time, rather than letting myself feel alone or worry that I’d get lost — my friends say I’m directionally challenged, I call it exploring alternate paths —  I felt the free and confident person that I am return. And I got even more confident as each day went by and I found my way even when I returned late at night or wandered far afield.

Like the day I did the London Eye. I wandered the Southbank aimlessly, stopped for something to eat then rejoined the sea of people who seemed to be out for a Sunday stroll and enjoying the unusually warm day. I had no idea where I was but I wasn’t bothered. I knew I’d find the underground and my way back — and I did.

After a week of finding my way around in London, I was excited to tackle Paris, where except for a friend from New York, whom I saw once, I was totally alone. My aloneness emboldened me. Could it have been because I speak some French? Probably. But the first night in the hotel, I put a chair behind the door, just in case.

Everyday, I picked the places that I had to see then spent the rest of the time wandering around, discovering quaint streets, flower stalls, boutiques and ‘real’ pharmacies along the way. By the time I made my way back to the metro, it would be way past midnight.

The trip was a big boost to my confidence, especially at a time when I was feeling more than a little unsure of my footing.

I’m eager to start the next trip to see what else I discover about myself.

What do your travels reveal to you?

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Tasty Thursdays: Fresh Strawberry Pie

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
tasty homemade strawberry pie
Image by soozums via Flickr

My almost mother-in-law and second mom was a fabulous cook who hosted elaborate parties. She was a stickler for attractive food presentation.  She’d always say that food should please the eyes first before it pleased the stomach.

I spent a lot of time at her home the summer following our meeting, getting to know the family. I ate a lot and discovered several dishes that have become favorites. She always prepared them for me whenever she’d visit.

There’s one dessert she used to make that I love for its simplicity, its elegance and the combination of textures and flavors. It’s Fresh Strawberry Pie. I make every summer and look forward to making it again this year.

Hope you like it.

Ingredients

9″ pie crust

2 pints fresh strawberries (hulled and halved)

Whipped cream

Directions

  • Remove pie crust from packaging and bake following baking directions.
  • Select about 20 strawberries as close to the same size as possible. Wash, hull and cut in half. Leave one whole, including the stem, for garnishing.
  • Once the pie crust cools, arrange the strawberries back to back, stem side down around the edge of the pie.
  • Spoon whipped cream into the center of the pie crust. Chill until whipped cream is set, about 3 or 4 hours.
  • Garnish with a whole strawberry before serving.

What’s your favorite dessert?

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Bob Marley, 30 Years Later – Larger in Death

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
Marley filmed from left stage door during conc...
Image via Wikipedia

Today marks 30 years since the death of reggae icon, Bob Marley. I remember how shocked I was when I heard the news. I had no idea he had even been sick.

I saw Bob perform once, in Montreal. My boyfriend at the time and I drove from Ottawa for the mid-week concert.

I don’t remember who the opening act was but when Bob finally came onstage, the crowd went wild. Around midnight, we decided to leave. My boyfriend had to work the next morning and we had a two hour drive ahead. (I would never had done that now!) I never got another chance to see Bob perform and always wondered how the show ended. Within a year or so after that show, Bob was dead.

As with some celebrities, Bob has become bigger and more popular in death than in life. More than anything else however, he was instrumental in putting reggae music and Jamaica on the map internationally.

In 1977, when I lived in Barcelona, I went to the student office on some matter that I now can’t recall. I handed over my passport to the gentleman at the office. He looked at it, looked at me and said, Bob Marley. But his English accent was so Spanglified, I didn’t understand. He must have seen the confusion on my face and said it again. Finally, I got it: Bob Marley! We had a good laugh and talked for a good while, in Spanish, about Bob. He even hummed some of his favorite songs.

It was then that I realized that Bob was not just ours, he was also the world’s.

I have many favorite songs but this one, Could You Be loved, has been playing in my head since I woke up this morning so I thought it would be the one to share.

Enjoy!

[youtube]_i-gcWdBUb8[/youtube]

What’s your favorite Bob Marley song?

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A Sunday Drive Through the English Countryside

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

When I was growing up, we’d go for long drives on Sunday afternoons. Each Sunday was a new adventure that most times involved ice cream. I still have fond memories of those times.

Though the scenery was different, our Sunday drive through the English countryside it took me back to that time.

Rapeseed field seen on a drive thru the countryside
Rapeseed

Instead of the fields of sugar cane that I would have seen in the part of Jamaica I lived, I saw fields of rapeseed. At first, I thought rapeseed were flowers. They’re not, though.

Rapeseed field seen on a Sunday drive
Rapeseed field

Rapeseed is used to make vegetable oil and in 2000, according to Wikipedia, it was the third largest source of vegetable oil in the world.

It’s hard to ignore field after field of yellow rapeseed. They capture the imagination even from a distance.

Rapeseed field on a Sunday drive
Rapeseed field

I felt in love with thatched houses when I saw them in Southern Africa and was surprised to see them in England. Apparently, there are more thatched cottages in the UK than the rest of of Europe. I wished I could have taken a photo of each one. I tried.

Thatched cottage seen on a Sunday drive
Thatched cottage
Thatched cottage seen on a Sunday drive
Thatched cottage
Thatched cottage seen on a Sunday drive
Thatched cottage, side view

You know you’re in the country when you see pig sties.

Pig sties seen on a Sunday drive
Pig sties like none I’d ever seen

It was difficult, at first, to imagine what these semi-circles that seemed as if they were planted in the ground were for. But as we got closer, I noticed a few pigs. These aren’t any pig sties I’m used to seeing.

It’s anyone’s guess what’s planted in that field in the back.

All too soon, the drive came to an end. But it left me quite refreshed and energized and gave me new Sunday afternoon drive memories.

How do you like to spend your Sunday afternoons?

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Stonehenge – Sacred Stone Circle

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I don’t remember when I first learned about Stonehenge but from the beginning, I’ve wanted to see it. As soon as I knew I would be going to London, I started searching for a tour. I opted for a private tour that would take me inside the stone circle at sunset. (There are also sunrise tours and other tours that don’t go inside the circle.)

Once I booked, it was hard to contain my excitement.

After a scenic drive through some of England’s most picturesque villages and towns, we arrived at Stonehenge around 6 p.m., just as the sun began its descent over the horizon.

I was struck by the size of the monuments. They looked smaller than what I had imagined they would have been after seeing them so many times on television. But they were no less impressive.

Since our group of 52 was too large, we separated into two – the first group entering the circle shortly after we arrived, the second about 45 minutes later.

Stonehenge is believed to have been built as a burial site around 2500 BC. Since there’s no written record of how it was constructed, speculation and theories abound.

However it was built and whatever the reason, it is still an incredibly impressive site, despite several missing and / or damaged stones.

The site feels peaceful, the surrounding area lush and green with fields of canola (rapeseed) in the distance.

When I see places like Stonehenge, I can’t help wondering what will be left of the structures we’ve built and what future generations will think of us.

What do you think?

The Heelstone
Yellow field of canola
Stone circle at Stonehenge
Artist’s rendition of what Stonehenge looked like

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Are Airline Seat Sizes Shrinking?

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
SAA row 15
Image by mralan via Flickr

Like most travelers, whenever I plan a trip, the first thing I think about is the cost of the ticket. Depending on how long my flight will be, I also think about snacks I’ll take.

The size of the airline seat never crosses my mind.

I consider myself average in weight and size – 5’6″ and approximately 165 pounds. Yet, lately, I’ve noticed that even on international flights, I just fit the size of the seat.

Now, I might have gained a few pounds in the last year but not enough so I just barely fit.

So if it’s not my size, I can only conclude it’s the seat. And I have to wonder: Are airline seat sizes shrinking?

On my last flight, on Virgin Atlantic, I had to get out of my seat in order to reach the remote control that was housed in the armrest.

And once I pulled out my tray, it was practically in my stomach. When the person in the seat in front of me decided to recline his seat, I had to do the same as there was hardly room left for me to manoeuver.

Needless to say, it was one of my most uncomfortable flights in recent memory. I felt better standing or walking the aisle. But even that’s problematic – the aisles seem to be getting narrower and narrower and except for space near the washrooms, there’s no place to stand. I was stuck in my uncomfortable seat.

If I have a problem, what about someone larger? Or taller?

According to what I’ve read on Wikipedia, economy class airline seats are about 17″-18″ (43-46 cm) armrest to armrest. That’s just enough room for a small person or a child.

As for legroom or seat pitch, in most economy class seats it’s between 30″-32″ (76-81 cm). I’m not a very tall person but my knees were pretty close to the seat in front of me. (Of course, I could have upgraded to an aisle seat. For an additional fee, of course.)

I think the airlines have deliberately made seats smaller so they can carry more passengers and make more money.

Unfortunately, for the moment, there little we can do that won’t cost extra. Before you fly next time, think about your seat and check your airline’s seat plan on Seat Guru‘s list of more than 700 airlines.

Happy travels!

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Mother’s Day? It’s Complicated

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I’m not a mother and ever since I lost my own mother ten years ago, Mother’s Day has been emotionally complicated for

Mama, a few years before she had me

me.

Funny thing is, I was never big on Mother’s Day. It was too commercial, too contrived.

And maybe because I lived far away from my mother, I never waited for that one day to let her know how much she meant to me. I made sure that I did something special for Mama each time we saw each other, and told her how important she was to me every time we talked.

You see, my mother was my best friend, my confidante, my role model and teacher. I wanted to be just like her – to be as creative, as intelligent, as caring and as supportive as she was.

Mama wrote poetry, created music and baked elaborate cakes from scratch. She made our clothes so expertly, so neatly they could have been worn inside out – I rarely wore store bought clothes.

Watching her, I learned how to sew but she also taught me how to crochet, embroider and play the flute.

I got my love of crossword puzzles and mysteries from her.

And though she tried to teach me math, I was never as good as she was. As the unofficial bookkeeper for my grandfather’s business, I watched her do the payroll every Friday with just receipts, a notebook and a pencil.

Because of everything I learned from Mama, I wanted to be a mother just so I could pass her gifts on to my daughter — yes, I knew I’d have a daughter.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

So on Mother’s Day, especially, I feel her loss acutely and I think about what might have been.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Wildlife

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I took these photos last year in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park. The experience of watching wildlife in their natural habitat was life changing.

I knew that animals are intelligent, compassionate and caring but watching them interacting with each other or with other species and taking care of their young was heartwarming.

Zebras and Impalas

Zebras are incredibly beautiful up close. And almost every time we saw them, impalas were not far away.

Giraffe

Despite their height, giraffes are stately and gentle animals.

Lioness at rest

We watched this lioness for about 20 minutes. She was so full after a kill the previous night, she hardly moved.

Buffalo and elephant

As we watched this herd of buffalo — there could easily have been 100 of them — we noticed several herds of elephants approaching. Despite their size — they’re the largest land animals in the world — they’re incredibly quiet. You hardly ever hear them coming!

Elephant

We were watching a baby elephant on one side of the road and didn’t see her mother standing a few feet away. I was so shocked, I’m glad I didn’t scream or fumble the camera.

Enjoy!

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Tasty Thursdays: Shepherd’s Pie

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

After my first visit to London, I returned home and cooked Shepherd’s Pie almost every week! I couldn’t get enough of it. It’s quite simple to make and very tasty.

Shepherd's pie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a recipe I found on epicurious.com

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 1 pound ground lamb (or substitute half with another ground meat)
  • 1 cup beef or chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh or dry rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup milk (any fat content)
  • Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil, then add the onion, carrot, and meat. Cook until browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Drain the fat and add the broth, tomato paste, and herbs. Simmer until the juices thicken, about 10 minutes, then add the peas.

4. Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish; set aside.

5. Meanwhile, bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes; drain.

6. Mash the potatoes with the butter, milk, and salt.

7. Spread them over the meat mixture, then crosshatch the top with a fork.

8. Bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

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