Seafood Dishes From the Road
Like a lot of people, I look forward to the foods of the cities I travel to as much as the sights and activities. I am passionate about food and because of that, there are places I’d return to just so I can satisfy my craving for the food. On the other hand, there are some places I doubt I’ll visit because I have no interest in the food. During my recent trip to Costa Rica, I tasted foods similar…
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Ghost Hunting at Rose Hall Great House
One slow Friday evening in 2012, I decided to make the 15-minute drive to Rose Hall Great House for their night tour. I was excited. Years earlier, I'd done the day tour of this great house that's reputed to be haunted by the ghost of one of its former owners but I had no idea what to expect on the night tour. Would I see a ghost (or duppy) as we call them here in Jamaica? My pulse quickened as…
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A Quick Stop at Columbus Park, St Ann
According to the history books, Columbus landed in Discovery Bay, St. Ann in 1494. Later, we learned that it wasn’t Discovery Bay but a spot a mile west, at an area known as Columbus Park, now an open-air museum located just off the north coast highway and overlooking the beautiful, expansive bay. You’ll find several interesting artifacts including a bell from the last steam locomotive used by the Jamaica Railway Corporation, a replica of a Taino canoe, a section of…
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Jamaican-Style Mango Chutney
Following Emancipation, the colonial authorities in Jamaica looked as far as China and India for workers to replace the formerly enslaved Africans. Between 1845 and 1917, nearly 40,000 Indians arrived in the island looking for a better life. More than a third were forced to stay after their period of indentureship as they couldn’t afford to pay their way back and the government thought it wasn’t cost effective to repatriate them. The Indians brought not only their talent and skills,…
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Exploring Toronto’s PATH
My university had one – an extensive underground walkway that connected all the buildings on campus so there was little need to go outside on those bone-chilling cold days. We called ours the tunnel. [caption id="attachment_14468" align="aligncenter" width="655"] The PATH[/caption] On a recent trip to Toronto, I discovered a similar underground walkway in the downtown area. Known as the Toronto PATH or simply the PATH, at 19 miles, this network of subterranean pathways vastly surpasses my former school’s tunnel. Its…
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Witch Finger Grapes, An Unusual Find
The best thing about travel is discovering something new, different or unusual. This past weekend in a small fruit and vegetable shop in Toronto, I stumbled on something both new (to me) and different - witch finger grapes. I hadn't planned on buying when my friend and I stopped into the shop but as soon as I walked in, I felt a powerful urge to buy grapes. I love grapes: they're tasty and easy to eat. The store had the…
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Nearness, Public Art in Times Square
Normally when I'm rushing through Times Square, it's the viewers - mostly from out-of-town - I have to watch out for. They gather in groups outside the ABC television studio window to watch the taping of the morning show, or wander around, camera at the ready, eyes lifted skyward oblivious to those of us who are trying to get to work on time. Sometimes, they cover the sidewalk like a slow-moving tide that rarely breaks. Truthfully, Times Square can be…
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Coconut Drops
At the end of a birthday dinner a few weeks ago, the servers distributed small parcels containing coconut drops. Since we’d already had dessert, I decided to take mine home but having it in my hand, I couldn’t resist breaking off a piece and slipping it into my mouth. It was so delicious - just the right balance of spices and sugar - that pretty soon, the package was empty and I was feeling a bit guilty for finishing it.…
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A Week of Live Music and Restaurant Meals
When it's as hot as it's been the past few weeks, restaurants meals and takeout replace home cooked. Usually, it's take out but last week, I ended up with several more restaurant meals than take out as we celebrated a promotion, friends visiting and a friend leaving New York City temporarily. The first part of the week found us at Birdland, a jazz club in midtown. My friend, Lorraine, a singer was visiting and wanted to listen to live jazz.…
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Stewart Castle, Off the Main in Trelawny Jamaica
A year or so ago, Dr. Ivor Connolley of Falmouth Heritage Renewal asked me to join them for a site visit to Stewart Castle. I was unable to go but I was curious and intrigued. A castle - in Jamaica? Where was this Stewart Castle and why hadn’t I heard of it before? But as happens sometimes, life got in the way and I forgot about Stewart Castle. Then on one of my trips to Kingston, I spotted its hard-to-miss…
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