Category: Travel

What do you want to accomplish with your blog?

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
Treasure Beach boats

What do I want to accomplish with my blog?

This is a pretty simple and straightforward question but one to which I’m finding the answer to be a bit more difficult to pin down than I thought.

When I first started, the idea was to write about Jamaica, the place where I was born, the place I’m discovering with adult eyes and after several years of not living there.

I wanted to share the Jamaica I yearn for when I’m homesick, the Jamaica beyond the well-known stereotypes – reggae, jerk, ganja (marijuana). I wanted to show readers who have never been (and even some who have) that Jamaica, the one that’s rarely seen by those who don’t venture beyond the carefully circumscribed environment of the all-inclusive resorts.

While that is the main purpose of this blog, my travel interests are much broader. And I realized quickly that I couldn’t write about Jamaica and not include all the other fabulous places I visit.

But the thrust is the same: to go beyond the usual tourist traps and get an appreciation for what a country is about.

If I’m able to do that, then I’ll consider that a major accomplishment of this blog.

Let me know what you think.

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Soulful Sundays: Sade

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
Sade - Hang On To Your Love US
Image via Wikipedia

I’ve never seen Sade in concert but a good friend of mine has. From what I hear, she never disappoints.

More than her music, I like Sade as a woman and as a performer. Her smoky voice oozes romance. If you’re in love, you want to be more in love and if you’re not, you sure want to be.

She’s on tour this year. Hopefully, I’ll be able to catch her in concert in the New York area.

Sade has so many songs I like, it was difficult to pick one.

Take a listen to The Sweetest Taboo.

 

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Enjoy!

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Four Days Without a Phone

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

For the last four days, I’ve been without my cell phone.

Phone

I had envisioned a different week. One where I’d be able to contact friends, remain in touch with family and friends at home and check my email on the fly. I haven’t been able to do any of it.

The first day, Tuesday, was the most challenging. I’ve been so ‘connected’ and always ‘on’ that being without my phone felt like I had lost a vital body part.

At first, I did everything in my power to get re-connected. But nothing I tried worked. Plus, I couldn’t focus on fixing my phone when I had other more important matters to deal with.

So I realized that I had to chill. Being stressed about something I couldn’t change wasn’t doing me much good so I shifted my focus to what I could control.

Once I did that, I began to relax and remember now what life was like way back when I didn’t have a cell phone or a laptop. I survived then and I will now. Besides, it’s only temporary.

I hope to get my phone sorted out tomorrow but if I don’t, I know I will be fine.

Travel’s Downside, II

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
A drawing of a suitcase with the word "TR...
Image via Wikipedia

I’ve been thinking almost all day of travel’s downsides and I think I’ve hit on a solution.

(Things like missing my own bed or dealing with unfamiliar surroundings I really can’t do much about, I’ll just have to live with them.)

My solution is to create a ‘travel bag’ so I can use on my next trip. It’ll be the bag that will contain the essentials: moisturizer, lotion, deodorant, etc., phone and laptop chargers, adapters, batteries, memory card for my camera, cable and whatever else I tend to need when I travel. So next time, all I’ll have to do is pick up my travel bag and put it in my suitcase. Kind of like those little portable inner bags they’ve been promoting to women who change their bags, so they don’t forget anything.

What do you think?

Besides forgetting your essentials, what are some of your travel downsides?

I’m curious to know.

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Tasty Thursdays: Fish and Chips

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I love fish and every now and then, I’ll make fish and chips. But on my third trip to London, I realized I’d never had fish and chips there. I decided to remedy that.

After browsing books and talking with authors and sellers at the London Book Fair at Earls Court, I decided to head upstairs for lunch. I was pleased to see fish and chips on the menu and placed my order.

Fish and Chips for lunch in London
Fish and chips

How to Make Fish and Chips

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 Cod fillets

1 3/4 cup All-Purpose flour

1 cup Guinness

1 egg, beaten

1/3 tbsp. salt

2 tbsp. milk

1 large russet potato

Vinegar or Tartar sauce

6 cups vegetable oil

The Chips

Rinse and peel potato. Cut up thickly, like steak fries.

Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in large skillet or a deep fryer.

Season potato with salt and pepper to your liking.

Cook potatoes in skillet 4-5 minutes or until crispy and golden brown, turning over to ensure that they cook evenly.

Remove potatoes from oil and allow them to drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Place potatoes in baking dish and keep warm in the oven.

The Fish

Combine 1 cup of flour, egg, milk, seasoning, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and Guiness in a large mixing bowl.

Whisk ingredients together until the mixture is creamy and without lumps.  You can add more Guinness to thin out the batter, if necessary.

Place remaining flour and salt in a shallow.

Season cod fillets with salt and pepper.

Dip cod into shallow flour dish, making sure to fully coat each fillet.

Dredge cod through batter mixture and back through shallow flour dish.

Fry fish in the same oil you used for the chips for 4-5 minutes or until crispy and brown.

Remove fish from oil and drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately with chips and tartar sauce or vinegar.

Enjoy!

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Travel’s Downside

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Sometimes, one of travel’s biggest downsides for me is having to be someplace else besides my own surroundings. It makes me feel quite discombobulated.

Whether it’s a trip I’m looking forward to or one of necessity, when I get to my destination, initially, I long for things I left at home.

Home is where I can walk around (almost) blindfolded because I know where everything is.

It’s where I don’t have to unpack.

It’s where I know how everything works and if I can’t find what I need, like the tea or a towel, it’s because I’ve put it someplace else (or I need to do the laundry!).

Home is also where I know how to get around, almost without thinking about it.

No matter how well I plan, how many lists I make, there’s alway something I forget – and it’s usually something I really need. Like the time I forgot my toothbrush. Now, that might not sound like much, but it really caused me stress until I could locate a drug store and buy one.

What did I forget this time? My moisturizer. And I know exactly where I left it too! So I’ll be in the drug store first thing in the morning trying to find one, preferably one small enough to fit TSA guidelines.

Please don’t read this and think I hate to travel or I’m letting little things spoil my trip. I don’t and I won’t. I love it! Each trip, no matter how short – whether in distance or time – teaches me something about myself, the world and people, relaxes and re-energizes me. It’s just the first few hours of adjustment to a new place when I don’t have the trappings of my life to support me.

As long as there’s a store, I’ll find what I need.

Sometimes though, it’s not as simple. Like tonight when I tried to log in, the wifi connection wouldn’t work. Thankfully, I was able to get hooked up with a dial-up modem or I would have had to miss my post for Wednesday.

So what downsides do you face when you travel and how do you handle them?

Let me know.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Old

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
"Mrs. Ples"

Discovered on April 18, 1947 by Dr. Robert Broom and John Robinson, Mrs. Ples is the nickname given to the most complete skull of an Australopithecus africanus specimen ever found in South Africa. Mrs. Ples is estimated to be about 2.05 million years old.

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Barcelona 1977

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I blame Mrs. Anderson, my high school Spanish teacher, who planted the idea in my head. She had studied in Spain and brought back fascinating stories that she shared in class.

Paseo de Gracia corner Mallorca, March 1977

So when I discovered that my university had a semester abroad program, I signed up right away. Three months in Spain? I knew there would be adventure ahead.

Our group of about 15 arrived in Barcelona on January 5th. My friend Gloria and I were selected to stay with the Rodriguez family, a busy household with boarders from Southern Spain.

(I still remember how Sra. Rodriguez would go food shopping everyday — and I thought my grandmother was just disorganized — and how Sr. Rodriguez would call us to the table, “Al ataque!” basically, Come and get it!)

I fell in love with Barcelona. It appealed to me on several levels: the food, the architecture, the wines, museums, the cathedrals, the Ramblas, and it was difficult for me to leave.

Each week, we visited a different museum, and every other week, we traveled to a different city. Weekends were free so we spent the time exploring Barcelona on our own. I still have very fond memories of these places:

When I look back now, I’m surprised by how few photos I took and how grainy they are. Had I done that trip today, I would have had thousands of photos, everything I saw would have been documented. But I have very good memories and I hope someday to return to Barcelona to see how much of what I remember remains.

Ciudadela Park, 1977

I often wonder what happened to the other students on that trip. We were all at different stages on the road to graduation and didn’t have the same classes. Gloria and I did and we still keep in touch.

I don’t think I ever thanked Mrs. Anderson for putting the bug in my ear, or Prof. Lopez-Saiz for facilitating such a wonderful program. (I always said I wanted a job like his: half year in Spain, half year in Canada – the best of both worlds.)

I lived a lot, learned a lot and loved a lot in Barcelona. After those three months, I promised myself to do a few things the next time I travelled:

 

 

 

  • Stay off the beaten path
  • Learn the language (or at least learn to say hello, good morning, thank you, etc.)
  • Talk to the people
  • Always take 3-month vacations (Ha!)

What lessons have you learned from your travel experiences?

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Tasty Thursdays: Easter Bun (and Cheese)

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

When I was growing up in Jamaica, certain foods were associated with certain religious holidays, days of the week, etc. For example, rice and peas were reserved for Sundays and special occasions, like weddings, parties, etc., rum cake at Christmas, and Easter bun for, you guessed it, Easter. Now, the Easter bun can be found in most grocery stores at any time during the year, rice and peas has become an everyday and rum cake can be bought at any time.

I didn’t always like Easter bun. learned to like it when I was away at university. And I started making it myself a few years ago. It’s not particularly difficult to make. I found two recipes that I liked in The Real Taste of Jamaica, by Enid Donaldson, and combined the ingredients I wanted in my bun.

So here’s my recipe for a popular favorite – our answer to the Hot Crossed Bun.

How to Make Easter Bun

Ingredients

3 cups flour
4 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. lime juice
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup cherries (you can also use mixed fruits)
1 cup Guinness  stout

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees
  2. Over low heat, dissolve sugar, butter, spices in stout.
  3. Mix flour and baking powder.
  4. Beat egg and mix all the ingredients together
  5. Pour into a greased loaf tin and bake for 1 hour.
  6. Remove and allow to cool.

Easter bun’s usually accompanied by a processed cheese that’s close in taste to Chedder but use the cheese you like. It also works with American cheese. Some people substitute butter for cheese.

Hope you can try this out and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

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