Canada is a beautiful country. The province of Quebec is the place to feel like in Europe while staying within the continent of North America. Three times the size of France, with French as the official language, I have more than once thought I was in Europe while visiting Montreal and especially in Quebec City. Adding in the artistic murals, the narrow alleys, the cobblestone streets, the little prince and the TinTin characters on display, Quebec feels more European than France.
Montreal is a welcoming city with clean air and an easy metro/bus transportation system. This is the city that you can visit without much advanced planning. It is a family friendly city without the hustle and bustle of New York city. There are also pubs, coffee places and gathering places for those who are interested in hanging out with others. In the three days we were there, we visited the idyllic Mount Royal Park, Notre Dame Basilica area, Old Port, Old Montreal, the Botanical Garden and even spared an early afternoon to enjoy a high tea at Cardinal Teahouse in the Mile End area.
Montreal Old Port is a nice place to visit any time of the day. We arrived in the early evening. The Ferris Wheel ride was a delightful ride to enjoy the old port in the most relaxing manner. The nearby Voiles en Voiles adventure park was already closed but the Urban Zipline was still in operation. My daughter took up the zipline challenge. With some imagination, the zipline was a “mission impossible” experience as she zipped from a building, in the twilight, over the waterfront, amidst the exclamations of the tourists and locals on the ground. The old port and the surrounding area came alive at night, with many restaurants to choose from.
The Olympic Park and the Botanical Garden are next to each other. At 165 meters high with a 45-degree angle, the Montréal Tower is the tallest inclined tower in the world. It towers over the Olympic stadium and its presence can be felt across from the Botanical Garden. We set out to visit the Botanical Garden to discover the amazing living plant sculptures, only to discover that the sculptures were no longer in exhibit. We were not too disappointed as the garden has such a beautiful landscape subdivided into mesmerizing oasis of China Garden, Japan Garden, Rose Garden. There were the night shows of the Garden of Light in the Botanical Garden with decorated lanterns in different shapes of lotus flowers, bees, butterflies. The night show was included in the day admission, and we highly recommended it.
China-themed oasis inside the Botanical Garden
Bagel debate – NYC vs Montreal
We have heard about the bagel debate between Montreal and New York City. The St-Viateur bagel has been in the bagel business since 1957. We ordered a bagel with cream cheese, and a “lox” bagel one morning. These Montreal bagels were really good. The bagel was very soft, and there was a thick layer of cream cheese. It turned out the cream cheese was less heavy than the American version. There is nothing to lose from trying food that is hot in a debate.
Chinatown, more like an alley of Chinese restaurants within a short distance from the Notre Dame Basilica, was a pleasant surprise. On a Friday evening, the Chinese restaurants in Chinatown were pretty full. Many diners were not Chinese. They seemed to enjoy the food, didn’t mind the noise level, and made a lot of noise themselves. It had such a lively and modern vibe around the area. It made such a good model for other Chinatowns to be more inviting to people from all kinds of backgrounds. Good job to Chinatown, Montreal.
We visited the Notre Dame Basilica, the arguably most popular site to visit in Old Montreal, just before we left the city.
Montreal is the poutine capital of the world and don’t leave Montreal without trying it.
In the province of Quebec, Quebec City and Montreal are the most visited cities. How would the two cities compare? We would soon find out in the Quebec City Impressions.
Travel is an enjoyment. Traveling to new places with family makes the experience many times better. Traveling to new cities with family celebrating birthdays in fine restaurants are moments to cherish for the lifetime. We traveled to Montreal, Quebec City and New York City to celebrate two birthdays.
Quebec City train station looks more like a castle, few amenities inside.
Transportation Montreal and NYC both have decent public transportation systems. Quebec City is best explored by walking around. Uber rides are just a few clicks away in these cities, and they are relatively inexpensive. VIA Rail Canada offers decent rides between Canadian Cities. These trains are punctual in departure but tend to run behind on arrival, unlike the EuroRail.
Recommended Eateries Montreal: There is no shortage of great restaurants, also try the “snack” such as poutines, crepes, St. Viateur bagels, local breakfast and La Maison Smith coffee in Quebec cities. We also recommend the Restaurant Bonaparte (reservation needed), Jardin Nelson restaurant, Cardinal Teahouse.
Layered tofuat @Bonaparte, MontrealDuck Leg @Jardin Nelson, Vieux QuebecSmoked Meat Crepes Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City
Fish & Poutines @London JackRoasted BeefBeef Tartare
Zucchini @Jack’s Wife Freda, NYCDuck BaconPeri Peri Chicken
Without a doubt, the best meal in this trip went to the home made dinner by our daughter serving us hot and healthy chicken pot pie and roasted eggplants.
The most famous restaurant in California is undeniably The French Laundry1. Located in the town of Yountville, Napa Valley, ‘The French Laundry’ is a three-Michelin-star French and Californian cuisine restaurant. Its menu starts at the minimum of $350 and easily gets to over $500 per head with drinks and tips. We have failed many times to get a reservation to experience the refined menu of Chef Thomas Keller. When a friend volunteered to organize a group dinner there, no-one in our party of nine needed a second thought. Foodie or not, the French Laundry dining experience is not to be missed.
The Napa Valley hotels were all overpriced. Just a few months ago, we stayed in a hotel at close to $500 a night with an outdoor swimming pool that you didn’t want to swim in. It was an average hotel in an expensive location. Petaluma, within driving distance to Napa Valley wine country, has newer and cheaper hotels. Nestled on the Petaluma river between rolling vineyards and rugged coast, Petaluma of Sonoma County is a picturesque town producing world-class beers and artisan cheeses served in some of the finest restaurants. It would have made a tourist town on its own, if it were not that close to the world renowned Napa Valley wine country.
We arrived in Petaluma in broad daylight with a couple of hours to spare before the French Laundry dinner. There was a Goodwill store, just minutes from our hotel. We went in and it did not take long to conclude there was no good deal. We don’t chase after brand names but there is a special satisfaction to get good deals of brand names at a deep discount in these thrift stores. In the short distance between the Goodwill store and our hotel, I saw the tents. My alert heightened as we saw a couple of homeless men who could jump out onto the road. They did not. They were telling signs of the hopeless homeless problems across the nation. Our hotel is a very new business boutique hotel. Our room was spacious with a stylish sofa, and comfy bedding. It was a warm day and the hotel room was more comfortable than the outside heat. After some rest, we changed outfits to get ready for the French Laundry experience.
Yountville, Napa Valley, is an easy forty minutes drive with little traffic. We strolled in the upscale neighborhood of the French Laundry and checked out the farm of the restaurant. The French Laundry is in a historic stone farmhouse. From the outside, the sign of “The French Laundry” is quite hidden, just like a celebrity who does not want to be discovered. Once discovered, we took tons of pictures before gathering ourselves to enter the restaurant.
Like many Bay Area friend groups, our group is tied to high tech companies in the Bay Area. These high tech companies hire college graduates in batches and then the batches stay in touch to become friend groups which get together occasionally. In gatherings, we make small talks about families, travel, work, property market, home improvement, and share good deals or good connections. We are mostly at peace with our job. No one is forced to work to bring food to the table. I always wonder how lucky we are to have graduated with a Computer Science or equivalent degree, landed a tech job in the prestigious Silicon Valley.
Soon we settled comfortably in our cool and private dining room. True to its class, the hundreds of wine choices were among the most complete and authoritative, if not the most, I have seen in any restaurant. We were not much of a drinker and ordered a bottle for the party of nine. The wine was very good. Our servers were well-groomed, attentive, and they came in groups to ensure that everyone was served at the same time for every dish. It is the small thing that differentiates a top restaurant. For each dish, one of the servers would meticulously explain the ingredients, the unique sauce and sometimes the story. They were the A team made up of a mix of gender, and races. I particularly remembered a tall black guy, a white guy with broad shoulders and the female servers were petite in comparison. Every time the group of servers came in, there was a tiny air of intrusion. The service was as flawless as the restaurant’s reputation, but could have a bit more personal touch.
The fixed menu followed a traditional tasting menu of appetizers, fish and meat, desserts plus a few special of the day chef special to surprise us. There was a Mac-and-Cheese upgrade option that would make it arguably the most expensive Mac & Cheese. There was the Japanese Wagyu upgrade which made it more expensive than a fine steakhouse.
The Oysters and Pearls was a beauty where pearls, made from tapioca and caviar, paired perfectly with twin oysters were served in pale gold creamy sauce. It was arguably the most memorable appetizer on the menu. The Garden Lettuce Salad, made with a variety of fresh ingredients, had an eye-catching biscuit in a curly shape of “W”, and was served on a charcoal-colored plate with subtle gold lines. The artistry made it an elegant dish. The other two appetizers were of high quality too.
The Atlantic halibut, served in a colorful mix of shapely ingredients, had just that fishy smell that mildly showed when the fish was not a fresh catch. We were far from the Atlantic and it made me wonder where there was a miss in the many steps between the sea and the table. The Calotte de boeuf (beef with carrots) was perfectly fine but was missing something special. I wonder if the chef may have put more creativity on the $135 Japanese Wagyu upgrade. The applewood smoked quail was perfectly matched with its double serving plates, both with bird images in green bushes. Served with red rhubarb and carmelized onions, the quail dish was my favorite. Overall, the fish and meat portion in the menu was either a slight disappointment or missing something to write home about.
The array of delicious desserts was a joy to the eyes, and to my sweet tooth. There could not be a better ending until the servers packed us a bag of sweets to take home with. A week after the fine dining, I was still able to entertain my guilty pleasure with a small bite of the chocolate desserts.
The kitchen tour after the dinner was so quick that we just had time for a couple of pictures. The heat in the kitchen did not make it a good place to stay, but maybe we could still linger a bit longer. We did not meet Chef Keller, nor had time to thank the hard-working crews serving the many amazing dishes. Compared to the Noma2 restaurant experience in Copenhagen years ago, the French Laundry crew displayed a sense of pride but not quite the passion and joy that was naturally exhibited by the Noma crew.
When we got out of the kitchen with our take-home treats, the afternoon heat was gone. There was the shining full moon.
On our way back, it was dark. We got busied discussing how well the French Launch has lived up to the Michelin’s three star ratings. We forgot the Goodwill thrift store, and no longer noticed the homeless’ tents just a few minutes’ away from the hotel.
We checked off the French Laundry on our bucket list.
1. The French laundry has been a three-star Michelin restaurant since 2007, for over 15 years? One star: A very good restaurant in its category. Two stars: Excellent cooking, worth a detour. Three stars: Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey
There is no direct flight from Cappadocia/Kayseri to Pamukkale/Denizli. Cappadocia to Pamukkale takes over 11 hours by bus, and it is an overnight bus with stops and non-reclining chairs. It is a strange situation considering Cappadocia and Pamukkale are both popular tourist spots in Turkey. The best way to connect the two touristy spots is by an indirect flight via Istanbul. The driver picked us up in a very spacious Mercedes Benz van, the seating reminded me of limousines pickup when I traveled for business ages ago. There was a beautiful sunset, on a clear sky with cumulus clouds. At sunset, the clouds were dotted with shiny golden borders and they looked like small islands spreaded around a calm lake.
Pamukkale, the Cotton Castle, has a completely different vibe than Cappadocia. Cappadocia reminds us of ruggedness and the history of persecution and hardship at an altitude of 1100 meters. Pamukkale comes across as a relaxed rural village with green plains and mountains at the horizons. It has a calming effect. After an hour, we arrived at the Cotton House and were ready to explore the next morning.
Ruins
Turkey has a rich history. Do you know that Troy, the Greek Myth of the Trojan war, is in modern-day Turkey? There are quite a number of ruins. We visited two of them while in Pamukkale : the Hierapolis-Pamukkale and the Aphrodisias, both UNESCO heritage sites dated in 2nd and 3rd BC. If ruins are not your cup of tea, it can be more interesting if you ponder what to expect to have a glimpse of their livelihood over thousands of years ago. What would be the same? What would be the difference? What has survived? What has become unrecognizable? How much damage was a result of nature or a result of war? Why would the city be abandoned?
Hierapolis theater
The Hierapolis ruins, dated 2nd century BC and abandoned in the 14th century, had most of the items one can think of for a typical city – the tombs/cemetery area outside of the city, the city gates, the gathering places for religion, i.e. the Cathedral, the city plaza for people to gather, and for other entertainment i.e. the Theatre. As we entered the city, there were public latrines. In those days, people sat next to each other on a bench-like setup to take care of their business and without a good sewage system, you could imagine the pungent smell around the area. It was rather understandable that public baths (hamam) were also nearby. The Cathedral, the city plaza were much destroyed, and hardly recognizable. As we walked up, we went to a place for people to worship where the bulls were gassed to death, and any surviving priests from the fumes were to enter into the “holy” place of Pluto, the god of death. If the people were coming to watch an event in the theater, the capacity and the structural design of the theater were not that different from the modern day theater. However, it was apparent that the evolution has brought up more comfort than even the royal families back then. Ha, we only need to live long enough to experience the luxury of today’s billionaires.
Aphrodisias
With another day to spare, we arranged to have a taxi to take us to Afrodisias ancient city dated in the Greek Hellenistic periods (~1st century). The Aphrodisias ancient city is slightly over an hour of highway drive from Pamukkale. We passed by a few cities and the Mount Honaz before arriving at the entrance of the ancient city. Aphrodisias has been better preserved than Hierapolis ruins and more effort to reconstruct this ancient city, once populated with over 10,000 people. The temple of Aphrodisias has beautiful pillars, carvings and decorations that have survived close to two thousand years of battles and empires. A bit beyond the stadium, there was a nearby stadium, with a bit less capacity than the theater in Hierapolis. It has been quite well preserved. Walking on, there was the Hadronic Hamam, which has become hardly recognizable after all these centuries. Next to the Hamam, there has been the reconstruction of the city park, with a 170m long pool and a lot of spaces mirroring the modern park. Passing the city park, it opened up a trail that looks more like a hiking trail before reaching the theater. The theater is well preserved, with smaller capacity and better seating areas, including a front row that has more comfortable chairs and offers the best seating. Seemingly, this theater served as the entertainment center for the higher classes, with its own Hamam. I imagine that the nobles came here to relax and socialize in the Hamam before entering the theater for the show. We searched for the Sebasteionwhich had an eye-catching building with different sculptures. What seems very interesting is that the sculptures on the top tiers are ruling families, while the gods and goddesses sculptures occupy the middle tiers below the top tiers. Does it imply the ruling families believed that they were above the gods and goddesses? Closer to the entrance/exit, there stands the museum with a good collection of Greek sculptures, and artifacts evacuated from the ancient city.
Thermal Pools & the Pamukkale travertines
The gift shops and cafes awaited at the end of the Hierapolis ruins.
Antique pool (Cleopatra pool)
Making it special is the presence of an antique pool, also named Cleopatra pool. Rumored with its healing effect, the pool has been open for the public to swim for a fee. We sat next to the antique pool, enjoying kebabs and salad for lunch. The pool had clear and turquoise water, with natural rocks among them, and it was very inviting to take a dip. Some called the antique pool as the Cleopatra pool with the rumor that the queen had swum in, over two thousand years ago! It was so comfortable and relaxing to soak in it, we walked, swam and rested on the rocks, and appreciated some Roman-style pillars lying randomly in the pool. Before we knew it, we were already in the water for an hour, and our hands became wrinkly. It was an experience you don’t want to miss.
Pammukkale Travertines
Thermal Pools
Walking another 100 meters, it started the famous Pamukkale travertines and thermal pools. The travertines looked like a hardened ski slope. The thermal pools were formed over time when a spring with a high content of dissolved calcium bicarbonate cascaded over the edge of the cliff, which cooled and hardened leaving calcium deposits. They became mini natural pools, shelves and ridges with beautiful pale bluish color, and these pools stacked above each other. We had to walk on foot to avoid further erosion or damage to this Hierapolis-Pamukkale – UNESCO World Heritage Centre. If the thermal water were warm and inviting, the path to it was covered with gravels, slippery travertines, and was prickly to the feet. The north entrance of the pool is at the top. Slowly, we walked the distance of 2km, appreciating the variety of many thermal pools and got to the south exit. Just outside of the south exit is the Pamukkale town center with a single street of restaurants, with a number of eateries all enthusiastic to invite tourists in their restaurants.
Tourists can probably cover the highlights of Pamukkale in a day. We really enjoyed our longer stays to slow down our pace, visited both Hierapolis and Aphrodisias ruins, enjoyed the antique pool, had the prickly “feet-on” experience in walking on the thermal pools, and visited different cafes on that single street .
Spa
It has taken me decades of traveling, to realize that Spa was among the best things to do on the last day of any trip. The only thing that may be better than that would be a combined Turkish bath and spa experience where your party was the only customers.
And we did just that to indulge in the timeless bond of relaxation and rejuvenation with a Turkish bath and spa experience.
It is a memory that every mother-daughter duo would cherish and nothing can take this away.
Cappadocia, renowned for its hot air balloon, is no way to be seen on Google Maps. Cappadocia is the name of the whole region. The region has a number of popular destinations for travelers: Goreme, Uchisar, Çardak, Avanos, Ihlara Valleys. It has a unique jagged landscape. The protruding rock formation rises up like fairy chimneys, or mushrooms, best viewed from the air. Over a thousand of years ago, it was also the region where the Christians found refuge from their persecutions. They built underground cities, cave dwellings, carved out cathedrals among the jagged rock formation. Their hardship, perseverance and benefit deserved my deepest respect. Cappadocia feels like a huge UNESCO world heritage area and has a history of the intersections between the east and the west. Ironically, most travelers come to the region for its world renowned hot air balloons more so than its history.
Cappadocia – the not-to-be-missed cave hotel and the different tours
I appreciate the comforts of a hotel more than dwelling in a cave. However, when I had the opportunity to visit Cappadocia, I couldn’t resist the chance to stay in a cave hotel. Aydinli cave hotel in Goreme, located just an hour’s drive from Kayseri airport, was a great choice. Its convenient location makes it only a few minutes’ walk from the town center, where there is a bustling tourist hub with a variety of shops and restaurants, including options like Chinese and Korean cuisine.
To reach our room at the cave hotel, we had to climb many steps. We were never tired of the breathtaking view of the jagged landscape and other cave dwellings along the way. The area was a bit dusty for our sensitive noses. We took it as a feature of this rugged landscape. The cave room was a spacious and clean environment adorned with beautiful kilims, adding a touch of local culture. The cave hotel ingeniously combined the unique cave structure with modern hotel amenities, with cave walls surrounding us and shower areas without a traditional door.
At around 4:14 am, I was awakened by the sound of the azan, which felt like a fitting religious awakening. It was soothing enough to get us back to our sleep quickly.
Each morning, as we opened our door, we were greeted by the magnificent expanse of the jagged landscape, creating a sense of leaving our caves and embracing the vast openness.
A delightful and delicious Turkish breakfast was served, a level above our room, at the top level of our cave hotel in Cappadocia. The breakfast was a Mediterranean feast for the senses. It offers a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, spices, sauces, butter, jams, and honey, all accompanied by freshly baked crispy buns and invigorating Turkish coffee or tea. We could also order additional omelets, Turkish pancakes and other breakfast items. Kaymak, a mix of cottage cream and honey, was the spread I look forward to every morning; and my daughter’s favorite item was Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes). The best part was that we got to enjoy this scrumptious meal while witnessing the residual spectacle of the hot air balloons dotting the morning sky above the surreal landscape. It was an enchanting sight that added an extra touch of wonder.
If you’re seeking a truly unique experience during your travels to the region, don’t miss out on the chance to stay in a cave hotel and enjoy a Turkish buffet breakfast. It’s an unique experience like nowhere else.
The hotel offered plenty of traveler’s choices. Among the tours, the green tour to the east and south and the red tour to the Goreme open air museum and Avanos pottery town in the north stood out. We decided on the one-day guided green tour, while keeping the flexibility to explore the red-tour locations at our own pace.
One of the ultimate experiences we were eagerly anticipating was the hot air balloon ride. It belonged to the “short list of things to do before you die.” The hotel recommended several balloon companies, and we picked the butterfly balloon company, highly praised by the renowned travel expert Rick Steves. The company’s impeccable safety record and exceptional reviews reassured us, even if it came with a hefty price. We were more than willing to go with the safe bet for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Cappadocia – Guided Green Tour
As the green tour covered more distance, we signed up for the 1-day green tour.
No matter how many times the guide tried to explain the landscape and the history of the volcano eruption, I still found it magical that the lava rock and the natural erosion creates a landscape of chimney-like, mushroom-like and other shapely rock structures. In this unique landscape, the early settlers crafted many pigeon holes on these strangely shaped rock structures for the wild pigeons to live. Why? Pigeons droppings turn out to be great organic fertilizers.
Uchisar Castle, stunning rock formation
Unique landscape like mushroom like fairy chimney
Most tours have shopping stops. The green tour was no exception. In an art and jewelry shop, my daughter got a pair of beautiful Zultanite ear-rings which changed colors with different lightings. I got a Turkish Turquoise-blue cross to be used as a necklace. It made a special gift and served as a tribute to the many Christians sought refuge in the area, spreaded their belief while escaping Roman persecution. There are some who believe the word Turquoise comes from “Turkish and Quad”.
The Cathedral in the Ihara Valley is unlike any other cathedral in the world. It is built among the caves and the rocks. Though primitive, the cave Cathedral has most of the church structure. It is humbling to witness the faith, the hardship and the bravery of the early Christian settlers. A short walk down the river, we were treated with Turkish vegetable soup, fresh salad, delicious beef and vegetarian casserole on hot stones, right next to the muddy and fast flowing river. Together with freshly squeezed watermelon juice and baklava with ice cream, it did its trick to re-energize for the visit to the underground city.
The underground city is unlivable in today’s standard, yet, the Christians may live in the city for days and days to escape the persecution. We could only imagine the lives of the cave dwellers while squeezing through the narrow tunnels and listening to the tourist guy Serpil explain about the livestock, the storage, the living room, the church and the wine/food production. It may not be a stop for those with claustrophobia.
Cappadocia – the self-guided Red Tour
The red tour itinerary has the Goreme open air museum and the town of pottery, Avanos as the main attractions. My daughter speaks good Turkish and we felt confident to explore ourselves at our own pace.
Avanos is a 15-minute taxi ride from Goreme. It is a quiet and secluded village, perfect for a relaxing stroll. The red river and the red soil provides the ingredients for beautiful potteries. There are only a few streets and we strolled at our own pace to check out the rug shops, pottery shops and ice cream booths. It was a nice place to get pottery and ceramic artwork. It would have been a nice place for rugs too, only that rugs shopping needs more time and energy to select and bargain while zipping tea. We walked across a suspension bridge over the red river which is the longest river in Turkey before settling down for our lunch at MADO next to the river. Interestingly enough, no-one at the restaurant seemed to care if we were only resting there, or dining there. When we finally were ready for the food, the English menu had no price tag, only the Turkish menu had the price tag.
The Goreme Open Air Museum is a UNESCO world heritage site, and arguably the most famous place to check out the cave cathedrals. It has a complex of open air churches amazingly carved into volcanic rock during the 10th to 12th centuries & decorated with frescoes. Some churches are more primitive. The more impressive ones include the snake church, the sandal church and the dark church, both with mind-boggled mural paintings with bright colors and beautiful design patterns. Beside the frescoes, the overall landscape outside the churches would make the museum a worthy visit. Don’t miss the visit to the museum, but consider picking a comfortable day as it is an outdoor museum.
Cappadocia – the Hot Air Balloon adventure made a once-in-a-life experience to cherish
Cappadocia is renowned for its rugged landscape and the mesmerizing sight of hundreds of hot air balloons gracefully soaring through the early morning light. The Hot Air Balloon rides in Cappadocia are arguably the biggest attraction for tourism in Turkey. The 3am wake-up call was a relatively small nuance. The butterfly balloon agent gathered a number of balloon riders from different hotels, and we walked quietly in the dark with sleepy eyes. After a short shuttle ride, we were already in the Butterfly Balloons cafeteria with a light breakfast offering fruits, breads and beverages enough to wake us up a bit more. At check-in, we were assigned the pilot to meet at the launching area. Another short ride after breakfast brought us to the launching locations. My impressions of hot air balloons came mostly from posters, from pictures or watching them in clusters from afar. Each of these balloons looked multiple times larger than my impressions. Many balloons, from different balloon companies, were in different stages of readiness to launch. Most balloons had a basket with a handful of compartments, that could fit a total of 10 to 20 people while allowing each one to have their own space. While waiting for ours to get ready, we witnessed a number of launches. They were noisy, they were exciting and they made us eager to get onto ours. Our turn came quickly. We climbed through the footholds in the baskets into our compartment in the basket and we waved to the land crews as we started to take off. The pilot showed his skills as he calmly navigated the balloon up in altitude. The pilot explained that he could only control the rotation and altitude of the balloon but the wind decides its directions. What a lesson to learn for us. The views of the unusual rock formations and its colors from above are magnificent and in our 60 minutes of airtime, we cannot stop feeling magical. The balloons floated past the Rose Valley with rocks in rose color, the Gavusin old towns, Pigeon Valley with plenty of pigeon holes carved into the rocks, and a number of cave churches carved into the volcano rocks. The hundreds of colorful Hot Air Balloons on top of its unique landscape has given us one of the most beautiful and memorable travel experiences. We wanted to stay up for as long as possible.
Landing was another experience. There were no fixed predetermined landing spots. The pilot decided on the safe spot to land based on where the balloon had floated to. We landed in the middle of no-where. The land crew quickly drove their jeeps and trailers to meet us. They set up a nice “celebration” serving champagne and snacks before passing us the “we did it” medals and certificate, together with a €30 worth of usb souvenir containing pictures and videos of the adventure.
For weeks before the hot air balloon adventures, I was a bit uncertain if my acrophobia would flare up in the air. I comforted myself that I was not afraid on flights, I was also not nervous in small seaplanes or planes. I was just afraid when I was on my own feet, walking next to canyons or cliffs. The hot air balloon launch needs permission from the local aviation and the activity takes place in the very early morning when there is hardly any wind in the air. The take off has been way more stable than any plane taking off.
For anyone visiting this region, I highly recommend soaking in the captivating hot air balloon scene—it’s an experience you’ll cherish forever.
Cappadocia – the Camel Ride to experience the Silk Road with modern comfort
Turkey is in a central position connecting Asia and Europe; and many many civilizations over thousands of years. I always feel this is a special place. Back in the days, camels were the means of transportation. How would one feel to be riding on a camel, traversing the trade route of the Silk Road? Cappadocia is on the silk road route. My daughter made plans with Camel Safari for a 90-minute camel ride.
Riding on camels felt different from horse riding in a number of ways. Camels are gentle animals. It strolls most of the time. Its flat feet provide more stable support. The thicker padding in between the humps makes it more comfortable. It gives a more smooth ride than horse riding. The camel we rode was of Arabian origin, also known as dromedaries. We climbed on a stand to get to the camel’s back only to find that there was a handle to hold onto, but not footholds to rest our feet.These Arabian camels are tall animals, and I felt so high up from the ground. I convinced myself that the camel hardly galloped, which was actually not true, nor threw someone off their back. Gradually the steady and stable demeanor of the camel has won us over. Our two camels were hooked up. The tourist guide carried the rein at the beginning until we got into a good safe rhythm.
The camels took us through the red valley. We became relaxed enough to immerse in the stunning views of fairy chimneys in different shades of red, pink and earthy color around us. We could see the Uchisar castle on the horizon. The weather was comfortable, and the sky was in a beautiful blue with some cumulus clouds, keeping the heat in check. Mid-way in the tour, our tour guide took pictures and videos against the backdrop of the fairy chimney “canyon”, and even added silk road music in the background. With more confidence, I was able to have one hand on the handle and took videos on our way back. The €10 drone videos the tour agency made to record our journey with the meditating music made one of the best souvenirs.
If you visit Cappadocia, check out the Camel Safari. It has given us the magical moments to immerse in the stunning landscape and imagine the silk road trade route. We felt like seasoned camel riders ready for a long journey on the Silk Road, and ready to facilitate more global trading.
Top Cappadocia Food and Souvenirs
The breakfast treats go to the Kaymak and the Gozleme. The server at the hotel breakfast made us spread by mixing Kaymak, the cottage cream, and honey. It is the best spread I have had on crispy buns and pancakes. The hot-off-the-stove Turkish Gozleme is the type of pancake to have every morning.
Both the casserole and the clay pot with meat choice of lamb or beef would please the foodie’s palate. If you are not a meat person, they are equally delicious with mushrooms and cheese.
There is also a kind of Turkish dumplings, named Manti. Manti is different from the dumplings in other places. It is a bit like ravioli with unique flavor and sauce.
Turkish teaTurkish coffee
Goreme is the most tourist friendly city center in the region, and they have international cuisines. The Peking restaurant, serving Chinese cuisines, and the Korean restaurant both did not disappoint.
The ice cream, dondurma, is delicious and has a different texture than the typical ice cream in other places. The tricks of the Turkish ice cream man created one of the most memorable ice cream experiences.
The Goreme town center offered a good supply of souvenirs. The more expensive ones include the Jewelry-grade Zultanite that changes colors according to the light. Zultanite earrings are both pretty and noble. I like the distinct blue of the Turquoise stone. There are also the more casual souvenirs including the Aladdin lamp, the mosaic lamp, the magnet, the ceramic, and the pottery. Turkey is also famous for rugs and the flat kilim. They are pretty to look at and can have a wide price range. Hand-made kilim has a unique pattern and often the imperfection makes it more real. I am willing to pay a hefty price if the profits would get back to the hands of the craftsmen or craftswomen, but sadly that is unlikely how the trade works.
Shopping for a rug or kilim could be a tourist stop at a credible rug store, with hours to drink tea, appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship, check out different patterns, and time to bargain. That will make an itinerary for the next trip.
Day 2, June 15, IST to ASR, check in Aydinli cave hotel, Goreme
Day 3, June 16, Cappadocia, guided Green Tour
Day 4, June 17, Cappadocia, Butterfly balloon ride, Avanos, Goreme
Day 5, June 18, Cappadocia, Camel Ride @red valley, Goreme open air museum
Day 6, June 19, Cappadocia, Goreme, ASR -> IST, IST -> DNZ, Denizli, check in Cotton House, Pamukkale
Day 7, June 20, Pamukkale, Hierapolis ruins, the antique pool, the Pamukkale travertine and thermal pools.
Day 8, June 21, Pamukkale, Aphrodisias ruins
Day 9, June 22, Pamukkale, Turkish bath and spa @Tripolis Hotel, DNZ -> IST
Day 10, June 23, IST -> SFO
Istanbul and the airports
Turkey is a large country. In my opinion, it is much underrated in what it offers to travelers. Located mostly in Asia and slightly in Europe, its rich history including the Byzantines era and the Ottoman Era, has been underappreciated . I spent a week in Istanbul a few years ago and like the city a lot. I could take the ferry round, crossing Asia and Europe, all day long, to watch people and to be impressed by the beautiful landscape of the religious mosques, the historic Hagia Sophia, the palaces and more. This time, I reluctantly skipped the city of Istanbul to make time for two Turkish areas, Cappadocia and Pamukkale.
Istanbul is an important travel hub to get to those cities. The Award winning Istanbul IST airport, opened after my last visit, is spacious, beautiful and functional as it leapfrogged Frankfurt last year in terms of traffic. My first impression of it was far from award winning. It was quite a walk to get to the passport control. I missed the domestic transfer passport control, and was turned back after waiting for a while at the arrival area. Fortunately, I had hours to spare before my domestic transfer to Kayseri of Cappadocia. Sim card is essential in travel. I did not set up my Airalo sim card properly and had to use the airport Wi Fi where I needed to first locate the yellow Wi Fi balloon and then scan the passport to get an hour of free usage. I also expected high for an international airport, only to find the food court at the domestic terminal has three American chain stores (Burger King, PopEyes, and some New York Pizza). That initial setback was quickly replaced by many discoveries. The spacious greenery surrounding the airport is impressive but not easily noticeable for the busy travelers. The multiple climb structures are great additions for families traveling with young children. The playground area with arcade games are also thoughtful designs. My biggest discovery has been the library with “real” people and real books. This may be the first airport that I find a functional and comfortable library.
The Turkish government has been efficient in their infrastructure projects and in fixing infrastructures. IST certainly is a strong evidence of the investment.
If Istanbul IST is state of the art with all the infrastructure investments, the domestic airports Kayseri and Denizli domestic airports have been quite different discoveries. Kayseri, Cappadocia airport, is tiny. From the plane to the baggage claim area, it felt like a short 50m walk. From the domestic terminal to the international terminal, it is a minute’s walk. Even the old Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong required significantly more walking. The airport serves one flight at a time, and just outside of the airport, there are taxi drivers, a few locals and some others holding signs to pick up passengers. The departing passengers are waiting across the road. These tiny airports made an interesting impression with their practicality and simplicity.
Our adventures began in Cappadocia (Kapadokya in Turkish) . . .
There is hardly anything that connects Vancouver, BC and Reno, Nevada. We visited both places within a short span of 5 days to make a family reunion in Vancouver and to catch a concert of Sam Hui, the Cantopop legend, in Reno.
Vancouver is a beautiful and quiet city with good food and friendly people. It is a very livable city without the hustle and bustle of a city. My brother immigrated to Vancouver a while ago. My last time there was back in 2018. With only a 2-hour flight, we would have visited more often if not for the pandemic. Pandemic made it hard for us travelers, it also made it hard for people receiving us. Are people comfortable with the gatherings? Should we visit their homes? Should we suggest a gathering? Should we tell them if, after the trip, we get COVID? What is the mask protocol?
With the weakened COVID virus, we are more comfortable to plan family reunions. If someone told our late parents that their children would be spreaded around the world in Hong Kong, Vancouver and the Bay Area, they would have been speechless. The world has evolved so drastically that such a setting has become quite common for HongKongers. In this family reunion, five traveled from Hong Kong, two of us traveled from the Bay Area to visit my brother’s family in Vancouver. We picked an airbnb in Burnaby that offered 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms with a lot of living space, a spacious backyard and a deep front yard. The neighborhood is nice and quiet, there are some views of mountains with snow caps, and a number of restaurants are within walking distance. Some evenings, we gathered at the airbnb to relax, catch up, watch TV, order take-out, and make a lot of noise. Another day, we casually ate at a nearby Korean restaurant before we hiked around the beautiful rice lake. Another evening, we dined at an expensive restaurant serving whole suckling pig, and various yummy dishes. One morning, we slowly jogged to Metro mall, Crystal mall and more. I can imagine the happy thoughts that many have in their family reunion after the last three pandemic years of isolation.
There is no direct flight from Vancouver to Reno. We had to fly home first and took a short flight the next day from San Jose to Reno. It was a short flight, just a bit longer than the time to take off and the time to land. Near the Reno event center, it felt like the gathering of HongKongers around Reno. We ran into some friends going there to watch the concert and there was a lively and a bit of a nostalgic vibe. Sam is in his 70s, and we treasure every opportunity to watch his concert. A 3-star Michelin restaurant is sometimes defined as a restaurant that you would specifically travel to enjoy the dining experience. Sam Hui is the evergreen 3-star Michelle restaurant/concert. We thoroughly enjoyed the Sam Hui Concert in Reno. The Sam Hui 2023 Reno concert recap posted on YouTube has unexpectedly earned us 30K views and counting. At least we know there are still a good number of die-hard fans for our Cantopop legend.
For my siblings traveling from Hong Kong, Vancouver made the first stop of a one-month US and Mexico trip. We will see each other again in a month’s time as they reach San Francisco.
I have not been back to Hong Kong since December 2018. It marked my longest absence. Finally, there were no longer the many days of quarantine requirements and the city has opened up. Our travel decision was made instantaneously when Sam Hui, the Cantopop legend, announced to open a series of Concert in April.
Airfare was hard to get and there was no longer any shoulder season pricing. Hotels were not cheap either. The HK ID appointment slot needed a smart strategy to get. These were surmountable obstacles. After almost five years of absence from our beloved city of Hong Kong, we made our trip back.
The family is one of nature’s masterpieces! True to the tradition of family gathering, we gathered around food and had a few beautiful dim sum lunches. The most beautiful dim sum dish has to be Victorian Era (香江花月) which blends the oriental and western culture in Hong Kong into the dim sum served with elegant aromas, gold flakes and creative flora additions.
If you visit Hong Kong, it is worth planning a few extra days to visit the “remote” islands, some unique villages and hike some famous and beautiful trails, such as Maclehose Trail, Wilson Trail, Hong Kong Trail.
We visited Lai Chi Woo with my bro and sis, did some hiking to the nostalgic “walled village”, and enjoyed a special Hakka meal at Green Villa at Sam A Tsuen. It takes an hour one way for a ferry ride from Chinese University station to Lai Chi Woo. There is only one ferry each day in each direction. If you miss the ferry ride, there are not many options other than a couple of hours of strenuous hiking. Hong Kong has so many places, like Lai Chi Woo, with a variety of hiking trail, unique landscapes.
Macau, once a Portuguese colony, is another special administrative region of China. It is connected to Hong Kong with the recently opened “Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge” as well as a different ferry. It has been years since the last visit, when the children were young. We took the Golden Bus and that bridge is a true feat of engineering with tunnels and artificial islands mid-way. Sadly, it is hard to imagine this project scale can be done in the United States just because it has taken us so long to construct a small length of a subway route. Macau is right next to Hong Kong on the map. The Easter holiday and the change of China Covid policy, seemingly have overloaded the small Macau. It took us over three hours – a bus ride to the Golden Bus, a long queue to get on to the Golden Bus, the Golden Bus ride on the impressive bridge, then the hotel shuttle to the Venetian Hotel. We still arrived well before the check-in time, and were able to check in.
The three days of Macau were a trip of continuous snacks and cuisines (吃吃喝喝,飲飲食食). The famous food street, Rua do Cunha, is within a comfortable stroll from Venetian Hotel. The street was just packed with people with long lines outside of many take-out food stalls. We split ourselves into different snack groups to line up for the Portuguese pork chop bun (Tai Lei), the world-famous Pastel de nata (Lord Stow Bakery), the omnipresent strong-favored cow internal organs. We passed through the food street many times over the few days, but the crowdedness is not the best companion for delicious cuisine. We also tried the shark fin soup at Fok Lung Street which has unique and historic shops. There are different desserts such as “steamed milk custard”, “steamed egg custard” and ice cream. As a pattern, many renowned restaurants turn out to be not as good, but there are other neat surprises. The winner of the desserts went to LemonCello Gelato, a Michelin recommended shop. The winner of the best coffee went to this food market coffee booth located on a multi-story grocery and food market off the Senado Square. The owner used Chinese ceramic pots to prepare coffee, not Chinese herbal medicine. Surprisingly, the process brings out the aroma and flavor and gets rid of the coffee bean bitterness. The most memorable and delicious congee has to go to the Lok Kei Noodles and Congees. If you were in Macau, their large pot of crab congees and the no-wheat beer is a must-try.
No matter how many times we have been there, the Ruins of St. Paul’s, the Senado Square and the magnificent hotels (MGM, Wynn and its fountain shows, Venetian, Paris, Londoner, and the Lisboeta) are worthy of visiting both during the day and in the evening. The Monorail is convenient to hop on when you are tired of all the walking. Surprisingly, the busy schedule left us with very little time for these world renowned casinos in this small city of Macau.
From Far and Wide, Friends Collide! The connections with people always matter, as we age, it matters more. It is also a source of enrichment as each is on a different journey. Technology has enabled us to stay connected with our friends across the world, but it is not in the same league as face-to-face gatherings.
I enjoyed the nice morning walk along the coastline corridor to Admirable for a Dim Sum lunch. The light shower created a nice memory of walking in the rain. There has been such an effort going on to beautify the city and to “invent” more recreational areas. These progresses have been largely unmentioned and in a way, left me with delightful discoveries.
I had these fun chats during the dim sum lunch with ex-workers at the I-Square, hardly noticing the ever shrinking harbor.
I cherished the dinners with best friend(s) enjoying food together in this “capital city of good food”, such as Rabbit Fish Congees (泥鯭粥), Peking duck (北京烤鸭).
I have been thankful to have a friend to take us to my parents’ hometown Shunde (顺德). It has been eye opening to experience the convenience of the customs checkpoints, the impressive hi-speed train systems in China, the didi ride (Chinese and probably better version of Uber), the subways as well as the great food in Shunde. If someone told me about these progresses in China some decades ago, I would not have believed. Compared to the experiences of traveling to China just after my college years, it felt like it was a lifetime ago. There are still many many things that can be improved. I wish for more of one mind to make things better to improve the livelihood of billions of people.
Shunde Food – fried milkShunde Fisherman WharfMansion of the rich
Sam Hui Concerts (許冠傑 – 此時此處 演唱會)! We had the time of our lives watching Sam Hui on the stage of the Hong Kong Coliseum. The concert stage was designed to model his home, and the concert felt like an invitation to his home to join a singing party of ten thousand folks. It was heartwarming, full of positive and happy spirit to share with Hong Kongers. We knew all the songs, their lyrics and sang along.
We also bought the 414 Global Livestream of Sam Hui Concert on the last day of this concert series. We ordered a Suckling Pig from the Tai Hing restaurants at a price of HKD 880, and brought it to my brother’s home to have a family party, while enjoying the show. The suckling pig was a hit. It was a happy gathering. Heaven cannot be much better.
I am so grateful for the amazing trips to meet families and friends this year – Hawaii in January, Hong Kong, Macau and Canton in April, Vancouver & Reno in May and Turkey coming up soon in June.
I lack the literary skills and patience to vividly summarize the emotions and experiences. I need the time to rest and reflect. I need the time to settle down the emotional excitement in many gatherings. The world is moving towards a multi-modal recall of our experience. We take pictures to immortalize the point in time experience, we use video to capture the 3D events, conversations, and these days, a written report seems to be a thing in the past. Our memory changes all the time too. As much as I want to catch those in-the-moment happiness for longer, I don’t have enough long-term memory nor a way to freeze time. The world is a fair place in the sense that if we do many things, we tend to remember less of each thing. If we do little things, we remember most of the things. My mother remembered every single trip vividly. In contrast, I often have a hard time remembering the specifics and need help from the multi-model technology. With all the technology, it is so easy to be occupied in every single moment. At the same time, I miss those empty spaces that allow us to enjoy and stay in one moment. Living in slow motion is indeed an art that I have not grasped.
January 2023 Big Island
Once the children start having their own career, it needs careful scheduling for family trips. We earn the luxury to skip the busy school breaks. This January, mom and dad, and my younger son flew from SFO with my daughter flying from NYC for a week in Hawaii Big Island. This was our Hawaii encore after our last trip to Honolulu.
We always enjoyed the laid-back sentiment and an itinerary without must-see attractions nor must-do.
We split our Big Island itinerary between the Hawaii Volcano area and the Kona/Waikoloa area.
The Kilauea lodge, with a short distance from Hawaii Volcano area, was welcoming, and well maintained. Its location was perfect for us to visit the Volcano National Park at any time of the day or night. It has relatively small rooms for the four of us, but its external setting made up for all the interior constraints. Every morning, we could get out of our room to an immediate garden in the backyard, to appreciate the flora and bird chirping; or enjoy our breakfast in a spacious community area all by ourselves. In the evening, we could relax in the outdoor spa. The lodge has a dining room with subtle decor and can be easily disguised as modest. The lodge dinner room served one of the most delicious dinners on this trip, if not the most on my son’s birthday. The lodge takes dinner reservations and we highly recommend it to fellow tourists.
We spent more time in the Kona area with better weather and more beaches. Our airbnb in the Waikoloa area provided a kitchen, two bedrooms and a balcony that overlooked a quiet golf course and a petroglyph area. Every morning, we started slowly with breakfast on the balcony for everyone to ease into the day. Sometimes a colorful gecko can be seen, on the balcony, as an uninvited guest.
At the time of our visit, the Kilauea Volcano was erupting. The Volcano National Park was a short drive from the Kilauea Lodge followed by a perfect after-dinner walk to get to a vista point. The scene of a live lava eruption was otherworldly and powerful even viewing from more than a mile away.
The National Park was a different scene during the day as we drove by the Lava Rocks the next day. Walking on them feels like walking on glass particles, rightfully so. We enjoyed the Mars-like scenery as we explored the rugged crater floor and hiked on the Kilauea Iki Trail, Halema’uma’u Crater Trail and Crater Rim Trail. These sceneries are unique in Hawaii Big Island.
The Kona and Waikoloa area in the West has better weather and more calming beaches waiting. The airbnb host provided us with all kinds of beach gear and towels that pretty much filled up the truck of our rental car. They equipped us super well in our beach hoppings on Mauna Kea, Beach 69 and other nearby beaches.
We enjoyed Hawaiian cuisine (Poke bowl, ice shave, the Moa Kitchen, the Hilo Kona coffee and BBQ meat) and many more. There are beaches with different sand colors that make them unique. The black sand beach with green sea tortoise abounds. The hike to a green sand beach along the coastline was special.
Taking a hike with my family along the coastline was a truly memorable experience. We were intrigued with the concept of a green sand beach, Papakōlea Green Sand Beach. From the parking lot, it was an over-an-hour hike on a rugged path. Some got to the beach by taking a 20-minute jeep ride and experiencing the many bumps along the way. We were filled with excitement as we arrived at the Papakōlea Green Sand Beach. The beach was a bit sparse, definitely not crowded like other more accessible beaches. The water was too wavy for a safe swim. We had a great time walking along the beach, relaxing on the beach, dipping into the ocean water, and admiring the unusual color of the sand.
The camera could not capture the greenness in the way we want. We still tried.
We have not done snorkeling as a family since our trip in Maldives more than a decade ago. The children are young adults. Once in the water, we were in all different directions, searching for the most beautiful fishes or sea creatures.
Swimming, mini-shortboarding and sunbathing on beaches were so much fun to do as a family.
I could not ask for a better week of family fun and look forward to our next trip to maybe Kauai.
We had planned to watch Federer in the Laver Cup at London’s O2 Arena, to watch Roger Federer. A month before the event, all of the big 4 (Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray) confirmed their attendance. Something seemed to be in the air with this rare union. A week before our trip, Federer broke the sad news of his imminent retirement, and that the Laver Cup would be his last ATP tournament.
After Spain, London could not be more different. London has just come out of the mourning period of Queen Elizabeth and the locals seem to have come out of Covid-19, as if nothing has happened. The country is plagued with Brexit challenges, a double digit inflation, the beyond-dramatic political turmoil, the record high energy prices, the passing of the Queen, the pandemic. Were Londoners numb? Were Londoners indifferent? Were Londoners strong and resilient? Walking on the street, we could not feel the unrest that would have been totally normal in such a state of affairs.
London is arguably the city I stop over the most times over the years. Born and raised in Hong Kong, there are similarities between Hong Kong and London in shopping malls design, in bus terminals design, the HSBC bank and many other things. There is little language barrier. The location is convenient for people traveling into Europe. And there are long-time friends in London. There are a lot of things one can do in the city. Britain makes the top choice for HongKongers to send kids to college or move to. In spite of all these, London comes to me as a transition, as a hub towards a destination but not a place for personal connections. There are cities that I look forward to returning to. London is not one of them.
Our plane landed in London. We expected Heathrow airport, instead, the airport building showed “Luton”. It was one of the rarity that we ended up in the wrong airport and fortunately the right city. The Stratford hotel is situated in the middle of the two airports. Google Maps once again saved us from the blunder.
We like having a big English breakfast at a local cafe. That was what we got in the morning.
We had tickets for the Day 1 Noon session of the Laver Cup. Federer was not playing in that session. He showed up and cheered for his team from the benches. After the Day session, we followed where the lines were, and queued up for the practice sessions of Federer and Nadal. By the time we got to the top of the queue, Federer was done with his practice, we were only able to catch the practice of the harder working Nadal. In the evening chill, we watched the livestream of the night session at this fan zone outside of the Arena together with a couple of hundred die-hard fans. Federer and Nadal (Fedal) were a point away from the victory. It was not meant to be and for this match, winning was not the point either. The match was followed by an emotional interview and memorable farewell to Federer. The emotion was hard to describe – a mix of sadness, dread, nostalgia, camaraderie, happiness, gratitude, best wishes, letting go and moving on. By the time we were back to the hotel, it was beyond 1am and it was not easy to have a sound sleep with all these emotions running high. It has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience to witness the end of the era. Records are meant to be created and broken. I would forever miss Federer’s greatness in how he plays, how he connects with so many at the very human level for so many years.
Merchandise out of stock in record timeTeam Europe (Federer leftest)
2022 saw the retirement of the greatest in tennis : Serena Williams and Roger Federer. I need to retire from watching tennis for a little bit to recover. And we concluded our 2022 travel to recover.
oliviatamccue 