Birthday fun in Chestertown Maryland

I decided to celebrate my birthday at this inn. This was a fantastic decision. I have been wined and dined! First of all I am a vegan and the inn chefs rose to the occasion. First they found me vegan cheese for my fruit and cheese platter. Four kinds of delish cheese w crackers and grapes, pears and strawberries as well as whole fruit!

I woke up to an amazing breakfast brought to my door and left on an outside table. So there was no worry of getting infected by covid for the whole stay. Breakfast included a wonderful quinoa mix with peppers and mushrooms and a puffy pancake w an apple chunky puree on top. Orange juice and fruit cup and coffee cake and toast w homemade jam completed the meal, and it was all vegan!
Lunch was delivered in a cooler to the door. Colorful veggie sandwiches, cookies and chips were offered.
Finally it was birthday dinner time. The innkeepers set a wood fire for us ahead of our arrival and all I had to do was light it and it roared thru the night!
Dinner appeared outside at six. Tasty vegan chili, french bread, mixed green salad and brownies were in my basket. They included a bottle of red wine, and tho I seldom indulge, I had a glass to toast my birthday.
An adorable white birthday cake w white icing( you can specify choice) was included and very creamy and tasty. I made my wish and watched the fire crackle.
By the way, every afternoon, cookies and tea are supplied and they had vegan ones for us.
Wooded walking trails surround the inn so you can burn those calories, and the colonial town of Chestertown, with homes from the 1700s, shops and interesting history is nearby.
I would highly recommend Brampton Bed and Breakfast for any occasion and its just one hour from Annapolis, Md. in Kent County on the Eastern Shore.

Exotic Foods of Japan

I’m sure many of you are familiar with Japanese food. You have probably experienced sushi rolls and delicious ramen soup.  You may have thought that these items were all there was to Japanese food.  That would have been a very false assumption!

During this wonderful trip to Japan, we have had an opportunity to learn and experience why Japan ( Okinawa to be more specific) is classified as one of the Blue Zones. Blue Zones are areas where people live past one hundred years old due to several factors. Among these are a sense of purpose, getting outside to walk and move your body and the foods they consume.  It makes perfect sense that the fuel we put into our mouths would create or destroy health.  Several Japanese foods can help us live longer in a state of ease instead of disease and who wouldn’t want that?

First I will mention fermented and pickled foods.  Every morning at breakfast the breakfast buffet includes a huge and varied array of pickled vegetables...pickled daikon, pickled cucumber, pickled beets, and many others. The Japanese know that pickled foods aid with digestion.  The fermented foods are rich in probiotics, also promote gut health and aid with immunity.  You may have had kombucha or sauerkraut, but there are many more fermented foods available here. Miso soup and umeboshi plums are always on the buffet. If you are feeling under the weather, a chopped up ume plum in a cup of green or twig tea will fix you right up. I never travel without my ume concentrate, a concentrated form of ume.     

If I have overindulged, I put a dot of this thick paste into a hot glass of water, mix it up and drink it down. Pretty soon, I’m feeling much better.

Another type of food common to Japan is seaweed. You may have had nori on the outside of your sushi roll or wakame in your miso soup. In Japan, hijiki is a frequent element of the breakfast buffet.  Seaweed has iodine to help with thyroid function, contains antioxidants and is a great source of vitamins and minerals.

Then there is the category of noodles. Whether it is thick udon noodles, buckwheat soba noodles or ramen noodles in a delicious broth, they are a staple food here in Japan.  As it vegan it has been difficult to find broth that isn’t made with fish, chicken or beef broth, but we have discovered some vegan restaurants that offer delicious vegetable broth.

Next there are the unusual foods I have never seen before.  The first one is okonomiyaki.  We joined a long line to try this delicacy when the restaurant’s window boasted, “Vegan food.”  This was the strangest concoction. On a grill in front of us, several cooks were making a pancake, topping it with bean sprouts and other veggies, topping that with noodles and then turning it over to crisp and then top with a kind of ketchupy barbecue sauce.  Most customers opted for chicken, beef and cheese on theirs. It was surprisingly tasty.

A food creation that is common here is called Tamagoyaki. It is an egg omelette that is stuffed with rice and topped with ketchup and mayo.   

Takoyaki is a flour mixture, mixed with onion, diced octopus and pickled ginger and poured into molds to cook. These balls can be found everywhere!  Curry is found in many establishments here.  It is like a brown gravy served with rice. We were able to try a vegan version and it was pretty good.

Japanese treats are an art here. Cookies with intricate designs, cream puffs, mochi stuffed with bean paste, monju cakes filled with pumpkin, green tea filling and many others, and I could go on and on.  The basements of department stores are filled with booths with the most beautiful desserts I have ever seen.  Unfortunately they were made of the eggs and milk and sugar I am trying to avoid. 

Our trip to Japan has been a true culinary experience and a feast for our eyes and our other senses.  I feel so fortunate to get to enjoy this amazing culture.

Japan Musings

Japan Musings

When I decided to travel to Japan, it was the place I thought would be most out of my comfort zone.  As it turns out, that is not true.  Tokyo was easy to navigate and brimming with vegan restaurant choices.  The biggest problem I have had is whether to walk on the left or right!  It turns out that the hordes of people will walk right at you no matter which side you are on. Its a bit like being caught in a stampede with nowhere to hide!

Since I was anticipating some difficulties with the language barrier and directional challenges, I booked us on a Colette Tour.  There are many advantages to a tour and I am finding the best one is the people you meet. Our tour is composed of people from Australia, New Zealand, America, India and the UK.  These people are so friendly and welcoming. No matter who your table partners are, you can count on a stimulating interlude.  Last night I enjoyed my conversation with a couple from Liverpool England. We discussed growing up around the Beatles and since the man is part of the National Trust he recounted the story of Yoko Ono buying John Lennon’s home and donating it to the National Trust and how Paul visits his childhood home every time he is in the area. This man’s accent is so charming and I feel like Paul is right in the room.  I thought I traveled a lot and everyone tells me I do, but this couple just got back from driving Route 66 for three weeks, without a plan! They have been all over the world and recounted many travel stories for us, whetting our appetites for future journeys.  On the way out of dinner, we encountered a group from New Jersey. The woman’s cousin had done the windows for one of Trump’s buildings. Upon completion, Trump called him in and pointing at each window told him he had not wanted that particular glass. He told the cousin he would only give him half payment for the expensive job. The cousin quietly gathered up his contracts and papers and sued Trump for the whole amount and he won!  We then had a rousing conversation about the state of our government. It felt good to share my outrage about the state of things with like minded folks!  The people from India are vegetarians so we are connecting about that.  A tour exposes you to many different viewpoints and experiences and I am feeling entertained by our interactions.

I have some observations regarding the Japanese people.  The Japanese people pride themselves on cleanliness.  The public bathrooms, restaurants, subway stations and cars, and streets are immaculate!  During a driving rainstorm, we watched a man in a uniform sweep the individual leaves up that were falling from a nearby tree. He was out there for an hour insuring the ground was tidy!  Strangely though, nary a trashcan can be spied in the whole of Japan! People take their trash home with them. Our teamaster stored her trash down her beautiful komono’s sleeve so that she could dispose of it in the privacy of her own abode.

Another inconsistency involves the wearing of masks.  All over Tokyo you will see citizens wearing them.  Even some teenagers in a crowd will be using these white masks. I suppose it’s to prevent disease from spreading.  If they are trying to avert germs, why then is there never soap provided in the public bathrooms? I don’t think just water will cut it when you have to do a number two!!! 

The Japanese people have a very strong work ethic.  They work long hours and may even spend the night in the office. Often they commute an hour each way to work. The subway stations are like mini cities where people can procure all their meals.  You can rent a girlfriend, a wife or grandparents here for a day or longer.  They just don’t have time to date and even having sexual relationships is not so common here.  The Japanese identity is wrapped up in the job performance and even children feel the pressure of succeeding.  For this reason, suicides rates are high here.  On the other hand, there are no guns,  little crime and you feel safe wherever you go.  I wonder if a safe life is a good enough exchange for all this work pressure and group identity culture.

These stark differences from our American culture are spurring an avalanche of conversations and making me really think about the importance of balance in one’s life.  This is a concept we learn in macrobiotics and it is really coming to the forefront in my observations of Japan.

Next blog will be about the food of Japan.

Japan Land of the Rising Sun

Japan, Land of the Midnight Sun

Our next macro adventure begins in Tokyo, Japan. For the next two weeks we will be immersed in Japanese exotic culture, unique food and rich history.  For this journey, I have chosen a guided tour to make our traveling easier as this is our first visit to Japan and I thought the different language and finding our way around might prove problematic.  

For our first two days we are on our own in Tokyo.  I am writing this blog at 2 am as this is when I am waking up after a 12 hour flight and a 12 hour time difference. Hopefully this will improve as the days pass.

I have already made several observations. As it turns out, the challenges I feared before arriving here  have proven easy to surmount.  Between google translate, my partner KO’s aptitude for simple Japanese, and the pictures on all the Japanese menus, we have been able to navigate the complicated subway lines, order our food easily and even figure out how to purchase organic, vegan makeup with little stress.

Yesterday we decided to visit the Shibuya district.  A lovely stroll along a tree lined pedestrian only area speckled with colorful flowers, led us to the subway station and a short ride to this busy area.  Shibuya is a shopping district known for the Scramble.  The Scramble is not a breakfast dish, but rather a four way crosswalk where a multitude of humans cross the street at the same moment!  Viewed from a Starbucks above the street, it is hard to believe this feat is achieved with noone getting plowed down!  In my life, I have never seen so many people in one spot at one time, even in New York City.  Near the Scramble Crossing,  we enjoy a fascinating visit to one of the basement food halls, Tokyo Food Show.  Found in the lowest level of department stores, these food meccas spread out with a colorful array of delicacies.  A myriad of booths brim with freshly prepared salads, crispy dumplings, home made chunky noodles, golden vegetable tempuras, carefully created sweet confections, brightly colored fresh fruit and vegetables and jarred umeboshi plums and pickled daikon.  I carry with me a card that details in Japanese that I do not consume anything that contains dairy, fish, meat, chicken or egg. I bravely hand my card to each vendor and each vendor shakes his head from side to side to indicate that everything here includes pork or milk or other non vegan products.  I settle for a simple green salad.  My experience is not dimmed by the fact that I can not sample the foods because this market is a true example of epicurean art and I am thrilled to have the chance to see it.

Our own plant based culinary adventure always starts at home where we scour Happycow.com to choose our vegan restaurants and schedule them into each location.  Once we arrive, it is like following a treasure map to our wonderful discoveries. Our first breakfast is experienced in a traditional quick Japanese restaurant.  My macrobiotic background is proving invaluable here in Japan.  As I am already quite familiar with natto( fermented beans), Kinpira, nishime, miso soup with wakame, and various fermented foods that make up the Japanese diet, I am not confused by the items on my plate and understand the nutritional benefits of all of them.  Thank you Michio Kushi!  You will not find a single overweight person walking these streets and most of the population is quite slim! A combination of healthy food, not overeating and walking everywhere contributes to this healthy lifestyle.  Our first breakfast consists of natto, which we mix with mustard and scallions and eat with white rice, miso soup with wakame and a fermented cabbage salad.    Brown rice used to be fed to the poor and still hasnt caught on here.  Miso soup in Japan is a mainstay, but in most restaurants it is prepared with fish stock.  Vegan restaurants prepare it with veggie stock. Either way, miso is good for your gut and a tummy tamer.  The total price for our breakfast...$4!

Tucked away in a tiny alley that took us an hour to find, is Hanoda Rosso , an organic vegan macrobiotic jewel.  I have been hoping to try out the traditional Japanese curry KO has been talking about for nine years, but it is usually prepared with beef or chicken.  My vegan version is filled with vegetables covered in a mildly spiced black gravy which blankets my rice.  It is delicious!  KO chooses a  “chicken” croquette dish, made of seitan and gently fried golden brown. It is accompanied by crispy lotus root slivers and a delicious miso soup which has just the right amount of salty flavor.  We really enjoy this spot off the main drag.

Walking along the streets of Tokyo is an amazing visual treat.  Since I am a blond and brown haired, blue eyed Caucasian, I am feeling quite the minority among the black haired, brown eyed beautiful Japanese people.  The differences don’t stop there.  The Japanese men and women have a real flair for fashion!   The men are neatly dressed in nicely tailored slacks with formal button down shirts and suit jackets while the petite women look so classic in flowing skirts or floral dresses.  On their feet are Doc Martens or shiny black chunky platform shoes.   Often we see younger girls in matching school uniforms or “Little Bo Peep” dresses with frilly slips underneath.  Their hair is done up in curls and  lacy bows.  It seems the Japanese are making a statement of individuality and uniqueness through their fashion. You do not see any t shirts and jeans.  We also observe that it is very clean here.  We see no litter on the ground and street cleaners are hand sweeping the streets.  Everyone here greets you as you enter their shops, but my friendly smile is never returned on our walk.  The people are very helpful, even leaving their stores to lead us two blocks away to a desired destination!   

I am so pleased we are having this opportunity to be among the quiet, helpful Japanese people and to explore this city before we join our tour tomorrow evening!

Luverly London

Our last stop on our journey was the hectic and historic London.  After spending time in the relaxing Cornwall countryside and seaside towns, it was a bit of a shock to be angling for my spot on the crowded sidewalks and to be smashed like a sardine into the muggy underground trains of London.  

Our first stop was to the theater discount ticket booth to see if we can procure a ticket to a musical that starts in a few hours.  There is one in Paddington Station.  After hearing all the choices we opted for some nicely priced orchestra seats to Kinky Boots in a theater a few steps from our hotel.  We rushed to the hotel, checked in and got  our bearings.  I chose an architectural gem built in 1865.  The Alba on the Strand presented  lofty ceilings, grand curving staircases and a fine location next to the Charing Cross underground. 

The subways or “tube” in London is the way everyone gets around here. They are quick, cheap and easy,  for even a directionally challenged traveler,  to follow.   On this trip, we have stayed in lodgings so small the bed hardly fit in the room and at the Alba, we enjoyed a more luxurious lodging with free Wifi and marble bathrooms.  

The show, Kinky Boots, was a rollicking evening of fun!! The premise of the show was that a failing shoe company decided to make sturdy kinky boots in which transvestite men could be comfy.  The songs, acting and story were first rate and I highly recommend it!

Our vegan food experience in London was wonderful!  It seemed that each establishment had a number of plant based items on the menu.  I enjoyed Farmacy the most. My favorite meal of the day is breakfast and Farmacy delivered.  My entree was an “omelette” made out of chickpea flour and filled with sweet squash and savory kale.  KO had gluten free macaroni and vegan cheese with a truffle crumble and we shared a Caesar Salad  with mushroom “anchovies” and avocado and a delicious plant based dressing.  I loved everything! 

Another breakfast we traveled to by tube was Wulf and Lamb.  The sign outside said, “Friends Who Prey Together Stay Together.”  This seemed like an odd choice for a plant based restaurant and the name, Wulf and Lamb,  seemed off too, but the food was pretty good. My porridge of quinoa and oats hit the spot.  KO really enjoyed  his “eggs” made of ackee, a fruit found in Jamaica.  It was way too spicy for me!

The last night we tried a Turkish restaurant called Tas.  It was near the British Museum and offered al fresco dining.  The Mediterranean countries often supply dishes that complement our diet and Tas had many choices for us.  Turkish menus accentuate vegetables and that was what I was craving.  KO’s dish was described as Turlo, a mixed vegetable stew of potatoes, eggplant, peppers, carrots and tomatoes, served with couscous.  My dish was Pirasali, leeks cooked with chickpeas, green lentils and pomegranate sauce, also served with couscous.  Both were tangy and delicious and nice for a change. 

Other foreign cuisines that lend themselves to veganism are Japanese (vegan sushi, tempura, ramen soups), Chinese (tofu dishes), Mexican (vegan beans, rice and veggies in a corn tortilla), Italian ( pasta with sauteed veggies and chickpeas), and Greek (hummus, tabbouli, falafel, eggplant dip).  Salads can be found at every restaurants but the dressings might not be vegan.  In the airport, we needed some food for ten hours of traveling.  I was surprised to find Leon, a healthier alternative to the usual airport fare.  For my lunch I chose Grilled Butternut Squash on a bed of kale with pinenuts and sunflower seeds. For dinner I purchased Falafel resting on a salad with brown rice.  So you can find healthy options, even in an airport these days.

With only one and one half days in London our time was spare.  Portobello Market near Notting Hill was a pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  Our favorite market is Borough Market but unfortunately it is closed on Sundays.  Portobello Market extended for many blocks with stalls of eclectic wares being sold along with international foods.   We opted to locate the actual setting for “Notting Hill”, an older movie with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts which was filmed nearby. 

Others, speaking in foreign languages, were taking photos right along with us of the famous blue door behind which Julia hid out with Hugh from her adoring public.  Then we found Hugh’s travel shop,  which is now a souvenir shop.  I must admit I was quite disillusioned to see the real thing as it looked nothing like the movie and Hugh didn’t even show up to give me a hug!  Earlier that day we stopped in to the British Museum which is free to wander.  KO spent his time searching for the oldest treasure in the place and decided it was some figurines of the oldest representatives of man, 7200 years BC, found under a house in a pit.  I rested my tootsies in the gift shop and looked at books of Japanese Erotica, read Peter Rabbit, skimmed the book of Anne Frank, and learned that the American government funded Mengele’s experiments on Eugenics and twins.  It was a very educational experience to peruse all the interesting books.

A word about air travel...

Air travel is not for the faint of heart.  If you have difficulty walking or carrying your luggage, you would probably be better off staying at home.  On our last day we had to go to Heathrow Airport. We packed light for this trip. 

Everything fit into two backpacks, mine light, KO’s large, and a medium suitcase that only weighed 35 pounds. Occasionally we had a food bag to carry with meals and snacks.  That last day, we had to take a subway train and transfer once.   Then we took the Heathrow Express, included with our Britrail Pass. When we got to Heathrow,  we had to find Terminal 2, which was nowhere near where they let us off.  We walked for several minutes, then got to the place for tickets and checked our bag, waited at the VAT office to get my refund for a ring I purchased, went through the security, where KO was frisked and had his backpack unpacked and searched and had to repack himself, went down four moving side walks, up several escalators and finally arrived at our gate where another 300 people were waiting!  It was exhausting, and we are pretty fit!!!  I didn’t see any wheelchairs or people moving vans. All I saw were people scowling that it took too long!  You must be in healthy shape to travel.  Before this trip, I had suffered for months from a case of sciatica and plantar fasciitis.  If it had not healed by the time of my trip, it would have been very difficult to accomplish the long days of walking and sightseeing that we did.  This is a good reminder to me to eat healthy food and stay fit because I’m planning on traveling for quite awhile!  

In addition, traveling requires “going with the flow.”  Once my friend and I were coming back from Vienna when they took us out to the runway, kept us there three hours and then decided the plane and crew couldn’t fly that day after all. It was a Sunday and they only had one agent for 400 people to rebook all of us, put us up overnight in a hotel and give us dinner. It was a madhouse,  but in situations like these you must keep a cool help and let go.  Things go wrong all the time.  Delays, cancellations, missed flights and other unexpected and unplanned mishaps are all part of the journey.

This trip to the UK has come to an end and its back to our day to day lives.  Next year we have found a Vegan cruise that goes to Lisbon, Portugal, Barcelona and other spots in Spain, the island of Mallorca, Marseilles in France and ends in Monte Carlo in Monaco.  This trip includes airfare, four excursions, tips and taxes, and all your food and lodging!! All this for just about $2200 for an inside cabin on the Oceania around September 29, 2018. Would love to meet some of you on this relaxing voyage. Contact me for more info or check out Vegan Cruisade on facebook.  Please follow me on Healthy Chef and Macro Travel Friends on facebook so we can “meet” and share ideas.  I loved sharing our vacation with all of you.  My viewers  are from England, US, Spain, Peru, Israel, Germany, Netherlands, Ukraine, Australia, Singapore, India, Malaysia,  Russia, France, Canada, and many other places and there were 2500 views of macro adventures these past two weeks!  It is so exciting to know that I can reach so many of you and to share my love of vegan traveling.  Would love to see some comments and to “meet” you online.

Til we meet again....

Charming Cornwall

Stress melts away as our Great Western Railway train rounds the bend and we spy clear blue waters lapping up on a sandy beach cove.  Now we know we have arrived in St. Ives, Cornwall.  Five years ago, we discovered this precious jewel situated on the southwestern tip of England.  We have returned to this little slice of heaven almost every year since then.

The train ride from Paddington Staion in London to St. Ives takes about six hours.  Cities dissolve into small towns and then beautiful lush green patchwork fields and farms as you journey toward Cornwall.  Friends recently flew into Newquay and then got a driver to St. Ives, to shorten the journey, but I think the train is an essential and enjoyable part of the journey.  Modern life, with its cars, technology and upsetting news fades away on the train ride and when we arrive we shut off our phones, avoid the tv, use our feet to get around and contemplate where we are right in this moment.  

The Little Leaf Guest House has been our home away from home every time we have visited St. Ives. Our innkeepers, Anthony and Tim, welcome us like family and make it easy for us to stay healthywith our plant based lifestyle. The breakfasts here are included in the room rate and fill us up for a day of wandering the meandering cobblestone streets and seaside paths.  Our morning meal is composed of creamy porridge made with almond milk, fresh fruit, homemade granola, crispy hash browns, vegan sausage, baked beans and a grilled portobello mushroom.  Eggs as well as french toast and waffles are also offered.  Our hosts even purchase gluten free, vegan digestives for us to go with the tea offered in every room.  Chatting with Anthony is fascinating as he has lived in Thaijland and continues to run a business there.  This personable host seems to never tire of giving us tips on where to pass our days and always makes time for us.  Tim has shared her native Thai rice with us and its a treat to talk with her too.

What I love about St. Ives is the small country town feeling I get when I walk along the ancient streets.  The shopkeepers are friendly and take the time to chat with you. This year we met a couple running a sushi stall type restaurant. She was French and he was from Tahiti.  They have moved to another place with their kids almost every year!  Now they are calling St. Ives home.  What a fascinating life they have had, so different from my own. 

The curving streets and passageways of St. Ives always lead you to an interesting shop or spectacular view or quaint tea room.  The tides here are very interesting to me.  I had never seen bobbing ships at high tide end up sitting right on the dry sea bottom at low tide only to be lifted up once again by the next high tide. 

Plants and flowers grow bountifully here due to the temperate climate and plentiful rainfall. I am envious at the kitchen gardens and baskets brimming with gerbera daisies, purple and yellow pansies, and a wide assortment of wildflowers.  The unique shops and the local bookstore call out to us as we walk by, as do the windows full of baked pasties and British treats that are new to our eyes, with names like sticky toffee pudding, figgyhobbin and fluffy meringues.  There are photo opportunities at every turn!  

Food is a bit of a challenge for us in St. Ives.  We did have some success at the Porthminster Beach Cafe which is perched right on the beach and has lovely sea views while you dine.  The talented chef prepared a thick creamy vegetable soup and a tart filled with nicely seasoned root veggies mounded into a pastry shell and surrounded by a crunchy cucumber salad.  The Blas Burgerworks boasts being among the top burger joints in the country.  We wanted to try their promising Beet Burger but the one hour wait put us off.  At Rajpoot we enjoyed some brilliant korma, a chickpea dish prepared with coconut milk, and served over rice.  Our final night we ended up playing trivia at Coastal Pub and Kitchen. Many of the questions related to England, but our educated guesses proved successful.  We ended up performing better than the British couple at our table while munching on crisp snap peas, kale and lentils.  So we managed to find enough vegan food to get by, but it would be nice if a vegan restaurant opened in St. Ives.

Now for a word regarding travel companions.  When you do journey away from home, it is important to choose wisely and carefully when you decide who to take with you.  Ask yourself these questions about any potential candidate.  Is the person an early riser or a nightowl?  Is the person extravagant with money or a penny pincher?  Does the person prefer hostels or luxurious hotels or quaint 100 year old bed and breakfasts?  Is the person someone who has “diarrhea of the mouth” and won’t even be quiet when you ask them or does the person hardly utter a word?  Is the person a daredevil or a worrywart?  Does the person eat the same way you do so you will be choosing meals that complement both of you?   Is the person a shopper, a moocher, a hiker or the opposite?  Does the person snore or like the room hot when you prefer it cooler?  After you have asked yourself and the potential travel partner these difficult questions, take a trial run. Go away for a few days locally to see how it turns out.  All of this prep will save you lots of heartache in the end.  It is better than going away with someone for two weeks and ending up not speaking to each other because you had certain expectations that your partner can’t meet.  Also, plan on compromising.  You won’t always want to spend time looking at old cars and looking at electronics and he/she won’t always want to wait while you try on dresses or look at jewelry, but both of you must bend to make it work.  Traveling is a lot of fun under the right circumstances with a partner who is a good match.

England’s Lovely Lakes and Tricky Transit

This blog is being sponsored by T Mobile! (Not really). Thankfully KO has the phone service which is based in Europe. Wherever we go, on trains, in pubs, on the lake, or in the inn his phone service has worked every time and he has been able to give me a hot spot so I can chat with all of you.  So kudos to KO and T Mobile for connecting me to the world.  In addition a shout out to KO for lugging our suitcase up and down the hills of these quaint little towns, even at 6 a.m.  I am grateful for all his help. KO also takes the photos and figures out how to insert them into the blog.  He’s an electronic whiz!

The road from Edinburgh to Windermere, in the Lakes Region, was full of drama and delays.  A trip that should have taken two and one half hours, ended up taking ten hours!  Apparently bank holidays and striking train workers were conspiring to upset my Type A carefully planned punctuality.  The universe has a way of sending us a lesson when we get too attached to things and this definitely taught me one about “You think you are in control, well I’ll show you!”  When I described our plight to the station agent, he looked bored and disinterested.  He proceeded to tell me that he had worked twelve hours that day and he had already been regalled with sordid stories like ours for weeks!  No sympathy or compassion there, it’s just the way it is here.  Then this guy informed us that our early morning train may or may not show up and the replacement bus may be AWOL as well.  I ask you, “Is this any way to run an airline?”  This is where my daily meditation practice and staying in the moment really came in handy.  KO was, of course, his usual unflappable self.

Our visit to the Lakes Region, even though it was cut short by a day, due to train snafus, was magnificent.  Adorable towns with Victorian architecture peppered by lofty church spires, colorful wildflowers spilling out of their stone boxes,  glistening lakes encircled by imposing mountains and delectable food greeted us there.  Our lodging was an Air b and b in Windermere as our base. Our room was huge compared to our cramped quarters in Edinburgh.  A large kitchen was at our disposal and I did prepare brown rice, red lental dahl and blanched watercress and kale on the gas burners.  The owner was so generous he told us to tour around for our only day while he washed all our clothes, dried them on the clothesline, folded them and placed them by our door!!  He was a “ prince among men.”

The air b and b was a scenic twenty minute stroll down hill to the enchanting village of Bownes-on-Windermere.  The town was teaming with tourists as it was a Bank Holiday.  Bownes perches right on Lake Windermere and has adorable local shops, pubs, restaurants and ferries that carry you to other  waterfront towns.  We located an open air table for breakfast called Mio Mondo.  We could people watch while we enjoyed a delicious Vegan English breakfast.  Munching on baked beans, hash browns and amazing vegan “sausages” created from creamy beans, corn and peas, we fortified ourselves for a day of sightseeing.

The Lake Country was the home of Beatrix Potter.  This talented woman was the genius who gave us Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, Benjamin Bunny, and many other forest friends. We watched the movie, “Miss Potter” in preparation for the visit to her neck of the country.  We found out she was an artist, writer, conservationist, mycologist and very independent lady for her time.  She purchased land parcels so builders and developers couln’t spoil the landscape.  She self published her first books.  Unfortunately Beatrix let her mother’s opinions almost destroy her happiness. You see her mother thought marrying a tradesman was below her station.  Beatrix did finally defy her mom and become engaged to her love, only to have him succumb to leukemia one month later. Her mom gave her a difficult time about her next choice but she did marry him in her late 40s and they had many happy years together.  The books she wrote are beloved and many of us read them as children.

My favorite stores, which are all over England, are the Oxfam and other charity shops.  You can find everything there and pay very little for it. I head for the books 
first searching for that perfect romance that takes place in the Cotswalds, Cornwall or the Lake country.  Next the used clothes are my destination. Unique items not found in the states catch my eye. I ended up buying a lacy aqua tea hat, with a veil, for a relative.  Looking forward to these shops when we arrive in Cornwall.

We queued up with all the holiday crowds to ferry across the lake to the next town.  The ride was so lovely as we were surrounded by crisp white sailboats, imposing mansions from the 1940s, multicolored mountains in the distance and the pleasant breeze on our skin.  We have been so fortunate to have clear, warm weather as this area can be beset with rain and fog.

Ambleside was a less crowded place and we walked uphill one mile to town.  The quaint tea shops all over offer a place to rest while you can enjoy a scone( a type of biscuit with currants), a sweet treat( the windows are brimming with the most beautiful cakes you have ever seen) or a nice cup of tea. 

We opted for a bowl of Potato Leek Soup. It seems like this is the signature soup of the UK as it is offered everywhere!  After a look in the shops, we boarded the bus back to Windermere.  Riding on the top, with the tall trees whizzing by, felt like we were in a treehouse in the sky.  After returning to our guest house, it was time to get down to some serious macrobiotic cooking to balance ourselves once again.

I wanted to say a few words about staying healthy while venturing away from home.  I always bring certain items with me on my trips.  These items include umeboshi concentrate, a macrobiotic remedy for tummy trouble, and probiotic packets that

 do not require refrigeration.  I pack fiber packets as well in case we can not find enough veggies to keep us “regular.”  I believe in homeopathy and I take the ones that help in emergencies.  Arsenicum album is for food poisoning and has helped me out of a few jams when I have eaten bad food.  Apis is helpful for bug bites.  Passiflora Incarnata helps with jet lag.  I pack dry brown rice in a baggie and soak it overnight and prepare it the next day.If I have eaten “wide” on my trip the brown rice often centers me.  The idea I love about macrobiotics is that we learn to balance our eating and we know the steps to take if we want to counter the occasional beer or sweet cream tea with scones.  Having these “first aid” tools serve to avert possible sick days on vacations.

Hopefully this aids you supporters out there and a big thank youfor reading my blog and tracking our macro adventures.