Chili Con Carne

2 large onions, chopped (about 3 cups)

1/4C vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 carrots, thinly sliced

3 lb. boneless beef chuck, coarsely ground

1/4C chili powder

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

2 Tbsp. paprika

1 Tbsp. crumbled dried oregano

1 Tbsp. dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

8 oz. can tomato sauce

28 oz. can whole tomatoes, pureed in a food processor

1-1/4C beef stock

3 Tbsp. cider vinegar

19-oz. can kidney beans (or beans or choice), rinsed an drained (optional)

2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped

Heat the oil in a sauté pan; add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are softened.  Add the garlic and carrots and cook, stirring one to two minutes.  Add the beef and cook, stirring and breaking up any lumps, for 10 minutes, or until it is no longer pink.  Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook the mixture, stirring, for one to two minutes.  Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, stock and vinegar.  Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for about one hour.  Add the kidney beans, bell peppers, salt and pepper to taste and simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.

MAKES:  6 – 8 servings

Belgium – April, 2016

Caught the train from Amsterdam to Bruges which took about 4 hours and was a lovely ride.  Cold weather and a bit rainy when I arrived so took the bus to Anna’s B&B near the beautiful St. Anne’s Church.   Checked in and set out to visit the quaint old town of Bruges.  Stopped for a rhubarb tart and coffee at a little café and then wandered my way to the Basilica of the holy blood.  This 12^th century basilica is located in the Burg Square and consists of a lower and upper chapel.  The lower chapel dedicated to St. Basil the great is a dark Romanesque structure.  The venerated relic of the holy blood is in the upper chapel. 

About 6 p.m. when it started to rain I decided to have dinner early and wandered over to de bocarme.  As it was pretty early there was no one there but the restaurant was in a cellar and had a lot of atmosphere.  I ordered the three course dinner which stated with a warm goat cheese salad with julienne apples, dried cranberries and pine nuts served with a crisp brown roll.  Second course was sole with asparagus and the sole was pretty bland as it had been poached…and served with potato puree and leeks.  Dessert was a nice lemon tart.  Walked back to Anna’s and took a nice hot shower.

Took a walk along the canals in the morning and then had a wonderful breakfast and every morning thereafter, i.e. hard cooked eggs, crispy rolls, fruit, cheese, cold meats, pastries, etc.  Visited the kantcentrum lace museum where the story of lace is told.  There was a video about lace making and a lot of examples of bobbin, needle and machine lace.  Also visited the volkskunde museum which showed how life was in Belgium in the 17^th century with a tobacco room, kitchen, etc.  Very well done.  Headed on down to Blackbird on Jan van Eyckplein, a cute little café facing the canal and had apple pie and coffee.  Walked into the old square and found the chocolate and lamp museums which I couldn’t resist.  Weather wasn’t really nice enough to wander around anyway…Choco Museum was well laid out on four floors and took you through the history to the present showing how chocolate evolved ending with a demonstration of how chocolate candies are made and a little sample of the delicious Belgium chocolates.  Also visited the Lamp Museum, housed in the same building, which contains the world’s largest collection of lamps and lights.  More than 6,000 antiques tell the complete story from torch and paraffin lamp to light bulb and LED.  Realllly interesting!!! 

Weather had cleared some so I walked around enjoying the old buildings and canals.  Anna had loaned me a jacket so I felt a lot warmer than I would have.  Dinner at Lieven was delicious.  A small, cute little restaurant on Philipstockstraat filled with people!!!  Dinner was salmon tartar with quinoa and shredded beets and then a chocolate brownie with pineapple and meringues.

In the morning after breakfast I wandered around the open air food market in the market square where cheeses, fruits, vegetables, flowers, breads, etc. were being sold.  Visited the Beguinage with its white-colored house fronts, tranquil convent garden and museum founded in 1245.  It was once the home of the beguines, emancipated lay women who nevertheless led a pious and celibate life.  Nowadays it is inhabited by the sisters of the order of Saint Benedict.  There is one small beguine house open to the public showing daily life in the 17^th century. 

Walked to the old St. John’s Hospital which has an 800 year old history of caring for pilgrims, travelers and the sick.  The museum is now located in the old infirmary and the art objects on display are closely connected to the hospital.  There is also a 17the century apothecary near the museum which was also very interesting to visit.

Upstairs was a fascinating witches’ exhibition by Bruegel with paintings, artifacts, etc. from the 16^th century when witches were burned at the stake.  Lunch was another delicious apple tart at Blackbird.  Afterwards, I stopped by the lace museum to see a demonstration of lace making on my way out of town.

I leisurely walked along the canal to Damme, a small town noted for its great restaurants and more recently as a book town with numerous bookshops and book fairs.  You can reach it by boat, bike or walking which took about 1-1/2 hours.  Visited the enormous Church of our Lady dating from about 1340, the town hall and the 15^th century mansion housing the Uilenspiegelmuseum.  Tijl Uilenspiegel was a Flemish prankster originating in German folklore who played practical jokes on his contemporaries and thanks to the novel Uilenspiegel has become a symbol of Damme where he was said to have been born.  The museum was in Dutch but there were posters, books, etc. about him on all 3 floors.  Walked down to the old fortress gate and then took the bus back to Bruges. 

Dinner at Guillaume was quite nice, i.e. carpaccio with sour cream and caviar, oxtail and morel “stew” topped with fish and leeks, lamb chops with couscous and eggplant puree and warm chocolate cake/chocolate mousse and chocolate ice cream for dessert.

In the morning, I took a walk to the windmills, had a lovely breakfast and then walked to the train station where I caught the train to Ghent, a Flemish jewel of a city.  Day was rainy and cold but I persevered!!!  Walked to the historical center and visited the Belfry and cloth Hall which houses the great bells that rung out Ghent’s civic pride through the centuries.  Climbed the 225 stairs in the belfry, stopping along the way to see the bells and watch a video on how the bells are cast and made to sound as they do.  The top level had a nice panoramic view of the city and there was a drum bell that rang at 1:00 p.m. while we watched and listened.  On to the Saint Bavo Cathedral, an enormous church with beautiful stained glass windows and beautiful art.

Stopped at Café Rosario for apple pie and coffee and then walked towards Patershof, the old part of town, stopping at the House of Align, a great folklore museum set in an old almshouse founded in the 1300’s and rebuilt in the 1500’s which functioned as a children’s home and hospital.  Inside the cluster of restored cottages are replicas of typical rooms in Ghent homes at the turnoff the 20^th century depicting funerals, birth and christenings, school, engagement and marriage.  Walked in the Patershol neighborhood with its cobblestone streets filled with little restaurants but pretty empty probably on account of the rain…Wandered to Vrijdagmarkt, Ghent’s main square, and along the Graslei canal side back to the station.  A Lovely city!

Dinner at Quatre Mains, small little tapas restaurant with great service and delicious food, was my favorite in Bruges!!!  I started with shrimp with Thai salad followed by rare tuna with Greek yogurt sauce and couscous and finished with a warm chocolate lava cake and ice cream – heaven!!!

In the morning I took the bus to the train station and had some coffee and a delicious chocolate croissant with nuts before boarding the train to Amsterdam.  Stayed at an airb&b on Keizersgracht on the canal which was very close to everything!!!  Left my luggage and walked down Prinsengracht to the Albert Cuypstraat market filled with food stalls selling fruit, vegetables, dried fish, Dutch specialty foods, cheeses, etc.  Had a falafel and tabbouleh salad at Bazar and a couple of pistachio baklava as well before standing in line at the Van Gogh museum for an hour!!  Well worth the wait.  The museum was fantastic taking you through his life, his fellow artists, etc. and considered to hold the world’s largest collection of his work as well as the work of some of his famous friends.

Dinner at Vinkles, a Michelin starred restaurant.  I had the chef’s tasting menu and enjoyed most of the dishes, especially the little pigeon breast, the sweetbread with artichoke and the warm brownie for dessert.  Some of the dishes were a bit “out there” for me…

Took a last walk along the canals in the morning and had a lovely breakfast overlooking the canal, i.e. warm croissant, Dutch cheeses, honey, fresh fruit and coffee.  Walked up to the train station and caught the train to the airport.  Took forever to get through security and passport control and I almost missed my flight!   Stopover in London Heathrow where there is an abundance of great places to eat.  Had lunch at EAT, i.e. a delicious egg salad sandwich on a croissant with arugula and a chocolate cookie.  Watched “Brooklyn” on the flight home and it was excellent.  What a wonderful trip!! It was also great fun to travel with someone for a change!

Holland – April, 2016

Decided to do a bike trip with a friend, El, whom I had met in Africa almost 40 years ago.  Flew from LAX and she met my flight in Amsterdam.  She had reserved all our airb&b accommodations and I was responsible for the restaurants.  We shared a taxi to our Nova Houseboat about a 20 minute bike ride from the center of town set on a canal.  There were two bedrooms downstairs and the houseboat was ours complete with kitchen and dining room.  We also had access to the bikes but they were all too high for me.  El had reserved a racing bike for herself which would be delivered in the morning.  I was just planning to rent a three-speed bike in each town we stayed in.

Our first night we took the tram into town and had a vegetable and noodle curry at Spanjer & Twist, a cute little restaurant close to a canal.  We stopped by a little supermarket and picked up some raisin bread, fruit, etc. for breakfast before taking the tram back to our houseboat.

In the morning we had a leisurely breakfast and then her bike was delivered.  She rode into our little town while I walked and we found a bike shop which had the perfect bike for me.  Stopped nearby at a little café and I had a salad with roasted broccoli, lentils and soft cheese.  We then biked into the woods and along the canals for about an hour before heading into town for dinner at Vlaming Etten und Trinken.  We had to watch carefully as there was a lot of traffic but there are bike lanes everywhere and Holland is very flat so it was pretty easy to keep up with the racing bike!!!  Dinner was excellent and we shared sesame crusted tuna, stir fried green beans/snow peas/mushrooms, sweet potato/potato/parsnip dish followed by a warm chocolate cake with ice cream.  Biked back before dark.

In the morning we rode into Amsterdam and within minutes El ran over some glass and her thin bike wheel resulted in a flat tire…(Supposedly there is also of glass in the streets.)  She decided to upgrade to the best tires and then we were on our way.  Visited the Museum

Willet-holthuysen, a fully furnished canalside home with its large collection of silverware, plates, art, etc.  Three floors and a lovely French-style garden are open to the public.  There is also a lovely dining salon elegantly set for a meal.

Split a brie/walnut panini at a little café and then shared a brownie at a pastry shop across the street where we also picked up some raisin rolls for breakfast in the morning.  On to Ons lieve heer op solder (our lord in the attic), a 17^th century canal house, house church and museum.  The Catholic church was built on the top three floors of the canal house during the 1660s.  It is an important example of a “clandestine church” in which Catholics and other religious dissenters from the Dutch reformed church, unable to worship in public, held services.  There are pews to seat 150, an 18^th century spinet-size pipe organ and two narrow upper balconies.

Wandered around the old church area and red light district, drove by Anne Frank’s house where there was a veryyyy long line and then to Max Restaurant  where we had an Indonesian rijsttafel, i.e. lots of little plates, i.e. beef curry, egg in coconut milk, honey chicken, etc. followed by an Indonesian cake.  It was dark when we biked back to the houseboat and we were happy to arrive safely!

In the morning, although it was very cold out, we decided to bike to Zaanse Schans, a replica 17^th – 18^th century village made up of houses, windmills, workshops, etc. that were moved to the site.  Rode up to the central station and crossed the water on a ferry to Zaandam.  We didn’t have a very good map so it took us awhile to get there but was a beautiful ride.  Started to rain when we arrived so we stopped for lunch at Restaurant & Brasserie d’Swarte Walvis overlooking the river Zaan and shared a warm goat cheese salad with macadamia nuts, apples and apricots, salmon with pasta in a curry sauce and apple pie.  Wandered around the town visiting the windmills, cheese shops, etc. and finally took the train back to Amsterdam as the weather was too rainy and cold to bike back.  Picked up some eggs, etc. and made ourselves a little dinner in the houseboat where it was nice and warm…

After breakfast we rode into town to see the flower market which wasn’t particularly interesting…Stopped at a Sunday food truck market for flatbread with cheese, mushrooms and arugula before spending a couple hours at the Rijksmuseum.  Started in the Rembrandt room to see the Night Watch, moved on to pictures by Vermeer and Frans Hals and then saw two wonderful furnished 17^th century dollhouses.  Went to the special “catwalk” exhibit which was really excellent, i.e. 22 dresses “walked” the catwalk and there was a brochure explaining who designed each one, etc.  Stopped by the gardens on our way out to take some pictures of the fountains which surround you when you step into the center. 

Returned my bike in town and then we stopped for an early dinner at a little Italian place.  I had an arugula/parmesan salad and we shared some grilled prawns.  I leisurely walked back to the houseboat while El rode on ahead.  We relaxed and chatted, enjoying our last night in the houseboat….

In the morning I took the metro to the Zuid train station and caught the 30 minute train to Leiden.  El rode her bike so I arrived first.  Took the bus to our airb&b in nearby Oegstgeest.  Since she wasn’t there yet I walked to the park and had a delicious warm goat cheese salad with peppers, walnuts and warm crusty bread sitting outside overlooking the pond.  Once she had arrived we walked back into town and found a cute little café where she had a salad and I had a brownie and some tea.  Picked up some fruit for breakfast in the morning.  She was tired after her long ride so I walked into town on my own as it only took about 20 minutes.  I walked along the canals and into the center passing some great old churches until I found In den bierbenga where I had a delicious meal.  In this really cozy place with great atmosphere, I enjoyed baked mushrooms topped with cheese, duck with blueberry sauce and crisp parsnips and French “toast” with whipped cream and pear sorbet.  Caught the bus back…

Walked through the park in the morning and then into town to pick up some raisin bread and pastries for breakfast.  I walked and El biked into Leiden where I rented a bike at the central station.  We rode around town a bit and then parked our bikes and wandered around enjoying the cute little town.  Visited Pieterskerk, a late-gothic church dedicated to Saint Peter.  This beautiful enormous church with two organs is only used for events now.  There was also an exhibition about the pilgrims which was very interesting.  Shared a delicious warm goat cheese salad with pine nuts and crisp brown bread for lunch at a nice café nearby.  Bread is really good here and usually served warm and crusty.  Rode around the canals and down to the cemetery and then back to our rooms to regroup.  Dinner at het prentenkabinet, an upscale French restaurant supposedly one of the 10 best in Leiden but we were a bit disappointed.  Shared an asparagus appetizer and then fresh fish of the day but they had just taken their chocolate dessert off the menu leaving not much else of interest…Win a few lose a few…

The next morning after breakfast we rode our bikes to Keukenhof about 16 km away.  It was a beautiful day, although cold, and we stopped along the way to enjoy the beautiful flowers, etc.  In 1948 a group of flower bulb workers decided to use the estate of the Keukenhof Castle (built in 1641) which had grown to over 200 hectares for a permanent exhibition of spring flowering bulbs.  A team of 40 gardeners start planting 7 million flower bulbs in mid September.  All the bulbs are planted by hand which takes three months.  The season lasts 8 weeks and at the end of the season all the bulbs are dug up and destroyed and after the summer the cycle begins anew.  Each year there is a theme and this year it was the golden age.  There was a beautiful mosaic of flowers showing a delft blue tile on which the trade across the seas and the rich canalside houses of Amsterdam were depicted.  100,000 flower bulbs were used!!!  Wandered the gardens for a couple hours and then stopped at a café and shared a cheese/tomato Panini and a pastry each.  Rode back. 

In the evening we biked into town for dinner at Bistro Noroc.  It is a sweet little café on a tiny little street near Peter’s Church with excellent food.  We shared a goat cheese salad (what else!!!) with pumpkin seeds, arugula and roasted pears, Thai chicken curry with noodles and vegetables and each had a crème brulee with cinnamon ice cream – our best meal yet!!!  Rode back FAST as it was pretty cold by then.

Took a walk in the morning and picked up some pastries for breakfast.  Took another bike ride out into the countryside, stopping in Sassheim where there was an open air market going on.  Had lunch in a little café and then rode back trying to use the GPS on El’s bike which took some doing.  In the evening, she wasn’t feeling well so I biked into town by myself.  First returned the bike and then set out on foot (a nice change!!) to walk around the town.  Ended up at Lot en de Walvis near the harbor for dinner.  Sat outside as it was very pleasant and ordered gravlak with fried capers, baby greens and crisp spelt bread, chicken yakitori with sesame seeds and couscous and ended with a delicious chocolate cake served with coconut ice cream and fresh shaved coconut.  Walked back…

After breakfast, El left for Den Hague and I walked to the train station and caught the train.  We met about 12:30 p.m. at our airb&b and it was quite nice.  Separate rooms, access to the living room and kitchen and breakfast prepared for us in the morning!  Peter, our host, drove me into town where I met El and rented a bike at the train station.  We stopped for a quick salad and then spent a couple hours in the Escher Museum housed in the Lange Voorhout Palace.  The museum features permanent displays of a large number of his woodcuts and lithographs but we didn’t have enough time to see it all… Dinner nearby at Feedback, a cozy little restaurant near the center but off the beaten track.  Shared beet turnover, crabcake with mango dice and raw tuna with wasabi cream to start, sautéed salmon with honey, fresh spinach and cornbread and a blondie with walnuts, candied orange peel and chocolate mousse for dessert.

In the morning Peter set out an incredible spread for the two of us, i.e. croissant, apple pastries, cheese, fruit, eggs, etc.  Took the train (and our bikes) to Delft, a really quaint little town whose facades of the Renaissance and gothic houses reflect age-old beauty.  It was really cold and rainy so we decided against biking out.  Old master Jan Vermeer spent most of his life surrounded by Delft’s beauty.

Visited the de koninklijke porceleyne fles (royal delft factory) museum and workshop to learn how the pottery is made.  Delft blue started in the Netherlands around the 17^th century when the Dutch India Company brought the blue painted porcelain back from China.  For Royal Delft it started in 1653 when Van der Pieth transformed his house into an earthenware factory.  In the 17^th century Royal Delft had several factories but this one is the only one left. 

Found a nice little café for lunch.  I had a wonderful sweet potato salad with arugula, goat cheese and roasted hazelnuts and some crusty brown bread.  El had roasted sweet pepper soup.  We wandered around the fruit and vegetable market and the antique market and then spent about an hour in the Het Prinsenhof museum to learn the history of William of Orange who lived from 1572 to 1584 when he was assassinated.  Also saw some nice paintings of Vermeer, i.e. “little street”, etc.  Train back…Later that evening we rode way out to the harbor which took a lot longer than we had expected.  Had a lovely dinner at Catch overlooking the water, i.e. shared sushi with crab and avocado, monk fish with green curry, bok choy, rice and sweet potato and each had a crème brulee.  By the time we finished it was dark out and neither of us had lights on our bikes so it was hard to find our way and stay together but we made it!!!  Well worth the trouble to be sure.

Peter made delicious crepes for breakfast and then we rode out to Maduradam, a miniature park and home to a range of 1:25 scale model replicas of famous Dutch landmarks, historical cities, etc.  It is an outside park so was a bit cold but no rain.  There are also stands with in depth information around the park as well as brief video shows.  It did start to rain as we left so we fixed lunch in our little kitchen.  Later we rode out into the sand dunes nearby and then after a brief rest headed into town.  Wandered around the old town, i.e. passed by Mauritshuis which houses many fine paintings, the Binnenhof, a 13^th century hunting lodge of the counts of Holland, etc. 

As it was our last night in Den Hague we decided to have dinner at HanTing, a fusion Michelin star restaurant with excellent reviews.  Had the three course tasting menu which started with an appetizer plate with crisp seaweed sticks and oyster shell with eggplant mousse, first course was scallop and thinly sliced octopus with sticky rice, second course a nori wrapped sole and third course wagyu beef with beet sauce.  We also shared a chocolate forest dessert with raspberry sorbet.  It was an interesting experience…

In the morning after another wonderful breakfast, El and I said our good-byes.  The weather was very cold and rainy so she opted to take the train back to Amsterdam and then head home.  Peter took me to the train station where I caught the train to Bruges where I would be travelling by foot!!!  I took many great memories of our trip to Holland with me.

Roasted Pear and barley salad

3 ripe but firm Bartlett pears (about 1-1/2 lb.), cored and

  cut into ¾-inch cubes

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. thyme leaves

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1C cooked barley

¼ lb. thinly sliced prosciutto

1 Tbsp. sugar

6 oz. arugula or medley greens

1/3C shaved Parmesan cheese

1/3C toasted pecan pieces

Vinaigrette

2 Tbsp. pear vinegar

2 Tbsp. raspberry vinegar

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tsp. balsamic mustard

6 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 425F.  Shake vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar.  Toss pears, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.  Spread pears out in a single layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Roast pears, turning occasionally, until golden – about 25 minutes.  Cool.

Arrange prosciutto slices on a parchment-lined cooking sheet, making sure they do not touch.  Sprinkle sugar evenly over the slices and bake until caramelized and glossy, 8 to 10 minutes – watch carefully!!  Remove and allow to crisp.  Cool.

Combine barley and pears with vinaigrette to coat.  Add the greens, Parmesan and pecans and toss again.  Crumble prosciutto over the top MAKES:  6 servings

India – Calcutta to Delhi – February, 2016

My second G Adventure trip started in Calcutta so I took a taxi from Delhi to the airport only to find that the flight had been delayed two hours!!!  Air India gave us a coupon for a complimentary lunch at a very nice restaurant so while waiting for my flight I enjoyed dal, paneer, chicken curry and Indian bread.  Took a prepaid taxi to “Central” where I was staying but the driver, and later myself(!!!), had a very hard time finding it.  Luckily J who runs the “hotel” was always available by phone so I eventually arrived.

Nice large room on the 7^th floor, quiet with AC and hot water.  Even though it was almost 10 p.m. I was a bit hungry and wanted to stretch my legs so J suggested I walk around the corner to the Forum as it was safe to walk alone at night.  Found the Forum and had a nice Bengali meal, i.e. coconut chickpea dal, luchi (puffed bread) and little potatoes with spicy sauce at Oh! Calcutta.

In the morning I took a walk and had breakfast at Piccadilly Circus bakery nearby, i.e. delicious coffee and a brownie.  Took a taxi to the Marble Palace but it was closed for a private tour until later so I walked to the Howrah suspension bridge which is 705 m long and was built during WWII.  Also visited the colorful Mlik Ghat flower market nearby.  Walked back to the Marble Palace but it was still closed so I gave up on seeing it and instead visited the Kaliglat Temple, an ancient Kali temple, rebuilt in 1809 and Calcutta’s holiest spot for Hindus and possibly the source of its name.  It is a lovely temple with floral and peacock motif tiles that look more Victorian than Indian.  During festivals goats are sacrificed there…After much searching I found Bhojohari Manna mentioned in Lonely Planet as the top Bengal restaurant in Calcutta.  I certainly couldn’t miss that!  There was a long line but I finally got seated in this very cute restaurant with delicious food.  Had chickpea dal, this time it had fresh coconut slivers in it, Luchi and a stuffed potato dish served with a spicy mint sauce – realllyy tasty.  Walked around a bit but the city is so confusing I couldn’t find my way so just took the metro back to Central, calling J along the way to get directions!!!

Next day was Valentine’s Day so was lucky to get a reservation at Peshawri in the ITC Sonor.  I had a reservation for the night before but arrived too late so thanks to J was able to reserve for the following night.  Enjoyed a prix fixe dinner similar to Bukhara in Delhi, i.e. stuffed potatoes, tandoori chicken thighs (very tender and delicious), rolled lamb, garlic naan, chicken with tikka masala and peppers, dal and Indian ice cream.  The food was really so much better than in Delhi.

Walked around the gardens of the Victoria Monument in the morning which were lovely and very well kept.   They cover an area of 64 acres and everything seemed to be in bloom.  Visited St. John’s church built in 1787.  Quite British looking inside and out ringed by columns and housing rattan chairs inside.  Walked along the Ganges to Millenium Park which was rather uneventful.  Lunch at Zaranji near the Indian Museum was delicious, i.e. kofta navar (dumplings with a really nice sauce), dal and tandoori roti plus some candied mango chutney which went well with everything.  Wanted to visit the Ashutosh Museum of Indian Art but couldn’t find it so just gave up.  Took a taxi to Hotel Lytton where our G Adventure would start with a meeting at 6 p.m. 

Am delighted to have Dushyant again as my guide and it was fun to see him again!  Walked to the new market and had a kati roll, Bengal’s trademark fast food.  It’s a paratha roti filled with sliced onions, chili and a stuffing, i.e. mine was cheese and potato.

In the morning had delicious coffee and chocolate brownie at Flury’s, a very cute little coffee shop nearby.  Walked over to the Oberoi where many years ago my ex husband and I had dined!!!

We visited Mother Teresa’s Motherhouse where she lived most of her life and saw the little room where she slept from 1953 – 1997.  She won the Nobel prize for peace in the 1970’s and dedicated her life to helping the poor, especially the lepers.

Visited the Victoria memorial and went inside to see the paintings, etc.  It was designed to commemorate Queen Victoria’s 1901 diamond jubilee but the construction wasn’t completed until 1921, i.e. almost 20 years after her death.  In front there is a bronze statue of her on her throne.  Took a ferry ride down the Ganges to the Hawrah Bridge and then had lunch on Sudder Street at a little Bengal café, i.e. luchi, vegetable and potato dishes – all very nice.  Had some time to wander around a bit in the new market before catching the overnight train to Kalimpong.

Arrived at 6:30 a.m. at the train station and still needed to take

a 3 hour bus ride to get to Kalimpong.  Stopped for parantha stuffed with potatoes and coffee for breakfast.  Checked into our hotel and then visited the Cactus gardens and a nearby church.  Had vegetarian noodles for lunch at Gompu’s restaurant and then drove to the Durpin Gompa monastery consecrated by the Dalai Lama in 1976.  It is perched atop a hill and very beautiful inside.  Listened to the monks “praying”, i.e. reciting words, blowing horns and clinging cymbals.  Dinner at a little restaurant across from the hotel was vegetable curry, naan and roti bread.  Food was really good.

In the morning we headed to Sikkim, a state in East India in the Himalyan foot hills bordering Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan.  It requires a permit to enter but is easy to obtain.  While our guide got our permits we had potato stuffed paranthas and coffee for breakfast.  Drove to Gangtok, the capital, and visited Rumtek Gompa considered one of Tibetan Buddhism’s most venerable institutions and currently the home-in-exile of Buddhism’s Kagyu (black hat) sect.  Meant to replace the Tsurphu monastery in Tibet, the main monastery building was constructed between 1961 and 1966.  The giant throne within awaits the crowning of the (disputed) 17^th karmapa, who currently resides in Dharamasala.  Shared a Nepalese thali with one of the traverlers, i.e. dal, rice, vegetables, cracker bread, curd and beans and then checked into our hotel.  Very cold up in the mountains.

As we are a bit far from town had dinner at our hotel (Maplewood), i.e. spicy vegetables, cumin potato dish and naan bread.   Indian breakfast at the hotel was delicious, i.e. fried eggs, dry rice dish, potato parantha and hot tea.  Very foggy day so couldn’t see much from the Ganesh Tok viewpoint.  Visited Hanuman Tok and the Enchey Gompa containing beautiful murals of tantric deities.  The monastery founder was apparently famous for his levitational skills and was a flying monk some have said!!!  Stopped at the Himalyan Zoological Park to see some unique animals, i.e. red pandas, snow leopards and clouded leopards in a forest like atmosphere.  Lots of hiking up and down hills to get to the animals which was lovely. 

Stopped for some Tibetan momas, i.e. stuffed dumplings and then on to the lingdum gompa, the most picturesque of Gangtok’s monasteries, flower gardens and the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology housed in a traditional Tibetan-style mansion with a wonderful collection of artifacts related to Vajrayana Buddhism and Tibetan culture, i.e. Tantric ritual objects, thopa (bowl made from a human skull), thangkas (Tibetan cloth paintings), etc.

Took a gondola over the city and into the center of town.  Had some free time to wander around before meeting for dinner at A Taste of Tibet for some Tibetan vegetarian noodles and masala papadam.

In the morning we drove to Darjeeling, stopping for vegetable noodles on the way.  Visited the Tibetan Refugee center which houses 600 aged, orphans, etc. and is also a clinic, gompa and craft workshop.  Had mutton, spinach paneer and naan at Glenary’s for dinner.

Sunrise at Tiger Hill and then breakfast at a little café.  Visited the Happy Valley Tea Estate which began in 1854.  The estate was not functioning this time of year but we had a tour nevertheless and tried some of their tea which is organic and quite nice.

Visited the Mahakal Temple situated on top of a hill, walking through beautiful prayer flags on the way up.  Afterwards we visited the Japanese Peace Pagoda, a gleaming white building and one of the more than 70 pagodas built around the world by the Japanese Buddhist organization.  In the pagoda were murals carved out of rock depicting scenes in Buddha’s life. 

Had some free time so stopped at the Himalayan coffee shop for chocolate cashew cake and delicious coffee before wandering around town.  Met at 3 p.m. to go to the train station where we took the toy train which made its first journey along its two foot wide tracks in September 1881.  Stopped first in Ghum where we visited the railway museum and then in Kurseong and back to Darjeeling.  Unlike the Shimla train, this one ran within feet of local storefronts. 

Had dinner at Shangri-law restaurant, i.e. stuffed potatoes w/sauce, fish curry, dal and butter naan. 

Nice uphill walk to the Hindu temple we visited yesterday and took a leisurely walk around and back down to have coffee and walnut brownie for breakfast at the Himalayan Café.  Wandered around the city until 4 p.m. when we took taxis to the train station.  Unfortunately!!! There was a strike and people were sitting on the tracks so we had to wait in the train station for 13 hours (!!!) until the train finally arrived at 5:00 a.m..  A few of us played cards for several hours which helped the time go by.  I had picked up some cookies at Himalyan Café so had those for dinner.  Finally arrived at Mugal Sarai at 6:30 p.m. and then had to take a bus to Varanasi.  Most of us slept for several hours on the train and they did serve some nice vegetable curry, rice and dal for lunch.  Beautiful scenery along the way – a part of India I hadn’t seen before.  Had a nice dinner at our hotel in Varanasi, i.e. spinach dumplings, some cashew curry, cornmeal misti roti and regular naan.

Up early and headed down the Ganges on a boat to watch the sunrise.  Many people were already bathing and taking their holy dips.  Also saw some bodies on the stairs wrapped up and waiting to be cremated.  Lit some candles and sent them out with good wishes on lily pads into the Ganges….

I stayed in town while everyone else returned to the hotel and spent a couple hours immersing myself in Varanasi, i.e. watching people get their heads shaved, bathing in the Ganges, etc.  Tuk Tuk back to the hotel for vegetable jalfrezi and garlic naan and then went to a carpet “mansion” with our guide and a traveler looking to buy.  Interesting to see the beauty of the carpets but they were even too expensive for him.

Later in the evening we took a boat across the Ganges and Dushyant and one of our lady travelers took a “holy dip”.  Ferry back to the other side and a fun walk through the narrow streets and alleys ending at the blue lassi where we all had fruit lassis with fresh shredded fruit on top sitting on the terrace.  Mine was papaya and pineapple and delicious!  Took our boat out in front of the Dashshwamedh ghat decorated with  Hindu statues and watched the evening ceremony of lights, singing, etc.  Saw 13 piles of bodies burning as we floated down the river…

Stopped at a Nepalese home for a “cooking class” which was not really a cooking class.  The daughter made some momos (stuffed dumplings) and we all stuffed a couple to learn the technique.  The dad made some vegetable soup with noodles and we had those for dinner.  A really nice day…

Early morning train to Lucknow.  Checked into the hotel, had a quick lunch of dal and naan and took tuk tuks to the Residency, a large collection of gardens and ruins built in 1800 and served as the residence for the British resident guard who was a representative in the court of the Nawan.  In 1857 it witnessed the siege of lucknow, a prolonged battle lasting 147 days.  Dinner at a Moghul restaurant where we shared some mutton kebabs, dumplings, soft thin roti and some vegetable biryani which was quite nice.

In the morning after breakfast went to Bara Imambara, constructed in 1785, a year of a devastating famine, to provide employment for people in the region for almost a decade.   The entrance is accessed through two enormous gateways leading into a beautiful courtyard.  On one side is the beautiful Badshahi mosque and on the other is a large bowli (stepwell with running water).  The main imambara consists of a large vaulted center chamber containing the tomb of Asaf-ud-daula.  Walked up to the top of the central hall and into the three dimensional labyrinth, a network of narrow passageways that wind up to the upper floors.  Very impressive.

Had lunch at a little café with marginal Indian food which was rather disappointing as that was my last meal in India…Shared stuffed potatoes, butter chicken, misti roti and naan.  Caught the late afternoon train to Delhi and had a samosa for dinner.  Arrived about 10:30 p.m. and took a quick shower at the hotel before taking a taxi to the airport.  My flight left on time at 3:30 a.m.  What a great trip – can’t believe it’s already over…