Category: Food & Drink

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JIUFEN – A Mountain Jewel in Taiwan

View of the coast from Jiufen, Taiwan
View of the coast from Jiufen, Taiwan

Last month we spent several days in Taiwan, sightseeing, shopping and taking care of a couple of important errands.

Most of our stay was spent in Taipei, but we did manage a day trip to the historic mining town of Jiufen, now a popular tourist destination in the mountains northeast of Taipei.

With scenic panoramic views, dozens of curious shops and galleries, and more eateries than any two people could sample in a month, the picturesque village provided a fascinating getaway from the urban bustle of Taipei.

Here are some of the colorful sights from our daylong adventure.

click on each thumbnail for more information about the image

0-Jiufen-where-are-we
1-Jiufen-Temple-Sea-View-Taiwan
2-Taiwan-Jiufen-Mountain-Temple
3-Jiufen-Temple-Dragon-detail
4-Jiufen-narrow-shopping-alley
5a-Jiufen-busy-tourist-shopping-alley
5-Jiufen-tea-shop
6-Jiufen-calligraphy-brush-shop
7-Jiufen-chicken-shop
8-Jiufen-noodle-shop
9-Jiufen-ice-cream-pancake-shop
10-Jiufen-tearoom-gift-shop
11-Jiufen-mining-cart-display
12a-Jiufen-alley-shrine
12-Jiufen-tearoom
13-Jiufen-tearoom-steaming-kettles
14-Jiufen-Mel-pouring-tea
15-Jiufen-tearoom-balcony-view

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Pumpkin spice: More than cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger

Fresh-baked pumpkin pie
Image by mtnlover610 from Pixabay

BALI, INDONESIA – Pumpkin Spice is back at Starbucks. And a week or so earlier, Dunkin Donuts announced the return of their own pumpkin spice coffee drinks.

Honestly, I’ve never tried either one of their flavored drinks. I prefer my pumpkin spice in its original form – fresh-baked pumpkin pie! It’s been my favorite dessert since I was a kid growing up in Ohio.

Since moving to Indonesia, I’ve discovered a surprising link between Starbucks, my favorite Midwest childhood dessert and a group of tiny islands in eastern Indonesia. Curious?

Continue reading “Pumpkin spice: More than cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger”

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Sago Cakes – a traditional Spice Island taste treat

Cut into individual segments, the sago cakes are ready to eat
Fresh, hot palm sugar-filled sago cakes, ready to eat

SAPARUA ISLAND, INDONESIA – A short caravan of funky minibuses hauled our group on a bumpy ride through the jungle. We were headed from our beachside landing to our morning destination in a rural island village.

The road had been paved with concrete sometime in the last century and was sorely in need of resurfacing. But the bouncy ride was all just part of the adventure.

We had come to watch our hostess, Oma Nelly (oma means grandma in the local language), demonstrate how she makes traditional sago cakes. Our guide, Leo, explained each step of the process.

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Three Years On The Road Now – And Counting…

Melanie gets ready to hit the highway in a vintage motorcycle sidecar
Melanie’s ready to hit the highway in a vintage motorcycle sidecar in Phong Nha, Vietnam

DANANG, VIETNAM – This month marks a milestone for us on our world travels. Three years ago, on June 15, 2017, we bid farewell to our home of 25 years in Western Washington state and set off with one-way tickets to Edinburgh, Scotland intending to travel around the UK for a couple months.

Ten weeks later we hopped back across the water to the U.S. to visit friends and family on the East Coast and the Midwest. Then, after two months in the Seattle area wrapping up some final loose ends, we flew off to Asia.

Continue reading “Three Years On The Road Now – And Counting…”

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