Laura on the Loose

Should I stay or should I go?

Posted on May 3, 2013 by lauranc

Home sweet home - I love coming home to this sight!

Home sweet home – I love coming home to this view!

So…some news to report! I’ve been keeping it quiet for the last month or two, but I guess it’s time to let it all hang out. I have an opportunity to temporarily move abroad in the fall. I won’t get into too much detail about it yet, but watch this space!

This is actually a very tough decision for me for a variety of reasons. It’s a great opportunity, but I’m keenly aware of the fact that I have a nice life here in Durham. Do I want to continue nesting or leave on an unknown adventure? I like the home I’ve created in NC, but there’s always part of me that craves new experiences. At the same time, I’ve come to realize that happiness comes from within (and from the quality of my relationships with other people) much more so than from external experiences or factors.

Glacier adventure in Argentina

I know that I don’t necessarily need to move away from Durham to get my adventure fix. I was proud of my solo travels in Patagonia earlier this year. Although I’ve done some solo travel in the past, this was by far the most adventurous trip I’ve ever taken. I didn’t know the language and had never traveled to South America. Patagonia conjures up images of barren wilderness, so it doesn’t sound like an ideal travel destination for a female on her own. That said, it’s so tourist-ed that I actually found it was an easy place to conquer solo.

I hate to admit it, but I’ve been cursed with shyness since birth. It’s held me back on many occasions and in many regards. It’s worn off some over the years, but it’s still central to who I am as a person. I’m learning to embrace it…

Because I’m shy, it’s surprising to some that I often take on big moves. I’m cautious, but I’m not shy about tackling a new challenge once I jump in. For some reason, traveling/living abroad makes it easier for me to come out of my shell. My good friend Catherine commented that I’m absolutely glowing in my Argentina pics. It’s true – I had a fabulous time there, even though I was flying solo.

At the same time, the outcome here is unknown, and I find that terrifying. I need to remind myself of my favorite Paulo Coelho quote:

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dream.”

In theory, I believe this is true, but it doesn’t always feel that way. It’s tempting to play it safe, to not put myself out there. I don’t risk failure that way…but will I always regret it?

I usually find that I don’t regret doing things nearly as much as I regret not doing them. We learn from failure and move on, but regrets linger.

Posted in change | Tagged Durham, living abroad, moving | 2 Comments

Buenos Aires streets and eats

Posted on April 8, 2013 by lauranc

BA highlight: cafe con leche

The best part about traveling to Buenos Aires last month was staying at my friend’s adorable flat in the Palermo section of town. SO much better than a hotel. And free!

My pal Cecilia has been in BA on a 6-month work transfer. Needless to say, she’s enjoying her temporary expat lifestyle. Her flat is located just down the street from the U.S. embassy and the U.S. ambassador’s swanky pad. It’s also just a couple of blocks from a number of major sights and city parks, including the Japanese Garden, the zoo and Tres de Febrero park.

Tres de Febrero

Tres de Febrero has good urban energy – people lounging on blankets, dogs strolling, cyclists, weekend green markets, etc. And there’s a lovely rose garden:

Rose Garden

Cecilia’s neighborhood reminded me of a cross between the Upper West Side and Soho…the UWS because of the great big trees and neighborhood feel, and Soho because there were tons of trendy restaurants and cafes.

I enjoyed my morning ritual of coffee and breakfast at a cute cafe in the ‘hood. The Argentinians aren’t big on breakfast. You won’t find much in the way of eggs and heavier fare. Most people I observed opted for a croissant or bread basket, served with dulce de leche and various other spreads.

I usually picked up breakfast at a bakery-cafe named Nucha, which is part of a chain similar to Au Bon Pain. My favorite item at Nucha was the diminutive (yet filling) croissant sandwich with ham and cheese:

Breakfast, served with a random chocolate and complimentary juice

I encountered quite a few ham and cheese sandwiches during my trip.

A lil’ jamon y queso for breakfast

My best meal of the entire vacation was lunch at Rio Alba, a nearby steakhouse. I was fueling up before a late afternoon bike tour around the city, so I went for it and ordered the rib eye (half portion, which was still huge) with fried potatoes and a glass of Malbec. Delish.

Not what I normally eat for lunch

That famous steak

On my last night in BA, I checked out a supper club. Five Mediterranean-inspired courses, served in a private flat and enjoyed with 9 other travelers? Why not?! The food itself was so-so on that particular night. That said, the presentation was impressive, the wine pairings were great and it was a fun group. Definitely a worthwhile experience if you’re game to do something unique in BA.

Supper club dessert – a tarte with raisins, chocolate and a bit of caramel

Posted in Argentina, Foodie guide, travel | Leave a comment

Road tripping from El Calafate to El Chalten

Posted on April 1, 2013 by lauranc

The road to El Chalten

If you’ve been reading my blog lately, you know how much I enjoyed Patagonia. I’m already planning a trip back to hike the “W” circuit in Chile’s Torres del Paine. Last month, I only had time for a day hike near El Chalten in Argentina, but it was spectacular.

The day trip to El Chalten started bright and early at 7:30am. Unfortunately, I had a serious issue with my cell phone alarm and awoke abruptly at 7:25am. I bolted out of bed and somehow made it onto the bus in a somewhat disheveled state. I knew a long day was ahead – the trip to El Chalten is about 215 kilometers each way along Ruta 40 – but I was excited for a road trip!

The landscape along the way is as barren and wild as you’d expect. If it wasn’t so beautiful and unusual, the drive would be extremely boring. There’s absolutely nothing along the road, other than the steppe, mountains and various bodies of water. The colors are difficult to describe – blues, oranges, yellows and browns unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

It’s a desert, but that’s a glacier in the very far distance

Wow wow wow

The view during the drive

Literally, there are no motels, gas stations, rest stops or fast food restaurants along the way. The only possible stop is the Hotel La Leona, where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid once hid from the law. It’s about an hour into the journey.

Hotel La Leona

The river next to Hotel La Leona

Just outside of El Chalten, we stopped at Salto el Chorrillo, a very pretty waterfall:

Waterfall outside of El Chalten

Once we arrived in El Chalten, our group split up. The majority of my fellow travelers opted for a glacier boat tour, while a few of us headed off on a hike to Laguna Capri.

Our tour guide left with the boating group and turned us loose on the mountain. She said it would take about 3 hours of uphill hiking to reach Laguna Capri. We brought our lunches with us and set off on the trail.

With a couple of friendly young Brazilians leading the way, we hiked up that hill at a ridiculously fast pace. Boy, was I winded! We actually made it to our destination in about an hour, instead of the three we expected. If I’d hiked at my own slower pace, I suspect it would’ve taken about two hours.

There were some really unique trees and awesome views along the way. The trail often ran along this valley:

Looking down into the valley

Hiking views

Fearless leaders

Getting close to Laguna Capri

Laguna Capri is well worth the challenging hike. There’s a small sandy beach there, and we kicked back for a bit before starting our hike back to El Chalten. It was a clear day so we enjoyed some great views of Mt. FitzRoy.

The beach

FitzRoy

You can’t take too many pictures of FitzRoy

We hiked around Laguna Capri for a bit

The hike back down was much easier and more leisurely. Eventually, El Chalten came into view:

El Chalten from the mountain

A post-hike beer never tasted better.

Quilmes, an Argentine beer

Posted in Argentina, Patagonia, travel | Tagged adventure travel, Argentina, hiking, Patagonia, south america, travel | 3 Comments

Trip to El Calafate

Posted on March 26, 2013 by lauranc

Flying into El Calafate was a pretty cool experience – and a fitting kick off to my Patagonian adventure. The airport was built in 2000, and it’s still quite sparkly (and also small so it’s easy to navigate). It’s located right next to gorgeous Lago Argentino, with dusty, barren mountains looming nearby.

View from the airport terminal

El Calafate

I was pretty charmed by El Calafate, even though it’s basically a tourist town. Like the airport, the town is right there on Lago Argentino. Redonkulous views abound.

View from my hotel

My hotel, La Cantera Boutique Hotel, was up on a hill about a 15 minute walk away from downtown. Fortunately, the hotel provides a free shuttle service into town after 8pm. And like most visitors, I was busy on excursions to El Chalten and Perito Moreno basically all day. It wasn’t like I needed to trek back and forth into town.

Overall, I really liked La Cantera. The hotel provides a nice breakfast with fruit, eggs, bread, cheese and tons of sweets, if that’s your thing. The rooms are spacious and clean, and the staff helped set up my excursions and airport transportation ahead of time.

Room at La Cantera – basic yet comfy!

As for downtown El Calafate, it felt part ski town, part throwback. The downtown strip consists of restaurants, shops and bars perfect for a post-hike Quilmes. In terms of food, you’ll find Argentine pizza, Patagonian lamb and enormous ham and cheese sandwiches like this one:

The biggest sandwich I’ve ever seen in my life

downtown

shopping and bars/restaurants

Even though it’s been taken over by tourists, El Calafate retains some of its uniqueness and character. It’s a dusty place and there are lots of ancient, beat up cars on the road. It felt a bit like the Old Wild West, in a way.

dusty town

There are also tons of dogs roaming the streets – friendly, sociable, confident and seemingly well-fed hounds. I suspect that some are strays and others have homes but are allowed to cruise during the day. I found them lounging on windowsills, making friends with diners at outdoor restaurants and chilling in alleys. I patted one on the head and he/she tried to follow me home. Tragically, we had to part ways…

Posted in Argentina, Patagonia, travel | Leave a comment

Perito Moreno glacier trek

Posted on March 21, 2013 by lauranc

Perito Moreno

Although there were many highlights from my Argentina trip, the “mini-trek” on Perito Moreno glacier was by far the coolest thing I did.

There are several different ways you can experience the glacier. If you’re short on time, you can visit the viewing platforms facing Perito Moreno. We stopped there after our trek, and I took the photos at left and below. As you can see, it’s not a bad viewing option!

From the viewing platforms

Alternatively, you can take the Todos Los Glaciares Boat Tour, which covers all of the area’s glaciers during a full-day cruise. And for the adventurous, there are the Big Ice and “mini-trek” tours organized through Hielo y Aventura. I opted for the mini-trek, which cost about US$125. (Note: it costs AR$140, or about US$25, each time you enter Los Glaciares National Park for any of these options).

I scheduled my tour with Hielo y Aventura about a month in advance through my hotel. I’d heard that Hielo y Aventura doesn’t directly take advance reservations, so I was glad my hotel was able to take care of this for me. I like having things scheduled in advance…especially when I’m traveling so far, and with a specific goal in mind!

Big Ice trekkers walk for about 3.5 hours on the glacier, while you’re on ice for 1.5 hours during the mini-trek.

Driving to the glacier park

The tour company picks you up at your hotel and takes you to a mother load destination, where everyone climbs onto a bus for the journey to the glacier park. The drive to the park takes about an hour and a half, but there’s beautiful scenery along the way: mountains, Lago Argentino, vast plains and, finally, Perito Moreno in the distance across a sparkling blue lake.

This is really a special place. And it was a gorgeous day in early fall – low 60s and perfectly sunny.

Almost to the glacier

Heading over on the boat

After the scenic drive through the park, we loaded onto a small boat and headed across the lake to the glacier. The boat trip lasts 20 minutes or so. My fellow tourists were snapping pictures of the glacier as we approached, but as a shorty I couldn’t get any decent photos that didn’t include the tops of people’s heads. I figured we’d have all day to photograph the darn thing though.

We arrived at a base camp area, where we were able to leave non-critical belongings. My hotel had provided me with a somewhat heavy and cumbersome box lunch, which I happily ditched in one of the cubbies. From there, we walked about 15 minutes down a hiking trail towards the glacier, with more great scenery along the way.

Hiking to the glacier

I’d brought my waterproof hiking pants and jacket with me, but I didn’t need them on that beautiful and clear day. The guide did insist that everyone wear gloves, since you can hurt your hands on the ice if you fall.

The guides helped us strap on our crampons, and off we went. We crossed a rocky beach area by the water and climbed up onto the glacier from there.

Base – where we geared up

Crampons

Getting ready to climb up on the glacier

So pretty!

Our guide

Up we go

Single file. It was pretty steep at times!

Little stream of water in the glacier

Glacier trekkers

Towards the end, our guide served up some whiskey with glacier ice.

After the glacier walk, we took off our crampons and headed back through the woods to base camp for lunch. We had about an hour to lounge on the rocks and enjoy the scenery before getting back on the boat.

The coolest part about this place is how pristine they’ve managed to keep the park. There’s not a single souvenir shop selling t-shirts. No overpriced restaurants peddling sandwiches and bottled water. There were no boats on the lake, other than the one shuttling us across. There wasn’t even a trash can at base camp – you bring your trash back into town with you. I doubt there are many places left on earth that are as well-preserved as this glacier park. It’s just nature…all around you.

The mini-trek was an awesome experience, and a great way to experience the glacier up close. If you’re in good health and not pregnant, I’d recommend you put it on your bucket list.

Posted in Argentina, Patagonia, travel | Leave a comment

Home sweet home

Posted on March 19, 2013 by lauranc

Perito Moreno Glacier mini-trek

I got back from Argentina yesterday morning, after a 15-hour journey via JFK, feeling refreshed and renewed. Okay, I was exhausted yesterday, but after a good night’s sleep, I feel so re-invigorated.

It sounds cheesy, but there are trips that just give you a new lease on life, and this was one of those trips for me. Especially the Patagonia section of my travels. It was so incredibly beautiful there – words and pictures can’t begin to describe it.

The best part of it all: being home feels great too! Today, the most basic things – like having my morning coffee, going to spin class and walking Emma – make me smile and feel good about life.

I sure hope this feeling lasts for a while…

I’ll post more photos and stories from my trip to Patagonia and Buenos Aires later.

View of Fitz Roy from Laguna Capri

Posted in Argentina, travel | Tagged Argentina, Fitz Roy, Patagonia, Perito Moreno Glacier, travel | 1 Comment

Brunch at Oakleaf

Posted on March 5, 2013 by lauranc

I wrote a lengthy and very positive post on Oakleaf restaurant after my inaugural visit at the end of 2012. I really loved my dinner experience there, but it’s a bit of a hike to Pittsboro, so I knew I wouldn’t make it out there very often. Well, I finally returned for brunch last weekend. I came straight from a morning spin class (my new exercise addiction!), and I was ready to indulge.

Beignet

Oakleaf is closed on Sundays and is only open for brunch on Saturdays, which is a little unusual in the Triangle…and especially in traditional Chatham County. I’d emailed several days ahead to secure a reservation, but discovered the joint two-thirds empty upon arrival. I loved the energy during my prior meal there, so I was a little disappointed to find it so empty and quiet.

On the bright side, we had our choice of tables and settled into a roomy four-top table in the corner. I ordered a coffee as we studied the menu, a brunchy mix of egg dishes, sandwiches and salads. They serve cute little individual French presses for coffee, but I was a wee bit sad that it took a good twenty minutes for my coffee to materialize. Our server brought warm beignets to the table while we waited.

Breakfast “sandwich”

For my meal, I ordered the aged Gruyère, sage and farm egg breakfast sandwich. The menu touts that it comes with “extra cheese sauce,” and they’re not kidding! Between the dousing of cheese sauce and the runny egg, this is definitely a knife-and-fork dish. That’s no bad thing, but be forewarned that it’s a pretty heavy brunch. My favorite part of the sandwich was the addition of the sage.

The sandwich came with frites (although our sleepy server forgot mine, and I had to chase the hostess down to claim them). I won’t wax poetic over the frites but they were really good!

Delish frites

Posted in brunch, favorite restaurants, local food, Pittsboro | Tagged brunch, local food, Oakleaf | Leave a comment

Supper Clubbing in Buenos Aires

Posted on February 18, 2013 by lauranc

I leave for Argentina in less than 3 weeks, so I’m in full-force planning mode at this point! Most of the details of my 3-night jaunt to El Calafate in Patagonia are squared away, so my attention has now shifted to Buenos Aires.

Other than catching up with my fabulous hostess Cecilia and exploring her ‘hood, I’m excited to bike, imbibe and taste my way through the city. As far as tasting goes, I’d really love to check out a supper club while I’m in town.

Durham’s The Cookery

The pop-up restaurant and supper club trend is not exclusive to Buenos Aires. On the contrary, they’re popular pretty much everywhere these days, from New York to Berlin. Here in Durham, culinary incubator The Cookery recently unveiled a new event space for pop-up dinners. The team from Toast hosted the first dinner earlier this month, and it sold out within minutes. I have yet to locate an active supper club in Durham though…

Known in Buenos Aires as puertas cerradas (restaurants with closed doors), underground supper clubs have been around for a while – some for decades. Behind the closed doors of someone’s private flat or in an intimate event space, you can find pretty any cuisine your heart desires. Perhaps more importantly, these events provide an opportunity to mingle with locals and tourists alike. You never know who you might meet!

One of the best-known supper clubs in BA is Casa Saltshaker, held in the Recoleta flat of an expat couple and featuring “fancy home cooking” for US$65. The meal includes wine pairings, a welcome cocktail, five courses and spirited conversation at a communal table.

Another supper club that caught my eye is Jueves a la Mesa, hosted in a private residence in the San Telmo neighborhood. This dinner is held only on Thursdays (hence the name, which means Thursdays at the Table) and features scrumptious vegetarian fare, including hearty salads, soups and homemade chocolates. Sounds like welcome relief from the steaks and heavy empanadas I’ll be indulging in the rest of the week. The chef is a local yoga instructor and is said to be a great hostess to the guests who mingle at her communal table. Also, it’s a steal at AR$120 per person, or about US$24.

For an extensive list of clubs around the world, check out this list on Casa Saltshaker’s website. Have you ever been to a pop-up restaurant or supper club?

Posted in Argentina, Foodie guide, local food | 2 Comments

Parker and Otis

Posted on February 17, 2013 by lauranc

Parker & Otis interior seating

In local Durham news, Parker and Otis is back open after closing for repairs due to a fire late last year. Toast is definitely my favorite sandwich spot in town, but Parker and Otis is probably my #2.

This local spot is part knickknack store, part coffee shop and part breakfast/lunch restaurant. There’s a spacious outdoor seating area that’s great in the warmer months. No wireless internet service though (last I checked).

If you ever need a gift and don’t know what to buy, this is your place! Parker and Otis sells tons of candy, housewares, wine and novelty food items.

To be honest, I’m not a big fan of their breakfast (though many in town are) but Parker and Otis has many tasty sandwiches on the lunch menu. The restaurant is known for its grilled pimento cheese, but I find that sandwich a bit too heavy. My fave is the avocado/white bean/sprouts/tomato concoction. It’s a spectacular little combo – and very filling!

Toasted sandwich with white bean spread and avocado

During this visit, I switched out the usual coleslaw served on the side for Greek salad. I’m not a coleslaw person, but theirs is actually pretty good. My favorite side item is the corn and tomato salad, but they only carry it in the summer.

Side of Greek salad

Posted in Durham | Leave a comment

Five places I could live and work

Posted on February 12, 2013 by lauranc

A family friend put me in touch with a really major NYC food critic, and we had nice little phone chat today. He was awesome, and I’m sure I’ll write more about our convo later, but what he had to say about the profession was a bit – okay, a lot – discouraging. Nothing that I didn’t already know, but it’s got me thinking about all the obstacles.

For starters, it’s not lost on me that if want to write guide books and culinary travel articles, I need to either 1) travel a LOT, or 2) live somewhere cool to establish a compelling niche. See: The Paris Kitchen, David Lebovitz and The Travel Chica.

Now, Durham is a great place to live. It’s getting plenty of (local and national) press as an “up and coming” city with decent food and art scenes. That said, it’s probably not going to cut it long-term – there’s only so much you can write about Durham.

So…where to go? I like the idea of Asheville or Portland, but they’re pretty similar to Durham. I probably need to live somewhere that will provide a real angle (and endless opportunities to pontificate). Here are my top ideas, um, this week:

Berlin canal

1) Berlin, Germany: As I wrote a couple weeks ago, I grew quite fond of Berlin during my trip there last year. I loved the greenery, arts scene, people, and hipster Prenzlauer Berg, with its sidewalk cafes and pretty residential architecture. Common sense tells me that I’d need to get schooled in beer though. Fun!

2) Williamsburg, Brooklyn: Writers are a dime a dozen in the city, making for fierce competition, but there’s also limitless material. I wouldn’t move back to Manhattan though…nope, I’d definitely go for Brooklyn this time around. A lot of my friends have really lovely, grown-up lives in Williamsburg, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens. They live in spacious 1-bedroom apartments, own dogs (!) and hang out at chill neighborhood bars on the weekends. I could go for that.

3) California Coast: Okay, okay, I admit it. Year-round sunshine is the draw for this one, but who cares?! Gosh, the thought of living in Santa Barbara, Santa Monica or elsewhere on the Pacific Ocean really appeals to me lately. I guess I’d need to be near San Francisco or L.A. to reap some career benefits as well, but that’s no bad thing.

London pub

4) London, UK: Although I’m taking a lil’ hiatus from the UK, I know it’s temporary. I’ve felt a connection with the place since I traveled there as an 8-year-old. Mind you, there were some tribulations during that vacation! My family stayed in a haunted inn that scared the bejesus out of me for years. At another hotel, I slept in a crib when they ran out of beds and cots. Fortunately, I was small for my age! Anyway, the London food scene is very hot right now. Also, there’s no language barrier! +++ On the down side, London is ridic expensive.

La Marais

5) Paris, France: Foodie mecca. That is all.

What would you add to the list? Mendoza? Toronto? Tuscany?

Posted in France, Germany, New York, United Kingdom, writing | Leave a comment

Laura on the Loose

Should I stay or should I go?

Buenos Aires streets and eats

Road tripping from El Calafate to El Chalten

Trip to El Calafate

Perito Moreno glacier trek

Home sweet home

Brunch at Oakleaf

Supper Clubbing in Buenos Aires

Parker and Otis

Five places I could live and work

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