My typical breakfast.
Either half or two half of a toasted, butter Kirkland Signature Cheese Bun. With coffee.
Buy at least 2 dozen at a time at Costco. Slice them in half. Throw them into the freezer.
Costco Kirkland Signature Cheese Buns Review
Category: food
Should I get a PET Octopus?
Have you seen My Octopus Teacher, the 2020 Netflix Original documentary film?
Fantastic.
Seems to me they are the most amazing possible pet.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. This is the guy who created all those terrific squirrel mazes.
Enjoying Pasta in Italy
Venice & Bologna
Bigoli (Venetian: bìgołi) is an extruded pasta in the form of a long and thick strand.
Good for me were pasta to go places in Venice.
Choose bigoi. Choose your topping. Take it away in a box.
This one is a kind of Carbonara.
This one is Amatriciana: Tomato and Bacon.
I can then sit on the canal to enjoy with my Diet Coke bottle of cheap wine. 😀
Overall, the Carbonara variations are my favourites. Eggs, hard cheese, cured pork, and lots of black pepper.
I tried a super popular local restaurant near a train station. AMERICAN portions.
Tastiest of all — however — was a small portion of lasagna I had with Les and Tam at a random tourist restaurant in Venice. I couldn’t recall better.
Bologna
Outside Italy, the phrase “Bolognese sauce” is often used to refer to a tomato-based sauce to which minced meat has been added. As kids in Canada we ate spaghetti and meatballs — thinking it a kind of spaghetti bolognese.
The mayor of Bologna pointed out that “Spaghetti bolognese doesn’t actually exist, yet it’s famous the world over …”
Ragù alla Bolognese is what it’s called here.
Tagliatelle al ragù alla bolognese is much preferred over spaghetti. Often served with grated Parmesan on top.
This is grocery store Tagliatelle bolognese. I added the parmesan and pepper.
Sadly, it was the worst pasta I had in Italy.
Tuscany
I’m the kind of gourmand who’s quite happy with spaghetti and ragù sauce out of a jar. 😀
BUT for this trip to Tuscany, I decided to learn something about real pasta.
Hostel homemade Tagliatelle has a nice texture. Long, flat ribbons that hold a lot of sauce.
Northern Italy
In the north, cuisine is influenced by Germany and Austria. But I stuck with pasta in Trento.
Monograno Felicetti is like spaghetti. And was served to me al dente.
The carbonara was tasty. Cured pork and black pepper the main takeaways.
In Italy, I listened to sections of a good book:
Pasta, Pane, Vino: Deep Travels Through Italy’s Food Culture
Author Matt Goulding was inspired by Anthony Bourdain.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Visiting Tegernsee, Bavaria
Lake Tegernsee is surrounded by an alpine landscape of Upper Bavaria, and has an economy mainly based on tourism.
It’s about an hour by train from Munich. Even closer to Austria.
I cycled the 18.8-km loop around the lake. Plus side trips.
Then — on Claudia’s recommendation — had soup and a beer at famed Restaurant Bräustüberl.
I tried the leberspatzlesuppe (liver dumpling soup). Not visually appealing, but tasted great.
I drink only 1 beer / year. But where better than Bavaria on a hot afternoon?
A Deep Dive into … Bread
Norway has cheaper and far better bread than Canada.
Kneippbrød, for example, is the most popular. 100% whole wheat flour. The whole grain (shell, kernel, and germ) is used.
In Canada, bagels are the most popular bread. I love bagels. No complaint there. 🙂
#2 is packaged sliced white bread. Not good.
I believe the main reason bread is better in Europe than North America is competition. There are far more bakeries and producers — still — in Europe.
Since fewer Canadians buy good break, it’s comparatively expensive compared with the Superstore white bread sold as a loss leader at CAD $.97.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Cycling Arctic Norway ➙ Lyngen Alps to Lofoten
Trip report by Rick McCharles
Part 1 of 3
- Cycling / Hiking Lyngen Alps to Lofoten
- Cycling / Hiking Arctic Norway ➙ Lofoten
- Cycling Bodø to Trondheim + Kristiansund & Atlantic Road
Click PLAY or get a glimpse on YouTube.
I flew into Tromsø, Norway summer 2022. BUT Scandinavian Airlines left my bicycle sitting in Heathrow airport for 5 weeks. … And finally sent it back to Canada. ☹️
Making the best of it, I rented bikes in Tromsø and finally travelled by bus down to Lofoten.
I decided to try again summer 2023. And this time my bike and gear did make it to Tromsø.
Hoo hoo.
Cycling the north of Norway was my #1 goal following the pandemic.
Tromsø to Lofoten / Bodo is the most interesting section, for me.
I spent 2 days in Tromsø getting the bike set-up and packing groceries. Then set off south on a Komoot app route I bought from guru Matthew of CycleNorway.com.
So far it’s mostly been the very popular Eurovelo 1 cycling route.
Day 1 — July 1st, 2023
To start I took a 64km detour 😀 to hike Brosmetinden. Beautiful weather. But WINDY.
That night I set up the tent at Grotfjord beach. Free and fantastic. By law you can camp almost anywhere in Norway at no cost.
Day 2 — July 2nd, 2023
I headed for quaint Hillesøya, a short detour off my route.
There’s a steep day hike up Nordkollen that’s interesting. Rope and chain assist.
I stash my bike in the trees for these hikes.
I put the metal to the pedal to make it to a favourite campsite from the previous summer.
Norway is expensive. I rarely eat at restaurants.
Camp cooking is great — but I do prefer having a picnic table.
Day 3 — July 3rd, 2023
Weather forecast was excellent for one of my main highlights of Norway. The Hesten / Segla hike.
I’d climbed Segla in 2022, posting my most experimental and worst VIDEO yet. 😀
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
TRIP REPORT
From Segla I cycled south until reaching a tunnel temporarily closed to cyclists. After an hour or so of waiting around, two of us crossed by putting our bikes and gear inside vehicles.
This young German speed demon (140km/day) and I set up our tents at yet another amazing free government campsite called Ersfjordstranda outdoor recreation area.
Day 4 — July 4th, 2023
The great weather continued.
But for reasons unknown, this July Senja island was tortured by big, slow horseflies. I put on my rain suit for protection.
I was waiting for the ferry — FREE for cyclists in Norway — to the next island ➙ Andøya.
Weirdly, I never saw another horse fly. Only Senja island was plagued.
Early evening I came upon this surprisingly modern building.
An ultra modern toilet block. At a push of a button, those windows could be made opaque. Cool.
I decided to set up my tent. It was me and the sheep.
Day 5 — July 5th, 2023
The following day was long and uneventful. No hikes.
The bike and gear working perfectly, my main complaints were muscular soreness in the upper back and neck. I tried to take more short breaks. I’m in no rush.
Andøya is less popular with tourists. The bog better for peat and cloudberries.
I needed up camping on the beach.
Day 6 — July 6th, 2023
Next morning I caught the ferry to Lofoten.
It was a great start to my trip.
On one list, Norway is ranked the BEST nation in Europe for multi-day cycling.
I’d agree. But that list is suspect.
So far as I’ve heard from cyclists, France is best set-up. Germany and Austria quickly improving.
Personally, I’d go to Germany next. In addition, Germany is offering a rail pass for tourists ➙ €49 / month for anywhere in the country. You could hop on some trains with a bike.
Travelogue PART 2 is next:
Cycling / Hiking Arctic Norway ➙ Lofoten
Enjoying Pizza in Italy
I love all pizza.
But if forced to name my best ever, I say Sorbillo’s in Naples. Gorgonzola, ham, mushroom. Fantastic. And inexpensive.
When I first travelled Italy at age-17, Rockin’ Ronnie introduced me to Calzone. Oven-baked folded pizza made with leavened dough. It originated in Naples, as well.
Back in Italy in 2023, I thought I’d further explore the pizza homeland.
Alice Pizza is a super popular chain. Light, airy dough made with little yeast.
Of 60 varieties, my server in Lucca recommended something unique. Like a pizza ham sandwich. Served cold, not hot. Delicious.
In the mountainous north, Mikey likes a Trento pizzeria run by a family from Napoli.
This was the combo recommended to me by the boss. Spinach. Pork. …
This Capricciosa in an airport restaurant was surprisingly good. Plenty of artichokes.
An Afternoon in Florence
Hmm …
I debated taking the short train ride to revisit Florence, one of the most popular tourists cities in the world.
And on a sunny Saturday in May?
A hot, crowded tourist trap. The over-priced attractions were all lined-up and impossible to enter. BEST book your tickets online.
The one place I wanted to pay to visit was the Boboli Gardens. But the line-up at the ticket wicket was too much for me.
My favourite stop was Michelangelo Square, for the panoramic vista.
If you are some sort of puritanical prude, convinced you’ll burn in Hell if you see God’s creation without clothing — don’t come to Florence.
Michelangelo Gay porn is everywhere. 😀
I did my own walking tour of the major plazas and oldest bridge, Ponte Vecchio.
As a fan of statuary, Florence is a terrific outdoor gallery.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
On the advice of the waiter at a chic eatery 😀 called Porks in the central market (Mercato Centrale) in Florence, I had Tagliatelle with Amatriciana sauce for lunch. Better than Bolognese, I thought.
I’m on Cholesterol Medication
Rosuvastatin 10mg
After 2023 annual medical lab tests, my Doctor recommended I try 3 months of a pill to see how it affects my cholesterol levels.
He was surprised to see my numbers as I don’t have other conditions often associated with cholesterol risk.
I’ll TRY as well to change my diet: fewer bad fats; less dairy, red meat, partially hydrogenated oils.
More fruits and vegetables, fish, etc.
The evidence is quite good that simultaneously taking drugs that lower blood pressure and cholesterol reduces the risk of stroke.
My blood pressure meds:
- Apo-Perindopril 8mg
- Sandoz-Amlodipine 10mg
- Apo-Hydro 12.5mg
I’ve never noticed any side effects from any of these medications.
Lisa’s Birthday Adventure Week – Moab, Utah
I had a GREAT time with Dave and Lisa Adlard in one of my top 10 hiking towns of the world – Moab.
End of March should be ideal weather for outdoor activity. BUT 2023 was colder than usual.
Lisa rented a huge house. We had 19 people.
AND another 10+ over at other rental properties.
Click PLAY or watch a HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO on YouTube.
The birthday girl and friends enjoyed a SPA session.
That same day we were at a Climbing Club in Salt Lake City.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
The Rapel at William’s Bottom was a highlight.
I was video guy for this one. Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
I skipped the Side-by-side Quad adventuring. Jason only rolled his quad once. And only a quarter turn into sand. No injuries.
We had 2 dirt motor bikes, as well.
Corona Arch was the hike where most of our group got together for sunset.
Arches National Park was cold and windy when we were there. A fantastic place.
Dead Horse Point is wonderful. We had one group hike. And one group cycle.
Click PLAY or see Deadhorse on YouTube.
We ate most of our meals at the house. One restaurant blowout was hosted at Zac’s.
The infamous mountain bike circuit is called Slickrock Trail. I survived it in 2007 and did NOT want to risk a second time. BUT some of our group cycled it safely. Jeni and I hiked Slickrock.
A wonderful adventure vacation. It reminded me of a similar trip with Adlards to the Oregon Coast in 2021.
Rick McCharles 