The Reasons Why….

I started this blog so I would have a place where I could keep track of what's happening or is going to happen in my life as I travel the world over the next eight to nine months. I hadn't mentioned where I'll be going yet or the itinerary for good reason; it was still being created, produced and arranged by the amazing Meagan at Global Basecamps and airline sleuth Daniel at Airtreks . It's almost finished but beginning October 26^th, 2010, I'm on my way to: Iceland-UK-Germany (again but this time I'm in Berlin)-Italy-India-Cambodia-Singapore-Vietnam-South Korea-Japan-Indonesia-Australia-New Zealand-Fiji-Hawaii-then back home in May 2011! I won't go into detail too much now regarding the itinerary. I'd rather write about each adventure as it happens!

People have asked me, after first getting over the shock of me going, and the places I'm visiting (and the length of time I'm going to be away for), why I'm doing this. Each time my answer seems to be different but in this blog I can say the exact reason(s) why. I'm doing this for me. It's exactly as it sounds; selfish, self-centered and sort of insane. Yeah, big surprise there right? But I'm also doing this because I need to do this; because I want to enjoy this life while I'm still in it, and although this is an extreme way to do it, it just feels RIGHT. I'm also doing this for Robbie, who - although he did travel extensively - never had/got the chance to experience something on this scale, and although I will feel him every step of the way watching over me, I still wish with all my heart that he was doing this with me. Since he can't I'm going to do this for both of us and enjoy every minute of it!

Ein Prosit! A hungry man visits Oktoberfest Final Part

Ok, so I spoke a bit about the food at Weisn but I feel that I must say something about the airline food on my flight to Munich. Now God knows we all complain about it - well some do, and I can honestly say as someone who has worked in the culinary field for over fifteen years, I genuinely feel sorry for all of us who are forced to eat what they give us. I know the option is to starve, but I just don't know what can be done about this situation, can someone tell me? It wasn't always like this. I've even read stories about how the food used to be pretty good back in the day. I know there are strict food budgets that cannot be exceeded. I also know that it's very difficult to create meals that appeal to everyone, but if McDonalds can successfully do it (simply used as an easy example of mass-produced food, not a recommendation to eat there) and make a profit, so can the airlines. No excuses.

I mean who wouldn't want chicken smothered in what I believe was meant to be a sauce but instead was an orange-dyed, thick, overly sweet sludge served with seriously overcooked pasta, what was once diced green and red peppers but who knows what happened to the flavour and a very, VERY odd tasting green pea and carrot chutney which actually made no sense to serve with this particular chicken dish. Add in a bun that was left in the microwave too long turning it into a rock and a hard piece of chocolate brownie cake and there's your dinner and dessert! Does that sound mouth watering to you?? If it does I won't judge you, I promise, but for the ones who cried while reading that description don't you wish you can say: Seriously airlines, please, please can't you try a bit harder?? And for all that is good, CUT THE SALT!!!! I remember in Culinary School we really had to salt our dishes for flavour, but there was no excuse for the excess amount of salt in that meal where your taste buds are literally rising from your tongue and the roof of your mouths to push your mouth closed so you can't inhale another bite!! No wonder they came around with bottled water every ten minutes after the 'meal' was over. Dehydration on a flight is not pleasant.

Ya know, I'm beginning to think that this blog despite its name may very well turn out to be the musings of a traveller rather than strictly a travel blog about recipes and food as I originally thought/planned. Don't get me wrong, I still plan to talk culinary, just not in the way I thought I would. Oh well, it'll be ok.
I really babbled in this post, sorry but hey it's my blog and I'll babble if I want to! Oh and check out the picture of said airline meal (ugh). See what I mean?

Ein Prosit! A hungry man visits Oktoberfest Part 2

So what do you do at Wiesn? You drink beer. A lot. I happily partook in the custom and luckily I didn't get sick (I did, however, witness a few incredibly gross occasions of that including one that was WAY too close for comfort - huge shout out of thanks/Danke schön to Mark and Sonja for the 'protection'). Oh and I wore lederhosen. Pictures may or may not appear, I haven't decided on that yet (truth be told, I still have to find a job when I return from my travels and the internet, being what it is where everything private is public, I really don't wish to be judged/laughed at before I meet a potential employer ya know)? Anyway it wasn't all about the booze. I did manage to eat something amongst the partying.

I'm making this clear. This particularly trip was NOT meant to be a culinary journey. My diet was kept in line to what I was doing there, which again was mainly drinking beer. So really this post should be called A Drinking Man Travels! But when I did eat, my meals consisted of food that mostly leant itself as the right pairing to beer including some damn good rotisserie chicken (please don't even think Swiss Chalet - if you are, banish the thought immediately!!!!) If you're going to eat at Oktoberfest, the majority of the tents serve that crispy, delicious chicken among other things including; Weisswurst or white sausages (in hindsight I really wished I had the chance to taste the sausage but admittedly I found it very difficult getting past the somewhat stomach shrinking all-white appearance of the sausage), pretzels (brezen), Schweinehaxe or crispy ham hocks and german potato salad, all of which can be happily found in Canada's food guide on how to eat healthily (ahem). I managed to eat a somewhat tasty pork dish with a marsala sauce but it was also covered with bacon (now I LOVE bacon but pork on top of pork?) mushrooms and peas. Are you salivating? No? Don't blame you but it was pretty tasty even if the description may produce the opposite effect.

I'm hoping when I return to Germany later in the year I'll have more of an opportunity to experience some fantastic German cuisine that won't need to be enhanced by a pairing with beer but than again maybe that is what German cuisine is all about or at least a big part of it. I look forward to learning more firsthand!

Final Post: The 'joy' and pain of airline food

Ein Prosit! A hungry man visits Oktoberfest Part 1

Alright I admit I'm not being entirely original with a portion of the headline for this post. Go to any blog where people have written about Oktoberfest and you'll see 'Ein Prosit' somewhere in there, be it in the headline or the post itself. The actual full version is 'Ein prosit, ein prosit der Gemutlichkeit' (click on the words to hear the song) where you lift your huge Maßkrug or Maß (beer stein) and sing along.

It is sung endlessly at every tent, and you'll be sick of it like I was after three days of hearing it (sidebar: I find at Oktoberfest - and all you regular visitors to Munich/Oktoberfest tell me if I'm wrong, but one reaches a point where if you're forced to hoist your beer in the air one more time singing that song, you're just begging to hurt someone so you can drink the damn thing in peace!)
But I digress. If you also happen to stumble upon other blogs about Oktoberfest, you'll find loads of descriptions about the festival; what to see, what to do, where to go etc. so I'll spare you those details in this post.

So after spending five days in Munich, Germany, three of which were at what is by far the biggest beer-drinking festival in the world, literally filled to overcapacity with some seriously drunk people, I came home with a question: how the hell do these people pull this event off without serious incident*? *(there are some incidents, it is NOT perfect).

I mean c'mon - in the city where I'm currently living 60 people can't even go to a bar without a fight breaking out yet somehow 6 million people can happily manage to drink beer in lederhosen without embarrassment and still avoid the same stupidity that happens here at home? Makes you wonder if there is something in Canadian beer that makes people (BOTH sexes) act so violently when they go out or if Germans are just conditioned to handle their beer intake better in public (he says while not one paragraph above he's advocating violence over singing Ein prosit!) Anyway, if you can scrounge together the cash and the time to attend, then you should definitely do it – it's so worth it. It is just so huge and over the top, fun and absolute madness. Organized chaos if you really think about it. If that's your thing you'll love it. If you have issues with personal space don't go. Trust me, there is no such thing as personal space at Oktoberfest. I should also mention that Canada has a version of Oktoberfest held in Kitchener/Waterloo. I've been asked/told to go check it out but why would I now? If someone provides me with a convincing reason as to why I should go to Oktoberfest lite instead of the real thing than by all means write to me ok? And if you do, please refrain from using the words 'local' and/or 'cheaper'!

Now I've been to Oktoberfest or Theresianwiese (Wiesn for short) before - about two years ago. I went on my own that first time and holy shit I had such a blast. Would it be different this time around now that I'd be going with friends in tow? Yes and No. Yes, in the sense that instead of thinking for yourself, you have to think about others. No, in the sense that instead of thinking for yourself, you have to think about others. Did that makes sense? Am I still drunk? Regardless it was a good time, be it with friends or on my own, but I know I won't be going back there for a while. One German guy we met there who was from Munich told us that as part of his job he had to entertain clients at Oktoberfest for nine days in a row last year. Nine days in a row!!! I'll tell ya, my liver went out to him because trust me, we all have limits when it comes to parties and nine days is REALLY pushing it - even he admitted it. Can you imagine that? Your boss telling you that you have no choice but to go and party or you're fired? Dream come true or nightmare??

Next Post: Eating and drinking at Wiesn