New entries coming soon!!

Hi, to all those who are kind enough to spend some of their time reading my blog

The company that used to provide a cloud-based system for my photos closed down.
I have now found an alternative and have nearly finished updating. Everything will be back to normal soon and with new entries!!
Apologies.

Time to complain about The Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

I know that when I travel, I have to comply with the laws and regulations of the country I visit.

I recently travelled to Miami and I know that The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has the right to open my luggage and inspect it - the fact that my luggage is inspected leaving the country and not when arriving escapes me, but who am I to question this!. I also purchased TSA approved locks for my luggage so that the nice people of TSA could open them.
When I picked up my suitcases at my home airport, I noticed that one of them had been opened, as the lock had not been closed correctly and later found a TSA notice of baggage inspection inside.
This, I did not think was right. Admittedly, it possibly does not take much to open a suitcase, but the lock is not only for security but for safety, so that the contents will not scatter all over the luggage belt or worse, lost amid the entrails of an airport.

I, thus, decided to write an email to the nice people of TSA, enclosing a pic of the unlocked lock (not sure whether this is gramatically correct, but I like the sound of it) and pointing out that since I comply with their laws and regulations, the least I would expect in return was for my suitcase to be locked after inspection.

I was, truthfully, just looking for an apology and the usual phrase that "we always endeavour to.....etc, etc". What I received was an email attaching a five page claim form that looks too long and too complicated to read, let alone complete, print and send, especially since I had no intention of making a claim because, as I had mentioned to the nice people of TSA, luckily nothing was missing from my suitcase.

If only the nice people of TSA had read my email!!

Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, ...

When I walked into a shopping mall in Sao Paolo and saw Don Quixote and Sancho, I could have paraphrased Rick in Casablanca but I thought I would leave you with the opening line of the novel - well, with the place changed: "Somewhere in ... Sao Paolo, in a place whose name I do not care to remember...", and, of course, the picture!!

Don Quixote and Sancho in...Brazil

Not for Monty Python´s Ministry of Silly Walks

The Peruvian Paso Horse (in Spanish, caballo peruano de paso) does have a special walk, or gait, but is not at all silly and, thus, would not be elegible for a subsidy from Monty Python´s Ministry.
The Paso Horse is a special breed of horse, descendand from the horses that the Conquistadores brought over from Spain - mainly from Andalusia - in the 16th century. What makes it special is its smooth ride as a result of its particular ambling gait. The video below was taken at Hacienda Los Ficus, just outside Lima., where you can watch a show, which includes the typical Marinera dance of Peru and also lunch.

The Peruvian Paso Horse

Marinera dance

Rock n Roll, ribs and a beer in Florida with...Iron Maiden!!

If you happen to be in Coral Springs in Florida and fancy some ribs, you may want to consider Rock n Roll Ribs, owned by Nicko McBrain, yes, the drummer of the heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. They even have their own label beer with the brand name Trooper. Enjoy!!

Special Baggage travels to Mars!!

Well, not quite but, from the two pics below, can you pick out NASA`s photograph of the Mars surface, taken in August 2017 by its Curiosity Mars rover?

The answer is in the following slideshow of pics taken in Cieneguilla, about 25 Kms. east of Lima in Peru, which is where we actually travelled. A Mars like scenery, where you can observe the resilience of Tillandsias or Air Plants.

You can´t have your cake and eat it...unless you are Ferrán Adriá

The acclaimed Spanish chef Ferrán Adriá attained worldwide notoriety by using in his restaurant

El Bulli, what is known as molecular gastronomy or - for the rest of us - the application of scientific principles to cooking. In 2011, Adriá, decided to close the 3-star Michelin El Bulli., which since 2002 had been voted Best Restaurant in the World on five occasions and open El Bulli Foundation, to carry out investigations into the creative process in gastronomy.  

If you are familiar with hot gelatin, spherical ravioli and deconstructed Spanish omelett you know what I mean. If you are not, help is at hand from the master himself, by visiting his roving exhibition, Auditing Creative Processes, that first showed last year in Madrid, and has just left Lima (Peru). The exhibit is a documented journey through the history of El Bulli and its evolution from restaurant to think tank. Adriá closed his restaurant and is still considered by some to be the best chef in the world, thus the title of this post.
Just in case the exhibition does not come to your city, I leave you with a few pics and videos.

Tools of the trade

Cooking with Gastón Acurio and Micha Tsumura

In a previous post, reviewing the restaurant Maido, we mentioned that we had caught up with its owner Micha, in southern Peru. Now we can reveal that we cooked with Micha Tsumura and Gastón Acurio in Pisco. Well, to be honest, we only watched them cook. It was by chance that the production company that was searching for locations to film some commercials for a bank, ventured into my wife´s family house just outside Pisco and asked whether they could film there. We were witness to the cooking of scallops with dates and passion fruit, which we also tasted and enjoyed.

My wife, Diana, and I with Micha Tsumura and Gastón Acurio

New York, London, Milan, Paris and now...Gamarra Fashion Week

You may have never heard of the place but it has a thriving textile industry. Located in the district of La Victoria in Lima (Peru), it has around 20.000 businesses and its very own Fashion Week. Maybe not as glamorous as New York, London, Milan or Paris...but you never know!

Gamarra Fashion Week

Gamarra

Gamarra

Micha welcomes at Maido

Maido means welcome in Japanese and Mitsuharu Tsumura (Micha) welcomes you to his Lima based restaurant Maido, where he serves what is considered the best Nikkei (fusion of Japanese and Peruvian) cuisine in Peru. Maido was voted 7th in the Latin America´s 50 Best Restaurants Awards and the award is well deserved. A must in your next visit to Lima.
More on how Special Baggage met up with Micha in southern Peru soon...

Maido

Dessert Maido

All the world's a stage...

So begins the famous monologue of the melancholy Jacques in Shakespeare´s play "As you like it". Coincidentally, the Latin motto of the Globe Theatre, of which Shakespeare was a shareholder, was: "All the world is a playground". The original Globe was built in 1599 and destroyed by fire in 1613. It was rebuilt a year later, closed by the Puritans in 1642 and pulled down around 1644. The Globe that we can visit today, is a modern reconstruction about 100 metres from the original theatre, founded by the American actor Sam Wanamaker and opened in 1997. Shakespeare´s Globe, as the theatre was named, was built, as far as possible, using the same materials and techqniques of the original Globe, The theatre was partly open air with the audience divided between the pit where, for one penny, they would stand to watch the performance. Above the pit, there were three levels of galleries with wooden benches, some with cushions, which were more expensive, The upper gallery was reserved for the rich and the nobility - the Lord´s and the Gentlemen´s rooms. The money was put in a box held by collectors and, once full, taken to the box office (thus, the name used nowadays to describe a ticket office). Theatre-going was very much a social event and people would eat and drink whilst watching the play. Playhouses were also known to have areas where courtesans and gamblers would carry out their trade, which would explain, in part, why the Puritans closed down the original Globe. The modern Globe, stages plays and events and you can even become a donor and have your name engraved in the "Supporting Wall" or on a tile at the entrance.

Shakespeare´s Globe

Paradise on Earth

I haven´t found the exact quote but apparently George Bernard Shaw, described Dubrovnik in 1929 as "Paradise on Earth". This ancient city on the Adriatic Sea, is beautiful. I should point out that my visit was before the tragic wars that ravaged the former Yugoslavia. I was looking through my files and found a couple of pictures, so I decided to write this brief post, though the trip was made some time ago. When I visited, although it was a popular tourist destination, the numbers were manageable. I understand that, nowadays, there are quite a few cruise ships stopping there and, thus, a lot of tourists visiting the city. Also, when I visited, Yugoslavia, as it was then, was still a Socialist country, but to my surprise, the city felt like any other European seaside city. The particular brand of socialism imposed by Tito appeared to be quite distinct from other socialist countries.
Although Dubrovnik suffered severe damage during the war, it appears to have been restored to its former glory. Walk around the walls of the city, admire its Cathedral, its Rennaissance buildings and do as the locals do and walk up and down the Stradun or Placa, before or after indulging yourselves in one of the many good restaurants the city has (or so I remember).
Not far from Dubrovnik, but now in a different country - Bosnia and Herzegovina - is the town of Mostar, which was also heavily damaged during the war but has now been rebuilt. One of the main attractions was (and is) the Stari Most  or Old Bridge, built by the Ottomans in the 16th century. In fact, the town takes its name from the bridge keepers or mostari.

Dubrovnik

Rhapsody in Blue

When I began to write this post, the first two things that came to mind were Woody Allen and Gershwin´s Rhapsody in Blue. The same happened to me the first time I travelled to New York - in fact, just Manhattan. We have seen the city so many times in films and television series that it feels odly familiar - for the good and the bad. I couldn't help but remember Jack Lemon in the film "The Out-of-Towners" (I won´t say more about the film, in case you have not seen it and decide to do so and, if you already have, you know what I mean). Chinatown, SoHo, Central Park, the MoMa, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, and much, much more. I leave you with Gershwin - enjoy!.

A part of Africa in Peru

Peru is a a multiethnic country. Besides descendants of the original Amerindian inhabitants, there are descendants from all the different ethnic groups, mainly European, Asian and African, that have arrived since the colonisation by Spain in the 16th century. In the case of Africans, their arrival in Peru began in the colonial period when, tragically, they were brought as slaves. Today, the Afro-Peruvians are still very much concentrated in some coastal areas south of Lima, specifically in the region of Ica and the city of Chincha. Over the centuries they have contributed to what is today, the common culture of Peru and their influence can be found in, say, music, dance and cooking. El Carmen is a small village, 10 Kms. from Chincha, mainly inhabited by Afro-Peruvians, where every year they hold dance and religious festivals that fuse African, Inca and European traditions. A visit to El Carmen has to include lunch at Mamainé, where "mother Inés" cooks the best carapulcra in Peru. Carapulcra is a stew made with pork and dehydrated potatoes, accompanied by sopa seca (noodles)  - literally, dry soup. Not far from here, is Casa Hacienda San José. The main house of this estate, which is now a hotel, was built by the Jesuits in the 17th century and later sold to a local landowner. At it´s height, up to 1000 slaves worked in its fields, producing sugar cane and cotton. Underneath the estate, there are a number of passages, which appear to have been constructed to smuggle the slaves in from the coast, in order to avoid paying taxes. A tragic episode, which we can set aside, though never forget, digging into a plate of carapulcra, washed down by a glass of tutuma liquor and maybe an impromptu show of music and dance at Mamainé.

Mamainé

A place to die for...literally

Imagine yourself laying down in a beautiful garden, with all the time in the world, where some of your neighbours are famous artists, philosophers, writers and poets. Does such a place exist, you ask? It does, but alas, to live there you have to, well, stop living.
I am referring to Highgate Cemetery in North London. Established in 1839, it is the final resting place of, amongst others, Karl Marx, the historian Eric Hobsbawm, actor Corin Redgrave, philosopher Herbert Spencer, and writer Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. All these are buried in the East Cemetery, where visitors can wander around freely, whereas the West Cemetery may only be visited with a guided tour. The East Cemetary used to be free to visit a few years ago but they now charge an entrance fee of £4 which goes towards it´s maintenance. If you decide to travel by tube, I would recommend taking the Northern Line (otherwise known to locals as the misery line) to Highgate. Archway station is closer but I think the walk from Highgate tube, through Highgate Village and Waterlow Park is nicer.

LAST STOP

Rescue a princess

Well...at the very least you can pretend to, in this medieval castle that is part of the Paradores of Spain chain. The Parador de Alarcón is in the province of Cuenca and about 200 kms from Madrid. Ideally, you will book one of the "unique" rooms, located in the tower. Once there, I would suggest you allow your imagination to take over!

More Paradores:
Parador of Mazagón
Parador of Trujillo
Parador of Ávila
Parador of Cuenca
Parador of Santiago de Compostela
Parador of Salamanca

In the tip of Lima

For most visitors to Lima, the nearest they will get to El Callao is Lima airport, which is located in this province of Lima. The historical centre, Miraflores, San Isidro and Barranco are the districts best known to visitors to the city, and unless you arrive by ship, you will possibly not think of visiting the actual port of El Callao, and its district of La Punta. This was not always the case, the port was once very popular, but with the wrong people. Pirates, including Francis Drake and Jacon Clerk dropped in from time to time. These unwelcome visitors convinced the Spanish viceroy at the time to construct the fortress of the Real Felipe, which still stands and is now a naval museum. Walking down to the sea from here, you go pass Rovira, a restaurant founded in 1907, and arrive at Plaza Grau in memory of Admiral Miguel Grau, a national hero in Peru. In the port you can board a boat to Isla Palomino, home to a colony of sea lions. Isla San Lorenzo, another island about 4 kms. from the port, was the place from where pirates attacked the port and is now a naval base. El Callao was also the place where the first railway of Peru, and the second in Latin America, was constructed and home to the first fire station of Lima. Tintin and Captain Haddock also visited the port of Callao in their adventure "The Temple of the Sun".
To get to La Punta, you can walk through the district of Chucuito, which still has some houses painted with bright colours, similar to the Boca district in Buenos Aires, but it´s possibly safer to catch a taxi. By the way, don´t be alarmed by the tsunami warning signs - unless you hear the alarms!. La Punta is the place where the affluent families of El Callao have historically lived and you can infer this by the large and well kept houses and it´s four rowing clubs. There is also a wetland populated by hundreds of birds.

El Callao

El Callao

Admiral Grau

More posts about Peru:
Cebiche in the Panamericana Sur
Monet´s favourite flower...in Lima
MATE but no chess
Lima coast
Shaken, not stirred...and with chicken
Lima to Asia in one hour
The Maltese falcon found in Lima
A story of nymphs and satyrs...and it's not about politicians
An English vampire in Peru
Lima flower market

Lima Flower Market

Pictures of the Piedra Liza flower market in Lima.

Piedra Liza flower market

Hungarian Rhapsody

When you fly into Budapest, you land at Liszt Ferenc International Airport; you can walk along Liszt Ferenc tér and have a drink or something to eat at one of the many cafes and restaurants in this square just off Andrássy út; visit the Liszt Museum and with a bit of luck, listen to one of the Hungarian Rhapsodies played by one of the students of the Academy founded by the man himself.
Budapest is a beautiful city, or maybe I should say cities, since until 1873 there were two cities - Buda and Pest - separated by the Danube river. If you are staying in Pest, you may have already visited the Parliament building. Walk across the Chain Bridge to Buda, take the Buda Castle Funicular, enjoy Buda Castle and stroll around the district. If you decide to stop at one of the cafés, try the Café Miró. The Castle is lit at night and best viewed from Pest. There are a couple of hotels that have rooms looking onto the Danube and Buda, like the Intercontinental.  A not so expensive option, with no views, but next to the Opera and the beautiful avenue Andrássy út is the K+K Hotel Opera. There is plenty to see and do in Budapest and whilst I would advise walking, the underground is an attraction in itself as it is the second oldest underground in the world, which has been operating since 1896. Whether you decide to walk the length of Andrássy út or take the underground to Hősök tere, you arrive at Heroes' Square and close-by the Museum of Fine Arts. At the other end of town, near Corvinus University, the Museum of Applied Arts is also worth a visit, and the famous Gellért Spa and hotel is across the river in Buda.

View of Chain Bridge and Buda

An English vampire in Peru

No, it´s not a new version of Sting´s song, "An Englishman in New york". The title of this entry refers to the legend of Sarah Ellen Roberts, an Englishwoman buried at Pisco Cemetery in southern Peru, and who was considered by some to be a vampire. There are two sides to the story of Sarah Ellen, as she is referred to in Pisco. What appears to be certain is that she was born in Blackburn in North West England around 1862 and that she married John Roberts, a weaver. After this, there are two very different versions. One, describes how John and Sarah Ellen travelled to Peru, where John´s brother had settled, hoping to make a new life for themselves and that Sarah Ellen possibly died accidentally during the trip and was buried in the cemetery of the nearest port. The other story is that Sarah Ellen was found guilty of whitchcraft in 1913 and sentenced to death by being buried alive. The story goes on to describe how before the coffin was closed, Sarah Ellen shouted that she would rise to seek vengeance in 80 years time. Since the Church of England had not allowed the coffin to be buried in consecrated ground, her husband had travelled the world looking for a place to bury her and eventually ended up in Pisco. The legend though does not end here. In July 1993, 80 years after her death, many of the inhabitants of Pisco prepared themselves for the inevitable but nothing happened. Then, in August 2007, Pisco was devastated by a massive earthquake that killed hundreds of people. The cemetery was also affected, a large number of tombs were destroyed and coffins lay opened - except for the tomb of Sarah Ellen. Some of the inhabitants, then, began to consider Sarah Ellen not as a vampire, but a saint. The pictures below were taken by me in January 2014 and you will notice the fresh flowers that people leave, together with small metal plaques giving thanks for the granting of favours they had sought from Sarah Ellen. It appears, that the legend of Sarah Ellen is just that, a legend but... I just thought I would tell you the story in case you happen to visit Pisco.