Morning walk

This is my favourite picture from our morning walk yesterday.  It started snowing a couple of hours later and still hasn't stopped.  

Western Fair Farmers' Market

Fun morning at the market!  This guy seems to be wired for sound, but he kept quiet while we were there. 

Thames River revisited

The river crested sometime Thursday I think, but it was still high when we walked on Friday morning.  Today it was down to normal levels, but you can see how high it was by the ice left behind in the trees.  

It looks very pretty, but there is a lot of tree loss.

Family Weekend

This weekend Trudy came to visit.  It is a challenge at this time of year to find places to take her as she is not very mobile.  One of her favourite stops is Mike's Meats, a Dutch deli in London.  Here she is stocking up on ingredients for nasi goreng and her other specialities that I can't spell.

On Sunday we drove out to Port Stanley - not many people on the beach and the lake looked frozen as far as I could see.  Last time we were here was Thanksgiving Day, when it was warm enough for a stroll on the beach.

The Mighty Thames

With all the rain and snow melt over the past week the Thames has risen a good 12 feet.  Anyone who has been dog walking with us will know this underpass at Wellington Road.  Usually we look down to the river 10-12 feet, today we were level with the water.

Playa Pelada

Playa Pelada is the beach just north of Playa Guiones - a nice walk and very rewarding.  Olga's, a Tico-owned bar, is right on the beach, and is home of, I swear, the cheapest and coldest beer in Costa Rica! La Luna is also located at Pelada, pricey, but a beautiful spot to watch sunset.

Pelada is also a fishing beach.  It is amazing to watch these guys, they have to launch these boats through massive surf.  
Zoe is a hit wherever she travels.  

Our last trip was over the Christmas holidays, a very busy time - I saw more people on the beaches than at any other time, most of them locals.  Many Ticos to go to the beach for the holidays, many of them camp by the ocean.  What a great place to live, and what a fantastic place to spend the holidays.

Garza

Garza is the fishing village / beach just south of Playa Guiones.  We have been there a few times now and especially love the fantastic pizza place on the beach.  It has moved down the beach to a new location since last time but the pizza is just as good.

Garza is the place to go if you are looking for fresh fish - here is a shrimp boat.  Mmmmm .... shrimp ......
The beach at Garza is lovely, this guy went by while we were having lunch.
Our first time in Garza in 2005, Joellen took John and I fishing (they fished, I was the official photographer) - I can't remember the name of this guy, but he was terrific.  I love the look on her face in this photo!  We took a boat from Garza and after we got back the locals cleaned and filleted our fish.  We had the freshest tuna sashimi that night ever!

Markets continued

Speaking of markets, here are a couple of shots from the market in Nosara - not to be missed it is held every Saturday morning at Giardino Tropical during high season.  Organic vegies, meats, and fresh roasted organic mountain-grown coffee ... for only 1900 colones per .5 kg (less than $4).  Craft vendors also have tables set up and you can get a haircut for a donation to "escuelita" - sort of a kids holiday club I think?

Covent Garden Market

Covent Garden Market is located in downtown London.  Originally founded in 1845, the market was rebuilt ... around 10 years ago?  I rather miss the old market with its smells, old time vendors, and rickety floors ...  but the new facility is nice, although a bit too upscale (and expensive!) for my tastes.  Luckily we have our choice of markets in London - John and I often go to the farmers' market at Western Fair on Saturdays.  One of the great things about Covent Garden market is that it has events going on all year.  These photos are from the ice carving festival which is held in February each year.

The Forest City

London is known as "The Forest City", but sadly we seem to be losing more trees each year.  We are lucky to live in an older area downtown and we still have a good number of great old trees.  This big old magic tree is in the Westminster Ponds area - we like to take unsuspecting visitors out on the trails to see it ... and then get lost.
In the past couple of years we have  been noticing more and more carved trees downtown.  On one walk last year we came across the carver, chainsaw in hand, starting work on this one. It turned out beautifully.
Huge controversy over these metal trees that sprouted a few summers ago.  They are all over the downtown area, all different and all painted very vibrant colours.  I love them ... but most people don't share my opinion.

Coffee

I can barely function without my morning cup of coffee.  This photo was taken at a restaurant in La Fortuna, the small town at the foot of Arenal volcano in Costa Rica.  They make a fresh pot of coffee at each table, using this amazing filter system.  Needless to say the coffee was divine!  John and I usually bring back half a suitcase of coffee after each trip to feed our addiction.  

Gallo pinto

Gallo Pinto is a Costa Rican dish.  It translates literally as "spotted rooster" and it is a rice and bean dish that YOU ONLY EAT FOR BREAKFAST (right Em?).  Joellen kindly gave us a pinto lesson while we were in Costa Rica ... let's see if I get it right.

You start with rice and beans (duh!).  

Joellen uses a rice cooker, which she preheats, adds a little oil, sautes some chopped onions, then adds the uncooked rice and water and cooks according to rice cooker directions.  In the end you need about 4 cups of cooked rice.

The beans are also precooked - for at least 3 hours at a low heat.  While they are cooking you add water as needed, and at the end of cooking you add sauteed onion, garlic and cilantro.  The consistency at the end is something like canned baked beans.  You will need about 2 cups of cooked beans for the pinto.  I guess you could use a can of black beans if you are desperate, but don't tell Joellen.

Ingredients for the pinto ... as shown above

4 c cooked rice

2 c cooked beans

1/2 c finely chopped onion

1/2 c finely chopped red pepper

1/2 c finely chopped cilantro

garlic, salt and pepper to taste

Lizano sauce - some people swear by it, Joellen doesn't, I prefer Iguana hot sauce 

When you get as good at this as Joellen you can make pinto with one hand and your eyes closed (with the proper supervision of course)!  So now we saute the onions, garlic, and peppers until the onions are soft.  Add the rice, breaking up any clumps.  Add the beans.
Salt and pepper to taste ..... 

and finally the cilantro.  But remember .... only for breakfast!  We had pinto, fried eggs, bacon, fried cheese, fried plantain and corn tortillas mmmmmmm!  Fills your tummy for the whole day!

In Costa Rica for lunch or dinner one often eats casado ... a typical plate with rice and beans - but always served separately.

Costa Rica Flora and Fauna ... or maybe Crustaceans?

Today I am not feeling great, I didn't sleep well ... I am downright cranky ... so no more winter pictures for a while.

This lovely fellow is a river shrimp (maybe?) that Dimitri caught when we went to the waterfalls on our last day in Costa Rica.  The falls were beautiful and they are in the middle of nowhere ... thanks to Matt for leading us there.

Here is John and my collection of shells .... now we have them here at home we are trying to figure out what to do with them.   Any ideas?

The hedges around Nosara are often grown from Hibiscus and Bouganvillia (sp?) - really pretty.

Groundhogs and other small critters

Today is Groundhog Day, or Candlemas, and the weather on this day is said to mark the progress of winter, which is actually at its midpoint.  Today was actually sunny and warm, but here is a more typical winter picture taken from our front porch and here is an old saying/poem which may explain where the whole groundhog myth came from.

If Candlemas be fair and bright, 

Winter will have another flight;

If on Candlemas Day  be shower and rain,

Winter is gone, and will not come again

And here is the closest thing I have to a photo of a groundhog.  This is a pesote (or Coatimundi, as JNG would say), common to Costa Rica and a relative of the raccoon.  The turistas like to stop their cars and buses to feed these critters.

Yoga

I have to thank my sister Katrina and niece Emily for encouraging me to try some yoga classes while we were in Costa Rica.  These pictures were taken at the Tree Top Studio at the Nosara Yoga Institute - what an incredibly beautiful and inspiring spot, way up in the tree tops with the sounds of the jungle around us and Playa Guiones off in the distance.  Yesterday I took my first yoga class in London and it brought back all those great memories.