Checking things out! http://www.checkingthingsout.com Steve's blog posterous.com Sat, 20 Mar 2010 06:02:44 -0700 Toledo y la España Imperial http://www.checkingthingsout.com/toledo-y-la-espana-imperial http://www.checkingthingsout.com/toledo-y-la-espana-imperial

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/438764/myphoto.jpg http://posterous.com/people/eIKH96Xyoh Steve Joseph Steve Steve Joseph Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:34:00 -0800 Weekend in Oporto http://www.checkingthingsout.com/weekend-in-oporto http://www.checkingthingsout.com/weekend-in-oporto

A rainy February weekend away in Oporto, northern Portugal.

Flew with Ryanair for the first time. Very cheap ticket, leaving some $$ to splurge on a great hotel, the Hotel Infante de Sagres in Oporto.

As expected, it rained the whole weekend, but it wasn´t really a problem (well, except for having cold, wet feet the whole time).

The gastronimic discovery of the weekend was Bacalhau a Braga : Fried, breaded bacalao, covered with sauteed onions, green peppers and garlic. All served on a bed of fried potatoes. Yum. Warms you up all the way down to your soggy socks.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/438764/myphoto.jpg http://posterous.com/people/eIKH96Xyoh Steve Joseph Steve Steve Joseph Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:52:38 -0700 Last Lanzarote white http://www.checkingthingsout.com/last-lanzarote-white http://www.checkingthingsout.com/last-lanzarote-white With this Mozaga Malvasía Seca, we finish up the last night in Fuerteventura.

Steve

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/438764/myphoto.jpg http://posterous.com/people/eIKH96Xyoh Steve Joseph Steve Steve Joseph Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:49:00 -0700 Yaiza, night on the town http://www.checkingthingsout.com/yaiza-night-on-the-town http://www.checkingthingsout.com/yaiza-night-on-the-town

Dinner in Yaiza at La Casona de Yaiza. Another fine Lanzarote white wine - this one a Stratvs Malvosía seco. Dessert was a chocolate volcano with red berries. Yum!

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/438764/myphoto.jpg http://posterous.com/people/eIKH96Xyoh Steve Joseph Steve Steve Joseph Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:22:17 -0700 Home of Lanzarote wines http://www.checkingthingsout.com/home-of-lanzarote-wines http://www.checkingthingsout.com/home-of-lanzarote-wines We're staying in Yaiza, home of one of the Lanzarote wines you can see in an earlier post. So, how do you grow grapes on an arid, windswept rock off the coast of Africa? Well, you build a wall to shelter each plant from the wind, and you cover the soil with lava pumice gravel to hold in the moisture.

 It works. The wines are great!

Steve

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/438764/myphoto.jpg http://posterous.com/people/eIKH96Xyoh Steve Joseph Steve Steve Joseph Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:18:17 -0700 Another Lanzarote white http://www.checkingthingsout.com/another-lanzarote-white http://www.checkingthingsout.com/another-lanzarote-white Tonight it's a bottle of Yaiza Malvasía Seco 2008. Very nice, and a cool bottle.

Steve

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/438764/myphoto.jpg http://posterous.com/people/eIKH96Xyoh Steve Joseph Steve Steve Joseph Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:50:02 -0700 Vino de Malvasía http://www.checkingthingsout.com/vino-de-malvasia http://www.checkingthingsout.com/vino-de-malvasia Bermejo Malvasía Seco - A yummy white wine to go with lots of fried fish and papas arrugás (Canary-style baby potatoes)

Steve

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/438764/myphoto.jpg http://posterous.com/people/eIKH96Xyoh Steve Joseph Steve Steve Joseph Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:15:21 -0700 Czeching out http://www.checkingthingsout.com/czeching-out http://www.checkingthingsout.com/czeching-out Time to head home after a week in Prague. The original plan was to spend 3 days in Prague and the rest of the time taking day trips to nearby towns, but there was so much to see here that we never left the city.

 This is definitely a worthwhile visit and I recommend it highly.

 Sadly, it's time to head back home:

 Passport...check
Sunglasses...check
Explorer hat...check
Red and white wine...Czech

(Sorry, couldn't resist the parting Czech jokes)
 
Steve

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/438764/myphoto.jpg http://posterous.com/people/eIKH96Xyoh Steve Joseph Steve Steve Joseph Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:16:53 -0700 A break and trying something new http://www.checkingthingsout.com/a-break-and-trying-something-new http://www.checkingthingsout.com/a-break-and-trying-something-new After visiting the Royal Palace and other marvels of Prague castle, we're taking a break in the Wenceslas vineyard. Here you can see a fine Czech red - Zweigeltrebe 2007 Znovín Znojmo.

 Beautiful views of the city from here - you can see the crowds on the Charles bridge and all the steeples of Prague.

After the break - St. Vitus Cathedral

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/438764/myphoto.jpg http://posterous.com/people/eIKH96Xyoh Steve Joseph Steve Steve Joseph