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| The Lochside Hotel in Bowmore, Isle of Islay |
Established in 1884, the Lochside Hotel is a quaint and
comfortable place to stay on Islay. Although the rooms are small, and the
hallways narrow, this is certainly by the standards of a 21st-century traveler.
The dining room and bar are cozy and convivial, with a whisky menu that
contains virtually all the products of local distilleries, including those with
eye-watering prices.
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| Room 6 |
Nursing a Blurred Vision IPA for a few extra minutes of
enjoying pleasant, if not threatening, weather. A sparrow is trying to manage
and protect a huge chunk of bread, but rivals make that job increasingly
difficult. Many people are sneezing because of the high pollen levels.
Pulled kikok chicken sandwich with red cabbage-tomato salsa, beetroot yogurt, and roasted onions. BRLO Blurry Vision Hazy IPA.
Sometimes, among friends, restaurants achieve a mythic status based upon the experience rather than the food. Of course, excellent food can help bolster one’s impression of a restaurant as well. Located on a nondescript street, behind the doors of an inauspicious building, Tapeo Gràcia is a warm and invitingly small dining area. Without a reservation, or eating by myself, I am frequently relegated to the bar, which is great as well. I can watch both the bartenders and cooks prepare meals for cheerful and expectant guests.
I have fond memories of finding the restaurant after Sally,
Niel, and I wandered the narrow streets of the Gràcia neighborhood of Barcelona
for seemingly an hour. There are so many choices about where to eat, and it is
difficult to decipher which ones are merely interesting from those that might have
good food as well. The first time we stumbled into Tapeo, we thought we hit the
jackpot. The following year, we attempted to retrace our steps, all of us
forgetting the restaurant’s name. Just as we were about to give up, and Sally
said, “the next decent restaurant,” as if by magic, we turned the corner and
there was Tapeo.
I have had many good meals in Barcelona, but Tapeo remains
my favorite. Without a doubt, it has interesting food and good drinks. But the
ambiance and vitality of the restaurant makes it a fun place to visit.
May 2024 dinner:
Espárragos tempura con romesco ligero (Tempura Asparagus with Romesco sauce)
Pan de coca con tomate (Coca bread with Tomato)
Huevos estrellados con jamón ibérico de bellota (Broken Eggs
with Iberian Ham, Bellota refers to free-range, acorn-fed ham, aged for over
two years)
As we approached security, a middle-aged man with slightly graying hair and silver-rimmed glasses was stopped and told that he was not allowed to take a luggage cart through. It was crowded and he was trying to hurry. When he took one bag off, another fell to the ground. His wife screamed, walked over, and kicked him so hard that the security guards instinctively moved to intervene. The man turned and took the luggage cart away. But everyone who saw it was stunned into an awkward silence.
Located in a former gas station, it is perhaps our favorite taco place on the planet(?). Last visited: April 2024.
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| Al Pastor, Salmon Taco, and Pollo Verde |
Address: 30 Broadway Ave,
Mystic, CT
The Northern Lights seen over
Nova Scotia on my flight to Iceland, after intense activity in May. Not the
best photo, but my first-time seeing aurora borealis.
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| Eastern Bluebird near Fish Hatchery Road |
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| A breeding pair of red-tailed hawks have returned to their nest near the Mile 8 signpost. |
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| A peacock on Nealy Road |
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| Spring dandelion |
