A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity

“Travels to a Different Time” : 17August1974: Wuppertal, West Germany: Beer in the Morning?

Up at 08:00 for the usual breakfast of brot, schinken und kaise (bread, ham and cheese). I must have eaten an entire field of wheat on this trip! We took the Schwebebahn and then a bus out to countryside to a big pool. Beer started upon arrival. Little 4-ounce glasses of alt beer sort of nonstop. When in Germany do as the Germans do. We then went to a soccer game and Freddy kept buying beers. We took a tram and a bus home but the bus broke down and we walked the rest of the way. Berndt had to work at Essen in the evening so while he ate his dinner I packed up. I walked him to the bus stop and said good-bye. Berndt’s friend was heading to Bonn at 06:30 in the morning so it was off to bed early. Beer at 11 a.m. That’s a first.

18August1974: Wuppertal and Frankfurt, West Germany: What a Nice Granny! Willy the Pimp

Granny was up at the crack of dawn waking me up and bringing ham, bread and cheese. I ate as much as I could and went downstairs ready to say good-bye. My goodness Granny had even packed lunch! My ride was twenty minutes late and he did not speak English but we got along well. He left me off at a good hitching spot in Bonn and in no time I was picked up by a German student in those weird tinny looking Citroens. It was chilly and drizzling which rather suited my mood. I got a lift to the airport and found the Overseas National Airline’s office and was told they had a flight leaving at noon to New York the next day. So I stored my bag and took the train at the airport lower level so I could check out Frankfurt. I recall the main station was in a sleazy part of town and my recollection was correct. Porno shops and cheap bars with ladies of the night outside beckoning for business. There were also pimps with their girls reminding me of Frank Zappa’s song “Willy the Pimp”. I went to Wimpys for a cheeseburger and fries and took a bus to another part of town. I ate dinner at the train station for $3 and took the train back to the airport. They have stores, restaurants, pubs and pool tables. I walked around discovering this huge airport. I had a beer and played a couple games of pool, washed my face and bushed my teeth and off to sleep on some seats in the airport.

RKS Wine: A Sparkler from Chile: Low on the Totem Pole?

For sparkling wine the kings of the castles are supposedly those made by the Traditional Method which involves secondary fermentation in the bottle. Sometimes the Traditional Method is referred to as the Champagne Method as that is how Champagne is made. The Charmat Method is far cheaper as it involves placing the wine in large pressurized tanks for its secondary fermentation. The bubbles are usually larger and the final product is thought of having less finesse that wines produced by the Champagne Method. To be fair perhaps you just want something cold and bubbly for refreshment purposes. Perhaps you are hot and steamy after gardening the Charmat Method may just do the trick! Plus it is usually $5 cheaper than let’s say a Crémant.

What says the Undurraga Royal Brut Sparkling Rosé from Chile? It is 100% Pinot Noir.

Friendly and approachable aroma of raspberry, strawberry, cherry and watermelon. It is like being on a summer picnic. On the palate it is crisp but not bone dry with cutting acidity you often experience with wines made by the Traditional Method. Loads of cherry and watermelon with a twist of ginger and tomato. Almost a spicy finish. Quite impressive for a Charmat. And yes great on a hot summer day after some intense gardening where a special reward is called for while you sit satisfied with your effort. I like this with an Italian Asian fusion dish. Sautee snow peas until vibrant green. Remove and throw in ginger, garlic, scallions and cashews with a drizzle of sesame seed oil. Then throw in some shrimp. Serve over spaghettini tossed in pesto. My invention of a couple of decades ago I recently revived to great acclaim. The pesto was from my own basil.

(Undurraga Royal Brut Sparkling Rosé (Non-Vintage) D.O. Valle de Leyda, Viña Undurraga, Talagante, Chile, $14.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 10580, 750 mL, 12.5%, RKS Wine Rating 91/100).

RKS Wine: Côtes du Rhône: Wines Above the Maddening Crowd:

There is a plenitude of wines on the market that are good but over the past years they are beginning to taste similar. Could it be they are made to please the marketplace? Predictability? Homogenization? Hegemony of blender consultants?

With many reds and whites from Côtes du Rhône you’ll get the impression they have not caved to the supermarket. They might be a bit rough on the edges and some are gravelly and scratchy on the throat which are enjoyable . And they are reasonably priced.

So what’s up with the 2017 Domaine Saint Michel Red? The grapes used in the blend 45% Grenache, 30% Carignan, 20% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre may draw a puzzled look aside from Syrah. Do you run to or away from the unfamiliar?

On the nose the Grenache shows its hand lending an almost overripe strawberry identifier to the wine. There is hefty component of black cherry with a side of black cherry cola. The wine is not lush or dense but focused and lively but not high toned and flighty. On the palate some lightweight tannins and the acids are superbly well integrated so important for a red wine. The last characteristic I want is a red wine with some zippiness to it. As the wine hits the mouth there is a tiny tad of restrained and momentary sweetness. Lots of black cherry with some pomegranate and a minute bit of gravel and perhaps a bit of white pepper lingering on the finish courtesy of the Syrah.

This is one of those wines that is both good to quaff and match with food. I would pair it with roast lamb coated with pesto. No harm will come matching it with a striploin. Vegheads might like it with Umami Garlic Noodles With Mustard Greens (or Rapini).

I do not think this will improve in the bottle but keeping it around in the right temperature for a couple of years will do it no harm.

The wine is from a small estate of 20 hectares run by the Boyer family. Their 45-year-old vines are organically farmed and grown in stony soils. The grapes are hand picked and given the clarity and sharpness on the palate there has been no oak used.

The alcohol is well hidden at 14%. You can buy in Canada for a case of 12 for $231 ($19.25 a bottle) through The Small Winemakers at www.smallwinemakers.ca

RKS Wine Rating 93/100.

“Travels to a Different Time” : 16August1974: Dusseldorf & Wuppertal, West Germany: Beer at the Englishman’s Pub in Germany? Running on Empty

A decent sleep but woke up feeling crappy. I packed up and split to the train station and took a train to Wuppertal which was a 30-minute trip. I tried to call Alex who I had met in Skopje and who had invited me to visit him in Wuppertal. No answer so I headed to Bernd’s house who was a friend of Alex I had met in Vienna along with his pals and had also invited me to stay with him. It was a trek to find his house and only his grandfather was home. It was a cute house with a garden and a patio. Adjacent to the house was the Englishman’s Pub. An Englishman had married a German girl after WW2 and opened up a pub in Germany. What a weird world! Grandpa said Bernd wasn’t at home and that I should return at 4. He did not seem keen with the idea I would be staying there and said return at 4. He struck me a man who thinks his house is a castle and does not want anyone disturbing his little kingdom. Feeling like crap I had 6 hours to kill which wasn’t that hard walking around Wuppertal. A very beautiful shopping district closed to traffic. Too bad that doesn’t exist in Montreal. I headed back to Grandpa at five. He likes smoking big fat cigarettes. We went to the Englishman’s Pub and had a beer. It is a very comfy pub. The Germans like a big head of foam on their beer which reduces the carbonation. Poor grandpa went for a piss and returned forgetting to zip up his fly! After a couple of beers Bernd arrived at 7 and we went to phone his friend Siegfried who I had met in Vienna. Everyone calls him Ziggy. I was to sleep in a small room in the attic which was fine with me. We had dinner and visited Ziggy’s house listened to some music and went to a couple of pubs which are small not like the big taverns we have in Montreal. Then to an amusement park for a beer where we met another of the gang from Vienna. We had a couple more beers at the Englishman’s Pub and played some pool before heading home. Feeling so very weary I retired hoping some good German beer would be a health tonic. I have been on the road for three months and it takes a physical and mental toll on you. I feel I am running on empty. Feeling like shit doesn’t help. Unfortunately I am not on the Adriatic in the healing sun and surf.

:Andrij the Orphaned Ukrainian Rescue Dog” : Chapter 23; Bob and Andrij Travelled to the World Beyond but Are Told to Return

They told me both Bob and I died on the table at 12:04 a.m. What happened was I suppose our trip to the world beyond. Reggie has told me about this world that he has visited it when he died. There was a blazing light ahead of me beckoning me and Bob appeared picking me up and holding me in his arms as we walked toward the light. He told me not to be afraid that this was our final journey to peace.

We followed the light and I felt no fear. My body was healed and there was no pain. We walked until we reached the light and what I saw was absolutely magnificent. In front of me there was my late master Anatoli, my mistress Boyka and their son and daughter Danilo and Daryna. Behind them were hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers in dress uniforms chanting, “Welcome Brave Andrij”. Bob recognized Anwar with some dog Bob said had died and was a friend of Reggie. I wanted to jump into Anatoli’s arms and kiss him all over his face but he shouted “STAY”. He warned me to not touch anyone or I would be stuck here forever which to me was not a bad idea. But it was Anatoli and a Ukrainian army general that said that I must go back with Bob away from the light because it was not my time nor Ukraine’s time. They told me I was as strong a force as many battalions and I must return to save thousands of lives. I did not understand this but Bob grabbed me and we went back from whence we came. I remember hearing the Ukrainian anthem being sung.

The doctors had noted the time of my death and that of Bob’s at 12:04. At 12:05 both of us woke up with a start and hopped off our beds completely healed. Bob said later it was the miracle of millions of Buddhists sending us a kindness and compassionate meditation.

Well it is good to be back. There is business to do.

“Travels to a Different Time” : 15August1974: Dusseldorf, Germany: Misery at The Youth Hostel

I did not sleep that well due to creaky bed. Every time I tossed and turned there was a loud creak caused by the faulty bed. On top of that I was beginning to feel sick. The way I have been zipping around perhaps it is exhaustion setting in. Breakfast was included with the room and it was poor quality. Not even a piece of cheese. A Swedish guy I met and I walked into Dusseldorf and aside from the old town there is little of beauty in this industrial town. The old town is quiet and peaceful. About 4 hours of walking around I began to feel worse. I walked back to the youth hostel wanting to crawl into bed but again in true youth hostel fashion the cleaning ladies prohibited me. Don’t expect sympathy at a youth hostel as it seems to be a big cold bureaucracy. I sat in the lobby and read the Herald Tribune and waited for an opportunity to dodge the cleaning ladies. I had a rest then a beautiful hot shower. No cold water showers in Germany and Austria! Feeling a bit better and took a long walk in the neighbourhood. I took the bus back to the hostel. The bus is 5 times more expensive than in Yugoslavia. The Swedish guy and I went to buy some ground beef at a nearby supermarket and we took my little propane burner and had a hamburger feast. They were cooked in garlic butter and we watched the Rhine flow by which in comparison to the rivers in Slovenia was filthy but we saw people swimming in it. I wonder if they are alive now! We returned for dessert splitting a kilo of grapes. He asked if I wanted to go check out the nightlife but I was feeling too crappy so I popped three Aspirin and crashed out continually interrupted by people coming and going. They had oversold the room so at lights out there were 5 in a room for 4. A youth hostel warden came and wanted to check my papers to see if I had paid for the night. I am a quiet person and peaceful but feeling so ill I could have slugged him. As there are no private rooms in homes in industrialized Europe the youth hostel is a cheap alternative.

“Andrij The Orphaned Ukrainian Rescue Dog” : Chapter 23: Bob and Andrij the Orphaned Ukrainian Rescue Dog Have Succumbed to Their Injuries

Hello. It is the Dylan the Westie speaking. At 12:04 a.m. this morning we received word from medical authorities that our beloved Bob and Andrij passed on. We thank you for your support. Funeral details will be announced as soon as possible.

“Andrij the Orphaned Ukrainian Rescue Dog” :Chapter 22: Royal Canadian Mounted Police Update

Good evening, I am Inspector Blanque from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with an update on the murder of two RCMP officers and the wounding of Andrij the Orphaned Ukrainian Rescue Dog and his master Bob.

The attackers were two Russian citizens Igor Rasputin and Dimitri Caviarskin. Both were pronounced dead at the scene which is currently under investigation by forensic experts. Both of the deceased had Russian Army dog tags on their person. Both had a large Z tattooed on their chest. The pistols used in the attack were standard Russian army issue. The umbrellas used were coated with deadly poison. Pending notification of family, the names of the deceased RCMP officers will be released. The RCMP is working with CSIS and the FBI on this case.

Bob is currently post surgery with life threatening wounds. Andrij is in extreme critical condition this evening.

We Canadians are shocked at this brazen attack on our soil.

We have been asked by the Canadian government to make a preliminary determination whether this attack was ordered or sanctioned by the government of Russia in which case it may constitute an attack on a NATO country.

We would like to assure Canadian’s security has been increased at all border points of entry into Canada and there is no immediate threat of Russian attacks

RKS Wine: Fancy Name but Fancy Quality?

Puente Austral Reserva Privada Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile. Private Reserve must mean it is very special! I love those monikers! Don’t you? With that designation it must be extra special!

On the nose a nice measure of blueberry a standard of many Cabernet Sauvignons. There is also some Santa Rosa Plum and black cherry. On the palate there are some tannins to deal with but nothing excessive. There is no doubt this is a full-bodied wine. There is a wallop of blueberry pie with some black cherry and pomegranate. The finish is in the medium range. The acids are acceptable but higher than I would expect and accordingly I‘d restrict consumption with food particularly with a tomato based pasta where the wine might be a good companion with the tomatoes particularly if they are fresh field tomatoes as opposed to canned. Acids can be volatile beasts and if they are noticeable in a red wine it is a risk to cellar for too long. All said and done for this wine forget the Private and Reserve as we commoners are best suited for it.

(Puente Austral Reserva Privada 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, Valle de Colchagua, Chile, Puente Austral, San Fernando, Chile, $15.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 21960, 750 mL, 13.5%, RKS Wine 86/100).

RKS Film: “The Last Tourist”: I’ve Seen the Damage the Cruise Ship Has Done

“The Last Tourist” can be seen as the exposure of a dirty industry called mass tourism that destroys what the tourist goes to see or perhaps goes to take a wonderful Instagram photo for those with a three second attention span. Yes according to a recent survey 29.5% of Millennials travel for the sole purpose of being able to take a photo for Instagram. No joke as I have seen countless Millennials throughout Europe with lots of make-up, sponsored merchandise and the hope of going viral through Instagram failing which I suppose they’ll have to buy likes and followers!

There are some 1.3 billion international trips made a year. It was the 1960’s that saw airlines using larger and larger jets flooding tourist destinations. To borrow Neil Young’s lyrics “Needle and the Damage Done” I have seen cruise ships and the damage that they have done. Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Venice, Porto, Lisbon, Positano, Ha Long Bay and Greece transformed. When I was in Barcelona in the 70’s The Ramblas was a quaint street full of artisans selling their wares. Now at 8:30 a.m. look out as the cruise ships belch out their gaudily dressed passengers that swell up the Ramblas. The artisans have gone replaced by gaudy souvenir shops. An even worse experience in Dubrovnik. I was there three times in 71,72 and 73 and it was quaint small town with tourists but fast forward 40 years it was choked with cruise ship passengers led by tour guides with flags and microphones. Writing about travel I headed off to a museum of art off the beaten path and interviewed some locals who detested the tourism choking their town and bringing little revenue into the local economy.

The documentary provides an explanation of the rise of global tourism and discusses its impact on local economies and societies. It also suggests certain alternatives to stop the damage mass tourism has done. Perhaps a few points are in order.

Cruise ships are a growing evil. They dump masses of people at tourist destinations who spend little as why they should when a cruise ship has become not only a floating hotel but a shopping centre. Cruise lines have preferred relationships with local merchants and take a commission on all sales. They take a cut on excursion revenue. The goal is to maximize cruise line revenue not benefit the local economy.
All inclusive resorts operate the same way making money by keeping guests on site and importing all sorts of supplies and food through their existing suppliers. Why venture into the local town to eat when you are paying to eat at the resort.
Few meaningful decent paying jobs are created. Housekeeping, maintenance, and restaurant jobs are low paying. The tourist focuses on going to the destination rather than exploring stops on the way. Prostitution and pedophilia flourish.
Destinations with animal sites are particularly vile and savage to animals beating them into submission particularly elephants. Some 500,000 animals are used in the tourism industry many suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and horrific conditions.
The fastest growing segment of the tourism industry is volunteer tourism where for example orphanages with unqualified volunteers paying to work at orphanages and giving generous donations. The orphans are not orphans at all but children “rented” by destitute parents to satisfy the ego of Millennials who are too dense or uneducated to realize they are in a petting zoo of children.

I found this documentary both horrifically sad and capable of putting one into a rage. This may be because of the extensive travelling I have done to destinations in Europe where I was a guest living amidst the locals, shopping at their stores, travelling on their buses, living in their homes and eating in their restaurants. And some of my travel has been to destinations 40 years ago where I have returned and seen the damage tourism has done.

So what can we do to make tourism more sustainable;

Avoid cruise ships.
Avoid all inclusives.
Research your destination and consider if you are contributing to the local economy in a meaningful way.
Instead of going to a popular tourist destination and immediately returning stay at or near the destination. I did this recently in Sintra in Portugal where tourists choked the town from 9-4 and took the train back to Estoril. We stayed in someone’s home for 4 days and discovered a rich treasure trove of parks and old mansions the day trippers had no time to see as they flocked to the royal’s summer palace waiting in line to enter for ages!
Avoid animal shows and rides and visit conservation and rescue parks that save these animals from ruthless exploitation.
Put local people first.
Travel in small groups.
Promote activities that are helpful and not destructive.
Be willing to listen to those who explain how tourists can help the local economy and society.

While many may find this documentary painful to watch it is a must if you care about the people in the destination you are visiting. Of course, that Instagram photo and the likes it generates may be more important. If I see another “camera on a stick” I am going to scream.

A brilliant, insightful, visually striking and tragic documentary that will put you in a rage yet offers a glimmer of hope. You can see the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHxQhKSl_xw&t=1s

This Tyson Sandler film is Canadian. It is showing at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival on April 2. It will be released in Canada at select theatres on April 1^st and digitally April 5^th. Showing at Toronto Hot Docs April 1 and 3 https://hotdocs.ca/whats-on/hot-docs-festival

RKS Film Rating 93/100.