RV There Yet?

megonfood — Wed, 27 May 2015 12:10:09 GMT

The GPS in the RV had been sending us in circles for about two hours. I suppose, seeing Passau’s streets transform into canals within hours should have tipped us off to this torrential downpour, but optimism helped keep my head & the RV above water.
My brother, driver & travel companion, Nash, without warning, reversed slightly and edged away from the Beemer trapped in front of us & gunned it into the empty field on our right. I screamed in terror! We zig zagged, attempting to not sink into the muck below.
Suddenly, underneath us, I felt the familiarity of a concrete road but one whose direction we were unsure of. We drove in the dark for some time until...in the distance, church bells rang out & silos emerged behind hills, while the brightening sky revealed intricate stone houses. A mix of relief, bewilderment & awe distracted us long enough to realize, as we drove deeper into this mysterious city, that we had no idea where we were. An elderly man beating a rug on the deck of his two-storey house smiled welcomingly. The road turned to cobblestone as farm houses turned to colourful brick blocks reminiscent of Burano island. Nash pulled over near a building riddled with missing pieces of it’s faded sky blue facade & attempted to connect to Wifi. I hopped out, aiming to do my own sort of connecting. I walked down the narrow path between ruins, following a familiar scent - the smell of freshly ground coffee filled the air while I fantasied about a macchiato. The town's Stadturnm peaked over the low structures - the guide in my search.
I ventured into an out-of-place Trattoria whose sign poked out between alleys to find my cravings met as I received the fix I so dearly craved. Striking up conversation with the Italian family that owned the most quirky “Tavola”, I was grateful that the youngest member of the family, Valentina, spoke English. We talked about her life, her schooling, & what she liked about living here in Germany.
“Germany?”, she laughed. “This is Austria! Wilkommen in Enns!”.
Enns, just two hours from Vienna & Austria’s oldest town has an eclectic collection of natives stretching beyond the Italian family whose restaurant specializes in everything & nothing all at the same time. Enns proved to be a joyous sanctuary for us before we continued unto the next leg of our journey to Vienna. Enns stands out in my memory as an unforgettable lesson in letting the road guide your travels. My only regret is that I did not buy a cannoli for the road.

My Scholarship entry - Understanding a Culture through Food

megonfood — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:37:14 GMT

Upon deciding on North America as our bi-annual holiday destination, I was a little concerned. What would I eat for 40 days? I was sure America had an abundance of food in terms of fast food but a foodie such as myself could not live on burgers alone. Fortunately, our destination was decided much in advance, and this gave me time to gather some research. Already an avid fan of Andrew Zimmern and Man vs Food’s Adam Richman, I watched and noted the eateries they visited and mouth-watering choice food they devoured. After compiling my research, I was set!

Whilst driving from New York to Seattle, I got to cross most of the eateries from my list. I started in Chinatown, New York.
New York is famous for many things, & is often called a “melting pot” of people, but for me, the “melting pot” was the pot in which the beautiful, yet frail Italian woman cooked fresh ravioli to served at her family’s small restaurant in Little Italy. It was the pot upon which daughters steamed dim sum whilst their sisters manned the front desk. In a city like New York, it’s easy to toss aside seemingly overrated places like Little Brazil, Italy and Chinatown in favor of the higher class, higher-priced restaurants of the Upper East Side, but for a true taste of the land, the heart of the city is “where it’s at!”

Though we visited many places in between, our next stop was Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis is famous for Graceland, Elvis Presley, and ribs. As much as I love those Elvis tunes-I knew Beale Street was the place to be. So I hit the Man-vs-food approved Rendezvous Ribs. After demolishing that plate, I thought about how much America had to offer tourists and residents alike. Sure, it may not have the depth of culture that India & China have, but what it does have, it graciously brings to your table. As Andre Zimmern put it “Be a traveler, not a tourist. Try new things….and look beyond what is right in front of you. Those are the keys to understanding this amazing world we live in.”

Food - The Essence of Culture

RV There Yet?

My Scholarship entry - Understanding a Culture through Food