top 5 reasons to visit europe in the late fall and winter

Yes, I've heard it many times before that the European continent could be cold to freezing in winter (although the Southern parts and the Adriatic coast may be relatively warmer). But, I hope the following reasons will convince you to at least consider a European trip when the mercury dips.

Rovinj, Croatia - no crowds!

1. It's cheaper. Other than around Christmas, airfares to and lodging costs in Europe tend to be cheaper in the late fall and winter because most people shy away from the continent during that time. So, because the law of supply and demand means less demand = lower price, winter is the perfect time to take advantage of an affordable European trip.

York, England - no crowds!

2. It's less crowded.  I hate crowds. I really do. That's why very late fall/winter is my favorite time to travel (and particularly, late November -- see reason #3 -- where the photos on this post were taken during many different trips during that time of the year). Europe in winter could provide you with winter wonderland photo opportunities with a smaller chance of a random person photo bombing your shot. 

sazy rock's top 10 best restaurant dishes (to date) around the world

If you haven't figured it out yet, I really like to eat - and not necessarily healthy foods - when I travel. Eating while traveling makes me happy. In this first of my top 10 series, I will be sharing my top 10 restaurant dishes so far. I've excluded the US because I live there. I also reserve to change my mind about what should be on the top 10 tomorrow -- only because there's so much tasty food out there. So, without further ado, here they are:

1.  Various dishes at Azurmendi near Bilbao, Spain
This restaurant just outside of Bilbao served delicious, local, seasonal and beautiful food. The lobster on lobster dish was absolutely simple yet so tasty. The truffled egg was not simple but, biting into the yolk just showed how a great chef can elevate a simple egg into something ridiculously good. Oh, and the foie gras ash was so rich and creamy I thought I died and went to heaven. Okay, I loved a lot of dishes at Azurmendi, which I reviewed here. In fact, I'll just say that, in the past five years (and probably more), Azurmendi served the best dishes I have ever eaten anywhere (including in the United States).

Five of around 19 dishes served at Azurmendi. Clockwise from top left: lobster with lobster cornet,
foie gras ash with a block of foie gras underneath, squid, mullet, and egg yolk infused with black truffles.

Gran Reserva Jamon from Joselito's.

2.  Jamon Iberico de Bellota at Joselito's in Madrid, Spain
Technically, Joselito's is not a restaurant but a store where you can get Jamon Iberico to take home or eat in the store. When I visited, they offered different kinds of Jamon Iberico de Bellota, which came from black footed Iberian pig fed on acorns while freely roaming the dehesa of the Extremadura region of Spain. The best kind I tasted was the Grand Reserva, which was aged for up to five years before being carved. The resulting ham was nice and fatty (I'd like to think that the fat was good for me because you know, it's acorn fed). When I ate it, the thinly hand sliced piece practically melted in my mouth.

restaurant review: st. john bar and restaurant

The dining room at St. John.

During a recent trip to London, I returned for another dining experience at St. John Bar and Restaurant in the Clerkenwell neighborhood. See, there are certain things I like to eat when I am in London and the Roasted Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad dish is one of them. (The other things I love eating in London are St. John Bakery's custard doughnut and Tayyab's tandoori lamb chops.)

The scene
The restaurant and bar is very industrial looking because it used to be an old smokehouse. The decor is very minimalist - everything is white. Although it has one Michelin Star, the place is not stuck up. In fact, there's a nice (but not loud) buzz in the dining room.

The food

The Roasted Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad.

I've eaten plenty of roasted bone marrow dishes but St. John's version, which apparently has been emulated by many chefs around the world, tops my list. See, the richness of the bone marrow is tempered by the tangy parsley salad, and brought to life with a tiny bit of sea salt. And when you spread the marrow on top of the crunchy toasted bread, it's like eating heaven. Seriously, if this is all you order at St. John, you're golden.

The Eccles Cake and Lancashire Cheese is another dish that deserves a mention. Eccles cake is not a cake but a pastry... a very buttery pastry so it is nice and flaky. The dried fruit inside the pastry go well with the slightly salty flavor of the Lancashire cheese. It's delicious, and also a very British dish.