WE HAVE MOVED

With the intention of broadening the horizons of what I write about, The Teen Traveller will proudly move to the EUAN SUAREZ BLOG!

WE HAVE MOVED

With the intention of broadening the horizons of what I write about, The Teen Traveller will proudly move to the EUAN SUAREZ BLOG!

JOYLENE'S DAYOUT

Visit my auntie's awesome blog, Joylene's Dayout where she'll tell you all about her climbs, travels and French-toast stacking skills.

WE HAVE MOVED!

With the intention of broadening the horizons of what I write about, The Teen Traveller will proudly move to the EUAN SUAREZ BLOG!

a href='http://joylenesdayout.blogspot.com/' target='_blank'>JOYLENE'S DAYOUT

Visit my auntie's awesome blog, Joylene's Dayout where she'll tell you all about her climbs, travels and French-toast stacking skills.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

EATS: {Recipe} How To Make Pizza Bread!

The {Recipes} are back! Euan, Patricia and Shriya are here to teach you some easy eats that you can do by yourself at home!

Before reading this one, you might want to try making three of the previous recipes:


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The following is a recipe for pizza bread, a variant of the personal pizza I made in a previous {Recipe} post. We're going to make a quick, easy and effortless snack using common and simple ingredients. 

Speaking of ingredients, here they are:



- Slices of bread.
- Butter.
- Tomato Sauce.
- Grated Cheese. (Preferably mozzarella, but we used a Swedish cheese called HerrgÃ¥rd - Manorhouse cheese in English)
- Ham Slices.


Procedure:

1. Toast the bread until both sides are brownish. I just used a regular toaster for this step, but feel free to use anything you want. Do not heat the bread using a microwave. Hopefully, you know that microwaving bread makes it soggy and gross.

2. While the bread is still warm, apply butter. Don't put too much, you don't want your pizza bread tasting like your regular Sunday morning toast. Make sure that the butter will melt before you continue. (If you accidentally put too much butter or if the bread wasn't hot enough, put butter before microwaving the bread for a few seconds)

3. Put a generous amount of tomato sauce over the buttered slices of toasted bread. Next, place the grated cheese on top of the tomato sauce covered bread. Put as much as you want on the bread.

4. Preheat your oven at 120 degrees Celsius (~250 degrees Fahrenheit).

5. Top your bread with as much ham as you can. If you want, top it with more of your favorite pizza toppings. Pepperoni, bacon, pineapples, mushrooms, peppers... the sky is the limit! Just not anchovies though... they taste ughh...

6. Put them in the oven! Wait for about 7 to 9 minutes before taking them out.


7. It is very tempting to just get one now and munch, but wait! The ham and the melted cheese are very hot. I recommend waiting for about a minute before sinking your teeth into this simple delight!

Final (Delicious) Outcome:


That's it! This simple, simple dish can be made even by an eight year old, but can bring smiles and full stomachs to everyone! Comment down below what you want me or the contributors to make next!

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Monday, April 21, 2014

EATS: Indian Guru

A while back, my family and I wanted to try something that we don't particularly like. Spicy food. We thought of going to an Indian restaurant for dinner, as spice is a trademark of Indian Cuisine. Not very far from our house is Indian Guru, a restaurant located in Vasastan, near Gustav Vasa Kyrka.

Me and my mom have a very negative relationship with spicy foods. My dad and sister on the other hand, love that kind of stuff.



We chose some papadam and aloo tikki as our starters. From my experience, I can describe papadam as a thin, flat, crispy sheet of goodness. I am a fan of salty foods, and the papadam was just that. It was served with a yogurt sauce with a hint of mango and mint blended into it. Unfortunately, the papadam was very oily when it got to our table, but that didn't hinder it's flavor. So far it was going great, I thought to myself.

Aloo tikki is a vegetarian dish mainly composed of potatoes. The faint taste of spice and coriander of the potato patties were accompanied by chutney. In comparison with the simple papadam, this to me ranks lower.

Papadam. (Ignore that glass of gin and tonic at the background)

For mains, my mom and I got the chicken tikka masala while my dad got the lamb khorma. Both were not spicy, which does not agree with the main reason on why we wanted to go to an Indian restaurant. The chicken tikka masala was very good. The chicken tasted like chicken (which is surprisingly very uncommon. I'm talking about you Chicken McNuggets) and the sauce brought life to it. My dad let me try the khorma, and it taste quite the same as the masala, but it's a bit sweeter and creamier. The cashews added more texture to the dish.

We had our main dishes with paneer and garlic naan bread.

(left to right) Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Khorma

Paneer naan is a thicker kind of bread, made out of cornflower and something called maida, with an application of cottage cheese and a little spreading of butter on top. The paneer naan was incredibly creamy, delightful and amazing. I told Shriya, one of the contributors of the blog that I have been hooked on this thing ever since. However, the garlic naan was only describable by three letters. Meh.

To conclude our dinner, we had some kulfi, Indian-style ice cream with bits of coconut, made with cardamom and surrounded by blobs of mango syrup. My initial reaction after having a spoonful of the kulfi was that it was canned. There's no way that the chef could design the ice cream like that if it's as hard as a rock. It basically tasted like sweetened water, regardless if with or without the mango blobs.

Kulfi

Overall, I had a very pleasant experience at Indian Guru, and I would be willing to try again with spicier food. Wish me luck that my tongue won't burn.

***
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Saturday, April 19, 2014

Paris Day 2 - The Arc De Triomphe and Concorde



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The second and final day in the city of lights began with a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus ride from The Louvre to Concorde. The Place De La Concorde is a popular square in France also encloses the Obelisk. The Obelisk stands 75 feet high and weighs more than 250 metric tons. On October 1836, the Obelisk replaced a guillotine in the middle of the Place De La Concorde, by the order of King Louis Philippe.

The Obelisk, as captured from the second storey of the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus.

Near the hieroglyph-covered monument is the famouChamps-Élysées. The avenue stretches out more than 1.9 kilometers (about 1.2 miles), and is surrounded by small or renowned shops, cafés, restaurants and cinemas. We strolled down the whole avenue from the Place De La Concorde, and taking a bunch of pictures along the way. I was a bit disappointed because we went there in the afternoon and that people tell me it's way better to go there at night. 

After a long walk along the Champs-Élysées, we made it to the Arc De Triomphe. I was quite bummed to see that there was construction going on the upper portion of the arch, something that I obviously didn't expect. I really like the detail of the designs around the arc. The arc honors the people who fought and perished for France during the Napoleonic and French Revolutionary Wars.


The Arch From The Place De Charles De Gaulle
After we visited this very historic monument of France, we used the bus to go to Palais Garnier / Opéra, but we needed to take a quick detour because my sister needed to use the restroom. We weren't planning to go to the Galeries Lafayette during our stay, but we stumbled upon it while we had our search for a restroom. 

We literally went up and down the stairs of this wine-selling establishment (much like Systembolaget here in Sweden) to find the restroom, because people kept telling us that the restroom is just "along the way". We found it, we used it and we got out of the Galeries Lafayette. That was very unexpected, but at least I got a glimpse on what it [Galeries Lafayette] would offer. Shoe boutiques, wine and alcohol and tons of different restaurants offering different types of cuisines.

We then walked to the Palais Garnier which on the outside appeared astonishing. Much like the Arc De Triomphe, it was undergoing construction. This made me sigh. When we entered, we saw more detail of architecture.

To wrap things up, we took the bus again and went to the Notre Dame De Paris. The Notre Dame is one of the many things that I would just dream to see, but I have seen it. The outside of the building blew me away. The intricacy of the architectural design on the outside made our jaws drop. When we entered, I could feel the solemnity of the church. We donated a couple of Euros and offered candles. I was extremely overjoyed on the fact that I just offered a candle on one of the most highlighted areas of Paris.

The inside of the church was amazing. As a part of the Catholic community, I was astounded. I was astounded more when a mass was just about to start, with about 100+ people taking pictures. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to attend the mass, as it was getting late.



That concludes our trip to Paris, France this 2014. I have seen another part of the large, large area that is Europe. I have seen and experienced some sights that I would never think to personally see my whole life. Paris has been a mind-blowing experience not just for me, but also for my family that went along with the journey.

 My favorite part of Paris was definitely seeing the magnificent views on one of the observation decks of the Eiffel Tower. There were also some lows on this trip, such as the Arc De Triomphe being covered with construction and Tabac Du Roule, but those didn't hinder any of the highs we had.

I want to see Paris someday again in the future, just to say "hi" again and to see the things that have changed. Is the city more urban now? Can I still see the flawless architecture I saw the last time that I was here? Is the Mona Lisa still covered with that thick glass pane at the Louvre?

Again, that's it. Hopefully, you too have enjoyed my stay in the city of lights and loveWhat was your favorite part of my Parisian experience? Comment them down below and let me know! I'm Euan, and from Paris with loveAu Revoir.


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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

EATS: Tabac Du Roule

First, I just wanted to comment on how small this restaurant was. Tabac Du Roule was literally footsteps away from our hotel, so we decided to give it a try. Back to its smallness, it housed maybe twelve people for the restaurant, a bar with a few seats and a cigar shop. Who needs anything if you have food, beer and something to smoke? (Disclaimer: Kids, don't smoke or drink. That's bad for your liver, lungs and people around you. The question before this disclaimer was a joke, I'm serious.)


Trying to stick with the theme of Frenh food, I decided to take a croque Monsieur (sandwich of cheese and ham) with fries and a light salad while my mom and sister respectively chose some entrêcote steak and and a hotdog with fries.

Upon receiving my sandwich, I gladly took a bite. The sandwich was very ordinary and it lacked ham. It lacked ham very much. I was clearly disappointed and unsatisfied with. Y choice.


I struck a deal with my sister to give me half of her hotdog (The hotdog was clearly a FOOTLONG, and the fact that my sister wanted a "light meal" made her a bit annoyed) as I offer her half of my sandwich.

Her footlong was surprisingly better than my sandwich... it was better by a MILE. 

My mom's entrecôte was great. She ordered it medium wit some fries, a salad and some sort of peanut sauce. She let my try the steak that had a char on it which I liked. I think that the steak was below my mom's expectation because she thought it was tough.


This restaurant was not a very good one. I wouldn't recommend it food-wise, but what do I know? Maybe they rank much better as a separate bar or a separate cigar boutique...

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Monday, April 14, 2014

EATS: Hippopotamus Bar & Grill

Our first official meal in Paris was at the Hippopotamus Bar & Grill near Forum Les Halles. We were strolling around the area when we thought of having dinner, and we found this place! It seemed to have an inviting atmosphere from the outside. We were hoping to find good food here, to satisfy our first impressions of Parisian offerings.

Before going in though, we were very intrigued if they served real hippo meat. You might be on board with our thinking, believing that they do serve hippo meat, or you might be hysterically laughing now, thinking on how idiotic it would be to serve hippopotamus meat in a restaurant.


I decided to get some steak with fries and Béarnaise sauce. With mine medium rare, the steak was perfect (either that or it has been a while since I ate steak)! The fries were as crispy as can be and the sauce... I should tell everyone that I'm a sucker for Béarnaise sauce.... It's so awesome!


My mom got the same thing I had, except with a medium well steak, a baked potato and a sauce of sour cream and chives.

On the other hand, my sister settled for some chicken nuggets and fries... mmm? (Granted, it's from the kid's menu)


Onto dessert! I promised myself that our trip to Paris would be incomplete if we didn't savour crème brûlée



The burnt cream was served in a clay pot and was delightful. It was a shame that they didn't blow-torch the top... that would've made the dessert much more exciting to eat!

My sister had some chocolate mousse. She let me try a teaspoon-full and it tasted very bitter. I'm not a fan of dark chocolate (milk chocolate all the way!). I feel the same way on white chocolate. White chocolate just tastes... weird.

The Hippopotamus Bar & Grill gave me a positive first meal in France. The ambiance was very welcoming to children and adults alike. There wasn't that much people when we ate there, giving us a more comfortable experience. I would definitely recommend it. Très Bien!

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Saturday, April 12, 2014

Paris Day 1 - The Louvre and The Eiffel Tower

It's Euan again and it's time to share my experiences when I was in Paris!

The first official travelling day was started by an unexpectedly long walk to the Louvre. Considering that we stayed at the Tonic Hotel at Les Halles-Châtalet which was just a good ten minutes away, we took a thirty minute walk because our map skills weren't up to par (something to work on). 

Finally, we managed to stumble upon the legendary Louvre pyramid, and the view just blew us away. In my opinion, the pyramid and the buildings around it encompass mixed characteristics of simplicity and intricacy.

The Legendary Louvre Pyramid

The thing that didn't blow me away was the long line. After a good 45 minutes of waiting, we managed to get in and buy tickets. € 12 for the permanent collections (18+), while it was free for minors. Oh, did I tell you that the main objective of going to the Louvre is to see the fine art, especially the Mona Lisa? Well, now you know.

After a dizzying maze of corridors with complex paintings, marble sculptures and a very, very long hallway, we managed to stumble upon Mona Lisa. The painting was enclosed in sort of a cabinet, with the front side composed of a thick glass pane. 

My Best Picture Of Mona Lisa.
There was about fifty tourists gathered together near the painting. It was believed that Leonardo Da Vinci painted this from 1503 to 1506. 

My feelings after seeing the Louvre: disappointed and unsatisfied. I was disappointed because we didn't get to explore as much as we wanted to, because we were only in Paris for a short while, and wanted to savour as much as we can. Unsatisfied, because I expected everything (not just the Mona Lisa) to have more "oomph".  

We exited the Louvre and got on the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus with the intention of disembarking at the Eiffel Tower. 

We got dropped off, and the Eiffel Tower immediately made me smile. This is something that I've only seen in movies and shows all my life. I couldn't believe that I was going to personally see it! 


That smile was quickly rubbed off because of the astoundingly long line that we saw. It was long enough that you needed to line up for the line to get tickets. To give you an idea on how long the line was, we managed to enjoy some sandwiches and take a bathroom break, even before we reached a quarter of the line. 

We bought our tickets and went up the elevator to the second floor. I literally got blown away, not just because of the astounding view of Central Paris, but because of the forceful winds that came in our way. 

I cannot explain the happiness that I experienced when I was on the observation deck. It was just so cool seeing all the buildings from something that you just saw in the movies! 

An Awesome View of the National Navy Museum

A View of the Emile-Anthoine Stadium and the Bir-Hakeim Bridge (Pont Bir-Hakeim)

A View of the Seine River

That basically wraps up our first travelling day in Paris! Don't worry, there'll also be some Eats! 

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Ireland- Getting There (PART 1)

by Shriya


Ireland. A country with great history. Even after eight hundred years of British rule, part of it is still not a free country. The southern part is still under the rule of the British. That was one reason for the visit, to learn its great history. Second reason is very complicated... So, my cousin was three years old when my uncle moved to Ireland. I am one year younger than her, so I barely remember seeing her in India, and she meets me once in three years which is a lot considering we talk to each other every day through social media and I miss her a lot.... So, that was the second reason. Now, the fun begins…

Ireland was my first travel through a plane and my first international travel so I find myself pretty lucky. I had a mixed feeling when we were on the airport, going through the security check in and stuff... I was very excited as I had never seen a plane from the inside, just in movies. Later, while waiting for boarding, decided to have a quick visit to the wash room and on my way back, I ran and that was an act I regretted as I got a cramp in my leg! It took me three hours to get through the security system and sit in the plane and honestly, I was tired by that time and so was my leg.



Indian airport from the inside
As the flight had to travel for a long time, we had a halt in Abu Dhabi. I wish I had went outside, but even it's airport was huge and lavish! It was a very tall building with multiple floors and I was just surprised by the fact that the ceiling was visible! In the center, it had a huge pillar covered with colorful tiles, there were glass railings all around the pillar and the dim light just made me sleep, but the excitement kept me awake. Actually, there was another thing that kept me awake. The cold coffee. I personally hate coffee if its hot, but cold coffee is just perfect! And even though we ordered a small cold coffee, their “small” was as good as an XL Sweden. Soon, it was time to leave for the next flight and in no time, I was in Ireland!

Abu Dhabi airport from inside


I had always wondered how a country will look like if you see it from a height. I expected it to be something different, was not sure of what to expect, but surely something I had not seen before. When the plane came closer to the ground, ready for landing, I saw it.

Plane view of Ireland


I saw a country. I saw Ireland from a height and to my surprise, it looked no different than a satellite image except closer.


Satelite image of Ireland
I was disappointed, but fair enough! Then there was the moment of truth, the landing and for a first experience of a plane journey, it was the worst landing one could possibly have. It landed on one wheel and was shaking even after it was on ground. Then the pilot had trouble slowing the speed down and I felt like I missed several heart beats!  

Then when I came out of the plane, out of the airport, I saw my uncle standing on a distance waving at us. He took our bags, put them in the car and I told him all about the journey, specially, the landing. He asked us if we were cold and that he had brought jackets from home and at once, my mom and dad agreed to put the jackets on. I wanted to do something different, so I said I was not cold and that I was good without the jacket. We all then drove to my uncle’s house with my mom, dad and uncle talking to each other and me shivering but trying not to show it! It took us about half an hour to reach home and I was relieved by the warmth inside the house.


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