Yu Garden or aka Yuyuan Garden was built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty by Pan Yudan. He wanted a tranquil and happy place for his parents. However, the expense of building this place ruined the Pans.
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Tag Archives: history
Molinari Delicatessen
On my recent lunch time walk, my coworker introduced me to Molinari Delicatessen. If you’re looking for an authentic Italian deli, this is the place to go. It is the oldest Italian deli west of the Rockies. When I walked through the door, I was amazed by all the homemade Italian specialties ranging from olive oil to cured salami to focaccia. Just like any deli, grab a number and wait for your number be called out to be serviced.
At lunch time, they are known for their deli meat sandwiches. They offer a large variety from mortadella to coppa to proscuitto. Be careful. The picture below may cause drooling.
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Hiking Up Echo Mountain
“Let’s go hiking,” they said.
“OK,” I said.
“2.5 miles. 5 miles round trip,” they said.
“No biggie,” I said…….
That was until about mile 1, I started to feel the impact of the steep hike on my unfit lungs. This hike, located on the bottom of Angeles National Fores, starts at the intersection of East Loma Alta Drive and Lake Avenue in Altadena. Parking is available on the street but check the signs. The Sam Merrill trail head starts at the Cobb Estate gate.
The hike is a steep 2.5 miles upward climb. About half a mile in, you will start seeing the LA skyline.
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Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise
When my friends decided to go on a boat tour of Chicago, I didn’t think much of it but ended up loving it. If you love architecture, I highly recommend this. There are several boat tours companies along the river. The one I went on was Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise. The boat brings you down the river and highlights all the architecture built along the river. This is a quicker way of admiring the buildings than walking around the city by foot. You also get a view of where the Chicago fire started.
Below is Marina City, my favorite buildings.
Location: Southeast corner of Michigan Avenue Bridge at Wacker Drive
Texas State Capitol
I was in Austin for the weekend to attend Austin City Limits. I had a blast at the music festival but had little time to explore Austin. It was my first time visiting Austin so I decided to make the most of the little time I had. I decided to check out the Texas State Capitol since it was only a few blocks from my hotel. I made my way up Congress street and ended up at the capitol. As they say, “Everything is bigger in Texas,” this capitol was huge.
When I walked in, I didn’t know where to start. There were free tours available but I had just missed the one that just started and didn’t have time to wait for the next.
After I passed through security, I found myself standing under the dome of the capitol. Its intricate detailing especially the spiral staircase makes it breathtaking in person.
Centro Historico
In the heart of Guadalajra, lies its history. With buildings lying along the axis of a cross, with the Cathedral of Guadalajara in the center, here in Centro Historico (Historical Center) you will find:
Plaza de Armas has an ironwork gazebo made from Paris.
This faces the Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace). The clock will always remain at this time due to a stray bullet aimed at the president, who was visiting at the time. The bullet hole is still visible and lodged in the workings of clock.
On the east side of the Cathedral is the Plaza de Liberacion, where protest demonstrations are held. Teatro Degollado faces this plaza. It is the oldest surviving theater that still holds performances.
Behind the theater is the Fuente de los Fundadores (Fountain of Founders). This is the exact spot where the city was founded by Cristobal de Onate.
If you continue walking from the fountain along Plaza Tapatia, you will come upon Hospicio Cabana. This was founded as an orphange and homeless shelter in 1810. Now it is a museum.
Walk towards Calle Dionsio Rodriguez and look for vendors selling leather goods. Squeeze in between the shops and you will discover Mercado Libertad, known as Mercado de San Juan de Dios to locals. Here you can shop for jewelry, leather goods, candy, and fake name brand items. I was in awe at this place because you generally only find this in Asia.
Catedral de Guadalajara
This Roman Catholic cathedral is the cathedral of Archdiocese of Guadalajara. Built in 1541, the initial structure was an adobe with a thatched roof. It has gone through many changes due to fire and earthquakes to become the current minor basilica in the Renaissance style with neo-gothic towers.
The exquisite alter, made out of marble and silver, is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption.
This cathedral also houses the remains of St. Innocent. Inocencia was a little girl who had lost her mother at a young age and found faith in the Catholic religion. However, her father was against it and told her to never step foot in the church. With the help of the church, she got baptized. Overcome with joy, she ran home to her father to share the good news. In anger, he stabbed a knife through her chest. She was transferred to the cathedral as a silent witness of the Eucharist.
(Av Alcalde 10, Zona Centro, 44100 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico)
Aizuya
Aizuya is the birthplace of takoyaki. Tako means octopus and yaki means to fry or to cook in Japanese. Due to food shortages in the twentieth century, wheat flour was sent over to Japan by the US as a relief after World War II. It became more popular than rice, which wasn’t sustainable until recently. Endo Tomekichi used the flour to create choboyaki, bite sized balls of batter cooked in a special hemispherical grill. At the same time, in Akashi, akashiyaki was developed. It is a piece of octopus surrounded by loose, eggy batter and then is dipped in dashi, a clear fish broth. Tomekichi combined the two recipes and created takoyaki to be sold in his first takoyaki shop, Aizuya. Takoyaki is now one of the staples of Osaka. It is popular on the streets of Dotonbori. Japan’s Universal City Walk also includes a Takoyaki Museum for takoyaki lovers.
Below is the original takoyaki. The original recipe does not include sauces or toppings.
Below is a set of six made of takoyaki batter with green onions and another set of six made of meat and green onions.
Aizuya also sells akashiyaki but is sold as part of a meal set. All around Osaka, there are chains of Aizuya shops, even in metro stations. We traveled to the original location in Osaka, next to the Osaka JR station, only to realize there was a closer shop near the Namba station that we were staying close to.
YUMTRAVELS 