March, 2016 - Lili on the Loose

28 03, 2016

Travel Missteps: The Best Bar That I Never Went To

By Lili|March 28th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2013, Angie Angie Cafe arte, ankle, Antigua, bar, bookstore, cafe, Café No Sé, Central America, directions, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Guatemala, injury, joke, language, lost, Mayan Encounter 2013, ruins, Santa Clara, spanish, translations|0 Comments

After my strange “tour” of the Santa Clara ruins, I met a member of my G Adventures group, Tony. I relayed to him what had happened, and he offered to come with me as we went to find something to do that night. I really wanted to check out a bar that someone had recommended called Café No Sé. It is supposed to be a great ex-pat bar where all the travelers go. It was described as a bit bohemian with live music, and so sounded like a lot of fun. So we set off. I pride myself on my

25 03, 2016

In the Footsteps of Saint Pishoy

By Lili|March 25th, 2016|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Photography, Travel|Tags: 2015, Africa, Coptic, Coptic Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox monastery, Dream of Egypt, Egypt, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Middle East, Monastery of Saint Pishoy, Natrun, Photo Friday, Saint Pishoy, saints, Wadi El Natrun|0 Comments

The kindly priests at the Monastery of Saint Pishoy in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt gave us a tour and told us the stories of their local saints. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.

24 03, 2016

Alfombras during Semana Santa in Antigua, Guatemala

By Lili|March 24th, 2016|Categories: Events, Travel|Tags: 2013, Alfombras, Ancient, Antigua, Antigua Guatemala Cathedral, Catedral de San José, Central America, church, earthquakes, Easter, Guatemala, Holy Week, Mayan, Mayan Encounter 2013, Roman Catholic, ruins, Santiago Cathedral, Semana Santa, Travel Thursday, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site|0 Comments

Visiting Antigua, Guatemala right before Semana Santa (Easter Holy Week) was great. I got to see the floats being made, as well as the unique tradition of Alfombras, colored sawdust carpets! These are made on the streets and pathways that will be taken when the models of Jesus and the stations of the cross are performed.This one was in the main Antigua Guatemala Cathedral and featured a beautiful fuchsia sawdust Alfombras in front of a statue of Jesus. In addition offerings of mangos, cantaloupe, corn, oranges, and pineapple helped to complete the display. And then fresh flowers lined the walkway. Some will be made

21 03, 2016

Museum Monday: Antinous as Dionysus

By Lili|March 21st, 2016|Categories: Museums, Travel|Tags: 2005, Alexandria, All in the family 2005/2006, All in the family Italy 2005/2006, Antinous, Dionysus, Europe, Hadrian, Italy, Roman Emperor, Rome, The Vatican, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vatican City, Vatican Museum|0 Comments

Antinous was a lover of the Roman Emperor Hadrian who drowned in Alexandria in October 130 AD. After his death Hadrian commemorated him with many different statues and elevated Antinous to an almost god-like hero/deity. This version shows Antinous as Dionysus an Roman god of wine and ritual madness. It is on display at the Vatican Museum. Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.

19 03, 2016

History of the Steiff Teddy Bear

By Lili|March 19th, 2016|Categories: History, Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: Europe, Germany, plush, Steiff, stuffed animal, Teddy Bear, toy|0 Comments

The first Teddy Bear started in Germany with an Elephant. Actually it was an Elephant pin cushion. By 1879 Margarete Steiff had a successful clothing business and had made an Elephant pin cushion but found that children liked to play with it. In just 6 years 5000 little Elephants had been sold, and Margarete started to make different animals. As the variety grew, the phrase "For children, only the best is good enough!" became the hallmark of the Steiff brand. In 1902 Margarete’s nephew created the design for the first stuffed bear with movable arms and legs. But it wasn't until 1906

18 03, 2016

Pacific Arch at the National WWII Memorial

By Lili|March 18th, 2016|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Photography, Travel|Tags: 2013, Arch, Memorial, Museum Madness, National Mall, National World War II Memorial, North America, Photo Friday, USA, Washington DC, World War II|0 Comments

I only had a quick stop at this memorial. It was so pretty I wish I had more time. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.

17 03, 2016

Ireland: Land of Sheep, Pubs, & Churches

By Lili|March 17th, 2016|Categories: Photography, Travel|Tags: 2009, at the heart of it Ireland 2009, Celtic Cross, Clonmacnoise, County Offaly, Dublin, Europe, graveyard, High Cross, Ireland, pubs, sheep, Temple Bar, Travel Thursday|0 Comments

When I went to Ireland a few years ago on a bus tour, I liked to joke that the only things we saw were Sheep, Pubs, and Churches...in that order. So in honor of St. Patty's Day, here they are: Ireland is truly as green (and wet) as they say it is. Which brings views like this one where fields contain slow moving sheep grazing and lazying. In Dublin, tourists flock to Temple Bar which is lined with numerous pubs. The most famous is this one, Temple Bar, which also gives this area its nickname. And then there are the

16 03, 2016

Recipe: Grilled Romaine Salad

By Lili|March 16th, 2016|Categories: Food, Food & Drink, Recipe|Tags: bacon, Caesar salad, grill, grilled, lettuce, Printable Recipe Card, Recipe, Recipe Card, romaine lettuce, salad, tzatziki sauce|0 Comments

I love this recipe as the end result is a nice warm salad that reminds me of a light Caesar salad. Ingredients: 1 Head of Romaine Lettuce 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil Course Sea Salt Pepper 1/4 Cup freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese 1 Tablespoon Bacon Bits 1 Tablespoon Tzatziki Sauce Directions: Step 1: Preheat grill to a high heat. Step 2: Remove the large leafy outer layers of the Romaine and then wash the remaining head of lettuce. Pat dry with a paper towel and then cut lengthwise in half. Step 3: Drizzle the outside with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

15 03, 2016

Local Activities: The Beach at A Basin

By Lili|March 15th, 2016|Categories: Local, Travel|Tags: A Basin, Arapahoe Basin, Colorado, North America, Ski, Snowboard, The Beach, USA, Wayin|0 Comments

In Colorado, when someone says they are "heading to the Beach" this doesn't conjure up images of white sand and the crash of the waves. Instead it means one of the 15 picnic areas at Arapahoe Basin. These highly sought after parking areas are perfect for events, as they have close proximity to 3 of the chairlifts at the resort. Check here for pricing and reservation information. As weather warms up, these areas take on a party atmosphere as people eat, drink, grill, and just hang out in-between runs. My company has had a Beach Party Ski Day for the

14 03, 2016

Travel Missteps: Swept Out To Sea

By Lili|March 14th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2003, 2012, all inclusive, Arenal, Central America, Costa Rica, Costa Rica Adventure 2012, fear, Holiday in Rivera Maya, kayak, La Fortuna, lake, Mexico, ocean, Rivera Maya, sea kayaking, white water rafting|0 Comments

My first trip to Mexico I stayed in an all-inclusive hotel with my family. My mother certainly had an interesting birthday! But she also saved me on this trip. My sister and I had taken a sea kayak out on the beach of our Rivera Mayan hotel. It wasn't much fun as the waves kept hitting us. So my sister turned around. I kept going further out, trying to see the island of Cozumel better. But as I turned around and attempted to come in, I realized frighteningly that I was stuck in a current...that was taking me further out