umi café: Ottawa Canada

Walking at night on a recent visit to Ottawa, I passed umi café on the edge of Ottawa's Chinatown. The music was good and the place was PACKED! I didn´t enter because there was no room for yet another soul and I walked on. Next morning curious, I stopped for coffee and a pastry (prepared on-site). The coffee was dark and full without being bitter; the pastry very fresh. And I asked about umi café and the event the night before. Come to find the café is a community-based, fair trade coffeehouse, serving an extensive menu beyond pastries. As for the crowds, umi café has been showcasing local musicians, poets and visual artists since 2008. Bravo!

Now it must be said that umi café is not a chain, a little run down and a whole lot funky. But the energy of a packed coffeehouse concert got me in the door albiet next day and I stopped for coffee each morning of my two remaining days in Ottawa. Obviously, umi cafe is doing something right.

 umi café
610 Somerset W  Ottawa, ON K1R 5K4
613.656.1638
Photo credit:  http://www.girlaboutotown.com/

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2013. All Rights Reserved. 
mickhuerta@gmail.com 
All Accordin' - Travel, Culture, Food, Wine!  

Lilies on the Pond!

Serene August in Newfoundland is Cabin Life! This is a time of simple living punctuated by playful sea otters feeding in neighbouring fresh water ponds with an outlet to the Atlantic. The children fall mum with palms of torn bread lifted to the sky. Soundlessly the Grey Jays swoop down to steal offered crumbs in full flight. Long vigilant silences are rewarded with bolder birds even taking bread from the crowns of their heads.

Morning buckets in hand the blueberry picking has been a bumper crop of indigo with exclamations of discovery at the explosion of fruit on yet another low lying bush. The picking goes fast and exciting as a not so curious mother moose looks on while munching in the bramble. Just for the sweet joy of it, we hike down to revel in the lilies on the ponds... We suspect Monet would have felt right at home on this island brimming with ecstatic beauty...

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2013. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
All Accordin' - Travel, Culture, Food & Wine!

Photo credit: Rowena Ryan

Just the Once, Never Again! - Buckley's Cough Syrup

Suffering a common cold in the rain is challenge enough. You bundle up, keep the soup-pot going and the toddies flowing. Basically you do what you can to weather the sneezey storm. Accepting recovery was a matter of time and many boxes of tissues, I looked out on a sopping, sodden day.
Then I was asked if I'd ever tried Buckley's Cough Syrup?
"No, never." I responded. 
The bottle and spoon were fetched and I was administered one dose to alleviate all symptoms.
"Cack! Aaaack puuuuuuuuhey! ARGH, NASTY!"
The room was filled with laughter. And they gleefully said in unison,
"It tastes awful. And it works!" "Hehehehehehe."
I was guffawed! My own loved-ones had ganged up on me! Sneaky and acting in collusion, I was rendered victim of domestic abuse!
"Creeeeck tuoph," I spat into the waste basket. 
"Water, water, please, I need water!" 

Yes, I did survive the treatment. And I still speak with my family, however guardedly.
But if you were to ask whether Buckley's Cough Syrup works? Really, I couldn't say as I was dosed just the once. But anything based on the flavors of ammonia and pine needles? Once is one too many. Never again!
And that's final!

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2012. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
All Accordin' - Travel, Culture, Food & Wine!