Jumped on a short 2 day workshop for a major customer here.  The flight time for the trip is equal to the time in town.

Weather is amazingly warm and wonderful.  Sydney is very walkable (at least, the downtown area).

Managed to creep up to Chinatown in a roundabout way, found this restaurant called Mamak.  This definitely warranted a lunch stop.  It didn’t disappoint, wonderful food, if a bit expensive.  Come to think of it, everything is expensive here.  A regular can of soda cost AUD$3.20 ?!  Anyways, tried the curry lamb, sambal shrimp, fried rice and a regular roti canai.  All good stuff.  Like the name implies, the place focuses only on a limited range of Malaysian food – specifically, selections of the more popular mamak-style food.  Great business decision, serve only a few things but cook them well.  Was told that this was the best Malaysian restaurant in town, what luck!!

Wahoo, Vegas and CES, fun times, right?  Wrong.  Came down with a cold earlier in the week so I sounded pretty bad.  And caught a bout of food poisoning from one of the restaurants in the MGM Grand, that pretty much knocked me out of commission for 2 days, so much for enjoying Vegas.

Anyways, was not happy with the whole situation and it impacted my work significantly.  ’nuff said.

This is one of the smallest, less affluent countries I’ve been to but it looks like any other eastern european locale.  I do like observing the old Communist-era buildings vs newer construction in the past couple decades.

The city is small enough not to have any major hotel chain present, which leaves you with the only option for a 4-star establishment.

Again, the weather sucks in winter – snow, snow and more snow.  So from what I could tell, Chisinau is white and slushy at times.  Suffice to say, too busy again to explore the surroundings.

Took the red-eye flight across the country to make it here in the late morning for another convention.  Surprised myself by sleeping through most of the flight.

Weather is fantastic! Warm, humid and rainy.  A lot like Seattle, except much warmer … a couple days later … Weather here is wacky.  Cool day, then a sudden heavy downpour which almost immediately goes away.  Granted I’m not watching the weather news at all.

Fabulous meal at Le Coq Au Vin – kicked off the meal with seared ahi appetizer, a half portion of the cassoulet and polished off the grand marnier souffle for dessert.  This place is so good, I came back the next night.  This time, started off with the chicken sausage gumbo followed by the lobster topped grouper (this was amazing).  Their creme brulee was just average by comparison.

Capped off the last dinner of the week at Capital Grille – a high-end steak chain.  What do you expect? Excellent service, great food.  The lobster & crab cake appie was quite impressive and delicious.  They have dedicated wine lockers for regular patrons – one of them was listed as Warren Sapp (retired NFL player, I assume).

Hopped to go on a last minute trip to Denver, CO.  It was snowing when the plane landed, wet, slushy sleet.  And 2 days later, it still is snowing.  Most of it melted but it is enough to make things wet and cold.  All this traveling is really cutting into the time I need to devote to getting the new house fixed up properly and move in.

Can’t really say I’ve seen much of Denver, cooped up in the hotel room and it’s miserable outside.

Dinner at Panzano was decent – it is the restaurant inside the Hotel Monaco.  I had the duck leg main course – served over polenta.  Not sure if that was the best choice.  Would have preferred risotto instead.  Forgot how fatty duck was, especially those legs but the meat was delicious, if a little salty.  Dessert was capped off with the tiramisu, excellent stuff, almost as good as the homemade original tiramisu I had a while back in Bulgaria.

Rioja – nicely located in what looks like the most happening parts of downtown Denver.  Classified as mediterranean cuisine, it stands out as a organic, fresh, green, eco-friendly joint.  Not that it matters to me, I just want good food.  And good it was.  The calamari appetizer has a nice lime flavor.  The flatbread with carmelized onions and other stuff (it had me at the onions) is extremely tasty.  I stuck with another serving of duck (the breast) and it turned out to be significantly better than what I had at Panzano.  Dessert was topped off with a hazelnut something something, looked fantastic, tasted great but I was too stuffed from prior plates.  My short term memory isn’t what it used to be.  Great presentation on all the food.  Pretty busy place for a Thursday night.  Reservations are made online.

Got to hate convention food – overpriced, tasteless crap and you really have no choice.  What’s worse is the lack of cleanliness.  Saw the cook and attendant at one Mexican food corner touch the food without gloves and without cleaning their hands after moving about.  Sigh.

Another project brought me here.  My hotel reward points are now slowing spreading out evenly between both Radisson and Marriott chains… bleh.

Winter is always an interesting time to travel, never know what to expect.

Riga is one of the better eastern european cities I’ve been to.  Ate mostly in the hotel simply because it was too cold to walk out in the evenings.

However, I did manage to make it to restaurant in the Berg hotel.  Simply amazing, great food.

Didn’t have time to take a tour of the city, maybe next time.

Am exhibiting at a show at Amsterdam – a week of long hours which starts m on a Fri through the weekend into the following Wed.  Organizers didn’t seem to think this through very well.  The show was from 9 to 6pm daily – quite painful if there’s little chance of a break.

In any case, we (my colleagues and I) rented bicycles as it was a lot quicker to navigate around town compared to taxis or the tram system – with 1000’s of people for this event, it’s a long long wait for anything.

Exhibition food services were the usual overpriced fare, but actually tasty. For the tiny size of the booth, there seemed to be a constant flow of traffic, kept things very busy.

Managed to catch up with old friends one night over dinner, wine, lots of talking.

The hotel I stayed in, had just the basics, was very worn down, tight room with an even smaller bathroom (I think this hotel room is the smallest I’ve ever stayed in).  No fitness center, was about to throw myself into the canal.

From the helpful viamichelin site, there were a few outstanding restaurants that we managed to find.  A couple that stuck in my mind:

Tempo Doeloe – an Indonesian restaurant that’s constantly packed.  One tiny shop lot sized establishment.  Great food, tasty, delicious and for some dishes, extremely spicy, just the way I like it.  The rijstaffel menu gave a decent selection of entrees, although the serving sizes were in tiny bowls.

De Compagnon – This place deserves a honorable mention and is about as highly recommended as I can make it.  The food here is superb, a small hole in the wall place off the main “touristy” streets.  Located in the heart of Amsterdam, overlooking the canal.  We took the 5 course pairing dinner and every plate was excellently presented while tasting even better.  A mix of meats and seafood.  The icing on the cake was dessert.  It was called Pot au feu … ice cream in a little pot that was baked with pastry on top, just wonderful.  I will definitely be back here again the next chance I get.

Made a quick trip to the Denver area – specifically Keystone and Breckenridge for a conference.  One thing you notice immediately is the elevation.  Especially around those resort areas – at 9600 ft, you certainly run out of breath easily.

Beautiful surroundings – sunny, not too warm, fresh air, hills galore.  Everything is outdoor-friendly – the snow during the wintertime must really attract the crowds.

Conference was in Keystone, a 20 min drive from Breckenridge where we stayed.  Had a decent buffalo steak dinner at the Kenosha Steakhouse.  Even better was the elk medallions at Steak & Eggs (I think that’s the name of the place).  Navigating in Breckenridge is easy, everything’s on Main St.

Drove the Ford Expedition rental on the way back to the airport – what a huge lumbering beast.  You really are practically indestructable in one of those things.

Manhattan was next – didn’t really have time to enjoy the area as it was a brief visit for a couple meetings.  Had dinner at one of the hotel recommended restaurants (Bistecca Fiorentina) between 8th and 9th.  It was a pretty good filet mignon with a tiny slice of foie gras.

Was introduced to Chili’s Chicken Crispers while in Colorado.  Tasty stuff, too bad Chili’s decided to leave western Washington – there’s not a single branch available outside of the airport.

Great weather, sunny, warm, balmy with the relatively high humidity.  At around the mid to high 20’s (C), it’s not too hot.  In the week I was there, it did not get dark till close to 10pm, absolutely wonderful.

Aside from adjusting to the driving and traffic, the language barrier was the biggest hurdle.  Apparently, it’s quite helpful if you speak French in France.

Walking is highly encouraged, everyone does.  The average woman on the street is much cuter than in the US.  Lots of exercising going on, ranging from running to cycling and rollerblading.

Beaches here are not sandy… it’s rocky, however it doesn’t deter anyone from basking in the sun.  Going topless is encouraged and I’ve seen enough men in speedos to last a lifetime.

Nice is a great little town – touristy, quaint.  Love the narrow alleyways, littered with shops and restaurants.

Took a day to visit Monte Carlo and Monaco.  Quite a small area, oozing wealth.  Too rich for my pocketbook.  Same for Cannes, a more touristy version of Nice, with nicer beaches (too bad it’s mostly private).  Did the obligatory tourist visits.  Lunch was interesting – steak and fries where the steak is practically a hamburger patty.

In any case, a wonderful region to relax in, if you can afford it.  Everything I saw was $-$-$, with the euro conversion rate.

Did sample my fair share of meals, most were average fare.  The most expensive meal included a seafood paella, which was wonderful actually, if a bit much to eat for one.  Tried just about every gelato store I came across.  Had a favorite and went back to it consistently for their hazelnut gelato.

Sofia is a lot like Seattle, in terms of winter weather – just a little colder. Cloudy, steady drizzle, chilly. Ugh, but I’ve been told that summers are amazing.

Some things to get used to – trying to recognize Cyrillic (it’s not that easy!) and the fact that smoking is everywhere! … literally. Could not find a smoke-free environment except in certain parts of the hotel. Even if a restaurant has a non-smoking section, it’s usually next to the smoking section.

The Radisson where I stayed at has an Irish sports bar called Flanagan’s – watched the Super Bowl live here, which is a huge plus in my books, just take the elevator down and voila! Ate here a few times. Breakfast is served here every morning. Had the chicken wings and shepherd’s pie for dinner. It was alright, typical bar food, a little salty. Tried the Guinness beef stew for lunch as well, the mashed potatoes were too soft and watery.

Generally speaking, I found the dining experience to be decent for the price you pay. Even in a nice upscale place, entrees were anywhere from $10 – $25.

Aside from room service, other places I went to during this extended business trip:

Tambuktu Fish Restaurant – Surprised that there is a seafood restaurant in the city since Sofia is quite a distance from the sea. Food was average and forgettable, I think my opinion is tempered by being extremely irritated and congested by the smoking around me. In any case, I wouldn’t go back again … ever.

Maraia Fusion Bar – Was walking around the city center and stumbled upon this place, right next to Tambuktu. Modern decor always catches my eye and they advertised sushi. Not bad, I thought, had a spicy tuna roll and regretted it. The spicy tuna was not stuffed into the roll, it was lathered over the top of the sliced roll pieces. Ok, maybe it’s a little unique, fine. Ate a bite and wondered what I was eating. It sure as hell was not spicy tuna. Ah well, next was the duck breast entree. It came sliced up in a blueberry sauce. Quite good actually, sweet sauce goes well with the grilled breast. The duck could have been a bit more tender. That’s 2 out of 2 for me, won’t order duck again in this town.

Krim – recommended by the hotel concierge, I found this place in the daytime and went back for dinner. The atmosphere and decor is well suited. An upscale restaurant with European cuisine. The nice thing about ordering from menus here is that every dish is shown the measurement of the portion (in grams). Gives you a good idea of how large the serving is. I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that a 200g entree is enough for anyone, if you are going for the full multi-course meal. Started off with a seafood fish and tomato based soup. Quite tasty, if a little salty. Had the whole range of sea critters – prawn, fish, mussels, clams and more. I picked a lamb and pork skillet type traditional Bulgarian entree. It was quite good but I could only put half the plate away. The dessert sealed the deal. Recommended by the waiter, it was authentic Italian tiramisu. Extremely good, you can’t taste the alcohol. Came in large dollops on the plate instead of the usual slice.

I took the opportunity to grab a city tour over Super Bowl weekend. Interesting to have a middle-aged guide show me the area – I guess he’s about mid 50s, gave me a lot of background and perspective on the transition from communism to democracy (Bulgaria changed in 1989, joined the EU in 2006, Euro adoption to follow soon). Interesting architecture, a few buildings were rebuilt over the years. My hotel room has a fantastic view of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (the domes are gold-plated) and legislative assembly building. For a former communist country, there’s a fair number of churches (and synagogues and mosques) in the city – people seem to be quite devout and pray often. One thing I noticed in all the churches was that the interior walls were covered in paintings from floor to ceiling.

Having spent over a week here, I’ve come to the conclusion that the constant smoking is a huge negative. Especially in the evenings (after work hours) in almost every establishment (restaurants, shops, offices, outside). After a fresh shower, head out for a bite to eat, come back smelling like an ashtray. The stink permeates every pore of your skin and every inch of clothing. My hotel room has a lingering odor due to what I’ve picked up by going out. For someone who doesn’t smoke, I don’t see how I can survive in this city for long. As it is, I prefer to get room service instead of heading out to eat, simply because I don’t want to ooze tobacco when I get back.