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Lupine flowers in the French Alps

My husband, Nicolas, spent many childhood summers and holidays in the French Alps. His family used to go to a small town called Albiez and we usually spend a week there when we go to France. This small town is in the middle of nowhere and has cows walking through the streets in the morning and evening – which means you can get fresh milk every day.

It’s very calm and great for hiking. These lupine flowers are everywhere during the summer, I just love their bright colors and thought this would be great for today’s Photo of the Day.

Piedra de Agua thermal pools and spa in Cuenca, Ecuador

By Layla Pujol 1 Comment

Piedra de Agua is a thermal bath spa located right outside of Cuenca, Ecuador. These hot spring baths are located in small town called Baños (not to be confused with the more popular Baños de Agua Santa in Tungurahua). They offer several spa package options, from the basic access to the main hot and cold outdoor thermal pools, as well as full package that includes access to a variety of outdoor and underground thermal pools and steam box baths.
We couldn’t get enough of this place during the last trip to Ecuador and visited a few times. It’s especially beautiful (and romantic – though I was with my kids) at night time. We visited during weekdays so it wasn’t crowded, but I can imagine that it gets very busy on weekends and holidays. I would recommend calling ahead to reserve during peak times, and ask if there’s a certain time when it’s quieter. It was particularly quiet and peaceful during our night visit….

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Seco de chivo at Hasta La Vuelta Señor restaurant

By Layla Pujol Leave a Comment

I’m going to start doing several short “photo of the day” posts. These will include random photos that I find in my travel archives. To start out, today’s photo of the day is this delicious seco de chivo or goat stew we ate in Quito, Ecuador. This photo was taken in June 2012 at the Hasta La Vuelta Señor restaurant in the Historic Center area.

Seco de chivo is a traditional Ecuadorian goat stew dish made by cooking goat meat (or sometimes lamb) by braising it in a sauce of garlic, cumin, achiote or annatto, oregano, peppers, onions, cilantro, tomatoes, chicha or fermented corn drink, naranjilla or lulo juice, panela and spices. I have a recipe for homemade seco de chivo if you are interested in trying to make it at home.

Eating pork fritada in Ecuador

By Layla Pujol 1 Comment

Eating fritada in Ecuador is a popular weekend activity, especially for those living or visiting the Sierra or Andean Highlands. It’s a common practice for people living in the cities to go for a paseo or getaway to the smaller villages (pueblos). Some people have weekend fincas (small farms) or second homes in these country side pueblos; while others just go for the day. In these small towns, and on the way, you will find many restaurants and food stands that sell a variety of traditional food (comida típica). One of the most popular weekend dishes is fritada de chancho, a pork dish made by cooking chunks of pork in large pans with water until the water has been consumed and the pork is left to cook itself in its own fat. The results are delicious pieces of pork that are crispy and golden on the outside while juicy and tender inside.

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About Vilcabamba, Ecuador

By Layla Pujol 12 Comments

Vilcabamba is a small valley in Southern Ecuador. Vilcabamba, from the quechua Huilcopamba means Valley of the Huilcos – after the huilco trees that are very common in this valley, is well known for its longevos or centenarians. Vilcabamba is also called the Valley of the Eternal Youth or the Valley of Longevity. It is a resort like town that has a great warm spring like climate year-round, but can also have a brutal rainy season. This small town is part of the province of Loja and is about a 45 minute drive away from the city of Loja. Vilcabamba, and nearby towns of San Pedro, Malacatos and Landangui, has always been a weekend getaway for people living in Loja, most wealthy lojanos have fincas or vacations homes in these small towns. Vilcabamba is also a popular gringo or foreigner destination. It used to be that most foreigners were backpackers passing through on their way to Peru and only a few would end up of staying as long term residents. But as the years have gone by, more and more foreigners are finding it a great place to retire or settle down….

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El Cajas – a Unesco biosphere reserve

By Layla Pujol Leave a Comment

Cajas National Park, also known as El Cajas, was recently added to the list of protected biospheres by the Unesco. This natural reserve is located about an hour away from the city of Cuenca and covers close to one million hectares (2.47 million acres). The designation as a World Environment Biosphere Reserve includes the entire Massif of El Cajas, which includes marine farmland from the Gulf of Guayaquil, Cajas National Park, and the area of Quimsacocha. The entire park spans across four provinces: Azuay, Cañar, Guayas and El Oro. El Cajas becomes the 5th protected biosphere that Ecuador has; the other four are the Galapagos Islands, Yasuní, Sumaco and Podocarpus-El Condor.

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