The Perils and Pleasures of Being a Foodie on the Road
The traveling lifestyle would not be complete without discovering new cuisines, ducking into cosy and delectable cafes and making new sumptuous discoveries. The reality of being a foodie is that you truly enjoy the presentation and excitement of trying something new, say a new chocolate pastry or Tredelik (amazing Czech funnel pastry filled with super rich yummy cream of your choice) which you never could have tasted sitting at home or in your own kitchen.
On a recent trip to Chennai, I discovered the Fabelle with its exquisite line of artisan chocolate bars, chocolates by the piece and pastries featured in a darling chocolaterie in the ITC Grand Chola Hotel Chennai. Chocolate is easily becoming the fastest growing category to expand in
India as it universally loved by children, parents, Grandmas and Grandpas. The challenge is that you could easily go through your entire recommended calorie allowance for the day in a single sitting at this addictive cafe. My best advice is buy a couple of bars for family and friends, buy a piece of truffle for the road and run for your life before the cocoa aroma overpowers you!
Milan, home to high fashion and global luxury brands also has some delectable cafes and addictive gelaterias like the one at the Vittorio Emanuele mall, the oldest active shopping mall in Italy! Standing in line, everyone has the same dilemma, which of the half a dozen chocolate flavors do you choose from or do you skip right to the compelling pistachio or raspberry? How people shop at Valentino and Armani and still enjoy their Gelato is a mystery to me, but here are a few traveler tips from foodie to foodie:
* Take the Scenic route. When travelling you can really get the feel of a town by walking its streets, seeing where the common man goes and also by burning your calories so your next dessert can be a bit more guilt free.
* Make sacrifices, pick and choose what you want. This was an area I did not fare as well as I would have liked but in retrospect, Milan would have been better with just one cheat food per day- in other words, don't have your fav loaded pizza and cannoli dessert all in a day even though it is very tempting.
* Catch some local exercise opportunities, rent a bike if you are in Amsterdam, check churches or parks for free yoga classes. Do a round of 30 sun salutations if all fails in your hotel room before heading out.
Above all: Enjoy, Experience, and Expand your horizons!
