Shot of the Week

 

 

 

Pictured is the bride and groom table at my cousin Annette’s wedding on March 5. The reception took place in La Concha resort in San Juan (Condado) Puerto Rico, and as I’m sure you can tell just from this photo, was a beautiful affair. Congratulations, Annette and Roberto!

-Karina

Shot of the Week

I am lucky to have family in paradise, a.k.a. Puerto Rico. Last summer I spent about two weeks with my aunt and cousin there, and the day I arrived my aunt and I went to the beach in San Juan. We arrived around 4 p.m. and I was exhausted, but as the sun began to set everything was bathed in yellows and pinks. I looked up through these palm trees and felt so serene. I still feel that calm, exhausted happiness when I look at this photo.

-Karina for TKGO

Shades of Puerto Rico

By now you might have read my posts about the ice cream, café and musical acts I came across during my two weeks in Puerto Rico, but lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about that beautiful little island where almost everyone drives SUVs (not so beautiful, but very true). Since it’s beginning to get colder and more drab in both my New Jersey and Chicago-area homes, I decided it was apropos to share some of the especially colorful and inviting photos I took during my time in PR.

Some pictures I took while lounging on the beach in San Juan or strolling through Old San Juan (which reminded me of both Lisbon and Sevilla; see if you think I’m right on that). Others are from a weekend jaunt to Fajardo or the natural wonder, Las Cavernas de Camuy. And the last image is a shot of my aunt and cousin, my beautiful and gracious hosts, and me out to dinner at Parrot Club (delicious, by the way; the mojitos especially) on my last night in Puerto Rico.

-Karina for TKGO

What’s in a Cup?

No matter the country, climate, language or culture, every place I’ve visited harbors locals who love coffee. I’d even be bold enough to coin it the drink of the world. What fascinates me about coffee is that countries vary in how they create and take their coffee. This is probably obvious to most, but is a relatively new discovery for me. See, it took me years to get into the bean, and I only came to appreciate a cup when living in Barcelona.

The Spanish Cup

It was café con leche that changed me. Half milk, half espresso, half a packet of sugar and pure bliss. The Spanish keep their coffee simple, because when it’s as good as they have it, there’s no need for any Starbucks-esque remixes and adornments. I never had even a mediocre cup my four months in Spain, but I have to admit my favorite came in a slender plastic cup from the cafeteria of my university, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, for 1,50 Euros.

The New York Cup

I gave up on the hope of a daily cup of café con leceh and gulped down a cup a day of machine-produced hazelnut with skim milk and Splenda (more out of necessity than enjoyment), but that’s not the coffee I remember. About a month into the summer, my friend discovered a small East Village café called Abraço (“embrace” in Portuguese). When I learned they sold the Spanish mineral water Vichy Catalan, I knew I was in love. It’s a European-style coffee bar that also serves small plates and real-deal pastries (such as olive oil cake and my favorite, pain pardu, a thick, fluffy piece of French toast folded in half with ricotta cheese).

 

 

Lovely Abraço cappuccinos

 

Abraço is standing room only inside, but the owners bring out a bench and table in good weather and it’s a no rush environment on one of my favorite blocks in the city (7th Street near First Ave.).  And they swirl hearts in the cappuccinos (see below), which would seem cheesy at most places but instead comes across as thoughtful. No Splenda available, but it’s the closest to my beloved Spanish cup I’ve found this side of the Atlantic.

The Puerto Rican Cup

I wasn’t expecting anything special when I flitted down for a week and a half at the end of August, but came to find their coffee is the beverage equivalent the Spanglish most residents speak. The coffee reminded me of Spain, but they definitely love their Splenda. My newly-acquired tastes fit right in.

-Karina for TKGO