Snowpocalypse

I missed the 2010 Snowmageddon in DC last year. I was too busy trekking through the mountains of snow the Russians called a "regular winter day". Life continued, even when it was -38 and visibility was close to 0 due to the blowing snow. It's not an exaggeration when I say that I decided to experience a Russian winter to prime my body for Albany's winter. I never expected that Albany's temperatures and snowfall would nearly match Samara's winter.

Last week, we had Snowpocalyse 2011 sweep the midwest and northeastern regions of the US. I'm in NY and no longer in Russia; I was entitled to have a snow day...or four.

While the rest of Albany was paralyzed, the trusty, mostly-reliable US Postal Servicepeople continue with their work.

Shannon and I took a hike to the local post office to send a letter the old-fashioned way. No e-mail, no driving to the post office, just walking on our own two legs.

Some parts of the sidewalk were knee deep and other parts were waist deep.

We came across this on our journey. It was a bit frightening.

There are rumors that the world will end in December 2012. I'll be hiding in my snow cave if you need me.

Wanderhunger: An exclusive interview with myself

Do I travel to satiate a wanderlust?

No, I travel because I'm hungry. It's not that I don't have anything to eat here, but trying new food is a good excuse for me to travel. Everything else I do when I travel is just a cover to make it seem like I am being productive. In reality, I try learning new languages to communicate in a restaurant and asking locals for recipes.

Do I enjoy cooking?

I cook a lot, even when I am alone. I like to eat well (in every sense of the word). In order to eat well, it requires me to cook. I also like eating with other people, so I sometimes cook for my friends.

What have my travels taught me about food?

Never waste food unless it goes bad. Try not to let your food go bad and eat it first. If you're not hungry, store food appropriately. I used to be a selective eater when I was young, but I had shed that habit throughout the years. I believe that if you don't give a dish a chance, you're missing out. I also believe that every person has a choice, so if you don't want it, I'll eat it. I am grateful for every (carefully portioned) bite I take.

I learn how to prepare ingredients differently when I travel, so I hardly ever get bored in the kitchen. Since I'm only one small person, I can't eat everything at the same time, so it's always new and exciting when I rediscover dishes.

What amazing deliciousness did I have to eat this past week?

Russian vinaigrette salad. I learned how to eat and cook beets last winter. This is Sofie's recipe. Boil beets, carrots, and potatoes and cut into cubes. Combine with peas, garlic, chopped onions, and dill. Toss with lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil.

Marscapone cheese and zucchini pizza. Diego brought me to an Italian restaurant where he used to work. I fell in love with this pizza and have eaten it at least once a week since I've been back from Spain. To make it, I layered a pre-made pizza crust with marscapone cheese, homemade pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and thin slices of zucchini.

I have a few more tricks up my sleeve that I'm willing to share. I'm not saying that I'm amazing cook because I'm definitely not, but I sometimes impress myself with my skills.

We're just a click away

Forget jumping the fence or hopping on the next banana boat over. If you want to come to the US illegally, check out this website first. Don't leave home without it!

Rocking out in Requena

In less than 2 hours from Albany, you can drive to a lovely, picturesque town called Chester. You can leave the overbearing, Gotham-like skyline for a refreshing Vermont landscape with windy roads through magical mountains. This time of year, that part of Vermont looks like a snowy scene on a Christmas card. Houses were far apart, stone cottages were blanketed in fluffy snow, and there was a comforting aroma of a wood burning stove.

I didn't take any pictures. (I only saw the landscape from the car and I was in a bar the rest of the time because it was cold outside.)

Fortunately, I took pictures when I went to Requena, a small town outside of Valencia's city. I already thought Valencia was cool for having century-old watchtowers and churches. When they told me that there's a castle in the middle of Requena, I was speechless. Don't try and convince me otherwise--living next to a castle and on its ruins is pretty amazing, even if there are possible ghosts involved.

Welcome to Requena, where everything is within stepping distance.

From Valencia, it took about an hour and half to get to Requena on train. Leaving the city, we passed orange groves, vineyards, and views like this. It's times like this where I wish I were a photographer and I knew how to get a print of what my eyeballs see.

Just like a royal red carpet, this street connected us from the train station to the castle and the rest of the town. (Javi's photo)

At the end of that giant street, we were greeted with the fountain of ducks. They explained to me that this fountain is a very stupid tourist attraction. I concur. (Note: This photo was stolen off someone's website. This guy's website says that you don't need to travel to the other side of the world to discover things because their own country is awesome. Go figure.)

Weaving through the tiny, narrow streets was like getting lost in a corn maize. These homes were actually part of the castle and where knights used to live. Now, they are ghost-factories-turned-residences.

This is one of the churches near the castle. (Javi's photo)

Every church had an intricately carved facade. During their civil war, angry republicans chopped off some of the statue heads. I don't understand why people do this when they're angry. Angry people also cut off the heads of Buddha statues in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

Some Americans have impenetrable shelters for bioterrorism attacks or Y2K. In Requena, some people dug enormous holes/caves under their homes for various reasons. These caves, located under the main plaza, are centuries old and were used as wine cellars and silos throughout different civilizations. (Javi's photo)

People from Requena take their wine seriously (because they're Spanish). This mural is a couple in traditional clothing standing in front of a bull plaza/stadium. Note the man's smug smile and perfect hairstyle. (Javi's photo)

This monument, like the mural above, represents the importance of Vendimia in Requena. I found the sculpture particularly interesting because it had a USSR style and feeling. (Javi's photo)

Just like going to Vermont, you don't need to travel too far to find an exotic adventure. Where I'm from, we joke that we can get from Israel to Haiti in a 15 minute drive. This is 98% true. And yes, Vermont is an exotic place.