Gulu-Gulu Cafe

My heart broke when I learned the news of David Bowie's death this past Monday, January 11th. I am an Anglophile- my favorite musical genre is British pop- and so far, 2016 hasn't been a good year for beloved entertainers from across the pond. To help me cope, I went to a place I knew would know how to throw a tribute to the icon's passing- the Gulu-Gulu Cafe in Salem, Massachusetts. 

The Gulu-Gulu Cafe is a hispter-esque yet unprentious  restaurant that serves rare beers, coffee and fresh food. It is situated right next to its sister restaurant, the Flying Saucer Pizza Company, which I reviewed last year (http://wickedblogger20.blogspot.com/2015/01/flying-saucer-pizza-company.html), and was named after a cafe in Prague where the owners met and fell in love. Aw, how cute! 

Everything the Gulu Gulu offers uses delicious ingredients, including all of the craft beers they have. This past year, they won the North Shore Magazine's Reader's Choice for their beer menu and recently they  started their own beer membership. 

I ordered the Essjay on a spinach wrap-hummus, red onions, greens, strawberries, apples, and cranberries. 

My boyfriend got the Orange Walnut salad; mixed greens and arugula with oranges, spiced walnuts, cranberries, feta cheese & pickled onions. For $2, he got to add bacon.

The Gulu Gulu isn't just great at night, but for breakfast too! When I have a sweet tooth craving in the morning, my favorite thing to make is a waffle sandwich with peanut butter, Nutella, strawberries and bananas. 

Just like the Flying Saucer Pizza Company, the Gulu Gulu's mascot is a pug. 

I sat right near this drawing. Bowie's bewildering body of work was heavily played that night on the sound system above. If you're a big music lover, the Gulu Gulu is a must as they feature live acts five nights a week. 

There are many lessons one can learn from David Bowie; he created anthems for the alienated and for musician had a rock-strong marriage to his second wife, Iman. However, what I admire most about him right now was his ability to make art until the end of his life. My aim is to be like Bowie, which is to never stop doing what I'm passionate about, even when I'm under pressure with other areas of my life, and one of those things is this blog. 

Gulu Gulu Cafe

247 Essex Street 

Salem, Massachusetts 01970
#978-740-8882 

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Dobrá Tea

It's always hard getting back into the swing of things during the first week of every new year. I was having such a hard time I ended up giving in to another road trip to Burlington, Vermont mid-week! Just kidding- I went back to Vermont for my first freelance gig- coverage of the protests at the Thursday Donald Trump rally! During some down-time earlier that day, I went to Dobrá Tea- a gluten free and vegan teashop that offers over 100 varies of Eastern loose-leaf tea. 

Dobrá Tea was founded by a group of tea drinkers who had smuggled rare Indian, Chinese and Japanese teas into Prague towards the end of Communism. At the time, the tea they were secretly brewing was only consumed by the highest ranks in the government and military. Three years after the fall of Communism, the group opened their first tearoom in the capital, and in the past decade, nineteen more opened across the Czech Republic. The Dobrá Tea in Burlington was the first US Dobrá. 

My boyfriend and I sat on the cushions nestled in the corner. Their cushions are filled with buckwheat hull. 

After browsing their ten pages of my green tea (yes, you heard me right; they have TEN pages in their menu devoted to this one type!!),  we ordered Dian Lu Eshan, which is touted as their best green tea. 

I find the winter to be the best time of the year to reflect due to its' slow pace. After my boyfriend poured each serving, I stared at my tea leaves and mused about what 2016 would hold for us. 

My boyfriend's mom frequents Dobrá Tea once a month and during my visit I understood why. To me, tea is the closest thing we have on earth to a magic potion. It calms me down whilst turning me on creatively, lifting me up emotionally, and stimulating me mentally. 

Dobra Tea (Burlington, VT)

January 7 at 6:29pm · 

Tea is a universal beverage. Dobrá Tea is dedicated to creating a safe space for all people. During these devisive political times, we hope you find peace and safety amongst friends over a cup of tea. ‪#‎TeaTrumpsPolitics‬

Dobrá Tea 

80 Church Street 
Burlington, Vermont 05401 
#802-951-2424

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The Stone Corral Brewery

Germany isn't the only place I've been to in the past six months that has a love of beer.

Vermont has more craft breweries per capita than any other state in the US and on my ride home to Massachusetts on January 3rd, I got to check out one of its newest ones- the Stone Corral Brewery! 

The Stone Corral is a micro brewery that originated on a family horse ranch in Huntington, Vermont before moving to its current tap room in Richmond.They utilize local, seasonal flavors and their beers have roots in Germany, Belgium, and Britain. In 2014, they competed against 710 global breweries and cideries in the Great International Beer & Cider Competition and their 'Black Beer' won them first place for Dark Lagers: Bock-Schwarzbier-Other; their 'Latigo' awarded them second for English-Style Bitter/Scottish-Style Ale; and their 'Illusive Traveler' earned second for Fruit and Spice Ale. 

I ordered a fight of all their beers. 

My favorite beer was their Kölsch- a German pale lager. 

The best snack to munch on! 

I love the Southwestern vibes the Stone Corral has.  

I find the Vermont pace of life to be soothing for the soul. 

I'm not a resolution person, but in 2016, I want to make this quote my mantra. 

The Stone Corral Brewery 

83 Huntington Road 

Richmond, Vermont 05477 

(802)-434-5787 

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, lovely readers! 

January started with a walk through Red Rocks with my boyfriend, his mother, and friends. You can read my first blog post about Red Rocks here: http://wickedblogger20.blogspot.com/2015/12/red-rocks-park.html. 

What made this recent passage through Red Rocks different than the one I took back in early December was the blanket of snow. It was fun watching  groups of kids and my boyfriend and his friends throw snowballs at one another; you're never too old for that! 

My boyfriend's mom told me that January 1st was the first day since Christmas there wasn't a cloudy overcast burying Red Rocks and when she said that I couldn't help but smile and think of that as some kind of metaphor for the new year.


Though I am excited for it, 2016 will probably be the most unpredictable and anxious year of my life since I am graduating from college in May. It's important to accept the true realities when I'm on deck for a major lifestyle change, but it's also a necessity I stay hopeful everything will work out on its own just as the murk eventually broke its' spell, unveiling sunshine that looked like heaven had aligned it.

It's easy this time of the year for our heads to get misty, but if you ever need a prescription for a clear head, I'd suggest going on walk with some good company. Also, snowball fights aren't a bad idea either. 

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Coffee Time Bake Shop

Yesterday, it snowed for the fist time this winter. Though it is normal in most places for snow to fall in December, it was especially surreal to see it happen Tuesday as four days earlier on Christmas it was 65 degrees! It was that slushy, wet  kind of snow that qualifies the shoveling I did that day as a workout. I was in Salem that morning, but before I drove home, I went to Coffee Time Bake Shop to enjoy my favorite meal of the day. 

I'm one of those people who gets mushy on New Year's Eve because it means I have to wait another year for Christmas so appreciated all of Coffee Time's decorations, especially these frosted, gummed dropped gingerbread houses.  

I ordered egg and cheese on a croissant after hearing they make the best croissants.

My iced green tea. 

 Coffee Time uses only the finest ingredients and time-tested recipes in their muffins, hand-cut donuts, bagels, scones, bismarks, cannolis, eclairs, tiramisu, and cakes. Their coffees are just rich as they are strictly brewed from Swiss water processed Columbian beans. 

Another thing to love is it's a family owned and operated bake shop that has been serving the North Shore for over thirty years. You can feel that sense of community and endearment in the way the employees take customers' requests and thru the holiday cards they receive, which were displayed on their counter. Though I have no knowledge as to what the winter of 2016 will bring (living in New England means expect the unexpected in terms of weather), I know that I can rely on Coffee Time to keep me satisfied. This eatery not only leaves every customer happy and satisfied, but it is also "open early...open late." 

Happy New Year's Eve, Everyone! 

Coffee Time Bake Shop 
96 Bridge Street 
Salem, MA 01970 
#978-744-0995 

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Munich Part Two

During my second day in Munich, I got to climb to the top of St. Peter's Church, the oldest church in the city. It stands on the hill where Munich’s original monks are believed to have settled back in the ninth century. St. Peter’s is part of the soul of the city; there’s even a popular song about it that goes, ‘Munich is not Munich without St. Peter’s.’

The climb to the top was a little longer than the Heiliggeistkirche in Heidelberg with 305 steps (read all about my trip to Heidelberg here: http://wickedblogger20.blogspot.com/2015/09/heidelberg.html). I climbed it with my friend Jesse and I don't know how he survived it. He is an avid photographer so his backpack is always stocked with a tripod, lights, and various lens. 

Though there was two way traffic on the stairs, there was more breathing room on the St. Peter's stairs then on the Heiliggeistkirche staircase, and an equally dynamic vista.  I got to see the New Town Hall’s famous glockenspiel. Every day at 11am and 12pm (and at 5 o’clock May-Oct), the tower chimes and colorful figures come out of the balcony and dance. The spiel of the glockenspiel tells the story of a noble wedding that actually took place on the market square in 1568. 

At night, I went swimming in Munich's Isar River. The most recognized strip of the Isar River is the Eisbach, which flows into the English Garten. Just like the Garten, the Isar River is a popular place for having a picnic, rafting, and drinking a beer.

It was a significant moment swimming in it during the wee hours of July 14th, as it was the first time I ever hung out with my boyfriend, Michael. It was his idea, Mr. Spontaneous. During my first class on the History and Geography of Germany, which was three days before the departure, one of the professors and I were taking about how we both need to work on being more spontaneous. I feel since meeting Michael, I am not so nervous when it comes to confronting the unexpected. Though I was unsure then if it was legal or not to swim in the river, I took the dive anyways. We had to walk over some sharp rocks to get to the mainland after our swim, but once he put his arm around me, I never felt more stable on ground. Little did I know then, but Michael was laying down the solid foundation that would pave the road for the strong, healthy  relationship we have now. 

Munich is the capital of Bavaria and it's beautiful, romantic, and has one of the most fascinating stories in all of Europe. It is no wonder it has been voted multiple times as the most livable city in the world. 

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St. Peter's Church 
Rindermarkt 1, 80331 München, Germany
49 89 210237760 

Dachau Concentration Camp 
Alte Römerstraße 75, 85221 Dachau, Germany
49 8131 669970 

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Munich- Part One

Before we drove to Munich from Heidelberg on July 12th, my travel group had an hour long pitstop in Augsburg. I ate at a traditional German restaurant and my waiter was a true country boy. I noted in Augsburg that the Germans from the south regions posses the same hospitality and charm that US southerners have. Though my waiter told me that he didn't drink, he declared Munich as the most beautiful city in the world. His high regards of the Bavarian city were not overhype;  of all the cities I visited in Germany, Munich was the one I wish I spent more time in. 

The first place I went in Munich was their newest museum- the Nazi Documentation Center. I had been excited to go there as I was curious to see how the Nazi Party would be represented.  

The Nazi  Documentation Center is located in the former site of the Nazi Party headquarters. It opened on April 30, the 70th anniversary of the liberation by the US troops and Hitler's suicide. The museum had four floors of rich content that covered the rise and fall of Nazism with a focus on Munich’s role. Inside, I noticed that the Germans that were there were reading the panels intensely. It was nice seeing them show such interest in their country’s history as Primo Levi- a chemist, writer, and survivor of the Holocaust- once said: “it happened, therefore it can happen again.” 

After the Documentation Center, I went to my hotel to freshen up and then walked around the English Garten. The English Garten is the largest park city on the European continent. Everyday you can find this place packed with locals and tourists, as well as surfers and nude sunbathers. The English Garten is four times the size of New York City’s Central Park. I stayed in there till midnight and never felt unsafe.  It was Sunday that day, and across the Atlantic Sundays are a day devoted to taking it easy and spending time with loved ones. Walking through the Garten, I saw a group of friends having a picnic with candles, blankets and wine; crowds salsa dancing in a gazebo;  middle aged couples playing bocce under fairy lights; and people in their finest clothes attending an outdoor Mozart and Bach tribute concert. 

Munich is a dream city for bikers. The strip of pathway closest to the street on a sidewalk is reserved for bikes. Bikers ring their cherry bells to warn pedestrians when they are in the way. If you don’t get out of the way, you can expect to be hit and receive no apologizes. No, this didn't happen to me, but it did happen to a drunk British tourist who wounded up with a gash on the top of his head. It was quite a sight before I went to bed! 

To add to my fist night in Munich, it was also Gay Pride Day! In the Marienplatz, the central square in Munich, there was an ABBA cover band performing and rainbow flags waving. Although same-sex marriage is not legal in Germany, seven decades ago it was a terrifying time to be gay in Munich. It is unclear how many of the 5,000 to 15,000 of homosexuals enslaved in concentrations camps perished, but scholar Rudiger Lautmann believes that the death rate of homosexuals in concentration camps may have been as high as 60%! Having visited the Documentation Center hours earlier, it was  beautiful seeing Germans not only own up to their past, but be fully embracive of a group that was severely ostracized by members of their country not too long ago. As 2015 comes to a close, I know I will look back on it as the gayest year. Having experienced less than a month before the trip America legalizing same-sex marriage, I could only hope that the rest of Germany would one day be able to celebrate those rights. 

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