i genuinely believe that i was born in the wrong decade. 

i’ve been here:

and here:

(psssst both on New Zealand’s South Island…you should probably go)

LaSpadas. Fort Lauderdale Florida.

you think you’ve had great sandwiches before, but nothing compares to this. it’s the king of all sandwiches. it’s the jedi grand master of the hoagie galaxy. it’s freaking phenomenal and i’m not exaggerating even a little.

the secret behind the magic is a combination of super fresh ingredients (all meats and cheeses are sliced before your eyes as you order them), delicious toppings (sweet peppers, hot peppers, pickles, onions, lettuce, tomato, oregano, oil and vinegar), the “tuck” technique (all hoagies are topped with an extra layer of meat or cheese that’s tucked in to keep the whole puppy together), and the efficient assembly line sandwich production:

this place has been around forever and there are now 4 or 5 different locations around the fort lauderdale area, but my go-to spot is the lauderdale-by-the-sea location on sea grape. don’t let the crazy, out the door lineups deter you…it moves fast. also, unless you’re a total beast, just order a small (8 in) because it’ll guaranteed be enough to fill you up. over the years, i’ve never been able to score the crab meat hoagie because they would always run out early in the day, but this time i got it (ok, fine….i got it twice). check out this beauty:

oh, and the prices are unbeatable for what you’re getting. every single time i’ve visited this place over the past 10-15 years, i wonder how the heck i can franchise it and bring it toronto. and it just can’t be done. a stand alone florida tradition.

click here for more info and be sure to stop in if you’re ever in the area!

someone asked me to name the most beautiful place i’ve ever visited and this place immediately popped into mind. whitehaven beach, whitsundays australia. we camped on this wild beach for a couple of days. absolutely unforgettable. the wildlife that lurked in the woods looked like creatures from a dr.seuss book.

where is the most beautiful place you’ve ever been???

the hilton, bora bora

People swim at the No 1 Bathing Beach where the water was filled with enteromorpha prolifera, a sea plant that reproduces rapidly, putting the swimmers at risk, in Eash China’s coastal city Qingdao, July 15, 2011. Several of the beaches in the city have been attacked by the green stuff for the past week and the clearing work is under way.

it is a dream of mine to do this one day…anywhere in the world…for a little while.

um. i guess i should not cave and buy the previous item i posted about.