Zona Refrescante'

As we were sitting over our almuerzo yesterday, at what has become our go to stop for lunch Zona Refrescante', we reflected over just how healthy of a lifestyle we have been leading for the past week or so.  All without even really making an effort!  Sure I still have had my share of cervezas and Jana has had a vasso de vino or two, and we've had a couple of meals that wouldn't be found on a Jillian Michael's diet plan.  But the vast majority of our meals have been so fresh and, well, refreshing.  Not only have the meals been refreshing but on average we've walked over 3 miles a day just taking daily strolls through the city.  

Just as in the photo above, almost all of the meals we've had here have been made from fresh ingredients, fresh fruits and vegetables and organic meats.  I'm not trying to sound like a health food fanatic here, but it's amazing how much better you feel when you don't wake up bloated from all of the salt and other preservatives you put into your body the day before.  

Our almuerzo at Zona Refrescante' yesterday started with the sopa (soup) made of potatoes, chick peas and basil.  We were provided with a creamy hot sauce that I couldn't tell you what was in it but it spiced everything up just right.  Next came the main course, which consisted of a chunk of white meat chicken and a rolled up something that had chopped red peppers, ham, cheese and I think chicken, all covered in a cream sauce.  We called it a chicken cordon bleu roll up, I don't know what they called it.  We also called it excellent!  That fit right in with the fruit salad, rice and corn cake that was on the plate.  All washed down with a freshly squeezed mora jugo (blackberry juice).  When we both cleaned our plate we just looked at each other and said, WOW"!  Our waiter then brought us a small plate of whipped dairy cream, something that is very common here and was meant as a palate cleanser.  The lunch was perfect, the setting was perfect and the price, even better at $4 each.  

To make these incredibly fresh meals, the restaurants merely have to go around the corner daily to the mercado and pick up the ingredients that were likely in the field yesterday morning.  Before lunch yesterday, we were strolling around the city and took a little walk through the mercado ourselves.  Just imagine all of the fresh meals you could make everyday from fruits and vegetables like this.

And the fresh, non-processed cheeses, incredible!

Just walking around the city is not the only healthy aspect of the day, but taking your time and taking it all in is good for the soul.

Of course, if it's the soul you need to work on, you have plenty of options and opportunities here.

And on any given day if you don't have time to go to the mercado for your fresh fruit, you have plenty of other options right on the street.

When you get tired out, you just pop in the nearest halenderia and get a scoop or two of some of the freshest ice cream you've ever had.  Then sit down on the park bench and do what you've become very good at, lick your cone while you watch the people walk by.  

After such an exhausting day, what else to do?  Siesta time of course!  

On occasion you need a little more relaxation, so just head to your favorite watering hole for your two for one libation of choice.  For this evening Jana chose Sex on the Beach (lol) and I went with the more relaxed Pina Colada (note to self, Pina Colada 2 for 1 ends at 4 pm).  

That's where the "healthyness" ended for the day, but not the freshness!  Finally, we made it to the place we had been dying to try, Fabianos Pizzeria.  Leading up to our trip here I had read in many ex-pat blogs how Fabianos was the only "real" Americano pizza in town.  From all the walking we've done, I can say there is no shortage of options for pizza here.  but we chose to wait and only splurge on pizza at Fabianos.  Are we glad we did or what?  

We met Bev, our "landlord" for dinner at 5:30 p.m. at Fabianos.  She is a wonderful person and joy to chat with.  We told her how awesome our trip has been and how perfect the accommodations are.  I think I mentioned in a prior post how her apartment has every appointment you could want or desire, she simply thought of everything!  

But tonight we were together to enjoy the pizza at Fabianos.  To start with we had the absolute best calamari any of us have ever eaten.  It was lightly battered and cooked to perfection.  The Pilsner Grande was priced right at $1.65 and our Superduper Grande Supremo pizza with pepperoni, sausage, green olives, green peppers, mushrooms and onions was simply OUTSTANDING!  And to stay with the theme of this blog entry, all of the ingredients were obviously just purchased at the mercado that morning, you could just tell the freshness in every bite. When in Cuenca, do not miss Fabianos!

Bev was headed off to meet some friends to play trivia at Roux Bar, we opted to head to one of the coolest bars I have ever swerved into.   The name of the very small bar is "Far Out". The owner is a German ex-pat who is a brewmeister and almost refuses to serve any beer other than his own brew.  Not because he wants to profit from his wares, but in typical German mindset, he simply doesn't want to serve anything less than the best.  I had his blonde offering and it was, simply put, excellent!  

Turns out, he and I had a lot in common.  We discussed the nature and status of world politics while listening to tunes from the absolute single largest music selection known to man.  He told me that if I wanted to hear it, just look through the alphebetized catalog that was as thick as a New York City phone book and tell him what we wanted to hear.

Well, turns out I had an artist on my phone that he didn't have in his collection.  Not only was he surprised, but he gave me a thumb drive and asked me to copy the album for him.  I'll take the thumb drive back to him this evening and my friend Lynne Campbell, guitarist extraordinaire from New Zealand, will now be heard in Cuenca, Ecuador.   Pictures at 11.

Hasta Luego!