Author Archives: Diana

About Diana

Canadian-Vermonter, Texas transplant. Cowboy boot wearing, maple syrup connoisseur, music lovin', wine and micro-brew drinkin', two-steppin' traveler who loves finding all the hidden gems the world has to offer. Come join me on the ride!

Patra

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Patra – A begging bowl used by monks. a bowl, vessel, receptacle, alms bowl, dish, plate, or utensil. According to monastic rules, a monk was permitted to possess three different robes and one begging bowl. This bowl was used as receptacle for food at mealtime, or for alms received during the practice of begging.
While I was in Burlington, I met up with an old college friend who I hadn’t seen in almost four years. She had recommended that we meet up at Patra, one of the many local coffee / tea shops in Burlington.
Located in the old Army-Navy store location, and formerly Sapa, this is your go to place for privacy and relaxation. This is the kind of place that I lack in Texas. If I lived in Burlington, this is probably one of the places where you could find me writing these posts.
      

Patra is a sophisticated coffee shop. Although, from the outside it may not look like a large space but it opens up nicely once inside. Dark woods, brick walls and leather couches provide a cozy, relaxed and grounded atmosphere. A great place to work independently or meet with a group.
      

Patra hosts a variety of events each month:
Live Irish Folk- First Sunday of each month.
Open Mic Comedy – Last Thursday of each month.
Crowd Control (Three-Round comedy contest controlled by the crowd – Topics, performances, who advances and who wins.) Held once every three month.

Patra offers a variety of teas, coffee, milkshakes, smoothies and bubble teas. They also offer sandwiches, panini’s and cupcakes (even though I convinced myself the cupcakes were not really there to avoid temptation) if you are looking for a bite to eat.

I opted to try something new (at least to me) – bubble tea. A bubble tea is a combination of a tea base mixed with fruit and milk. I tried the Mango Bubble Tea (below) with Tapioca Pearls. There wasn’t a strong mango flavor however the drink was smooth and refreshing. Tapioca Pearls – I really wasn’t sure about these but amazingly enough I loved the texture (which I usually have a problem with as far as things in my drink goes) however I’ve been told the taste is aquired. I guess I’ll have to work on it. Overall, it was pretty delicious and I’d get one again.
      

The prices seemed to be overall comparable to the other coffee shops in the area. The bubble tea was $5 (before tip), which I thought was ok since I can’t get them daily, are made to order (and I treated myself) however on the other hand it is a little expensive for a pint sized beverage (Starbucks rate). I couldn’t justify getting one daily. The only thing that was really missing (at least to me) is if there was some music playing throughout the cafe (although I was told that there usually is something on). The atmosphere and decor of the cafe is completely wonderful.

If you are in the Burlington area and are looking for a new coffee shop to check out or even a place to get some work done out of the dorm/office – I would recommend to swing by, check it out. At least try out the Bubble Tea as I haven’t seen them anywhere else in Burlington. What’ve you got to lose?

Patra – Look them up on Facebook or check them out in person!
9 Center St
Burlington, VT 05401

(802) 318-4888

Belvidere Pond and The Wall

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While I was home I wanted to spend as much of my time outside as possible. With an early morning rain shower, going hiking was out of the question – I would be slipping in the mud all the way to the top. So my brother and I went canoeing. We went to Belvidere Pond in Belvidere, VT.
The story goes, that they can’t tell where the bottom is in this pond. I’m not really sure how true this is but it’s not exactly comforting to me. I’ve actually had nightmares about being stuck out there. So when my brother said he wanted to go, I wasn’t wicked excited but I figured he could fight the monstrous creature off if something came up out of the water. This is what happens when you are raised with a great imagination (thanks Mom!).
The area was so peaceful. We were the only ones out there for the few ours that we were there and it was quiet except for the few cars that were passing by on the main road which follows the pond. There’s even a parking area for people to just sit and take a break from their day to enjoy the scenery, which is apparently quite popular.
Our parents use to bring us out here when we were really little. Cars use to park on the side of the road around sundown and watch the moose walk across the road. It was really something. If you are lucky and come at the right time, I’m sure you could see one today. Does anyone else remember coming here to see moose?
On the other side of this little cove, the lake really opens up. It’s huge and beautiful.
There’s no pictures of us in the canoe – I chose to leave it in the truck. I have a history of flipping them as I get in/out of the canoe which wouldn’t have fared so well.
This is a pretty nice area to go canoeing and kayaking. There is a great area to get into the pond, some areas are shallow however it provides a great place to grab fresh air and just take a breather.
Here is a beaver dam which we saw while we were out. No beavers though.
After our canoeing adventures were complete, we decided to drive around a bit and check out the scenery. It’s a great pastime in Vermont.
My brother was trying to show me a friend’s deer camp nearby, so thru the woods we went.
Little did he know I would be more amused by the old stone wall we found in the woods.
  
You don’t really see a lot of these anymore. I think more people tear them down now. Back in the “olden” days, this is how people separated their property. It would take an awful lot to move one of these.  But to see them in the middle of the woods, completely covered in moss and leaves, it makes you wonder exactly how long they’ve been there and what they’ve seen traversing thru these woods.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

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It’s amazing how fast time flies and how much vacations are required. *Required* I don’t think the Texas heat has ever made me feel so miserable since I have moved there.

It’s amazing going home. First, you notice ever little thing that’s new – a new paved road, new homes, new buildings, new paint on a building, torn down barn, street lights, stop signs. In a small down you notice these things. I got off the plane and the first thing I wanted was a creemee (soft service ice cream for all you flat landers), with rainbow sprinkles. It was beyond delicious – just FYI. I’ve been home quite a few times since I moved to Texas back in 2008 but I think this is the first time that I’ve really just flat out missed it.

Vermont is a tiny state (2nd least populated in the country) and I’m sure its safe to say that my hometown has more dairy cows than folks. It should be an indication of how small it is based on the above statement showing the things that I have noticed have changed. Including they are building the third (at least) Dollar Store within two towns.

I had some flight issues on the way out of DFW – could’ve been worse but I made it out, out of the heat. Flying into Burlington really kind of hit me. Looking out the window, I saw we were flying up the western side of Lake Champlain over New York. First came the luscious green Adirondack mountains, which looked so calm, peaceful and relaxed. Sailboats were sitting in the coves of the lakes. This is where you come to relax!

Farther north up the lake came Burlington, VT. One of my favorite places, probably one of my favorite cities – it’s just gorgeous, calm, serene. The city sits on a hill, leads down to the waterfront. I’ll need to add a picture even though a picture will never do it any justice. You really need to see it for yourself. All the worries and stresses of the world seemed to disappear as soon as I saw the lake in the windows. 

My friend Margo jokes that I can’t go anywhere without running into someone I know or have a friend in common. My 2nd connection on my flight (because there seems to be no direct flights to VT) was from Dulles to Burlington. I was sitting next to a Vermont Guard member (turns out he knows a guy I grew up with). We were flying into Burlington, and he says this has to be the most beautiful place ever, or something to that extent. He is right. Sometimes I feel like a fool to have ever left, but maybe I wouldn’t appreciate it so much now. I told him he was right and I couldn’t imagine a better place to have been raised. We both agreed on that hands down.

I walked off the plane onto the tiny tarmac of the two terminal airport. The air – perfect – mid 70’s. I traveled 2,000 miles to get the temperature down 30 degrees and it was well worth it. A slight breeze in the air, slight humidity, I am home. We drove the hour or so home with the windows down, the entire way (I couldn’t tell you the last time I did that – probably in April). 

The air is clean and crisp and the summer nights have brought a slight dew and coolness in the air, enough where I have to put a jacket or sweatshirt on at night. You can sleep with the windows open, crickets chirping and the occasional coyote howls. This is how summers are suppose to be.