Buon Natale

Well it’s the 24th December here, and even though there’s no snow, it does feel like Christmas! Roberta (Patrick’s Mum) is making my new favourite biscotti in the kitchen (she’s teaching me so I can mass produce them at home!!!) and yesterday Patrick and I decorated the (real) Christmas tree! Tonight we’re going to a Christmas service at the local church, which will be a first for me.  In the meantime (have to wait until 12am for the service), here’s what’s been going on!

On Wednesday night we made pizza for dinner (YUM), and Patrick and I helped Roberta with the toppings (we made 3 – tuna and onion, proscuitto and mushroom, and gorganzola and olive paste). Katrin and Bruno came around for dinner and we tried different beers from Austria and Italy. It was really nice and I felt so at home with everyone laughing and joking. Bruno, Katrin and Patrick provided joint translations for me so that I was included in the conversation. I love the way that the family is the centre of life here, and that everything important seems to happen around the kitchen table.

Yesterday, after a failed attempt on Wednesday, we went to see the bell of Rovereto, which is the largest working bell in the world. It was made from the canons of World War One melted down in a wish for peace. The weather has been a bit uncooperative (it has rained every day since I arrived,), so you couldn’t see the town through the clouds, but Patrick assures me that it’s there!

We then went to meet Valentina at the Mart (Modern Art Museum) which seems to be famous across the country for its architecture. Valentina’s Dad is somehow involved with the gallery (Patrick jokes that he’s the boss) so we got in for free and saw a exhibition of sculpted, angular heads by an Italian artist who worked in Paris. I still find it hard to appreciate modern art, but it was good to look around before browsing in town a bit and going home for dinner.

After dinner, Patrick, Valentina and I went to the local pub for a drink and to play Jenga. Patrick is quite daring so he ended up toppling the tower the most times, but we had fun. I also tried Marzemino, a local grape variety, for the first time (it was quite nice, but a bit spirity). This morning after something of an ordeal at the post office (I don’t recommend posting parcels from Italy), we had bionde, a custard pastry, for breakfast. I also had the hot chocolate to end all hot chocolates – it was literally like drinking hot, thick chocolate mousse – perfetta!

Today, after lunch at Katrin’s house, Patrick drove us to Lake Garda, the biggest lake in Italy. Not a bad way to spend Christmas Eve! The Lake is surrounded by stunning mountains, and the view is just spectacular. I took sooooo many pictures! We even had 2 white swans come up close for their portrait shots!

I think that’s about it so far. I’m picking up bits and pieces of Italian, much to Patrick’s amusement. The bit of Spanish that I know is really useful, especially when it comes to numbers and adjectives, but I’m trying to learn some local phrases too. Anyway, to everyone at home, I hope that you have a Merry Christmas and lots of love from this part of the world! Buon Natale! xox

L’Escalade!

Well, Jasmin and I are in Switzerland! I got to Geneva yesterday afternoon, checked in, and, you guessed it, went to the UN! It was so cool to actually visit the Palais de Nations, which was once home to the League of Nations. I took a tour and saw two amazing committee rooms (Human Rights Council and Disarmament committee), both with artwork by Spanish artists.

I met two German sisters on the tour, one who was doing an internship in the UN office for sport, and they told me that I was in time for Geneva’s biggest festival, which was happening this weekend. I had no idea it was on, so I think we were just incredibly lucky with the timing! More about that in a second.

I also visited the International Red Cross Museum while I was waiting for the UN tour (it’s just across the road). They have records of all the WW1 and 2 prisoners of war in huge cabinets, on index cards. It was a sober museum, but I learnt a lot. A highlight was seeing an original draft of the Geneva Convention, which was on display.

It was dark by the time I was done, so I waited to meet Jasmin (who was flying in from Manchester). We went out for dinner at a Swiss place and had roestis, which were cheesy, but tasty.

Today we planned our day around the festival, which commemorates the city being saved by a woman cooking vegetable soup late one night in 1602. She saw the Duke of Savoy’s army scaling (hence the festival name, L’Escalade) the city walls, and poured the hot soup over them (and then presumably alerted the army). Today’s celebrations were for the city’s victory over the invaders, which involved historical reenactments, musket and cannon fire displays, lots of people in costume and lots of horses. (The chocolate version of the woman’s pot with marzipan vegetables in it is a traditional festival food! We bought one each, but haven’t opened it yet! They look like this:)

But before we went to the festival (which started around 2), we visited a flea market and picked up what are now our week-long trip mascots, The Russians. We found a matryoshka doll of Gorbachev, which has Brezhnev, then Khruschov, Stalin, and finally a teeny tiny Lenin inside.

They have already had some adventures (Stalin tried to ”escalade” the Reformation Wall and Lenin was shot out of the jet d’eau), and will probably provide amusement for much of the next week.

Right, so we went down to the Lake, and saw the flower clock, and the jet d’eau, which normally only operates in summer, but which was on for the festival. We grabbed a quick lunch, then went back into the Old Town for some festival fun.

We began by following guys dressed in 17th century clothes holding muskets to the square in front of Saint Peter’s Cathedral, to see (and hear, boy could you hear it!) a live cannon and musket display.

We also saw a trumpet troupe perform in the Catherdral, and groups of drummers and flautists playing in the street. There were men on horseback prancing around and no matter where you walked in the Old Town, you could hear music and occassionally the sound of cannon fire! We drank spiced hot apple juice and ate apple tart, then watched a blacksmith’s display (making a sword and horseshoes). The whole atmosphere was amazing, with kids dressed up running around and Scout groups with their woggles playing games, people eating and laughing. I really really enjoyed the whole thing!

Once we’d seen pretty much everything, we headed back to the Lake, and saw the most spectacular sunset! It was like stepping into a watercolour painting, especially with the Alps all around.

We walked back to the hotel, relaxed for a bit, then went back out for dinner, as well as to check out the night lights on the lake. Tomorrow we’re off to Zurich, but might spend the morning looking around a bit more first. It has been a fantastic day, especially since we were so lucky in coming across the festival!

Paris Soirée

Today I decided to stay at Amandine’s parents’ house and rest rather than go on an overnight trip into Lyon proper, especially with a 6am start. It’s been a lovely lazy day and I’m feeling a lot better not having to go out into the cold. It was really nice to sleep in as well after being so busy in Paris.

So, Paris. The other thing that I loved about the Louvre was that, for someone who doesn’t know much about art, there are so many pieces there that you can learn what you like and why. For example, I found that a lot of still life pieces stood out for me as really beautiful:

The one above reminded me of my grandparents’s old house on the Central Coast of NSW – I think it’s because they always had seashells in the bathroom.

Anyway, we saw the Winged Victory (she was magnificent, really quite awe-inspiring), the Venus de Milo (which, incidentally should be the Aphrodite de Milo as Venus is Roman not Greek), and, of course, the Mona Lisa. Even though it was winter there was a crowd in front of her, and I’d been told how small she is, so wasn’t disappointed. We spend nearly 4 hours exploring, and apart from the Italian and French painting galleries, we saw a lot of the Egyptian gallery and some of the sculpture ‘garden’, which I found I could appreciate more than some of the paintings. I got pretty excited when it started snowing lightly outside too.

We decided to go to the Champs-Elysees before dinner, as it is lit up in the evenings in the lead up to Christmas. We tried to find the Metro as it was still snowing a bit (I was excited, but we only had one u,brella and it was cold), but in our search, we actually ended up walking the whole way anyway! So we browsed the Christmas stalls, and had a cup of hot mulled wine to warm up (it was delicious!).

We walked all the way up to the Arc de Triomphe, browsing in some shops along the way, and I found Ladurée! One of my missions in Paris was achieved – I got 8 amazing macaroons!

We ended up going back to Arts et Métiers for dinner, and I tried escargot for the first time! I actually really liked it, and the French ravioli I had for a main was to die for! The food here really is amazing!

On Saturday morning, we grabbed breakfast on the run and walked to the Bastille to see the art markets that Thea recommended. I like to buy a piece of art from each country that I visit, so this was a good chance to find something from France. I ended up getting two prints (the artist had already sold the originals of the ones I liked) of Parisienne balconies, which is what I loved most about the city. The lady was a bit nutty, but that was kinda cool and added to the experience.

From there, we wandered down to where Victor Hugo lived, in an apartment within a giant square of buildings. We didn’t actually know which one he lived in, but it was so cool to see buildings like that for the first time.

We had lunch in a Japanese restaurant after trying to find a street Amandine had eaten on before she went to Mali (we couldn’t find it), and I had a throwback to my childhood by drinking Orangina. The rest of the day was spent at the Musée D’Orsay (another excellent Thea recommendation), where I was completely blown away to see the originals of Degas’s ballerinas. Unlike the Louvre, photos aren’t allowed, but I really enjoyed seeing a lot of the impressionist works. The only disappointment was that the majority of the Monet collection was touring at the National Gallery, which we didn’t have time to get to, but it was a great afternoon wandering between works by Gaugin, Van Gough, Renoir and Degas, to name a few.

We were both exhausted by this point, so went back and had dinner at a lovely little restaurant (the decor was really nice), and this time I had veal liver with an apple sauce, to be adventurous. We ate very well in Paris, I think. I ended up buying another coat too, while we were looking for bags for Amandine. This one is orange tartan, and it’s really warm!

Yesterday was our last day, with the rushed visit to the Eiffel Tower (we didn’t have time to go to the top, only to the middle level).

The view was wonderful, and we were lucky that it didn’t rain. We grabbed a waffle to go (it was good, but not as nice as the one in London), and dashed back to the apartment to pack and give Amandine’s friend his keys back. We hurried to Gare de Lyon (let’s not talk about the number of stairs involved in this process and my 20kg suitcase, beyond saying that my arms are now guns), validated my Eurail pass, and got on the train to Lyon. Of course, after frantically rushing, the train was delayed by 20mins, so we just kinda sat there, hanging out for a while until the accident on the line was sorted out.

The train trip was pretty quick (the train was a TGV), and I slept for most of it, occassionally waking up to see different degrees of snow-covered landscape. And I think that brings things up to date. Amandine’s parents are so lovely – they don’t speak English, but talk to me anyway and her Dad even brought in macaroons for after lunch today because he knew I liked them!

I’m looking forward to exploring Lyon a bit tomorrow when I go into town to meet Amandine. For now, au revoir!

Foie Gras and Balconies

Well, I made it to Lyon after a couple of hectic days in Paris! The city is utterly amazing – there is beautiful architecture everywhere and, best of all, unlimited bread refills in restaurants! What more could a girl ask for? I’ll write as much as I can now but I am going to help Amandine and her Mum cook dinner so I might have to go before I finish.

Before I write about France, though, I have to be fair to England and say that I saw snow for the first time there! It was in the taxi up to Leeds Bradford Airport, and then again more heavily while I was at the airport. As an aside, LBA still makes passengers walk on the tarmac. Anyway, my flight was really smooth considering the heavy clouds over the Channel (which had me wondering why it is called the English Channel, not the French Channel?), and I found my way to the buses at Charles de Gaulle to get to Gare de Lyon, where Amandine met me. I had to wait nearly an hour for the bus, but I got there in time and it was just awesome to see her again!

We caught the Metro to Arts et Métiers, and met her friend Hugo, who very kindly lent us his apartment for the weekend. Thankfully it was close to the station, but the apartment was on the 6th storey of a building with no lift! That wasn’t fun with my suitcase, especially since we went into the wrong building the first time, and didn’t realise until we were half way up! Once we got there and settled in, we went for a walk in the surrounding area, past the Georges Pompediou (spelt wrong) Centre, aka crazy modern art building. We didn’t end up going in, but it was an awesome building.

We had dinner at a place nearby, and I had my first taste of foie gras! It was delicious, like paté but better, and the meal was scrumptious! I’m still sick, but it has become a bit better since I got to France, so I could taste more of the food than before!

One of the things that really struck me about Paris is the beauty of the residential buildings. I love the balcony railings and flower boxes hanging on them! They made up my first impression of the city from the bus.

Friday was a busy day – we visited Notre Dame and the Louvre, then went to the Champs-Elysees at night and soaked up the holiday atmosphere at the Christmas stalls. I was completely blown away by the Louvre – it’s HUGE! I mean, I knew it was big, but you don’t really appreciate how big until you’re standing there!

Ok, I think we’re going to start cooking, so I’ll try to write more later.

The Essential Hong Kong Experience

Ok, so my last day here is drawing to a close. Before I grab some dinner, I want to put up some photos from last night! I met Kawin at Yau Ma Tei station, and we rode the MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui, and met Eunice in an area I remember from when Dad and I stayed there in 2007. It was sooooo great to catch up! We found a Japanese restaurant, and had quite the feast – onigiri, nigiri sushi (chutoro – YUM), tempura pumpkin, kimchi pork (yes, I know it’s Korean, but it was still awesome) and, because Eunice (with me in photo below) wanted them, california rolls.

Afterwards, the girls helped me to find an “Hong Kong umbrella” – for those who know my trust blue umbrella in Adelaide with the nifty slide-cover, this is my definition of an HK umbrella! The weather forecast for London is rain, so I thought it’d be good to have a nice umbrella for when I arrive. After much searching, we found one (a Burberry imitation, no less!), and went for a traditional Chinese dessert.

It’s called “soofabing”, and I had lychee flavour with watermelon and pineapple. The best way I can describe it is like icecream, but in little layers… Anyway, it was so, so good!

There’s no way I could have ever tried this dessert on my own, so I’m really glad I had the chance with the girls. We said goodbye around 10, and Eunice caught the bus with me.

Today has been tiring – the weather was much cooler, but my body still insisted on waking me up at 7:30am – sigh. I started off the day by catching the MTR to Mong Kok East to see the Bird Garden and Flower Market. It was an interesting experience. The Bird Garden was a long strip filled with LOTS of birds in little cages. I’m not sure how humane it is, but the constant chirping and the leafy green promenade was nice.

From there, I walked along Yuen Po Street to the Flower Market. For some reason, the smells of the market reminded me of my Grandparents’ old house on the Central Coast in NSW. I think their garden had a similar scent. Anyway, there were some beautiful flowers, and I had fun taking photos.

After that, I grabbed lunch at Ajisen Ramen (I’m loving how easy it is to get Japanese food here!) and headed back. I had a nap at the hotel and then walked over to the Jade Markets. Last time I was in HK, Kawin and her Mum took us there, and I got a beautiful blue necklace. This time I didn’t have Kawin’s Mum’s incredible magical bargaining powers, so I probably got ripped off, but I got 2 delicate jade necklaces, one in green and one in red. They’re engraved, and each bead has a different colour.

I love the Jade Markets because they remind me of Aladdin’s cave with golden treasures sprawling everywhere. Again, I had fun taking photos.

Once I’d bought my necklaces, I wandered down Temple Street for a bit, but it’s not a really nice area so I turned back less than halfway. Which brings it back to now! I booked my airport transfer for tomorrow morning – the concierge said I had to catch one at 5:15am to get there in time…. So that’s nuts. But I am getting ridiculously excited about going to Europe! I’m still getting my head around the idea of going to the other side of the world! Any tips on how to kill 14 hours on a plane? Luckily my book (The Secret History, by Donna Tartt) is fascinating, but hopefully there’s more choice of movies than the Melb-HK leg.

Before I finish and head out to dinner, here is a little list of things that I love about Hong Kong: the mix of old and new, dirty and clean, the bamboo scaffolding, the crazy neon signs, the ridiculously awesome food and the endless energy.

Next post will be from London! xox

One Crazy City

Well, I made it to Hong Kong! The flight wasn’t too bad – there was no-one in the seat next to me, so I could stretch out a bit. The most interesting part of the flight (apart from watching Despicable Me, finally! Super cute), was with about 3 hours to go (it was night), I opened my window blind and saw a lightning storm outside in the distance. It was amazing – the clouds lit up in a dull burst of yellow, like a mini sun. Very, very cool.

I didn’t get to my hotel until about 3am Adelaide time (uugh), so am pretty tired, but loving being back in Asia proper. In my enthusiasm, I accidently started talking to the Customs official in Japanese… Oops. Apart from the surprisingly large amount of Japanese products (and TV stations) available, Hong Kong has a very different feel to Tokyo, but still has something familiar about it.

This morning I decided to go in search of an authentic Hong Kong breakfast, which can only mean one thing… Yum cha! I’m staying in a hotel just off Nathan Road (which I remember as a main drag from my last trip in 2007), so I went for a walk and eventually came across a place that was open (not too many shops open before 10-10:30 here) on a side-street. Basically I picked it because it was open, and the pictures looked good. I’m glad I did! It was like stepping into a local version of the Ding Hao. I was seated on the same table as a mother and daughter, who very kindly helped me get the waitress’s attention and figure out how to order. It’s little moments like these that restore my faith in human nature. They didn’t have to help me, but they did, and it made all the difference to me. Anyway, I ate 3 amazing dishes – steamed chicken buns, steamed prawn dumplings (a favourite!) and rice rolls with beef. YUM!

The rest of the afternoon (so far) has also been about food – I caught the MTR to Central and found the mall Dad and I had explored last time near the Harbour. I grabbed a Haagen-Dazs pomegranete, white peach and orange blossom sorbet (it was divine), and picked up a grapefruit and poppyseed macaroon to try later. I ducked into Zara (oh the joy of Zara! How I wish we had it at home), and bought a beanie, because I forgot to pack mine. I may or may not have also bought a couple of thin tops for work as well…

Anyway, I’m sitting at a cafe in the ifc mall with a sesame bagel sitting next to me, waiting to be eaten, so I’ll sign off. Tonight I’m meeting Kawin and Eunice for dinner (we’re having Japanese). It’s been nearly 2 years since we last caught up, so I’m pretty excited!

Hummingbird Bakery

Ok, so my plan for day one in London has got to be visiting the Hummingbird Bakery (amazingly it’s close to where I’m staying!). I expect that sugary delights are the best way to fight the cold and jetlag. If not, I’m still going anyway!

http://hummingbirdbakery.com/

As an aside, I picked Dad up from the airport this evening and had one of those moments when you realise that yes, I’m actually going away! Next time I visit will be to hop on a plane! Very exciting!

20 days to go.