The Colosseum in the evening sun, Rome.
It was after the visit to the Vatican City that we took our time with a viewing of Rome. Home to the gladiators and the exciting, at the same time terrifying arena fights where humans and animals were sacrificed for pleasure and honour alike. Continue reading “Fun, Food, Forum and modern Gladiators in Rome”
At the Gothenburg Opera House greeting the New Year, 2009, with a glass of champagne!
No New Year’s party in Sweden is complete without a massive display of fireworks so this year, we made it a point to go see the annual fireworks in Gothenburg, Sweden, sponsored by the local newspaper, Göteborgs Posten (GP). Continue reading “New Year’s 2009 in Gothenburg, Sweden!”
A nippy Christmas day, at -5 deg C outdoors. In the background, a gliding ferry coming to a controlled and steady halt at the jetty.
It was perfect weather with clear blue skies in the Swedish west coast archipelago today. The sea was perfectly still with not a wave in sight, save the ones created by this ferry that ferries passengers to and from the islands. Continue reading “Christmas day in the Swedish west coast archipelago”
Homemade candy is an irresistible draw at most Christmas markets. This candy stand was at the Saluhallen Christmas market. Saluhallen is a marketing hall famous for good cuts of meat and specialty cheeses, year round.
One of my most favourite things to do during the Christmas season in Sweden is to explore the various Christmas markets around the city center. Gothenburg city has about five or six major markets to explore, all within walking distance from each other, and you can spend an entire day hopping from one Christmas market or julmarknad to the other in exploration. Continue reading “Christmas marketing in Gothenburg”
Tucking in at the ‘julbord’ or Christmas buffet at Sjömagasinet, Gothenburg. This restaurant serves a wonderful variety of Scandinavian delicacies during the Christmas season and it’s a recommended restaurant to visit at any time of the year, when in Gothenburg.
Sjömagasinet is somewhat of a tradition, and this year, we made our way back to the restaurant for our Christmas dinner. It’s all things familiar, such as the warm fireplace at its entrance and its golden candle lit interior, that makes you feel at home when you step in. A gazing sweep over the buffet spread and you begin to look forward to trying out your favourite dishes, the ones you can recall from last year.
Continue reading “Christmas dinner at Sjömagasinet, 2008”
A beautiful water reserve, at Air Itam in Penang.
The small island of Penang that lies on the northwest coast of the Peninsula of Malaysia, is best explored on scooters or by car. These modes of transport are readily available at the airport or booking arrangements can also be made via some hotels when you get there.
Traffic in Penang is languid and very much kampong or ‘village’ style where modern roads are their markings are there as a suggestion rather than a rule. I’ve witnessed motorcycles ride against the main flow of traffic on expressways, and cars carrying along merrily despite a red stop light. What was more amazing was that everybody expected it and no accidents occurred. Continue reading “Air Itam Dam, Penang, Malaysia”
In the middle of the city of Gothenburg, which was once a fortress, you’ll find the quiet waters of the old harbour, casting a scenic glow through the city.
Almost every year, the local Swedish newspapers report how Swedes feel absolutely stressed during the year-end festive season. But for someone who’s just back from the all too humid bustle of Southeast-Asia, I couldn’t help but feel an inner serenity when looking at the dim twilight glow of the Gothenburg sky coupled with the chilly breeze of the winter air in the northern hemisphere. Continue reading “Christmas tranquil in Gothenburg, Sweden”
The dramatic entrance to Kuriya, an established Japanese restaurant at Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Road, #B1-06/07, Singapore.
It was unexpected that we ended up at Kuriya at Raffles City shopping centre (located next to Raffles Hotel in Singapore), since I had in mind something local food and a more casual setting for a Friday evening dinner with some girl friends.
As with most group meetings, a designated time and meeting place were chosen. But after having decided upon a time and place, in keeping with the Singapore tradition of meeting-up, nobody turned up on time, or at the designated meeting place. A quick call via the mobile phone, and I found the others happily shopping in the mall, as was I. We mapped ourselves terrestrially within the mall in an instant, and they found me a few minutes later, in the Aldo shoe store browsing for a festively sexy stiletto. Continue reading “Kuriya Japanese restaurant, Singapore”
About to bite into a chocolate fudge cake at PS Café.
One of the coziest spots in Singapore to have a languid Sunday brunch is at PS Café, situated along Harding Road. The café is not difficult to find if you’re familiar with the cluster of eateries that mushroomed amidst the tropical rainforest at Dempsey Road, including Samy’s Curry.
A wooden planked path leads right to the doors of the sprawling PS Café.
The grounds of PS Café is sprawling and large. A wooden planked path leads to the entrance of the café and everything about its design suggests a cozy private house with a well kept garden, where one can sit at the patio for hours, refilling that cup of tea. I felt all at once welcomed, and delighted at the thought of spending a few hours there, eating and socializing with close friends on the patio.
The spacious and green interior design of PS Café makes you feel like you’re dining outdoors, even when sitting in.
The café had both indoor and outdoor seating, though the high ceilings and glass walls of the café gave the impression of dining outdoors, even when seated indoors. Two large golden shower orchid plants greeted us as we entered and I couldn’t help but feel like settling into a soft sofa before perusing the menu. As I found out, the menu contained a varied selection of frosted drinks for the often warm days in equatorial Singapore. Continue reading “PS Café along Harding Road, Singapore”
An idyllic spot in the tropics of Singapore allowed this banana tree to grow this beautiful bunch of bananas.
The banana tree is native to the region of Southeast-Asia, growing quite freely in the wilderness of Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. In the suburbs of Singapore, where concrete has replaced most of the secondary forests here, the banana tree is something of a tropical idyll to have in one’s private garden. The tree doesn’t grow too tall and its broad lush leaves provide shady relief from the mid-day sun.
Banana trees in the morning sunlight.
The ease at which the banana tree grows in this region has made it a popular choice of ingredient when cooking local food. The leaves for example, are not only used to serve food as with the Indian tradition, but it is also used in traditional Malay desserts such as Kueh Lopes and the Chinese dessert, Banana Hoon Kueh, made with green bean flour and sliced bananas. Continue reading “At home in the tropics: the banana tree”