Agrigento Travels

Agrigento is a good base to be as it is within easy reach of the Western Coast and not too far to travel from Palermo where we departed from.

The town itself transports you back into the past with its winding paths and buildings. Definitely a fun way of exploring easily by foot. You can then drive off to the coast from here.

For us, we only stayed for a day and took a bus to head to the Valley of the Temples to see the remains of the Greek Colony. I think just the name itself hints at the wonder and magnificence of what you would be greeted with. You definitely want to make sure you do make this a must see place when coming to Sicily.

For food adventures, please click here.

Tips:

1. You can take a bus from the main train station which will take you to the Valley of the Temple. You will not miss it and the journey is no more than 10-15 minutes.

2. The Archaeological Museum is not within the area of the Valley of the Temples. It is between Agrigento and the Valley of the Temple. Hop back onto the bus to take you there.

Sicily Travels - Palermo

I was quite excited about heading away on a 10 day trip to Sicily. It has always made me wonder whenever I noticed Sicilians considered themselves to be unique and individual with their own cuisine and identity. Having never been to the South of Italy, I've heard that it is quite different to its northern neighbours.

I was looking forward to a robust and boisterous experience with fantastic scenery and food in tow.

On the first day that we arrived, we were too tired to do much other than walk around having not had any sleep the night before.

We were just walking around randomly and were brought out by our delightful B&B owner for some lunch and a home cooked dinner.

He has the most amazing B&B, check out some of the room designs (http://www.abali.it/en/abaliweb/)

Strolling through the winding narrow streets lined with pebbles, the stamp of Baroque Arab architecture was still quite evident.

We walked through the main streets and sidetrack into the alleyways whenever we can to immerse and feel the sense of what it was like living here.

The locals are very matter of fact friendly even though they do not look so from their expressions. It is easy to ask for help or directions and they do greet you when you walk by.

A few notable places and sites to see:

• Capella Palatina, Cathedrale, Fontana Pretoria, San Cataldo, Quattro Canti, Teatro Massimo - these are close to each other and you won't miss it. It is in all tourist maps.
• Monreale - You will have to take a bus but is definitely worth seeing, it takes half a day.
• Cripta dei Cappuccini - Seeing how the dead used to be kept and maintained.

Here are some photos of a few places that we visited which I do recommend.

Tips:

1. It is not necessary to have a car to go around in Palermo. Most attractions are easily accessible on foot.

2. To Monreale, take bus 389 which is available around the Cathedrale.

3. Arriving into Palermo airport, you can take a bus which takes you to the central train station in 30 minutes or so for €5.80.

4. Most places are closed for siesta which means that you need to plan your sightseeing which is broken into the morning and evening with a siesta break between 1pm - 3.30pm.

For food adventures, please click here.

Day Musings

Why is it that the one person I am missing is the one person I cannot see.

Boston

From Washington, I travelled to the City of Boston. Boston is a very interesting place; it is rich in history and revolutions as well as known for its lobster and chowder.

History has always been one of my weaker subjects and what pops into my head when Boston is mentioned is the Boston Tea Party. This obviously changed since exploring the city.

Here are some interesting pictures.




Click here for more photos and here for food.

#Tips
1. It is highly walkable and armed with a good guidebook or research done. You can see everything by foot and public transport.

2. If you are with family and elders, opt for the Duck Trolley Tours. One whole round takes 2.5 hours and covers more stuff and local insights then a book or the Freedom Trail would give you. It is better value in the summer as $36 per person gives you a free harbour cruise as well.

3. The Freedom Trail should be the first point of action. It gives a good and brief guide to the history and brings you through streets that you normally wouldn't venture to. Gives good insight to the feel of the neighbourhoods. Try not to do this on a Monday as a number of sights are closed.

4. Free tours of Harvard Square are at 10am, 12pm and 2pm starting at the visitor information kiosk.

Washington Day 2 & 3

Day 2 & 3 found me headed to The National Mall where most of the Smithsonian museums are located.

Did you know that the Smithsonian museum was founded by a British who has never been to the US?

First stop was the Museum of American History where I spent loads of time at the Julia Child section. Julia Child is such an icon and even though they were showing shows that were aired like 20-30 years ago, I was still equally mesmerised. I was equally fascinated with all her kitchen gadgets too!

I can see how Americans who watch her show grew up with her as she was still on TV at a very old age. Super hugs to her husband who was there for her for all things big and small which was mentioned.

I literally had to tear myself away to check out the other exhibitions. The biggest draw is the Star Spangled Banner. Very interesting story to this one. It was originally but now there is only left as the custodian was giving away snippets of it as keepsakes to people.

The whole place is really inspiring.

Next stop was the natural history museum. I can't believe how cool and awesome this place is. Seriously, both kids and adults will be mesmerised. The whole place is so well planned and the exhibitions are so engaging and well designed. You have to go to see for yourself. By far the best I've seen.

Next stop was the air and space museum. I know that this has over million visitors in a year but the ventilation wasn't that great and I was feeling hot and stuffy and this is in the winter. The place feels a little dated too. Still, manage to catch the highlights such as the Amelia Earhart plane and the Wrights Brothers.

That was enough walking for me and I went off to head for dinner at a famous landmark which even has its own gift shop.

The next day arrived and I headed for The Capitol and Library of Congress. I totally didn't realise that they are not open on a Sunday. Duh!! So tip for travellers, head there on a Saturday and the museums on a Sunday.

So off I went to check out the Eastern Markets instead. I decided to head there by foot which allowed me to walk through residential areas and immersing myself even if it was just for those few moments in what life is like here.

It feels great to watch people going about their daily lives. I see people with groceries, families heading for Sunday church, a child having an argument with his dad.

I arrived at the markets and it was quite interesting.

My earlier mistake meant that had more time to visit the Natural History museum which I did. I even went to the Freer Gallery to check out the Peacock Room.

Ventured into the Visitor Centre after and managed to catch an introduction video. Lesson learnt, the FIRST thing that you should do is head to the Visitor Centre and watch this video. It is so inspiring and told more about the museums than my guidebook did.

I headed to try the famous Mitsitam cafe in the African American museum after. Hey, if they can even have their own cookbook, it should be worth checking out.

My last stop was the National Portrait Gallery to view all the Presidents portraits.

That's all for Washington on my 2.5 day trip. There is still so much more to see if you like museums and history, you can easily spend 5 days here including checking out neighbouring Georgetown and heading to the Kennedy centre for some free evening entertainment. There were also other places like madam tussahs, spy museums and many more.

I did manage to squeeze in a foreign film movie.

For more photos, click here.

Washington Day 1

I decided to take a train rather than by air from New York to Washington. Leaving the hotel when the sun is still asleep is no fun as I made my way to Penn station to take the Acela Express.

While walking into the station, I was greeted by a homeless man who was clearly drunk and this was at 6 in the morning. I walked silently away only to have him follow me into the lift. Luckily there was another Guy in there who told him off saying that he is holding up the lift. Drunken man tapped me on the shoulder and said I'll talk to you later, I Nodded and said ok and then....*scurried away*.

What a way to start my journey to Washington. The train ride was really pleasant and they even have wifi!

Washington South Station

With half a day left to explore, I went off in search of some lunch which took to me to Georgetown University. Pit stop breaks for some lunch. From there it was a 6 blocks walk to Lincoln memorial.

Washington reminds me a little of Canberra. Large open spaces, no sky rises and lined with government buildings. It was a really nice sunny day considering that it was winter and it was just so peaceful. Bar the regular interruption of ambulance and police sirens.

Managed to visit the WWII memorial, White house and finished with the national archives. There is so much history and the whole place just amazes you. Seeing the White House, the much revered Declaration of Independence and Constitution was just amazing.

I was so sad that the FBI have temporarily closed their visitor’s tour. That would have been really interesting. Needless to say, I was really tired by this point as I walked everywhere!

Last stop was Chinatown for dinner. Washington's Chinatown is only manned by about 20 plus shops and restaurant which is quite dismal. What did I eat? Click here.

That's it for day 1 as I walked back to my hotel from Chinatown.

There is no place like New York

I HAD to spend a few days in NY as part of my US trip, there is an inexplicable vibe that hangs in the air and whether it is the unrelenting freeze of winter or sunny summer, you will still fall in love with the place.

There is just so much to see and if you have been watching a lot of US shows, it feels like a movie set wherever you walk and start recognising buildings and pavements for the first time. I love the grandeur of the Grand Central Terminal, the awe of the skyline from the Rockefeller centre and not to mention the delightful desserts and huge food portions.

I did not do as much sightseeing as my last trip which I know is way overdue. This time it was more catching up with friends, eating and shopping.

I definitely ate a LOT which you can catch it all here. Some of my favourites include the awesome Gua Bao or steamed buns, mouth watering ribs rendang and amazing texture in a poached egg just to name a few.

Shopping was....... Let's just say I was feeling shopped out and my credit cards have a very big hole in it now. US is a great place to shop for American brands especially at their outlet stores.

In NY, there are four options in addition to the myriad of shopping centres like Macy's, Sephora and Bergdorf Goodman. I went to all of them and here is a quick guide on each.

Filene's Basement

There is at least one store in every state and works similar to TK Maxx and Century 21. They sell a huge selection of mid to high end brands at discounted prices. You definitely need time and patience to dig out the bargains. It gets especially crazy when they go on sale, the ladies go crazy and manic mayhem occurs in the wedding dresses department.

Century 21

Century 21 is similar to Filene's Basement but you can't beat their huge selection of mid range to couture shoes available. I grabbed many a shoe bargains here. Not to mention accessories and clothings. If you are tight for time and can't head to an outlet, I'll say head here as it is a micro version of the outlets with a taste of selections, variety and prices.

Jersey Gardens

This takes half an hour by coach from the Port Authority Terminal and runs every half hour. Buy your ticket at the machines which costs $13 and head to gate 202. Jersey Gardens have mainly low to mid range brands with some having additional sales.

Woodbury Commons

Lastly, you have Woodbury Commons Outlet which is an hour coach ride from Port Authority Bus Terminal. The ticket cost $42 which comes with a voucher book with additional discounts at participating stores. It is expensive for a coach ride and if you have more than three of you heading there, renting a car and driving there on your own might be a more economical option.

I say the price is worth it as the bargains are fantastic. As with outlets, sometimes you get great bargains and sometimes you don't. WC houses most of the mid range brands that can be found in Jersey Gardens as well as designer brands. Think

Of all of them, my favourite is WC followed by Century 21. Having been all four places in one trip, I am seriously shopped out!

The New York stop was pretty much catching up with friends through food and shopping this time round.

Please click here for more photos

When it's all worth it!

A lot of people do not understand or know the dedication it takes to blog. I lost count of the endless finishing up posts past midnight and the sheer hours it takes to sort the photos.

It all becomes worth it when comments or feedback is left to know that people do read and do appreciate what you write. I also gained a whole new circle of friends who perhaps share the same passion or humour.

I recently had a dining experience which I truly enjoyed and genuinely love what the chef does. It took me nearly three weeks to write up my experience as I do want to do it justice even when not everything is positive.

With it being a Friday and I am all worn out and sleep deprived, I received a message from the chef thanking me for the review. It is truly a wonderful feeling and words cannot described how all that effort was worth it. Maybe it was the same for the chef too, to get feedback on the delicious creations which they would have spend so much time and effort on.

I guess it works both ways!

Fav quote of the Day from Earth Cafe

No good ever comes from holding onto regret. Learn from your past, accept it & keep moving forward free of remorse or disappointments...

London Summer 2010

The London summer for 2010 felt surprisingly short as we seem to only have 2 full weeks of hot sunshine. My denial of insisting that it is still summer is slowly being diminish to be faced with reality when the sun no longer sets past 9pm and the winds and rain greets you like a long lost friend.

Am really happy that this year I got to spend and make the most of the summer instead of being away for work. Looking back and reminiscing, I have managed to packed my days with events and things of interests. I managed to do a lot and yet still miss out on a lot.

It is amazing how there are so many things happening around and it is just a matter of finding out what is there out there to do. Here are some of the random events that I have managed to enjoy during the summer….

BBC Big Band at canary wharf. Lazing on the grass, munching on delicious food and perhaps just people watching or reading while listening to big band music on a nice summer’s evening.

Tour of the Somerset House. This is a free tour and is available twice a week.

Kenwood Picnic Concert at Hampstead

Tanguera at Sadler’s Well

Was really looking forward to this and I think it is a good show but there were some sacrifices in the dancing to make way for the acting and storyline.

Cinderella by the English National Ballet.

Into the Woods at Regent’s Park

I really quite enjoyed this one. A different take on the classic stories by the Grimm brothers. Definitely try to catch one of these next time or next year.



Elephant Parade (photos to come)

Spartacus by the Bolshoi Ballet. Vasiliev is just amazing. What has been said is true, his leaps are higher and he seems to fly in the air much longer.


 

Ascot Racecourse

There were also many others such as:
Food related festivals such as Taste of London, Soho charity food festival which I will try to post soon on my food blog.

Picnics in the parks, weekend trips away, walks and trails…the list goes on. What I couldn’t fit in which is on my to do list for next year – berry picking, summer BBQ, more walks and trails such as Peak District.

The hole in my pocket has definitely expanded greatly in summer but some of the experiences are well worth it. There are still a few more places which I am trying to squeeze in before it is looking to the Summer of 2011.

And a hello to Autumn and Winter………

A summer's day in London

Aah...When I was in Sydney, I always wondered why my British friends were seemingly obsessed with the weather. Yes, I know that the sky in London tends to border on grey for most parts of the year and it rains all the time. I was not entirely convinced that grey clouds and rainy days have that big an impact on our attitudes and behaviour.

Things have changed, after being here for more than a year. I like to pick bright sunny clothes as a sunny pick me up against the grey skies and starting a conversation with the weather does not seem unusual anymore.

It is currently 18 degrees today and in Sydney, this will be known as cold! But the sun is out, I have been missing out on my summer days for days now so I refuse to give in. I still want to enjoy my summer. I refuse to wear my jacket today and to take it as summer as the sun is out.

Strange how the weather affects you doesn't it.

Cupcake mission accomplished!

FINALLY.....after three weeks of trying, I managed to get my cherry blossom cupcakes!

Walking back from Hummingbird, there were 2 little kids walking in front of me. The elder brother holding the hand of his little sister and walking along the pavement. Imagine being little kids on a busy pavement and having people walk by you from all directions as well as watching out for traffic.

What happen next brought a smile to my lips and touch my heart. The brother guided the little sister to the other side of him so that he is standing closest to the road and her to the pavement and shops. Protecting her more from the danger of the traffic (both human and vehicles). This is what I call pure selfless love and care.

I've always noticed that in a man if he does that, sign of being a true gentleman. To see that in a kid...little boy you rock!

Happy Brithday to....

ME!!

Another year has passed and it is another year older or should I say wiser? LOL!

Time to look forward and hopefully it will be a fantastic year....there are still tons of stuff and wishes and dreams that I have and want to fulfill.

And....got myself a nice little pressie...all thanks to the phone fund courtesy of my ex-colleagues and wonderful friends.....I am losing LOTS of sleep over this.

Dreams are made of....

Lately, I have been pretty stressed and my emotions feel like it has been on a non-stop rollercoaster ride. I can’t help but still feel a little anxiety that seems to like to linger just around the corner, unseen but its presence felt.

I have a dream, a dream that I am hoping will be materialised. Seeing others who have trodden down the path and been successful helps to make it seem, “It can be done!” I find that thinking about my dreams helps to take my mind off things.

 

Dreams are good, mine is made of hope, faith, determination, willpower yet it includes dashes of fear, worries, sweat and tears. I have a big dream and I will need to go through all that to make it work in the future, in the meantime, thinking about it brings joy to my face and bring me to a happy place.

What are your dreams and what are they made of?

Thank you, Decca Aitkenhead

While reading an article online, a sentence from the journalist really stood out to me. “I do, however, recognise that what I like to think of as my opinions are really emotional prejudices” (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jul/05/clay-shirky-internet-television-newspapers). My mind immediately thought of a particular friend that I know.

While it is without a doubt that we are all humans and are governed and ruled by both our logic and emotions, it is really interesting how each and everyone one of us are ruled in different degrees by these two paradigms.

 

Being too logical can be interpreted as having no emotions and of almost being like a robot. Yet, being too emotional and losing the balance of logic plays havoc in a world where boundaries are set for the auto synchronisation of people for society to operate smoothly to a certain degree.

 

The two words ‘emotional prejudices’ got me thinking about how many of us are doing that without realising. Some are reasonably justified through personal experiences and unique events while are the rest just pluck out of thin air? I believe that all emotions have a trigger and it is just a process of understanding what that trigger is.

 

Reading all the books in the world, seeing the world or even attending millions of talks will not help if one does not have the ability to then extract and analyse, starting with the most important one of all; self – analyse and understanding yourself. I find it is incredibly wonderful that this journalist was able to self-analyse and admit that yes, some opinions are emotional prejudices. It takes more out of a man/woman to be able to do that and shows character.

 

Thank you, Decca Aitkenhead.

Desk decoration galore....

It is always a period of adjusting whenever you start a new job. Learning the ropes, getting to know the people and the culture. My new company is very different and I am slowly acquainting myself to the bits and bops.
I was so happy when I noticed that there is a break out area and a café but unfortunately my team loves to eat at their desk or out of the office. Have not found a lunch buddy yet.

I am loving the fact that I actually have a permanent desk instead of being immersed in the luck of the lottery to whichever hot desks are available for the past few years. It is nice to be able to experience and decorate your desk. Day by day, I try to make it more me! =)

Sow hat did I get up to? I have some recipe books on one side so that I can look at them when I need a break. Am thinking of maybe a cute figurine or two to brighten me up pr perhaps a tiny plant (although the office health and safety or gardeners might not be too impressed!) I have also been slowly bringing in snacks and shoes! LOL! Aahh…the wonders and fascination of it all.

Got me thinking, what else do people do whether intentionally or not with their work desk?

Have not succumbed to posting photos yet…..

New changes in a dynamic world

After a whirlwind three months away for work, things  have now changed!
I have resigned and this week is my first week at my new job. Good things to come hopefully for the future.

In the meantime, I somehow managed to sprain my wrist during dance class yesterday and I can't really put a lot of weight or do too much with my sprained wrist! =(

Post Delay

Apologies for the lack of post, can't access Blogger in China. Have to wait until I am out of the country.

台北 狂狂狂！

真不好意思！台北真得非常好玩， 每天回来都满累了，一碰床上那个轻软的枕头就没办法。。。睡觉了！

我会尽力的快点把全部post上来！

等我!

Taipei Day 1

Yippeeeee……after a long stint in China, I am forced to leave the country or I would become in illicit with the law. The destination that I have decided to head to is Taipei.

Have never been to that country but I have a lot of friends from there and watch heaps of Taiwanese shows. It was a long wait at the airport waiting to check in. I was so early that the check in counter wasn’t even open.

I chose to fly with EVA airways. The staff crew were really nice and friendly and I was pleasantly surprised with the food. It was delicious, I think it is definitely at the top of my list from all the airlines that I have been on. Check out the food review here.

Got to the airport and was out within half an hour, went to pick up my youth travel card which is actually a key chain! It was quite late by the time I was settled in the hotel. The hotel is really great, the staff was so helpful and was there at every step. It’s great when you get wireless internet access in the room as it means that I can seat anywhere within the room. It is a Japanese inspired styled room where you even have a section for 泡澡！

So excited to finally be here that I decided to walk around the streets and grab a bite to eat. By the time I head to bed, it was way past midnight! That is my first night in Taipei!