Marilyn October 10th, 2007
The outside temperature is minus 59C and I’m on to my second glass of Champagne. My flight back to Oz, after 3 intensive weeks of eating and drinking in France, was supposed to be the start of my diet … but what’s one more day?
I’ve consumed more than my fair share of foie gras, duck confit, cepes, terrine, french bread and sublime butter (what is it we do to Australian butter to make it so … ordinary?). With some of the family we have rented a village house for a week in the Dordogne (or Perigord) –in south west France. This is an area that still feels quite traditional, with many medieval walled (bastide) villages, beautiful rivers, forests and superb markets (marche) are a regular feature of town life – the sheer variety and quantity of lovely handcrafted food leaves me breathless. Continue Reading »
Marilyn July 27th, 2007
Stuart and Lidia Darlow live in the beautiful city of Nimes in the south of France. They visit Brisbane every year, bringing details of houses for sale in the Languedoc Roussillon region — houses by the sea, 17th century village houses, farmhouses, maison de maitre (master’s house). They have some very happy buyers in Brisbane and next visit will also go to Sydney and Melbourne.
It is very easy to buy property in France and they can arrange 100% finance at 5% fixed interest for 25 years. You can expect 8-10% capital gains per year and 3/4 of the mortage could come from rentals. You will however have to find 8% of the purchase price for legals etc. Continue Reading »
Marilyn June 13th, 2007
This dynamic city (and region) today produces half the wealth of China and is a showcase for development in this emerging communist country. It has had a fascinating history of foreign occupation (French, English, Americans and White Russians) during the period when China was closed to the world from 1650 to the early 20th century. In the 1920s it was a modern, decadant city of opium, Chinese ‘mafia’, liberal sexual mores and was known as the ‘Paris of the East’ or ‘Whore of the Orient’ — it was a very exotic port of call. Continue Reading »
Marilyn June 13th, 2007
The best meals in Shanghai are not where you expect them to be, so be adventurous. Yes there are expensive western fusion restaurants (about the same cost as Australia), but you can also eat for almost nothing in Chinese cafes. Most have shortened English menus with photos of the food.
Some of the dishes though are only for the adventurous. Here are a few examples:
* Salt and pepper king snake
* Braised bullfrog legs, or tortoise in casserole
* Cows lungs soaked in chilli sauce
* Steamed rabbits ears or goats’ feet tendons
* Red stewed fish lips and shark mouth
… get the picture? MSG is alive and very well too, so if you have a sensitivity to this chemical you’re in real trouble. There is quite a lot of protocol involved if you are a guest at a restaurant, so my advice is to read carefully the Lonely Planet’s guide to China (or the slimmer version just on Shanghai).
Marilyn June 13th, 2007
Shanghai’s steamed dumplings are world famous and can make a cheap, delicious meal. There is a trick however to eating them as they are full of scalding broth. Put one onto your chinese spoon, nip off the top with your teeth, blow to cool and slurp the whole lot down.
On a recent trip to Shanghai we sampled a number of restaurants specialising in dumplings. One modern one with 3 branches is Din Tai Fung which has the lightest dumpling dough, delicious fillings and queues. Expect queues anywhere popular, in a city of 12 million people.
Dumplings are bought by the steamer basket and shared. Dip the slippery ‘ravioli’ into little bowls of vinaiger and fresh ginger. Tricky so be prepared to be messy. They are generally stuffed with meat, spring onion and greens. Cost? About $9pp for more than you can eat.
Marilyn April 10th, 2007
GETTING STARTED:
Kathy at Lets Travel in Brisbane is our travel agent (3857 1444) and highly recommended.
Jan/Feb/March is the best time to go, or if Tasmania is still in drought, Oct/Nov is also an option (Spring however normally can be very wet –) because then you get to see the lavender & poppy fields and berry season is on. Even in summer you will need wet weather gear (for the west coast) and jackets.
Tasmanian Tourist Bureau has excellent (free) maps and brochures on everything, so do your homework before going and you will get a lot more from the experience. These notes will only give you an overview so that you can hone in on what interests you. Tasmania is small (though to do it in a relaxed manner you need at least 2 weeks) and is conveniently divided into regions:
- South East — Hobart, Huon Trail, Bruny Island, Port Arthur, Freycenet
- Heritage Highway — Hobart to Launceston
- Tamar Valley — wine/berries/lavender 30 minutes out of Launceston
- Central Wilderness — around Cradle Mountain
- North West Wilderness — centred around Strahan
We like the historic B&B or cottage accommodation because Continue Reading »
Marilyn April 6th, 2007
If you have limited time or just want to have a small taste of Tasmania, a good starting place is www.puretasmania.com.au The focus here is on 3 unique destinations: Freycinet, Cradle Mountain and Strahan. Contact Pure Tasmania for brochures and prices.
This image is of the West Coast Heritage Railway from Strahan to Queenstown.
Marilyn March 31st, 2007
This is a guarded secret and you are jolly fortunate that I am letting you in on it. The Kabuki was an unexpected find, perched on a cliff overlooking the Freycinet Peninsula — on a recent trip to the gorgeous east coast of Tasmania. The owners don’t seek publicity but have survived for over 15 years, despite the remote location and the puzzlement of the locals (they prefer the RSL).
Refugees from the Sydney restaurant scene, owners Michi Nakanishi and partner Terry Lanning, have found their nirvana. Incredibly they are open all year (though only for lunch in winter). The food is exquisite and the prices incredibly reasonable — our lunch with wine cost under $30 pp.
They also have 7 clifftop cabins which make a perfect overnight stop between Hobart and the Freycinet. Kabuki can include their Oriental room service dinner when you stay overnight.
Marilyn April 25th, 2006
Istanbul, says Tyler Brule (founder of Wallpaper), is the new black. It’s the new Barcelona and Turkey is now the emerging hot spot for edgy food, cool design and early-adopter of premium tourism that Spain was 10 years ago. (Australian Gourmet Traveller, May 2006).
Aussie backpackers who have been visiting Turkey in large numbers for 20 years will be unimpressed by this news (see story on Istanbul below). What do you think?
Marilyn April 20th, 2006
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Whirling Dervish Dancers in Istanbul
For years friends have extolled the virtues of holidaying in Turkey. Cheap, exotic, and the Turks just love Aussies. Finally an opportunity presented itself recently and Francis and I spent 6 days in Istanbul. But had we left it too late? Well, yes … and no. You can easily spend a week in this fascinating oriental city. The shopping of course is legendary and even if you are not besotted with history as I am, you cannot help but be impressed by the Ottoman Empire and the astonishing legacy left by the Greeks, Romans, Crusaders and Arabs.
But truthfully most visitors’ first priority is to visit the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Market and the countless shops offering jewellery, carpets, caviar and leather goods — often excellent knock-offs of classy Italian designers. The Grand Bazaar is reputed to be the world’s largest market with around 4,000 shops. In this roofed labyrinth of passages you can easily become lost. Bargaining is the go here, but what is the formula? I asked our consierge at the hotel and several guides. All gave me different answers. Aussies are generally far from comfortable with bargaining so I was determined to find out the truth. Finally, I latched onto the following, which I think will serve you well, anywhere in the world: Continue Reading »
