Turkey Mania - Nov 2010

As it had been a few years since I spent thanksgiving in America, I thought it would be a great excuse to visit relatives in Atlanta.
I flew Delta for the first time and the journey was fine, though the plane could benefit from a deep clean. Cleared customs easily enough and collected luggage. But then came the real palaver of having to be re-screened, re check baggage etc. as if we were about to re-board the plane. Shoes off, no liquids exceeding 3 oz – so bye bye to the duty free some folks had purchased on the plane and not rechecked.
Anyway, that was that. I had visited Atlanta before, in Sep 2005 but much preferred the cooler temperature this time, about 18-20 degrees. Dropping to about 12 by the time we departed. The 8 days were mainly spent with the in-laws; sister in law, husband and kids. Attended some football, or should I say soccer matches, did a school visit and of course – the shopping!



We took a 5 hour road trip up to Nashville Tennessee, a new destination for me. Spent a couple of days there and then dropped down to Chattanooga for thanksgiving. Actually had 2 thanksgiving dinners at 2 different houses in the space of about 2 hours!
The eagerly awaited Black Friday experience was a bit of a letdown. I expected to see people pushing, shoving a trampling each other but alas it all seemed tame. Still I don’t know that I have ever left my house at 5am to go shopping before so that in itself was an experience.
My last night was spent at Sambuca; husband, sister in law and a couple of friends. There was a live jazz band, good food but most of all I enjoyed the company.

A weekend with the girls

There I was getting all excited about my trip to Atlanta next week when I was reminded that I hadn't even posted my blog about the weekend in Brussels wth the girls in August!
Day 1
Arrived fresh and alert after a 2 hr Eurostar journey.


Our first mission, food and we choose what looked like a quiet restaurant just off Grand Place. More interesting than the food we were eating was the horrific argument between our waitress and the chef. The screaming which started in the kitchen emerged into the restaurant. Tempers raged, arms flared and voices soared. Shame it was all in French.
Mission two was to find the Manneken Pis – the famous Belgian statue of the peeing boy. I had seen him before and had pre-warned the others that it was nothing grand nor spectacular. Still, nothing could brace them for just how unimpressive this tiny pisser was up close in person. For those of you who posted questions on my facebook photos asking why he was famous, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manneken_Pis
However, this disappointment didn’t last long as next on the list was to sample a fresh Belgian waffle. The smell of fresh waffles filled the air at every corner and the sheer taste alone was worth the 2 hour train journey and more than made up for anti climax of Manneken Pis.



Day 2 – Bruges or Brugge
I’m not normally one who laps up all those touristy attractions but I couldn’t help myself in Bruges. A leisurely lunch at the Republic (great food & atmosphere) was followed by a tour of the chocolate factory (where I learned chocolate was good for my heart and teeth; like I need an excuse), a boat ride down the canal and to top it off… a horse and carriage ride around the old town on a horse called Shabba (yes, I’m cringing even as I type). But it was all good fun and such a gorgeous city that next time I think I may choose staying in Bruges over Brussels.



I didn’t get to do the cycle ride I was looking forward to nor climb the tower of Our Lady’s Church. With 366 steps and no lift in either direction, I will need to wait until my knee is fully healed before attempting such escapades.



Day 3
Today we journeyed to Soigines to visit my cousin who has recently relocated there from the States. What should have been a simple 27 minute journey turned into a mini drama – what with train cancelations and platform changes all being announced in French and on a service that only runs 1 train per hour. As we arrived so much later than intended, there was only time for a quick introduction to the shopping high street. Non the less, I hadn’t seen those guys in couple of years so it was nice to meet up.



No short break is complete without a bit of down time and mine came in the form of some time spent in the hotel sauna, before our final night on the town. It started with a meal at Muntaz, an Indian restaurant recommended by an Indian gentleman who ran a corner shop near our hotel. The restaurant was loud and vibrant and the meal was great. The only criticism was the length of service, having ordered at 10 and not receiving a morsel of food until minutes to 11pm.
We had our sights set on L’Archiduc, a famous Jazz and cocktail bar for our final night. However, the place was very crowded, testament to its popularity I guess. But also very smoky and claustrophobic. As the entire group wasn’t happy, we moved on to a bar a few door away as it’s difficult to navigate the cobbled sidewalks with 6 inch stilettos. They had an extensive list of cocktails – both alcoholic and none. My favourite was the Ginger man – mango juice, mango syrup, frozen sorbet and there should have been a splash of ginger juice… only they were out of ginger juice.
The evening provided the perfect opportunity for us to practise our extremely limited French. Personally I always get embarrassed when people apologise for their limited English as it is always guaranteed to be far more superior to my knowledge of their mother tongue. Someone did point out to me that as I could visit up to 6 counties a year with them all speaking a different language I should be excused for not knowing more that the simply pleasantries. However, the number of times I’ve visited French speaking countries – really, I should know more than basic directions and how to order bread and wine (which I don’t even drink)! None the less, with lots of nodding and some interesting hand gestures, we managed to converse with some locals.



Day 4
After getting to bed at around 5am, I wasn’t able to surface until just before 11am, and spent most of the morning wishing I was still one with my pillow. Thus, the day passed in slow motion. Some last minute shopping, famous Belgian chips with onions and of course, a few bags of Leonidas and I was ready for the journey home.

Out and about on my very own doorstep

A shocking realisation overcame me one day as I was loading some picture from Tokyo onto my facebook account. I had done city tours, Toronto, Singapore, Sydney, Rome, Bangkok, Beijing… and the list goes on and on. Yet I had never even thought to explore the city right on my own doorstep – London.
I remembered last year that I did a city tour in Prague by a company who also offered tours in Berlin, Jerusalem and yes, London. So I Googled them, got the tour times, convinced my husband and friend to join me and set a date and off we went.


Guided tour
First embarrassing moment occurred when neither I nor my friend who had lived in London all her life (I can be excused as I hail from the North) knew where, or what, the Wellington Arch was. Tour started at 11a.m. on a Saturday. Our tour guide, Nathan, was the most energetic tour guide I have ever met. He jumped up and down continually during the 2.5 hour tour and he waved his arms around fervently as he spoke at about 3 dozen words per second. Whether he had downed several cans of Red Bull before the start, was still buzzing from whatever he did the night before, or was just naturally that hyper, remains a mystery. But just watching him skip around as he pointed out some of London’s famous historic sites was making me tired.



It was a coincidence that we had picked the Queen’s birthday for our tour. For my non UK followers, the Queen actual birthday is in April but, because of the typical British weather, it is celebrated in June (normally 1st or 2nd Saturday). Please note that although June is our ‘summer time’ it does not guarantee good whether … nor does July or August for that matter. Anyway, my point is it was the Queen’s birthday and London was heaving! So much so our tour had to take a slightly different route and end a bit early. None the less, I did learn some interesting facts, not least amongst them that the pigeons in Trafalgar square were reduced not by culling – but by being fed the contraceptive pill! Yes, we drug our pigeons to stop them breeding. I also learned that after being killed during the Battle of Trafalgar, Admiral Nelson was put into a large barrel of brandy to preserve his body during the voyage back to England. However, this didn’t stop the shipmen from drinking the whisky and that’s apparently where the term ‘a stiff one’ comes from. And if you’ve ever wondered exactly what the term hung, quartered and drawn means … I’m the lady to explain it. I am sure my new found knowledge will come in particular handy for those trivia games.





I was also fortunate enough to see the Red Arrows in flight (the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force).





Wax Museum
After the morning tour, I decided to visit Madam Tussausds – or should I say the decision was made for me by my husband who was anxious to see the Marvel 4D show. I hadn’t visited the wax museum for over 15 years but still find it difficult to understand why anyone would want to look at a statue of a famous person? There was a new found excitement in my husband that afternoon as he had his picture taken with the likes of Steven Gerrad, Jimmy Hendrix and,Patrick Strewart. Personally I was not impressed and I can think of better ways to spend my money in the city but hey – each to their own. The only wax work figure that I looked at and thought ‘hmmm, that’s actually good,’ was one of actress Helen Mirren. The 4D Marvel Experience I must admit was worth the time. I am by no means what you would describe as a fan of Spider Man or any of his mates (though I do think there’s a particular cuteness to the big, green, musclely Hulk) but the short video and effects was entertaining enough.





Bit of a fright
Next on my list of ‘things to see and do’ in the city was The London Dungeons, which I visited a few weeks ago with my sister. This I enjoyed far more than Madam Tussauds but I won’t give the game away – go see for yourself. The ‘tour’ took about an hour and a half and if you just throw yourself in whole heartedly and go for it, you’ll have a great time.
Then there was the London Eye. Not being a fan of heights I had to take a few deep breaths before stepping onto my flight pod. Unfortunately the early evening we decided to visit The Eye turned out to be slightly cloudy. But this didn’t hinder our viewing pleasure. It really is fun taking in the panoramic view and pointing excitedly at all the points of interest and landmarks you recognise. Disappointed that I couldn’t see my house though.

Spoilt for choice
There’s an endless host of sights and activities to keep you occupied in this city. But my favourite of them all – eating. By far my favourite city in the world for choice and variety (though New York is an extremely close second). You can an entire week, or longer, never sampling the same cuisine twice. And many of the restaurants have authentic chiefs whipping you up culinary delights from their homeland. From popular Indian, Chinese and Thai restaurants, to Turkish, Greek, Caribbean, African, Lebanese, Cuban … you name it and I guarantee it can be found somewhere in London. Speaking of food (one of my favourite topics) a couple of friends and I are slowly eating our way through the famous Brick Lane (street a curry houses). Rather than make a list of my many favourite restaurants, I’ll allow you to email me for personal recommendations. Oh, and I can probably help with some ideas on which hotels are worth it and which you may want to stay clear off!

But enough about London. I need to research what there is to do in Brussels (other than eat fine chocolate) because I'm off there next week.

A very sad end to a wonderful holiday - May 2010

Miyajima Island
The weather for my last 2 days was postcard perfect. Took the early morning bullet train to Hiroshima. Everyone said that Miyajima was a must see so I headed there first. I didn’t find it spectacular but nor was I disappointed. The stalls and small shops that lined the main shopping street reminded me a little of Blackpool, the seaside town I frequented regularly as a small child. Stall owners gently called out (in Japanese) announcing what they had to offer. My favourite was the steam bun stall. Those seemingly small buns were extremely filling; a smooth exterior concealing the moist, succulent beef gravy.
The tide was out so I didn’t have the opportunity to see the Torri Gate (of the Itsukushima Shrine) surrounded by water. But never the less I enjoyed my visit to this beautiful little island.



Hiroshima Peace Park
I guess it’s not the norm for people to cry on holiday but I could not help but shed a tear or 2 as I was shown around the Hiroshima museum that brought to life the harrowing events that took place here almost 65 years ago. (Made me slightly embarrassed to be a part of the human race). This experience was made all the more poignant as the guy who showed me around was a survivor of this awful tragedy. Seiji Tsuji was only 3 at the time but assured me he remembered it all. Thankfully both he and his older brother survived. He beamed with pride as he informed me that, despite smoking and drinking, his brother went on to live until his eighties.







A walk through the peace park; a visit to the Hall of Remembrance Hall; a look at the children’s peace monument and the A bomb dome; it was all a very sombre and sobering experience.

Alas I reached the end
As my last night in Japan dawned hubby and I reflected on the last 2 weeks over an okonomiyaki; a traditional Hiroshima dish made of an unsweetened flat bread base, noodles, vegetables and a variety of meat and sea food. I loved the fact that it was made right on front of you on a teppan.



I love Asia, I love the culture and particularly the people and their hospitality. Nothing is too much trouble and it’s as though they are only too happy to go out of their way to assist visitors. The language barrier proved more of a hindrance than in Thailand but nowhere near as difficult as China. The Japanese food, though great for the most part has finally taken its toll on me and I can’t wait for a homemade shepherd’s pie, or better yet a plate of chips and runny eggs. But it has been an amazing and educational 2 weeks and already I’m looking forward to my next visit to this wonderful part of the world.