Ever since I started blogging, I’ve found it fascinating and enriching to get to know some other bloggers. One of my first blog-pals is Razzbuffnik, who writes All The Dumb Things. The reasons I’d recommend visiting his site include his fantastic photos, covering every sort of subject from seventies’ Cambodia to a firebreathing Razz and…
London bites – Street Hawker
London is full of wonderful places to eat, both with or without Michelin stars, but as most Londoners will attest, some of the best eateries are local secrets. Street Hawker is one of ours. Located so close to Maida Vale tube stop that it might as well be part of the station, Street Hawker is tiny,…
Wrong number
For a while now, I’ve been receiving midnight calls from a stranger. The calls come from a withheld number, so I always pick up in case it’s a family emergency; my mother has a withheld number, too. The first call, at 1am on a Sunday night, told me everything I need to know about this…
Epic avatars
This morning I’m quite chuffed because I’ve worked out how to change my avatar (proof that my potential as a geek is growing). The truth is, every time I looked at my old one, it reminded me of French deli windows, making me hungry and I’m already battling with a few extra pounds so that…
Epic postcard moments 4
Some of you have been asking me where this photo was taken. (In case it looks familiar, it’s the one at the top of my blog page). It was taken from a rest-stop between Nice and Monaco on New Year’s Eve last year. We’d been hugging the coast so we could gawp at the views like this and what finer…
Epic eavesdropper in Brussels
It’s thanks to a stuffed horse that I overheard the following conversation. At the Roy d’Espagne pub in Brussels, there’s a horse by the bar (photo yet to be posted, but yes, it’s coming), an impressive example of large animal taxidermy (although how fine, I wouldn’t want to comment. When I saw the horse…
Epic postcard moments 3
This is another fantastic place for sunsets – The Bay of Naples. Monsieur and I had been to Capri that day and decided to overnight in Sorrento. We hadn’t booked anything so called a few hotels in the guidebook. I was scared that with my bad Italian I’d misunderstood the hotel manager who said she…
Epic postcard moments 2
In January, when Monsieur and I were staying in Cannes, we decided to drive along part of the Route Napoleon. The day had started quite nicely, but by mid-afternoon, it was as if someone had turned off the light. The clouds rolled in off the sea but in spite of threatening major precipitation it didn’t rain on…
Epic postcard moments 1
I’m not getting much time to write at the moment, so I’ve decided to post some of my favourite photos. In Langkawi, Monsieur and I experienced some of the most astounding sunsets imaginable. It’s as if the earth is on fire all around you, with a blaze of colour hanging in the sky and…
The Grass is Always Greener…
In Asia, it’s common to look at a new baby and say “wah… he’s very ugly,” whilst screwing up one’s face into a tight grimace. Most Westerners are offended by this. We’re accustomed to cooing over new-borns whilst complimenting the parents on their great good luck. So, why the difference? It’s all down to culture….
Epic Euphemisms 2: On the phone…
There are all sorts of excuses to be used for not answering the phone. One of the best I’ve heard of late is “So sorry… I was on the phone to my medium.” The guy (yes guy) saying that was being serious, but I might be inclined to use it myself as an Epic Euphemism.
Taverna San Trovaso, Venice, Italy
The Taverna San Trovaso has been a mainstay of Venetian dining for a great many years, with a faithful following that includes Yours Truly. When I was an intern in Venice (many years ago), this restaurant served as a home from home for our group of foreign students. Its warming atmosphere exuded from everything – the staff, the rustic decor and, naturally,…
Epicurienne 