Years ago, a Portuguese friend took me to his favorite restaurant, and that lunch spoiled my memory of Portuguese food. So I wasn't expecting much when we visited Portugal earlier this month, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Our first stop was Porto. Images of pastel de Nata (the famous egg custard tart), pastel de bacalhau (salt cod fritter) and sardines greeted us everywhere we turned.
Pastel de nata is virtually offered in every café. Our favorite is at Mantegaria in Porto. Having one right out of the oven is to die for. Flaky and crispy on the outside, soft and creamy in the center; it is melt-in-your mouth delicious.
We sampled the pastel de bacalhau (salt cod fritter) at Casa Portuguesa. Located by the Clerigos Church and Tower, it is a neat place to stop in for the iconic Portuguese snack. The open kitchen shows someone demonstrating how the bacalhau is made. The second floor features a library with a dazzling decor and clean, free-of-charge restrooms.
Bacalhau at Pica Pau
We love canned sardines and eat them often. You can find the ubiquitous sardine in restaurants, stores and markets. We purchased some canned sardines from the Bolhão Market and had them for lunch at our airbnb. These Portuguese canned sardines, available in many flavors, are hands down the best we've ever tasted.
Some signature Portuguese dishes we had to try included the octopus, cod fish, grilled sea bream, stewed pork cheeks, and the multi-meat sandwich called Francesinha. Everything was fabulous; the sandwich not so much.
Cod and octopus
Grilled sea bream (dourada)
pork cheek stew
Francesinha, a multi-meat sandwich with gravy over it
We were thrilled to see a couple of Christmas markets in Lisbon. They were very festive, but the food - paella and suckling pig sandwich - were disappointing. The sangria and gulhwein were ok. This time of year, a lot of street vendors were selling roasted chestnuts. Dusted with salt, they were soft and tender.
Street vendors roasting chestnuts on an open fire
In Lisbon, we stayed at Residencial Florescente, across from a concert hall on a street dotted with restaurants. Armed with menu, the touts will try to lure us into their establishments every time we walked by. Our hotel has its own restaurant. Bistro 99 serves an amazing breakfast, with a great variety of items, from fresh fruits and yogurt, to parma ham and cheeses, along with the usual scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and sauteed vegetables. Not to mention baked goods - pastel de nata, pain au chocolate, croissant, cakes, and wonderful American-style coffee! The food was so good we ate lunch there one rainy afternoon. We had tapas and everything was superb! It was arguably our best meal in Portugal.
Prawns with garlic and chili
Grilled oyster mushrooms with aioli
Octopus in olive oil over new potatoes
This trip definitely changed my outlook on Portuguese food. The next time I bite into an egg custard tart or a canned sardine, I will be thinking about the time I spent in Portugal.
Our friend Carmen has previously written a guest post on this blog. Today, she shares yet another adventure in her adopted home of Zurich, Switzerland. Welcome back Carmen!
A few weeks ago, I finally decided to take up on a friend’s invite to float down the Aare River in Bern, and it was an unforgettable trip!
The Aare River with its strong currents and signature turquoise blue colour is a popular summer swimming spot for the Swiss. In fact, swimming in the Aare is an official activity on the UNESCO list of Swiss traditions. Rising from a glacier up in the Bernese Alps, it flows through Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, passes by Bern, the capital of Switzerland and flows into the Rhine in the north-west.
Initially my significant other and I were reluctant to take the two- hour train ride to Bern from Zurich on a lazy Sunday but then we thought: why not enjoy the hot weather before autumn sets in? It was a great decision as we had an amazing experience!
After we arrived, we followed the procession of people carrying picnic equipment and floats of various forms down to the Marzili pool area of the river. We were glad to see a well-developed area with numerous changing rooms around the picnic area, a restaurant and concession stands peppered around the vicinity. Bear in mind that this trip was made in the middle of the Corona-virus pandemic, and still, the place was packed with young and old alike, with no masks in sight. We didn't don masks either. But back in Zurich, starting Aug 27, we have to wear masks in stores.
We set up camp amongst the crowd, and then walked up the river to a bridge where we could see adventurous young men and women jumping into the cold waters. The less adventurous however, chose to descend into the river via the numerous staircases along the river side.
Dipping my feet into the water, I was pleasantly surprised to find the water temperature at a nice, cool 21-24 C (69.8 - 75.2 F), but taken aback by the strong current. Once in the water, I was immediately swept away by the current. I was now far ahead of my friend even though she went in right after me. Good thing she lent me her pool noodle, which kept me afloat. She was using her pool lounger.
It was very interesting to see the various forms floatation devices bobbing down the river. Some people were blissfully floating in 7-10 foot rafts, complete with beer (and paddle) in hand, and music blasting from their bluetooth speakers!
As we approached the end of the “safe” floating area, we saw signs along the river marking where floaters should exit. If you prefer a longer float, you can swim further down to a channel that directs you to a man-made pool. Here, you can continue to wade or walk up a wide staircase. A 10-minute walk upriver gives you about 5 minutes of floating time. A longer, 2-kilometre (1.24 miles) hike gives you 15 minutes worth of floating time. We did several rounds of the 10-minute hike and float before settling down for a picnic. My other half had so much fun jumping and floating he didn't even bother to stop for lunch!
The Swiss were right on the money when it listed floating down the Aare River as one of their summer traditions. We love it so much it might become a tradition for us. Aare River, see you next summer!
My brother is visiting Bangkok for the first time, and I recently shared this post with him to give him a taste of what to expect. Revisiting it brought back such great memories—we love Bangkok enough that we've decided to go again next year! This time, it'll be a shorter stay—just under two weeks—as part of a longer trip that also includes Malaysia and Australia. We’re getting excited already!
Originally posted: Apr 11, 2020
Sawadee Kha!
Did you know that Bangkok is the most visited city in the world? It even surpassed iconic destinations like Paris, London and New York City (which rank second, third, seventh, respectively), according to a Business Insider article. We had no idea! But we did know Bangkok is a hot spot for medical tourism and Thailand continues to be one of the top countries for retirement.
Our first trip to Thailand was way back in 2001, when we visited Bangkok and Phuket in the south. We came home with some truly unforgettable memories, and a lasting appreciation for the warmth, flavors, and vibrance of Thai culture.
Floating Market in action
The Grand Palace on a lovely sunny day (sharing on Skywatch Friday)
Phi Phi Island, south Thailand
This time we wanted to experience a taste of local life. We rented an Airbnb south of Bangkok for the month of December. It's a 15 minutes walk to Lumphini MRT (subway) station. Unfortunately, there is no sidewalk in the neighborhood. We learned real fast how to navigate the narrow and congested lanes. Admittedly Thai drivers are quite skilled; we did not witness any accident while there. Sure, we could take the taxi, but these taxi drivers always refused to turn on the meter, and we were sick and tired of haggling with them. Every Single Time. So we resorted to walking, and tried not to get killed, especially at night.
flower garlands adorn the Erawan Shrine at a busy intersection
Traffic jam at night (taken atop Baiyoke Hotel on the 84th floor)
Bangkok's river transport system is fascinating. Boats from barges to ferries and water taxis compete for space on the busy Chao Phraya River. The skilled captains and deckhands mesmerized us, and we rode the water taxi from one end of the river to the other, a total of 13 miles one way. For a mere 15 baht (US$.46)!
One major attraction along the river is ICONSIAM, the glitzy megamall that opened in November 2018. Bangkok is famous for shopping, and this is the latest gem in their shopping mall offerings. We are not into shopping, we go for the food. Most malls have food courts that are well run and cleaner than street vendors. Not to mention air conditioned. Our favorite food court was at the airport-inspired Terminal 21 mall. Located on the 5th floor (San Francisco terminal), it is decorated with San Francisco memorabilia, complete with a mini Golden Gate Bridge. We felt right at home here. Did we mention the restrooms are equipped with bidet toilets? Even San Francisco malls do not have that!
The colossal ICONSIAM mall is a kaleidoscope of colors, smells and sounds. As you amble inside, SookSiam, the indoor floating market charms you at once with its exotic décor and numerous vendors selling goods from Thai arts to clothing and jewelry. And lots of yummy food and fruits.
Floating market at ICONSIAM mall
Going to the movies has never been more glamorous! We enjoyed Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 3D. We discovered that you had to rise for the Royal Anthem in honor of His Majesty the King before the movie starts. The high tech theatre, the spaciousness and selection of seats or theatre (based on the price) all contributed to the amazing experience. There are free ferries to ICONSIAM from many piers; we took it from Ratchawong Pier, a short walk from Chinatown. The weeks before Christmas and New Years were especially chaotic; we waited for hours under the oppressive heat to get on the ferry. If you go during these times, come prepared with hat, sunscreen and sunglass.
We read that Thailand is home to the largest population of Chinese people outside of China. Interestingly, most of them seem more Thai than Chinese—many don’t even speak the language of their ancestors.
While in Bangkok, we dined at several restaurants, including Tang Jai Yoo—made even more famous by Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations episode featuring Thai chef McDang. Sadly, we found it overrated and overpriced.
Roast suckling pig at Tang Jai Yoo
On one walking tour, we ventured
into a covered alleyway (might have been Sampeng Lane) that is lined with shops
selling everything from fabrics to bric-a-brac, and oh my, how incredibly crowded! Motorbikes are allowed here, and when they come through,
be prepared to inhale some nasty smoggy air. Not recommended for people
with breathing problems.
the sight, smell and sound assault your senses at Yaowarat (Chinatown)
After ringing in the new year, we continued on to a couple of other Southeast Asian countries. But by mid-January, the news of the Coronavirus in Wuhan, China had taken a sharp turn for the worse. When the city of 11 million was locked down on January 23, it was clear this wasn’t just another regional health scare.
Worried about the virus’s rapid spread, we tried to move up our return flight—but the prices were absurd. So we stuck to our original plan and flew back to Bangkok to spend our final week in a hotel. The moment we landed, we bought masks. Just days later, they were sold out everywhere.
Tourist numbers and traffic had dropped noticeably. You can see it in the photos below.
now you see it (bustling traffic in Centralworld on Dec 18)
now you don't (picture taken Feb 1)
We spent most of the week laying low at our hotel and hanging out at Central Embassy, a nearby luxury mall that wasn’t too busy. The top floor was a great spot—it had a movie theater, some chill cafes, and Open House, an awesome bookstore with books in all kinds of languages and super comfy couches. There was even live music, which made the whole vibe even better.
musicians at left serenaded us at OpenHouse
Surfing and reading behind the books
The fourth floor is packed with restaurants. When we weren’t eating at our go-to spot, Din Tai Fung (yep, the international chain you’ll find in most big cities—usually with crazy wait times, but not here), we were down in the basement feasting at Eathai. After nearly a week of Pad Thai and duck noodle soup, we’re calling it: Eathai is hands down the best and classiest food court in Bangkok.
Found the best pad thai here!
Duck noodle soup (some people in our party lived on this all week!)
We’re so glad we made it home in early February! With social distancing and curfews now in place, we’ve been spending our time reading books and magazines, and doing a bit of virtual traveling online (check out some of my favorite links on the right side of the page). We’ll get through this—and when the time is right, we’ll travel again.
I recently connected with Carmen, my childhood friend Jayce's daughter. We met a couple of times, first in Malaysia, and later in the States. She's been traveling quite a bit, and recently moved to Zurich, Switzerland. In this post, she shares one of her exciting adventures in her new adopted country. Please welcome guest blogger Carmen Cheok. It was almost the end of spring, and we finally found a clear sunny day to travel up to Jungfraujoch (pronounced yung-frau-yoch, Jungfrau meaning ‘virgin’ in German), a saddle between two Bernese Alps peaks, Jungfrau and Mönch.
Switzerland is famed for its raw, natural beauty, surrounded by snowy alps of all shapes and sizes. And according to most travel guides, Jungfraujoch is THE place to visit in Switzerland. After all, it is the Top of Europe (3454 metres or 11,332 feet and the highest railway station in Europe to be precise)!
To get to Jungfraujoch, we had to travel for about 4 hours via train from Zurich using the Lautebrunnen route. And I must say the journey was well worth it for the panoramic views. Pro tip: For unobstructed pictures, sit on the right side of the train going up from Interlaken Ost onwards. We sat on the right, hence the unsuspecting models in the following images.
And my oh my, the unreal views could've come straight out of National Geographic:
Cascading waterfalls, rolling hills, snowy alps, turquoise blue lakes....
and once you get past that feast of
colours and lush nature, you’re treated to the wonderful sight of a winter
wonderland.
Coming from Malaysia where it is just
rain and sun all year round, it felt pretty amazing that I could enjoy nice
sunny weather in the morning and then be surrounded by powdery snow in the
afternoon, all on the same day!
It was our lucky day because just as we were admiring the view of the Sphinx Observatory atop the
mountain, a cloud descended upon us:
If you visit during peak season, do expect large tourist groups at the visitor centre. I’m glad
to say that the crowd subsided towards 5 p.m. near closing time, and we had almost
the whole place to ourselves.
On our way down, we were treated to more
picturesque views. (Now sit on the left side!)
The Kleine Scheidegg stop offers many photo-ops
We even hopped off at Interlaken to take a few shots.
Lakeside view from Interlaken West
Caution is advised; the prices to
reach the top are as steep as the mountain (up to CHF 374 or USD 385 in from Zurich HB via
Lauterbrunnen to Jungfraujoch station without a SwissPass). For more train ticket information, click here.
For the budget traveler, I would say to
catch a view of the mountains from Interlaken instead; or if you have a SwissPass, hop
off at Wengen right before they charge you for the next leg of the journey up
the mountains. The journey is just as breathtaking as the destination. Till next time!
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