Beijing Trip - May 2009

I just returned from a 7 day trip to Beijing. It was an amazing trip, managed to cramp in probably a month's worth of itinerary into 7 days. Still sorting out my photos, so watch out for my posts in the next few weeks. In the mean time, will share with you some more culinary adventures in Kuching and my recent visit to Mukah for the Kaul Festival.

Dinner at Nerovivo KL

I was lucky to be invited to a dinner at Nerovivo, a fine dining Italian restaurant on Jalan Ceylon KL. I had pre-ordered the main course and dessert from the menu provided, and was waiting with great anticipation for the evening !

The restaurant is located in a converted old house. Jalan Ceylon is just around the corner from Cangkat Bukit Bintang which is the hottest place for pubs and restaurants in KL at the moment.

The antipasto arrived, and it was quite a sight !



Filled to the brim with goodies, this was supposed to be shared by 5 persons. There was deep-fried calamari, fresh oysters, smoked salmon, yabbies-which is becoming quite common in KL, baked scallops and deep-fried asparagus fingers. Everything was delicious.

Next came the Mushroom Soup with Truffle Oil. I had expected something special after the fantastic antipasto, but this is just standard mushroom soup.



For main course I had ordered Spaghetti with Boston Lobster. It was a bit disappointing - the lobster was probably frozen, so it wasn't sweet and tasty as it should be. The sauce was also not that flavourful, overall a bit bland.



For dessert I ordered the Panacotta with Chocolate Sauce. I should have gone with the Tiramisu. The Panacotta did not have much taste - kind of boring.




So overall, 1 out of 4. The antipasto was definitely the highlight. I would still go back to try the other items on the menu. The restaurant had a warm and cosy vibe which was friendly and not uptight like some other fine dining establishments can be.

Aseana Cafe at Suria KLCC

Aseana Cafe is located on the ground floor of Suria KLCC, at the entrance near Mandarin Oriental Hotel. It is an Asian themed cafe serving quick kopitiam food.

I ordered the Nasi Lemak which was recommended by the waitress. It looked quite good and came topped with papadams.



This is what it looks like after you remove the papadams. There is sambal ikan bilis, curry chicken, beef rendang, curry fish and fresh vegies.

The curry sauce which came with the serving was quite good, but everything else was quite ordinary. The beef rendang was dry and tough.



A view of the Cafe.

Strudels at KL Sentral

Macau Casinos - The Venetian Macau

The Venetian Macau is design to shock and awe anyone who visits. The sheer scale of it is unbelievable, and the amount of money that must have been thrown into the project is astounding. The main entrance building is designed like the Doge Palace, and there is even the Rialto Tower, Bridge, etc. It is like the whole of Venice has been shrink-wrapped and brought to Macau. That said, the quality of construction is very good – it doesn’t look and feel like a cheap replica. Most of the main facades are clad in what looked like real stone, and the quality of finish is impressive.


At night the lighting effects are quite spectacular.


As you enter the main lobby, you are suddenly confronted with the St. Peter’s Basilica, and the hallway that leads to the Casino is also modeled after the famous cathedral in Rome. Everything is painted on of course, but the effect can be quite mesmerizing for a while. However, the quality of the interior is no where near that of the exterior.


The Casino has a huge shopping centre attached to it, and this is also modeled after The Venetian in Las Vegas. The internal shopping arcades are designed like Venetian streets complete with water-filled canals. There are even gondolas with gondoliers for hire. There doesn’t seem to be any clear demarcation of the shopping zones, and it can get a bit disorienting as it starts to look the same everywhere.


They employ many entertainers who perform and entertain around the shopping centre dressed in period costume. For me they are the most endearing part of the whole Venetian experience. Nothing beats the warmth of real people.

Traveling And Tourism In Italy

Tourism in Italy

Balsamic Vinagre

Colosseum

Rome Vatican Museums

There are many things about italy that make it a marvellous place to visit and with lots of tourist information available you can be assured of an interesting, unique and memorable stay. There are countless of things to do and see , you can admire the stylish Italians and enjoy the 'MODA', the uncompared italian design reflected in the italian cars, the beautiful people or experience the pulsating beat of life with it's noisy street markets and swarms of people buzzing around on Vespas. For those who want to relax and enjoy the 'cafe culture', the wine and food and 'people watch' then travel to Italy is also for you!.

most beautiful beaches in Croatia

You can choose type of beaches you want on your vacation. From beaches for family relaxation and children with plenty of funny activities to beaches where you can go on summer parties and other funs. You`ll have more than enough space for enjoy. The list of Croatian beaches is so big so we can`t provide you all beaches in Croatia, but we`ll provide you list of the best and most visited beaches in Croatia on Adriatic Sea.


Do you want know more about Croatian beaches? You really should go there and feel the difference. When we`re talking about vacation in Croatia, first at all, we`re thinking about nice and hot sand beaches. Adriatic beaches can offer to everyone real pleasure and it can be perfect destination for vacation. Presence of sea with so much green vegetation and mountains provides you the best feel of real vacation.

Happy Visit to Greece :)

side of Balkan Peninsula. It is also bordered by Bulgaria and Macedonia in the southeast.

Climate

It has three distinct climates namely Alpine, Mediterranean and temperate climate with mild and wet winters and also hot and dry summers due to Mediterranean affect. Alpine system is seen in mountainous regions. The temperate climate is seen near border along Macedonia. Athens has both temperate and Mediterranean weather.

Local Customs

The Greece is a place with strong historic and cultural background. There are different traditions and customs in different parts of the Greece. The throwing back of a hand is considered to be a negative gesture here in Greece. Casual dress can be worn most of the times. Smoking is prohibited in public transport services and public buildings. Tipping 12 to 1 percent is customary in restaurants, hotels and taxis.

Attractions
- The Olympic Games in Athens (the spot of the historic 2004 Olympic Games)
- Mardi Grass Celebrations in February
- The Parthenon in Athens
- Skiing in Arahova Mountains between October and March
- Easter Celebrations
- Thessaloniki's White Tower and country's rich Byzantine culture



- The south of Corinth
- The beaches in Lesvos
- The wine vineyards in the countryside
- The islands near the Aegean Sea
- The wildlife preserve in Alonissos (Sporades Marine Park)
- The famous, Moni Panagia Chozoviotissa, a Byzantine monastery in Amorgos

Travel

By Air - The national airline of Greece is Olympic Airlines. Many popular airlines like British Airways and Delta Airlines operate daily flight from Athens. The biggest airport is newly constructed Athens International Airport which is located like 17 miles northeast of the city. The other international airports of Greece are Heraklion (Crete), Thessaloniki (Macedonia) and Corfu (Kerkira).


By Sea - The popular Greek ports include Corfu, Heraklion, Igoumenitsa, Patras, Piraeus (Athens), Rhodes, Thessaloniki and Volos. Shipping vessels and ferryboat lines link these ports with Italy, Croatia, Cyprus, Russia and Turkey. Some of the popular cruises operating in Greece are Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Festival Cruises, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Silversea and Swan Hellenic.

By Rail - If one is coming from UK, the best way is to take Eurostar train to Brussels or Paris and from there take connecting train to Greece.

Duty Free Items
1. Up to 200 cigarettes or 250 gm tobacco
2. 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars
3. 1 liter spirit over 22% or 2 liter wine
4. Perfumes - 50 gm or 250 ml
5. Gifts up to €175

Prohibited Items

Narcotics, firearms, ammunition, weapons, most meat and dairy products, eggs, plants, endangered species, fireworks and alcoholic beverages that contain more than sixty per cent alcohol.

History of Bed and Breakfast: Enjoy B & B at Ieper, Belgium

It is believed that bed and breakfast concept I as old as the traveling instinct in humans. There three prime needs of the human and these clothing, food and shelter. Bed and breakfast serve to the last two. Whenever one is away from home one thing he wants the most at the end of the day is a shelter and the other at the beginning of next day that food. Bed and breakfast can be considered as the starting of hotel and restaurant concept. The bed and breakfast culture has existed in one form or another since the beginning of human civilization.



In earlier time monasteries served as bed and breakfasts for travelers, and in some cases they still do. Bed and breakfasts have been very popular with the travelers in Europe for years. The term “B&B” originated in England, Scotland and Ireland and was made popular concept here only. The B&B signs can be seen on many windows in europe. A bed and breakfast is a small lodging that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Typically, bed and breakfasts are homes with less 10 bedrooms available for commercial use. A bed and breakfast provided in a private home is usuall

y referred to as a homestay also instead of bed abd breakfast. The term "bed and breakfast" is though not so popular in many other countries. The bed and breakfast concept is known as paradors, pensions, gasthaus, minskukus, shukukos and pousados with some Americans and English-speaking Europeans . During the Great Depression in America, many people opened their homes to travelers to bring in some additional money for the family and hence the concept took a leap in US also. The term "boarding house" was used at this time here only. After the Depression, this type of lodging declined and many people had the idea they were just for low-income travelers or backpackers. In the early 50’s, people may remember the term "tourist home" being also used for same kind of concept. This too was essentially similar to bed and breakfast. Once the concept of motels came in on the new highways, the bed and breakfast was soon forgotten. In addition to normal converted private homes, some lodgings are considered bed and breakfast inns. The major difference between a bed and breakfast inn and a normal traditional bed and breakfast setup is that, an inn has more rooms available than the usual three four found in a private home. Another difference is that , Inns also provide meals in addition to breakfast, as well as other services not always provided in a private home. Travelers usually are attracted by recreational, cultural or historic sites, or by business they have in a particular area and the best way to experience the true essence of the region is to go for a bed and breakfast place. Business travelers, especially women, sometimes prefer bed and breakfast accommodations to the typical lodge, motel or hotel facility available in an area because its more homely and safer option as the owner is a family and not commercial workers. B&Bs provide the traveler with a different lodging experience as well as what many consider a safer environment, coupled with homely food.
Bed and breakfast is a simple non luxury experience but it is purest and the most honest experience one can experience. The non commercial aspect of this concept adds to the beauty, but these days some of the B & B place are more like hotels giving a feel of bed and breakfast. But never mind the legacy still prevails high and will in future too as people away from home will always miss homes.

Paris to London: 2hrs 3mins – by Train

I did not see any coverage of this event in our media. It happened on September 4th when EuroStar the high-speed train operator that links the UK with the Continent, ran its inaugural train over Britain’s new 300km/hr (186mph) high-speed line, arriving into the wonderfully restored St Pancras International, Eurostar’s new London terminal.

I learned about this from Railway Herald, which published the picture without attribution which makes me think that it was probably furnished by Eurostar as part of the press kit. Regular service along the 109km (68 mile) high speed line to the channel starts November 14.

The new high speed line cuts twenty minutes from the current timetable for trains between London and Paris or Brussels. Train travel to these destinations produces one tenth the CO2 of flying.

The distance from London to Paris is 213 miles (343 km) from Vancouver to Seattle 150 miles. Think you can do that in two hours (city centre to city centre) even if you flew?

What is our government doing? Widening highways.

America famouse places

America famouse places
America famouse places
America famouse places
America famouse places
America famouse places
America famouse places
America famouse places
Latin America
north america