Beautiful Narbonne, where I had my first ever steak tartare
I was still small when I discovered that I did not mind rare (raw!) meat. I remember when my mom used to buy our meat from the butcher at month-end… A Friday afternoon would be spent packing the meat, sausages and ground beef into portions and packing it into the freezer. I always tried to sneak a pinch of the ground beef. I loved the taste of it, but always felt very naughty doing so. My folks would not ever consider having a steak that was not super well done, so what demented child was I, eating raw meat like that?! As I got older, much to my relief I came to realise that some people did actually prefer their steaks cooked medium or even medium rare and when I saw beef carpaccio on a menu for the first time I knew that I was fine!
The first time I heard of steak tartare was on my favourite cooking/travel show of all time – Rick Stein’s French Odyssey. According to him it was a very fashionable dish in France in the sixties and it seemed to have made a comeback in recent years. In the program he told a story of how, when he’d order it, French waiters would always pull up their noses at him and say indignantly “You know that it is raw, sir!”. He was delighted by the fact that an Englishman could prove them wrong and eat it without even batting an eyelid. On the show, when he made it, I was sure that I would love it and therefore when we visited France last year I made sure that I searched it out on the menus! We found it in a little brasserie in the south west of France in a small city by the name of Narbonne and it was everything I hoped it would be – the meat full of flavour, blended beautifully with the addition of the tangy capers and gherkins, and the egg yolk giving a velvety feel to it all.
So when Frexit hit me last week, I thought back to this must-have dish and hubby and I decided to give it a try and make it ourselves, using Rick Stein’s recipe. I was so chuffed! It turned out beautifully and tasted exactly like the dish we had. (What was different though, is that the restaurant where I had it, served the rest of the ingredients separately from the meat – so that you could add your own quantity of ‘toppings’ to each little bite of beautiful beef. I must be honest, I actually prefer the way we made it in the recipe below – all mixed together.)
If you are not an adventurous eater this will not be a dish that appeals to you. But if you wonder about it – try it! You will not be disappointed! (You can also start slowly – take that pinch of ground beef sometime!)
Steak tartare with pommes frites
(serves 2)
Ingredients:
300g tail end of beef fillet, straight from the fridge
1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped
2 shallots, fine chopped
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 gherkin, finely chopped
½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
10 grinds of black pepper
2 medium egg yolks
(Rick Stein added 3 dashes of tabasco sauce to his dish, be we did not. We served it with tabasco on the side.)
Method:
Trim the meat of all fat and sinew and chop finely by hand.
Put the meat into a bowl with the capers, shallots, parsley, oil, gherkin, salt and pepper.
Mix together lightly two forks and then spoon into the centre of two plates and shape into a neatish round. (We used little round metal moulds to get a nice shape to ours.)
Make a small indent in the top and then gently add an egg yolk to each.
Serve with some pommes frites (good old French fries, if you are not trying to sound fancy!)
This is my French dream – a little house in the country with a small restaurant attached. This was a lockkeeper’s house on the Canal du Midi.
Every now and again I get struck by a bout of melancholy. Not a down-in-the-dumps doom and gloom kind of downheartedness, but more a feeling that everything is not quite in its place… as if I have lost something… or have not seen a loved one for a while. The self-diagnosis took some time… but in the end it became clear to me. Occasionally I suffer from an ailment I call Frexit, which is the feeling I get when I have been outside of France for a while.
As with any diagnosis it is immediately important to understand the root cause of the disease and in my case, Frexit is a withdrawal-symptom based sickness, brought upon by a yearning for a few major things:
No red lips: This seems to be a staple of the chic French woman. Minimal make-up, but gorgeous red lips. Whenever I am in France I always take out my brightest red lip colour and always imagine that I blend in like a local! Who does not want to look like a French woman!
Me and hubby by the Eiffel Tower
Red lips!
No sidewalk cafes: I love the café culture in France. What is better than sitting down, side by side, sipping a café latte in the morning while watching French life go by? Wait, I know… Sitting down, side by side, sipping a drink at the end of the day and watching French life go by!
Tree-lined squares with cafes
Watching French life go by in Carcassonne
Not French fresh produce markets: The pride and confidence with which stall owners display and sell their products is inspirational. It makes you want to head home and cook something amazing immediately. And two of my favourite things – bread and cheese. The sheer variety!
Not enough long lunches: Food is something to be celebrated; in France it is a key part of life and not something to just be had in a rush. It is a time to sit down and catch up with family and friends and should not be had without acknowledging the momentousness of the occasion! It’s the way life should be!
That beautiful blush pink rose
Salad of magret duck breast
An almighty lunch of cassoulet in Castelnaudary
Some creme brulee for dessert
No French in my ear: I can’t speak French apart from a few essential words, but oh, what a beautiful language. The flair with which even the simplest baguette is served – “Voila!” – will make you believe that you are having a 5 star meal! (And I must admit, the way a handsome French man pronounced my name once, left me weak in the knees! Of course hubby says it best, though!)
Lack of French wine: My favourite red wine will always be a Bordeaux, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Last year we came across a white Bordeaux (which was sauvignon blanc based) for the first time. But a newly found favourite on that trip was the beautiful blush pink rose’s of the Languedoc Roussillon.
And just like Brexit, it is important to realise that Freixt can also cause unprecedented economic turmoil and uncertainty as all I want to do is book tickets on the next plane to France. So before things go so far, as with all ailments, prevention is better than cure…
To make sure that I remain healthy this weekend I will make sure that I put my red lips on. It’s going to be a cold one here in Cape Town, so I am going to scour the shops for beautiful red Bordeaux (not the easiest thing to find here) and the long lunch is going to be nonnegotiable! I might even take out that special table cloth I bought in Provence but have been too scared to use!
Here is to banning Frexit – at least for the weekend – and santé to joie de vivre!
Do you suffer from Frexit? I would love to know why and what you do to get over it! Please leave a comment and let me know!
The world is full of beautiful landmarks and these places always top the must-see list for any tourist. What would a holiday be if you did not have a snap at an iconic location to show that you were there?!
So far in our travels I have always been suitably impressed with all the famous sites we’ve had the opportunity of visiting. But it is also fair to say that some have captivated me more than others while some hold a special place in my heart because, being able to see it in real life, meant the realisation of a life-long dream.
So while I hope and believe that I will get to add to the list over the course my life, here is my top 10 landmarks as it stands today:
The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
What more is there to say?! Every time I see it, I have an urge to take a picture of it. It represents fashion, food, romance… and PARIS! Talk about iconic – this is probably one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. One can’t fathom that it was built to be a semi permanent structure for the world fair in 1889. Now you can’t imagine Paris without it.
London Eye, London, England
While not of any historical importance, the London Eye is definitely something that made its mark on the London skyline. London was the first foreign city we’ve ever visited and the London Eye the first foreign landmark I’ve ever seen! What makes this such a great landmark is that, once you are on the Eye, you get to see all the other landmarks on your must-see list as well! I remember being in the bubble and just staring out in amazement at the view of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey… Oh, I love that holiday feeling!
Carcassonne, France
In 2008 I saw Rick Stein’s French Odyssey on tv for the first time. A bucket-list item was borne – hubby and I would just have to go on a boat trip on the Canal du Midi of our own. In 2015 this dream finally came true! One of the highlights on this trip was visiting the beautifully preserved medieval village of Carcassonne. Truly breathtaking and special – and a reminder that if you can dream it, you can achieve it!
Rialto Bridge, Grand Canal, Venice, Italy
It’s a bit of a cheat, because it’s about the bridge, but it is also because of the view from the bridge. It’s Venice. Nothing I can say in words can describe this place. Just go. You have to.
Colosseum, Rome, Italy
This symbol of the Roman Empire is impressive. I find it hard to believe that they could construct something of such magnitude so long ago and that it is still around today. You can see chisel marks on the columns and it is almost unimaginable that the stones and column was carved by hand. It’s majestic.
Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France
This was the first landmark we saw when we arrived in Paris. As we exited from the metro station, we were greeted with this building standing proudly at the top of the Champs Elysees! After seeing it for so many years at the end of the Tour de France to see it for myself – unbelievable! And we were lucky enough that from our hotel balcony we had a great view of it lit up every evening. At night we would stand outside, sip our Bordeaux and stare like love-struck teenagers at its beauty!
Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England
WOW. Upon arrival I was struck by how different it looks in real life than what I’ve always seen in pictures. Although it is big, it is somehow smaller than I expected – in pictures (like the one above) the circle seems bigger than what it is if you look at it with the naked eye. The day we visited was overcast and misty. Black birds were flying around and seemed unsettled, making squawking sounds. It felt eerie and while we might never know exactly what happened there, I know how it made me feel… as if I was walking on hallowed ground.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Field of Miracles, Pisa, Italy
Of course when going to Tuscany, the Leaning Tower of Pisa was something we had to see, but what makes it worthy of my list is its unexpected beauty. The details are gorgeous and the fact that we had a perfect blue sky day didn’t hurt either – it is such a magical setting! Also, talk about the iconic “Look, Mom! I’m holding it up” photo – I spared you our numerous attempts! (PS: It is only once you are there that you realise just how much it leans! It leans A LOT!)
Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
Sagrada Familia
Capturing the morning light streaming in through the windows
The amazing roof
An amazing place – nothing can really prepare you for the impact! A male colleague of mine visited the Cathedral recently and said that he had to remind himself as he walked in “Cowboys don’t cry!”. It is amazing to see the work of Gaudi and the different sculptors and architects after him and to appreciate the effort and craftsmanship that goes into creating an icon. Almost 134 years in the making and still not completed. It puts in perspective on so many of the cathedrals we’ve seen – each an amazing feat to complete. However, the Sagrada Familia with its beautiful stained glass windows is simply amazing.
Piccadilly Circus, London, England
Not quite something that most people would get excited about, but I remember when I was just a little child, seeing it on tv. It looked so foreign, buzzing and exciting all at the same time. I was mesmerized and it never even crossed my mind at that stage that seeing it for myself would even be a possibility. London was the first foreign city we ever visited and I remember the evening hubby and I got to Piccadilly Circus. When we were standing there I actually recalled the small me, sitting in front of the tv – being amazed at all the people and the lights – and there I was, part of it! Nuts!
So there you have my top 10 – some for obvious reasons and others a bit more personal… I love them all!
But what about you – what would you recommend hubby and my next stop to be? I hope you will comment and let me know!
The past few posts saw me being in a bit of a pensive mood so it is probably no surprise that during this past week… I celebrated my birthday! And with so many people wishing me that “all my dreams may come true”…what better way to let my imagination run wild than to imagine that on my birthday one of my biggest dreams finally became a reality? Yip, hubby and I can at last teleport to anywhere our heart desires! So, with these abilities, just what would an ideal birthday day look like…?
Sunrise over the Amalfi Coost
How about waking up, being able to look out over the Mediterranean? On Italy’s Amalfi Coast, of course. It will be a peaceful moment, hubby and I getting out of bed and sitting on our balcony; me quietly reflecting on the year that was and being grateful for all the good things in my life. In the background we will hear the faint sounds of the waves gently breaking on the shore and we will watch the old fishermen pushing their little boats out to sea. Their faces, weathered but content, for they are leading the life that they want. And in this quiet time I would aspire to do the same during the coming year.
Mural of fishermen on a church wall in Praiano
Mural up close
But what is a birthday without a special breakfast, so out the door we’ll go and step onto the streets of Paris. Stall holders will be packing out their fresh produce while cheerfully chatting away, and the air will hold a sense of anticipation for a great day ahead. The streets will still be quiet… Quiet enough so that I can run into the middle of the road to get a perfect shot of the Paris Opera house at last! Breakfast would be in a quintessential little side street cafe with a great view of the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, while Parisians quickly rush in for their morning cup of coffee. What’s for breakfast? Croque Monsieur! But it must be the same croque monsieur hubby and I once had in the train from Narbonne to Avignon! Yes, it was on the a normal train from the national French railway and we ordered it from the canteen…. but of all the croque monsieurs I’ve ever had in France, it was THE best one! (Who says I can’t teleport a sandwich?!) And of course it would be delivered to the table with the same French flair reserved for announcing the arrival of a Michelin starred meal or just a simple piece of bread – voila!
Quiet Paris streets on an early morning with the beautiful Paris Opera House in the background
Best croque monsieur ever!
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame up close
The view from the back
Breakfast done and dusted and definitely time to appear on the steps of the Sacre Coeur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris). Not only because from its steps you have breathtaking views over the city, but because I would hope to hear the same choir sing as we did when we entered the church late one evening. It honestly did sound like a heavenly choir and it was a real spiritual experience. So on this day of celebrating my birth it would be the appropriate time to give thanks and to pray for wisdom, guidance and blessings in the year to come.
Beautiful Sacre Coeur
The view from its steps over the city
Now with both tummy and spirit satisfied, it would definitely be time for site seeing, and what better place to start than one of the new 7 natural wonders of the world! As we arrive at the bottom of Table Mountain in my home city of Cape Town, it would be a perfect blue sky day, ensuring that we will have uninterrupted views of across the city. Excitedly we will wait at the lower cable car station to make the trip up by cable car (it is a huge thrill going up that I would definitely choose the old fashioned way of going up in lieu of my new teleporting abilities just placing us at the top!). The floor of the cable car turns around as you go up, giving 360 degree views of this natural wonder. The closer we get the top of the mountain it seems inevitable that we will end up crashing against the sheer rock face, but just as I wish that perhaps we took the teleport route, we safely make it all the way into the upper station. And what greets us is the most amazing views, no matter in which direction you look. Down the city, over the Cape Town Stadium built for the 2010 soccer world cup or across the ocean towards Robben Island… breathtaking! Standing on top of this mountain I would realise how small a person is in this big world and I would also be thankful that I can call this place home.
A cable car going up Table Mountain
One of the 7 natural wonders of the world!
View of Cape Town, Cape Town stadium and Robben Island from the top of Table Mountain
More stunning views
View from inside the cable car, going down
But what woman would not want to feel like a princess on her birthday?! So to fulfil my regal fantasies hubby would transport me from the top of Table Mountain to the beautiful Loire Valley in France, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. The valley is filled with beautiful chateaux, fit for a fairly tale. Hubby will choose to take us to Chateau de Chenonceau. We would have time to explore the castle and its beautiful grounds and I would stand on the balcony, hand in hand with my prince charming! It is hard to believe that people could live in such opulence! Oh well, I can’t complain. I have always been treated like a queen in my own home!
Chenonceau – what fairy tales are made of!
Picture perfect!
Bedroom fit for a queen!
I’m sure that by now we would have worked up quite an appetite, so for a real splurge we would pop up in the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London…with lunch reservations at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal! Hopefully this time I would be better prepared than 2 years ago when hubby took me there, coincidentally also for my birthday. At that particular occasion I was so gobsmacked by where we were that it took me 30 minutes before I could even order water! It was a fantastic meal, and the highlight was ordering one of Heston’s tricks of the mind – ‘meat fruit’. What appears to be a beautiful little mandarin is in fact… chicken liver parfait! The orange colour is a little jelly that is transformed to look like the skin of a mandarin and it wraps the parfait beautifully. Amazing! And so was the special little dessert they sent out for me. Yip, we would do it over again and make toast to good food and good health!
At the entrance to the hotel
DINNER by Heston!!
The famous man fruit!
My special birthday treat from the kitchen
After lunch it would be time to soak up a bit of culture. Call me a nerd, but I love museums! So seeing that we are in London we would head to the British Museum. We’ve been there twice already and we have not yet managed to get through the whole thing. The first time I loved the Egyptian section and spent the better part of three hours there. More recently I didn’t get sucked in by the Egyptians again, but this time got stuck at the Aztec section! Every time I experience a bit of history like that I feel truly blessed that I have the opportunity to look back in time. It also puts our lives into perspective and on this day, marking another year of my life, it will make me think about what legacy our generation will leave and what my part in it will be. It better be a good one!
The imposing British Museum
The roof inside the foyer
Aztec masks, based on real human skulls!
More scare Aztec masks
A birthday is sometimes also a perfect excuse for those once in a lifetime treats. So next stop? Why not the playground of the rich and famous – Monaco! We’ll be teleported to a place that was never even on my bucket list because it never seemed a reality that I would ever set foot there. But unlike last year, when we managed to walk on the hallowed F1 street tack, we will trade the red city bus for a red Ferrari and cruise the streets in style! We would park up in front of the Monaco casino and sit down in one of the beautiful cafes and sip French champagne – because you only live once! And as we sit back and take in the multi-million dollar yachts in the harbour, the strings of sportscars driving by, I will be reminded to dream big dreams, as I can achieve anything I set my mind to.
For F1 lovers, uphill from Sainte Devote, along uphill along Avenue d’Ostende
Not a Ferrari spotted in Monaco, but I’ll take it!
Casino de Monte CarloMonaco, the playground of the rich and famous
And as dusk slowly settles on an amazing day, we’ll be transported to a gondola on the Grand Canal of Venice. With romance and wonder in the air, our gondolier will sing Italian love songs and hubby and I will look lovingly in each others’ eyes and stare in amazement at the splendour that is Venice. Dinner would be at a romantic restaurant on the Grand Canal and as we watch the lights of Venice glitter in the water we will sip on some prosecco and say cheers to my birthday. Main course for me would definitely be some seafood pasta – probably a vongole, simple pasta with mussels and clams. And we would stay there until just about all the tables are empty.
The Grand Canal of VeniceVenice at sunset – truly one of a kind.
But the last stop on our day would also be the best stop – home. Where we will light a fire in the fireplace, have a last glass of wine for the night, snuggle on the couch with the dogs, and maybe catch the last bit of House Hunters International…! Because here is where real life happens, and I am truly grateful for the wonderful year that was.
Here is to a great new year ahead in which I believe that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. (And that someone out there will now just develop this teleport thing already!)
Hubby and I made full use of the two public holidays in the past week and it allowed us time for some much needed rest and relaxation.
About 180 km from Cape Town, lays Montagu and the beautiful Koo Valley beyond. Here, nestled at the foot of the Langeberg mountains, you can find Langdam Guest Farm which was our home for three wonderful days! It is 30 kilometers from the closest town so you are guaranteed to leave behind the pressures of the everyday rat race and just enjoy the farm experience.
Our beautiful little cottage
The view from our cottage stoep (patio) was spectacular. In the mornings we sat with our coffee and rusks and just stared out into the valley below and at night, glass of wine in hand and with no city lights to wash it out, the uninterrupted view of the stars in the sky was astonishing.
The view, late afternoon
Views for days…
Do you need anything else?
But don’t for one moment think because you are on a farm there is nothing to do. Firstly, with scenery like that it is a photographer’s paradise. There are also two walking trails up the mountain that offers a good bit of exercise but rewards you with dazzling views. Walking this with the 4 farm dogs was great fun and I must admit that when there were times when the climb got a bit tough on the legs I wondered if a great dane could carry my weight! (What?! I’m not all that tall, so to me those dogs are the size of ponies!) There are also dams in which you can fish and I actually caught my very first fish there! Not a big one, but big enough to give me a huge fright when I felt the pull on the line! I felt so bad when I reeled it in; I don’t think I am a born fisherman and hubby helped to get the poor fish back in the water as quick as possible. I felt guilty for hours afterwards about how much his mouth must be hurting!
Start of our mountain walk with my little pony!
Beautiful wild flowers
Beautiful
Our companions
Stunning!
Such diversity in plants
From fynbos to a complete different landscape
Mountains and blue sky
The scene of the crime – caught my first fish here!
I loved our time there; peaceful and quiet and really one with nature. On our last morning I told hubby that I couldn’t believe that a place like that could be so beautiful day in and day out and that not more people could witness its splendour every day. But that is exactly what makes it so special. And when it is your turn to experience it, it is like you experience a special little gift, granted just to you.
My shoulders felt much lighter when we left.
But it got me thinking about a simpler life. Where there is less traffic in the morning, no worrying about office politics or climbing the corporate ladder. Where deadlines are my own and the only person I have to manage is myself! Where I have more time to do the things that I really love.
What could it be? If I close my eyes I see a little place in France or Italy, overlooking a river, a vineyard, maybe an olive grove. Where hubby and I can have a small restaurant, serving simple but delicious food, and who knows, maybe even a B&B. Where people come to make their shoulders lighter. Where, when they leave, they feel as if the experience and the people they met made impact on their lives and they will forever remember it.
Rome was an amazing city to explore; the only thing was that a map of the city was just about useless for me. I remember standing at the corner of a street, turning the map in any which way you can think of, but I just could not make sense of it! It seemed as if every single street led to yet another piazza and I could never figure out which was the right street to take once we walked out the other side! But this was actually the best part – just walking about and ending up seeing much more than what we would have if we just went straight to the next destination. Even to this day we don’t use online ‘street view maps’ when we arrive in a new city. I see too many tourists walking with their noses pressed up against the screen of their phones, never stopping to look up and around at all they are missing out on.
It’s hard to pick a favourite from all there is to see and do; but I will start with people watching. I loved the people watching. Be it sitting on the Spanish Steps, watching locals and tourists, watching locals and tourists alike (!) or sitting in small, unknown piazzas we stumbled across, watching real Roman life go by. In one particular little square we sat down on the steps, and a local mom and her daughter came to sit next to us. The little girl had so much energy and you could tell all the mom really wanted to do was to sit and take a bit of a break. Very excited the little girl talked and gestured to her mom and off she went – running around the square, and back to her mom. Turns out mom was “timing” her little run around the piazza! She kept going for at least half an hour – and remarkably her time “improved” each time she came back to check! A very creative way to tire the little one out, if you ask me.
Rome has an inordinate amount of things to see. I can’t remember how many things we had on our “must-see” list, but what I do know is that we definitely did not make it to everything!
Down romantic cobbled streets and alleyways we walked into countless beautiful churches (and not even the famous ones!)
But St Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican museums were definitely a highlight. However, we warned, the Vatican museums are packed in the morning. We booked online tickets and got to skip the line (which was at least 1.5km long!) but still, once inside the entrance area, hubby had to hand in his back-pack and I had to pick up our actual tickets. We split up to do this, almost to never find each other again amongst what seemed like 10 000 people mulling about! (Top tip #1 – If you decide to split up in the entrance hall, agree on where to meet each other again. I will never forget the feeling of dread when I turned around from the ticket counter and saw a sea of people, and no hubby in sight! Top tip #2 – Visit the Vatican museums in the afternoon. We left around lunch time and the entrance hall was like a graveyard!) It was pure instinct that drew the two of us towards each other. It was such a relief to see him again! However, all the stress was worth the crowds and you’ve got to go see it for yourself.
No visit to Rome would be complete without visiting the spectacular Colosseum. We booked a tour that included access to the passages underneath and that ends up with you walking out into the arena. WOW! It was really worth booking this. I could not even begin to imagine how overwhelming it must have been walking out to a packed amphitheatre full of people screaming and shouting. It’s hard to believe that this was constructed in AD 72 – 80. The ingenuity of that time is something to behold. (We went on to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill after visiting the Colosseum. (Top tip #3 – bad idea! We were exhausted afterwards… and the 37° heat didn’t help!)
And as much as the piazzas stood in the way of my navigation skills, I loved all of them. Sure, some are filled with touristy restaurants with waiters all but fetching you in the middle of the square to come and dine at their establishment, but the vibe is undeniable. We stayed close to piazza Navona and had the privilege of walking through it a few times a day! The Four Rivers fountain roars with water as street performers and artists rival for your attention. My favourite night time spot was probably Campo de’ Fiori. Musicians battle it out in the square for their turn to play, while people would buzz in and out of the restaurants and bars that line the piazza. We sat down at a place with an odd name: Sloppy Sam’s – and they tagline “sloppy in the back, classy in the front”! Huh? Who cares?! I loved it!
From a food perspective, Rome was the last stop on our three week Italian holiday. At this point there was not a parma ham, prosciutto or bruschetta that we didn’t know, a pasta or pizza we didn’t taste or a gelato flavour unbeknownst to us! Being from the South African Karoo, growing up in region famed for flowers and lamb, I craved meat! So for me, the best meal I had in Rome was at a little restaurant that had lamb chops on the menu! Three beautifully prepared gorgeous lamb chops… but with the requisite paste course preceding it, of course!
We saw so much, but left behind so much more to see. So we did what needed to be done… Some say that if you throw a coin from your right hand over your left shoulder into the Trevi fountain, you will definitely return to Rome. So to make sure, we duly did the coin toss! (An interesting fact about the coins from the Trevi fountain… on a daily basis the coins are collected and it is actually used to help subsidise a special supermarket that serves the poor in Rome, with help from the Italian Red Cross.)
So now I know without a doubt that we will walk down the streets of the Eternal City again soon; it is a city that feels like and indoor and outdoor museum, it causes you to stop in awe around every other corner as it reveals a bit more of its history and it’s a city that completely dazzled us with its soul.
I will never forget the first time I ever laid my eyes on the Mediterranean. We arrived in Rome after a 21 hour flight from Cape Town. Exhausted we had to rush to catch a train from Rome to Naples. Two hours later (and no chance of sleep; I was petrified of missing our stop!) we arrived in Naples and had to rush to make the next train; a commuter train called Circumvesuviana that runs to Sorrento. That was a horrid journey – “commuter train” translated means that there are no seats (well, at least not in the coaches we were in) and we had to stand the whole way to Sorrento. I was so tired and exhausted that I could hardly stand on my feet and hubby had to give a lot of moral support to stop me from bursting into tears from sheer exhaustion. Arriving in Sorrento, waiting at the station for the SETA bus that would finally take us to our destination, Praiano, I caught I small glimpse of some blue water between a row of houses. So to be fair, that was probably the first glimpse of the Mediterranean. But then, as we finally got on the bus and started the last leg of our journey, the blue jewel revealed herself to us and in that instant we fell under her spell.
The first picture we took of the beautiful Mediterranean – from the SETA bus!
The famous Amalfi Coast drive was everything the books tell you it is – twisty, turny, breathtakingly beautiful and quite the adrenalin rush. The speed with which the bus drivers navigate the narrow road is something to experience. At first I did not understand why the driver was hooting randomly; was he just greeting people or were people upsetting him on the road? After paying a bit of attention I figured it out; he hooted every time we approached a bend so that if there were cars approaching from the other side, they would hear the bus coming. That way they would know to stop or get out of his way! Ingenious! And testament to the fact that they slow down for nothing!
Views of the Amalfi Coast drive from the bus!
Views of the Amalfi Coast drive from the bus!
Views of the Amalfi Coast drive from the bus!
Impossible to believe how the lemon groves cling to the side of the cliffs!
Views of the Amalfi Coast drive from the bus!
So just about 24 hours after we left Cape Town we finally arrived in Praiano. Exhausted, but in love! I have previously written about my love for Praiano and its little beach La Praia. This is undoubtedly where our love for the Mediterranean comes from. I know what made this extra special for hubby was a trip that we took from Praiano to Capri. A local tour operator offered day trips to Capri and eagerly we signed up, wanting to see Capri but also the beautiful Amalfi Coast from the water. The journey by speedboat was amazing. Half way to Capri, in the middle of the ocean, our skipper stopped the boat. In his best English and with some hand gestures he indicated: “Now you swimming!” Hubby loved it! They had snorkeling equipment on the boat and he said it was the experience of a lifetime. The water was crystal clear; you could see down into the water for meters and meters and the fish….according to him it was like seeing a world that you never knew existed; swimming alongside fish that you have never seen before. With the water being so salty you did not really have to do a lot of swimming and floating was easy. To this day this is really one of his biggest highlights of any holiday. Me, being a novice swimmer, I didn’t have the courage to jump into the ocean; if my toes can’t touch the ground I get panicky!
View from the boat.Amalfi Coast from the water…The view from the top of Capri!Fraglioni rocks, off Capri
And maybe that is part of the allure of the Mediterranean for me. The gentle waves. And the swishing sound it makes. The sea along our coast is much different, with waves thundering down. I’ve never known what “gentle waves lapping the shore” meant until I experienced the Mediterranean. And the best part of that is that it gives someone like me that is a bit scared of the big, rough seas the opportunity to swim in the ocean. Oh, and how I love it. The water is so quiet and clear that even I feel comfortable splashing about; even swimming a bit… provided that my toes can touch the bottom! Some of the best times on our holidays have been when we were laying next to the sea, listening to the hypnotic sound of the waves. Very few things come close.
Laia Praia harbour and beach
La Praia Beach
Sunset on our last night in Praiano
But in talking about the first place where we’ve seen this beautiful blue ocean, my mind instinctively wanders to the place we last basked on her shores.
It was last year September (way too long ago, if you ask me!) and on the last day of our holiday on the Côte d’Azur we took the train to Menton. What drew us there were all the good things we read about its stunning beaches and with Menton also being just about the last stop on the French Riviera before you head into Italy it made me think that I might be able to have a pretty decent pizza while we were there! (It was uncanny to see road signs, showing Italy was just 10 miles away!)
The beautiful Menton beach
When we arrived at the train station we immediately set off for the beach. It was not hard to find; we just followed a group of locals who were carrying beach chairs and umbrellas! And when we got there, we knew that we picked the perfect place to end off our holiday. The water was warm, calm and clear; I could swim and for a moment I forgot that my toes needed to touch the bottom because for once there was a view that could compete with the beauty of the Mediterranean – Menton’s old city cascading down the hill.
The Mediterranean and the old town of Menton. Bliss.
Laying on the beach was surreal. Just closing my eyes, feeling the sun on my skin and listening to the ocean. Staring out in front of me into the big blue and when I turned my head sideways, this stunning old city (and hubby) to my right. It was a perfect day! For lunch we didn’t have to go far; there was an amazing restaurant close to where we were. Hubby had an amazing seafood platter; he says the best he has ever had and me? Well, I had my pizza!
Hubby enjoying the water!
Perfection!
Me, doing some r&r!
View from the restaurant in Menton.
According to Hubby: “The best seafood platter ever!”
I love pizza!
So if you crave a taste of the Mediterranean, I suggest you play this video on repeat, while preparing a bit of fish.
Cheers, until my feet touch your shores again!
Kingklip with sundried tomato marinade
(serves 4)
Ingredients:
4 kingklip fillets (or any firm fish that you can source locally)
Juice of half a lemon
60ml olive oil
3 tablespoons of sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 clove of garlic, crushed
4 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped finely
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees
Mix lemon juice, olive oil, sundried tomatoes, sugar, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper together
Pour over fish and marinade for 30 minutes
Transfer the fish to a baking tray and place in the oven for 15 minutes until the fish turns opaque and flakes easily when prodded with a fork
For me it is hard to say “Barcelona” and to not involuntarily think Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe and the 1992 summer Olympics. Barcelona is such an amazing city that its name genuinely deserves to reverberate when you say it!
We didn’t know what exactly to expect from the city, but all it took was the drive from the airport to our hotel to get us rearing to go! It was a long flight from South Africa, but not even that could stop us. An hour nap, a quick shower and we were out and about! For the next couple of days we maintained this pace – it is such a bustling city, with so much to see and do and the people never seem to sleep! Across from our hotel was a wonderful little restaurant which was constantly filled with locals and seemed to open just about all the time. I remember one evening we went to watch a Spanish guitar duo in this old church just off Portal de L’Angel and we got back to our hotel at about 11:00. Not feeling like going to bed yet, we decided to pop over to the restaurant for a drink, thinking that we’d probably have to be quick, before they closed. No ways – they were packed and people were just starting to order food! That’s definitely one of the reasons I enjoyed Barcelona so much – the people there eat so late! (Hubby and I are famous for eating late; whenever our parents visit I always feel so bad, but despite our best efforts, it seems we never manage to get food on the table at a respectable time!) That evening we drank sangrias and Spanish beer and had some fantastic tapas; white anchovies served in vinegar (I can’t find this anywhere in South Africa!), some fried calamari, gambas (prawns sauteed with some garlic), patatas bravas (diced potatoes with aioli and a spicy tomato sauce) and some toasted bread, rubbed with tomato (pan con tomate). A feast! Just the kind of snack food I love.
I found Barcelona to be a city of contrast. In a way I expected to see the Gaudi influence everywhere, and I was really surprised when everything wasn’t all strange angles and mosaics! However, when you do come across it, it is really mind-blowing. What an imagination he must have had to envision the famous La Pedrera chimneys! I loved it! Not far from there we were lured into a little side street restaurant by a waiter professing that their restaurant made the best mojito’s in Barcelona. We were not fooled but sat down in any case as site seeing is a tiring business and we could do with the rest! While the mojito was definitely not the best I’ve ever had, the meal certainly made up for it. We had a lovely starter with mussels and the main was simple, but so good – Spanish beef, cooked to perfection, served with chips. The flavour in the meat was fantastic and very different in taste to South African beef. Delicious.
The famous chimneys of La Pedrera
The green ‘mosaics’ is actually broken champagne bottles!
A wide angle view of the roof at La Pedrera
And don’t forget the beautiful Parc Guell, where you can really see Gaudi’s style with different shapes and structures and building materials. The mosaic work was spectacular. I loved the morning we spent there. Standing at the edge of the main terrace you have the most amazing view over the city, right to the blue Mediterranean.
What a view from Parc Guell
But see, that’s the contrast – when you are in the city, you can’t think that there is a beach close by and when you lie on the beach, how can you imagine that there is this massive city behind you when all you hear is the sounds of the waves gently breaking on the shore? It felt as if we were somehow cheating when we had a beach day; just lazing about in the sun. With so much on offer you feel like you should be out there, rushing to see everything at once, but now and then you just have to put your feet up and do nothing; to build up some strength for the next round… or lunch at the very least! And talking about lunch; what would a visit to Barcelona be without trying some of the world famous Spanish paella! Starving, we staggered from the beach to go and find the perfect paella. It was everything I imagined it would be… and more! Wonderful fresh seafood, great flavour to the stock, and the rice… oh, the rice. What a wonderful flavour and texture; a bit crusty at the bottom and served in a paella pan, just as it should be!
One of Barcelona’s stunning beaches
Time for some r&r
And as important it is to tick off the paella, you have to tick of Gaudi’s masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia. We went very early one morning and sunlight was streaming through the windows. It was quite surreal; it is something that I have seen on tv so many times before and to walk there with my own two feet was really special. Because we were so early it was nice and quiet and the only noise you could hear was the sound of a chisel on stone. I closed my eyes and imagined what it must have been like when the stone masons of old were chipping away at blocks, building the marvellous cathedrals of Europe. We went to top of one of the spires (worth the 10 minute wait to go up with the lifts) and the vistas across the city was breath-taking. Being so high up, seeing all the detail and the vision of all those who contributed to this magnificent structure up close was mind-blowing. I felt very fortunate to be able to see this 8th wonder of the world in the making – it was started in 1926 and the estimated completion date is only 2026. Wow.
Sagrada Familia
Sagrada Familia
The amazing roof
Capturing the morning light streaming in through the windows
Capturing the morning light streaming in through the windows
Capturing the morning light streaming in through the windows
Me, working hard capturing some amazing close-ups
Close-ups of the top of some of the shorter spires
Close-ups of the top of some of the shorter spires
After gawking at the incredible Sagrada Familia for a couple of hours, we worked up quite an appetite, but because there is so much to see and do, we decided to just grab a quick coffee and sandwich at a sidewalk café. On the menu was a “Bikini”; a toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich! No idea what inspired the name! But with a cup of coffee and my bikini in hand, we were good to go and as usual, we scoured the fresh produce markets around the city. However, this time it was the supermarket around the corner from where we stayed that impressed me most. Upon entering, it did not look all that big – until I found the escalator to the lower level. The downstairs area was entirely occupied with great fruit and veg and the most amazing array of seafood I have ever seen in any supermarket! I could not believe it! (And I’m sure the employees at the shop also thought it was unbelievable to see someone taking pictures inside a supermarket!)
Have you ever seen such a pretty egg stall!
Glorious Spanish meats!
Supermarket seafood!
Supermarket seafood!
Barcelona was an amazing place; both hubby and I commented about the feel of the city, the energy, the friendly people and the few things I’ve mentioned here are but a drop in the ocean of all it has on offer. Definitely worth many more posts!
But for now, I will leave you with the words of Freddie and Montserrat – Viva Barcelona!
Last year the holiday I have been dreaming about for so many years finally came to be. We hired a boat and went cruising down the Canal du Midi in the south of France. From there we went on to experience the picturesque Provence before finally ending our trip on the beautiful Côte d’Azur. It took careful planning… how to make the most of our limited time and to stay within budget!
One place that I really wanted to include in our schedule was Narbonne. Rick Stein briefly visited its fresh produce market (one of the largest in southern France), in Rick Stein’s French Odyssey (the tv show that was really the starting point of our aspirations to cruise the canals of southern France) and because it is not a big city it seemed like it would be a great stop to catch our breath before we embarked on our trip to Provence.
Apart from the market we didn’t know much about it, so I must be honest in saying that we had no real expectations; apart from buying some great produce at the market that we could make back in the self-catering apartment we rented!
We arrived by train and because we only stayed two nights we set off to explore the medieval center of town straightaway. I was immediately taken with how picturesque it was. I loved the streetlights in the streets surrounding our apartment and the buildings were so beautiful. The Canal de la Robine goes through the middle of town and each bridge that crosses the canal was covered in beautiful flower baskets. I just loved the feel of the Narbonne. It felt authentically French; it was without pretense, without masses of tourists and without trying to be anything that it was not.
We found our way to the tourist office, which was not far from the Pont des Marchands, or Merchant bridge, which basically is the foundation for a row of houses and shops. (It actually reminded me of a miniature version of the Ponte Vecchio.)
Armed with a map in hand, we were amazed at all that Narbonne had to offer. It might be a small city but it had so many hidden treasures. It is hard to pick just a few (and we definitely did not get to see all that we would have liked to) but here are our favourites:
Cathedrale de St-Just and St-Pasteur
Building on the cathedral started in 1272. If you climb the adjacent Donjon Gilles Aycelin you can really marvel at the architectural beauty.
The Roman Horreum
This was a fantastic experience and a must do if you visit Narbonne. It was a Roman underground warehouse and dates back to the end of the first century BC. It has been set up with a wonderful display of light and sound… goosebump stuff!
Musee Lapidaire
This is another must do. Inside the old church of Notre Dame de La Lamourguier about 1 300 blocks of stone from all kinds of Roman buildings are housed. We paid for our entrance tickets and when the door opened I literally gasped for air – the setting is that beautiful. (The lady selling the tickets was bursting with pride; the biggest smile on her face!)
For the culinary part of our visit we spent quality time in Les Halles de Narbonne. We arrived early morning and drank coffee with the locals at one of the coffee bars inside. And then we went on the hunt for what we came for… sardines! Rick Stein made sardines on the barbeque when he was there and although we would not have the luxury of that, we hoped to pick up a few that we could fry with some butter, garlic, lemon and parsley back in our little apartment. Oh, and we were not disappointed. Apart from all the wonderful seafood on offer, the market was brimming with everything your heart can desire. One can easily stay in Narbonne a month and would still not be able to eat your way through the market!
Our supper that night consisted out of a starter of fried sardines and a main of fresh pasta with clams, tomatoes and parsley, while we sipped wine from the region.
So Monday was a public holiday in South Africa and hubby and I had some gardening to do… more specifically, it was time to harvest our olives! After such hard labour we sat back with a glass of chilled dry rosé and barbequed a few sardines. Although this can hardly be called a recipe – because it really just relies on the wonderful flavour of the fish and the smokiness of the barbeque – here is our take on sardines on the barbeque. We enjoyed it with our fond memories of Narbonne.
Sardines on the barbeque
(serves 2)
Ingredients:
6 sardines, gutted and cleaned
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Handful of roughly chopped parsley
Coarse sea salt flakes
Method:
Light barbeque and wait for the coals to get hot
Rub the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with lemon juice and salt
Place the fish on the barbeque once the coals are really hot and grill for 6 minutes on each side
Remove from heat, sprinkle with parsley and lemon juice
Venice was nothing like I expected. Sure, we’ve seen it on tv many times before and we knew it was going to be absolutely stunning, but arriving at Santa Lucia station and walking out onto the Grand Canal rendered me completely immovable, with the exception of my jaw dropping to the floor and my eyes popping out my head. I was spellbound. And no matter how hard I try, my words will never be able to do justice to just how beautiful and mesmerizing Venice is.
Our first look down the Grand Canal
When I eventually came out of my daze, hubby and I went off to find the vaporetto (water bus) stop. It was a bit of a mission to find out which one to take and when it arrived it was packed. Hubby and I managed to squeeze in quite near to the front but we did not mind one bit as it gave us fantastic photographic opportunities. Off we went down the Grand Canal, gaping at the splendour of it all. We became aware of some commotion behind us at some stage; someone shouting really loudly, but nothing could take our attention away from the spectacle that is Venice. I felt like Angelina Jolie in the The Tourist (albeit a tired, hot and sweaty version… with a heavy suitcase…) but I could imagine myself getting…
Vaporetto’s are really packed
Getting shouted at is worth it!
My daydream was rudely interrupted by a tap on the shoulder; rather an elbow in the ribs to be more exact. The elbow belonged to an elderly lady, red in the face, shouting in my face “Attenzione! Attenzione! Attenzione!” She was clearly the source of the commotion that we’ve been ignoring, and we were actually the cause of it! She, being a local resident, was not at all impressed by two silly tourists blocking her exit from the water bus! She was shouting all kinds of, what I decided to take for Italian pleasantries (!) at us, while wiping the sweat of her brow. We tried to apologize in our best Italian and with one last infuriated look our way she took her leave! But we were not in the least bit offended. We were in Venice.
View down the Grand Canal from our vantage point on the vaporetto!More views from the vaporetto
We went to Venice because it is one of those bucket-list places. There is something about this city built on top of the water that is just magical. Its got a charm that is indescribable. And the feeling that you get from it will never escape you. Whenever anyone would ever utter the word “Venice” again, you will always yearn to go back to it.
An added bonus was the food we tasted there. The shops have the most beautiful way of displaying even the simplest things. We walked past a shop that sold dried pasta; complete with farfalle inspired by the Italian flag! And restaurants would advertise their seafood in a dazzling display (especially the touristy ones!). We were lucky to have found some really great little restaurants tucked away in small side streets as we did not stay so close to the tourist centre. On our first evening we had amazing seafood with pasta. What still amazes me about pasta in Italy is how simple they make it. Not smothered in all kinds of thick and creamy sauces like we are typically used to, but rather letting the ingredients shine and the pasta really just becomes a vehicle so mop up all the natural goodness and flavours of the star ingredients.
Look! Italian flag pasta!
Restaurants showing off
Fantastic first night supper
The next day, we decided to just walk the streets without a map. What an adventure. It was amazing and we came across little squares and cafés we would have otherwise probably missed. (We also discovered one or two dead ends!) Lunch was in some neighbourhood restaurant where no one spoke a word of English and menus were only available in Italian. It was filled with locals and I would have rather died than to take out my camera and take a photo! We managed to order fegato alla veneziana (calf’s liver and onions) for hubby and pizza for me. (Yes, not the quintessential Venetian dish, but I am a bit of a pizza addict and any pizza in Italy must be the real deal, right!) It was simply delicious. And we had to finish it off with tiramisu, of course! There is no photos to show for it, which probably will necessitate that we go back there again one day!
Not that you need any excuse to go back to Venice. I find it hard to describe the feeling I had when we were there. I have tried to give a little glimpse of it above and when I read it back it seems so inadequate. Maybe music can do it justice.
The Rialto bridge at night
This is part of the soundtrack from the movie, The Tourist. I think they have the music just spot on – every time I listen to it, it takes me back to that magical moment I first laid my eyes on the Grand Canal. Click here and listen to at least about 45 seconds in… To me that is the music my soul makes when I think of Venice. It is an incredibly special place and I am so grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to see it. I truly hope I can go back one day.
PS: And picking photos for this piece was agony! I wish I could post all 1 032 we took!
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