Travels – Page 7 – MakeCookGrow.com

Eating In Bali

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Bali produces a huge range of fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices and is a mecca for good food having attracted many established chefs from all over the world who have combined Balinese tastes with many other styles. This has resulted in options for all tastes and budgets spread widely across the island.

In Seminyak, on Jalan Kaya Aya you will find Chandi’s, offering modern Indonesian and Asian food with a blend of many other styles too. Chandis is where we head for our first meal, many during our stay and often our last as well.

They make the best margaritas. And the best double espressos.

Meat is imported from Australia and New Zealand.

Warm friendly staff and a lovely setting. (Menu online.)

Chandi is an old favourite, our new discovery is PEARL.

Read a review for Pearl and was attracted by the blend of traditional French cuisine mixed with Balinese flavours. It was a good choice. Well away from the road in Legian, this alfresco fine dining brasserie was green, cool and very pretty with sparkling fairy lights in the trees, but the real star was the food.

Head chef Jeremy Blanchet cleverly combines French techniques with local produce and the result was wonderful. Delicious food, beautifully presented.

Great cocktails, great food, lovely staff and a wonderful night. (Menu online)

I neither sought nor was paid for these reviews.

May 25th was Sun Screen Day, obviously intended to acknowledge the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere. Sunscreen, a cream or spray, is applied to the skin to protect it from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays and sunburn and can lessen your chance of developing skin cancers, or melanomas

According to the Cancer Council of Australia, two in every three Australians will be diagnosed with a skin cancer by the age of 70. They estimate in 2018 14,320 new cases of skin cancers will be diagnosed in Australia.

Until recently, Australia had the highest rate of deadly skin cancers in the world, but due to decades of public health campaigns, that claim has been ceded to New Zealand.

So, re-apply sunscreen regularly, wear a hat, stay out of the sun in the hottest times, particularly in Australia, New Zealand, North America and Canada.

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Where We Stay In Seminyak, Bali

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When I tell people we’re just back from a holiday in Bali the first comment people make is, “Lucky you” and the second is always, “Where did you stay?” About 1.4 million Australians travel to Bali every year and enjoy an enormous range of accommodation choices in many areas.

We keep returning to Kamuela Villas because they are close to the exciting chaos of Seminyak (wonderful restaurants, massages, lots of pampering, shops and cafes) but up a quiet street, calm and serene and very peaceful at night. The Manager and staff are so helpful and lovely!

The legendary Balinese hospitality begins when you’re collected from the airport in clean, cool 4WDs and transported to Kamuela reception, where you’ll enjoy a welcome drink before going to your villa.

Entrance to a one bedroom villa. These have less garden but each has a roof top terrace with great views and cool breezes. The villas are air conditioned except in the bathrooms which have fans.

Lush tropical gardens. Bali has world class restaurants and some days we have breakfast and one other meal and have a little picnic by the pool instead of a third, full spread. There’s a deli up the road with cheese, crackers, vegetables and fruit for in villa picnics.

The locked entrance gate means your villa is private and secure. The villas and pools are cleaned daily.

King sized beds with garden and pool views. All the rooms are light, airy and spacious with soaring ceilings and timber floors in the living areas and tiles in the bathrooms.

Order your breakfast and your preferred delivery time the night before and the lovely, smiling Balinese staff will arrive and set things out, ready for you to eat. We tried the English, French, American, Indonesian and Japanese breakfast choices and liked them all.

A variety of food can be ordered from the room menu ranging from snacks to three course meals.

The fruit in the front, left side, is a reptile fruit, with white flesh and a sweet, chewy texture.

We swim in the morning, in the afternoon and after dinner!

The tropics can be harsh on the buildings and a refurbishment program is planned.

Spacious bathrooms with showers and baths. Bottles of water provided….don’t drink the water in Bali!

Each two bedroom villa has a shared living space with sitting, dining and kitchen areas and two complete bedroom en suite units housed in three pavilions featuring these soaring ceilings. So beautiful.

Every time we stay we come home relaxed and blissed out, vowing to return as soon as possible. It is all so easy. Airfares are so low, Kamuela so accommodating and the staff so lovely. See it at www.kamuelavillas.com

Yesterday was Tiara Day, quite fitting following the Royal Wedding, but probably not very relevant for people in the suburbs with few commitments requiring a tiara. Apparently, Tiara Day is the same day as Queen Victoria’s birthday. I’m sure she had some gorgeous tiaras!

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5 Good Things To Do In Bali

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SWIM The balmy weather means you can swim during the day or night, at the beach or pool. Take two swimsuits as they can take a while to dry in the humidity and putting on a clammy, still damp swimsuit is a bit off putting!

2. EAT There’s a huge variety of cuisines available in Bali and the food is delicious. Experiment! I felt quite sad when a young boy staying where we were told me his family had hamburgers from a well known world-wide hamburger company delivered every night. Take the opportunity to talk to local people and ask them what’s popular or new.

3. ENJOY THE ARCHITECTURE The local style of architecture is so different from other countries and is ornate and beautiful. Craftsmen still carve and decorate wood and stone. Originally, strict rules dictated the order and arrangement of rooms in the houses but as properties have been divided due to inheritances, the size of land available has been diminished and the layout of rooms is less formalized.

Private home, set in lush gardens. So calm and peaceful and very beautiful.

A family temple. The Balinese are very spiritual and each family, larger family group and village has a temple.

4. BE PAMPERED So many opportunities for massages, facials, manicures and pedicures. So affordable compared to Australia.

I had an excellent facial from a male beautician. I’ve never had a male beautician before anywhere! No photos as I fell asleep almost immediately but my skin felt hydrated and soothed for days afterwards.

Reflexology is so relaxing. We went to a few places but my new favourite is Chill Reflexology in Seminyak. After a foot wash we were led into a cool, darkened room where we lay down, were given eye masks and ear phones and enjoyed the next hour listening not to dying whale music as I feared, but lovely soothing sounds. So restful, so relaxing.

Really good foot scrub and pedicure, too. Takes an hour with oils and creams massaged and rubbed on feet and legs, nails shaped, plenty of time between each application of polish. My local shop in suburban Perth follows a business model where they never say no to anyone who walks in, so even when I’ve made an appointment, the girl doing my nails might be flitting between three other people while I’m waiting and waiting and I’m there for so long.

Leaving Prina Spa, so pretty.

5. SHOPPING Most people like a memento of their holiday, especially when you have the time to shop without too many time constraints. I have always admired these roof “crowns” common on the peak of many Balinese buildings and was lucky enough to be taken by a friend to where they are made and was able to buy one.

Then I needed to buy a basket to carry it back to Australia!

Quickly discovered the drawstring basket was handy for carrying towels and books, too..

So many clothing, decorator, food, and souvenir shops everywhere and now, the ubiquitous tattoo shops! There’s antique furniture, rustic furniture and modern designs, clothing for everyone of every age, bags, shoes and masses of knick knacks!

A surprising discovery…a Catholic Church!

Did you watch the Royal wedding? Such a gorgeous dress, a lovely service and it looked like a beautiful day with the sun shining, but why did the bride’s mother seem to be alone?

Today is Quiche Lorraine Day, celebrating a shortcrust pastry filled with egg custard, cream, cheese, bacon or ham and sometimes added vegetables. Although we think of Quiche Lorraine as a French dish, it is actually thought to originate in Germany.

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Summer Fruit, Autumn Fruit, Fruit Jellies and Reading Materials

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The end of summer fruits, kiwi fruit and strawberries plus new season pears and apples.

Following a period of poor health I am trying to “repair” my gut and found lots of online references to gelatin. It is thought to improve the mucosal lining of the gut and stimulate the production of gastric juices aiding digestion. It is an easily digested protein.

There are so many recipes for fruit jellies, or gummy bears, online, but I wanted to use apples as I already had a bowl full. My resulting fruit jelly wasn’t such a pretty colour like those made from strawberries or mango, but it tasted very good.

I began by stewing four apples in very little water. When they were soft I drained them and pureed the pulp.

I put one and a half cups of pulp in a jug and stirred through two dessertspoons of gelatin dissolved in half a cup of water. Next time I will put the fruit through a sieve to make a smoother jelly, but I quite liked the chewiness of this lumpier jelly.

I poured the mix into a lightly oiled glass dish and left it to set in the fridge for a few hours before cutting it and tasting it. Intense apple flavour and very nice. Some online recipes include faux sugars which would certainly make it more like traditional gummy fruits but I didn’t add this and we still enjoyed the taste.

Lots of examples online show the jellies made in silicone moulds shaped like bears, hearts and even Lego figures which are also available online and in kitchenware shops.

I will make this again trying other winter fruits which are now appearing in the fruit shops. A thinner version, using less gelatin, would be like normal jelly/jello but the whole point is to digest the gelatin so I’ll stick with these proportions of fruit to gelatin.

We’re going away soon and have begun collecting books to read while we are on holidays. Our collections often overlap and we swap, but I don’t think that will happen this time. I also like to take some decorator magazines.

The last of the hydrangeas. I cut and potted lots of “sticks” when I was pruning to create new plants in spring.

The last of the roses. The bushes are getting “leggy” and will be pruned soon.

Today, the fourth of May, is Star Wars Day, so sit back and watch your favourite Star Wars DVD with your light saber close by and may the fourth ( ha ha) be with you!

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Aravina Estate, Meelup Beach and Easter

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ARAVINA ESTATE

We enjoyed day trips while we were at Bunker Bay. Aravina Estate was recommended to me by a friend because she thought I’d like the garden.

I loved the garden! Set amongst bush land, vines, a lake and attractive buildings, the garden is gorgeous, even at the end of summer.

Also a small collection of cars and motoring memorabilia. To get to the cars and surfing exhibition, we passed through their shop, featuring gorgeous homewares, beautifully presented in a lovely space.

A very nostalgic wander around the Surfing Museum. This region is recognized world wide for its surf and beach lifestyle and is close to where I grew up. My husband found a picture of a surfer girl he said he knew in 1963!

Coffee out on the veranda. Tempting lunch menu but too soon after breakfast, so settled for coffee and the view of the lake and gardens. The wine we tasted was very good, too, and the staff were very helpful.

Finally, wandered back to the car park through the lush green garden. So glad we went there and will return.

MEELUP

Meelup Beach is a small, peaceful and protected bay and very popular for swimming, even early in the morning.

A group of artists sketching at the beach.

EASTER TREATS

Louis doesn’t eat chocolate but was very keen on eating his Easter Bunny.

This pretty wrapper for a block of chocolate is a gift from the very talented Mimi, from her blog A Tray of Bliss. This is one of four wrappers she has offered as downloads.

In a year when St Valentine’s Day ( I’m thinking chocolate ) and Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent ( a time to give a treats) fell on the same day, so too Easter Sunday and April Fool’s Day share the same date this year.

April Fool’s Day is commemorated by playing tricks on people, who are then the April Fools! There’s many conflicting theories about the origin of April Fools Day, but most agree the pranks should end at noon. The most widely accepted theory is it began in the 1500s when the Gregorian calendar replaced the Julian calendar, but some people forgot or didn’t know, so they celebrated the New Year at the beginning of April.

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Bunbury Regional Art Gallery PAINTING THE TOWN

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PAINTING THE TOWN

Bunbury Townscapes from the City of Bunbury Art Collection.

These artists’ impressions are an important representation of the development of Bunbury during the last 100 years.

All these paintings are watercolours except Ron Appleton’s St Mark’s Church, Picton, which is done in acrylics.

Frank (Charles) Norton 1916-1983

BUNBURY 25th FEBRUARY 1973

Bunbury is a regional city about two hours drive south of the capital city of Western Australia, Perth. I grew up in this region. On the way back from our break at Bunker Bay we visited the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery.

Ron Appleton (1908-1999)

ST MARK’S CHURCH, PICTON, 1968

Like many regional councils, in the 1940s, BRAG benefited from a collection of art works donated by WA philanthropist, Sir Claude Hotchin. More recently, twenty two works of art were donated by Alcoa of Australia.

Sam Wheeler (1875-1939)

BUNBURY HARBOUR, MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28th, 1903

The Gallery is housed in the old Convent of the Sisters of Mercy, a beautiful building in the centre of the city. The building still has traces of its former incarnation with a nun’s cell on display and the Chapel Gallery.

Leith Angelo (1904-2000)

UNTITLED

BRAGs has a collection of over 300 botanical water colours by Bunbury artist Rosetta Kelly (1916 – 1940). This is a significant record of the wildflowers of the south-west of the State. These art works are slowly being restored and exhibited.

Ivor Hunt(1903-1971)

THE SCHOONER

Today, Good Friday, marks the beginning of Easter for Christians. It commemorates the crucifixion of Christ and many people attend church services and traditionally eat fish. We also eat hot cross buns, the crosses reminding us of how Christ died.

Easter Sunday celebrates His resurrection and ascension into Heaven. We eat eggs to signify new life and more hot cross buns. My husband would like hot cross buns every day of the year. Lots of families spend Easter Sunday together.

Easter Monday is a holiday in Australia, a time for resting and reflecting and this year, enjoying the last of summer, although it is autumn, but still hot.

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Pullman Bunker Bay Resort Break

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We’ve just spent four days at the Pullman Bunker Bay Resort. Checking in was easy and pleasant. The resort is at Bunker Bay, on a beautiful stretch of white beach. Dunsborough is the nearest town. Busselton, Yallingup, Cowaramup, Gracetown and Margaret River are all quite close.

The en suite was spacious and looked out onto a little courtyard..

We had a studio villa. It was a good size with everything we wanted, including a kitchen area

Outside the door near the kitchen was the tiniest, secluded seating area. Surprisingly, there’s no Nespresso machine or similar in the villa.

Quiet and calm with lots of nice views around the resort.

Walkway to the beach.

The resort is bordered by the Cape Naturaliste National Park and other bush land. I couldn’t really enjoy walking at night as it is very dark and there is poor lighting around the resort and but no light pollution, either, so lots of stars in an inky sky.

Gorgeous dell en route to the beach.

The beach. White, clean, private and beautiful.

My haul of things to read plus a passion fruit. They are delicious at the moment.

Sand dunes at Bunker Bay Beach.

The accommodation, the staff and the position of the resort were so lovely, as was the breakfast. I really enjoyed the poached eggs, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and smoked salmon with capers and lemon. My husband also liked the “make your own” muesli. We had villa catering (room service), dinner from the bar menu and dinner at the restaurant and couldn’t recommend any of them. Best to either go to one of the many restaurants in other towns or prepare your own dinner using ingredients from one of the plentiful sources nearby.

Today is St Patrick’s Day. My parents married on this day 68 years ago. We ate a green iced cake to celebrate.

Yesterday was World Sleep Day, intended to be a celebration of sleep but also focusing on how to get more sleep and emphasizing how good sleep is important for well being.

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Cottesloe Beach and Sculptures By the Sea

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To Cottesloe Beach to view Sculptures by the Sea and to get my regular dose of vitamin sea! This is the 14th annual Sculptures by the Sea on the iconic Cottesloe Beach, featuring the works of 73 artists from all over the world including Denmark, Slovenia, England, Japan, Thailand, Singapore , Chile, India, Spain, America, Indonesia, Iran, China and, of course, Australia.

Here you can see such a range of themes and media, from a crocheted cat, a dog walker surrounded by dogs, a tent made from recycled toys, an enormous eggplant (aubergine), a skin diver appearing out of the sand and so much more.

The beach is stunning with over a kilometre of clean white sand, views of Rottnest Island in the distance and ships heading out of Fremantle Port and cool grassed areas shaded by Norfolk Pines. There’s plenty of food across the road including icecreams, fish and chips, coffee and cake and cafes and restaurants. The icecreams were particularly attractive as it was 36 degrees C (97 degrees F) the day we went.

The beach is such a good place to view these sculptures. You don’t need to get dressed up, it costs nothing, you can get very close to the artworks and touch them, it’s easy to get there and park and when you’re hot from wandering around, you can have a swim in clear, clean waters.

Luckily, the Fremantle Doctor, the sea breeze which occurs during summer, had arrived by the time we went to the beach. The breeze is called the Fremantle Doctor because of the relief it brings on hot summer days, blowing in from the Indian Ocean.

Sit on the grass and enjoy the artworks and the view and the constant parade of people.

It’s hot in Australia, although we are into Autumn, so everyone is encouraged to use sunscreen. Supplies are placed regularly along the beach.

Sculptures on the grass, the beach and the groyne, and one up a tree.

The white, yellow and red structure on stilts isn’t a sculpture, it’s the Surf Lifesaving lookout.

This clever “cubby’ is made of a thousand recycled toys and welcomes children to enter and relax with more toys and soft rugs. The perfect child’s hideaway.

Yesterday was International Woman’s Day, commemorating the movement for women’s rights as well as being the catalyst for change.

Just for some contrast, today is Barbie Day, marking the doll’s debut at The American International Toy Fair in New York, in 1957.

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Gypsies, Food Planning, French Decor and Finding Your Feet

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READING

Local Libraries are a rich source of recently published books, including Mandy Sayer’s, “Australian Gypsies Their Secret History”, which traces the arrival of the first Gypsies in Australia as convicts on the First Fleet, including James Squire, the brewer, whose company still exists today.

Her meticulous research across Australia reveals the origins of Gypsies and their history in Australia. Interestingly, Sayer’s research highlights their ability to adapt to the host culture while still maintaining their own traditions and mores.

Sayer traveled extensively and records the movements of many families and changes to lifestyle as they leave their nomadic lives and settle. Traditionally, the Gypsies preferred to work for themselves and still prefer to work within their family or social groups.

An easy to read, well researched and informative book.

PLANNING

After reading so many blogs about meal planning written by very well organised and inspirational people, I printed off a grid, made a plan and went shopping. Unfortunately, I forgot we were going to the cinema the very first evening of the plan, so not a great start. Will keep trying.

DECORATING

Also another book from the library, written by Australian Jane Webster, who has written two other books about her family moving seasonally to France where she hosts cooking and shopping events for paying guests. Beautiful photos and inspiring story focusing on the renovation and decoration of their chateau in Normandy.

The cover is gorgeous, but hard to read the title, ditto chapter headings. The photos accompanying each chapter are very chic, French and beautiful.

WATCHING

Went to the cinema to see Finding Your Feet. Full of humour and human frailty and some sadness; this is a very entertaining film. Funny with a great cast. Some wonderful photographic shots of London, too.

Today is Dog Biscuit Day! Dogs will be pleased, just like every other day when they’re given a biscuit.

Dog biscuits were developed in the mid-19th century by an American, James Spatt. He’d been visiting Liverpool, in the UK and saw street dogs hungrily sniffing out and eating dropped ships’ biscuits.

Made in London, his recipe included both meat and vegetables. Useful for training, these little treats now come in a wide range of flavours and sizes and remain very popular.

Louis, our dog, has trained me well. He often stops in front of the cupboard where his biscuits are kept, looks meaningfully at the cupboard door and then at me and back at the door, and yes, often I give him a biscuit.

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So Singapore

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A fish fillet arranged on a sliced, roasted potato. Pretty, delicious. Like so many modern Asian cities, it is very easy to eat well in Singapore, from Hawker stalls to five star restaurants. This one had a view over Marina Bay, now the financial centre of Singapore. In the 19th century it was where the British and Chinese settlers established their businesses.

Singapore is a thriving, bustling city. If you’ve already done the night zoo, the bird park, breakfast with the animals, Gardens by the Bay and Sentosa, there’s many gardens to visit, art galleries and museums, historical buildings and breathtaking new ones, plus masses of shopping opportunities and, of course, eating! We like the bum boat trip from Clarke Quay because you really can see how things have evolved in older areas.

The buildings go up, up, up.

Restored shop houses.

It’s hot and humid in Singapore. Cooling down treats.

Loved the parquetry in our hotel and the room full of balloons. It was my birthday!

My husband ate his own weight in satay sticks at Lau Pa Sat Festival Pavilion across the road from our hotel.

Corridor, old Supreme Court, now the National Gallery.

This is the new National Gallery of Singapore, opened in 2015. It houses the largest collection of South East Asian art, consisting of over 8 000 artworks. The building is fabulous. There is a modern, central section amalgamating the original Supreme Court and the Town Hall. Clever, interesting and eye catching, the gallery offers guided tours of the building, featuring the history, the public selection of the French architect who designed the connection of the two buildings and many other points of interest. Allow two hours plus time to look at each gallery.

From the roof terrace of the gallery showing the very old, St Andrew’s Cathedral, and the new towers of Singapore.

Abalone, prawn and fish balls on spicy noodles, served with a bowl of clear soup.

A Paris moment in Singapore: coffee and passionfruit macaroons.

I was scared stiff by the prices here, too.

Some interesting furniture in our hotel. Quite funny watching people sit on the settee. Mainly appealed to children.

Amazing carpaccio of Hokkaido Sea Scallops, tarama (fish roe), chive oil and grated yuzu ( a tart citrus).

This tiramisu had banana bread, creme de cacao, mascarpone and cocoa nibs, plus fresh raspberries on top.

Hotel flowers. Very beautiful.

These babushka dolls in our hotel room represent the major ethnic groups in Singapore. Purple represents Indian, 9.1%, the green represent Malay, 13.3% and red represents Chinese, 74.2%.

Street art explaining Singapore’s history.

To the roof top bar for grapefruit martinis, well, because we’d never had them before!

I had dim sum for breakfast every day and this night, dim sum for dinner, too. Freshly made and steamed, it is irresistible! Food hall cuisine.

Tomorrow is World Petroleum Day. Petroleum is not just used in our cars, but is also the key ingredient in plastics, detergents, rubber, fertilizers, pesticides, paint, photographic processes, make-up, candles and many medicines. The supply of petroleum is finite, so Petroleum Day gives us the opportunity to consider alternatives.

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