Mousaka in all its glory

So after a cultural day of sightseeing and analysing ancient Greek lifestyles, I set off to find a place to eat. Nafplio, was well equipped for this with many restaurants on offer. I was so looking forward to eat a mini feast and indulge in a lot of "traditional" foods. I wanted to be transported to epicurean heaven. I found a place near the water's edge and ordered a few too many dishes and consumed them with hungry abandon! As usual, lots of bread arrived to accompany my choices. The menus were in Greek, English and German. I was really hanging out for mousaka. Even though the weather dial was slightly above average, I wanted to try this and see how its represented in modern day Greece. Mmmmm...perfect. Creamy bechamel sauce on top, covering a layer of fried eggplant, zucchini and potatoes. And let's not forget the mince meat with its slight aroma of cinammon.


Fried banana chillies

The dishes come out in no particular order. I was happy to pick a little here and there. The banana chillies were fried to a delightful crispness. Not too soggy and went well with the bread. I adore banana chillies! They are sweet and not spicy hot at all.


"Skordalia"...aka garlic mashed potato dip

The skordalia was next. This dish is usually served with fried "bacalao" or dried cod fish. Or sometimes its served with boiled wild greens. It's a blend of garlic cloves, mashed potatoes, sometimes bread and olive oil. I smothered mine hungrily on the bread. There are a few variations on this dish and each region tends to add or omit certain things.


Marinated octopus

Marinated octopus is another favourite. It lived up to all its expectations. "Htapodi Xidato" (try saying that a few times) as its known, is featured heavily in many seaside restaurants. Freshly caught octopus is tenderised and left out to dry. It is then boiled and left to "cook" in a mixture of olive oil, vinegar and oregano. It's during this process that it becomes soft, moist and oh so tender. Usually served in a tapas style serve or "meze" with pre dinner drinks. Dipping of the bread in the juices is compulsory!


Fried eggplant slices


"Yemista" or stuffed tomatoes and peppers

Let's not forget the vegetables. They play a huge part in the Mediterranean diet. And the Greeks have their own unique way of cooking and serving them. I mean how simple are fried eggplant slices. I've often ranted on about how the simple things are often the best ones to cook and the most tasty. And these were no exception. Simply slice your eggplant and salt it to remove the bitterness. Dip into some flour and fry in olive oil. The exterior has a nice crispness to it and the insides are warm and soft. I also couldn't go by the "yemista". I've also had them here, if you've dared to read that far back! Basically translated as stuffed vegetables, the "yemista" are also featured on a lot of traditional eateries' menus. Mince meat and rice are stuffed into hollowed out tomatoes and peppers, with a mixture of dill and parsley. They are then baked in the oven with olive oil and sometimes potatoes. Again, the accompanying juices are fantastic to dip bread in.


Grilled sardines

And last but not least I ordered a bit of seafood. Our waiter kindly explained that they had a great morning catch and the chef would prepare them for us, simply grilled. I was a bit hesitant when he mentioned sardines. All those childhood memories of icky canned sardines came rushing back! But this was a whole different kettle of fish, so to speak. The sardines were simply grilled and then doused with extra virgin olive oil and lots of lemon juice. They were not "fishy" at all. They were tender and soft and the flavours blended well. And they were definetly fresh. A great end to a very satisfying meal. I had indulged in so many foods that were so satisfying I couldn't move! It wasn't expensive either. All of the above, plus a few beers and water came to 50 Euro. (I can only imagine the peak summer prices though). All in all, a fantastic intro to greek foods and eating.

Kali orexi! (bon apettite!)

Pete

Tags:Greece

Summer colours

Continuing in my (delayed...sorry!) Greece series of recent adventures, I made my way to the port city of Nafplio. What a delightful change from the hustle and bustle of Athens. It was October and the weather was hovering around the mid 20's mark. It was so "summery" and I could just imagine how busy this place would be in the bustling summer months. It serves tourists very well and there are a lot of ancient areas nearby that can easily be explored. Nafplio is located on the Argolic Coast, Northeast in the Peloponnese, one and a half hours south of Athens. The "older" part of the city, is situated on top of a peninsula, which faces the gulf.



The old part of the city

As with most parts of Greece, there is a lot of history here. Both ancient and modern. The city once served as the capital of Greece and was once considered to be part of the Ottoman Empire stronghold. There is a famous castle/fortress that overlooks this beautiful city, where many prisoners of the Greek war of independence were held. As I made my way up the castle I could see the emerging areas of the gulf and the whole city below me. Just amazing! I also had a chance to wander the many small streets, where rooms are offered for rent to tourists and restaurants prepare for the days trading.


Seaside architecture


Shutter windows and balconies of the many apartments


Cute streets with plenty of dining options

I also relished at the opportunity to visit the ancient city of "Epidavros" or Epidauras, located about a half hour's drive away. More history surrounds this area and I am constantly amazed at how much history there actually is in Greece and the attempts to preserve it, by the government. The famous landmark here at Epidavros is the amphitheatre. Used as a source of entertainment in old times, concerts are still performed here in the summertime. The thing that stands out here are the acoustics. It's been said and also documented through various modern trials that you can hear the strike of a match all the way up at the top of the theatre' seats. It was also good to read while I was here, that this area of Epidavros had been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is also lots of restoration work going on as a means of maintaining the local history.


The ancient amphitheatre of Epidavros

Tags:Greece

The eerie setting of The Acropolis...look at those clouds!

It has been used as a temple, a fortress, a citadel and a place to house virgins. It currently lends itself as one of the new 7 ancient wonders of the world and has thousands of tourists adorning its once sacred grounds. Welcome to The Acropolis. Smack, bang right n the centre of Athens. I was in absolute awe as I walked up the many steps, making my way to photograph a place that truly symbolises Greece. If you ignore the restoration scaffolding you can almost feel the Ancient Greeks beside you, happy that you are viewing their architectural phenomenon. Literally meaning "on the edge of the city", the Acropolis houses a number of temples and the famous Parthenon. It has seen numerous wars, starting from the 5th Century B.C right up until the mid 1600's during the Ottoman conquest.

It looked like it was going to rain that day but it never did. Instead the clouds provided a stunning backdrop, creating an almost eerie feeling and added a sense of "ancient atmosphere". I hope you enjoy this visual display.


The Parthenon. Viewed from the back...it almost looks like it is on fire.


Side view of one of the many temples.


And another...


Ancient Greek architecture


Looking out to the sea side part of Athens

I walked away humble and very quiet. No matter what I thought of Athens, this place up here, that once guarded the ancient city, had left me speechless. So may times we "tick the box" with tourist attractions when we visit a country. I'm guilty of that I admit. But today was different for me. It's hard to explain. Greece has so much history and because of my Greek heritage, I felt a "connection" up there, on top of the Acropolis. I was proud and amazed at the same time. A truly unforgettable experience.
Pete

Tags:Greece

The city of Athens...viewed from one side of the Acropolis

Finally after nearly four weeks of holidays I have returned back to Australia. And I'm tired, both physically and emotionally. I had returned back to my parents' homeland after an absence of nearly 30 years. I took about one thousand photos and I have tried to cull this down to give you a good indication of what I got up to when I was away. Of course I also want to show off my photography skills!!! So, enjoy the view and have a laugh at my adventures.

My first stop in Greece was Athens. It had taken me nearly 40 hours to get here. I discovered a city filled with cars, smog, scooters and humidity. The traffic was noisy and my cab driver abused everyone as we zoomed through automobile mayhem. It was only 3 pm and this city was pumping. It was a lot to take in and as an experienced traveller I could feel the onset of culture shock. People often laugh as I explain this. It doesn't matter how worldly you are, it can still happen. I had a lot of nervous excitement about this journey and it had been building up for a while.

After a decent rest I managed to get a few good days here in Athens. It's an an interesting city. Its over populated and very crowded in my opinion. It's best described as organised chaos. Its comparable to some other European cities as in life is very fast paced here. No matter which way I say this it will come across as nasty but I can assure you its not. It's a jungle. You have to be tough here or you will get chewed up and spat out. Before I say anything nice, I have to warn anyone who is planning a holiday there. BE CAREFUL OF THE TAXI DRIVERS!!!!! They will attempt to rip you off at every opportunity. ( That's if they take you as a passenger in the first place...lol.). I had three incidents with these scum and I was lucky that I spoke the language. Always ask for a printed electronic receipt and never allow the cab driver to force you to share a taxi with a stranger (this happens a lot!).

Besides nasty cab drivers the shopping here is quite good. Some local brands compete with the usual clothing suspects. Eating is also good and you can eat cheap and tasty souvlaki for about 8 euro in a "cheap eat" style restaurant. (I'll save the food pics for a few posts time). The thing that amazes me about Athens is how the Ancient ruins stand side by side with modern urban existence. I mean people have houses right under the Acropolis!!!


Another view of Athens...with ruins of course!

I quite liked "Monastiraki" and "Glyfada". These areas have great food and entertaining options and are very tourist friendly without being overly cheesy i.e. no "Zorba" music playing in the background. The "Plaka" area and "Syntagma" are also fantastic to visit. The Plaka has pricey cafes and bric a brac shops selling all sorts of Greek goodies, from wine to cheesecloths. It's located right under the Acropolis so it attracts many visitors, especially in the evenings. "Syntagma" is a central square where Greek Parliament resides. Here you'll find some great shops also. There are also many hotels in this area of Athens.


Crossroad at Syntagma

One fascinating feature of Greek Parliament (politics is lived and breathed in Greece and is almost religious) is the giant marble plaque that stands as a tribute to the "unknown soldier". This plaque is representative of all soldiers who have died in war. It's also guarded by two soldiers wearing traditional Greek headress. They stand silently guarding the plaque and Parliamentt House staring into the distance. They do this for 6 hours straight and every 15 mins change over sides. It's a big process with great pomp and ceremony and lots of saluting. Naturally there are people clicking away furiously (yours included in this).


Greek Parliament House aka "Syntagma"




Soldiers in traditional dress guarding Parliament House..standing silently


The changing of the guard

Tomorrow: The Acropolis

Tags:Greece

The Acropolis...a sight to behold

Why hello! Its been a while. Yours truly has been holidaying in Greece and lapping up every minute of it. I've mainly been visiting friends and relatives in the Peloponnese and checking out a lot of ancient ruins. There are many food adventures to re tell and lots of photographs of my quick visit. Today I provide a sample, but look out over the next few days as I provide a more detailed description of my holiday.


The stunning coast of the Mediterranean...viewed from the port city of Napflio

Tags:Greece

Smiling faces everywhere

All this travelling has left me no time to post. I'm behind about 6 entries but I'll get there. I recently had 12 hours transisting in Narita which is Tokyo's airport hub. Not much time to venture into Tokyo itself (I was so bloody tired!) but enough time to take a few snaps and indulge in some food of course!! These lovely ladies posed for me as I wandered the narrow streets of Narita. (It's an interesting place, sort of a "waiting room" for travellers who are waiting for connections on to other destinations). Anyway, these lovely, friendly ladies had just been to the temple and were returning home and through broken Japanese and English we worked out which way I should head to grab a meal.


Narrow, winding streets

I navigated the streets snapping away like a madman! Here are some shots.


The Golden Arches are everywhere!



Vending machines. These sell everything...


Cute little houses

I came across this restaurant and it was open.


Hello!...Anyone home?

I was promptly greeted and showed a menu. Thank god it had an English version on one side. On previous visits here, I have always eaten well. There is a mythconception, about Japan and how "expensive" it is. The yen and the dollar are quite comparable now, so prices are quite cheap. Also, if you think like a local, you can eat like one too. I ordered a set meal and for under 10 Aussie bucks this is what I got.



Mmmmm...feast on this

On my walk back I discovered heaps of other places all selling a variety of food for less than 10 Aussie dollars. Lets break my meal down:



Japanese fried rice with pork and egg


Iceberg salad with tomatoes and corn smothered with 1000 island dressing


Sweet corn and chicken soup


Japanese Gyoza

Of course you will hear me say how delicious and filling it was. And it was. I also had 2 deep fried and breaded cutlets delivered (I forgot to photograph them!). Next time I hope to get into Tokyo itself and take some pics and munch on a variety of other foods.
Enjoy folks.
Pete

Tags:destinations Asia

Continuing on from yesterday, I wanted to make this post about the food in Singapore. While there are numerous establishments serving everything from local to "mod" interpretations (you know those places...everything has some kind of "foam" in the dish) I'm going to let you in on where I eat when I'm staying in Singapore.

Singapore truly has a huge selection of eateries. Too many. (Not that that's a bad thing of course...we love food choices here...trust me!). There are Italian restaurants, American steak houses, Japanese sushi houses and even a themed restaurant serving food in a hospital environment, complete with wheelchairs as seats!!! (cue creepy music...). Walk down to Serangoon Rd and you find yourself transported to India. Otherwise known as "little India" to the locals. The smell of cardamon and turmeric permeate the atmosphere. Chicken Biryani and vindaloos compete for space with Indian sweets made from chick pea flour. Its mind blowing and paradoxically numbing at the same time.

Due to the huge Malaysian influence of the region there are also a lot of places serving "halal" food. Restaurants clearly state this on their windows and display this on their menus. Interestingly, the Malaysian influence is also found in "nonya" cuisine. Nonya is the word used to refer to the women of the Malacca region who married the Chinese men who were sent on trading missions in the 1400's. A cultural and of course, culinary union was formed with the signature dish being laksa. And who doesn't love laksa. Rich broth swimming in coconut milk, garnished with seafood, fried tofu and a squeeze of lime. Lets not forget the soft, roti breads, the fierce spicy chilli pastes, and the aromatic pungent curries flavoured with ginger and turmeric. And who could forget the satays? I can go on forever and as you can see I have eaten well over the years here!

And finally lets not forget the Chinese food. Lots of regions are represented from China, namely from the Hainan region. Order Hainanese Chicken rice and you will experience comfort food like no other. Moist, succulent chicken cooked in a broth of ginger and spring onions and lightly bathed in sesame oil. Presented with rice cooked in the same broth, this dish has the ability to soothe the soul. And we love "soul" foods on this website! Spring rolls, deep fried carrot "cake", flat noodles, thin noodles and fish balls. Again, the list is endless.

My recent eating adventure included me indulging in my favourite eating place. Maggies. A non descript restaurant located near the Raffles complex, Maggies does have a huge expat following but people usually go back because of the consistency. Fantastic food, good service and big cold beers offering relief from the stifling heat and humidity.


Beer...a favourite with Chinese food

I order the Chicken with black pepper sauce.The chicken is cooked with cracked black peppercorns and peppers. It has a hint of spice but with out it being over the top. The flavour is addictive. I keep on wanting more but I remember I have greedily ordered about another 5 items!


Chicken with black pepper sauce

The squid arrives next. This is reffered to as "butter squid" on the menu. Crunchy batter surrounds squid pieces cooked to buttery perfection. It truly is a cholesterol counters nightmare and you can't stop at one. Spicy chilli sauce and rich, creamy mayonaise accompany the dish.


Butter squid



Mayo and chilli

And finally to be really good I order some vegies. Gai lan stir fried with oyster sauce and garnished with fried eschallots. Its a fantastic balance of bitter and sweet flavours. You really cant go wrong and the menu is extensive with a few adventurous choices on offer.


Stir fried Gai Lan

So there you have it in a nutshell. A quick guide to food in Singapore. Well, my experience of it. Look out for more write ups on my culinary adventures in Singapore.

Pete

Tags:destinations Asia

Singapore Skyline

A lot has been said about Singapore over the years. While many view it as a "stopover" on their way to Europe there is a whole lot more to this city/state than meets the eye. I have been a regular visitor here on and off for 15 years, namely for work. Initially I hated the place. I found there were too many rules for my rebellious nature. There were fines for everything. Trust me, I was petrified the first time I visited. Especially about the "no chewing gum" law! Anyway, as time passed and I visited again and again, I saw the city and culture from a different perspective. I'm going to offer you my perspective on the place, namely through pictures ( I love my new Nikon DSLR!!!). Of course we will not forget the food!!!! This place definetly has it going on in the food stakes. With a huge Indian, Malaysian and Chinese mix the food is diverse and different. Of course you will find the usual suspects of American fast food chains and coffee houses here. (These places are popping up everywhere).

Singapore runs on efficiency. From the moment you are transported form the award winning Changi airport onto the island, you will notice perfectly manicured gardens and clean, neat parks. Much of this is reclaimed land and there is always some piece of land being reclaimed. The streets are very clean, giving you the impression that they are mopped down and hosed every night!!! Speed limits are adhered to by cautious drivers and shopping centres or "malls" as they are reffered to are everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Even underground. You can't miss them and Singaporeans love to shop with excessive abandon. Sundays are the busiest days for shopping, so you have been warned.

Singapore boasts an impressive modern CBD with a lot of multinational companies using it as their base in Asia. (Skyscrapers dominate the skyline and it is one impresive skyline!). Hence, there is a huge expatriate community living there from all corners of the globe. It just adds to the diversity. Lets not also forget that Singapore has strong colonial ties from its past and this is evident in a lot of the buildings in the "older" parts of the city. The Raffles hotel is a good example of this but unfortunately the price tag to stay there is not "old". Here you can immerse yourself in old world charm while sipping Singapore Slings while your wallet receives a good sling! Just a little tip. I often go and have breakfast/brunch at the Raffles hotel at the Ah Teng Bakery. They make the most amazing sandwiches for about $10. Take your sandwich into the Raffles courtyard and enjoy it there, while soaking up the old world charm. But I digress. There is simply just too much to say about Singapore. Here are some photos I snapped while I was there recently.


Impressive night scenes


Towering skyscrapers



Famous Singapore landmark
The Fullerton Hotel


Fullerton Hotel with CBD in background


Looking up on the buildings of the CBD

Hope you liked my quick insight and pics of a place I have nearly labelled as my second home. Tomorrow, lets get back to basics. The food.

Pete

Tags:destinations Asia

Who doesn't love Thai food? No other cuisine, in my opinion, marries all the opposite ends of the food spectrum and makes it taste so good!!! There's the sweet and we're talking dark rich palm sugar. The sour. Think of juicy limes. The salty. Pungent Thai Fish sauce. And the spicy. Big long green and red chillies.


I have been visiting Bangkok (with work) on and off for about 12 years. I was there recently again and decided to spend the 39 deg C day out and about photographing the various street food hawkers. The Thais have got it happening allright. You will find an array of food all cooked and available on the street. Juicy corn on the cob. Green mangoes being prepared for a spicy salad. Deep fried bananas with sesame seeds. Thai pancakes. The list is endless. I was so lucky because it was mango season and there was mango sticky rice available everywhere. Gently steamed rice bathed in sugar syrup, topped with freshly cut mango and drizzled with coconut cream. Heaven!!!




When I'm there I always head back to my favourite restaurant to indulge in my food fantasies. It's a serious fix for me. ( I tend to be quite snobby and not eat Thai food in Australia. It just doesn't taste the same). I had fish cakes. Soft, spongy and hot. "Morning Glory" otherwise known as Kale. Stir fired with garlic and green hot chillies. And the Thai staple snack Chicken Fried Rice. All dressed with "Prik nam Plah" or fish sauce with chillies. I was content. Nothing could make me sad now. You can follow the photographic journey by clicking on MY FLICKR PHOTOS. It's located in the navigation bar for my website, on the top left hand side. Till next time.
Pete

Tags:destinations Thailand

This is what greeted me the moment we arrived in Heidelberg. Rich, moist succulent cakes and dainty sweets and chocolates. Move over Willy Wonka!! A sugar fix was needed and they were perfect for that craving. Those big white 'cricket balls" you see in the window display are actually long strips of biscuit pastry that are formed into a ball and deep fried. They are then dipped or rolled into a variety of chocolates and covered in nuts or coconut. Some are even filled with a hazelnut nougat. There are Cointreau flavoured ones, marzipan ones, custard ones but no low fat ones!!!...but I digress readers.

An hour south of Frankfurt (well it's supposed to be an hour but after travelling on the autobahn at 180 kmh..it was a lot quicker!!!!) this quaint university town was buzzing with people walking up the main shopping drag. The temperature was hovering around eight degrees, winter woollies being the order of the day. Lots of cafe's, pubs and bakeries open. Regular shops are not allowed to trade on Sunday in Germany. This is a very strict law here and stems from religious traditions.



With the sun going down at around fivish, Heidelberg took on a "gothic" type of atmosphere. There is a famous castle or "schloss" as its known here that overlooks the city. I sort of half expected to see Harry Potter and the Hogwarts clan fly out of there.!!! The eeriness combined with the sunset was magnificent. The light had a magenta hue to it. It was very European Winter. I've tried to capture some of that feeling with a few pictures.



And one more "artistic" shot.



After a few hours of siteseeing, I was craving soup. Nothing nourishes better than a hearty bowl of this stuff. Especially in a very cold environment. We stopped by a local eating house and I enjoyed bowl of onion and potato soup. A few rye bread rolls with lashings of butter and a wheat beer to wash it all down with.



It was good being back in Germany, even though my visit was brief. It was good to see friends who had departed our sunburnt shores and reminisce on the past. I plan on being back there in the near future and I'll be blogging on variety of gourmet topics. I'll also make sure my camera works!!!....Bear with me as I'm still learning the basics.
See you soon.
Peter

Apart from bread, beer and sausages are featured strongly in the German culinary world. Sausages, or "wurst" as they are known here also come in an array of flavours. Bratwurst probably being the most popular one. But there is more to life than bratwurst, There is weiswurst, currywurst (sausages flavoured with curry) and a meatloaf type of sausage that is cut into square portions and served between a baguette roll and smothered with mustard. In fact, when you order sausages form the many outlets throughout the city, they are usually served in a crusty roll and topped with mustard. That's it. No ketchup, pickles, cheese and other peculiarities. Simple and oh so tasty!!!

I managed to get to a restaurant that actually had a number of options on the menu, apart from the usual suspects of schnitzel etc...I started off with a "weis" beer. Or a wheat beer as was tanslated to me by friends. Aaaah the beer!!! This needs its own place of discussion in cyberspace. The choice here is dazzling. It was explained to me that beer was not even classified as an alcoholic beverage under German law. Workers have it included as part of their meal allowance in certain jobs!!!! What a refreshing attitude!!! Now wonder the Australians find a rapport with this country. Anyway, the wheat beer I drank was similar to a Coopers beer. Tan in colour and quite foggy.


Now I'm not a big wine drinker. I was happy to drink this with my meal though. It might have seemed quite heavy but it was very light and refreshing.
As I explained earlier I wanted to steer away from the traditional offerings on the menu. So it was recommended to me to order a "flamekuchen". Literally translated as flame cake. You know how I love to make comparisons. Think of it as the "black sheep" of the pizza family. It's similar to a pizza but it has its own personality. It's a very thin layer of rolled puff pastry, smothered with sour cream and topped with bacon and onion!!! Very calorific but deceivingly light. This is something I would be glad to reproduce at home. And it really is quite simple. I had the standard version but the menu contained lots of different ones, with an array of toppings. Sour cream is the base sauce and this is where alot of the taste comes from.


Accompanied by a side salad, I was set. A nice end to a jet lagged day.

Tags:destinations Germany

Hi again.
Today's blog entry finds me in Europe. Frankfurt, Germany to be exact. I had to dash over with work for a few days and I thought I would catch up with my friend Nick while I was in town.

Now, before I continue, I must apologise in advance. My camera had issues and wasn't working properly. So therefore I missed a few food photo opps, except for my day trip to Heidelberg. You will have to rely on my descriptins for a couple of posts. Sorry!!!

Now I'm not going to bore you with details about where Frankfurt is, the population etc...Watch "Getaway" or another travel show if you like. I can tell you though that Frankfurt is a very busy city. The financial heart of Europe. The Euro is a very busy boy in this town. I have visited here many times before but it had actually been about 5 years since my last visit. I was surprised. It seems the city has undergone a mini facelift. Lots of cafes and a thriving cultural centre. There is an "edge" to it, that never existed before in my opinion.

The food in Germany is quite interesting. Other people might tend to say "heavy" or even "boring". This is all up to personal taste of course. Yes, you will find schnitzel, pigs knuckles, sauerkraut and potatoes. There are fantastic local cheeses on offer and the most amazing bread. (warning to all of you on the Atkins Diet: do not read any further!!!). Bakeries align the main and side streets. Supermarkets feature bread only sections that would leave our ones in Australia to shame. Bread with walnuts and almonds. Dark or light rye bread. Pretzel bread. (This blogger's favourite). Breads with a multitude of grains. It's too hard to summarise it all, except to say that it is the tastiest bread you will eat!!!
It's carbohydrate heaven!!!!

Tags:destinations Germany