Good Food and Views are Worth the Journey
Fira to Oia is one of the best walks I've done - classic Greek island scenery from start to finish. Think white abodes against the deep blue Mediterranean sky and sea as you walk along the rim of the caldera. This was about as much fun an amateur photographer could have. To top it off, we had a good lunch in Oia.
We were here for a day, one of the stops on our Mediterranean cruise. With the dilemma that we only had limited time and wanted to do something that would allow us to enjoy...
Cinque Terre has to be one of the most memorable parts of the world. The pastel buildings of the five fishing villages hugging the steep hills, encroaching into the pristine blue sea as seen in the photo of Manarola at dusk has to be one of the more iconic travel photos ever taken. This is great place for walkers and amateur photographers with the villages linked by a series of hiking paths and amazing scenery at every bend. The five fishing villages (hence Cinque Terre which means five...
A short stint by Pascal Barbot of Michelin 3-starred L'Astrance in Shangri-La's Blu restaurant gave us in Singapore a chance to try the renowned chef's cooking. I've been trying to get into L'Astrance on my occasional trips to Paris and when I found out he'd be cooking in Singapore, I jumped at the opportunity. Although it's never the same as eating in his eatery itself given that we won't necessarily get all the good produce here, I think that there is so much more available here nowadays...
On paper, Mirazur is set up to be a highly memorable meal with its location outside Monaco overlooking the coast and its Michelin two-star standing and well regarded chef but it ended up being a meal that just fell short of being really good. Perhaps it was because it was lunch and the sun's rays through Mirazur's full length windows made the restaurant a tad too warm to be comfortable. But it may also be that we already had a fantastic meal at the Chèvre d'Or in Eze with a stunning...
With a view that looks over Monaco, Michelin two-starred Chèvre d'Or has the view to go along with its beautiful food. It was an especially pleasing lunch all the more so because we had pre-lunch aperitifs in the garden and arguably had the best table in the restaurant - a round table next to two large windows that look out over the Cote d'Azur (sometimes it's good to travel with a group - there were eight of us). Coupled with a very friendly sommelier who immediately made us feel...