Temples of Bagan shrouded by mist at sunrise

The enchanting beauty of the ancient temples of Bagan along the Irrawaddy river remains one of Myanmar most beautiful place to visit …

Fabulous sight of Bagan temples at sunset

The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok

An oasis of tranquility amidst the bustling city of Bangkok, the Oriental Bangkok synonym to elegance and splendid hospitality is a superb hide out for those searching for the perfect getaway. Nestled along the Chao Praya river the legendary “Grande Dame” which first opened in 1887 remains one of the world’s most enchanting place to stay.

Welcome platter of tropical fruits

My day begins with a hearty breakfast served at the Riverside Terrace. Their breakfast buffet is certainly one of the best I’ve ever had, offering a large choice of tropical fruits and local specialties.

A platter of tropical fruits

Their steamed buns were just irresistible …

Steamed buns

After this marvelous morning treat, the pools behind the terrace are the ideal place to relax while flipping some pages from the most famous hotels in the world series of The Oriental before heading across the river to try the Oriental Spa. I was welcomed with lemongrass herbal tea before my Ayurvedic treatment which took place at the spa penthouse. My favourite Shirodhara treatment was divine …

Lemongrass herbal tea

Feeling revitalized I paced slowly to Sala Rim Naam to try out some of the city’s most delicious Thai food …

Thai delights

After lunch, the wooden teak barge was waiting to take me back across the Chao Praya. I walked towards the old wing, a nineteenth century neoclassical style building through a lovely winding path surrounded by lush green garden flanked with white orchids, palms and ferns.

Author's Wing

Walking through the halls of the old wing I feel myself plunged into the literary world of great writers. Magnificent suites are honored in their names. These suites each with their own distinctive style are dedicated to names such as Noel Coward who was a frequent guest, James Michener, Joseph Conrad and the dazzling red coloured suite of Somerset Maugham. Silk covered walls, antiques furniture, poster beds and living room overlooking the lush garden make me feel as if I was thrown back in time. Could his memories still linger on? Somerset Maugham came several times to Bangkok, the first time in 1923 he used the Oriental as his base where he was recuperating from malaria caught during his adventurous Burmese journey. He vividly described the Oriental hotel and his room in “The gentleman in the parlour” – impressions of his journeys from Rangoon to Haiphong.

Sommerset Maugham Signature Suite

I head towards the author’s lounge set in a tropical ambiance with vintage photos of Thai royalty adorning the walls. It’s nearly 4 pm and time for an afternoon tea. Their home made scones were delightful.

Author's lounge

After an enjoyable stopover in the world of literary figures time to wind up at the Bamboo Bar to taste some of its signature drinks before attending the cocktail reception. Below is the Oriental sour. A blend of amaretto sour, mint leaves …

The Oriental sour

Another signature drink at the Bamboo Bar is the Thaijito – Mekong whiskey, lemongrass, ginger, lemon juice …

Thaijito cocktail drink

It’s nearly 7:30pm and time to try out river terrace and get a taste of their superb BBQ buffet while watching lit up wooden rice barges gliding along the Chao Praya.

A day at the Oriental finally ends beautifully in my very comfortable room with a view …

Overlooking the River of Kings

Temples along the Mekong ... Wat Xiengleck

Despite of the high influx of tourists and very commercially oriented, Luang Prabang still retains its beauty and remains Southeast Asia most popular destination. Its colonial buildings along the Mekong, today mostly renovated into hotels, guest houses and restaurants are still quite a sight, but the major attraction is the many beautiful gilded temples and the daily alms procession that begins at dawn. Barefoot saffron clad monks and novices walk along the streets while locals would placed a handful of specially prepared sticky rice in their alms bowl.

Alms procession at dawn

A beautiful solemn procession…

Alms procession along the temples

After the alms procession monks and novices would spend their morning hours studying, reading or getting serious with mobile phones …

Work and leisure ...

Novices going for a recreational fun visiting the cave temple of Wat Sakkalin across the Mekong in Chompet. The cave is unusually hot and is filled with fragments of broken headless Buddhas…

Down to the enigmatic Wat Sakkalin

Luang Prabang has quite a number of magnificent carved gilded temples and even village temples are adorned with wall paintings and gold decorations.

Wall paintings in Wat Aham

More wall paintings at Wat Pahouak

Wat Pahouak

If Buddhas are present inside temples and so are around temple grounds such as in Wat That Luang …

Buddhas in the exterior compound of Wat That Luang

Temple altars can be filled with so many Buddha statues that even the back side can be quite a sight.

Buddhas in Wat Mai

Traditional architecture adds to the beauty of the living quarters for monks and novices.

Living quarters of monks in Wat Long Khoune

One of the best time to visit the temples is at sunset when it is devoid of tourists. Walk around the shrines and see monks and novices prepare for their evening prayers. The beating of the drum echoing throughout the temple compound is a sign to begin their evening rituals …

Drumming at Wat Xiengmouane

When all the monks have gathered inside the temple, beautiful mesmerizing sacred chants reverberate throughout the small garden of Wat Siphouttabat Thippharam. A truly unforgettable scenery …

Evening prayers at Wat Siphouttabat Thippharam

Another sublime evening prayers …

Evening prayers at Wat Mai

Bali Magic ...

My photo essay published in this month Wingspan Inflight magazine (ANA)

The many wonders of Bali ...

Appeasing the gods ...

Meat pie to begin with …

Marcaire Meal Farmer meat pie at the Auberge du Ried Luttenbach

Then comes smoked pork meat served with the traditional “roïgabrageldi” – sliced potatoes cooked in butter for 2 hours.

Smoked pork meat with potatoes cooked in butter

Another specialty is this appetizing Munster cheese dish …

Munster cheese meal at the Auberge du Ried in Luttenbach

For fine gastronomy the L’Agneau d’Or restaurant in Munster is a must try. Different ingredients that blends in with local products tastefully orchestrated by the talented Martin Fache is definitely the most unforgettable culinary journey in Munster valley. Here are some of his absolutely delicious creations…

Noques (gnocchi) de Munster rôties fresh green salad with walnut oil served with Pinot d’Alsace 2009

Noques de Munster rôties

After a refreshing sorbet comes the smoked trout garnished with caraway seeds sauerkraut and Munster cream served with Riesling Herrenreben 2006

Smoked trout with caraway at L'Agneau d'Or restaurant

Followed by raisin and Munster cheese served with Gewurztraminer Holder 2009 (my favourite Alsatian wine)

Terrine de Munster au raisins at Martin Fache L'agneau d'Or restaurant Munster

The Munster cheese macarons created by Willy in his bakery and tea room in Munster is definitely another savoury stopover. Willy also offers culinary workshop for making traditional bretzels.

Munster cheese macarons at Willy pastry shop Munster

So the next time when in Alsace travel south till Colmar, continue to Munster Valley and savour the delights of their local products…

The making of Munster cheese …

A wooden clog maker in his workshop …

A saddler making leather cow bell collars, a unique craftsmanship…

An opera of nature brought by Vincent Karche Lyric Tenor who leads his lovely walks meandering through the vineyards while trying to blend his lyrical chant and the vibrational beauty of nature. A unique way to discover some of valley’s most enchanting places.

Le Train Bleu restaurant

Paris has one of the world most interesting and fabulous historic restaurants. Sunday brunching at the reputed turn of the century restaurant “Le Train Bleu” can be quite a nice journey into the past when train journeys at its early days are popular especially among the wealthy. Opened in 1901 then “the Buffet de la Gare de Lyon”, Le Train Bleu as it is known today has one of the city most unique decor, richly adorned with frescoes and golden sculptures.

Le Train Bleu restaurant

The elaborate ornamentation can be quite overwhelming when entering the restaurant, but Le Train Bleu is one of the few restaurants today, part of France Historic Monument, that has kept its bygone charms.
Indeed eating at this fabulous place may take you on a nice imaginative train journey over the many destinations operated by the French Railway then known as Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée (PLM) such as the Train Bleu, the famous night train to the French Riviera serving the elite and the famous. The wall paintings depict the many destinations operated by the French Railway.

The Bar at Le Train Bleu

…And the Big Ben Bar lounge where you sit around in large comfortable chairs. Relax and enjoy the trip …

Nice comfortable bar lounge at Le Train Bleu

Pork filled steamed dumplings and freshly brewed green tea

One of my favourite treat when food walking in China is to taste these delicious steamed dumplings any time during the day. Dumpling sellers abound along Nanluoguxiang area in Beijing where I love stopping for a quick morning break at the many dumpling sellers to get one of these delectable meat filled steamed buns.

Piping hot freshly steamed dumplings

A quick shot of a dumpling seller at my early morning walk around Nanluoguxiang..

My freshly made steamed dumplings ...

These irresistible mouthwatering steamed buns cooked in jumbo size bamboo steamer baskets …

Steamed dumplings buns

My lovely dumplings ...

Gudeg local specialty from Yogyakarta Indonesia

Yogyakarta the cultural capital of Central Java is not only known for its Hindu Buddhist temples of Borobudur or Prambanan but each time when I visit this wonderful city still shrouded with its bygone charms I just cannot resist to its delightful delicacies.  I would devour the irresistible gudeg a local specialty made from young jack fruit cooked in spices (coriander, galangal, bay leaves, candle nuts …) and coconut milk. It is traditionally cooked in a clay pot (kendil) served with rice, hard boiled eggs, chicken, tofu, tempe and the typical sambal goreng krecek (spicy crispy beef skins) You can taste some of the city’s delicious gudeg in a warung ( Indonesian style coffee shop ) or lesehan (traditional food stalls with no chairs, that means sitting on rattan tikar mats around low wooden tables. You’ll probably have to get used to sitting Javanese style without getting pins and needles) either around Malioboro (usually open in the evenings) or there are several gudeg restaurants near the Kraton (Sultan’s palace) worth a try. And of course I would go and treat my self to the various local sweet snacks sold along the streets and markets specially around Beringhardjo traditional market.

"Jajan Pasar" local cakes and sweets

Among those of my favourites are bolang baling, klepon, apem, dadar gulung, wajik … made from rice flour, palm sugar, coconut and other local ingredients.
Putu is another local sweet snacks worth mentioning because I simply love these delicious steamed buns (cooked in bamboo tubes) made of sago and rice flour filled with palm sugar (gula Jawa) … my favourite sweets yummy !

Street vendor along Malioboro at night selling local delicacies Putu, onde onde and klepon ...

Es Dawet or cendol is another of my favourite local drink made from fresh coconut milk and comes in all sort of variations.

Street food along Malioboro Jogyakarta

So, the next time you are in Jogjakarta immersed yourself in the local delicacies by trying these delicious street food …

Street food along Malioboro Yogyakarta

The House of George Sand

It was in this house that Chopin while spending many long moments with George Sand and their ups and downs created some of his most beautiful music such as the Nocturnes. A feminist and novelist way ahead of her time, George Sands spends most of her summers in this house in Nohant in the Berry region. It is also in this house inherited from her grandmother that she entertained some of the world’s most famous artists, poets and musicians of her day amongst them were Liszt, Balzac, Flaubert and Delacroix.

Lush valleys and rustic villages of the Berry region home to George Sand

George Sand loved the Berry region and many of her novels set in the lush green countryside were written in this eighteenth century house with its charming garden where she also planted two cedars tree at the births of her two children. Even today the House of George Sand still recall her days where you can walk along the many rooms and catch a glimpse of her life in the home she loved.

The House of George Sand

Another small room leads to the charming garden.

The House of George Sand

The dining room and kitchen …

The House of George Sand

The House of George Sand

And the small theater where she entertained the musical and literary elites …

The House of George Sand