Paris on a bike in a day for 1 euro

A couple of summers ago I spent two months on a culinary adventure back-packing all over Europe . I was flying out via Paris and had time for only one night and a full day in this grandiose city.

My uncle and his Belgian girlfriend suggested an environmentally and economical way of seeing Paris. The idea was to visit the tourist sites using the Vélib’ public bicycle sharing system. We cycled all over the city but had to give up Sacré-Cœur Basilica as the climb uphill was just too steep!

Vélib’ stations are equipped with an automatic rental terminal and bicycle stands with a locking system. A credit card or debit card with PIN is required to rent the bikes parked in the different stations. To unlock the bikes the PIN number from the subscription is entered.

Unlimited number of half hour free trips can be made per day. When the rental is not returned to a terminal, you are automatically charged €1 for the first exceeding half hour. If a trip lasts longer than 30 minutes, it incurs a charge of €1 to €4 for each subsequent 30-minute period. Here’s the link to the charges: http://en.velib.paris.fr/Subscriptions-and-fees/Usage-charges

So the trick was to return the bikes back before the 30 minute period mark. Then we would go site seeing and wait for the half hour lapse before pulling out a new one from another station. Since all our rides did not lasts longer than 30 minutes we were only charged €1 for the whole day.

Of course after all that activity we were terribly hungry. I had canard (duck) salad in a Parisian bistro and then we went to a patisserie for dessert.

The Vélib’ system is an exciting way to see Paris!

El Nido Palawan food trip blogs : Island hopping tours and restaurants

It is summer time in the Philippines. I’m here in El Nido Palawan, a group of paradise islands known as “the last frontier”. I’m staying in town and the people are just so friendly. I think I’ve been here quite long because I have figured out the Wifi passwords of most restaurants. Everyone is a familiar face and I’m getting the local discounts already.

The main activity here is island hopping. There are four tours to choose from. In each tour you visit an average of five islands. It takes the whole day and comes with lunch cooked at the beach for P700-900 per person. The best are Tour A (for Small and Big Lagoon) & C (for Hidden and Secret Beach). Tour B is only interesting for Snake Island, a sandbar which shouldn’t be missed. 

In the late afternoons it is nice to explore town, or take a tricycle to catch the sunset at Las Cabanas beach. You may walk or bike further beyond the right side of the cove for more serene spots. Squidos Hilltop is another awesome place to watch the sun go down.

In the evenings the restaurants line the seashore with tables. Music from bands in Pukka bar or Sea Slugs create a party atmosphere. Other good restaurants to check out are Arts Cafe and Gallego. Habibi is a nice place to chill for divers. Island life is very laid back and I wish I could stay here forever!

Take advantage of the freshness and inexpensiveness of the seafood. There are plenty of places to eat in El Nido but I think the best cooks on the island are the tour guides/boatmen !!!!!

How to make Peking Duck

Executive Chinese chef Richard Thong of Shangri La Manila demonstrates the preparation of Peking Duck:

Steps in making Peking duck :
1. Stuff duck with bay leaf, onion, scallion, star anise, cinnamon salt, hoisin and ginger. Using a large needle, seal and contain the stuffing with the excess duck skin.
2. Poach the duck with coloring mixture.
Coloring liquid : Unsweetened honey, sugar, red vinegar
3. Hang the duck for at least three hours.
4. Roast for 45 minutes or depending on the duck size.
5. Deep fry right before serving.
6. Serve with little Mandarin pancakes, julienne of scallions & cucumbers, hoisin sauce
7. Enjoy the feast!!!!!

 

Khmer Cuisine: a Cambodian food trip

Reblogged from Cooking Class:

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“Stop the car!!!” This was the second time I asked our guide/driver Mr. Samithy to make a sudden halt. The other instance was when I ran out the vehicle to photograph an elephant crossing the street. We were on our way to Beng Mealea, an enchanting temple ruin about an hour and a half drive away from town to the rural area of Siem Reap.

Read more… 400 more words

Khmer Cuisine: a Cambodian food trip

“Stop the car!!!” This was the second time I asked our guide/driver Mr. Samithy to make a sudden halt. The other instance was when I ran out the vehicle to photograph an elephant crossing the street. We were on our way to Beng Mealea, an enchanting temple ruin about an hour and a half drive away from town to the rural area of Siem Reap.

Our guide must think I’m hyper or crazy, but I was intrigued to find out what was cooking inside the bamboo poles being sold along the roadside stalls. The bamboo delicacy turned out to be kralan.  It is sticky rice cake made with beans, palm sugar, grated coconut and coconut milk. First steamed and then roasted over charcoal. Cost is three pieces for one dollar.

In the countryside you may also encounter exotic delicacies such as fried spiders, grasshoppers, silkworms and crickets.

For lunch we asked Mr. Sam to take us to a restaurant where only the locals dine. He took us to Lyly’s along Sivutha road in town. Away from the tourist traps of Pub Street, the sumptuous Kuy Teav noodle soup (Cambodian version of Pho) was USD$ 1.50 only. We also ordered a very refreshing glass of iced coffee. Cambodia’s drip coffee with condensed milk is pronounced as gah-fay dteuk-gork.  For dessert there was sweet sticky rice with bananas chunks wrapped in banana leaves called Ansom chek.

Cambodian food is also known as Khmer cuisine. The country is situated between Vietnam and Thailand, the two neighboring nations have very strong influence on its food.  There is also the fusion of French cuisine as Cambodia was once a part of Indochina.   National dishes like Amok and other coconut based dishes are not spicy. Like most Asian nations rice is staple.

The most common ingredients used :  lemon grass, finger root, shallots, palm sugar, coconut milk, fresh green peppercorns, shrimp sauce, prahok (fermented shrimp paste), calamansi, ginger and turmeric.

We joined a cooking class at Tiger Paper restaurant for a better understanding of their  food.  Our teacher Savon first took us to the market to buy our ingredients; we prepared the dishes, and later had them for dinner. It was a lot of fun plus we made new friends!

Amok chicken – Chicken and mushrooms simmered in coconut milk with kroeung   (make into a paste:  lemon grass, turmeric, finger root, shallots, garlic )

Cambodia on my mind

We took the three day pass to visit the historic monuments of Cambodia. As I walk to the temples a small band of disabled landmine victims play Cambodian folk music. One man lost his limbs and the other an arm. The flute and bamboo xylophone resonates in the background, the melody is very sad and I find myself in the brink of tears.

My heart is heavy every time I begin to write this piece. I find it difficult to reconcile the pain and suffering of a war ravaged nation, with the magnificence of its ancient civilization and majestic shrines. The temples were once places of worship, but during the oppression they became places of refuge by providing solace and sanctuary.

Tourist attractions in Siem Reap that shouldn’t be missed:

Angkor Wat – watch the sunrise, then tour the temples while it is still not too hot

Angkor Thom – Bayon (big stone faces), Ta Prohm (old trees with giant roots), Terrace of the Elephants

Banteay Srei – Citadel made from pink sand and amazing carvings

Beng Mealea – My favorite and so worth the trip!! This ancient ruin is off the beaten tourist track and is about an hour and a half drive. Pay extra $5 for entrance.

Cambodia has now opened its doors to the world and is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It is hot and humid but so full of adventure just like the scenes in the Lara Croft movie. Cost to visit the temples are USD$20/ 2-day and USD$ 40/ 3-day pass.
Bring plenty of water, use a hat and sun block.

Chatuchak Food Trip

We arrived in Bangkok in time for the weekend market Chatuchak. It is probably one of the biggest flea markets in the world. I’m not very good in bargaining but this is the fun part during shopping.
The fastest way to get here is via BTS Sky train to MO Chit station to avoid the traffic. Bring a big bag, water, cap and sun glasses. There are plenty of great finds but mine was the Thai street food !