Provence

the colors of Provence- Sometimes I go through old photographs to look for inspiration. I found these taken in March 2002 in Arles. I remember that trip very well. They had just introduced the euro and the US dollar was strong against the euro. European travel was cheap. $650 got me a return ticket between Los Angel es and Nice. I remember staying in this quintessential provencal hotel in Avignon for 100 euro a night ($80). I couldn't afford this hotel today. I remember how delightful old Nice was, of being enthralled by old yellow buildings and narrow and crooked alley ways. I've been back to Nice two more times after that first trip and still love old Nice. It has become an old friend. I remember running out of cash in Monte Carlo and couldn't find an outside ATM machine. I was buzzed into some of the fanciest banks but there weren't any ATM inside. Finally I found one operated by Banco Popular of Cote d'zur.

Some friends and I had arranged to go on that trip together. They cancelled one by one and I ended up going by myself. That was the best part, I enjoyed it so much even though I was scared and unsure of myself; I've been traveling to Europe twice a year ever since.

In March, the land was bare but the almond blossoms were in full swing. Each time I looked at Van Gogh;s painting of Provence and Almond blossoms, I understood what he saw. I learned to love Calixsons, a confection from Aix en Provence. I remember the espresso at the bar/cafe of the train station in Avignon. I spent many mornings there because I was always catching the train in the morning to go somewhere for the day.

Arles was one of those day trips. These pictures were taken in Arles.

I look forward to being in Provence later this year.

day off again

I have just finished writing an article on Palermo. I am going to submit it for publication, where, I don't know yet. Every free time I have is spent writing and doing research for the book I'm writing. I am writing a book on Sicily. I have been busy researching on how to set up a website. On top of this I have a full time job. My head is bursting. Right now I'm writing in the Toyota service shop waiting lounge. My car is being serviced. I write in airports, in trains, in waiting rooms, in the car, at work, in the kitchen while cooking; I never stop. Sigh...... Where this will lead to, I don't know, if no where I am still happy. I am planning to return to Sicily in October to see the rest of the island and to finish my manuscript on Sicily. I was going to make France a separate trip but since I'm flying Air France again and going through Paris, I have decided to take a third week off and to head down to Roussillon, a little village in Provence. This is exciting. I work so hard and again my traveling is part work also, to supply material for this blog and the website I'm going to set up, for the articles and books I'm going to write. I really have to work hard at saving for the trip. What, Ramen noodles every day for the next 5 months? Almost but not really. It doesn't have to be that drastic. My sister and I used to have a competition to see who is the most frugal. She wins at that all the time but I learnt a lot from her. My other sister said she'll bring her family over from New Jersey for Christmas. So I have to start preparing for Christmas now. I have lots of money but I still like to prepared for whatever financial outlay that comes along.

Italian cooking

I have just acquired an old Italian cookbook by Elizabeth David. The description of the food and the history is so compelling that I want to read it more than I want to cook from it. I found out about it in Peter Robb's book, 'Midnight in Sicily'. I am into all things Sicilian. There isn't much in it about Sicilian cooking; it did give a recipe for 'Caponata'. It also mentioned 'Spaghetti con le sarde', a Sicilian dish of spaghetti with sardines and raisins. She has never eaten it and does not give a recipe for it. I have eaten it and I love it. I have the recipe for it and intend to make it at home one day. The reason I bought this old and used book (it's out of print) was for the pictures. As Elizabeth David said in this same book; she didn't put any pictures of vine covered terraces as most Italian cookbooks so often do. Instead she has Renato Guttuso's paintings- on the cover and throughout the book. She spent a year researching for this book and was depressed after it. She depression lifted when the pictures of Renato Guttuso's paintings started arriving from Rome. As I said before, I'm into all things Sicilian. Renato Guttuso was born in the Bagheria, a town just outside Palermo. In fact, my next trip to Palermo will include a trip to Bagheria to see the crazy sculptures in the garden at Palazzo Palagonia. I am into the odd and unusual.. Renato Guttuso painted the market scenes in Palermo. His pictures evoked memories of the Vucciria market; it is a covered market, with red plastic covers over all the stalls- they sell produce, meat, fish, odds and ends. It is always dark because it is between buildings that block out the sun. Light comes from the bare electrical light bulbs that hang from the ceiling. When I visited it was pretty sedate, probably because of the rain. It is supposed to be a very lively scene with each vendor singing and chanting about how great their stuff is in order to entice the customers to buy from them. I bought some tomato seeds and they are now growing in pots in my backyard. I also bought some alpine strawberries- I ate those. Renato Guttuso later moved to Rome. He started an anti-fascist organization in Rome. Brave man. He saw first hand what fascism did to Sicily.

While writing the book, Elizabeth David, had lots of detractors. When friends heard that she was writing a book on Italian cooking, their reaction was, 'all that pasta, don't we have enough stodge already'. People thought that Italian food is only pasta. What I found useful in her book were the Italian names of the dishes. In Catania, we asked the waiter what 'cavallo' was. He didn't speak English, he waved both arms like a bird and we thought it was a chicken dish. He, then, went to the kitchen and came back with some one who told us it was horse meat. They use both calamari and seppie on the menu. In some dishes they call it calamari, in others, seppie- to us they are both squid.

I researched about Sicily before I went there. Since coming back I'm still learning about Sicily.

Paris breakfasts

It is us Americans that are so crazy, we even take photos of our breakfasts in Paris. I remember my first trip to Paris, 7 years ago. I went to a bar and ordered a croissant and a cappuccino and when they came, I took a photo of it. I found the picture in my archives, scanned it into the computer and 'viola' here it is. Looking through those old photos sure brought back happy memories. I've become a more savvy traveler since then. The other picture was taken 4 years ago in Carcassonne. We stayed in some one's loft inside the walled city of Carcassonne. My first trip to Carcassonne was a happy one, my second 2 years ago, not so. I fought with the restaurant owner, I was alone and he was rude. I wasn't going to take any crap from this French brute. I've become a more savvy traveler, I've grown up.

Paris

Paris, Ah, Paris! What is this world or this life without Paris? I don't want to answer that. It is unthinkable and unbearable. In March, on my trip to Sicily, I had 2 stopovers in Paris. I was at Charles de Gaulle airport for a few hours on my way to and from Sicily. I'm going back to Sicily in October this year. I have decided to spend a day in Paris.
Just as I'm putting together an itinerary for Sicily, I am also researching what to do in Paris for a day. I've been to Paris 4 times before but there's always something left to do or I could just hang out. I've decide to stay in a different arrondissement, the 6 eme on the left bank. I've always stayed in the 1eme or the 4eme on the right bank. I'll hang out around St Germain de pres and see if I can get more inspired to write. I'll hunt for the ghosts of Voltaire or Janet Flanner. Planning for this day in Paris is taking up as much attention as the trip to Sicily. This is a trip to Sicily and Paris is just a side trip. Oh well, there are no rules. I knowwhat I am going to do in Sicily, see the places I didn't get to and revisit the places that I have been to before. I have 10 days to do all that but to squeeze Paris into one day takes more planning.
I read in a guidebook of the Odeon area in the 6eme, an old neighborhood-cobblestone streets, old shops and cafes. There is the very exclusive department store, 'au bon marche'. The hotel I picked is near Pont Neuf, the very ornate bridge over the Seine, one of the many bridges that link the right and left bank. I want to eat French yogurt again. I love French yogurt. Can you imagine someone is actually excited about French yoghurt? I am not a yogurt fan, not in the US anyway but I love French yogurt.
It was last year, in Nice, that I fell in love with French yoghurt. I wanted muesli for breakfast and was asked by the waitress if I wanted it with milk or yogurt. I said, yogurt, I've never eaten my cereal with yoghurt before. Live dangerously, right? It tasted so wonderful. I tried to replicate it at home, it tasted horrid. Heck, the yogurt tastes bad here. Imagine being excited about eating yogurt in France. The French and European experience is just not reproducible in the USA. A vacation in Hawaii or Mexico is not the same a vacation in Europe. Of course, in Europe, there's no one to pamper us, in fact, they can't tolerate ignorant Americans; but I still love it and will continue to return to Europe. It'll be my fifth visit to Paris.

Sicily, again

I have 2 more weeks of vacation in October and I intend to return to Sicily to finish seeing the rest of the island. I found a great flight (not fare) on Air France and Alitalia that will take me in and out of Catania, Sicily from Los Angeles. There is no time to take the train between Catania and Rome though I would have loved it. At the water's edge, the train breaks apart (with passengers inside) and gets loaded onto ferries and taken over to the other side where it gets reassembled on the tracks. This time I will head west to see Segeste, Erice, Trapani and Piazza Amerina and will also return to some cities I saw on my last trip.

Palermo- I intend to see more of the works of the Sicilian scupltor, Giacomo Serpotta. His 'putti' works at the Oratory of Santa Cita is so delightful. He is able to make plaster shine like marble and he decorated the whole room with plaster figures' they were placed haphazardly but into scenes depicting the rosary. The rosary are a series of prayers; when one prays the rosary, one prays a whole series of prayers to Mary. It is a very catholic thing to do. I am not a catholic. The rosary has special significance to Sicily. There was this famous battle of Lepanto. Sicily, being in such a strategic position was always the target of foreign invasions. In the battle of Lepanto, the Sicilian fleet helped in defeating the Ottomans. It was a fierce battle and the pope at that time asked the people to pray the rosary everyday. They credited the victory to Mary's divine intervention. There were a whole series of cults dedicated to the rosary springing up in Palermo, each having their own oratories decorated to honor the rosary. An oratory is just a small chapel. Giacomo Serpotta was commissioned to decorated a few of them. In fact, in Palermo, his work is found in a lot of oratories and churches. There is a special tour called the Serpotta itinerary where one can see all his works. His work at the oratory of Santa Cita is the most memorable. At the end of the room, he made a depiction of the battle of Lepanto. The little plaster figures look almost alive on the walls of the oratory. They are playful and yet meaningful. I have just acqquired an out of print book by Donald Garstang called, 'Giacomo Serpotta and the stuccatori of Palermo 1560-1790' that shows and explain all the works of Giacomo Serpotta. While he is the most famous, he didn't work in a vacuum. He had 'mentors', Gagnini, who preceded him, for one. Gagnini's work can be seen all over Palermo also. Giacomo's father, Gaspare did plasterwork in the cathedral of Palermo. So did Giacomo's brother, Guiseppe, in fact, both brothers have collaborated in a few commissions. Giacomo's own son, Procopio has numerable commissions all over Palermo. There were a lot of others but Giacomo's work stood out.

In fact, during this period in Palermo's history, the plasterwork of all these artists is what makes the churches and chapels of Sicily so unique. This, together with the colorful marble inlay work and the mosaics and the baroque style architecture makes Sicily an amazing destination. The island, while small, has everything to enthrall everyone.

If one is into the baroque, there are whole cities rebuilt in the baroque style notably Noto, Ragusa and Modica. If one is into food, Sicilian food, while not having too many dishes is delicious, substantial and unique. It is rustic at its very best. Beaches, anyone? The whole island is surrounded by water. Baroque interiors- one needs only see Casa Professa, a Jesuit church where every inch is richly decorated with colorful marble inlay and plaster figurines.

If one is into something older, there are ruins of ancient Greek temples and amphitheatres all over the island- Taormina, Siracusa, Agrigento, Selinunte and Segeste.

The food, I've said before is memorable. In fact, since I came back, I have made 'Caponata' twice. I love it.

Tomatoes

I was watching a documentary on farm workers one night on PBS (I don't have cable); they were picking tomatoes. The tomatoes are picked when they are green and still rock hard. They can withstand a lot of rough handling and has enough time to get from fields to warehouses and then finally to the stores and restaurants and our dining table. It might be thousands of miles and definitely a few weeks before they reach our tables. Wow! No wonder they only look like tomatoes and they definitely don't taste like tomatoes. They taste like cardboard. I knew that they're picked way before they're ready but I didn't know how early. Now I know. So I guess there's no other way of eating a good tomato unless one grows it oneself or go to Italy. I brought back some tomato seeds from Sicily. They are known in the world as the sweetest tomatoes in the world. They are being sprouted in a flower pot in my backyard. I saw little green leaves appearing 2 days ago and I was elated. I've been having some issues the whole of last week but that didn't dampen the elation caused by the sprouting of those tomato seeds. Last year I was in Southern Italy and tasted some great tomatoes. In March this year I was in Sicily and was on a quest to find the sweetest tomatoes in the world. I went to the seed store; farm stores are everywhere; in fact, in Acireale, they were the only stores in town. It is a farming town. I went there to see the gorgeous baroque duomo. It had the most beautiful facade. We had to walk quite a distance to town from the train station. On the way back to the train station we stopped at a fruit stand and bought some mandarin oranges, apples and pears. The pear were so very delicious. I'll never forget that pear. Pears now will forever evoke memories of Sicily just like sweet tomatoes will. I'm going back to Sicily in October. I am writing a book on Sicily. I hope I can sneak back some seeds for squash and eggplants.

day off

So far, the past 8 years, I've gotten every Wednesday off. So I walk or take the bus to Santa Monica. This morning I took the Big Blue Bus of Santa Monica and it took me through the pretty neighborhoods of Venice beach and Santa Monica. I had to walk past the French restaurant/cafe, 'le pain Quotidien'. I looked in and was drawn in by the pretty display of tarts and muffins. How can I resist not buying something. I bought 5 coconut macaroons, they were so perfect that I waited till I came home, did some drawings of them before biting into one of them. They smelled so good, it was nice, sweet and chewy. I went to look at some watercolors at 'Michael's', a craft store. I am going to start doing watercolors pretty soon. Then I went shopping at the farmer's market. At one vendor, the strawberries looked so ripe and luscious that I couldn't resist. I bought some, together with a punnet of raspberries. Then I went to the oriental folks, bought some Chinese kale and fresh peas. Tonight's dinner will feature a can of Progresso soup, I particularly like their gumbo soup, fresh peas, lightly steamed in the microwave with a touch of salt and butter, saute Chinese kale with oyster sauce. For dessert, fresh strawberries and raspberries. On my way back from the market, I stopped into the British store to buy some digestive biscuits. Right now, I'm writing in the yard, I had my afternoon nap, I'm drinking my tea and eating a couple of the digestive biscuits. I really should have gone to the L'occitane store for some French soap and hand cream. Maybe next Wednesday.

books

Jim Rohn said in one of his books, 'get an idea, get a good idea, get a few ideas, on how to make money, be a better person, live a better life, on anything. Books are incredible sources of ideas. He recommends owning a library. Start by buying a book, buy 2 books, start a library. I have a library and am constantly adding to my burgeoning collection of books.
Stuart Wilde of "The trick to money is having some", said, 'if a place is not conducive to making or earning money, one should move. If Birmingham, England doesn't offer much in opportunities, then people should move, to London, to Ireland or anywhere that offers more in opportunities. If Birmingham, Alabama doesn't offer much in opportunities, then we need to move to Florida, New York or California or anywhere in the USA that does.
Eric Maisel in 'A writer's Paris' suggested that if the place where we live is not conducive to creativity, we can go to Paris for a week, two, a month, two, six months or even a year or anywhere in the world that can coax some creativity out of us. Go and hunt for the ghosts of great literary artists that has found inspiration in the city of lights.
Now my library at home includes art books. It only started a year ago after I acquired Danny Gregory's book, 'The creative licence'. Now I'm never without a journal to draw and to write. At the airport, on my way to Sicily, I sketched and drew everything in sight, the wrappings on the Burger King burger, the condiment packages, the people around me and the plane I was to fly in. It was fun. It beats buying a few expensive glossy magazines from the overpriced bookseller. While in Sicily I made a few sketches, though not enough, I could just spend the whole trip drawing the whole time. It was not just fun, it makes the brain work in ways it has never before. I don't know the outcome of such a brain, it nothing else I'm a happier person, a happy amateur, or a happy dabbler.
Colette wrote a lot about her observations in her lifetime; she didn't know where that will lead her. Now, all of us read the works of Colette. I'm expecting some more books from Amazon. One of them is on the Sicilian sculptor, Giacomo Serpotta. Giacomo who? He is only known by Sicilians and people who has been to Sicily. I came to love and enjoy his work. My collection of books include a wide range of subjects, money, travel, decorating, theology, cooking, history, etc. Some of them are reread many times. One thing I noticed, the collection of books on China, Tibet and Sicily is growing, outpacing all others. I wonder what that means....

Thoreau

'Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes' - Henry David Thoreau. How true. I was to attend a meeting last year (I don't have to attend meetings in my job) so I went out and bought a linen jacket from Zara. I ended up attending the meeting wearing old clothes. The $80 linen jacket from Zara still hangs, unworn in my closet. The family was over for Easter dinner and we were looking through the photos I took of my March 07 visit to Sicily. The teenager niece, being a fashion police (at 13) noticed that I had the same clothes on as the trip to Italy the year before. The computer bag with the numerous buckles to ward off even the most dexterous of pickpockets; the grey wool cardigan; the pink scarf she bought me during our 04 trip to France and my travel pants from Columbia. To me, it is not the clothes, I never shop for clothes before any trip, it is the place. It might be the same clothes but that's not important. It is a different place each time, that's what's important. I get the last laugh. I haven't shopped in years. I have a huge walk in closet in my house and it is very empty. I wear the same old rags day in day out. I watched a documentary called 'China Blue' last night of how the sweat shops in China makes denim jeans for the whole world. I don't think I'll ever wear denim jeans ever again in my life. I digress. I used to love fashion until I started traveling. It costs a lot to travel, even at the way I do it, slumming all the way, at least $2500n per trip. So there's no money for new clothes. This way I get to travel twice a year, still afford to pay off my mortgage at an accelerated rate, increase the size of my CD (not music) and my stock portfolio. I don't buy expensive makeup, just drugstore stuff. (I work in a drugstore as a pharmacist). I have another 2 weeks off in October and I have 2 alternative itineraries- one to return to Sicily, the other to the French Alps. I can't decide. What will I wear? I'll rummage through my empty (half) closet to round up something. The red pair of sneakers that I had on has been to many places in Europe with me. I have to retire it, for Spring travel anyway because rain water could get in. I had wet toes this trip.

monreale-sicily

spring time in Sicily

La primavera Siciliana - it's a great time to be in Sicily in March. Spring is in full swing. Spring comes early to the 'mezzogiorno', the south of Italy. All over the island they have already harvested or are harvesting artichokes, lima beans and broccoli or it it cauliflower. I think it is cauliflower- it's hard to tell because they are not white but are green with purple tips. I saw squash and tomatoes being grown under plastic covers. I guess, because they need access to fresh tomatoes all year round. It has been raining and it was cold. It makes for good sightseeing; for walking around the huge valley of the temples in Agirgento; for climbing up and down ancient Greek ruins in Siracusa and Taormina and for climbing up 'La Rocca" (the rock) in Cefalu. In Cefalu, the rain was pounding down, the wind was whipping around this way and that and the sun was struggling to peek through and we were climbing up the rock behind the town up to where the ancient temple to Diana stands. There was lush growth all around. We still managed to take some photographs in spite of the rain. I looked at my notes that day- the birds are chirping and making nests in almost every tree. The weds are lush among the terraced seating area of the ancient amphitheatre. There are palm trees swaying in the wind, bougainvilleas of every color all over the hillsides, the yellow Euphorbias and of course the ubiquitous 'prickly pears' or cactus. We have the same cactus in California except ours don't fruit like the ones in Italy. The fruits of these prickly pears can be purchased in greengrocers in town. One peels off the skin to eat the very sweet flesh with lots of seeds, I've never tasted them. The local folks are foraging for wild green that appear for the shortest time in Spring. In Agrigento we saw this old contadino offering his 'pickings' for sale on the side of the street. Every where the fields are being prepared and the corn is already a foot tall. The almonds have sprouted green fruit. They flower very early in Spring and like in Provence, the time of Almond blossoms is a magnificent time. Even Van Gogh couldn't resist painting Almond blossom time. Each time I see his painting of almond blossom, it takes me back to my first visit to Provence, 5 years ago. Spring time anywhere is a beautiful time. I remember driving around Ventura County in Southern California one year, the whole place smelled of orange blossoms. It was incredible. The red poppies were so vibrant on the side of the road. I remember one birthday when my brother gave a huge bunch of Narsiccus and they were so fragrant. I won't soon forget this spring in Sicily.

Sicily 4

I am still trying very cautiously to learn using my new laptop, as if I can hurt it or something. I haven't loaded my vacation pictures yet. I've scanned some of them and I think they are amazing pictures. Palermo and Catania are very old and decrepit cities, everywhere are evidence of neglect. The first hotel we stayed in was an old and rundown palazzo but it has so much character. The whole of Sicily is like that, it's old and rundown but that's what gives it the character. Disneylandnish, it it not. The first impression was almost scary, imagine arriving in town on a cold and wet night at almost midnight. Self-doubt hits you and you wonder if you've not made the biggest mistake of your life by going to Sicily. It turned out to be the best trip I've ever taken so far in my short travel life. Paris, it is not. It is not even Rome, Rome can be intimidating and intense. The whole of Palermo and Catania, the 2 biggest cities in Sicily is full of old palazzos. Underneath the muck, there is incredible beauty. It is full of Baroque churches with amazing interiors. The genius of the sculpture work of Giacomo Serpotta, his father, his brother and his son fills a lot of churches in Sicily and they are the most delightful. The mosaics in Monreale, the Palatine chapel, Cefalu cathedral and La Mortarana are so beautiful. I've never seen anything like them. The plentiful Greek ruins is enough to satisfy anyone who's never been to Greece. There is Baroque churches galore, the only place in the world where Baroque churches and buildings dot the landscape. If Baroque is your fancy, like it is mine, you've come to the right place. The food is substantial and good, it is rustic at it's finest. I can't rave enough about Sicily.

sicily 2

Why Sicily? One does not usually have much interest in Sicily. Rome- yes, Paris- yes but Palermo?. Land of the mafia? Besides Sicily is a small island, what would one do there? Indeed, Sicily is a land of myth, mystery and enchantment. When one loses all fears of visiting Sicily, they are rewarded with pleasures beyond imagination. It is a small island but is packed with history, more ancient than ancient Greece. An ancient people settled there before the invasion of the Phoenicians and the ancient Greeks. The ancient Greeks left evidence of a huge and thriving population all over the south eastern part of Sicily- the valley of the temples in Siracusa, the ruins of a greek amphitheatre that can seat up to 19,000 also in Siracusa, another huge amphitheatre in Toarmina, various other ruins in Catania, Selinunte and Segeste. Some of these were remodelled and used by the Romans. They in turn left their mark in the mosaics at Piazza Amerina. A stream of other invaders and occupiers came through the island- the Normans (French), Saracens (Arabs) Hofstaufens (Germans) Anjevins (French) Aragon (Spanish) and finally reunification with Mainland Italy. Though a part of Italy, they remain an autonomous part of Italy with Sicilians traveling on Sicilian papers and not an Italian passport. They are Sicilians first and Italians second. Throughout their evolution, their culture, architecture and food developed on their own and this is what makes Sicily so unique. They celebrate their own artists, architects, literary and musical giants. Everyone wanted to know how we were going to fill two weeks worth of vacation time. Even my sister in law, Sophie, who went on this trip with me had her doubts. I was confident because I did extensive research and read up on Sicily before I embarked on the trip. I knew two weeks wasn't enough and it sure wasn't. These are the places we visited,
Catania, Toarmina, Acireale, Randazzo, Agrigento, Siracusa, Noto, Ragusa, Palermo, Cefalu.
It was two weeks packed with fun and thrills and all kinds of discovery. There wasn't enough time to see everything. I want to go back. I did some sketching and I want to desperately go back to do more. I wrote every night and I now have a manuscript ready. I want to go back to see the rest of the island and to revisit some of the places I have been.
Mafia? I didn't see any. The people were ever so nice and helpful. I have come to love Sicily and Sicilians. We were in a family restaurant for dinner; it wasn't in the best part of town. There were other patrons at a large table next to us. They looked and dressed very regular but just being themselves reminded me of scenes from the 'Godfather'. It was like anytime you would hear the rattling of gunfire. It was very amusing but I'm not being fair. I came home and made some Sicilian dishes. I have a great caponata recipe. I brought home contraband- tomato seeds. I planted them in pots 2 days ago. Let's see if I'll get to eat the sweetest tomatoes in the world grown in my backyard. I'm going back. I left my heart in Sicily.

how to afford foregn travel

1) Time: It is cheapest to travel in January and February. Weather may not be the best; you can't enjoy the beautiful vistas of Tuscany or of Provence. If one is visiting museums and architecture, one does not need good weather, just warm and dry clothing. I've traveled around christmas to Toronto, all bundled up, I've gone to the ballet and to the opera while there. I've been in London and Paris at Christmas and the weather was cold but dry. Weather in England is very unpredictable. I have been there over a very wet summer. I've checked the internet for fares and they are unbelievably cheap in the months of January and February. These are good times to visit Southern Europe; it's warmer there even in winter. I spent 2 weeks in Sicily in March this year. It rained half the time; I was wet and cold but it didn't dampen the trip. It was fantastico!
2) Public transportation: one must definitely make use of the incredible bus, trains and underground systems in Europe. It is the cornerstone of cheap European travel. The vast network of all these systems and the establishment of the European Union has made getting aound Europe so much easier. Once you're in Europe, you can almost put your passport away, the Italian trains roll right into France as do the Spanish trains. In Amsterdam, I saw French and German trains. They have the same currency, the euro. It's incredible. Most Europeans speak some English. If you've never been, you've got to go get your passport and make your first trip. Just pick any city, whether it be Paris, London, Madrid or Rome. It might be a little intimidating the first time but there are a plethora of guide books that can instruct you to the minutest detail.
3)Accommodations: Since I love train travel, I prefer to stay close to the train stations except in London and Paris where the metro can easily connect me between the trains and the hotels. In London I have 2 aunts that I stay with. In Paris, I like the 3rd and 4Th arrondissement. It is a mixed neighborhood with lots of ethnic eateries. It is busy and lively. Whenever possible I'll forgo the attached bathroom and shower, shaves at least 20 euros off the daily rate. It is a lot with today's exchange rate.
4) Food: Free food; some rooms has breakfast included. It is time with load up on carbs and coffee. Coffee is expensive at cafes. Standing at the bar to partake your food is cheaper than sitting down at a table. In Italy, most mornings would find me drinking my cappuccino and eating my cornetto standing at the bar with all the other Italian men. Finger food is cheap too, an Arancino (fried risotto ball) or a slice of pizza or a pizzete( mini pizza) or a slice or focaccia bread or a ham sandwich or a slice of quiche doesn't cost very much but makes a substantial meal. I do sit down to eat dinner; I don't want to miss out on the incredible European food.

the flavors of Sicily

I just read somewhere that when we travel to Italy, we are looking to experience the flavors of Italy. Somehow we can't put our finger on what makes it different, we just know that in Italy, the taste is authentic, things tastes the way they are supposed to. A tomato taste like a real tomato unlike the store bought ones we get in our US supermarkets. Even those we get in our farmer's markets don't taste as authentic as those in Italy. Maybe it is the soil, climatic conditions and farming methods. This is especially true of Southern Italy and Sicily. I had the best tasting salads in Southern Italy last year. The tomatoes, carrots and the lettuces were so fresh and so sweet. One bite and you can taste the difference. One bite and I wanted to sing an aria. Then I read that Sicily is home to the sweetest tomatoes in the world. So this March I went to Sicily in search of the sweestest tomatoes in the world. I found it. I had the best tasting salad in Sicily. Some nights at dinner I had a simple salad of radicchio, finichio and romaine lettuce and it was so good. The tomatoes in the spaghetti a la pomodoro were so sweet. I don't remember a time when I had so much pasta; I have been to Italy twice before. I had pasta a la vongole, a la mare, a la sea urchin and of course a la norma and con le sarde. Vincenzo Bellini, the composer was from Catania, Sicily and his opera 'Norma' was a dedication to Catania. Catania, in return, dedicated a dish to him, spaghetti a la norma which is really spaghetti in a sauce of eggplant and tomatoes. I had a lot of that while in Sicily. I had a lot of spaghetti with sardines or 'con le sarde'. I had grilled seafood for the secondi almost every night. Some nights, I'll have a 'carne arroste', some mixed grilled meat. They have a way of grilling which is so delicious. I'm a teetotaller, a pity, so I didn't get to taste their wines which I heard is very good. I drank a lot of fizzy mineral water instead which was very good too. After a whole week, I finally got used to eating dinner after 8 pm. Like all the other tourists, we would be looking for a restaurant to eat dinner between 6 and 7 pm, only to find that they don't open till 8 pm. That was the hardest thing to adjust to.
Every morning, if my hotel didn't include breakfast, I would be standing at a bar drinking a capuccino and eating a cornetto with a whole bunch of Sicilian men. They would come and go, order an expresso, drink it in one gulp, chase it down with some water and off they go. Here we are, my sister-in-law and I, 2 Asian women among all these Sicilian men. I felt at home. I wasn't intimidated.
On the way to Acireale to see the duomo one day, we stopped at a roadside market stand and bought some pears and mandarin oranges. I'll never forget the taste of that pear. It was the most delicious pear I've ever eaten. It was ripe but yet still very firm. Wow! In Palermo, at the Vucciria market I bought some alpine strawberries for one euro. They were so good. In California I pay $5 for the same thing. I've seen them in France and at 5 euros, I had to abstain.
There's a huge variety of Sicilian pastries, the names of which eludes me. I like Cassata. Everything seems to be filled with sweet ricotta cheese. They make colorful fruits out of almond marzipan. Some desserts are made with pistachio marzipan and have this pretty green color and very delicious. They were celebrating Saint Joseph's day and they have this special pastry for it. It is a fried choux pastry stuffed with sweet ricotta cheese and absolutely wonderful. The celebration lasted a whole week in Agrigento and we couldn't get enough of that pastry. It disappeared from the shelves at the end of the celebration.
Finger food, we had a lot of - little pizette or mini pizzas and some kind of foccacia bread and arancino. Arancini are fried risotto balls with either a ragut filling or ham, cheese and peas filling- very delicious. The bread in Sicily is so good. I could exist on Sicilian bread and fizzy mineral water. In Catania, we walked a long way through some dark alley, to this restaurant which served pretty cheap food but we went more because we loved the dinner rolls and grisini (bread sticks) that they put out. We went there three times for dinner.
In Catania, we asked the hotel people to recommend a tratoria that is 'molto buono'. He did and it is a terrific trattoria, no tourists, only locals. We saw ordinary locals and men in suits eating there. When you enter, you see a display of all kinds of seafood, like a fish market on a smaller scale. You are supposed to pick your seafood, whether a lobster, a slice of tuna or a whole fish. Then they weigh it and charge you according to the weight and cook it the way you asked for. We saw this man in a suit, eating boiled shrimp for an antipasti and a braised whole fish for secondi. He peeled his shrimp with his hands, then when the fish came, he dunked some bread in the sauce and with his fork picked at the flesh and ate. Wow! He had an Italian suit on. It is fascinating to see how the locals ate. Sometimes we asked what they were eating. In another table 2 men in suits were eating some other unfamiliar food.
In Palermo we found a fast food place serving Sicilian specialties. We ate there twice. It is across from the Palermo cathedral.
I can't wait to return to Sicily.

just for today, be happy

It's another lazy sunday. The weather is gorgeous. I'm am in my backyard writing this, with a straw hat on my head. The sun is gentle on my skin and there is a light breeze blowing. I just finished my lunch and my cup of tea. Lunch was a slice of French brioche that I got from the farmer's market this morning and a sald of radicchio and finichio. The salad reminded me of Sicily. This was the salad we ate most evenings. I've been back a week now after spending two marvelous weeks in Sicily. I love Sicily. I love the Sicilians. When I told friends I was going to Sicily. Everybody asked, Why Sicily? Would there be enough to do on this small island? Two weeks wasn't enough. I met this German lady who's on her third visit, this time a slow three week trip. I want to return to Sicily and do a slow three week trip. There's so much history. It's history starts in the 6th century BC, imagine 2600 years of very rich and varied history. It is Italy and yet not Italy. Before I embark on any trip, I do very extensive research. I read everything I can before I leave and I write out the highlights, places to see and food to try. It is expensive to travel and I need to get value for my money, time and effort. I take lots of photographs. I ran out of power in my digital camera, so I resorted to disposable cameras. Every night I write down the day's highlights. If I have time, like while waiting for churches to open, I draw. I always bring along sketching paper. I try not to miss anything at all. This trip to Sicily was pretty wild. It was very exhausting, there was too much to pack in; my sister-in-law and I were rushing everywhere. I'm waiting for my new laptop and printer to arrive, so I can show some of the photos. Just for today, I'm chilling and planning my next European jaunt. If you've never been, you've got to go. The weather might be unpredictable in January, February and March but the airfares and hotels are cheaper and there is less tourists around. People are traveling in spite of terrorism and high airfares. Europe can be crowded. It rained half the time we were there. Bring a raincoat, bring an umbrella. Just go. Save up, walk, don't drive, take the bus, work an extra job, drive the old car. Do whatever it takes to save. Learn about being an independent traveler. I did, I used to travel alone. Now my sister-in-law wants to tag along. That's OK. I'm in my 50Th decade, I still stay in youth hostels. Right now I'm trying to squeeze out as much joy out of life as I can.

sicily 2

Palermo- once experienced, never forgotten. That's the motto of Palermo. It is true of the whole of Sicily, a small island but with a history as ancient as the ancient greeks. The ancient Greeks settled on the shores of Sicily and had thriving communities there; they built massive temples to their gods and amphitheatres that seats up to 19,000 people. Ancient Rome fought the Carthaginians (modern day Tunisia) over Sicily in three punic wars. Two adventuring Frenchmen from Normandy, France established their kingdom in Sicily and built cathedrals and castles of immense proportions and beauty, borrowing from Arab and Byzantine influence. The mosaics in some of these churches is second only to those of the Haggai Sophia in Instanbul, formerly Constantinople. Sicily was associated with various christian crusades and with the Knights Templars. Over the subsequent centuries they were ruled by a whole hosts of other Europeans. While being a land of immense wealth, the wealth was concentrated in the few landed gentry. The rest of the Sicilians were poor contadinas. The land is still being farmed by small farmers, no big tractors, no massive trucks to haul produce picked too soon. The salads on restaurant tables were probably picked the same morning- at least they tasted like they were. Sicily is in a class of its own- wild, yet one can find respite. It has everything- beautiful monuments, lovely people, incredible food and quaint old towns. I am still being asked, after returning, why Sicily? It was a trip to Southern Italy the year before that made me decide on Sicily. The movie, 'The passion of the Christ' made me take that trip to Southern Italy, to Matera where it was filmed. While in the south, I visited the Baroque city of Lecce. I couldn't get enough of those cute Baroque buildings. I read that most of Eastern Sicily was rebuilt in the Baroque style after the big earthquake of 1693. On further investigation I realized that Sicily is the place to go for a Baroque aficionado like me. Then plans were made and off I went. Did I see Baroque? Sicilian Baroque is in a class of its own. Sicily is her own persona. It does not apologize for its state of poverty and decay; it does imitate mainland Italy. Sicilians are Sicilians first and Italians second. They travel on a Sicilian identity papers, not an Italian passport. I left my heart in Sicily. Why not Sicily?

sicily

I wrote this while waiting for my flight in Rome Fumicino airport. I just flew in from Catania, Sicily. I'm going to Paris to catch another flight for Los Angeles. Three flights altogether before I finally get home. Two weeks ago I was heading the other way, landed in Catania late at night. It was raining and it was cold and wet, I thought, Oh no, this is going to ruin my vacation. My sister in law came on a different carrier and arrived at 1.15 am. The first sight of Catania was terrifying; it's an old and moldy city and in the dark, it looked even more ominous. . We stayed in a hostel which is a dilapidated pallazo. One can almost expect the Adam's family to appear and greet you. It rained the next day too but it didn't stop us. We took the train to Taormina and to Acireale. It was fun. For the next week, we had great weather. Siracusa is a beautiful Baroque city. From there we went to other Baroque towns namely Noto and Ragusa. We had great weather for visiting Agrigento, a city with a long Greek history. We had great weather while visiting the valley of the temples - temples built by the Greeks some 2600 years ago. It started to rain again while we were in Palermo. Palermo has some incredible churches- Monreale, Palatine chapel, La Martorana and a whole host of others. There were all so immense and absolutely gorgeous. The rain didn't relent for our last two days in Catania. We took the train, the circumetna that stopped at all the little villages that ring the bottom of Mt Etna. Mt Etna was covered with snow and in the towns at higher elevations, the rain turned to snow. There was an accumulation of snow. It was so wonderful; everything was nice and green. Mt Etna is a very active volcano; it has erupted many times even recently. There is evidence of it everywhere. There are fields of lava rock all over the mountain side. The villages that was destroyed usually rebuild. Even the railway has to build new tracks. Some even use the lava rock to build houses. The surrounding area are undulating hillside and are all grown with fruits, vegetables and olive tree, The food is so great- pasta, bread, salads, seafood and pastries. I think it is paradise on earth. Sicily is as luscious as the pear we ate that was grown in Adrano, a little village near Mt Etna. I strongly recommend visiting Sicily.

traveling alone

I feel like a gipsy. I love feeling like a gipsy. I was at the farmer's market in Santa Monica again. It is my weekly haunt. Today I went to the bank to get some Euros for my trip. I walked outside the bank and sat on a sidewalk to count the money that the bank teller gave me. Here am I in tatty clothes and tussled hair, counting out E1,000. I prefer to use cash when I travel, so I wouldn't have these pesky credit card bills following me home. I look like a begging gipsy and I love it. I guess that's why I love traveling so much, there's the anonymity. The exchange rate sucks so bad. I don't think the bad exchange rate and high ticket prices have stopped people from traveling. I called Air France just now to secure a seat assignment. The agent told me it's a full flight and all the window seats are taken. Fine with me, I'm an aisle seat person. I remember my first trip to Paris. It was at the same time when I spent Christmas in London with family. I took Eurostar and headed to Paris. It was pretty intimidating, it was cold and gloomy and everything was new. It was a very liberating experience. I watched French people going about their business, I listened in on conversations in French not understanding a word. No matter. Paris is supposed to be a romantic city for couples. It is just as magical being there alone. There has been lots of other first, to Provence, to Sevilla, to Rome, the list goes on. This Saturday I'm embarking on my 14Th trip to Europe, to Sicily for the first time.
Ciao, a tutti!

memories of French food

I never had any budget big enough to eat in restaurants with Michelin stars. Most of my food experiences are in simple restaurants, cafes and street corners. They are, nonetheless pleasant memories of very tasty food. I remember clearly this slice of quiche with an incredible smell and taste to match. The smell of that bacon used in that quiche was so fragrant. It is forever etched in my mind. I will never forget. I remember the young frisee lettuce in Spring found in salads all over France. I took my two young nieces, they couldn't appreciate it, so I ate all their salads and craved for more. "Mesclun" is the name they use. We get them here in our supermarkets but it is nothing compares with their French counterparts. When in France, I make sure, I never pass up the chance of buying some calixsons for personal consumption. They are little cookies made of almond paste with a layer of royal icing. I love them. While in the Dorodgne area of France I tried the delicious 'aligot', a dish unique to that area- it is a mixture of cheese and mash potatoes. It was served with duck confit- the platt du jour that night. In the same town, over lunch, we had already devoured a few servings of 'escargot'- snails, cooked in a delicious butter sauce which we sopped up with lots of French bread. MMMMM good! I remember my first trip to Avignon; there is this patisserie that makes the world's best Florentine cookies, so rich and chocolaty! I've had really incredible rustic food bought at farmer's markets- the homemade sausage, fat and juicy eaten with a rustic farmer's bread roll. In Bayonne, one year, I went to a Moroccan restaurant and had lamb tagine with couscous. That was an fascinating experience. I remember another favorite, french yoghurt. It taste so different from any we get here. It is so much more delicious. It was in Nice that I ate my muesli with yoghurt. I tried to recreate the experience at home but it failed the taste test miserably. I could go to France to just eat muesli with French yoghurt. If you've been in a French supermarket, you can find a vast array of yoghurt in cute little glass jars. C'est bon! Of course, mai oui, there are other memories but these are the standouts! The Caussolet and all the cheeses and tarts and macaroons...........

doodling

Make each day your masterpiece. Life is now. John Wooden

Life is not a dress rehearsal. Unknown

You've got a problem? Good! W C Stone

"Come to the edge', he said.

They said, 'we are afraid.'

'Come to the edge,' he said.

They came.

He pushed them.

And they flew."

Guillaume Apollinaire

"It is our duty to proceed as if limits to our ability does not exist." Teilhard de Chardin.

go confidently

in the direction of your dreams. Live life as you imagined. The daffodils I bought yesterday have all opened. I love daffodils, even the name "daffodil" evokes magic and romance. I took these pictures yesterday and I thought I shouldn't waste them; I should use them like what I'm doing now.

lay not treasures on earth

It has been a tough few months. It is never enough what I do for my job. Lately I have been plotting hard on an exit strategy. I previous days when I felt I still need this job, I would read books like, "How to take this job and love it", plus a whole slew of others on how to enjoy work, how to put more into it, etc. It's hard. Now I read "Your money or your life" plus a whole slew of others on slowing down, on being more frugal so as not to need to work so much. The days ahead are going to be really tough, more is never enough. We can't drink enough coffee (Starbucks); eat enough burgers (McDonald's); drink enough sodas (Coca cola); live in bigger houses with a professional kitchen (Home Depot). These stores need to grow and they are going into every area of this planet earth. Where is the growth coming from? We need more sick people so we can fill more prescriptions (I'm a pharmacist)! The stock market fell more than 400 points yesterday. I'm celebrating, not because I hav no exposure, I do. I celebrate because I know how foolish it is to be so dependent on something so unstable and volatile as the stock market. The time is now to reassess our relationship between work and money. The bible says, "do not lay up treasures on earth which moths can destroy and people can steal, instead lay up treasures in heaven". Doing good for ourselves and others is a divine treasure. I read somewhere that treasures in heaven means our stock of virtue. Increase these stocks- love, kindness, honesty, diligence, patience, wisdom, knowledge, etc- and we can never fail even though the stock market crashes and burn. We can use our wit to climb back up. Emerson said, "There is a silent party to all our bargains". The bible says, "on the mountain of God, it shall be provided- Jehovah-jireh". Emerson also said, "There is no penalty to virtue; no penalty to wisdom; they are proper additions of being.... There can be no excess to love, none to knowledge, none to beauty...." There can be an excess to coffee stores, burger stores, Walmarts and Home Depot's. Decide today how you want to live. Gas prices went up again. Have you changed your driving habits? Are you still deciding on a truck even though you don't need one? Are you still shopping for more stuff? Are you paying for stuff to be stored? Why?

living it up

I used to live my life through Martha Stewart and through magazine spreads. I don't anymore. These days my life is a feast or a magazine spread itself. It is not fancy but it is outright frugal and beautiful. Danny Gregory's philosophy is "every day matters". It does. I have accumulated enough knick knacks which I use in my daily life whether for mealtimes or for leisure and I arrange things so that my life is the epitome of a magazine spread. "Parisbreakfasts" is a blog which has pictures of Paris' stores and coffee shops. Why? Why don't you stage your life as it you live in Europe. A cup of coffee, a few slices of brioch and some freh flowers on a lace draped pine table in my dining room and "viola" I'm transported to France.

living it up

The time is now!

The time is now, to travel to far away places like China, Tibet or Europe. It is time to save now for such endeavors. The time is now to heal broken relationships. The time is now to plan for a life after retirement. The times is now to prepare to take a year off. The time is now, to be, to do and to take risks. It's another lazy Sunday morning. I love being home, home in this adorable cottage filled with the things I love, my books especially. Books that point the way for me; whether it is the bible or a commentary written by the brilliant theologian, William Barclay or art books or journal writing books or travel guides or travelogues. I love Michel Peissel's books on his travels to the Tibetan plateau or the obscure Himalayan villages. I love Amy Oakley's accounts of her travel in France in the 1920's. I love Robert Louis Stevenson's account of his travel in France with his donkey, Modestine. I love Paul Tournier's book "The adventure of living"; a book that was instrumental in how I live now. Of course the time is now to embark on the adventure of living. The time is now to "think and grow rich" (Napoleon Hill). There's nothing like sitting in a cute coffee or "the" shop in France, it doesn't have to be in Paris though it could be. (Read Parisbreakfasts blog- it's all about Paris). I remember fondly my last day in Toulouse two years ago. I walked around town and found this pretty tea room. I sat down and had a coffee and a croissant and knew that I'm living the life I want to live. When I close my eyes and whisper, Tuscany, I remember the glorious Tuscan countryside and Florence. I was in old town Orange yesterday. It is a sleepy little town in Orange County filled with antique shops. I came home with a picture frame. As I write this piece I'm looking at something I found in a journal writing book, It says: be a collector of all things unique
- thoughts
- ideas
- feelings
-dreams
-favorite things
- memories
Be your own research project.
A letter from my bank arrived yesterday informing me that they will renew my CD for another three months. That's the kitty for when I take a year off to live in France. The time is now to prepare for that gap year. I am in my 50th decade but the time is still now!

How to afford travel I

Polly Evans travels and every trip she takes is turned into a book; whether it's cycling in Spain (It's not about the tapas) or a few months in China (How to eat a fried egg with chopsticks). I have to find a way of paying for my wanderlust besides working at my job. I don't just travel alone, I want to bring along my 2 teenage nieces. Ashley has already made me promise to take her to Tuscany in 2008. So I have to find ways to make more money and also to save more. I'm already so frugal, pinching the penny so tightly that the president on the penny is wincing in pain. I love reading stories of frugal people to see if I can learn new ideas on saving money. Affording foreign travel starts at home:
- brown bagging lunches
- walk, run, no expensive gym memberships
- thrift shops or garage sales for clothes and furniture
- less TV, TV watching increase our need to buy and own
- limit Internet surfing, surfing the net takes up a lot of time
- work more, take up another job
- hold a garage sale
- read more
-write in a journal
- look through old photos
- don't go to the mall
- no movies
-no eating out
- use the car less, walk to get groceries
- wash your own car
- color your own hair
- use drugstore cosmetics, no expensive cosmetics
I am already doing all these and more and it is working.
Now I am going to stop my Internet use. I'm going to sell my Amgen stocks and buy Wells Fargo.
Ciao!

courage

It is not being fearless. I have courage and have felt fear in my life but have gone on to do the things I fear. I have moved out of state thinking it was what I want to do, only to find out I didn't like the state I moved to. I have found the courage to move back. I have traveled to unfamiliar places, with great fear and trepidation, only to realize there were no grounds for my fears. Courage and fear goes hand in glove. Many people are paralyzed by their fears and have not been able to move ahead. They entertained the many unanswered questions,"what if?". Most of the "what ifs" never happen. I have constantly felt fear in my life but have gone on to do the things I want to do, never letting my fears stop me. I plunged into marriage and have found the courage to end it when I felt it will never work the way I want it to. I've quitted my job a few times when the going was too tough and have returned to the same job each time. It's a gutsy move, maybe not a smart one. Life takes guts; it's gutsy people that move ahead. I have invested in stocks not knowing a thing about stock analysis and have done well. Years sgo I decided to move up in my neighborhood. I went to the bank and qualified for a $350,000 home loan and bought a house for $500,00. It was scary; I wasn't sure if I bought at the height of the market. One can never be sure. If we wait to be sure, opportunity will pass us by. Even in today's housing slump the house has doubled in value. I have shown it off proudly to friends who were always too afraid to buy a home. The trick is not to buy too much home and have the payments overwhelm us. There should be the apportionment of funds to varying activities, eg: living and house expenses, gifts, books and travel. This makes for a fun life. Courage takes faith, faith in time. It is hard to get rich quick but it is easy to get rich slowly. Faith in time is the most important ingredient. We are impatient. We refuse to put seed into good soil; nurture our crops and work at it till harvest. As surely as harvest time follow seed time, prosperity will follow diligence. "THe mills of the gods grind slowly but they grind very fine." I have struggled with patience but nonetheless, I need to continue to be patient. Every day is a struggle to go to work; I struggle to be frugal; I struggle to be positive and the list goes on. I'm winning the battle because I do go to work, I do save and I do remain positive and patient. I'm surprised by the struggle. I'm surprised at how tough it still is after all these years; that it doesn't get any easier. Enough time to allow seedlings to grow and fruits to ripen for the harvest. Enough time to make a big mistake seem small as time goes by, like losing $90,000 in a business venture. There are no failures if we are willing to learn. We feel such fools but everyone gets burnt sometimes. They overcome by learning from the mistake and allowing time to rebuild. I have grown and I forgive myself and have the courage to move on and up again.

old books

I own some old books printed in 1910, 1927, 1936, 1945, well before I was born; books written before and just after WWII. Travel books, no less, it's hard to imagine travel in those days but people did travel and wrote about it. Amy Oakley, an American went all over France with an illustrator. I guess it was hard hauling around trunks full of luggage and a chunky camera; it was easier to bring your illustrator with you; he can walk on his own. No matter, the descriptions of their trips were no less enchanting than modern travel. In fact, they were more delightful. She went to more places; more off the beaten path places; I guess in those days, most places are off the beaten path. In the introduction to her book, "Hill-towns of the Pyrenees", she wrote,"The impressions recorded in this book have been amassed by the author and the artist during three summers in these mountains, before, during and since the world war." Places like Amelie-Les-Bains, Castell'nou, Palalda, Andorra, Luchon, Val D'aran, Lourdes, Pau, Tarbes, St. Jean pied de port, Bayonne and Biarritz are not familiar names. Some of us have heard of Lourdes; Catholics certainly have. So really, till today, there are still places yet to be explored. I'm planning to retrace Amy Oakley's trips to the hill-towns of the Pyrenees. I have been to the Pyrenees on the Atlantic coast. The Pyrenees is the mountain range that divides Spain and France. The treaty of the Pyrenees stated that the tip of the mountain range is the boundary between the two countries. It is an interesting mountain range that stretched between the Atlantic Ocean at one end and the Mediteranean at the other. I was interested in the pilgrimage from St Jean pied de port to the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela in Spain and that was what brought me to the Pyrenees Occidentales, to Bayonne, Biarritz and St Jean pied de port. This is the Basques area of the Pyrenees and a very interesting and delightful area. While on the same trip I was in Toulouse and had the opportunity to take a day trip to Foix in the Arriege department of the Pyrenees. I do want to see the Pyrenees Orientales (the Mediteranean side). It is amazing what books can do. They can open up a whole new world, places that till today remains much a mystery. There's still a world out there that begs to be explored!

wolfgang puck

Spring comes early to Southern California. Today is Valentine's day and the farmer's market in Santa Monica was filled with flowers and people buying flowers. I love this time of the year. The sun is shining, it's always shining here but it wasn't too hot. I love going to this market, the wednesday's market because it is lively and busy, reminds me of France. There's always someone with a camera or a group of people shooting a host of some show on a cable show. Today was no different except I knew who the person the camera was pointed at. It was none other than Wolfgang Puck, the famous Austrian chef and chef to the Oscar party. He was shopping for the Oscar party, ordering some 50 bunches of some black radishes which he is going to serve with a caviar dish. I and a whole bunch of other people stood and watched as he chatted with the farmer while his crew was filming. He picked up some pea shoots and started eating and I walked over and said to him, that I didn't know you can eat raw pea shoots. I picked up some and started chewing and remarked how sweet they were. We both laughed and I said I just learned something new today, all on camera. Wow!

a lazy sunday

A cup of coffee, a slice of Brioche aux raisins and an old English magazine, the backyard deck and a pillow.... mmmmm this is the stuff of a lazy sunday. Today is super bowl sunday and every one is stocking up with wierd food and beer and loud cheering. I'm staying home and am going to think of travels past and be excited about travels in the future especially the very near future.... like next month! It has been a hard week at work and tomorrow is another start to another work day. Please don't remind me. Let me just have today to work with. I'm going to head to the little farmer's market near my house and buy another loaf of Brioche. This french guy makes good Brioche, as good as the ones in France. It keeps well to, I eat it everyday. I love farmer's markets, it reminds me of Europe and I've been to a few in Europe. My first taste was in Aix en Provence 7 years ago. It sold everything including mattresses, I didn't any kitchen sinks. That first encounter sealed my fate forever, now I want to travel to Europe and wonder around farmer's markets all the time. In Biarritz, I followed some locals on their way to market. It wasn't a market but it was a village square where all the shops were. I went into a cheese shop and bought some cheese, a bakery to buy some bread, a deli for local freshly prepared local cuisine, a greengrocer for some fruits and a cafe for some jus and ... viola... I have a picnique lunch! Then I walked to the beach and sat just outside Emperor Napoleon III's palace and laid out my picnic lunch and ate while watching the waves of the Atlantic Ocean as they lap on to the sand. Wow! What's this got to do with a lazy sunday, everything, it's a time to recall a beautiful and delightful past and to look forward to more delights.

amsterdam

I was in Amsterdam in late August, 2006. I took the train, Eurostar from London Waterloo station to Brussels; changed trains and headed for Amsterdam. It is a town of waterways; there is water everywhere. It is pretty in its own way. Did you know there are mosquitoes in Amsterdam? With all that water, there's got to be mosquitoes. It rained the whole time I was there; 3 days to be exact. Thus adding more water to what's already there. The people spoke incredibly good English and were extremely friendly and that makes up for all the shortcomings of Amsterdam. From the pretty train station one walks down a very busy and touristy street. It was a weekend and it was packed with tourists. To see the real Amsterdam one must venture outside the touristy area. You don't have to go far, just turn outside one canal and you are there. It is a quiet and genteel and absolutely beguiling. You begin to feel like you could live there. There are cafes frequented by the locals and life is slow and unhurried. I took my 13 year old niece with me on this trip and all she wanted to do was to shop. I left her in the hotel room to read so I could explore on my own. It was an extremely pleasant stroll away from the madding crowd; away from the hustle and bustle of the touristy areas. We met some Americans; one couple was so helpful, they taught us how to ride the trams to museum square. I had lots of mussels, never ate so many mussels in my life. My niece was bitten by mosquitoes and had all these welts on her arm. We went to the drugstore thinking we could buy a tube of Hydrocortisone cream for the itching. We couldn't without a prescription. The ironic thing was, we could more easily buy marijuana without restrictions. We didn't go to the redlight district. It wasn't something that would interest a 13 year old. We did see some scantilly clad women in shopfronts from the train soon after we left Brussels train station on our way to Amsterdam. I still like Amsterdam and don't mind returning if just to go back to those quiet neighborhoods and just chill......

finding joy in the mundane

Can you? I guess if we follow a set routine we can live the mundane. Finding joy in it? I don't know. My parents are in their 80's and they live in Toronto. Lately they have become snowbirds and now spend the winter months in Southern California. Every weekend has become a party. I never remember a time when we got together so very often. My 2 brothers, their families and I. I told my brothers that every day my parents are alive is a gift to them and to us. We still have them here on earth. The time will surely come when we will be apart, not just geographically but permanently. We reminisce on our old days living in the jungles of Borneo. Those were very hard days, living in mosquito infested jungle, with no running water, no electricily and no indoor plumbing. We have come a long way, both geographically and in our mindset. With hard work and a lot of prayers one can achieve a life of one's dreams. My life now is filled with interesting pursuits, and active career, lots of interesting books(I found a copy of 'Iberia' by James Michener at a garage sale for $1 over the last weekend). I watched a remake of Jane Eyre on PBS the other evening and I rushed out to Barnes and Noble to buy the book because I want to read it again. I have just finalized all the hotel arrangements for my trip to Sicily in 5 weeks' time. The hotel in Palermo is E65 per night; the one in Catania is E55 and in Agrigento it is E75 for double occupancy because my sister in law is coming with me. Christmas came and went. It was a full house because my sister and family (total of 5) were here from New Jersey. I am continuing to write and to learn to draw. I am looking into places to visit for next year's travel schedule and investigation is fun and exciting. I read the history and find out as many reasons as I can to visit a certain place. This trip will only cover half of Sicily. I do want to find time to finish the other half of Sicily. My life is full and hardly mundane. My joy is overflowing....

travel the world

Air France, Alitalia, Air One, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Rome, Fumicino, Catanaia, Italy. These are words I'll be very familiar with by the time I embark on my trip to Sicily, Italy. I went on the internet and worked out an itinerary for myself. I'll fly on Air France from Los Angeles to Paris, on Alitalia from Paris to Rome and finally on Air One from Rome to Catania, Sicily. My sister in law is coming with me but she's booked on British Airways. We'll be exhausted by the time we reach Catania. I remember a similar trip to Seville, Spain. I remember I was in airports and planes for over 24 hours. I wasn't that savvy a traveler then; I could have worked out a better itinerary. I learned a lot from that debacle. Now I'm really good. With each trip I add on not so much frequent flyer miles (I never know how to use my miles so I don't bother) but greater knowledge about the travel industry. I went British Air's website just now, one can really fly cheaply still during the month of Febrary. So I'll look into traveling in February from now on. March is still cheap. The enigmatic Sicily. Few people has been to Southern Italy and the intrepid ones who's been there come back with as much praise for Southern Italy as for Northern Italy. We were in Southern Italy (the heel) last year and we had so much fun that we decided on Sicily this year. It's fascinating a place with a rich and complex history having been conquered and colonized by a series of different rulers- the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Carthaginians, the Saracens, the French Normans, the Spanish Bourbons, the German Hohenstaufen, and today being an autonomous region of a Unified Italy. Each 'conqueror' or 'conquering power' left their distinct mark on Sicily. A friend said, after hearing about our planned 2 weeks in Sicily," it's a small island". She meant we could zip through it in a couple of days. The truth is my plan involves just half of the island. I have to plan a second trip to finish seeing the rest of the island. That's how packed with notable sights Sicily is. I shall be bringing my digital camera and another cheap 35mm camera, my sketchbook and color pencils. I started learning to draw a year ago. I'm surrounded by art books. I shall come back with drawings of Mt Etna and lots of Baroque churches.
Ciao!

how to save money

I was at my brother's house last night. I brought back a bunch of leftovers which I will eat for a whole week. Well, that's one way of saving money. My sister in law and I were going over the itinerary for our upcoming trip to Sicily. I love reading stories on how other people stretch their dollar. I learn a lot and even though there might not be anything new, the articles reinforces my own commitment to saving money. She asked where I'll be going next becasue she wants to tag along. I said, Beijing and Lhasa in the Fall. Then she wanted to know when I'll go bck to France; we both love France. That set me thinking, next year, 2008 over Easter I want to take my 2 teenage neices to Tuscany. I have already taken them to France. Well, next Fall will be a good time to revisit France, especially the Dorodgne region. I, so love that region especially the quaint little village of Sarlat. I haven't been to Mont St Michel; maybe I'll incorporate Mont St Michel into the trip. The next question is "how to afford all these trips and the many more beyond....?' I really must devise lots of ways to save up. I used to jot down everything I spent. It is very effective, each time I open my wallet, I have to remember that I'll be filling up an entry in this book and it does make me pause to think twice before spending. So yesterday, while I was spending a whole day at home, avoiding the malls and other places of paid entertainment, I was entertaining myself, rereading some of my books and magazines and jotting down this list of ways to save money. This is a list of things I'm already doing. I need to continue reinforcing the message! With the unfavorable exchange rate for the dollar, it is hard to find a bargain in Europe. Saving for trips abroad starts and end at home! Writing this blog takes up time; keeps me occupied and it's freeeeeee!
pack sack lunch
walk
ride the bus
cook and eat at home
do not cook too much- eat leftovers
buy canned salmon for fish cakes
eat more vegetables
eat more fruits
no glossy magazines
don't go to the mall
sew your own summer clothes from old thrift shop clothes
stay at home- write in journal, reread books and magazines
dream on paper
wash car
read about thrifty people
do not save by taking advantage of other people
do not save by living off the largesse of other people
give to charities
avoid favorite websites- Amazon or Alibris, fast from these websites
no alcohol/soda
drink tap water
no movies or rentals
continue to invest in stock market, contnue to send regular checks to Schwab one account
continue to pay down mortgage faster

Sicily

I'm going to Sicily on March 10. I searched for months for a cheap fare but the best arrangement I found was Air France from Los Angeles to Paris, Alitalia, from Paris to Rome and Air One from Rome to Catania. My sister in law is coming but she's flying on other airlines for reasons I wouldn't go into here. It's hard finded any thing cheap. The only way to save on trips is to save for it on the home front. The new year means new travel plans. The first trip of the year is to Sicily. In October I'm planning to go to Beijing and Lhasa. I've been reading on all these places for the whole of 2006 and I'm ready. 2 weeks in Sicily. A friend said, But it's a small island! 2 weeks and my plans include sights in half the island. I have to plan a second trip to Sicily to include the whole of Sicily. My books on Tibet is burgeoning, most of these books are out of print books. There is a dearth of recent books on Tibet. Tibet, the roof the world, the land of snows, the land of the snow leopard, the land of the blue poppy. I have a book that had a picture of the blue poppy! Wow! It is a poppy! It is blue! It is so precious! As an English novelist wrote, it's either CB or MMM. That translate into cut back or make more money. I choose to CB- cut back. It is fun, saving money. I don't have the latest gadget in my home, I still have an old TV, circa 1994. I don't have a DVD/VCR or cable. I haven't been in a mall for years. I hate spending money on made in China widgets. I drive an older model car and only for going to work. On days off I walk or take the bus. I've paid for Christmas with cash. When I go to Sicily I will use cash, the pensiones I will be staying in takes only cash. When I return, most the trip if not all is already paid off. The airline ticket is going to be paid today. So it's going to be another year of extreme frugality so I can afford my peregrination. I'm planning for 2008 trips this year. Ciao! A tutti!