Libya Part I : Leptis Magna

Ok. So I never actually thought I would ever go to Libya but when my mom asked me I thought to myself why not? It just sounded like one of those really off the beaten road type of places that most people would never go to.  My first question was "what are we gonna see there?" My second was "are we allowed to get in the country?".

To answer my first question- to the rest of the world that wasn't banned from entering the country, the Libyan coastline is dotted with rich history- from the Berber people to the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire, they have all ruled Libya at one point in history or another.  In the early 1900s (prior to the former Gadaffi regime), Libya was part of Italy until about 1930.  It was of course a surprise that our driver spoke fluent Italian, remnants of the connections of the European nation not far across the Mediterranean.

One of the first places we visited in Libya is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Leptis Magna (now known as Sabratha), the birthplace of the Roman Emperor Septimius Serevus who ruled from 193-211. Much of the work done in Leptis Magna was carried out during the Italian occupation but there is still so much to uncover at Leptis Magna.  One of the nicest things about Leptis Magna versus more popular ruins like Ancient Ephesus in Turkey is that the tourist industry isn't as developed and thus you virtually have the place to yourself. Okok! enough history, onto the pictures already!

The most notable things to see at Leptis Magna is the Septus Severin arch. The thing is massive!

the Ampitheater

 In 2005, a group of Archeologists from Hamburg discovered a series of mosaics, kept intact and protected by mother nature as depicted below:

Uncovered mosaics overlooking the Mediterranean Sea

The Mosaic work from Leptis Magna is considered some of the best in the world

The Venus Forum

One of the most magnificent things on site is the Theater.  The degree to which this theater has been reconstructed is truly magnificent.  The fact that the theater overlooks the blue/green of the sea in the background adds a touch of je ne sais pas quoi that I have not experienced at any other ancient ruin.

Other things to see at Leptis Magna include the Septimius Serevus forum with its medusa like heads and the Roman Basilica with its intricate stone work around the doors. The immense size of the Roman Basilica is also something to marvel.  We spent a good four hours walking around but could have easily spent the whole day there.  

Leptis Magna is an incredible site to visit.  In addition to the site, the fact that it sits on the sea really sets it apart from other sites.  This is one of those must see sights as it is truly unparalleled and a hidden gem

Traditional Raclette in the French Alps

We are having a late winter here in Switzerland and there is nothing better during the cold of winter then having some delicious crusty burnt cheese.  The craving for some delicious Raclette reminded me of the little trip we took up in the French Alps to the Haute Breda Valley in search of some traditional Raclette.

Auberge Nemoz is an adorable family run restaurant/ chambre d'hotes nestled in between Le Sept Laux (Prapoutel, Pleynet and Pipay) and Le Collet d'Allevard. It's won plenty of awards from being recommended in the Michelin guide to being recommended by the Routard guide. Everything about this place has a personal touch, my favorite being that all the menus are hand written! The history of the Chalet is that it has been passed down for generations and built  and rebuilt(there was a fire) by the family.

Due to Raclette's heartiness of cheese, more cheese, potatoes and some pickles... and more cheese- it is typically eaten in the winter time and very traditional of any mountain top chalet restaurant.  Raclette in French resembles the word "Racler" which means to scrape and who doesn't love scraping bit of crusty burnt cheese onto their plates? 

Nowadays, everyone has metal raclette machines at home but at the Auberge Nemoz, they do it the old fashion way - in front of a crackling fireplace. The smokiness of the wood adds another dimension to the cheese that metal raclette machines will never give you. 

My joy of course was to watch the gooey burnt cheese getting scraped onto the plate.  It requires the server to pass quite often to rescrape every few minutes (or you have to patiently wait) but the warm gooey cheese is worth the wait. Raclette cheese is similar in taste to Gruyere cheese (click here for the previous blogpost on Gruyere Cheese) which is light, nutty and slightly acidic in flavor. 

The cheese is always served with potatoes and cornichons (thats french speak for mini pickles) and often times for you carnivores, a nice plate of charcuterie (prepared meets, usually of the dried variety like sausage, proscuitto etc). The Alps regions (both Swiss and French) are always full of dried meats that can keep over the long harsh winters. 

The Rhone Alpes Region, just like all other French regions produce some sort of wine or alcohol. Although the summer times are warm, the weather is (as you can imagine for a mountain region) milder and thus the majority of the wine produced is of the white or rose variety. We chose to go with a local bottle of Rose to go with the cheese.  It's pretty typical to eat any cheese dishes with white/ rose wine as the acidity helps to cut the heaviness of the cheese (trust me, when you think about the solid form of Raclette before you eat it, you will drink the wine to help cut the solid block of cheese in your stomach a few hours afterwards). 

The family also has horses with which they offer treks into the mountains with as well as adorable cats and bunnies.  Behind the chalet is a series of trails that take you into the mountains.  We had decided after our hearty meal to head towards the waterfall that was about a 20 minute easy hike in. We had a wonderful meal at Nemoz, with all of its' rustic charm and warm handmade touches. I keep on bugging my husband to go back -- hopefully he'll give in soon.

Taking in the fresh air of the Alps

I loved the carved wood details and pieces of Raclette cheese sitting on the fireplace

It's the Grinch!  

More carrots then this bunny can manage

Addresses

Auberge Nemoz

Hameau La Martinette

38580 La Ferriere

+33 (0)4 76 45 03 10

Grignan, Drome Provencal- a heavenly slice of Provence

Last spring, we had the chance to take some time off with some friends to visit the French department of Drome.  Drome is just south of Isere and just north of Provence.   The original idea was to stay as close as possible to Valence and visit the Valhrona chocolate factory (again).

 I did some research on some "Chambres D'hôtes" (that's french for B&B) and "Gites" and since we were a large group of 10 (silly me, I made the reservation for 8, thank god the Gite still had space), there were only a few Gites that could accomodate all of us.

Yeah that's our laundry

A Gite is basically a series of Chambres D'hotes put together.  A Gite can be a stand alone house, or a connected house with our without a kitchen. The one that I settled on was La Croix du Gres- the location was a bit far but the website and photographs convinced me that it was the way to go (*ahem importance of having a good website). The complex is run by Noelle and her partner Sid with the help of Noelle's children and really super friendly son.  The complex is completely interconnected and consists of 2 houses and a series of Apartments with kitchens and rooms without kitchens.  Noelle, her family, the dogs, cats and horses also offer home cooked meals, horse rides, an outdoor pool, lots of lavender, rosemary and thyme and super knowledge of the area and a whole lotta hospitality.

Nothing beats a sunset dinner overlooking the French countryside

The Gites were extremely charming and impeccably decorated.  Most of the wall art was created by Noelle's grandfather who also built the Gite(s) himself. The Gite also features an enormous Salon or living room that houses a huge fireplace and more amazing art.  Noelle and her family offer dinners in the living room where guests help to prepare the food that is cooked in this gigantic fireplace.  It's amazing to think that her grandfather put everyone of these gigantic stones into place.

We were lucky enough to make it to the local farmer's market in Grignan.  It has been a long time since I've gone to such a comprehensive market.  The produce was fresh, in abundance and just gorgeous!

Just a little peak at the amazing variety of food: naturally flavored wild honey, lavender, amazingly tasty saucissons, world famous Montmelier nougat, confit garlic (my husband tried a piece and didn't have stinky breath afterwards. he said it was mild and very tasty), asparagus and onions, olive tapenade 

...And of course cheese there was wonderful gorgeous cheese. 

 Tomme de Montagne is just a generic cheese produced in the French Alps.  The taste is generally mild and fat content is usually low as the rich creamy part of the milk is used elsewhere.








Cantal is from the Auvergne region of France.  The unpasteurized cheese tends to have a tangy butter taste.  I have been told before that cheese such as this one that uses the "winter milk" meaning milk that is produced during the wintertime when the cows are kept in the stables and fed hay, the milk tends to hold less floral/ herbal/ grassy flavors.  Also, the winter milk tends to have a higher fat content, and thus (as depicted from the photograph) the winter cheese does not become as hard as summer cheese. 

 Our favorite cheese, this unpasteurized cheese is usually quite hard (still bendable).  Made in the French Comte region of Alsace, many consider Comte the French version of Gruyere.  just like Gruyere, the flavor of the cheese is strong but not harsh with a slightly sweet tinge to it. The Comte we usually find at the grocery store is aged 12- 18 months.  this fine specimen of 24 months had a stronger flavor and the delicious Comte cheese crystals that are so coveted.  I had the pleasure of dining at Arpege in Paris and man, do I wish I could get my hands on some more of their 48-60 month old Comte.

Oh, did I mention that Grignan also happens to be voted one of France's most beautiful cities?

The Tuesday market is a MUST do so if you plan on heading down to Drome, plan to be there on a Tuesday morning.  We also highly recommend staying at La Croix du Gres.

Our visit to Drome was one of the best vacations I've had in a long time. The locals in Drome are incredibly helpful and nice and the food, mind blowing.

Addresses:
La Croix du Gres
26230 Valaurie, France
+33 7 87 02 80 36
Lacroixdugres.com

Marche de Grignan
Every Tuesday 8am- 1pm

The Nestle Outlet Factory..

*Warning* I am not responsible for any weight that you may gain after reading this posting. thank you.




At the beginning of the school year, I did the Cailler- Nestle chocolate factory walk. A mere 3 miles from my dorm-- it was a gorgeous jaunt through the forest and into the little town of Broc. I learned my lesson the hard way-- consuming so much chocolate that my stomach.. very angry at me and my head very dizzy from the sugar high taught me to restrain myself the next couple of times that I went.

I also heard a rumor of a "Nestle Factory Store". I researched and researched-- with no address, just a short 4 year old posting on trip advisor about this so called factory store. My friend and I drove aimlessly around Broc trying to find this "unsigned, nondescript white building next to the train station" with no luck.

Then the other day, it dawned on me (I think I was in the shower where my MOST productive thinking comes about). Nestle-- has websites-- Nestle has lots and lots of websites and a million products that I wanted to make a point that Nestle and Kraft are taking over the food world using the same branding techniques and growth strategies).
So, are you ready? I found the Nestle outlet store.. In fact, in Switzerland, there are 15 of them. The one in Broc is-- not next to the regular Broc Station-- it is next to the Broc- Nestle station. As you drive towards the Cailler factory, if you just pass the factory-- the next building after on the left hand side is.. THE OUTLET STORE!

Most everything is cheaper, but not everything. They have certain items that go on sale.. much like my new favorite chocolate bar: Dark Chocolate with Coco Nibs (mmmm)



The best time to go is after a holiday.. when all the holiday chocolates go on sale- if you are just looking for chocolate and do not care if they come in funny shapes of past holidays...

alright. I will be nice... here is the address and website link to other nestle outlet stores. Again I am not responsible for any weight that you may gain from this posting...

NESTLE SUISSE S.A.
Fabrique de Broc / Nestlé Shop
derrière la gare fabrique
1636 Broc

Hours:
Mon-Thursday 10.00 - 17.30
Friday 10.00 - 17.00

It's Marron Time!

After a strenuous two weeks in Financial Accounting, the girls and I couldn't wait to take our road trip to Lugano, located in the Canton of Ticino in the southern, east region on Switzerland. Bordering Italy, Lugano is the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. The weekend coincided with the Autumn festival where chestnut (marron) season is just beginning.

One of the most pleasant surprises was that the headquarters for Münger a Panetteria, Pasticceria, & a Confetteria that has been around since 1923 was around the corner from our hotel in Paradiso. On our morning jaunt down to the lakeside, we stopped in to see what delectable delights the Panetteria ( bread shop), Pasticceria ( Pastry shop) & Confetteria ( Chocolate/ sweet shop) - Yes this one was ALL three combined into one.. had to offer.

It is gooseberry season as well as chestnut season in Switzerland. I was tempted to buy a whole bunch of these chocolate covered gooseberries along with the dark chocolate marron.. but was good and restrained myself.

Münger is really famous for their chestnut based treats around this time. The thing that most people get is the Panettone, a chestnut bread that looks like a giant muffin. The bread only lasts a day or two (well of course!) so I opted for the Marronitorte - something that was gonna last us a day or two for our stay in Praha (prague)

Münger's Marronitorte was a great treat for Cza and I. It wasn't too sweet, with the crust crispy but the torte itself very very moist. The torte had chunks of sweet chestnuts ( not marron glace) that lent texture to the soft moistness of the torte. It was delicious- with Cza and I having to do everything we could not to finish it on the first night.

Some more noteworthy chestnut treats for the season (from Münger as well) are the Vermicelles (chestnut puree of a a cream custard, topped with heavy cream) , Castagne E Panna - or in French Marron Glace- chestnuts macerated in sugar and liquor and lastly the Torta Pane- a chestnut cake with pinenuts- more like a cornbread sort of texture.

Did I mention that I LOVE chestnuts???

Münger

Three locations in Lugano:

Laboratorio Negozio + Tea Room

Via Geretta 7

6900 Paradiso - Lugano

Tel: 091-985-69-40

walk in bakery, pastry shop and chocolate shop

In the heart of Old Town shopping district:

Negozio + Tea Room

Via Luvini 4

6900 Lugano

Tel: 091-985-69-43

Negozio

Lungolago Motto

6815 Melide

Tel: 091-649-74-14

Lever Du Soleil

Cutting my trip to London short one day, I came back to watch the sunrise over Moléson Summit for the last time this year. We drove up to Moléson village and took the Funicular halfway up, then the cable car the rest of the way up. It had been pouring the previous days before- but I was excited knowing that the cumulous clouds would help give depth to this spectacular event.

Much like in Canton de Vaud - in Cully (studying in style post), there is a triangular view point indicator on the Sommet de Moléson. It's a bit of a hike from the cable car and main lodge but worth the view!
I somehow convinced my roomate to wake up at an ungodly hour after having to pick me up from Lausanne the night before (seriously, I got in at 8:30- the next available train to Fribourg was at midnight, then I would have to take the bus and get back at 2am) and wake up at 5 am to accompany me to see the sunrise in the freezing cold mountain top. I also need to thank her for being so tall and thus making such a slender, beautiful model for my photographs of the sunrise.

From my understanding, they only do this a few times a year starting in Spring/ Summer and extending through Autumn. You can check with the Moléson website to see what's going in the town and the summit. They post dates, hours and prices for the lever du soleil- so check back in the spring when the mountain isn't so cold and more feasible to watch the sunrise.

The Argentinian Donut

So,with all the traveling that I've been fortunate enough to do recently, I have to take a little detour from Taiwan. Not to worry, there is plenty more of Taiwan that I will be sharing with y'all.. but first.. tid bits from South America.
While in Beunos Aires, I didn't get the chance to find some facturas but.. I got close enough to the Argentinian version of a donut- the churro. Ok ok, so churros are actually from Spain, but I did the best I could with the time allotted ok (I didn't even get to eat my Gelato!!!)?
The original Churro was said to have been invented in the region of Castile (very grassy cow grazing land) with the churros curling to look like the horns of cows. For those of you who have tried to make churros at home, you will know that the long piece of dough instincively wants to curl resembling the horns of bulls. Typically a breakfast item, churros are sprinkled with sugar and dipped into a warm rich cup of hot chocolate.
So where does one go and get Chocolate con churro's? The most famous place to go is Cafe Tortoni, with over 150 years history in Beunos Aires- they are THE cafe of Beunos Aires and of most of South America for that matter .I have to admit- Cafe Tortoni's churro's are OK at best. Kinda hard, not fluffy and just a little eh. The hot chocolate on the other hand was delicious.
The hot chocolate.. oh the hot chocolate! in Argentina, they drink real Leche. None of this non fat, 2% skim, watery, tasteless, hormone pumped milk that we get in the US. You don't have a choice in your leche in Argentina- you get what you get. What you get is a delicious, rich , thick, milk flavored, creamy well.. milk! At Cafe Tortoni the hot chocolate may be a little sweet but it's so chocolately , dark and rich that one can't help but to finish all of the hot chocolate they bring to your table. Real milk makes real hot chocolate. honestly.
Even though the churros and the Argentinian donut experience was mediocre at best, the hot chocolate and in dad's case cafe con leche made up for it.

Cafe Tortoni
825 Avenida De Mayo
Beunos Aires, Argentina
54-11-43424328

It takes two to tango

Scenes from my trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina

Taiwan Street Food: Shao Bing You Tiao -燒餅油條 Sesame Seed Cake with Chinese Donut

Taiwan always has a nostalgic place in my heart, especially when it comes to food. The greasy smell of fried foods wafts through the air and makes your mouth water.

One of the most common things to eat for breakfast here in Taiwan is Shao Bing You Tiao(燒餅油條) with Dou Jiang (豆漿)- Scallion cookie oil stick with soy bean sauce (literal translation) or scallion pancake with chinese donut and soy bean milk.

the first pit stop the morning after arrival here to Taipei was to get a big bowl of Tien Dou Jiang (甜豆漿)(sweet soybean milk, warmed, no vanilla essence) and Shao Bing You Tiao. This paricular road side stall happens to be one of the most famous You Tiao makers in Taipei. Many of other restaurants like the one in Taipei 101 will come and buy their You Tiao because they are crispy, flaky, airy, and not overly greesy feeling You Tiaos.

Most people opt to eat the You Tiao ( if with sweet soy bean milk) wrapped in a Sao Bing or Scallion Pancake with a fried egg in between. As many calories as this breakfast was, I devoured the whole thing, savoring each crunchy flaky bite.


The salty sweet combination creates a taste known in Minnan (Taiwanese dialect) as "Gam gam"- an essential taste like salty is to western cooking and umami is to japanese cooking.

Location: Between Dun Hua North Road Section 1 , Lane 190 and Daa Ann Road, Section 1, lane 51.

Over the next few weeks, join me on my journey as I eat through Taiwan!!!

Brick lane

Also known as "Banglatown", brick lane is located in the Borough of Tower of Hamlets. The initial market first started in the 17th century as a place to buy produce. The Sunday Market also comes from this time. Nowadays, The Sunday Market is comprised of anyone- mostly students trying to sell off their belongings for some money. There are some pockets like the one off of this street (picture below- notice the writing in Bengali) which house independent artists selling their work.

Bricklane is also prolofic grounds for graffiti artists. This picture houses 2 different artists- the statue graffiti artists and this other artists who does close up of people's faces.

There are also numerous multicultural food stalls, and this great pizza place that has no plates and serves pizzas (with rocket or arugula) on big wooden squares. Everyone sits around huge rustic wooden tables on cardboard boxes.

Bricklane is also home to 93 East a bar that was the birthplace for the popularity of Tabla music and The Vibe Bar. It is also home to the Old Truman Brewery which has now been converted into a gallery and one can find very avant garde art there.

It's also home to a few space invaders!


14 down, 87 more to go!!!