March 2011
1 post
4 tags
Lamma, Lamma
After the madness of Macau, I was craving a little peace. And where better to go than Lamma Island?
It was just a very quick ferry ride from Central pier before I got to this…
Lunch was a leisurely affair. I sat at a table overlooking the harbour, basking in the sun and supping on sushi, ramen and tempura. Nothing better.
Having eaten my fill, I started on a long hike South across...
February 2011
5 posts
3 tags
Macau cacophony
Macau hits you like a tonne of bricks. It’s loud, it’s hot, it’s bright, it’s brash. It leaves you punch drunk and hungry for more.
We took the ferry and our first stop was an eye-opening, whirlwind tour of the ultimate in casino kitsch: The Venetian. Half an hour was enough and we were ready to move on to the real world and real daylight.
On to the market, where we were...
3 tags
Street kitchen
There’s something kind of yummy about Kowloon street food. I don’t know if it’s the atmosphere or the slightly we-shouldn’t-really-be-here vibe, but it’s good. Real good.
We ended up on some back alley late at night hunting out some serious dining. Diners lined the pavement, seated at greasy tables, puffing away at cigarettes and sucking on beer. Cars lined the...
5 tags
Dipping our toes in Aberdeen
We climbed The Peak on Boxing Day. On our way home, we decided to stop in Aberdeen, which is on the other side of Hong Kong island.
We took a break in a little park where men gathered with their pet budgies. It was either them taking their birds for a walk or the other way around. I’m not sure.
Right beside the park, we found this delicious vegan shop full to brimming with kaleidoscopic...
3 tags
Hong Kong Markets
If there’s one thing that’s exciting about Hong Kong (not counting the nightly light show), it’s the food. And while dining is pretty thrilling in and of itself, the best way to truly appreciate the food is to visit the markets.
We spent a heady afternoon in Wan Chai Market, where the stalls are virtually buckling under the weight of all the produce.
In the fish section,...
3 tags
Christmas in Beijing
It’s our last day in Beijing and our last chance to stock up on souvenirs. We left our hotel early and headed out to the nearest shops. It was beyond freezing: even my teeth were cold! Jean-Pierre was now wearing two scarves. I put on tights, leggings and trousers. Our cheeks were like apples and our noses cherry red.
We stopped for a quick snack on the side of the road and shivered as we...
January 2011
7 posts
5 tags
Not all dives are good dives
Today’s first stop was the yak yoghurt shack. It’s about a ten minute walk from our hotel and seems to always have a queue outside. I had plain yoghurt and Jean-Pierre had his with mango. And when I say yoghurt, it was really more like a white custard. It looked horrible - a thick skin on top and a jelly-like consistency - but it tasted like heaven. I almost felt sad we hadn’t...
5 tags
Modern Beijing
We work up early in order to visit the factory making one of Jean-Pierre’s sofa designs. It was a tough start as we spent the morning testing, analysing and prodding cushions.
Today was freezing and smoggy. The sun never really came through strongly and the moon was orange in its zenith. The smog, the traffic, the endless tower blocks, and concrete; Beijing really felt like a grey...
6 tags
Heaven and Hell in Beijing
We arrived at the lamasery after lunch. It was spectacular: shrine after shrine, each one housing a bigger, more impressive buddha than the last. Jaw-dropping paintings, decorative art, incense, sand sculptures; the place was awash with people and yet also peaceful.
From the peace of the temple to the throngs of the market place; we descended from Nirvana to the depths of the black market.
...
5 tags
Family ties
Isabel is 95 and sharp as a tack. She was born in Szechuan and lived most of her life in Beijing. Her son Michael’s English drifts in and out of Mandarin without, it would seem, him noticing. Raised in China, Mandarin is very much his first language.
Both my cousins are wonderful, welcoming, fascinating people. (To find out more about my cousins in China, there are plenty of articles and...
4 tags
Breakfast optional
Having had a swift and strange breakfast (croissants, dumplings and broccoli), Jean-Pierre and I headed off for the first drum performance of the morning. It was early, the sun and mist were rising. It was also cold.
The drum performance was high up in a tower overlooking the city.
It happens at regular intervals throughout the day and has done so for years. The drums large and full of...
4 tags
An epicurean Sunday in Beijing
We arrived at our hotel in Beijing at about mid-day. We’re staying at a beautiful, traditional inn called the Lu Song Yuan, which is situated on an old hutong in the city centre. My room has a four-poster bed and views out onto one of many courtyards around which the hotel unfolds. It’s cold outside and Jean-Pierre and I can’t seem to get our layers right - no matter how many...
3 tags
The start of a foodie inspired journey into Hong...
There is no room for being squeamish in Hong Kong. As I quickly discovered, certain parts of this city are not for the faint-hearted.
I woke up early on 18th December, having arrived at my brother Jean-Pierre’s flat in Kennedy Town at 2am and not gone to sleep until after 3am.
Rolling over in bed, here’s the wonderful view I woke up to:
On arrival, despite all the careful...
May 2010
1 post
6 tags
More photos and Thames Bridges Bike Ride
I’ve just been sent some more photos of my trip Ethiopia and if you think the blood, sweat and tears weren’t real, here’s evidence at last!
Here I am relishing in the dust:
Climbing mountains:
And generally working my behind off:
If you still don’t believe the hype, visit my Flickr account where you can not only see more pictures of my valiant (if hapless) cycling...
April 2010
2 posts
4 tags
Leonie's blog on Gimbie hospital →
When we arrived in Gimbie, we were given the warmest welcome by Leonie Penna, who had been volunteering at the hospital there for two months. She is a very senior obstetrician at King’s College Hospital in London and had given up her time to Maternity Worldwide to support their work in Ethiopia. We shared her bungalow in the hospital compound for two nights and learned more in that time...
5 tags
Notes from Ethiopia
It’s now a handful of weeks since I returned from Ethiopia and I’m finally settling back in to life in London. I had an incredible time in Africa and came away with a life-changing experience. The things I saw, the places I went to, the people I met - I will carry these with me always.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for being so generous with their...
February 2010
2 posts
8 tags
3 tags
Confession
Today, I finally admitted to having an affair. It was an awkward conversation, but I had to tell Gym 1 the truth. I had to admit that I’ve recently been seeing Gym 2. Obviously the news was hard to swallow. I just hope Gym 1 understands that Gym 2 is just a short term thing - a fling if you will. I’ve got to get my kicks while I can, you see.
Anyway, after that confession, Gym 1 and...
January 2010
4 posts
6 tags
Personal Trainer
So I met my personal trainer today and he’s set me on an intense programme with gym sessions Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, cycling 20 miles to and from work every day, plus long lazy cycles on a Sunday. That’s only two days of recovery a week. I’m exhausted just thinking about it!
For my eagle-eyed readers, you will notice that I am now actually a member of two gyms....
The Big Commute
So today was the first day I was brave enough to cycle all the way to work. It’s taken me a few weeks to build up the courage - it’s pretty scary out there!
I’ve been tentatively dipping my toe into commuting by bike for a while. This largely involved trialling sections of my route at the weekend. I really want to avoid the busy roads, so I managed to find a good route through...
3 tags
5 tags
Ode to an odometer
Today marks the last day of my holiday, which means I’ll be back to the grindstone in a pitifully short amount of time. I thought I might squeeze in one more ride before it’s all over - especially now that I have a new bike computer to try out. I set the odometer to zero and peddled out into the wilds of Brockley.
First stop Ladywell Fields: I raced down the hill into Catford where I...
December 2009
6 posts
9 tags
Books of the year
I’ve decided to compile a list of my favourite books of the year. As I was cycling today (out past Putney, along the Thames, through Barnes, Mortlake and Sheen - see atmospheric image of Putney Bridge above), I had a good opportunity to mull over my list. What would make the grade? And what, quite frankly, wouldn’t cut the mustard?
So, in no particular order…
Sweetness in the...
4 tags
Seasons Greetings!
I thought I would share some pictures of London in the winter. I was planning to post on Christmas day, but I was felled by a bit of a virus and am only emerging from my sick bed today.
The last couple of weeks have been all about snow and ice. My neighbourhood was blanketed in snow for quite some time - longer than I’ve ever seen in London. Going to work became a real slog. Here we were...
4 tags
Globo Gym - the Revenge
I went to the gym for my review today. Apparently I’m doing pretty well, which is a relief! They’ve given me three new weight machines and taken away three that quite frankly I won’t miss - including my arch-nemesis… the uppie-downie-arm machine. Urgh. Try as I might, I just couldn’t get the hang of it. So good riddance.
My exciting new machines include one where I...
14 tags
Cold hands, cold feet and festive cheer
Felix got his Christmas present early yesterday in the form of a new bike. We bought it off a friendly Spaniard and I swear it’s sturdier than a tank. It’s an old Trek Antelope 850 and it towers over my little (ironically named) Giant. We just had to take it out for a spin!
The weekend’s adventures started with my first foray into two new routes courtesy of the National Cycle Network. I...
3 tags
7 tags
Soggy Sunday
I went to Oxford this weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving with my dear friend Kathleen from Spokane, Washington. I brought my bike with me (not to dinner, but to Oxford) and took the opportunity to take in some countryside.
So on Sunday, in the pouring rain, I headed out on my little yellow bike. I took the towpath down past Iffley and away from the city, through the fields and villages, up hills...
November 2009
7 posts
4 tags
Ethiopia under the microscope
My new guide to Ethiopia has finally been delivered. It’s only a few weeks late, but it was worth the wait. What it lacks in pictures, it certainly packs in stats.
Here are some interesting titbits:
“Don’t leave home without… flea powder for cheap hotel beds and for socks when visiting remote churches”
“Just like your first kiss, your first taste of injera is...
Bowler helmet →
I’m about to buy a helmet. Do you think a bowler would go down well on the streets of Addis Ababa?
10 tags
Globo Gym
So I’ve joined a gym. Having not set foot in one for over four years, I’m back on the treadmill. Well, I should qualify that. There are no treadmills at my gym. There are also no TVs, no mirrors, and no music either. This is hardcore. You are there to work out, not - I repeat not - to flex your biceps in the mirror.
The minute I walked in to my new gym, I knew it was different....
Training starts here
Today was a good day - I finally got my bike! And I’m totally in love.
Here she is in all her glory:
It’s a beautiful 2010 Giant Dash 4. I haven’t got the full matching outfit yet, but watch this space for yellow shoes, silver leggings and white hoodies!
I really couldn’t have found the bike without the help of my knights in shining armour - Steve and Alex.
...
7 tags
Gold!
I’ve decided I might become a gold prospector. I think it’s in my blood! Not only did I spend the last week glued to California Gold Rush (an incredibly addictive iPhone game), I have also just finished reading In Search of King Solomon’s Mines by Tahir Shah. What a great book! I bought it to give me a taste of modern Ethiopia, but it seems it may have also given me a taste for...
Ethiopian Dinner Number 1
It looks like Ethiopian food may be an acquired taste.
As soon as our trip to Africa was finally confirmed, Daisy and I decided to celebrate with a traditional meal at Addis Restaurant on Caledonia Road.
The restaurant itself is pretty cute - scattered with trinkets and painted ochre with Amharic writing scribbled on the walls. We took to our table and glanced at the people around us as they...
October 2009
1 post
It's going to be a challenge...
I don’t have a bike.
I don’t have a bike and I’m about to begin the biggest two-wheeled adventure of my life. It’s finally agreed - it’s signed, sealed and delivered - come February 2010, I’m going to be cycling across Ethiopia. Together with Wheels of Gimbie, I have an exciting few months of planning, preparation, training - and no doubt cycling through the rain - ahead.
And why are we doing...