Mr. Pinocchio

"Why is your nose so long? Can I poke?"
"and why are u putting your wooden hands on my lap?"

Pinocchio is a Tuscan word for pine nuts
a character created by Carlo Collodi and every souvenir shops in Rome has Pinocchio
in every size imaginable

:))))))))))

Porchetta Ariccia

Look scary to you? but it was one of the most superb street food I had in Rome
it's called Porchetta Ariccia
Porchetta = the hog, domestic pig
Ariccia is a town 20km away fr Rome
*we had this in Rome, too far to go to Ariccia itself*

and so the hog was deboned, re-structured to be stuffed with layers of fat and meat and herbs
wild herbs such as fennel, rosemary, garlic were used.

then roasted over spit fire for hours...till the meat were juicy and tender
and the skin crackles
*oh yum!!!!*
usually eaten with panini.....and only panini alone
get them to toast it hot
and u select the sauce u want...could be mustard, ketchup...
but we choose this chili pickle that's almost like chicken rice chili sauce
that's heavy in garlic and lotsa lotsa sweet chilis.
eh...psstttt can u see the crackling crispy skin?
:)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
and u press them hard so it's easy to eat :)))))))))
the bread was so rustic with crispy crust
absorbed all the fats from the meat
my kinda food
:)))))))))))))))))))
JS quietly took this pic of Monkey savouring & devouring her porchetta
:)))))))))))))))

can't ask for more...
yummy street food with a view of a beautiful fountain
will blog bout the fountains soon....it's a very important fountain.

Porchetta Ariccia is so important that it's been declared as the traditional-agricultural alimentary product of Italy.

you can find Porchetta Ariccia at Piazza Navona
However this Piazza only comes to life in the month of December.
I think it cost bout Euro 3.50 per panini.
worth every morsel...

yes I know wat u readers been thinking...
I had it more than once
*nyek nyek nyek*
I m just too predictable :P

Turn down service

I do appreciate turn down service at most hotels...
coz I like favors created by hotels be it chocolates, sweets, jellies and other thoughtful stuffs
and how they folded the bed in such a comfy way :))))))
and also the weather forecast for the next day...

but it was really CUTE and FARNIE when I saw this :P
aiyoo!!!! Berr u got turn down service oso!!!!!!

at the beginning we thought he fell off the pillow...
but then the next day and the next and the next....
He can't be falling down all the time....

I have no idea why the maid turned him down every evening
this was surely an experience for Berr...
i wondered if she cleaned u up as well coz u r so dirty now

anyhow we left the maid wines, chocolates, biscotti and some Euros plus a msg on the day we left Rome....
with a msg...
"Thank you for taking care of our Elefantino :)))"

Pantheon, Rome

the nite we arrived in Rome...
Monkey already went to Pantheon :P
but it was so dark and full of tourists...it almost scare the shit outta me!!!

"How come Rome is so crowded??? there's so many tourists around!!! me no likey :((((((((((("

apparent those few days were some important christianity festival in Rome,
even the Pope came out :P
the back of the Pantheon facing another - Piazza de la Minerve
and our hotel is just around the corner....:P

JS: "haiiizzz we are staying so near like next door, can alwiz come back"
and we went back, not only once but a few times......
almost as many times as we stop by the Gelato kiosk
hehehehehehehe
can u see all the lil pigeons hanging out on the roof?
JS snapped this and I thought they were statues :P:P:P:P:P
so cun!!!!
Pantheon is a must visit in Rome,
must must must visit...

it was a temple in 27 BC built by Marcus Agrippa
before Emperor Hadrian built a church over it in 120
however it was not a Christian church until year 608...
long long story...if u wanna find out more pls google it.
all I could do was....
titled my head...
looked up...and muttered..
"OMG OMG OMG OMG so beautiful~~~~~~"
no men nor technology today can rebuild this again...
looked so different fr the outside eh???
never knew it could be this grand and huge inside eh?

it is the largest masonry vault ever built
and is SYMMETRICAL
the diameter is equal to its interior height
how the heck they calculated and built this with no cranes nor computer????
okie back to this pic again..
that's the dome with the opening called Oculus about 8.7m opening

at the beginning both Monkey & JS were arguing inside whether it's an open hole
or was there an almost invisible glass...
until we can hear the birds on the outside chirping beautifully
-_-" aiseh~~~~

so u must be asking wat bout rain eh?
rainwater enters through and drains way through 22 almost invisible holes in the marble floor

tomb of King Vittorio Emanuelle II

beautiful artworks and u won't believe the size of this place...
until u place notti monkey there :P
OMG I did not expect this....
this is the tomb of RAPHAEL!!!!
as in the architect and renowned painter RAPHAEL!!!!!! *1483 - 1520*
he was one of the great master during the Grand Renaissance period
alongside Michaelangelo and Leornado da Vinci.
we went on one of the Sundays and it was such peaceful moment
to hear all boys choir and organ playing~~~
u may find it weird that every church we went to...
we spent quite some time taking pic, lighting up candles or just simple sat there
and marvelled at its beauty of human civilisation
aaaAAaaaa it sure felt peaceful & harmony :))))))))))
holy water~~~~

Sexay Back Maggie kept on asking me to get her rosary with holy water
babe, dunno why I couldn't find...
even those ppl in Vatican said no such thing...
is it a scam that they are selling online?
so the only thing I could do for u is to sprinkle holy water fr Vatican city onto your rosary
which oso I bought fr Vatican City
*will do a long long blog bout Vatican soon....yes i know..soon..soon akan datang*
this door is so heavy it requires a few men to push it open
I still can't get over the beauty of Pantheon
so dun blame us if we have to make a pitstop there every morning when we walked past
:))))))))))

Pantheon
Piazza della Rotonda,
Rome.
Admission is free
Mon - Sat: 8.30am to 7.30pm
Sun: 9am - 6pm
*be sure to go early to beat the crowd*
** we were there at 8am for the church service and photography**
***believe me, u won't wanna take pic with ppl crowding + pushing around u***

Breakfast at Venice Train Station

this is the 1st building that greets u upon your arrival via train service
it was our day of departure and it drizzled the whole morning
guess Venice is missing us :P
breakfast the Italian way
pay for your drinks at the counter, then grab a place to stand by the counter and watch all the action goes by
then u dun even need the patience to wait for your coffee coz the service is so fast

Mr. Barista serving our coffes in no time....notice how many cups of espresso he's holding on to?

oh by the way this place is called Goppion Cafe
excellent cup of cappucino with no acidity at all!!!!!
JS and his porkie breakfast -_-

coffee was so good, we just stood there and enjoyed endless cuppas....

Berr!!! we r heading back to Milano :)))

Goppian Cafe,
Venice Termini,
Venice.

Bottega Veneta, Nappa Belly

this one...is every woman & man's dream
:))))))))))))))))))

off topic:
we stayed at this hotel with fashionista buyers of a fashion house
and we met each other every morning for breakfast *bumped into.... of coz*
and paraded our individual fashion taste/style to each other...in a very tasteful manner of coz.

JS: "Hey look, HE HAS A BOTTEGA BAG....tmrw u bring yours down OK???"
"Can u pls stop eyeing his beautiful bag...he noticed kay!!!!! and that's wat he wanted...admiration....so oh pls dun give it to him!!!"

and JS bought Monkey a Bottega bag
out of love of coz!!! kekekekekeke....nothing to do with the other fashionista who happened to be a bagaholic and shoeholic and apparelholic and I-Love-Myself-So-so-much-holic

but I couldn't get any Bottega for JS coz all his choices were RM 20k and above
*u vely vely discerning taste huh?*
the softest intrecciato ever!!!
the nappa belly....
*drools...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa*
** sayang sayang usap usap the bag**
OMG...this is my fav Bottega for the moment
*cabat is the other one :P*
**cabat is very cheap in Italy but I still kenot afford it**

and the color is so ME!!!!!

the men still call Bottega the Ketupat bag!!!!
*angry angry angry*

and last weekend I saw Si Fu Lawrence carrying one
-_-"
to do his marketing in the wet market
oh well that's another story...

anyway Nappa Belly Veneta Retails at Euro 1,280 = RM 5,632
*at Starhill Msia, it's retailing at RM 6,950*

www.bottegaveneta.com

Breakfast at Straf Hotel, Milan

yesssss cereals are very good for you....
i like to mix em up and have this funny sensation when it pops in your mouth
when it comes to milk.....greedy me alwiz opt for full cream milk
:P *spells FAT*
no...i dun like low fat milk, i dun like soy milk *come on, not for cereals*
and I dun like other weird milk like 75% less fat less watever
fruits pastries and NUTELLA a must have every morning!!!!

JS: "Do u know that u are eating butter flavoured with cocoa on tat thing????"
-__-
but I eat Nutella since I was 3 :P
comfort food :))))))))))))
well wat bout HIM???
it's parma ham and more prosciutto every morning
oh but Italian cold cuts are so nice and yummy and waxy
the fats just melts in your mouth
his fav food -_-"
u say I fat u lagi FAT!!!!!

We got our Dining Table!!!!

oh yessss...finally...it's worse than choosing husband I tell ya!!!
Read bout it here *click*

Christmas tree in Milan

this post is dedicated to my reader Elly from Labuan
:))))))

the superb 10 storey christmas tree in Piazza Duomo in Milan
they were trimming the trees on the day we arrived....and it looked so normal
after 10 days of re-trimming and installing new branches and tweaks with 3 cranes
the tree couldn't look any better

yes for goodness sake it's a real tree!!!!
they worked through weekends and through the blizzard cold just trimming it
and spent another few days merchandising and decorating it

well this pic did no justice because there's more deco to it and my tiny camera didn't capture it.
enjoy!!!!

Zucca in Galleria, Milan

the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II with all the must have brands innit
situated just next to Duomo Square and it's just right at the back of our hotel
*the hotel is just so strategic :))))))))))*

Zucca cafe was inaugurated in 1857 when the Galleria was opened
we just lurve to laze around here
gazed at the Duomo
and do ppl-watching
and also pak tor :P hehehehehe
usually Monkey settled for a cuppa of cappu Euro 4.80 = RM 24
one of the famous drink chocolate with really really fresh cream
Euro 8.10 = RM 40.50
the cream was oh my.....I can almost taste the cow
*wat the heck am I toking bout?*
JS's fav toast with parma and cheese Euro 5.30 = RM26.50
the cheese was not salty and went very well with the parma
bread was superb crisp almost brie liked
this Monkey alwiz opt for kiddy food :P
Ta-Da!!! croissant!!! not just any croissant but it's a special one
with special sugary toppings

and pineapple jam innit!!!!
oh oh oh eppy eppy day!!!!!
*chomp chomp chomp*
after all the misc it's back to business
and we ordered our usual everyday fuel - espresso
every shot cost Euro 3...
so if it's double then Euro 6
easy peasy fuss free
and they served excellent coffee

Yes the price is a premium bcoz the standard price for a shot is Euro 1 elsewhere...
but u come to Zucca for its total coffee exprerience with the poised waiter in crisp white uniform, their history and beautiful porcelains
and good coffee of coz :))))))))

music composer Verdi and Toscanini were their usual patrons
erm like hundred of years ago?

anyway Zucca is more than a coffee house it's an ICON and symbol
to any Milanese :)))))

Zucca
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II,
Piazza Duomo,
21 20121 Milano,
Italy.
Tel: +02 864 64 435
www.caffemiani.it

IL Luogo di Aimo e Nadia *2 Michelin Stars*

this restaurant really do have a long name
run by husband and wife team so we supposed that's their name
it took 20 minutes to reach by taxi fr Duomo
and pls do have reservation in advance like at least 2 weeks

JS is alwiz that serious when it comes to wine list...
we had 4 other restaurants with Michelin stars in a row,
and this was the 5th one...so I supposed it's either we were sick of food
or just craving for more with a more discerning standard.
after nites of Gaja.....finally we settled for something more "normal"
which was Bruno Giacosa, Barbaresco 2001
*if Mr. Giacosa is considered normal then we have no other Italian wines left to drink*

Bruno Giacosa occupies the south bank of Barbaresco hill in Barbaresco
I think this will make a good visit at our next trip

anyway back to that bottle...the nose was leathery with mineral tint...it later developed to a beautiful bouquet....
however the palate was not as elegant *as Gaja* and it was quite tannic...
well I kenot compare here bcoz both winemakers have their own style.
when Monkey was seated, before she could even flip her bag hanger,
Mr. Maitre D pulled the seat with one hand,
used his bag hanger on the other and hooked Madame Bottega before I can say NO.
-_-

I still prefer the bag hanger that Bagaholic Tracie got for me :)))))))))))))

their grissini were so good....thin and crispy with biscotti texture
amuse buche of red mullet with artichoke in a very good stock, topped with a tempura of some leaves
this one is to die for
soft simmered egg *from Farmer Paolo Parisi*
topped with lard from Tuscany with breadcrumb crust, served with sweet onion and fennel puree
the dollop beside the baseil leaves was the LARD
*ohhhh eppy days!!!*
oooo double happiness!!!!!
fresh pasta with white truffles from Alba, Piedmonte
JS had mackarel marinated in citrus juice and mussels from Taranto
served with salad of Fregola vegetables, aromatic herbs and porcini

crisp sole & scampi in buckweat flour dough with artichokes
flavoured with mints and red onions fr Tropea

JS said if I continue to eat like this....my face will be as round as the painting behind me :P

hexagon of pine nuts, coffee and cream
think this dessert was called KISSpetit four

can't see his eyes -.-

Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia
*2 Michelin Stars*
via Montecuccoli 6,
20147 Milano,
Italy.
Tel: +39 02 416 886
www.aimoenadia.com

Walkabout at Venice

truly sorry...
gonna be a busy morning, so just uploaded a post without wordings for u folk
enjoy the pics ya!!!!

Away notice.....

will be back very very soon....

like erm Tuesday :))))))))

Have a fabulous weekend folks

:))))))))

Prada Saffiano, Cruise 2010

whenever u r in Milan....Prada is a must buy!!!! :P
however I've laid my eyes on the latest collection before we were in Italy
so basically know wat I wanted...cept the color choice was a headache
Prada has a good mix of colors and I went with the mindset of getting the pink + white + dark blue mix
next headache was the different type of bags..
the clutch? the tote? the handbag? the shoulder bag? or the wallet?
GAH!!!!!!
I alwiz thank JS for being there to solve all my headaches and chose the col
that's MOST-ME!!!!

with perforated leather and hand stitched finish :)))))))))

it comes with a padlock and 2 set of keys :D

been 2 months since I got this so I can't really remember how much I got it for...
think it's around RM 4200 compared to Malaysia RM 5400

if u are asking already by now....yes I spent MORE than JS in Italy
:D
I'm the Champion :P for leather goods
and he's the Champion for household, fish roe, pasta, -_-" x 10000000
pots and pans...ermmm wat else? yeah designer households stuffs
one of those day....we went to a factory outlet in Rome and got some stuffs....
along the way..this Prada Travel Wallet in black Saffiano caught my eyes
and it was laying inside the glass display inside a massive huge factory outlets with everything u want
Monkey was like....."wat??? this can't be at the factory outlet yet???"
it's too new to sit here....and retailing about RM 2000++ in Malaysia
with like wat? 12 or 15 card compartments,
different currency holder and passport holder all in one
when Monkey saw the price...she told herself if she dun get it....she's soooo not gonna forgive herself...

it's F-king retailing at RM 450 OK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so i bought it without thinking 1st :P
then gifted it away
to dear Mr. JS

JS: "WAHHH i got new travel wallet!!!"

yep we got *I mean I got* other stuffs as well fr this factory outlet and will blog bout it soon.

Prada Prada Prada!!!!
dee daa dee daa dee daa
who's the happiest of all :)))))))))))))

Mak's Noodle, Hong Kong

can u spot Lil Monkey there on the right?
looking hi & lo for the wonton noodle shop
but then this one I can spot fr mmmmiiiilllllleeessssss awaaaayyy~~~
hehehehehehehehehehe
Mak's Noodle is one of the top wonton noodle in Hong Kong
and is famously known as Stingy Mak for its small serving of noodles

this shop runs for 3 generations and the 1st one actually
served its famous wonton noodle to Mr. Chiang Kai Shek!!!!

Mak's Noodle is so famous they have their own page in wikipedia
-_-"
dunk into the hot water......some kung fu required here...
then move the noodles into the cold water and shock it for a while
before dunking it back into the hot water....and he used the long chopsticks to swirl it around the pot...
at times he'll dunk the long chopsticks into a pot of oil.....and move the chopsticks back to the noodle
so confusing!!!!
oh yes the portion is really small but just nice for the two of us since it was..
ermmm snack???
it's HKD 28 = RM 14 for a bowl of wonton noodle
with the yummy crystal crunchy prawns wonton
I devoured everything including every drop of its pork + flounder bone soup

other things on the menu are
beef tendon noodles
beef noodles
prawn roe dry noodles
abalone noodles
and actually 20 other diff types of variety and we can't read chinese

Mak's Noodle
77 Wellington Street,
Central Hong Kong.
Tel: +852 2854 3810

I want!!! Berr wants!!!!

read why am I so crazy over these stools :))))))))
*click here to read*

Royal Langkawi International Regatta

JS Lightroom-ed my pics -_- make the sunset more dramatic :P
cun eh?
ever since we got the software, he's been hijacking the macbook for his 2nd outmost passionate hobby
*sob sob sob*
so back to the event....suppose we only stayed up late for the final nite with dinners and more socialising around...
on the final nite, the graceful Minister of Tourism came with her entourage
also the royalties were flown in with VVIPs
and we had dinner by the sea side on the deck
*lucky no mosquitoes*

the sober looks during after-party :))))))))))))

very very sober
these already halfway down the road...holding their drinks with one hand, dancing away
later.......when their feets can't balance no more.......u'll know
Baby Wei & Monkey chilling by the pool
this is our se-cu for the nite......whom Baby Wei hired on that nite *how much u pay him?*
He's actually our driver for the week and was kind enough to watch us gals and protect us fr malicious human beings at the event...kekekekekeke....
so we can partay with peace of mind :)))))))))))))
her favourite *look at tat face :P*
with my permission.....yes u may quit your job and go to Aust now :))))

Royal Queensland team.....the winner for Sportsboat category....CONGRATS!!!

all red like lobster fr the damaging SUN.....
look fwd to the next regatta :)))))))))))

Our favourite past time in Langkawi

the BEACH!!!!! wat else!!!!

but then again we didn't get to go as often as we wanted to :P
this pic was taken at Pantai Cenang
one of the famous beach in Langkawi
Cenang stretch is just like Pathong in Phuket...
crowded and full of tourists
everynite without fail...a visit to uncle's duty free shop to load some drinks
I can't remember how many litres was that but it was retailing at RM 88
yeah so cheap we almost soak ourselves innit.
Hoegaarden RM 4
Sapporo Beer RM 8.50
Ritters Sport only RM 4.50 *buy 5 free 1 sumore*
Premium Kit Kat fr Switzerland RM 5.50 *this one I pop like candy everynite*

all other beers like Tiger, Carlsberg, Heineken bla bla bla retailing at RM 1.30 per can
request for an ice bucket...and there goes our la-la time in the room
ohhhh-la-la-la

yeah wines and champagnes goin cheap as well
but storing condition was a nightmare plus limited vintage
and certainly they dun have much variety goin there for wines.

for those who can drink 2 cartons in 4 days..
pls do consider Langkawi as your next destination
:))))))))))))

Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice

Oh my gawd...this place is so beautiful~~~~
overlooking Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute and the Grand Canal of coz
it's within walking distance to the shopping strip and San Marco.
due to our hectic schedule, we didn't even get a chance to sit by the canal and have a real good cuppa coffee :)))))))))))))))
the hotel was built in 1525
>_< does that scare u?

the beautiful red marble on the reception table was worn off and polished smooth over the years.
I like the fact that it's so classical and elegant and this place just transformed us back into the 16th century.
and decorated the walls were all the Venetian mirrors
OMG...so cantik!!!!
I wanna bring home!!!!

the waiting area with a painting of Napoleon???
yeah all the lights were made from Murano Glasses
our room key....*wakakakakaka*
so nice but then it's very heavy :P
I like the pom pom at the end :))))
the room was huge, we didn't expect it to be...coz land in Venice is like so scarce
and yep...hotels in Venice are the most expensive of the lot.....
so most tourists tend to stay mainland and travel to the island each day for visits.
really special rugs *well we call them carpets here*
and we got our own Venetian mirror in the room!!!!
it was so old that it was stained with its age.....not to be used as a mirror but as a deco on the wall :P
the powder room was decked in all sorts of marbles
everything in marble...were they dated back to 1525 too?
even the taps were so antique!!!!!

Monkey reading the Journey of Marco Polo to Berr
*he's on my left arm*

the only thing I hated bout hotels in Italy are the
1) statues staring at u inside your own room
2) paintings with piercing eyes staying back at u....
quite eerie...but rest assured nothing happened :P
I alwiz look fwd to favors provided by hotels during their turn down service
most of the time, we get chocolates but this round we got chewy yummy jelly :)))))
with weather forecast for the next day
weather can get as warm as 12 degrees and as low as 2 degrees
we were so lucky during our stay in Venice coz it only rained on the day we departed
we'll definitely come back to this half a century old hotel
Hotel Gritti Palace was the private residence of Doge of Venice *duke*
Mr.Andrea Gritti

Hotel Gritti Palace,
Campo Santa Maria
del Giglio
2467 30124 Venezia
Tel: +39 041 296 1111
www.gritti.hotelinvenice.com

Da Fiore *One Michelin Star*

Da Fiore is one of the first restaurant to be rated Michelin Star in Venice
so we went with high expectation...
somehow the evening started with the wrong note coz we went to the wrong place...
and took another 15 minutes to walk to another piazza
*15 mins is very very far in Venice ok????*

worse part was we had to enter another restaurant and asked for direction
well it's never good to ask a restaurant the address of another restaurant :P
beautiful Murano glass vase
Murano is a small lil island near Venice producing the world most expensive and beautiful glassware
erm...I didn't buy any coz it's so difficult to carry em back....just got some nice mouth-blown murano glass necklace

and so they used the exquisite Murano glass vase to store bread -_-

we were first served with a deep fried white fish ball with sabayon
very well balanced flavour...

at least this cured our frustration of:
1) the difficulty locating this restaurant
2) environment was not up to expectation *it was way to rustic*
3) JS's Murano drinking glass has a chip on it
4) they dun have nebbiolo glasses for our wine *double frus*
yes we had Barbaresco 2003
drink until scared...
ate until scared....so it was a light nite for both of us
since it was a lite nite we shared a torre di insalata di mare = tower salad of the sea
and they were kind enough to separate one serving into two making it easier to eat
the octupus was outstanding!!!!!!
prawns were so sweet and it came with pickled onions
*the 2 rings u see on top*
simple and yet amazing taste
we saw every table has this...so we ordered fritters of seasonal vegetables Da Fiore style
dunno which species of aubergine they used...it has such good texture and amazing sweetness innit :))))))))))))
since it has to be a lite nite JS ordered a green pasta with muissels and clams
it's green coz it's a pesto pasta :P
Monkey had deep fried soft shell crab with rucola, orange and pomegranate salad
I like the fact that the small chunks of oranges came with its skin to give it some bitterness and acidity to the dish...well the rucola was bitter too...and pomegranate was sour.
all these melting pot of flavours were combined to kill the richness of the crabs..

mind u....their soft shell crab was full of....errr...well in short..there's no meat.
u bite innit...there's white creamy stuffs oozing out...bite sumore...more creammy stuffs
so guess i was just eating creamy high cholesterol roe with crispy shells :P
no dessert for us tat nite...coz by this time, notti Monkey was so tipsy
she can barely say yummy!!!

guess i drank too fast tat nite.
:P
and poor JS had to navigate us back home to hotel in the narrow alleys of Venice
bcoz throughout this Italy trip, notti Monkey had been the GPS...
and since GPS was drunk and tipsy...JS had to lugged the heavy monkey home without getting us into trouble :P

Osteria Da Fiore
*One Michelin Star*
S.Polo 2002
30125 Venezia
Tel: +39 041 721 308

What stop me fr my walking tour all the time.....

heeeee heeeee.....
I want~~~~~~~

Gondola ride....raa.....raaaa....raaaa

This post is dedicated to Mee Mee
whom visited beautiful Venice in 2008
and wondered wat's the big fuss about the ride
:)))))))))))))
it was on our to do list :))))))))))))
and we took off after a long long day of walking around the whole of Venice
decided it's time to take some form of transportation without using our poor legs
*esp Monkey's tiny legs*
Madamme Bottega got her own seat as well....
One gondola can seat a max of 6 person

and soon we were transported to smaller canals
and over bridges
and oh yea wearing a Venetian handmade mask and riding a gondola with the fella at the back singing were also in my to do list
:))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
JS's to do list is to train me to use his camera :P
hence the stress facial expression
wakakakakkaka
soli lar sir....me can only manage my Leica
the Grand Canal
and we watched sunset over the Grand Canal

building a gondola is a mad mad job...
7 different types of wood were used just to make the hull alone
and it has to be asymetrical
in a way where the left side has greater curve to counterbalance the weight of the gondolier
and the lateral action of the oar

it takes about one month to make one
and a standard gondola cost Euro 20,000 = RM 100,000
a pretty one can cost more than Euro 50,000

and yes I know everyone's been asking..
how much doest it cost to ride one
well it depends on your route....duration.....and your disembark location
watever it is...pls do negotiate

our 45 minute ride cost Euro 110 = RM 550
hmmm....well...
and another thing...it's not as romantic as u think it is :P
unless u hire musicians and a singer on board
kakkakakakkaakaa

MET by Metropole Hotel *2 Michelin Star*

Seafood is very popular in Venice so it's a must have in the list
MET is a very beautiful restaurant in Metropole Hotel
and was just some walking distance away from San Marco
*well anyway u can just walk around the whole of Venice easily*
wat surprised me the most was the "water menu"
with the indication of PH level and mineral content by percentage
and also its nutrients value
and also its origin and tasting notes
-_-"

JS made me chose the water and without any idea I just mini-minor-moh-ed it
JS chose Barbaresco 2004 for the nite and its nose was such a beautiful bouquet
:))))))))))))
we were served this delicate consomme of duck & thyme
*can u imagine how JS shrieked?*
**nyek nyek nyek**
anyway it was very good
followed by braised squid in its natural black ink served with saffron foam and anchovies on top of its crispy bread
the bread here was outstanding....all in small lil bites with 8 different flavours..
u have black charcoal bread, herbs bread, olives bread, shallots bread, saffron bread..
and erm I forgot some other yummy crispy ones.
JS had this first course of scallops
it was injected with juices fr the sea...served on top of mash with mozzarella foam and sevruga caviar...and the crystal sheets that u can see there was the rose candy!!!!
I had the Venetian Style starter of: *fr left to right*
1) deep fried crispy baby crab with fried polenta
2) tartare of fish with cheese and olives
3) Tempura of scallop with Puccini Cocktail
4) mixture of fish
5) really really fresh anchovies with frozen raspberry *this was the best of the lot*
squid ink pasta with oysters and mussels and aragula
sorry I forgot to change the settings of my camera

and I had braised beef cheek drowned with Rabara wine and chestnut pudding
after our main course we still have rooms and ordered the famous traditional risotto
served with tuna tartare and crispy chamomile flower and WASABI ice cream
it broke its mould outta tradition...with tuna tartare???
with wasabi ice cream??
but the combo was very good and tasty and the fresh chamomile flower
I wanted to try their "surprise menu" but it was a 9 courses menu and JS was so fearful of huge dinner -_-"

for dessert we shared this cigar and rum
the round truffle was broken with a fork and smokes soon came out
with aroma of cigar
how innovative...followed by the rum gelle in the clear glass
since we had this dinner about 1.5 months ago...I can't remember wat is this.....

I have a MOLE on my right hand...it just grew outta nowhere a few years ago :P

entrance of MET hotel
Chef Corrado Fasolato really did put the bar high this time
and I bet this had to be the BEST restaurant in VENICE
:)))))))
after all there's only 2 restaurants in Venice with Michelin Stars
will blog bout the other one soon...soon.....SOON!!!!!

MET Restaurant by Metropole Hotel
Riva degli Schiavoni, 4149,
30122 Venezia.
Tel: +39 041 520 5044
*reservations in advance is required*
www.hotelmetropole.com

Still.....in.....Langkawi....

not that tanned....

gonna try harder today

:P

Meanwhile have a Happy Monday folks!!!!

:)))))))))

Florian Cafe, Venice

the exterior of Florian Cafe,

Florian Cafe is Italy's oldest cafe :D

opened on 29 Dec 1720, that makes Florian 290 years old!!!!!

overlook Piazza San Marco

services was excellent and friendly

our breakfast came soon

JS ordered prosciutto and baguette

yes I know....so early already porkie :P

Monkey had Caffe Filtro = filtered coffee

wait a while and it's ready!!!!

JS had the usual cappucino

Lurve their water dispenser with Florian logo

such intricate interior

Florian had served a wide span of illustrious clientele

including Casanova....yes the real Casanova as in Casanova

also Lord Bryon, King Umberto and Queen Margherita

a must visit whenever u r in Venice.

Caffe Florian

Piazza San Marco,

Venice.

Tel: +39 041 520 5641

www.caffeflorian.com

Fruits stall

enticing fruits stall in Milan

makes u wanna buy everything off the shelves

fr the sweet clementines to the soft persimmons and peaches :)))))))

Away.......

Monkey is away in Langkawi

for work..........

it's been 2 days here

hot and sunny and humid

and hot and hot and hot

I'm so dehydrated....:((((((

no time to hit the beach yet

nor the pool....I came back at 10pm 2 nites ago and they already closed the pool

:(((((((

and last nite....bcame a Cinderella too despite the "wild" partay

came back early to retire...

prollie too old for parties :P

will try to continue to blog bout Italy when I do find time

cheers ppl!!!

*hic*

PS: a can of beer is RM 1.30 here......*hic*

Persimmon

I saw this at the fruit stall

sweet persimmon at its best color....

soft and really really soft it needed so much tender care

Fruit Seller Lady: "Attenzione attenzione"

and patted the fruit as she wrapped it up for me...

it means...we have to take extra care of the fruit....

with tender loving care

not much efforts were needed to consume this..

just bite once...and suck out all the sweet flesh

so so so so sedap

:D