PARIS

I do really fall in love with this city of France! It's my second time around and it's not gonna be my last time for sure! I will go again and again and again hohoho.  Even I did not speak french but I am not afraid at all as long as I still can speak english and there is my pocket dictionary and google translate hahaha.

This is how it works, if you're in the shopping district, the shop keeper is know how to speak english, that is for sure as shopping is one of the first destination people from all over the world come to this city besides sight seeing! For eating, usually the menu on french - this is when you need a google translate, but sometimes they have menu with two languages - english and french.

I have never seen this scenery in North America! They're selling the fish outside the store!! Love to see this fresh fish on display, without wrapping it  like in supermarket. It remind me when I was a little girl, my mom used to take me to traditional market.  I still remember when she asked how much the price of the fish and if it's a bit expensive according to her, she will bargain and my mom is very good at it! As every time I went shopping with her, she got all the stuff in her grocery list!   If I did not think that am on vacation, am gonna buy and cook it hahaha. 

Talking about the food in this city, damn .. I am mouthwatering already! Wake up in the morning and line up for the best croissant in one of the bakery close to our apartment. Totally different than my country right now!   I am totally local and love it every step I walk in there.  I love our apartment in here. It's just across from Jules Joffrin (Paris Metro) and to get all the grocery and the food is only a block away!! Damn, it's superb. I wish I live here! even both of my son and my husband is agree that we are dreaming first to live in this city hahahaha. 

The owner of the apartment is a very nice couple (french guy and philippines gal) with a little fruit salad - that's what he called her daughter.  This is our best apartment while we're travelling in europe. Love their apartment! 2 spacious character bedroom with a small african ethnic living room and modern medium kitchen and bathroom, beside a beautiful garden.  The beautiful bird song in the morning   wake me up peacefully,  the best feeling that money can't buy!  

The feeling that I had similar as if I live in a small village either in my homeland - especially when am on vacation in Ubud, Bali or I live in here, Calgary. The different in here is I only can hear bird song on Spring and Summer time! But I value that sounds even very short period of time. Feeling peaceful is the best thing you've ever had when you just open your eyes.  Thanks God for it. 

to be continue ...

VENICE 2

What I love about Venice is walking, walking and snap here and there, having gelato in the hot   weather and having the best pesto for my lunch. That's make me smile and happy for my feet! Sound like I am so easy to pleased hahahaha.  Well .. first of all, I did not exercise (swimming while I am on vacations) so walking is the alternate for my swimming regime.  I love walking too! I enjoy walking and grab some pictures.  

Venice is quite clean even I see so many people who visit this city.  We're planning to go on May as we thought the school is not over yet means less busy.  Actually, it was wrong. Italy, Paris and London are still first destination all year around. Well ... I am thinking probably because so many small european city that neighbour with Italy, Paris and London.  

San Marco .. the landmark of Venice.  Don't ask me how many people there! Speechless to see so many people from around the world! I even met a couple gals from my country accidently while I am browsing in the neighbourhood vintage sale. 

The good part when exploring Venice is walking to the neighbourhood. It remind me when I was kids and living with my grandma. So many narrow street and you have to pay attention to the sign where it will turn, either right or left.

I love shopping, I can't deny that but shopping in Venice is no no for me.  Even, from one corner to the other corner is all  boutique especially selling bag.  Hello? Yes, I admitted that I addicted with bag but this time I will not spend my money to get one here. The bag that they're selling from one store to the other's are all same and all made in China!! Means .. it's almost like the one that I see in my country, fake bag without brand with no no quality with higher price. Even there is one or two store that are selling a good stuff made in Italy but I already changed my mind not to get it here.

Beside fake bag, there are a lot of store are selling clothing from the cheap one to expensive, not interested.  Also accessorize from murano glass that's very famous, well .. am not interested also! They also had neat stationery (paper and all stuff) .. am not interesting also.  Sorry .. just want to take a lot of picture hheheh.

Bye Venice!

VENICE

We took Trenitalia from Rome to Mestre station. It's about 5 hrs 30 minutes for 530 km.  Economy class - four of us (it's Euro 67). From Mestre, we took another train to Santa Lucia, we paid only Euro 5 as it's very close!!  But we has to spend Euro 28 to reach our apartment in Rialto! Dang.

Finally, we're reach our apartment in Rialto! It's on the 2nd floor, open space one bedroom mix with living room.  One queen bed for us and one sofa bed for my kids.  The location is quite in the centre if you are walking around to San Marco.  The owner is a nice young couple, but I don't like it when she asked another addition Euro 20 for cleaning up after we check out! That's never happen before every time we stays in the apartment! However, they're still okay as they gave us welcome "tea coffee and bread for breakfast" and they're waiting for us patiently.

I love to see an old building with different colour. It's unique and has a character. Sometimes, I was wondering what's the inside of this apartment!

Drying clothes in front of their apartment is remind me how to dry the clothes in my homeland. It's very colourful and very cool but at the same time it's very efficient.

I am not a fan of blue but when I see this view and I captured it, I do really fall in love with blue at that moment.  I can see why people are coming to this city as it's so beautiful.

to be continue

Spring in ITALY

My second time to visit Rome. It's already end of April but the weather still juggling  between rain and shine as the weather forecast tell you!.  Raining is almost everyday but it doesn't mean that I have to stay inside all the time! NO WAY!!!

4 years ago,  I was travelling with my best friends, all of us gals and pretty (hohoho).  We decided to walk and taking a bus tour so it's easy for us to hip and hop from one place to the others. But this time,  I am going with my family : my hubby and my two boys. Basically I got three bodyguards and they're really want to explore wherever we're going, not taking an easy way or  a bus tour but we are commuting like locals, using the metro ( the underground train or subway). 

Smells like in New York subway when we're entering the station, except here everything written in Italy, some in english.  There is police inside the station!.  Never see this in Toronto or Paris or Underground in London.  Just realized why after inside the train and there are beggars, a lot of them kids with mother and baby.  This is the first time I saw this scene in the subway! I see this a lot in my country, Indonesia, especially on the traffic light. There are a lot of beggars with babies to make money.  They're jumping from one train to the others, as if she is out of the station she'll have to pay another euro 1. 50 for 100 minutes.  

Anyway,  If I go with my gals, we definitely stay in hotel to be safe and easy for us. Not when am travelling with my family, we are usually stay in apartment for a lot of purposes. First of all, it's a good deal compare to hotel.  Second, it's very convenience for the boys, felt like moving from our house to different house. In the morning, they're eating cereal and scrambled eggs like every other morning, in the afternoon since we're exploring the city - so we're usually eat out and we're having dinner in the apartment as I am cooking as usual.  

We're trying to rent an apartment that is very strategic and close to the train station.  As  we're planning to travel by a train.  Train terminal in Rome is not bad at all, you can get everything you need included grocery! Don't ask me how busy this train station. As this station is the point from the airport to the city, and even from city of Rome to other city in Italy, and it's all connected to underground train.    

Also, if you're in a rush, to get a good deal of breakfast (croissant and tea or coffee) or a slice of pizza is affordable and everywhere you can see.  However, this second time around, I got enough of Rome! Grazie!

to be continue .... 

NASI GORENG ikan jambal asin

This is one of my favourite food in the morning

INGREDIENTS

• Nasi putih (left over steam rice)
• Ikan asin jambal (anchovy)
• Telur (egg) 
• Bawang merah (shallot)
• Bawang putih (garlic)
• Terasi 
• Sambal ulek
• Saus ikan (fish sauce)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

How to make it .... 

• Goreng ikan asin jambal (deep fried the anchovy)
• Dadar telur (scrambled egg)
• Haluskan bawang merah dan putih (ground the shallot and garlic until fine)
• Tumis bumbu yg dihaluskan (saute the shallot, garlic and terasi, sambal ulek)
• Masukkan nasi putih (add the steam rice)
• Campur same rata (mix them very well)
• Add fish sauce, salt and Pepper to taste
• Tabur ikan asin (add the anchovy and mix the with the rice)
• Taburkan bawang merah goreng ( garnish with deep fried shallot on top of the rice

Four Eyes

What you need to see everything clearly!
Another eyes definitely.

It's hard to see which one it's real and which one is fake!
With the other "eyes" you can see clearly and focus,
either it's real or not!

Definitely, second eyes = second opinion.
It's like your best buddy.
Make you think before you see it!

Thanks buddy!

WHAT did YOU see?

Is it true what you see is what you get? I believe sometimes we are blind. It's not all you see and captured by your eyes is the reality.  A lot of stuff already been edited. Included in this pictures!

However, we love to see whatever in front of our eyes even it's not real! Even make us so happy!!  are we real? or on denial?

However,  I love to capture a beautiful thing!