I could spend a fortune here. Everywhere I look, I'm tempted by silk dressing gowns, hand-embroidered jackets, exquisite handbags...this place is dangerous.
And with no one to restrict me, I somehow ended up laden down with bags of shoes, bags and purses to bring home. Oops.
So that was my next morning in Hanoi. I stopped off on my way around the shops for some kem (ice cream) from a shop heaving with locals - apparently in summer the queues (or rather, masses - the Vietnamese don't do queuing) spill out onto the street.
The magnetism of the beautiful opera house area once again drew me in, and I had lunch at an absolutely magnificent hotel, whose restaurant, Cafe Lautrec, was one of the most splendidly decorated spaces I have ever eaten in. And as for the food - a dreamy salad buffet, with all-you-can-eat oysters, lobster, sushi, cheese, bread (of the Western variety! Hooray!), followed by desserts...pure indulgence, but utterly delicious.
I staggered back to my hotel and was met by a member of Hanoikids, a group which offers free tours of Hanoi. My companion was studying public finance at university here and gave me a fantastic tour. We started at the Temple of Literature, where the offerings left by visitors included towers of Coca Cola cans, bottles of vodka, Oreo cookies and cigarettes. Now THAT sounds like an afterlife...
We then visited the market and more of the sprawling streets of the Old Quarter, including a stop at a shop selling weasel coffee, where I drank the best cup of coffee I've ever had, prepared in the tiniest kitchen I've ever seen by a woman juggling making sales to about five different customers at the same time. Despite being rushed off her feet, she later brought us some dried lotus seeds, which are supposedly meant to make you sleep well. They obviously work - we walked back to the hotel and I had an hour-long nap!
In the evening I went out for yet more bargain hunting, only to discover that the dresses I'd been admiring in a shop window earlier were now being modelled by real Vietnamese women...time to call it a night, I decided.
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Thursday, 20 December 2012
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Noisy Hanoi
I arrived in Hanoi the local way - taking a bus with its doors always open (even when travelling at speeds of about 100km/hr) in order to pick up/drop off various waifs and strays along the way. My bag was shoved in what I suppose served as the boot, alongside a mucky-looking spare tyre. Two hours of torrential rain later it was handed back to me, soaking wet and coated in mud. Which is even more fun when you have to mount it on your back to walk to your hotel...
The rain had cleared at least though - small mercies. Once I had deep-cleaned myself (the bag was beyond hope), I headed out to explore the city.
I got lost almost immediately. The Old Town is a maze of tiny streets, each selling a particular thing, from mirrors to dried fruit to gravestones - and, at this time of year, there's even a Santa Street. Crossing the road is difficult enough here, let alone when trying to avoid motorbikes carrying oversized Christmas trees as well as the standard three passengers they cram on the back.
My detour was nevertheless highly interesting - a street devoted to coffee sellers turned into a street selling gorgeous silk items, which then turned into a street selling oversized cuddly toys (I had to resist the temptation, although the next street - selling luggage - would have easily solved any transportation problems).
I ended up at the opera house and somehow managed to find my way into the stunning Sofitel Metropole hotel next door. After a good three seconds of trying to resist, I gave in and took their chocolate afternoon tea buffet. Incroyable. Endless truffles, cakes, crepes, cookies, ice cream...plus a few savoury things thrown in for good measure. While I was there, I overheard a small boy telling his mother that "5-star hotels just aren't the same as 6-star ones". It may have lacked caviar and a few other trimmings, but I thought it was superb.
I walked off a small portion of the indulgence with a stroll around the West Lake, before diving into yet more specialist streets. I watched the sun go down as an outdoor performing arts competition took place, involving - you've guessed it - yet more karaoke performances, with endearing attempts to mimic the lyrics of Western pop songs through a series of meaningful mumblings. Although the prospect of listening to an evening of Vietnamese Vengaboys imitations was a tempting one, the Australian friends I'd made in Ninh Binh invited me to meet them at a rooftop bar with the most incredible views of the city. As motorbikes revved, horns beeped, people shouted and singers warbled below, we raised a toast to this frantic but fantastic city.
The rain had cleared at least though - small mercies. Once I had deep-cleaned myself (the bag was beyond hope), I headed out to explore the city.
I got lost almost immediately. The Old Town is a maze of tiny streets, each selling a particular thing, from mirrors to dried fruit to gravestones - and, at this time of year, there's even a Santa Street. Crossing the road is difficult enough here, let alone when trying to avoid motorbikes carrying oversized Christmas trees as well as the standard three passengers they cram on the back.
My detour was nevertheless highly interesting - a street devoted to coffee sellers turned into a street selling gorgeous silk items, which then turned into a street selling oversized cuddly toys (I had to resist the temptation, although the next street - selling luggage - would have easily solved any transportation problems).
I ended up at the opera house and somehow managed to find my way into the stunning Sofitel Metropole hotel next door. After a good three seconds of trying to resist, I gave in and took their chocolate afternoon tea buffet. Incroyable. Endless truffles, cakes, crepes, cookies, ice cream...plus a few savoury things thrown in for good measure. While I was there, I overheard a small boy telling his mother that "5-star hotels just aren't the same as 6-star ones". It may have lacked caviar and a few other trimmings, but I thought it was superb.
I walked off a small portion of the indulgence with a stroll around the West Lake, before diving into yet more specialist streets. I watched the sun go down as an outdoor performing arts competition took place, involving - you've guessed it - yet more karaoke performances, with endearing attempts to mimic the lyrics of Western pop songs through a series of meaningful mumblings. Although the prospect of listening to an evening of Vietnamese Vengaboys imitations was a tempting one, the Australian friends I'd made in Ninh Binh invited me to meet them at a rooftop bar with the most incredible views of the city. As motorbikes revved, horns beeped, people shouted and singers warbled below, we raised a toast to this frantic but fantastic city.
Friday, 27 July 2012
bowled over by bolzano
I must admit, I was dreading my journey to Bolzano. With an
8am plane to catch, followed by a bus and then numerous hours sat on a train, I
had resolved to sleep through the struggle. My attention was soon diverted, however,
by a magnificent sight: vineyards. Miles
upon miles of the things. They surrounded me on both sides of the train, and
sprawled right the way across to the Alps. As I contemplated the weeks of
wine-filled merriment that lay ahead, suddenly I didn’t seem so tired anymore…
The prospect of a bountiful stay didn’t end there. When we
arrived at the hotel, another member of staff said, “I need a spritz.” I
suggested we met back in reception after a quick shower, and my ignorance was
promptly set straight. Here, a spritz has nothing to do with freshening up.
Rather, a spritz is a concoction of Aperol, Prosecco and soda water, garish
orange in colour and wonderfully easy to drink. The shower could certainly
wait; this was heaven.
Piazza Walther: the perfect Spritz-sipping spot
And it didn’t stop there. Dinner was a luscious spread of
tomato-laden bruschetta, monstrous mounds of buffalo mozzarella, perfectly
sweet melon and parma ham, and spaghetti with seafood (or rather seafood with
spaghetti, given the amount of critters gracing my plate). When I asked for
parmesan to accompany the spaghetti, I was reprimanded by my waiter, who firmly
contested that I eat it without. He was absolutely right. I struggled to suppress
gasps of glee at every bite. Rolling into bed, I made a mental note to pace
myself – I have six weeks of such meals ahead – and blissfully nodded off.
The following morning, before I had time to remember this
intended self-control, I had somehow managed to pile my plate high with Apfelstrudel,
Sachertorte, plum cakes, and mounds of fresh berries. A ridiculously rich chocolate
concoction also appeared to have found its way into my cup. Rather than dwell
on this mysterious appearance, I gave in. I couldn’t let such delicious treats go to waste
now, could I?
Remembering that I risked looking like the plump, juicy
tomatoes I was gorging on (not to mention the 35-degree heat outside), I
resolved to walk off the indulgence. Bolzano is a charming, compact town,
filled with cobbled lanes lined with alfresco cafes, individual boutiques and market
stalls – as well as plenty of gelaterias and pasticcherias that threatened to thwart
my virtuous efforts. A considerable amount of personal strength was required to
overcome to urge to purchase basketfuls of pretty chocolates, bags of dried
fruit and nuts, and even a cake made of gummy bears. Fortunately, I managed to
distract myself momentarily with quirky hat and shoe displays and a boutique
selling beautiful traditional Dirndln.
Market stalls, pretty cafes and boutiques
Gummi bear cakes, huge chocolate shops, Bolzano's Hotel Sacher outpost, inviting assortments of cakes...
Another gratuitous observation provided the perfect
excuse I needed to carry on chowing down cakes, cannoli and other confections –
Bolzano is a town beloved by bikers. Tomorrow I’m going to collect one to hire
and, hopefully, burn off some bruschetta whilst exploring some more. But in the
meantime, I’ve got a spaghetti supper awaiting me downstairs…
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
purse pinchers and football frenzy
Our final day in Paris was one of mixed emotions. It was the
day of the Euro 2012 Germany-Netherlands clash, and Tessel, as a loyal Dutchie,
was suitably attired!
And that’s when the drama started. We went inside a lovely-looking chocolaterie and after sampling their heavenly marshmallows I decided to bring some back as a present for my mum. But when I went to pay, someone had taken my purse from my bag. To be honest, cancelling the cards and reporting the theft at the police station wasn’t too stressful. More than anything, I found it rather unsettling that someone had rummaged through my bag without me even noticing, and deeply frustrating that I had lost so many cards that were important to me but of no use to anyone else – my university card, for example, and gift vouchers that could only be spent in England. I’m still going through the process of getting everything replaced, and it wasn’t even worth making an insurance claim as there would have been too high an excess to pay. Sadly, I’ll just have to put this down to experience and be more careful when travelling in future. It was a horrible way to end such a wonderful stay, but I won’t let one person’s dishonesty ruin my trip – despite feeling a little disheartened, my memories of Paris are still absolutely fantastic.
Having spoken my best French at the police station (thank goodness I am studying a languages degree!), a stiff drink was most certainly in order! We took shelter from torrential rain at a traditional French bar before moving on to a Dutch pub to watch the game. Unfortunately, neither of us had anticipated quite how many loyal Dutch fans would be in Paris at the same time as us, and we could barely squeeze through the door. A rather amusing few minutes later, in which the pair of us, clad in orange mini-dresses, ran frantically around Paris’ nightlife district searching for a bar showing the football (in Paris, it seems these are few and far between) – to the amusement of several onlookers – we finally found a quieter place, only for The Netherlands to lose the game. I suppose luck wasn’t on our side that day!
We spent a lovely morning admiring Monet's Waterlilies at the Orangerie Museum and
chewing our way through countless salted caramels before having lunch, lusting after
glitzy ballgowns, and sharing yet another Mont Blanc (well, we were in Paris
after all) at Galeries Lafayette. We then had a look around the Opera Garnier –
which is absolutely stunning – and did some window shopping along the Avenue d’Opera.
And that’s when the drama started. We went inside a lovely-looking chocolaterie and after sampling their heavenly marshmallows I decided to bring some back as a present for my mum. But when I went to pay, someone had taken my purse from my bag. To be honest, cancelling the cards and reporting the theft at the police station wasn’t too stressful. More than anything, I found it rather unsettling that someone had rummaged through my bag without me even noticing, and deeply frustrating that I had lost so many cards that were important to me but of no use to anyone else – my university card, for example, and gift vouchers that could only be spent in England. I’m still going through the process of getting everything replaced, and it wasn’t even worth making an insurance claim as there would have been too high an excess to pay. Sadly, I’ll just have to put this down to experience and be more careful when travelling in future. It was a horrible way to end such a wonderful stay, but I won’t let one person’s dishonesty ruin my trip – despite feeling a little disheartened, my memories of Paris are still absolutely fantastic.
Having spoken my best French at the police station (thank goodness I am studying a languages degree!), a stiff drink was most certainly in order! We took shelter from torrential rain at a traditional French bar before moving on to a Dutch pub to watch the game. Unfortunately, neither of us had anticipated quite how many loyal Dutch fans would be in Paris at the same time as us, and we could barely squeeze through the door. A rather amusing few minutes later, in which the pair of us, clad in orange mini-dresses, ran frantically around Paris’ nightlife district searching for a bar showing the football (in Paris, it seems these are few and far between) – to the amusement of several onlookers – we finally found a quieter place, only for The Netherlands to lose the game. I suppose luck wasn’t on our side that day!
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
les princesses des patisseries
Our next day in Paris began with breakfast at Laduree amid gorgeous Chinese interiors. Their strawberry-shaped cake looked too pretty to eat, so we opted for marshmallow and almond macarons instead.
We then took a metro (where there were amazing Diamond Jubilee adverts!) to the Musee d'Orsay, where we had a brief look around but were rather overwhelmed by the sheer number of masterpieces on show! We came back to earth with a stroll along the Seine and a restorative coffee at Cafeotheque, which according to the New York Times serves the best coffee in Paris.
We then visited the Notre Dame before taking shelter from the rain in Paris's mosque, which is a peaceful haven amid the hustle and bustle of the city. We could have spent all afternoon sipping mint tea, sampling the array of homemade pastries and watching the birds fly around us...but we dragged ourselves away in order to visit Montmartre.
Unfortunately it was a rather grey, cloudy and soggy day, so the views weren't quite as magnificent - but the Moulin Rouge carried on turning all the same!
Sadly the rain carried on into the evening, so we took shelter in the shops at the Carrousel du Louvre shopping arcade (tough, I know) and comfort in the form of pretty cakes at Les Delices de Manon, before watching the Eiffel Tower light show from the romantic setting of the Jardin des Tuileries.
We then took a metro (where there were amazing Diamond Jubilee adverts!) to the Musee d'Orsay, where we had a brief look around but were rather overwhelmed by the sheer number of masterpieces on show! We came back to earth with a stroll along the Seine and a restorative coffee at Cafeotheque, which according to the New York Times serves the best coffee in Paris.
We then visited the Notre Dame before taking shelter from the rain in Paris's mosque, which is a peaceful haven amid the hustle and bustle of the city. We could have spent all afternoon sipping mint tea, sampling the array of homemade pastries and watching the birds fly around us...but we dragged ourselves away in order to visit Montmartre.
Unfortunately it was a rather grey, cloudy and soggy day, so the views weren't quite as magnificent - but the Moulin Rouge carried on turning all the same!
Sadly the rain carried on into the evening, so we took shelter in the shops at the Carrousel du Louvre shopping arcade (tough, I know) and comfort in the form of pretty cakes at Les Delices de Manon, before watching the Eiffel Tower light show from the romantic setting of the Jardin des Tuileries.
Sunday, 8 July 2012
macaron mademoiselles
Exams finished, I had a fabulous few days in Paris my lovely friend Tessel. As fellow lovers of all things pretty and sugary, we organised our sightseeing schedule around numerous patisserie visits, and made it our goal to discover the best macarons in the city...
First stop: McDo for a hearty breakfast of McMacarons. They were surprisingly good - cheap and cheerful, they lacked the wow factor of the more famous and fancy brands, but they nevertheless hit the spot, and we gobbled them up before doing a spot of sightseeing.
We then went for a wander around the Jardin des Tuileries and enjoyed a lovely ice cream which was crafted into a rose shape, before going for more sweet treats at Angelina, a salon de the famous for its hot chocolate and Mont Blanc...
Fed and sufficiently sugared (for the time being at least), it was time for some more sightseeing and shopping on the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe, before stopping for a cocktail on the glitzy Avenue George V.
Our final macaron stop for the day was Pierre Herme, where the flavour combinations were amazingly inventive and my sparkly pink macaron even matched my outfit (a Chanel-style tweed jacket was fitting for Paris, of course!).
First stop: McDo for a hearty breakfast of McMacarons. They were surprisingly good - cheap and cheerful, they lacked the wow factor of the more famous and fancy brands, but they nevertheless hit the spot, and we gobbled them up before doing a spot of sightseeing.
We then went for a wander around the Jardin des Tuileries and enjoyed a lovely ice cream which was crafted into a rose shape, before going for more sweet treats at Angelina, a salon de the famous for its hot chocolate and Mont Blanc...
Fed and sufficiently sugared (for the time being at least), it was time for some more sightseeing and shopping on the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe, before stopping for a cocktail on the glitzy Avenue George V.
Our final macaron stop for the day was Pierre Herme, where the flavour combinations were amazingly inventive and my sparkly pink macaron even matched my outfit (a Chanel-style tweed jacket was fitting for Paris, of course!).
Thursday, 5 January 2012
feast of a frühstück
The following morning we had breakfast at Cross Finest Deli under the S-Bahn at Savignyplatz, an area which is full of cosy cafes and cute boutiques. My 'großer Teller' of fruit salad was absolutely colossal - it must have contained at least two whole pineapples, three melons, half a dozen apples and countless handfuls of starfruit, kumquats and pomegranate!
We then went to the Story of Berlin museum, which I found incredibly illuminating and engaging. Next stop: shopping on the Ku'Damm, marvelling at Europe's largest food hall in KaDeWe, and stopping for a cocktail at its Wintergarten restaurant on the top floor, with views over Berlin.
In the evening we went to Lutter & Wegner, famous for its Austrian cuisine and HUGE portions of Schnitzel. We gorged ourselves on Kalbsgulasch, Spätzle, Blutwurst and Kaiserschmarrn before finding room (not quite sure how) for a post-dinner cocktail at the trendy Newton Bar next door.
In the evening we went to Lutter & Wegner, famous for its Austrian cuisine and HUGE portions of Schnitzel. We gorged ourselves on Kalbsgulasch, Spätzle, Blutwurst and Kaiserschmarrn before finding room (not quite sure how) for a post-dinner cocktail at the trendy Newton Bar next door.
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