The world is white, pure white, as far as the eye can see. For a moment, we aren’t sure if we’re looking at a field of snow outside the windows of our bus or if we are still stuck in our hotel room, staring at … Continue readingFlight of snow
South of Christchurch, the Canterbury Plains roll on. Tussock grasslands: full of grazing livestock when green; twig-dry and prone to fire during droughts. The Hundalee Hills loom in the north. Rivers run through these plains and in the south they merge into the plains of … Continue readingCanterbury
One tuk tuk after another fly by us. Street vendors push their carts of mangoes and pomegranates. The aroma and song of chestnuts being roasted in a large wok. A canopy of cables above our heads. Some shops sell gold, others shark’s fin. It’s nothing … Continue readingThe rhythm of tuk tuks
We have just finished our katte don, our bowls of “choose your own sashimi” toppings on vinegared sushi rice. Still I’m not satisfied. I need something sweet. “Let’s get some soft serve.” The Kushiro Washo Ichiba market isn’t the first place one looks for ice … Continue readingSomething sweet
Every crêpe is a fresh start. The first lesson of making these lightest of pancakes is simply to accept that the first crêpe out of the pan is never perfect. There’s no helping it. The only way forward is to keep going. The next crêpe … Continue readingEvery crêpe is a fresh start
Taking a shortcut through the Princes Street Gardens, we arrive at the refurbished Scottish National Portrait Gallery. The august building stands proud before us, a shrine to famous Scots across history. Red lanterns hanging from the ceiling lend an otherworldly glow to the Great Hall … Continue readingThis fresco of frescoes