Escapade normande à la crème ( et deux fois de rab de champignons)

Il est des samedis matin où l'on se dit qu'ils ne sont pas comme les autres. Alors on les rend différents. Petit déjeuner brunch avec de la brioche perdue au caramel, bien délicieux. Puis on parle, on hésite, on met notre ciré jaune et on part. Direction la Normandie, voir la mer, manger un bon bout et rentrer dormir à la maison, comme ça tranquillou.

Donc direction Etretat, ses falaises et sa petit ville toute sympa. 2h de route avec bien entendu beaucoup de pluie, une éclaircie puis beaucoup de pluie, puis une éclaircie et encore beaucoup de pluie.Au passage merci le télépéage. C'est tout con comme truc, ca vaut rien mais alors qu'est ce que ca peut faire plaisir. En tant que conducteur parisien frustré qui râle au moindre bouchon et au petit pequenot qui avance pas, vous imaginez pas que ce que peut représenter la satisfaction de doubler 500 voitures arrêtées...

Donc 2h, même pas le temps de s'arrêter et nous voilà déjà à Etretat. Quelques badauds ici et là, juste assez pour pas tourner dans le glauque et pas non plus trop pour se sentir oppressés. Bref tip top.La pluie s'arrête à notre arrivée, on escalade donc les falaises profitant de la lumière, de l'air frais, de l'embrun, du paysage. Une vraie bouffée d'air pur et d'oxygène. On respire un peu. Le temps s'arrête quelques instants le temps d'une balade sur les galets et d'une bière pour se réchauffer...

Ensuite on passe à l'étape gastronomique. Direction Le Bicorne, repéré sur l'Internaute, rarement utilisé mais qui pour le coup était de bon conseil. Petit resto avec décoration locale (noeuds marins, hameçons) mais sobre. Sur les tables c'est tip top, pas trop classe, pas trop cheap. Et c'est là que commence le régal. Moules et huîtres en entrée. Les huîtres délicieuses avec leurs sauces et assaisonnements. D'ailleurs c'est toujours un peu paradoxal les huîtres pour moi car n'ayant pas aimé (ou croyant ne pas aimer) cela pendant des années, j'ai toujours comme un sentiment d'appréhension en même temps que le plaisir d'y avoir goûté. L'équilibre étant si parfait que non seulement j'arrive à me réjouir d'en manger, puis à les déguster, puis à ressentir une certain soulagement d'en avoir fini avec ce plat. Double effet kiss cool...

Ensuite vient le plat principal, entrecôte au camembert servie avec des légumes de saison (pommes de terre, endives et patate douce) et une présentation originale et soignée. Il en était de même pour l'aile de raie bien évidemment.Le tout arrosé d'un doux Chablis qui accompagnera tout le long du repas.

Pour finir petit camembert fondu dans de la feuille de brick et en guise de dernières douceurs crême brûlée au calvados et poire belle hélène. Là aussi présentation très soignée (assortiment de caramel au beurre salé et pana cotta) et délice en bouche.

Au final, une super adresse dénichée au dernier moment. Un délice pour les papilles, un service parfait et un effort remarquable et agréable pour la présentation et les essais tirant sur la cuisine moléculaire. Pour un prix vraiment délicieux lui aussi.

Un café et quelques kilomètres de route plus tard, nous voici de retour pour dormir avec des images plein les yeux, de l'air frais plein la tête, des odeurs et du goût plein les papilles.

Dimanche on se réveillera avec la chance d'avoir passé un samedi vraiment différent.

Singapore, the perfect city ?

It's the idea I've got in mind since I discovered Singapore. I love so many things in this city and I feel it so easy to live there that I think that it's maybe a little bit true.

First of all, I love the mixture of all the cultures, there, in the city. During the centuries, Singapore grew through many immigration waves. Chinese, Malay, Indian, European people. Each one after the other. The result of that is the number of different cultures, architectures, religions, rites, ways of life you can meet in town. It's so amazing.

During the 4 days in Singapore, two at the beginning, two at the end of our trip, I had a great pleasure in walking down all the streets : Arcade road, Orchard road, Boat quay, Clarke quay, Bagdada street, Arab street...

Following the immigration waves we can find in the city the different quarters : Little India, China town, the Arab quarter or the Central Business District (CBD) with all this impressive amount of skyscrapers.

Little India looks quite poor. It's clearly a little piece of Indian, just implanted in the middle of the city. In the road, edged by two-or-three floor building, there are a lot of people and a big activity. Shops (flower, furniture, decoration…), smells, music, restaurants. It's a total immersion. Like everywhere in the city, all the people are very kind. But with the mess in the street it's maybe the only part of the city where you can cross the road without being honked by the car. It's quite pleasant.

The Hindu religion is a joyful one. During the visits we done in the different temples, we saw many colours, funny icons and other flowers, we heard music, we met happy people. The architecture of the temples is, I must admit, really kitsch. It's look like modelling clay. As if it was made by children. And it is always overloaded. On top of that the divinities they venerate are quite funny and joyful, as for example Ganesha (the elephant-head one) or Vishnu (with all those arms).

We also visited other temples from other religion, like this so-kitsch temple dedicated to Budha. It was quite a chock in entering this temple and seeing this 25-meter Budha just in front of us.

Just on the other side of the road there was an other temple for an other religion, totally different. It's interesting to see that the temples are not only some places to pray but also to meet people, to eat, to read, to live. For a non religious people like me I think it's a very good approach of how can a religion can help you to live and improve your life and make you happier. It's very fascinating.

In Singapore there is also a Chinese disctrict, called like everywhere Chinatown. It’s quite typical of a Chinese street with many chops, many people and not so much place. The better place of the street was noticed by the Routard. It is a shop of old Chinese furniture. Completely out of budget but the seller was very kind (and also gay) and it was a pleasure to talk with him.

The rest of the city is full of many buildings and other skyscrapers. I think there is always a part of the city under construction since they love to improve their city. It’s also incredible to see a road with about 25 mall, one after the other. One for sport shop, the other one for electronic, the third one for the luxury. It’s really impressive.

And there is also so many things to see. Sometimes the whole street is covered and has air cond ! Singaporians are completely crazy but always very kind and respectful. The city is a model of cleanness. We saw t-shirts of Singapore in some shop. On the t-shirt there were all the interdiction in the street with the associated fine. Forbidden to smoke, spit, throw some paper and so…

I will also add that there is one of the most beautiful place of the world there with the famous hotel : The Raffles. And on top of that there are also different museums in Singapore, including the asian civilization one we have already done with Kro. And it is great.

To conclude I keep wondering myself about Singapore to know if it is an occidental piece in Orient or maybe the opposite. But I can say that I love it !!

Malysia 07 - Duplication

Ben, on his blog with Kro, is doing pretty well in telling the world about our big trip in Malaysia. You can read it with all the details here : http://kroetben.blogspot.com

This is a very good summary of all the things we done there, the people we met, the things we saw. There are many details and other little piece of words that have marked those holidays. No need so, to do the same, with my poor English vocabulary on top of that.

However I will continue my sum up of our holidays. In English, with my style. But I will try to do it a little bit different, not adding things after the other, telling you what we saw and what we do. I will try to write the feelings we had there, the spirit of the trip, the people we met. All the things more spiritual than factual maybe. The exercise is not so easy, especially in the Shakespeare language. But I will try to do my best and make you enjoy what I can say was the biggest trip of my life.

Cheers.

Malysia 07 - First night in Singapore

After a 300 meters walk we were at our hotel "The new 7th storey". We took the 4 people room with a, at our big relief, air-cond. After a big cold shower we were ready for a first in Singapore.

Just after leaving our air-cond hotel we faced the high temperature and the moisture of the city. But it was easily bearable almost pleasant. It was so a pleasure for me to discover this city. The buildings, the houses, the cars, the people. All for me was so amazing, so distant and so close meanwhile. And I can say now I loved it !

Our first move aimed to try to find if there were some bus that go to Malaysia and more precisely to the Taman Negara, our next destination. After a quick search our feelings were confirmed. There was only one way to go there : the night train arriving at 2h41 in the morning in Jerhantut. But you will have some news about that very soon.

So we decided to move around, guided by Ben and his "routard", sometimes helped by Sam with his "lonely planet". Two books for such a great holiday. I think that Ben and to a certain degree Sam, know perfectly those books. You can ask them some question like "At which page you can have some information about accomodation in Tioman island?" or "How many restaurants are listed for Arcade Road in Singapore?". Very funny I know but totally unuseful I must say.

Nethertheless they were two good and accurate guides, leading us through the different districts of the city. I say district but the word is not enough strong. Each disctrict is like a city, with an environment, a population, an architecture and maybe the most important : smells. It's incredible how each part of the city has a particular identity. You take the subway, three stations and you are in Little India, curry smell, Ganesh & Tandra pictures, Bollywood music, colored clothes.

You cross a road and you are in the arab disctrict : Bagdad street and this so beautiful mosquee catch in the night mode of my camera.

After a two hours walk with many things to see and to live and a meal in the veggie indian restaurant, we ended this big moment of our trip on a quay. With a pic of the central business district in the background. It was a so pleasant evening watching such a view drinking a guiness. What a first day !