#631 London

#628 Will it be like this in December?

#627 Belgium

We went to Ghent:
We visited SMAK the museum of modern art
We watched Day 4 of the Ghent Six Day bike race.

Short video of one of the events where the riders are each paced by a Derny motor bike. It's the last few laps and Mark Cavendish is 4th but can't get through to win, so he's waving his arms in disgust, at 60 kph! 

#616 Back Home.

#613 Paris

From Amsterdam to London via Paris.
Looked at various arty stuff; including a visit to one of France’s Ancient Monuments, the Panthéon which is being refurbished. While the work goes on an artist called JR has covered the place with giant photos of modern day people. Much nicer, in my opinion, than looking at paintings of old Romans in unfashionable togas.

Snapped another Selfie.

#612 Bali 5.2

Bye Bye Bali

My last night with my Bali mates; Jamie & Wendy, Snowy, Dom (but no Yanin or Nina).

I cooked a Chilli and then made a Cardamon Panna Cotta for desert.
A big thanks for looking after me. x

To-day’s Kitchen Tip for Busy Cooks.
How to extract the meat from a fresh coconut.
Scrape it out with an old Bintang Beer bottle top.
(Only drawback is, you have to open a bottle first to get the top).

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dom gave me a mixed bag of lovely, fragrant, Balinese spices, I’m going to use some of them to make a Chilli Con Carne.

So I went to the Butcher’s Stall:
I didn’t buy the intestines- I didn’t buy the big gnarly bone.
You *might* be surprised to hear that the beef I did buy was excellent.
Start cooking!

#611 Bali 4.2

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Half way up an Indonesian mountain, overlooking rice fields and coconut trees. Lunching on Mexican food together with shots of Tequila.
Multi-cultural, that’s me :)

(No, I don’t know why we had to have the Tequila, perhaps it’s the local custom . . . . ?)

Fresh Coconut Water

Free Range Duck Eggs for Breakfast

Fabulous Villa

Flower offering.

#610 Bali 3.2

Went on an amazing expedition to the fish market with Dom, Le Patron de Gaja Minah.
I bought a nice red Snapper and a small Yellow Fin Tuna which our man filleted into Sashimi ready slices. Total, just over 100,000 Indonesian Rupiah (about 7€).
(I didn’t buy the Shark).

+++++++++++++++
I’ve moved down the beach, to the now empty Bob & Fiona’s Villa (just able to see the sea from my new bedroom).

I have the gaff to myself except for Putu the maid who comes in at 07:00 makes me a carrot & ginger juice and a smoothie for my breakfast, sweeps the floor, washes my shirts and then goes home.

It’s a mellow life.

Brought-in lunch  - €2 each (beer is extra).

#609 Bali - 2.2

At the moment I’m home-staying with Wendy & Jamie (my room top left in pic). We went shopping for curry ingredients and I cooked a chicken curry for my Bali friends.

Tomorrow it’s my mate Snowy’s turn (seen here rhs). We first met in 1956 when we were allocated the same desk on our first day of senior school. Time flies when you're having fun!

Taking Jamie and Wendy's Black Bali Pigs for a walk on the beach.
(this might be a first for me . . . . . . )

#608 to Bali

12 hours AMS to Kuala Lumpa, then two and a half on to Bali.
Since then it's been food, food and more food:-)