odohertyelaine

We set off from Polignano A Mare and stop at Savelletri, a fishing village about 30 minutes south. At Bar Skipper, I somehow manage to order an ice cream pastry for breakfast!

We continue along the coast road and arrive at Torre Canne, another pretty coastal town, this one with a lighthouse.

Back on the road we head for Brindisi. Although most people fly in here and leave for other towns, it’s a nice town in and of itself.

We have sussed out a really good restaurant for lunch and arrive hungry to La Locanda del Porto. I have a delicious pasta with fish and as the wine is almost as cheap as water, I have a wee glass of the house white – so good!

It’s only about another half hour drive to Lecce which is where we’ll stay for the next four nights. A really nice apartment in the old town. We park outside and walk through the narrow streets – I’m really liking the feel of this place.

We meet our host and settle in, which involves heading to the local supermarket for some provisions… liquid ones mostly!

After an apperitivo in one of the small squares, we have dinner at Crianza, the restaurant directly opposite where we’re having a drink. Everyone is happy with their choices and there’s a delicious bottle of red from Salento, which the waitress reckons is their best wine!

After dinner we take a wander around and see the Basilica de Santa Croce.

It’s a pretty large old town with so many winding narrow streets and alleyways. On the slightly bigger roads there are festive lights which make for a very nice atmosphere as we wander around.

Next morning we head to the market and pick up some breakfast supplies.

We set off to do a self guided tour of Lecce old town which is essentially a tour of churches! There’s an entry fee for a lot of them (there are so many!) so we buy a ticket that gets us into all the big ones. We start at the Basilica Santa Croce (which we saw last night), it’s stunning inside with a number of relics.

We enjoy the break from the sun each time we enter another church but there are just too many to capture here. We are also relic hunting and we are not disappointed- again, so many!! One of note is St Bernardino in Chiesa Del Gesu. A lovely statue of him but if you look closely, you can see his skull and bones beside him!

We stop for lunch at Antica Pucceria which has been in operation since 1941. We reckon the menu hasn’t changed much since then and we are served by the third generation owner, who is the young boy in the photo on the wall. The sambos are fantastic.

Feeling somewhat knackered, we head back to the apartment and relax on the top deck which has a small pool. It’s in full sun but delightfully cool.

Tonight we branch out from the traditional restaurants we’ve been eating at and go to a Hambirreria, which is what you’d imagine from the name…. A place of beer and burgers. My burger has pancetta, scamorza and potato on it… it definitely has a Puglia twist!

Australia are playing in the World Cup tonight so we find a bar showing the match and enjoy listening to some great tunes and watching the match. Alas no joy for the Aussies.

On Saturday morning it’s Parkrun time and lucky for us, Salento parkrun is just under a half hour away! It takes place in a remote “regional national park” that seems to double up as an olive farm. There’s a very small group of 34 people, half of whom are visitors. It’s blistering heat so we don’t break any records but are delighted to get it done and to meet a friendly bunch. There may also have been some drama with Rav and a snake but that remains unconfirmed! 😱

In the afternoon we explore the west side of the heel of Italy. First we head to Gallipoli (not to be mistaken for the Turkish peninsula featured in WWI!). It’s a beautiful old town surrounded by water.

We have lunch with a view and I try the ORECCHIETTE ALLE CIME DI RAPA, which is pasta with turnip tops. It certainly does taste of turnips and while I’m a fan of the vegetable, I’m not sure about it with pasta!!

After a wander through the old town, we leave Gallipoli and drive to Nardo. This is a much smaller town but has that lovely old feel to it. The temperature is in the low thirties and we (well I) am roasting so we stop for a Granita a limone in the square. Delightful!

It’s time for a dip in the sea so we make our way to Porto Cesareo and have a delightful dip in the cool (not cold!) water.

For dinner in the evening we go to Osteria da Angiulina, a homely looking establishment, a short walk from our apartment. We didn’t know this ahead of time but the menu was heavy on horse… not something I knew was popular in Italy. I go for a mixed grill, which yes, includes horse. The whole meal is delightful and of course washed down with some very nice wine of the case!

Next day we set off, after a burrata brekkie, for Otranto. Another beautiful historic town on the sea with a castle and a cathedral.

We have a paddle in the clear blue water…

We visit the Cathedral which has the biggest mosaic in Europe. The whole floor of the church is covered in a very impressive mosaic.

We also see the Chapel of the Martyrs, which houses the stacked skulls and bones of 813 local citizens, who in 1480, were publicly beheaded by the Turks as they wouldn’t renounce their catholic faith.

Onwards to the beach. It’s 30+ degrees and we are roasting so we find a beach club at Alimini beach and spend a few hours swimming and chilling! Gorgeous!

For our final dinner we make our way to LA CUCINA di Mamma Elvira and have another delicious local meal. It’s hard to order anything bad in this town!

Next morning we have a quick coffee at the Porta Napoli and it’s time to move on… Lecce you have been beautiful.

We take a 5 hour train from Rimini to Bari and meet up with our pals, Rav and James. Another short train journey to Polignano A Mare where we start our Puglia adventure. We are staying in an apartment with a balcony overlooking Piazzo San Benedeto and once settled we take a walk around this very cute old town. The famously “instagrammed” beach, Lama Monachile, is just a few minutes walk and it is very picturesque.

We have a tasty first meal of fresh fish and some local wine – we are off to a good start!

The scenery looking out along the coastline is beautiful as we take a walk after dinner.

And there are so many narrow streets to explore….

Next morning we set off to explore some more.

We see the statue of Domenico Modugno (who’s he you say!!), well he is the original singer and writer of the song Volare which is actually called “Nel blu, dipinto di blu”. It was a Eurovision winner before Dean Martin made it a worldwide hit. You can hear it sang everywhere we go!

We walk for about an hour to San Vito which has a harbour dominated by the 10th-century Benedictine Abbey of San Vito. Beautiful!

In the afternoon we take a short train journey to Monopoli. It’s a beautiful walled city looking out to the Adriatic Sea.

We check out the Basilica Cattedralle which is very impressive.

We walk the periphery of the town and through the beautiful streets and alleys. It really is a beautiful romantic town.

We decide it’s aperitivo o’clock and settle in a cafe for limoncello spritz – delicious!

We have a beautiful meal at Sangi Vanni Osteria and realise we were lucky to get a table as a significant queue has formed to the point where we have spectators while we eat!! The orecchiette and fried fish is delish and we taxi home (there may have been a few too many spritzes had!!).

Next morning we hit Lama Monachile beach for a “swim”…. but it’s hardly apt to call it a beach – while the water looks fabulous, it’s a nightmare to get in with the stones – you definitely need water shoes. The water does feel lovely and the views are nice… it’s not easy though!

In the afternoon we go to Bari. We head straight for Via dell’Arco to see the nonnas (grannies!) making handmade Orecchiette, which is the iconic cup-shaped pasta native to Puglia.

We have our first focaccia at Nonna Lina’s Traditional Food Wine and I have a Braciola meat ragu.

We explore Bari and see the Norman castle and a number of churches.

In the piazza St Nicola we visit the Basilica Pontificia Saint Nicola where there are relics of St Nicholas (yes Santa Claus)!! Apparently the relics make up more than half of the skeletal remains and there is also a jar with the saints manna… now if you follow my blogs you know I love a relic and there are so many here in Italy but this is a first for me to see actual manna!!! This manna is actually the most famous and documented example, which is said to have flowed from his remains since he was buried. [for those not in the know, which I’m guessing is most of you, “Manna of a Saint” (also known as the Oil of Saints) is a mysterious clear or amber coloured liquid believed to exude from the relics, tombs or icons or certain Christian saints… mad!]😱

We walk around the town and down to the harbour seeing more churches and piazzas. We walk for nearly an hour in blistering heat to the suburbs (the real Bari!!) to pick up a car and then head back to Polignano A Mare for dinner. We eat at Quadrifuglio and get to try the Spaghetti All’Assassinass. This is burnt spaghetti with Stracciatella cheese on top – it’s a first for me and it is fabulous.

The drinks are particularly good too!

Another walk around this charming town before a digestif on the balcony to finish off the night.

Next morning we walk to the train station where we’ve parked the car, as Polignano old town is a designated pedestrian zone. We drive to Altamura, the city of bread! We visit Forno Santa Caterina, a 700 year old bakery and get some bread and focaccia to take back to the house.

We have some local pastries at Caffe Svevo – very brazenly named as you’ll see from the photo!!

We visit the church of St Nicolai di Greci and find St Beatrice. Relics and skeletons abound in this region.

From here we drive just fifteen minutes or so and we arrive at Gravina in Puglia. This is an historic town know for its dramatic cliffs, ancient cave dwellings, and Romanesque architecture. We Walk to the Ponte Viadotto or Aquaduct bridge, for a view over the ravine.

From the other side of the bridge there is a great look back to the town built into the cliff edge.

We visit San Basilio Rock Church and then find a spot for lunch in a square by the cathedral. Every town seems to have a cathedral. I have a delicious bruschetta minus the tomatoes … doh!

Gravina feels like the poor man’s Matera and as it’s only another 20 minutes or so away, we make the decision to go there. It was a question mark as I’ve been before but I’m very happy to go back and I’m pretty sure it will be a highlight of the trip for the others.

There’s a lot of walking to do and lots of viewpoints of this unusual city where the cliff homes, “the sassi” were lived in by the poor for years.

We cover both sides – the more built up with hotels and restaurants and the quieter side where there are still parts cordoned off and inaccessible. I even find the hotel that I stayed in around 20 years ago!! We drive to the other side of the gorge to Murgia National Park, to get a full view back to the Sassi. It’s tricky enough to capture it in a photo but we try…

For our last night we dine on the terrace with the bread and some goodies we’ve picked up from the local supermarket. It’s delicious and the setting couldn’t be better.

It’s an hour bus journey from Rimini to the Republic of San Marino, which is the main reason we have come to Rimini. We set off on Friday morning to check it out and of course it means a new country ticked off our list! As we drive upward toward the capital town, also called San Marino, we get a view of Mount Titano and a taste of the terrain.

San Marino is a mountainous microstate surrounded by north-central Italy and is one of the world’s oldest republics. As we climb up the hill the views are stunning.

San Marino is known for its medieval walled old town and narrow cobblestone streets which are full of shops (it’s a duty free zone) and restaurants. The Public Palace is the building where official ceremonies take place and it is the seat of San Marino main institutional and administrative bodies. It also has a Statue of Liberty in front of the palace building.

The are Three iconic Towers that we climb further up to. These castlelike citadels date to the 11th century. It’s not a tough walk so we’ve plenty of time to admire the views.

The beautiful surroundings from the more remote third tower.

It really is all about the views here in San Marino. That said I did manage to buy a pair of funky leather sandals which I’m loving!

We have a traditional piadine for lunch and relax with a view.

San Marino is stunning. The views on a sunny day are hard to beat and we really enjoyed our visit. Ciao San Marino, it’s back to Italy with us!

There’s no direct flight from Dublin to Rimini, so we set off on the 6:30am flight from Dublin to Stansted to connect from there. It all goes smoothly and the lovely lady from our accommodation picks us up (for free). We are staying at a beautiful BnB apartment and couldn’t be happier with the facilities. Shoes off, flip flops on, we walk a couple of minutes to the beach. There are so many miles of sunbeds and umbrellas, it’s hard to imagine this could ever be full!

We paddle our feet and walk along the very nice beach.

For dinner we go to Amerigo (recommended by Annalisa our host) and have some seafood ravioli with mixed seafood and mixed veg – delicious! The wine of the Casa, at just €7 for a half litre, is also surprisingly good!

Next morning we go to the local cafe for our Italian Breakfast which consists of coffee (in my case tea) and a croissant. We are heading to San Marino today – that’s in another blog.

After our day trip to San Marino we hit “beach 46” restaurant for a fish dinner. Again this was recommended by our host and we even get a discount when we tell them Donna Analisa went us.

Our meal is beautiful and we have a bit of craic with the waiters and some very nice limoncello before we leave.

Next morning it’s time for parkrun which is in Marecchia park. It’s about a half hour walk to the park which is beside the famous 2,000 year old Tiberius bridge (a must see in Rimini) but unfortunately it is covered in scaffolding for some refurbishment!

Parkrun is great though …. There are quite a few visitors from abroad. It’s flat and we’re delighted to tick another country of our list!

In the afternoon we walk back to “Centro Historico” to check out the old town.

We enter through Augustus Arch which was dedicated by the people of Rome to Emperor Caesar Augustus, son of Julius.

We meander around the streets and the various piazzas. I’m excited to be at Piazza Cavour (🎵 what’s my life for) but quickly realise there are many Piazza Cavours around the country so it’s not necessarily the one Morrissey sang about!

We stop for lunch at Nude Crud in the Borgo San Giuliano neighbourhood which is where Fellini lived. Shane has a piadine and I have a cassoni which is essentially a folded piadina (a round, thin flatbread) stuffed with ingredients and cooked on a special hot pan

We spend an hour at the Fellini museum and it’s as you might imagine – a bit out there! Apparently the rhino makes an appearance in one of his movies – I may need to get on a bit of a Fellini buzz!

There’s a second part of the Fellini museum at Castel Sismondoa, a 15th century castle.

More interesting exhibits and artworks here. My favourite has to be (as I like to think of it), an homage to the reclining Buddha, Dolce Vita style!!

This evening we walk to the beach for a beverage before dinner. It really is beautiful relaxing by the sea, feet in the sand with a glass of vino. (it has occurred to me that the house wine in Italy is generally better than what you get in Spain… just saying!). We walk along the beachfront and I have a delicious carbonara for our final Rimini meal.

Next day we move on…. I really like Rimini. But for now “arrivederci”.

I’m spending four nights in the capital of Slovakia with my Supperclub buddies in honour of a recent birthday milestone.

The Ryanair flight is less than three hours and we arrive on time to our free airport pick up which Jennifer has scored through Booking.com. It’s about a 15/20 minute journey to our hotel which is fantastic. It’s called Hotel Loft and it’s a really cool building with “Fabrika” brew pub attached.

We decide to eat at Fabrika tonight as it’s fairly late and I get started on the list of local foods I want to try. Cabbage soup – doesn’t sound too appetising but it was delicious and had homemade sausage in it.

We have booked ourselves on a walking tour of the city, so after breakfast next day, we walk towards the old town to meet our guide. His name is Samuel and he gives us lots of historical information about the town. Among other things, we learn that Bratislava was once called Pressburg.

The entryway to the old town is through Michael’s Gate and it’s significantly busier here than it is in the newer part of town where our hotel is.

We walk through the old square and zig zag through the winding streets (this town is definitely not built on a grid). Entering the square in front of the beautiful Opera House, we are treated to some music from the fujara, a traditional Slovak overtone flute. Delightful 😁

We make our way to St. Martins cathedral. Mass is on so we have only a brief peep inside!

We climb up to the castle which dates to the 13th-century and houses the National museum. We are so lucky with the sunny weather.

From the castle we get a great view of the town and the Danube river. I remember seeing this bridge, which has an impressive viewing platform, when I was here last in 2019, but Samuel reckons it’s overrated and overpriced and the locals hate it… fair enough, we won’t go! We also see a group of wind turbines – they’re quite close but they are actually in Austria.

We’re almost three hours in, and Samuel is beginning to repeat himself (through spittle 😱), so we’re about ready to go when he announces he has a surprise for us… oh lord!!! He takes shot glasses from his backpack along with a flask of tea and a bottle of rum. Seems like an odd combination but we down it, thank him, give him a tip and off we go!! We head back into the old town and have a beverage in a café, sitting outside in the sunshine. We try the potato dumplings and fried cheese (more local food staples ticked off the list!)

We walk back to the square to visit the Franciscan church, as some pre-trip research tells me the incorrupt body of St Raparatus is in there. It’s a beautiful baroque church but we can only peer through the locked gates, and listen to the Franciscans praying. We’ll have to come back.

After a little rest in the hotel, it’s time to head out for dinner. Earlier Jen found a restaurant that she liked the look of – it’s called Divney Janco and we are delighted with our meal. Apparently in 1844 a Slovak poet, activist Janko Matúška, wrote a very famous protest song here. We have the Hungarian goulash, which is insanely flavourful, served with giant dumplings and a nice bottle of white, then a nice bottle of red! We are happy out!

We decide to go for a drink and happen upon this very local looking bar. We get chatting to a jazz pianist called Denis, who’s mad to chat to us and says he knows Irish people and they are the best. He’s got a good few drinks on him but his English is good and it’s very entertaining conversing with him. He says that he is so happy to chat to anyone, even idiots, but we are “fucking great people”!! The owner of the bar is a voluptuous, very well put together lady, with no English but a very big smile. At last orders, she gives us a round Becherovka, a Czech digestif, that is very popular here. It has a hint of cinnamon and is actually very tasty.

Next morning we explore more of Bratislava. We see the upside down pyramid which is The Slovak Radio Building and enjoy other buildings and statues and of course churches (although they’re rarely open to go inside). We also notice how clean the city is.

This afternoon we are going to a spa for a “splish and splosh” and a massage. It’s a beautiful facility,called Golden Kinaree, in the Sheraton hotel and it’s absolutely fab. We have the whole place to ourselves until one man arrives to use the sauna… we are all just a little bit stunned that he appears to have just a towel wrapped around him and he removes it in the sauna and starts doing leg crunches and stretches… seriously!!! When I go into the sauna he quickly grabs his towel and covers up… it’s a glass door, did he think we didn’t see him! 😱

We are on the waterfront at Eurovea City (a giant complex of shops and restaurants) and we’re hungry so we check out Kolkovna for a glass of wine and an appetiser. We have the most delicious Gruner Vetliner wine, not from Austria, but the Slovakian, Veltlinske Zelené. It’s so good and it’s actually the cheapest bottle we have bought so far (€16!)

We tidy ourselves up and head back to the old town for dinner. After looking in a few places, we settle on The Farmhosue and have a very nice meal with more local wine. We call into the Half Blind Pig for a cocktail before calling it a night.

After breakfast next morning, we take an Uber to Devín Castle. It’s approximately 12 km away. The ruins are extensive and it is such a lovely day as we walk around.

The castle was built as a fortress in the 13th century to protect the western frontier of the Hungarian Kingdom.

The scenery all around is stunning, on this glorious sunny day.

Slovakia is landlocked but connected to the sea via the Danube river. From the castle, we look out onto the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers.

After a fair amount of climbing, it’s time to come down and have a snack. Poppy seed cake is on the “must-try” list and they have a Gruner… delish!

We decide to continue our rural exploration and head to Marianka, a village in the foothills of the Little Carpathians. The village is the oldest pilgrimage site in Slovakia and the first pilgrimage site dedicated to the Virgin Mary – this sounds right up my street! We start with a visit to the church where there’s a rehearsal for a concert, starting shortly.

There are many small chapels around and in one of them I get “talking” to the parish priest. The problem is he only speaks polish and while I’ve said I don’t understand he continues to speak at me… pointing out paintings on the wall and who they are, what they mean (I assume!). Then he tells me to sing…. 😱. He’s intimating that the acoustics are good so I should sing…. Oh lord, I’m mortified but bust out a verse of Ave Verum!!! Thankfully the girls have arrived for backup and he ropes in a young man who translates for us…. Now he’s really in his element and starts telling us about the water from the near-by well and how it has apparently resulted in some miracles!!! I’m loving this but it’s hard to get away. Eventually we thank him and make a run for it!!

Grace had read that there are relics from the children of Fatima here but I couldn’t see them in the church so I go back in to check them out – they’re so tiny they’re barely visible!! Still, you know I love a relic!

Back outside we walk around the pilgrim area.

There’s a large group doing the Stations of the Cross which line the hill and we catch some of their singing. All in all, a weird and wonderful afternoon in a holy place. Love it!

Back in the city we visit the famous “Little Blue Church”, an iconic symbol of the city, built by a revered Hungarian architect. It’s very striking among the grey surroundings.

We’re all “churched” out so decide to visit Bratislava Flagship, a huge restaurant in an ornate old theater, with traditional Slovak fare & house-brewed beers. A glass of beer and a nibble on some potato pancake and fried cheese will keep us going until dinner.

The office of the president:

For our final dinner, we go to a restaurant called Pulitzer and I have a schnitzel that, as you can see, is giant!

Next morning I climb up to the gigantic Slavín war memorial, which is visible from much of the city, before enjoying a final hotel breakfast (which has been excellent btw).

We pack our bags and walk into the old town for a final look around. The Franciscan church is still closed so I’m sad to report I didn’t get to see St Raparatus.

We pick up some poppy seed cake at the famous Pressburg Bajgel, to be had on the flight home.

Grace and I decide to have some Thai pampering which is dished out on two low mattresses on the floor…. We fear the room may have seen some happy endings but I enjoy a foot massage while Grace goes for head, neck and shoulders. Quite the little adventure before heading home.

It has started to rain and there’s just time for a final bit of Slovakian grub at Koliba Kamzik. I try the garlic soup…. very garlicky, surprise surprise!! A lovely restaurant though, with really nice staff.

So off to the airport with us. The birthday girl is happy and we have had a fun filled, fantastic four days!

We’re nearly at the end of our month in Malaysia and today we fly back to KL (from Brunei) for our final 4 days. Our flight is a little delayed so it’s quite late by the time we arrive. Next morning we’re ready to investigate KL. We head out for breakfast and I have one of the last things on my list that I want to try – Murtabak, which is essentially a stuffed pancake. It’s very good.

After getting a few provisions (the obligatory milk for tea, water, etc), we go for a wander to tick some sites off our list. We visit Masjid Jamek, the mosque built at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers, considered to be the birthplace of Kuala Lumpur. In fact Kuala Lumpur translates to Muddy Waters, which is how it got its name… the water is indeed muddy here!

Opposite Merdaka square we see the beautiful Sultan Abdul Samad building which originally housed the offices of the British colonial administration. In later years it housed the superior courts and now it is filled with galleries and cafes.

Cendol, which you find all over Malaysia has been on our list to try since we got here but we haven’t managed to have one… well until now that is. It’s a traditional dessert of shaved ice topped with soft, green, worm-like jelly strands made of rice flour, coconut ice cream, palm sugar and in the case of this one, kidney beans!!! It’s not very sweet considering it’s a desert – worth trying once I reckon!

We continue walking to Pasar Seni or the Cultural Bazaar. It was the original town market, constructed in 1888. There’s a huge amount of craft shops and food stalls and it’s a really buzzing place to walk around.

Another food item on my list to try is beef roti. This is a food staple that was popular on the Silk Road and consists of mince and onion rolled into pastry and deep fried. Now you wouldn’t want to be eating these regularly but it’s very very tasty!!

We go to the National Mosque – it’s giant – capacity to hold 15,000 people. We don’t go in although it does look like it allows visitors. Too many rules for us women!

When I was here in 2018, the construction of the building “Merdeka 118” was underway. It was finished in 2023 and is the tallest building in Southeast Asia and second in the world. I had a view of it from my hotel.

Our final stop is the Islamic Arts Museum. Housed in a beautiful building with some beautifully painted domes on the inside, it also has an inverted dome in the entryway. There’s a brilliant exhibit of the worlds most famous mosques with amazing models of them – in particular the giant Mecca.

A bit worn out from all the walking in the heat, we head back and go for a swim on the top floor of the building. I’m loving it with a view of the Petronas Towers.

This evening we go for dinner in a Chinese restaurant in the huge shopping mall beside us. Shane does the online order at the table and somehow manages to order me an XL dish while his is regular!!! Mine has “exploding pork and beef balls” and they are fantastic … and yes of course I share!!

Next morning we are off to visit the Batu caves. These limestone caves house the most important Hindu temple for Malaysian people.

We climb the 272 colourful steps and enter the main cave which is impressive as caves go, but the temple part is quite basic. We spend a fair while – mainly because I’m looking at the monkeys climbing the cliff walls!

There are monkeys roaming everywhere… as you enter Batu from the train, as you climb the steps and in the cave itself!

While it’s free to visit the main cave, there are smaller caves that you can pay to visit. We chose “Cave Villa” as I’ve seen it online and it looks really colourful – in a crazy tacky way, but I really want to see it!! It doesn’t disappoint on either fronts!

There are peacocks roaming around and some animals on display. We are also treated to a cultural show. A short one thankfully!!!

A few more monkeys terrorized on the way out and then we head home. We go for lunch at a restaurant called 1919 which has been around for as many years and have some Nyona food – salted egg chicken, tofu and a really good fried rice. Roasting again, it’s time for a swim to cool down. This time we head to the 6th floor to a much bigger pool… we even use the very well kitted out gym.

Later in the evening we walk through KLCC park and see the Petronas Towers light up. We go to Traders Sky Bar and have a cocktail with a view.

A light dinner at another mall restaurant, this time a Malay restaurant (that usually means no booze – you need to go to the Chinese restaurants for beer!), which like pretty much all the meals we’ve had, is really tasty.

Saturday morning means Parkrun… yay!!! There’s just one Parkrun in Malaysia and it’s in Putrajaya which is about a 40 minute drive from KL but we are committed! We get up at 6:15am and taxi in the dark, but by the time we arrive, it’s light and we are ready to go. It’s a small number of people but they are all really friendly.

We stay on in Putrajaya for a while to explore. It is a new city, built just over 20 years ago and is the administrative hub of the country. There is building after building of either government offices or residential apartment blocks.

And of course there are a number of mosques including this huge one known as the Iron mosque.

We walk along the river and see the Putrajaya Millenium monument.

Further along, bumping into hardly anybody, we cross this very impressive bridge and get some great views as we cross.

We get a great view back to Putra mosque, or the Pink Mosque – and the large Perdana Putra, which serves as the Prime Minister’s Office complex. We had close up views of these this morning as we ran Parkrun.

Looking down from the bridge on the extremely clean and well maintained roads and rows of residential blocks:

When we get back home, we swim, rest, pack and it’s time for our final meal. We walk past the Petronas one last time (I just can’t help taking a photo every time I see them!!)…

For our final dinner we eat at Bombay Indian restaurant and it’s quite fancy and really delicious and we can have a glass of beer!

Next morning we both fly home. I was supposed to fly through Dubai on Emirates but my flight has been cancelled due to the war that broke out this week. I’ve been lucky enough to get a flight to Istanbul and although when I arrive to the airport I think I’m getting booked through to Dublin, the pleasant tiny Malaysian woman tells me my flight to Dublin is actually tomorrow ….. SO that means although my Malaysia trip is over, I will have a day to spend in Istanbul before I get home!

This is the longest travel we’ve done in just one country and although there are still some parts we’d like to visit, we both feel like we’ve seen Malaysia and we give it 5 stars!

This morning we leave Malacca by bus to KL airport to catch our flight to Brunei. Brunei is its own country, separate to Malaysia, but on the island of Borneo. Back in 2018, I travelled to Borneo to the orangutan sanctuary which was in the Malaysian part. There is also a piece of Borneo that is owned by Indonesia so three countries on one small island. I’m delighted that we are getting the opportunity to visit Brunei, famous for being ruled by a Sultan for 650 years. The flight time is a short one and a half hours and thankfully we arrive on time as we only have two nights here to see the capital city – Bandar Seri Begawan. On the plane there is an announcement to remind us that being caught with drugs in Brunei means the death penalty!

Our hotel provides a pick up from the airport and as we drive toward town (only about 15 minutes) it all looks very clean and well manicured. We drop our bags and head toward the waterfront.

There is no alcohol allowed in Brunei. (Well actually that’s not strictly true, as a visitor, you can bring in a small amount once you declare it and drink it in private). We didn’t go to the trouble so are on the dry! In addition to having no drink for the couple of days, it is currently Ramadan. This means no food during daylight hours for the people of Brunei and we are not sure what to expect and if we will be able to eat in the daytime. Based on the research we’ve done we will not be able to eat publicly, but we will be able to have food in our room. This is going to be interesting!. Once the sun has set we go into a restaurant and have some dinner.

We pass Toking Chinese temple which is beautifully lit up, with a giant parking structure behind! It is the oldest and most significant Chinese temples in Brunei

Next morning after breakfast is delivered to our room, we start the day with a visit to The Museum of Royal Regalia. As the name suggests, it is full of all sorts of regalia belonging to the Sultan (he’s worth around $50bn btw).

We learn about the current Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah – well that’s his short name – his full name has about 14 parts to it and that’s not just titles, it’s actual names! The museum has lots of photos of him and gifts he received from countries all over the world.

We start a walking tour (from Lonely Planet) around the capital, which is really small so we may have to drag some of this out!!

We see some interesting buildings and soak up the local atmosphere. There’s hardly anyone out and about… seemingly everyone drives everywhere! We see “The Big Wall”, a giant mural welcoming visitors to the country.

We walk to the river to look across at Kampong Ayer, the “floating city” and are enticed to a boat trip. We travel along the Brunei river to a spot where we can see proboscis monkeys. It’s hard to photograph them as they’re high up in the trees and the sun is is barely shining but we do get to see a handful of them swinging through the trees and eating leaves. You can just about spot their protruding bellies and bulbous noses!!

The driver (captain?!) points out the enormous Sultans palace as we pass by. Apparently it cost $3bn to build and has 17 floors!! It is certainly a contender for the Worlds biggest palace.

The young boat driver asks us if we’re married and we both respond “yes”, “Oh good”, he says “Now I can take your photograph”!!! Seriously!!!

We see some lovely birds and enjoy sailing through the mangroves and then head back to the city on water. Kampung Ayer is a cluster of 28 villages, entirely built on stilts. It is the world’s largest water village, with a history spanning over 1,000 years.

We see the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge – they do love a long name!

We get off at the museum and learn some of the history of Kampong Ayer. It is considered the birthplace of Brunei civilization and was called the “Venice of the East” when the Western colonists arrived. It was the original capital of Brunei and had a palace for the Sultan.

Off the boat, we duck into the shopping centre to cool down and we notice a lot of police and security around. There are a number of black Mercedes outside and we’re fairly certain somebody important is around. Shane asks one of the security guards and he says the prince is on his way. We also spotted what seems to be a celebrity chef (Chef Ammar) who must be cooking for the prince – a red carpet has been laid out and the security teams are greeting the chef, shaking his hand and getting selfies with him.

After some lunch which we have to take back to our hotel room to eat, we continue our walking tour!

We walk through the lovely Jubilee park, where there is a giant frame for that Insta shot of the mosque!! It’s a bit grey today!

As we approach the mosque, actually this is the side entrance, a young man says hello and asks us where we’re from. We chat to him briefly and he tells us “you know you don’t have to worry about Sharia Law – it’s only for Muslims”. Good to know but we’re not taking any chances… then he says “like if someone was LGBT, only if they’re Muslim would they take action” 😱. We smile and nod politely (ehhhh ok!), while I put on a headscarf and go inside the grounds.

Yet another view of the mosque!

Shane has found a restaurant which serves ambuyat, the national dish of Brunei. It’s a starchy, bland substance similar to tapioca, served hot and you try to wrap it around the chopsticks and dip into various sauces. He ate most of it!!!! This restaurant is fantastic – it’s clearly family run and all Muslim. When we arrive we are nearly too late for the Iftar (evening meal to break the fast) buffet feast…. These people don’t hang around (clearly they’re very hungry), once the sun goes down they are ready to attack… even though we arrived only 30 minutes after sunset, we had the last of the buffet to enjoy!! Everyone was so nice though and said hello to us, asked where we were from and suggested what we should eat!

Next morning we have some time before we go to the airport so we visit the Energy Hub which is essentially a museum to Brunei’s biggest asset – oil!

It has some really interesting information and we even get to do an interactive photo!! We’re the only people there!

Brunei is a strict Muslim country under Sharia Law. This building is the courts… I wouldn’t wanta be in there!

Some other snaps from around the capital…

On the way to the airport we see the Ministry of Religious Affairs- the building is giant and palatial! 🧐

Well Brunei, that’s a wrap… it’s been interesting!

We take a very short flight from Penang to Langkawi. We are about twenty minutes in the air and I’m just about to put my headphones on and an announcement tells us we are getting ready to land!! The Langkawi archipelago is made up of 99 islands and we are staying on the largest – Pulau Langkawi.

We can walk out the front door of our small villa and we are more or less directly on the beach. It is called Pantai Tengah which is a quieter extension of Pentai Cenang, the most popular beach on the island. I think we are in the best spot! Tonight we walk along the beach and see an amazing sunset at Sandy Beach restaurant.

We have a delicious first dinner of sea bass and satay meat in sticks! They have Tiger beer here so we’re happy. The couple of other beach bars we checked out on the way served soft drinks and mocktails only!!

Next morning we check out our surroundings. There are lots and lots of food options and plenty of shops and bars within walking distance.

I’m loving our beautiful beach. The water is warm and the beach is sandy with hardly any stones or shells.

For lunch we eat at Cactus cafe. I have delicious chicken noodles and Shane finally has a beef rendang. I’ve been enjoying my lemon iced tea in Malaysia too. It’s my new drink!!

Some relaxing pool time in the afternoon and then we’re off to find a cocktail. We have a mojito and a chicken starter called Chicken Varuval (dry fried chicken with curry leaves) at Rockafellas. The waiter recommended we have this with naan bread and said it was a signature dish I’d hear…. and it was so good.

For dinner we go to Bobi’s – a popular spot that serves wine… delighted with myself, and it’s fairly decent and the food is fantastic. I have stir fried turmeric chicken, which comes with lots of fresh veg. It’s fab.

Next morning we start our day with a swim… the sea is just gorgeous. It’s perfect for me as there are no big waves and we can go out far but it’s still a comfortable depth. I’m actually properly able to swim here, no floating device needed, which is a huge deal for me and I totally love it!

After our swim we chill in the outdoor lounge space, which we’ve deemed our office before a light lunch at the restaurant next door to our hotel, Tokapi. I have Roti jala which is a crepe net served with dahl and curry.

This afternoon we travel to the peak of Mount Machinchang, which is the mountain we can see from our beach. It is home to SkyCab and the SkyBridge – the main tourist attraction on the island! We take SkyCab, the cable car, up the mountain and enjoy spectacular views.

At the top we get great views of SkyBridge, which is one of the world’s longest free-span curved bridges. Not only are there stunning views of Langkawi and the smaller islands around but you can see all the way to Thailand on a clear day. We have a number of different vantage points to view the bridge from and it certainly is impressive.

A very different view of the same bridge that we are about to walk across.

To get to the bridge we take the 324 steps “nature walk” and along the narrow pathway see monkeys and pass plenty of tourists – this may be the most we’ve encountered since we got here (tourists not monkeys!). Once on the bridge, the views are fantastic and it’s a glorious day… roasting in fact!!!

As part of our combo ticket we have entrance to the 3D museum. We don’t spend long but we do run around and have a bit of fun with some of the 3D illusions!

There’s an Oriental village at the base of the mountain that we walk past … it’s a bit touristy but looks nice!

More importantly as we are leaving the park, waiting for our car, there are Dusky Leaf monkeys just hanging out in the trees.

I can’t believe it and look how close I was able to get. If you read my Penang blog, you’ll know that these were elusive in Penang Hill and I was very disappointed… and here I am in a car park and they show up. They are the cutest looking monkeys ever!!

I’m smiling all the way home after seeing the Dusky Leaf. After a bit of a rest and a freshen up, we have a cocktail at the Hidden bar, which is just down the beach from us. This is a very popular spot for sunset and had a huge queue outside the first night we got here. Luckily tonight we get a table and enjoy a very nice margarita.

We see a really colourful sunset while watching some parasailing action.

For dinner we cross the street to a Chinese restaurant called Mayhian and have salted egg chicken and bitter gourd. The restaurant is busy with large groups eating family style and we can understand why it’s popular. The food is really good.

Next morning we have a 9am pickup for our Mangrove tour. We take a boat and visit Kilim Karst Geoforest Park with a number of stops along the way. Our first stop is to feed some fish and we see some beautiful coloured fish from the boat. We pass bats hanging from trees.

Next we stop at a spot on the river where we see eagles. The guide tells us there are two species of eagle – white belly and reddish brown. They are stunning and there’s so many of them. You can’t really capture it in the photo but it was so cool to see these huge beautiful birds.

We continue on the boat, admiring the mangroves and come to, what they call locally, Monkey river. And of course by now you’ll guess that there must be monkeys around… well you’d be right and there are loads of them. They jump from the mangrove branches onto the boat. They don’t have any interest in stealing your hat or glasses (unlike other monkeys I’ve come across) but they do want your water bottles or food.

Next stop is Bat Cave! We get off the boat and walk through a dark cave. When someone shines a light upward we see hundreds of bats hanging down! Some interesting stalactites and we are out the other side where there are more monkeys to say hello to!!

The time in the boat is really nice. The breeze is cool, we are wearing life jackets (it’s compulsory in Malaysia) and it’s not too bumpy. It feels very safe and it’s really pleasant. We pass the iconic Kilim Geopark sign.

Our last stop before lunch is at the beach. Oh my goodness… this beach is stunning. We swim around for about half an hour in the calm cool (ish) water and it is just heavenly. We both get a “welcome to Thailand” text from our phone providers – we can see Thailand in the distance but we are definitely still in Malaysia!

After a small lunch of fried rice and chicken, we are taken back to the hotel. This trip was well worth the reasonable RM120 (approx €26).

Tonight we have the best meal of our trip so far. We go to Orkid Ria, a fancy seafood restaurant just a few minutes walk from our hotel. We start with a cocktail and then choose our fish from tanks where it’s then weighed and priced. We chose a whole snapper and a couple of Tiger prawns along with green Chinese vegetables, aubergine, fried rice and a few chips thrown in for me!! It is so good and even though it’s our most expensive meal, relative to eating this at home, an absolute bargain.

After that amazing meal, we go to the beach for another lovely sunset.

We swim early next morning so the sea is a little cooler… it gets so warm in the day, it’s hard to believe. For lunch we take a walk to a restaurant called Fat Cupid, which gets really good reviews for their Nyonya dishes. As we walk in it looks very low key but the food is fantastic and actually quite fancy in its presentation. I have Nyonya Chicken Curry Kapitan, apparently the owners favourite comfort dish from Grandma’s recipe book – this nyonya-style curry uses a paste of fresh galangal, corriander, lemongrass and tumeric, served w/ stir-fried veggies, onion omelette & white rice. Shane has a chicken pontay which is a typical Peranakan dish made in a dark, rich soy bean sauce. Both dishes are fantastic.

In the afternoon, we take a grab and travel about twenty minutes to Kuah, the capital of Langkawi. By the way Langkawi is in Kedah state and is often called the “jewel of Kedah”. It is famous for the giant eagle statue that looks out to the sea, so that’s where we head for.

There is a large Geopark all along the water which we walk through.

We spot a couple of hornbills which are very cool looking birds and they swoosh past us, flying really low!

We walk through Legenda park where we see a guy taking photos and we quickly realise there is a gang of Dusky Leaf monkeys in the trees. There’s at least a dozen of them and we stay and watch them for ages. They are throwing fruit from the tree and climbing from one tree to another.

Dragging ourselves away from the monkeys (well that really only applies to me!), we walk further along the coast and arrive at Maha Tower. Proclaimed as an other main attraction on the island, you can buy a ticket to go to the top and look at the views… we don’t!

There’s not a whole lot more to see and it’s really quiet as it’s Ramadan and also it’s Friday which means there are extra prayers so we head back. For dinner we go to a place called Warung DE Cenang – this place always seems to have a queue outside but we’re early enough that we manage to get a table straight away. I have Telur Bungkus which is chicken with vegetables served in an egg omelette. It’s light and very good.

We head back home and get into our swim gear to have a sunset swim, our final swim on the island.

We leave Langkawi on Saturday morning to continue our journey in Malaysia. It has been a beautiful week and I would love to come back one day.

On Saturday we leave Ipoh and make our way to Penang. Penang is a state that includes Penang island. We are taking a bus to Butterworth (on the mainland) and making our way, via ferry to Penang island. We arrive to the bus station an hour early and our bus arrives an hour and a half late😩. It’s a very busy weekend as people are travelling for Chinese New Year. Once on the road, although there’s a fair amount of traffic, the journey is a comfortable two and a half hours. On the way I am fascinated by the miles and miles of Palm trees along the road. With barbed wire surrounding them, they are obviously palm oil plantations. When we get to our Airbnb, we quickly drop our bags, freshen up and we are on the move again. It happens to be Valentines Day and I’ve booked a nice restaurant which is Michelin recommended. It’s called Jawihouse and it’s on Armenian street which is one of the must-see streets in Georgetown, the capital of Penang state. Oh yeah and Georgetown is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Although the food is very tasty, it’s not quite what I had intended – for starters it’s serving a mix of Indian and Middle Eastern food and more importantly there’s no booze!!! Look how pretty this salad is though!

Happily fed (ish!), we explore the beautiful Armenian street and find a bar. There’s a young couple playing live music so I’m delighted. They appear to be playing only love songs and the slow tempo doesn’t change! Quite entertaining!

Next morning we wake up early and get ourselves into a Grab (the Uber equivalent in Asia), which takes us to the bottom of Penang Hill. Here we take the longest funicular in Asia to the top of the hill – it’s very steep and 800 metres high. Once at the top, we head to the Habitat – a rainforest discovery area. There are plenty of macaque monkeys as we enter and leave.

The walk is peaceful and somewhat shaded and we look out for wildlife along the way. I’m really hoping to see a langur monkey which is a black monkey or even better a Dusky Leaf Monkey, which is black but with white around their eyes. We don’t have such luck today, although we do see a flying squirrel. We walk atop “Curtis Crest Tree Top Walk”, which has the highest accessible viewing platform on Penang Island and the views are great. We’ve also beaten the crowds so we’re happy out.

There’s plenty more monkeys to see as we cautiously leave the park and explore some more of the hill before taking the funicular down.

From the bottom of Penang Hill we take the local bus into Georgetown and have a proper explore of this very pretty old town. We have a much needed feed at the Jetty food court.

From here it’s only a few minutes walk to one of the Penang Clan Jetties at Weld Quay. The jetties were built by Chinese immigrants in the 19th century and are stilt homes, now protected as part of the UNESCO site. Seven are still inhabited and in tact and we visit Lee Jetty.

Walking out to the end of the jetty is very peaceful and provides a great view of the stilt houses. That said, the sun is blazing and I’m roasting!!!

We walk back among the streets in Georgetown and happen upon a house where Sun Yat-sen lived when he spent time in Penang. He is widely revered as the “Father of Modern China” as he led the 1911 revolution that ended the Qing dynasty, establishing the Republic of China. We pay a small fee and walk through the modest house which is now a small museum.

There are so many temples that you happen upon when walking around. This one appears when we walk through a small courtyard. It’s so lovely with incense burning and there’s always someone around saying a prayer.

This is one of the most popular temples in Georgetown – Kongsi. It’s a ticketed temple, closed this afternoon as they get ready for the Lunar New Year i.e. Chinese New Year.

We continue our exploring and see Little India – big gate and lots of restaurants! We walk to Fort Cornwallis, built by the British East India company in the 18th century. It is also closed but we walk around it (still roasting!!). We see the clock tower, lots of chickens hanging around and then we head back home for a rest!

For tonight’s dinner we have Korean bbq which is delicious… and cooked by my private chef!!

Next day it’s a regular work day for Shane so I busy myself with a visit to the gym, and some pool time.

In the evening we walk to the Waterfront food court but unfortunately the few stalls that are active have just closed and before we turn around it starts lashing rain… we are stuck here for a while and a man who sees our predicament and disappointment that we cannot get a dinner, gives us a can of beer and a Coca Cola!! Eventually the rain stops (after nearly an hour) and we walk toward home and end up having a really nice meal at a local restaurant, called Bonjour.

Next day we hit another local restaurant for dinner – this time it’s hotpot. After a shaky start (well for me as I really didn’t know what was going on!!), we have a really good meal where we cook dumplings, fish, meat and veg in two different broths – a spicy one and a creamy one. Again cooking mainly done by my private chef!!

There are fireworks going off every night as we approach the Chinese New Year. Also bangers are regularly set off at the temples… is it to ward off evil spirits – who knows! Now anyone who knows me knows I have a real aversion to bangers and fireworks so you can imagine how on edge I am!! 🫣 We do have a great view from the giant window in our apartment though, I just wish I didn’t have to listen to the bang!

I’ve been looking forward to having some roti and finally I get my chance for breakfast next morning. I had tried to have it for lunch but that’s a crazy idea, apparently you have roti for breakfast or dinner but not lunch!

This afternoon I take myself off for a massage and it is fantastic. The place is really fancy – it’s called Yu Zen Wellness and I have sixty minutes of bliss – no getting short changed here for you hour and for approx €23 I have a foot soak and a ginger tea afterward. Delighted with myself! 😁 Tonight we have more delicious food at a hawker centre – we have roast duck, grilled aubergine… so much food to try.

Next day I’ve booked a driver to take me around the island. His name is Mr Teik. He’s a Chinese Malaysian grandfather about to turn 70. His English is excellent and he’s really clued in. We start by visiting Kek Lok Si temple. This is the largest temple in Malaysia and certainly the most famous in Penang. Built over a period from 1890 to 1930, it is a pilgrimage site for many Buddhists from neighbouring countries. It is huge, taking up a whole side of a hill.

I walk around the temple viewing hundreds of Buddha statues and taking in the view from various vantage points around the complex. I take a short lift to the highest point and get close to the towering statue of Guanyin, sometimes called the Goddess of Mercy. This is a beautiful bronze statue surrounded by smaller versions all around, on a platform that provides a great view of the town below. Everywhere is a sea of red lanterns and as Buddhist temples go (and I’ve been to quite a few), this is probably the most spectacular.

From here we drive to the other side of the island which is undeveloped. This is where the land is farmed and they grow the smelly Durian! Mr Teik tells me that it’s addictive (hmm I’ve tried it and it’s so smelly and strong tasting it’s hard to stomach) but you should never have it on the same day you drink alcohol!!!

We continue driving along the coast and see some nice, albeit small, beaches. We are heading to the famous beach – Batu Ferringhi. He drops me at the famous “Golden Sands” hotel and tells me to walk through the lobby (as if I’m a guest!) past the pool and straight onto the beautiful beach. I do exactly what he says and this is what I see….

I can’t believe this is supposed to be golden sands… As beaches go, it’s crap! I had taken off my runners and got ready for a dip but I’m not comfortable to try to get to the water. I can only assume that there was storm damage and there’s also evidence of erosion … there must be another stretch of this beach that is beautiful… alas as this section is right now – this is not a beach for me!

Back in the car, we drive toward Georgetown and visit two temples that are on the same road opposite each other. The first is the Burmese temple.

I love this – the world Guardian and Protector. Apparently this is quite a rare statue. It possesses the quality of the five best combinations – the trunk and tusks of the elephant, four hoofed legs and two agile ears of the horse, the lion-faced toe (chimera) with the deer’s horn, the body and tail of the fish and the two powerful wings of the Roe (Garuda). Therefore it is ideally suited for its role of guarding the world in the form of the globe. I study it but can’t see the top to see if they’ve drawn in Ireland… I hope so!

In the hall of the main Buddha, I walk along the back wall and there are rows of Buddha statues from different Asian countries. I’m fascinated looking at the differences in style and pose from some countries I’ve visited – Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Cambodia, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos and others I haven’t – Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Philippines. I do love me a Buddha statue.

Across the road, I enter Wat Chaiyamangalaram, the Thai temple. It has exactly what you would expect of a temple from Thailand – beautiful, dazzling gold and bejewelled naghas guarding the entrance to the main temple.

I’m delighted to see a giant reclining Buddha – it’s not as big as the one in Bangkok but apparently it’s still one of the biggest in the world.

Mr Teik suggests we stop at a Hawker food court so I can grab some lunch as it’s already 1:30 pm. I choose some dry noodles with pieces of fish and eat it in the car on the way back to the apartment. It is roasting and I’m definitely going to be jumping in the pool.

From the pool, I can hear the call to prayer from the local mosque. Depending on if there’s a breeze blowing or like this afternoon where it’s really calm, it gets louder. [Sidebar: I’m currently loving the book I’m reading, “It should have been you“ by Andrea Mara and it’s really gripping. It’s far too hot to sit out in the middle of the day so I have resorted to walking up and down in the pool reading the book!]

For dinner tonight, we go back to the Waterfront food court which is looking very different to when we were here the other night, stuck in the rainstorm. Every thing is open and everywhere is packed….

We manage to find a table in the middle of the action and order mixed seafood with noodles, roast pork, vegetable dumplings, and for dessert we have Rojak. This is chopped fruit with sauce and sesame seeds. There’s some pineapple in there, but it’s not overly sweet as the sauce is not sweet and there’s also cucumber and what seem to be some sort of radish type vegetables in there interesting!

We go for a walk next morning and decide to get some breakfast. There is a huge market with tons and tons of food options, some with really long lines. We choose some dishes that we have been looking forward to trying. They are Chee Chong Fun, Popiah and Otok Otok and they are really tasty.

Our local Nasi Kandar place has been a favourite of Shane’s for a couple of days when I wasn’t having lunch. Today I’m ready to try it and I’m having all the “gravy”… that means about six variations of curry sauces on top of the rice and chicken (or fish in Shane’s case). It’s very tasty!

It’s Friday and Shane has finished work so we are now officially on holidays. We try the Thai bbq which again is a cook your own food on a grill… it feels like a lot of work but it’s a good meal.. eventually!

On Saturday morning we are up at 6am as we’ve booked a cycling tour with a 7am pick up from town. It’s about an hour drive to the other side of the island (where Mr Teik drove me earlier this week) to explore some of the Balik Pulau countryside.

We cycle through a palm tree plantation and our guide TC tells us how good virgin palm oil is… the world seems to get the bad stuff!

We stop in a small fishing town and have a walk around to see the local houses before having tea in the local coffee shop with some locals! We cycle further to the fishing area where the guide tells us that the fisherman fish on average a couple of hours a day!

We stop at Saanen Dairy Goat farm where we have goat ice cream and feed the animals. It has a lot more animals than the goats – we see an ostrich, an emu, porcupines and other smaller animals I’m not even sure what they were!

We enjoy the cycle back to our starting point and then it’s just under an hour drive back to Georgetown.

It’s time for some lunch and we both try Hokkien Prawn Mee. I have mine a little less spicy and it’s really good.

Happily fed (again!), we set off to see more sites of Georgetown. We see the Georgetown mansion which is a beautiful green building and the Fatt Tze blue mansion.

We walk down Love Lane, see plenty of small temples and mosques and admire lots of the old buildings.

We walk through a small park toward the water and see City Hall and Town Hall.

Looking out to the water, along the Esplanade, we see the Cenotaph – a war memorial dedicated to the Penang soldiers who lost their lives in various conflicts including WWI, WWII and the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation (1963–1966).

We walk along the Esplanade and see men fishing before turning inland again to find the two main churches in town. The first is the Church of the Assumption (Catholic). A simple white building, the inside of which is one of the plainest churches I’ve visited abroad. Secondly, St George’s (Anglican) – another fairly plain white church.

It is crazy hot and we’ve seen pretty much everything that was on our list, so we jump on a bus and head home. We saw lots of preparation for what looks like a giant street party in town for the 5th night of Chinese New Year celebrations but we opt to stay local and go to a Korean restaurant. We have fish pancake, fried chicken and “volcanic” rice which is mixed with cheese and served with seaweed on top!!

Next morning we visit Penang National Park. It sits on the north-west tip of the island and is just under an hour drive away. Luckily Grabs are cheap! There’s an RM50 (approx €12) entry fee for me but his lordship gets in free – certainly one perk of aging!! We hike for about an hour and a half through beautiful trees and enjoy amazing jungle sounds. We cross a bridge over the Meromictic Lake which is a rare phenomenon that consists of distinct, non-mixing layers of saltwater and freshwater. There are only a handful in the world.

We arrive to turtle beach, which is stunning and we are the only people there. It’s not safe to swim as there are dangerous jelly fish. From here we take a boat to another beach.

The boat leaves us at monkey beach which is a little busier but safe to swim in. On land you’ve got to watch out for thieving monkeys though!!

After dipping our feet and walking the length of the short beach, we take another boat back to the park entrance. We walk into the fishing village of Teluk Bahang and have a delicious meal of squid, broccoli bean curd and claypot fish stew. A bus arrives as we are just finished and so we head home.

Tonight we are going to Tek Lok Si temple. This is the giant temple I visited earlier in the week and I’m excited to go back and see it at night. The temple is a focal point for the Chinese community in Penang, especially for Chinese New Year. The New Year celebrations are particularly impressive, with thousands of lights and lanterns turning the scenery into a sea of light.

What a way to end our trip – Spectacular!