Brugge - The narrowest street and my first Moroccan meal

When it comes to direction, I am proud to say that I am very good at it, for woman that is. Google map is my best friend when planning for my travel. And when I am travelling, local maps are always my companions. Also, I only need to find the place the first time (getting lost might occur), and the second time will be a breeze. But sometimes, maps can only help you so much.

I wanted to find De Garre because I wanted to dine in Cookie's. This restaurant popped up whenever I did a search for a good meal around the area. So yep, being a gullible tourist, I decided to have my lunch there. However, getting there was pretty interesting.

After reading my map and notes, I was sure the street was somewhere around Markt. But I could not find a street sign. No matter how many times I walked back and forth the street which was supposed to lead to De Garre. I had almost given up, but I did not know what to eat around Markt without getting myself into a tourist trap. Yep, Cookie's might be one as well, but at least the food sounded good. So I told myself to keep on looking.

Then I suddenly realized there was a door, in between two shops, where lots of people seemed to disappear into. I thought at the time, maybe I would just go in and explore. And you know what? That was the street I was looking for the whole time.

It was so narrow that if two people walked side by side, they might feel a tad uncomfortable. In Vietnam, this would not be called a street, it would be only an alley with some number tagged on it. But I was glad to discover it. The street was very charming with its cobblestones paving and red-brick houses.

And yes, I managed to find Cookie's. Unfortunately, it was full house at the time. And I was too hungry to wait for a table. I got out of the establishment and decided to explore the street more. My curiosity lead me to Opus-Latino/Motahareh, a Moroccan restaurant.

It was a very gorgeous hidden place which I was glad to discover and dine here. I did not regret leaving Cookie's for this beautiful restaurant. Even though the place was empty when I first reached there, I was happy to have it all to myself. The weather was terrific, sunny but cooling. The peaceful and zen atmosphere helped me to relax tremendously. Luckily I had learnt my lesson from my previous New York trip, which made me have more time to enjoy my meal.

As it was my first time to a Moroccan restaurant and had no plan to go to one, I chose my lunch based on what the staff recommended to me. The meal I had was Couscous with roasted chicken which was quite interesting. But the combination of flavours was not my favourite, I probably would not order it again in the future. However, I would be more than happy to try other dishes the next time I visited a Moroccan restaurant.

Brugge - Streets without tourists

My second day in Brugge fell into a Sunday, which is quite a sad day for tourists in Europe. When planning for trips, what caused me lots of headache was thinking of what to do in Sundays. Not only in Europe, but in the States as well; however, Europe was worse as the people there care more about their personal lives than doing business. At least that was my impression after travelling to both continents.

Anyway, after spending a night well-rested, I woke up on Sunday feeling happy to explore the area. But since many tourists considered Brugge as an one-day visit from Brussels or any other places, the town seemed to be more awake after 10am. Even if I wanted to beat the crowd and explore around before that, not many shops and attractions opened for business. So what should I do?

The answer was laundry. The whole trip lasted 20 days after all, and I only brought maximum of 5-day change. Even I intended to do some shopping and wear my new buys right after, I still need some clean clothes. And with that in mind, I went to a self-service laundry shop, not too near to the hotel, but still walking-distance from the hotel. And because of this, I discovered a less touristy side of Brugge, much to my immense pleasure.

I had to say I love Brugge both touristy and non-touristy. The non-touristy side of the town was exactly what I thought a Belgian town looked like. Simple, modern and bright. It was very different from French town and city, which were very elaborate and showing-off. I had fun walking and exploring while waiting my clothes were cleaned. It was a breath of fresh air from the hustle and bustle of the city life I normally live.

Boulangerie patisserie in Riquewihr

Two words to describe what I always feel when looking at these pictures: colorful and delicious.

"Delicious" here was more about smelling. I did not know why but I did not eat much cakes or sweets during this European trip. Breads and chocolate, yes, definitely. But cakes and other sweets, no. Whenever I stepped into a boulangerie patisserie, I could ooh aah over these beautiful cakes, but I never bought a single slice. Even when I was Paris. Except for macaroons, which is another story for another day (if I even get into that).

The same happened when I was in Riquewihr. I walked past this shop after the wine tasting session. The smell from the shop practically called to me. I stopped and back tracked to the shop. After ogling for a few minutes, I decided to buy something to eat, part of hunger and part of buying something when you were in a new place. And I was curious about Gugelhopf. So of course, I bought its smaller version. What did it taste like? Well, strangely enough, I could not recall much of the taste. I think I did not like it very much. That might be why I never bought it again when I got back to Strasbourgh.

Food aside, this boulangerie patisserie was a feast for vision. Why are cake shops in Singpore and Vietnam so boring?

Riquewihr - One of the most beautiful villages in France

I visited Riquewihr after exploring the surrounding vineyards and tasting wines from the region. It was a very lovely stroll, with crisp cool air and lovely companions. However, it was a little too short to my liking. If I have a chance, I will definitely stay here for a night or two. That would help me to slow down from the hectic daily life in Singapore. These days, sometimes I feel like I just want to drop everything and go away to some far away village. And Riquewihr is an ideal place to relax and calm yourself.

Situated between the peaks of the Vosges mountains and the Plain of Alsace, Riquewihr is a medieval town right in the heart of the Alsatian vineyards and is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France. As it was not badly damaged during World War II, the village is still maintained the appearance and atmosphere of a medieval town, with half-timbered houses built in 15th - 18th century. In a way, it reminds me of Le Petite France in Strasbourg, but maybe a little prettier.

Singapore eats - Chocolate truffles from "Truffs"

In case you have not figured out yet, I am a chocolate lover or chocoholics. There are always some kinds of chocolate in my fridge, be it a Marks & Spencer hazelnut milk chocolate bar, or Royce's Petite Truffe in Orange. When I feel a lack of energy or just plain bored, I would pop a piece of these goodies into my mouth. And immediately, I will feel much better. So yeah, I could safely say that I might not be able to live without chocolate.

There is another fact that I have quite a sweet tooth. That is why I don't really like those 70% dark chocolate. They are too bitter for my taste. I prefer my chocolate with nuts, especially with hazelnuts or macadamia. The best chocolate with hazelnuts I have ever tasted were from Belgium. I don't know what Belgians do with their chocolate, but they taste very delicious. In Singapore, for a cheap option, I could go to Marks & Spencer. For a more expensive price, I would say Beschle at B2 Taka (and only when these go on sale). Without nuts, only truffles would satisfy me.

For my normal chocolate truffles craving, I'd say Royce make a perfect snack. I usually get its Petite Truffe in Orange. The price is very reasonable, with $12.5 there are around 10 pieces of chocolate truffles. Two pieces a day and I am a happy girl. However, when I feel generous with myself or too stressed out, Truffs is where I would go to for the best stuff.

Even though the shop is located near Amoy hawker centre, it might be hard to find the place. The reason is the shop is on the second level of a shop house, where the door could be hidden by hungry office people queuing to buy lunch from the fish-head curry food house next door. Not to mention the fruit stall in front of the house. And that is during lunch time, when I normally go there. It can be very hot and crowded outside, but everything will be different once you walk up the store.

Inside the shop, it is very quiet and calm. Sometimes I could even be there when the staff was preparing for cakes. But don't be afraid, just tell them what you want, the staff would be happy to serve you. They would ask about your preference and then give you a sample to try. One of the reasons I like about Truffs is that the sample they give you is a whole piece of chocolate truffle. And 9 of these whole pieces are priced at 25 bucks. So yep, they are not stingy with the tasting at all.

The first time I went there, I tried Truffs' 55% équateur dark chocolate. Since then, I have gotten hooked with it. Very balanced between sweetness and bitterness, smooth and rich in texture. These morsels are heavenly. Just one piece and you feel happy and satisfied. That is what I call chocolate in its finest. Usually I would buy a box of 9 as I would like to finish them when they are still fresh. A box of 18 is a little cheaper but it is pretty hard to store in the fridge for me, and the taste might be spoilt when I could not finish them in time.

Another reason to call Truffs chocolate truffles an indulgence is that they are lovingly wrapped in a beautiful box. A simple but elegant design, with a white leather band to give it an appearance of a gift. This definitely makes a perfect present to anyone.

Besides "55% équateur", Truffs also offers "66% antilles" and "70% honduras" dark chocolate. But those two varieties are too bitter to my taste so I have never bought them. Maybe in the future, when my taste changes. Everything changes through time, so you never know.

A small note: this is not an advertorial. I am neither a food blogger nor a popular one. So there is no reason for any shops/restaurants to pay me to write. Whatever is written on my blog is purely personal opinions and experience. But do feel free to contact me if you would like to know more about anything mentioned on my blog.

Vineyards and wine tasting in Riquewihr

The next stop in my Alsace wine route excursion tour was Riquewihr. The village is famous for producing the Riesling and other great Alsace wines. It means it was a must to visit the vineyards surrounding Riquewihr.

Truthfully I have very little knowledge about wines and whatever related to them. It is not in my interest to learn about them. If I go out for dinner and dine in a restaurant, I normally choose water. I feel wine interfere with my food, even if it enhances the taste, I still don't like it much. Also, wine makes my throat feel dry, which I totally dislike.

Hence, during this visit, I couldn't say I understand much, especially during the wine tasting session. Well, of course I could differentiate the dryness of these wine. My throat was very sensitive after all. But other than that, I didn't have a clue what I was supposed to taste and feel. However, at the end of the day, I knew that I quite liked the Riesling.

Before this wine tasting session, our small tour group was shown the vineyards surrounding the village. And I've gotta say, I loved it. The view, the atmosphere and all the rules and techniques behind these beautiful vineyards. Do you know the French government has a very strict system concerning wine making and producing? There are rules on how grape trees are planted in a vineyard so that grapes are produced with the best quality? Also, vineyards should always be located on the slopes of hills or mountains in order to have rains, wind and sun in the right angle. And if a vineyard violates only a rule in the system, they will be fined. Depending on the seriousness of the violation, they might even be banned to operate a vineyard. And that is why French wines are still holding their quality and position in the world market for so long.

So yep, if you are in the vicinity, remember to drop by this village. I promise you won't regret it.

And of course, the wine tasting session in Riquewihr wine shop.

Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg - Castle in Alsace region

This is the first castle I visited in Europe, when I joined an Alsace wine route tour during the time I stayed in Strasbourg. I had to say it was one of the highlights of my trip last year.

Since the castle is located on the Alsace wine route and on top of a high hill overlooking the Alsatian plain, in the Vosges mountains just west of Sélestat, the road leading there was amazingly beautiful. The fact that it was autumn made the view even more gorgeous. However, as I took an excursion tour with two other tourists, it was impossible to have the car stopped to take some pictures of the terrific views. But maybe because I didn't have my eyes strained behind a camera, I managed to enjoy the scenery and memorize it. Just imagine, trees with leaves turning to a gorgeous yellow color covering the whole mountains. And so often, you would pass by vineyards stretching over the slopes of Vosges mountains. Again, since it was in fall, the leaves of these grape trees had turned yellow, making the whole area golden in the afternoon light.

Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg looks like a castle I have seen in some European fairy tale movies. It's definitely different from those Walt Disney version. And I like visiting this castle, but not staying. I guess after visiting a few castles in this trip, I really appreciate the convenience of modern-day technology. I think those who had stayed here in the past were very healthy because it would be a nightmare during winter. Even if they had servants, just walking out of the castle would make anyone cringe. So no, I don't envy people living in castles.

Again, photos tell thousand words. Here are some gorgeous pictures of the castle in autumn.