Jewels in the KL sky!

One can not live solely...and soulfully on fresh air and friends alone so it is with some trepidation and yet, with more than a modicum of excitement that I find myself "...on the road again...".  Replenished and refreshed after a wonderful time at 'home', I find myself once again thrust into the hurly burly of South East Asia...of Kuala Lumpur, or KL as it is known to those accustomed to traversing the globe.  Despite being now recognised as a thoroughly modern, prosperous and affluent city, one only has to stroll through the historic colonial district, or Chinatown with its quaint old shophouses or even the bustling market place of Little India to appreciate the past, colour and character that make up KL today.  As much as I love the old, the historic and the 'quirky dustiness' of any city (possibly in reference to my good self), it is the new, modern and sparkling that attracts me to KL these days. And nothing holds my awe more than the majestic Petronis Towers.  Rising like KL's glittering, arabesque crown and refracting like jewels in the sky, the towers are an arresting and compelling site.  

Not one to miss the thrill of being 'arrested' and 'compelled', I have retired to the Sky Bar of KL's Traders Hotel. A striking rooftop bar with amply and sumptuously cushioned nooks surrounding the hotel's swimming pool, one is comfortably presented with uninterrupted views of the towers and the city's preparations for the evening's activities.  What better way to enjoy a warm KL evening than with a view to rival the treasures of Aladdin and...a refreshingly appropriate Campari Cocktail.  While defined by a careful blend of Campari and a dash of Angostura Bitters, one must insist on the use of a premium vodka to complete this concoction...anything less will leave one with a bad taste in the mouth.  Chin chin! 

Friends...and other animals in Lorne!

Travelling as frequently as I do, it is easy to take for granted and indeed, fail to recognise, the simple pleasures of the company of good friends and the joys of a coastal week away.  I was thankfully reintroduced to some of the things that make me happy while travelling down the "Great Ocean Road" to the seaside hinterland of Lorne.  A mere 150 kilometers from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne, the journey to Lorne takes in some of the most spectacular coastal scenery anywhere in the world.  Nestled on the border of the Great Otway National Park, Lorne, though tediously lively in the festive season, can also offer  one the peace and quiet one needs to recover from the rigours of the pointy tree festival.  With that in mind, I resolved to take the time to smell the eucalypts, align myself with the horizon and appreciate that "...a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush".   In the company of close friends and other animals, I sink more heavily into my wicker chair on the verandah conveniently overlooking the Victorian coast, sigh deeply at the wonder of it all and...pop the cork on a Dal Zotto Pucino Prosecco NV from the King Valley region of Northern Victoria. Pale in colour, this youthful Prosecco has hints of cut pear and citrus blossom and a freshness that is perfectly enjoyed on a verandah by the sea side.  What  good fortune I have!

Deck the halls with the bowels of...Melbourne!

Home...just in time for pointy tree day.  It seems many journeys since I last graced the streets of Melbourne but what a comfort it is to see familiar sights and familiar faces, albeit for what will probably turn out to be a short visit.  Of course, the Christmas period is the talk of the town at this time of the year and Melbourne, similar to the rest of the "Christian" world, celebrates Christmas like...a famine is about to wreak untold havoc on its fearful inhabitants after a blizzard of unexperienced proportions forces the interment of all inhabitants, preventing them from accessing supplies for the duration.  In other words, we buy up all we can refrigerate and all we can possibly cook...usually enough to last until all participants start to resemble a well fed Strasbourg goose and indeed, start to feel more than a little liverish!  And in case you confuse us with a people who buy provisions to accommodate the climate (often stifling hot at this time of the year), we roast and bake and stuff all that we can we can just in case of that blizzard and famine to follow. 
Over indulgence aside, it is nice to be home and it is nice to reacquaint myself with the lanes and arcades of Melbourne.  Unlike any other city in Australia, Melbourne has embraced lane-way life and has done it very well.  To celebrate my homecoming and the festive season, I have found a pleasant spot to enjoy a wonderfully refreshing Bay of Fires - Tigress Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay from the The Pipers River region of Tasmania. Distinctly Tasmanian, Tigress is a cool climate sparkling of lingering complexity that I will be enjoying right across the pointy tree period. Bon Noel all. 

Meditation and mayhem in Bangkok!

On my way home at last!  But not without a stop over in that most vibrant, bustling, colourful and yet...most sublime of south east Asian cities...Bangkok.  I never pass the opportunity to centre myself in the land of the free...Thailand.  It is truly remarkable.  All present thoughts however, must go out to the wonderfully resilient people of this noble country, for they are more than knee deep in trouble at the moment.  For a culture that has been built on, in and around water, (and the Thai's will be the first to tell you how important it is) there is just too much of the blessed stuff.  Despite great hardship though, I am most comfortably welcomed by those around me.  
You know despite what others say, I always manage to find peace here.  Unfortunately, the reputation of Bangkok suffers greatly from those who decry the noise, the heat, the pollution and the crowds, but they do not look any further than their air conditioned tour buses as they hurtle headlong to the beaches or the mountain resorts far north.  Bangkok has a sublime beauty that is not found elsewhere. A carefully tendered shrine just around the corner, the heavenly scent of beautifully crafted jasmine garlands always in the air and the patient smile of a street vendor always within sight...Bangkok is there to be savoured. Just as I am going to savour a refreshing Singha beer in a charming little bar in a tree lined Soi just off Silom Road.  Sublime indeed!