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HOTELS
Travel is an essential part of good living. Amen. Whenever I travel, I seek comfort. A good hotel is a prerequisite. I'm not one of those people who consider a hotel to be nothing more than a place to sleep and brush your teeth. I'm also not an adult backpacker. I don't expect travel to take me on breathtaking adventures - I just want my immersion in another culture to bring me those experiences, moods, pleasures, smells and tastes that belong to that land and culture.
So I look for a good hotel (or usually, Tony does...). Something with lots of character, preferably a smaller hotel rather than one that's part of a big chain. The breakfast needs to be delicious, the bed comfortable, the bathroom impeccable (OK - maybe a little on the luxurious side…), and the view out pleasing to the eye. The lobby should be pleasant and clean, and hopefully have a nice bar - bartenders are actually excellent sources of information. And yet - the price level needs to be kept under control. Luckily, there are hotels like this nearly everywhere you go. Sometimes finding them may require a little investigation, searching and some good instinct.
I intend to begin listing our finds here - The list will grow slowly over time, as I reach to the back of my mind for earlier places that we found good, and of course, as and when I make my way out to the world again.
RESTAURANTS
Good food is an essential part of good living. Amen. When we travel, we look for delicious tastes, which in foreign countries you usually find in restaurants. I've been through the Michelin star establishments and while some of them have been very good, clarity and simplicity have become more and more important to me in the world of flavours. I've always appreciated hearty home cooking, food that's had minimal preparation, moving around or storing. I'm omnivorous so I eat anything, but I don't look for the extremes on my plate. My favourite food changes according to the season. I love the seasons and that world of flavours a new time of the year brings with it. My number one favourite, though, is and will always remain the simplest of the simple and hardly at all processed - although brought over from far away: caviar! I spent the entire day eating caviar on a recent birthday and started worrying that its very sight might begin to make me sick. But hah! - the next morning a small spoonful of that unbeatable delicacy spread on toast felt as heavenly as ever.
Having said that, I also admit that the trendy, innovative and ever-changing restaurants of the world's great cities fascinate me. At best, their blends of flavours, smells, shapes and kitchen work is unrivalled harmony. At worst, it can be horrendous inedible jumble. Their interior décor is a pleasure as eye just as their food is to the palate. Their wine lists boast the world's finest wines and the serving staff are often better dressed than their clientele. Everything flows like clockwork, which is then often reflected in the bill...
I intend to gradually begin listing restaurants here where we have enjoyed something that's worth recommending to others...
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Check out these lists for hotels and restaurants I've visited:
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