Farewell to the Oktoberfest from Berlin

We saw the opening of the Oktoberfest in Munich and I loved the way the band entered and marched around the giant tent, and then the beer started flowing....
I was so impressed to be invited to the final night of Oktoberfest celebrations at the Fischerhuette near the Schlacten See, just outside Berlin. It was such a Bavarian experience, so many Berliners wore their lederhosen and dirndl, the band played all night and everyone knew all the words, we ate superb schnitzel and just kept dancing on the benches....so impressed that no one even went near a table as they would have in Australia or England...
It was a fabulous night...can't wait for next year

a great day in London

What better way to spend a sunny autumn Sunday in London than heading off to the Tate Modern. We caught the tube to Mansion House, had a quick peek at St Paul's and the Crisis in Capitalism tent camp - there is a strong feeling of shared empathy - before walking across the now stable Millenium Bridge in full view of the old Bankside Power Station, now home to the Tate Modern. We explored two thematic combinations of their own collections on Level 5: Energy and Process, and States of Flux - both quite radical and representing stark contrasts between style, familiarity and engagement. It would have been good to have travelled up the river but the classic English customer service thwarted us - the first salesperson claimed she knew nothing about the boat tying up at the floating wharf "it is not my company" and the second decided to change shift oblivious to the realities of the timetable - so we decided to save our money and walk up along the Thames Path to South Bank, and cross the river along the Golden Jubilee Bridge towards Embankment. Then we caught the tube a few stops to Sloan Square, in time to discover the Chelsea Physic Garden before it closed. This secret garden by the river collects and protects plants from far and wide. Franki, our guide shared some of the history and the geographical diversity of its inhabitants. It was such a quiet and peaceful oasis to enjoy discovering what so many pharmaceutical plants look like...
And then we concluded the day with a brilliant thali in a very popular restaurant - Masala Zone in Earls Court Road. Although part of a chain of 8 London restaurants, it was impressive in decor, food and service. The tribal paintings reminded me of Aboriginal art, the food was an interesting twist on usual curry houses and we were treated so well, especially for London. I have not eaten Thalis very often outside of India, but it was great to sample a curry, dhal, vegetables all together with papadams and relishes...
so then it was just a cosy glass of red on the chesterfield in the Kings Head, hidden back on Hogarth Place, in a quaint neighbourhood of Earls Court... A superb day out with good friends, altho so sad to say good bye, only for now.

400 voices sing Carmina Burana at the Royal Albert Hall

Three times lucky and I was even more impressed than I have been before - this choral masterpiece in such a spectacular location as the Royal Albert Hall and with so many voices together and alone. Chilling, inspirational and just superb...The 24 poems written in German and Latin during the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries were not so obvious - but the music by Carl Orff written in 1936 was and continues to be absolutely primal and spectacular. A full orchestra will a very well developed percussion section set the scene for so many adult and schoolboy voices, complemented by impressive soloists. A spiritual evening in appreciation of life...

superb photographs appreciating animals and nature

There is something about good photography that takes my breath away and forces me to appreciate the beauty, simplicity, reality around me...I remember wanting to be a travel photographer and I also remember realising that I needed to support myself and now I can only be envious and truly appreciative of those who have managed to do this... The Natural History Musuem has an exhibition of 108 brilliant backlit photos in the Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition and Exhibition. Whilst I might query whether a photo should have won or been a runner up across the varied categories, I can only enjoy the amazing talent, patience and perspectives of an international group of photographers. The verbal descriptions and technical summaries of each photo make for interesting reading and the experience cannot fail to be uplifting. This is despite the winning photo portraying my favourite birds, pelicans, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, in the recent giant oil spill. This photo is profound in meaning at so many levels. In contrast there is a virtual screen print of a brilliantly composed array of poppy flowers taken in the fields, just down the road in Wiltshire. What a great way to appreciate nature, in its many forms.

a little bit of Malaysia in Chelsea

it was a special Friday night in London - residents of 3 countries meeting up again - for the third time in 3 european countries - at a favourite Malaysian restaurant - Awana
we started early, because we could and the food was amazing, as always - great mixtures of asian tastes, artistically presented in rather a minimalist way with superb service. Ingredients were luxurious; duck, prawns, squid, pomello, green papaya, crab, scallops all complimented by spices and fresh vegetables. And the ultimate was the range of ice creams and sorbets; coconut, blood orange and star anise, tamarind, gin and tonic, lychee, lemongrass and chilli and so many more... What a wonderful way to reconnect and share the wonders of travelling in Italy by comparison with some harsh real life realities... and emphasise the importance of connecting with real friends at special times and places...

repaying The Debt?

A superb film, sitting on the edge of my seat until the disappointing ending....
A very believable trio of the Mossad recount and revisit their dastly deeds in the 1960's in a skillfully recreated East Berlin - I recognised Tempelhof Airport and several street scenes were very believable. The dynamic tension between the two men and 1 woman is well acted in the past and the present and the way the captive Nazi Dr from Birkenau interacts with them is quite challenging to watch. I guess the moral question is whether people can live with lies for the benefit of country and family for all their lives ... it is difficult to imagine my own personal reaction and I think the ending may have been a bit too English highbrow for me....

celebrating Sunday evening

the lights and colours of Gendarmenmarkt just around sunset are spectacular - and we were on our way to enjoy the Menu Classique at the wonderful french brasserie Entrecote, just down the road. The mixed green salad with walnuts was dressed beautifully. Our first 3 slices of Sirloin were covered in Fred's fantastic sauce beside a large handful of tiny streichholzkartoffeln, or matchstick french fries. After finishing this plate, we were offered some more slices of Sirloin and fries, which were all kept warm on a small tealight stove nearby... and the rest is a lovely memory... Languedoc wine, creme brulee, just relaxing after an active weekend....