Tag: seafood

Postcard from Palermo, Sicily: Architectural and actual gems of Monreale

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Above: Monreale offers a sweeping view of Palermo from the mountains to the sea.

The immensity of the 12th-century Benedictine cloisters adjacent to the Cathedral of Monreale is best grasped when viewed from the church roof. Walking around the monastery’s inner courtyard, graceful arches supported by pairs of delicate columns evoke a sense of intimacy.

The craftsmen erecting these did not apply a cookie-cutter approach to their construction process. I don’t believe the figurative designs of a single capital is repeated, and many columns boast colorful mosaic inlays. Perhaps these were meant to entertain restless monks not always keen on completing the requisite number of daily contemplations.

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Postcard from London, England: Italian, Philippine, seafood and cheese, please

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Above: All-you-can-eat cheese on conveyor belt at Pick & Cheese Seven Dials

Restaurant listings arranged alphabetically might not prove user-friendly in a city as sprawling as London, but I’m stubbornly persisting in that practice. As in the earlier part one, these are scattered all over the map.

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Postcard from London, England: Creative kitchens debunk flawed stereotype

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Above: Watermelon, chickpea and feta salad at Ceru in South Kensington

There were two reasons why I waited so long to visit London. The first was that it seemed like cheating on getting a foreign experience when the natives all speak English. That excuse no longer applies, as most people we encounter while traveling in Europe speak fluent English, with an American accent due to all the Hollywood films they devour. British accents challenge my comprehension more than English spoken elsewhere.

The second bias I possessed was food. No mushy peas, please. That proves my ignorance. Today’s London offers so much more than the old standard pub grub I feared I would have to eat every single meal. Why did I ever wait so long to become enlightened?

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