Christmas Fare - Australian style

 

My perfect Australian Christmas treat is .... SEAFOOD

And what better place to purchase fresh from the ocean seafood - Sydney Fish Market.

As this is a Christmas treat to "myself" I always start with a few dozen Coffin Bay oysters as well as juicy King Prawns.

Whenever I visit Sydney at Christmas this is top of my Things to Do List.

So get right in there and chose only the freshest fish.  Vendors will clean the fish for you as well .... what a bonus

Ice cream and waffles .... just one of many delectable desserts to finish up with.

London - Famous Landmarks & Pub Grub

 

A three day stop over in London to catch up with friends following my Zimbabwe Safari (2010)

With a range of friendly Pubs offering quality meals (in Australia we often refer to such meals as "Pub Grub") it was so much fun to going "Grazing"

Pork Pie with homemade chutney. gorgonzola and cheddar cheeses with fresh salad and crusty bread.

and Fish it was ....

There is no pie crust quite like English Pie Crust

Taking in some famous London landmarks - London Bridge, and the London Eye

Back to delicious grazing ....

So nice to catch up with friends in London ....

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Warm and Welcoming

My 5 day visit to Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, was focused on sampling the spicy cuisine, meeting the locals and exploring the cooking methods wherever possible.

Roasting coffee beans on the pavement was a great place to start.  The aroma was intoxicating!

My hotel was out of the city centre so I made sure I enjoyed my evening hotel meal with a glass of wine knowing I didn't have to catch a train afterwards

Dome Kuala Lumpur has the most delicious desserts

Spicy dumplings with an icy cold Tiger beer

I certainly enjoy a quality wine or local beer when on holidays

Almost Malaysia's national dish - Nasi Lemak.  There are slight variations - and I found a few - however the original features coconut rice, prawn sambal, fried anchovies, peanuts, cucumber slices and ayam redang.

Time for sightseeing which I did by jumping on the Hop On / Hop Off double-decker bus.  First circuit was to check out where I wanted to get off on the second circuit.  Best way possible to check out major cities around the world.

Sultan Abdul Samar Building

Kuala Lumpur skyline

Petrona Twin Towers - 451 metres tall

Multi storey shopping malls offering international labels mixed with restaurants and food halls

Standing atop the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve, the 421m-high KL Tower is, at present, the world's fifth tallest structure. Officially known as Menara KL, it has been outshone by the Petronas Twin Towers but remains an important architectural marker and boasts spectacular views of the city. The viewing deck is at least 100 metres higher than the Petronas Tower’s Skybridge 

Kuala Lumpur is a mix of modern and British colonial era buildings

Gardens abound throughout the city softening the commercial feel

Istana Negara is Malaysia's national palace built in 1928

Taman Burung, Kuala Lumpur.  A gated attraction, Kuala Lumpur Bird Park is a 20.9-acre public aviary. It is a popular tourist attraction receiving an annual average of 200,000 visitors.

KL Theatre

Central Markets

Jalan Alor

Jalan Petaling - Petaling Street

Starhill Gallery is one of those ritzy shopping malls where you are almost afraid to touch things. Ambient lighting, soft jazz music playing in the background and carpeted floors that mask any sound your feet might make, results in this being a red carpet retail experience like no other.

Getting a Bottle at the Bar - what a cool place! This is another one of those photos that just has amazing detail of the incredible decor. It is an underground bar in Kuala Lumpur I could not stop taking photos inside!