When most people travel to Bali, they head to places like Tanah Lot, Jimbaran, Seminyak and Ubud. Nil and myself together with Eva opted to stay the full length of our trip just in Ubud and make daytrips, if possible, to the surrounding areas. You could say that it was a very leisurely holiday for the both of us and a chance for Eva to bond further with my in-laws. It came at a good time as she is beginning to experience some separation anxiety but more on that in my baby blog.

Note: Ubud has a no-electricity-town-wide every Saturday from 6pm till 10pm so choose your activities wisely.

What’s nice about Ubud?
In a nutshell, if you like culture, a slightly more laidback environment (compared to the hustle and bustle of Kuta), then stop here. Tourists flock here for the cultural shows, as well as the arts and crafts (galleries, markets, shops, etc). Most people will opt for about two to three days but if you’re staying longer, you can explore more than just the center of Ubud.

Where to stay?
There are plenty of resorts, homestays, cottages and villas – the sky is the limit…or rather your wallet, that is. Most people opt for accommodation in the centre of Ubud, which is along Monkey Forest Road and Jalan Raja Ubud. There are a few hidden gems in the other smaller streets like Jalan Goutama, Dewisita and so forth. Because our accommodation was paid for and we didn’t have to scout around (we stayed with my in-laws at Agung Cottages along Jalan Goutama), I can’t be too sure about the prices but what I do know is budget accommodation are priced below 100,000 rupiah per night.

Do be careful when it comes to choosing a place to stay – you’ll want hot water as the water in Ubud can get frighteningly chilly. Bonuses are things like air-conditioning (you won’t need it around this time of the year as the rains are heavy and very cooling) and a swimming pool (which is great if you’re heading there in the hot months).

What to eat?
Balinese cuisine, of course! While rich in spices, it is an eclectic mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian influences, making it very unique. The traditional bebek betutu (roasted duck stuffed with herbs and spices before being wrapped in leaves) and babi guling (roast stuffed suckling pig/pig) are must-tries on the list. If your palate is adventurous, you can opt for some lawar – with or without meat. Other Indonesian favourites like gado-gado, bakso and soto are good options as well.

Warungs or simple family-styled eateries are your best bet if you’re on a budget and would like to stretch your rupiah to the limit. Warung Local and Dewa Warung along Jalan Goutama have pretty delicious choices starting from 6,000 all the way till 15,000 rupiah (and more). Warung Ika Oka serves up some yummy roast suckling pig that is a hit with the locals during lunch and it’s located opposite the palace.

Posh places like Nomad and Kita serve up pretty good food but the ambience is more for tourists rather than locals or budget eaters like myself and Nil. Tourists love Nomad and another spot called Bunute for its lively environment and in the case of the latter, a very talented local band.

What to do?
Relax.

Seriously, if you’re looking for adventure or a boisterous nightlife, Ubud is hardly the right place to stay in. Come here if you’re after some cultural shows – there are plenty all year round – and some art. There are plenty of galleries to feast your eyes on plus the surrounding areas like Batun, Mas, and Celuk are home to some of the loveliest works of arts in this region, be it in the form of canvas/paint, stone or wood.

Spas and massages are popular as well; expect to pay 50,000 rupiahs for an hour’s worth of traditional Balinese massage on site. Add about anywhere between 25,000 to 50,000 if you want the masseur to drop by your hotel. Pedicures, manicures and facials are available as well not to mention the full on treatment of a lovely scrub plus a bath. Options like mandi lulur, milk baths and what-nots are available. Yes, when it comes to pampering oneself, Ubud is the place.

If you’re bored, rent a bike or bicycle and head off to the surrounding villages. The view can be fantastic with scores of paddy fields and houses/villas lining the skyline. Alternatively, if you don’t mind, take a walk. Best times are during the early hours of the morning. Bring some sunblock and an umbrella in case the heat gets unbearable OR in case it rains.

For those into shopping, expect some lovely gems at the local Pasar Seni located along Jalan Raja Ubud. Remember to hard bargain as anything and everything can be priced exorbitantly especially if you’re a tourist. Don’t be afraid to ask for less – your cue is this: if it doesn’t have a price tag (even handwritten ones can be challenged), it’s okay to bargain. Start off at the lowest possible – at least 75% off the original price before making your way up. Then again, don’t die from a heart attack if you end up paying more than what someone else paid. Most of the time, the difference hardly makes a dent in your pocket but means a lot to the locals.

Special notes
Drink only bottled water (a large bottle of 1.5L only costs 3,000 to 4,000 rupiahs) and avoid fresh vegetables & fruits (salads, etc) whenever possible.

Also water here is quite soft so if you’re doing laundry, you may want to skip the water softener and buy local detergent available at the mini-marts or Delta chain stores here.

Watch out for dog poo as you’re exploring the streets as Bali has an awful problem with the huge number of stray dogs – they are not wild, just loose. Most are harmless and some, well, their bark is worse than their bite.

Where we went
Versailles
Versailles, formerly the home to the French royal family up till the death of Louis XVI (and events preceding his execution), is today one of the most expensive, traditional and wealthy suburbs in Paris. You won’t find factories or industries here. Ohno, a good part of the suburb is dedicated to the the grounds of the Château de Versailles and its gardens while the rest features shops catering to both locals and tourists, as well as residential homes and other “service”-oriented buildings like schools, administrative buildings and so forth.

While Paris remains as the official capital city of France, in practice government-related affairs like senate and parliamentary meetings, greeting of dignitaries and so forth are still held at Versailles. It is very much still a place of political power as it was in its heyday as well as a popular tourist destination.

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WARNING: Ultra long entry ahead!

First things first, some basic information…

Getting around
Your best bet if you are staying within Paris itself is to go on foot or by train. Now, the Paris network is split into two types – metro or RER (the train line leading out to the suburbs like Paris Disneyland, Versailles, airports and so forth). One way to know which is which is to look for for signs like “Metropolitan” or “M” to signify metro lines (stops within Paris itself) and “RER” (stops outside Paris city).

Prices are as follows:

• One way tickets WITHIN Paris – 1.60 euroes
• One way tickets OUTSIDE Paris – depends on where you are stopping (for example, Champigny to Nation/Gare de Lyon costs

There is a Paris Visit pass for those who intend on staying for 1, 2, 3, 5 or 6 days and this depends on how many zones and so forth. Prices and more info is available on the RATP (the Paris network) site here (in English but also available in Italian, German, French, etc). The site has information, fares and guides to help plan itineraries as well as maps too.

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There is a reason why I need to stay away from the wheel when I need to finish off my knitting projects. Since taking on the wheel again two days ago, I have done nothing else but spin, spin and spin. Of course, I was working towards finishing the merino-bamboo fibre I got from a destash on Ravelry but still, it’s bad if you have an entrelac stole AND a baby blanket to get working on!

Nevertheless, I can console myself in the fact that I’ll definitely bring my knitting (and not my spinning) with me to our trip to Paris next week. Yes, we’ll be heading off to Paris for around four days – Nil has a job interview there and while I balked at the idea of spending so much money just on the train tickets alone (thankgawd we’re staying at his godmother’s place), he insisted that it’s his treat and that I go along with him instead of staying at home alone. So okay, off we’ll be to Paris. We’ll be heading to Versailles for the weekend but otherwise, it’ll pretty much be a free-and-easy short trip.

In the meantime, I’ve been busy doing some dyeing – very little compared to what I was used to months ago – while waiting for stock to arrive. The inventory is more streamlined now, to cope with the possibility of us moving and so forth. Still, it’s not exactly fun sourcing for new suppliers and bases. But hey, it comes with the territory!

Hm, I better get back to my baking – I have plans for either some yummylicious brownies OR Spanish cakes. ^^

…when you’re in your 9th to 10th week of pregnancy!

These were taken at my father-in-law’s place at Molines en Queyras where the Le Tour de France went by last year. It is along the French Alps and is popular amongst skiers plus hikers during winter and hikers during summer when the weather is beautiful with plenty of sunshine and lots to see and take in, like wild deer and marmots!

The only problem with this is that it’s very dry – I had some nosebleeds – and cold but with the right clothing, you’ll do just fine. All I had on was a turtleneck, a polar pullover and a winter jacket (windbreaker + polar inside) and ski pants topped off with hiking shoes. The sunglasses are necessary because snow reflects A LOT of light and can be painful plus a beanie and gloves will do your head and fingers a world of good. But really, after 10 minutes of walking, you’ll start to feel hot, hot and hot!!!!

Trust me, it may look dangerous but it was actually very very safe and fun, even. I fell on my bum a few times but it was landing on a huge pillow of feathers! Have a look and gauge for yourself!

Right now, I’m off to take a look-see at some corsets!

I must apologize for the quiet days ahead on this blog…

With the spinning, dyeing and weaving for the shop coupled with French classes as well as part-time work not to mention overall care of the house AND the short autumn-soon-to-be-winter days (and include work on some leaky bathroom faucets – well, actually, that’s Nil’s job), I’ve been too tired out to talk about anything much or less blog.

In fact, all I can think about right now is sleep and not that photobook project which I have to rush off and finish – no thanks to a 31 December expiry date and an outdated software which resulted in me having to redesign everything.

It’ll be quiet over the next few days…I hope it won’t be for long.

But I know like with every coming silence, it’ll come to an end quickly enough. Just hang on in there, ya?

Day 3: Mereno – Brunico – Dolomites
The highlight for this day would be the Dolomites itself. Located in the provinces of Belluno, Trento and Bolzano-Bozen in Italy, the Dolomites is renowned worldwide for skiing in the winter months and mountain climbing, daily excursions, climbing and base jumping, as well as paragliding and hang gliding in summer and late spring/early autumn – certainly the views would merit some fame as well. The rust-taupe-brown colours of the rocks is amazing when viewed from a distance and especially during sunsets. More about that later…

Again, click on the pics for a better view!

Our path today takes us closer to the Austrian border and as such, there are clear Austrian influences in this part of Italy. A chance visit to the Mereno market revealed dual language usage with German being more predominant than Italian (coupled with the “boom” of German tourists) – spoken and both written – and German food such as sausages and sauerkraut (sp) (pickled cabbage). Even houses here were more organized and less colourful; although the distinctive Austrian styled balcony (think plenty of flowers) is typical in this area. Even town names are dual (like in Switzerland, ,eg Lucerne/Luzern, Geneva/Genève, Neuchâtel/Nueunberg) but for the purposes of this travelogue, they have been written only in Italian.

Going back to the Dolomites, during World War I, the Dolomites was one of the sites of confrontation between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces. As such, there are open air war museums located at some of the Dolomite sites, specifically Cinque Torri (Five Towers) and Mount Lagazoui – both of which we visited. It is also around this time that the via ferrata first kicked off. The Dolomites has the priviledge of being one of the best place to explore this historical “sport”. The via ferrata run through paths that were first created during World War I and amazingly, the equipment is still in fantastic shape.

Be warned though – if you’re not used to walking for long distances or hiking, the rocky & sometimes narrow paths can get tiring. The views, however, make up for all the effort. Like with every hike, do bring plenty of water and some snack to replenish energy & water levels. Oh, don’t forget your camera as well!

We ended off the day by camping off the beaten track somewhere along Stelva di Cadore and slept under the stars, namely the Pan constellation, with the view of the Dolomites greeting us before we hit the sack. Austria is where we’re off to next and again, a passport is not needed!

To be continued…

Day 2: Bellinzona – Lugano – Bormio
The highlight for this day would be the trip into Italy itself but first, a little about the Swiss Italian canton of Ticino. This canton became part of the Swiss Confederation in 1803 – talk about a long time ago and today, its capital city is Bellinzona (people often assume it’s Lugano though)! Being the only Italian canton in Switzerland, Ticino sits around the border of, yes, Italy with the Ticino river, Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore as its key water landmarks. Because of the moutaineous landscape, one of the canton’s main economy comes from hydroelectricity and as you drive through the canton, you can see evidence of this in the form of power stations and electricity towers/cables. The canton also produces wine, namely merlot, together with cheese, and milk.

The city of Bellinzona is well-known for one thing – its castles or rather The Three Castles of Bellinzona. Officially listed as the Three Castles, Defensive Wall and Ramparts of the Market-Town of Bellinzone, it has been an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. The site is composed of Castelgrande, castle Montebello, castle Sasso Corbaro plus fortified walls. The Castelgrande is located on a rocky peak overlooking the valley, with a series of fortified walls that protect the old city and connect to the Montebello. The third castle (Sasso Corbaro) is located on a isolated rocky promontory south-east of the other two. Till today, you can still see all these three encircling the old quarter of the city. It is also a quaint city with colourful apartment blocks and palm tree gardens; definitely more charming compared to the more metropolitan Lugano.

Nicknamed “The Monte-Carlo of Switzerland”, it is hard not to agree when you see brands such as LV, Bvlgari, Giorgio Armani, Hermes and others lining its streets. It’s a shopper paradise here, if you have the cash to spare. But otherwise, console and occupy yourself with the many tourist spots such as the St. Lawrence Cathedral (from the 9th and 15th century) and the St. Mary of the Angels Church (from the 16th century). Alternatively, just get lost in the narrow streets of the city. We didn’t spend much time in this city; the traffic, hustle & bustle plus stylish Swiss-Italian folks in their suits just made us feel rather awkward so we decided to follow the lake and head off into Italy.

After about 10 to 15 minutes, we were in Italy; all we did was just drive through which is amazing considering that you probably won’t be able to do the same when you’re crossing from Malaysia into Thailand/Singapore and vice-versa. We did encounter one stop and it was enroute to Bormio where the local carabenieri (Italian for local police) stopped us out of the many Italian drivers. I think we were picked out because we had a Swiss plate. It was a typical check – funny considering that Nil couldn’t understand a word he was saying but I knew what the carabenieri was going to ask for – driver’s license and insurance. HAH! Anyway, we were sent off without much boohah after that. We spent the night near Passo Stelvio/Bormio and were glad to spot some wild deer busy having dinner.

To be continued…