Valentine's day

Since Monsieur S. is miles away, I decided why not take my mom for a nice Valentine's day treat. We have a new Honda active bike and it's super zippy for the Goan roads. We rode all the way to Panjim, had a lovely Goan lunch at Anoshka's. So a typical Goan lunch includes the staple rice, curry and friend fish. I ordered a beef dish to taste as well. After lunch, we rode across the Mandovi bridge towards the little town of Reis Magos to visit the Reis Magos Fort.

This was my first time ever visiting the Reis Magos Fort. It has recently been renovated with the gracious help of The Helen Hamlyn Trust. It's a shame that our Indian multi-millionaires couldn't care less for art and architecture. The Reis Magos fort is Goa's oldest fort. It was built between 1551-1554 by the Portuguese rulers. My mother last saw the fort in ruins and she was moved to see the new shining monument. I would recommend Goans and tourists to visit the place, not only for its history but also for the breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea.

The fort is also a museum and there is a permanent Mario Miranda exhibition in some halls. Moreover there are lecture halls that you can rent out for lectures, book releases etc. You can also rent the place for your wedding (which I frankly think will be the photo op of the century!)

It's essential to spend some time around the monument to get a sense of the ocean and it's importance to Reis Magos. It's a shame that so many hotels and private colonies/clubs have cropped up around this fishing town and the waters are slowly being polluted. I wouldn't recommend the area for swimming, just walks on the beach here. 

In the evenings, you'll see fishermen, pulling their little boats to shore. Sometimes you find the odd trawler coming in with a catch. You can get a good bargain for a few kilos of fresh fish :)

The star of the village is of course the Reis Magos church. Built shortly after the completion of the fort, the church really comes to it full glory in the beginning of January. Every 6th of January, the town celebrates the Feast of the Three Kings. I sincerely wish they would keep the place open during the year for worshippers and admirers alike to get a gist of the interiors. According the the Goa Tourism website, the church holds the tombstones of two former Goan viceroys. One of them being Dom Luis de Ataide, known for his legendary defense skills. You can read more here in Portuguese if this character interests you.

The final sunset/dusk light on the way back from a tiring but eventful day.

Dear Valentine, see you in Paris!

I know my post is a bit late and many people have put Valentine's day behind them. Well, I just received my gifts (prompt much eb*y?) and I thought I should dedicate a post to my adorable 'Valentin'. In France you either have a Valentin or a Valentine (pronounced va-lan-taem/ va-lan-teen). I woke up on V-day to an intimate note, a huge bouquet of red roses and these adorable chocolate heart biscuits left on the counter :) I loved the gesture. I love cheesy, mush, clichés and just feeling two feet off the ground. At 24, it's a bit odd to say but this was my first real Valentine's day. Yes, you read that right. I hated Valentine's day previously, mainly because I had to always spend it alone :D I have either broken up before V day or started a relationship afterwards and last year Monsieur S. and me were in two different cities. So this really was my first exquisite experience. I don't give a damn if it's overly-hyped and commercialized. Any occasion to receive roses and chocolates is most welcome! :)

The French usually go all out during Valentine's season but I was quite disappointed to find that this year, there wasn't much festivity in the ville de l'amour. The only people really keen on the day were the chefs in Paris' fab restaurants. No matter how big the economic crisis, no matter how low the ressources, French people will never neglect their taste buds!

Monsieur S. invited me to a fine dining experience in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, a neighbourhood in the center of Paris, infamous with the culinary elite. You can find some reasonable pubs for some quick grub. But my Valentin decided to treat me to the finest. So we went to Le Procope! The restaurant was founded in 1686 and is the world's oldest restaurant/café! I had seen the restaurant a few days ago and hadn't stopped yapping (Freudian slip I guess) about the history of the area, the great food they must serve, the number of literary figures who went there, etc. In fact almost all of France's 18th century literature was created here by Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau, (to name a few).. I was literally in the clouds when we entered the place. It was like we had stepped back in time.

Le Procope

We were surprised to find the prices reasonable enough (to be precise you can have a delicious meal for 40 euros each). We opted for the Philosopher's menu and since we were sitting exactly were Voltaire did, I say it was most fitting. I decided I would finally try the escargots snails for entrées. I have avoided them all along my stay in France because I thought they were eaten raw and that was just creepy!

But don't let first impressions fool you (both with people and food) because the escargots were divine! They are not eaten raw, in fact they are boiled and marinated with something awesome. I must have come off as a ridiculous tourist to the other diners with my non-stop clicking, but I didn't care. I wanted to remember the experience forever. When I felt like a real princess :) ha! There I go again, playing movies in my head!

By the end of 

• trout with almonds (for me)
• supreme farm turkey cooked in wine (for him)
• Sabayon (dessert of egg yolk, sugar and wine beaten together..) for him
• Dessert du moment for me which just happened to be made of one of my favourite flavours, cassis! blackcurrant,

we were stuffed! I don't think I even finished all of my pastry. There wasn't too much on our plates but we were filled to the brim. That's what French food does to you. You eat little, but you savour it and thus your stomach is fooled into thinking you're eating a lot. Hence why French women never get fat!

We took our time in admiring the tiny details of the decor. I loved the framed manuscripts of Marie Antoinette. However, the restaurant's most prized possession is on the right of the picture, that's Napoleon's very own hat. Apparently he offered it to the restaurant because of the excellence in their cuisine. Hat's off literally! 

Our date finished with cocktails at a pub in the quartier. Everything was romantically perfect, including the weather (which believe me is rare for Paris). The thing I cherished most that night was la lune.

The moon! It was so big and bright. I think on purpose, maybe it wanted to add to the romance on Valentine's day. Well it worked :)

My gifts are as extraordinary as my chéri. I think only he can understand my craze for vintage, especially vintage cameras! So voilà! Four beauties to add to my collection.

 Left: Fed 3b, 1964, ex-USSR.
Right: rare Welta Penti, 1959, Germany.

 Kodak Retina 1B, 1957, Germany.

Voïgtlander Brilliant, box camera, 1932!, Germany.

My favourite! I mean I'm literally obsessed with everything Voïgtlander (the world's oldest camera brand) has ever made and to receive the rare Voïgtlander Brilliant is just incredible!

Love is just so lovely isn't it? :D