Sophie’s World

I entered a 100-word competition (clever idea) and severely cut down my Cafe de Paris story. Didn’t win - but got a good rating and some fun reviews. I like to ramble on, so it’s good to get in a bit of practice being brief and succinct now and again. Here it is:

 

Your only choice at Café de Paris is entrecote. I rarely eat meat. Except here, where I’m drawn in by some unseen magnet. Like a wild carnivore, I devour steak that has barely kissed the grill. For dessert, I have chocolate mousse bathing in whipped cream. I don’t really like chocolate mousse. And yet…

The air is ripe with the scent of sizzling meat, perfume, Pinot Noir and smoke. Cafe de Paris is not for those who need personal space or dislike the scent of Gauloises. I like space and hate smoke. Yet I adore Café de Paris. Go figure!

 

Inspired by a cold, dark wintry Oslo, here’s where I’d rather be right now:

1.  Svalbard - even colder and darker, Spitsbergen is magical during the polar night.
2. Oz – anywhere in Oz would be super, smack right in the middle of summer. Take me there! Tasmania! Never been to Tas. Would love to go to Tas.
3. Devonport, New Zealand – right now, I’d love to walk along Narrow Neck beach gazing at the sail boats passing by Rangitoto and all the other islands in the beautiful Hauraki Gulf. (Well, it’s midnight right now – but let’s say a lazy stroll along the beach tomorrow afternoon).
4. Singapore – I wouldn’t mind having a coffee by the book store on the corner of Orchard and Scott – watching hectic Singapore hurry by, while I had all the time in the world.
5. Buenos Aires – one of my favourite cities in the world. I’d land early, then head directly to the centre to watch the city wake up, either from a café serving medialunas - or stroll along the avenues. A nice 25 degrees C is forecasted for tomorrow morning.
6. Paris – winter or not – Paris is always wonderful. Right now, Paris is slightly cloudy with a bit of wind and 9 degrees C, just warm enough for an ice cream from the Berthillon shop on Ile St Louis. Saturday will be quite a bit colder - I’d slouch about in the dusty, delightful Shakespeare & Co.
7. I could be on top of Table Mountain as well right now – looking out on Cape Town, one of the most stunningly located cities in the world, or
8. get sunburnt in Windhoek. Haven’t been to Namibia for 15 years – it’s bound to have changed heaps. But I’d probably still get a sun burn.

Where would you rather be?

Yup, I'm into lists. Here are my favourite sleeps of 2008 - in no particular order: 

1. In January, we spent an entire week in the same place. That's pretty rare, as I get restless after a few days. This hotel was a ... [Continue reading this entry]

In 2008, I spent as much on fixing up my bath as it would cost to go to Antarctica for all three of us -  including visiting South Georgia and the Falklands – and even a bit of Patagonian exploration ... [Continue reading this entry]

So here it is - my first travel list of the new year.  2008… In early January, the kids and I took a Nile cruise, sailing from Luxor to Aswan and back. And Nubia! It ... [Continue reading this entry]