Author Archives: sheg4184

Imelda:The People’s Princess

Posted on 20 August 2016 by sheg4184

“Filipinos want beauty. I have to look beautiful so that the poor Filipinos will have a star to look at from their slums.”  ~Imelda Marcos Imelda Marcos, the iconic First Lady of the Philippines for twenty years, with her infamous … Continue reading →

Posted in Lifestyle, Local Culture, Philippines | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Imelda:The People’s Princess

Childhood Holidays

Posted on 11 August 2016 by sheg4184

My father found her hanging around outside the Australian Embassy on the Strand in London, just after Christmas 1975. She was already quite elderly, and ran out of puff at the mere mention of a hill. We called her Bella. … Continue reading →

Posted in England, Italy, Travel | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Childhood Holidays

Food for Thought

Posted on 5 August 2016 by sheg4184

One of my favourite British TV shows is ‘Lost in Austen,’ a miniseries based on the premise that a 21st century anti-heroine suddenly finds herself in the middle of the plot of ‘Pride & Prejudice,’ filling in for a missing … Continue reading →

Posted in Food & Wine, Local Culture, Luxembourg | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Food for Thought

Stream of Consciousness

Posted on 24 July 2016 by sheg4184

Earlier this year, back home in Manila, the Metropolitan Museum held a fascinating and unusual exhibition. “Tapas: Spanish Design for Food,” presented by Accion Cultural Espanola, the Instituto Cervantes Manila and the Spanish Embassy, was a display of food, kitchen … Continue reading →

Posted in Food & Wine, Philippines, Spain | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Stream of Consciousness

The Chequers, The Chasers and a Country Market

Posted on 19 July 2016 by sheg4184

While everyone here has been complaining that the English summer has been grim, with endless pouring rain and much flooding, since I arrived two weeks ago, the weather has been sublime and, thanks to all that rain, the countryside is blooming and exuberantly, … Continue reading →

Posted in England, Food & Wine, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Chequers, The Chasers and a Country Market

Lyon, Gastronomic Capital of France

Posted on 6 July 2016 by sheg4184

Lyon,  a city of churches and bridges, “trompe l’œil” and Roman ruins, sits cosily on the confluence of the Rhone and the Saone rivers in central France. Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is also a city renowned … Continue reading →

Posted in Food & Wine, France | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lyon, Gastronomic Capital of France

La Piccola Cucina Italiana

Posted on 24 June 2016 by sheg4184

It is lunchtime. Well, four o’clock actually, but this is Spain, where ‘time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so,’ to quote Einstein and Douglas Adams. The tiny garage restaurant at the crossroads is packed to the gunnels. The owner is … Continue reading →

Posted in Food & Wine, Spain | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on La Piccola Cucina Italiana

An Old Casino and a Catalonian Thunderstorm

Posted on 20 June 2016 by sheg4184

It is a Thursday night in Pals, a small town in Catalonia, just a few miles inland from the Costa Brava in northern Spain. The bar down the road is celebrating its 50th birthday with bunting and beer and cheerful … Continue reading →

Posted in Food & Wine, Spain | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on An Old Casino and a Catalonian Thunderstorm

“I can see clearly now…”

Posted on 11 June 2016 by sheg4184

Last weekend, in a bustling café on a boulevard in the south of France, I watched two trays of Aperol Spritz heading to neighbouring tables, where diners were keen to kick off with a little splash of sunshine before brunch. As … Continue reading →

Posted in Food & Wine, France, Italy | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on “I can see clearly now…”

A Tale of Steak and Ceviche

Posted on 3 June 2016 by sheg4184

The Smith Butcher & Grill Room has been getting very good reviews by word-of-mouth and on the internet. So, as this month it celebrated its first birthday, we decided we were well overdue for a visit. Smith B&G is an unexpectedly  cavernous … Continue reading →

Posted in Food & Wine, Philippines | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on A Tale of Steak and Ceviche