Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “International”
Joël Robuchon passed away on August 6, 2018. He is acknowledged as one of the greatest chefs of all time. Plenty has been written about him and we won’t add any more here except to say that we were fortunate enough to visit his Paris restaurant, Jamin, in 1992. Part of the letter confirming our booking is reproduced below. It …
This post follows on from: Chile – Atacama! Possibly no other city is as closely associated with a grape variety as Mendoza: it is the world capital of wines made from the Malbec grape. While plantings of the variety diminished in France, they burgeoned in western Argentina to the point that the Malbecs of Mendoza have a cult following. The …
This post follows on from: Chilean Lakes The aridness and extent of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile boggle the mind. The desert is about twice the size of Tasmania and is one of the driest regions on earth. The Google satellite map below (click to enlarge) shows it stretching from the Pacific in the west to the Andes foothills …
This post follows on from: Argentinean Lakes The Google satellite map below (click to enlarge) shows the extensive lakes system in northern Patagonia, stretching from Bariloche in the east (Argentina) to Puerto Varas in the west (Chile). The snow-capped Andes and various volcanoes are quite apparent. In the west, Puerto Montt is a major port, with sea connections past the …
This post follows on from: Glacier Country The Google satellite map below (click to enlarge) shows the eastern section of the extensive lakes system in northern Patagonia. The region is at a similar latitude to Hobart and is surprisingly lush and green, with landscapes reminiscent of the European Alps. We flew into Bariloche (San Carlos de Bariloche) and spent two …
This post follows on from: Torres del Paine Calafate and El Calafate The Calafate berry is symbolic to Patagonia, being indigenous to the region. Around a metre tall, the bushy plants produce edible berries that look a little like blueberries and have a taste that some describe as hinting of black currant, mulberry and/or blackberry. You will find them in …
This post follows on from: Tierra Del Fuego and Cape Horn Patagonia Patagonia is one of those mystery places: we know the name but we don’t really know much about it or where it actually is. Patagonia isn’t a country but a region on the southern tip of South America. It is large – a little bigger than South Australia …
This post follows on from: Four weeks visiting Patagonia, Atacama and Mendoza Ushuaia Ushuaia is at latitude 550 South, the same as Macquarie Island, making it well south of Hobart at 430. Naively we expected a small isolated settlement in freezing barrenness. Yet we found a thriving tourist hub of 60,000 people with good infrastructure, interesting architecture and a bustling port …
This post follows on from: Cazuelas and Empanadas On the 12th of March 2017, sixteen of us started a four week tour of the southern parts of South America. Everyone in the group knew each other, all friends of ours. It was a private tour organised for us by our Melbourne travel agent, Natural Focus Safaris. It would be one …
Click here for: Buenos Aires – The City! One reason for going to Buenos Aires is to eat! There is a definite Argentinean cuisine, with many of the dishes and customs duplicated in some form or other in neighbouring South American countries. The Spanish and Italian influences on the cuisine are clear, though there is less of an indigenous impact …
