I still remember the excitement when Michelin introduced the Green Star in 2020. A special mark for restaurants that take sustainability seriously. Places that think about where their ingredients come from and how their actions shape the world around them. Since then this small green symbol helped me choose many meals. More than once the scale tipped to the side of the Green Star when I was deciding where the two of us should go.

So you can imagine my disappointment when Michelin recently removed the option to filter restaurants by the Green Star on their website. They said it was because of a redesign of the portal. Online you will find every possible explanation. Aparently, their website is going under huge reconstruction. Howevber, some claim that the Green Star is not reliable enough because restaurants answer questions about sustainability themselves and Michelin has to trust their word. And yes, maybe that creates some grey areas.

Still, I cannot help imagining a strange little scene. A kind of green star gestapo knocking on the back door of the kitchen, surprising the dishwasher who has just stepped out for a quick cigarette during his first break. A serious voice saying, “Good day, show me where the scraps go” and “I will also need a sample of this carrot, it looks suspiciously perfect.” We probably do not need a green police force, but we do need honesty. And we definitely need to highlight the places that really work hard in this direction.

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Michelin stars aren’t for everyone

Farm to table is, for me, one of the most beautiful things that can happen in this world of food. Nothing compares to a vegetable that comes from a garden only a few minutes away. When that vegetable is grown organically, with permaculture principles, by people who understand their soil as something alive and meaningful, it becomes more than just an ingredient. It becomes poetry on a plate.

This is why I truly hope Michelin finds a clear and fair way to keep awarding Green Stars and to present them properly. They matter. They guide us toward restaurants that respect the land, the farmers and the future. And they remind us that good food is not only about taste, but also about the story behind each ingredient. Respecting your ingredient!

The post Michelin, We Want Green Stars Back! appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Modern Society

May it be a simple observation of a fluffy bird or long-legged spider. Regardless of what it is, we are generous with name-calling. Unfortunately, we, the praised species of The World are wicked. Yes, along the way throughout our evolution we lost the Yang to our Yin. No wonder everyone is messed up! There is no balance. Really, the balance should be present in every single human being. Yes, all of it; food & fast, play & work, rest & exercise, body & spirit… The latter is usually left out of education and lost to a certain degree. However, spirit doesn’t need a teacher, it needs peace.

?

Questions of all sorts meet faces on every interaction people face. If only those were the questions of a caring supportive nature. Nope, those who ask the real questions are tagged as pessimistic, depressed hippies, … But seriously, when will humans stop exploiting? We exploit each other, but it is devastating what we are doing to Mother Earth. Happy earth day and cheers to the butterfly effect. Let’s be honest, if we all step together and participate in the biggest brainstorming event, then our future can look promising. It could if we would.

I pray that recent trends like sustainability, minimalism, and mindfulness will proceed. That way the big step has been made and the crowds will follow. The biggest question is how our ego will take it. After all, the ego is known to play wicked games and is a sore loser. For this I say; “declutter your mind”. That is the only way to acknowledge what matters and maintain both feet on the ground. If you succeed that, hat down to you. I bet you know the meaning of the word respect.

Respect

Imagine respecting moral duty. The world would change in a second if moral magically reappears on the world’s stage. Maybe people would start discussing the issues without showing the muscles. I guess convenience has taken over the Earth and here we are. Guessing what is real and not. Freedom of speech is a myth and so is free water. The reality is that living is expensive and only a few are happy with their life. Maybe if we would pay respect to time instead of money, the balance would occur naturally.

Who doesn’t like to dream of the Garden of Eden, where we are all brothers and sisters united in love. Looking for each other and all life is a way to move forward. If we end up hating every microorganism we’ll burn the place down and that is the last thing we need. Let’s focus on our voices and speak with our money. Spending your hard-earned money on waste is nonsense. At least we can do is support local business and think of the passing time. Changes are natural and so is the balance, the question is timing.

The post Declutter Your Mind appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

What The Hell Is Wrong With Us?

Has your mom ever told you how special you are? Well, there is a 99% chance you are not that special. Chances are she was lying to you just to make you feel better.

On top of that, you are probably even making it harder for that one percent. You know laugh at their ideas and simply call them hippies, because they don’t agree with the course of our future. Facts are loud and clear; world pollution, climate change, deforestation, violence…

But It Is Conspiracy!

Remember Greta and her fight for a better world? Some people simply don’t agree with her and address the issues as a conspiracy – elites trying to charge us for the environment etc… Now, with COVID-19 there are also rumors about all sorts of conspiracy. How come you never asked yourself about conspiracy named economy? The forever growing economy is killing our planet, our lives, and relationships.

Life Is Good

Yes, life is good as long as you have your toys, internet, and takeaway meal. As you can see, this precious consumer’s life purpose can disappear almost through the night. There is just a question of time when will another “gourmand” eat bat carpaccio and unleash another beast. The modern good life is an illusion, just like hopes that things will get back to normal. Seriously, when has the destruction of our home planet become normal?

We Can’t Just Change Things

Are you sure? Ok, we can’t, but the epidemic virus can. After this COVID-19 raid, life won’t be the same for most people. Don’t you think we should change a few things so this won’t happen again? I am not talking about the wet market ban in China, but about different values.

Have a Faith

Have faith my friend, but not in Gods and other leaders. For the first time, take some responsibility and have faith in yourself. You are the one who can make differences. Let’s begin with stopping the arrogance. Where is a will, there’s a way.

One Joker Once Said, There Is a Light at The End of The Tunnel.

And he wasn’t wrong. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, there is just a question who will see it. My wild guess is if we keep living the same destructive life, most of the species won’t see any light at all.

Start With Yourself

Arrogance wasn’t built in a day and so we won’t make the changes in such a short time. Although this may be true, together we are stronger. If there will be more and more people who will put effort into changes, the great shift will come. To end pandemic, think about yourself and stop killing your real mother – Gaia.

Arrogance Is The Real Pandemic

I think photos can say much more than words. Actually they don’t, just people are limited in perception. However, please be my guest to my “Arrogance Is The Real Pandemic” photo gallery.

The post There Is a Huge Pandemic Out There – Not COVID-19! appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

My hard drive is full of material, and we must act immediately. We have a few articles to post and about 70 are in progress. Yes, you read it right. We have 70 blog posts to finish and edit all the photos with them. Crazy. That’s why we decided to slow down traveling for a few months and put everything on our website.

Expect some amazing photography!

However, we are making some changes to our blog and I believe you will like it. We will finish posting Penang and move on random blog posts. More current blog posts will have a priority, while some others we will post later. You can expect amazing diaries from Asia and exceptional reviews of hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes, spirits and much more. Our blog will be richer and better and new posts will appear almost every second day. Novelties are also new platforms, where we will post our articles and photos. Now we will be active as well on Pinterest and on decentralized networks Ono and Appics. Wild’n’Free Diary is expanding, and this is the only right thing.

Thank you for keeping up with us and supporting our work.

Sincerely,

Vivi & Ian

The post What is going on with us? appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Anthony Bourdain. Credit: Ernest Doroszuk / Postmedia News

His book “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly” was the best seller in 2000. After this book, his career went to skies. He hosted “A Cook’s Tour” on the Food Network, then moved to “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” on the Travel Channel. “No Reservations” was a hit, earning two Emmy Awards and more than a dozen nominations. In 2013 he moved to CNN where he was making “Parts Unknown”. Season 11 of “Parts Unknown” premiered on CNN last month. Right now, they were filming in Paris, where he had a lot of friends and good food was all around him. Sadly depression can blur all this and much more…

[quote]”Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life – and travel – leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks – on your body or on your heart – are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt.”

Anthony Bourdain[/quote]

Vivi and I were just today sitting in the same restaurant as he did, and thinking how great this is. To eat something he liked. Finally, we can see what his taste is… Oh, crap. Was :(. And yeah, it was good. Actually, he was here in Bun Cha Huong Lien with Obama, back in 2016. But for us, it was much more important to eat in the same restaurant as Anthony did, not Obama. Our hero is Anthony. And to be honest, from now on Bun Cha won’t be that good anymore. Actually, we decided that we’ll never eat Bun Cha again!

Bun Cha will be never sweet again

The post We’ll never eat Bun Cha again : RIP Anthony Bourdain appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

QUESTIONS FROM WANDER BIRD:

1. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DECIDE THE NAME OF YOUR BLOG? EXPLAIN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR BLOG NAME.

It took us some time to determine the name of our blog. What we wanted to include in the name was an impression that would say something about us. The WILD stands for that adventurous part of us which contributed to changing the planned life, where we pretty much knew what tomorrow will look like. It also stands for our love of nature: we love to go to the wilderness and go wild, maybe do some crazy dance when no one is around. We love the diversity of our charming home planet. To be able to go around, not being tied to one place is something we connected to the FREE part of the blog name. Our blog is about our experiences and about these we write the DIARY from our hearts.

2. WHEN DID YOU START TRAVEL BLOGGING? DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY SO FAR?

The idea was born about a year before we started blogging. Little by little we started dreaming about changing our lifestyle and making some changes to make the transition easier. With that, we mean selling what we didn’t actually need. In that time, we were able to freely dream about our adventures in the future, make up some funny stories before we would go to sleep or just watch the photos of other bloggers with some motivational envy. We actively started blogging in December 2017 and since then, we’ve published our stories a few times a week. So far, we have explored our homeland, Slovenia. We had the most delicious pizza in Naples and even though we ate it every day, we couldn’t get enough of it. In December, we were enjoying the Christmas spirit and mulled wine in Vienna. A delicious dish called Cevapcici led us all the way to the Leskovac and Sarajevo. We thought that we would be convinced which ones are the best ones but couldn’t make up our minds. The Croatian island Krk is a special place for us, but we won’t say why  – you check the blog and read the whole story! At the moment, we are traveling around Asia: we are currently in Vietnam and we have been to Singapore and Malaysia. Our traveling pace isn’t the fastest one because we like to feel the place before we move on; in just a few days, that is not possible.

Sunshine Blogger Award: Vivi what are you searching?

3. WHICH IS YOUR MOST FAVORITE PLACE THAT YOU VISITED SO FAR AND WHY?

Every place has something that others don’t. If the Tioman Island would be free of sand flies, we’d pick this one. So our favorite place still remains the peaceful Velika Planina in Slovenian mountains.

4. APART FROM BLOGGING, WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS AND HOBBIES?

We like reading: Vivi is more into romantic novels, while Ian is more into the history-based stories. Vivi likes to listen to Ian’s summary of those truth-based books rather than actually read them. Swimming is the exercise both of us enjoy, the beach time is always so much fun. Watching all that wildlife above and under the sea, it doesn’t get old. Ian loves making photos and keeping track with new technology is his passion. Vivi likes to mix her own creams and facial masks. We absolutely enjoy traveling to different places and taste different food.

5. WHICH IS YOUR MOST PREFERRED SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM TO ENGAGE WITH FELLOW BLOGGERS AND WHY?

Steemit. The platform is relatively new and people are friendly. It also doesn’t hurt that it allows us to earn some money.

6. WHICH IS THE MOST VIVID MEMORY OF ALL YOUR JOURNEYS SO FAR?

In Kuala Lumpur, we just sat down to have a taste of a Durian cake. Before we got the cake, an old lady came from the street into the restaurant and offered us to buy a bottle of water. Even though we showed her our 8L bottle that we had just bought in the store and the 1,5L bottle on the table, she didn’t give up. After some time, she moved on to the table across from us. Nevertheless, she kept watching us like a hawk and when we finished and left the restaurant, she followed us outside. Ian took some photos of the restaurant taking his time because she was still behind us and we were hoping she would move on. Well, she didn’t. Instead, she followed us all the way back to our hotel. When the elevator arrived, she was still behind us, like a shadow, and followed us inside it. We were relieved when three ladies entered a second before the doors closed. We then tricked the old woman into going out at the same floor as the ladies did and then we went to hide in our room. I must admit I’m curious as to when that the old lady finally gave up looking for us.

Sunshine Blogger Award: Kuala Lumpur can be a funny city

7. WHAT WOULD YOU CATEGORIZE YOURSELF AS – TRAVEL WRITER, BLOGGER OR INFLUENCER?

Hm, we’ say travel blogger.

8. DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL OUTFIT FOR A ROAD TRIP. WHAT WOULD YOU PREFER THE MOST AND WHY?

The road trip demands long hours of sitting still, so a loose waist is important. from a woman’s perspective, I prefer pants because they allow you to move a little. I usually keep it simple, stretchy top and loose pants, with keeping in mind who will be in charge of the AC. If it is not us, then some long sleeve clothing can be handy. A cardigan is useful as it has multiple purposes and can be used as a blanket or pillow.

9. WHAT ARE THE TOP 5 TRAVEL DESTINATIONS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST AND WHY?

France – especially Provence, where you find lavender fields and small villages, the beautiful old architecture and good food.

Costa Rica –this country has astonishing nature.

French Polynesia – it is so beautiful. Our dream is to island hop there.

Kongo – to see and support the Gorillas.

Japan – the philosophy of the Japanese people, their food and nature.

The list goes on.

10. WHAT WOULD YOU PREFER BEST – READING BOOKS OR WATCHING MOVIES? WRITE ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE BOOK/MOVIE AND MENTION WHY IT’S YOUR FAVORITE.

Vivi:  prefer books and regret not having time to read more. Reading books gives you much more than a movie, but movies with popcorn are also nice. Hmmm, I don’t have a favorite book. I really liked the French movie The Intouchables, because it is funny despite the sad story. It gives an insight into people influencing each other.

11. WHAT IS YOUR LONG-TERM GOAL FOR YOUR BLOG?

The goal of our blog is that it would get some recognition and allow us to continue traveling and to see as much as possible. Sometimes we get a feeling that with the way that we humans treat our home planet, in a few decades, there will not be much more to see. The globalization has plenty of benefits but there are also some downsides: the biggest one we have experienced so far is the decrease in diversity.

Sunshine Blogger Award: Bench in Bled

ABOUT THE SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD

The Sunshine Blogger Award is awarded by bloggers to new bloggers to recognize their achievements and offer support. It feels so nice to be a part of such a supportive community!

“The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive, and inspiring while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.”

RULES

• Thank the blogger who nominated you for the blog post and links them back to their blog.
• Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
• Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.

List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

OUR QUESTIONS:

1. WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO TRAVEL TOO?
2. DO YOU DO A WEB RESEARCH BEFORE YOU CHOOSE YOUR DESTINATION?
3. THE BEST AND THE WORST EXPERIENCE YOU HAD ON YOUR TRAVELS?
4. YOU EVER GOT A FEELING THAT THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON?
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CUISINE? WHY?
6. HOW/WHEN DID YOU GET STARTED WITH BLOGGING?
7. WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF BLOGGING FOR YOU?
8. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE, WHO IS THINKING ABOUT STARTING A BLOG?
9. WHAT PLATFORM OF SOCIAL MEDIA HAS HELPED YOUR BLOG GROW THE MOST?
10. WHAT IS YOUR LONG-TERM GOAL FOR YOUR BLOG?
11. DO YOU ACTIVELY FOLLOW ANY BLOGGERS/VLOGGERS/INFLUENCERS?

WE NOMINATE:

1. SAILING CALYPSO – authors Jasna and Rick

Their home is a sailboat Calypso, which is also their ride around some of the most beautiful, intact, remote islands. Their stories are always interesting and inspired by the people and surroundings. The unspoiled nature that they are able to visit with their sailing skills is undoubtedly worth seeing. The fact that they are difficult to reach makes them even more special and Sailing Calypso crew share the story really well.

2. OUTCAST VAGABOND – author Jeff Epps

Jeff is from Cambria and his long-lasting wish is to travel to every country in the world. Along the way, he wants to inspire and encourage others to travel more. In relation to that, he recently established a travel educational group – Outcast University. His life changed a few years ago when he read an article about Johnny Ward. Before Jeff started traveling moved from the US to China.

3. FOR91DAYS – author Jürgen and Mike

They were already in about 20 locations and like their name says they stay in one place for 91 days. That gives them a real insight of the place and not just scrape of the surface. Their last destination was Lisbon and there they were part of some interesting celebrations. I was surprised how Fallas looks like! We nominate them because we salute the idea of spending more time in one place.

4. MAGDALENAREWT – author Magdalena

She is aware that we live only once, and that is why she loves enjoying life. She likes exploring and writing to ignite someone else’s passions as well. We nominate her because she is a brave young woman who isn’t afraid to jump into the unknown.

5. WANDERING BOO – author Shelley

Shelley is passionate about Yoga and is inspired to bring visibility to the wide range of healthy travel options that exist around the world. Not only she teaches Yoga around the world but also writes blog posts about the traveling experiences. I like her suggestion for solo female travelers to wear a modest ring, sometimes the unwanted attention can be overwhelming and backup plan never hurts.

6. HEATHER ON HER TRAVELS – author Heather

Heather started pursuing her passion for more wild traveling expeditions after she raised her children. She is a great example for those who think traveling and blogging are only for youngsters. Passion has nothing to do with age and we second that.

7. WITH HUSBAND IN TOW – authors Amber and Eric

Traveling around the world means to them more than seeing new places. It enables them to have a taste of the delicious food and wines. With their posts, they share some more than just culinary and vacation advice.

8. MR & MS ROMANCE – Jim and Christina

Together they travel, eat, drink and share their experiences. Sharing with others is important to them and they love doing it. In their stories, a humor note can be found in order to bring a smile to the readers face.

9. DRONE & DSLR– authors Devesh and Neha

The couple who travels and wants to inspire others to travel more with their outstanding aerial photography. Bird’s-eye view brings another dimension to their blog. Traveling is more than just some pilgrimage from one touristic point to the other it is about the bigger picture.

10. VIKI FLIP FLOP – author Viky

Her first passion is traveling and that inspired her to start writing a blog about where she goes. She loves to push others out of their comfort zones and hopes to change the world by changing people. Her blog is a space where she shares her thoughts on travel, people, adventures, and festivals.

11. WE JUST TRAVEL – authors Katja and Mic

Passion to travel and restless feet keeps them in search of a new adventure and their blog is a place where they share their stories. They like to sit in the local sidewalk restaurants where they can talk to locals. If the tiny restaurant is close to the sea and serves some seafood they are happy.

The post We were nominated for Sunshine Blogger Award 2018 appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Love is in the air

Special place

For our celebration, we wanted to choose a place that is meaningful to us. Just a nice but random place wouldn’t do. We like places that reflect history. They can be modern but they have to be charming. That can be influenced by the stuff. However, at a wedding, there are so many different people and that kind of charm usually doesn’t happen.

We are in the middle of a wrecked place.

Frame that kiss.

For us, the right place was the abandoned Haludovo Hotel, which used to be the pride of the Adriatic Sea. When we found it, we didn’t know that. It was a lucky find while we were on our holidays on the Croatian island Krk. That place was rising from the neglected greenery and still proudly presenting its abandoned beaches.

Can you imagine this 5* hotel at the peak of its glory?

Vivi was a little scared at this huge abandoned hotel.

Even though no one cared for that place in ages, we were impressed by it! We didn’t think twice and entered the abandoned place. The only thought that was going through our mind was: “How is that possible?” It has a perfect location, the sea is so clear that it is a joy to swim in it, and the building was obviously meant for something important. After our tour, we started asking around what was that about and we got some very interesting answers.

Yes, I do!

So why did we choose this godforsaken place? Because we liked it! We found that connection we were thinking about and its turbulent past is a reminder that strong roots are more important than a head high up in the sky. Each person values something different. I don’t expect anyone to understand us.

Vivi

The way how nature took over the decaying building and street artists got a place where they can express themselves brought to life the bone structure of what once used to be an extravagant place. However, there is nothing fancy about having a chance of the roof falling on your head and that was our biggest issue while planning the wedding. Luckily this 1.5 kilometers long stretch of buildings has plenty of big trees around and we found a perfect place in their shade.

My bride.

Now, we are focused forward and both of us agree that for a successful marriage a lot of hard work is needed. Even though you put a lot of effort into a relationship and cherish it, it can be hit by unpredictable circumstances. If the connection is strong and based on pure emotions from each side then I believe in a happy ending.

Vivi was a little scared at this huge abandoned hotel.

We are a soul mates, so all we need is just listen to our heart and take every opportunity the life gave us. I think it is not a coincident we found each other… An I am glad we did. Not just found each other, but also get the hint and do it right! Well, we are married. Now what? I know what. We will just listen to our hearts and travel. I like food and nature, he likes spirits and nice things. So why not to live for those things. What should be next? Singapore is nice I, heard.

For our wedding, we want the best photographer available! Well, You know Ian. His eye is sharp and when he saw some works of Kaja Bozic aka “Nasprot’sonca”sonca” he was decided in a second. Her style and naturality is just top class. I don’t need to explain if we were happy with pics. Do you like them? Here is a link to the gallery, where you might see more of them. All photos in this post are work of Kaja Bozic.

The post I married this guy. Now what? appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

On that sunny day, when we were walking around the ruins of this once mighty and luxury hotel I started thinking how unimportant some things are. We are chasing something we can’t get while those things in front of our nose are just falling apart, resting in ruins. How can I make something special and make sure my house will be glorious for a long time and not just for a short fun time? Well, there is no simple answer but there is one gesture which presents those ideas – a marriage. I know this girl well, I’m feeling so good with her, she is the perfect fit for me, and the ratio between smart and beautiful is good with this one… This is it! Of course, I will marry her. The decision was made at a speed of lightning. Right there on the spot.

Vivi enjoying the sun and the view.

I found Vivi seating on the edge and looking at the most beautiful sunset in a long time. I didn’t hesitate and just asked her straight. “You know, I already lost you once. And in the meantime, my life was a freaking mess. Full of anger and wrong decisions. Well, it’s true some great people came into my life at that time, but a lot of wrong ones as well, and they made my emptiness even bigger. I think I’m not ready for another trip like this. I don’t want to end like this hotel. Glorious but in ruins. I want to be with you. Will you marry me?” She was looking at me with the most sparkling eyes you could imagine and said YES. And just like that, my friends, we were engaged.

“But where will we get married?” she asked me. Our goal was to find a place that we could connect to. We were also determined to have a celebration close to the sea with a view of a sunset, of course. But after a while, we realized that we are already standing right in the perfect spot. So why not just do it here? In the ruins of a hotel where the most glorious weddings happened once. Somewhere where all the big shot characters of that time were.

The post I think I will marry that girl appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Believe it or not, St. Valentine’s Day is not something we passionately celebrate every year. Our idea is to have the appreciation for each other all year round and not just on a “special” day when all the flower shops raise their prices for red roses. It’s funny when you see the advertisement – St. Valentine’s menu. Come, you love birds, and eat as the lady and a tramp. Share your meatballs! And after the 14^th of February no more special offers. Go away, lovers! Don’t share your food. Order your own food and don’t you dare to kiss at the table. However, in our restaurant, there will be a menu for lovers! Sharing the degustation menu all year long.

Romantic Getaway

Anyway, this year we decided to have our date also on the 14^th of February so that we can be socially acceptable. Oh, and by the way, the previous date was only two days before and it was even more awesome :). Our St. Valentine’s date was a result of a drawing game. We wrote ten ideas down on the paper and the first two ideas we had in common were a date plan.

The other two ideas were individual. I chose something for Vivi and she chose something for me. I hoped Vivi’s list would include a bar crawl but it didn’t. Our common idea was on my fifth place – “Eat a cake for four persons!” Well, O.K., she had only: “Eat a cake”, which is close enough.

Thai Massage

As an individual, I chose a Thai massage for her. I chose that because she was complaining about muscle pain. And, nope, my special massage didn’t help. So, it was time for professionals! She chose a cocktail night that would include a new cocktail with my beloved Hendrick’s Gin. Well, it is not a bar crawl, but, hey, it’s close enough and I like it. The first stop was at the massage salon, full of Thai ladies. Vivi was “lucky” and she got a strong one. I was almost crying only looking at her in hands of this Thai ex-wrestler.

There was nothing to worry about as the massage actually helped her and the muscle pain was almost gone. After the session, she felt much better and as she said it wasn’t that painful. However, I believe she kept her cool, looking like a tough lady. I must admit, that masseur will never see me on her shift. Anyway, Vivi liked it somehow but it was a far cry from our Panpuri massage we got in Penang.

Let’s add a cake for St. Valentine’s Day

Our second stop was the best pastry shop with the worst name in Melaka. This is the Italy Bakery. Don’t ask me why Italy. However, the pastry there was really good. We tried there some tarts, Japanese cheesecake, donuts, sweet cheese sticks, and a few more… Don’t judge us. This was the only sweets shop that had a diverse offer around there. That and each time, it was surprisingly good. Maybe Japanese have a secret gene that allows them to succeed at whatever they focus their mind on.

The next thing on our date list was the cake time. And, yes, it was a cake for four persons, so my prediction was true. Actually, it was a St. Valentine’s strawberry cake. Creamy, delicious, and full. As a matter of fact, I can say with a clear conscience – this place is the best! They know their business. After our cake, we headed for my cocktail.

I got Valentine’s Day Cocktail

Vivi prepared a special cocktail according to her new recipe. The name is also cool – the Unicorn. Sure, why not. Well, this special pinky mixture was good. So, we wrote a recipe for you at the bottom! It’s refreshing, a bit flowery and earthy. You will get a spicy kick and sour at the end. After a few cocktails, we headed to our love nest. I even got a bonus for our St. Valentine’s Day. It was a massage by her. And no! It wasn’t a Thai massage, thank god!

Unicorn Cocktail

1 ¹⁄₂ oz cold butterfly pea tea

Generous 1 ¹⁄₂ oz Hendrick’s Gin

¹⁄₄ oz Gula Melaka (if you don’t have it use simple syrup)

¹⁄₄ oz Lime juice

 same ¹⁄₄ oz Orange juice

Ice

Slice of chili

Slice of cucumber

How to make Unicorn cocktail

In a high ball glass first, pour butterfly pea tea and add ice.

In a shaker, lightly muddle a slice of red chili.

Add the Gula Melaka, lime juice, orange juice and gin, and fill with ice.

Shake well and pour (unstrained) into a highball glass.

Garnish with lime, cucumber and chili

The post Our first Valentine’s Day Abroad appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Cornet with trout and horseradish

So, what did we eat?

Slovenian breakfast

The lunch started with the presentation of the typical regional breakfast, served in an eggshell. The filling was deliciously seasoned and made of “polenta” which is a corn mash, egg yolk with rinds, and potato foam with crispy bacon on top. This would be a delicious breakfast to eat every day for the longer period, as it was so delicious that I scraped out everything and even damaged the eggshell a little.

The next finger food was small sized cones filled with smoked trout and horseradish. They were a real treat for our eyes and taste buds.

It’s admirable that they make yeast free bread, which had an insanely crispy crust and the taste was also a little bit stronger than usual. That freshly baked bread was still warm when the waiter brought it to us. On the side, colorful butter stripes mixed with nuts, betroth and herbs were positioned.

From here on, we chose two different types of the menu so each of us got a different plate. Marinated sea bass was Ian’s first cold appetizer. The file was accompanied with sour cream and herb sauce on the side of beetroot and parsnip puree plus a drizzle of parsley oil. For a change, it was nice to get a marinated fish on the plate, instead of a smoked one. My dish had some stronger flavors as it was a marinated bovine tongue with some green salad, enhanced with black walnuts, quail egg, horseradish mayonnaise and local spicy cheese.

Veal tongue

For a warm appetizer, we were offered a sunchoke soup with yogurt foam and fried parsley, which the chef added sunchoke chips on for more crispiness. The other soup was made of potato and mushroom foam with dried fennel. Both soups were very delicate, and maybe the mushroom one was even too concentrated for the starter. However, no worries. We can manage strong flavors anytime and anywhere.

Potato soup with mushrooms

When the grilled octopus was put on the table, we got a flashback to the time when we were in Greece. There we’ve eaten the softest, butter-like, and delicious octopus that we both recall very vividly. We were in doubt, that this one will as soft as Greek one. However, we need to admit it was very close to that one. Nevertheless, the whole dish was very flavorsome. The baked cherry tomatoes on the side were perfect along the cuttlefish and squid sauce. The second dish this round was a sea bass file wrapped in the dough, along with the light lemon seasoned puree, sweet and crispy fennel chips, and spinach. The last ingredient was a bit too salty for my taste, but the whole dish was well designed.

“Their style reminds me of Repovz and the line between modern and traditional is thin. However, it never ever gets crossed.”

The next one on the menu sounded close to one we had eaten at Strelec, so the excitement grew when I remembered how delicious it was. To be able to compare such talented chefs was exceptional. That course was ravioli stuffed with local cheese, mushroom foam, and creamy quail egg yolk with autumn salad. At first, I was seeking for the differences and then I started to appreciate them. It’s quite simple: there is a hidden secret. The process of preparing dishes is similar to the creation of unique artworks. Ingredients grow in different places and environment affects them. The way a chef prepares the same dishes varies also with regards to his well-being. When you think about all those aspects and then focus on yourself and how you constantly change it’s obvious that the only constant thing is change. Ian and I had an agreement that we would eat half of each dish and then switch, so both of us would be able to taste everything. This time, however, I negotiated tasting that was just one mouthful and he was also pleased as his dish was meatier. He had veal with sunchoke cream and chips, with roasted cauliflower and herbal sauce. The dish was great in every aspect.

Trout roll

Before the next course, we went for a wine switch, which had the smell of Amarena cherries, berries, and sweet fruity aftertaste. Rubino wine is produced at farm Fornazaric and is made of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, to which sweet wine from dried grapes is added. That semi-dry wine was a companion to the blood sausage with apples and truffles, sprinkled on top with hydrated onion. We need to admit that we love blood sausage. However, this version wasn’t our favorite. The texture was too soft and it reminded me of a baby food. To be clear, however, the tastes were extra good, strong, and clean. The other main dish was piglet with a dried lemon peel that was fried. Sides were beans with bacon, red cabbage with apples, and cream made from parsley root. Piglet was roasted to the perfection. Crunchy outside and soft underneath, just like Ian’s nature when it comes to a dish like this.

Desserts were in a perfect harmony with autumn. The first contained pumpkin sauce with orange and curd pannacotta, along with the chocolaty chestnut muss, apple chips and apple ice cream sprinkled with hazelnuts and walnuts. The other one was hiding under the sunchoke topping. Beneath, it was pear with pumpkin – chestnut sauce merengue and mint sponge. It was a perfect finish and our tummies were full like never before. Overall, the restaurant is one of the best in Slovenia. Their style reminds me of Repovz and the line between modern and traditional is thin. However, it never ever gets crossed.

In this restaurant, they create the modern Slovenian cuisine that has to be respected. There is not only food that is genuine, but also the Chef. Let me mention that the restaurant is open also for people with special needs of a nearby institution to participate. This is incredibly beautiful and rare gesture. Socially responsible with a noble goal – to return Slovenian cuisine back to its origins and upgrade it with a modern approach.

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