We will remember them

I visited Gallipoli today.

It is something that I have always wanted to do. It was sobering, in the pouring rain, thinking of the men who fought for their country and lost their lives doing so. 

The war in Turkey was not really either the Turkish nor ANZAC troops' war. Some might say a waste of lives for all three nations involved given the eventual outcome of WWI.

We will remember them.

Alone vs company

I have essentially been travelling by myself since September last year (other than 7 weeks in New Zealand and Australia and 3 weeks in Africa which a friend joined me for). Travelling without friends is something I have always wanted to do. I wanted to test myself to see if I could handle it. I also wanted to test some of my assumptions about the differences between travelling alone or as part of a group.

After 7 and a half months I'm going to sit on the fence about whether I prefer it to travelling with company - I have concluded there are positives and negatives.

On the plus side I have met a lot more people travelling these last few months than any other trip I've done. People approach people on their own.

I also get to do exactly what I want. Yesterday I was at Menaggio on Lake Como and I literally spent the whole afternoon on a park bench reading a book and watching the world go by. (Lake Como is absolutely stunning, by the way.)

I also don't have to worry about dragging anyone around yet another museum nor do I have to feel guilty when I can't be bothered visiting as particular sight.

On the downside, I have a bunch of incredible memories that I don't really have anyone to reminisce with about. Of course I have made a lot of new friends and so to the extent they were with me I'll have them to reminisce with, and I'll just have to remember the other bits myself - like the ridiculousness today of watching buses try to pass each other on the very narrow roads around Lake Como.  It is probably why I've enjoyed blogging as it has allowed me to express some of my thoughts to someone - even if it is the cyber world!

It is also expensive travelling all alone - the taxis can't be split with anyone and single rooms are expensive. It has meant I've had to sleep in a few more dorm rooms than I care to remember. I'm in a hotel room tonight because I'm flying to Turkey early tomorrow morning and I have to say it is absolute bliss being able to unpack without worrying about spreading my stuff all over the room! (Plus no one snoring to keep me awake!)

I love my own company and being able to do as I please, but I think after close to eight months I've had enough 'Lucy' time for a while. Luckily in just over two months I'll be boarding a one way flight back to New Zealand to begin a new chapter in my life.

Next post will be coming to you from Turkey. 

The joys of cake

I've been eating some wonderful food in Italy.

Wild asparagus, artichokes with pasta, zucchini pizza, cheese, home pressed olive oil, the BEST eggplant parmigiana I've ever tasted, gelato, biscotti and some delicious home made baking.


I got the recipes for two of the home cooked sweet treats I've been feasting on which I thought I'd share. We usually stop work around 10.30 for a caffe and cake break. (I could really get used to this lifestyle - I don't even need to feel so guilty about eating cake when I've been out doing physical work for two hours that morning!)


CIAMBELLONE
This is a delicious moist cake recipe.

3 eggs
3 glasses sugar (the glass used is a little less than a cup)
4 glasses flour
1 dessert spoon baking powder
1 glass milk or yoghurt
1 glass oil
1/2 glass amaretto (if you have it)

Simply mix all the ingredients together (no beating of sugar etc required). You can also add other flavours before baking - chocolate or raw chopped apple - 2 or so apples - work well.

Bake in a large ring tin at 180 degrees for an hour (cook for a little longer if it isn't cooked at the end of an hour). (Adding a tray with some water in the oven while cooking will help keep the cake moist.)


CROSTATA
This recipe is for a delicious tart.

Pastry:
2 eggs
120 grams butter
70 grams sugar
300 grams flour

Mixed the pastry ingredients altogether but don't knead too hard.

Roll pastry out flat and using approximately two thirds of the pastry line a greased round tart tin (approx 30cm size). Keep the remainder of the pastry and roll into 1cm thick 'snakes' for decorated the top of the tart.

Filling:
Cover the pastry with a good quality jam. Any flavour will do, but ideally it should be homemade! You can also add ground walnuts (hazelnuts would work well too) to the jam filling. The filling should be about half to a centimetre thick.

Cover the filling with a criss/cross pattern from the remaining pastry. (See photo below).

Bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.

Buon appetito!

The month of April

Now that May has arrived I can't help but reflect on what an amazingly diverse month April was.

My activities have included: attending a wedding of friend in New Zealand and saying goodbye to family and friends again; exploring Singapore and celebrating the big 2-9; going mud-crabbing in Darwin with my sister (croc sighting included - more on that another day); reacquainting myself with London (drinks in Shoreditch, Borough Markets, Camden Markets, Tate Modern, dinner in Soho, Kings Cross Caravan for dinner, pints at pubs in Tufnell Park and Clapham, among other activities); and now 10 days staying with a family in rural Umbria, Italy, soaking up the sights and smells of this beautiful region.

Three continents in one month ain't too bad!

On the agenda for May is Rome and Milan, Turkey for 12 days, London for 2 nights and France with my mum from 24 May. Yep, I'm pretty much just bragging!