Here To Geneva

Oishii! (Delicious!) And a little bit ‘utsukushii’...

Mon, 21 May 2012 16:00:00 +0100

Oishii! (Delicious!)

And a little bit ‘utsukushii’ (beautiful)

Sushi. It’s not just tasty, fresh and good for you. It’s also incredibly photogenic. Indeed, Japanese cuisine as a whole just begs you to take photos of it. The high degree of skill and care that goes into the preparation of it combines nicely with the unique and vibrantly coloured ingredients.

These photos were taken on numerous visits to Yo! Sushi, a UK-based sushi chain. If you’ve never been for sushi, cast aside your preconceptions. It’s not just raw fish! In the photos featured in this set, we have a Crispy Duck Futomaki, a Soft Shell Crab Hand Roll, Vegetable Futomaki (v), Duck Udon Soup & Takoyaki (crispy battered octopus balls). All of these dishes contain cooked meat. There are plenty of options for vegetarians and people who don’t like seafood, so give it a try!

Bubbleology, London A slurpy/chewy taste of Taiwan in...

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:36:00 +0100

Bubbleology, London

A slurpy/chewy taste of Taiwan in London’s West End.

On a pedestrian street just north of Leicester Square in London’s Soho area, behind an unassuming facade is a cafe with a unique offering. Well, unique for London that is. Though bubble tea is massively popular across Asia, particularly Taiwan where it was conceived, ask most Britons what a tapioca pearl is and you’ll be met with a frown.

They, of course, don’t know what they’re missing. And if you’ve never had bubble tea, neither do you. Served either hot of cold, Bubble Tea consists of either a green or black tea base with shots of additional flavour. The list of flavours are endless and can be mixed together according to personal preference. Lying at the bottom of a cup of Bubble Tea are the things to which it owes its name. The bubbles. While even these come in a variety of forms, most commonly found are small black, chewy balls of tapioca that are sucked up the fatter-than-normal straw along with the tea.

The decor inside of Bubbleology is made out to look like a laboratory, while the staff all wear long white coats. The focus here is on experimenting by mixing the flavours together. On my most recent visit, I mixed vanilla with almond and added some lychee flavoured popping boba. Delicious! On previous visits, I’ve enjoyed mixing a variety of exotic fruit flavours together whilst adding pieces of fruit jelly. Fun and tasty!

Not everyone quite gets the concept. While I was chewing away on a mouthful of pearls last Sunday, a man walked in and asked for a latte. He was politely told they didn’t do coffee, though they did do a coffee flavoured bubble tea. He shrugged and gave it a go.

Next time you’re in London’s West End, do as he did and give Bubbleology a try. It’s the variety of flavours and the weirdness of having chewy lumps of stuff in the tea that keeps me going back.

London Switches To Jubilee Mode This coming June, Britons get a...

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:07:38 +0100

London Switches To Jubilee Mode

This coming June, Britons get a four day weekend to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee. That’s 60 years of reign over our tiny isles and the Commonwealth. London, as you may expect, has switched to Jubilee mode by dusting off the Union flags and hanging them over Oxford Street and Coventry Street (near Leicester Square). I’m sure more streets will follow and I suspect the flags may stay out since a certain sporting event will be taking place shortly afterwards.

My Cool List (Part One)

Sat, 12 May 2012 19:24:00 +0100

A short time after coming back from last year’s big trip to Asia and Australasia, I decided to make a cool list of all the cool things I’d done while I was away. The list naturally grew to include all the cool things I’d done the year before, and the year before that, and then ended up including all the cool things I’d done throughout my life. Though I’m pretty sure I’ve forgotten to put on tonnes of stuff, I’m quite proud of my list. Whenever I’m feeing low or doubtful or stressed out (rare, but it does happen), I consult my list to remind myself not all is bad and life up until that given point has been alright.

If you’ve ever reached a point in your life (typically as you reach your late twenties) where you’re wondering what you’re dong with your life, I recommend you write yourself such a list. Sometimes, when it’s raining outside and the boss is giving you a hard time, it’s easy to forget all the fun times you’ve had. Well, with a cool list to hand, you need never forget as all those cool memories are there in black & white to jog your memory.

Of course, you may be someone who struggles to find things to write on your cool list. Not everyone finds the time, nor the will to eat exotic animals and throw themselves off of cliffs. Your cool list is exactly that. It’s yours! It doesn’t matter what’s on my cool list or what’s on Bernard’s cool list or what’s on Cassandra’s cool list. If when reading your list you smile, then job done. If you don’t smile and you start to get the sweats when you can’t think of anything to write your list, do something about it. I know it’s a cliche, but life is precious and short. Why put off performing in a kazoo orchestra or learning Romansh when you can do it today? If your cool list is bare, write a would-be-cool list and start ticking things off. Life’s not for work, life’s for having fun!

To inspire you into writing your own cool list, here are a few of the things on my cool list.

Went on an impromptu helicopter ride in Taupo, New Zealand

Finding someone who’s been on a train or in a plane is easy. But finding someone who’s been in a helicopter is for some reason, quite difficult. Perhaps it’s because going on a ride in one is normally rather expensive. Or, perhaps people don’t like the thought of being propelled around by a set of spinning blades above the heads. That’s why going on a helicopter ride is on my list. And not just any helicopter ride though. Mine was an impromptu helicopter ride. Whilst in Taupo, New Zealand, I went to see some live rugby. Taupo doesn’t normally host Super Rugby matches, so as well as the rugby, there were a series of trade stands, one of which was flogging cheap helicopter rides above the area’s natural beauty spots. I, of course, jumped at the chance.

Enjoyed a delicious vegetarian meal and snow fungus cake at Lin Po Buddhist Monastery, Hong Kong

Eating in Asia was amazing for two reasons. The first was that almost everything I ate was incredibly tasty. The second reason was that it was cheap. Combine that good, cheap food with buddhism (a religion I find rather intriguing) and you’ve a winning formula as far as I’m concerned. Sadly, I wasn’t allowed to take any photos of the main meal, so you’ll have to take my word for it. I ate alone, told them I was eating alone, yet they still gave me enough food to feed 4 Canadian truck drivers. I’d never been to a restaurant where food is served by the saucepan. The food itself was ok and the decor in the restaurant was unremarkable but the overall experience of eating in a monastery was unforgettable.

Tried bear meat pate at Finnish Church of London.

This experience lasted all but 10 seconds, but because it’s so unusual, it makes it to the cool list. One of the many things I like doing is immersing myself in the culture of other nations. It doesn’t matter to what degree I immerse myself, so long as I come into contact with said culture, it’s a good thing. Last Christmas, I went to the Finnish Church of London for their Christmas fair. Inside, they’d set up a food market selling all kinds of goodies imported directly from Finland. At one table, they were selling pate and were allowing potential buyers to taste what was on offer. One of the available samples was bear meat. Yes, really! The flavour was intense and unfamiliar. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it wasn’t quite good enough to make me purchase a tin.

You see, anything goes with the cool list. So long as you think it’s cool and it’s something that makes you smile when you reminisce, it goes on the list. I’ll be posting some more memories from my cool list soon. Until then, why not get cracking on your own cool list. Let me know when you’ve done so and I’ll mention you in the next part. You can contact me via the blog, in the comments below, by Tumblr Fan Mail or on Twitter.

Oh, and don’t forget to use the #coollist tag!

Announcing: Trip Notes

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:01:00 +0100

Now available in paperback, hardback & ePub for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch.

I vividly remember my first big trip. It was to Lake Garda, Italy with the family. It wasn’t just any holiday, it was more like an adventure. Rather than flying there in a few hours, my parents opted to drive there over the course of a few days, stopping off at campsites on the way. The first stop was on the outskirts of Paris. Our tent was next to a busy canal so we were kept up all night by barges. In the morning, we drove through Luxembourg and into Germany, where we stopped off again in the beautiful Black Forest. Then, off again through Austria and finally arriving in Italy. My dad and I documented the entire two week trip on camcorder, me being the presenter, him being the producer with a fondness for long fades to black. It was great fun! It was perhaps what started my enthusiasm for documenting and sharing my travel experiences.

I’ve been travel blogging since 2007 and I’ve now accumulated quite a collection of photos and notes. Over the past few months, I’ve been collating all the best bits from the blog with an aim of publishing them in a book. Today, I launch that book. It’s called ‘Trip Notes’ and it’s now available in paperback, hardback and ePub for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch.

The book is a higgledy-piggledy collection of all my favourite travel photos and memories. Photos & notes from Hong Kong sit alongside photos & notes from Switzerland. It’s just like a scrapbook, only smarter and glossier.

The more observant ones among you may notice the font used in the print version is exactly the same as the font used here on the blog. And check out the front and back covers. That background looks familiar!

I received the first copy of the print book a few days ago. The finish and quality of it knocked my socks off. The photos are bright, sharp and colourful while the text is crisp & beautiful. The publishers, Blurb, have done a fantastic job. I am immensely pleased and proud of how it’s turned out.

Click here to buy in paperback or hardback.
Click here to buy in ePub for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch.

If you have any questions about the book before you buy, please do get in touch. Otherwise, I hope you’ll be tempted to buy a copy of it and that if you do, you enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together.

Trip Notes by Matt Morelli Available to buy in paperback,...

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 14:11:00 +0100

Trip Notes by Matt Morelli

Available to buy in paperback, hardback & ePub from Monday 30 April 2012. A preview and 15% discount code will be posted to heretogeneva.com on launch day.

Double-cooked Chips with Chilli Salt & Dips Please accept...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:19:02 +0100

Double-cooked Chips with Chilli Salt & Dips

Please accept this photo I took a few weeks ago of some tempting double-cooked chips as an apology for my recent absence. In the past 2 weeks, I’ve either been ill or busy working on a special project that I’ll be revealing soon.

The chips were a side order to a Chicken Satay Burger at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, a New Zealand-inspired restaurant chain in the UK. Big time yums!

A Wander Down The World’s Longest Pier Spring has sprung...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:51:02 +0100

A Wander Down The World’s Longest Pier

Spring has sprung in the UK and the public’s mind has turned to sitting on beaches and having barbecues. Personally, beaches don’t really do it for me and I’ve never really understood what the big deal is with cooking outside, but it’s hard to argue with the more comfortable temperatures and the bright blue cloudless skies.

Luckily, the above average weather conditions have coincided with a week off work, so I’ve been looking for ways to occupy my time. A few weeks ago, I was planning to go abroad (perhaps Berlin or Switzerland), but time ticked by without any decisions being made and consequently, prices went up. Europe doesn’t have the same appeal as it once did. I’ve conquered much of Western Europe and while Eastern Europe beckons, it doesn’t have quite as much gravitation pull on my wallet than Asia does. I’m planning on revisiting Asia later in the year, so I’ve decided to ditch the idea of a short European break this week and save my money to splurge on rice and bubble tea later.

As part of my time occupying activities, yesterday I visited Southend-On-Sea. The town is like any other British seaside resort though it is trying to modernise. The seafront is actually rather nice, though it’s still blotted by amusement arcades, terrible cafes and shops selling sticks of rock, novelities and “fancy goods”.

The big draw for visitors to Southend (or Saaaff-end as residents call it) is the pier. At 1.34 miles (2.16 km), it is officially the world’s longest pleasure pier. It’s so long, a train runs its full length to ferry passengers from one end to the other (though it was closed on our visit). Again, Southend Borough Council are trying hard to smarten the pier up and make it more of a destination. Construction is underway on a multi-purpose cultural centre at the pier’s head which will include accommodation and cafes. Before that opens, there’s very little to encourage people to make to trip to the end other than to enjoy the ambiance and to tell people you did it.

So, here I am telling you I did it and here’s a photo to prove it. There are more photos on my Flickr stream if you’re interested.

I am heading overseas soon and am looking for an appropriate bag. Something i can get through baggage on the plane but also not too large. it would have to have support (back and sholder) for i would be carrying it almost all the time. i have looked at rucksacks but they seem a little too large especially for me (i am quite petite). Do you know of any brands/bags/backpacks that would be suitable? what do you use?

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:15:33 +0000

Hi. Great question.

The bag I use very much depends on where I’m going and how long I’m going for. On my fairly recent weekend to Paris, I took a small rucksack. Taking anything larger would have been pointless. I have a small suitcase on wheels that does a similar job but I wanted something informal that I could carry on my back and not have to worry about.

On long-haul trips of a few weeks or more, I have an 80-litre Hi Gear Adventure Trolley bag. All the bells and whistles of a backpack, but with a handle and wheels. I’ve never quite understood why backpackers opt to lug their stuff around on their backs when there are bags on wheels available that are often cheaper and do exactly the same job. The ‘Adventure’ bag has two large compartments with a few side pockets. If you pack sensibly and utilise the ‘roll’ packing technique, fitting in two weeks worth of clothes is a doddle.

Obviously, it’s down to personal preference which bag you get, but I’d go for a bag on wheels any day.

Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg Captured in 2009 on a mammoth...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 23:06:00 +0000

Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg

Captured in 2009 on a mammoth hike through waist-deep snow from Männlichen (2343m) to Kleine Scheidegg (2061m) in the Swiss Alps.

Eiger Here’s a photo I took in January 2009 of the mighty...

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 11:57:00 +0000

Eiger

Here’s a photo I took in January 2009 of the mighty Eiger, one of three main summits of the Jungfrau Massif in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. It was taken from across the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the small traffic-free village of Mürren (1,650m). For a shot using a pokey little point-and-shoot, it came out quite nicely.

You can read about my adventures in Switzerland by exploring the Switzerland tag. The post about my sledging exploits is particularly good, even if I do say so myself.

Early last year, I was introduced to the awesome sound of Aussie...

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Early last year, I was introduced to the awesome sound of Aussie band Birds Of Tokyo. This was shortly before I embarked on my Grand Colonial Tour of Asia and Australasia. Whilst on the first leg of the trip from London to Singapore, we flew over the Himalayas and hit some nasty turbulence. To relieve my worry, I headed for the music section of my entertainment screen and found to my delight the entire Birds of Tokyo album.

Here for your listening pleasure is the song I chose at random. This is what I call my ‘turbulence tune’.

Whilst it’s a fantastic song, it’s only today I’ve realised it contains the line, “…good luck, you’re finished for sure.” In retrospect, it was short-sighted of me to choose a song called “In The Veins Of Death Valley” to counter my turbulence-induced panic.

So what would help you through a bumpy flight? Leave a comment or send me a message.

You can find out more about Birds Of Tokyo on their website.

Maslenitsa - Winter Waves Goodbye

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:01:04 +0000

Celebrating the end of Winter the Russian way in London’s Trafalgar Square.

Winter in Russia and its neighbouring countries is a cold, long, drawn-out affair. Temperatures typically struggle at around the minus 10 to 20 mark for a good three to four months. No amount of big, fluffy siberian hats can help keep the chill at bay. So naturally, once March arrives, Russians, Belorussians and Ukrainians are keen to celebrate the arrival of the sun. They do this in the form of a Maslenitsa, an annual folk and religious festival where dreadful music is played and danced to and pancakes and dumplings are consumed.

This weekend, London’s Trafalgar Square played host to its own version of the Maslenitsa and I was one of the thousands that turned up.

At the centre of the celebrations was the effigy of Kostroma, a slavic fertility goddess. Revering her and dancing around her straw-filled being is said to improve soil fertility in the spring. She was at the centre of the first performance on the big stage.

Boss-eyed Bear was also present, though his relevance to the Maslenitsa was unknown. The crowds loved him though, especially when he strutted his stuff to the sounds of “popular folk group” Balagan Limited (our favourite Balagan Limited track is on YouTube).

There were plenty of ways to part with your cash. One stall was flogging Russian satellite tv while almost all the others sold Russian souvenirs and tat. The dolls were proving to be particularly popular.

Of course, no festival is complete without traditional food to try. And no blog post on Here To Geneva is complete without photos of said traditional food. So, here’s what I had;

To start, I had a savoury blini, a crispy deep-fried pancake filled with undisclosed meat. It was tasty, though rather greasy. Those in the UK familiar with Findus crispy pancakes will find them instantly recognisable.

Following that, a steaming cup of Borsch. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I’ve had Borsch in the past and it was purple and beetrooty. This though was red and oniony. I’ve since read that there are several varieties of Borsch where the amount of beetroot varies. This variety was heavy on the tomato and onion. It was like watery pasta sauce.

To finish, Pelmeni. These with like little meat-filled tortellini, though the dough was deep-fried and crispy. On top, a squirt of sour sauce that added little to the experience.

In all, it was nice to experience Russian culture for the first time, though whether it’s encouraged me to visit Russia in the future remains to be seen. If I’m promised Boss-eyed bear will show me round, you can book me a room right now.

Russians Take Trafalgar Square London’s Russian community...

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:53:00 +0000

Russians Take Trafalgar Square

London’s Russian community celebrates the beginning of the end of Winter at the annual Maslenitsa festival in Trafalgar Square

Bite Your Drink Now How could I refuse such an instruction from...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:47:00 +0000

Bite Your Drink Now

How could I refuse such an instruction from an apple standing by a palm tree, giving me a thumbs-up whilst licking his lips?

I went to my friendly local Asian shop yesterday and picked up this Malaysian drink. It’s Lychee flavoured with chewy chunks of coconut floating about in it. Really lovely.

South-east Asia is obsessed with putting bits in their drinks.

Slurp-slurp, nom-nom!

The Journey Begins Yesterday, I along with 9,999 others,...

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:18:00 +0000

The Journey Begins

Yesterday, I along with 9,999 others, attended an event at Wembley Arena held by LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games). Later in the year, the world will descend on London for the ‘greatest show on earth’ and I will be playing a very small part in its success.

I can’t tell you anymore than this for the time being for various reasons. Rest assured though, when I can tell you more, I will.

I just found your blog and I absolutely love it so much! I'm so jealous of all the places you've been to haha :) Just curious, how many countries have you visited?

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:03:00 +0000

I guess I ought to answer this since you asked it about 2 months ago. Sorry about that.

I’ve been to England, Wales, Scotland, France, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong & Macau.

That makes 20. Not many really.

If you have a question, feel free to ask away.

One Word… Currywurst Every Christmas, me and my mum go for...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:08:00 +0000

One Word… Currywurst

Every Christmas, me and my mum go for day out in London to see the lights. And every year, mum stands patiently watching me in the freezing cold as I chow-down on a serving of Currywurst and warm, fresh bread.

Thanks Germany! And thanks mum!

Rafting The Kaituna River Rotorua, New Zealand I can’t...

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:17:00 +0000

Me, smiling at the camera.

The 'before' photo.

Rafting the Kaituna.

A minor grade 5 rapid.

Descending the 7m fall.

7 metres of fury.

The calm after the torrent.

Rafting The Kaituna River

Rotorua, New Zealand

I can’t believe I’ve never posted about last year’s white-water rafting experience in Rotorua, New Zealand. It was a blast!

Naturally, as a complete beginner, I opted to go on a grade 5 rafting trip down the Kaituna River (as a point of reference, the grade above grade 5 is classed as “effectively unnavigable”). The Kaituna is often referred to using words like “exhilarating” and “furious” and is notable for its 7 metre waterfall, the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world. Yep, I’m a nutcase.

Despite at one point misinterpreting an instruction and having to be rescued from the foaming whitewater, it was a fantastic experience. Pretty draining though. I’ve never felt so unfit.

In the photos, I’m the guy either grinning or ‘woohooing’ in the middle of the boat!

Oh Snow! Another Winter Photo One more won’t hurt, surely!

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:35:00 +0000

Oh Snow! Another Winter Photo

One more won’t hurt, surely!