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A Winter’s Tale: Our First Full Winter in Europe. A single winter glove, Berlin, Germany. Copyright © 2023 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

A Winter’s Tale: Our First Full Winter in Europe

Having just spent our first full winter in Europe, we thought it was time for some reflections on the last four months of our grand tour.

Having lived in Sydney for many years, it’s fair to say that winter was of little consequence. Sure it gets a little chilly, but you have to drive a few hours from the city to actually see snow – if you’re lucky. Booking a ski holiday in Australia is a gambler’s pastime.

When we moved to Abu Dhabi and then Dubai, winter translated to welcome relief from the relentless heat of the preceding months, as well as being the time of year we took frequent trips to Europe to fill our bellies and drain our bank accounts. And make the dream of a White Christmas a reality.

This year we’ve spent the best part of the northern hemisphere winter in Europe, only leaving last week. “Why would you come to Vienna/Budapest/Krakow/Berlin in December?” was a question we would often get asked.

Well, firstly, our Grand Tour wasn’t about an Endless Summer. Secondly, visiting places ‘off-season’ can be far more rewarding than peak season. Thirdly, we wanted to experience what it was like to live in a place during winter, not just jet in, eat at Michelin restaurants, go to chic ski resorts, and then leave for warmer climes.

So how did we enjoy our first full winter in Europe? While I love the quote of adventurer and author Sir Rannulph Fiennes “There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing”, after a few months of wearing appropriate clothing, putting on several layers to go outside, and then progressively removing them again as you warm up at your destination, it started to get a little tedious.

I’ve also lost count of how many times I’ve started to gently perspire in my winter gear waiting for a certain travel writer to finish getting ready before we went out, even going outside to wait for her in sub-zero temperatures rather than begin shedding layers one more time. By the time we got to Edinburgh in January, I was reduced to quoting Antarctic explorer Captain L. E. G. Oates, who famously said “I am just going outside and may be some time” before wandering off into the cold so I wouldn’t have to peel off those layers and put them back on again.

Dressing and undressing aside, I still love those crisp, clear winter days when the snow squeaks under your feet and the cities look like winter wonderlands, but I’m guessing everyone does – they’re the best part of winter.

In Zell am See, I loved heading up on the ski lift for my first snowboarding run and seeing local guys down a hit of Jägermeister with coffee over lunch. In Berlin, a child being pulled along in a wooden sled never failed to bring a smile to my face. In Budapest, I reflected on the notion that goulash tasted so much better when there was snow gently falling outside. In Vienna, I enjoyed the simplicity of a walk through a park and having a snowball fight before warming up with glühwein at a Christmas Market. In Krakow, the walk through the old town that we did every day was eerily beautiful, with snow on the ground and fog in the air – it was at its most memorable on Christmas Eve when silhouettes filled the streets before midnight.

But it’s with Christmas that we have our first gripe. Some places don’t even get snow until after Santa decides whether he needs wheels or skis on his sled to deliver goodies. Christmas markets should be named winter markets and keep locals happy with a little tipple and some hearty food until the end of January. Some cities are obsessed with getting rid of their snow – creating slippery paths and conditions more dangerous than when the snow was on the ground. In Berlin, we could have ice-skated along the pavements.

But there is more: slushy sidewalks; ice falling from several-storey buildings; sleet; being one layer short of being warm; wearing one layer too many; and heartbreaking single gloves mislaid on pavements.

The only person I’ve ever seen happy to be using a ‘snow thrower’ (those lawnmower-like machines made for removing the by-products of blizzards) was a New Zealand snowboarder in Lech, Austria who said that when he had to use it in the mornings, he knew he was soon going to be knee-deep in fresh powder snow in more vertical conditions than at the front of the hotel.

But, yes, it’s true that a winter wonderland can be mesmerizing and everyone loves the first flakes of the season. But as reality kicks in, locals are soon icing up the windows of travel agents, mournfully checking prices of winter breaks in places like Australia, where there are shrimps on the barbie and bronzed Aussies on the beach at this time of year.

So our first full winter in Europe was a bit of a mixed bag. Now understand why people would want to thaw out after a long winter, if I’m not somewhere snowy for Christmas, I still feel like I’m missing something special. Even if I don’t stay for four months next time…

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About Terence Carter

Terence Carter is an editorial food and travel photographer and infrequent travel writer with a love of photographing people, places and plates of food. After living in the Middle East for a dozen years, he settled in South-East Asia a dozen years ago with his wife, travel and food writer and sometime magazine editor Lara Dunston.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah Chambers says

    February 17, 2011 at 3:22 am

    Very amusing :) Now you you can understand (as can some Spanish colleagues here in the office) why British people are renowned for, and obsessed with, shedding our clothes and baking ourselves while on holiday, or the minute a bit of sun peeps out from behind a cloud…. Because we’re so damn cold the rest of the year! One of my favourite moments was when an old Spanish colleague (who was half French) that I worked with at Air France and who had lived in London for 3 years came home from Spain having burnt herself to a crisp, obsessed with getting back her tan… My response; “Maintenant tu es un vrai rosbif!”

  2. Keith says

    February 17, 2011 at 8:35 am

    I can commiserate on the topic of waiting for significant others to get ready. I’m sure I’ve spent far too much of life sitting and staring into space as I wait for her, ourselves becoming increasingly late for whatever appointment we’re trying to make. Too funny.

    Here in Wisconsin, a snowthrower is as common as a rake or lawnmower. When 18″ of snow falls, you need to be able to clear your driveway.

  3. mvmaithai says

    February 17, 2011 at 10:05 am

    We used to live in Boston. After we moved away, a certain sister-in-law always brags about the beautiful “winter wonderland” when they get a white Christmas. This year, she is singing a different tune. Since January, even die-hard New Englanders have had enough of the white stuff, and are so ready to move to sunny Florida! As for us, we’ll take the beach anytime.

  4. Ben Alcock says

    February 17, 2011 at 12:11 pm

    Lovely post.

    The Fiennes quote is a beauty. I was a travel agent forever ago and often found it very useful when chatting to clients before (and occasionally after) they travelled.

    Lastly, travelling through a real winter with young kids can be gorgeous. But the multiple layer dressing/undressing routine and “Daddy, I need to go to the toilet” chorus as you walk out the door is quite a testing combination.

    My advice: Like most tiresome situations of life on the road, you just have to laugh and get on with it.

    Happy travels.

  5. Terence Carter says

    February 17, 2011 at 3:45 pm

    Thanks Ben. I did juts laugh out loud at the “daddy” reference. I can’t imagine what that must be like. Kids look so cute rugged up though and them being puled on a sled on the way home from school could not be more foreign to someone like me.
    Cheers,
    T

  6. Terence Carter says

    February 17, 2011 at 3:50 pm

    Hi Keith. When we lived in Sydney, my waiting for the girl routine involved an acoustic guitar and a double vodka and tonic. Wrote plenty of songs over several years during that 15minute window!
    But when you’ve already zipped up a snowboard jacket and put gloves and a scarf on…
    When I was in Lech, the guy getting paid to use the snowthrower was as happy as a pig in swill every day. That place really gets some snow.
    T

  7. Terence Carter says

    February 17, 2011 at 3:54 pm

    Hi Sarah, that comment of yours on twitter about wearing the right clothing not being enough when it’s miserable all the time had me thinking about writing this.
    In Sydney we used to make jokes about the people of Melbourne getting down to their swimmers at the slightest hint of the sun.
    The nickname ‘roastbeef’ never fails to amuse me!
    T

  8. TexaGermaNadian says

    February 18, 2011 at 2:44 am

    Hi guys! I was lucky enough to stumble upon your site. I really love it, and can’t wait to have a better look around. Coming from South Texas and now living in Germany for the winter, I don’t think I will ever adjust. It just isn’t made for my bones. Seems like ya’ll had a fun time despite freezing, haha

  9. laradunston says

    February 18, 2011 at 5:14 am

    You must try Christmas in Australia sometime. My childhood memories are of drinking sparkling wine, eating seafood, being beside the beach somewhere, swimming, sunbathing, and dozing. Just lovely.

  10. wandering educators says

    February 18, 2011 at 8:33 am

    too true – we lived in minnesota for years (-50? yep). now we live in michigan, a bit warmer (still cold for months and months)…it is actually a good thing, the cold. it kills all the bugs. :)

  11. Andrew says

    February 18, 2011 at 12:18 pm

    I have been known to run from one door out around the corner into the food hall in the cold just to avoid putting on my jacket. I don’t actually mind the layering and shedding of layers so much as keeping track of all the stuff at the other end. I just stuff it all in my packpack, which I wear empty for the purpose.

    Speaking of winter cold, maybe the Germans would appeal to you. I just wrote on how they insist on airing out the rooms in the middle of winter, requireing layers for inside too. http://www.groundedtraveler.com/2011/02/18/german-obsession-with-fresh-air/

  12. Terence Carter says

    February 18, 2011 at 2:59 pm

    Thanks for your comment.
    I actually understand the whole airing out thing. I think a lot of the time we overcompensate wanting 22.5˚C when it’s -10˚C outside. We did air out every place we stayed in, purely because we felt it was getting stuffy (but not hot). We’ve experienced everything in the last twelve months – and I do prefer the cold to 35˚C and humid, because I love the freshness of cold weather.
    Cheers,
    T

  13. Keith says

    February 19, 2011 at 11:08 pm

    Hi, folks!

    Re the Berlin pavements … when I lived in Germany, we had a duty to ensure the pavement outside our property was clear of snow and ice, and ashes put down if necessary.

    (In practice, our landlord took care of it … I never found out where he got the ashes from, for our flats were centrally heated.

    Norway and Iceland have long been on my bucket list … usually frustrated be a cry of ‘I want to go somewhere warm!’

  14. Keith says

    February 20, 2011 at 6:25 am

    About the pavements; meant to suggest that it may have been a local by-law, rather than a full-bore LAW.

  15. Terence Carter says

    February 20, 2011 at 5:39 pm

    Keith, I think Vienna had a similar law about the depth of snow, as everyone had poles to measure the snow. Problem is, crunchy snow is infinitely better to walk on than than an ice skating rink, which is what happens after a quick freeze when they’ve scraped the snow away…

  16. Camels & Chocolate says

    February 23, 2011 at 5:37 pm

    As someone born and raised in the American South, I never had a true winter until I moved to Denmark for grad school. That one year alone was enough winter to last me the rest of my life! And like you, all my travels during that period were to “neighboring” cities–Vienna, Budapest and Romania for my winter break, Sweden or Germany for a long weekend escape, nowhere warm and sunny. But if that year taught me anything it’s that I fare better in warm weather locales with mild winters where the mercury barely dips below freezing.

  17. Lara Dunston says

    March 22, 2011 at 6:13 am

    We had a super time, despite the cold. In fact, a few of our most fun times were using the cold as an excuse to head out to a local bar and down some strong spirits to warm up. On one of those occasions, it was well below zero according to Terence but I didn’t feel it at all. I tweeted that on Twitter and a friend tweeted back “that’s because you had your vodka jacket on!” I loved that!

    We loved Texas – can’t wait to return! Thanks for dropping by. Hope you’re enjoying Germany. Where are you exactly?

  18. Lara Dunston says

    March 22, 2011 at 6:14 am

    That’s what I love about you – you always find the positive side of things, Jessie, don’t you? ;)

  19. Lara Dunston says

    March 22, 2011 at 6:16 am

    I’m like you. I love the warmth and blue skies – keeps my mood up. I love the novelty of winter, especially snow, and especially over the Christmas holidays, but it gets me down after a few months unfortunately, and I *never* get down. Thanks for dropping by!

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Lara and Terence are an Australian-born, Southeast Asia-based travel and food writers and photographers who have authored scores of guidebooks, produced countless travel and food stories, are currently developing cookbooks and guidebooks, and host culinary tours and writing and photography retreats in Southeast Asia.
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Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check o Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check out our seafood recipe collection, especially if you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with a fish focused meal in the Southern Italian tradition, transformed by Italian-Americans into the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or like Australians, who celebrate Christmas in the sweltering summer, feast on seafood for Christmas Day lunch, we’ve got lots of easy seafood recipes for you.

Our recipes include a classic prawn cocktail, blini with smoked salmon, a ceviche-style appetiser, and devilled eggs with caviar. We’ve also got recipes for fish soup, seafood pies and pastas, salmon tray bake, and crispy salmon with creamy mashed potatoes.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/seafood-recipes-for-christmas-eve-and-christmas-day-menus/
(Link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas if you’re celebrating!! 

#christmas #christmasfood #seafood #fish #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #grantourismo #grantourismotravels #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you’re still looking for food inspo for Chris If you’re still looking for food inspo for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals, my smoked salmon ‘carpaccio’ recipe is one of dozens of recipes in this compilation of our best Christmas recipes (link below). 

The Christmas recipe compilation includes collections of our best Christmas breakfast recipes, best Christmas brunch recipes, best Christmas starter recipes, best Christmas cocktails, best Christmas dessert recipes, and homemade edible Christmas gifts and more.

My smoked salmon carpaccio recipe makes an easy elegant appetiser that’s made in minutes. If you’re having guests over, you can make the dish ahead by assembling the salmon, capers and pickled onions, and refrigerate it, then pour on the dressing just before serving. 

Provide toasted baguette slices and bowls of additional capers, pickles and dressing, so guests can customise their carpaccio. And open the bubbly!

You’ll find that recipe and many more Christmas recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/best-christmas-recipes/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas!! X

#christmas #christmasfood #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #salmon #smokedsalmon #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels 
#xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I sh If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I shared a collection of recipes for homemade edible Christmas gifts — for condiments, hot sauces, chilli oils, a whole array of pickles, spice blends, chilli salt, furakake seasoning, and spicy snacks, such as our Cambodian and Vietnamese roasted peanuts. 

I love giving homemade edibles as gifts as much as I love receiving them. Who wouldn’t appreciate jars filled with their favourite chilli oils, hot sauces, piquant pickles, and spicy peanuts that loved-ones have taken the time to make? 

Aside from the gesture and affordability of gifting homemade edibles, you’re minimising waste. You can use recycled jars or if buying new mason jars or clip-top Kilner jars, you know they’ll get repurposed.

No need for wrapping, just attach some Christmas baubles or tinsel to the lid. I used squares of Cambodian kramas (cotton scarves), which can be repurposed as napkins or drink coasters, and tied a ribbon or two around the lids, and attached last year’s Christmas tree decorations to some.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/homemade-edible-christmas-gifts/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Yes, that’s Pepper... every time there’s a camera around... 

#christmasgiftideas #ediblegifts ##christmasfoodgifts #foodgifts #giftideas #homemadegifts #christmasfood #ediblegiftideas #hotsauce #chillisauce #sriracha #pickles #homemadepickles #recipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood 
#blackcat #blackcatsofinstagram #picoftheday 
#christmas #christmastree #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas #cambodia #siemreap
This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’ This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’s perfect if you’re just back from the fish markets armed with luxurious fresh crab meat. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and very, very moreish.

Our crab omelette recipe was one of our 22 most popular egg recipes of 2022 on our website Grantourismo and it’s no surprise. It’s appeared more times than any other egg recipes on our annual round-ups of most popular recipes since Terence launched Weekend Eggs when we launched Grantourismo in 2010.

If you’re an eggs lover, do check out the recipe collection. It includes egg recipes from right around the world, from recipes for classic kopitiam eggs from Singapore and Malaysia and egg curries from India and Myanmar to all kinds of egg recipes from Thailand, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, USA, Australia, UK, and Ireland.

And do browse our Weekend Eggs archives for further eggspiration (sorry). We have hundreds of egg recipes from the 13 year-old series of recipes for quintessential egg dishes from around the world, which we started on our 2010 year-long global grand tour focused on slow, local and experiential travel. 

We’re hoping 2023 will be the year we can finally publish the Weekend Eggs cookbook we’ve talked about for years based on that series. After we can find a publisher for the Cambodia cookbook of course... :( 

Recipe collection here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio):
https://grantourismotravels.com/22-most-popular-egg-recipes-of-2022-from-weekend-eggs/

If you cook the recipe and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either in the comments at the end of the recipe or share a pic with us here.

#recipe #recipes #eggs #eggslover #breakfasteggs #WeekendEggs #egg #breakfast #brunch #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #lookingforapublisher #writingacookbook  #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angko I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angkor Archaeological Park, home to stupendous Angkor Wat, pictured, celebrated 30 years of its UNESCO World Heritage listing. 

That’s as good an excuse as any to put this magnificent, sprawling archaeological site on your travel list this year.

While riverside Siem Reap, your base for exploring Angkor is bustling once more, there are still nowhere near the visitors of the last busy high season months of December-January 2018-2019 when there were 290,000 visitors. 

Last month there were just 55,000 visitors and December feels a little quieter. A tour guide friend said there were about 150 people at Angkor Wat for sunrise a few days ago.

If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, just ask us a question in the comments below or check Grantourismo as we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. 

And please do let us know if you’re coming to Siem Reap. We’d love to see you here x

#siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #slowtravel #localtravel #experientialtravel #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #archaeologicalsite #traveladdict #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travelgram #wanderlust #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels.
Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky, flavourful and succulent chicken thighs that are fantastic with steamed rice, Chinese greens or a salad, such as a Southeast Asian slaw. 

The chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours before cooking, which ensures it’s packed with flavour, then it can be cooked on a barbecue or in a pan.

Terence’s soy ginger chicken recipe is one of our favourite recipes for a quick and easy meal. I love the sound of the sizzling thighs in the pan, and the warming aromas wafting through the apartment. 

It’s amazing how such flavourful juicy chicken thighs come from such a quick and easy recipe.

Recipe here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio): https://grantourismotravels.com/soy-ginger-chicken-recipe/

If you cook it and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either here or in the comments at the end of the recipe on the site or share a pic with us x 

#recipe #recipes #chicken #soygingerchicken #asianfood #southeastasianfood #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #cookingtime #recipe #recipes #comfortfood #foodblog #food #foodstagram #healthyfood #instafood #healthy #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re mak Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re making with my market haul from Psar Samaki in Siem Reap — all for a whopping 10,000 riel (US$2.50)?! 

Birds-eye chillies thrown in for free! They were on my list but the seller I spent most at (5,000 riel!) scooped up a handful and slipped them into my bag. She was my last stop and knew what I was making.

My Khmer is poor, even after all our years in Cambodia, as I don’t learn languages with the ease I did in my 20s, plus I’m mentally exhausted after researching and writing all day. I have a better vocabulary of Old and Middle Khmer than modern Khmer from studying the ancient inscriptions for the Cambodian culinary history component of our cookbook I’m writing.

So when one seller totalled my purchases I thought she said 5,000 riel but she handed back 4,500 riel! The sum total of two huge bunches of herbs and kaffir lime leaves was 500 riel.

Tip: if visiting Siem Reap, use Khmer riel for local shopping. We’ve mainly used riel since the pandemic started— rarely use US$ now as market sellers quote prices in riels, as do local shops and bakeries, and I tip tuk tuk drivers in riels. I find prices quoted in riels are lower.

Psar Samaki is cheaper than Psar Leu, which is cheaper than Psar Chas, as it’s a wholesale market, which means the produce is fresher. I see veggies arriving, piled high in the back of vehicles, with dirt still on them — as I did on this trip. 

The scent of a mountain of incredibly aromatic pineapples offloaded from the back of a dusty ute was so heady they smelt like they’d just been cut. More exotic European style veggies arrive by big trucks in boxes labelled in Vietnamese (from Dalat) and Mandarin (from China), such as beautiful snow-white cauliflower I spotted.

Note: the freshest produce is sold on the dirt road at the back of the market.

#cambodia #siemreap #foodwriter #foodblogger #foodphotography #igfood #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #instadaily #picoftheday #market #siemreapmarket #psarsamaki #marketfresh #vegetables #healthyfood #marketshopping #traveltips #foodtravel #culinarytravel #localtravel #cooking #cookingtime #curry #homemade #currypaste #grantourismotravels
My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recip My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recipe makes tender meatballs doused in a delightfully tangy-sweet sauce, sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, with carrot-daikon, crunchy cucumber and fragrant herbs. 

The dish is inspired by bún chả, a Hanoi specialty, but it’s not bún chả. No matter what Google or food bloggers tell you. Names are important, especially when cooking and writing about cuisines not our own.

This is an authentic bún chả recipe:  https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-bun-cha-recipe/ You’ll need to get the outdoor BBQ/grill going to do proper smoky bún chả meat patties (not meatballs).

My meatball noodle bowl is perhaps more closely related to dishes such as a Central Vietnam cousin bún thịt nướng (pork skewers on rice noodles in a bowl) and a Southern relation bún bò Nam Bộ (beef atop rice noodles, sprinkled with fried shallots (Nam Bộ=Southern Vietnam) though neither include meatballs. 

Xíu mại= meatballs although they’re different in flavour to mine, which taste more like bún chả patties. Xíu mại remind me of Southern Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, home to millions of Khmer, there’s bánh tằm xíu mại. Bánh tằm=silk worm noodles. They’re topped with meatballs, cucumber, daikon, carrot, fresh herbs, crispy fried onions. Difference: cold noodles doused in a sauce of coconut cream and fish sauce. 

Remove the meatballs, add chopped fried spring rolls and it’s Cambodia’s banh sung, which is a rice noodle salad similar to Vietnam’s bún chả giò :) 

Recipe here: (link in bio) https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-meatballs-and-rice-noodles-recipe/

For more on these culinary connections you’ll have to wait for our Cambodian cookbook and culinary history. In a hurry to know? Come support the project on Patreon. (link in bio)

#recipe #recipes #vietnamesefood #cambodianfood #asianfood #southeastasianfood #ricenoodles #rice #noodlebowl #meatballs #igfood #igfoodie #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #writingacookbook #writingacambodiancookbook #patreon #patreoncreator #grantourismo
It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour matches the furnishings of our rented apartment. So, no, I did not colour-coordinate the interiors to match our cat’s eyes. 

I keep getting DMs from pet clothing brands wanting to “partner” with Pepper and send her free cat clothes and cat accessories. Although she did wear a kerchief for a few years in her more adventurous fashion-forward teenage years, I cannot see this cat in clothes now, can you? 

#pepper #blackcat #blackcats #blackcatsofinstagram #blackcatsrule #blackcatsmatter #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlover #catlovers #catlove #catoftheday #catphoto #catpic #catpics #cambodiancat #cambodiancatsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catoftheday #catgram #catstagram #cats_of_instagram #catphotography #catsofig #catsoftheworld #catsofinsta #cats🐱 #siemreap #cambodia

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