Layer cake success #2!

Last spring I tackled my first layer cake and loved the whole process, so this weekend I decided to tackle making a classic chocolate layer cake and this one turned out beautifully: rich, luscious icing with a lovely sponge (isn't that what they call it on the Great British Bake-off?). Yum!

Celebrating Brian's birthday in style...

We have heard about Flair since our arrival, a restaurant on the 58th floor of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Pudong, close to the Pearl Tower and featuring outdoor dining. What better occasion to visit than to celebrate Brian's birthday? We enjoyed a lovely dinner and cocktails on the patio, admiring the lights of the Bund and the changing patterns of light on the Pearl Tower. What a glamorous city!

Whisky Live with many friends...

We attended a Whisky Live event here last weekend and shared the event with thousands of other whisky enthusiasts from around the city. The entire event was jammed with people but, if you just ran with it, it was really fun and there was definitely a party vibe. We were able to taste many whiskies we'd never tried before and the cocktail room (with its DJ, strobe lights and loud music) was awesome. In Shanghai, things like this happen according to epic proportions!

Back to Shanghai: ready for 2017/18!

Wow, it's hot in Shanghai in August. We know it was even hotter in July but the weather here in August is super humid so we are acclimatizing to hot summer nights in the city. To celebrate our return, we spent last night downtown, recreating a fun street food tour we did when we first arrived here two years ago. That night was the first night we went out with our dear friends Wade and Michele and the four of us wandered around last night, visiting the restaurants and eating amazing food. It was a great way to launch an awesome new year.

Rainbow mountains... last hike in Peru

The rainbow mountains are spectacular. At 5100 metres, it's a tough climb to get to the top of the sloping trail but the views are gorgeous. On the one side, the striped rainbow mountains dominate the scene; on the other side, snow-capped mountains and remote trails await. If only we had had more days to hike...

The 4-day Inca Trail trek...

We debated about which trek to do in Peru and we're so glad we chose the classic 4-day Inca Trail trek. On this route you follow the ancient road that the Inca King would have taken to get to Machu Picchu, a retreat and religious centre. Along the way you encounter gorgeous ruins and beautiful scenery. It was challenging, with mountain passes up to 4400 metres, but it was absolutely spectacular.