We returned very late last night from our galavanting in the tropics. Bali continues to be heavenly and a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of cosmopolitan London. Although we have only been away for just over two weeks it seriously feels that we have been away for a month or so. We have experienced so much and met some wonderful characters who added to the charm of the trip. The slower pace of life, the culture, landscape, food and general cheeriness of the Balinese people makes Bali a fantastic holiday destination if you are seeking some serious time out and a change of scenery. Our taste buds went into overdrive sampling local cuisine: from babi guling (suckling pig) to tongkol sambal matah (grilled tuna in shallot and lemongrass dressing) to burbur injin (Balinese black rice porridge with banana) – yes can you believe it I actually really liked a pudding. Watch this space and I will be sharing some of these recipes with you over the coming months. I may pass on the babi guling as that may be tricky for me to replicate quite so easily, but I will certainly be showing you a number of other dishes, as well as sambals and marinades.

I don’t know about you but when I’ve been eating the same type of food over a prolonged period (ok maybe two weeks isn’t prolonged, but you get my drift right?) no matter how tasty it is, I really yearn for different kinds of food. I recall holidaying in Italy a number of years ago and after two weeks of eating pasta – which was divine mind you – Mr B and I sneaked off to one of the Chinese restaurants in Florence to fill our bellies with some spicy food. We felt a little guilty but enjoyed our chilli kick. I am kind of getting that same feeling now that I have returned to England, so rather that rushing to replicate all those delicious dishes I experienced, I will put them up gradually.

As we are all suffering from jet lag I’ll put up a new recipe later this week. In the mean time I will leave you with a few photos taken in Bali.

Its good to back. Having hot humid weather is great, but I’m a sucker for the seasons and even though the rain has just kicked in, this temperature suits me.

I particularly like this photo of the gecko as you can see the reflection of the beach and sea if you look closely at the centre of the photo.

Ever thought your shopping bags were heavy to carry? Well spare a thought for these ladies who swiftly walked by me with their heavy loads. Incredible.