Penang

So our last day in Penang which ended up being very nice - not that it wouldn't. Always bitter sweet to move on from somewhere that you really enjoy; we've pretty much done what we want here in Penang but the accommodation was so sublime it's a place I think we will return to. Also Josie and I found a place that does massages so we wished we'd found it a week ago.

Anyway breakfast as usual with a few hours of last minute shopping. Our first stop in Little India was the 2 story Indian supermarket-cum-kmart. (This was after I got swooped by a massive, filthy, flock of pigeons feeding off some rice or some shit .) Upstairs I bought 10 stainless steel kulfi molds which can also double as little waler cups but they also had a simple pattern on them you could easily eat the kulfi from them - all nice and chilled in the steel. God knows why but a triple pack of jasmin and almond lux soap which will probs smell like shit.

We wound our way down to Chinatown to the Little China Cafe which Josie had been dying to get to. Not just for the coffee and cakes but the gift shop which sold all sorts of goodies and cute enamelled tiffin boxes. Tagalong Jane. So I bought a bloody tiffin tower but at least not two like josie did which is our usual scenario :) What a laugh. Mick snaffled in a latte and poppyseed cake downstairs while we were shopping upstairs and then we joined him. Hello, lunch was less than 2 hours away so I was very happy with a lychee and cranberry lemonade while everyone else was stuffed full of coffee and cake .

Back to the Blue Mansion where I went for a quick swim before we headed to Indigo, the restaurant upstairs for our lunch. It was so lovely. So lovely. Josie and I frocked up a little and we had the set menu. On our round table with proper gold-rimmed crockery and damask we had little warm sweetish bread rolls with butter; we all had squid - hearts of palm, turmeric emulsion, tamarind squid ink vinaigrette, basil oil, micro herbs and then the grouper: rempah marinade, nyonya risotto, torch ginger, long beans, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, basil oil and then I had a beautiful strawberry, chocolate kinda thing. All so fresh and filling though not overly so. Perfect for lunch. We had beer and shared a lovely bottle of wine. Good times.

Now, Josie has been agonising over this apricot coloured chiffon beaded coat from an Indian shop. She's finally decided to buy it so we went there after lunch and she decided to buy a gorgeous deep maroon coloured one instead. Then we went to the massage place which we found last night in Lover's Lane. I was a bit hesitant because of my lingering foot injury but I showed them a pic and said 'gently 'and they understood. It was amazing! Bloody hurt on occasion but it was fabulous. As I said I wish we'd known about it a week ago.

Back to the Blue Mansion for drinks in the courtyard while it rained softly. The lovely red lanterns came on and the candles were lit. We all went to pack for our early start tomorrow and then went next door for a cheap satay and nasi goreng.

Off to Singapore tomorrow.Read more