Author Archives: Steve Morgan

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About Steve Morgan

Occupational Therapist since 1986, Case Manager since 1990, Author since 1993, Consultancy since 2001. Launched a blog from 2013, a podcast in 2014, and YouTube videos from 2017.

Syd meets Santa

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For those of you looking for a feelgood Christmas tale, look away now. This is a tale of architectural wonder… of reality, not make belive fairytale. This is where Santiago Calatrava stamps his signature on various places around the planet… and we gaze in awe (well, some of us do anyway).

He was born in Valencia and first came to my attention when visiting the Freedom Tower in New York City in 2017. Santiago Calatrava was responsible for the futuristic design of the new World Trade Center Transportation Hub.

So, where does Santa come into this picture, you ask. Well, seeing as you asked so politely… here I am in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, and would you believe it, Santiago Calatrava got here before me. He designed the Auditorium de Tenerife Adan Martin… a stunning performance venue on the harbour…

And what of Syd, you ask. Well, it’s just my random thinking that if you take a look at the Sydney Opera House when you’re next passing by that way, have a think of what those architectural curves remind you of.

Until we speak again, as Juno often remarked… I might have been her erstwhile servant, but get a proper hobby fella, and pack in these random trains of thought 🤔

Saucy times in Cardiff

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I wonder what you were thinking when you read this blog post title… well, sorry to disappoint 😞 I’m sure saucy times are to be had in Cardiff, and I……. no, I think I’ll get back to the actual subject of the post.

I’m talking egg yolk, double cream, mushroom, blue cheese, parsley, black pepper, and parmesan. Add some chicken and a pasta of your choice (penne does it for me), and you have Cardiff Sauce, a carbonara dish that defies most peoples preconceptions of Cardiff cuisine.

Chips and rice with curry sauce are so Caroline Street at midnight after a session on the falling down juice. For those in the know, with time and cash to be a little more discerning in culinary tastes, a treat awaits a mere 200 yards away from the world renowned Chippy Alley.

Ciliegino is a small independent Italian restaurant that quietly goes about its business in the city centre. In my albeit highly biased opinion, it has one major setback… it’s located in the heart of shopping mall foodcourt terrain. A place where chain restaurants thrive at churning out consistent mediocrity.

So, I can happily report at being amazed by the fresh quality of an antipasto duo starter…

The sparse wine list even managed to offer a Puglia gem of an Italian red wine…

Until we speak again, saucy times in Cardiff have taken on a broader outlook, and the Beef lasagne was a homemade treat as well…

Dumbfuckistan returns

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What’s the difference between Russia and the USA? The leader of one of them going forward hasn’t been convicted of any charges… yet? Only one openly boasts his misogyny, while the other enacts it more secretly.

Beyond that, they seem to broadly share psychopathic, narcissistic, lying tendencies on an industrial scale.

On the morning of 6th November 2024, a deeply troubled world took a devastatingly darker turn, as one of the few bastions of freedom and openness embraced it’s full on Dumbfuckistan character.

That this wasn’t the will of the minority is perhaps the most shocking outcome of the last 24 hours. Even the popular vote has underpinned this world tragedy. For once, it seems the anachronistic Electoral College, famed for truly stealing elections from the people, has provided the American people what they want.

Until we speak again, I will uphold my personal principles of so-called, lefty liberal elite wokery by enacting my own boycott of the USA. I don’t intend to spend…

… on an economy of a country that can shut down its collective mind to the behaviour of a narcissistic racist misogynist and promote him to Liar-in-Chief.

The years ahead will be interesting… for all the wrong reasons. Goodbye, America… from someone who visited quite often and loved many things about your former country!

Hanoi 1991

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No, this post isn’t going to be about a historic event… or even a memorable holiday trip. This is one of those moments when you realise you’ve been occasionally walking past a culinary gem in a Cardiff city centre arcade for five years. Then, a random look at Google maps reviews brings the shocking truth about what you’ve been missing. It’s 11.30am on a Thursday morning as you realise there is only one place lunch is going to happen… it’s time to visit Hanoi 1991 in Cardiff’s enchanting Royal Arcade.

As with so many gems the menu is pleasingly short… as displayed near the entrance and above the counter. This is Hanoi street food authentically presented and deliciously flavoured.

Grilled Pork ‘Banh My’ with a Vietnamese Egg Coffee… was the choice for a fist visit. But in no more than 48 hours I was drawn back to try the equally appetising Lemongrass Beef ‘Banh My‘.

Until we speak again, I’ll just have to stay mesmerised by that Vietnamese Egg Coffee! If you think a cappuccino style presentation coffee with deep foam made of egg yolk, milk and sugar sounds like a strange combination you would be technically correct. But, one taste and you suddenly know your coffee has just doubled up as your dessert. This was the real reason for returning a second time within 48 hours. The third visit will not be too far away.

Whisper it…

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Cardiff is forever evolving, but awakenings are the order of the day down at the Cardiff City Stadium. Nobody would argue that the first couple of months of the season look pretty much like the old tax offices in Llanishen…

An early sacking of the manager may not be what is ordinarily wished for, but it offers opportunities to dream of new beginnings… something like the changing face of the old Brewery site near the city centre…

But who would have thought the green shoots of renewal would blossom so rapidly…

Until we speak again, whisper it… can we play  Plymouth every week… please?

Double take

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It’s not often I go to a fabulous restaurant on holiday and risk it a second night running. You know all about those wonderful memories that you could be putting in jeopardy!

Well, Alegoria was that good, I just had to roll the dice. The atmosphere is somewhat like a Greek taverna… but this definitely isn’t Greece.

The welcome was warm from the moment I arrived and throughout the meal from a small group of staff who really seemed to be enjoying their work. So this is clearly not one of those chain restaurants churning out mediocrity with a fake smile.

The menu is relatively short, so the quality of what is presented on the plate is a top priority. So this isn’t one of those places that aims to offer something for everyone.

For the record, the accompanying photos include padron green peppers and melt in the mouth iberic pork cheek on the first visit. The second visit matched the whole experience with melon & iberic ham followed by a gorgeous ribeye steak seasoned with just the right level of salty tears!

Unlike a few other places I visited nearby, a selection of wine by the glass was offered, and I found something I had never heard of but was one of those wines where one glass could never be enough… just like one visit to this restaurant is never enough.

Until we speak again, you don’t think I’m going to tell you where it is, do you? You’d all be going there and I’d have to book my table!

The previous ‘iberic‘ references might also help. It’s not France, Italy or Portugal… but it might be close to them on a big map. The city has a successful football team in the mould of Pep Guardiola, and also miles of beachfront and marina with Olympic references. It’s also located within 100 metres of a very busy tourist street where people Rambla along… but unless you’re searching for it, you’ll never see it.

Barcelona Maciatto Tour

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What, you thought I’d do all the tourist stuff about Antoni Gaudi, La Rambla, and all that Barca FC shtick? Think again, it’s in the archives back in March 2019! This was a completely unscheduled visit planned in the airport arrivals, having missed a connection onto Florence!

After a tiring day of travelling and improvising, a marina side evening stroll culminated in a visit to the upmarket Barceloneta restaurant.

The food and wine were of the expected high quality. What was unexpected was the presentation and quality of the maciatto. This was a ‘performance coffee‘ with the waiter providing the milk/foam finish with a flourish at the table!

This got me thinking, as my following morning experience confirmed my previous recollections… Barcelona is not a place that will trouble competitors in the world cappuccino stakes!

Needless to say, I had now found my pointless mission for this very relaxing visit to a stunning city. Ocana in the Gothic Quarter may not have provided the best post Flamenco gig meal, but they unexpectedly raised their game with the maciatto!

Alegoria, located neatly down a narrow side street and then an even narrower alley, so that the tourist hordes along La Rambla don’t even know it’s there… is undoubtedly an absolute gem of a restaurant. More about this one in a separate post!

They didn’t need a sugar gimmick to remind me where I was languishing, but the maciatto not surprisingly maintained the high standard I had come to expect. That wine was delicious to.

Until we speak again, if you want pictures of the photogenic place that Barcelona is… go there!

L’ile De Beaute

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Corsica is widely referred to as the island of beauty… so, let’s check out this bold claim. Bearing in mind that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or so they say. I guess it depends on what you expect when you decide to visit a place. Stunning landscapes, maybe historical legacy, culinary delights, and a place to simply relax and unwind.

Corsica certainly has an abundance of stunning beaches for the dedicated sun worshiper…

There are very few areas of flatland, with mountains rising almost immediately behind the beaches, making for dramatic visual backdrops in all directions…

And don’t expect any speedy train journeys across the island. The few trains spend most of their journeys slowly navigating the inclines and meandering through the mountainous interior. If train journeys bore you, I challenge you to try and stay scrolling your social media without becoming more entranced by the views outside…

Its history is a complicated succession of Italian (Genoese) and French control, though their widely represented proud flag is one of the head of a Moorish man representing a strong sense of freedom…

Look closely, and you’ll even witness a rare graffiti message for their more recent French overlords…

The historical architecture is dominated by seven citadels located in key places around the coast (six in coastal fortresses and one being inland at Corte)…

As for culinary delights, there is no shortage of places to sample genuine Corsican cuisine… Veal & Olives, Risotto a la Creme, Sanglier (Wild Boar) pate, a local stew, and Poulpe (Octopus) on a base of citrus confit and humus to name a few! They have a wealth of their own wine to sample as well. And, yes, that French bread comes with everything and really does taste fabulously fresh…

As for those moments of pure relaxation, just sit and listen to the boats bobbing in Marina’s in Ajaccio or Calvi with the sound of ropes knocking against masts. Alternatively, there’s the sound of waves lapping the shores of those stunning beaches. Simply empty your mind…

Until we speak again, Corsica definitely seems to have cornered beauty. Even that blue sky instilled a feeling of awe…

Wye aye, man!

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It’s time to get that British Tour of Summer 2024 rolling further north. The notoriously hospitable Geordies are always good value… with or without the Fog on the Tyne!

They also know a thing or two about dramatic architecture! When you have a plethora of great Victorian buildings and you want to sweep across your famous river with an equally dramatic bridge… just go for it!

Other city authorities take note (Cardiff in particular). Preserve what you have and be bold in enhancing it. Sorry, demolition crews, you’re simply not needed!

Great food is easily found in close walking distance at any time of day or night (Quay Ingredient, Babucho, Turkos, and Kafeneon follow)…

Trying out some music gigs is relatively easy, whether you want local jazz at The Globe or a visit to The Cluny for Hawaiian ukulele players presenting Jimi Hendrix in a totally new and illuminating light…

A good Victorian boozer will also help quench any thirst. So, why not try the Crown Posada amongst many others?

And when you tire of the hustle and bustle of the city, get the metro to Tynemouth for a combination of quaint village and seaside atmosphere…

Until we speak again, the locals will definitely be pleased to meet you in their own inimitable way… Wye aye, man.

Yorkshire Gold

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It’s time for a British Summer Tour 2024. Why go travelling the world in search of summer sunshine and exotic experiences? Yes, I know, that question has probably already answered itself.

In times of undoubted climate change, we can thank the mindless emitters and evidence deniers for the cooler and even wetter British June & July of 2024. Ducks need not engage with this previous sentiment!

However, we Celts do occasionally need to acknowledge that our English neighbours might just have some interesting places to visit. No, not London. For historical value, there are few better places to spend a couple of days in than York.

After years of conquest and occupation, the Romans finally decided the Mediterranean climate was more to their liking. It seems their departure was accompanied with a distinct middle finger to the Yorkshire locals…

However, their latter-day Italian ancestors have a lot to be thanked for when it comes to certain culinary twists on good British ingredients (particularly lamb)…

Conquests and posh nosh aside, when it comes to extending a welcome to neighbours across the street, where is better suited than the Shambles in York?

The most infamous Shambles also contains a few sources of mystery. Though I’m sure some questions don’t really need an answer…

Until we speak again, no visit to York is complete without breakfast at the famous Betty’s Tea Rooms for a dish of kedgeree and some properly presented English Breakfast Tea…