Yet another typhoon, this time Typhoon Dujuan, is lashing the northeastern tip of the island as I write this on Monday evening. It's brought mixed news to us: we were roused from sleep last night as the phone tree lit up, informing us that the Taipei government had deemed it necessary to close all schools and government departments today. So, no school, yay! On the flip side, we'd bought tickets to see Bon Jovi at the Nangang concert hall tonight and this, their first of two shows is cancelled, bummer!
I wound my way through litter scattered streets and squalls of rain to get to the 7/11 to discover whether we could get a refund or a transfer to tomorrow night's show. The 7/11 iBon machine seems to be capable of nearly any electronic transaction on the island, including the purchase of concert tickets. With some rudimentary Chinese, the iBon machine and a couple of 7/11 guys, I think I've discovered that the typhoon (natural disaster) has negated any refunds, but that we can go to Nangang tomorrow evening and exchange today's tickets for tomorrow's. At least, that's what I think I've discovered: the joys of dealing in other languages and cultures! Anyway, we'll have an adventure tomorrow night whatever happens...
On Saturday, we took three trains to get over to Dazhi and a restaurant on the better side of couth. I'd booked a semi-treat for Cassy as a reward for her time at the Fulong campground with the Grade 8s. Despite some minor improvements to the facilities this year, it's still not what anyone would rate as comfortable, so she usually returns home, tired, a little hungry and feeling "unwashed"! As an antidote, we usually take the Friday night to readjust and get some sleep before going out somewhere nicer on the Saturday.
No. 168 Prime is housed in the Victoria Hotel complex. We'd visited before to the Michelin starred La Festa, but this restaurant has a different feel. Despite not being "starred" it served up some incredible taste sensations and we were treated to many courses of tasty and cleverly prepared meals, starting with snails as an appetizer! We both ordered the Australian grain fed top cap steak and various different options for all the courses. It was a magnificent meal and we topped it off with a Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon to boot: where were we again?!
We enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant, the hotel and the surrounding district and made a short detour to wander the shops in the glittering Dazhi/Miramar complex before hailing a cab to get home. Despite our strange three train journey to get there, as the crow flies it wasn't far in the cab, so we'll probably do that in the future, including as early as tomorrow night to get to the nearest train station heading to Nangang.
Well, I hope I worked that out correctly for tomorrow night: watch this space to hear more about it (or not)! Photos:my cacti continue to bloom with exotic and strange flowers, workmen taking it easy, brilliant weekend drip coffees Japanese style, a nicely decorated train en route to Dahzi, various shots from 168 Prime and the Victoria as well as the start of damages from the latest typhoon. Cass is now reading The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel and I'm continuing to savour the delicious offerings from Franzen's Purity.
