Club Nite 18 June 2022 – Oliver Raumklang & Co.

Having had a depressing time in Berlin due to my dad’s ill health i ended up travelling back to Poznan by bus on account of fully booked trains and met this cute couple from Berlin which turned out to be a DJ and his wife. We exchanged numbers and I insisted they must meet Evita – turns out they knew the same clubs and their owners and sure enough we met them the same evening where they invited us to their gig on Saturday.

That Saturday now started in usual fashion with both of us locked out of the house, Evita in a business sort of summer dress and me in my bicycle/casual outfit. We decided to make the most of it and go out as we were, baggage and all. The fun did not end there!

There was this guy who earlier was a wee bit too close for comfort to either of us and sure enough, on the techno floor at Schron this somewat huge and mid-fifties kind of man with a Liam Neeson like appearance took him and moved him a bit away from Evita like “Pawn to E4”. These visuals are what sticks for ever beside being in such life long stunning company.

For such a small place Poznan has an amazing array of options and impressive lineups from all over Europe. Just like Berlin, just like when it was cool – minus the pretense.

Club Nite 07 February 2022 – Arutani

February 7 Soundbite – this Artist is hailing from the depths of the Venezuelan rain forest. Reminds you of some place? I don’t miss travelling as such but i do miss travelling with you – even if just across town let alone to an outpost of civilisation in what s now the wheezing lung of this planet.

The timeless beauty of this set shall be your companion where circumstances won’t let me. Gute Nacht!

Northern Atolls, May 2021 – Part 2

This section of the trip report is dedicated to our awesome tour leader Kora Petuela Kora from Manihiki. An avid pearl farmer, jeweler, automotive and marine engineer and ace of many other trades.

The Northern Group Atolls of Pukapuka, Nassau, Manihiki, Rakahanga, Penrhyn (Tongareva) and Suwarrow are some of the most inaccessible places left on this Planet, pre- and especially post-Covid. This is the product of their distance from Rarotonga, lack of sealed Airstrips and deep harbours, the self sufficiency of their inhabitants and very low population numbers.

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Northern Atolls, May 2021 – Part 1

The Northern Group Atolls of Pukapuka, Nassau, Manihiki, Rakahanga, Penrhyn (Tongareva) and Suwarrow are some of the most inaccessible places left on this Planet, pre- and especially post-Covid. This is the product of their distance from Rarotonga, lack of sealed Airstrips and deep harbours, the self sufficiency of their inhabitants and very low population numbers. These islands are also the ancestral home of my amazing friend Johnny Frisbie and I recognised her in the smiles and the eyes of the people of Pukapuka.

So many beautiful smiles
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Avaavaroa WebCam, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Overlooking one of Rarotonga’s finest white sandy beaches, the reef and Avaavaroa Passage. Enjoy the view and come back soon!

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Manuae Trip December 2020

What a wonderful day away from it all. Started the day at 4:30 am, through Arutanga passage at the very first ray of light of the longest day of the year. Made good speed and arrived outside the narrow passage before 8. The capatin decided to try a little low speed trawling pass around that side of the Atoll to see if any fish would bite. None did but a pod of dolphins greeted the boat.

Snorkeling off the passage i saw the young man skin dive down to 18 meters and pass tools and equipment back and forth to the divers anchoring a mooring and noticed a school of hundreds of great trevally. Quite unusual for Apex predators to form such large schools.

On dry land, after a well orchestrated wiggle through the meandering, narrow and shallow passage we were surprised how well the corrugated aluminium survived 40+ years of abandonment – the climate has done its part and neatly separated them from the original timber framing including Tamanu.

There were numerous fresh turtle tracks indicating Manuae is still an important habitat for these majestic reptiles.

What were once neat Austrian conceived rows of coconut trees is now covered in dense foliage and Tamanu trees made a lot of progress. It was thus surpsising how few seabirds nest on Manuae. They seem to realise that Takutea, another 70 miles to the southeast is a much better choice due to the absence of rats.

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Aitutaki Airport WebCam, Aitutaki, Cook Islands

Check out the weather and aircraft at Aitutaki Airport. Book here

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Rarotonga International Airport WebCam

See the action at Rarotonga International Airport apron where domestic travel has started to pick up again.

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Zabaglione

Foreword

Egg Whites or Yolks often end up separated from their counterparts – this recipe uses left over egg yolks for instance when you just made pavlova or merengues – or vice versa.

For this classic Italian dessert you need to make sure you have your hardware ready and lined up. You definitely need a pot and bowl combination where there is enough clearance between the pot and the bowl to have a good inch of water simmering with the bowl suspended above and the water not touching the bowl. I always mix in the bowl i use for heating. You will also need a decent hand mixer. This is all about physics and the right temperature and you shall be rewarded with a dessert that pleases you with its fluffy texture and subtle flavour and fragrance. Best enjoyed hot or warm. Avoid reheating.

Ingredients

6egg yolks
1/2 cupMarsala or Moscato Sweet White Italian wine
1/2 cupWhite granulated (caster) sugar

How to make it:

Step 1:

Start heating the right amount of the water in your pot to ensure the bowl does not touch it when placed on top of the the pot. Always start with a small flame as you need time for steps 2 and 3.

Step 2:

Start beating the egg yolks and the sugar on your hand mixer’s fastest speed until you have a very uniform and pale yellow mixture. 2-3 minutes will do.

Step 3:

Switch the mixer to the lowest setting and pour in the Marsala / Moscato wine and the salt and mix for another half minute.

Step 4

having reduced the pot to a simmer, place the bowl on top and keep hand beating until the mixture thickens when the phosvitin protein in the egg yolk starts coagulating. Make sure you turn off the gas as soon as you see the yolk solidifying where it touches the bowl as you are on the verge of ruining your dessert!

Step 5

Carefully pour in cocktail or brandy glasses, optionally on a bed of dark berries. Let cool a bit before serving. Unused portions keep in the fridge for 24 hours – if you can resist that is!

Busserl

Ingredients

1 cupfreshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cupcitrus oil syrup – more
6 cupswater
pinchsalt

Egg Whites or Yolks often end up separated from their counterparts – this reciipe uses left over egg whites. make sure your oven has the right temperature and make sure surfaces are well greased.

How to make it:

Step 1:

Beat egg whites until a cut remains visible

Step 2:

Very carefully fold in sugar

Step 3:

Very carefully fold in cocoa powder through a sieve (next time i shall try mixing the cocoa with the sugar first)

Step 4

Using two teaspoons, place walnut sized portions onto greased backing paper and bake for 25 to 35 minutes at 130-150 degrees (Gas: setting 1 or 2)