A FINE RESTAURANT FIND IN SINGAPORE

JUST RETURNED FROM A DELIGHTFUL, DELICIOUS DINNER AT CASA TARTUFO.

The food was creative and nicely presented. The owner, Alex Calabro, was charmingly attentive, suggesting specials that were really special. At one point he apologized for the crying of his 4 month old son who was in a back room.  We hadn't noticed until he mentioned it.  Soon a lovely young woman came by to ask how everything was.  As it turns out, she is Alex's wife and the baby is theirs.  Before you know it, we all became friends.
At desert time Alex brought a candle-lit dessert for us to celebrate our anniversary.  Alex is from Sicily and often consults with mother about recipes.  He is very particular about the quality and freshness of his ingredients.   The restaurant has just been nominated for "Best New Restaurant of the Year".

Earlier in the day a guide and driver
      Taught us some history including a stop at a museum
Showed us the Raffles Hotel (rooms $800 - $8000) and Raffles Landing
                       (Raffles was a founder of Singapore in 1819.)
Walked us through the Chinese district and the Indian district  
                      Took us into a Buddhist Temple and a Hindu Temple
Walked with us at the marina.  There we saw small old shack-like
   spaces that used to be warehouses and are now shops and restaurants.
    Behind them stand the tall modern buildings of many different shapes.
    Our guide told us that the unusual shapes are the result of Feng Shui requirements.
     Before a proposed building gets a permit it is reviewed by a Feng Shui consultant.
        

More Singapore pictures and hot experiences

March 18
Yesterday we roamed around by ourselves.
                   IT IS HOT HERE
Walked in the shade and underground as much as possible.  Underground there is a whole clean city of shops and restaurants along wide  pleasant corridors   AIR CONDITIONED.
A cold drink on the open air terrace, 57th floor
of Marina Sands Hotel in the large shopping mall.  Looked at the infinity swimming pool up there.       Pictures of that to follow.

Went to an Art Gallery and saw originals done by Picasso, Dali, Renoir, Matisse and others. Works different than we have seen before.
On to the modern art museum.  Interesting exhibits.
Tired out, we tried in vain to get a taxi.
 
 Found the subway, figured how to buy tickets and make the necessary transfer.  Very crowded.  None of the young people offered us their seats. (That would not have happened in the UAE)
                                   Voila, we made it to the proper stop in a mall.
Now to get a taxi to the hotel. Too tired and hot to walk.  Found the long cue and waited like all the other people til our turn to get into the next taxi.
                      
                              Congratulated ourselves.  Successful adventure in a foreign city.
                                                          But tomorrow we will hire a guide