Jodie's journal

Summer in Taiwan is extremely hot and humid. Expect temperatures over 30º C (over 85º F) from June to September. The weather is similar to Florida or Louisiana in the US, but with more concentrated rainfall. There's nothing really comparable in Europe.

Taiwan's morning markets are ignored by most travel guide books, magazines and websites. But, if you really want to understand local culture, a walk through a morning market can teach you far more than a day at some sterile, packaged tourist attraction far away from real people's lives.

It's very common to see the statues of Buddha or Guan Yin (the Goddess of mercy) in the mountains of Taiwan. They are found in temples, shrines, caves, or sometimes just on big rocks. On Elephant mountain in Taipei, there are many statues of Buddha, too.

(Since this article was written in 2010, the Elephant Mountain Metro Station has opened. The station is obviously a good starting point for trips to Elephant Mountain, and the route from that area is now much more clearly signposted. But because of the easier access, you will find a lot more hikers on that part of the mountain now!)

How to get to Elephant Mountain?

From Taipei 101 it takes about 15 minutes to get to the start of the hiking path.

First, walk east along Xinyi Road for about 10 minutes to the junction of Song Ren Rd and Xinyi Road Section 5.

Keep walking in the same direction across Song Ren Rd and past NY Bagels. After about 30 seconds, you will see a sign pointing right for the hiking trail.

There are some questions I'm often asked:

How long you've been cooking?
Where did you learn cooking?
Did you learn cooking from a culinary school?

Well, there is a story to tell which might answer those questions.

Gasthaus Zum Adler German Restaurant

Gasthaus zum Adler, a German restaurant run by Mr. Söffner, is near the center of eastern Taipei, 10 minutes walk from Taipei 101. They specialize in southern German cuisine. Mostly the dishes are home made.

We often go there for afternoon tea: a cup of fresh coffee or tea, with home made German dessert. It costs only NT$150. For German desserts, we can have a choice of their home made ice cream, chocolate-coated banana cake, chocolate truffle, or black forest cake.

Ciao Bella Italian Restaurant

I enjoy casually walking into this local Italian restaurant in the evening, greeting Mr. Antonello, the chef, and Mrs Antonello, followed by Mrs Antonello's indication to sit at a table.

I enjoy Ciao Bella's authentic Italian home-style flavor, simply handmade pasta, good stewed tomato sauce, handmade bread, homemade rich chocolate cake with ice cream. It's all about Italian food – just simple and good quality ingredients.

Taipei's jade market can be a very surprising place. The first surprise is that the jade isn't all green. The second surprise is that the stallholders don't seem very enthusiastic about selling jade.

Join the crowds strolling through Taipei's Flower Market on Sundays. It's good for people watching even if you're not buying, and in summer all that vegetation keeps temperatures surprisingly pleasant in the shaded market.

“Food is one arena where Taipei — the world’s most underrated capital city, according to Monocle magazine — blows Beijing away. Its food incorporates more influences, spans street food to haute cuisine with greater aplomb and is out and out more delicious”, according to The New York Times.