Contact — Lara Dunston

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To contact me, please send an email to:

laradunston @ icloud.com

grantourismo

This radish and cucumber salad with salty feta, pe

This radish and cucumber salad with salty feta, peppery rucola and mixed fresh herbs is, like a lot of my original recipes these days, inspired by family meals and nostalgia for a simpler past. I blame the pandemic and long Covid and all the resulting complications to our lives. This delicious salad was partly inspired by the produce — the fresh herbs and rucola that we’ve been growing on the balcony that we had to use up — and partly by my grandfather Ivan’s breakfast. Almost every morning Papa would sit down to breakfast at the dining table in their red brick home in Blacktown, and tuck into his breakfast in a very thoughtful focused manner that these days would no doubt be called ‘eating mindfully’. He’d munch on crunchy radishes and cucumbers, which he’d plucked straight from his backyard veggie garden, and he’d eat those with a boiled egg or two, and some black rye bread. He’d often wash it down with black tea and lemon, and a sneaky shot of vodka, no matter what the time of morning. With a sparkle in his eyes, he’d then venture out into the garden, where he’d spend much of his days... chopping firewood for Baboushka if it was laundry day, tending to his garden or chickens, mincing meat in the old hand-cranking mincer in the garage if Baba was making pelmeni, or doing exercises beneath the Hills Hoist. I spent weeks imagining this salad before I made it, simply because I didn’t have time to get in the kitchen with so much going on, and was so pleased how it turned out. Now I need to grow radishes! The recipe is on Grantourismo https://grantourismotravels.com/radish-cucumber-salad-recipe-with-feta-rucola-fresh-herbs/ (link in bio), along with many more new recipes. Just because I stopped sharing here for a bit doesn’t mean we stopped publishing. Please visit if you haven’t in a while. #salad #radishcucumbersalad #saladrecipe #saladideas #saladporn #recipe #recipes #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #healthyfood #instafood #healthy #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #cookbookwriter #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels

We felt fortunate to be able to wear our travel wr

We felt fortunate to be able to wear our travel writer and photographer hats again this year and no more so than during our stay at the Cambodian capital’s most luxurious hotel, the @rosewoodphnompenh It was a few months ago on one of the many trips we made to Phnom Penh this year to the embassy, on which we also began to update our very out of date city guides. But I’m just finishing the review, which I’ve started so many times. What a crazy year it’s been. I’ll share a link to the review soon, but I was just looking through the photos and thought I’d share this one — one of the jaw dropping views from our room. The changes to the Phnom Penh skyline and growth of the city has been breathtaking. It’s hard to believe that when we first rented an apartment in Phnom Penh back in October 2012, just a few blocks from the hotel, they were still completing construction on the tower that’s now the Rosewood’s home. It wasn’t only the tallest building in the city then, it was one of the few towers and it stuck out like a sore thumb. Now they’re sprouting up all over Phnom Penh, a city that’s flourishing in so many ways. More on that soon. #phnompenh #cambodia #travel #travelwriter #travelblogger #travelphotography #travelgram #traveladdict #travelling #instatravel #igtraveller #instadaily #picoftheday #traveling #cityscape #skyline #city #views #cityviews #viewsfordays #clouds #blueskies #hotel #hotelview #luxuryhotel #hotelstay #rosewoodhotels #rosewoodphnompenh
#grantourismo #grantourismotravels

Just out of the oven! @terence_carter_photography

Just out of the oven! @terence_carter_photography has started baking sourdough again, now that we finally have a working oven again. If you didn’t start baking sourdough during the first two years (!) of the pandemic, when everyone seemed to be doing it, it’s never too late to start. In fact, the lead up to the holidays is a good time to learn. Because there’s nothing so welcoming and comforting as the aromas of bread baking wafting through your home. See Terence’s excellent resources, starting with the Ultimate Guide to Baking Sourdough on our site, Grantourismo. It’s a collection of over a dozen posts covering everything from his super easy sourdough bread recipe for beginners and ideas for things to do with sourdough bread, to sourdough starter discard recipes and his advice on baking sourdough in a modest toaster oven, which he’s been doing since our dear friend @cooksdiaries gifted it to us. (Apartments in Cambodia rarely come with ovens). If you ever have any sourdough questions, just leave them in the comments at the end of a sourdough post on our site and Terence will answer them. Post here and you can also access our site from the link in the bio: https://grantourismotravels.com/ultimate-guide-to-sourdough-baking/ And if you find our guides (or site) helpful, please do share the link with your family and friends. #sourdough #sourdoughbread #bread #baking #homebaking #sourdoughbaking #sourdoughclub #sourdoughjourney #sourdoughlove #sourdoughideas #bakinglove #bakingbread #instabake #bakingfun #bakingaddiction #baker #bakersofinstagram #homebaker #bakingfromscratch #toasteroven #toasterovensourdough #grantourismotravels

A recent trip to Phnom Penh has inspired me to get

A recent trip to Phnom Penh has inspired me to get back on here again. My posts here have been so random this year. Mainly because I seem to have spent so much of my time that I haven’t been working on the research, cookbooks and website, sorting out the mess we got into due to Australian Passport Office delays and our embassy’s lack of advice to citizens about those delays. What a mess that created. The lack of communication (not to mention lack of empathy!), so many miscommunications, needless expenses (just when we were getting back on our feet) and one blunder after another on the part of several Australian organisations made it a long stressful period that was emotionally debilitating. Add to that health issues, homesickness and general malaise... But somehow I’ve felt more inspired to reconnect with you all here again since the recent Phnom Penh trip. Perhaps it’s because some of my time has been freed up – when there’s so much to do, time on social media becomes a guilty pleasure. Maybe it’s the relief of finally getting the second emergency passport approved before T’s visa was due to renew and feeling safe in the knowledge he won’t get deported. Maybe it’s just the end of monsoon. As much as I love the green season, too many cloudy days get me down. And maybe it’s just the beautiful weather we’ve had here in Siem Reap and in Phnom Penh – blue skies, balmy days and breezy nights. (Although it was cloudy and drizzling the day I took this pic). Plus the buzz of the capital; there’s so much that’s new! And if there’s an upside to all the time, energy, emotions, and expense wasted on all these trips to Phnom Penh, it’s that they’ve allowed us to catch up on all the changes, start updating old guides, and create fresh content for Grantourismo, so as I do that I’ll let you know here. Looking forward to catching up on what you’re all up to and staying more in touch, Lara xx #phnompenh #cambodia #travel #travelwriter #travelblogger #travelphotography #travelgram #traveladdict #travelling #instatravel #igtraveller #instadaily #picoftheday #traveling #streetlife #marketlife #market #phnompenhmarket
#grantourismo #grantourismotravels

Friends from Australia on the stairs to Bakan, the

Friends from Australia on the stairs to Bakan, the highest central point of Angkor Wat. There were no lines and no crowds. They practically had the magnificent tower and breathtaking views to themselves. And look at those rainy season skies! If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. #siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #traveladdict #travelphotography #travelblogger #travelwriter #beautifuldestinations #traveladdict #beautifulplaces #travelgram #travelpics #blueskies #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels

Monsoon ‘crowds’ for sunrise at Angkor Wat. Th

Monsoon ‘crowds’ for sunrise at Angkor Wat. The temples are blissfully empty right now, as I discovered while taking friends from Australia out to Angkor. If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. #siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #slowtravel #localtravel #experientialtravel #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #archaeologicalsite #traveladdict #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travelgram #wanderlust #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels

Sunrise at Angkor Wat. It’s good to be back at t

Sunrise at Angkor Wat. It’s good to be back at the temples — especially with dear friends from Australia. If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. #siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #slowtravel #localtravel #experientialtravel #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #archaeologicalsite #traveladdict #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travelgram #wanderlust #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels

I adore the beautiful sculptured timber ceiling in

I adore the beautiful sculptured timber ceiling in the all day dining restaurant at @baitong_hotel_phnompenh although I have to say I’m not so sure about the furniture, which is a little too functional. Otherwise, there’s a lot to like about the design of this mid-size boutique hotel, which melds Cambodian mid-century modernism and a more contemporary style. I want to share a few more pics from our last Phnom Penh trip, including the breathtaking views we had at the @rosewoodphnompenh — and the indoor swimming pool, and the amazing breakfast... Friends are visiting next week then we have to head to Phnom Penh again to continue updating our guides, so I want to catch up on here after being quiet for so long. Hope you don’t mind. I have lots of food pics to share too. Reviews of the hotels coming soon on Grantourismo along with an updated Phnom Penh hotel guide. #phnompenh #phnompenhhotels #cambodia #travel #hotels #resorts #accommodation #boutiquehotels #hotelarchitecture #hoteldesign #design #architecture #architecturelovers #designlovers #interiordesign #hotellovers #hotelguide #travelphotography #travelblogger #travelwriter #instatravel #travelgram #travelguide #cityguide #phnompenhguide #traveladdict #lifeofatravelwriter #cambodiatravel #travelingram #grantourismotravels

While the two swimming pools at @baitong_hotel_phn

While the two swimming pools at @baitong_hotel_phnompenh are reason enough to check in to this contemporary boutique hotel in the Cambodian capital, the design is a big draw for architecture lovers. Expect striking perspectives like this and loads of raw concrete, textured surfaces, spare spaces, light-filled rooms, mid-century style brickwork, breezy walkways, and lush tropical gardens surrounding the main pool, which even has a waterfall tumbling over the edge of a spa bath. Review coming soon on Grantourismo along with an updated Phnom Penh hotel guide. #phnompenh #phnompenhhotels #cambodia #travel #hotels #resorts #accommodation #boutiquehotels #hotelarchitecture #hoteldesign #design #architecture #architecturelovers #designlovers #hotellovers #hotelguide #travelphotography #travelblogger #travelwriter #instatravel #travelgram #travelguide #cityguide #phnompenhguide #traveladdict #travellife #lifeofatravelwriter #cambodiatravel #travelingram #grantourismotravels

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