Casa Luna

I stood outside the famous Casa Luna restaurant in Ubud, Bali, gazing in I immediately felt a strong desire to step through the entrance into what looked like an amazing space and a welcome relief from the busy street life outside.
On stepping through the door I am immediately in awe of the fantastic decor, such a lavish environment and I'm transported back to an era reminiscent of Morocco or the Mediterranean.
Burnt orange walls, wrought iron chandeleirs, finely carved furniture, marble tabletops and enormous urns of tropical red and green flowers spilling out over the tables.

It's open plan, on a mezzanine type upper floor where you look down into yet another intimate dining area and I'm told the open air area where the famous cooking classes are held.
There's a mix of patrons here, some perhaps a spillover from the recent Writers and Readers Festival that has just come to a close but regardless of who and what people are there's a definite feeling of a 'cultured' genre.
Fabulous Latin music of the chill out, Ibiza style floats pleasantly through my senses.
If I closed my eyes and let my imagination run I could almost imagine Humphrey Bogart and that smoky alluring environment of years gone by.
The lush gardens surrounding the cafe seem to seamlessly meld into the interior and I find myself sinking into the chair and feeling almost as though someone waved a magic wand as an inner calm descents upon me and within me.
As I gaze around I am aware of enormous brass and stone statues of Buddha, Ganesha and other deities sitting or laying serenely all around the restaurant. You could laze away idly here for hours reading the local papers, your favourite book or just sipping lattes and watching the comings and goings within, so far removed it is from the hustle and bustle of the main street outside.
Whilst I'm enjoying Bali immensely, the food and the people and everything about it,  I realise it's a welcome change to be sitting in a restaurant that could be found anywhere back home in Australia and eating a meal that is so not Balinese... almost like a moment of normality and I feel familiar sense of gratitude washing over me.