Drenched in Purple, South Korean Islands Draw Tourists

A general view of the Purple Island in Shinan, South Korea, March 9, 2021. Picture taken March 9, 2021. REUTERS/Daewoung Kim
A general view of the Purple Island in Shinan, South Korea, March 9, 2021. Picture taken March 9, 2021. REUTERS/Daewoung Kim
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Drenched in Purple, South Korean Islands Draw Tourists

A general view of the Purple Island in Shinan, South Korea, March 9, 2021. Picture taken March 9, 2021. REUTERS/Daewoung Kim
A general view of the Purple Island in Shinan, South Korea, March 9, 2021. Picture taken March 9, 2021. REUTERS/Daewoung Kim

Dressed all in purple, bent-over women held long rakes aloft as they walked in a line to a lavender field to carry out some pruning on an island in southwest South Korea.

Inspired by their native balloon flower, residents of the Banwol and Bakji Islands, known as the ‘Purple Islands’, have painted their houses, roads and bridges in shades of the hue, and planted purple flowers such as lavender and asters to transform their town into a tourist attraction.

“Old people like us have a secluded life here, since all the young people left the town,” said villager Shin Deok-im, 79, who has lived on Bakji island for more than 60 years.

“I’m glad to see young people and kids visiting to see our town. They are all like my grandchildren.”

The tiny, tranquil islands have a little over a hundred residents and were picked for a tourism project supported by the government, according to Reuters.

Since 2015, Shinan county has invested 4.8 billion won ($4.25 million) to turn the islands purple, including painting more than 28,000 square metres of roofs lilac.

The campaign has drawn over 487,000 people since its official start in 2019, according to the county office.

Restaurants on the islands offer purple rice and serve food on purple plates. Some residents have taken to the purple project with gusto.

“Every morning I dress up in purple from head to toe,” said 88-year-old resident Jung Soon-shim, sitting in a purple gazebo.

Visitors can walk three purple footbridges connecting the two islands to the larger one near it, with benches decorated with the ‘I purple you’ slogan made popular by K-pop band BTS’ member Kim Tae-hyung, more commonly known as V, which means ‘I trust, love and support you.’

Those wearing purple are even allowed free entry to the islands.

“We couldn’t travel overseas due to COVID-19, so we visited these purple islands instead,” said visitor Shin Eun-me.

“Seeing these grandmas wearing purple clothes is very dreamy.”



Astronaut Brings French Menu in Space

The astronaut and chef held a tasting in Paris to decide the menu, the ESA said 
The astronaut and chef held a tasting in Paris to decide the menu, the ESA said 
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Astronaut Brings French Menu in Space

The astronaut and chef held a tasting in Paris to decide the menu, the ESA said 
The astronaut and chef held a tasting in Paris to decide the menu, the ESA said 

When you think about the food that astronauts eat in space, lobster, haddock and foie gras probably don't spring to mind - but that's exactly what France's next visitor to the International Space Station (ISS) will be dining on.

According to BBC, Astronaut Sophie Adenot has teamed up with award-winning French chef Anne-Sophie Pic to create a menu of gastronomic delights that will travel with Adenot to the ISS next year.

Instead of the usual freeze-dried nutrients that astronauts eat, Adenot, 42, will be choosing from the likes of “Foie gras cream on toasted brioche” and “Lobster bisque with crab and caraway.”

The menu - which the European Space Agency (ESA) has dubbed “a pinch of France in space” - includes four starters, two main courses and two desserts.

Adenot said the dishes, which also include braised beef, and chocolate cream, will not only “delight our palates” but also help her feel connected to Earth, and her home country.

“Her (Pic's) cuisine signature is deeply influenced by the terroir. This is important to me because I grew up in the countryside, and it will remind me of my roots,” she was quoted as saying in an ESA statement.

There are strict rules for food on the ISS - it must be crumb-free, lightweight and keep for at least 24 months, the ESA says.

Therefore, most meals are canned, vacuum packed or freeze-dried, with fresh fruit and vegetables a rare luxury that can only be enjoyed when a spacecraft arrives with new supplies.

But to keep things interesting, boost morale, and help with crew bonding, every tenth or so meal is one prepared especially for each astronaut, with these “bonus meals” often made in partnership with a chef.

Famous for her haute cuisine, Pic, 55, has the most Michelin stars of any female chef in the world - 10.

She says this project is "pushing the boundaries" of gastronomy, as she worked with her team to create special food, while keeping within the technical constraints.

“Cooking for space is an exhilarating challenge,” she was quoted as saying by the ESA.