London, oh London.

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"the motherland..."

Olympics, home away from home... there are so many things associated with this fantastic country. We arrived a week before the games were to begin in London, and well it was peace and quiet for that time. We immediately got off the plane, and headed for Bayswater Road for some serious chinese food - bbq pork, duck... 

We rented a flat for two weeks, situated near the tube stations of Gloucester Road and South Kensington. It had three bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room, living room, and two toilets. Very accommodating for the four of us and Uncle Calvin and Michael who were joining us a few days after we had arrived.  I was super excited that we could all be together and spend some time being immersed in the British culture.

We weren't tourists really... seeing as mum was home and we had been used to going grocery shopping, living and cooking in a flat, and just used to the hustle and bustle of the city. Much shopping was done, and we checked out the Borough Market which was filled with exotic and deliciously smelling foods. Bakers, Rotisseries, vegetable vendors... there was much to see at this market. Be sure to check it out if you're in the town!

We saw one broadway, War Horse, and it was very well presented. The mechanics of the horses were simply breath-taking (though if you don't know what the book or the movie is like, you might be more taken away by the story if you didn't as those who have seen or read War Horse, it can be slow.) The show was just off Drury Lane.

I got to experience the night life finally and the pubs as I am now of age (legal age is 18 in the UK) and boy was it a fun time! Pub for lunch, beer for lunch, Pimm's o'clock every day. It was such a great experience. The clubs can be quite flashy (at the door £20 was a great price as some were over £45) but very unique inside. We went for pre drinks at Revolutions - a chain bar that had many locations all over the city. Cover was free (ladies night) and drinks were really reasonable. They had neat cocktails to choose from but the bar tenders didn't really know what they were doing most of the time. There's a dance floor too and plenty of booth space.  Funky Buddha was the club we were going to afterward and the drinks were quite pricy (ordering a bottle of champagne was the easiest way to go.) Music that evening was hip hop/rap/r&b but all from the 90's. It was a lot of fun being out for once in London as I was never old enough to do so.

We had many dinners... and I mean EVERY NIGHT. It was either us cooking or going out to very nice restaurants. My favourite evening was going to Fat Duck by THE Heston Blumenthal. And oh my goodness, I literally died and went to heaven - it was such a treat to be dining there with the family, Michael and Uncle Calvin. Some of the dishes were just WOW to witness and to taste (lucky for you I took many photos.) We also got to experience dining at Jack's Place which we had gone to on our first night and planned for our last night too in London. Delicious scampi, lamb chops were so juicy and the lobster thermador was nothing like I had ever tasted. The cream sauce, with mushrooms and the taste of lobster was a great combination.

We also got to dine at Khan's, famous indian restaurant after the Olympic Torch Relay Concert (Which was an all day event featuring artists: The Wanted, Dizzee Rascal, Eliza Doolittle, and of course Rizzle Kicks.) The curries weren't crazy spicy but delectably hot and the mango lassi was the best I had ever tasted before. We also went out to Chez Bruce which was a french restaurant in Wandsworth near Jack's Place which is in Battersea, and the courses were simple but done to perfection. Another quaint place to eat at was Sally Clarke's restaurant, Clarke's, where contemporary American food was made by the chef herself.

Cooking at home, we would make more lamb chops (there's just something about the lamb in the UK you gotta try) and salads and of course strawberries with cream for dessert. We had many friends over to join us and our meals over a nice few bottles of wine... we would use the disposable barbecues too to our advantage. Breakfasts consisted of fry-ups: eggs, bacon, sausages... you name it!

We also went to the Warner Bros. Harry Potter studios in Watford, which was AMAZING!! If you're a huge Harry Potter fan you will fall in love with it all. Guides say that it will take about 3 hours to get through the entire exhibit but it took us 4 hours!! It was that great - the Knight Bus, the flying car, the models of all the houses and the sets, the sets themselves, costumes, and of course the Hogwarts Castle. Breathtaking, mind blowing,  like WOW factor. It was jaw dropping and I definitely had some goosebumps happening. Be sure to go check out the studios - you will have the time of your life. PS there IS butter beer... so yum. My sister was quite happy as it was her "birthday week" and we had celebrated lots already but the fact that she got to go to the studios - she thought it was the best time ever.

Looking back on the trip now, London was by far the best part. I would do anything to rewind and go back to the beginning. The food, the many teas (at the Landmark London Hotel and the Berkeley), Harrods, Selfridge's, Carnaby street, Oxford Circus, partying across from Raffles (a club)... it was just a brilliant time.

Cannot wait to go back again in a couple years (hopefully) and do it all over again. I want to thank everyone who was a part of the trip - I hope you had as much fun as I did!

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gotta love me some Lisbon

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"chicken... beach... clams..."

The beach, the breeze, the chicken and the clams... boy is Lisbon the way to go. It's just a super chilled and relaxing place to be. My family and I stayed at our good friend's house in Estoril just outside of Lisbon and boy does he have nice view. You can see the sea and the houses on the beaches. There is plenty to eat and to do. The night we arrived we decided to eat at Frango's, who is famous for their rotisserie chickens... AMAZING. The fries are to die for and sitting outside was wonderful time with a pitcher of Sangria (deprival of sangria since we had just left Barcelona.)

We decided to take a drive up to the Penha Palace, Sintra and my was it quite a steep drive. We kept going up this mountain to a point where we parked it at the mid lot and walked to get the shuttle to take us to the palace. Super colourful, very eccentric looking, this castle was built in the 1839 and was inhabited by many royals. This was quite a fairytale looking palace.  You can find out more here.

We then went to lunch at one of uncle Calvin's favourite restaurants: Al Fresco (we have been witnessing many dishes from this restaurant via Facebook and we just had to go and experience it for ourselves.) Dining outside on the patio, with the view of the casino in Estoril, the sun kept us in the mood for more sangria. Pasta was a big thing and you could order it to your liking (example spaghettini with a light tomato sauce) and were quite filling. The Zabaione was to die for, super rich and super sweet but if you have never had this dessert, Al Fresco makes it the best.

My sister and mum went to the beach, while the rest of us relaxed at home and enjoyed the sea breeze. The ice creams were to die for - classic cornetto and a new vendor from Austria, Moo Moo, served handmade and organic ice cream. Try the hazelnut and the pistachio - absolutely and super nutty! We also bought the best IN THE WORLD (not joking) portuguese egg tarts.  A line up worth waiting in, Café Pastéis de Belém make the best egg tarts.

The next day we took a stroll in Lisbon, paid a visit to the Hard Rock Café for some souvenirs, to Pinóquio for the best clams ever seasoned with pork, and postcard shopping. We had been sending postcards constantly throughout the trip for friends who'd appreciate the thought; we love sharing our experiences. We went up and down the city and went to the waterfront where we saw a bridge like the Golden Gate in San Fran.

Before the evening was to begin, we went for a walk on the beach and took many photos with my sister. We chased seagulls, pigeons along the beach and looked forward to having drinks on the shore. For dinner we went to Casa Verde right beside Frango's, where they served very warming dishes such as seafood stews and a lot more. The clams were once again delicious and the service were real nice. Our time in Portugal was about to end and we really enjoyed ourselves in Europe, but it was time to finally head to the motherland. England here we come!

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Barcelona

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"lots to do, lots to see, lots to eat..."

Barcelona was by far my favourite stop on the Europe part of our trip. The food was absolutely delicious wherever we went. The Boqueria (market) on the Ramblas was really fun and neat to walk through, as we saw eggs of all sorts, Iberian ham, a whole cow for sale (all its parts) and a lot more.

When we first arrived at our hotel, Ohla, we entered the rooms and found a 360° glass windowed shower... now how on earth were we supposed to shower?! We found a way - by steaming up the shower first. There were two restaurants in the hotel, one a tapas dining room and the other 1 Michelin star restaurant, Sauc. We got the luxury of enjoying both restaurants and the food was delicious. The prawns from the tapas room was so good we were obsessed! We had an a la carte menu from Sauc that proved to be superb for a restaurant that was in the hotel; absolutely no disappointments.

We definitely went sight seeing in this city: the Van Gogh museum was very large and filled with tourists - it was such a busy day that it was simply exhausting after the second room we had been into. We also went for a bit of a walk... that turned into a hike... towards the Muro museum. Unfortunately we went on the wrong day as they were closed. So after having walked up this mountain for half an hour in the scorching heat we were most upset. We also found out that there was a funicular that we could have taken... what a day huh.

That same afternoon we decided to find somewhere for lunch and boy did we ever! A hotel and its restaurant, The DÖ hotel and restaurant. A pitcher of sangria, an amazing tomato gazpacho, giant gambas or prawns, and we were set. The anchovies were delectable... overall the food was impeccable that we ended up going for lunch again the next day!

On our second evening we were reserved seats in the Abac restaurant, just 10 minutes away from our hotel by car. This restaurant was two michelin stars and we were set up with a prix fixe menu of about 12 courses and wine pairing... man was there a lot of wine to go around. It was a delightful experience and the hosts were very accommodating. Food was a lot but the portions were perfectly weighted.

The following day we visited the FC Barcelona stadium where we got to see the many cups the team had won in the past years of football, and the pitch itself. It was quite the tour as we got to see various archival objects and the champions, super champions and other cups in their museum. We were also taken into their change rooms where they had a jacuzzi and massage tables, lockers and such. The press room was on the tour too. We also had a chance to sit in the press box up top where the commentators would guide tv viewers, radio and such throughout the games that were played. The stadium was quite far from where the center of the city was so we took the subway and it was easy.

Barcelona is a great place to shop, party and celebrate. The Ohla hotel had a bar with Spain's number one bar tender, Max. On our last night we decided to go for drinks and enjoy such great tasting cocktails. The Gin and Tonic was served in a fishbowl like glass and was super potent. Although the cocktails took about 5 minutes each to be made, it was so worth it. After three beverages, it was time to go off and party - why not? The clubbing scene in Barcelona was quite safe where we went. There was a Cabaret show before the clubbing began at midnight, and it was a lot of fun to watch. A pitcher of sangria and we were set.

The next morning we headed to the airport to leave for Lisbon, Portugal. Barcelona had much to offer and I hope to visit again someday.

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Amsterdam!

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"bikers and bitter-ballen"

That's all you need in Amsterdam - but if you're a tourist, I'd recommend not cycling through the streets of this small city. Life in Amsterdam is so very different than to anywhere I've ever been to before. The people are real nice and tolerate tourists - especially when you're looking for a café and cannot make up your mind about what you'd like to try next (if you know what I mean.) My family spent 4 days in this cobbled stone town, and it was a great way to start off our five week trip in Europe/UK.

You'll find that everywhere looks similar. I definitely felt like I was going in circles at one point as every road was attached to a canal. The upscaled food was scarce but we managed to find a couple intriguing restaurants such as the Five Flies and Le Garage, where we had memorable suppers.

Get to Amsterdam before that law is in place! The poor tourists are no longer going to be able to purchase the "good stuff" for long! Guess it's a good thing? Then again, you're in Amsterdam... what else are you going to do? Oh right... the red light district. THAT was definitely a once in a lifetime "moment."

And whoever came up with them deep fried, meat balls?! Ingenious!! I spent a couple days searching when all I had to do was walk into a bar and look at the menu - only to find the one and only bitter-ballen! Oooh were they delicious. I then made sure that I would have a bitter-ballen or two before leaving the city. Luckily our hotel made extra delicious ones - ballen with fish! Stick to the meat, that's the best.

Amsterdam proved to be a fun city - there was much to see: the house of Anne Frank, the Picasso museum, the Heineken factory and much more. If you're in Europe and are looking for a weekend getaway, Amsterdam is the place to go.

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