Category: foodie

Laughs and waffles

Socialising over food is probably my favourite thing to do. If I could I’d do it all day, every day. No wonder is scientifically proven to have health benefits, physical and psychological.

It’s even better when I get to try a new place in town with one of my favourite friends, Lucy. Let me tell you a little bit about Lucy.

Lucy is sweet, caring, funny, we can talk about anything and she is always happy to try new places. We always run out of time every time we meet, because we lose track of it every single time.

Our schedules are already getting busier and we are not even in December yet but we finally made it, we always do.  We always make time for the people we care about, it’s a universal human attribute I guess.

There’s a new-ish waffle restaurant in town, Pere Waffle that’s been on my list of new food places to try (still haven’t tried the new Lebanese one, Beity, where Kibbeh, the equivalent to Cypriot κουπες,  ‘minced beef croquettes’, one of the my guilty pleasures I enjoy every time I go home features on the menu) and of course sweet Lucy loved the idea of giving it a go.

I love a waffle, but I never tend to finish it, last one I had was a couple of years ago at Sprinkles and it was too sweet, too big, too of everything.

I decided to go for a savoury, ‘papounet’ (stuffed) one, since I’ve never tried a savoury one before. No idea why. I’ve had savoury crepes and pancakes plenty of times before but never waffles. Bizarre.

I had the salmon, tzatziki and cream cheese one, the Atlantico, and it was delicious, much better than I expected. The waffle was light and soft, and the ingredients tasted fresh, the best sign of great food. Brownie points for the salad dressing. Most restaurants in the UK serve the salad plain, tasting of nothing, but a bit of vinaigrette makes a world of difference. And extra brownie points for the portion size. Not too small, not ridiculously large. Just perfect.

Atlantico waffle

Lucy fancied something sweet so she went for Parisian, cheesecake in a waffle, heaven!

Parisian waffle

We enjoyed every bite whilst chatting about anything and everything, work, friendship, love life, fashion, our clumsiness, and we laughed, a lot.

I loved everything about Pere Waffle, cute, cosy space, friendly service and reasonable prices for such great food. I can’t wait to go again and try different fillings. And I can’t wait to see Lucy again!

Eleni

Summer in Cyprus- the Glorious Food

There’s always food when I visit home.

The fridge is full with left over dinner, vegetables, sandwich fillings and whatever else you can imagine, there’s something freshly made in the oven or on the hob and plenty of snacks if you are just feeling peckish. But every time I go, I make time to try the countless cafes, bakeries, tavernas and restaurants this little island has in abundance. Hope you have a snack in hand because this will quite possibly make you hungry.

Breakfast

A typical summer breakfast can vary, from just halloumi and watermelon, toast, halloumi and lountza in pita bread accompanied by freshly cut tomatoes and cucumber, olives, fried eggs and the list goes on but what I particularly love is an ice cold frappe and warm, fresh pastries from the bakery (you can literally find one in every corner). Again the fillings can vary from spinach and feta to chicken, olives or if you have a sweet tooth, tahini and have I mentioned halloumi?

Since we were on holiday I couldn’t resist. A local traditional bakery was only a 5 minutes drive, To Prozymi and it did not disappoint.

Cyprus breakfast-pastries

Lunch

I will not even attempt to list what you can have for lunch but there’s something for everyone, from delicious salads to souvlaki, or if you are feeling very hungry and you don’t mind the heat, casserole dishes are always on offer.  The little sister and I tried a new cafe  in the Nicosia city centre, a bit hidden, called Zest and oh my, it was a-m-az-ing. Beautiful, minimal decor and the food was I kid you not, to die for. Unique recipes, beautifully executed. We had the juicy, mouth watering courgette and chicken burgers in warm pita bread topped with yogurt dressing served with fresh salad and a slice of their superb raspberry and hazelnut cake.

 

Dinner

You can’t visit Cyprus and not have a souvlaki. On our short break in Protaras I had a delicious chicken souvlaki  at  the Butchery and Co Grillhouse. I also got to try their cheese stuffed sausage. Extremely unhealthy but finger licking. It is hard to find a decent restaurant in a highly touristy area but the food there was reasonably priced and very tasty. Definitely worth a try.

 

And of course you cannot not visit a taverna and indulge in a huge amount of scrumptious Cypriot meze, our version of tapas. On a family outing, on a warm Monday evening, we visited Louis Tavern in Nicosia, a little cute restaurant in the Pallouriotissa area and we loved every dish. Kefte, halloumi, paidakia (ribs), chicken and pork souvlaki, liver, mushrooms, fried courgette and eggs, halloumi, tzatziki, salads, the whole lot. And for dessert, traditional sweet, syrup-y pastries and fruit. Each taverna do their own meze with different dishes, so you may get different variety depending where you go.

Lemonade and halva in the mountains

After a beautiful afternoon walk in picturesque Kalopanayiotis (post coming soon) we were feeling a bit peckish so we sat at the first place we found. A gorgeous hotel and spa with a restaurant and cafe area overlooking the mountains. What an amazing view. And what an incredible place.  We were unsure whether to stay there for a drink, we felt under-dressed, not worthy to be in such a scenery. But the waiters were so sweet, they made us feel welcome from the first moment we walked in.

Traditionally decorated to keep with the feel and the beauty of the little village is situated in but with a touch of luxury,  Casale Panayiotis won my heart.

I fancied something sweet and I went for halva, but not any halva, oven baked with dates and little pieces of spoon sweet. A posh version of Cypriot halva. It was unbelievable. It went nicely with my fresh lemonade. Sweet and Sour. How not to.

 

This is just a tiny flavour of the local cuisine. There’s more, much much more and every opportunity I get I’ll introduce you to it.

Eleni

On board Queen Victoria

Friday, 20th of July,

8:03. The alarm goes off.

I can’t get up. I can’t move my feet. I really want to make it to the QEII terminal. I really want to make it to Queen Victoria but I’m really not sure I can.

You know that feeling, after a huge stressful event in your life, an exam, an interview, a dentist’s appointment (for some of us), when the adrenaline dramatically goes down and emotional and physical exhaustion takes its place? When there is still some stress residue at the back of your brain, but you feel drained and tired all the time?

My anxiety reached record highs in the last couple of weeks, it reached levels I couldn’t keep under control. I physically felt sick, sick to my stomach.

The drama of finding a place to move into tested every inch of me (blog coming soon). As soon as I moved in I relaxed. But couldn’t shake this blanket of sadness. That was to be expected. Closing the door on the last 6 months was not easy.

Last night I had to say goodbye to our beloved boss Dave (more on that soon). I know we’ll keep in touch but there is a real possibility I may never see him again. I may not be in Southampton or in this country when he comes back from Bangladesh, he may decide to stay there permanently…  I may never see him again. What a terrifying thought.

‘Why didn’t he say hi??’ Whilst I was sitting at Tapas, waiting for Dave and the rest of the gang, I saw someone I knew passing by. They pretended they didn’t see me and I did the same. I don’t handle rejection well. I  instantly felt sad. Sometimes I feel too much… I walked to the bar to get a drink, had a laugh with Angel, the barman (that’s what I call him after he made me a delicious Angel’s Touch) and then I looked around the table, the beautiful company I was in, my wonderful friends and colleagues and smiled. Maybe one person rejected you, but look how many others love you and cherish your friendship.

But I really want to make it to the ship visit. All the lovely people I met last time will be there, Danny, Liam, Jordan, Richard, Cat, Tansy and when will I ever be offered the chance again to get a free tour and three course meal on one of Cunard’s most luxurious ships?

I drag myself out of bed, had a quick shower and got ready. No casual clothes as per the dress code so I put on my blue floral dress and black heel sandals and make my way to the terminal.

The sun is shining and the harbour is buzzing with passengers getting out of the ship, naval staff getting on board, taxis, cars. I love it.

A million thoughts cross my mind on my way there. I’ve been struggling with confidence again lately and the sadness is overwhelming sometimes. I wonder whether anyone will remember me from last time, if they still like me, if they ever liked me?

I make it on time for a change! Everyone is there, having a cup of coffee. I grab one and I start chatting with two lovely ladies who work for the Mayflower.

And then I meet Christina. A Solent Cruise Management graduate who landed her dream job at Carnival. Another great Solent success story. I wonder if our ER people know about her... We chat about living abroad, her job, her dreams, her aspirations. She is gonna be one of our tour guides and she is a bit nervous. I’m somehow certain she’ll do great.

The tour is about to begin. Christina and her manager (why can’t I remember her name?) who looks very familiar were brilliant. Where do I know her from? Who does she remind me? Is it from my time at Carnival?

The main hall looks amazing, with the grand piano catching my eye immediately and where later it’ll be full of  beautiful music by three exquisite violinists which I genuinely thought it was a recording. I could imagine myself in a vintage lace dress walking down the stairs, sitting across the violinists enjoying a glass of wine…

Queen Victoria

We then pop to the library, it has a very traditional, Harry Potter, almost magical feeling to it.

Queen Victoria

I vaguely remember the rest of the tour, especially towards the end, when hunger was getting real but some of my favourite parts I do remember and snapped:

One of the suites that was larger than my whole flat. As part of the package you get your own personal butler and champagne amongst other perks.

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One of the standard rooms, very claustrophobic.

Queen Victoria

The gorgeous, elegant restaurant areas…

Queen Victoria

My favourite part of the ship: The Spa. Especially the hot stone chairs, I could stay on those for ever.

Queen Victoria

My second favourite part: The viewpoint on the upper deck. The views are breathtaking. Every night in my dreams
I see you, I feel you
That is how I know you, go on

 

 

The theatre. Bright red and gold colours. Stunning.

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The vintage dance/performance/ball room. Here I am again, in my vintage lace dress, jiving…

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And as with every ship, the beautiful sea views. What is it that draws me to the sea? Is it because I was born on an island? 

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By the end of the tour we were all starving.

We met at the Britannia restaurant for our three course meal and unlimited wine.

I went for the Crayfish and Crab cocktail with avocado sauce for a starter, the roasted (to perfection) medium rare beef accompanied by glazed vegetables and finished off with white chocolate profiteroles served with pistachio and coffee ice cream.

 

All three courses were delicious, the wine and service were impeccable (the waiter refilled our wine glasses every time we were running low) and I had just the best company on my table. Tansy, Liam, Jordan, Gavin and… Leslie! That’s who she reminds me of, Leslie Knope!! She sounds like her, she even looks like her. Here she is at the background. Pat, Sarah? Doesn’t she look like her??

Leslie Knope

At some point during lunch, the lovely Danny, one of the main organisers of the Pride came over to chat about my responsibilities for the day. I’m incredibly grateful he trusted me with something so important and I hope I won’t disappoint him.

For those who don’t know Danny, he is not only kind and sweet, he also does most of the planning for the Pride alongside his main job. He goes home after work and spends hours organising THE whole thing. I truly admire him.

It’s now less than a month before the biggest, most colourful, cheering, love celebratory, open to everyone, party takes place in Southampton, the Southampton Pride 2018 (25th of August). And I can’t wait. 

If anyone would like to volunteer, I’d with no second thought recommend it. You meet amazing people, who make you feel loved from the very first moment you meet them, it’s a fun day you’ll never forget and who knows, you may be on the next free meal Cunard offers for volunteers.

A huge, enormous thank you to Southampton Pride, Danny, the rest of the organisers and Cunard for supporting such a great initiative and of course for the free ship visits and delicious meals.

I wouldn’t probably afford to go on a cruise on either Ventura or Queen Elizabeth and even if I could, I’d opt for a month exploring Cuba and Costa Rica so for me to be given the opportunity to get a glimpse of how these gorgeous sea crafts operate and what they offer to their passengers as well as eating on board with such a wonderful bunch, it truly is a blessing.

Namaste

Eleni

 

 

When in Cyprus…

I talk about her all the time. DENISE!

Denise is going to Cyprus on Wednesday. I’m thrilled for her, and a little jealous.

But mostly excited. I always get excited when a friend visits my country for the first time.

She asked me for  recommendations.

Top five things to see/do around Paphos, she said.

I started compiling a list and soon changed from top five to top eight and I stopped there otherwise I’d end up with a 500 page Cyprus travel guide. Oh my I’d love to do that. If anyone fancies to commission me to explore the island and write about it, I can start ASAP. 

[All photos I used are from Instagram and other webpages (except the feature image) and I do not own any of it, thank you to all the incredible photographers].

So, in no particular order…

1.  Petra tou Romiou/ Πέτρα του Ρωμιού (Rock of the Roman) also known as Aphrodite’s Rock. 

According to Greek Mythology, Goddess Aphrodite was born on the Rock, through the spume of the waves (Afro is Greek for foam- αφρός). It’s a gorgeous location, one of the most beautiful in Cyprus, although swimming is not recommended as sea in that region is rough.

 

2.  Blue Lagoon Akamas/  Γαλάζια Λίμνη, Ακάμας.

One of the few regions in Cyprus I haven’t been but I desperately want to next time I’m there. Mountains with a sea view. Crystal clear water, sandy beach. I won’t say more, just look at this.

 

3. Aphrodite’s Baths/ Λουτρά της Αφροδίτης. 

Situated in Akamas area, a beautiful nature path leads to one of the most gorgeous and one of my favourite spots on the island, where Goddess Aphrodite used to bathe.

 

4. Adonis’ baths/ Λουτρά του Άδωνη

Another idyllic location. Not easy to get to, but absolutely worth it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkTZiCkgscU/

 

5.  Tombs of the kings/ Τάφοι των Βασιλέων

A 2km underground necropolis where important people, aristocrats and politicians in 300AD were buried (no actual kings were ever buried there). One of the most significant and imposing archaeological sites in Cyprus. I haven’t been since I was a child, I can vaguely remember it, I only remember it was a hot day and it was cool and eerie.

 

6. Paphos Harbour/ Λιμανάκι της Πάφου

Near the Tombs of the Kings, you can’t not walk down Paphos Harbour and wander into the Castle, at the edge of it. Restaurants, cafes, picturesque location. What else does one need.

 

7. Kykkos Monastery/ Μοναστήρι του Κύκκου

One of the largest Greek Orthodox Monasteries in Cyprus dedicated to Mother Mary/Panagia located deep in the Troodos mountains. OK, technically is not in Paphos, is about an hour and a half scenic drive through the mountains, but when you get there, you’ll understand. The architecture, the murals, the grand church, the scenery. Breathtaking. I was always fascinated by the half covered face of Mother Mary. According to the legend, whoever sees into her eyes, will be blinded. I was always tempted to unveil it, but I was too scared as a child to even try.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj6esKLHI73/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BirmC17gfzL/

 

8. Kourion/Κούρειον

Ok this is not in Paphos, it’s a 45 minute drive, but is one of my favourite places. Kourion was one of the greatest ancient cities in Cyprus and the theatre on the top of the hill with the most amazing seaviews is still in impeccable condition.

https://www.instagram.com/p/xaDo40DVdf/

 

The post should have ended here but I can’t not recommend some of the local dishes and delicacies one should taste when in Cyprus. Cyprus cuisine, although similar to Greek, is much more than that. A mixture of Greek, Turkish, Middle East flavours, all within the Mediterranean cooking culture of fresh ingredients. Heaven on earth.

– Meze.

You cannot not try Cypriot meze. Dish after dish, the next more delicious than the last.  Salad, hummus, taramosalata and tzatziki dips, fresh pita or traditional bread, Souvlaki,  sieftalia, grilled halloumi, stuffed vine leaves, keftedes (our version of meatballs), olives, mushrooms, pastitsio, mousakka,  and many more it will take a while to mention. A little bit of everything. A great way to get a taste of the local cuisine. Each restaurant have their own selection and it never disappoints. Avoid the tourist areas, go for a local, traditional taverna, and you won’t regret it. Wear loose clothes, you’ll need it after the 4th or 5th dish.

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(Source: Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/cyprustourismch/9182493269/)

–  Seafood.

Freshly grilled seabream or prawns with a touch of olive oil and oregano dressing or fried calamari and a Greek Salad after a swim is one of my favourite things ever to do when in Cyprus.

(Source: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/539517230338352710/?lp=true)

– Pastries

Often when I’m home we are on the go as soon as we wake up. And what better breakfast than pastries from a local bakery. There is one in every corner. You can try most of them if you choose the mini versions. Sweet and savoury options available. Feta and spinach, halloumi, olives, apple, cinammon fillings and the list goes on.

https://www.zorbas.com.cy/products/bakery/item/snacks

 

– Koupes 

I actually had one on my last visit because I missed them so much. The Eastern influences brought koupa to Cyprus and my life. Made of bulgar wheat, filled with minced meat, parsley and spices (or mushrooms- veggie option), deep fried and sprinkled with fresh lemon, to die for.

 

– Lahmajoun

Another eastern influence, lahmajoun is made of a thin, round dough topped with minced meat, vegetables, herbs and spices. Sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon juice and you got yourself a scrummy snack.

 

– Spoon sweets.

Sweet preserves made of fruit or walnuts (my favourite!) and sugar. Perfect with a cup of Greek coffee or frappe.

 

I can go on for ever, one post can’t cover all the scrumptious food you can find on this little island but I have to mention tahinopita, since I’ve dreamt about it a couple of days ago. Yes, I actually dreamed of a Cypriot pastry. The most pleasant dream I had in a while.

A sweet tahini and cinnamon filled piece of heaven.

This is just a tiny sample of my home country’s beauty and local cuisine. There’s so much more, I feel I cheated on the rest of the cities (like Larnaka and the old Nicosia town) historic sites, traditional villages (e.g. one of my all time favourite Lefkara), gorgeous locations, beach sides and delectable dishes and delicacies.

Whatever you decide to do when you are there, one thing’s for sure. You’ll love it!

OK, now is time to have a cry and sell my kidney so I can book a flight home ASAP.

Namaste

Eleni

Falling in love with London again- Birthday brunch at Borough market, shopping and giggles

Monday, 21st of May

I just woke up. I checked my phone, sweet, wonderful messages from friends, family, even people I didn’t expect to hear from. I’ll check them out later. I need to get up. 

One of the first ones I read makes me giggle. I’m so lucky to have such awesome friends. Remember that next time you doubt yourself.

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Birthdays, the one day most people remember you. I always found the idea of birthdays a bit… surreal. Why do we celebrate getting older once a year? And why do we care if people remember our birthdays? Why do I care?

Artemis got me a gift. It’s been wrapped up, on the hotel’s tiny, shiny dressing table since Friday, waiting for today to open it.

She is one of my best friends and she knows me very well. So, of course I loved it. A handmade notebook. Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. I can’t wait to start using it.

(Thank you Andrea Illustration for my simply stunning wonderful gift)

My new notebook

After our last breakfast (we are leaving early for the airport tomorrow, no time for food) at the hotel we get ready and off we go. It’s sunny and warm. Perfect day to wear my favourite floral cardigan and rose earrings. 

We are heading to my favourite food market in London, Borough market. Freshly made smoothies, gourmet chocolates, delicious doughnuts, heavenly smelling street food, specialty tea, flowers, cheese, a lot of cheese, just some of the goodies you can find there.

My idea of heaven.

I remember the first time I’ve been to Borough Market. A sunny summer day in 2015. Costas loved doughnuts and I scoured the web to find the best ones in London, since we were about to visit. I found an article on ‘The 10 best doughnuts to try in London’ and one of them was the salted caramel and honeycomb doughnut by Bread Ahead Bakery. They had a stall at Borough market, one of the best food markets in London. Decided then. That will be our first stop. I tell Costas. He is not too bothered about it. Why am I even trying?

I went there just for the doughnuts but I left with much more. I was in awe. I loved everything about it. The rest of that day was not as exciting, we had a heated argument which almost ruined the awesome plan I made for the day but I was so proud and happy I discovered this market (and the Hunterian museum, and Brick Lane market, thoroughly recommend!), it didn’t matter much if I was right (I was) or wrong or how his behaviour made me feel. If it were for him we wouldn’t have seen any of this. I wish I realised then how unhappy I was and ended it much sooner. But better late than never right? I wonder how many people are in unhappy relationships but don’t realise…

I’ve been to Borough market a couple of times since, and I loved every single one of them.

After devouring-ish (we couldn’t finish them!) our delicious tomato, pesto and mozzarella sandwiches and grabbing a salted caramel and honeycomb doughnut and cinnamon bun for later,  we wandered in Oxford Street going in and out of shops. We must have spent an hour or so laughing whilst trying sunglasses in TK Maxx. We left with a couple of pairs each, just because we look supercool in them.

We used to love shopping in our early 20s. Now we do as little as possible. How people change when they grow up and stop caring too much about clothes and other materialistic needs  that don’t matter anymore.

Whilst Artemis was in Primark shopping for her little one, I opted for a cup of coffee and a piece of fruit cake and caught up with my birthday messages.

I accidentally opened a work-related email. I don’t check my emails when I’m off work, how did this happen?

And I find out, Dave, our boss is leaving. Very soon. He is going to the Asian University of Women, in Bangladesh, very soon. How soon is very soon? 

I couldn’t believe it. I message Donna, she confirms. Almost instantly I feel sad. Happy for him, this is once in a lifetime opportunity at an inspirational University, they are so lucky to have him, but so so sad he is leaving.

You don’t come across people like him often. I’ll write about it when I get the chance. He deserves a whole post.

When we were done with shopping it was time for Artemis to finally try Wagamama for the first time. One of the few chains I like. I tried their udon noodles, because one of the greatest pleasures in life is tasting food you’ve never tasted before. That very first bite, when you don’t know what to expect…and then… the explosion of flavours in your mouth, followed by the almost reflective ‘mmmm’, the universal sign of delicious food…

Wagamama

We spent our last evening packing, chatting, planning our next adventure, a perfect end to my 32nd birthday, I day I’ll always remember.

Tuesday, 22nd of May

We got up very early. We are so sleepy we can barely see. We somehow make it to the airport, after a packed tube and train ride.

I love London and the last three days have been amazing. It always makes me want to move here. But that packed tube and train ride persuades me otherwise. I couldn’t possibly do this every day… or maybe I can, I guess it’s all about getting used to it. We humans are incredible adjusting, adapting…I can get used to it. But what if I don’t? I thought I’d get used to having a flatmate but I still hate it… maybe some things you can’t get used to… or maybe it takes more time. Why am I thinking of this now? I’m not even moving to London!!!

I walk Artemis to the security check gates, give her a big hug  and wave her goodbye.

I’m on my own again. I feel a bit lost. I had a cry. I’m so grateful, blessed to have spent the last three days with one of my favourite humans.

I still don’t know how I feel about turning 32. One moment I’m happy I’m alive, healthy and I’m not stuck in a miserable relationship, I have awesome friends and family who love me, I get to do whatever I want to and I have a job it pays well enough so I can live on my own again, next minute I feel bad I haven’t figured out what I want to do for a living yet, sad that I may never have my own family, since I’m now in my early thirties, but I won’t compromise just for the sake of it, I deserve better, worried that I won’t get to travel as much as I want to, I’ll never have enough money to follow my dreams and the list goes on…

One day at a time dear…

After a quick coffee, I head back to Southampton.

I finally finished reading Love In The Time Of Cholera. I cried again. I’m not sure what to think of Florentino Ariza and his lifetime love for Fermina. It’s sad, it’s so sad, how can someone love another human for 40 years and still chase her in his 70s even though she rejected him so many times? Was it a happy ending? Was it sad? Bittersweet I guess. Like life. A happy melancholy…hah

Namaste

Eleni

Falling in love with London again- Dinosaurs, the Moon and park walks

Sunday, 20th of May

We got up early(-ish) and bright today to make most of our day.

After the biggest breakfast we had so far, to keep our feet moving the whole day, we headed out in the glorious Sunday sunshine.

A Greek family is sitting next to us at breakfast. We are not sure if they realised we can understand every word they say. The grandpa, who was visiting London for a couple of days is shouting at the daughter and grand-daughters. He is bored. He wants to get out. He wants to get that piece of beef he liked (I think he meant Beef Wellington) to take with him back to Greece. Who on earth wants to get food from here to take back to one of the countries with the best food in the world? 

We have a giggle when they leave.

On our way to the tube station we see him walking around outside the hotel until the rest of the family is ready to go.

Breakfast

First stop: The National History Museum.  God I love this building. Beautiful, striking, it takes your breath away before you even walk in. And then you walk in and you are in owe! Dinosaurs, rare animals, rare rocks, enormous whales in the most gorgeous surroundings one can imagine. I could stand there for hours just to admire the architecture but hours of wandering has taken it’s toll, so it’s time for a little break.

The nearest place we could have a rest was Kensington gardens, so after a quick detour to get salted caramel ice cream (salted caramel is undeniably one of the best flavours humans ever invented) we sat on the grass, in the sunshine and demolished our ice cream in minutes!

I couldn’t stop watching a group of seniors, all dressed up (I imagine they were probably heading in the Royal Albert Hall to enjoy some classical music) having an ice cream whilst chit chatting. What would I be doing in my 70s? I hope I’m as happy as this bunch.

Kensington gardens

After our short break we headed to the Science Museum. Which is amazing and fascinating. But by that time we were exhausted so we had a quick look and headed to Harrods instead to imagine for a little how it feels to be rich, what wonderfully bizarre things one can get and pretend to afford we can buy a £4,000 TV and a £1000 Rollex.

I loved the planet, satellite and other extra-terrestial object display at the Science museum. And I managed to take a gorgeous snap of the moon.

The Moon

My advice: Do not visit both museums in the same day if you want to see all the exhibits or you have other plans. Each takes 2-3 hours to see. At least.

After hours of wandering  we grabbed some snacks from Harrods (one of the few things we could afford) and headed to Hyde park to lie in the sunshine.

On our way there we passed by a fancy restaurant, one of those you only see in the movies, with white table cloths, superbly groomed waiters and equally posh customers. I wonder if I’d ever afford to go there. Do I want to though?Mmm maybe once. Dress up and have a ridiculously expensive meal in Kensington. Why not.

Here we are at Hyde Park, lying on the grass, sunbathing, talking about our lives, thinking of what to do next, dreaming of holidays and fun days, with beautiful views all around us.

After a couple of hours we head back to Shepherd’s Bush for some Italian, a glass of Red and a well-deserved sleep after a gorgeous, fun-filled day.

 

Tomorrow is my birthday. I’ll be 32… And just before I fall asleep, I’m desperately trying to make up my mind how I feel about it…

 

Falling in love with London again- Mamma Mia and apres theatre dinner

Saturday afternoon, 19th of May

We are sitting opposite a church, in the heart of London, enjoying the sunshine and chatting, just before we head to the theatre.

The bells have been ringing for about half an hour now (the Royal wedding you see) and it’s starting to get a bit annoying. I wonder when my brain will get used to it and it will all become another meaningless background noise.

But I don’t have to find out because it’s time to head to Novello Theatre.

When I was home in Cyprus a few weeks earlier, Artemis and I had the pleasant, but almost impossible task to choose what musical to watch when she’d visit. Where do you start from? And how do you decide?

We somehow managed to narrow them down to two or three and then Artemis suggested Mamma Mia since we both watched and enjoyed the film and knew most of the songs so we can hum along and who doesn’t love some Abba?

I love Mamma Mia for another reason my mind somehow buried under a pile of useless, unrelated memories, but as soon as we sat there it all came back to me. That’s the very first song Dan taught us at our then called Lunchtime Glee sessions and the song will always remind me of that. 

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What a brilliant choice. Beautiful singing, funny, feel-good and unexpected dancing and sing along in the end! I’d recommend it without any hesitation.

After the show it was time for dinner. I remembered the gorgeous dinner Shebz and I had at Palm Court Brasserie in Covent Garden about a year ago when we went to see Woman in Black (I now realise I never posted about it, it was on those dark days, my Dark Age, when I was slowly sinking into depression and I gave up writing for a while) and so it happens we passed by on our search for a restaurant.

Once again it did not disappoint. Delicious food, great wine, excellent, friendly service and reasonable prices (for their theatre menu at least).

The plan was to head back to hotel to rest and head out for another drink but by the time we went back it was already late and we had a busy day planned ahead (next post coming soon), so we chatted and laughed until we fell asleep…

 

Pizza and… thunderstorm

Thursday afternoon

Mama Donna left a gift for my birthday on my desk the day before, scrummy brownies from a London based business specialising in gourmet brownies (she knows me too well), Bad Brownie and I just came back from M&S to get more birthday treats.

Bad Brownie

Sophie came up to wish me happy birthday and try the finger-licking brownies and a couple of hours later we ended up at L’Osteria enjoying the Gnocchi, half Braccio di Ferro (spinach, egg, cheese and garlic) and half Vegetariana pizza (mozzarella, grilled vegetables, mushrooms and garlic) and a glass of Chianti.

L'Osteria pizza

She wanted to try the food there since I recommended it after the first ever time I visited about a month ago and she suggested going that night after work. Spontaneous invite, delicious food, chats and making new friends, some of my most favourite things in the whole wide world, I couldn’t possibly say no.  It rained on our way there, just like last time…

Back to a month ago, my first time at L’Osteria (I’ve been meaning to post about it since but life got in the way)

Saturday afternoon, 21st of April

I just came home from lunch on the Ventura. I had a couple of glasses of wine and I feel so tired I can go to sleep and not get out of bed until tomorrow.

But I’m meeting a friend for dinner in about two hours. What should I do? I can cancel I guess. I don’t always stick to a plan. My plans change depending on what I really fancy doing at that moment in time. The perks of getting older, only do what you want and consciously choose to ignore social pressures…

After an excruciating half an hour of overthinking, desperately trying to figure out what I really wanted to do, God sometimes is agonisingly painful to be me, I decided I’d go for dinner. I’d like to see my friend and we were to try the pizza at L’Osteria, the pizza place at the Watermark my Italian friend Sofy recommended, ‘The closest to Italian pizza you can find in Southampton’ she said.

In the end I’m glad I went.

It was very busy. I’ve unsuccessfully attempted to make a booking the day before, but it was impossible as you’d expect on a Saturday night and the restaurant was fully booked until 9:30pm, but the lovely manager on the phone suggested I’ll have better luck just showing up.

We did just show up but there was going to be a 25min wait unless we sat outside. It wasn’t that cold so we decided to have our pizza al fresco.

As there was a large selection of pizzas I couldn’t possibly decide, I thought I’d go for two different halves and after a long deliberation I went for the Capricciosa (ham, mushrooms, artichokes and olives) and the Il Vecchietto (mozarella, egg, pancetta, onions, rosemary and piccante). My friend went for the Hawaiian and not sure what the other half was, I was so surprised he willingly decided to have pineapple on a pizza I can’t recall what he said after ‘half Haiwaiian’…

L'Osteria

Since I’ve started the day with a couple of glasses of red I decided to stick to it so I asked my lovely waitress to pick a glass of red for me and she went for Chianti, now one of my favourite red wines. I’d never tried it before but it was smooth, and extremely easy to drink.

After about an hour or so enjoying our HUGE pizzas, wine and plenty of laughs, it started to rain… followed by thunder… and lightning. We moved to a table further in so we don’t get wet and we spent most of the evening watching the thunderstorm. Scary but fascinating.

That’s how I imagined the end of the world would be. Thunders, lightning followed by flying prawns, unicorns and other random objects, like a scene off The Good Place… (sometimes it’s really fun to be me)…

L’Osteria is now one of the very few chains I love. Delicious food and wine, great selection, super friendly staff and  reasonable prices.

I have to visit L’Osteria again to try their pasta this time! I can’t promise you any out of the ordinary weather related spectacles, but the Italian language lessons on speakers in the toilet are amusing AND educating (did you know that in Italy they only drink Cappuccino until noon and Espresso in the afternoon?)  and the pizza will not disappoint.

Namaste

Eleni