Christmas in Brussels

	I've been to Brussels a few times now, and what’s not to love; chocolate, delicious fresh waffle aroma filling the streets and beautiful architecture. This time there were promises of chocolate tasting, but Christmas markets and mulled wines were on offer. Being my first Christmas away from the heat, I am very very excited to experience the typical winter Christmassy things. I have visions of it being exactly like in the Christmas carols and Christmas cards. And Brussels did not disappoint.
Everywhere you turn; there are Christmas lights, a never ending row of stalls selling everything from mulled wine, and beer, to waffles, and stoemp, to wooden tree decorations. The streets filled the people of all ages, rugged up in beanies, mittens and scarves, sipping warm drinks, or downing delicious street foods. I had been to the chocolate factory before and knew it was going to be difficult to resist sampling EVERYTHING! This time I was determined to not be sick after the experience and just enjoy the delicious chocolates to a sensible limit. Hehe yea right!
Neuhaus was packed. Sooo many people bringing their kids, grandparents, cousins, friends, to feast on free chocolate samples. When you enter the store all you can smell is that sweet sweet cocoa smell, mixed with hints of fruits and nuts. I held back and didn’t dig into the first open box of chocolates I saw. I looked around and carefully selected what I wanted based on the few words I could actually read on the boxes and how well the chocolate was presented. This worked for a little while, but then lust and greed took over and well Bec is not in charge then. All I wanted was more, and more chocolate. I knew it was time to leave. So I grabbed a handful of caramel slivered almonds and went outside to wait for my friends. Haha I will win the battle next time, NEUHAUS, next time!!!
	Next stop we were onto lunch! WHOOHOO!!!! There is a cute and popular fish shop, where they have no seating, you stand and eat your food around tables. It’s an odd concept to me and seems kinda barbaric, but I’ll roll with it. The food was DELICIOUS. The tuna steak was cooked amazingly, the last time I had tuna steak my mum cooked it, and it was possibly the worst meal I’ve ever had, haha poor mum! But this was the perfect kinda of tuna; it melted in your mouth. I also tried razor clams/shells which I’d never had before, they were also super tasty. It could have been that I was freezing my ass off, but everything tasted amazing!!!
I didn’t know or realise that the Smurfs were written and based in Brussels. Should have guessed as it’s the comic capital of the world. And as you walk around you can see street art of different comics. And in this cute little courtyard there is a massive sculpture of a Smurf sitting on a toadstool. Its soo cute.	We spent the rest of the weekend indulging in mulled wine, mulled apple and cinnamon cider, wine, chocolate, sweets and Belgian foods. I think I’m going to love this whole winter Christmas….. Peace out for now…. Bxxx

Copenhagen

This has been top of my list of places to visit since I arrived in the UK. I’ve been dreaming of this trip for months. And when my friend suggested we go for my birthday and for the Christmas Markets, I honestly cried. This would be the best birthday of my adult life! There were a few key things I wanted from this trip. I wanted to go to 42Raw (a cafe that only serves raw food), Paleo (a cafe that only serves paleo foods) and the Christmas Markets. The trip over was awful and I will NEVER fly with Easyjet again. But that bitching will be saved from your eyes, cos I’m that kind: P
The first day started with a trip on the train to the little mermaid statue. Mind you the trains themselves are amazing, and way bigger than my house. It felt like I was in the future. The trains had TV’s and plush chairs, London tubes could really take some pointers from them. So I arrived at the statue of the Little Mermaid, which has been the centre of the Disney movie, and some other dude who wrote the actual story, I forget his name.
	We didn’t have a plan till lunch time, so spent some time wandering the streets. Copenhagen is beautiful; it has everything I’d ever want in a town. Every second shop is a health food, or organic cafe. Aimlessly walking lead us right into the palace square, where at that exact moment the changing of the guards was beginning. Talk about timing. I’ve never seen a changing of the guards, it’s all quite scripted and almost like a dance. It was quite interesting to watch. Near where the guards marched, there is a huge beautiful church. It’s a massive dome, and has murals, and stained glass all around the walls. I imagine the sounds on a Sunday here, when there a tons of people singing, would be wonderful due to the shape of the church.
Next stop LUNCH!!! And mannn have I been waiting for this for a loooong time. Little did I know that 42Raw and Paleo are actually in the same street and side by side. AMAZING!! So 42Raw was first on the tasting menu. I couldn’t decide what to have, so settled on a tasting plate: raw sandwich, raw lasagne and raw curry. I’m a fan of the raw food movement, only as a treat, or a change to the usual eating plan I have, and everything on this plate was delicious. Even my bacon loving, chicken eating friend liked the raw lasagne. I finished the meal off with a coconut and ginger brownie, and a vanilla cookie. The cookie was my favourite part. I honestly could have died happy after that cookie.
But there was more to discover........ The Tivoli Gardens are a huge draw card to Copenhagen, as they are only opened four times a year. And being a month till Christmas, they had opened a week or two before our trip, and were stocked with Christmassy stuff. The temperature dropped, and man was I cold. And for everyone who knows me, I whine, and whinge A LOT! I’m like a little kid. No attention span, always need a drink or to pee, or I’m cold, or I’m hot, or I’m tired. Haha can’t win really. So when I went to the Tivoli Gardens, it was night time and the temperature was around 1 degree. Yep I was dying. Pretty sure winter will kill me! But as soon as I saw the lights, and all the prettiness of the gardens, my freezing disappeared. It was soo fun and Christmassy, with tons of lights and decorations, and sweet sweet smells of sugared nuts, and waffles. I guess this is what you expect for a cold Christmas.	There was soo much to see and look at, my eyes and brain were in over drive! After a few hours, the excitement wore off, and I was back to being cold! But with a quick costume change I was off to a Ruby for birth day cocktails.
	Day 2 started with a late breakfast and then more wandering and stumbling upon great parts of the city. I saw Christmas markets, with a super jolly Santa, I had juices, and coffees at nice little cafes. And then it was time for Paleo: D
It’s the best feeling going into a cafe and knowing I can order anything on the menu and be able to eat it without dying or feeling awful. Paleo was everything I could imagine. I had a salmon wrap, which was made out of egg, and in the wrap was orange and pomegranate. It was simply divine. And what is lunch without dessert, coconut muffin and brownie with coconut butter and flakes. Too much YUM!!! With full bellies, we set off for more sightseeing. I have this ability to find organic food places no matter where I go. It’s like I am drawn to them, and no surprise I stumbled upon two food halls, which housed soo many different kinds of foods and oils, and drinks. EVERYTHING!
	After a rice milk gelato and peppermint tea, it was off to prep for dinner. On the menu were fishies!!!! When I arrived at Fiskebaren we were seated at a huge bar with a fish tank in the middle. So we were literally eating dinner with the fishies. The restaurant was a little more up market, and nothing seemed too difficult for them. They were soo helpful with all my allergies and issues; that they specifically made me a dessert with ingredients I could eat, which the chef bought out himself. The fish was super fresh and so delicious. The whole experience was fun, and really ended our nights in Copenhagen amazingly.
With our trip drawing to an end, we decided to spend our last hours in Copenhagen at the zoo!!! It was minus a million degrees, but that didn’t stop our excitedness.  One thing I don’t understand is how they can take a zebra from Africa and dump it in a zoo in Copenhagen where the temps are super cold, and the zebra just adapt and act like it’s the Bahamas. I’m freezing my a$$ off and I have a million layers of clothes on. The zoo was a ton of fun, and you could really get quite close to some of the animals. It really ended the trip off well.
	The flight home was a disaster, and again will never fly with Easyjet again. But Copenhagen is now my new favourite place on earth. Peace out for now...... Bxxxx

Parents: Duck & Waffle and the Ritz

So the day was upon us. Mum’s 50^th Birthday!!!! Dad and I had been organising for months what we were going to do on this day. We wanted it to be special in every way.


We started the day with a lovely ride on one of the London buses, (yep mum was thrilled with that, haha) on route to Selfridges.

The food hall at Selfridges is amazing, another place I could spend hours in, browsing all the food. After ogling all the food, we settled for coffees and of course a birthday cupcake for mum.

Next stop on the MUM birthday train was Duck and Waffle!! And boy oh boy was I looking forward to this. I had found this place during a Google search and have been dying to go since. The main attraction to this restaurant was the location and the strange, yet delicious items on the menu.



I had misread the emails and the internet site and thought the restaurant was on the 4^th floor. Weren’t we shocked to find the restaurant was actually on the 40^th floor!!! The lift was a glass elevator and was like the one out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory, it was pure madness.


Arriving at Duck and Waffle I had organised in advance to have a special table for mum’s birthday, and I had no idea they would give us a front row seat to the amazing view of London. The hostess walked us through the restaurant to the most amazing table. It looked directly out onto the amazing London views.

Mum was most impressed! We ordered practically everything from the menu, and my highlight was bacon wrapped dates, and beetroot with honeycomb and feta cheese. Soo much yum!! The serves was quite amazing and as a special treat the restaurant had bought out a little dessert with a candle for mum! The whole experience was incredible. Dad and I were worried how we would top this for dinner!



Dinner was a surprise for mum, and she had no idea where we were headed, her only instruction was that she had to wear something nicer than the local pub, FANCY!!!

So we threw mum in a cab in her fancy clothes, and whisked off to the dinner venue. She had no clue even when we drove through the streets of London. Even when we drove past the venue, she still had no clue.

It wasn’t until we pulled up to the front door of the venue and got out of the cab and she asked, “Is it the RITZ!!” Oh yes mum it is! We are FANCY tonight.


I’ve never been to the Ritz and I had no idea what to expect. Were the bogan Kearl’s going to be fancy enough for this place, and would dad even eat the food?

As we walked through the hotel lobby and through the high tea area, we were excited and yet stunned at all the gold and floral, the place was dripping in fancy. We made it to the restaurant and were seated at an oval table towards the back of the restaurant, where we could people watch, whoohoo! I love to people watch, especially the rich!

Dinner started with wine, and breads, and then starters, and then mains, and then dessert and then petite fours. Man, the food was delicious, and even dad loved every bite, and even drank Champagne. Mum got to feel like what the queen feels every time she dines!


The food was basic in idea, however fancy in presentation. It was worth every penny.

I had an amazing day, and I know mum did too.

Peace out for now.....

Bxxxx

Parents: NRL Grand Final, High Tea

So for those who know me, know I’m pretty awful at team sports, and I don’t have the attention span to stay focused for long enough to watch an actual game of sport on TV. However, being an Aussie, this changes when your dad wants to watch a game, particularly in my case a game of NRL, especially when the Roosters are playing. For that 80mins, plus the half time minutes, and the pre-match junk they play, I put aside my attention span and manage to sit there, and pretend I know the rules of the game, and actually end up enjoying the game. Heaven knows why my dad would organise a holiday to come to the other side of the world when his team is playing in the grand final. But he did. And my task was to find somewhere to take him to watch the game.......... The Walkabout is a chain of Aussie pubs, that tend to have a reputation for rowdy, drunk, flannie and thong (flip flops, not the underwear version, lol) wearing Aussies, drinking far too much beer. However with limited knowledge of where a pub would be streaming the NRL at 9am on a Sunday, this seemed like the best option. Upon finding out this would be the last day of trading at the Shepherd Bush Walkabout, it was advised to get there early. So 7am Sunday we head off to Shepherds Bush Walkabout, and to our surprise there were people already there lining up. By the time the game started at 9:30am, the place was packed to the rafters and almost everyone was drunk already. There were chicks buying jugs of beer with raspberry for themselves. I wasn't sure if I should feel proud to be an Aussie, or ashamed.......... Anyways the game went on, and the atmosphere made the game all that more fun and exciting. And minus a few issues with visible viewing of the screen, dad had a great time, and was rather excited for the Rooster victory!!!! Mum on the other hand........ Could not wait to get out of the place! Haha So not only did mum and dad organise their holiday around the NRL grand final match, they also made sure that mum could celebrate her 50th Birthday with her one and only amazing daughter, ME!!! I had organised for the three of us to go to a cute cake shop that does gluten and dairy free high tea. The shop was super cute inside, and had teacups and floral table clothes, and lace, and dollies everywhere, dad felt right at home, haha. They had over 15 teas to choose from, so many different varieties. Dad didn’t enjoy his ‘perfume’ water, lol, but mum and I had a great time sampling a few different flavours. FOOD TIME!!!! And boy oh boy was I surprised to find I had my own little tower of gluten and diary free deliciousness. It started with egg, and cucumber sandwiches on the bottom, followed by scones with jam and butter, followed by an almond and raisin cake, and finished with a cupcake and chocolate coated strawberries. DELICIOUSNESS!!!! I was chock-a-block full after this, and lucky for us, the train line was closed (-_-) so we had to walk most of the way home. Although this did allow my digestive system time to work its magic on all the yummy foods. And the most important thing was mum had a great time, and dad also tried new things.  So all in all Sunday was a success! Mum dealt with drunks at the footy, and dad drank tea with his pinkie up :) Next up: Happy 50th with a view and Fancy dinner Peace out for now.... Bxxxx

Parents: Portobello Road, Wholefoods

I've been living in London for almost 190 days, and boy oh boy has that time flown. It feels like just yesterday my parents told me they had planned to visit. Thankfully, being the organised person I am, I had the entire 10 days planned out ready for them to see everything I find interesting in London. And that basically means, I made reservations at all the restaurants I’d been dying to try, haha. Of course I think with my stomach first. There is nothing quite like seeing your parents in real life, after only seeing pixelated versions of their faces via Skype for a few months. So I was dying for work to finish so I could race to their hotel and meet with them. As I turned the corner of the street of their hotel I could see mum’s beaming face. There was loads of excitement in everyone’s faces. Okay so onto the fun things we did!!!
Mum was very eager to see Notting Hill and the Portobello Road Markets. Having seen Notting Hill the movie she was expecting something much different to what she actually experienced. For those who haven’t seen Notting Hill, let me set the scene. Portobello Road is this peaceful beautiful area of London, where the beautiful people hang out, and you can browse and stroll along the cute coble stoned streets, drinking coffee and window shopping in bookshops! Sounds absolutely amazingly perfect, right? Don’t worry I was fooled too!
	Welcome to Portobello Road, a 5-6 m wide road, filled with hundreds, no THOUSANDS of people with cameras, and prams, and kids, and stopping in the middle of the road for no reason. Stall holders selling the same old junk you see around Oxford Circus. The odd stall releasing the sweet sweet smell of delicious foods, however there were too many people crowded around to actually see what you are smelling.
So after what felt like a lifetime of dodging and weaving, losing each other, and stopping briefly to try and see a stall, we made it to the top of Portobello Road, and no oh no does it stop there. Notting Hill on a Saturday morning is AWFUL! So many people. Not sure if you’ve picked this up about me, but I’m not one for crowds and pushing my way through narrow streets. I like to stick to places that are off the beaten track. Finally we managed to get away from the crowds and find our way down a slightly quieter street for lunch.
Walking down Kensington Church Street with a growling tummy is no fun, until you spot the ever so magnificent Churchill Arms. This pub is definitely a sight. I’ve never seen so many flowers on a building in my life. They are everywhere; I mean how do they even water all of them.
	A few happy snaps later, and we are seated inside this pot plant, where the decor is just as flowery as it is outside. It feels like you are sitting in a greenhouse. There are flowers and pots and all type of living plants everywhere. And for such a style pub, you are served Thai food. Amazing Thai food at that! This was a nice place to rest our weary and worn out bodies, ready for the greatest place on earth........
A trip to London and South West in particular isn’t complete without a stop by Wholefoods, basically my happy place. Taking mum and dad to Wholefoods was risky as they aren’t foodies, quite like me. But oh man did they embrace it. Particularly my dad! He felt at home, exactly how I always do. It was great to have him enjoy this place as much as me. So after a thorough guided tour, we managed to escape with only one item each. A successful trip nonetheless.
Coming up NRL Grand Final and High Tea :D Peace out for now Bxxxx

The Joys of London Life

WhooHoo!!! What better way to spend a Friday than playing tour guide to a group of women from all over Europe......... Man I love my job!!!
My work held a conference in London on Friday for an association that has members from all over Europe, and due to the location of London they bring their partners along too. So my job was to assist one of my work colleagues for the day, showing a bunch of foreigners around the city, and I classify myself in that foreigner group, hehe I was talking more pictures than them.
	First stop was the Tower of London. We had a wonderful guide with us, and she was super informative. I don't know much about English history, and for that matter any history. So it was nice to be able to imagine where the be-headings took place, hehe. After walking around the courtyard we headed into see the Crown Jewels. Sadly no photography could be used inside, but boy oh boy are the royals over the top extravagant. The jewels are shiny, and glittery and look like they weigh a ton!!!
On-wards to Tower Bridge. I quite like this bridge, it’s pretty and has nice blue features. With the right sky in the background, it photographs so well. We made the trek up the lift up to the viewing platforms, where they have build a walkway between the pylons. I was a little disappointed you can't actually go outdoors and see more, it’s quite encased, and it was very warm in there. But the views were still quite magnificent.
	By this stage I was starvin marvin, so a bus picked us up and whisked us away to the OXO Tower for a lovely three course meal and a beautiful view of London. The OXO Tower Brassiere, is quite fancy, and the atmosphere is amazing inside. It has very stark white features inside to not distract from the views you get from the entire glass walls. The meal here was delicious and they catered so well to my "issues".  I had a roast pumpkin salad with almond crumble and Salsa Verde for an entree. And it was heavenly, I just wished there was more of that almond crumble, it was to die for. For a main I had roasted vegetables with grilled salmon, and I forget the sauce, but again this was cooked beautifully and really completed the glass of wine I was drinking, hehe. And then the desert!! Berries with passion fruit. The perfect way to end the meal.
With a full tummy we set off. I had already experienced so much of London that I hadn't seen before, BUT the best was yet to come. We made our way to the SHARD, and up the 69 floors to see the most amazing view of London. The weather was superb and allowed us to see all the iconic sights; the London Eye, Tower Bridge, London Tower, Big Ben, Westminster, and you could catch a glimpse of Buckingham Palace. If you're ever in London, the Shard is a must see!
	Well that concluded my sightseeing day, and man was it an amazing way to spend a Friday at work. I really am lucky to have been able to be a part of that conference, and I will definitely be volunteering for such events in the future, hehe. Peace out for now Bxxx

London: the home to free stuff

One of the great things about life in London is that there is always something to do or something to see that is totally free (except maybe the travel ticket). And over the last few weeks I've taken advantage of some great events.
BON JOVI So during summer, London has this festival that is held in Hyde Park (British Summer Time) and it has a ton of world famous singers and bands playing, usually Friday through Sunday. Tickets range from £29-£80. And being the poor person I am (haven't had a pay day since March) I decided groceries were probably more important than the Rolling Stones.
Anyhow, for those who have been to Hyde Park, it’s quite massive and this festival was only sectioned off by tall barriers. So, my house-mates and I decided to pack a picnic and camp out the front of the festival. It seems we weren't the only ones with that idea. The front of the gates are designed for free-loaders, decked out with bathrooms, and areas patrolled by police. With our wine, the sunset and Bon Jovi playing in the background, it was a pretty amazing night. Although I didn't get to see Bon Jovi, I could still hear him pretty clearly, and loud enough that we could sing along. Getting home from Hyde Park with another 10-15,000 people was a nightmare, and I'm still getting used to crowds, not sure I like them anymore than I used to. But I'm getting better at pushing through them.
	WIMBLEDON  As you all are probably aware Wimbledon tennis tournament was on a few weeks ago. And tickets to see the event were really difficult to get hold of, so I didn't even try. BUT the final seemed like a good idea to head out into London and find somewhere to soak up the sun and watch the match. Tower Bridge had a big screen and a bar set up, so what could possibly be better than watching the finals in front of a London icon. It seemed everyone in London had the same idea. The place was packed full of half naked people pretending it was the beach and basically sun baking. I've never seen anything like it.
Just on a side note, what’s with the British people and taking off their clothes in public when the weather goes about 20 degrees? It’s never appropriate to walk down the street shirtless, unless it’s on the beach, let alone ride your bike through Hyde Park in nothing but your underwear. Honestly!
So after we found a small patch of grass to actually sit down on, we were hundreds of feet from the actual screen, and a million bodies were between us and the screen. So we actually didn't get to see any of the matches, unless we stood on our tippy toes and strained our necks. Even then the glare from the sun prevented us from actually seeing the score. BUT it was still an amazing atmosphere, and when Andy won the game, the crowd went wild, and it was such a good thing to be a part of. With soo many free events on all the time, it’s super hard to keep up, but I don't think I’ll ever get bored living here. Peace out for now, Bxxxx