London Weekender...

I love that in London on any day of the week you can always find some kind of festival on. Last weekend and this weekend I attended two very different festivals.

The first I didn’t actually find out about until Saturday morning on instagram, but decided to buy tickets to the Sunday for an informative day out. Be:Fit has an annual Women’s Health and Fitness expo, and I thought this would be right down my ally, plus Quest Nutrition was going to be there, would I finally get to try my first Quest bar??


So I set off in the Sunday sun. The venue was on the Thames and looked out over Tower Bridge, which was pretty cool. When I entered Be:Fit I was instantly bombarded with “if you drink this once a day you’ll have fabulous skin”, “if you drink this juice in place of two meals, you’ll drop kilos and have amazing skin”, “if you wear this crop top your performance will improve by 80%”.


I was so shocked at what was being marketed to women, and how all these women were purchasing bags and bags of this junk. Instead of empowering women to take control of their lives and make smarter choices about health and fitness, they were pushing crap onto them, which in fact was not even going to make a difference to their weight, cos let’s face it, popcorn is popcorn at the end of the day if you eat it as a 3pm snack, after you’ve had a big Mac for lunch.

It wasn’t all bad, and there were a few jewels among the “healthy” junk food. I met some cool people who grow their own linseeds, and they had made some pretty cool oils. And the vitamix presentation was awesome, when I move home to Aus; I’m totally saving up for that beast.

I did manage to feast on a heap of free samples, and that popcorn did taste amazing, and those “healthy” bars did also tingly my taste buds, but I know better than to buy them as an everyday thing. I however finally find Quest Nutrition, and FINALLY my first quest bar!!! Coconut Cashew, and boy was it delicious, and I’m a sucker I know, I bought a box!! But it’s a treat food I promise, plus it’s full of protein!


With a full belly and a huge amount of brochures I decided to leave. I’m not sure I’d ever go again, for the entry free I didn’t personally gain anything from it that I didn’t already know. But it got me out and about......

This weekend I went to a London Coffee Festival as part of Coffee week. I had been planning this for a few weeks, with some friends who love coffee as much as me, if not more! When we arrived to our 3 hour session the line was about 4 blocks long, I couldn’t believe it! I honestly didn’t think the festival would be that popular. Our session had sold out, but still it never dawned on me that it would be so popular.

The line moved fairly quickly and within 20mins we were finally in heaven!!! Of course my senses took us straight to the chocolate section, free samples, as if I wasn’t going to smell them out. It was the usual suspects, Lindt, Devine, and few other local bakeries with fudges, and peanut butter somosa’s. This was the perfect place to start, as after a few too many chocolates we were ready for some serious COFFEE!

Practically every kind of coffee bean, from every kind of country, pressed in every kind of way was there, and so many samples. Oh the samples. A particular highlight was the Kaluha bar. We tried a delightful mix of coffee, rum, and pineapple over ice. It was super delicious. Although could have used more coffee. We accidentally sat at the table which offered a Kaluha experience. This involved being blind folded and using our taste senses to sample each ingredient that is added to make Kaluha. First one, my favourite; chocolate coated coffee beans, then sugar cane, vanilla and finally rum, it was kinda cool how they explained the process each ingredient went through to become Kaluha.



We then continued through the rest of the exhibitions, sampling tea, coffee and even peanut butter. We met some pretty cool people, who were showcasing some very delicious blends of coffee. It was so hard to find one to buy. I ended up buying 3 bags of tea, hehe, and one bag of coffee.

It was a very successful day out.

Peace out for now....

Bxxxx

"Walking in a Winter Wonderland"

Christmas is by far my favourite holiday. Not for religious reasons, but because I get to spend time with family and friends. Those 3-5 days staying with my parents in my home town, visiting friends from high school, cooking and eating too much delicious food, and spending way too much time with my brothers and parents, which ends in the good old Christmas fight. There is no better time of the year.

I was excited for my first cold Christmas this year, but not missing out of that family time. Lucky for me, I had tons of fun and exciting things planned for my first Christmas abroad and in winter.


First things first, the work Christmas Party. And being a massive foodie, I was excited for this. Lunch at Gordon Ramsay’s Foxtrot Oscar. The restaurant is quite small, but the chefs simply out did my expectations. Due to my food allergies and issues, it’s always worrying eating a new place, but this place tailored whatever I chose off the menu to my dietary needs. The dessert was the best part, of course. Sorbet with almond crumble, Mmmmmm, delicious. Needless to say the only way this day could have gone better was to have Gordon come and cook the food himself.


Nothing screams English adventures quite like a traditional afternoon tea for Christmas Eve, and what’s that? Gluten free and all you can eat!! Yes Please!! The idea of all you can eat is always appealing until you’ve eaten the first cake tier. All the cakes, scones and sandwiches were uber tasty, but one round was all I could muster, and even that lead to the tightening of the clothing. It was of course chased down with a shot of mulled wine, Mmmmmm!


I’ve always thought the idea of cooking a Turkey with all the trimmings would be a fun way to spend Christmas day. After spending the ENTIRE day on Christmas cooking, I’m now not so sure it’s a good idea.

Having never cooked a turkey before, some research and planning needed to go into it. We bought the 10,000 ingredients needed for stuffing, roasting a turkey, vegetables and of course gingerbread cookies, all that was left was to cook it all. So the day started with Christmas waffles. Then moved onto gingerbread men, and then the main event the TURKEY! Seriously I spent the entire day cooking. The turkey needed basting, and then the stuffing needed cooking, and then more basting, and then mulled wine. And before I knew it, it was 6pm in the evening and we were finally ready to eat.


The turkey actually turned much better than I expected. And I was happy to eat it for following 4 days for 2 meals a day, haha.

Mulled wine was another thing I wanted do make at home. It’s such a delicious drink, and not something I’d had back home. The mix of red wine, cinnamon, orange, cardamom, and other Christmassy spices, is simply divine. I did get a little carried away, and drank far too much of it over the Christmas break, but at least I know how to make it now. And will totally be taking this new found deliciousness back to Aus when I move home.


Tradition back home is that we always go to the movies on Boxing Day. So this year was no different, although a slightly fancier version. The cinema near my house is quite small, and is set up like a lounge room. Each seat is like a lounge chair. You can get wine, nachos, pizza, salad, and popcorn, practically anything you want at the bar. It was one of the best movie experiences I’ve ever been too.



There are few touristy things I haven’t done around London and the aquarium is one of them. Going on a Saturday afternoon between Christmas and New Year was probably not my finest idea, but nothing like an afternoon with the fishies to get your mind of the coldness. It’s quite a cool aquarium, with loads of fun species to see, and it’s super interactive. Best to avoid school holidays though and always buy online before the day, as you get fast tracked entry and it’s generally cheaper.

As I’ve gotten older, New Years Eve doesn’t have the same “OMG I have to get drunk, and party the night away” feelings as it used to. And after waking up sober to begin 2013, I was ready for a little more adventure this year. Though we probably should have gone into London City before 11pm to get a good seat for the fireworks. And after being directed down the Strand, we reached St Pauls Cathedral and decided surely we’d see the fireworks over the smaller buildings here. Well as we waited along with thousands of other to ring in the new year, sure enough we sure NOTHING! Not even one firework, a small spray from the building near us, but we heard the fireworks, and they sounds super amazing.


This was rather disappointing, and led us straight into the nearest pub to down a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Much to my surprise, or not really, I woke up New Years day with a killer headache, the inability to even lift my head off the pillow for the better part of the day. Yep, London New Years will be one to remember.

So I survived my first winter Christmas, YIPPEEE. I didn’t see snow unfortunately, but there is always next year.  Not sure I enjoy winter Christmas’s over Summer ones, although there are Christmas Jumpers during winter, so that’s a pretty big selling point!!!

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