Sharks, otters and sea dragons

I promise - this is the last Lisbon post! (As you can see, we really had a packed programme - all in just three days!)

Before heading off to the airport, we went on a cable car ride along the coast which took us to the aquarium. The oceanario is located in the Parque das Nações, which was the exhibition grounds for the Expo '98. It is the largest indoor aquarium in Europe - and well worth a visit! We didn't have much time, so had to rush through it but it was really beautiful! The penguins, the otters, the sharks and most of all the seadragons. Unfortunately, my photos didn't come out great. If you are ever in Lisbon, I highly recommend a visit!

Vasco da Gama tower, built for the Expo '98; with a hotel built next to it

Penguins blending in with the rocks

Otters chilling out (and still moving too fast to get a good photo...)

The week in football

Let's start with the good news:
After losing their first two games of the season, Eintracht Frankfurt won their third game against Eintracht Braunschweig (away; 0:2). Next up, they are playing Dortmund. And yes, I have a little hope for a win...
Secondly, they made it through the play-offs and are through to the group stage of the Europa League (I have no idea how this process works - until yesterday I thought, they'd already made it by finishing in 6th place the last season ...). I had so hoped they would play in a group with Tottenham, as I would have loved to see that game! But that didn't happen; here's their group:
Group F: FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA), APOEL FC (CYP), Eintracht Frankfurt (GER), Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)

Now the OK news:
On Monday, Manchester United played Chelsea in the Premier League. I went to see the game at the Minories - a pub near Tower Gateway. A goalless game and a draw is still better than losing...

And now to the bad news:
Bayern Munich vs Chelsea in the Supercup, where the winner of the Champions League (Bayern) play the winner of the Europa League (Chelsea). While a lot of the German national team players, play for Bayern, I simply cannot support the club. And especially not when playing Chelsea!
Chelsea went into the lead twice and lucky Bayern managed to equalize with just 10 more seconds to go in the extra time, which took the game to penalties. Where Lukaku missed the decisive and final penalty...

Moving swiftly to the better part of last night - the food! On Monday I tried the pear cidre and yesterday I went for the strawberry and lime cider - very sweet and thus perfect for my taste! The fish 'n chips comes with two fish and a spoonful of peas. But who wants veggies anyway? The salad that came with the fish cakes was really nice - I don't think I've ever had pomegranate in a salad and I liked the fruitiness. As for dessert: I was really full already but with a 2 for 1 offer on the dessert, we couldn't resist. Against my advice (we had the chocolate sundae on Monday and were able to finish about 1/4 of it...), my friend got the sundae anyway. And capitulated rather quickly, too. It's just too much chocolate! The apple crumble on the other hand was very nice, with spicy apples. Unfortunately, the waitress managed to knock over the (by then melted) ice cream pot and I had sticky ice cream running into my handbag, which was underneath the table... And also ruined my copy of the Evening Standard Magazine, which I really wanted to keep for the restaurant reviews and of course Lampard's portrait... 

before the ice cream accident

Cheap, cheerfull and a bit of a funny smell

It's perfect park weather at the moment. And while it's a pity that I already had my summer holiday and I therefore have to spend all day in the office, longingly looking out of the window, it's also still warm enough to sit outside after work.

After a walk in Hyde Park, I went for dinner at Tuk Tuk- a Thai Noodle Bar near Bayswater tube. We were greeted by a bit of a funny smell. Not sure what exactly it was - but you get used to it quickly... They have quite a long menu and everything is cheap! I had the roast duck with egg rice - which looked so appealing that the French guy from the couple at the next table wanted to do know what I had ordered and then followed my lead!

The duck was crispy and delicious. The rice not that great but with the bill coming to less than £14 for two - you can't complain!

Despicable Me

Yes, I am a bit late with this one. Despicable Me 2 is already out and I've finally watched the first film. It had been recommended to me by a number of people - and I really enjoyed it! Gru really isn't as despicable as one would think given the film's title and while the storyline is rather predictable, it's still a very nice and cute film to watch!

The scene when he reads the three orphans his self-written goodnight story is so adorable and heartwarming! And the minions are of course super cute throughout the whole film!

Flesh & Buns - THE place to eat!

Following the recommendation in the Emerald Street newsletter last week, I went for lunch at Flesh & Buns in Covent Garden. And it turns out to be a real in place - listed as 'restaurant of the week' in Time Out and getting loads of good reviews, including in today's Metro.

Flesh & Buns is part of Bone Daddies - a trendy ramen bar on Peter Street (W1F 0AR). It refers to itself as an Izakaya (according to Wikipedia) - a Japanese drinking establishment that also serves food.

We had the braised pork belly with mustard miso and pickled apple and the crispy duck leg with sour plum soy and turnip pickle. Each came with two steamed buns, lettuce, cucumber, sauce and pickle. There was so much meat that we ordered two more buns. It's certainly not cheap (£14) but was very yummy! And it's fun to prepare your own buns :-)

duck leg in the front, pork at the back

delicious chicken yakitori

Limbo, tacos and the lights of the City

London Wonderground is a festival that took place for the first time last year and is currently running near the Southbank Centre (near the London Eye) until 29 September. As part of the festival, I went to see Limbo in the Spiegeltent. Difficult to really describe what the show is about - acrobatic and magic and dance and music and fire-eating (is that actually a word? It is according to my trusted online dictionary...). All performed by a small group of sexy men and women. Very sexy... Six packs and tattoos (I still want more!) and tight outfits... Out tickets cost £20 for seats in the stalls. It's quite a small and intimate venue and you basically have good views from anywhere and are quite close to the action.

In addition to the show, they have bars around. You can sit and sip your drinks in wooden bumper cars just outside the Spiegeltent. Once you are there, also check out the various installations around the Southbank Centre - including some wheelbarrows and flower arrangements. By the looks of it, it's quite comfortable to sit in them (the wheelbarrows - not the flowers)!

After the show (it lasts 1h15), we enjoyed the fantastic views over London from the balcony at the Centre. It's one of my favourite spots in London! And one of the places where I'm always hit by the realization: F*ck, I actually live in this city!!! We then had a bite at Wahaca. It was only about 21:30, but they were about to close, which meant that we got very generous helpings. The vegetarian tacos were yummy and at less than £4 a right bargain!

It's in the detail!

In addition to serving us amazing food, I also loved the art everywhere in the Penha Longa Hotel. Everywhere in the corridors you find pieces of art. I loved the chest of drawers with books, flowers and picture frames. It's these touches that make a hotel stand out for me. Especially as I go to see so many places. And at the end of the day, a hotel room is a hotel room. But I guess that is also what makes a 5* hotel stand out from a 4* hotel.

And still more food

On our last night (ok, it was also only our second night in Lisbon) we had dinner at the very elegant restaurant Eleven. With its floor to ceiling glass windows, it overlooks the city and the Eduard VII Park. Joachim Koerper (yes, he is German!) is chef at the restaurant and from the overall five Michelin stars he has already been awarded, one has been awarded to this place (mental note: this is the second Michelin starred restaurant I have had the pleasure in eating at).

Beautifully presented and seriously delicious!

Our last lunch was served at the Restaurant Terraco, part of the Hotel Tivoli. Especially the dessert was very yummy! As the name indicates, the restaurant has a great terrace with views over the city and the sea. A perfect place for receptions or just to chill out on a summer's day!

And yes, there is still more! (pictures of Lisbon)

We visited the Colares Wine Cellars for a wine tasting (I stuck with the great cheese and fruit skewers) and a show round their beautiful venue. Their wine cellar offers a more traditional setting for receptions and dinners, with the wooden barrels lining both sides of the room and the candelabras. In the reception area, the rooms are very modern, all in grey colours.

And some more pictures from Lisbon

The Monserrate Palace is located outside of Lisbon, near Sintra. It was built in 1851 for an English millionaire. The Palace has some stunning rooms with amazing decoration. And is surrounded by a large park. Take good walking shoes, as it is quite a way to get down the slopes to the palace! Unless you get chauffeured in one of their carts (very cool for us chosen ones who managed to get a seat and therefore didn't have to climb back up to the bus!)

Lisbon in pictures

The National Palace of Ajuda - also known as the 'Unfinished Palace'- was used as the Royal Palace after the earthquake that destroyed Lisbon in 1755. Nowadays it is used for all official ceremonies and dinners offered by the President of of the Republic.
At the moment, Joana Vasconcelos, a Portuguese artist, is exhibiting her work at the Palace. The contrast between her modern art (which includes a chandelier made of tampons, massive high heels made of pots and a moving sculpture made of red plastic cutlery) and the grandeur of the palace makes the exhibition so special:

Weird and slightly scary taxi ride at 5am

In order to get to Heathrow on time for my flight to Lisbon last Friday, I had to take a taxi. I had to be at the airport for 6:30am, so I told the taxi company that I needed to be there for 6:15am to be on the safe side and the company recommended leaving at 5am... Not a good time of day for me! One of the advantages of taking a taxi though - I thought - would be to be able to sleep in the back of the car - rather than having to change the tube etc.

It all started at 5:05am. Taxi driver turns out to be Mr Chatty. Not a good start at all. Getting worse when he starts driving like an asshole...tailgating and trying to push cars out of his way. On a street where even I know (and I don't drive a lot in London) that there are speed cameras!

Then he proceeds to stop at a petrol station. I was slightly stunned and was wondering whether this is seriously normal practice. When they calculated how long it'll take to get to the airport, did they factor in petrol station breaks???? But that still wasn't the worst: when he returned (and by then I had closed my eyes, hoping he'd take the hint and leave me alone!), he bursts into the taxi: 'Do you know what just happened???!'
Hm, clearly not, cause I wasn't there...

He claimed that he had gotten petrol for £10 (and again: WTF??? Why do you stop to get petrol for a tenner with a passenger in the car?!) but had been charged £20. So, he had argued with the guy and challenged him to a fight (I'm not kidding, this happened!). Also, this was not the first time that they had tried to screw him over. The other day, he had paid a £20 invoice with a £50 note. And the guy didn't give him his change back. And he called him a thief....

He then found out that I am from Germany - and what a pleasant surprise to hear that he had moved from Ghana to Germany, where he played football before he then moved to the UK, as Germany (at the time in the early 90s) was very racist (his words).

This is when I thought I better put a stop to this. So, I told him that I was rather tired and asked him whether it might be possible for him to just let me sleep. 'Of course, darling!' He did shut up, but increased the volume of the radio. How very thoughtful!

Last but not least - as he kept driving like a lunatic - I arrived at the airport at 5:55. Great stuff. I would certainly preferred to stay in bed a bit longer...

And another win!

Brighton 2 - Burnley 0

Just did it!

I unsteadily meander between procrastination, careful planning and impulsive decision-making. And about three weeks ago, I took a decision that was probably a mix of all three.

For the last few years, I have been considering the idea of getting a tattoo. And I kept going from total excitement to being terrified to dismissing it as a completely stupid idea and waste of money. It then ended up on my 2012 list of things to do - but various things happened last year, that meant it falling of my agenda again.

In early August, I finally went to Haunted Tattoos (recommended by one of my colleagues) on Holloway Road in Islington. You don't have to make appointments and can just walk in to discuss your ideas. So, I did just that. Made an appointment for today, paid a deposit and left super excited!

And what can I say: I did it! And it was an amazing experience and I am still really excited! The pain was totally bearable. It took about an hour and there were literally just a couple of minutes when it was VERY painful - but still not so painful that he had to stop.

The tattoo design is by Emanuel De Sousa, who is not only a tattoo artist but also a painter - and painted dozens of birds for me to pick from.

And here it is:

underneath my collarbone - in case you are wondering...

Dear Reader

A monkey song - what could be better?!

A dream within a dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!

And, in parting from you now,

Thus much let me avow-

You are not wrong, who deem

That my days have been a dream;

Yet if hope has flown away

In a night, or in a day,

In a vision, or in none,

Is it therefore the less gone?

All that we see or seem

Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep- while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

Edgar Allan Poe

Faster!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the highlights of the trip was the speed boat ride. I've been meaning to go on the speed boat on the Thames, but still haven't gotten round to it. Since seeing it on the itinerary, this was the one thing I was most looking forward to - and I was not disappointed. Only that I could have stayed on for much longer!

The boat ride took us from Cascais Marina back to Lisbon and on the way we stopped at the various sites you can see along the coast. People sitting on the left side of the boat, and especially the girl at the back, got pretty soaked - but I was luckily sitting on the right side and just enjoyed the fast and bumpy ride. There was a lot of screaming going on - primarily begging to go faster!!!

Jeronimos Monastery

Classified as Unesco World Heritage Site, Jeronimos Monastery is one of the symbols of Lisbon. Such a beautiful building! We unfortunately only had time for a very quick tour. As we were then heading off to taste the famous Pasteis de Belem:

Portuguese custard tarts, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and served warm

Where to start? Food!!!

I'm looking at my Lisbon photos and don't know where to start! And how to capture the awesomeness of the whole experience! Well, food is always a good one. And the food - without any exception - was sensational!

At the Penha Longa Hotel (which is part of the Ritz Carlton group), we were treated to lunch in the Restaurant Arola. I unfortunately didn't take any photos of the restaurant itself, which is a pity, as I loved the cool, modern, white design. All very stylish! With outside dining space overlooking their golf course.

From left to right:

scallops - bread with a crab paste - tuna tomato salad

pork carpaccio - potatoes filled with a tomato sauce and topped with mayonnaise - eggplants

chilli prawns - fried artichokes - rice pudding with cinnamon and topped with rice crispies and a rhubarb filled meringue

And because all the tapas weren't enough, we also had a main course (before the rice pudding of course - which was amazing and the rice crispie topping was surprisingly delicious!):

Ms Mr

I present to you: Leo

One of our officers has a new dog. Very tragically, his previous dog Sam, got shot by a farmer as he over-enthusiastically went after some sheep...

Last week, our office got invited to meet puppy Leo. He's only 4 months old - but already quite big! And wild! He was jumping around, and with his long and lanky legs, he looked a bit like bambi, stumbling about and running around. Super cute! Even though I think I preferred the two cats and long-term the dog would be a bit too active for my liking...

It was difficult to get a photo as he kept moving!

P.S.:

Just to explain:

* I have completely fallen in love with the wonderful creature that is the sea dragon which I got to admire at the Aquarium in Lisbon. They look so weird and fantastical and awesome! I'm afraid I don't have a photo - but google them!

* Turns out that I have a doppelganger in Indonesia! The resemblance is seriously spooky. And apparently, not only do we look alike, but we also have similar behaviours. Hopefully I'll get to meet her one day!

* Amongst the many different and delicious Portuguese specialties, we of course also got to taste the yummy custard tarts. I shall be searching for them in London - surely there is a Portuguese restaurant that offers them!

* and much more still to come :-)

Sea dragons, doppelganger, custard tarts and so much more

Three incredible days in lovely Lisbon! And it was absolutely AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!! We had a packed programme and there is still so much that we didn't manage to see. So, I'll definitely be back.

But more importantly, in addition to all the tourist attractions, the sea and the beach, venues and incredibly delicious food, I met some lovely, lovely people! (and yes, that certainly includes you, Ms SL ;-) and it of course also include the lovely Ms AD, who I had already met previously)

Unfortunately, our flight back was delayed by an hour, which meant that we missed the last connecting tube. Which meant frantically trying to work out which Piccadilly line stop to get a taxi from... And despite nearly six hours of sleep last night, the weekend sleep deprivation really showed today. I haven't been this tired for a while and felt like I was sleep-walking through my day. Didn't help either that the Northern Line was suspended just when I had to get to a meeting. Which meant that I arrived 30 minutes late, lunch wasn't being served anymore and I actually still haven't eaten anything until now. I really need to stock up my fridge!

strong winds and no time for a swim - but at least I got to dip my toes into the sea
which is mandatory really!

I <heart> Lisboa - and the sound of the Portuguese language

Peace and quiet in the city

The Regent's Canal runs from Paddington in the west to the Limehouse Basin and the Thames in the east. It's 13.8 kilometres (8.6 miles) long. Part of it runs through Islington, just a short walk from my office. And still, I've hardly ever been walking along there. The other day, when it was still pleasantly warm when I left the office and I had some time to kill, I sat on one of the benches. It's really peaceful and except for very few joggers, cyclists and walkers, there aren't many people about.

Unfortunately, I suddenly noticed a big fat rat just a few metres from me. It was seriously massive! And that kind of destroyed my idyllic daydreaming...

Pretty, unaffordable houses in the background and houseboats on the canal.
I've always fancied living on one. At least for a while.

Glass ceilings

Real, not metaphorical.
This week I had the pleasure of attending a business meeting at the Gherkin. While I am still undecided what to think about the exterior, the views from the top are seriously stunning! For a change, I walked most of the way and thought that I really should walk more! Not (only) for the health benefits but also to really see the city I live in. Especially in the City, you find such an eclectic mix of old and new, right next to each other.

Some facts:

• while the building is known as the Gherkin, it's actually called 30 St Mary Axe and stands on a street called St Mary Axe
• unfortunately the bar and restaurants are only open to tenants/members and their guests
• it has 41 floors and is 180m tall 
• each floor rotates 5° from the one below
• there is only one piece of curved glass - the lens at the top of the building

My photos are rather crap (as usual), so check out their website instead.

Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, the Shard, St. Pauls, Heron Tower - to name a few

In search of good cake

... I ended up at Patisserie Valerie in Covent Garden last weekend. Many a times, have I stood gazing longingly at their selection of scrumptious cakes and always decided that not having one of their creamy, calorie-laden pieces of heaven would be the better choice. With most coffee places being completely packed on a Saturday afternoon, I finally gave into temptation.

And unfortunately, I was disappointed. I picked the classic (and predictably German) black forest gateau. First of all, if I eat inside a cafe, I think they could make the effort to remove the plastic from my cake. Secondly, there were hardly any cherries and last but not least the cream didn't taste very fresh at all. Turns out that I didn't really miss very much all the times when I decided to walk past.

The search continues.

look at the sad, lonely cherry!

chocolate mouse gateau (which I didn't get to try!)

In the forgotten depth of my ipod

To be honest my ipod isn't very deep at all... But still once in a while I come across a song or album I've totally forgotten I have on there.

Following the sad death of Cory Monteith, I came across the Glee album (I'm not even a fan of the series... even though I do like Will Schuster!) and this song:

Unusual interpretation of 'relaxation room'

I've recently noticed that I am beginning to lose track of the vouchers I buy on Time Out and Amazon local... So, before buying any more, I've wisely decided to use the ones I already bought first. Pretty logical, isn't it?

This week, I went to Amber Beauty at the Park Plaza Victoria hotel (btw, have I already mentioned that Victoria is currently a big fat building site? CRAZY!). For just £29, I got a 55 minute massage and was invited to use the hotel's spa facilities. The spa consists of a steam room, a sauna and the aforementioned relaxation room. As I still had to finish the book for my book club meeting, I had planned to lounge in the relaxation room before the massage.

Well, the relaxation room wasn't that relaxation-inducing as hoped. It was only partitioned off the hotel gym by a glass wall and there were just some wicker chairs to sit on. It was super noisy, with all the treadmill and other fitness machines, gym-pumping music in the background. This is also the area to relax when coming out of the sauna and steam room, by the way.

But apart from this not so comfortable start to my relaxing evening, the massage itself war really good. Just the right amount of pressure (admittedly bordering on the painful, but then it is always worth it, given how tensed up my shoulders get sitting hunched at my desk) and I've learned that using knuckles for massaging feels very pleasant. Especially on (my) feet.

Experience the Zetter fabulousness

The Zetter awesomeness comes in form of their hotel, townhouse and bistro. All of them just a 10 minute walk from my office (so many places still to check out!) on Clerkenwell Road, near Farringdon station. Mid-price range for London standards, it's one of these places that come with loads of character and quirky and lovely details. There is so much to discover! The hotel rooms have recently been renovated and offer everything you need. The Zetter townhouse offers 13 equally quirky and awesome bedrooms and a cocktail lounge, famous for cocktails mixed by Tony Conigliaro.

Check out their website for more photos.

The Atrium bar linking the hotel with the bistro

I love the carpet

Chilling out in style

Simply Ryan

He is everywhere at the moment. Smiling down at me in all his perfectness. Just after I had mentioned the film to a friend, I saw the posters all around me. And I just had to see 'Only God forgives' as soon as possible. How great that the Tricycle cinema, Kilburn, was showing the film at a bargain price of £6.00!

I made a point of not reading any reviews and I only very vaguely knew what the film was about. I'm not usually keen on watching violent films, but I really, really liked it. Well, despite the strong violence, I should say. For all the really gory scenes, I was only peaking through my fingers. And there were a couple of scenes, where I did close my eyes. Which prompted my friend to laugh about me. Which in turn made me think she is a little weird - laughing out loud at those scenes!!!

Anyhow, great cinematography, creating an amazing atmosphere. With the added bonus of lots of close ups of lovely Ryan. I don't usually say this: but I would go and watch it again!

Decisions, decisions, decisions!

Entscheiden. Eine Ausstellung ueber das Leben im Supermarkt der Moeglichkeiten. 
Deciding. An exhibition about life in the supermarket of possibilities.

This exhibition is currently hosted in the Zeughaus Lenzburg in Switzerland (extended to 30 November 2013). It's all about decision-making, how personal freedom, societal responsibility, coincidence and fate interact in our decision-making processes. Throughout the exhibition, visitors can make choices and at the check-out at the end of it (supermarket - check out - get it?), they will get their personal receipt with advice which might help with future decision-making.

Very interesting subject. Unfortunately, I doubt that I will be going to Switzerland anytime soon. How very lucky then that my darling sister surprised me by sending me the magazine accompanying the exhibition.

I love getting post and even more so when it's a completely unexpected surprise! (I guess that's part of the definition of a surprise? Being unexpected...)

I am hoping for some good advice on turning my decision-making dilemmas around!

Things can (surely) only get better

The Bundesliga season started this weekend. And Frankfurt lost 6:1 away against Hertha. Meaning they are bottom of the league and helped Hertha to start the season top of the league. Great start for Hertha, having just been promoted back to the Bundesliga.

And Brighton lost their first home game against Derby 1:2. Going into the lead early, seems to be a bad omen for them.

Travis is back

This is one of the songs that was played everywhere during my university years - so many memories of singing along to it in Hull's finest clubs... (hahahahaha)

(amazing video, amazing atmosphere and man, Fran is fit!!! And that Glaswegian accent...)

Wikipedia says: 'Travis are a Scottish post-Britpop alternative rock band formed in Glasgow in 1990.' Their last album was published in 2008 - when they decided to take a break in order to become stay at home Dads and look after their kids. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww :-)

And now - five years later - their new album is about to be released (19th August).

Pimps, whores, drugs and Tchaikovsky

For seven performances only, Fredrik Rydman's take on the Swan Lake can be seen at the Coliseum in London. In Swan Lake Reloaded the sorcerer Rothbart is a pimp and the swans are his drug-addicted prostitutes. Tchaikovsky's original music is mixed with Swedish pop and there are isn't much traditional ballet to be seen. Without an interval, it goes on for 1.5 hours and it's great!

It has been very successful in Sweden and Germany and seemed to have been popular in London, too. The stage design is quirky, and they have some cool effects for example at the start when smoke is coming from Rothbart's hands (check out the youtube video). I found it very entertaining and enjoyable, while at the same time, some of it seems a bit random.

I got my tickets through Time Out, discounted from £50 to £25 - and I don't think I would pay £50 to see it. If you expect more classical ballet elements, you'd certainly be disappointed. And I also think there are other better modern dance shows about, but overall, still a good day out.

The happy page

Last Lemon is the creative studio of Lisa Swerling & Ralph Lazar - creators of Harold's Planet. They are currently running a project on happiness. Tell them what makes you happy, and every hour they show one of the quotes they received with their illustrations on their happy page on Facebook.

Browns Brownies

The summer has been pretty amazing so far - for UK standards at least. It's not unbearably hot anymore (and certainly not beach weather), it's just perfect and when leaving work, it's still nice and warm - great for sitting outside.

I was on my way home, racking my brain on what to have for dinner - really not in the mood for cooking - when I got a text from a friend. So, we ended up having dinner at Browns at West India Quay. The whole area (just one stop before Canary Wharf on the DLR) is full of bars and restaurants - most of them parts of chains though, which gives it quite a corporate feel. Maybe as well as it's primarily frequented by the suit wearing city workers who work in Canary Wharf. And I am assuming it's pretty deserted on weekends.

Food was ok, and even though we spent hours there, nobody was pestering us to order more drinks. Well, to the point that we had to wait for our bill for quite a while... Overall, an ok place with an extensive cocktail menu and brownies to die for!

Pimm's, pork belly, teriyaki trout, divine dark chocolate brownie with pistachio ice cream

The world is amazing!

Saw the advert for the first time at the cinema last week.
And totally agree:  Let's all be more dog!

Karpo-licious

I find choosing a restaurant always a gamble. You usually find good and bad reviews for the same place - so, you risk finding out that the bad reviews were closer to the truth after all. So, I was a little apprehensive when booking a table at Karpo. They offer 'modern, Anglo-Italian' food and are situated right opposite King's Cross station.

I was very positively surprised! Decoration is quite quirky and as it was (surprisingly) empty, it was pleasantly quiet (I hate when restaurants get super noisy and you basically have to shout at each other - for some reason that seems the norm in most places in London though...). Service was quick and friendly and the food was delicious! Maybe not the biggest of portions but beautifully presented and seriously yummy. It is definitely going on my list of go-to places!

Salmon and scallops for starters; lamb for main (with an invisible side of crispy potatoes) and Affogato for dessert

How it all began

A couple of weeks ago, I (voluntarily - crazy, hm?!) looked after my cousin's two daughters (8 and 9 years old). They really are two very well behaved, sweet and nice girls - but man, it was exhausting! And I only did it for two days... On the other hand, it provided me with the perfect excuse to go and see Monsters University.

I loved Monsters Inc, so had high hopes for this. The latest sequel tells the story on how it all started, how Mike and Sullivan met at Monsters University. We watched it in 3D, but I was rather disappointed, as I really didn't think the 3D effects were worth mentioning. Some of the trailers before the film had better 3D effects! Overall, the first half of the film really dragged on. The second half got better and there were some funny and some touching moments. But for me it certainly didn't reach the standard of the first movie.

Why it's important to sleep at night

Because if you don't, you tend to get really tired the next day.
And if you have to work, that's not ideal. At all.
Pretty obvious!

Tooth growing cocks

The Royal College of Surgeons of England  (RCSE) were hosting an Open Day last week. They have a number of lecture and meeting rooms available as well as their library, the Hunterian Museum and a great Hall for social events including receptions, dinners and weddings.

With grand staircases and lots of wood paneling and at the same time, high class AV, it's a great venue. They will open their doors as part of the Open House London weekend (21-22 September).

The Hunterian Museum of Anatomical wonders is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm and best of all admission is free! We just had a quick walk through, but if you are into that kind of stuff, I would strongly recommend a visit! They have a lot of exhibits on display. Such as a cock's head, with a tooth growing out of it....

They also have the skeleton of the then tallest man in Britain, who was 2.33m. The poor man had paid a ship's captain to ensure that nobody would experiment with his dead body and died in the belief that he would get buried at sea. John Hunter (1728-1793) managed to get his body anyway though. And thus it is still on display today! A lady who was also visiting exclaimed just how tall this man had been in his time. I said I thought, he would have been regarded as very tall even nowadays! To which she replied that it was much more special back then. I restrained myself from asking how many people she knows who are 2.33m tall...

Not surprisingly, the world of surgery is still very much dominated by men. And up to this day the RCSE has never had a female president. In order to celebrate female surgeons, they have portraits of six successful female surgeons outside their lecture halls and a painting in one of the lecture halls with a number of female surgeons. The painting also includes James Barry - born Margaret Ann Bulkley. She pretended to be a man all her live and otherwise wouldn't have been able to study medicine at the time.

Just one example of their wedding table decorations

And lots of pink!

The Little Nail Room

For the past four years or so, I've been wearing nail polish most (99%) days. Other than painting my nails (which I always do myself), I don't really have a routine to look after my nails and hands though. During winter, I try to regularly use a hand cream but only before I go to bed as I hate the feeling of freshly creamed hands. I do have cuticle creams and oils but somehow always forget to use them...

Thanks to another Time Out Voucher, I treated myself to a Deluxe Manicure at The Little Nail Room in Islington, about a 10 minute walk from Angel tube station. Instead of the regular price of £35, I only paid £16. It included the following:

• A replenishing hand soap
• Deep cleansing
• Nail shaping
• Cuticle work (cuticle trimming and tidying)
• Exfoliation (to give radiance back into hands and ensure to high quality mask is fully absorbed)
• Half arm massage
• Hot towel treatment
• High quality hand mask
• Hot glove treatment (again to ensure the mask is fully absorbed)

I was there for about 50 minutes - of which I spent 15 minutes with my hands underneath a dryer for the nail polish to dry. While they did all of the above, the half arm massage was really a hand massage and lasted about 3 minutes. Equally, the hot towel treatment consisted of her removing the cream she had put on with a hot towel. I wouldn't quite call that a treatment.

I was rather disappointed and glad that I didn't pay the full price for this. As I don't have any experiences with manicures, I am not able to say whether this is 'normal' or not, but I have decided it's not worth it for me. The nail polish looks ok, but I would have probably added a third coat, and it doesn't look any better than when I do it myself.

On the upside, it was still a nice Monday-after-work treat, my hands do feel very soft and the Little Nail Room is really cutely decorated.

Of course I picked pink! essie - castaway

7 Ways To Live An Empowered Life

From the Woman and Home website*:

1) Be more forgiving

2) Surround yourself with good friends

3) Be grateful - every day

4) Be compassionate

5) Look after yourself

6) Laugh often

7) Learn to reflect

Not exactly rocket science, but sometimes I need to be reminded even about the obvious things.
What also helps me is to put things into perspective (probably fits in with no. 7). Sometimes just stepping back from a situation helps to see that things aren't as terrible as they appear.

* Which has a little paragraph on each of those, too. 
And don't ask why I receive the Woman and Home newsletter - my best guess is, that I entered one of their competitions at one point. I've never bought the magazine in my life!

KKDD - Krispy Kreme Donuts Delights

Coconut Ice, Apple Pie, Chocolate Custard

There is a Krispy Kreme shop in Westfield Shopping Centre and it's a constant battle to walk past it. And honestly, I am rather good at not giving in to temptation. Not least, as there is usually a long queue and I can't be asked... But on Friday, I treated myself and bought these three beauties. All three were delicious - the Chocolate Custard (chocolate covered with vanilla custard) maybe marginally ahead of the others.

When the outside world is whizzing past

Courtesy of East Coast trains, I enjoyed my train journey up to (and from) York in first class. I had only ever traveled first class on a commuter train - where quite frankly there isn't much difference to second class, other than that you pretty much have a seat guaranteed (which is quite a bonus during rush hour!). I therefore hadn't realized that you get free food and drinks throughout your journey. Not sure it's worth paying a first class price for it but it was certainly a very pleasant experience.

Breakfast - and it wasn't bad at all!

Comfy and reclining seat
(and the coffee I needn't have bought before the trip)

A lovely day  - photos taken from the train on the journey back to London

York (not New York)

After my 'glamorous' trips to Nice and Paris, people seem to immediately think of New York, when I mention my other city trip to York. It feels a bit like an anti-climax... BUT, I would totally recommend exploring this beautiful little town up north.

Equipped with a VIP pass, I tried to cram in as many tourist attractions as possible. And York has many to offer!

York Boat
I went on an hour long boat tour. You can't go wrong with a boat tour in my opinion and the guide was providing lots of fun facts about the city. All of which I have of course forgotten...

York Open Bus Tour
You can hop on and off at the various stops and can listen to an audio guide in different languages. Perfect for people lazy as me (and I also didn't pack the right shoes for walking! Turns out they are perfect for walking in carpeted exhibition halls for work, but not to comfy on the street).

York's Chocolate Story
An interesting guided tour, including chocolate tasting, making and decorating your own chocolate lollipop, a praline making demonstration. Some of it is more targeted at kids, but I still found it really fun.
Did you know that in Japan more than 200 different KitKat flavors have been launched, a lot of them savoury (e.g. soy sauce, wasabi and chili)? And before Terry introduced Terry's Orange Chocolate, they had launched Terry's Apple Chocolate. It's a pity they don't produce them anymore, I would love to taste it!

Clifford's Tower 
Once you've climbed the steep steps up to the tower, you get great views over the city. On the other hand, there isn't all that much to see, apart from the Minster - which you can see from anywhere anyway.

Fairfax House
A beautiful Georgian townhouse. Volunteers are on hand in each room to tell you more about the history.

Museum Gardens 
Beautiful on a sunny day. You can find the ruins of St Mary's Abbey here. 

York Minster
Recommended by a local, I attended the Evensong (at 17:15 during the week). Also means you get into the Minster for free. Certainly an impressive church!

National Railway Museum
Free entrance. Lots of trains on display and a different venue for dinners and receptions. I also just missed out on Prince Charles who had popped by earlier in the day...

Inside of Clifford's Tower

Outside of Clifford's Tower

York Minster

Queen Victoria was certainly traveling in style back in the days

St Mary's Abbey in the Museum Garden

Serious LOLs

I don't usually watch comedies like this in the cinema. Well, to be honest, I don't go to the cinema very often at all. Which also explains why I only just used the Odeon vouchers I got over a year ago yesterday ...

The preview of The Heat made me laugh out loud - and I was wondering whether the preview is showing all the comical moments and the rest of the film might be pants. But fortunately, the film did not disappoint: I really was laughing out loud for most of the film.

And as an added bonus, when we came out of the cinema (predictably and pleasantly empty - matinees really are the best!), the sun had reappeared, the rain had stopped, and we enjoyed a picnic in nearby Hyde Park.

The season has started!

And the NPower Championship is now the Sky Bet Championship.

The whole kerfuffle around Gus Poyet's suspension and then sacking as Brighton's manager has unfortunately tainted the start of the new season. Not least as Gus seems to be getting ready to take the Club to court over his sacking. So, this story is likely to continue for a while...

In any case, the boys kicked off the season in an away game at Leeds today. And despite going into the lead early on, Leeds managed to win 2:1 with a late goal. Maybe this is a good omen: after all the Seagulls started really well in the last two seasons, but weren't able to continue winning games later on (having said, it was of course a great achievement to get into the play offs last season!).

The sales - shopping in English

Once I start, it's hard to stop...

I like to think that I go through phases of shopping till I drop and then phases of not buying anything at all. While my wardrobe seems to be getting smaller and smaller (yes, that probably is just an illusion...), I haven't yet reached the point of not being able to stuff a few more things inside. Also, it might be a good idea, to get rid some of the clothes that I never wear... But that's another (long) story.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the good shopping facilities in York. And as the sales were still on, these are of course all real bargains! Black is the colour! :-)

On sale at mango

H&M - not on sale, but still bargains :-)

Miss Selfridge sales - counterbalancing the darkness :-)