Arriving in Toledo felt like we were in a completely different world in comparison to the hustle and bustle of Madrid. The city was declared a World Heritage site in recognition of its uniqueness in 1987. In the past, the city was host to Christian, Hebrew and Islamic culture which is quite unheard of in Europe. The architecture reflects this, and when walking around the city we passed Mosques, Gothic churches, Roman structures, Synagogues and a Renaissance Palace.

Cathedral of Toledo.

The Puerta de Bisagra, city gate into Toledo.

….hanging in the gift shop.

I’m sorry I couldn’t caption each of the photos I took but I’m not too sure what each of the buildings were. I’m sure you can appreciate their beauty nonetheless.

Mercado de San Miguel – Food Market

The market hall Maercado de San Miguel is one of my favourite foodie experience from Europe. Situated right near Plaza Mayor and about 15 minutes from our hostel, we visited on our first night in Madrid and one morning for breakfast. The hall is filled with a variety of produce from fish, pastries, pasta, sweets, fruits and vegetables. During the day there is more of a market feel with locals buying produce and stopping off for lunch and a stream of toursits passing through to try little bites from each of the different stores. At night the place packs out and the atmosphere shifts to focus on small tapas meals enjoyed alongside a beer, sangria or wine.

Steel tables and stools are situated throughout the hall to stop off at and enjoy your purchases.

A lot of the stalls sell small tapas/pintxos which you buy per piece. Ana and I grabbed a few to share but we had to get two pieces of the one on the right. Inside the crunchy exterior was a whole lot of pulled pork seasoned perfectly. Not my typical breakfast but it went down so well.

Inside shot..

Jamon Jamon Jamon!

The left was Caramelised Onion & Cheese with the piece on the right resembling a Caesar Salad.

Although early, Ana orders a glass of the White Wine Sangria to try.

I picked up a sweet orange juice at the fruit store to enjoy after our savoury breakfast.

Mercado de San Miguel

Plaza San Miguel, Madrid, Spain

Ph: +34 915 42 49 36

Web: http://www.mercadodesanmiguel.es/

The Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas is a famous bullring in Madrid and holds bull fights every Sunday between the months of March and December. With a group from the hostel, we all headed down to view this cultural event that has been a national passion in Spain for many years.

The bull fighter costumes (matador) were beautifully detailed, with the bull fighters themselves being seen as superstars in Madrid.

The whole event was quite confronting and brutal, definitely not something to watch if you have a weak stomach. I felt really sorry for the horses in the above picture as they were blindfolded so they couldn’t see the bull running at them.

Hide me!

Each of the colourful capes distract the bull, whilst the main bullfighter tries to stab it. They keep going until the bull is too weak from the stab wounds and dies on the dirt, at which point horses come out and drag the bull out of the ring. I’m glad I got to experience the whole event (the locals get really into it), but I cant say I would be willing to go and watch it again.

Las Ventas 

Web: http://www.las-ventas.com/

Street performers near the Puerto del Sol…their setup was extremely impressive. Im still questioning how?

We grabbed this meal for lunch one day whilst we waited for our clothes to wash at the local laundromat. The plate consisted of Fresh Red Tomatoes with Jamon, Salty Cheese, Pesto and garnished in Dried Herbs. So flavoursome and the perfect meal with a bit of crispy bread on the side.

These last two photos were snapped on the same street whilst walking to dinner one night. My first name….

…and very close to my last name. Coincidental!

I hope I have overloaded you with my love of Madrid and can hopefully convince you to visit one day. After travelling through Greece, Italy and Spain I have found my second, third and fourth homes. Can not wait to go back and explore more.

Enjoy your Saturday night amigos, I’m off to get ready and head out.

xxx

Plaza Mayor, a popular square in central Madrid surrounded on all four sides by residential housing.

Outside the Philip IV monument in Plaza de Oriente.

The Royal Chapel.

Royal Palace of Madrid.

Inside the Palace…I snapped one photo before being scolded by security. No photos in the palace!

Estado Puro - Plaza Cánovas del Castillo

Walking past Estado Puro on our first day in Madrid, we ensured that we would make it back one day for lunch. The menu focuses on traditional tapas with a modern twist.

Piperrada - Roasted Vegetables with Tuna Belly Steak.

Tiger Mussel Croquettes sold per piece.

My favourite, the Mozzarella, Iberian Ham and Porcini Mushroom on Toast.

Iberian Pork Shoulder with Chimichurri Sauce…You will notice that meat was a big part of our diet whilst in Madrid.

Modern take on Patatas Bravas. Roasted potatoes filled with spicy sauce and a dollop of mayonnaise.

Estado Puro 

Plaza Cánovas del Castillo, 4, 28014 Madrid

Ph: +34 91 330 2400

Web:  http://tapasenestadopuro.com/

Chocolateria San Gines - Pasadizo San Ginés

Love chocolate?

Then Chocolateria San Gines is definitely on your to do list. The place has been open for over a hundred years….

They serve thick drinkable/dunkable Chocolate in cups….

With long sticks of fried dough (Churros).

Who wouldn’t want to involve themselves with this!

Chocolateria San Gines

Pasadizo de San Ginés, 5, 28013, Madrid.

Ph: +34 91 365 6546

Web: http://www.chocolateriasangines.com

Our days were spent with glasses of Sangria….anytime and everyday is the perfect moment to stop off for a drink.

People watching.

Museo del Jamon

The Museo del Jamon (Museum of Ham) became another popular hang out during our time in the city. The chain of cantina like delis are spread throughout the city and offer stand-at-the-counter type meals filled with many types of Jamon, Cheese, Tapas and Cerveza (beer).

Rockemlon and Jamon…a must order!

Salami and Cheese. 

Did I mention that the place is extremely cheap…this Bocadillo (roll served with some sort of meat) above and a Cerveza would only set you back about two euros!!

More Cheese.

Mini Bocadillo’s with Salami. 

You will most likely come across one of the Museo’s whilst exploring the streets of Madrid, with a few situated just off the Puerta del Sol (central square of Madrid, photos below). Definitely stop in and have a bite to eat at any time of the day or grab some Jamon from the deli to take away and enjoy at your own leisure.

Museo del Jamon

Locations are throughout Madrid. Check out their website below:

Web: http://www.museodeljamon.es/

Puerta del Sol is one of the most happening places as it signifies the central point of the city, with all major streets leading off from it. If you are looking for accommodation and need to know what to be near…this is your spot.

People everywhere…

I leave you with a night time shot of Plaza Mayor (day time shots at the beginning of this post)..Such a beautiful place to live.

After having a taste of Barcelona and Madrid I will definitely be visiting Spain again….next trip it’s straight to San Sebastian, the foodie capital. I will post part two Madrid in the next few days and share photos from our day trip to Toledo, the Mercado San Miguel (food markets) and my first & last experience at a bull fight.

Have a good weekend Amigos!

xxx

Caesar Salad.

Bocconcini, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Avocado, Spinach & Rocket Salad drizzled with my home made Balsamic Reduction.

Potato Salad.

Fresh Prawns.

Fresh Oysters.

BBQ Chicken Wings & Kokoretsi.

Lamb on the spit…MMMM

Lunch is served….

My pretty and organised plate for lunch.

Mixture of flowers from the garden and the florist.

Bunny Bells.

My Aunt’s beautiful dyed eggs in a basket filled wit Koulouria (Biscuits…FYI they go perfectly with a coffee) & Chocolate.

Annual Egg cracking competition.

Then it was time for something sweet….

Pavlova.

My Coconut, Chocolate and Mixed Berry Tart.

Chocolate Mousse Profiterole Cake from Pasticceria Papa in Haberfield.

Raspberry and Honeycomb Ice Cream Cake.

Galaktoboureko (Semolina Custard in Filo Pastry and drizzled in a Sugar Syrup).

St Honore Cake from Pattison’s.

Dessert is served….

I hope I haven’t made you all too hungry…

xxx

]]> http://mykikicake.com/cuisine/my-greek-easter-2013/feed/ 0 http://mykikicake.com/cuisine/my-greek-easter-2013/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MyKikiCake/~3/UU5pt5A8fqM/ http://mykikicake.com/reviews/reuben-hills-surry-hills/#comments Tue, 07 May 2013 06:49:38 +0000 Kiki http://mykikicake.com/?p=3852 I cant believe it is already May…this year is scarily flying past. As long as the cold winter months pass by quickly I’ll be happy when summer is upon us once again. I hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was spent with the family as it was Greek Easter on Sunday (photo post to come). I honestly believe I gained about 3kg in one day, so this week I am aiming to be super duper healthy (so far so good).  On Saturday morning the gang headed to Reuben Hills to check out this hyped up cafe for breakfast. I was super excited as breakfast was my first time playing with my new Sigma 30mm f1.4 lens. I really need to get a hang of my focusing skills though, some of these photos are a little whack.

Set on Albion Street in Surry Hills, the cafe looks quite small from the front but is actually a long premise with the whole back of the cafe opened by a revolving garage door which backs out to the lane behind. We got there pretty early (9.30am) and had about a 15 minute wait for a table of 5.

The coffee at Reuben was seriously amazing, and one of the best I have had in a long time. Upstairs from the cafe is the roastry where they are cooking up their own beans.

Green tea in a pretty tea cup.

If you have read anything about Reuben Hills, I am sure there was mention of their Salted Caramel Milkshakes. So sweet but so good.

The menu is a collection of items that are available to be ordered and eaten all day. The flavours and ingredients in the menu seem to mainly be South American inspired and cover a range of items from Brioche with Dulce de Leche, Really Fucking Great Fried Chicken, Crab Salad and a Doggs Breakfast? (salted caramel ice cream sandwich).

First choice..the Barley Porridge with Almond Milk, Rhubarb, Candied Pistachios and Hibiscus.

The Tradesmans Brioche with Fried Eggs, Jamon, Avocado & Relish.

Soft Baked Eggs with Jamon, Spinach, Ranchero & Rye Bread.

Soft Baked Eggs with Goats Curd, Spinach, Ranchero & Rye Bread for me. I was fasting (no meat) for Greek Easter, so this seemed like the perfect option for a vegetarian breakfast. Unfortunately the egg yolks were not runny as described, it still tasted good nonetheless with the Ranchero sauce having a nice kick of spice to it.

The other vegetarian option I was tossing up against…Avocado, Coriander & Lime on Sourdough Rye.

Nothing better then starting the weekend off with a nice breakfast. Looking back I should have not eaten all of Saturday to make up for the Easter Feasting that occurred on Sunday. Hope everyone had a good weekend…Easter photo post to come soon.

Adios Amigos xxx

Reuben Hills 

61 Albion Street, Surry Hills,  Sydney, 2010

Ph: 9211 5556

Web: http://reubenhills.com.au/

My summer day drink..Pear Cider & Ice.

The menu focuses on seafood but also includes all the standard pub like fare such as burgers, steaks and salad.

Above is the Salmon Cutlet with a Fennel, Radish and Citrus Salad.

The Watto Cheeseburger is gloriously oozing with the cheese and served on a brioche bun with extremely crunchy chips on the side.

My choice was the Roasted Pumpkin & Chickpea Salad with Spinach and Grilled Haloumi. It wasn’t the most amazing salad I’ve ever had but since I wasn’t in the mood for anything hot it did the job.

The Grilled Barramundi Fillet with a Cabbage & Parmesan Salad. I love the contrast of the green in the salad against the grilled fish skin and white plate.

A bucket of the crunchy Chips to share on the table.

Watsons Bay Hotel

1 Military Road (corner of Marine Parade), Watsons Bay, Sydney

Ph: 9337 5444

Web: http://watsonsbayhotel.com.au/

The rest of this post is made up of some of the photos I took up at the lookout after lunch. The ocean cliff is known as The Gap and sits on the eastern side of Watson’s Bay with views out to Manly, North Head and the Pacific Ocean.

I hope you all had a good weekend and made the most of the awesome weather. I spent my day down at Bondi Beach, with the atmosphere feeling like we were still in the midst of summer. I’m not complaining at all, summer is more then welcome to stay all year round.

Have a good week everyone xxx

Most important beverage of the day…the morning coffee!

Everyone loves a good breakfast and I was luckily dining with my two friends Isi and Alessia and my brother Damo. Between the four of us, there was plenty of food ordered and photos captured to share with you. Damo starts with a Berry Smoothie, which was so fruity and creamy that I end up drinking half of it.

The Kettle calling the Pot black type of morning.

Isi goes with the Chicken & Walnut sandwich on Grainy Bread.

…to make her order feel a little more like breakfast, she has some Bacon on the side.

Damo goes with the Big Butcher’s Breakfast which comes with eggs (cooked to how you please), bacon, mushrooms, black pudding, roast tomatoes, sausage and toasted bread.

Alessia has the Bircher Muesli filled with chopped nuts and oat goodness and then topped with poached fruit.

I couldn’t resist ordering the Scrambled Eggs on Toast with Smoked Salmon and Truffle Oil. Perfect combination of flavours!

Light, fluffy & creamy scrambled eggs. NOM

Butcher’s apron.

We have something sweet to finish off with our coffees..Creme Brulee anyone? I had the pleasure of doing the initial crack on the toffee layer.

Mini Bread & Butter Pudding with Custard. None of us had eaten a B&B pudding before but oh boy was it good, and so cute in size and shape, like a mini loaf of bread.

We loved everything about The Butcher’s Block…the atmosphere, wait staff, coffee, interior and most importantly the amazing food. Next time we will be sure to visit on a sunny day so we can enjoy the huge balcony out the back and also try out the lunch menu which looked just as enticing.

The Butcher’s Block 

15 Redleaf Ave, Wahroonga

Ph: 9487 8136

Web: Facebook Page

Have a fantastic weekend everyone xxx

We were quite possibly staying in the best location in Munich, right near Marienplatz which is the main square showed above. We booked a room through AirBNB which you can check out here. Our host Peter was awesome and told us some great places to eat at and things to see during our stay.

Marienplatz is the heart of the city of Munich and was previously used as a marketplace and space for festivals and activities. Nowadays it is skirted by cafes and shops with plenty of tourists coming to view the historic buildings and take photos.

The above image shows the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) and in front of that the Column of St Mary (Mariensaule).

Backspielhaus Cafe - Weltenburger Straße

 Although this post will show otherwise, we really did venture out and try different foodie places in Munich. One day we bought cheese and antipasto type stuff in the markets just near our apartment, two nights were spent at the local Beer Brewery type Gastro Pub where we devoured amazing Schnitzel, Goulash, Roast Duck and drank local Beer, we even had some really good mexican fajitas at a restaurant. But overall our favourite place had to be the Backspielhaus Cafe which was situated two minutes away from our apartment and where we spent three out of our four mornings in Munich.

One the non-rainy days we would sit outside and people watch. The whole menu was in German and the wait staff hardly spoke English, but something about this place reminded me of the cool cafes we get in Sydney. Maybe I was feeling slightly homesick (haha nah who am I kidding), but Munich and it’s cosmopolitan culture really struck similarities to back home.

Vegetable Omelette with Crispy Bacon…people need to start cooking bacon like this back home. Thinner rashers cooked for longer to get that ultimate crunch.

I had the most amazing Bircher Muesli served with freshly cut fruit.

We are big coffee drinkers…the cup indicates this perfectly!

On another morning Ana and I chose something that we weren’t entirely sure about…deciphering the menu as best as we could we made out that we were ordering a tasting plate breakfast type thing. We sat there patiently and anticipated what would be served in front of us. First out was the basket of bread with a variety of crunchy rolls to choose from.

A plate full of different Cured Meats from Spicy and Mild Salami, Smoked Ham, Prosciutto, Mini Salami pieces and Condiments.

And on top of all this came a side of perfectly cooked scrambled eggs. We definitely ordered the biggest breakfast item on the menu and took our time to get through it all. Our stomachs were set for a day of drinking as we headed off to the opening day of Oktoberfest.

The next day, nuring our hangovers (I drank over a litre of beer…I never drink beer) we ordered from the lunch menu since we had slept in. All I knew was that I needed something with carbs. My choice was this tasty Beef Burger & Coleslaw Salad being the perfect cure to any pain.

MMM look at that juicy meat.

Ana on the other hand opted for something fresh..and chose my favourite..the Nicoise Salad.

So there we have it, three different days of food from our favourite cafe in Munich….Well it was the only cafe we tried in Munich, but we were too worried that any other place wouldn’t live up to it’s standard so repetitive visits were a must.

Backspielhaus Cafe

Weltenburger Straße 6, Munich, Germany

Ph: +49 89 9287090

Web: http://www.backspielhaus.de/

Oktoberfest – Bavaria

Oh Oktoberfest…you brought out my hidden and inner beer loving self. This is the huge entranceway into the festival, and as you can see the place is packed. We visited on the two first days of the festival with most of the beer halls having a long line out the front to get a seat. We found it a lot easier to find a spot at one of the outside beer gardens.

I found a name that I recognised…

The outside beer gardens.

On the second night at Oktoberfest, we met up with Aimee and her boyfriend Albert who we know from home. We swapped and shared our travel stories over another one litre stein.

Getting through it…

A bit of dancing started to happen as the night progressed.

Ich liebe Dich Gingerbread to wear around our necks.

Our German friends who taught us all we needed to know about the festival…and when to down our drinks.

Once the festival ended we headed to Pacha Munich to kick on…the morning after was extremely painful.

If you’re able to time your travels to take in Oktoberfest then I definitely recommend it. The place was one big party and allowed us to see a totally different side to Germany and their love of beer. Over the two days that we visited the festival, I downed over two litres of beer (good effort)…I still can’t say that I really enjoy it though.

Web: http://www.oktoberfest.de/

The last few photos are ones that I took whilst walking the streets one afternoon. We headed off with no real destination in mind and came across some pretty cool things.

A man made river that runs through the park Englischer Garten has becoming a popular hangout for surfers and onlookers.

Lining up on either side, the surfers take turns in riding the waves of the river.

Pretty impressive stuff considering the narrow passage and the hard river banks on either side.

Black & White

Colour

I want to ride my bicycle

I want to ride my bike

I loved the the colour and tops of each of the towers. This building looked like it belonged in Morocco.

Tonight I leave you with the only German food photo that I took in Munich, which I can happily say sums up our five days spent there. A glass of beer and a crunchy yet doughy pretzel sprinkled with rocks of salt.

Auf Wiedersehen. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday night and happy short week everyone. My next post is from breakfast yesterday morning at the Butcher’s Block in Wahroonga.

xxx

Ps..Munich I fell in love with you…I will be back =D

Black & White

The 5 of us… professional punters!

In the late afternoon we were starving and thought it would be wise to grab some food before drinking any more. There was a variety of gourmet food tents and we chose Sammy & Bella’s Burger Tent (the girls from My Kitchen Rules…I have also seen their tent down at Bondi Markets). We all shared some Chilli Popcorn.

I went with the Veggy Burger which had a lentil, chickpea, quinoa patty, roasted beetroot, carrot and a tahini yoghurt.

Ana chose the Pulled Pork Bunless Burger which came with extra salad instead and Ranchero Salsa on the side.

We grabbed another bottle and continued on…time to put money down.

My bets for the day…three box trifectas for the main race with Black Caviar (Mavro Taramasalata).

I didn’t grab any pictures of the horses racing…but I did manage to capture a few of the police horses.

Isabelle’s rose.

Time to go….

Not too sure about this food store on the side of the road outside the racecourse.

Street side dancing.

We headed off into the night and continued on with the birthday celebrations.

Happy Birthday Ana Banana!

Have a fantastic week everyone, hope your weekend was as lovely as mine xxx

Today I share with you Berlin, which was our first stop in Germany before heading to Munich for Oktoberfest. The weather was steadily getting colder so a lot of my time was spent purchasing clothes for my new winter wardrobe. I left Sydney without even a pair of jeans and went a little crazy, but let’s just say my wardrobe is now set for this winter.

We booked a private room at Plus Hostel Berlin on Warschauer Platz which was situated right near the last 1.3km of the Berlin Wall. The wall is now titled the ‘East Side Gallery’ and has been turned into an international memorial for freedom and consists of 105 paintings from artists throughout the world. Below is a collection of my favourite shots.

Monsieur Vuong – Mitte

After searching for the best places to eat and checking out our Time Out Berlin app, Monsieur Vuong in Mitte was our choice for lunch. The place had positive reviews and we were both craving good Asian food which is pretty hard to find in Europe. We got there at the peak lunch hour with the place packed out with other hungry revellers.

The menu is full of a variety of drinks to order but only has a handful of food items with the rest of the food appearing on the daily specials board. We order a blended fruit drink each but I didn’t note down what was in each of them, I do remember them being yummy though.

To share we order some of the Prawn Spring Rolls which are not covered in their usual spring roll wrapper, but instead in an extremely crispy and shred like coating.

I love a good Chicken Pho Soup and couldn’t go past ordering this off the menu. Although the broth looks almost clear and bland, it was really flavoursome and quite possible one of the best Pho’s I have tried with the fresh herbs being the selling point. All I added was a bit of fresh chilli and it was exactly to my liking.

Ana went for the Glass Noodle & Chicken Salad which looks extremely fresh and crunchy and is served with a spicy ginger nuoc cham (dressing).

Lunch was the perfect fix for our Asian food cravings, the staff were efficient, our food came out at lightning fast speeds and the vibe in the restaurant was buzzing with the local Berliners.

Monsieur Vuong

Alte Schönhauser Str. 46, 10119, Berlin

Ph: 030 3087 2643

Web: http://www.monsieurvuong.de/

We stopped by the Brandenburg Gate which has been seen as a symbol for unification and peace since the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is situated at the end of Unter den Linden which is a beautiful and grand boulevard. The gate is also close to the Reichstag making the area a popular tourist site filled with buskers, expensive cafes and the noise of numerous languages from all corners of the world.

The monument at the top is the Quadragia, it symbolises victory as the statue was sent to Paris by Napoleon when the French occupied Berlin and then returned after the Battle of Waterloo.

Always up for trying street food, we visited Curry 36 to get ourselves some Currywurst. This is a fast food dish of German origin and consists of a steamed and then fried pork sausage which is served with tomato ketchup, curry powder and a bread roll on the side.  Like most street food, its not the healthiest option at times but it did taste pretty good and was  extremely cheap for a quick lunch option.

Scheers Schnitzel

Right around the corner from out Hostel was Scheers Schnitzel your one stop shop for a quick, easy, traditional (kind of) and cheap dinner.

The shop is only small and often had a line going out the door most nights. The area we were staying in reminded me of the equivalent to Newtown in Sydney with heaps of different cool cafes, bars and a large variety of different cuisines to try (we also had some amazing Indian during our stay).

We visited pretty late in the night and the place was nice a quiet. Everyone eats a lot earlier in Central Europe then they do in Italy and Greece.

Here we have it…Chicken Schnitzel with a Side Salad and covered in Chilli Hot Sauce. All up this meal was 4.5 euro..so so cheap!

Wall art inside..

And the jumping photo begins…you will see quite a few of these throughout the post. Ana and I got a little carried away in Berlin.

This a corner angle photo of the Reichstag, which is the building of parliament for Berlin . The architecture is absolutely magnificent and was designed by Paul Wallot who entered a competition with his entry being chosen for the build.

….and now for my jumping shot in front of the Reichstag.

Chipps Cafe – Jägerstraße

We hit up Chipps a deli/restaurant one morning for a proper (non-European type) of breakfast. The place is owned by them same people who own Cookies nightclub Berlin and the Cookies & Cream restaurant. It was pretty quiet when we rocked up, I guess it was mid-morning on a weekday with the only other customers being the casual walker-by stopping to grab a coffee. We took our time trying to decipher the German menu until the waiter realised we had no idea what it said…at least we tried!

Freshly squeezed Grapefruit juice.

Bread & Butter.

I love poached eggs and decided to get the Eggs Benedict. I dont like Hollondaise sauce very much, hence why I asked for it on the side. The eggs were served with whole wheat toast and crispy bacon.

Oozing egg yolk porn.

Ana chose the Omelette with Spinach, Mushrooms and Tomato…

With a side of the Crispy Bacon.

We were happy with our first meal of the day, leaving full and satisfied we set off to explore more of the beautiful city.

Chipps 

Jägerstraße 35, 10117 Berlin-Mitte

Ph: +49 30 36 444 588

Web: http://www.chipps.eu/

The Berliner Dom Cathedral located on Museum island in the Mitte borough.

Across the road from the Cathedral was this interesting looking art installation.

Aperitif hour…stopping off for a beverage at some bar in the afternoon. Life was good!

Schneeweiss Restaurant

Schneeweiss was our choice for dinner one night, the place is a popular and more refined restaurant near our hostel in Friedrichshain and near the metro stop at Warschauer Strasse.

Pretty flowers on each of the tables.

The restaurant is all white everything, with the mood inside being very warming and quite romantic with all the little candles.

Gen Y! =)

We start off with some bread served with a chive dip and butter.

We both choose the same meals for the night and start with the Pear Tartlet with Gorgonzola and Red Chard for our entree.

We then have the Monkfish coated in Pancetta, Aubergine, Rocket Salad, Palm Hearts and Risotto. This was my first time eating monkfish and I loved its texture and taste when paired with the pancetta. I would rate this as one of the best dishes we ate in Europe with everything from the flavour to the presentation being perfect.

Schneeweiss

Simplonstrasse 16, 10245 Berlin, Germany

Ph:+49 30 2904 9704

Web: www.schneeweiss-berlin.de/

The Gendarmenmarkt is a huge square in Berlin and the site of the Konzerthaus (picture above) and the French and German Cathedrals which sit on either side of this impressive building.

I leave you with Ana outside of the the Französischer Dom (French Cathedral) to finish off my Berlin post.

We both loved Berlin and had a great time exploring the area, eating many different cuisines (generally the food was to a really high standard), exploring the local areas, touching up on some history and checking out the crazy Berlin night life which is filled with clubs that never close over the weekend till Monday morning. Until next time Berlin…Auf Wiedersehen!

Have a fantastic week everyone, I’ll be back soon with my next post xxx

Unfortunately our time in Prague was not blessed with the most beautiful weather. It was freezing cold and raining on most of the four days we were there. I guess the weather did add to the mystic charm of the city, with the old medieval architecture looking picturesque against a backdrop of grey clouds.

This photo was taken in the Old Town Square which is filled with ancient buildings, magnificent churches huge clock towers, restaurants, horses and even old style traditional Czech food stalls.

This was originally the central marketplace of Prague and nowadays fills with tourists during the day and night.

The Astronomical Clock is situated on the side of the Old Town Hall Tower. Tourists will all gather around in front of the tower every hour to watch the processions of the Twelve Apostles.

Within the square they also have food stores set up. I’m really wishing we had tried some of this baked ham right about now, at least I got a photo of how amazing it looks.

Throughout Wenceslas Square (Prague’s main boulevard) you will find many  food stands selling a variety of sausages. We decided to stop off and have a standing lunch one day in between shopping and going to museums.

There are a variety of different sausages to choose from. I remember going for the dark red type as it was spicy.

Top up with some sauce.

You then eat standing at one of the benches that are in the Square. We topped our sausage rolls with onions and a mixture of tomato and mustard sauce.

Bella Vista – Strahov Monastery

We took the bus up the hill one day in search of Prague Castle..we got off at the wrong stop and found ourselves at the Strahov Monastery which ended up being a beautiful spot to overlook the city and walk around the grounds.

Seeing the Bella Vista Restaurant we stopped for lunch, with the good weather and sun drenched outside seating being a big drawcard.

We ordered our lunch and some drinks with the waiter bringing out some Bread, Cheese, Chutney, Nuts and Fruit plate whilst we waited.

I chose the Vegetable Soup which was served with a piece of toasted bread in the centre. Perfect Autumn meal in the sun!

Ana went for the Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken.

The menu at Bella Vista consisted of both traditional Czech and Italian food. If you are lucky enough to get a beautiful day like we did, take advantage and sit outside in the garden and enjoy the view. You wont be disappointed.

Bella Vista

Strahovské nádvorí 1, Praha 1

Ph: +420 220 517 274

Web: http://bella-vista.cz/

After lunch we continued walking around the grounds and back down the hill to the city. I had my knit Zara jumper on and thought I should take a picture looking like a bird with my tassle wings.

The Powder Gate with its gloomy medieval architecture. This was originally one of the 13 entrances into Prague’s Old Town.

Pivovarský Dum

Right near our hostel was Pivovarsky Dum a micro brewery and restaurant. Most of the restaurant is taken up with brewing equipment with a variety of home brewed beers to choose from on the menu. The girl who worked at our hostel recommended this place for its traditional Czech cuisine. We visited on a perfect night, outside was pouring with rain so after running from the hostel we settled ourselves at a table ready for a hot meal and some beer.

I am not a big beer drinker so I requested a light beer which is on the right. Ana went for something more intriguing and tried the Sour-Cherry Beer which had a cherry floating in it as well. I am no beer connoisseur but they both tasted pretty good.

For dinner I chose the Roast Pork with Bohemian Dumplings and Sauerkraut which we were told is a favourite in Czech cuisine. The sauce was similar to a gravy and the meat was tender but I cant say I was the biggest fan of the bread. It was boiled, white and soft, I’m much more of a crunchy brown/grain/sourdough bread eater.

Ana chose the Pork with Thyme in Beer Gravy with Bacon Dumplings. The dish was covered in the gravy so it almost looked like a soup, thank goodness for all the dumplings to soak it up. This is great cold weather food but not something I could eat every day. It doesn’t seem like vegetables are a big part of Czech cuisine with the only vegetable dish on the menu being a side of mixed steamed vegetables which we ordered to share.

The cosy interior of the restaurant.

Pivovarsky Dum

Jecná/Lípová 15, Praha 2

Ph: +420 296 216 666

Web: http://gastroinfo.cz/pivodum/

Walking around one afternoon we came across some street markets and had a wonder around. I loved the freshness, variety and colour of these berries so grabbed some as a snack. Cheap & healthy!

This punnet cost me about $2.50 Australian dollars.

Kampa Park

We decided to splurge one night and enjoy dinner at Kampa Park one of Prague’s fine dining restaurants. The restaurant is located on the river, with beautiful views of Charles Bridge.

Bread to begin for the evening. Pumpernickel and Sourdough slice served with Butter.

The place was very dimly lit so excuse the darkness in the photos. We chose two entres to start and share. This is the Burrata Cheese with Rocket Salad, Forest Berries, Caramelised Pecan Nuts and Raspberry Vinaigrette.

Our second entree was the Salmon 32 with Mango, Pickled Cucumber, Wasabi Oil and Coconut Sorbet. The wasabi oil came in this cool eye dropper like instrument with the whole dish being so beautifully presented we didn’t want to ruin it.

For mains I chose the Saddle of Lamb and Crispy Sweetbreads with Mushrooms and Topinambur Ragout, Shallot Compote and Creamy Truffle Sauce.

Ana went with the Glazed Duck Breast and Crispy Rillettes with Root Vegetable Pave, Endive, Rhubarb Puree and Ginger Red Wine Sauce. Unfortunately her piece of duck was extremely chewy and tough so she didn’t really enjoy her main.

We finished off the meal with a high, and ordered the Strawberry Cappuccino with Vanilla Ice Cream, Walnuts, Meringue and a Forest Berry Skewer to share for dessert. It came out with this burning plant like incense stick which got me all excited as it looked so pretty.

The skewer stick was also made out of toffee, genius way to serve a kebab fruit stick.

Overall we had a pleasant evening except for Ana’s main dish. During the summer there are fireworks on the river every night, and we were lucky enough to watch them from the huge window next to our table. I think you would appreciate the restaurants location and view a lot more during the day when you can get a clear look of Charles Bridge.

Kampa Park

Na Kamp? 8b, Prague 1

Ph: Tel.: +420 296 826 102

Web: http://www.kampagroup.com/

Prague on Instagram

Winter wardrobe ready before heading out one night.

My camera battery died on the day we walked over Charles Bridge so I captured plenty of pictures on my phone of the statues that line each side of the bridge.

Selfies in the Old Town Square.

Statue of Lenin in the Museum of Communism.The guy standing next to it gives you an indication on how big it was.

Found myself a Greek man in Prague.

Random art installation which we came across after walking the Charles Bridge .

Intriguing poster I captured in a bar one night…

Old Town at night…we enjoyed a few drinks whilst wrapped in blankets at a bar and watched the world go by…I miss travelling..SO much!

Prague is now done and dusted. I hope you enjoyed the photos and got a little taste of what the city is like. Have a great week everyone, here is something to make you smile…there are only three days left till the long weekend begins.

Na shledanou xxx