#can’t wait to buy discount dark chocolate in a couple days

[e77y]

Happy Valentine’s Day 😁

[kitazura]

it’s the thought that counts, tendō satori

1.6k words of fluff; gn!reader

synopsis: tendō doesn’t understand the excitement surrounding valentine’s day until he decides to celebrate it with you.

notes: i haven’t finished the manga but i’m making timeskip content :D thank u rissie (@sugas-cookie) for beta-ing mwah <3

Tendō’s come to learn that Valentine’s day brings waves of purchases made by eager youth preparing to confess their affections, frantic lovers who’d completely forgotten about the occasion, and other last-minute shoppers looking for gifts to give their loved ones. This year is no different; the orders pile up so quickly he can barely keep up with them.

He’s not complaining—not when his bills are getting paid—he just doesn’t understand why everyone lets themselves get carried away by the Valentine rush. At the root of it all, it’s blatant commercialism, another scheme by society to run your bank account dry through obligatory benevolence, so why play into it? Well, as long as it keeps him in business, he supposes he’ll keep his critiques to himself.

“Don’t you think you’re being a little cynical?” you say when he shares his thoughts, the gentle smile on your lips showing you mean no harm. “I think the idea behind Valentine’s day is charming.”

He brushes his thumb over your cheek, humming in response. “Why’s that?”

“Isn’t it sweet when someone puts time and effort into something just for you?” you gush. Tendō watches your gaze turn dreamy as your mind wanders off into the clouds. “Like making chocolates for the person you like.”

“That’s what I do for a living, darling.”

“You like all of your customers?”

“Of course; they give me money, after all.”

You laugh, swatting his arm lightly. “I guess it’s hard to romanticize something you do as work.”

You’re not wrong. At some point, it’s expected for your job to lose its magic, no matter how passionate you are about it in the beginning. Chocolate has long lost its allure to Tendō, and now he spends day in and day out pouring it into molds and hurrying to shape it before it hardens beyond salvation. It’s become a chore for him, and even just catching a whiff of a candy bar sends his brain into the stress of work mode.

“What do you think about when you make chocolate, Satori?” you ask, interrupting his thoughts.

“What an odd question,” he remarks, clicking his tongue like a fussy mother hen. “I think about what I have to do to make it look presentable, of course. And then I count down the minutes until I come home to you.” He beams, proud of his response.

But pride turns to dismay when he catches a glint of disappointment in your eyes. His expression falls as he pulls you closer. “What’s the matter?”

You shake your head. “Nothing, nothing. Would you ever make me Valentine’s day chocolates?”

He tilts his head in surprise, then kisses your forehead. “I’d make you chocolate any day; all you have to do is ask.”

You seem to drop the matter, although he swears you sigh, “It’s not the same.”

He spends the next couple of days convincing himself he’d only imagined it, but something about your tone and attitude makes it stick in his brain. Whether you’d said it or not, there was clearly something behind your first question.

He asks you about it over dinner: “Is there a reason you want Valentine-themed chocolates in particular?”

“You’ve been thinking about that?” You laugh a little, surprised. “It’s not the Valentine theme I want; just the knowledge that you’re thinking of me on that day.”

He pesters you to elaborate—he’s always thinking of you, don’t you know that?—but you dodge his questions, leaving him in the dark once more.

Since you won’t give him any answers, he’ll just look for them on his own.

He texts Ushijima that night: “Why do you buy chocolate for the one you love?”

“Because they like it,” comes the reply. It’s simple, straightforward, but it’s not what he’s looking for.

He texts Semi the same question. The response is the length of a school essay, explaining the motivations of love in depths only a poet could reach, but it’s still not enough.

At work, your question echoes in his mind: What do you think about when you make chocolate, Satori?

What was he supposed to think about aside from the process? His customers?

He looks again at the order he’s making. It’s one he expects every year—it comes a week before Valentine’s, by a man whose wife adores chocolate covered strawberries. Tendō remembers it not only because of its consistency, but also because it’s always preceded by an order by the aforementioned wife, who asks for milk chocolate filled with raspberry créme that her husband is so fond of.

He wonders why they order the same thing at the same time every year. There’s no surprise in it, so what’s the point? Had he been in the husband’s place and you in the wife’s, he’d make sure to buy you something different every year, each present more extravagant than the last. He’d make sure that you’d always have something to look forward to in your married life.

A cheery little tune takes form beneath his breath as he pictures a life with you: silver bands around your fingers, lazy mornings on your days off, walks along the Seine.

He sweeps the excess chocolate off the molds in one clean stroke, sighing dreamily. You would buy a bigger, better apartment once you’d saved up enough, or even move to a quiet little cottage in the countryside.

His thoughts wander through the clouds as he mindlessly flits from one project to the next, forgetting to count the hours until his duty for today is through.

Lately, some of Tendō’s usual customers have been dropping by to say the same thing: there’s something different about his work these days. It’s not negative; on the contrary, actually, the quality’s spiked. But he can’t figure out what he’s been doing differently for the life of him.

It weighs on his mind from the time he clocks in to when he clocks out. He’s been using the same ingredients, the same equipment, so what was it?

His answer arrives in the form of the Chocolate Strawberry man, on the very eve of Valentine’s.

The man enthusiastically shakes Satori’s hand and thanks Him for his work, his hands warm and clammy from excitement despite the biting Parisian air.

“My wife would have liked to come along as well, but she’s preoccupied with the baby,” the man explains. “She wants you to know how much she enjoys your work, though. We look forward to it every year.”

“Then why not buy it off-season, when it’s cheaper?” Tendō asks. The man looks surprised, prompting him to continue. “With all due respect, you order the same thing every year, anyway, so why wait?”

The man laughs at the sincere look of curiosity in the chocolatier’s eyes, patting him on the shoulder, like a father to his son. “Why wait until birthdays to buy a cake? Why wait until Christmas to exchange gifts and set up the tree? It’s old advice, but it’s good: it’s always the thought that counts.” With one last pat on the back and an affectionate chuckle, the man wishes Tendō a good night—“Enjoy tomorrow with your loved ones.”

The stores are packed with the usual extremely last minute rush on Valentine’s morning, and for the first time, Tendō Satori is part of that crowd.

His arms are filled with the goodies he’d woken up early to buy: heavily discounted candies in tacky packages, a cheesy card, a bouquet, an offensively pink stuffed bear, crumpled foil balloons. (He’d made chocolates for you too; those were waiting in the fridge at home.) If it was an authentic Valentine’s experience you wanted, he decided, then it was an authentic Valentine’s experience you’d get.

He’d sent you out to pick up a cake across the city just before he’d left that morning, so the apartment is still empty when he returns. He checks his watch—only half an hour at most until you’d come back. Setting the bear on the counter, he gives it a determined grin.

“Think I can set everything up in fifteen?”

He’s just barely managed tying the balloons closed when he hears the knob on the front door jiggle as you unlock it.

“I’m home!” Your shoes thud to the floor, joined by Tendō’s footsteps as he hurries to help you with the cake. You thank him when he takes it out of your hands and leads you to the dining table while you chatter away. “Boy, did you see how many people are out there? It’s like all of Paris decided to run their errands this morning. It’s a miracle I got the cake here in one piece—what’s all this?”

Tendō grins, proudly motioning to his handiwork. The bouquet sits in the center of the table, surrounded by neatly arranged dishes of your favorite foods. The plush bear sits at the head, the card and candies tucked into its paws. Balloons reading “Happy Valentine’s” are tied to your chairs, gently swaying to and fro in greeting.

“Do you like it?” he asks. “I figured you wanted to do something for Valentine’s, but all the restaurants are booked so I had to improvise—”

You cut him off with a kiss, and another, then another. “I love it! I love you and I love”—you wave at the room—“all of this.” Another kiss to his cheek. “Thank you for thinking of me, Satori.”

He laughs as you hug him, squeezing as tight as you can. He thinks back to the strawberry man’s remark, “It’s the thought that counts.” And maybe, just a little, he’s starting to understand that there’s more to Valentine’s than business.

As you prepare the cake and gush over the bear, he pats the pocket of his jacket. The pretty little velvet box would have to wait until after lunch.

postscript: heyyy <3 i stopped writing for like three months srry LMAO but im back in business baby !! if i try hard enough and school stops kicking my ass maybe i’ll start posting twice a month ahaha ... unless?

[sweet-curried-powder]

So I was in the mood to write some more sk8 stuff, and since apparently reki never gets any chocolates on valentine's day, i figured that langa should be a good boyfriend and give chocolates to reki!

this fic was partly inspired by the comics @birdybomb drew for valentine's day and white day! i just discovered them a few days ago, but they're a really good artist, so shoutout to them!

i'm going to be posting this on ao3 shortly, so stay tuned for the ao3 link!

fic below the cut!

*******

“Reki?”

The red-haired boy turned to look at Langa, chewing on the end of his pen, his fingers on the other hand tapping the table to the rhythm of the music that was playing from the radio in the Hasegawa’s kitchen, some sort of bubbly, happy pop song about love by a popular band that was all the rage in Japan at that particular moment, though Langa, having grown up in Canada for most of his life and not used to everyone and everything being in Japanese, didn’t understand the lyrics too well, though he did get the gist of the song.

“Yea, Langa?” Reki tilted his head, his fingers still tapping the table. “Something on your mind?”

“I heard some girls talking in class earlier, and I was wondering.” Langa tugged on the cuff of his jacket, his thumb rubbing over the fabric. “Do you know what a ‘White Day’ is?”

“Huh? You don’t know what White Day is?” Reki’s face scrunched up, clearly confused. “They don’t celebrate it in America?”

“It’s Canada,” the blue haired teen corrected. “And no. Stores usually sell what chocolates are left after Valentine’s during some kind of discount sale. But after that, you don’t really see that kind of thing until next February.”

“Huh,” Reki mumbled, his expression shifting to one that Langa couldn’t quite recognize, but he could still see hints of confusion on his friend’s face. “But anyway. White Day is kind of like the opposite of Valentine’s day here in Japan. Where people who got chocolates last month give chocolates to people who gave them the chocolates before.”

“So...people buy chocolates for the ones who gave them the chocolates on Valentine’s?”

“Uhhh, kinda? My mom says people give homemade chocolates to someone that they’re interested in romantically, while they give storebought chocolates to family or friends.”

Langa nodded in understanding, mumbling some fairly quiet English. “So, who are you giving chocolates to?”

A slightly sad look crossed Reki’s face. “Nobody, really. I’ve never gotten any chocolates from anybody before.”

“You’ve...never gotten chocolates?” Langa felt his heart sink, even more so when he saw Reki shake his head. His friend had never gotten chocolates before? Not from a single person? That didn’t seem fair, especially since he got loads of chocolates back when he was living in Canada. And Reki was so nice...and caring and funny. Not to mention cute, but he wouldn’t tell a soul about the last part (well, he accidentally let that slip on accident one time near Miya, but Langa was able to bribe him to not tell Reki with a new game.)

And with that, a plan quickly formed in the former snowboarder’s mind.

After Reki had gone home a few hours later to help his mom with dinner, Langa waited until his friend was completely out of sight before hopping on his board and zooming to Joe’s restaurant. Sure, he could have asked his mom for help for this. But Joe was a restaurant owner, a chef. And even though his menu was all Italian, he made one hell of a poutine, so surely he knew how to make chocolates.

The restaurant was empty for the most part when Langa entered, with Cherry being the only person there besides the tall, muscular chef himself. Of course, the two of them were bickering once again, like a couple who had been married for ages would. Langa was used to this by now, so he just sat down, placing his skateboard on the floor while patiently waiting for the two to settle their argument, even if it was momentarily.

It took about ten minutes or so before the argument started to simmer down, and Joe finally noticed the blue haired boy. “Oi- how long have you been here?”

“Ten minutes. Was I interrupting something?”

“Nothing important.” Joe ran a hand through his hair, a dark shade of green that went down to his neck, just a few inches longer than Langa’s, and looked rather messy. “Where’s Reki?”

“He went home. He had to help his mom.” Langa played with his hands as he spoke, a habit of his. “I came to ask a favor, if that’s okay.”

“Hit me.”

“Do you know how to make chocolates?”

“Chocolates?” Joe seemed a bit puzzled. “Yeah, sure I do. Made them for a lot of girls when I was your age. How come?”

“...can you teach me to make them? Please?” A slight blush of embarrassment crossed Langa’s cheeks. “They’re for White Day.”

“Can’t you ask your mother to help?” Cherry tilted his head, adjusting his glasses. “I’m sure she’d do a much better job at making them than this gorilla here.” That particular comment got the calligrapher a shout of outrage from Joe.

“Reki told me he’d never gotten chocolates before,” Langa explained. “I felt bad. And I really loved the poutine you made me a few days ago, and I wanted to make Reki’s chocolates super special.”

“You’re telling me the kid hasn’t gotten any chocolates before? That’s a buncha shit!” Joe rolled his sleeves up, opening the doors to the kitchen. “C’mon in. I’ll show you how to make chocolates so good, your grandma will wanna cry!”

“The lifespan of an average gorilla is thirty-five to forty years.”

“You seriously got your robot in on this?!”

“How many times do I have to tell you, it’s Carla, not robot!”

Langa was sweating bullets the next day, waiting for Reki to show up at their usual meeting spot. After what seemed like a torturous night that seemed to last several years, it was finally White Day. And time to give Reki his chocolates. The first chocolates he’d receive.

Langa couldn’t recall the last time he’d been this nervous. Maybe the first time he started skateboarding, but he couldn’t remember that. He tugged on a bunch of his snowy hair, grinding his teeth and waiting for Reki to show up.

“Langa!”

Reki was running up to him, and Langa relaxed with a sigh and a smile. He wasn’t really paying attention to what Reki was saying, not because he didn’t want to, but because, well…

He reached into his bag, pulling out the package, wrapped in red paper and tied with a fancy ribbon. Reki tilted his head, before looking shocked when Langa handed the package to him.

“Happy white day,” Langa said quietly, smiling softly at his friend. “Joe helped me make them. I hope you like it.”

“...these are for me?” Reki’s voice was soft, almost inaudible, even. Tears of joy brimmed at the corners of his eyes, and from the expression on his face, you would have thought that Langa had just proposed to him. “Langa, I… t-thank you.”

Reki slowly unwrapped the package, taking out one of the chocolates. It was skateboard shaped, and he could see some other chocolates looked like the symbols on his own board. They weren’t perfect, but he knew Langa had worked extremely hard on it, and in his mind, it made it extremely special.

“..I love it, Langa. Thank you so much.”

Langa smiled wider, feeling his heart swell. “You’re welcome Reki.”

[deansawthetvglow]

Prompt: For Dean's birthday, Cas Googles "presents for loved ones" and inadvertently follows recommendations for romantic gifts.

Shit. Okay. Hi anon, i forgot how to see inbox notifs and have no clue if u sent this during my drunk promt ask or sober prompt ask but will fill now.

Alright nvm ^^^ that didn’t happen.

 I lost this prompt for days after I got drunk and I couldn’t find it in my drafts and alas, finally. Anyways, this was written fully sober, lmao.

Just a Little Bit of Your Heart, 2.2k, 

fluff, light angst, post s14. (ao3 link if u want)

It’s January 20th, 4 days out from Dean’s 40th birthday and he still has yet to decide on a gift. It’s his first time, really, buying Dean a birthday gift. Sure, there had been the pack of funny socks he had snagged in passing from the check out at a Gas-N-Sip, but there hadn’t been any thought behind that, no planning, nothing that Castiel thought constituted the socks as a gift. Not really. 

Not only that, but there had never really been occasion to purchase a gift for Dean until now. Sam and Castiel had decided that, with the world coming to an end and all, Dean finally deserved a proper birthday party. In years past, he had either insisted on drowning out his birthday’s with booze or insisted on ‘no gifts.’ 

Castiel isn’t sure why, maybe because the eldest Winchester brother would only feel more indebted to the others around him, or perhaps because he simply didn’t like gifts. Either way, that’s why it became his mission to get the perfect gift for Dean. Something that isn’t a curse, but a comfort. 

The time after Mary and Jack had passed away and Chuck opened the gates of hell had been rough for Dean and him. Sam had kept a protective arm’s length between Castiel and Dean, insisting Dean needed time. It hurt to feel their bond being stretched thin as he’d watch Dean across the bunker from the corner of his eye, careful not to step into his space. Castiel had decided to stay in the bunker despite the tension though, Sam insisting they needed all hands on deck as they began on the long road to killing God.

Still, despite their close proximity, and the time they’ve had to heal, he can’t help but feel further from Dean. 

Cas remembers when Sam told a story of the time he gave Dean a chocolate bar and some motor oil for Christmas. Apparently, Dean had lit up at the sentiment, but Castiel can’t handle settling for something like that. 

Dean deserves something special. 

Castiel begins his search on Google using the simplest, most “Dean” search terms he can think of. 

Men’s flannels

Not special enough

Classic records

Maybe some time, but still, not good enough.

A new pair of boots

Shoes are always too risky. 

Cowboy costume

Halloween maybe, but not for this. 

Guns

Dean already has one he trusts. 

It’s been nearly two hours browsing Google and Amazon before Castiel has to take a break and let his head loll back with a sigh. 

After stretching a bit and standing up to pace the length of the bunker, he finally settles on a Google search that he’s sure will bear fruit. 

Gifts to show you care for someone. 

Castiel takes his time clicking through the links and scrolling through many of the lists. He nearly gives up when finally, an article entitled, “Gifts to Connect You to the Person You Care About”  catches his eye.

Cas smiles at the headline and clicks through the list, cataloging the possibilities away in his mind.

However, all those possible gifts dissipate from his mind as soon as he sees it. It’s perfect, and they have some in stock at the Bed Bath & Beyond an hour and a half away in Nebraska. With that, Cas calls a “Be back later!” into the seemingly empty bunker and heads out to fetch Dean’s gift. 

When he finally arrives at the store, he makes his way inside and heads to the sleep section, his eyes lighting up when he sees what he’s looking for on the shelf below a big “As Seen On TV” sticker. 

Next to the sticker it reads: “Bed Beats” 

Bed Beats are a pair of wristbands and compact speakers that are connected via wifi anywhere in the world. Just slip the wristband on, place the disc speaker underneath your pillow and send a request to your partner through the app. When they slip on their own wristband, the device will relay their heartbeat to your speaker and vice versa. Never feel disconnected again.

Castiel grins, giddy, and picks up the first box on the shelf. It’s exactly what he and Dean need. It’s the perfect way for Cas to watch over Dean without invading his space. It’s anatomical communication without speech. Cas will know when Dean needs help as his heartbeat speeds up, he’ll know when he’s at peace, he’ll know he’s alive. 

He also blinks at the bursting yellow sticker that sits on the top left corner of the box that exclaims, “Great for Long Distance Couples!” 

They may not be a couple, but with the way that their souls and relationship has grown distant, Castiel decides that’s enough to classify them as ‘long distance.’ 

As he waits in the line to check out, Cas also grabs a simple card and a tube of discounted, red wrapping paper left over from the holiday season. 

When he gets back to his car, he decides it’s best to get everything in order before presenting the gift to Dean. When he finally gets into the heavily taped box, he pulls out one set of the wristband/speaker combos and sets it aside for himself. 

Before shrouding the other set in the metallic, red of post-Christmas, 99¢ wrapping paper, he syncs the devices and downloads the app to avoid the hassle of setting it up later. 

Then, he writes, with his thigh as a sort of table, in the card with an old pen he found in the console of his truck. 

I’m including the instruction booklet in this card (please don’t read until after you open the gift!)

Dean, 

I know I’ve made so many mistakes lately, and that perhaps we do not see eye to eye on everything any longer, but this is a chance to connect without having to agree. Just to sleep and not be so alone. 

Happy Birthday. I hope you like it. 

Yours, Castiel

However, he scribbles out the ‘yours’ as it feels out of place in this letter. With that, he seals the card, and the instructions, into a white envelope with Dean’s name in angelic script printed on the front.

The drive home is pleasant and he can’t help but feel butterflies for the moment he gets to present it to his charge. 

The next days pass silently, Castiel with his gift for Dean hidden in his own closet and nearly forgotten amid all the preparations for the party. 

Sam was in charge of inviting people and Dean had insisted on being in charge of food and drinks. On the day of the party, Castiel sits off to the side as many of the guests enter, most are hunters he’s never met before, and he can’t help but feel like an outsider as the day of barbequing and reminiscing devolves into pie and drunkenness by nightfall. 

He’s glad to see Jody and Claire, but even then, their conversations are stilted, both of them want to speak primarily to Dean, the ‘birthday boy’, while Cas isn’t allowed that luxury. 

He sits away from Dean all night, only making contact to say “Happy Birthday, Dean” after he blows out the ‘4’ and ‘0’ candles that someone stuck straight through the latticework on a sweet, cherry pie. Cas smiles as Claire goes up and whispers something to Dean that makes him throw his head back in laughter and begin a lively conversation with her. 

That’s when he realizes he’s on the outside looking in. 

From where he stands, nursing a finger of whiskey, he can see Alex and Garth discussing the medical anomalies of Lycanthropes, Sam, apocalypse-world-Bobby, Donna and Jody playing some sort of cards-and-drinking game, a few people he doesn’t know attempting beer pong in the war room and even a pair of local hunters musing over the library’s expansive collection. 

He’s an outsider like he’s always been with the Winchesters. When he’s not of use, he feels unwelcome. He knows there’s never any ill intent, but even now, when he doesn’t even need his angel mojo, he still doesn’t quite fit. He doesn’t understand half of the banter thrown around the room, he can’t get drunk unless he drinks the entirety of the Men of Letters scotch collection, and he can’t interact with the guests without Dean coming up. 

At this, loneliness overtaking him, he decides to retreat to his room to wait the party out. 

He sends a nod and a tip of his glass to Sam before motioning that he’s leaving, Sam acknowledges him with a grin, drunk on whiskey and the excitement of the party, and Cas slips out of sight. 

Before letting himself rest, he sneaks into Dean’s room to place the card and the gift on his bed. 

He decides it’s best that way.

–

Castiel keeps his personal speaker and wristband close to him, beside his phone on his nightstand, hoping that some night it will be of use. He feels the uncertainty drift in and out as each night passes without so much as an acknowledgment of the gift. 

A week passes before anything happens. It’s 3 am when Castiel’s ears pick up on the small ‘ding’ that pops out of his phone speakers. 

He rolls over and grabs his phone. On the screen sits a notification. 

Bed Beats

Dean would like to share his heartbeat. Accept?

Castiel grins into the dark and arranges the speaker underneath his pillow before securing the soft band around his wrist at his pulse point. 

With a tentative thumb, he swipes to accept and lays his right ear down onto his pillow to hear Dean. He can hear his heart beating quickly, possibly a nightmare, Cas thinks, and wills his own jittery heart to slow. He has to be the grounding one for Dean, has to be a comfort. 

His own heart beats deep like a drum, and soon he can hear Dean’s heart rate slowing to match his own. Soon, they’re in perfect sync with one another. He feels closer to Dean than he has in months and hopes Dean feels the same. 

He listens as his charge’s heart rate begins to slow even more, to around 75 beats per minute, he notes, and assumes he’s slipping into sleep. 

Castiel, usually one for wandering the bunker after the brothers are asleep, doesn’t dare lift his head from his pillow until Dean ends the connection come morning light. 

It continues like this for many weeks, Dean requesting Castiel’s heartbeat in the wee morning hours, disconnecting at sunrise, and going about the days as if nothing has changed. 

Nothing’s really changed during the day. They continue to keep their distance. Dean thanks him for making the coffee one Sunday morning and Sam tells Cas, “See, space is all you needed,” his eyes sincere, “It’s healing.” But Sam doesn’t know the reason the healing process has begun to speed up. Cas can tell Dean hasn’t told his brother of the gift, and he prefers it that way. It’s the first thing between them that Sam isn’t clued into since before Mary’s passing. That alone brings him peace.

It’s a Tuesday in early March when everything shifts. Cas is lying on his back in his bed, nerves nearly taking him. Dean almost always pings by 3 am, and now it’s 45 minutes past and he’s trying to keep calm. 

A sound makes Castiel’s ears prick up, but this time it’s not a sharp ‘ding,’ it’s the soft sound of knuckles rapping on his door. 

Cas, beneath the covers in his most comfortable shirt, one Dean loaned him for the brief period he was human, props himself up on one elbow and quirks his head as the door opens softly, revealing Dean in his doorway. 

He’s in a Led Zeppelin t-shirt with holes around the seams, and a pair of black briefs, and the “Send Noods” socks Castiel bought him. 

“Dean?” 

“Hey, Cas” Dean whispers into the darkness as he steps into the room, shutting the door behind him with care. 

Words die on Castiel’s lips and his breath hitches as Dean pads, soft and calm, to his bedside. 

He lifts the corner of Castiel’s blankets ever so slightly and looks down into the glint of Castiel’s blue eyes as if asking permission. Castiel gives him a slight nod and holds his breath as Dean lifts the covers further and slips in under them. He positions himself with his head resting on the left side of Castiel’s chest, ear right above his heart and arm draped across him, hand gently thumbing at the soft fabric on Castiel’s right shoulder. 

Castiel can feel his own heart rate pick up, it’s swift and uncontrollable and it’s filling his vessel up to the brim with hard thumps. He’s beginning to wonder if he’ll ever breathe again when a low thud overcomes his near panic. 

As bright as a bell in a void, he hears it, Dean’s heartbeat, drumming from the deep. This time it’s his charge’s heart that’s strong and steadfast and convinces Castiel’s own to join it in slow synchronization. 

Castiel takes in a breath and slows his own heart rate. He sees Dean’s eyelids flutter shut and he lets his chin rest in the soft of Dean’s hair, his left hand rubbing slow circles into his back. 

“I missed you.” 

Dean doesn’t speak, but Castiel can feel the whisper of a smile move on his chest. 

As he lets himself drift into peace, thoughts blink in his mind at the pace of his heart. 

I fit here. Dean fits here. This is my family. This is who I love. This is home.

____

(Gift based on this!!!)

[dulce-dailyprophet]

Saturday, February 16th 1980 { special edition! }

A DAY FULL OF HOT, STRONG LOVE: LOVERS & LUSTERS ALIKE INVITED TO THE FULL HOLIDAY CELEBRATION

In honor of the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day, the office of the Minister for Magic has put together an invigorating day of lovely activities! 

By Baranabas Cuffe, Editor-in-Chief

9 AM - 4 PM: LOVE YOUR LOCAL ALLEYWAY ** 20% reduction in wares if dressed for theme; reds, pinks, purples, and heart imagery encouraged

Shopkeepers & street vendors will be lining Diagon to Knockturn Alley with Valentine’s Day themed wares & sponsored activities! 5% of all proceeds will be donated to the Elphias Doge Foundation. Look for your favorite shop { listed below } & come on by to show your support for local businesses! 

12 AM - 2 PM: LOVERS LUNCHEON: COUPLES ONLY

Despite being located at the Leaky Cauldron, Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop has swung by and will be taking over for the day! Filled to the brim with love & lace alike, the ‘haunt of happy couples’ will be showcasing all its enamored glory. A limited menu will be offered

12 PM - 3 PM: SHORT & SWEET SPEED DATING FOR THE SINGLE SIMPLETON WITH SPECIAL HOSTS: RITA SKEETER & GILDEROY LOCKHART

Located at Rosa Lee Teabag’s, the enigmatic Daily Prophet gossip column contributors will be holding a quick seminar about classic dating etiquette in modern times, as well as the rules of speed dating before commencing one of the biggest events of the day! Please stop by the tea shop for applications, as only a select number of participants are allowed per round. 

2 PM - 4 PM: WOOERS  & WAFFLES

Not in a couple? Not interested in speed dating? Need an excuse for a waffle? Well look no further! Florean Fortescue’s will be hosting an informal mingle time, equipped with a fully stocked waffle bar, complete with ice cream & toppings galore! Florean will also be debuting an exclusive flavor - Raspberry & Chocolate Snake Eyes, imported by our friends at the White Wyvern!  

9 PM - ?: THE SWEETHEART SOIREE ( SPONSORED BY WPN STUDIOS ) WITH SPECIAL GUEST CELESTINA WARBECK

Located in the heart of London at the Century Casino, WPN Studios is proud to present a dance party, with special guest Celestina Warbeck playing hits from her award winning album, Love Songs to Soothe the Soul. Tickets sold at the door - price includes entry to the casino’s limited buffet spread, as well as an unlimited drink voucher. Other food and gambling chips will be an additional charge. Please speak with the concierge about booking a room on the third floor!

Portkeys will be available at all major travel hubs & along several key locations in Diagon & Knockturn Alley to accommodate the high influx of travelers { continued on page 6 } ! 

{ Diagon Alley }:

Eeylops Owl Emporium: A kissing booth featuring the most temperate of the owls, but watch out! Try any tongue and you’ll get a decent peck! Only a knut a piece, no photos available; half off owl treats & cages for your feathery friend at home.  Special offer: Buy one owl, get a second free, but only from the bonded pair selection, indicated by the shared cage. Limit of one purchase per customer!

Flourish & Blotts: Half off the owner’s best selection of romance novels, steamy & saucy thrillers, and heartwarming love stories! Special offer: With special guest Gilderoy Lockhart signing ‘anything handed to him,’ including fan art, (tasteful) fan fiction, and copies of books (his own or others, doesn’t matter). There will also be a display of Valentine’s Day themed head shots for sale, pre-signed for Lockhart fans on the move or unable to wait in line. 

Gringotts Bank: CLOSED FOR THE DAY; currency exchange booth located out from for the festivities  Special offer: A sickle for a photo with Cupid! Cupid the Goblin, that is, and it’s ‘look but don’t touch,’ got it? (Touching will cost another sickle. No flash photography permitted!)

Magical Menagerie: A kissing booth featuring the softest & sweetest of the Kneazles! Kisses will be three knuts per each cuddle-lovey session, and a sickle for a photo!  Special offer: Heart shaped treats for the pet that owns your heart! Available in blood packet or biscuit! 

Potage’s Cauldron Shop: All inventory in use! Madam Primpernelle has taken over, and will be brewing her world famous Beautifying Potions for witches & wizards to primp & prune before your romantic night with that special someone. Special offer: Bring your own vessel, carry what you can at wholesale value! No questions asked!

Leaky Cauldron: CLOSED from 11 AM - 1 PM for LOVER’S LUNCHEON 

Secondhand Shop: The owners have kindly donated their entire inventory of theme-appropriate robes & costumes - don’t have anything at home to honor St. Valentine? Interested in receiving the theme participant discount? Stop by and grab heavily discounted wares and reap the rewards!  Special offer: Dye Draughts for sale! Already have an outfit picked out, but need to match the color theme? Look no further! The Secondhand Shop will be selling Dye Draughts in reds, pinks, and purples, as well as an exclusive red hearts on white background pattern! 

Slug & Jiggers Apothecary: A reputable selection of love potions, untarnished & untainted! A wide variety of safety & educational materials about the dangers of intentional love potion drugging included in all sales, as well as a complimentary vial of antidote just in case.  Special offer: Slughorn’s Soulmate Serum - not interested in trying a love potion? Want to attract potential suitors to your side without the hassle of inconspicuously drugging them? Simply dabble your neck & wrists with SSS & watch as people of your taste & type flock to your side, begging for another whiff! A hybrid concoction featuring heavily diluted Amortentia & Felix Felicis, a little will go a long way in determining if a potential partner is right for you - if not, they won’t be able to stand the smell of you!  ** note: results may vary, cannot be held libel **

{ Knockturn Alley }:

Borgin & Burke’s: Not everybody is feeling the love today - including you, right? Did you recently become single? Spurned by your star-crossed lover? Then stop by Borgin & Burke’s booth as you begin your plot for revenge! All Dark jewelry of the rancorous, relentless, and retaliatory magic being sold at wholesale prices!  The Coffin House: WIDOWS WOES SPECIALTY - we’ll bring back your dead lover for a fraction of the cost for one last Valentine’s Day together! The magic lasts one day only, before the clock strikes midnight and they crumble into a decaying corpse once again!  Dystyl’s Discount Bones: HEART BONES. What’s a heart bone? The bloody organ’s been Petrificus Totalus’d until calcified to perfect preservation! A true Mary Shelley original, sold in all shapes and sizes, including Goblin, House elf, & children! Limited inventory! Mulpeppers Apothecary: Need a little pep in your step? Some spice in your life? A little energy to make it through a long, hard night? Look no further! The Mulpeppers will be exclusively selling their Magical Stamina Draught, perfect for any witch or wizard on the move & in need of romantic rekindling before “special time.”  ** note: consult with your doctor immediately if erection lasts longer than 12 hours; not recommended for anyone pregnant or over the age of 100 ** Starry Prophesiser: Romance realm tarot readings at half the usual cost! Participate as a single, with a partner, or in a group (no more than four). Interested in something more in depth? Ask for a Soulmate Capability test and see if your love is written in the stars! **note: cannot be held libel for major romantic decisions made in wake of negative readings**

The White Wyvern: Can’t be damned to attend the luncheon or waffle bar? Need something to eat that doesn’t force you to mingle with other desperate singles? The White Wyvern will be selling Fried Snake Kabobs & Snake Burgers & Irish Potato Salad in honor of St. Valentine’s historical prevalence on this commercialized day of celebration. 

[voidsettle]

Warm Flanders

Indulging our traveling desire and continuing the newly developed tradition of European Christmas markets, we bought tickets to Belgium. This trip had its peculiarities - and a unique aftertaste. Welcome to the capital of Europe!

Panorama of Bruges from Belfry (I assume, the point where Brendan Gleeson's character jumps off in the movie 'In Bruges'

I don't know how we chose Belgium - but it all started with just Brussels, and then grew to another three towns. I suspect we may have a psychological condition.

After Brussels, Bruges was an obvious addition to the trip. Possibly the most well-known of tourist destinations in Belgium, it features a well-preserved medieval town so quaint like it crawled out of a fairy tale.

The movie 'In Bruges' (a nice piece of popularized arthaus) added to the fame of the place. The town in this flick is a character of its own - it serves as the premise and the plot twist, it helps to make hard choices and aids the protagonist. Besides, the film has gorgeous cast. Seriously, look it up if you've never seen it - or rewatch if you have.

Being in Belgium (and, more importantly, its northern part, Flanders - probably the most history-heavy region), I absolutely had to see Antwerp. Ghent was a curious little addition that we didn't plan - but that happened between Bruges and Antwerp just because we had time and opportunity. Stay tuned for more.

Brussels: Art and Chocolate

Rue de la Chaufferette/Lollepotstraat, LGBTQ art street in the inner City of Brussels

Brussels is a weird city. Commonly I enjoy places that don't mind you roaming the streets (think Rome, Bangkok, New York). Brussels is however different. It etched into my memory as grey and rainy (I barely got a chance to snap a photo), and multifaceted to the point of utter incomprehensibility.

That is partly on national communities. Our free-tour guide mused on the immigration agenda of the city: nearly 80% of the current population (first and second generations) are not native to Belgium. The city, being the administrative and political center of Europe, is the very definition of a cultural melting pot.

Only a day before we arrived, French workers had a strike against ever-growing prices - thus all of Brussels was covered in barricades (not sure about the name, but something like Cheval de frise or knife-rest (aka Spanish rider) obstacles; all cold metal and barbwire, brutal).

But Brussels also flaunts its historic heritage and celebrates its art. The whole city is covered in street art - most notably scenes and characters from comics and statements in favor of LGBTQ community. Street decorations and overhead lamps of different designs and splendor turn the city into an exhibition of light.

Altmejd, 2015. Musees royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique/Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van Belgie

The more traditional artistry is spread within the cluster of museums of Mont des Arts/Kunstberg, most notably the Royal Museu of Fine Arts that features both old masters (David, Rembrandt, Rubens - and a whole hall and Google-partnered tour program dedicated to Bruegel) and new masters (some of my beloved Impressionists including Van Gogh, Serat, Gaugin, and a couple of Rodins). Another pearl, Magritte's museum is just down the stairs.

We've also followed one of the most bizarre quests I've ever had, looking for all three pissing monuments of Brussels - the symbol-status Manneken Pis, his female version Jeanneke Pis and a non-fountain canine variation Het Zinneke. Belgian people are weird.

We had some hysterical fun trying to decipher one of the ads on a bus stop. It claimed certain Subea was the best gift for your loved ones on Christmas. Passersby undoubtedly believed us crazy as we tried to identify the thing - and never came close to guessing. Look it up, it's hilarious.

Blue street art, Brussels

Built on the time-tested principles of trading cities, Brussels preserves the tradition of market squares. In early December, the downtown is covered in Christmas towns and motley crowds, framed in softly shimmering lights. It's full of flavors of waffles with cream, and frites, and gluhwein, and seafood, and sausages.

Brussels is full of cyclists (even more so than Copenhagen), full of churches, and homeless, and nationalities - cuisines, skin tones, languages. The signs duplicated in French and Dutch do not help location purposes in any significant way.

Nevermind the confusing feelings I developed for Brussels, there is one thing I should mention with firm praise - chocolate. Walk the streets and have a cup of hot chocolate - it's literally chocolate of your choice melted in hot milk. Eat warm Liege waffles topped with chocolate and cream. Buy a set of (regular) chocolate boxes with discount - or pay a visit to Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert to learn about chocolate as art. It's expensive, yes, but oh is it worth every cent!

Break a chocolate bar of preference - dark works best - into pieces, add to the cup and pour with hot milk. Stir until it melts. Enjoy the taste of Belgium.

St Michael and Gudula Cathedral, Brussels

What to see in Brussels:

Grand Place

Brussels Town Hall

Residence of the Dukes of Brabant

Maison du Roi/Broodhuis

Manneken Pis

Jeanneke Pis

Het Zinneke

Bourse/Beurs (stock exchange)

Galleries Royales Saint-Hubert

St Michael and Gudula Cathedral

chapelle de la Madeleine/Magdalenakapel

Mont des Arts/Kunstberg

Musees royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique/Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van Belgie (Musee Oldmasters, Musee Magritte, musical instruments museum)

Royal Palace

Parc de Bruxelles/Warandepark

eglise Notre-Dame au Sablon/Onze-Lieve-Vrouw ten Zavelkerk

eglise royale Sainte-Marie/Koninklijke Sint-Mariakerk

National Basilica of the Sacred Heart

Atomium

Royal Palace of Laeken

Bruges: The Belfry and the Waffle Houses

Rozenhoedkaai, Bruges

Belgian capital is the least Flemish city among those I've visited. Bruges, on the other hand, seems to bear the imprint of one of the richest regions of medieval Europe. The town is neat and cute, full of waffle houses with stair-step facades, all red brick and yellowish stone. The streets are carefully crafted and well-groomed; they stretch in slow curves, and the houses crowding each side chant their stories to the tourists in a never-ending lullaby.

Houses plaster all over each other - it feels like each street has only one building that was actually constructed with 4 walls. The rest figured 'hey, here's a perfectly good empty wall right there, with nothing attached, why not stick to the side'.

The whole country is like that, one of the signature traits of Belgium, alongside angry cyclists and painted waffle houses.

Before walking to the main attraction (Belfry, naturally), we've decided to have a glass of beer in Halve Maan, one of the oldest breweries in town. We were pleasantly surprised by the sleepy emptiness, the fireside couches and craft beer (I've never had an 11° beer before, it felt almost as a shot of whiskey). In a slumbery, sheepish haze we walked around the Minnewaterpark with its swans and gardens dipped in green moisture.

Minnewaterpark. After the rainy, grey-ish Brussels, Bruges met us with sun-through-the-clouds and warmth worthy of mid-October. I finally got out my camera and snapped my way through the cute medieval city

The territory of Bruges is covered in canals - no wonder it's called the small Venice of the North, and the centuries-old architecture covers the town in a romantic blur. Even the long queues of Belfry (one person in, one out, and around half a hundred waiting for their turn) didn't disturb our dreamy mood. The view from above maps the whole town on the palm of your hands, and the stone parapet is covered in numbers and names of cities with arrows pointing the direction.

Carillon, a fascinating musical instrument that has several dozen bells connected to play melodies. The Belfry carillon plays a different melody every quarter of an hour

Belfry is gorgeous at sunset, especially observed from Grote Markt - towering, starkly contrasted against the fading skies.

Bruges is probably best-known for its streets - after you've seen the main attractions, there's no clear itinerary, but just wander around and get lost in the medieval brick labyrinth. You can visit the old windmills - each with its own unique name - and the corner of Groenerei, which is less romantic in winter but still a nice place for a romantic rendezvous. Or just roam the streets and inhale the ambiance of this old town that looks like it jumped straight out of a fairytale with enchanted castles, simplistic plotline where good always conquers evil and a set of enjoyably cardboard characters.

Sometimes it's fun to experience something so far from real life. Can't disagree with the philosophic view of Fiennes's character from 'In Bruges'.

What to see in Bruges:

Kasteel de la Faille

Sashuis

Minnewaterpark

Sint-Janshospitaal-Memlingmuseum

St Salvator's cathedral

Church of Our Lady (featuring Michelangelo's Madonna met Kind)

Bonifaciusbrug

the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Rozenhoedkaai (the most photographed spot in Bruges)

't Brugse Vrije

City Hall

Basilique du Saint-Sang

Brugge markt

Belfry and Market Halls

Provinciaal Hof

Jan Breydel en pieter de Coeninck memorial

St James's church

Jan Van Eyck memorial

windmills (de Coelewey, de Nieuwe Papegaai, Sint Janshuismolen, Bonne Chiere)

Sint-Annakerk

Gronerei

Train Tales

​Belgium is unexpectedly bad at doing trains. We heard the first bell as we tried to get out of Brussels. The Northern train station has a clear division between two worlds. The ground floor belongs to hobos and (most probably) unemployed immigrants - this is the world of half-light, scary coughs and little noises, empty food wrappings, garbage, people wrapped in multiple layers of dirty blankets and coats. The upper floors are obviously European, well-lit, with shops, 24/7 information desks and wending machines. The contrast is so stark that it's frightening.

(Under)ground floors of Antwerpen-Centraal

Yet this was but a warning. For some unknown reason, the schedule of Belgian trains is really complicated - we couldn't make sense of it using just timetables and scoreboards. This was a shock for me specifically - I just went to Italy a month prior, where I didn't even need to talk to anyone to understand where to buy tickets and how to get from point A to point B.

Obviously we were not alone confused by the whole system - by the machine selling tickets, a nice lady was spending her working hours explaining stupid tourists how this works. She offered us a ticket we didn't consider - it could take us to 10 destinations (we needed 6, and decided to spend 2 more for a short detour to Ghent before Antwerp; profit).

The complications started when we failed to notice the class of the coach we were boarding. Truth to be told, there was a number '1' on the side - but the inside didn't look any different from second class, so I'm not sure what's the deal. 10 minutes into the ride, a railway employee walked in and aggressively started to demand extra payment to 'upgrade' our tickets - about 10 euro per person. None of us were allowed to leave the first class coach for the second.

The thing about that whole situation was: of all the people in the coach, only one woman was aware of its first class status. The rest were bewildered and looked like lost tourists (some of us surely were) who forgot to check the number on the side of the carriage. Which, frankly, didn't feel like the people's fault. A Spanish family nearly started a brawl with the guy - which earned my compassion but also a portion of solid mirth.

Hilarious experience - but also quite frustrating. Not too fond of Belgian train system.

Ghent: The Castle and the Histrionic Weather

Gravensteen, Ghent

I didn't expect this short detour would turn out this satisfying. Don't get me wrong, there's not much to do in Ghent in the evening. In a manner traditional for the whole country, life dies away after 6PM. As nightfall covers the streets, the shops and restaurants close, and the whole city seems deserted. There are some late passersby, some groups of youth and random tourists but they're not common, especially further from downtown.

But the architecture is spectacular nonetheless. Korenmarkt (basically, central square) with Church of Saint Nicholas is the heart of the city. The sites are mostly all on the same line - Stadhuis Gent and Belfort, Saint Bavo cathedral and a couple of nearby 'palaces' that were actually residences of (very) wealthy merchants, and Saint Michael's church on the other side of Korenmarkt, across the Leie river.

It was enjoyable to just wander the empty streets quite aimlessly, bumping into architectural sites curious things here and there

Gravensteen is exactly the prototype you imagine when someone says 'a castle'. It's the type of medieval structure you drew as a kid, with the battlements and turrets. This is where a valiant knight came to rescue a fair maiden from an evil king. It's The Ultimate Castle.

In yet another plot twist, the weather in Ghent was unpredictably fun. It made us giggle at its hysterical fits.

Rain, wind and damp autumnal warmth changed each other in bizarre epileptic seizures.

One moment, it decided to rain - and the downpour started as soon as we opened our umbrellas. 2 minutes later it all stopped as if nothing happened. Ten minutes passed - and terrible gusts of wind that nearly knocked us down. Sure enough, soon it was warm and mellow again. Best advice when the weather is in such a theatrical mood: keep an umbrella with you at all times.

The walk from the city center to the train station is quite long, about an hour. But at least the building of the train station is worth exploring - it has great inner decorations all over the ceiling that imitate medieval style. Outside, by the largest bike parking I've seen after Copenhagen's sleeping districts, a sad man was playing his wistful sax; there seems to be something about Belgium and saxophones.

What to see in Ghent:

Korenmarkt (basically, central square)

Church of Saint Nicholas

Saint Michael's church

Gravensteen

Stadhuis Gent

Belfort

Saint Bavo cathedral

Antwerp: The Train Station and the Sky

Antwerpen-Centraal Train Station, Antwerp

After the grey cold rain of Brussels and the crazy run of tourist-packed Bruges and (devastatingly) empty Ghent, Antwerp was all sunshine and warmth. Easily the most enjoyable time I've had in Belgium.

Antwerp is a mild, soft city, quite self-indulgent - it has less tourists than either Brussels or Bruges - and completely immersed in its own thoughts. Traces of the eternal, undying energy that preserves big cities can be found everywhere.

First things first, we went to see the jewel of Antwerp's sightseeing itinerary - Antwerpen-Centraal, the main train station of the city. It has 4 floors, with trains arriving on each of them - it is really impressive, especially as the whole structure is sunlit through the ribbed glass roof and the underground floors are dipped in orange-and-purple lights, the true impressionist study of light and color.

Antwerp has a clear itinerary, as if the city was built with the idea of easy navigation in mind. Starting from Antwerpen-Centraal and past the diamond district, the shopping streets of Antwerp start and run right to the heart of the city, Grote Markt. The walk there is short if one ignores the detour sites like the beautiful neoclassical Bourla theater with round-ish colonnade façade, the house of Rubens turned museum, the oldest house in Antwerp build circa 1480, completely wooden and still inhabited, or the baroque St Charles Borromeo church, which simplistic interior is decorated with astonishing woodwork.

The notorious diamond district of Antwerp is located right beside the train station. History has it that it all started with shops opening here so that rich people coming to Antwerp to buy diamonds could keep their incognito and leave as soon as the deal was sealed, without the need to visit the town.

Grote Markt and the nearby Groenplaats are connected with a short street that features another pearl of Antwerp, the Cathedral of Our Lady. This majestic Gothic temple is narrowly surrounded by the old houses of trading guilds glued to its every side. You cannot actually see the side walls of the Cathedral (which is another trademark feature of Flemish towns - a dead giveaway that trade was of utmost importance, and that secular and religious matters were closely connected).

Grote Markt itself looks just like other main squares in Belgium - a lot of space adapted for Christmas markets during this time of year, crowded by waffle houses with gilded statues and inscriptions dating back to the Autumn of the Middle Ages, and towering Brabantine Gothic spire, the cynosure of the city.

Stroh violin player. Stroviol is a popular instrument of street musicians, seen all over Flanders

The next thing I was agitated to see was Sint-Annatunnel - a 1/2 km tunnel under the riverbed, fully built for walking on foot, riding on bicycles and even for motorized vehicles. The escalators are wood-paneled and lacquered, the photos on the walls tell the history of construction of the tunnel as one descends.

Quay along river Scheldt, shipyard and windmills

On our way to MAS, we've taken a turn into the Antwerp red lights district. As I was quite shamelessly staring at the girls (literally) displayed in the windows, my friend surprised me, hilariously paying attention to some nesting boxes on a random tree instead. Some way to explore the city.

Don't miss on the chance to visit MAS museum. For a tourist, it's a golden opportunity: free entrance to the rooftop with stunning night panorama of Antwerp lights. From up above, the lights on the windmills twinkle red, painting an ominous image in the night skies. The walls of the interior are covered with posters of modern art (sometimes inspiring, sometimes hilarious, sometimes frightening). Besides, MAS is open till 10 PM, a rare case for Belgium.

MAS pays the oddest homages, and one of them is to Harry Potter franchise: the building features floor 9 and 1/2.

While on the roof of MAS, the pragmatism and commercial genes of Flemish people deliver nothing but pure delight. The nearby houses host advertisements for the visitors of the museum: cafes and restaurants ornament their awnings with offers of hot drinks and rich meals.

What to see in Antwerp:

Antwerpen-Centraal

diamond block

Leysstraat 32-34 and 27 (twin buildings)

Meir (shopping street)

Rubenshuis

Bourlaschouwburg

Boerentoren

Sint-Carolus Borromeuskerk

Groenplaats

Cathedral of Our Lady

Grote Markt

Brabo fountain

Stadhuis Antwerpen

Het Steen and Lange Wapper memorial

Sint-Annatunnel

Stoelstraat 11 (the oldest house of Antwerp)

Sint-Pauluskerk

Schipperskwartier (red lights district)

MAS museum (rooftop viewpoint)

What to eat:

chocolate (in all forms, whether it's box of finest pralines, a chocolate bar, or a cup of hot chocolate)

waffles (fillings vary; I personally prefer dark chocolate and whipped cream. Belgian people however have plain waffle with sugar powder)

beer (one of the oldest and most important produces of the region; brewing beer is fine art here)

frites (basically French fries, but don't call them that - it's offensive, given the fact they were not invented in France; the locals still hold their grudge over the matter)

mussels (Brussels specialty, usually go with frites on the side)

Flanders As It Is

Wandelterras Noord, quay of Antwerp, near Sint-Annatunnel. The sun gave us its last warmth of the day as we strolled along the Antwerp quay, the dark silhouettes of seagulls scattering sunbeams as we scared them off the railings

The towns of Flanders are easily recognizable. The main square is always called 'Grote Markt'; the combination of a cathedral (usually of Our Lady), a stadhuis and a belfry impending over the town is mandatory. Old houses of stone (and sometimes even wood), with stepped roofs and intricate ornaments. Waffles and chocolate on every corner, infinite varieties of beer in any pub. Add cyclists during the day or bicycle parking at night, cobblestone streets, a culture co-depending with trade - and you have a perfect portrait of a Flemish city.

It was a little vacation we all need from time to time - not spectacular but fun, warm and surprisingly full of color in this grim, gray time of the year.

[lovewhatyoudodolan]

Treat You Better || Grayson

Prompt: Slightly based off the Shawn Mendes song. Grayson spent the last couple of months noticing slight differences in the way you act around him after getting a new boyfriend.

Word Count: 1766

A/N: Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you beautiful men and women! Have a good day, smile, and make sure you go buy all the discounted chocolate you can tomorrow!

Warnings: Could potentially be triggering due to an abusive relationship

MASTERLIST

REQUEST

I chuckled and cuddled up closer to my best friend as we watched some random movie that was on television, “Did he seriously think the cops wouldn’t catch him? He literally had his face dead in the view of the camera!”

“Gray it’s just a movie,” I shake my head and reach down to his lap to grab another handful of popcorn. My hand pulls back instantly when a shock of electricity shot up my arm due to Grayson’s brushing against mine. This wasn’t an uncommon feeling, especially recently with how much we were hanging out.

He never seems to react in the same way though, “Yes but there are actually people out there that do shit like this.” He groans and throws his head back in exasperation.

I chuckle again, but that quickly subsided when I felt my phone vibrating against my leg. “Hey I’ll be back,” I whispered as I pulled it out to check the id. Of course it would be him. 

Once I was behind the safety of Grayson’s bedroom door, I clicked accept and put the phone to my ear. “That was the seventh ring y/n!” I flinch at the loudness of my boyfriends voice on the other line. “You know what would’ve happened if you didn’t answer.” I bit my lip and glance down at the wooden floor, “Where are you?”

“Class went over.” My voice was low, which he preferred. It made him feel in control, and I had no choice but to do it or get punished. 

I know what you’re thinking, why put up with this. It’s a lot more complicated than it seems though. He’s a family friend, so I’d never truly get away from his abuse. He knows where everyone that I care about is, and I wouldn’t put it past him to try to harm them in my place...

“Why must you be such a lying whore?” He sighs and I just know that he’s shaking his head. 

I knock on the door brought my attention away from the phone call and fear to coarse through my body. “Y/n/n Ethan’s on his way back if you want to get dinner with us.”

I stayed silent, waiting for all hell to break loose but instead the line went dead. Shit that’s even worse... A text popped up on my screen shortly after. ‘You’re in for it this time. I knew you were a slut, but how dare you cheat on me with that ugly model wannabe. Be downstairs waiting.’

“Actually Gray,” I sigh and do anything I can to hold back my tears, “I have to head home. Forgot I have a paper due tomorrow!” I turn and quickly grab my jacket off his bed before opening the door and bolting past my best friend. 

After all this time I haven’t been able to bring myself to tell Grayson about the abuse. It would break his heart and then he would get all protective over me and try to kill him.

---

The car ride back to our apartment was silent as I played with a strand of denim hanging off my jean skirt. This was how I knew I was in for hell when we got back. If he talked, at least then I knew he wasn’t completely pissed off with me.

When the car was in park, his forehead slammed against the steering wheel making my stomach drop. “Why do you have to do this? You’ve got a perfectly good relationship here, but you’re choosing to fuck around with the Dolan fucker?

“He’s just a friend,” I mutter and lean back in the seat stubbornly before remembering who I was actually talking to.

His head shot in my direction, “Did you just talk back to me y/n?”

My gut tightened instinctively as I turned to face his snarling face, “You don’t fucking own me. I can have friends. I’m so sick of all of this; I’m sick of you!”

“Get out of the car,” His voice was cold and dark. If I wasn’t having a rush of adrenaline due to standing up to him, I would have instantly cowered in fear. “Get out of the fucking car and get in the apartment right this minute.”

“No,” I spat and crossed my arms over my chest, “I’m done with you.”

My eyes widened because in a blink of an eye he was out of the drivers seat and dragging me out of the passengers seat by my hair. Fuck fuck fuck...

I slid my phone out of my pocket when he wasn’t looking, quickly calling Grayson before sliding it back into my pocket. “You may be a college girl, but sometimes you’re really dumb you know?”

His hand wrapped around my neck and picked me up so my back was pressed against the door to our apartment, “I could just strangle your ass right now. It would all be over.”

“Y-You’d go to jail,” I struggle to get out due to lack if air getting to my lungs.

He dropped me and my body instantly collapsed to the ground, “Oh babe you know my dads a lawyer. They wouldn’t get very far in that trial.” I tried to push myself up on my hands and knees, but I was instantly kicked back down. “He won’t want you after what I do to you. No one will.”

I scanned the room in hopes of finding something to protect myself with, but nothing was in reach. “You’re insane,” I choke out only to earn a kick to the side.

“You’re a whore! You’ve bee denying me my pleasure because you’ve been finding it somewhere else.” He grabs my wrists with one hand and placed them above my head, “Not anymore though.”

My mind was racing as he reached down and started moving the bottom of my skirt up my legs, “Stop! Someone help!”

“No one’s going to hear you,” He chuckled while popping the button of his jeans. Tears were threatening to spill down my face, and what happened next was so fast that I couldn’t keep up. 

“Get the fuck away from her!” My boyfriends intense grip subsided before my eyes tiredly slid shut, “Y/n! Fuck Ethan call 911!” Strong arms wrapped around my body, but I was too tired to open my eyes again. I knew it was Grayson because of his voice, so I wasn’t worried anymore. “Hey you’re safe it’s going to be okay.” His breath was ragged as he slowly lifted me off the cold floor, tucking my face into his neck to carry me out. 

“Is she okay?” Ethan’s familiar voice caught my attention as Grayson slowly walked out of the terrible room where I was almost raped. 

“I knew there was something wrong when she ran out of our apartment earlier,” Grayson sighed and pressed a light kiss to my forehead, “I should’ve gone after her...”

“Hey we made it and that’s all that matters,” Ethan sighed.

Grayson’s next words were the last ones I heard before I finally passed out, “Yeah but now she has to live with the trauma of this...”

--- 

When I woke up I was wrapped in a navy blue comforter and Grayson was asleep on his desk chair facing me. Did he watch me while I slept? I groan when I shifted due to a sharp pain running up my side, but went silent when Grayson stirred in the chair. 

“Mmm,” When his eyes opened a light that I hadn’t seen in awhile was there as he stared back at me, “You’re awake...”

“I am,” I pull the comforter closer to my body and let out a sigh, “Thanks for coming.”

His jaw clenched slightly, “I don’t even want to think about what would’ve happened had I not answered that phone call.” He slowly tracked across the room and knelled in front of me so we were face to face, “Do you want me to leave you alone to sleep?”

“Please don’t,” I choked out trying to keep from crying in front of my best friend, “ I don’t want to be alone Gray.”

A frown formed on his lips before instinctively crawling over my body to wrap me into his arms, “I’m never going to leave you y/n. God why didn’t you tell me sooner? I realized that there was something up a month ago when you came over with bruises on your arms, but I didn’t want to pressure you into telling me.”

“I didn’t want you to attack him,” I whisper and turn over to face the brunette, “I knew you’d go after him if I told you and he’s a family friend. He threatened to harm my family if I ever left him or told anyone..”

“Well he’s going to be in jail,” Grayson responded and brushed strands of hair out of my tear stained face, “There’s now three of us again him and his lawyer father. He has no chance.”

“I hope you’re right,” I sigh.

Grayson’s hand cupped my cheek lightly causing me to flinch out of habit, “Sorry...”

“No I’m sorry,” I bite my lip and take a deep breath, “I’m not used to people touching me like that.”

“God I can’t believe he did that shit to you,” Grayson seemed conflicted as he stared down at me, “You deserve so much. You’re literally the most amazing girl I’ve ever met y/n.”

I shrug, “I was just unlucky...”

“I would treat you so much better,” His voice was low so I figured I wasn't supposed to hear his words. My eyes widened before I had the chance to hide my shock and Grayson’s face went hot as well. “Shit you weren’t-”

“Grayson Bailey Dolan,” I pause and stare at his face. Confused on what was appropriate after the situation I just went through. I’ve liked Grayson for months, but I never thought he felt the same way, “Do you mean that as friends or more than?”

His face heats up even more and he glances down at my lips before going in for a light kiss. I instantly kissed my best friend back and sighed in content when he pulled away, “More than friends...”

“Good,” I smile and run my fingers through his floppy brown hair, “Can we just watch a movie and stay in bed all day?”

“I wasn’t planning on doing anything else,” He responded immediately pulling me closer to his warm body. If I’m going to make it through what just happened I’m going to need him with me..

[drinkhv]

Never mind the Super Bowl, Beer Advocate’s Extreme Beer Fest takes over the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston this weekend on Friday and Saturday, February 1st and 2nd, 2019. I first attended this amazing festival last year as a brewery rep, and over two days still wasn’t able to try everything I wanted to. This year, returning solely for fun, I knew I had to make a plan of attack. Over 400 different beers from 120+ breweries is too damn much for one regular 3 ½ hour session, and so this list was born, highlighting the beers I most want to try. Keep in mind I’m leaning towards big stouts, especially barrel aged, barleywines, breweries I’ve never tried before, generally not available in the NYC area, and beers that just seem downright insane that were brewed one time for this event.

Seeing as this took me a few hours, I figured why not share it, as I’m sure some other people might appreciate going in with a little bit of a plan.  Breweries are listed alphabetically for easy lookup on the fly. If I could offer a few other tips, go in with food in your stomach, drink water throughout, use the buddy system for waiting on line/getting beer and get the beers you MUST try as soon as possible. Enjoy the show and hopefully BA will add a combo ticket to get a Saturday session with Friday too at a small discount next year, I know I would buy one! Got a beer I shouldn’t miss? Hit me up at DrinkHV @ Gmail.com!

450 North These guys have a lot of hype coming in hot from Indiana, especially with their Slushy series, which will probably go quick. Sushy Peach Dessert- Berliner Weisse with peaches, vanilla, cinnamon, lactose, graham crackers and brown sugar Flap Jack Nuggets- Milk stout with maple syrup, cinnamon, brown sugar and lactose Slushy XXL triple berry-Berliner Weisse with blueberries, blackberries and raspberries Against The Grain Can’t wait to see what the subversive ATG crew does this year after pissing off a lot of people with their short order diner-style order taking system for samples last year. Meta Boost- 11% beer they claim is both stimulant and depressant with capsaicin (hot pepper) and adaptogens (de-stressing herbs) 1776- Dark Ale with molasses and herbs Aslin Enjoyed Aslin’s no-frills booth approach last year with literally a jockey box and that’s it.  The beers however are all-frills, get some early. Genius Kitchen- 15% imperial stout with Nutella, coffee, maple, cinnamon & strawberry Time for That- Barleywine with blueberry, brown sugar, cinnamon & vanilla Baxter Bourbon Barrel Wickid Dark- 10% stout with cinnamon, hazelnuts, cocao nibs, black and chipotle peppers. Rum Barrel Innuendo- 10.5% imperial white stout with cacao, coffee, vanilla beans and lactose aged in rum barrels. Beer Tree Love trying a new NY state brewery, these guys from Port Crane are bringing some interesting brews Double pineapple coconut Creamsicle- Double NEIPA milkshake style minus the lactose Fruita Con Tajin- sour conditioned on mango, cucumber, chipotle and lime Scoby Snacks- low abv ale brewed with raspberry, passion fruit, ginger, lemon and kombucha scoby Black Hog Leaves a Mark- peanut butter- 11.5% imperial stout with real jars of peanut butter Citra Seltzer IPA- 2% super session brut ipa as close to beer seltzer as they could make. No body, no haze just hops and bubbles. Brownie Inception- Wake up Leo this is a brown ale made with brownies made with the brown ale before it had brownies added. Best movie beer award. Boston Beer Co. (Sam Adams) Utopias- this is traditionally a timed release, so check in to see when they start pouring. How could you not get a couple of ounces of Utopias poured for you from a pitcher? The value alone is worth about half your ticket. Brewery Vivant Another big buzz brewery from Michigan, bringing some nicely named unique beers Emergency PTA Meeting- Mezcal barrel aged smoke beer with ancho peppers Wizard Burial Ground- one of the few Belgian style quads at the show, aged in bourbon barrels Burley Oak Maryland’s new sour darlings, get those JREAMS early or you will have nightmares about missing them. Gnarly Waffles- imperial stout brewed with waffles Apple Pie JREAM- sour with flavors of apple pie Cambridge Brewing Company The local guys always get super crazy for EBF Burnt Weeny Sandwich- named after Frank Zappa’s favorite snack (and one of his albums), it’s a smoked cream ale with mustard, charred hot dogs and toasted buns!!! Best music reference award. Banryu Ichi- 15% beer-sake strong ale aged on sugi wood Civil Society Look for the huge line and you’ll find Civil Society from Florida Bulkshake- milkshake IPA with strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and vanilla BA Bella- rum barrel aged imperial stout with maple & cinnamon Crooked Hammock Banana Hammock- 15% belgian quad with bananas and roasted cacao nibs DC Brau Pickled Pils- pickle juice pilsner Third Eye- 2.25% kombucha pilsner radler Dewey’s Beer Co. Nashville Hot Fried Chicken and Waffles- 10% stout with waffles, fried chicken, spicy honey and maple syrup conditioned on piri piri peppers Secret Machine Tiramisu- Berliner Weisse conditioned on boysenberry, blueberry, coffee, ladyfingers, vanilla and organic cacao Dogfish Head Mother Tree- 11% barleywine aged in bourbon barrels and brewed with elderberry, maple syrup, cinnamon tree leaves and black walnuts Possibly The Next Top Rated Beer on Beer Advocate- EBF collab beer 9% Brewed with maple syrup, toasted coconut, lactose, vanilla beans, cocoa powder, & cold-pressed coffee. Served with an optional dose of hops-infused glitter whipped cream. Down the Road Pickle Man- spicy dill pickle sour collab that has a tremendous local Mass. cult following Due South Trench Toast- Imperial Stout with spices, crafted to taste like a couple of slices of french toast Breakfast Trench- Imperial Stout made with spices and coffee, to recreate an early morning breakfast of a coffee roll Epic Big Bad Bbaptista- 12% Whiskey Barrel-aged Imperial Stout with Coffee, Cacao, Vanilla & Cinnamon Quadrupel Barrel Big Bad Bbaptista- Imperial Stout aged in Whiskey and Rum barrels with roasted cacao, barrel-aged coffee, barrel-aged almonds, & barrel-aged coconut Exhibit A These guys have been getting a lot of accolades as the new kids in Mass. Testify- This imperial stout was aged in Elijah Craig bourbon barrels for one year Cake!- brewed with cinnamon coffee cake, cinnamon, vanilla and light roast coffee Finback 2018 Bourbon Barrel Aged BQE- Salty Caramel-  Chocolate, Coffee Stout with Sea Salt and Caramel Firestone Walker Firestone’s barrel aged beers are to die for, or in this case, to wait on line for, especially these rare variants. Mole Merkin- Barrel Aged Imperial Stout with chili, cinnamon, & cocoa nibs Old Man Hattan- a barrel-aged mashup of two classic drinks: the Old Fashioned & the Manhattan! The base beer is a blend of Velvet Merkin, Bravo & Stickee Monkee aged in whiskey barrels. The twist comes from select lots of Parabola & Helldorado that were aged in Woodford Reserve barrels previously used to mature cherry bitters, orange bitters & aromatic bitters. Four Quarters Pickleback- Heaven Hill aged table beer conditioned on honeydew, cucumbers, and fresh dill. Waffle Star- imperial stout with lactose, maple syrup, and coffee, conditioned on toasted waffles and bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup Great Divide Chocolate cherry Yeti- a new variant on the classic imperial stout with cacao and sweet and sour cherries Barrel aged Hibernation- 10.5% Old age aged 12 months in whiskey barrels Great Notion Portland, Oregon’s hype beasts bringing two of the most sought after beers in the trading scene with 4.5 BA ratings. Double Stack-11% imperial stout brewed with an irresponsible amount of maple syrup & aged on whole bean Sumatra coffee   Blueberry Muffin- Berliner Weisse meets blueberry muffin Gun Hill PB and Void- GABF award-winning export stout with what sounds like every legal sidestep of ‘Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups’ from the description Ft Ticonderoga Barrel Aged Barleywine- 11.5 % aged 10 months in rum barrels and fortified with molasses, toffee, almond croissants, macerated cherries, prunes, and rum balls Jack’s Abby Gingerbread Barrel Aged Framinghammer- 12% gingerbread variant of their solid baltic porter series aged in bourbon barrels Jackie O’s Bourbon Barrel Dark Apparition - 12.8% imperial stout aged on Vanilla & Coffee Beans Port Dark Apparition- 10% imperial stout aged in port barrels for over a year Carrots and Sticks- 13.9 % strong ale brewed with walnuts, spices, lemon zest and raisins that was fermented with carrot puree, conditioned on vanilla beans and aged for 14 months in bourbon barrels   Kane This is a double liner with these two and also BB aged Sunday Brunch and Mexican Brunch. One of the first booths out of beer last year. A Night To End All Dawns- S’mores- Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout with cocoa nibs, graham cracker and marshmallow   A Night To End All Dawns- Peanut Butter Cup- 12% Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout with peanut butter and cocoa nibs

Lord Hobo Caviar Godmother- 12% imperial stout Godmother kissed with kilos of caviar Lost Abbey Dead Man’s Game- 15%  Blended Belgian strong dark ale aged in Rum and Bourbon barrels Mortalis Looking forward to trying these crazy concoctions from this NYS brewery I’ve not yet had Icarus w Golden Ggrahams- 10% golden imperial stout aged on Golden Grahams and cold steeped with coffee Milk of the Gods Strawberry Cheesecake IPA- milkshake style with Vanilla, Graham Crackers and Strawberries New England Brewing Company Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout Trooper- O.G. cease and desist imperial stout Fluffy Puppies-  Mixed Fermentation IPA with Citra, Galaxy and Mosaic hops debuting at the fest Night Shift El Lechador- 10.5% Horchata-style milk stout aged in bourbon barrels with poblano peppers, cinnamon, nutmeg & vanilla beans with a hint of pepper and a splash of bourbon Marilyn- 11.9% Blonde barleywine-style ale aged in rye barrels The North Worked next to these guys from upstate NY last year and enjoyed their stuff Trap Klouds- 4.5% extremely thick stout brewed with lactose, vanilla, marshmallow & almond God Complex- 9.5% Hazelnut Mocha Chilli Stout RAR 10 Layer- Dessert Ale with coconut, macadamia nuts, lactose and vanilla Relic Caribbean Kettle- 11.5% barleywine aged on rum soaked oranges Kola- 10% imperial porter brewed with kola nuts and kola syrup Right Brain These guys are bringing 8 pretty extreme beers from Michigan, these are the three I’m zeroing in on Apple Pie Whole-  Amber ale fermented with real whole apple pies Johnny’s Lunchbox- Brown ale brewed with house-made peanut butter, grape jelly puree and donuts Thai Peanut- Pad Thai-inspired brown ale with house-made peanut butter including coconut, Thai chilis, dry-hopped cilantro, and a touch of lime. Spicy yet balanced Pist. Avocado- Milk stout with real avocados with a nutty aroma & finish from house-made pistachio butter

Sierra Nevada Barrel Aged Maltiple Personalities- Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Brown Ale with Carolina Reaper peppers 3 Become 1- 10.5% Whiskey Barrel-aged Imperial Lager with ginger and cayenne Sixpoint Horchata Beans- 13% horchata inspired bourbon barrel aged imperial porter with tiger nut, cinnamon & coconut Master Blend- 13.8% imperial stout aged a year in first-use bourbon barrels Solemn Oath BBA Coconut Goldmund - Barrel-Aged Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout w/ Coconut Unholy Water- Tartshake IPA with mango, tamarind, lime zest, and coconut to create a sweet and sour refreshing encounter with many layers Somerville (Slumbrew) Saturday Morning- 9.2% tripel with Captain Crunch cereal, cherry puree, blueberry puree Springdale Grain Reaper- 12.7% American Barleywine-style ale aged seven months in ex-bourbon barrels Throwback Fat Alberta- 10% Chocolate Peanut Butter Imperial Stout made with cocoa husks and peanuts BBQ Campfire-  BBQ pork rub-infused smoked robust porter Transient Grainbro Connection- Rye barleywine. Muppets, yeah? Velvet Sea- 15%  Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels blended with whiskey Foeder aged imperial stout Trophy Monkey Way- Salted Caramel Sweet Stout fermented on an outrageous amount of bananas Weldwerks Looking forward to trying beers for the first time from this buzz brewery out of Colorado Mexican medianoche- 14% imperial stout aged in Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey barrels for 20 months, then aged on Papua New Guinea and Madagascar vanilla beans, Vietnamese cinnamon sticks and Ghanan cacao nibs Coffee Maple Aromatic- Imperial stout with tons of chocolate malt, huge additions of maple syrup, and Peruvian coffee DDH Juicy Bits- NEIPA with Citra, Mosaic and El Dorado

[nedilynndominique]

Hong Kong (June 20-23, 2016)

I can’t believe that it’s almost been a year. I don’t want it to be a year just yet, I want the memories to be so vivid that it feels like it just happened a week ago. It was my first to travel outside of the country, and oh how I want to do it again and again. I want to learn about people, their culture, their food... All these landmarks... All these places that people create memories in. I only wish to be motivated enough to finally find a job and earn so much money that I can get to travel as much as I want. With that being said, here is my Hong Kong experience.

After my graduation and after Kuya finally finished his thesis, papa was happy enough to take is to Hong Kong. He paid for kuya, Layne, mama’s, and my airplane ticket, Disney ticket, and accommodations ticket. On that day, uncle Jay was home from Australia. It’s so weird to think, because uncle Jay went home last Christmas, and it just shows that this HK trip happened months and months ago. Anyway, uncle Jay was home and uncle Alvin and his kids were at home that day. Uncle Alvin is going to be driving us to the airport at... I can’t even remember, I think 1 in the morning. I didn’t get to sleep at all! We were so early that we lounged around and ate some snacks for a few hours. It was so weird! My last plane ride was during my 3rd year in High School, but our Cathay Pacific plane ride now was so much better, and so much comfortable. I sat beside mama, and I started taking videos of our experience then. Cathay had all the best music: from Charlie Puth to Demi Lovato! And also, I used the lavatory because papa told us to. Haha. So with zero sleep, I felt like I was floating by. We rode some sort of a train, rented a pocket WiFi, and looked for our travel agency guide, Randy. We were grouped with fellow Filipinos and a lot of Arab people. We were dropped of at our hotel- Rambler Garden Hotel, and mama talked to some Filipino people that already went to Hong Kong before. We waited SOOOO long to be checked in, that we roamed around at the basement level of the hotel to see a 7-11 store, the Park n Shop grocery,  We were supposed to go with them to Madaam Tussauds, and ride with them at the shuffle that the hotel provided, but we left our room too late. We decided to buy some snacks at 7-11, and then we rode a taxi (100 HK dollars for a 20-minute ride) to Tsim Sha Tsui. 

On our first day, we just roamed around and promised to return here on our free day. We bought some food at McDonald’s, yes! And then went back to the hotel- we had two rooms and Layne and I shared rooms, while kuya and mama shared another one. Since they get to keep the pocket WiFi, we stayed at their room up until before we slept.

The next day was a fun day! We went with a Filipino group to tour Victoria’s Harbour, a jewelry shop in Hong Kong- where a Filipino guy who speaks a different language would always hover around me!, a souvenir store (I think they tricked us because the food were really expensive there, but I got Carlos’ dad the Hopia that he liked, and the mirrors I bought were 4 for 100, when the store at our hotel sold mirrors for 7 for 100!!! I only found out about that later that night), and to this boat place- that mama decided we ride even if we spent 60 HK dollars per person and it was a short boat ride. It was still a good experience though! And, while showing us around, Randy made me stand up at the bus, and he called me beautiful, “ a future beauty queen”! Haha! I made sure that Carlos knows that. The best part was when we went to Hong Kong Ocean Park. Only 3 groups of people went there, alongside a Filipino couple who we got to talk to. :)  Ocean Park was loads of fun. We ate lunch even if the the food was expensive, at one of the stalls there. We road the cable car- and we were ALL scared, especially kuya. And we saw so many animals!!! The penguins and the pandas were the cutest of all. We weren’t able to watch the sea lion show though, but the sharks and the jellyfishes were really pretty. There were a lot of rides, too, but we didn’t ride any because we easily get dizzy. This was a really beautiful place, although it was very tiring because we walked around the entire day! At nighttime, we went to Park n Shop and 7-11 to  buy some more snacks! A 24-pc Ferrero pack was on sale for only 60 dollars at 7-11 so we loaded up on that, I bought 2. Layne bought 2. Mama bought 2. And kuya bought 3!!!

On our third day, we went to Hong Kong Disneyland for the entire day!!! It was so hot there! Mama bought a cap for herself, but it was so hot that I was getting grumpy, so she bought one, too. We took pictures a lot and tried to look for places that had air conditioners on- like the shops, where mama almost had a fight with a Chinese woman who cut to the front of the line, and the Lion King show (which was really beautiful!). Before that, we had lunch at the rocketship/spaceship-themed restaurant, and I ordered a two-piece chicken with rice. It wasn’t that good, but it was really expensive! We also went to take pictures with the Disney characters- we spent the entire day waiting in line for picture- I got a bad sunburn because the shirt was really tight! But we got to take pictures with Donald Duck, Zootopia characters, Sofia the First, and Mickey and Minnie. We got badly sun burnt for the Mickey and Minnie line because it was soooo long! For the Zootopia characters, we were originally in line for Chip and Dale, but the couple before us, the guy to be exact, decided to punch one of the mascots!!! The couple quickly left the scene and guards were suddenly all over the place looking for them. Anyway, we saw Pluto, Goofy, and Elsa, but didn’t get to take pictures with them. My dream was to meet the handsome Flynn Rider, but we never saw them. The Disney princesses, aside from Elsa, weren’t around the time that we visited. We joined the afternoon parade, and I felt like a Disney character being one of the people at the front. Lol. And then we had some overpriced snacks at the Disney Bakery- I had a chocolate croissant with crushed pistachios. We bought several drinks throughout the day, too, because it was extremely hot. I noticed my sun burn in the afternoon, and decided to change into a different, more loose shirt. It was a green sequins top that reminds me of the Little Mermaid. We walked around the entire day- and no, no rides yet again. (I will definitely try and ride some rides the next time, THERE IS A NEXT TIME, I go there). We watched the Disney Paint the Night parade at around 7:30, and mama again almost fought with an old woman that tried to steal our spots while waiting for the fireworks show. We then watched the Disney in the Stars fireworks show, and I greeted Carlos an early birthday in one of the videos I shot. I kept on sending him videos of the fireworks. By the way, the internet connection in Ocean Park and Disneyland was soooo fast! When it came to an end by 9 PM, we half heartedly went home. It was tiring, but I really enjoyed it. We were sooooo tired, but we still went down to buy snacks at Park n Shop. We bought these really delicious cherries, and a lot of different candies and snacks (Almond Roca for 2 for 10, Kinder, Snickers, and this mentos/chupa chups 40 pcs pack for only 11 dollars). I also bought these Oreo wafers at 7-11 for only 11 dollars! We ate at Cafe de Coral at the basement floor of the hotel that night. We were supposed to keep the WiFi that night because tomorrow was Carlos’ birthday and I wanted to greet him on midnight, but it turns out that we used up all of our 5 GB data. So Layne and kuya accompanied me to the lobby, so I can greet Carlos via Facetime. Hehe. That night also, Layne and I realized that the cleaners took our towels, so I had to call to get some towels, and panicked because we thought that we would be asked to pay for it- it was 100-200 dollars per towel! Fortunately, we weren’t asked to pay. 

Our last day was sad! First of all, I realized how dark I got! I hated my pictures with my black jacket on, because I was so dark!!! We returned to Tsim Sha Tsui after checking out at the hotel - we left our luggage there as well. We had lunch at KFC, it was soooo good, and the line was sooo long. We walked around a lot to look for kuya’s shoes, but he didn’t buy any. We looked at Giordano and another store, and the clothes were so inexpensive, because they had a sale around this time of the year- plus 10% discount on your birthday month and it was kuya’s birthday month. HAHA. So they bought a lot, and I bought Carlos a 60-dollar hat from Giordano! So we returned to look at the malls- we bought pasalubong face masks from one of the stores along the strip, and we went to H&M!!! nd we went inside a mall where Kuya bought a G-Shock watch.We returned to H&M and again, it was so inexpensive! Layne bought 2 shoes, and because I was a cheap girl, I only bought one boots- but it’ the best and it’s my favorite!, for 150 HK dollars. I bought a couple shirt for Carlos and I, too, for  60 HK dollars. We were getting late, and taxi drivers won’t stop for us- they don’t like tourists, mama panicked. We eventually had to ride a taxi cab that made us pay 200 dollars for the short trip- he was very rude. We arrived on time. Got to the airport, said goodbye to our WiFi, ate dinner at Cafe de Coral one last time because we still had coupons (coupons are from the travel agency) and walked around. We bought some Starbucks and a couple of Big Macs from McDonalds, before boarding at around 9 pm. Mama and Layne slept the entire ride, but I chose to watch Zootopia. Hehe. Note: We sat at the middle seat next to a Pinay this time, and kuya sat across us. This is where our trip ends. The best days and most memorable trip of my life so far. :) Uncle Jay and Uncle Alvin met us at the airport, and we were all so sleepy, I zonked out immediately. 

Hong Kong is such a beautiful and clean place, I would definitely want to return here someday soon! There were a lot of rude Chinese people, but I guess that comes with territory. Again, I love the place and the food and the culture that I got to experience here, and I hope to never forget all that has happened while I was here. 

Link to my video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8_DfFr1gMY

[thegreenhorseman]

My first trip to Equine Affaire was in November 2017.  Two of my friends were scheduled to ride in clinics and we camped in the trailer’s living quarters.  Much like the past few days, that year was frigid.  Our water froze and we all began to battle a bad cold. 

Camping at Equine Affaire was an experience like no other. I  am so blessed that I had that opportunity but truth be told it was just TOO COLD.  Still, I got to be there for THREE days!  What a fun time and I loved learning new things from the clinics.

A First-Timer to Equine Affaire

My 7 Most Memorable Vendors at Equine Affaire

My 5 Most Memorable Clinicians at Equine Affaire 2017

Then, in 2018, I went on my own.  Just a day trip.  I woke up as early as possible and made my way to Springfield, MA to be there as the gates opened.  It was a long day but enjoyable all the same.

The Green Horseman at the Affaire

Clinicians of Equine Affaire 2018

The Green Horseman at Fantasia

This year was much different.  I have a new schedule that had me working overnights Thursday and Friday into Saturday morning.  I also planned to ride in a hunter pace Sunday morning.  I didn’t trust myself to work all night and make the drive to and from Equine Affaire on no sleep so I hitched a ride with a friend.  We didn’t show up until 1pm but we were there.  We walked the booths.  I hunted for a few key items….Stabul Nuggets, books, and colorful saddlepads.

I discovered Stabul Nuggets at the 2017 show.  I was enticed with the delightful smell and further woo’d by knowing they are nutritionally balanced with no added sugar.  That means they are a good treat even for horses with Cushing’s disease.  Since first discovering them they have changed their packaging and are now available on shelves at Tractor Supply stores.  In the very near future, you will also be able to scoop them up on Chewy.com!

Unfortunately, they no longer offer the large bags that I used to buy but I did grab the sampler pack.  One pound each of all six flavors for $18.  From left to right: Peanut, Peppermint, Strawberry, Fenugreek, Banana, Pina Colada.  My horses love these treats!

I also visited Trafalgar Square books where I received a lovely book called “Healthy Hooves.”  I ordered a few books that were not available at the booth and can’t wait to receive them.

I was thrilled to see a booth hosted by the ladies of the Heels Down Happy Hour podcast.  In the podcast the women talk horses over drinks.  The booth at Equine Affaire featured natural soaps for dirty equestrians.  The Barn Drama Detox is my personal favorite by name alone.

I was really disappointed by the Back on Track booth.  For one thing, there were no “show specials.” The prices were just the same as on their website…and I’ve seen lower prices on other occasions.  Trade shows such as this are sought after for special shopping steals and Back on Track was NOT playing along.  I was also disappointed because they had several bins at the Horse Expo in PA with opened discounted items at a bargain price.  They told me flat out that they don’t bring those bins to the Equine Affaire.  I guess I’ll have to wait for a better deal to come along.

Not too far from the Back on Track booth was the Dark Horse chocolates.  This year they were sampling the Peppermint ponies.  Though I couldn’t make a purchase I can certainly say their chocolates are exquisite.  If you’re looking for a nice treat to spoil someone, check them out (Dark Horse Chocolates by Harbor Sweets).

I briefly had a few moments to catch Jochen Schleese of Schleese Saddelry talk about saddle fitting.

We also made our way to the colloseum to see my trainer’s former student atop her world champion morgan mare, Martha Stewart.

We continued to wander and I found some lovely jump standards.  Now that I’m learning to build my own I enjoy looking to these for inspiration.

We made our way to the stables.  At the time the draft horses were getting geared up and ready for their Fantasia show.  The large Percherons stood at their stalls patiently while the Belgians awaited on crossties.

I don’t care how long you’ve been around horses it is ALWAYS humbling standing next to these giants.  Particularly seeing those massive hooves!

Equine Affaire 2019 was a wonderful day (plus I got my long-awaited Gyro!).  We got there late but still managed to get some great shopping in as well as catch a couple clinics. When we got home I promptly fed the horses, prepared for the hunter pace, and went to bed!

Until next year, Equine Affaire!

The Green Horseman at Equine Affaire 2019 My first trip to Equine Affaire was in November 2017.  Two of my friends were scheduled to ride in clinics and we camped in the trailer's living quarters. 

[thechocolategarage]

Blood Orange, Fresh Coast, Hispaniola...

December 22, 2017

Good news: We will stay open into 2018, Saturdays only, after closing from December 24-January 7th. 

Happy Friday Everyone! NEWS FLASH: We will be remaining open into the first quarter of 2018. Saturdays only, switching back to our winter schedule of 9 am - 1 pm. We will also have Full Belly Farm, Nut'n'Bean and a meat vendor making appearances on Saturdays, so drop in to our mini-market that runs through the winter! WE ARE ALSO OPEN TONIGHT FRIDAY 22nd DECEMBER 5:30-8:30 for any last minute shopping. (back to our regular programming.... :) I love the above picture, with our whole Nicaragua crew piled into a truck. The April 2018 (3/31- 4/7) trip is coming together nicely, but our additional detailed travel brochure has not come together yet! The holidays have somewhat gotten the better of us, keeping us on our toes juggling orders, gift boxes and shipments. Our itinerary is looking great, landing in Managua, heading to Matagalpa for a couple of days of farm visits, to then head for an over night in Granada, to then boat over to Isla Zapatera where we will visit petroglyphs, see lots of roaming animals, birds, caiman, river turtles. Ending up back in Managua for a celebration of chocolate made bean to bar, and seeing all the delicious items Momotombo makes. If you would like more info, please email us to let us know. It will be the first full week of April, and we will keep it intimate, maxing out at 12 guests. Kids are welcome, Nicaragua is very accessible and safe. I plan to bring my kids again, now they are 8 and 10, so maybe I can get them to lead parts of it. Kidding. If you already expressed your interest via email, we have you on file, and will send out more details shortly. The price for adults will be $2950, 7 days of everything included, chocolate and rum tastings, food, transport, and transfer to and from the airport. Airfare is not included, but everything else is! We will have a few discounted spots for kids, but will limit the number of kids. As for our next trip in February 2018, India is set. Hotels booked and paid for, itinerary all organized, our cultural exploration of food, culture, coconut and cacao in southern India is set, and I can't wait to bring our group of adventuresome explorers there. We do have two last minute extra spots that have opened, so please ping me if you are interested! Saturday Tasting Menu Fresh Coast Brazil 70% Felchlin Cru Sauvage Bolivia drops Hispaniola 68% Patric Chocolate Red Coconut Curry Patric Chocolate Blood Orange 66 So, c'mon by tomorrow, we'll be open from 8 am until 1pm. It will almost certainly be very busy, so please extend your patience. Katie, Alice and I will be there to help, so hopefully we will manage to keep the sample trays full, the shelves a plenty too, and a smile on our faces. We are going to taste five bars, because I couldn't whittle it down further than the above bars. We also will be offering a complimentary Red Coconut for each Red Coconut you buy... in greed mongering terms I believe that is called: BOGO. I figure it is a way for those of you who love this bar (like me!) to be able to share it with others who might be adventurous, spice and flavor loving friends. My gift. But you get to pass it on. Other than that, we have plenty of fun bars, here is an incomplete, but juicy list: Fruition 100%, Camino Verde Crunch, Hispaniola, a few Wild Bolivia bars, a few Marañon that were gifted to us by Fruition, we also got in some more Francois Pralus; Cuba, Fortissima, Venezuela, as well as some Bonnat refills: Haiti, Kaori, Los Colorados, El Rosario, Cote d'Ivoire. Fresh Coast is available as Belize, Brazil or Tanzania 70 percent bars. We also have a few of The Smooth Chocolator available, a few Caffe Latte, Haiti and Belize. Some delicious Felchlin based bars by the talented Michael Mischer, with roasted almonds or toffee and Murray River Salt. A few new Patric bars, a bunch of Areté bars that will appear and disappear very quickly on Saturday morning, once David and Leslie have made their weekly delivery. We also had Taylor of Sirene send us one last shipment before the holidays, to get more Tingo Maria, his dark milk duo, and a couple others. There are still some Ritual bars, Fleur de Sel (very trendy, throw salt on the back of something and yumm yumm, people snap it up!) as well as their Camino Verde and Madagascar. Ok, finally, before I close out, great stocking stuffers, with Lillie Belle Farms "The Most Awesome Bar Ever" and you can't really argue with Jeff, this bar is insane! As well as some of the small Francois Pralus pyramides that y'all refer to as towers... :) You are right, they are not pyramid shaped, but, Mr. Pralus calls them "pyramides", so I am not crazy to call them by their name, even if the name is faulty. Last chance to get some Happy Chocolate! Reminder again, we will be closed from December 24th through January 8th, all of us taking European style vacations, because there are some things Europeans do better than Americans. Sensible vacation and time off is one of those things. They kind of do food pretty well too... at least some European countries. Seriously, signing off, see you tomorrow! Sunita 

A really memorable tasting we did recently, for a team saying goodbye to one of their members with a Happy Chocolate pairing. Scotch, tequila, dessert wines and sake. Yes. Book your 2018 tastings now! 

We are getting closer and closer with our Switzerland choco-doc! I am recording voice over standing in my clothes closet with the door closed (hah!), and Juliette then patches it together... stay tuned! 

[atypical60]

This is a difficult post to write because I’m covering two subjects at once and I honestly don’t know where to begin.

A couple of days ago I received a request on Instagram to list favorite items that I buy in France—I’m pretty sure it was meant to mean beauty products.  And I was all set to start writing about those products last night when I realized something.

I realized that when this blog post would be published, it would be on the 17th.  Two years after Bonaparte’s aunt, Danièle Delorme passed away.  Today marks the second anniversary of her passing.  And she’s been on my mind since I woke up this morning.

From Gigi to Femme Fatale to a best-seller about her life and career. She was one of a kind and I am missing her badly.

If you are familiar with this blog, then you are very familiar with Bonaparte’s and my stays with Danièle’s apartment in Paris.  When she was alive, her apartment was our second home.  She was my French mama.  And we had a blast together.

And so, on this day, I would like to link a few posts so that you can either familiarize yourself with her or have another look at some of my  memories of her:

Here’s the First of Three Parts about our stay during Daniele’s Funeral. The second and third installments are immediately following Part Un.

One of my favorite photos of Daniele.  I forget what movie this was from.

Paris Without Daniele–Part Un

Those blue doors. I could cry just looking at this photo.

The shocking news that hit me when I found out the apartment was being sold:

Au Revoir to Our Little Paris Apartment

Place Dauphine. Lively in the summer and at rest during the late fall through the early spring.

Our trip to Paris last November. It was bittersweet. Read the entire four posts about it!

Three Days In Paris. Leave the Chic at Home and Enjoy Being a Flaneuse

Now that you have a bit of a background on my many stays in Paris over the years,  I’ll touch on a few more things.

First of all, Paris is a very special place for me.  I’m a city girl.  I miss living in Manhattan.  My two favorite cities are NY and Paris—but that’s another story.  I love Paris because of her imperfections.

  Just one of the many reasons I love Paris. The morning views always make me feel very comforted.

And within an hour of Paris you get to see cool places like this…

And come back to this at dusk!

Paris is an incredibly romantic city. And not just romantic in the way it brings lovers together. It is romantic in other ways as well–buildings are ancient.  Stairways are worn.  Floors are uneven.  Walls have peeling plaster.  The streets are too narrow. I could go on and on and on—but with these imperfections, she is a city of beauty, history, culture, and splendor.  And that’s what makes Paris romantic.

My version of Paris is not the one most bloggers write about.  I’m not that blogger running down a side street in a pair of six-inch stilettos, wearing a midi-length fluffy tutu skirt with a tight-fitting Breton shirt, hair extensions blowing in the wind, carrying a Chanel bag in one hand and a box of Ladurée macarons in the other.

That’s because I’m the blogger who makes my own macarons.  Here is mine with chocolate cream filling, pistachio filling, and almond cream filling.  I think it’s time to make more.

Nor am I going to write about the starred Michelin restaurants that are spread throughout the arrondissements.  Most of my meals over the years have been cooked by Danièle ’s various housekeepers.  And might I add, she hired some mighty fine cooks!

Casual, informal table for three.  Fathia was by far the best cook–she made couscous by hand!!!!  Her tagines were the greatest!

Instead, I want to focus on one thing.

Shopping.  As in normalized shopping.  That’s right.  You can go shopping in Paris and get really nice things without breaking the bank.  The average French woman does not walk along Boulevard du Montparnasse carrying a Chanel bag.  You will most likely see a Longchamp Le Pliage or a La Bagagerie shopping tote hanging off the shoulders of local femmes.

This La Bagagerie Shopping Tote is the bag you will see more women in Paris carrying than Chanel.  I promise you.

Whether you will be traveling to Paris for the first time soon or in the future, please remember that Paris offers affordable shopping—and not just during the winter and summer soldes.

Let’s shop!

City Pharma:  (Click the Bold Name to link to the website–I don’t know why it isn’t turning purple–WordPress!) How much do I love this treasure trove of all things beauty?  Enough that I make it a point to shop there every time I go to Paris.  This might be inappropriate, but during the three days that we stayed for Danièle ’s funeral, I made time in between family visits to get there.  The discounts on brands such as Caudalie, Nuxe, Roche, Bioderma and all other French brand names is ridiculous! Even brands that aren’t well-known to those outside France are worth trying.  I found one of my favorite toners here—a simple orange blossom water for less than 5 €. In fact, I hoarded and am now down to my last bottle.  Time to get back.

THIS is the store that rocks my bateau! Bonaparte can wait outside and people watch while I go candy-pickin’!

Part of my haul from last year…most of this stuff is gone….

I think I may have paid tops 20 euros for this. It retails for $79. here in the States!

Mama is runnin’ low.  I need to get back to CityPharma!

Freaking Bioderma’s small micellar water was a whopping €2.49. Here in the States, the same small bottle sells for about seven bucks.

That tiny bottle of micellar water by Bioderma cost me two euros and change. Here it cost almost seven bucks.  The middle Fragonard lotion was purchased at the Fragonard Boutique.  The Orange Blossom water is another CityPharma steal. I picked up three or four bottles. I’m dowm to my last one!

One euro and the best lip balm I’ve ever purchased!  I also purchased this at Geant Hypermarche in Mandelieu-la-Napoule.

Located on the corner of Rue du Four and Rue Bonaparte, the place gets crowded as the day goes by. Get there early. Wear flat shoes.  Be ready to shove your way through the narrow aisles.   Grab a basket as you go in because I can guarantee that a lot of stuff will be leaving the store with you.

You’ll know that you’ve reached City Pharma when you see a ton of French men smoking cigarettes outside. They are waiting for their significant others.

Fragonard:  This boutique at 196 bd. St. Germain is one of the most charming shops I’ve ever been in. It’s so adorable.  During the summer, we always make a stop at the Fragonard in Grasse. But there are quite a few locations scattered around Paris.  The scents here are very affordable and the selection is good. The perfumed body lotion is a steal at around €10 or 12.  Soap sets make great gifts and my favorite, Fleur d’Oranger is always in stock.  Don’t forget to have a look around at the cute fabric bags that Fragonard sells for various uses such as laundry and shoes.

Yes. The Fragonard shop in St. Germain is as cute as this illustration!

And even though I purchased the Fleur d’Oranger Intense (pictured on the right),  These scents are always in stock at the boutiques in Paris.

This adorable fabric sac was purchased way back when–at the Fragonard St. Germain. I’ve had years of use from it. I pack my ballet flats in it when we travel!  All for about ten or twelve euros.

Sophie Sacs: I found out about Sophie Sacs from a friend of mine.  She also introduced me to Nat et Nin bags.  Sophie Sacs is a discounted bag shop at 149 Rue de Rennes—a great shopping street, and affordable shops to boot!  Sophie Sacs also sells a varied selection of Nat et Nin bags.  The bags are like buttah and at the discounted rate come in at less than €200 for a decent bag.

Monsieur Sophie Sacs will take care of all your Sac needs!!!

It’s a small shop, but packs a whallop of bags!

Some of the Nat & Nin bags I’ve purchased at Sophie Sacs.  Yes. There’s more. 

La Bagagerie:  64 b. Haussmann.  Another affordable brand.  The shopping totes are a cross between a nylon Longchamp bag and a Birkin bag.  You’ll see them all over the City. Beware though. If you purchase the shopping tote, make sure you buy a dark color.  I had the cream color and it got so filthy that I had to trash it.  Thankfully, it was very affordable.

Another brand of affordable bags with locations throughout Paris. If your luggage gets messed up you can buy new here!

Jeanne Danjou: 15 Place du Pont-Neuf.  Hold on!  I need a moment here. ……….. OK.  In writing this post, I just found out that this jeweler is selling on Etsy.  This.  This is the smallest little bijou boutique on the corner at Pont-Neuf.  I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve passed this shop because I can’t count that high. But I’ve gotten gifts here and treated myself to a few things.  The prices are crazy inexpensive proving that you can bring home a piece of French jewelry without going all Cartier!

Thankfully, Daniele’s apartment was up the street because this shop has unusual hours!

Aren’t these red earrings the cutest?

A coupla more pieces.  Now that I know these goods are on Etsy……..

Monoprix:  Various locations throughout Paris and all through France.  Everyone raves about ‘Monop.  It’s like the Target of France but a few years back, the prices were really cheap.  Over the years, the chain has raised prices. I think you can get better prices on toiletries at Carrefour, Casino, and Geant. Just my opinion.  But the great thing about Monoprix is the little nylon tote bags that you can get for one euro.

Load up on these.  I’m not kidding. These also make great stocking stuffers!

Nicolas: Also, locations throughout Paris and France.  The best place to buy wine but Nicolas also sells these one-euro totes as well.  I’m demanding that you buy at least five of these bags.  When you get home put one in each of the purses you use the most.  These come in handy when you need to make a stop at the grocery store. But—if you aren’t aware, grocery stores in France do not offer free bags for your groceries.  These little totes are essential.  Better yet, buy twenty of them and hand them out to your friends.

All folded up…

This thing is in constant use–who knew that a little, nylon, one-euro wine store sac would be used over and over and over and over again!

If you get the chance, drop into the Guerlain Boutique at 68 Champs-Elysées. When Snow White bit into that poisoned apple and fell into that deep slumber, I’ll bet she was dreaming of this place because it is a girly dream!  As a lover of Guerlain scents, I had yet to shop in this magnificent shop until Danièle decided to take me on a spending spree!  I have never had an experience to rival this one and my damned phone broke so I wasn’t able to take photos!

This was where the magic happened. And from the ceiling, flowers were floating down.  My damned luck the phone broke! 

Well, I’ll always have Pushy Pink as a memory…

And my perfume!!

When we arrived at the shop, the sales staff greeted Danièle as though she was royalty. And when she introduced me as her niece from America, I was treated like the princess I was meant to be! The red velvet rope at the end of the stairs leading to the second floor was opened for us and I walked into a room with a larger-than-life lazy Susan filled with every Guerlain scent imaginable.  I was ordered to pick whatever I wanted—and the large  bottle of La Petite Robe Noire was put aside for me. Then it was off to buy some makeup!  To this day, Guerlain’s Pushy Pink remains one of my most revered lipsticks and I use it sparingly.  I cannot even describe the feeling of shopping in that store.  But—I can tell you that if you do want a lovely, girly, fairy-tale shopping experience.  Visit this flagship boutique.  And buy am eyeliner pencil. It’s affordable!

Galeries Lafayette:   Oddly enough, this isn’t my favorite place to go shopping. I prefer the smaller shops. But, during Christmas, the décor alone will put even the biggest Scrooge in the spirit!  It’s beautifully decorated!  Lots of little “galleries” in this huge department store—and at times can be downright overwhelming.

The ceiling last year at Galeries Lafayette. I was so happy that we were there for the Christmas decorations!

It was gaw-jus!!!!

Randomness:  I hoard sugar substitute and those little candies in the tin.  I don’t know why but I just do.  Back in the summer of 2016, I discovered Adopt’ scents at Geant and now I’m hooked.  I have various little spray bottles in different purses. My favorite is Oud Ambre. It’s one of those masculine scents but feminine at the same time. The little spray bottles run for about €6 and are a stellar buy!

If you are in Paris or any other area in France and you see adopt’ perfumes, buy a couple!  This scent is the perfect autumn scent–it’s like tweed and leather and wool wrapped into one!

I must have 25 of those sugar substitute thingies. I buy them every year then forget about them–and those candies!

Think outside the box for gifts.  I received this scarf from Daniele after she went on a shopping trip. It wasn’t something that I would have selected but I’ve worn this year after year after year since I received it. It is a lightweight wool and the threading is silver. But somehow it works.  And notice in the small photo with the Antik Batik tag. The plastic is still there. You would think I would have cut it out?  Non. I’m that lazy!

Don’t forget about airport shopping!  I picked this solid scented perfume by Diptyque at CDG last year. I could not resist the packaging but this is some strong stuff!  I must use very carefully! 

Etam:  Various locations. Great for underwear and pj’s.

And there’s always window shopping!  But seriously folks.  You don’t have to be the one percent to enjoy Paris or the shopping that it has to offer.   There is something for everyone here.

I took this photo of a window display somewhere in the 6th.  The dress is made of scarves and you can take photos have them printed and frame them–for a great memory!

I could go on and on and on, but right now, I’m going to leave you and re-read a letter I found that Danièle wrote to me ten years ago. And I’ll place it with her other letters!

Listen to this song by Henri Salvador “A Saint-Germain des Pres.  It’ll put visions of sitting in a cafe in Paris on a lazy afternoon into early dusk, perhaps you will start off with a cup of coffee and end with an aperitif. This song is beautiful.  Bonne Nuit!

My Saddest Bye from Paris and My Best Buys Too This is a difficult post to write because I’m covering two subjects at once and I honestly don’t know where to begin.