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ivelovedhimthroughworse · 2 years ago

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Get To Know Me

Thanks for the tags: @nausikaaa, @captain-aralias, @raenestee, @angelsfalling16, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @aristocratic-otter, @bookish-bogwitch and @fight-surrender

Relationship Status:

Happily in a relationship with someone I've known for more than half my life. We were friends for six or seven years, maybe, before having our "something to talk about" epiphany.

Favorite Colour:

Red. (For clothes and possessions)

Favorite food:

I used to be a butter and cheese enthusiast, but sadly, no longer.

So my favorite food is bread. Fresh, fluffy, yeasty, yum. And dark chocolate.

Chocolate chip cookies (made with dark chocolate and margarine) are my favorite dessert.

Song stuck in your head:

There's a song called "Whispers of the Heart" that's been haunting me nonstop for three days. I think it has the lyrics, "country roads, take me home".

Why is this in my head? Remember @foolofabookwyrm-activated made the top tier Rick Roll playlist? There was an orchestral version by Vitamin String Quartet. I was up late on Saturday night editing my chapter and thought I'd check out more of their instrumental pop covers. The last song before I went to bed was Whispers of the Heart and my brain got stuck on loop and I fell asleep with it and woke up with it and here we are today, despite the fact that I only know maybe eleven words of the lyrics.

Someone in my house is singing Sink the Bismark, so that may dislodge and become the new earworm winner (Please please please).

Last thing you googled:

Lyrics to Sink the Bismarck by Johnny Horton

Lots of Victorian period photographs and engraving for COTTA, including but not limited to period ladies' glasses, ladies' hairstyles for curly hair, cross-dressing and long hair for men

Time:

16:04pm

Dream trip:

Costa Rica. Especially for a tree top adventure. Or hang gliding.

Last book you read:

Sharkmartini's fanfic series On the Relativity of Time. Okay, it's not the last book, but I read this and love it and just keep thinking about it.

Last book you enjoyed:

I enjoyed rereading Boyfriend Material to get ready for the release of Husband Material. I think I liked it better this time than the first time.

Last book I hated reading:

I didn't hate it, but I rolled my eyes a lot through Dangerous Alliance: An Austentacious Romance by Jennieke Cohen. It seemed every chapter had this same sentence, "She bit her lip." Although occasionally she bit the inside of her cheek. But I kept reading anyway and tried to figure out what made the phrase so jarring and how this author could have rephrased it to be less repetitive.

Favorite thing to cook/bake:

I love cooking and baking. Right now I'm learning a lot about vegetarian cooking. One major difference is that you need a lot more spice and aromatics to make up for the loss of meat flavour. My spice cabinet is getting more interesting.

Favorite craft to do in free time:

I doodle. All the time and everywhere. Pencil and pen doodles cover the margins of my notebooks and bills and any scrap paper. As a hobby, I like painting. I'm handy with most types of crafts. And when the temperature drops I like to have a knitting project to keep my hands busy.

Most niche dislikes:

Blerg. I must have some. I'm sure I thought of one. What was it?

Is it niche to get mad at people who are not celiacs and want to cut bread out because someone told them that it will solve every health problem? Bread is glorious. I'll never let you say mean words about my good friend, bread.

Opinion on circuses, now and in history:

If I'm going to spend my money, it's not going to be on a circus. I'd rather go to see live music, or watch a play or musical. I'd enjoy a drag show or maybe burlesque. I'd even take the opera or ballet before the circus.

Circuses in history have been abusive to animals. Who's going to have a positive opinion about that?

Do you have a sense of direction, and if not what is the worst way you’ve gotten lost:

I've got a fairly good sense of direction. I like maps, but not so much GPS. If I use GPS directions then my brain stops making a mental map. I've gotten lost mostly because I tire of taking the same route and will mix things up at random.

Most of the time I enjoy getting lost, so I had to really think of a worst time. Okay, once I was driving to my aunt's cottage and everyone else in the car was sleeping so I decided to get off the highway and take a scenic route. I got hopelessly lost and was out of cell range. I made it there more than an hour late and tired and frazzled while the other car occupants were refreshed and ready to go. Ugh.

Tagging in some creative folks: @stardustasincocaine @ic3-que3n @takitalks @nick-eyre @cynopoe @stillmadaboutpetra @urban-sith

#about me #any new ear worm suggestions are welcome

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towerrange15-blog · 5 years ago

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Bright, Hackney

As much as I am very happy to travel quite significant distances in search of a good meal, as the geographic spread of restaurants on this blog will hopefully indicate, I do sometimes wish there was a bit more going on in my own neck of the woods. Battersea, and the Lavender Hill / Northcote Road area in particular, is a weird wasteland of family-friendly coffee shops and tired throwbacks, with only the Vietnamese restaurant Mien Tay, and Donna Margherita (if you stick to the pizzas), worth visiting out of a good thirty or forty licensed establishments. Considering the number of people who live in the area, a good chunk of whom would surely pay good money for a decent feed, the absence of anywhere offering a decent product is baffling. And yes, I know about Wright Bros and Tonkotsu in Battersea Power Station but that's so far from Clapham Junction it may as well be Vauxhall.

So it was with a certain amount of trepidation I began my journey from SW11 to E8 on Saturday. Surely to goodness Hackney already has more than enough amazing restaurants? The single stretch of bus route from Old Street took me past the Clove Club, Sagar & Wilde, Morito, The Marksman and The Laughing Heart before dropping me outside Mare St Market, a huge and heavenly air-conditioned collective of bars and restaurants and record shops and much else besides which has just opened as if Hackneyites didn't already have enough to shout about. It would simply not be fair if Bright was good too. I didn't need yet another reason to make that bloody trek across town.

Of course, inevitably, Bright is not just good but brilliant, a shining new jewel in the crown of East End dining and more than enough reason to make a hideous hour-plus-long journey in the baking heat. A journey, by the way, which is instantly forgotten as soon as you plonk yourself down at the beautiful wooden bar and are presented with a cold glass of crisp Provence rosé. There's no (obvious) air conditioning at Bright, but huge floor to ceiling window doors at either end of the room provide a lovely natural breeze, and as long as you're not at the picnic tables out front in the sun (or indeed in the rain, hard as that is to imagine at the moment), you should find the setting every bit as charming as we did.

What separates a good from a great restaurant is not always obvious, or even quantifiable, but as good an early indicator as any is probably a menu that contains rare or unusual ingredients or dishes. Whether through lack of imagination or in an attempt to find as broad a customer base as possible, restaurant menus often tend to follow a certain formula - starters of steak tartare, burrata, mains of onglet and fries, sea bass, desserts of pannacotta, sorbet. And often there's nothing wrong with that; not everywhere has to reinvent the wheel. But when did you last see 'Scarlet prawns' on a menu? Perhaps only at top-tier Spanish restaurant Barrafina where they're slightly bigger and called Carabineros, so full marks to Bright for seeking them out, cooking them utterly perfectly so that the tail meat is bouncy and moist and the heads full of that extraordinary salty bisque so complex and rewarding it's hard to believe it could just be found inside the animal as-is.

Katsu, that is breaded and deep-fried pork (usually, or sometimes chicken) sandwiches have started cropping up all over London in recent weeks. I made a trip to Brixton to try Nanban's version, and very good it was too, available takeaway only served from a separate hatch around the side of the building in case you want to go and sample it yourself. The Bright sando is easily as enjoyable, with fluffy soft white bread cradling tender pork, a sharp tamarind dressing and that all important crunch of fried breadcrumbs.

It was Tomos Parry's restaurant Brat, above Smoking Goat on Shoreditch High Street, that introduced London to the Elkano-inspired charcoal-roasted turbot on the bone, and indeed you should definitely go to Brat if you get a chance - that's another restaurant which goes out of its way to find unusual seafood like spider crabs and john dory. But here's the thing, and I hope I'm still welcome in Shoreditch after this comment, but I actually prefer the turbot at Bright. With a glorious crisped-up skin that held an obscene amount of liquid fat, and boasting a blinding white flesh, this was an absolutely magical bit of fish, the result of top-end ingredients treated in exactly the right way. Incredible.

Quail wasn't quite as transformative an experience to eat, but then that's hardly much of a criticism. It was still a lovely bit of bird, robustly seasoned and glazed with garum - a fermented fish sauce favoured by the Romans - and gently pink inside. It's tempting to summarise Bright's cooking style as that Modern British restaurant cliché "good ingredients, simply prepared" and it's true that there aren't a bewildering array of techniques on display here. But there's nothing straightforward about cooking turbot as well as that, or managing to get those prawns to the absolute best state they could be. Simple does not mean easy.

Desserts had the same stripped-back confidence of the savoury courses. "Chocolate, coriander seed & sea salt" was three large pieces of good dark chocolate, seemingly shaped on a crinkled up baking sheet, with an interesting added floral note from somewhere.

And "amazake" (a drink made from fermented rice, like sake but lower alcohol) ice cream with sour cherries was the perfect summer dessert, good soft ice cream boasting clean, precise flavours.

So congratulations - again - Hackney, you lucky, lucky bastards. You didn't need yet another thrilling, dynamic modern restaurant on your doorstep but you've got one anyway, and if it means lazy Battersea-based food bloggers have to suffer the indignities of superheated Routemasters and ten stops on the Northern Line to reach it well, quite frankly that's their problem. And you know what, I will be making that journey again, even if it's 32C and the heating on the top deck is stuck to "on", because if this is the way restaurants in London are heading, with elegant wine lists and dishes of stark, simple beauty, then we have an awful lot to look forward to. The future's Bright.

9/10

Source: http://cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com/2018/07/bright-hackney.html

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michaelfallcon · 5 years ago

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A Coffee Drinker’s Guide To Sheffield, England

In the heart of England, Sheffield is a winning mixture of past and present, where the proud industrial history of the Steel City lives on in numerous buildings, and in firms that still trade today. The world’s first official soccer team was founded here in 1857, though Sheffield FC is now less familiar than the two top clubs, Wednesday and United.

While sports don’t always score abroad, the city has shipped seriously successful cultural exports in more recent times. Brit guitar groups Pulp and the Arctic Monkeys both hail from Sheffield, and actor Sean Bean swung a sword in mega-franchises Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.

There’s some spectacular scenery on Sheffield’s doorstep, too, with the Peak District national park a haven for walkers, cyclists, and climbers. And even when you’re strolling on concrete, a reputation as one of Europe’s greenest cities means you’re never far from a park.

But if you want to take all this in you’ll need some fuel, and happily the culinary scene seems to be flourishing. Two food halls—packed with independent traders—have opened in the past year, while the city’s renown as an outstanding beer destination is well deserved. The last 12 months have seen new cafes open and existing ones expand, so there’s probably never been a better time to grab a coffee and explore. You may end up stopping for a chat though—I found the staff at almost all these venues to be so friendly and happy to suggest other coffee highlights.

Upshot

If you’re heading out of the city into the glorious Peak District, Upshot’s orange sign is a beacon for a worthwhile stop. Inside, a two-tiered seating area is all minimalism and light woods, the ceiling speckled artily with asymmetric tiles. A window bench fits neatly in the uncluttered space, which is popular with university students and staff from the nearby hospital.

A two-group Kees van der Westen espresso machine sits on the counter, where Girls Who Grind provides the regular stock. I enjoyed a smooth cappuccino from that roastery’s Fazenda Sertão Brazil and learned that Upshot’s guest espresso comes from “all over.” There’s batch brew and pour-over at hand, plus plenty of equipment for sale, including Chemex kits and kettles.

If you need a feed, the menu mixes brunch classics and less obvious choices such as savory oats with turmeric and mushrooms. Those offerings are bolstered by rows of baked treats, and if you take one thing away from this piece, ensure it’s the following: arrive early enough to get a cinnamon bun. In my opinion, whoever bakes these has completed cinnamon buns. (You can also find them at the owners’ other venture, Elm, alongside natural wines and smart small plates.)

Upshot is located at 355 Glossop Road, S10 2HP, Sheffield. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Steam Yard Coffee Co.

This busy cafe sits just off Division Street, a road lined with young, independent businesses. That aesthetic continues inside via various pieces of cool wall art, but on sunny days the courtyard is the place to be.

Espresso runs through a Victoria Arduino Black Eagle, with house options by Caravan Coffee Roasters. My visit involved a sweet flat white from Caravan’s Market Blend, while guest espresso came from Campbell & Syme. Alongside batch filter, the bar also houses a tap for nitro cold brew. Floating further down the drinks list is the “Astronaut”. I haven’t tried this yet, but it’s reassuring to know that someone will pour an espresso macchiato into a short, chocolate lined ice cream cone if called upon to do so.

Speaking of ice cream, Steam Yard has recently collaborated with another Sheffield independent, Bullion Chocolate Company, and the menu now features frozen delights like peanut butter ice cream sandwiches. These recent additions compete against the established expertise of local outlet 4eyespatisserie—we’re talking cherry and pistachio cruffins filled with Chantilly cream.

Those wanting stodge rather than sugar can peruse a list of grilled cheese and brioche sandwiches, and toast with toppings that I would appreciatively describe as “posh”. Laptop laborers be aware: there’s no Wi-Fi.

Steam Yard Coffee Co. is located at Unit 1-2 97, Aberdeen Court, 95-101 Division Street, S1 4GE, Sheffield. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Tamper Coffee

Tamper has become something of a Sheffield institution since it brought “Kiwi cafe culture” to the city in 2011. There are now three venues around the city centre–including at the recently launched Kommune, a multi-vendor space stuffed with fantastic independent food and drink—but the focus on quality coffee remains.

At the original Seller’s Wheel outlet near Sheffield’s theatre complex, baristas run a three-group La Marzocco Linea PB and work with Tamper’s own blend from Ozone Coffee Roasters. Batch brew and drip options are available, and to me it’s still noticeable when a cafe serves an Americano in favor of a long black, allowing customers to dilute to their taste. Hasbean was in the guest espresso slot when I last visited, but the house roast made a delicious oat milk flat white.

Exiled New Zealanders and Australians might be tempted by the rare chance of a hot Milo, and an antipodean flavor is infused through the food menu: witness beetroot on burgers and the holy trinity of “smashed avo,” poached eggs, and halloumi. If you fancy something sweeter, Tamper’s lamingtons are a blissful combination of sponge, chocolate, and coconut. A bonus: Seller’s Wheel is licensed, and open late Fridays.

Tamper Coffee has multiple locations around Sheffield. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Bragazzis

Just around the corner from Sheffield’s Antiques Village, this Italian-inspired cafe retains something of a vintage vibe. Retro posters and soccer memorabilia almost form a mosaic, while home cooks can browse stacks of stylishly packaged pastas, oils, olives, and more.

The coffee menu is similarly classic. There’s nothing too fancy or alternative, but a creamy cappuccino feels a good fit in these surroundings. The house espresso is a blend of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Nicaragua, roasted darker than usual–at Bragazzis’ request–by fellow northern outfit Darkwoods Coffee. A compact, two-group La Cimbali dispenses the drinks, on a counter that’s usually half-covered with ruffled pastries and jars of bite-size cannoli.

If you have been browsing the antique stalls, or walking in one of the woods nearby, you could easily be drawn to the pristine Italian sandwiches piled on the glass cabinet. That’s presuming you enjoy golden ciabatta with salami, or roasted Mediterranean vegetables, or fresh mozzarella…

But whether you’re eating or not, the relaxed vibe—enhanced on my latest visit by a superb soundtrack of lo-fi American indie tunes—means Bragazzis can still offer you a slice of La Dolce Vita as you explore the quirky Abbeydale Road area.

Bragazzis is located at 224-226 Abbeydale Road, S7 1FL, Sheffield. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Foundry Coffee Roasters

Opened in 2018 in the formerly industrial Kelham Island, Cutlery Works was Sheffield’s first food hall, and it houses some superb eating haunts. Handily, it also provided a second site for Foundry, which has been roasting coffee in the city since 2012.

The company’s new location is on the airy second floor, with one long bar that glows when the sun shines through the roof. Beans are roasted behind the counter when the venue is closed, and espresso arrives from a lovely-looking Londinium L3. On my last trip, Foundry’s Ethiopia Layo Taraga was clean and fresh in a piccolo, and naturally you can buy their beans here too.

Non-dairy-drinkers will be pleased that oat milk is swapped in for free, while those who want something stronger can opt for an Irish Coffee. Tea fans can also support Sheffield through a range of brews provided by the local Birdhouse Tea Company.

Food is bakery-based: Leeds outlet Brown & Blonde supplies indulgent brownies, while Foundry’s own “toast station” sits next to an array of spread-it-yourself toppings. There are rumors crepes may be on the horizon as well, along with extended evening openings, which would surely be welcomed in this buzzy, sociable setting.

Foundry Coffee Roasters has multiple locations around Sheffield. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Other cup winners…

Once I started, I realized there is almost too much good coffee in Sheffield. For your convenience, I’ve condensed some more suggestions.

Traveling via Sheffield Train Station? Look for Motore Café’s little blue van. Perched on the main walkway into town, it offers Darkwoods Coffee espresso and a jazz soundtrack while you wait. The barista remains unfailingly cheerful in all weather. Five minutes away is Marmadukes Café, which serves consistently good drinks (Origin Coffee on house duties) and camera-ready cakes in a classy setting. On the city centre’s outskirts, relative newcomer Albie’s is a chill, welcoming little spot. Beans come courtesy of another Sheffield independent, Smith St Coffee, which has coincidentally just opened its own cafe. Back at Albie’s, you’ll find more 4eyespatisserie bakes to complete your caffeine hit.

Finally, the suburb of Crookes has benefited from the 2018 arrival of Whaletown Coffee Company. The drinks list is built on Bailies Coffee Roasters, with an ambitious range of guests that recently included Belgium’s Mok Coffee. Tired travelers might spot the rare option of an “orca”, a quadruple-shot latte which apparently makes one “highly intelligent and extremely fast.”

Martin Flynn is a freelance writer based in Sheffield, England. Read more Martin Flynn for Sprudge.

The post A Coffee Drinker’s Guide To Sheffield, England appeared first on Sprudge.

A Coffee Drinker’s Guide To Sheffield, England published first on https://medium.com/@LinLinCoffee

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shebreathesslowly · 5 years ago

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A Coffee Drinker’s Guide To Sheffield, England

Upshot

Upshot is located at 355 Glossop Road, S10 2HP, Sheffield. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Steam Yard Coffee Co.

Steam Yard Coffee Co. is located at Unit 1-2 97, Aberdeen Court, 95-101 Division Street, S1 4GE, Sheffield. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Tamper Coffee

Tamper Coffee has multiple locations around Sheffield. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Bragazzis

Bragazzis is located at 224-226 Abbeydale Road, S7 1FL, Sheffield. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Foundry Coffee Roasters

Foundry Coffee Roasters has multiple locations around Sheffield. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Other cup winners…

Once I started, I realized there is almost too much good coffee in Sheffield. For your convenience, I’ve condensed some more suggestions.

Martin Flynn is a freelance writer based in Sheffield, England. Read more Martin Flynn for Sprudge.

The post A Coffee Drinker’s Guide To Sheffield, England appeared first on Sprudge.

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moopy02 · 7 years ago

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Europe trip

11/1: Headed to London via Icelandair. Got to raid two different lounges at Seatac including getting my pancakes on.

11/2: Didn’t get anything at KEF, but when I got into LGW, I had to buy a ticket to go by train to Central London and then got a day pass to go to Fornum and Mason which had refillable tea time. I loved the scones and the clotted cream with the lemon curd and the strawberry jam. I only had enough stomach to get another refill of the tea sandwiches and then couldn’t finish it. It also came with an extra dessert from the dessert cart. Got their famous checkerboard cake boxed with the top tier of the desserts. Then went to my Hampton Hilton Hotel in Stansted where I took a shower and redeemed my snack and drink for chips and ginger tea. Ate the rest of my desserts and went to sleep.

11/3: STN to TRN

Got the Hilton breakfast which also had baked beans, bacon and even Marmite as well as the essential continental breakfast items. Also raided the STN lounge where I got the rhubarb vitamin C hydration drink as well as yogurt and chocolate cereal. Made friends with Francisco and Nadia who are natives to Turin and they gave me info on where to go.

Landed in Turin. Got the bus to Ron’s hostel. Then headed to Eataly Torino to get our grub on. F got a proscuitto pizza, I got a pumpkin pasta and R got a seafood pasta. I loved the pizza the most. The olive oil was also great too! Afterwards, we headed to Alba by train, got some gelato from La Romana. Awesome chocolate gelato and one with hazelnuts and then found our booking.com. I got to claim the full sized bed and R got the sofa bed. Went out to a church which had an awesome ceiling light. Went out to dinner at a nearby restaurant with a prix fixe meal that came with potato vegetable salad, veal with horseradish and beef tartare, agnolotti del plin, rabbit and a chocolate dessert. It was ok, but the whole meal was 35 euro. Stopped by a nearby bakery for some meringue covered in hazelnuts and chocolate as well as some cookies with chocolate/hazelnuts/peanut butter and hazelnut/nutella.

Alba is known for their hazelnuts and white truffles.

11/4: Alba truffle festival: Foodie moments-white truffle egg gelato with airy hazelnut cake

Went to Cignetti for breakfast of an espresso and chocolate croissant for 2.10 euro. Was nice because the waitress let me choose the pastry I wanted. Came with a sweet focaccia as well. Got to drink Ron’s white wine and champagne which they also refilled. Afterwards, went back to the exhibition hall and ate at the “Oltre al Tartufo” where we got tajarin with cheese fondue, tajarin with bolognese sauce, salami with truffle and the Piedmont cheese plate. Loved the bolognese.

Afterwards went to Mara Del Boschi for the white truffle egg gelato and the chocolate egg gelato that is covered in chocolate. They told me to wait a few minutes for it to warm up at room temperature before eating.

Then went to truffle sensory to learn how truffles are grown and evaluated.

11/5: Foodie moments: awesome tajarin truffle dish from the I hate cooking chef of 21.9

got the best dish of my life. Tajarin with moss salt mixture. Tajarin was cooked in a nebbiolo/beef reduction broth of 3 hours and then cooked in cream.

Went to Oltre al Tartufo to get the tajarin bolognese and also got the raw sausage with hazelnuts. Also went into the design exhibition which had the various truffle slicers as well as the various prints since Alba was famous for that.

Next foodie moment was of truffle cream with cat tongue crackers and a wafer truffle cookie.

11/6: Milan: Ate at a cafe after checking out the Duomo

Got the spaghetti with ham with tiramisu and an aranciata soda. tasted like jarred alfredo with ham. Tiramisu was ok. Afterwards went to Cioccolat Italiano with the chocolate dipped wafer in milk chocolate. Got the house chocolate and the region’s cream gelato.

When checked into the hostel, was offered either breakfast or a free drink.. Chose breakfast. Got my cereal with milk on as well as crostini with cheese.

Went back to the hostel at Ostello Bello Grande for free dinner. Had no meat, but had cheese pizza and green beans as well as quinoa salad.

11/7: Second day in Milan. Train to Modena for Osteria Francescana

-went to go get the airport bus ticket. I got a ginseng espresso and chocolate croissant at the train station.

-took the train to Modena for Osteria Francescana and got the full tasting menu. Had the seafood salad which had four different colored chips inside: green, black, red and white. Had pieces of octopus and seaweed inside. Waiter had also spritzed a spray of a scent on the salad. The dessert called Oops I dropped the lemon tart was the highlight.. Had different oils and gelees to eat with the lemon tart. Forgot passport so had to turn around and pay 20 euro for train and taxi. Came back in time for the end of dinner and a quiz contest. Didn’t win.

11/8: MXP to Zagreb

Raided Sala Monteverdi which had ginseng espresso machine as well as pastries and yogurt and champagne for any mimosas. Also got another fill of gelato before taking the Eurowings to Zagreb.

Took an uber to our hostel. Stayed at the Swanky Mint for two days. Found the kitchen to store our stuff. Went to go eat lunch at a place that Ron wanted to go to that was known for fish. We got the fish soup which is salted fish in a fish consumme with carrots. Ordered the fried Adriatic fish plate (mackerel, red lined trout, sardine and two others) and a side of spinach with potatoes that were fried with onion and garlic. Went on the hunt for Croatian ice cream and stopped by Zagreb creamery for sage ice cream and their house chocolate ice cream. Was thicker than the Italian gelato and very similar to American gelato. Went back to the hostel and got my welcome shot which I dunno what it was. Ate cevapi at PLAc Kitchen and Grill for dinner which is meat sausage in between fluffy pita bread with a side of onions (turns out they didn’t give us the red paprika sauce with garlic to save money). Then went to Duck. Got the pepper dish with mashed potatoes, beef cheeks ground up and stuffed into the red pepper and with sundried tomato puree. Second dish was a duck croquette with bechamel sauce and tomato pepper paprika puree. Loved the crunchiness of the croquette. Dessert was called sweet pig which was their signature dessert with raspberry sorbet, white chocolate cookie crumble that’s fried in duck fat and white chocolate shavings. Felt very smooth and fruity. Was very nice.

11/9: Zagreb

Next day went to Dolac to get food. Hit up the Dubravica bakery for baked goods such as the burek with meat and a burek with cheese. A burek is made of phyllo dough and fried with fillings inside. Got krafne from mlinar (pronounced Molinar) which is open 24/7. Tey had a marmalade one filled one and a berry jam one. Ate it with the hot chocolate at the hostel. It wasn’t as soft as Krispy Kreme but not as dense as Top Pot. They’re also known for their yogurt so I got one from the yogurt stand and it was liquidy and tart.

Got strukli from La Struk which had truffle oil in it. Tasted like a phyllo dough type lasagna minus any crispiness. It has cottage cheese and cream cheese mixed in.

Went to McDonalds and got the deluxe strawberry sunday which was ok.

11/10: Plitvice city

Went to a nearby espresso cafe and got an espresso from a Darth Vader bar. It rivaled Seattle. Also got a burek ffrom Pekarnica.

Stayed in Plitvice to explore the national park which would open at 8 am the next day. It closes at 330 PM and we didn’t get into the city until noon.

Stopped by a restaurant and got the meat and cheese platter. Loved the creay cheese. It also came with proscuitto. Got a beef cheek platter with mashed potatoes. Went to Radno to explore and got to see the waterfalls. Hit up a grocery store for food since there wasn’t anything Plitvice was known for. Got a bolognese sauce with pasta as well as a croissant and butter. Ate the grisini with the truffle salami.

11/11: Plitvice national park-->Zadar

Took path B to the main waterfalls and lakes. It involved crossing a lake with the public boat.

Then stopped by a N1 for food. Got the Pljeskavica which is a hamburger patty on top of mashed potatoes.

Got the maraschino liquor (called marashkino) and with three types of fried fish (sword fish, crawfish, and another type of fish) with a side of spinach and potatoes fried in garlic and onion.

Got to see the sea organ and the lit up colored tiles.

11/12: Zadar-->Krka--->Split

Breakfast went to a Mlinar to get a strudel and meat burek. Strudel wasn’t flaky but was thin and had sour cherries in it.

Then took the roads and the ferry to Split. Stayed at the Backpacker’s Fairytale which required me to lug my luggage up at least 6 flights of stairs. Went to Diocletan’s castle and the tomb. Got a kobecki (sp?) basically a cevapi with the correct red sauce on fluffy lepinje.

Got the mini donuts covered in nutella and strawberry jam. Then got the sour cherry McFlurry at a nearby mall. Since Ron didn’t want to walk to a restaurant for dinner, we went to a nearby grocery store where I got the topljeni Sir which tasted and packaged just like the Laughing Cow cheese.

11/13: Split to Mjlet (pronounced Millyet)

Got some red wine for about 2 USD at the dock cafe. It was decent and not dry. When we got to our booking.com, we were in the national park, but we were 40 min away from teh supermarket and everything was closed. We went to the small lake and then went back to the apartment where we just ate snacks since none of us wanted to pay $22 USD to eat dinner with the host.

11/14: Mljet to Dubrovnik

Went to Konoba Pizzeria after checking into the Cocoon hostel. Got the fish soup which had pieces of salted cod, but Ron’s only had beef consumme with noodles. Got the mixed meat plate which had cevapi, chicken, sausage and antoher meat with the red sauce and onions and fries.

For dinner we went to a restaurant that started with a B that was recommended by the hostel guy for seafood. Got bread with a tuna like spread and then ate spaghetti that had been cooked in butter and white wine with shrimp, mussels and clams as well as a mixed meat platter with chicken, beef, cevapi, hot dog and beef on a skewer. Got my Dubrovnik flan which had maraschino liquor in it. Was a nice touch.

11/15: Dubrovnik with the one day museum pass

Hit up everything on the one day pass which also came with a one day bus pass. It is cheaper to buy online than on site. I liked the science museum and the fort the most.

Went to the Michelin rated restaurant called Bistro Tavulin which came with a 3 course tasting menu for $30 and this was after the 10 euro discount with the one day pass. Came with creamy barley with Adriatic shrimp and octopus with ragout on a bed of polenta which was cooked well. Dessert was the Dubrovnik flan which was thicker than the one beforehand, but the whipped cream was thicker and had a flavor of maraschino.

11/16: Dubrovnik to London with stop in BCN

Raided the only lounge there which was filled with ice cream, chocolate milk, starwberry milk, chambpagen, wine, baguettes, grissini, meats and croissants. I was in heaven.

Landed in Luton where we found the hostel which was the #1 hostel in London. Got Nandos which is a South African chain. Got it with a side of superfood and I forgot the other side.

Got to try Eugene’s pistachio cronut which was actually less sweet and better than Dominique Ansel’s matcha pineapple cronut.

11/17: London--changing of the guard, Clove Club and Lurra.

Changing of the guard was interesting because the soldiers would say good morning to the crowd and then the calvary would come out at the end.

Went to Clove Club, but was stuck with the full tasting menu since it was the only way I could try the Orkan scallop dish. Got a spiny crab amuse bouche served in a wonton like fried shell. Then a takoyaki type ball which I have forgotten as well as a buttermilk fried chicken on a bed of pine. It was well seasoned and I wouldn’t mind a box of it, fried chicken skins with chicken liver on top. Got the grilled mackerel with lemon gastrique which was nice. Orkan scallops was pretty with the mushroom slices on top, clementine, hazelnuts and the black truffle puree underneath. Cornish sardine sashimi and Worcestershire sauce, roasted seabass with sunchoke and malted barley oil, hot smoked partridge/beetroot//cherry blossom, pheasant / ginger consomme with hundred year old madeira, roast fallow prickett/celeriac/blackcurrent/smoked bone marrow, burnt clemntine granita/buttermilk mousse, caramel ice cream/warm potato/coffee as well as alcoholic bonbons

Lurra: got the Rubia Gallega steak with red peppers. Could barely eat much since we were still digesting from the previous meal. Met up with Donny and went to the legoland and walked around London’s Soho and posh areas then ended at the American Bar where we got our drink on. I loved the St. Mary’s cathedral which had a bottom layer of cocoa nibs.

11/18: London to KEF

Raided all three lounges and stayed at the one with the full english breakfast. Got a double upgrade from Sixt to a Landcruiser then went on our way to our cottage nearby the ice cave tour. Got 5 types of Skyr. Like the blueberry one the most. Made it to our cabin. Got to stay in the loft which had two beds. Also got a hot dog for dinner.

11/19: Diamond beach and glacier walk.

The place was 90 min from where we were staying. Took one of the super Jeeps into the glacier where we just walked around and the glacier wasn’t completely empty, turns out the best time is in Feb to go glacier walking. Got to pet some Icelandic horses with the plums Eugene had bought. Afterwards, stopped by a restaurant and had the best lamb of the trip.

11/20: Headed to Selfoss

Went on a random road trip to see Vik the waterfalls and stopped by a frozen one. Got to see the black beach with the hexagonal steps. Ate lunch at the Lava buffet. We got a lot of seafood, but none were remarkable. Our booking place was deep in the snow and off the beaten path. The owner was very nice and provided us with an extra bed as well as pantyliners for me. Saw the Aurora even better than before.Got to meet the Dutch couple who the next day taught us that Dutch people are very strict with their cheese rules.

11/21: Selfoss and out to KEF

Got the breakfast and she had a good spread of cheeses. I loved the garlic herb one and the mexican cheese. She also made fried eggs or gave a hard boiled egg with a stamp of a kitty on it.

Got a cinnamon roll and fish and chips on the way back to KEF. It was good especially with the onion rings.

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