#top italian restaurants london

[bellacosarestaurant]

Italian Restaurant In London

Unlike in decades gone by, foreign food is popular in London culture. They like to be diverse and try dishes from all over the world. Italian restaurants serve a good Mediterranean menu to delight each of their customers. You can find at least one Italian restaurant waiting to offer their rich cuisines.

When you have decided to try some authentic Italian food, you will find the best restaurants. Although Italian restaurants are becoming more popular so you can easily find the best Italian restaurant UK. You can easily find the best Italian restaurants by asking around your locality. The opinion of the locals is the best way to know about the newly opened restaurant.

There are many Italian restaurants in London to choose from, find the taste of food and the prices of dishes. You can also find the best Italian restaurants online, discounts they are offering and reviews written by the customers.

All these are great ways of finding the best Italian restaurant in London. Bella Cosa is one of the top Italian restaurants in London. We serve a variety of pizza and pasta dishes along with regional Italian specials, all using quality Italian ingredients. The space has great views over the river and is perfect for family dinners, couple’s nights out and business lunches with space for group dining. Bella Cosa offers you a journey through Italian cuisine in the heart of the City.

[wileys-russo]

Emily Fox, “we should really get up.” “we should….but we won’t.”, cuddling in bed on lazy morning

lazy dayII e.fox

your girlfriend should have known the moment she woke up that she was a goner.

for one, it was a sunday, and with arsenal playing on a rare saturday afternoon emily had the day off. but despite that had insisted on filling it with an itinerary that extended from breakfast to dinner, and it all started with the first of the five alarms she'd had set.

you knew it normally took at least the first two before she'd get up the morning after a game, body sore and limbs aching after a rough match against aston villa yesterday in which as usual she'd played nearly the full ninety.

which is why you'd argued that the two of you have a lazy day, the plans she'd floated about not needed as you assured her despite the rarity of a sunday off together you were perfectly content just spending it with her.

but with how uncommon it was for the pair of you to have a mutual day off, and an entire day at that, the defender pushed that the pair of you make the most of it.

always chattering randomly about things you wanted to do together emily seemed determined to shove all of them into one gloriously busy day in which it seemed you'd step foot in every corner of london, starting with breakfast and coffee at a cafe you walked past everyday on your way home from work.

you were always sending her photos of the lavish pastries in the front window, knowing just how much your girlfriend appreciated her sweet tooth, yet somehow the two of you had never actually gone there to try any of them.

then came a trip to portabello road market, both you and emily having wanted to go since making the move to london but never actually following through.

that was to be followed by a walk around hyde park, autumn making the paths drowned in shades of burnt oranges, auburn and copper reds as the dead leaves crunched beneath foot.

then emily had been begging you to go to the natural history museum since you'd gone together to the one in new york, the defender forever fascinated with fossils and history you often teased her for it but did find her excitement utterly adorable.

then just when you assumed that was the end of your plans she'd thrown in that she'd booked for the two of you to go to dinner at sexy fish, and then get tiramisu at the small family run italian restaurant at the end of your street which was infamous for having some of the best around.

all in all you were exhausted before your day had even begun but unable to say no to the way the americans eyes lit up as she recounted her plan you couldn't say no, far too head over heels to deny her what she wanted.

however when that first alarm rang, your own lower half aching from last nights...celebrations, you were quick to sit up and click stop, though to your surprise you heard the defender beside you stir.

"morning." came the raspy grumble, hands tugging at your hoodie and pulling you back down into her embrace, inhaling and smiling as your face pressed into her chest, arms wound around and a hand rubbing up and down your back.

"is that rain?" emily broke the bubble of silence you were wrapped up in, pausing as neither of you dared to breathe, sure enough the gentle pitter patter of raindrops splashing against your window sounded, growing heavier with time.

"noo our plans!" the defender whined tiredly making you chuckle. "you do remember that we live in england now babe? and it's autumn? and a day without rain is like a needle in a haystack?" you lifted your head with a smile.

"don't remind me." the girl grumbled, pout locked into her lips as you let out a quiet laugh. "don't! babe its not funny, i have to re-organise our day now." emily huffed but as she tried to reach over for her phone you quickly moved to lay on top of her.

"hey!" she laughed in surprise now as you pinned her arms to the bed. "or we raincheck? if you'll pardon the pun." you winked as she gagged playfully at the dad joke.

"we should really get up." emily encouraged as you smiled coyly. "we should, but we won't." you shook your head as she cocked an eyebrow up at you in amusement. "oh we won't will we?" your girlfriend questioned as you shook your head.

"em, baby its cold, its raining and we have an entire day off. we can have a lie in, order brunch, watch the new season of outer banks, maybe a couch nap?" you wiggled your eyebrows making her smile and yank a hand free, honking at your nose.

"have a lie in, so british!" the brunette teased, shifting herself beneath you as her hands now free snick up the sides of your her hoodie. "lazy day together, and then we can still go to sexy fish later, get some tiramisu-" you ducked your head and kissed softly at her neck between words as she exhaled happily.

"mm, that feels nice." "does it? shame if we got up and i had to stop." you kissed beneath her ear as her eyes closed and her hands squeezed your hips.

"you are dangerously convincing when you want to be." "well you're dating a lawyer miss fox, what else did you expect?"

[pacifierbby]

~ POV

walking around London

a/n~ sorry lovely I'm off work now for 9 days so I'll be updating my stories abit more obviously the nanny still on going don't worry. I've just get ideas and jot them down before they go

tag list ~ here

warnings ~ masons being cute and fluffy kissing and hugging

pairing ~ mason x you

you and Mase will be constantly holding hands walking around London

Mason will be constantly dragging you into every shoe shop possible making you buy the same shoes so you can be twinning obviously it will be ether high top converse or low in any colour

you be showing mason every makeup and facial skin cares. which mason ask if he can do some home with you. you also show mason different face masks.

Mason would want to dry different food every time you guys go out so when you walk around London mason notices a new Italian restaurant opened he drags you inside which you both try the pizzas and the starters.

side glances when masons looking away.

quick kisses when ever you guys are alone because PDA wasn't your thing and masons knows this

going to every sight seeing view

when it starts getting dark you go on the London eye. and seeing London in the dark on the top will always be your favorite

saying i love yous

[whorecrux-of-slytherin]

Slytherin Boys try to impress you with their idea of an ideal date.

(part.1) : Draco | Blaise | Theodore

Warning - mentions of kissing, slight toxic behaviour if you squint. This is not proof read, so kindly ignore any grammatical errors or typos

a/n . I have only included Draco, Blaise and Theo in this because if I add the rest of them ( Enzo, Matheo and Tom ) it'll be far too long. But for the most part I'm too lazy to write for everyone in one go. I don't mind writing a part 2 if someone requests. Also yes I made the mini mood boards 😌

Kindly do not copy my work.

DRACO MALFOY:

Draco Malfoy is the definition of generational wealth, so there's no doubt that he'd plan something romantic and lavish to spoil his partner.

He's not the best at expressing his feelings through words, so he loves making grand gestures in spoiling you. This is his way to show his upbringing and heritage; that he is worthy of your time and can treat you right.

Firstly he would pick you up personally then gift you a bouquet of your favourite flowers & something exquisite, like some custom made jewelry -an elegant bracelet maybe.

He'd go all out and book a private roof- top classic candle light dinner at the most famous and exclusive wizarding restaurants with the perfect view of the Eiffel tower in Paris. He'll hold your hand across the table, gently rub circles and occasionally give it a kiss. He also arranges for a pianist to play your favourite pieces.

After dinner, he would surprise you with a suite at a luxurious hotel to spend the night together. He'd run you both a bath and wash your hair for you while you enjoy some champagne and the most delicious macaroons you've ever had.

BLAISE ZABINI :

Blaise may come off as the most unbothered slytherin boy and honestly speaking, he is. But not when it comes to you.

You are special to him and he'd make it a point that you know. To prove this he would opt for an unconventional but romantic date night idea.

I just feel that he'd know how to drive a charmed car and owns a wide collection of vintage cars ( few from his ex step -fathers' as well). So he would take you on a romantic drive in the evening on his favourite classic vintage Porsche.

Both of you spend the night driving through the night sky watching the city lights of London; making conversations about what you like the most about each other.

Then he'd make a stop at one of his favourite spots secluded from the city to spend time watching you gaze at the stars and cuddling to get warmth from each other's bodies while he hums a soft tune.

He'd then drop you home safely but not before he kisses you passionately and say those three special words for the very first time.

THEODORE NOTT:

Theo is the pretty boy of the group. He is no doubt loaded with money- their family basically mints money for Gringotts from generations (so duh-) but he doesn't like to flash it the way Draco does.

He uses the 'dead mother' card to pull girls but in reality, he is quite the player. Deep down he at times, craves for female validation or attention. So he surrounds himself with different girls every few weeks so that he wouldn't get too attached to them.

But then he meets you and he just knows that you're the one for him. So he chases you down until you fall for him and now he wants to surprise you with the perfect date idea.

He invites you to his holiday home in Italy for the first time. The place where he grew up until his mother's death when he was 7 years old. He shows you around the huge property facing the sea and telling you about his childhood adventure there and secretly hopes that he would one day get to spend his life there with you.

He would then cook you dinner himself. Spaghetti- in the traditional Italian way with some vintage wine from his family's vineyard in the countryside.

..........................................................................................

Thanks for reading! 🤍

Do like, share and comment down about your thoughts 🤔💭

Who would you go on a date with and why?? 🐍

[marzipanandminutiae]

hi! i just moved to the boston area—i was wondering if you had any basic recommendations for things to do or places to eat that you’re willing to share!

Welcome! Some of my top recs include:

Any museum in the city! I may be biased in this, but we've got art museums, historical house museums, a museum of science and an aquarium...go nuts. Many have free or discounted admission days too, so keep an eye out for that. But if you see me at work when you visit, no you didn't.

Join a library or library network. For books, of course, but also for museum passes and other services

Speaking of libraries, the Boston Public Library is STUNNING. And they have a tea room where you can go and have high tea. It's pricey, but as a special treat, highly recommend

Dunkin has the cheapest Little Cafe DrinksTM in the city. Tatte (TAH-tay, local chain) has the best, in my opinion. Plus their London Fog is only $3.50, so that's nice!

"Locals don't go to Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market" is a filthy lie. QM is like a big indoor food court, perfect for feeding groups with different tastes. Plus...they have a macaroni and cheese stall. Heaven, IMO.

You do not have to take a stand in the Mike's vs. Modern "best North End Italian bakery" debate. Free yourself. Hipsters prefer Bova's anyway.

(But do go to some Italian restaurants in the North End. They're all pretty much excellent)

Do not go to Salem in October. It's insanely crowded.

Do go to Salem any other time of year. It's insanely fun.

Mount Auburn cemetery is gorgeous and garden cemeteries were built to be enjoyed by the living. Take advantage!

Like antiquing? Check out the four-story Cambridge Antique Market right next to Lechmere station. Fun Antiques in Cambridge is good for all your lamp repair needs. The antique stores on Charles and Newbury streets are good for window shopping and weeping internally at the prices.

Pandemonium Books and Games in Central Square is ideal for sci-fi and fantasy titles, as well as tabletop gaming supplies

Don't waste your time at Prudential/Copley mall. It's overpriced, full of chain stores, and depressing.

When Pigs Fly Bread stores have $3 loaves of normally $7 sourdough on Wednesdays. It's delicious and baked fresh daily, so get on that! You can call ahead in the morning to reserve a loaf if you want to be sure to get one.

I've probably got more, but that will be enough to start with. I hope you enjoy the city!

[tgmsunmontue]

Season to Taste - 9/? WIP

Explicit Hangster - Celebrity Chef Bradley and Naval Aviator Jake Seresin who have a relationship spanning the globe before they realize how tightly bound they are to one another. Heading into this little world.

PROLOGUE/ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

                Bradley doesn’t think he’s ever worked so hard in his life. He thought Leandro was a hard taskmaster, maybe Nonna edging him out a little. But this is insanity. Service finishes after midnight and then they’re expected to make the kitchen immaculate only to be back before six to start prep and set the dough to rise. Fresh bread every day. He’s so tired, and everyone speaks French, although the head chef does seem to take pity on him occasionally and repeat key instructions in Italian. Aside from everything he’s learning, another positive is Johan, who speaks flawless French and English. He offers to help Bradley with his French if he’ll help him learn Italian.

                He figures out that the Johan’s native tongue is Swedish around the time they exchange blowjobs and Bradley ends up with his first ever serious boyfriend. Johan specializes in seafood and shellfish, and Bradley finds out he’s paying for the privilege of being here. He wonders whether Leandro is paying for Bradley to be here and he’ll need to ask him, doesn’t like the idea of him putting himself out financially to send Bradley here, no matter how much he’s learning.

                He ends up spending eighteen months in Paris, only lasts one month after Johan moves on to London before he needs to go home to Leandro and Silvia. Then Leandro asks him to cook for them, shuts the restaurant and invites the entire family. He and Silvia both help prep and follow his direction and instructions and being in charge of the entire menu and trusted to feed his adopted family fills him with pride. It’s not perfect, there are definitely things he’d improve,  the timing for a few things is a little off, but Leandro nods with approval, toasts him with his favorite glass of red and Bradley feels like he could fly.

…            …            …

                He feels like Jake has been stalking him, watching with intent, eyes dark.

                “What?” he finally asks, gives in really, putting down the spoon he’d been using to stir and wipes his hands on his apron.

                “You ever cook in nothing but the apron?”

                “No, because I don’t want any health violations. But…”

                “At home? You could be persuaded?”

                He’s not in the habit of lying and he wants to see where Jake might want to take this.

                “Yeah. Given enough incentive…”

                “Hmm. Good to know. Turn the gas off…”

                He raises an eyebrow, can’t believe that Jake is… grabbing a cushion from one of the chairs and dropping to his knees. Holy shit.

                “Come on… make it safe and then let me suck you off. Ideally in nothing but the apron, if you’re looking at making me happy.”

                He rolls his eyes, but also he’s being offered a blowjob and nothing cooking is time sensitive so he dutifully turns everything off and puts it at the back, stripping off his t-shirt, then swearing when he tangles himself up in the strings. The whole time Jake just watches, clearly comfortable resting back on his heels, rubbing a hand over his own, still fully clothed, crotch.

                “You’re not getting naked as well?” Bradley asks, kicking off his shoes and pushing his jeans down, his cock already starting to chub up at the promise of Jake’s mouth on him, although the apron hides that at least. He feels a little silly but with the way Jake’s watching him he’s assuming he doesn’t look silly.

                “Nope.”

                “Oh. Okay.”

                Then Jake’s shuffling closer, tugging him away from the stove top and then the cold line of the bench is pressing into his lower back, Jake’s hands are running down his legs from hip to knee, where his fingers catch the hem of the apron and then he’s lifting it up and ducking under and his cock is suddenly encased in warm sucking heat. It’s odd, not being able to see Jake, but it makes him focus a little more on what he’s feeling and his eyes slip closed as Jake’s fingers stroke over his balls.

                In the four days since they’ve started hooking up they’ve figured out quite a lot about how to get each other off, how to drag it out but also how to make each other come as fast and as hard as possible. Right now Jake is pulling out all the stops, like he wants Bradley to come as quickly as possible and he knows that means that he’s already angling to make this the first of whatever this session is turning into. He’s got no reason to hold back, lets himself feel the dig of Jake’s fingers on his hips as he urges Bradley into fucking his mouth, the sloppy sucking heat of his mouth, the fingers on his balls and then the pressure of a knuckle on his perinium and then the brush of a finger over his asshole, Jake’s fingers now digging into his ass cheek and he groans and just lets himself shake and shudder as his orgasm washes through him.

                Jake doesn’t swallow, is clearly ready with a tissue or something to spit into and Bradley just rests against the bench and sucks in deep calming breaths. Jake’s head pops back into view and he looks pleased with himself and Bradley lowers himself to his knees, forcing Jake to shuffle back so they’re pressed together, their knees sharing the tiny cushion, thighs pressed together and he presses his mouth to Jake’s, kisses him and can taste himself. He can feel Jake’s hands roaming over his back and chest, the strings of the apron pulling tight when his hands stretch it tight.

                “God I love how red you get,” Jake says, and Bradley can feel the words, Jake’s breath on his skin and he shivers, is glad Jake apparently likes his uncontrollable flush when he’s aroused. Or angry. Or exercises.

                “Yeah?”

                “Mmm. Wanna mark you up…”

                “Yeah, okay…” Bradley agrees easily. No-one to see him except for Jake himself, hears the low groan Jake makes and he can feel his erection pressing against him. “Want –” Bradley pulls away, just enough to ask, but Jake is already chasing him, crushing their mouths together before he can get another word out, keeps kissing him deep and sloppy and breathless.

                “All I want,” Jake says, “is to get my cock into you. If you aren’t too sore.”

                Bradley groans, because that’s actually a consideration right now. God he wants it though, it might not hurt, but it’ll definitely ache. He doesn’t want to pass it up though, and he knows it’ll be a good kind of ache.

                “Yeah, yeah. Come on…”

                He kisses Bradley again, his hand brushing over his cock and his entire body jerks, a little over sensitive, but he knows Jake’s very goal orientated.

                “Mmm. Come on. Bedroom.”

                He already knew Jake was good in bed, has a skillset or interests that maybe align with his own. Can feel Jake deliberately starting the bank the fire of arousal in him, making his insides feel like molten rock, burning him up and weighing him down. Jake undoes the ties of the apron and drops it to the floor before undressing himself, his eyes not leaving Bradley’s and then he’s backing them both toward the bed, stripping the thin cotton blanket and sheet back.

                “Come on, on your stomach…”

                He chews on his lips but he does it, feels Jake almost immediately at his back, pressing kisses across his shoulder and neck as he puts his arms under his head and hides his face, lets himself focus on the slow drag of Jake’s fingers over his back and ass.

                “Mmm. Gorgeous. There you are…”

                Bradley feels oddly exposed, can hardly believe this is only their fourth day together, that Jake can apparently read him so easily. Just trusting him so implicitly and giving up control. Give it to someone who knows what they’re doing, someone competent and a bit of an asshole. Willing to take the reins without being a dick about it. Well, too much of a dick. The right type of dick. He moans, his mind starting to feel a little hazy as he feels the press of Jake just pinning him to the bed, not forcefully, but more like a comfort. He doesn’t think he’s gone more than twelve hours without Jake fucking him since Saturday night.

                He hears the tearing of foil, can feel Jake shifting around on the bed and he shifts, giving him room between his spread legs. Instead of being encouraged he hears Jake tutting and then his legs are being tugged back so that they’re together again and he flexes his hips again, doesn’t quite know what he’s asking, what he needs.

                “Yeah, you’ve got a gorgeous ass, don’t need to show it off…”

                Oh. He hadn’t thought of that. Then Jake is murmuring perfect under his breath and his knees are pressing on the outside of his thighs.

                “Shouldn’t be too uncomfortable like this, plus I just get to hold you where I want you…” Jake says, like he knows it’s exactly what Bradley wants and needs to hear right now, as he palms his ass cheeks and spreads him open. Bradley keeps his head down, grinds his cock against the mattress helplessly, hears the squelch of lube and Jake leans over him, the head of his cock poking against Bradley’s hole, Jake’s fingers digging into the flesh of his ass, and he wonders if this is what Jake meant by marking up, his fingers hard enough to bruise. He grinds against the mattress again, but there’s not enough of anything to get him going.

                “I’ll take care of you. After. My turn now…”

                Bradley groans, feels the press and slide of Jake’s thumb as it catches on the rim and spreads and pushes lube into him, he’s not loose but he’s not tight either. Then Jake leans in, hard press this time, pushes all the way in, bottoms out in the space of one breath and Bradley keens, shoves himself back and maybe gets an inch. It’s not deep, but it doesn’t need to be, it feels all encompassing, Jake over him and in him and pressing him down and not being able to move or see. The press and grind into his already aching body has him feeling it everywhere, his stomach, balls, beating a sharp tattoo in his chest and he groans again.

                “You okay?”

                “Yeah. Yeah. So okay. So good… don’t you dare fucking stop.”

                “I got you sweetheart.”

CHAPTER TEN - AN INTERLUDE

[ladyjaneasherr]

New!!

February 21st, 1967. Beautiful Jane Asher in Fifth Avenue, New York, February 21st 1967. Asher was on tour with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre.

Picture 1 and picture 2 ( a new release plus my colourisation) and picture 3: 📸Harry Benson/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

Picture 4 to 8 Date Book magazine scans from my lovely friend Vio that has allowed me to use! July 1967 issue.

Jane’s here!

DATEBOOK MAKES THE NEW YORK SCENE WITH JANE ASHER. Braving New York's traffic.

The girlfriend of an old friend of ours came to town recently and we showed her a bit of the Big City. When Jane Asher was performing with the Bristol Old Vic in New York, we lunched with her and took her to a pop-art dinner party on her last night in town.

When we picked her up for lunch she was wearing a bulky, horizontal-striped fur coat she had bought the day before. "Red fox?" we asked. "That's what you're supposed to think,"she said. "But it's really opossum!"*

We had lunch in the Italian restaurant in the hotel (Gorham) in which she stayed—it was across the street from the theater. We talked about everything-her acting plans (to do Shaw's "Arms And The Man" when she got back to London), Paul's plans (to write and direct a movie in which she will star—a short experimental film, that is), Paul (she'd just had a letter from him in which he told her that he'd had the whole London Symphony improvising), her refusal to sign up for more than one movie , at a time ("no long-term contracts for me"'), her interest in pop art ("I'm really fascinated by artists like Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. My brother Peter has a gallery, in London, you know.") We chatted away about New York she think's she loves it, but it will take more time to be certain), George and Patti (she wonders if they'll some day go to live permanently in India), Beatle fans at her performances ("It's so marvelous to see them react to Romeo and Juliet as if it were a contemporary story. Many really don't know how it all ends and they sob and laugh so naturally.")

Jane talked about Paul unseltconsciously when his name came up naturally in the conversation— and it did now and then since we discussed pop music and all the personalities in it. But, the subject of her relationship with Paul did not come up. And we decided not to bring it up since it was obviously a personal matter which she felt was not in order.

(Jane said a New York newspaper interviewed her and then made up a quote "Paul is not exactly my Romeo'' and used it as the headline, although it had nothing at all to do with the interview.)

What's Jane Asher really like?

She's much more beautiful than her pictures would lead you to expect. Her hair is a marvelous orange-red and her skin a milky white. She has delicate features and a lovely Puckish grin which breaks into a wide smile very often. She's shy-but she knows exactly what she wants and is strong enough to fight for it.

Jane was very eager to meet some of the top pop artists and we invited her to a gallery opening, party and dinner the following Saturday night.

She accepted and a few nights later, bedecked in her red minidress, her red coat and her red hair, she made the artscene with us. Jane impressed everybody with her glowing beauty, her quiet intelligence, her gentle humor and her real interest in the world around her.

By this time, we knew for sure why our London friend was so involved with her!

When we said goodbye back at her hotel, we wished her a pleasant tour (she was to leave the next day) and we asked her to give our regards to Paul. She told us to be sure to look her up in London next time we were there.

Gentle Jane waved goodbye to us as the elevator doors closed. Her next stop was to be California and then Denver, where a big surprise would be awaiting her. Turn page for the big surprise.

[canonicallyobserving911]

Several Sentences Sunday

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Season 7 FANON Speculation: Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Chapter 22 will be posted soon.

Currently 21 chapters completed: 797.4K Words; Rated: Mature

One chapter will be posted at a time.

[#1 Previous snippet from Several Sentences Sunday]

[#2 Previous snippet from WIP Wednesday]

____________

I'm excited to finish writing Chapter 22 because there's less than one day remaining until Buck and Eddie get married.

For anyone who hasn't read Chapter 21, here's a brief overview: Buck and Eddie finalized everything before the three of them left L.A. on Friday, December 15th. On December 10th, Buck agreed to meet with his biological father and Eddie and Chris will be present with him when they meet at 12 noon at the restaurant Edward selected. Buck still doesn't know Chris is going to ask him to adopt him on Christmas morning and neither Buck nor Chris knows anything about the gift Eddie bought to commemorate the special moment. Also, Eddie's planning several big surprises for Buck on their wedding day and for a week later when they arrive in London but Eddie doesn't know Chris and Buck are planning a surprise for him too. The three of them are speaking Italian more frequently and finally, Maddie, the 118 and Athena are still planning to throw them an engagement party because they don't know they're getting married which means New Year's Eve at Maddie's and Chimney's is going to be interesting 😉.

Buck and Eddie will tie the knot before Christmas 2023 but they are NOT getting married in the U.S. and they won't have a wedding ceremony until May 2024. They've revealed their relationship, their engagement and the fact that they're going to Europe to their found family during the 118's Thanksgiving dinner (Chapter 17), to Eddie's parents, his sisters, his abuela and Tia Pepa (Chapter 18) and Buck told the Buckley parents he's getting married and that he has a son (Chapter 19). Only three people know they're getting married and they are Chris, Carla and Malone. They told Carla and Malone (Chapter 19) because they asked them to be their witnesses at the Italian Consulate and they told Chris (Chapter 20) that evening after they got the "Atto Notorio" (Declaration) signed but no one else knows. In Chapter 21, Buck, Eddie and Chris arrived in Rome, Italy and they're preparing for the big day.

___________

Here's another romantically fluffy snippet from Chapter 22 of Eddie and Buck having a conversation while they're in their bedroom inside of their villa in Roma, Italia.

___________

Since Buck’s currently lying on his back soundly sleeping, Eddie decides he’s going to wake him up with a kiss.  He walks over to the bed and when he’s standing next to it, he slowly pulls back the blankets along with the top sheet in an effort not to wake him.  Once the covers are off to the side, he climbs on top of him the same way he did the night he got home from work and Buck was asleep on the couch.  He’s careful not to put all of his weight on him but once his face is in front of Buck’s, he leans down and places a soft kiss onto his pretty pink lips.  After he pulls back, he waits until his gorgeous fiancé stirs.

As soon as Buck’s eyes open, the sight of them literally takes Eddie’s breath away and he becomes mesmerized the same way he does every morning when he sees his beautiful blue eyes.  They’re always the bluest of blue this time of day and they’re so bright they remind him of a pair of shiny sapphires.

He kisses him on the lips once more, then he pulls back, smiles and greets, “Buongiorno, amore mio”.  [“Good morning, my love.”]

Buck returns his million-dollar Eddie smile and in his sleep ridden and raspy British sounding morning voice, he replies, “Buongiorno, piccola”.  [“Good morning, babe”.]

“Avete dormito bene?”  [“Did you sleep well?”]

“Sì, l’ho fatto.  Hai fatto?”  [“Yes, I did.  Did you?”]

“Sì.”  [“Yes.”]

Without taking their eyes off each other, they stay in the moment with their faces only millimeters apart and their bodies pressed together from their chests all the way down to their hips.  Eddie’s legs are in between Buck’s and he fits perfectly because the space was created just for him.

“Ti amo cosi tanto.  Sei la mia anima gemelli e non posso vivere senza di te.”  [“I love you so much.  You’re my soulmate and I can’t live without you.”]  Eddie admits.

“Ti amo anch’io.  Sei l’amore dell amia vita.”   [“I love you too.  You’re the love of my life.”]

As he gazes into those ocean blue eyes he loves so much, he moves his head and softly kisses his cheek, then he places an open mouth kiss onto his neck right underneath his earlobe and whispers, “Oggi é il giorno del nostro matrimonio” [“Today is our wedding day”] and he lifts his head so he can meet his eyes again.

Buck’s smile widens even more and he’s so happy he thinks he might burst and he knows if he does, his body will ooze love goo for Eddie because he’s head over heels in love with him.  He lifts both of his hands and places one on each side of Eddie’s face.  “Lo é e sono cosi felice.  Non vedo l’ora di sposarti.”  [“It is and I’m so happy.  I can’t wait to marry you.”]  Right after the words leave his lips, he gently pulls Eddie’s face closer to his and passionately kisses him.

Their soft and sweet kiss quickly turns heated when Eddie rolls his tongue and they immediately get lost in it.

Eddie moans and gasps into it so much so that he never wants it to end but he knows it has to or else they’ll never get out of bed.  It’s imperative they do because he’s planned a lot of things he’s going to do for Buck and the first one will happen as soon as they leave the room.

After about a minute, Eddie breaks the kiss and it causes Buck to poke his bottom lip out into a pout.

He chuckles then he kisses it away and says, “Vieni con me.  Andiamo perché ho una sorpresa per te.” [“Come with me.  Let’s go because I have a surprise for you.”]

Buck raises his eyebrows and asks, “Una sopresa per me?”  [“A surprise for me?”]

“Sì, amore mio.” [“Yes, my love.”]  He kisses him again and after he pulls back, he admits, “Oggi é il tuo giorno Diaz.”  [“Today is your Diaz day.”]

What does Eddie have planned for Buck’s first “Diaz Day”? 👀

How many surprises will there be? 🤷🏽‍♀️

Has he planned even more than those he coordinated with Appolonia before they left L.A.? 🙃

___________

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

__________

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.

Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.

Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.

Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?

Chapter 21 - Buck, Eddie and Chris are finalizing their ‘To Do’ Lists, double checking their itineraries and packing their suitcases in preparation for their trip to Europe so they can board their flight that departs Los Angeles, CA on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:25PM.

Chapter 22 - Will be posted soon.

__________

Read chapters 1-21 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

Chapter 22 will be posted soon.

[w2soneshots]

Italian food -Zerkaa

words: 0.8k+

warnings: light smut.

summary: you and Josh go on a cute date night.

Liked by faithlouisak and 209,156 others

y/username: date night🤍

-comments-

zerkaa: 🔥🔥

taliamar: beautiful girly😍

-> y/username: ❤️

y/nfanpage21: you two are so cute!

user35996210: that pizza looks banging

Me and Josh met at school but didn't become anything, then years later we bumped into each other at a club, he asked for my number and the rest is history. We've been together for 5 years now and make time every two weeks for a date night, we're both very busy so making that time is very important. Each time we take turns for who organises the date, it doesn't have to be dinner it could be bowling, winter wonderland or a cute setup at our apartment.

Tonight it was Josh's turn, he chose a cute Italian restaurant that's located in a beautiful building with an amazing view of London. The booking is at 6 o'clock and he doesn't get back from his Sidemen shoot until 5 so I blasted music while I got ready. When he arrived home he quickly had a shower and got dressed. Then once we were both finished getting ready we got an uber to the restaurant.

"This place is beautiful" I said once we were inside the building. Josh smiled "I thought you'd like it". I just looked back at him with a cute smile then someone took us to our table. Once we were seated a waitress came and took our orders. "Ooo can I get the margarita pizza please" I said. "I'll have the same, thank you" Josh said. When we got to the restaurant it was still light outside, but once our food arrived it had turned dark and the large windows were filled with different coloured lights coming from other buildings, it looked beautiful.

"How did the shoot go?" I asked. "Good, hang on- let me show you a picture of the set" he said dropping his pizza and pulling his phone out to show me. "Oh my god that's sick" I said enthusiastically, today they filmed "the chase: sidemen addition 2" and this time they filmed it on the actual set. "Stephen was jokes as well" he said. "I can imagine" I said with a chuckle.

When we finished our pizza's we ordered some desserts. "Thank you" I said as the waitress placed my ice cream sundae down in front of me, Josh said the same when he got given his brownies. Once we finished we left the restaurant and got a taxi home. Josh kept his hand firmly on my thigh the entire journey. When we arrived outside our building we made our way inside and were soon inside our apartment. I kicked my heels off and dropped my bag, I sighed. "You look beautiful" Josh said quietly once I turned to look at him. I bit my lip slightly, wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. His hands traveled from my waist, to my hips and finally stopped at the back of my thighs. "Jump" he whispered into the kiss, and I did.

I wrapped my legs around his body as he held me up, not breaking the kiss once. He slowly walked towards the bedroom and dropped me onto our bed. He reached forward in the dark room and pulled my jeans off, then he undressed himself leaving him in only his boxers. I pulled my shirt off and over my head also leaving me in just my black lace thong. His eyes turned slightly darker as he climbed on top of me. I smirked and he pulled me into a passionate kiss.

The next morning... I woke completely naked under the duvet, next to Josh who just had his boxers on. "Morning" I said rolling over so I was leaning my head on my arm. "How'd you sleep" he asked. I sighed "Better if I had gone to sleep earlier". "He laughed "thats the price you pay" he said. "It was worth it" I said with a cheeky wink. I slid out of the bed, pulled on my underwear and one of Josh's shirts then I walked through into the bathroom, brushed my hair into a ponytail, washed my face and brushed my teeth.

When I was done I walked back into the bedroom just to see an empty bed. I shuffled into the kitchen, "want some breakfast?" Josh asked, stood looking into the fridge. I smiled "yes please". I walked towards him and wrapped my arms around his back, on my tip toes since he's so tall. He turned around and placed his hands on my waist. "I love you so much" he said staring into my eyes. I smiled slightly and a warm blush washed over my cheeks, "I love you too" I said and pulled him into a quick kiss.

[invsblstrngs]

[tom ellis, genderfluid he/they, take me to church, muse a!  ) – Is that ARCHER MARLOWE I spotted in new york city? rumour has it they’re 45 YEARS OLD born on JULY 24 1979 and have been in the city for  for TWENTY FIVE YEARS! I think I’ve seen them around MANHATTAN and working as a LAWYER!  They’re really known for FRESHLY PRESSED TAILORED SUITS, TOP SHELF WHISKEY, AND BURYING YOUR FEELINGS IN MULTIPLE VICES. but that’s for you to judge.   I hope they like the city! -character parallels:: harvey specter, lucifer morningstar, rafael barba.

pinterest

BASICS

FULL NAME:  Archer Alexander Marlowe 

NICKNAME(S): Archie by his family, Alex by everyone else.

AGE: 45

DATE OF BIRTH:  July 25th 1979

CURRENT LOCATION:  Manhattan, New York City

PLACE OF BIRTH:  London, England

ETHNICITY: Caucasian 

GENDER: cis man

PRONOUNS: he/him

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: bisexual

RELIGION: Raised catholic, mostly atheist now. 

LANGUAGES: English, French, Spanish, Italian. 

OCCUPATION:  founding partner at Marlowe and Brady law firm. 

FACECLAIM: Tom Ellis

PHYSICAL TRAITS

HEIGHT: 6’3

WEIGHT: 185 lbs

HAIR COLOR: Dark brown, almost black, now with greys throughout. 

EYE COLOR: Brown

PIERCINGS: none. 

TATTOOS:  none at this time

SCARS|MARKS: he has freckles all over his body. 

SIGNATURE SCENT:  Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille. 

PHOBIAS AND DISEASES

MENTAL ILLNESSES: C-PTSD

PHYSICAL ILLNESSES:

PHOBIAS: 

RELATIONSHIPS

MOTHER:   Eleanor Marie Marlowe (nee Williams)

FATHER:  Charles Edward Marlowe 

CHILDREN: Simone Eleanor Marlowe

SIBLINGS:  June Marlowe (sister)

RELATIONSHIPS:  Ruth St James (mother of his child)

 PETS:  two cats, named

PERSONALITY

ZODIAC SIGN:  Leo

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral

FAVORITE FOODS:  the chicken and vodka sauce sandwich from his favorite italian restaurant,   steak salad, lemony greek potatoes, tacos al pastor. 

FAVORITE COLOR:  emerald green. 

LIKES: sitting inside reading a book or watching a film, or working in a thunderstorm,  a good latte, the adrenaline rush when he wins a tough case.

DISLIKES: losing a case,  he has a problem with authority, and organized religion. 

HOBBIES:  he has a large automobile collection, recently bought a motorcycle, works out to relieve anger/anxiety, collects first editions of his favorite books, and loves learning new languages.  Cooking/learning new recipes, and playing piano.

FULL BIOGRAPHY COMING SOON

[alex-the-nonsensologist]

Disney Dreamland - Part 4: Fantasyland

(I had already posted about Mysteryland previously, which retroactively makes it Part 3. So we're moving on to the next part.)

Quite possibly the largest of the five lands, probably even beating out my mega-Adventureland. 

Small World Gardens

Located behind Small World, this sprawling area would transition into Storybook Town Square. Flower arrangements inspired by Keukenhof in the Netherlands. Similar to Paris’s Fantasyland, there would be a couple rivers running through the garden with lovely bridges to cross over them. 

Dumbo the Flying Elephant : The Masquerade Circus could be positioned near the Mysteryland/Fantasyland border so that the back of the tents could serve as a backdrop for the Dumbo ride, which would have its own little area in the gardens. I was at a loss on where else to place this ride, but I stubbornly wanted to include it as it is currently the only attraction to be found in all 6 existing castle parks and I didn't want to break that streak.

"Casey Jr. Circus Train": Doesn't have to specifically be Dumbo-themed, I just really want a cute novelty train to wind through the garden, with cute bridges to pass over the walkways and rivers.

“Swan Boats”: Paddle boats. I say “swan boats” but they don’t have to be just swans, but could also resemble other birds such as ducks, geese, and flamingos.

Symphony Gazebo: A gazebo in the garden for a live band to play classical music.

“Windmill snack stand”: I saw a picture of the Old Mill in Paris and thought it looked so charming. German pretzels. 

Storybook Town Square

The town follows in the footsteps of Ananheim’s 1983 overhaul with each building having its own unique look. Would feature a fluid mix of Bavarian and British architecture. The Bavarian half of the town on the west contains “Pinocchio Square” and the theater. The British half on the east contains Peter Pan, Little Nemo (even though Nemo is American), and Mr. Toad. A large fountain stands in the center. Cobblestones would pave the ground. I want this area to evoke the feeling of Paris’s Fantasyland as well as Efteling in the Netherlands . 

Pinocchio’s Daring Escape: Focuses more on escaping Pleasure Island. The only other thing I would change is have all the sets and animatronics appear to be carved out of wood, and have real clothes on the animatronics, for a more high-quality “hand made” look, the implication being the entire ride is a life-sized puppet show. The ride building along with the toy shop and restaurant form a smaller “Pinocchio Square”, which would include a smaller fountain with a statue of Pinocchio.

Geppetto’s Toy Shop: Would feature regular retail plush toys, as well as old fashioned toys like wooden marionettes and wind-ups, as well as cuckoo clocks. Christmas ornaments can also be purchased here.   

Pinocchio’s Pizza Place: Italian cuisine. Basically the Pinocchio Village Haus in Orlando, but with an alliterative name, and also some of the pizzas have toppings decorated to look like Pinocchio smiley faces. Quick service.  

Once Upon a Time Theatre: Hosts live indoor stage shows. While any show with Disney musical medleys is fine, I would much prefer original shows of rarely-featured stories, such as the other tales from the 1001 Arabian Nights, or a stage version of Disney's Return to Oz (which I personally love better as an Oz adaptation than MGM's movie; 2013's Oz the Great and Powerful was meh). Building design would be modeled after the new Fantasyland Forest Theatre in Tokyo.

“German restaurant”: Table service. 

Flight to Neverland: Would utilize the best aspects from each version of the ride. For example, I love that Shanghai’s queue is themed to a London park (Kensington Gardens?), and the chimneys in Paris’s loading dock blow smoke. The building facade would definitely have a functioning clock tower, in homage to Big Ben, but designed to fit with the small town aesthetic. The name change is simply because I feel like guests actually take on the role of the Darling children more than they do Peter.

Little Nemo in Slumberland: Little Nemo may not be a Disney IP, but it has such rich and vibrant imagery, I think it could work really well as a Disney ride. Not to mention it’s in the public domain, so there shouldn’t be any legal issues. In many ways it’s very similar to Peter Pan’s Flight, so maybe it could also help balance the wait times between the two rides. Guests take on the role of Nemo and ride flying beds (or at least, benches that look like beds, with a headboard and a footboard) that soar out the bedroom window. What follows are awe-inspiring, almost surreal, scenes of Slumberland. Things start to distort and become chaotic as the dream turns into a nightmare. Before anything too awful happens, guests “wake up” back in Nemo’s bedroom while the voice of Nemo’s mother scolds us for eating before bed. For visual reference, I recommend the Osamu Dezaki pilot film that was created during the movie’s development, though I obviously wouldn’t put the giant Sauron eye in the ride. 

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride: Orlando’s former double-track ride, but with Anaheim’s building exterior. I never got to experience this ride and I really want to.

Ever After Castle

Here it is, the traditional centerpiece of all Disney parks, now the centerpiece of Fantasyland instead. I personally think of most Disney castles as tall but not wide. This castle would be slightly different from the traditional Disney castle by taking up more ground space. I hate to sound blasphemous, but for this castle I’m thinking of something similar to Shrek’s Far Far Away Castle in Universal Singapore but with more detailed ornate decorations like Paris’ castle, and the outer walls slightly covered in ivy vines for a more inviting, homely look. It would also stand on top of an elevated foundation, surrounded by a moat. There would be a large courtyard in front of the main castle building, with the carousel placed in the center of it. The gift shop and the meet-and-greet are each placed on either the west or east side of the courtyard. The north of the courtyard would feature the restaurant on the ground floor, the entrance to the underground boat ride, and stairs to the second floor attraction. 

Cinderella’s Carriage Carrousel: Regarding the visual design, I want it to look like the pumpkin carriage turned into a carousel. The canopy could include fiber optic fairy dust that lights up at night.

Be Our Guest Restaurant: French cuisine. I really like Tokyo’s Beauty and the Beast ride and would love to import it, but I respect the OLC’s exclusivity rights too much. I wondered if I could make it a combination ride and restaurant where each table is a ride vehicle, but I worried that would cause motion sickness which is a big no-no for a restaurant. At the very least, for my version I would love to have animatronics perform “Be Our Guest” every 30 minutes or so. Also, perhaps every hour, Belle and Beast performers would come out onto the dance floor and invite guests to waltz with them. Hot Take: The Grey Stuff is very obviously a savory food as it is clearly presented on a tray of hors d'oeuvres in the movie. But since the version currently offered in the parks has been imprinted in fans’ minds I think it’s best to offer two versions: Savory (chicken liver pate) as an appetizer and Sweet (cookies and cream) as a dessert.

Royal Meet-and-Greet: I personally do not care much for meet and greets, but for the people that do, here you can meet the Princesses, some of the Princes, as well as non-Princesses such as Giselle, Esmeralda, and TinkerBell. 

Kingdom Treasures gift shop: Based on the Tokyo shop of the same name. 

Crystal Caverns Canal: Boat ride underneath the castle. My first idea for this ride was basically Voyage to the Crystal Grotto from Shanghai, if all the character statues were built out of crystals and mosaic tiles. Then I realized, there’s probably too much IP already in the land, so I think there could be an original story about the crystals being a source of magic for the kingdom, and have scenes of wizards and fairies harvesting the crystals and creating experiments with them. Sort of a “tour of the workshop” kind of ride. I’m thinking of something with the same vibes as Dreamflight in Efteling. 

Merlin’s Library / Yen Sid’s Library: Located on the second floor of the castle. Originally I wanted a ride in a similar vein to Symbolica in Efteling, but with a story like that of Mystic Manor in Hong Kong. Then I wondered if it would be feasible to have a ride in the second story, so I’m also okay with this being a walkthrough attraction.  I feel either wizard could work here. Merlin is the more well-known wizard, but Yen Sid is easier to create an original backstory for. The basic gist of the attraction is you wander around a library with little vignettes of magical items operating on their own; a quill pen writing  by itself, a large spell book turning its own pages, floating books sorting themselves on the shelves, etc. There could even be some interactive elements, such as paintings that change, or opening a book can project a scene “coming to life” and “escaping” the book.

Fairytale Gardens: Walkthrough garden. There would be lovely little vignettes scattered throughout, including Snow White’s wishing well, a giant beanstalk, and The Sword in the Stone placed in a little alcove in the castle’s outer wall. This would be outside the courtyard. Maybe off to the side, to the west, wrapping around the outer castle wall, next to Shadowland Forest.

Shadowland Forest

Inspired by the Black Forest of Germany, this area features spookier attractions. West of the castle, shares the border with Mysteryland and the Gravity Falls area. There would be plenty of fir, spruce, and pine trees to make it feel like an actual forest, maybe even hide some of the attractions from view. 

Snow White’s Scary Adventures : Building facade would include the Evil Queen peeking out her window. I would place the building nearest to Storybook Town Square, at the edge of the forest.

“Gingerbread Factory Tour” : Based on my twisted Hansel and Gretel dark ride idea. Guests are given a tour of gingerbread golems at work (something like Tim Burton’s version of Wonka’s factory if it were more surreal and set in 1800s Germany), then are chased through obstacles, such as lollipop blades swinging from the walls, and peppermint stick darts, by Hansel and Gretel themselves. They’ve been very distrustful of adults after their parents abandoned them in the woods, and after the witch held them captive. They deem the guests harmless, and let them go but warn them to never come back.

Candy Carnival shop: The ride would exit into a shop themed to a candy carnival safe haven that Hansel and Gretel built for children lost in the woods. Would feature gingerbread treats and a nice selection of old-fashioned candies and German sweets. Guests can also watch bakers and candymakers at work. (Despite the name, there are no actual rides here, just animatronic decorations.)

Dragon Mountain: I wanted a unique “Mountain” ride, much like how the Matterhorn and Everest are unique to their parks. And dragons are cool. Originally this was going to be based on Maleficent, but now I’m leaning more towards an original story. And to put a neat spin on things, instead of a fire-breathing dragon, it would be a wintery ice dragon! I would also love it if the dragon was not portrayed as a mindless, violent beast hoarding treasure, but a parent protecting their child from intruders.

I initially wanted a sub-land recreating Halloween Town (with a spooky "Scare-ousel") but I felt Fantasyland was already overrun with too many IPs (and seven carousels is enough for one park), so here an area is set aside for seasonal Nightmare Before Christmas or Villains themed events, leaving the Haunted Mansion free during the holidays. 

Disney Dreamland Railroad Fantasyland station: Styled after the ruins of a medieval castle. Located on the edge of the forest near Ever After Castle, next to the entrance to Winter Village.

Wonderland

East of the castle, on the border with Create-It-Land. While there would be plenty of natural green, there would also be an abundant mix of giant pink, purple, and turquoise “wildlife”, as seen in the initial scrapped concept art for Tokyo’s expansion. Giant mushrooms in place of benches,  trees decorated with misleading signs, lamp posts that look like giant flowers. March Hare would definitely be included as a walk-around character alongside Hatter and Alice. People often forget the tea party took place at the Hare’s and mistakenly believe Hatter to be the host, and I will not stand for this March Hare erasure.  I would also have plenty of card soldiers roaming around, “patrolling” the area.

Down the Rabbit-Hole: An upside-down funhouse with wonky mirrors, and trick doors galore! A hall of doors in the end would lead into the maze. I was thinking there could probably also be a madhouse ride portion where guests can experience the room actually turning upside down; inspired by Villa Volta in Efteling. 

Wonderland Maze: As much as I like the Alice in Wonderland ride in Anaheim, I personally feel that Wonderland is a world that is best experienced up close and at your own pace, which a maze perfectly embodies. While the maze would obviously be themed to classic animated Alice like the Paris version, it would have different environments, like Shanghai’s Tim Burton version. First half of the maze would be a forest-like environment with giant plants and singing flowers. Second half would have rose bushes, fancy iron fences, and carved stone walls and statues for the Queen of Heart’s castle area. There would be a handful of tiny doors scattered throughout that guests can crawl through as shortcuts. Among the character statues scattered around the maze, I really want to include the Mock-Turtle and Gryphon, based on their designs from the Jell-O commercial, perhaps on a sandy beach shore by a small fountain / pond.

House of Cards Banquet Hall: Inspired by the Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall in Tokyo. Would follow the same eccentric and colorful design scheme, but I want it to look like a stone castle made out of cards. Definitely would have lovely stained glass windows. Desserts include Royal Heart Tarts. They could also come in souvenir cups and plates like the ones found in Tokyo.

Mad Tea Party: Would have a canopy roof to protect from the weather and direct sunlight, but I also wouldn’t mind a stained-glass version. Or even a canopy made of trees. Teacup designs would be a mix of various patterns from all versions (except Orlando’s, I do not care for the zigzag scribbles). Would also include the giant teapot with the Dormouse in the center. To help with queue waits, I’d even have two ride systems, much like how Orlando doubled their Dumbo ride. One could even be themed to the Hatter while the other to the March Hare.

March Hare’s tea shop: Would have the same building design as March Hare Refreshments in Paris. Would sell several varieties of tea, Unbirthday Cake, and macarons. Could also feature a long table with interactive tea things to play with, like Shanghai does at the end of its maze, and plenty of fancy chairs for photo-ops.

Mad Hatter’s hat shop: Hats, Mickey ears, and other headgear. To match the March Hare’s chimney ears, this building would resemble a large top hat. Would also feature hat racks for photo-ops, like Shanghai does at the end of its maze.

100 Acre Wood

East of Town Square, on the border with Create-It-Land. A tiny little area with tall trees providing shade, a lovely little Poohsticks Bridge over a small river, and a cozy corner for a meet-and-greet with Pooh and friends.

Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day: Basically the same as Pooh’s Hunny Hunt in Tokyo, which includes the giant book facade, and the same level of crafted detail and technical marvel throughout the ride, but with scenes added for the “rain, rain, rain”, and Pooh’s hero party as the ending. I would also use Anaheim’s zany color scheme for the Heffalumps and Woozles room with some added special effects for even more zaniness.  The ride’s name change is just to both set it apart from the other versions, and because I realized with the exception of Pooh stuck in the honey tree, all the iconic scenes in the ride come from Blustery Day.

Pooh Corner gift shop: Also utilizes the same English cottage look as Tokyo’s.

Hunny Smackerels snack stand: Hunny Pot cupcakes, honeycomb, honey ice cream, and a separate cart for honey popcorn in lovely Pooh-shaped popcorn buckets. It would be really cute if the stand is actually inside a giant tree trunk, with a dutch door counter window for guests to order from. 

The next three sub-lands would be behind Ever After Castle, outside the perimeter of the railroad tracks border. The entrance to Winter Village is between Shadowland Forest and the castle, while the entrance to Encanto Valley is between Wonderland and the castle. Mermaid Lagoon is directly behind the castle, between the other two sub-lands and only accessible through them. Small mountains would form berms for each sub-land. For reference, think of how Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, and Toy Story Land are arranged in Hong Kong.

Winter Village

Inspired by my Narnia theme park concept. This entire mini-land would be indoors, to have air-conditioning to sell the illusion of winter, and to preserve the artificial winter setup from the real-life elements outdoors. This mini-land would be round (roughly) so that the glass ceiling that lets in natural light can have a hexagonal snowflake design. At night time there’d be projections of Northern Lights. NOT Frozen themed. It’s a cute movie and all, but far overstayed its welcome before it was even released on DVD. Village would be a mix of Russian and Scandinavian architecture.  Can be used for a Santa Claus meet-and-greet during Christmas.

Enchanted Snow Palace: The planned but never built ride based on Hans Christian Andersen’s Snow Queen. The concept art looks leagues better than the final product of Frozen Ever After.

“Winter Sleigh Ride”: Ride through winter scenery in sleighs pulled by reindeer. Technically a dark ride, since the entire subland is indoors, but feels like an outdoor ride.

"Snowball Arcade": I really wanted something to simulate snowball fights, but without the chaos and mess. Here, guests can throw snowballs at targets to win plush prizes.

"Russian cafe": Russian pastries and snacks

"Ice skating rink": Free if you bring your own skates.

Mermaid Lagoon

A scaled-down version of the land in Tokyo DisneySea, without the playground and kiddie rides. Like DisneySea, it would have a lovely seashell castle facade, with the attractions indoors. Unlike DisneySea, there would be a small lake in front with a ship restaurant docked on it.

“Under the Sea”: NOT a retelling of the movie, but instead an original story that would take place some time pre-movie. Follows Ariel on one of her outings as she explores the sea looking for new treasures to add to her collection. Final scene could be of Ariel in her grotto after completing her latest trip, but feeling unsatisfied as she wistfully looks at her collection, while instrumentals for “Part Of Your World” softly play in the background. 

King Triton’s Concert Hall: Just like the one in Tokyo DisneySea, this would be a 360 degree show with Ariel “swimming” in midair above the audience, a giant animatronic Triton, performer puppets of Flounder and Sebastian, and other mixed special effects. 

Undersea Carousel: Fish carousel. Underwater lighting effects and blows bubbles as it spins. 

Ariel’s Grotto gift shop

Ship restaurant: Mediterranean seafood. I mean, it’s on a human ship that’s not technically in Triton’s Kingdom, so I think this gets a pass for serving fish. It could even be themed to Chef Louis for a laugh. 

“Nighttime Water Show”: Just spitballing an idea, maybe the lagoon could also be used for a nighttime water show a la Fantasmic / World of Color. The viewing area could be across the lagoon from Triton’s castle; the lights of Triton’s castle would coordinate with the show.

Encanto Valley

A lovely recreation of the valley, with Casita and a little village area for shops and Colombian dining, and plenty of lush greenery. 

La Casa Madrigal: I really like @rrdcooc’s idea for Casita as a walkthrough attraction! It’s so cool! Especially the ideas for Pepa and Luisa's rooms. I wouldn’t change much, aside from adding a few extra touches, such as an interactive flower wall in Isabela’s room that mimics guests’ silhouettes (like Daniel Rozin's "Mechanical Mirrors"), and maybe a couple themed flat rides to add capacity, such as a flowery swing spinner ride in Isabela’s room, and a tiny jungle animal carousel in Antonio’s room. In Dolores's room, guests can see sound waves (like that Magic School Bus episode), and Camilo's room can contain "mirrors" with different character models that mimic guests' movements in real time (like VTuber avatars). Also includes a gift shop selling “homemade” fashions and plush toys by Mirabel.

“Magic Realism Art Exhibit”: While I think the final movie is perfect, I would have loved it if Casita more closely resembled its concept art, which leaned much more heavily into magic realism. This attraction would be a walkthrough art exhibit full of giant optical illusion paintings that guests can pose in for photo-ops. For reference, I’m recalling the Trick Eye Museum, a temporary art exhibit I went to years ago in Hong Kong.

Encanto Sing-Along: I’m not always a huge fan of the “book report” shows they do in the Parks, but in this case, most of Encanto’s songs are so specific to the story that removing them from the context of the movie wouldn't work (especially in the case of fan favorite “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”).  The stage can also be used for original Colombian performances, as well as from neighboring Latin American countries.

Julieta’s Arepas: Food cart. These arepas may not heal you, but they’re magically delicious! 

Arabian Oasis (scrapped)

Before Encanto was released and became one of my favorite recent movies, my initial idea was to put in an Aladdin-themed area. Not an exact recreation of Agrabah, more like a broad strokes version of Agrabah in the same manner as Arabian Coast in Tokyo DisneySea.

Magic Carpet Ride: A suspension ride in a similar manner as Peter Pan’s Flight, using the carpet vehicles. Fly through the Agrabah marketplace, over the desert, and above the clouds. Ride music features instrumentals from “A Whole New World”.

Scheherazade’s Tales From the 1001 Nights: Stage show.

Flavors of Agrabah: Arabian / Middle-Eastern cuisine 

Cave of Wonders gift shop: I think the theming is appropriate considering guests are exchanging money for goods and not stealing them (ideally).

Other parts:

World Galleria

Adventureland

Mysteryland

Create-It-Land

Discoveryland

[scotianostra]

November 26th 1908 saw the birth of Charles Carmine Forte in Casalattico, Italy.

Baron Forte, as he was to become, worked in his relatives Italian cafe in the High Street, on his arrival in Scotland from Italy. He expanded a tiny London milk bar (snack bar), which he opened in 1934, into Trusthouse Forte PLC, a vast international enterprise that included highway service centres, restaurants, airport caterers, breweries, wine merchants, and a string of accommodations that ranged from the moderate-priced Travelodge motel chain to such luxury hotels as London’s Waldorf and Grosvenor House.

And what is all this got to with Scotland? Forte settled in Scotland at the age of four, where his father Rocco set up a cafe, he also worked at his Uncle Alfonso’s shop in my home town of Loanhed, although some sources say it was Rocco, his father who owned the shop, the Forte website says it was Alfonso.

There are Italian-Scots, all over Scotland, the Fortes had businesses in Stirling, Kelso, Biggar, Galashiels, Girvan, Broxburn, Jedburgh, Dunbar, Greenock, Dalkeith, Alloa and loads more places besides.

After his father bought a small hotel in Alloa young Charles attended Alloa Academy and then St. Joseph's College, Dumfries, he was then sent to Rome for two years before re-joining his family. He was 18 when he entered the family business, running a restaurant. The business progressed through a series of seaside resorts.

When he was 21, Forte was put in charge of a rundown cafe, the Venetian Lounge in Brighton. Within 12 months he had turned it into a profit-making outlet.

However, he had set his sights on London. With just £400, loans of £2000 from his family and a further £2000 bank loan, he bought a milk bar in Upper Regent Street. A concept he imported from America, it was a place where young people could socialise while lingering over non-alcoholic drinks and listening to the latest records.

The Strand Milk Bar Ltd. milk bar was the stepping stone Forte needed. In later years the café became the Four Seasons Restaurant and it was one site he would never sell.

By the time war broke out in 1939, Forte owned nine establishments in the centre of the capital and was known as Mr Piccadilly. He was interned on the Isle of Man, but after three months he was released to become an adviser to the Ministry of Food.

After the war he bought top London restaurants and hotels such as the Cafe Royal and Waldorf. In 1955 his company was awarded the first catering concession at Heathrow Airport. When the UK's first motorway opened in 1959, he began building a chain of 23 roadside catering areas.

His empire eventually had more than 800 hotels, in cities such as Paris, Geneva, Madrid and London, and a similar number of food outlets. In Britain alone he employed about 70,000 people.

When knighted in 1970 Lord Forte, who was five feet four inches in height, dubbed himself "the shortest knight of the year". He was also a Knight of the Grand Cross of the Italian Republic and was presented with a Papal Medal by Pope Pius XII. He received a medal from the French for what his firm had done at its Paris hotels, the George V, the Plaza Athenee and Tremoille, and the Spanish gave him a medal for his work at the Ritz in Madrid. In 1992, aged 83, he gave up the company to his son Rocco, who had succeeded him as chief executive in 1983.Forte ascribed his success to hard work and healthy living. He said work should be serious but fun, and satisfaction rather than profit was his main motivation.

Charles Forte passed away on February 28th, 2007 aged 98, he had already passed full control to his son Rocco in 1993, but soon the plc was faced with a hostile takeover bid from Granada. Ultimately, Granada succeeded with a £3.9 billion tender offer in January 1996, which left the family with about £350 million in cash, not bad for starting in a wee shop in a Scottish toon.

Rocco immediately went back into the hotel business and now has 14 hotels located in European cities, as well as beach resorts in Sicily and Apulia, and recent openings in Saudi Arabia and China. The most famous of his hotels in Scotland is The Balmoral at number one Princes Street Edinburgh.

Pics of of some of the Forte businesses can be found here https://www.fortefamilyhistory.com/Gallery/In_Business/index.html

[celebritieswithemmab]

What is Robert Pattinsons "Little Pillow"?

Photo from MEL

And, most importantly, how did Robert Pattinson attempt to monetize it?

In the midst of lock-down, when nobody (including celebrities) had anything to do, Robert Pattinson was stranded with nothing but three t-shirts and access to a little corner store. He was supposed to be temporarily staying in a London flat during the filming of Batman, which he starred in (as Batman). Yet in the wake of COVID-19 closures across the globe, he had been stranded with little food other than what the producers would send him according to his regulated Batman diet. Attempting to make productive use of his time, Pattinson decided to try a business concept he had come up with the prior year. He had recognized a gap in the market for fast-food pasta, and says that he “...was trying to figure out how to capitalize in this area of the market, and [he] was trying to think: How do you make a pasta which you can hold in your hand?” Let's not speculate on if this question should ever be answered, or the grammar in which it was asked. Because Pattinson attempted to answer it, and I think we can agree it would have been better off left as a concept rather than a tangible object.

Photo from Glamour

Behold: Piccolini Cuscino

(Italian for "Little Pillow")

According to GQ, at the start of his entrepreneurship journey, "he went so far as to design a prototype that involved the use of a panini press, and then... set up a meeting with Los Angeles restaurant royalty Lele Massimini." This meeting had little success, and Massimini was, thankfully, unimpressed.

Back in 2019, my dad had an idea to create brownie-ice-cream popsicles. He created a ton of prototype batches, much to the enjoyment of my brother and I. His idea was, I can assure you, much tastier and a much more viable concept. So how come he never got a meeting with Los Angeles restaurant royalty? Because he never played the sparkly, blood-lusted love interest in a teen film.

When you have the sort of stardom that comes from helping create over 300 million dollars in profit, you have a lot working for you. You have an insurance to these types of connections. Fortunately, for the good of society, these connections don't ensure a product launch.

Pattinsons unsuccessful meeting in 2019 did, sadly, not deter him from further cuisine pursuits in 2020. In May of 2020, he recreated this pasta phenomenon in his interview with QC magazine. After reading the instructions for creating one of these Picconolo Cuscino dishes, I'm sure you'll agree the world is left much better without it.

Do not try this at home.

Ingredients:

breadcrumbs or cornflakes

pre-sliced cheese

tomato sauce

pasta

half a burger bun

sugar

Other items:

lighter

aluminum foil

microwave

latex gloves

Directions:

Put on gloves (it's about to get messy)

2. Cover pasta with water in a bowl and microwave for 8 minutes.

3. While cooking, create a bowl-shape out of aluminum foil, and cover with crushed up cornflakes or breadcrumbs.

4. Cover with sugar.

5. Place cheese slices on top

Allegedly, Pattinson used nine packs of cheese for this.

6. and then cover with more sugar.

“It really needs a sugar crust,” -Robert Pattinson

7. Cover with tomato sauce.

8. When pasta is finished microwaving, dump it on top of your creation.

At this point, Pattinson says there is "...absolutely no chance this is gonna work. Absolutely none,” But keep going anyways.

9. Pour more sugar on top of the pasta.

10. Hollow out your half of the burger bun, and place it on top.

Before this next step, take off your latex gloves. Pattinson didn't, and it did not go well.

11. Take your lighter and burn a fun design onto the top for aesthetic quality points.

Robert says “I’m just gonna do the initials.…” meaning P.C., for Piccolini Cuscino. The interviewer, Zach Baron, at GQ, says "at this point, he accidentally ignites one of his latex gloves, which promptly melts onto his palm." So take extra caution. This part could hurts

12. Wrap your pasta concoction in more aluminum foil, creating a type of ball.

13. Place the pasta ball in the microwave for ten minutes.

At this point, if you've done this correctly, the microwave should shark, catch on fire, and shut down the electricity, just as it did in the GQ interview.

I don't recommend eating. Robert Pattinson didn't. He figured it was best left ignored, and thats precisely what he did.

He says, “I’m really trying to sell this company... I’m doing this for my brand.”

As of 2024, there have been no official mentions of a Piccolini Cuscino fast-food business. Let's hope there never are.

[mattved]

On prague and food

Places to eat in Prague, curated by a local. All of them located in a neatly small radius and all great for taking a break from all the czech restaurants wannabe that only look to capitalize on tourists.

I am not a food blogger. And don't aim at becoming one, even though there is an incentive to commence composing a cookbook. I actually promised a friend of mine that I would post a weekly recipe for him this year but as you may check on my BigOven profile, it did not really follow suit. Yet. What is important, though, is the place I made this promise. Whenever he comes over to Prague from his new home city, that is Glesga, it is my task to find the right place for a catch-up early dinner. It is difficult to find decent restaurant in the Czech metropolis. You mostly encounter the tourist-targeting convention of overpriced meaty dishes infused with salt, our national habit of using pre-made components, or a combination of thereof. The surprise is how many of them are in proximity of a district 2 square, only popular among locals, end even that is limited to the period of Christmas market craze.

Let us check what awaits you at and around Náměstí Míru, then!

When you are looking for Italian, Czech Republic does not have much to offer in terms of authenticity. The Peace Square, as you may translate its name, there are two places that closely adhere to it.

Classic Italian: Grosseto

The more budget-friendly of them, and the only one that serves pizza, is Grosseto. A restaurant so respected that it had become a network with four diners, an Italian imports shop, and its own culinary academy, with both hobbyist and professional classes. Although this particular place is not the one where it all started, you get to experience identical range of Italian classics made to specification set by one of their three star chefs, specialists in their own branch of the cuisine: regional classics, gourmet specials, and pizza. After the standard procedure of table assignment, you sit down in a compact, yet airy, interior, get to observe the passion-driven pizza chef throw dough back and forth, receive international-standard service from the front of house staff, and don't usually have to wait too long before your meal arrives. And that is in spite of all meals, including the specials, being made to order with no shortcuts. The overall experience is pleasant and definitely worth every penny.

Coastal Italian: Aromi

The posh option that emphasises the Italian beyond pizza and pasta is Aromi, led by a chef with Michelin experience, Riccardo Lucque. At the price, you obviously get the level of service where a porter takes care of your coats, sits you down in a spacious interior decorated with original paintings, introuces himself by first name, and remains your server all the way through the experience. There is fresh fish and seafood on display, any item of which you can ask to be made for you in the original fashion or any other way you like. Well, the chefs will obviously give your personal waiter a long stare once he brings in a monkfish to be made into fish and chips. On top of this, there is obviously a short permanent menu, number of seasonal specials, and couple of ready-to-serve lunchtime dishes. Five course menu culminating with Italian small-batch roast coffee is therefore an option. Personally, I would not be able to justify the bill on regular occasion, but I do greatly appreciate what you get for the money. Anniversary, maybe?

Vietnamese: Pho Vietnam Tuan & Lan

This basement bistro is not too well known due the massive competition from their compatriots. See, the Vietnamese to Prague are like the Indians to London or the Moroccans to Paris. This place is however the only one that received endorsement from the nationally established advocates of high gastronomy, namely chef Zdeněk Pohlreich, and mentor Roman Vaněk. While the inconvenient interior and order-at-the-bar approach to service might be an issue to some, the main reason for your visit, food, is authentic and far outweighing the downsides. Starting with a ready made fresh shrimp roll or its fried counterpart stuffed with beef handed over immediately upon your arrival is highly recommended. The two signature dishes here include Phở Bò, an enormous bowl of broth with noodles, boiled beef, and chives, and Bún bò Nam Bộ, an alternative with lower amount of water and greater variety of veggies. Two undisputed upsides of this restaurant is lack of horrible cheap-plastic decorations so typical for Vietnamese restaurants everywhere, and its price level, which is with respect to the amount of food and culinary satisfaction the lowest on this list.

Burger: Dish

It's not like going out for a burger would be something you take an airplane to do, but in case all the new tastes overwhelm you and you just want something familiar, Dish is definitely the place to go. Everything is made to order from fresh ingredients, the patties seem to be made of pure beef and their menu composition just works. And their fries are wonderful. Inside the interior, where you better book table for both lunch and dinner, everything is quite crammed, but that only makes sense, given their popularity, for the sake of which they opened in a second location. Service takes more modern approach and I like to deal with them that way, especially since staying in for a chat after the meal is not something I would prefer, given the acoustic conditions.

Fast Food: Bageterie Boulevard

In case you are just passing and feel like grabbing a quick meal to keep you going through further Prague adventures, check out one of the two nearby outlets of the popular Czech franchise Bageterie Boulevard. The first one is just southeast of the square, while the other, smaller one, is to the west. They offer a wide range of ready made sub fillings with a choice of bread and a menu option that includes portion of baked potatoes and a fresh ice tea. In addition to that, they do a pair of quarterly specials, soup of the day, muffins, and biscuits. There is also a coffee of custom blend on offer, which I prefer avoiding. Nevertheless, the place is wonderful to call at for quick lunch in the house or a takeaway dinner. Since it is a franchise, your choice will taste the same, no matter the location, but you will not be served a stack of prefabricated components.

After you eat: Banyan Tearoom

When I make plans to go out with my friends, we never discuss where to go. Visit to the Banyan tearoom is implied. The routine starts off with a teapot of Touareg and continues with an optional shisha paired with a pick from the menu.

As a souvenir: Book Therapy

And in case you like to cook yourself, I do suggest Book Therapy, where they have a lot of hipster-targeted books including a nice range of regional cuisine cookbooks.

[thehighpriestess22]

2023

Last year I made a post with 3 lists that I wanted to complete by the end of the year, and I want to do the same thing for 2023 but on a bigger scale. I want to push myself to achieve, experience and enjoy more in life.

Life is short and I have unfortunately wasted a lot of it by being a home body... for 2023, I want to push myself to be out and to make memories and fulfil life!

So below I have new lists that I want to be able to complete by the end of 2023.

Meet New People... 1. Natalia at work 👧🏻 2. Bobby at work 👧🏻 3. Brandon & Faith 4. My Uncles Girlfriend 5. Charlotte at work 👱🏻‍♀️ 6. Karby’s Fella 🙋🏻‍♂️ 7. Ryan - New Manager 🙋🏼‍♂️ 8. Joe D - Colleague 🙋🏻‍♂️ 9. Kirsty - Colleague 🙋🏻‍♀️ 10. Heidi - Colleague 🙋🏻‍♀️ 11. Chris - Colleague 🙋🏻‍♂️ 12. Colleen - HR 🙋🏼‍♀️ 13. Freddie and Ella 14. Ant and Lilly 15. Luke and Lauren Notes:

Go Out... 1. Wagamama with BF and S.I.L 🍲 2. Chelmsford - Boom Battle Bar with BF and S.I.L 🎯 3. Kervan Kitchen with BF and Big E 4. Las Iguanas at the O2 Arena 🍸 5. Harrow Pub with work lot 🍷 6. Harrow Pub with In-Laws and BF 🍷 7. Drill Pub 🌞 8. Turtle Bay in Romford 🍹 9. Giggling Squid in Brentwood 🍷 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Notes:

New Places... 1. Boom Battle Bar 🎯 2. Cleveland Clinic 🏥 3. Marley’s I’m Hornchurch 🍷 4. Dad’s Flat 💫 5. Jon’s Apartment 💫 6. Elley’s House 💫 7. Vicky’s New Flat 💫 8. New Office in Peterborough 🏢 9. Premier Inn in Peterborough 🏨 10. Hilton Hotel in Derby 11. London Zoo 🦓 12. Clacton Beach 🏝️ 13. Turtle Bay in Romford 🍹 14. Giggling Squid in Brentwood 15. Stanford Cricket Club 🏏 Notes:

Birthday Celebrations... 1. Mum’s Birthday Dinner 🥳 2. Sister In Laws Birthday Drinks and Meal! 3. Cousins 24th Birthday Meal 🥘 4. Putt-shack and Las Iguanas for Dads Birthday 🎉 5. My Birthday Breakfast 🥞 6. My Birthday Dinner 🍽️ 7. M.I.L’s Birthday Dinner 🤩 8. Granddads Birthday dinner and cake 🎂 9. Boyfriends Birthday 🥳 10. S.I.L’s Boyfriends Birthday Drinks 🍺 11. Tanya’s Birthday dinner and Drinks 🍹 12. 13. 14. 15. Notes:

Things That Made Me Happy... 1. I was the the 2nd top earner in the company today! 🥳 2. Lost over half a stone so far in Jan 💪🏼 3. Achieved a 22 hour intermittent fast 💃 4. Started redecorating my bedroom 🎨 5. Finding out Demi is pregnant 🤰 6. Spending Easter Sunday with family 🐣 7. I was asked to be my Nieces and Nephews Godmother 🩵 8. I’ve lost over 2 stone 🙌🏼 9. My new Pandora ring from BF 💍 10. Seeing my Sister after months of not seeing her ♥️ 11. My sister bringing Sonny home 🐶 12. Finding out my cousin is pregnant 🤰 13. 14. 15. Notes:

Things I'm Grateful For... 1. Elleys recovery from her car accident 💖 2. My Godson 👦🏼 3. My job and the people I work with 💙 4. Mine and my families health 🫶 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Notes:

Dates With BF... 1. Lakeside and Las Iguana’s 🍔 2. Figo in Brentwood 🍕 3. Nando’s in Hornchurch 🍗 4. Drill Pub for grub and a few drinks 🍺 5. Alex’s Italian restaurant in Hornchurch 🍝 6. Wagamama in Romford 🍜 7. Marley’s for our 6th anniversary 🥰 8. Nando’s in Hornchurch 🍗 9. Drill Pub / Day Drinking 🍸 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Notes:

Pamper Myself... 1. Got my nails done 💅 2. Got my eyebrows done 👀 3. New set of acrylics 💅 4. Bath with bath oils, a bath bomb and a book 📖 5. Shopping and infills done with mum 💕 6. Dyed my hair 💆🏻‍♀️ 7. Got my nails done 💅 8. Got my hair dyed and cut 💃 9. Bought new makeup and skin care 👄 10. Got my nails done 💅 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Notes:

Books I Read... 1. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jeannette McCurdy 📖 2. The Idea Of You by Robinne Lee 👓 3. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover 💖 4.Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover 💙 5. It starts with us by Colleen Hoover ❤️ 6. Verity by Colleen Hoover 💫 7. Cat Lady by Dawn O’Porter 🐱 8. Hex and The City 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Notes:

Movies And Series I Watched... 1. Ginny and Georgia 2. Ghost Busters 👻 3. Smile 🤪 4. Clarkson’s Farm 🐑 5. Station 19 🚒 6. Quiet Place 2 👹 7. Call The Midwife 🤱🏻 8. Mood Fall 🌔 9. The Tomorrow War 👽 10. Fury 🔫 11. Drive 🚘 12. Raya and the Last Dragon 13. Princess Diaries 14. Princess Diaries 2 15. Wizards of Waverley Place Notes:

[rabbitcruiser]

National Shrimp Day 

Celebrate the taste of the sea! Indulge in delicious shrimp dishes, discover new recipes, and gather with friends and family.

Without a doubt, shrimp is America’s favorite food that is harvested from the sea. Whether talking about salmon or lobster, tuna or clams, shrimp is the shellfish that tops them all!

In fact, shrimp is so popular that, on average, each person living in the US eats more than 4 pounds of shrimp each year. This means that the country consumes around 1.4 billion pounds of shrimp annually. Throughout the world, at least 9 billion pounds of shrimp are consumed each year.

Certainly this makes National Shrimp Day just the right time to celebrate this most popular of delicious seafoods. Fans of this delightful ‘fruit of the sea’ can take time to learn about and pay attention to something so simple and yet so amazing: shrimp!

Looking for other options to honor and show appreciation for shrimp on other days throughout the year? Try out National French Fried Shrimp Day in December or Shrimp Scampi Day in April.

History of National Shrimp Day

Shrimp has been making its way to the dinner plates of fishermen, their families, and their local communities for thousands of years! Since ancient times when Greeks and Romans would enjoy this shellfish immensely, to modern times when shrimp is caught and shipped all over the world, this little crustacean has made a huge statement, especially for those cultures that are situated on the sea.

Today, the highest consumer of shrimp per capita is Japan, with the United States coming in second. With more than 2000 different species that exist throughout the globe, shrimp can range from small to large and also range in color. The most common species of shrimp, however, are Rock Shrimp, Pink Shrimp, Tiger Shrimp and White Shrimp.

It’s unclear at exactly what point shrimp made its way to tables in the American territories. Some historians say that the French explorers in the Louisiana marshes came across the practice of shrimping in the 1700s. By the mid-1700s, the city of Mobile, Alabama had established itself as a premier location for seafood, including shrimp while Mississippi became important in the seafood industry in the late 1800s. The southern cooking tradition of the shrimp boil likely developed around this time as well.

Further west, in the late 19th century, it seems that some Italian settlers in California started to fish for shrimp in the San Francisco Bay. Other states with access to the sea had their own timelines for developing ways of catching and cooking shrimp. And as better methods for harvesting and shipping shrimp became possible, the dish became popular all over the country in the early 1900s.

Today, shrimp has become an incredibly popular and beloved seafood that people all over the world can appreciate and enjoy – and that’s the reason National Shrimp Day is here!

National Shrimp Day Timeline

1280 Marco Polo writes about shrimp

On his exploration to the Far East, Marco Polo notes the prevalence of seafood in the markets and people’s diets.

14th century Shrimp scampi is invented

This beloved buttery shrimp dish is developed in the city of Genoa, Italy.

1740 The Shrimp Girl is painted

This famous painting by William Hogarth depicts a girl carrying shrimp and mussels to market on her head in London. 

Early 20th century Shrimp cocktail gets its start

Following in the footsteps of its cousin, oyster cocktail, shrimp cocktail becomes extremely popular in the mid-20th century.

1996 Bubba Gump Shrimp Company opens

Named after the character in Forrest Gump, this shrimp restaurant starts in California. 

How to Celebrate National Shrimp Day

Fried or boiled, scampi or cocktail, grab up a dish full of this delightful little shellfish in honor of National Shrimp Day. Get started celebrating with some of these ideas:

Head Out to a Seafood Restaurant for Shrimp

The perfect way to honor National Shrimp Day would, of course, be to enjoy eating some that has been deliciously prepared in a gourmet kitchen. Those who live by the coast probably have more options than those who are inland, but just about anyone can probably find access to some yummy shrimp dishes and seafood platters in celebration of the day.

Don’t forget to mention to the restaurant staff that this is National Shrimp Day! They might have some special offers or discounts on various shrimp meals. Choose from one of these favorite ways that shrimp is prepared:

Shrimp Scampi. Offering a buttery garlic sauce, this simple but delicious dish uses olive oil and lemon juice to bring out the flavor of the shrimp.

Shrimp Cocktail. A popular appetizer or served during the cocktail hour (thus, the name), these pre-cooked shrimp are served cold with a special red cocktail sauce.

Shrimp Monterey. This type of shrimp is made with Monterey Jack cheese and served over a bed of angel hair pasta.

Shrimp Chowder. A slight change on the traditional clam chowder, a cup of this deliciously thick soup is perfect as an appetizer or fill up a bowl for a hearty meal.

Learn Some Fun Facts About Shrimp

Show some respect to this little shellfish that makes a big impact by learning some interesting bits of trivia. And increase awareness and excitement for the day by sharing some of these facts with friends, coworkers and family members in honor of National Shrimp Day:

Shrimp are amazing at “swimming” through the water, though they are typically moving backwards.

Shrimp are very unique in that every single shrimp is born as a male and then becomes a female over their lifetime.

There are more than 2000 different species of shrimp that can be found in bodies of water all over the globe.

While Americans use the word “shrimp” and British folks will use the word “prawns” interchangeably, these are actually two different species of crustacean, mostly to do with the fact that shrimp are smaller and prawns dwell in freshwater not seawater.

Learn About Shrimp Allergies

While the celebration of National Shrimp Day usually means eating shrimp, it also might be an important time to learn about those folks who have an allergy to shrimp. Of all of the seafood allergies, shrimp is the most common in both children and adults.

When a person who is allergic to shrimp is exposed to this allergen, the reactions can range from mild to severe, or even life threatening. A stuffy nose, hives, swelling and difficulty breathing can be some of the symptoms. Friends and family members of people with a shrimp allergy, may find it important to be aware of an emergency treatment plan. For many people, the right course of action for whole body anaphylaxis is a dose from an epinephrine pen.

National Shrimp Day FAQs

Is shrimp good for you?

Shrimp is a food that works well as part of a healthy diet, as it is low in calories but rich in nutrients. 

How long to cook shrimp?

Shrimp is a quick cooking food, only needing to be boiled for just 1-3 minutes. 

How do you make shrimp scampi?

Sauté garlic in butter and oil, add shrimp to sauté. Add broth and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Easy!

Can pregnant women eat shrimp?

Sure. Most doctors will agree that its safe for a pregnant woman to eat safely caught and cooked seafood. 

Is shrimp high in mercury?

According to studies, most shrimp has relatively low levels of mercury, but it can change based on brands.

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