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Thursday, 20 February 2014
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
A Valentines Trip To Venice
This Valentines weekend, Paul took me to the beautiful city of Venice. Unlike anywhere else I have been before, I pretty much started falling in love with it. The scenery is beautiful, the food is great and the people are lovely. What's not to like?
We stayed for three nights in the lovely UNA Hotel in the Cannaregio district and we had a room upgrade upon arrival. I have never been upgraded before! The hotel was beside a canal (obviously) and was in a quiet residential area a short walk away from the main sights, restaurants and shops.
We arrived at our hotel late afternoon/early evening and went straight out for dinner in St.Marks square. We had one of the best steak meals I have ever had (Steak with mustard potatoes) and of course cocktails, including a Bellini. You can't go to Italy and not have a Bellini. Or a glass of Prosecco (which I drunk various times over the weekend).
Sunday was my favourite day. We had breakfast at Cafe Florian on St. Marks Square - expensive but worth it and the cafe is beautiful inside. We visited St. Mark's Basilica, St. Mark's Campanile (or the Shard of Venice as I called it) and the Doges Palace. We drunk by the canal, ate Gelato and ate dinner later on again by the Rialto Bridge.
On the last day we had the morning before leaving for the airport. I love airports but I didn't want to leave Venice. We went to a local Patisserie and joined the locals in eating breakfast and drinking coffee, though I'm not sure how many people eat a pastry then a pizza!
We stayed for three nights in the lovely UNA Hotel in the Cannaregio district and we had a room upgrade upon arrival. I have never been upgraded before! The hotel was beside a canal (obviously) and was in a quiet residential area a short walk away from the main sights, restaurants and shops.
We arrived at our hotel late afternoon/early evening and went straight out for dinner in St.Marks square. We had one of the best steak meals I have ever had (Steak with mustard potatoes) and of course cocktails, including a Bellini. You can't go to Italy and not have a Bellini. Or a glass of Prosecco (which I drunk various times over the weekend).
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| Bellini |
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| Best Steak Meal Ever! |
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| Beautiful Decoration in the Restaurant |
On the second day we visited the Rialto Bridge and fish market and all the other stalls selling Venetian souvenirs and other items. We also had breakfast by the bridge overlooking the canal. We then moved on to the Accademia and Peggy Guggenheim art museums. These museums were very different in the types of art they have, The Accademia being more older art relating to the church and The Peggy Guggenheim museum focusing more on modern art, such as Picasso and Dali. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures inside these museums. We also did a lot of strolling, found a great pizza place and ate crepes.
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| The Rialto Bridge |
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| Breakfast by the Canal |
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| Pizza! |
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| Inside Cafe Florian |
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| Inside Cafe Florian |
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| Cafe Florian Breakfast |
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| St Mark's Basilica |
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| Inside St. Mark's Basilica - Beautiful! |
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| View From St. Mark's Basilica Balcony |
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| St. Mark's Campanile |
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| View of Venice from the Top of St.Mark's Campanile |
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| View of Venice from the Top of St.Mark's Campanile - St. Marks Basilica |
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| View of Venice from the Top of St.Mark's Campanile - The Doges Palace |
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| View of Venice from the Top of St.Mark's Campanile |
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| Gelato! |
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| Pistachio Gelato |
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| Dinner by the Rialto Bridge and Grand Canal |
On the last day we had the morning before leaving for the airport. I love airports but I didn't want to leave Venice. We went to a local Patisserie and joined the locals in eating breakfast and drinking coffee, though I'm not sure how many people eat a pastry then a pizza!
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Venice was a beautiful place, which I would describe as a toy town but in real size with real people and we definitely want to go back. If I could give anyone one piece of advice, it would be wear comfortable shoes. We walked a lot and got lost once or twice (which I'm told is very easy in Venice) and although it didn't matter because we enjoyed looking at the scenery, our feet took the brunt! I also loved looking at the masks in the little shops and drinking coffee in little coffee shops along the streets. I would highly recommend visiting Venice. Just make sure you take those comfortable shoes and be prepared to spend. Here are a few more snaps from around the city.
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| Pasta |
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| Giant Meringues |
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| Venetian Mask |
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| Venetian Masks |
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| Loved This! Think it was Street Lighting. I Want One! |
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| Latte by the Canal - It's all about the Froth |
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| Another of the Rialto Bridge |
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| Loved these Ball Outfits |
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| Venetian Masks |
Thursday, 13 February 2014
Homemade Valentines Day Cookies
This year I decided to make Paul some Valentine cookies. Of all the things I bake, my cookies are his favourite, so I knew he would appreciate and enjoy them. I had to make them and give them to him early though as tomorrow we are off to Venice (my Valentines and one of my Christmas presents from him. I know you can't really compare cookies to Venice!).
I usually make these with sugarpaste on top for decoration but as he prefers them without it I did some plain and some with chocolate decorations. I used a chocolate flavoured piping icing which I found at the supermarket and some chocolate curls. Paul said they were my best cookies yet - high five to me!
I usually make these with sugarpaste on top for decoration but as he prefers them without it I did some plain and some with chocolate decorations. I used a chocolate flavoured piping icing which I found at the supermarket and some chocolate curls. Paul said they were my best cookies yet - high five to me!
Monday, 3 February 2014
Stop The World Cafe
Last year I went to a lovely cafe in Leigh on Sea in Essex called 'Stop The World Cafe'. I had heard lots of rave reviews about it and I love to eat, so I went with a few of my girls for my birthday.
Inside the cafe the walls are full of old vintage artwork and the tea selection is written above your heads on a blackboard. The amount of artwork in the cafe kept us all entertained even before we had our food in front of us.
Of course tea was also in order and rather than a usual pot of tea it came as tea leaves and a strainer *que my excitement!!*
Cake time was quite a decision. So many yummy large cakes to choose from. It actually caused an anxious moment of what if choose the wrong one? I went for the red velvet swiss roll with cream cheese icing and it did not disappoint. Some of the other girls chose chocolate cake, bakewell tart and a lemon meringue Pie. We also had a hot chocolate with our cake, indulgence was the word of the day!
I definitely want to go back to Stop The World Cafe. Next time I'd like to take my other half Paul or our parents. Why not stop by if you are in the area. I must warn you though that the cafe is so popular that you need to go in and give them your mobile number and they will call you when a table is free. It is worth the wait!
Inside the cafe the walls are full of old vintage artwork and the tea selection is written above your heads on a blackboard. The amount of artwork in the cafe kept us all entertained even before we had our food in front of us.
The selection of food and specials is great and of course at the front of the cafe there are cakes. Massive cakes. Cakes large enough to be a lunch serving in itself for some people. Of course though, being a food lover, I had lunch then a cake. Anything else would have just been rude. I had a vegetarian breakfast (even though I'm not a vege) of bubble and squeak, egg, spinach and mushroom. It was beautiful! The best vege breakfast I certainly have ever had.
Cake time was quite a decision. So many yummy large cakes to choose from. It actually caused an anxious moment of what if choose the wrong one? I went for the red velvet swiss roll with cream cheese icing and it did not disappoint. Some of the other girls chose chocolate cake, bakewell tart and a lemon meringue Pie. We also had a hot chocolate with our cake, indulgence was the word of the day!
I definitely want to go back to Stop The World Cafe. Next time I'd like to take my other half Paul or our parents. Why not stop by if you are in the area. I must warn you though that the cafe is so popular that you need to go in and give them your mobile number and they will call you when a table is free. It is worth the wait!
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