Brussels

Home of Tintin & Poirot!
Reading - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Listening - Crowbar by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

Podcast - Love Stories (01/02/19 - Jessie Cave)

When I took Chris on a weekend trip to Lisbon last September as a birthday surprise, it was the first time he saw how affordable a city break could be. Wasting no time he was browsing for flights at the airport on the way home, and found a cheap return journey to Brussels in March with perfect times meaning we wouldn't need any time off work. We kept an eye on it and booked on just after Christmas, and I found a well located boutique hotel for less than 65 quid a night.

March rolled around and I managed to score an early finish at work very last minute, so we decided to make the most of the bonus extra time and reserved spaces in the airport lounge prior to our departure. Our flight wasn't until 7.45pm so we booked 3 hours from 4pm to eat and drink to our hearts content. 

We landed at Charleroi airport and had pre-booked spots on the Flibco shuttle bus into the centre of Brussels, which took just under an hour. From there we jumped in an Uber to our hotel, Le Berger. It is an old meeting house for when married individuals wanted to do the dirty, and as such is very decadent with plush decor; a taxidermy peacock stands by the entrance, chandeliers hang and velvet drapes adorn the dark walls, and there is a secret elevator. It was right up my street, and we made it just in time for a margarita at the bar (with the most beautiful mural) before last orders at midnight!

The following morning we were still in work mode so woke early, and made the most of it by getting out and about in the reasonably mild weather. I'd found a place called Kaffabar to try for breakfast that was a 25 minute walk from our hotel, but it gave us the opportunity to have a gander at our surroundings, and we were greeted by the most amazing English bulldog called Marcel snoozing on the mat upon our arrival! We both chose continental style platters, with granola, fruit and yoghurt, and Chris went for a larger one that also included cheese, bread, hummus, and a pastry along with some much needed coffee.

We had booked onto a free walking tour at 1.30pm with Viva's Tours, so just spent a couple of hours beforehand ambling along the streets, popping into a few shops along the way until we met with our group at The Grand Place. It was fantastic, with the right amount of history, humour and beauty, and we covered all the main sites including Manneken Pis, The Saint Nicholas Church, Rue de Bouchers, La Bourse and St Hubert's Galleries. Being born in Brussels and still a local, the guide was also able to recommend some cool places for us to come back and visit that evening, an added bonus. When the two hours was up we ended at The Royal Palace overlooking the park, which was beautiful and a great photo opp.

As it was mid afternoon by this point, we decided to grab a bite to eat at a funky health food place called Tich, and then return to the hotel for a nap (crucial on a city break!) to prepare for heading out that evening. We ate at a international themed restaurant I had found online that looked great for veggies called Le Cercle des Voyageurs (The Circle of Travellers); the decor was almost as boujee as our hotel and we pushed the boat out by having three courses. 

To begin I got grilled aubergine with tofu and feta, and Chris had cheese croquettes, although we shared them both. They were quite pricey for starters at 12 euro a dish, but since it had been a cheap trip so far we cut ourselves some slack, and it was delicious food to be fair. For main we both went Asian fusion; I had sesame crusted salmon with teriyaki grilled vegetables and Chris got a Thai vegetable curry. We got the trio of desserts to share to end the meal, which included a Belgian chocolate mousse, lychee creme brulee and coconut pannacotta. It was genuinely one of the best dining experiences I have had; top notch gastronomy, a cosy and intimate atmosphere without being overly romantic, and stunning interior design. It was the perfect place for us!

After we had settled up, we walked to Cafe Des Halles, a big glass market hall that we had briefly visited earlier in the day on the tour, when it took on the guise of a cafe, deli and art gallery/ event space. We had been urged to return in the evening, when a DJ appears, the bar serves cool cocktails, and deckchairs are arranged to sit on, so we enjoyed a drink and soaked up the buzz of the place. Our final stop that evening was Moeder Lambic, a traditional Belgian beer hall, also another suggestion from our guide, where I enjoyed my first beer of the trip! 

In the morning we queued for over half an hour for breakfast at a place called Peck 20, but boy was it worth it! We had discovered it online (there are three other variations in the city) and when I saw that it was 5 minutes from our hotel and served savoury Belgian waffles I was completely sold. I had the leek waffle with 2 poached eggs, cheddar cheese and 'Psycho Sauce' (a kind of creamy chipotle), whilst Chris had the portobello mushroom waffle with eggs, spinach and the same sauce. After we had eaten we had a look around some of the vintage clothes shops, including one called Melting Pot Kilo where they sold items by weight, where Chris got both a denim Zara coat and a cool shirt with leopard print fur shoulder patches for €15! 

We had a quick afternoon break at Le Roy D'Espagne that my friend Emily said made the best hot chocolate (she wasn't wrong) and once we had bought all the chocolates and taken all the photos, we stopped for some classic Belgian mussels at Taverne Greenwich before ordering an Uber to the airport for our flight home.

We had such a fantastic weekend, with the ideal combo of indulgence, fun, culture and relaxation. I will definitely be recommending the city to anyone I know looking for a cheap city break.

Breakdown

Flight - £53.50 (inc hand luggage) - Ryanair

Airport shuttle -  £25.06 (return) - Flibco

Accommodation - £64.09 (2 nights based on 2 sharing) - Le Berger through Booking.com

Spending money - £188.15 (inc return airport taxi between 2 & airport lounge)

Total = £330.80

Krakow

#ellhen!
Listening - Temperature by Sean Paul
Podcast - Guys We F*cked (11/01/19 - You'd Rather Give a Bl*wjob Than A Gift?)

My lovely mate Ellie got married in April, and of course what is a wedding without a hen party? She decided early on that Krakow would be our destination, and having never even visited the country of Poland I was well up for an adventure there. The troops were rallied (13 of us to be precise) and thanks to Ellie's masterful organising skills everything was planned to perfection, which was a welcome change as I am usually chief coordinator of all the travelling I do!



We rendevouz-d with the whole group at the airport, but a few of us had congregated at Ellie's beforehand for a couple of swift gin in tins pre- journey. The flight went smoothly and we had a mini bus waiting to take us to our air b&b when we landed. It was a fair distance away, so we bagsied beds and retired to sleep pretty much instantly.

In the morning a few of us volunteered to go to the local supermarket for some breakfast stuff, snacks, and booze for pre-drinks that evening. We got absolutely loads and I can't believe how cheap it all was! We had a monster buffet with pastries, fruit, eggs, cereal; and then left the house and wandered through pretty Market Square into the Jewish quarter of the city where we started a free walking tour. 

I say started because after about half an hour some of the group were too cold so went off for hot chocolate, followed by the rest of us soon after as we had grown a little bored with the none too charismatic guide. We gave the guy a small tip to make us feel less guilty, and then sacked it off in favour of traditional Polish open sandwiches called zapiekanka and salted caramel churros from a nearby market which were delicious!  

We met up with the rest of the group in a bar/cafe called 2 Okna where I had a mulled wine and thawed out before we headed back to get ready for our first night out. We did a cocktail making class at a cool bar called Scandale Garden, where we got to make a Bramble, a Strawberry Sour and a Dark 'n' Stormy (all definitely generous with the measures) and had a few shots before moving on to a club called Opium for the rest of the night. 

It was a classic uni style club with super cheap drinks, (12 shots for less than a fiver anyone?!) questionable clientele and all the dance classics pumping, so of course we couldn't resist asking for some Sean Paul bangers. Rather worse for wear and with aching feet, we set off for home in the early hours of the morning after demolishing a Polish spin on takeaway chips. A couple of us opted to walk rather than taxi, which obviously meant that we ended up getting completely lost and rolling in an hour later than everyone else! 

On the Sunday we had a spa day booked at Lesne Spa, so a minibus arrived to whisk us away for a day of pampering. We had a couple of glasses of fizz, and relaxed in the jacuzzi, sauna and steam room before each getting an individual massage which was exactly what was needed after a night on the tiles.

That evening we had a slightly more refined night, starting with a three course meal at a gorgeous restaurant in the main square called Wesele. It was very decadent inside with a mirrored ceiling, wood panelled walls and floral decorations everywhere, and the service was excellent. I had the trio of sheep cheese to start, followed by lentil pierogi (Polish dumplings) in mushroom sauce, and finally dessert was apple pie, all of which were well presented and very tasty. Afterwards a small group of us continued the celebrations with a drink in nearby bar Budda before we joined the early birds back at the apartment.

Our final morning dawned and we packed our bags ready to check out. Luckily the owner of the air b&b was happy to look after our cases until we had to leave at 3pm, so we dropped them off and went for breakfast at a very Instagrammable cafe called Zalipianki. I had a carrot, apple and orange fresh juice and a mushroom, cheese and spinach omelette, clearly trying desperately to get back on that health train!

We walked up the hill to the castle where there is a famous dragon sculpture and perfect views of the city and across the river. After multiple group photos we dispersed to go shopping or for coffee and cake; I tried on a few things in Zara before giving up, and bought a salted caramel doughnut dipped in white chocolate from a cute pattisserie. We went back to collect our bags later and the minibus returned to transfer us to the airport to fly home.

My first experience of Poland was a very positive one; friendly people, lots to see and do, and helped infinitely by how cheap everything was. I shall almost certainly be back!

Breakdown
Flights  - £92 (inc assigned seat & hand baggage)

Accommodation - £70 (3 nights based on 13 sharing)

 Spending Money - £105.50 (inc taxi one way between 5 & airport spending)

Misc - £89 (spa day, cocktail making & transport)

Total = £356.50

Boaty Explorations

The Maiden Voyage!

Reading - Kill Your Friends by John Niven
Listening - Tokyo by White Lies
Podcast - Ctrl Alt Delete (#178 Sarah Knight) 
Watching - American Horror Story (Season 7, Cult) & Mindhunter

Chris and I have been together for nearly two years, so it is pretty ludicrous that it has taken us this long to actually travel somewhere on his canal boat. We stay on it at Victoria Pit Marina (in Poynton, where it is permanently moored) as often as we can, and I love how it feels completely shut off from the world. We have pretty hectic lives, both professionally and socially, so being able to grab the dogs, hop in the car for twenty minutes and escape to a little cosy haven for a night really is bliss. 

We planned a trip last August, but because of the insane heat we had over the summer our final destination was shut due to low water levels, so it was shelved for another time. Of course, one negative of travelling by barge is the speed of the bloody thing (5 miles per hour if you're lucky), so we had to wait until we both had at least 3 days off work in order to reach the point we wanted to, even though to drive there would take about an hour!

 An opportunity presented itself in mid February, so we did a huge food shop, packed plenty of warm walking gear and with a very full car (I always find it crazy how much stuff accumulates when you don't have airline restrictions to adhere to) we set off.

Day 1

We set sail at about 1.30pm, chugging along for a couple of hours before we reached Marple where we decided to moor for the first night. By pure coincidence (I promise!) our stop was next door to a lovely pub called The Ring O' Bells with an extensive gin list, so we called in for a drink after giving the dogs a walk further along the canal to stretch their legs. 

Having been without an oven since we moved into the house in November, I took full advantage of the boat kitchen and roasted some veg and sweet potatoes to go with a good hearty ol' pie drowned in gravy for tea that evening, followed by salted caramel pudding with ice cream for dessert.  

Day 2

Chris was up bright and early to cast off, but I had a little lie in and then made us some pancakes for breakfast before I was needed to jump to shore to open four different bridges, taking us from Marple to Disley, through New Mills and Furness Vale, to Whaley Bridge and ending at Bugsworth Basin. 

Chris had made me slightly panicked trying to explain the procedure in advance, but it was actually pretty simple. The first was windlass operated, which basically means I had to slide a metal winch onto a pole and turn the handle to lift and lower the bridge manually. It wasn't too difficult, but did take more effort than the second one which literally involved sticking a key in the machine and pressing a button to move it up and down electronically.

The third and fourth were swing bridges, and my least favourite method! I still had to stick the key in and turn it, but then I had to lift a big lever (like the motion used to do an upright row with a kettlebell) to release a spoke from the bridge mechanism allowing me to manoeuvre it open for Chris to sail through. If I thought opening it was challenging enough, closing it again meant pushing it shut with such force that it clicked the spoke back into the hole, and I genuinely didn't think I would do it after failing the first couple of times. I definitely earned my wine that evening!

Day 3

We had made the decision to stay at Bugsworth Basin for a couple of nights, so Tuesday had a much lazier, coffee and croissants in bed kind of start. The weather was drizzly so we chilled on board until mid morning, Chris engrossed himself in his first issue of Breathe Magazine, a wellbeing publication that he got a subscription of for Christmas, and I started Kill Your Friends by John Niven, which is well written but absolutely barmy if I'm honest!

Once the skies brightened we ventured out to walk to Todsbrook Reservoir, going through the village of Whaley Bridge which had some cute little shops and eateries. I had a tasty prawn marie rose jacket potato in one called Cafe 110 on the walk back  and then the rain started again so we retired early and I baked some salted caramel brownies to have as dessert that evening.  Chris made a beltin' tofu stir fry and we had a proper TV binge.

Day 4

On Wednesday we started the journey back to Poynton. We had a hearty breakfast of cheesy beans on toasted bagels to help get me through opening all the bridges again (although FYI I'm a pro now!) and thankfully we did all four before halting for our final pit stop in Disley so as to not have to deal with any on our last morning. The weather had cleared up nicely so we went for a little walk with the dogs for some fresh air, and then I baked a brie, cranberry and kale tart for our tea with balsamic roasted squash; and had enough pastry left over for sausage rolls for the last leg, bonus!

Day 5

The final morning meant an early start (for Chris at least), and I was on packing up duty. We had pulled back into the marina by midday, so after fuelling up with the aforementioned sausage rolls, we got to work with tidying everything up and transforming the boat back into Take a Breather HQ for treatments to commence on Monday. A couple of hours later and we were settled back on the sofa in Edgeley with a Dominoes ordered to soothe our post holiday blues... With just the small issue of packing for the hen party in Krakow that I was off to the following day to address!

Weekly Musings

2018 - Week Thirty

'She had that whiskey sipping skinny dipping smile.'

(Atticus)

I am writing this from New York in a very sorry state after a crazy few days with my boys Luke and Rollie in Washington D.C. The week started, however, with a flight from Toronto to Boston, where I checked into my first ever hostel experience at HI (Hostelling International). It was in an ideal location right next to the subway station in China Town, half an hour from the airport and a short walking distance to Boston Common.

First impressions exceeded expectations. It had a swanky coffee shop on the ground level, then on the floors above it were a huge games room and chill out area, well equipped kitchen and then the guest bedrooms. I was sharing a mixed sex dorm with five others, all of whom were students so they left early each morning and didn't return until tea time which was perfect for me. Everywhere was clean, staff were friendly, and the sleeping areas were laid out in long thin rooms which was a nice touch to add some privacy when in bed. The bathrooms were also in the form of private cubicles, which I much preferred to the open plan leisure centre style bathrooms that I encountered in later hostels. 

I had heard good things about a trendy seafood bar called Saltie Girl on Newbury Street which is my favourite area of the city, so I walked there that evening. It had an hour wait, so I put my name down and went for a wander. When the time came I took a pew at the bar as it is one of those joints where you order as you go along. I had a glass of wine and the snow crab roll, which in my travel weary state I totally didn't clock was sushi (despite having this roll in other places before) so when it turned up my super hungry brain was not best pleased, especially at its $24 price tag! It was very tasty though, and I took it as an omen to go across the road to Thinking Cup for a Boston creme pie for dessert rather than order more food there. 

I sampled my first free hostel breakfast the next morning. It was buffet style, with bagels, condiments, juice, cereal, hot drinks, yoghurt and fruit available, such a bonus to be able to fill up for the start of the day to save a bit of cash. That morning I was doing a 3 hour Freedom Trail tour, with a very eccentric Bostonian guide. It was really informative and showed me areas of the city that I'd not seen before despite a 3 week trip previously. It finished right near Quincy Market which again I hadn't visited so I grabbed some Greek food from its huge hall and sat in nearby Christopher Columbus Park to eat it, watching the marina and dozing in the sunshine.

On my walk back to the subway I bumped into a guy called Drew who stopped me and asked if he could take some pictures of me as he was into photography and he 'liked my style'. I was a little dubious at first, but after chatting for a while he seemed legit so I thought why the hell not. He got some pictures of me (that I actually like) at various points around the area, and even bought me a drink as a thankyou at the end before he went on his way. Not all randomers are creeps it would seem! 

On Wednesday I caught the train to Providence to meet up with my buddy Nilton. In the morning I treated myself to a proper American breakfast at the South Street Diner, which I had found on Trip Advisor and realised upon arrival that Aum and I had been to a few years ago. It is a very basic joint (when I asked for a skinny latte the waitress blinked and said they only did filter coffee with whole milk!) but the food is out of this world, and my huge dish and drink was only just over ten dollars. I had the Boston Creme Pie pancakes; a stack of 3 fluffy pancakes the size of my face smothered in chocolate sauce and rich custardy cream, I could barely move afterwards. I still had ample time before my eleven o’clock  train, but it arrived early so I could board and get onto the free wifi.

Nilton met me at the train station and after stopping by his lovely apartment we drove for lunch at a restaurant called The Salted Slate. It was pretty high-end, although we waited for ages for our food. I ordered a glass of wine and a jumbo shrimp Caesar salad which was gorgeous, and we caught up on what we had both been upto for the past two years! We dropped the car back home and walked into town, picking up a lavender coffee from a cafe called Dave's on the way. He showed me all around the town of Providence, which has some cool bits of history as well as great shops and a trendy riverside area. For tea we grabbed Mexican food from California Taco and then I caught the train back, shattered after such a jam packed day!

On Thursday I was up and checked out of the hostel early, to prepare for my flight to Washington D.C at 1pm. I had another slight delay (yet to have an internal flight on time) but the subway system was the easiest yet to use so I was at my hostel, another H.I, in decent time. This was slightly more the type of thing I had imagined a hostel to be, a twelve person bunk bed dorm that was very prison chic, with scratchy blankets, bashed old lockers, communal shower rooms with weathered curtains for privacy and a rather pungent smell! However, I didn’t actually stay there all that much in the end, so it didn’t have a great impact on my stay.

I dumped my bags and wandered around until I found a cool bar called Pennsylvania 6, that had an outdoor area facing the park perfect for a bite to eat and a couple of ciders in the scorching sunshine. That evening I went to a Japanese ramen bar called Daikaya Izkaya that I had seen recommended on Alice Levine’s Instagram and as it was in my neighbourhood I thought I’d give it a try. The vegetable option was the most delicious ramen I have ever had and as it is set out communal bench style (a la Wagamama) I chatted to another solo traveller for the duration of my meal which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also got to soak up the atmosphere in the bar above beforehand whilst waiting for my table; a sultry den with pirate vibes serving quirky cocktails and unusual beers; I tried a cherry one and wasn’t disappointed. I headed back to the hostel for some sleep afterwards, knowing I had a busy weekend of partying ahead!

On Friday I wasn't meeting the boys until 4.30pm, so after breakfast at the hostel I tried to pack in as many monuments as I could beforehand. I visited the National Archives, United States Capitol, and the Supreme Court from the outside to take a picture and ventured inside the Smithonian Museum of Natural History which was incredible! I love a good museum and this was up there with some of the best I have visited, full of interactive displays, ancient artifacts and even an aquarium with penguins.

I caught the subway to The Intercontinental on the Wharf where the lads were staying, and as I arrived early I went to a funky dessert bar nearby called Milk where I had a 'Crack Pie Milkquake' - basically ice cream made from cereal milk with bits of cookiedough, caramel and pretzel in, it was to die for! Afterwards we chilled at the rooftop bar in the hotel having a couple of cocktails (strawberry margaritas) before sprucing ourselves up and heading to the in-house restaurant Kith and Kin for tea where I shared the lobster and crab slider and then had spicy shrimp with rice and brioche for main.

We were in a bit of a rush as we were going to a Sofar Sounds gig, but we just had time to grab some booze before jumping in a taxi to watch three really talented acts - Neffy, Rorie and Ryan Johnson. We then made our way to the lively area of the city and ended up in a dive bar called The Codmother which was churning out the old school tunes including the classic above; multiple tequilas mean it all goes a bit blurry from there!!

The next day I felt like absolute garbage! Luke and I went for an early morning swim (Rollie was entertaining a lady friend!) to try and shake off the cobwebs before we got changed and went to Del Mar next door for brunch and a much needed hair of the dog bloody Mary. I had a tasty dish of poached eggs with baked aubergine, tomato, courgette and manchego cheese which really hit the spot, and then I toddled off back to the hostel for a couple of hours kip before doing it all again!

The second night out was a bit more reserved to begin with, as I hadn't fully recovered, but after forcing a couple of ciders down me in a rooftop bar called 801 I gained a second wind and we met up with some of Luke and Rollie's friends from back in Raleigh where they live who were in the city for the weekend. They recommended a club called Decades which was as stereotypically American as you can imagine - dance offs, neon lights and bottles being paraded around with sparklers in, but it was a laugh and fun to mix with some new people.

Today has been a struggle! I felt relatively perky when I left the boys' hotel this morning, but after packing up my bag and checking out my energy slumped. I crawled my way to a vegan fast food place called Hip City Veg for a Kale lemonade and chicken nuggets with sweet potato fries which was exactly what the doctor ordered, and am now tucked up in my third hostel bed of the trip in New York, admitting defeat - I can't do two big nights in a row anymore!