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My food travels in the Netherlands: Haarlem, The Hague and Amsterdam
Haarlem is a cute historical city, with an old market square that boasts several museums and an impressive church named (imaginatively) Grote Kirk. The city’s proximity to the sea, and Noord-Holland‘s fertile farmlands, means that food in Haarlem is wonderfully fresh and delicious. After spending the day visiting the flower gardens in Keukenhof (one of my favourite things ever!), we took a train over to Haarlem to have dinner in this beguiling Dutch city. Haarlem is worth a visit if you’re in the area, and of course, remember to enjoy the food. This is what I ate: Specktakel Specktakel is highly recommended on most lists of places to go in…
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Adventures on a “millenial” railcard
Those kind folks at Network Rail have introduced a 26- 30 card, dubbed the “millennial card” to give those aged between the magical ages of 26 to 30, the opportunity to enjoy train travel with a third off the price. I was delighted when I found this out because, by an accident of birth, I qualify for one. Unfortunately, I can only use it for one year as I will be 31 by the time the railcard expires. But hey, let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth and all that. So, for the price of £30, I am now the happy possessor of a 26- 30 railcard. I…
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Amsterdam- A Love Match
If I were to come across Amsterdam on a certain dating app, I would definitely swipe right, as Amsterdam is my travel match. It has been saddled with the reputation of being a city you go to if you want to smoke a bit of the other stuff, but last year was voted as the culture capital of the world. I fell in love with Amsterdam when I read Jesse Burton’s The Miniaturist. I have wanted to visit Amsterdam for some time, so I was particularly pleased when I got the opportunity to go last year. We went to Amsterdam in the spring, so I spent the days before my trip…
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Why you should visit Edinburgh
In August I was lucky enough to visit Edinburgh for the first time. Not only was it my first visit to Edinburgh, it was my first visit to Scotland. And we were so lucky. The weather was delightful, perfect for sightseeing. The Fringe festival was also on, which made the atmosphere feel extra special. Edinburgh is worth a visit because there is so much to see and do. You can take a stroll down the Royal Mile, wander through Holyrood Palace or pay a visit to royalty on the HMS Britannia. Of course, there are plenty of opportunities to try out the local delicacies, whether it is haggis or shortbread.…
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New York New York
A short while ago, I was lucky enough to make a short trip to New York. This was second visit, my first being back in 2006. I’ve been aching to go back so grabbed the opportunity with both hands to go back when I could. And I’m so glad I did. New York had been experiencing some snow showers before we came, however it was clear and dry when we arrived, albeit it very chilly. The first night we got in quite late and the journey and the time difference was affecting us, so we mainly interested in grabbing something to eat. As it happened, the hotel where we were…
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Easter in Greece
View of the island of Patmos from the top of the monastery I’ve got quite a few things to write about on here, however seeing as we are currently in the Easter season, I thought I’d blog about those another time and instead today concentrate on the time I spent Easter in Greece, in 2011. This was quite an experience, very far removed from everything I’ve done at Easter in the past. It involved eating a lot of Easter bread (a sweet Greek speciality) and participating in traditions that I’d never come across before. I was raised as a Catholic and am used to observing Easter as a religious festival,…
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Four great dishes to try in New York City
A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to visit New York. It was my second visit, the first being in 2006 and it was every bit as amazing as I remembered. Chicken and vegetablesThe Oyster Bar, Grand Central Station The Oyster bar is one of the landmarks of the NYC culinary scene. It boasts a fantastic architectural design, common in the era of its construction, 1913. This simple chicken dish was creamy and tasty. Cheeseburger and chipsEamonn’s Bar and Grill, 45th Street Playing into New York’s Irish heritage, Eamonn’s bar offers a cosy atmosphere. This burger was everyone could have wished for and I’m getting hungry thinking about it now.…
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I want adventure. ..
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I am very bad. …
I am very bad. I haven’t updated this blog for quite a long time. In my defence, I have been on holiday…to Canada. We visited the French speaking part i.e Quebec and Montreal. We also visited Toronto, Niagara Falls (my 2nd time!) and Ottawa. It was fabulous! Just in case you don’t believe me, here’s a photo of Ottawa: It’s so beautiful. Ottawa is such a hidden gem in Canada, it is the Capital, but no one ever talks about it. Quebec was also fabbo. I could return there tomorrow. It has a delightful European charm and felt like a fairy tale. Again, here are a few piccies: …
