Loving the food in Copenhagen

Hello Copenhagen!, here I am again ready to have fun!.

 

I was recently  in Copenhagen visiting a good friend of mine and every time we meet it is like having a party! . Copenhagen is one of my favourite destinations, a place where I would go back again and again, the streets are safe and clean, the people is kind, and there are many historical places like Amalienborg Palace, The Little Mermaid, Nyhavn, Tivoli Gardens and the list is big. Well, this time my visit was a ‘girl break’, to do shopping and discover places to eat. Something we have in common  is that we are food lovers so together we decided to break the diet!.

 

 

Seafood for lunch was perfect!.

On day one we went to have lunch to a place located on the rooftop of the Illum mall, the restaurant is called ‘Skagen Fiskerestaurant’. This place has good options for those who like seafood and we ordered the fish and chips Skagen style, the dish consists in flounder, monk fish, baby Norwegian lobster, and it is served with garlic mayonnaise and fried chips. I absolutely enjoyed it and we also ordered elderflower drinks. The menu has beautiful fish options, so I would definitely go back.

Having dessert at La Glace is an experience.

The window at La Glace, you will get very hungry looking at those cakes!.

 

After lunch we went shopping and  did a ‘must’ stop in a place where they make delicious cakes. I am talking about ‘The Conditoriet La Glace’, people say that prices are expensive, but I must say that this place has the best cakes in all Denmark and maybe in all Europe. ‘La Glace’ it is a name with history and it was opened in 1870, you pay what you get, and what you get is  the most beautiful and unique cakes you have ever tried in your life. My favourite one is called ‘Forarskage’, a smooth cake with raspberry mousse, chocolate truffle, raspberry puree, and almonds as a base (marzipan). You may need to queue and get a number to be seated, so you just need to be patient.

Lunch time at Lele, looks small but it is a good portion for lunch, very tasty!.

 

Dinner time at La Rocca, Italian Restaurant.

 

The next day we decided to try something different for lunch, so we went to Lele Street Kitchen, Vietnamese Cuisine. The restaurant is small and also does take-away, it is well located at  the entrance of the shopping mall Fisketorvet. My friend suggested to have Caramelized Pork and it is served with jasmine rice, kimchi and vegetables. That was lovely, I have never tried a dish like that before,  and they have a cold lemonade mint drink that goes perfectly with this meal option. After lunch we went to visit a  food street market called Torvehallernekbh, my friend said I was going to love the place and she was right. This street market has stalls with food, meat/fish, vegetables and drinks from countries around the world, there was even a small sushi stall.

 

Visiting the Food Street Market

It is always exciting to see so many products in just one place!.

 

Before coming back to England my friend had a lovely surprise for me.  She baked a Peruvian Guanabana cake, a beautiful gesture as I love Guanabana and it is a fruit very difficult to find. It is always sad to say goodbye to friends  and always sad to go back to the diet. A short break is always needed to escape from the routine, and Copenhagen is a great short break destination.

Home made Peruvian Guanabana Cake, love it!!.

Hasta la Vista Copenhagen!!.

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The Biddulph Grange Garden

 

Let’s explore!!

The English countryside is always beautiful, rain or shine many places are waiting to be discovered. England is known by its many castles and also Victorian houses or mansions rich in history. In Staffordshire not far from Stoke on Trent it is located the Biddulph Grange Garden, a National Trust property, a place I have been years ago and I was looking forward to visit again. It was a rainy day and all we needed was our raincoats and wellington boots.

One of the many trees in the Pinetum

A lovely corner in the gardens.

The Biddulph Grange Garden is a place created by plant collector James Bateman, his love for plants was a big inspiration to design a unique garden which would contain plant collections from around the world. The garden is divided in places like Italy, China, Egypt and the Americas.

Cheshire Cottage

 

The Stumpery

On arrival to the Biddulph Grange you will be given a map and this will help you decide where to start the tour.  We started walking along the Italian garden area, where there is a lovely terrace and a big lake (which by the way was frozen). After that we had a walk along ‘The Americas’ where there are many different trees and, after going through a tunnel there is an area called the ‘Pinetum’ with many pines, short and tall ones.  At the end of the path we found  The Cheshire Cottage, once inside after a few steps you will be in  The Stumpery. This would be the first time I saw a Stumpery, a rockery made of old oak trees or dead trees, many of them!, the place has a science fiction touch and I absolutely loved it!. We kept on walking and suddenly we were in the Egyptian garden which  is nicely decorated with replicas of Egyptian sphinxes.  

The Egyptian Garden

 

Entrance to the Chinese Garden

But we were not finished yet, there was still a lot to explore and the next area to visit was the Chinese Garden. This garden is absolutely lovely, it looks very much like a Zen garden as it has a  pond decorated with rocks  and  red bridges. There is a pagoda with bells dangling from the roof ( the children love playing with the bells), and inside the Pagoda there are places to sit and enjoy the view.

 

The Pagoda in the Chinese Garden

 

A place to relax, the Chinese Garden

 

We did the Dahlia Walk even though there aren’t flowers yet. The best months to see the Dahlias in bloom is between August and October, so we will come back to see them. After the tour we went to the National Trust souvenir shop which sells many lovely gifts and there is also a coffee shop that has cakes, cold sandwiches and hot drinks.

The Biddulph Grange garden is a place for all the family to enjoy!

 

Winter at the Bodnant Gardens

The House at Bodnant Gardens

Near Snowdonia in North Wales, there is a special place I love for doing  walks and it is called  the Bodnant Gardens, a National Trust property. I always  like visiting  the gardens at the start of the new year with my family during the winter. The Bodnant Gardens have a collection of plants and trees from around the world and it is divided in areas like, the Winter Garden, the Old Park Meadow, Yew Dell and the Far End. On arrival to the gardens there are maps available so you can plan on doing a trail.

A view of the hills in North Wales

The gardens have Italian style terraces with waterfalls and benches  so you can just sit, relax and enjoy the smell of  grass, listen to the many birds  or just enjoy the view. The winter scenery is lovely and you can see snow on the hills, if you visit during summer then the gardens will be colourful with roses, magnolias and many variety of flowers.

The river near the Far End

Something I especially like are the trees, and the most beautiful ones are in what is called ‘The Far End’.  There are conifers from America and Asia, they are all very high and old.  So following my mother advice (she is a plants lover like me) I would always look for a big chunky tree to wrap my arms around it, just  like giving it a hug. This is a way of connecting myself with nature.  After hugging a tree I always  feel energized and relaxed, spending time in the forest has health benefits, it definitely makes you feel good.

One of my favourite trees

After a long or short walk it is always nice to have a snack or something to drink, and the gardens have two tea rooms where you can enjoy cold meals or hot welsh dishes. I highly recommend the  chestnut and vegetable casserole (perfect for a cold day)  I think it is  the best casserole ever. People is welcome to bring picnics, and dogs are allowed but not in all areas so it is better to check on the National Trust website before your visit.

Chestnut and Vegetable Casserole

 

 

During winter I will be visiting more National Trust properties and write about them, my family and I have been members for many years now and we enjoy visiting so many places rich in culture and nature. The weather in the UK has been colder than other years but that is never an excuse to go out for walks and explore!.

Ceviche and Peruvian Street Food

 

A perfect Ceviche!

It has been a short but wonderful visit to Lima, the capital of Peru, a place I love with all my heart as it is my birth place. Every time I go to Peru I have a special mission, and that is to eat the food I miss the most. So during my stay I was happy to enjoy a favourite of many, the popular Ceviche and also the Peruvian Street Food.

Ceviche can be found in many South American countries, but the original recipe is from Peru. Ceviche is fish marinated in lemon and served with onions, if you wish you can eat it together with giant corn and sweet potatoes. Nowadays many restaurants around the world offer ceviche in their menus, but the truth is that when it comes to cook a good ceviche it is about having the right and original ingredients in order to obtain that unique Peruvian flavour. First of all it is important to get a good fish which is tricky if you try to cook Ceviche in Europe. There are many ‘Cevicherias’ in Lima, that’s how we call a restaurant specialist in ceviche and sea food. The best ceviche is prepared with a fish called lenguado (expensive Peruvian fish) or corvina, but in the UK you can use white fish like sole, and you will need fresh lemons (not the ones in bottles). In Peru the best lemons are from Piura, a city located in the North of Peru, the lemons are small but very juicy. I prefer the Ceviche without chilli but others love it with lots of chilli.

Salchipapas, don’t be shy and eat it .

The best Peruvian restaurants were mentioned by the CNN this year, and most of them belong to big chefs like Gaston Acurio or Virgilio Martinez, because those restaurants are always on demand then it is better to book in advance. But going to a posh restaurant in Peru is optional, and something I was missing a lot was the Peruvian Street food. One night I found myself looking for what it is called ‘Salchipapas’, the name comes from the main ingredients, the words salchichas and papas (sausages and potatoes). We ordered a ‘Mixed Salchipapa’ which not only had sausages and chips but also had pieces of chorizo and chicken. The portion is big enough to share between two and there is a variety of sauces you can eat it with, like ketchup, golf sauce, mayo, olive sauce and avocado sauce. Peruvian street food is simply big, there are many meal options and places with tasty big sandwiches and I am not talking about American franchises, because Peruvian burgers are really tasty, like the ones in Bembos Burger, with combinations you have never imagined. Also people’s favourites are ‘Pollo a la Brasa’ ( chicken bbq with chips), Chinese food (called Chifa), Anticuchos which is cow’s heart bbq cooked in spices and served with roasted potatoes, it looks like a kebab. Also something sort of new in the Peruvian Street food choices is Japanese/Peruvian fusion which is by the way amazing,

Anticuchos with chicken satay sticks, red pepper filled with beef and potatoes.

While we went for a walk to the San Miguel Shopping Mall we found a small place called Toku,this is actually a small stand selling makis and California rolls. We gave it a try and it was seriously good. Toku has something called the ‘Katsubun’, which is a furai crispy chicken served with a Ceviche sauce or ‘salsa acevichada’ and it is simply lovely!. Also, I was told about a Japanese restaurant in the Pueblo Libre district called ‘Naruto’ so we went one day to have lunch there. Naruto is a favourite for children as it is decorated entirely in anime and Japanese cartoon characters. The food is really good and it is served in big portions, they offer drinks like aloe vera and green tea. I have been surprised to find more places with Peruvian/Japanese fusion food, friends suggested me new places for Japanese and Korean Fusion food, so I already have a list of restaurants to go next time I go back to Peru.

At Naruto, Japanese Restaurant.

My advice for all those going to Peru is to be open minded about food, as you are visiting a country rich in agriculture so you will experience new and incredible flavours, you will fall in love with the Peruvian cuisine.

Loving the food in Corfu

 

Sea Food so yummi!

It is always difficult to go back to my normal routine at home after the holidays. I keep looking at pictures and videos with my husband of our great days in Corfu, and one of the many things we miss is the food. The first time I tried Greek food was in a restaurant in England long time ago and I liked it very much. So in Corfu I forgot about the diet, all I wanted was to experience the Greek gastronomy.

One of the things I loved was the variety of fresh products, like fruit, fresh sea food, the famous feta cheese and the olive oil. Most people have houses with massive gardens where they have olive trees and lemon trees. So it is common to see people selling their own products and put a sign at the front door.

Sofrito

If you are a sea food lover like me then Corfu island has so many good restaurants that offer sea food, especially in Paleokastritsa where my husband had this huge plate with deep fried sea food. The plate was big enough for two people, served with fresh lemon, and it had calamari, sea bass, king prawns, white bait, it was amazing!. My husband shared his plate with me and I also ordered something typical from the island. Our tour guide suggested something called ‘Sofrito’ and its a dish made of beef marinated in lots of garlic, white wine, condiments and herbs. It was served with white rice and I absolutely loved it. Something you see in the menus a lot is the Moussakas and lamb based casseroles. There is pasta dishes and pizzas for children, as well as ‘Gyros’ which is like a doner kebab, it is pita bread stuffed with pork, tzatziki sauce and chips. This is one of the children favourite.

My husband was obsessed with eating Baclava, which is a dessert made of honey soaked filo pastry with walnuts, well to be honest we all would eat Baclavas everyday, even at breakfast time. It was in Corfu where I discovered the Frappé, cold instant coffee mixed in a blender with sugar and milk. Something I enjoyed was the Iced Frappé, this is served with icecream and is absolutely good, the mixture of strong coffee and icecream is perfect. There are many café places in Kerkyra Town where you can try Frappé.

Frappe in Paleokastritsa Town

Greeks are very good at baking cakes, and when passing near a bakery I would always be tempted to get desserts like lemon pie, custard pie, rice pudding and baclava.

Kumquat Oranges

Corfu has it’s own speciality liqueur called Kumquat which is made of mini Chinese oranges, brought from far away Asia and grown in Greek soil. Also there is a liqueur called Ouzo which is made with anise seeds. Kumquat and Ouzo are often served as aperitif at dinner time. We did a tour around Corfu and we visited a Kumquat shop where we tried a few liqueurs and decided it would be a nice gift for the family so we brought some bottles back home.

Kumquat from Corfu

I cant wait to go back to Greece and next time would be to explore another island. Thank you beautiful Greece!.

Paleokastritsa – Discovering Corfu Part 2

 

Beautiful Paleokastritsa

Corfu is an island rich in culture, nature, with many places to visit and explore. My family and I did a tour called ‘Discover Corfu‘ which included visiting Kerkyra Town ( mentioned in my last post), and we also visited the north west of the island where there is a village that is like a paradise because of it’s turquoise-blue waters, a village called Paleokastritsa.

Paleokastritsa is one of the favourite places people want to see in Corfu, as it is famous for its unique beauty, and that it something you have to see by yourself. The distance between Kerkyra town and Paleokastritsa is about 25km, so it is a short journey and on the way the landscape is so beautiful, there are many olive trees, cypress trees and lemon trees.

In the ‘Deep Blue Eye’ Cave

On arrival we enjoyed a lovely Greek lunch ( a post about Greek food coming soon!), and after that we went for a boat trip to the Paleokastritsa caves. The trip takes about 40 minutes and costs 10,00 Euros per person, we were taken to four different grottos to see the ‘deep blue eyes’ caves. My son was really amazed with the colour of the sea, there were many fish in different colours (he would be looking for Nemos’s and Dory’s look alike!). It was a beautiful trip, a must do for adults and children. You also have the option of doing a trip near the caves on your own and hire a small pedal boat which is more for couples or small groups of about four people. The weather is hot hot hot, and can get easily to it’s 40’s Celsius so I suggest using a high factor sun block, a hat and a bottle of water.

A cute cat having a nap at the Monastery

Paleokastritsa beaches are lovely but sort of crowded so it is up to you if you want to spend the day there. We were in a tour so our next stop would be not far away in the Monastery of Theotokou. This is a 13^th century monastery, the walls are in a soft yellow colour, it is  a well maintained and peaceful place with a lovely bell tower. There is a dress code for visiting the monastery and women are given a sort of shawl to cover their shoulders, you may light a candle if you wish and make a donation or visit the souvenir shop.

The Heart Shaped Lagoon

Our last stop was in the village of Lakones, located in a hill not far from Paleokastritsa. Most tour coaches stop here because it is the perfect spot for taking pictures to the shaped heart lagoon, it will definitely take your breath away and it is one of the most amazing views I have seen in my life.

Soon I will be writing about all those delicious meals we had in Corfu, it will be a special post about Greek food.

Discovering Corfu, Part 1

 

Ready for landing in Corfu

It was our first time in Greece visiting the lovely island of Corfu, and we did so many things that I will be writing more than one post about this amazing holiday.

The flight from England to Corfu takes about 4 hours and we had a pleasant trip with Thomson Airlines. The pilot was actually giving updates of where about we were flying ( Germany and Croatia), and we were told it was very hot in the island. Corfu airport must be one of the smallest airports I have seen in my life, because it had only two runways so the plane was in a queue going in circles, before landing. On arrival Thomsons did the transfers to our hotel, the Iti Louis Grand in Glyfada beach, which is located in the west coast of the island. This hotel is perfect for families with children and recommended for weddings too.

Louis Grand Hotel

Glyfada is a sand beach with a beautiful landscape, the rock formations make this beach exotic and the turquoise blue sea is calm most of the time, so it is safe for small children. There is a couple more of hotels in the beach and small shops that offer snacks, drinks and toys for the little ones. You can hire scooters or bicycles to tour the island, or rent a car, but the roads are narrow almost everywhere so scooters are ideal.

 

Glyfada Beach

 

We took the hotel complimentary bus to Corfu town a couple of times. The town is small and everything is in walking distance, don’t forget to bring your bottle of water as Corfu is very hot and I remember we had a day where the temperature was 41 Celsius, we were practically melting. Also bring a high factor sun block if you don’t want to end up sun burnt. I read about a saint called St Spyridon and decided to visit his church. St Spyridon is buried there and you are allowed to see the body inside the coffin.

 

Mouse Island and Vlaherna

A lot of people visit the church and light a candle when making a wish to the saint. Corfu town has many narrow streets with shops and restaurants, the buildings and houses are very Italian, and in some places you will find yourself walking in marble pavement, Venetian style streets. In what is called the Esplanada it is the Palace of St Michael and St George, inside you will find the Museum of Asian Art with a beautiful collection of Japanese Art, well this is something I didn’t expect to see in Corfu and I loved it.

Achilleion Palace

 

The church at Achilleion Palace

Not far from Kerkyra (Corfu’s town) is the Achelleion Palace but before getting there we stopped at Kanoni, a lovely peninsula with restaurants and a great view of Mouse Island and Vlaherna, an island that has a convent. The Achelleion Palace was built by Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Empress Sisi. She was an unhappy woman, many terrible things happened in her life so she built the palace in Corfu and named it after her idol Achilles.

The palace has many Greek mythology statues, and one of them is the statue of Dyimg Achilles. Inside the palace there is a chapel with a lovely painting of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, and the ceiling is also covered in paintings. The palace was built by Italian arquitect Raffaele Caritto.

In the north west of Corfu there is a town called Paleokastritsa which is well known for its clear turquoise water and amazing caves. We did a separate tour and I will tell you all about it in my next post.

Erdigg in Summer

There is a place my family and I love for doing weekend picnics and it is called Erdigg. It is located in North Wales  in the city of Wrexham, and it doesn’t matter if it is a rainy day or a sunny day because this place is perfect for doing walks, especially during the summer months.

Erdigg was for many years home of the Yorke family and the mansion now belongs to the National Trust of England. It is possible to visit the mansion or do a tour to see the rooms that have 20^th century furniture, ceramics and textiles. Something special is the collection of servants portraits, the ones who worked very hard maintaining the house and grounds for many years. My favourite room is the kitchen, because it is really spacious and it had everything you needed for doing big banquets. Something you don’t expect to see is a small collection of carriages,old cars and vintage bicycles. Also the children would be happy to see horses in the old stable yard and they can also pet them while a  lady tells  about the life of the horses and how they look after them.

The mansion has massive gardens with a great variety of plants and flowers. There are also many fruit trees, like apple trees and to my surprise also small banana trees as  they usually grow in warm climate countries. There is also a big pond with fish and ducks, that is one of the favourite spots to stop for a picnic.

When walking by the gardens you will find  a sign for the ‘Wolves Den’, this is a place with games for children, all made of old trees that have fallen and have been shaped. Children love this place and there is an ice cream kiosk near the entrance to the den.

If you don’t want to bring a picnic there is a restaurant and tea room with lovely cakes freshly made. Erdigg is dog friendly and has some areas where dogs are allowed, so you can bring your little canine friend with you.

Uncle Tetsu’s is fabulous!

The one and only Japanese Cheesecake

For many years I have been a big fan of the classic American Cheesecake, which is something you cannot find easily in England. So everytime I travel to the United States I look for a place that sells the delicious cheesecake. I wouldn’t imagine any other cheesecake better than the American one, but since coming back from Canada I have a new favourite cheesecake. In Toronto there is a place where they have a unique tasty cheesecake and it is called Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese Angel café. I was having a walk around Toronto City Centre with my niece and nephew when we saw the shop located in Dundas Street.

I remember we saw this guy with a paper bag of Uncle Tetsus in an icecream parlour, and he was the one telling us how much he loves it and gave us the address.

Uncle Tetsu’s cheesecake was born in 1985 in Hakata, Japan. The cheesecake is very soft in texture, it is not so sweet and this is good as this makes you enjoy the delicate cheese taste. In Toronto there are four Uncle Tetsus cafés, which shows how popular and successful Uncle Tetsus cheesecake is. I went to the one in Dundas Street and the first thing that caught my eye was the cute character that appears in the shop logo which is a chubby angel holding a heart in one hand and a cheesecake in the other. This logo is the one that also is stamped in the cheesecake itself.

And the cheesecake comes inside this bag.

I have seen videos in You Tube of people queuing to get cheesecake early in the morning, and maybe I was lucky because I didn’t need to queue when I went. It is interesting to see the staff making the cheesecake, and this shows you that the product is definitely fresh. The cheesecake costs CAD10,00 Canadian Dollars which is about GBP 6,00, and it can be shared between a party of 5 or 6 people, unless you like it so much that you decide to keep it for yourself.

Uncle Tetsus is very popular in Asia and expanding not only in Canada (there is four shops in Toronto) but also in the USA, Indonesia and Brazil. I really hope they open shops in the United Kingdom soon too.

Flash Break in Toronto

Landing in Toronto

This was my first time in Canada and it was great!. I did a last minute booking and I travelled with only carry on luggage to make the trip easier. There was a very important family celebration with my niece getting married in Toronto, and that was the main reason for me travelling. I couldn’t stay very long in Toronto because of work reasons and I only had a four day short break.

On the way to Toronto City Center

Toronto is a big and multicultural city, it is safe, clean and people are friendly. I was staying with family so it was easy for me to get around thanks to them. The weather in Canada is similar to the English weather so it is always good to have an umbrella handy.

One of the many places you can eat sushi.

I was very curious about Chinatown as my niece said I would love it and she was right. It was exciting to go for a walk to Chinatown and I felt like being in China. I was surprised by the many shops, restaurants, markets and spas, all with signs written in Chinese and English, but mainly Chinese. I was told there are eight Chinatowns in Toronto itself, so there are many Chinatowns to explore and there is also a Koreatown. I am a food lover, especially when it is about Asian food, and it is fascinating to see so many varieties of restaurants in Toronto Chinatown. We were walking along a road with signs for Korean food, all you can eat Sushi, Vietnamese Restaurants, and many more.

Toronto University

We also went for a walk to the grounds of Toronto University, located in Queens Park. The University buildings are lovely with a Gothic style, it is just beautiful and looks like a small Hogwarts. There are black squirrels running everywhere and they seem to be friendly, maybe they expect you have nuts for them!. It is nice and peaceful to walk in Toronto and, after a long walk we stopped to have something to eat. We went to Kenzo a ramen restaurant where I had the best ramen ever! Also we went to Tsujiri, famous for their matcha icecream. Not far from there is Uncle Tetsu’s shop, an Asian franchise with the best Japanese Cheesecake. The cheesecakes are fresh and you can actually see how they make them.

At Kenzo, a place with a very good ramen.

On another day we went to the Pacific Mall, the largest Chinese mall in North America and it is located in Markham. It is a place where you can get many products at a good price, like Korean beauty products, Japanese and Chinese candy, Anime toys, clothes and gifts. My nephew and niece invited me to have lunch and I had a lovely Chicken Katsu meal, with rice and vegetables, it wasn’t very spicy and I really enjoyed it. After that we went to Happy Lemon where they have drinks you never imagined existed! like Salted Tea Cheese and a variety of lemon tea drinks. I tried the Mango Green tea and I loved it!

A shop that sells only Maneki-Nekos! or lucky charm cats.

Something I discovered is that people in Canada aren’t interested in Starbucks, and this is because they are all in love with Tim Hortons, a coffee franchise that not only sells amazing coffee but have their own delicious donuts. It didn’t surprise me to see Starbucks practically empty when Tim Hortons is next to them with a lot of happy clients. Well, I brought to England packs of Tim Horntons coffee, Japanese candy and Canadian Maple tea boxes, tasty souvenirs.

A day exploring Toronto Downtown

I would like to say thanks to Antonella and Dan who were fantastic tour guides and I enjoyed their company very much. I haven’t finished exploring Toronto, so I will be back and next time will be a proper long holiday.