Highlights from Belgrade, Giardini Naxos & Florence

In all honesty, it feels like a lifetime since the last time I had a decent wi-fi connection. I hope you'll forgive me for not keeping in touch, I've been a busy girl! In the 17 days since my online presence was last felt, I have visited Belgrade, flirted very briefly with Berlin (see the photoset here), eaten and beached in Giardini Naxos, and finally made it to Florence. 
Rather than bombard you with the countless awesome bars and restaurants, here are a few highlights from each of the cities:

The bohemian quarter Skadarlija, Belgrade / July 2013

Belgrade - Belgrade is such a cheap city, I ate like a queen and drank like a fish for next to nothing every day. Navigating the streets and reading menus was a little confusing and difficult considering the Serbian language is written in cyrillic. Take a walk down the bohemian street 'skadarlija,' there are lots of gorgeous little restaurants and bars here. Belgrade is renowned for it's river clubs, known as 'splavs.' Splavs are more expensive than bars in the city, and tourists can expect to pay around 1000 dinar entry fee if not dressed to the security guards expectation.
Eat at Zavičaj, authentic Serbian food and so cheap! I ate here three times because it just hit the spot every time. Drink at Bašta, gorgeous hidden little bar which reminded me of somewhere in Surry Hills. Reasonable prices and amazing service.

Gole dell' Alcantara, Messina / July 2013

Giardini Naxos - In all honesty, my visit to Sicily was very family orientated. I spent most of my time between the beach, or eating at one of my Zia's houses in Francavilla. From Giardini it is possible to make day trips to pretty much anywhere in Sicily, a few different places I visited were Taormina, Parco Dell Etna (yes, I climbed the volcano) and Siracusa. I can't wait to visit Giardini again, the beach is absolutely stunning and it's a convenient spot to base yourself as it's right between Messina and Catania.
It feels like blasphemy to suggest any restaurant when I know how incredible the food that left my family's kitchen was. If you don't want to eat at my zia's house, opt for one of the restaurants along the beach that don't serve on plastic plates, otherwise head into Taormina.
Visit Gole dell' Alcantara, cliffs and volcanic rocks which have been eroded over time by the Alcantara river. There is a huge geological park, not to mention waterfalls and the river which is heavenly to swim in on those typically Sicilian 37 degree days.

Roaming the streets, Florence / July 2013

Florence - Everything I expected of a Tuscan city, Florence is so rustic and simply beautiful. There is so much history everywhere, not to mention some of the most delicious food!!!!!! I went for some really romantic strolls with myself by the river and saw il ponte vecchio, a famous bridge from medieval times renowned for the shops built on it which sell gold. Some famous piazzas you must visit for there beautiful architecture and sculptures include Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio.
Eat at Trattoria & Pizzeria Il Portale. It is located right near the main station in Florence - the food is up there with the best I have eaten in Italy, and when you consider the location (ideal for a tourist trap) it is so cheap. Drink at Rivalta, a cafe right on the river. It is open for lunch and dinner and serves light tapas-inspired meals, but I would come here solely for the  drinks, view and lively atmosphere.

Budapest - What to Eat, Drink & Do

Széchenyi Bath in City Park, Budapest / July 2013

* It's 10am, I spent 8 hours on a train without sleep, I just lugged 30 kg of suitcase/handbag 1km uphill in the wrong direction and almost got hit by a car. Bear with me.

To say I am obsessed with Budapest would be a huge understatement - it is some fierce competition for Porto as the best five days of my trip to date. I covered 60km of the city by foot, drank lots of pálinka, got lost in the city at 2am on Saturday morning and spent the rest of my time marinating in the baths. My actual idea of perfection. 

EAT
Batthyáni Square Market Hall - On the second floor of the central markets you will find a little food court with a row of food stores. They all serve a variety of traditional Hungarian dishes (and mojitos?) for a few euros. In all honesty, I didn't eat out much in Budapest because the main feature of most Hungarian dishes is the meat. Seafood isn't a big thing in Hungary, and I just couldn't be bothered trying to decipher menus so I cooked most of my dinners at home. Regardless, I definitely recommend the market canteens. They food is really tasty, you get a huge stacked up plate and it costs you next to nothing.

DRINK
Szimpla Kert - If you haven't already heard, 'ruin bars' are all the rage in Budapest. They are essentially old warehouses and apartment blocks that have been filled with an eclectic mix of decor and mismatched vintage furniture, and transformed into pubs and beer gardens. Szimpla is by far the most popular (and for good reason.) There is such a cool vibe in the space - it spans across two levels and has several different rooms, there is a huge outdoor area, movies are projected onto screens around the venue, drinks are reasonably priced, you can smoke shisha, the list goes on. 

Ellátó Kert - Technically another ruin bar / open-air bar, this gets a big double thumbs up from me because it's also a taqueria and there is nothing better than a mexican midnight snack when you're drunk. They have several different tacos (with cool fillings like hongo mushroom) and DELICIOUS dips, so definitely get a couple plates of nachos. This bar is also very reasonably priced and has some yummy cocktails! 

DO
Thermal Baths - Anybody who knows me is aware of my spa fixation, it could come close to a psychological problem because I cannot get enough of them. I honestly wanted to extend my time in Budapest to visit more baths. I am so grateful to the universe for the Ottoman rule in Hungary, the city without the Turkish influence of the baths is a city I don't want to imagine.
I don't think I have quite washed the smell out sulphur out of my hair yet, here is a little outline on the baths I made it out to during my stay.
Széchenyi: By far the biggest of the baths in Budapest (I think it's also the largest in Europe), it was a maze to navigate through the building and it was very crowded. The staff weren't the most accommodating but I guess it must get tiring having hundreds of English speakers asking where the lockers are every hour.
Gellért: Probably the nicest of the baths I visited, the outdoor area was so serene and was the perfect scene for relaxation. The baths are part of a hotel so there are lots of tourists here and children occupy the big wave pool, however if I had to choose, I would visit here over Széchenyi.
Király: This bath was probably my favourite because at any given time there wasn't more than 8 people in the centre. The bath was originally built in the 1500s, it's tiny and hidden away - it's not much to look at from the outside but inside the baths it's spectacular and gives a feel as to how the authentic bath experience would have been in the past. 

My room is ready - I need sleep now. Love xx

My Past Week Pt. 2: Belgium - What to Eat, Drink & Do

Église Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Secours, Brussels / July 2013

I spent three days in Belgium, two and a quarter in Brussels and the rest in Antwerp. If I had spent any more time in the country, there is no question that I would have turned into a waffle. (I am such a sucker for what I convince myself is 'traditional' street food.) I feel that in the short time I spent there, Brussels gave me all it had to offer - it is very beautiful, but I'm not sold on the men. I well and truly perfected my 'why do you think you can talk to me/look at me' look of disgust - I even had a taxi driver on the way to my airport shuttle ask if I would kiss him !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

EAT
Exki - Technically it is a fast-food chain. It operates like a canteen (I have previously mentioned my adoration for canteen-style dining), and the food is way too natural and fresh to be classified as fast-food. Whilst Exki is definitely pricier than McDonalds, I am too happy to spend a few extra dollars when I know I am eating real food that is going to sustain my body. They have such a fantastic range of smoothies, soups, salads (the list goes on) and they cater to a range of different diets - vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free. Exki operates in a few European countries, and is 100% my go-to if I just want to eat something quick and easy. (And not junk!)

DRINK
In all honesty, all my drinking whilst in Belgium was confined within the borders of my hostel. Hendrick's was the house gin, do you blame me? We did attempt to get into a bar named Celtica's which serves 1 euro beers, however we didn't have any ID and were refused entry. (When does that ever happen in Europe!?) I don't drink beer so I just carried on with my G&T's, and all was well in the world.

DO
Walk everywhere. Both Brussels and Antwerp are quite small cities, you can cover most of the attractions in just a day. I only spent a day in Antwerp so I didn't have any time for museums or the zoo (because I went shopping... all the windows had 50% sales, I couldn't help myself), but it is usually easy enough to just stumble upon all the main attractions. Definitely spend some time looking around Grote Markt - the buildings are stunning, and there are lots of waffle & chocolate shops in the area. Also, keep a look-out for the Tin Tin murals across the city.

My Past Week Pt. 1: Porto - What to Eat, Drink & Do

7:30pm at Gaia Beach, Porto / July 2013

I’m a couple thousand kilometers in the sky, mid-flight to Budapest - the past 8 days have been an absolute whirlwind and I have been way too busy immersing myself in European culture to try and find the time to update my blog - so today you get a double post.

Porto. What an incredible city. As soon as I stepped out of São Bento station I was mesmerised – the architecture is all very reminiscent of the Renaissance, and so colourful, as the buildings are adorned with gorgeous painted tiles which creates imagery like giant murals. The temperature lingered around the high 30s during our stay which is 'flourishing Bianca' weather - it added such a legitimate European Summer element to our evenings, where we would buy an icy 750ml cider for 3 euros in a little corridor-sized bar to join the couple of hundred people drinking on the street and in the park.The entire city is just like one huge old town, with it’s cobblestone streets (everywhere – suitcases beware), people-watching cafés and plazas.

EAT
A lot of the typical Portuguese dishes just weren’t my thing – if they weren’t full of meat, they were very greasy, covered in puff pastry or loaded with cream. In saying this, if you find any menu which serves brie baked in puff pastry with pumpkin jam, skip your entrée and eat your dessert before your main. My lactose intolerant self would eat 10 of these every day if I was given the chance. Amazing.

Maus Habitos – This is a little vegetarian canteen hidden on the fourth floor of a car park off the bustling Rua Santa Caterina. It is only open for lunch, from Monday – Friday with a different set menu each day. The food was DELICIOUS and all perfectly portioned so you ate a variety and were comfortable satiated at the end of the meal. For 7.50 euros, our meal consisted of unlimited iced green tea, a vegetable pastry, pumpkin soup, salad, pasta and crumbed tofu. I repeat, 7.50 euros. I wish I could eat here everyday - please, please, eat here on my behalf!!!

DRINK
The bars in Porto are tiny and just house the bartenders and the drinks – the culture here is to buy your drink in the corridor bar and then drink out in the street.  The crowds start heading out around 11pm, make their way to the clubs around 1am and stumble home some time after sunrise. I wound up in a few really cool bars, however they were a little overpriced for my 'backpacker budget' and didn't stay open past about 1am, unlike the tourist clubs. Despite the endless love for the universe I hold and the general pos-good-vibes I wish to spread, I am an avid hater of tourist clubs - so here I present to you a much better venue to drink (and eat because that is my other favourite past time.) 

Bugo Art Burger – As the name suggests, this is a burger joint. However, not your typical burger joint - Bugo is located in the Porto art district and you need a reservation if you want to eat here. You want to eat here, but I promise, you especially want to drink here. Bugo serves a whole range of beers and incredible cocktails, but their sangria is some next level amazingness. If you had to choose between their sangria and no sex for a month, you would probably choose the sangria. The jugs are a good 1.5l each - so maybe don’t start drinking while you are waiting to be seated – you will be drunk before dinner and break your wine glass at the table. (I didn’t do that…..)

DO

Ponte D. Luis I – We walked through some beautiful cobblestone streets and what seemed to be an infinite number of steps to arrive at Ponte D. Luis I. Local kids jump off the bridge into the Douro River, and from whichever level you cross the bridge there are spectacular views of Gaia and Porto. It's a lovely walk, and afterwards you can treat yourself to a drink and some shopping at the stalls in Praça da Ribeira, which forms the historical centre of the city.

Me Gustas Mucho Madrid - What to Eat, Drink & Do

Spend an afternoon in Real Jardin de Botanico, Madrid / July 2013

I had few expectations of what the city of Madrid would be like when I arrived - friends in Barcelona had warned that it wasn't as fun, and the fact that I had the flu meant all I could look forward to was recovering in bed. We stayed in an apartment just off Puerta del Sol, which is the busiest plaza in Madrid, located right in the heart of the city. Being school holidays, the plazas were filled with an array of fantastic street performers and cartoon characters. Even mid-week, the plazas were bustling with families and the elderly. Every pub, bar and club was packed - the city truly never sleeps!

EAT
El Pazcador - Come here for free tapas. Seriously. They are free.
If I hadn't been brought to this spot by a local, there is no way I would ever have stopped here based on appearance. There were legs of hams hanging behind the counter, a slots machine by the entrance, five tables at most in the dining area and no ceiling fans or air con. We actually went to El Pazcador for sangria and beers (so to this day I'm not sure whether it actually identifies itself as a restaurant or bar), but sure enough with every round of drinks we ordered, another three plates of tapas would land on our table.
We ate tapas at a few different restaurants in Spain, and this was by far the most authentic tapas experience. They served standard plates such as baked potatoes with spicy sauce and marinated olives, but then came dishes of crumbed muscles with béchamel sauce, fried chicken wings, roasted pig ears (oreja de cerdo) and fried pig skin (chicharrón). I don't eat meat so I was a bit restricted with the plates I could eat, however, my very adventurous friends assured me that the meat dishes were amazing and the plates were all polished clean. The drinks were cheap and very generously sized so at the end of the night you will find yourself very drunk and very full.

DRINK
La Vía Láctea - Malasaña is definitely my favourite area to explore at night - full of eclectic, quirky bars. (The club Tupperware tops my honorable mentions list.) La Vía Láctea is another local haunt - they play all sorts of garage rock, psychedelic and classic punk - the vibe was awesome, I just wanted to dance all night. The decor was very cool - lots of 60s band memorabilia, tour posters and front page newspaper articles. There was plenty of room to dance, booths along the walls, a pool table and little tv sets playing movies like Pulp Fiction. It was nice to get away from the ridiculous tourist clubs filled with hostel groups that serve overpriced drinks and only play Swedish House Mafia or Pitbull.
I would like to take this moment to mention that I drank my first ever beer in this bar - probably only because I was already too drunk to taste it.

DO
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia - From April to September this year, this museum has a Salvador Dalí exhibition across the third floor. I'm a big fan of Dalí, not just for his versatility across different art forms, but also his sheer eccentricity, so I had to see this exhibition. We lined up for a good half an hour to secure tickets as access is spread across several sessions in the day. I expected to see a few rooms of paintings from the Surrealist movement, but the entire third floor was dedicated to the exhibition and didn't just include paintings but also drawings, letters, photographs, video interviews, films he had co-created, and his 'publicity stunts'. (Yes, The Persistence of Memory was in the exhibition. If it isn't already on your bucket list to observe this painting - it should be. As wanky as this sounds, it felt like such a significant moment to see this incredible piece of art in person.)
Definitely give yourself at least a half day to see the whole museum - you need to at least see all the post-modern and experimental installations, they were fascinating! The museum has to be in my all time top 5 favourites - I came out of there feeling as if all my creative energies had been revitalised.

Bye Barcelona: The Best Of - What to Eat, Drink & Do

Spice heaven at Mercat de La Boqueria, Barcelona / June 2013

Hola! I’m sitting in the first class carriage of a train, en route to Madrid from Barcelona. High-speed trains may just be my favourite means of transportation – most of the major train lines run out of the centre of the city, unlike most airports which are tens of kilometres outside of the heart of town. There is no hassle boarding (compared to the two hour check-in, bag drop-off and screening process involved in catching a plane), there is plenty of leg room (in ‘clase preferente’ at least) and it is so pleasant watching the countryside pass outside your window.

Our party of three spent our last night in Barcelona sick in bed with the flu. We were too congested, achy and feverish to leave our apartment much to our disappointment – I was feeling particularly needy and called my Mum to have a sook. Mia and I spent most of our afternoon belting out Celine Dion songs in our stuffy voices, much to Jayson’s disdain I’m sure.

EAT
Taranná café - We were immediately drawn to this café because it reminded us of Surry Hills and somewhere we would go for brunch. I am so glad we stopped here, because it is easily tops my ‘favourite cafés in the entire world’ list. The café itself had such a warm and homely feeling – outdoor seating, flowers everywhere and the sweetest, most attentive waitresses. The food itself was so fresh, I felt like it was literally nourishing every single cell in my body.  They also had a delicious range of wines for a quarter of the price you would pay anywhere near La Rambla. At night, the venue doubles as a tapas bar until at least 1am, with a large variety of different appetisers.

DRINK

Juicy Jones - a colourful little vegan restaurant, about a 6 minute walk from La Rambla. While their food is incredible, their juices, smoothies and teas are to die for. Any possible exotic fruit and/or veg combination you could imagine, they’ve already mastered and for a very reasonable price. The smoothies are perfect for breakfast to get your metabolism going, and juices are ideal for a post-siesta pick-me-up.  You can add various superfoods to any of the drinks, spirulina, ginger, mint, ginseng just to name a few. The restaurant does serve alcohol, all of which is organic and ecologically friendly. It gets quite noisy as the place fills up, but this just adds to the atmosphere.

DO – Get away from La Rambla. It may be the busiest street in Barcelona but it in no way captures the essence of authentic Spanish culture. While it is worth visiting La Rambla to visit the Mercat de La Boqueria and looking at the Gaudí architecture, the rest of the street is a tourist trap. In terms of the restaurants, there is no variety in regards to what they serve – pizza, paella and sangria, the quality of which I would compare to something you would find in a TGIF or Hogs Breath café. On La Rambla, expect to pay double what you would in any store or restaurant that you would find in a side street.

I would recommend walking (everywhere) around the areas of Raval and Barri Gòtic, where you will stumble across some gems in terms of bars and restaurants, not to mention the charming architecture – these areas don’t lack authenticity in terms of the Spanish experience. Do be weary of pickpockets in these areas though. In the middle of the day, we witnessed a boy rip the necklace off an old woman’s neck and run off with it. Don’t carry anything you don’t need with you, and ladies always wear your handbag across your torso.

** I've posted this from my phone, will fix any ugly formatting when I get onto my laptop. Love love xx

Checking Out: Paris - What to Eat, Drink & Do

View of Trocadéro from the top floor of the Eiffel Tower, Paris / June 2013

I've officially been in Europe for a week. Yesterday I left Paris and landed in Barcelona, and up to this current moment, I have walked 82.9km (hopefully enough to burn off all of those nutella crepes).

This was my second visit to Paris, and I feel like I saw most of the main tourist attractions on my first visit. This time around I wanted to stick to my budget and see Paris a little more off-the-beaten track. We stayed in an apartment in the 15th arrondissement, not far from Montparnasse, where we had views of the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre from the balcony. There are so many amazing places to eat and drink in Paris, not to mention the gorgeous architecture, endless number of gardens and museums. Here is but a few of the places that really stood out for me, you can find more of the sites I visited on le instagram.

EAT
La Table Libanaise - I am very fussy about good customer service, however I am willing to look past their less than ideal treatment of the non-French speaker because their Lebanese food was the best I have ever tasted, and such a reasonable price. I had a vegetarian mezze plate which had falafel, lady fingers, sambousik, tabouli, and a range of dips, and drank rosé ksara (I was feeling adventurous.) The only thing that could have improved this dining experience would have been if the waiter had given me a smile. 

DRINK
La Perla Bar - The 4th arrondissement is full of overpriced tourist traps, finding La Perla was like finding a gold mine. This little bar serves Mexican tapas and burritos, but is renowned for it's margaritas. (The menu lacked selection and the food was very bland, I wouldn't recommend eating anything but the salsa and chips here.) I drank cheap Kir, they served Coronas, and happy hour tequila cocktails were 4€. Visit this bar.

VISIT
Marché Edgar Quinet - This market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7am selling a range of everything you could possibly dream of, but in particular some amazing local fresh fruit and veg, cheeses, fish and the world's most delicious nutella crepe. The colour of all the fresh produce was mesmerising, and the fact that the market was already bustling at 9am in the morning is testament to the quality of the food sold here. Whilst there were stalls selling flowers, clothes, jewellery and various trinkets, nothing could really dull the endless ringing in my ears which was the cheese and olives calling my name.

** One suggestion when you are booking flights in and out of Paris - if you are using a budget airline like WizzAir or Ryanair, they will most likely be flying in/out of Beauvais-Tille Airport which is about 90km out of Paris (1 and a half hour drive). There is no train to the airport, and unless you are willing to pay the cab fare, it's quite a mission catching the airport shuttle bus in the morning - we left at 4am to arrive at the depot for a 5.17am departure - consider booking a later flight so there are more frequent buses to get you to the airport shuttle point.