Tag: #lifestyleblogger

Holiday destinations: Milan, Italy

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A couple of weeks ago, I traveled with my husband to Milan in Northern Italy. I’ve been in Milan a few times before as I love the cosmopolitan vibe offered by this global city which is perfect for anyone who loves the art, design, entertainment and fashion.

Milan has been recognised as one of the worlds fashion capitals and the famous Milan Fashion Week takes place here on a yearly basis. It is also one of the key European financial capitals and Italian stock exchange is based here.

Over 8 million visitors are attracted by Milan every year as the city has lots of heritage with some great museums and art galleries featuring some of the most famous collections in the world including works by Leonardo da Vinci.

If you like sightseeing then there is a lot to see and the city will appeal to a wide range of different visitors.

Here is a short list of my suggestions of places worth visiting:

  • Duomo di Milano – one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world which completion took almost 600 years. Located on a Piazza del Duomo with many lively cafes and the elegant fashion shops.
  • Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – one of the most beautiful and oldest shopping malls in the world featuring many designer boutiques based in a four-storey arcade opposite of Duomo di Milano in central Milan.
  • Sforzesco Castle – a castle built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza who was a Duke of Milan.

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  • Sempione Park – a large park leading to Sforzesco Castle which was established in 1888.
  • Teatro alla Scala – a well-known opera house which was established in 1778.

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How to get there?

If you live in the UK then you can easily get to Milan from most of major cities. We’ve flown from London Heathrow and it took us slightly over 2 hours.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

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Pauline

Our stay at The Millstream hotel in Bosham, Chichester

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hotel front

As some of you might know it was my husband’s 31st birthday 2 weeks ago. I’ve decided to take my Prince Charming for a weekend away to Chichester. We’ve stayed in a cosy, boutique hotel in Bosham and today I would like to share with you a summary of our stay in the Millstream Hotel.

Location:

Millstream Hotel & restaurant is situated in the heart of Bosham village on the shores of Chichester Harbour. If you enjoy history then you will be keen to learn that it boasts the Holy Trinity Church which is depicted in The Bayeux Tapestry, as it was from Bosham that Earl Harold, later King Harold who set sail on his ill-fated trip to Normandy in 1064.

If you enjoy romantic walks then the hotel’s location should meet your expectations as it offers picturesque views of a beautiful harbour combined with a tranquil charm of other traditional surroundings. Bosham is also only a short distance from Chichester and Goodwood, with easy access to Arundel Castle, West Dean Gardens and Portsmouth Historic Dockyards that are only 25minutes drive away. It is a perfect destination for any travellers all year-round, no matter whether you are going there to relax, shop or explore the surrounding areas.

Service:

The reception desk is open 24 hours. As soon as we entered the hotel, we were welcomed by extremely helpful Giulia. Once we checked in, she offered us some great advice on what we could do whilst in Bosham. We dropped our bags and decided to have a drink at the classy and inviting lounge. Once again, the service was helpful and professional. Same applied to the restaurant staff who made us feel welcomed and made our trip enjoyable.

Rooms:

The Millstream hotel offers its guests 35 rooms to suit their needs and budget – ranging from single bedded rooms to exclusive suites in the Waterside cottage. All rooms are individually styled providing homely comforts. The décor of all rooms is classic with a modern twist. We stay in one of the premium rooms overlooking the front garden. Our room featured a comfortable bed, luxury linen, safe, mini fridge (with some complimentary water, milk and chocolates), a TV and a telephone. In addition, there were tea and coffee making facilities including the Nespresso coffee machine with capsules and a selection of delicious complimentary biscuits, which were freshly made in-house by the hotel’s pastry chef.

Our en-suite bathroom had a modern décor and walk-in shower. A selection of natural bath toiletries was also provided. In addition, some soft towels, slippers and soft bath gowns were provided. They were perfect for lounging in before and after our sightseeing.

Facilities:

In addition to some charming rooms, hotel features the bar, lounge, a recognised as a 2 AA Rosette restaurant and pretty gardens. After driving from Colchester for 4 hours, the bar was a great place to relax and enjoy a drink. There is a nice selection of alcoholic beverages on offer – I really enjoyed my Bellini.

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The restaurant is offers a warm atmosphere as you enjoy your dinner. A Hungarian waiter which assisted us – Zsolt made our stay extremely memorable by always being smiley and professional.

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As it was quite cold, we haven’t spent much time in the gardens but they are available during the warmer weather for drinks, afternoon teas, coffees and snacks.

Breakfast is offered in the main restaurant and provides a selection of made to order dishes.

Overall experience:

The Millstream hotel offers a charming accommodation to anyone seeking to experience some relaxing, unforgettable moments in English countryside. The location was great and service was faultless so I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone who plans to travel to Chichester, Portsmouth or surrounding areas.

I would love to stay in this hotel again one day!

Website:

For more information and to book visit:

https://millstreamhotel.com/

Address:

The Millstream Hotel & Restaurant

Bosham Lane, Bosham, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 8HL

Hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Barcelona, Spain

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It was my husband’s 30th birthday last week so I decided to treat him to a mini-break to Spain. I love Barcelona and as he has never been there before, it was a very easy decision to make whilst deciding where to take him.

Barcelona is the largest city of Catalonia, and the second most populous municipality of Spain. It has a population of 1.6 million within city limits which makes it the sixth most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Madrid, the Ruhr area and Milan.

There are many places worth visiting in Barcelona. Please find a quick summary listed below:

  1. Sagrada Familia – a landmark church designed by Antonio Gaudí
  2. Park Güell – a lovely park with mosaic-covered buildings, steps and sculptures providing amazing panoramic views of Barcelona. It was meant to be an exclusive housing complex with 60 houses however only 2 houses were build and a show home where Gaudi stayed was transformed recently into a museum.
  3. Casa Milà – another beautiful building by Antonio Gaudi popularly known as La Pedrera or “open quarry”, a reference to its unconventional rough-hewn appearance.
  4. La Rambla – a street in central Barcelona, popular with tourists and locals alike. Great for shopping or a bit of relaxation in one of its many eateries.
  5. Plaça de Catalunya – the most famous square filled with fountains and sculptures surrounded with many shops & cafes.
  6. La Barceloneta – a beach located short walk from the central Barcelona.
  7. Palau Nacional – hilltop museum for 11th- to 20th-century Catalan art plus important Romanesque collection.
  8. Arc de Triomf – Classical archway built as the main entrance to the Universal Exhibition hosted by the city in 1888.

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Pauline

Les Agitateurs Restaurant in Nice, France

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Last month, I traveled with my mum to Nice in the Côte d’Azur region famous for its interesting bars, restaurants and galleries. During the second day of our stay in this beautiful city we decided to have our dinner at Les Agitateurs restaurant.

Location:

Les Agitateurs is located on Rue Bonaparte – close to the port, exhibition centre and the modern art museum.

Atmosphere:

At first glance, Les Agitateurs looks like many other eateries however when you go inside you’ll discover that the restaurant has very cosy and accommodating surroundings. It is run by Juliette, Samuel and Pierre Jean who meet during their studies at the Paul Bocuse Institute and decided to use their experience to open Les Agitateurs.

We booked our table for 7:00 p.m. and we were welcomed by a friendly waiter – Pierre who took us to our table and looked after us throughout the evening.

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Menu:

Guests dining at this cosy French eatery have an opportunity to select their dishes from the A La Carte Menu as well as a tasting menu. If you are looking to experience some great French cuisine then I would recommend you to try Les Agitateurs’s 5-course tasting menu as that’s what we had and we really enjoyed it. All dishes are made using  the fresh, local produce and you’ll get a selection of amuse bouche, starter, main and a dessert. The menu is changed seasonally so if you travel to Nice often then you can try some new, modern French dishes regularly.

We started our meal with a glass of bubbly.

A couple of amuse bouche were followed by a delicious risotto with gorgonzola.

The second dish we had was some black mullet with roasted peppers and black garlic condiment. For third course was ox with some rich red wine sauce.

For my dessert we had some mouth-watering aloe vera based delicacy. I had some herbal tea at the end of the meal.

Overall experience:

Both my mum and I had a great dining experience at Les Agitateurs. All dishes were delicious and rather Instagram-friendly. If you are looking for a meal based on the best quality, locally sourced ingredients then you should look no further. The service was great and the food was delectable so we will definitely be returning there next time we are in Nice.

Address:

24 Rue Bonaparte,

06300 Nice,

France

For more information and to book visit:

https://www.lesagitateurs.com/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Christmas 2018 Gift Edit

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As Christmas approaches, I am finalising my gift shopping for my friends and family. Chocolates, wine and socks are always good but what else can you get to make the people you care about happy? As a result of my search, I put together a shortlist of products that I could consider for my closest family members-my husband and my parents and my sister. I hope you find my suggestions useful and if you decide to buy any of the items listed below then I hope that the person you get them for will appreciate them.

Firstly, as we’ve just moved into our new home, I wanted to get some luxury, personalised Christmas sacks for me and my husband. Harrow & Green offers a unique range of personalised festive sacks and stockings which were previously snapped up by Kate Middleton for Prince George and Princess Charlotte a few Christmases ago. It is a London-based studio that designs original, modern and stylish gifts. It is the creation of stylist Tanya Taylor and graphic designer Philip Taylor. I got us 2 personalised sacks which were designed and printed in-house. Not only they look really exclusive but they also are made from the high-quality materials.

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Secondly, I decided to get some get something for my parents. I normally get them a joint present in addition to some other small bits such as a bottle of their favourite perfumes. I recently came across some lovely hampers from Hawkshead Relish’s and ordered a Chilli lovers hamper for my parents. This hamper is the perfect gift for any chilli lovers as it includes a range of chutneys, pickles and spicy sauces that will make the foodie in your life happy this festive season. Hawkshead Relish’s hamper is presented in a hamper tray and includes:

  • Hot Garlic Pickle 195g
  • Chillililli Pickle 290g
  • Chilli Jam 220g
  • Mango Chutney 200g
  • Cheeky Chilli Salsa 195g
  • Black Garlic Pickle 200g
  • Kashmiri Tomato Chutney 190g
  • Bonnie Sauce Co Smoky Chipotle Hot Sauce
  • Bonnie Sauce Co Fiery Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce

For more gift ideas, please check their website:

https://www.hawksheadrelish.com/shop/

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Thirdly, as my sister is only a few years older then me, I decided to get her some skincare. I have recently discovered an award winning skincare range from Angela Langford which I personally really liked so I thought that it would be a great gift for her. All Angela Langford’s products are based on natural ingredients including: almond oil, apricot, safflower and jojoba (to nourish) are blended with chamomile and cocoa (to soothe) and eucalyptus & lemon (to cleanse and brighten). I ordered 2 of the award winning products from the range:

  • the Radiance Restoring Face Oil which was named by the Good Housekeeping Institute as their best facial oil for 2018. The oil is perfect for all skin types (even sensitive) and leaves skin feeling silky smooth and radiant. This beautiful natural face oil contain blends of chia seed & sea buckthorn specially chosen for their therapeutic effect on your skin – they also smell divine. The oil comes in a handy 15ml bottle and costs £20.50.

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  • Clean Sweep Natural Organic Cleanser blends together glugs of almond, apricot, safflower & jojoba are blended with chamomile, cocoa, lemon & eucalyptus to cleanse your skin. It comes in a 5ml jar which lasts around 3 months and if used regularly it makes skin softer & smoother.

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To purchase any of Angela Langford’s products please visit:

https://www.angelalangford.com/

I hope that this review will give you some ideas and help you to come up with a perfect gift for your dad

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Pauline

 

Holiday destinations: New York, USA

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I have recently traveled to the USA with my husband for our autumn / winter holidays. Our first stop was New York City.  It is the most densely populated city in the USA and it has a population of 8.5 million. New York City is one of the most famous cities worldwide and it has been described as the cultural, financial and media capital of the world. New York City consists of five boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island. I have recently read that there 800 languages are spoken in New York, which makes it the most linguistically diverse city in the world.

Many districts and landmarks in New York City are well known and 61 million tourists visited the city in 2016. There are many places worth visiting in New York. Please find a quick summary listed below:

  • Empire State Building – a perfect way to see the city’s major highlights from the highest building in New York.
  • Statue of Liberty – a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City.
  • Grand Central Terminal – beautiful train station with a wide range of shops and eateries to relax in.
  • Fifth Avenue – a famous shopping street with a range of boutique and high-street brands where you can shop until you drop.
  • Times Square – exciting and colorful square that just cannot be missed. Sometimes referred to as the Crossroads of the World.

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  • Rockefeller Center (Top of The Rock experience) – an observatory on top of Rockefeller Center, with great city views.
  • National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey – amazing entertainment experience in the heart of Times Square which uses ground-breaking technology that takes its attendees on a journey into the ocean. It is super interactive with escaping sea creatures and underwater maze. A perfect destination for a day out with a family especially if you have kids as everyone can experience being face-to-face with whales and sharks, squids or sea lions.
  • Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum – an American military and maritime history museum. I especially enjoyed learning more about the Space Shuttle ‘Enterprise’ – the first space shuttle, a Cold War-era submarine Growler and British Airways Concorde, the world’s fastest commercial jet that can take passengers from London to New York in under 3 hours.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

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Pauline

Tried and Tested: The Honestly Good Smoothie Co.

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As some of you know, a few weeks ago, I decided to start a 6-weeks challenge to reduce my body fat. I was shocked to discover that my body fat was at 38% as I have a relatively healthy diet and BMI. I had to drastically change my diet and include some more fruits and vegetables into it. As I work long hours, sometimes it is challenging to have the recommended 5 portions of fruit & veg so I thought about having a daily smoothie. I then came across The Honestly Good Smoothie Co. and decided to try their range. Today I would like to tell you more about it.

What are they? 

The Honestly Good Smoothie Co. are delicious smoothie kits which are hand prepared, 100% organic and conveniently delivered to your door. You can put these handy pre-prepared pouches into your blender whenever you fancy a smoothie or two.

They are based on many highly nutritious and natural recipes including the following blends:

  • fruity
  • green
  • protein
  • veggie

Opinion:

I love smoothies but to be honest I do not not normally have enough fruits and veggies to prepare them at the comfort of my house. I really like the concept of pre-prepared smoothie kits as  they are easy to prepare, you can simply put them into your fridge and have one daily. I ordered a variety box as I wanted to explore some of the smoothies offered by the The Honestly Good Smoothie Co.. The box was delivered on Saturday and when I opened it I was impressed by how great the smoothies looked. Once I blended my first pouch I became a fan of these little fruit and veg smoothie pouches and ordered some more for the coming weeks. You should try them!

Price:

From £4.75 per smoothie.

You can order them from:

https://www.honestly-good.co/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: York, UK

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A couple of weeks ago after work, we drove to York with my husband to celebrate our first wedding anniversary.

York is located in North Yorkshire in England. It is a historic city that has a rich heritage and was part of major political events in England throughout the history of UK. It is also a popular tourist destination for millions and, nowadays, tourism is an important element of the local economy.

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The city was founded by the Romans. In the Middle Ages, York grew as a major trading centre and became the capital of the northern province of the Church of England. In the 19th century, York became a known hub of the railway network and a confectionery manufacturing centre.

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The city offers a wealth of historic attractions and I would definitely recommend a visit to:

  1. York Castle Museum
  2. The Shambles
  3. York City Walls
  4. York Minster Cathedral
  5. Yorkshire Museum and Museum Gardens
  6. Jorvik Viking Centre

During our stay we had some great meals but I will review them in another post.

If you consider visiting York then Booking.com has a range of great properties where you can relax and unwind after a day of sightseeing. In addition, if you book your accommodation via this referral link, you’ll get £20 in cash.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post!

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Pauline

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Dinner at Restaurant Pfistermuhle in Munich

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During our recent trip to Munich, we tried lots of local German cuisine and today I would like to tell you about the best meal we’ve had whilst on our trip. You are probably wondering what was so great about our dining experience at Restaurant Pfistermuhle. If you are intrigued then read on…

Location:

Restaurant Pfistermuhle is located in Munich’s oldest mill building also occupied by Platz Hotel. It has a perfect location in the heart of the city – right by the Platzl and just a few minutes away from the famous Marienplatz. It can be easily reached by public transport.

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Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 7:00 p.m. We were greeted by a friendly waiter who made us feel welcomed and walked us through the menu.

The restaurant has a welcoming décor. Dinners can be sited in its classic dining room in the vaults of an old 16th-century mill or one of the tables based outdoors which are perfect for when the weather is sunny. We decided to sit outside.

The menu:

Restaurant Pfistermuhle offers its diners fine-dining experience serving high-end Bavarian cuisine with a modern twist. The menu changes seasonally and offers a nice selection of local dishes that are all built around the best produce from the area which guarantees consistently high quality. The Head Chef – Michael Sobota provides his diners with unique style of cooking which he himself describes as ‘Alpine cooking with international flavours’.

We commenced our evening with a refreshing cocktail. Our waiter also brought us some complimentary bread and butter.

To start with, I went for some prawns with an avocado chutney, mushrooms and a side salad.

My husband had some salmon accompanied by a pesto from wild herbs, chanterelles and chicken gravy. Both dishes were divine and presented beautifully.

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By the time we were done with our starters, our waiter brought us some Am Berg (2017) white wine. It offered a rich mouth feel that lead to soft fruits and orange zest on the palate.

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Secondly, I had some cold soup of cucumber and avocado which was mouth-watering.

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Thirdly, I had some trout from Lake Ammer and it was definitely my favourite course. It was cooked to perfection and accompanied by a cream of potato and parsley, smoked egg yolk, eggplant caviar and riesling foam.

My husband had some Fillet of Ox from the “Allgäu” with marrow crust and sauce of shallots accompanied by some green beans with bacon. He loved it as it was flavoursome and cleared his plate in no time.


Lastly, it was time for some dessert. I am quite adventurous so I ordered some Pfistermühlen surprise. It was a mixture of breakfast granola with berries and 2 sorbets. It was delicious!

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My husband ordered a variation of elder flower which was based on wild berries and ice creams. It was scrumptious.

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Overall experience:
Our meal at Restaurant Pfistermuhle was the best meal we’ve had whilst in Munich. All dishes were delectable and presented beautifully whilst service was flawless and attentive. If you would like to experience some great Bavarian dishes with a modern twist then I would definitely recommend it – I am sure you will not be disappointed!

Address:

Pfisterstraße 4,

80331 München,

Germany

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Our dinner at Brasserie Chez Fritz in Munich, Germany

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As some of you probably know, I was in Munich with my husband to celebrate our second wedding anniversary. We’ve had lots of meals but there were only two that stood-out in terms of traditional German restaurants. Today, I would like to tell you about our experience at Brasserie Chez Fritz.

Location:

Brasserie Chez Fritz is located on a quiet, residential road – Preysingstraße which is just a short walk from Wiener Platz. You can get there easily by public transport.

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Atmosphere:

Brasserie Chez Fritz has a traditional décor and an informal atmosphere. Diners are able to select their seats in a cosy restaurant or on an open patio – perfect when the weather is nice and sunny.

The waiter that attended our table couldn’t speak English so we had to translate the menu on Google Translate but he was friendly and attentive so I cannot complain. We later realised that there were some other waiters who could speak English so if you decide to visit you should definitely ask for someone who you can freely communicate with.

The menu:

The menu at Brasserie Chez Fritz doesn’t offer its diners typical German cuisine. Instead you can experience a selection of mouth-watering dishes with a French cuisine twist.

To start with, I ordered some smoked salmon which was served with a fennel salad whilst my husband had some pulled pork accompanied by an apple salad. Both starters were tasty and presented nicely.

For my main I decided to have a fish of the day – cod on a bed of some perfectly roasted potatoes and samphire. It was mouth watering and the flavours were exquisite.

My husband had a flank steak served with artichokes, beans and a tomatoes chutney – ‘sauce fritz’. The steak was tender and cooked to my husband’s liking.

After our mains, we decided to have a dessert. I decided to have some crème brulee whilst my husband went for some refreshing sorbet which was served with strawberries. Both of our desserts were delicious.

Overall experience:

We both had an enjoyable dinning experience at Brasserie Chez Fritz. It was one of the best meals we had in Munich and I would definitely recommend it.

Website:
For more information and to book visit:

http://www.chezfritz.de/

Address:

Preysingstraße 20,

81667 München,

Germany

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline