Holiday destinations: Birmingham, UK

A few weeks ago, my younger brother was in UK for a couple of days and we decided to go to Birmingham for a day break.

Birmingham is located in the West Midlands area and is the second largest city outside in UK with a population of over 1 million. We took a fast train (Virgin Train) from Euston and in just 90 min, we arrived in Birmingham’s New Street station.

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Due to its close proximity to London, Birmingham is perfect if you wish to escape from London and visit another English city. It is an important transport, retail, events and conference hub and city’s economy is dominated by the service sector which accounted for 88% of the city’s employment.

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Apart from world-class galleries and stimulating museums there are many places worth visiting:

  1. National Sea Life Centre – an aquarium with over 60 displays of freshwater and marine life in Brindleyplace. Located 15 minutes walk from the train station.
  2. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery – great museum with a vast collection of international importance covering fine art, ceramics, metalwork and natural history.
  3. Birmingham Botanical Gardens – if you like relaxing in gardens then you should go to this 15 acres botanical gardens that are around 10 min walk from the city centre.
  4. Gas Street Basin – a canal basin in the centre of Birmingham with some trendy bars and cafes to grab a drink or some lunch from.
  5. Hall of Memory – a war memorial located in the city centre to commemorate the 12,320 Birmingham citizens who died in World War I.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post!

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Pauline

 

2018 Summer Must Haves

Hello my lovelies a very happy Monday to you all! The weather in the UK has been amazing so far this year and I put together a short ‘2018 Summer Must-haves’ list. My aim was to give you some inspiration on the products worth getting this season. Most of them are a great investment and you will be able to benefit from them throughout a year.

1. Vionic shoes

As some of you know, I was trained as a professional image consultant and even worked for some well known brands including Christian Dior. I love stylish shoes and I own over 100 pairs but most of them aren’t suitable for everyday wear… Whilst I adore my Louboutin’s – let’s be honest – nobody can wear them all day long. They look amazing but they are also extremely uncomfortable.

I was on a mission to find some stylish and comfortable shoes for this summer when I came across – Vionic. The range offers podiatrist-designed footbed in every pair of their shoes and is a result of 30 years of research and development by renowned Australian podiatrist – Phillip Vasyli.  Vionic’s sandals, slippers, active shoes and casual flats ranges use natural alignment technology which helps to promote alignment from the ground up. Vionic’s wedges and heels, on the other hand, use elevated support technology which everyone comfort and style in our wedges and heels. I’ve decided to get a pair of beautiful ‘Ainsleigh’ wedges. They have crossing elastic straps and black leather uppers which add some modern take on the classic espadrille wedge silhouette. As they are elevated my legs look longer and sexier. They are also perfect for a day-to-night wear and you can easily ear them with an elegant dress or a pair of trousers if you wish. Below you can find a proposed outfit and how it looked on my last Saturday.

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I will be sharing some photos wearing Vionic’s on my Instagram (@firstclassloungewithme). What I like the most about them is the fact that I can feel them all day long and I do not end up with painful and tired legs. It’s almost like wearing the slippers so the technology behind them definitely works.

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I am a number 1 fan of the brand now and I’ve even ordered a pair of smart ‘Josie’ heels which I wear for meetings at my office and parties. Vionic has a lot of stylish and comfortable shoes available though so you need to check their website and order some:

https://www.vionicshoes.co.uk/

2. Assome! Ultrasonic Massager

We’ve just booked our summer break to Fuerteventura and I started thinking about what diet, exercise and beauty treatments I can have to improve my bikini-body. Whilst researching the beauty treatments I cam across the beauty Tech brand Assome! which has launched ground-breaking technology to help women say goodbye to cellulite for good, all within the comfort of their home. This innovative long-lasting cellulite treatment works with ultrasonic technology to increase the skin’s natural thickness, reduce bumps and stimulate collagen production.

Combing three cutting-edge technologies- LED, radiofrequency and ultrasonic waves the Assome! Ultrasonic Massager fights cellulite and helps to lift and firm your booty in the comfort of your home.

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For those sick and tired of paying for beauty treatments that promise and don’t deliver, Assome! provides a dedicated alternative. For too long the beauty industry has focused its energy developing technology to improve the skin on our faces, it is now time to focus on the booty. Assome! wants women around the world to love how they look from head to toe, from back to front, and especially in the booty department!

In addition to Assome! massager the range also offers ultrasonic absorption gel and a selection of advanced, targeted serums that help to penetrate beyond the dermal layer to lift, tighten and reduce cellulite. I’ve only been using the massager and the serums for a month and I can already see that my skin is much smoother and my cellulite is less visible so I hope that I will be bikini-ready for my break next month.

If you would like to find out more and order your own Assome! products then please check: https://amzn.to/2v03Boj

3. SmoothSkin IPL

As some of you know, laser hair removal is quite costly when you do it at the professional beauty studio. I was looking for a longer-term hair removal option as I am very busy and shaving every couple of days is extremely time consuming. I came across SmoothSkin IPL which is the latest Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) hair removal system from SmoothSkin.

IPL

SmoothSkin Muse is created to break the hair cycle by using Intense Pulsed Light to prevent further regrowth. Light energy is absorbed by the hair follicle which heats up and stops unwanted hair from growing back. By using SmoothSkin Muse once a week for 12 weeks initially, all hair follicles will be captured and treated to really kick start your
treatment and give the best results. After the initial 12 treatments, top-up sessions will be required when and if you need them – usually once every 4 to 8 weeks. Depending on your skin tone, hair types and lifestyle the treatment regime might vary slightly but what’s great once you’ve been through the initial 12 sessions, you can adapt it to your needs.

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In addition, SmoothSkin Muse has an in-built skin tone sensor which will offer you a bespoke treatment with every flash. The technology, scans your skin before
each flash and automatically selects the light intensity best suited to your unique skin tone – maximising your results, safely.

So, if you are looking for a permanent hair removal which you can do in the comfort of your own home and at the fraction of the price you would pay at the hair removal salon, then look no further! I’ve been using the SmoothSkin Muse device for over a month now and I am impressed already as the hair that grows back looks thinner and lighter. What’s more, the device looks very stylish and exclusive. It is currently on offer on Amazon with £50 discount so get it before they run out of stock:

https://amzn.to/2OoPpgi

4. Salter Back Massager Shiatsu Massage Chair

I have recently ordered Salter’s Shiatsu Neck and Shoulder’s massager for my father for his Father’s Day gift and he uses it daily now. When I am busy running around all day and my muscles are tired after my gym sessions I love to go for a relaxing pedicure at the local shopping centre as they have massaging chairs there. I decided to treat myself and get my own massaging chair which I can use on my return home when I need a pick-me up treatment.

Salter Back Massager Shiatsu Massage Chair has targeted buttons for lower back, upper back or full back massage options and is easy to adjust to provides anyone with relaxing massage. It has a simple handheld controller and you can either try out the pre-programmed demo or customise your massage and adjust the nodes to your perfect fit. It’s also easy to choose the areas you want to focus on with target buttons for lower back, upper back or full back massage options.

saltermassagechairIn addition, Salter Back Massager Shiatsu Massage Chair can also be used for a targeted relief if you want to target a specific area, according to your height and preference, you can adjust the position of the rotating massage mechanism with the easy to use hand-held controller.

What’s more, Salter Back Massager Shiatsu Massage Chair has a smoothing heat and seat vibrations penetrating warmth deeper into stiff muscles during your Shiatsu massage so you can just seat and enjoy it.

You can order it now on Amazon with 40% discount using this discount code and the link listed below: SALTER40

https://amzn.to/2Lw0Mp2

I love all products featured in this review and if you decide to get anything from my list then I hope that you will enjoy them as much as I do 🙂

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Pauline

After-work tapas at James Cochran’s restaurant

As you all know I am a massive foodie. I work in the City of London (near Monument) and I always enjoy discovering hidden-gems where I can unwind after work. I recently visited EC3 restaurant by James Cochran who received 2 Michelin stars at The Ledbury. The restaurant was names in Fay Maschlers top 10 restaurants of 2016 and James Cochran definitely deserves this as he is an excellent chef. I was impressed by his tapas menu which I experienced after work a couple of weeks ago.

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Atmosphere: 

James Cochran’s restaurant has a very casual atmosphere. It has a modern decor with a few paintings and a vibrant, bright yellow chairs adding some chic to its interior. Its guests have an option to pop-in for some drinks or sangria which are served at its 16-seat bar in front of the restaurant or to have a meal / tapas. The restaurant also offers take-away menu.

Location:

James Cochran EC3 restaurant is located in the heart of City of London. It is just a few minutes walk from the Liverpool Street and Aldgate stations and easily accessible if you are travelling here by tube or bus.

Menu:

James Cochran offers its dinners original Scottish and Jamaican influenced dishes that are made from fresh, regional produce. During the summer, the restaurant offers its dinners tapas style dishes. There are 13 dishes to choose from and they are perfect for sharing with your friends or loved ones. I really like tapas as sharing food stimulates conversation and is great for any occasion. I was accompanied by my husband and we ordered 6 dishes between us:

  • pork kromeski served with peppers and mayo

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  • lamb kromeski with marmite mayo

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  • hackney n’duja Scotch egg

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  • Jamaican jerk buttermilk chicken

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  • smoked cornish mackarel with some picked fennel, pepper puree and coriander crumb

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  • smoked salmon with some apple, cod’s roe, radish, chorizo crumb and basil oil

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All of the dishes were tasty and delivered different culinary experience. My favorite were the pork and lamb kromeski – amazing croquettes dipped in batter and deep fried. The restaurant is also known for its hackney n’duja Scotch egg – it was top notch and had just the right ratio of meat to egg to crispy exterior. In addition, we both really enjoyed one of the restaurant’s signature dishes – the famed Jamaican jerk buttermilk chicken -it’s fragrant and had a perfect balance of heat, sweet and savory flavors.

The portion size of the dishes we ordered was just the right size to share between two of us. What appealed to me was that all of the dishes were reasonably priced so I will definitely return to try their A La Carte menu during the autumn.

Address:

19 Bevis Marks,

London

EC3A 7JA

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Rome, Italy

Rome is the capital of Italy and of the Lazio region. It is the country’s largest and most populated and fourth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits. The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula.

Rome’s history spans for more than two and a half thousand years so it doesn’t matter how long you are planning to stay here-you should be prepared to step into the world’s biggest open air museum. I would personally advice you o travel for a minimum 4-5 days so you can see all the famous areas and monuments. It was my third visit to Rome and with each trip I enjoy it more.

Last time, I travelled there for my fiancé’s birthday and firstly we decided to follow the typical tourist paths and then we became brave enough to go off the usual tracks and discover the hidden germs of the city. The places and monuments that you definitely need to visit whilst in here are:

  • The Vatican City-an independent country geographically located within the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city: for this reason Rome has been often defined as capital of two states.
  • The Trevi Fountain.
  • St Peter’s Square.
  • Spanish Steps.
  • Colosseum.

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Rome is one of world’s most picturesque capitals and if you’ve never been here then you should definitely visit.

Hope you enjoyed reading this post!

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Pauline

Vietnamese meal at Pho & Bun in London, UK

Do you like oriental cuisine? I definitely do. During my honeymoon, I visited Vietnam with my husband and I was really impressed by how beautiful the country was and how friendly its’ citizens were. I like going out and discovering different restaurants so this Monday, I visited Pho & Bun for a dinner with my husband.

Atmosphere: 

Pho & Bun offers authentic Vietnamese food in a casual setting that will make you feel as if you’ve stepped foot in Vietnam.

Location: 

Pho & Bun is located in central London on the popular Shaftesbury Avenue which is a few minutes away from the Tottenham Court Road & Piccadilly Circus stations. It is also around a corner from both Chinatown and Soho. It is surrounded by many West End theatres, shops and tourist monuments so it is a great place to go to for a lunch or dinner if you are nearby.

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Menu:

Pho & Bun offers its dinners great selection of authentic Vietnamese street food at a reasonable price. There are 2 menus to choose from:

  • A La Care
  • 5 – courses tasting menu

We decided to order from the testing menu. Firstly, we selected 3 starters each to share.

  • Fresh summer roll with tiger prawn;
  • Pork & crab spring roll;
  • Mango salad with tiger prawn;
  • Chilli salt and pepper squid;
  • Sticky honey chicken wings;
  • Honey glazed spare ribs.

All starters were tasty but my favourite were the honey glazed spare ribs and pork and crab spring roll.

Secondly, we ordered our mains. I had some honey glazed BBQ pork with vermicelli. The dish was a combination of delicious pork, fresh vegetables and noodles seasoned with different herbs and spices.

A0BD95CE-9B3F-417C-B5AA-5B5E7C7A2934My husband ordered some Bun Sa Lemongrass beef rump steak with vermicelli.

We found both of these dishes really filling and tasty. I would recommend them especially when you are hungry as the portion size was really generous and we finished about half of our mains.

Lastly, we ordered some desserts. I had some mouth-watering pandan & coconut panna cotta whilst my husband decided to have some homemade soft yoghurt ice-cream. I love desserts and they were both delicious.

Overall experience:

Pho & Bun offers a range of original Vietnamese dishes with a  twist. The service was quick and friendly, atmosphere was casual so this restaurant is perfect for a casual dinning experience with your friends or family. What’s more, the restaurant is reasonably priced and our 5-course tasting menu was only £27.95 per person. I would definitely visit again!

Address: 

76 Shaftesbury Avenue,

W1D 6ND,

London

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Pauline

 

 

Beauty on the spot – the worst beauty treatment I’ve ever had in London

As you all know I love pampering myself and recently I booked a package for six G5 massage treatments at the Beauty on the Spot in Monument in London. I love beauty treatments and I’ve had G5 treatments on my legs before so I was quite glad when I found a place that was offering a package of 6 treatments, just around a corner from the office I work. I haven’t imagine that I would be as disappointed as I am now and it was the worst treatment I’ve ever had.

A bit of the background. G5 treatment is done using 5 different massaging heads in around 45 minutes. My treatment with your therapist took barely 8 minutes and she only used 2 out of 5 G5 heads. It’s a spam and you should avoid going to this place under all circumstances. The company offers their own short version of the treatment which perhaps they could call G2 but in my opinion it’s definitely not something they should sell as a G5 treatment if it takes you 8 minutes to complete and you only use 2 massaging heads… The treatment is called G5 as there are 5 interchangeable heads which they clearly do not use. For more information on this treatment you can watch some YouTube videos – definitely not what Beauty on the spot offers!

Although, I’ve made a formal written complaint and requested to cancel the additional five G5 massages that I paid for the management of the company still haven’t provided me with any response. The way they treat their Clients is disgusting and I hope that they will get closed down as this kind of places should not exist. Honestly, I would not recommend it to anyone to even consider going there. Look elsewhere or you will end up as disappointed as I am now! On top of that, I read on their website that they ‘do not offer refunds’ so I will most likely waste over £200 as I do not want to return there.

Do not go there my lovelies!

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Trieste, Italy

Another week, another holiday destination review.

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This week, I would like to tell you about Trieste in Italy. I recently traveled there and even though the weather wasn’t great I enjoyed a walk around this pretty Italian town. It is a lovely destination for a day-trip

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Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is in one of the richest regions of Italy, and has been a great centre for shipping, through its port, shipbuilding and financial services. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of Italian territory lying between the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia and the city is physically isolated from the rest of the Italian peninsula. In addition, Croatian border is located closely (further 30 kilometers south).

We started our trip by visiting the tourist information office in Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia, where we equipped ourselves with some informative leaflets and maps. The whole tour around the main city attractions took us under 2 hours.

The main attractions we saw during our short walking tour were:

  • Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia -a large and elegant outdoors space opposite the waterfront, with some impressive buildings.
  • Castello di San Giusto – it is located on the hill so it is a great place to enjoy some nice views from a memorial garden outside the walls.
  • Roman theatre.
  • Castello Miramare – one of Trieste’s most vaunted sights, the a nineteenth-century castle.

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Pauline

Father’s Day Gift Edit

I am very close with my parents so every year I put a lot of thought into any of their celebrations. As Father’s Day approaches, I wondered what he would appreciate receiving and so I got him quite a few little treats. If you are still thinking about what you should get for your dad then I put together a shortlist of products that might be of interest for you. If you decide to buy any of them then I hope that your father will like them.

Firstly, My father is almost 70 but he is probably one of the most active guys I know. He used to be an army general and he still likes to do exercise and stay in shape. Whilst doing my research into Father’s Day gifts I came across Me and My Sport which is aimed at men who like sport. My father loves cycling so I decided to get him a cyclist sculpture from www.meandmysport.co.uk It is made from metal and has an antiqued bronze finish so it looks very sophisticated. I am sure that it will look great at his bedside table and it will bring back memories of the Olympic Velodrome and the Tour de France, which he enjoys watching. There is a ton of other interesting gifts on offer on this website so if your father likes to stay active then I am sure that you will find something there. NOTHSfiona336a

The sculpture costs £24.

Secondly, I found a similar website Me and My Car https://www.meandmycar.co.uk/ that offers gifts for anyone who likes cars and let’s be honest which guy doesn’t ;-)? The gift shop offers a range of products such as classic gifts, food & drink gifts, stationery, toys, games and tech. My Father always has a cup of coffee in the morning so I decided to get him a spanner cutlery set of 4 Coffee spoons. Don’t they look amazing?

 

The set of spoons costs £30.

Thirdly, I decided to get him Salter Neck and Shoulders Shiatsu massager. As I mentioned above, my father is very active and this Shiatsu massages is perfect for anyone taking part in sports as it helps to relieve sore and aching muscles. It has 3 adjustable speeds and an integrated easy control panel. It also auto shuts off after 15 mins so it will relieve any tired muscles in almost no time. I am sure that he will love it!

This Shiatsu massager costs £59.99 and you can get it from Amazon.co.uk or Salter’s website.

My father loves high-quality leather accessories. My younger brother bought a new wallet for him so I decided to get him a nice belt. I have recently ordered a decorative purse from Berber Leather and I was really impressed by a high quality of its design and its affordable price. I remembered that Berber’s website (https://www.berberleather.com/shop/handmade-leather-belt-black) also stored the belts so I decided to order a handmade wide black leather belt for him.

It is extremely strong and durable as it is made from 2 pieces of leather stitched together to create a strong and lasting piece. Once again I was very pleasantly surprised by its price of £25 only – a bargain for such a high quality.

Lastly, my father enjoys an occasional drink with his friends so I got him a bottle of Black Cow Vodka made locally in Dorset from the milk of grass grazed cows.

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Black Cow Vodka has an exclusive bottle design and distinctive logo. It is also known to be “the worlds’ smoothest vodka” and it was launched a while ago by dairy farmer Jason Barber using his secret recipe. I am sure that my father will like it and enjoy it with his friends.

Black Cow Vodka prices start at £31.75 for 70 cl. and you can buy it from a few retailers (i.e. Marks & Spencer, Majestic, Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges) or you can order it online from:

https://www.blackcow.co.uk/shop/

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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Paulin

Our dinner at José Pizarro Restaurant in London

If you read my blog regularly you will know that I am a massive foodie. I love going out to the new restaurants and discovering hidden-gems on the dining scene. I recently joined my husband for a dinner-date at José Pizarro restaurant and today I would love to tell you about my experience.

Location:

José Pizarro has 3 restaurants in London:

  • Pizarro Restaurant near London Bridge;
  • José Pizarro Restaurant near Moorgate station
  • José Tapas Bar near London Bridge.

As I work near Monument, we decided to visit Pizarro restaurant on Bermondsey Street which is a short – 10 min walk from the London Bridge station.

Atmosphere:
Pizarro has a stylish décor and an informal atmosphere.

Diners are able to select their seats next to the window overlooking a picturesque church of St Mary Magdalen, at the bar, at the long communal table or the classic tables if they fancy a more intimate dinning experience. As we were on our dinner date, we decided to have a quiet table at the back of the restaurant which was overlooking an open kitchen so we could admire the chefs preparing our tasty dishes.

The menu:

The menu at Pizarro restaurant offers its diners a selection of tasty small and more substantial Spanish dishes, made using the seasonal products which can be served as starters and mains or as tapas for sharing.

To start with, we ordered a few tapas dishes to share from the Pica Pica and Starters menu:

  • Jamón Ibérico
  • Mushroom Croquetas
  • Butifarra negra & pulpo
  • Citrus prawn fritters

All of our starters were great but I absolutely loved the mushroom croquetas. They were the best croquetas I’ve tasted in a long time. You definitely need to try them when you visit Pizarro.

For my main I decided to have a fish of the day – Pescado del día – scallops with some aubergines. They were mouth watering and the flavours of cod and side worked perfectly together.

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My husband had a Castilian leg of suckling lamb with some mojo rojo and chickpeas. It was extremely tender and the portion was generous.

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Once we were done with our mains, it was a time for my favourite part of any meal – our desserts. I decided to be adventurous and ordered some cream cheese ice cream accompanied by some blackcurrant and camomile syrup. It was certainly different and not what I expected!

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My husband was less adventurous and just ordered some classic ice creams and enjoyed them.

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Overall experience:

We both enjoyed our dining experience. I my opinion, Pizarro is definitely one of the best Spanish eateries in London and it offers some great traditional dishes with a modern twist. The restaurant is perfect for a romantic dinner for two or a casual meeting with friends over some delicious tapas and quality Spanish wine. Throughout our meal the service was attentive and the waitress made sure that we had a wonderful evening. The restaurant is also conveniently located (especially if you travel to or work in the City of London) so I would definitely visit it again soon!

Website:
For more information and to book visit:

https://josepizarro.com/pizarro-restaurant/

Address:

194 Bermondsey St,

London

SE1 3TQ

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Venice, Italy

This week I would like to tell you about one of the most romantic destinations in the world-Venice. I love Italy and it is definitely one of the cities you need to visit at least once in your lifetime.

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Venice is located in northeastern Italy and is sited on a group of 117 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by bridges. Venice is known for its beautiful setting, architecture and artwork. Both the lagoon and a part of the city are listed as a World Heritage Site.

I’ve been to Venice 3 times. My latest visit to Venice was in June and summer brings some of the most daunting crowds… nevertheless there’s a reason why they come: you are never more than a bridge and an alley away from beautiful palaces, squares and monuments.

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Venice has a very lively neighborhood full of restaurants, wine bars and famous Italian gelaterias. I adore Italian food so I am always looking forward to trying some local food. Main squares (especially St. Marco Square) are quite pricey and you might end up paying 4-5 times more than in the other parts of Venice so I would always advice to check the menu and prices if you are on a tight budget. You need to be also aware of the ‘coperto’ charge-it is basically a fee for sitting down in the restaurants. We ended up paying 30 Euros for a bottle of water and a beer as we weren’t made aware of this fee…

Unquestionably, it is a great destination for a short break but you should go there for a minimum of 3 nights to see all the famous sites.

Time to start thinking, who would you take with you?

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Pauline