Bratislava & Brno

I haven't been very bloggy recently for lots of different reasons (and excuses!) but one of those is because I went away for two weeks.
We went to Bratislava, Brno, Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Vienna, Budapest and then flew back from Bratislava again.  I thought I would write a little bit about all the different places we went over the next few days so that I can relive the experience (taking my mind of my dissertation) but also write things down before I forget them!

Bratislava

I have been before but was excited to go back because it has such a beautiful tiny tiny old town.  I spent most of the three days we spent there hanging out right in the centre of the old town in the square.  We ate bagels, avocados, 50 cent yoghurt flavoured icecream, had massages, wandered up to Bratislava Castle (last time we went we got the bus to Devin Castle which I would definitely recommend) and drank beer mostly in our hostel which had a half Hostel - the film- theme and half Australian theme. (Hostel Possonium).  We also got to see the renactment of the coronation of Maria Therasa two hundred and seventy one years and one days after it happened.  There were petals all over the floor.

Brno

Then we hopped on a train to Brno, the second biggest city in the Czech Republic.  Brno was so relaxed! Fruit and vegetable market every day where you could go sit by the statue in the centre and bask in the sun like a cat and smell all of the amazing colourful fruit and veg, fresh coffee in our amazing hotel like hostel, the bar where you poured your own beer at your table.  Spilberk Castle (13th century) is worth a visit even if just to have an icecream and lie in the sun looking out over the city. I was alone and looking around the prison section (considered the harshest in the whole of the Austrian Hungarian empire) when there didn't seem to be anyone else there was slightly disconcerting! Although making the trip up the tower to look out over the city more than made up for it.  I liked Brno a lot. 

June

Where has the last month gone! I have now finished ALL of my essays for my MA I just have my Dissertation to write over the summer.  I have been enjoying doing lots of little things like having brunch in the garden and making Norweigan apple cake.  I am looking forward to getting back to blogging more often and doing more in my time off! Last night I also booked flights to Slovakia for this weekend.... but more on that soon!

 

I'm another year older now! (and wiser...?!)

Yum icecream sundaes.  I still haven't made hot cross buns, or read any good books or done much exciting.  I am drowning in essays - by this I mean I have lots of work to do but I just sit looking at BBC Iplayer.  I am going to London on Wednesday though so will update soon about that - archives during the day but a show and another veggie restaurant at night!

London part 2

Super super busy at the moment. I had a day off from work last week to work as a poll clerk for the elections (16 hours!) and it has left me sleepy ever since.  Aside from that I have 13,000 words to write by the end of June whilst at the same time I am supposed to be constantly thinking about my DISSERTATION OF DOOM (another 15,000 words for September).

I'm going to London again for the day on the 20th to go to more archives.  I have been trying to set this one up for months as they are at a private house but all is set now so I am very excited.  Also very excited about The Apprentice starting on Tuesday!  That's about it for now it's work, work, work. 

I never did do a 'London part 2' & I can't remember much about the rest of my trip.  I got to go to the Cult of Beauty Exhibit though and it was really, really good.  

Aside from that my brother, cousin and I went to Nopi's (Ottolenghi's new venture).  I've got Ottolenghi's book (although have only made the tart so far), and got even more obsessed when he was on Masterchef so it was amazing to finally get to go and I would definitely recommend it (much much better than Matilda's the night before).  I would happily go again...

Although next time I visit London I really want to persuade someone to go to Ms Marmite Lover's underground restaurant in her house and garden. The food looks delicious but more than that I want to nosey around her house.  You can book the summerhouse!

Any ways Nopi's was amazing.  It cost us about £35 each and we shared six main dishes, three deserts, non alcoholic drinks and green teas so pretty good really.  I didn't get great pictures but there are some below of a few items we got:

 

Free bread...

Left to right: 1.) confit artichoke, farro, broad beans, goat cheese 2.) chargrilled asparagus, romesco, apple balsamic 3.) burrata, blood orange & coriander seeds.

Left to right: 1.) pineapple galette, pandan, coconut icecream 2.) chocolate, peanut brittle, mace, creme fraiche 3.) vanilla ricotta, blackcurrants, rhubarb.

Yum! Go it's amazing and a vegetarian's dream :)