Wednesday 30 April 2014

Lunch at Loch Lomond Arms Hotel - Scotland -

As I told you yesterday, I spend Sunday at Loch Lomond (here to see more), one of my favourite places. For lunch we went somewhere not too far, as we were quite hungry. We found a little hotel near the loch, the Loch Lomond Arms Hotel, and it had a restaurant, so why keep looking?

Como os comenté ayer, pasé el domingo en Loch Lomond (pinchad aquí para ver más), uno de mis sitios favoritos. Para comer buscamos un sitio que no estuviese muy lejos, ya que teníamos bastante hambre. Encontramos un hotelito con restaurante cerca del lago, el Loch Lomond Arms Hotel, así que, para qué buscar más?


We didn´t want any fancy food, just a quick bite to eat, and this is a very nice place to have it. The restaurant looked exactly as I would like all Scottish living rooms to look like (see photo below). The atmosphere was cosy, and the service was quick. 

No queríamos comida muy elaborada, sólo algo rápido, y este sitio está muy bien. El restaurante es como yo creo que los salones escoceses deberían de ser (la foto abajo). El ambiente era acogedor y el servicio rápido.



The restaurant was very busy, but even so it wasn´t noisy. I think there is nothing worse than going for a nice lunch or dinner and trying to maintain a conversation, but being unable to because the music is too loud, or everybody seems to be shouting.

El restaurante estaba casi lleno, pero aún así no había mucho ruido. Creo que no hay nada peor que intentar tener una comida agradable y no poder conversar porque la música está muy alta o la gente habla a gritos.

I had French toast with Brie to start with. In the menu it comes with bacon as well but I went for the vegetarian option. It was very nice, it came accompanied by a rocket salad by the side which was also good. I love balsamic vinegar in salads, and this one had it! (I forgot to take a photo of that one...).

De primero pedí tostada francesa con queso Brie. En el menú hay la opción de añadir bacon pero yo opté por la opción vegetariana. La tostada con el queso estaba buena, y de acompañamiento traía una ensalada aliñada con vinagre balsámico que a mi me encanta. (Se me olvidó sacar una foto...).

For the mains we ordered fish and chips and a goat´s cheese and caramelised onion tart. My experience is that vegetarians or love or hate goat´s cheese. I personally love it, but I basically love every single type of cheese. I haven´t found one that I don´t like and I tend to bring it home every time I go on holidays!

De segundo perdimos el típico fish and chips y una tartaleta de queso de cabra con cebolla caramelizada. Mi experiencia es que los vegetarianos o adoran u odian el queso de cabra. Yo lo adoro, pero la verdad es que me gustan todos los quesos, aún no he encontrado uno que no me guste!



They were very fast to serve the food, and the waitress was making sure everything was perfect for us. They also sell Scottish craft beers, which next time I will make sure I order a pint of one!

Fueron muy rápidos sirviendo la comida, y la camarera se aseguró de que todo estuviese perfecto. En este sitio también venden cervezas artesanales escocesas, y cuando vuelva me aseguraré de pedir una!


Scores:
Puntuaciones:

Food: 7
Comida: 7
Service: 9
Servicio: 9
Location: 8
Localización: 8
Atmosphere: 9
Ambiente: 9
Will come back? Maybe. I mean, I want to try other places in the area as well. But this is a good one!
Volveré? Tal vez. A ver, intentaré ir primero a otros sitios por la zona también. Pero este estuvo bien!




Tuesday 29 April 2014

Loch Lomond - Scotland -

Loch Lomond, only over 30 minutes from Glasgow by car, is one of those places that can make you feel better. Away from the city, surrounded by nature and a beautiful scenery, it is one of my favourite places to scape to when I need some peace and quiet.

Loch Lomond, a sólo 30 minutos en coche de Glasgow, es uno de esos lugares que te hace sentir mejor. Lejos de la ciudad, rodeado de naturaleza y con unos paisajes preciosos, es uno de mis sitios preferidos a los que escapar cuando necesito un poco de paz y tranquilidad.






There are plenty of hotels around if you are considering spending a weekend there, but my absolute favourite is Cameron House, a stunning house renovated to be a hotel. But they also have some lodges, which are perfect for families. It is kind of posh camping :-)

Hay cantidad de hoteles cerca, pero el que más me gusta es Cameron House, una casona renovada y convertida en hotel de cinco estrellas. También tienen unas "cabañas", que parecen perfectas para familias. Son como de camping pijo!




And as in many other places in Scotland, you can find castles around. Unfortunately some of them haven´t been taken care of, and are falling apart, which is a shame.

Como en otros muchos sitios de Escocia, puedes encontrar castillos por los alrededores. Desafortunadamente algunos no han sido cuidados y se están cayendo, lo que es una pena.





For me Loch Lomond is the perfect place to enjoy nature, and spend a whole day around, eating in one of the many traditional Scottish pubs and restaurants you can find there. If you like golf, the Carrick is one of the most amazing golf courses in, probably, the world.

Para mi Loch Lomond es el sitio perfecto para disfrutar de la naturaleza, pasar un día entero comiendo en alguno de los restaurantes of pubs tradicionales escoceses que se pueden encontrar por la zona. Si eres amante del golf, el Carrick es unos de los campos de golf más increíbles de (probablemente) todo el mundo.

Where are your favourite places to scape to? Where do you go when you need peace and quiet?

Y vosotros a dónde os escapáis cuando necesitáis paz? Cuál es vuestro sitio preferido?

Thank you for reading!

Muchas gracias por leerme!

Monday 28 April 2014

Cup Tea Lounge, the Best Afternoon Tea in Glasgow?

I am really excited to finally dedicating a post to Cup Tea Lounge, as it is one of my favourite places for lunch, cupcakes and afternoon tea in Glasgow! I have been several times, to this one and the one they have in the West End (Cup Tea Room).

Qué ganas tenía de hablar de Cup Tea Lounge en el blog, ya que es uno de mis sirios preferidos en Glasgow para comer, comprar cupcakes y tomar el tradicional "afternoon tea". He ido varias veces a este y al otro que tienen en el West End (Cup Tea Room).

It is a great place to have a quick bite to eat in the city centre, or if you want to celebrate or surprise somebody you can have the delicious afternoon tea, believe me, you will not regret it!

Es el sitio perfecto para comer algo rápido en el centro, o si quieres celebrar algo, si estás de visita en la ciudad o si han venido a verte y quieres llevarlos a un sitio donde sirvan el afternoon tea.

Cup Tea Lounge is located in what at the beginning of the 20th Century was the Bank of India. Now it is a B listing building, which means they can´t make any changes to it, and it has all its original features. The beautiful tiles and the big chandeliers makes the place that extra bit special.

Cup Tea Lounge se encuentra en lo que a principios del siglo XX era el Banco de la India. Hoy en día no pueden hacer cambios en el interior, ya que está considerado algo así como patrimonio, y contiene todos los detalles originales del Banco. Los azulejos y las lámparas de dan un toque especial al lugar.




As soon as you walk it, the cupcakes will catch your eye. They look delicious and ARE delicious. There are plenty of options for all tastes, and there is even a cupcake sampler option, which include three mini versions of the big cupcakes.

Nada más cruzar la puerta lo primero que ves son las cupcakes. Están buenísimas! Hay muchas opciones para todos los gustos, y también hay la opción de pedir tres pequeñas de distintos sabores si no te puedes decidir por una en concreto.


The photo above is my very favourite, the Red Velvet cupcake. It is absolutely amazing and I never get tired of eating it! :-D

La foto de arriba es de mi favorita, la Red Velvet. Está increíble, no me canso de pedirla! :-D

The lunch menu is very good as well, they usually have an offer that for under £10 you can have a soup and a sandwich. I think I had this option twice and I totally recommend it, as they are good amounts of both. 

El menú de comidas esta muy bien también, y generalmente tienen una oferta con la que por menos de 10 libras puedes tomarte una sopa y un sandwich. Creo que opté por esto un par de veces y la recomiendo totalmente.

I usually have the H.L.T. sandwich, which is a vegetarian one with halluomi cheese (photo below).

Normalmente pido el sandwich H.L.T., que es vegetariano y tiene queso halumi (foto abajo).


Unfortunately I had afternoon tea there a long while ago, much before I started the blog, and I don´t have any photos of it :-(

Qué mala suerte que cuando tomé el afternoon tea fue mucho antes de empezar con el blog y no saqué ninguna foto :-(

Another thing that is quite impressive is the tea menu. They offer a big amount of teas, which are served with a timer by the side so you know when your tea has brewed long enough and it is at its best.

Otra de las cosas que es bastante impresionante es el menú de tés. Tienen una gran cantidad, y lo sirven acompañado de una alarma que te avisa cuando el té está listo.

Last thing I want to recommend are the scones. But one in particular: the raspberry and white chocolate scone, amazing! Oh and the jams are home made and are incredible as well!

La última cosa que tengo que recomendar son los scones. Pero en particular el de frambuesa y chocolate blanco, increíble! Y las mermeladas son hechas en casa y están buenísimas también.

Scores:
Puntuaciones:

Food: 9
Comida: 9
Service: 9
Servicio: 9
Location: 8
Localización: 8
Atmosphere: 9
Ambiente: 9
Will come back? As I said, I have been there several times, and will probably be back several more.
Volveré? Como dije antes, he ido unas cuantas veces y seguramente vuelva varias más.

Have you ever been to Cup Tea Lounge? Where is your favourite place for afternoon tea? Have you had afternoon tea before?

Habéis estado alguna vez en Cup Tea Lounge? Cuál es vuestro sitio preferido para tomar el afternoon tea? Lo habéis tomado alguna vez?

Thank you for being there!

Muchas gracias por estar ahí!


Saturday 26 April 2014

Wish List: Top 5 Destinations

Today I bring you my wish list, with five destinations I would love to visit soon. Each destination has something unique, but the common link to all five of them are the rare animals you can see there.

Hoy os traigo mi lista de deseos, cinco lugares a los que me encantaría poder ir pronto. Cada sitio tiene algo único y diferente, y lo que las une a todas ellas son los animales que podemos encontrar en cada sitio.

I love animals, my family has three dogs, I rescued a cat last year (his name is Leo), and I have an rhino and a tiger adopted through WWF. I enjoy learning more about animals, and when possible see them in their habitat.

Adoro a los animales, mi familia tiene tres perros, yo rescaté a un gato (Leo) el año pasado, y adopté a un rinoceronte y un tigre con WWF. Me encanta aprender más sobre los animales, y cada vez que puedo me gusta verlos en su hábitat natural.

Let´s start!

¡Comencemos!

1. Costa Rica - Sloths

I am obsessed with sloths. To me they are the most interesting animals on Earth. I love everything about them, and keep watching videos and reading articles to know more about these cute creatures.

Estoy totalmente obsesionada con los perezosos. Me parecen el animal más interesante e increíble del mundo. Me encanta todo de ellos, y no paro de ver vídeos y leer artículos para saber más sobre estas adorables criaturas.

Apart from sloths, Costa Rica has some of the most beautiful sights in the world. The beaches, with clear waters and palm trees, as not as full of tourists as those in other neighbouring countries. Also there is the option to visit the mountains, with magnificent nature all around.

Pero aparte de los perezosos Costa Rica tiene mucho que ofreces. Con algunos de los paisajes más hermosos del mundo, playas tropicales con aguas cristalinas y palmeras, que además no están llenas de turistas, es uno de los destinos más apetecibles. 


And on top of all that they have sloths. In particular a sanctuary that will be the first place I visit when I am lucky enough to visit Costa Rica. This sloth sanctuary rehabilitates sloths, but also studies them, and finds ways to help protect these wonderful animals.

Y además tienen perezosos. En particular un santuario que será el primer sitio que visite cuando tenga la suerte de poder visitar Costa Rica. Este santuario rehabilita a los perezosos, pero también los estudia y encuentra formas para ayudar a proteges a estos animales extraordinarios.

They have a B&B and two tours visitors can enjoy. What I like is that they seem to be very protective with the animals, and they only want the best for them. They say sloths are not pets, therefore visitors can´t hug them. I think this is great because I am tired of seeing photos of tourists ridding (some) abused elephants, or petting tigers... 

El santuario ofrece alojamiento y dos tours para los visitantes. Lo que más me gusta es que parece que protegen mucho a los animales y se preocupan de lo que es mejor para ellos. Dicen que los perezosos no son mascotas, así que la gente no los puede abrazar. Para mi esto es genial, ya que estoy cansada de ver fotos de turistas poco cuidadosos montados en (algunos) elefantes maltratados, o acariciando tigres que seguro están drogados.

As tourists we should be more careful, and don´t support some practices that only exist because of us. 

Creo que como turistas deberíamos tener más cuidado con lo que hacemos, y no apoyar algunas cosas que sólo existen para nosotros.


2. Kenya - elephants, giraffes, zebras, leopards...

I always wanted to go to Africa, as I think it is a fascinating continent. People how have been there talk about the colours, how different they are from the ones we see in Europe. Everybody I know who has been to Africa, is in love with the place. And I can´t wait to go! And Kenya has something special to it.

Siempre he querido ir a África porque creo que es un continente fascinante. La gente que conozco que ha estado habla de los colores, lo diferentes que son de los que conocemos en Europa. Mis conocidos, todos, se han enamorado del lugar. Y yo tengo unas ganas locas de ir! Y Kenia tiene algo especial, que me llama.




In particular I want to go to one place, basically because of the experience, as it promises to be absolutely amazing. And that place is Sir Richard Branson´s hotel, Mahali Nzuri. This consists on different tents, with some of the best views ever! 

Y en Kenia quiero ir sobre todo a un sitio particular, el hotel de Sir Richard Branson, Mahali Nzuri. Consiste en diferentes edificios que parecen tiendas y promete tener unas vistas increíbles!


3. Australia - Koalas, Kangaroos, sharks, the Great Barrier Reef

In the 60s to Australian young men introduced surf in Spain, and it started in my town. Since then some Australians have moved there, and some people from the town have moved to Australia. That is how my love for that country started. It represented everything that was far away and a bit mysterious.

En los años 60 dos chicos australianos introdujeron el surf en España, y todo empezó en mi pueblo. Desde entonces algunos australianos se mudaron allí y gente del pueblo se fue a Australia. Así es como comenzó mi amor por ese país. Representa todo lo que está lejos y es misterioso.



Also they have some of the most characteristic animals, kangaroos and koalas. But what would be amazing is to go and see the Great Barrier Reef. I looks like one of the most stunning places on the planet, and it is a big shame we don´t take more care of it. 

Además tienen algunos de los animales más característicos, los koalas y los canguros. Pero lo que sería increíble es ir a ver la Gran Barrera de Coral. Parece uno de los sitios más bonitos del planeta, y es una pena que no lo cuidemos más.

There is a huge amount of sea life there, species that can´t be found anywhere else. And Australia also has sharks, that are my second obsession of the animal kingdom. I would love to see them in the wild, where they belong, swimming in circles and being the beautiful and powerful animal they are.

Hay una variedad increíble de animales marinos, algunas especies que no se encuentran en ningún otro lugar. Y Australia también tiene tiburones, mi segunda obsesión del reino animal. Me encantaría verlos en el mar, en donde pertenecen, nadando en círculos y siendo el precioso y poderoso animal que son.


4. Japan - macaques

Coming from a country where corruption and steeling seem to be the norm, Japanese culture attracts me like no other. When they were badly hit by the earthquake and tsunami many people lost their houses, businesses, everything they had. What was incredible was that nobody went to steel or take advantage of all those empty houses, supermarkets and offices. People respected these. And as I say, coming from the culture I come from, this is amazing.

Siendo de un país donde la corrupción y el robar está tan generalizado, la cultura japonesa me atrae porque parece ser todo lo contrario. Cuando el terremoto y tsunami les alcanzó llevándose numerosas vidas y destruyendo casas y negocios, nadie entró en ninguno a robar. La gente se respetó una a la otra. Y viendo lo que vemos en España a diario, esto nos parece casi fábula.

I also love their respect for the elderly. I don´t know when we stop having it in Europe, but I think it is something that should have never been lost. I am also impressed by their sense of tradition, and how they follow it.

También me encanta el respeto que tienen por sus ancianos. No sé cuando lo dejamos de tener en Europa pero es algo que nunca se debería perder. También me impresiona su sentido de la tradición, y como lo siguen y respetan.


And when I visit Japan I will visit the monkeys! During the cold months, these amazing animals spend some time in the hot springs, enjoying some heat when the weather is tough. They are really intelligent animals, and even roll snowballs for fun!

Y cuando visite Japón visitaré a los monos! Durante los meses más fríos, estos increíbles animales pasan tiempo metidos en el agua caliente de las charcas. Son animales muy inteligentes que hasta hacen bolas de nieve y las tiran rodando para divertirse!


5. Bahamas - pigs

The Bahamas look amazing in every single photo I have seen. Sunshine, clear waters, white sand, Caribbean food and architecture... What else can anybody ask for? It looks like the perfect holiday destination. That somehow worries me as I have going to places overflowing with tourists...

Las Bahamas parecen un sitio alucinante en todas las fotos. Sol, aguas turquesas, arenas blancas, comida y arquitectura caribeñas... Qué más se puede pedir? Parece el lugar perfecto para ir de vacaciones. Pero eso también me preocupa, ya que el sitio puede estar a reventar de turistas...


But they have sharks. And swimming pigs! Just for the swimming pigs is worth a trip! Every time I see the images of the pigs swimming, a smile comes to my face. I really hope tourists don´t spoil these pigs habitat, as it often happens, and we can all enjoy the images of these animals swimming happily!

Pero en las Bahamas también hay tiburones. Y cerdos que nadan! Sí, sí, cerdos que nadan! Yo creo que solo por los cerdos el sitio merece una visita. Cada vez que veo una imagen de los cerdos nadando se me viene una sonrisa a la boca. Espero que los turistas no destrocen el hábitat de estos cerdos, como casi siempre pasa, y que podamos seguir disfrutando de las imágenes de estos animales nadando felizmente!


So those are my top five places to visit, basing the list on the animals that can be found in each place. 

Estos son mis cinco destinos preferidos basando la lista en los animales que se pueden encontrar en cada uno de ellos.

What do you think? Have you been to any of these? Where would you go?

Qué pensais? Habéis estado en alguno de estos sitios? A dónde iríais vosotros?

As always, thanks for reading!

Muchas gracias por leerme!


Friday 25 April 2014

Just Do It Friday: Steve Jobs

Probably some of you have heard of, or even seen this video before. For me it is one of the most amazing motivational speeches I have ever heard, and never get tired of reading or watching it.

Steve Jobs tells his story to recent graduates from Stanford University. It is an intense speech with many key points to it. I mention some of these below.



He repeats several times how he followed his intuition, and how we all should listen to it more often. I think the most difficult thing here is to distinguish when it is intuition and when it is not. Many people say meditation is key, and if you quietly and on your own time listen to yourself, you will be able to hear it.

Another interesting thing he mentions is how he only attended the lectures that interested him, and thanks to that he learnt more things that proved to be useful in the long term. I will go one step further, I will say that no matter your age or your background, learn what interests you.

Sometimes we stop learning as soon as we leave university. We are like machines, work - sleep - work, and we forget how important it is to keep alive, to feel the excitement of knowing something knew, of learning something.

Find what you love and love what you do. I will tell you something about myself. Some months ago I didn´t have a job and I was desperate applying to all the offers I could find. One day after too many "We regret to inform you..." I stopped and thought: What are you applying for? Is that really what you want to work in?

I wrote down what I always loved to do, what I always wanted to become. And suddenly something happened. I saw a job offer for exactly my dream job, exactly what I wrote down I wanted to do. I knew that job had to be mine, and a few months later here I am, working there, having my dream job!

But probably the best known and more intense lines are the following:

Your time is limited, so don´t waste it living someone else´s life.
Don´t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people´s thinking.
Don´t let the noise of others´ opinions drown out your inner voice.
And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you want to become.
Everything else is secondary.

I leave you with these lines, hopefully they will make you think or offer you some new ideas.

Did you watch this speech before? Are there any other speeches you love? Do you usually listen to your intuition?

Thank you very much for reading!

Thursday 24 April 2014

Copenhagen - End -

Unfortunately every holiday has an end and today´s post was about my last day in Copenhagen. I loved the city, the people, the food, the atmosphere... I loved everything about Copenhagen and it was hard getting on the plane to leave (until the next time though!).

The last day was a Sunday, and be aware that on Sundays many places are closed. I found it a bit weird seeing restaurants, cafes and shops closed on a Sunday, and it was a bit of a struggle finding somewhere to have lunch or just a coffee.

Taking that into account, we decided to take one of the boat tours. They are every half an hour and last for about one hour. They are good to see the city from another angle but I wouldn´t recommend them as the only way to see the city, as they are not like the bus where you can hop on and off whenever you like.

Here is a selection of some of my favourite photos.












As you can see on the photos it was a gorgeous sunny day, so after the boat we went for a walk to the Botanic Gardens. They are not far from the centre, a 15 - 20 minute walk, and they are a very relaxing place. Once you are inside all the noise and the crazy city life stays out and you can just enjoy some peace and nature.


As I said at the beginning of the post, I loved Copenhagen and happily would go back again. Next time I will rent a bike (although I will panic with the cars going past me), and will try to discover some other places in Denmark too, because it seems to be a really beautiful country.

Do you have a favourite thing to do in the cities you visit? Do you do or buy something specific? Do you buy souvenirs when you travel?

I´d love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Copenhagen - Day 2 -

After our morning in Malmö we headed back to Copenhagen and the first stop was Lagkagehuset, a popular bakery where you can find nice big sandwiches, pastries and good coffee.

Then we spent some time around Christiansborg Slot. This palace is not used by the Royal family anymore, but it is still been used for big occasions, such as banquets.




Inside Christiansborg Slot grounds, they have the Royal Stables, where they take care and train the horses. Nowadays they have from 14 to 16 horses there, but in the past the stables were home to up to 250 horses.



Just outside the palace, there is one of my favourite rooftops in the city, and that´s the one of the former Borsen, or stock exchange. This building was built between the 16th and 17th centuries, and today it is the Chamber of Commerce. The spire is shaped as the tails of four dragons.


Our idea was to visit the Free State of Christiania that day, so we started walking towards that part of town. On the way we found a couple of interesting things, first being a group of women using a sauna next to one of the canals. I should say that even if it was sunny, it was really cold (I was wearing globes and a scarf), and these women were jumping in the water straight from the sauna! I know this is how you should do it, but I really don´t know how they manage, I don´t think I would be able!


And the second was a little church with another interesting rooftop. This church was Our Saviour´s Church (Vor Frelsers Kirke), and if you feel like it you can climb the 400 steps to the top, the views are supposed to be amazing!


Very close to that church there is Christiania, a community of around 1000 people that has its own schools, government and laws, and keeps going thanks to the profits they make from their cafes, restaurants and shops. 



Photographs are not allowed on the main areas, just at the entrance. It is a mix of tourist, curious people, youngsters and residents, all enjoying a good time inside this peculiar place. Cars are also not allowed in, but you should keep an eye for bikes carrying big boxes, as they are continuously coming and going.



I´m sure my mum, who is a bit of a hippy, would have loved this place!

Have you guys been to Copenhagen? What was your favourite part? Anything you think I might have missed?

Thank you for reading!


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