Nagy Bianka

Fall Fashion - Drop waist dress

2013-09-02T00:00:00+02:00

Temperatures have been dropping here in Belgium, evenings feel cool. There is a crisp breeze to the air that hints autumn is coming.

Photo: Pinterest

In the shops the new collections for autumn/winter 2013 are slowly coming in. I have noticed the ultra flattering drop waist dresses in some collections. This dress suits every body type. I really like these dresses pictured below.

Zara - Floral Neoprene Dress

French Connection - Blousy Bloom Floral Dress

Zara - Funnel Neck dress

Cos - Dress with flared skirt

PIKNIK MUSIK

2013-07-14T00:00:00+02:00

Sunday, we went to of Piknik Musik in the city park of Leuven. Good food, summer tunes and spending time with family was a perfect combination for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Piknik Musik was celebrating their 5th Anniversary. We brought a tomato mozzarella pasta and some fresh strawberries with mint with us for the picnic.

There is no picnic without playing petanque. So, a petanque competition took place. The grand finale will take place on 8 September 2013.

If you did bring your own picnic, you could enjoy some delicacies from one of Leuven’s finest shops. Also, you could taste local products from Flemish Brabant such as apple juice, local beers and home made vanille waffels. It was absolutely divine!

The next edition of Piknik Musik will take place on 18 August 2013 in the Provinciaal Domein of Kessel-Lo. Discobar Galaxie will be also performing to celebrate the 10th edition of Piknik Musik!

Birthday weekend

2013-07-12T00:00:00+02:00

Photo: You Are The Love Of My Life

Have a nice weekend! What are your plans for the weekend? This weekend we are going to Piknik Musik with some family members. Everybody will bring some delicious bites along. Piknik Musik is huge city picnic with summer tunes playing in the background. Also, we are celebrating my birthday this evening. We will be having dinner at a vegetarian restaurant. A banana pie is already waiting for me!

Here is my weekly inspiration from around the web.

We are going to Piknik Musik on Sunday.
I will be making this delicious pasta and this yummy dessert (in Dutch) to savour at the picnic.
These tropical fruit cocktails from Camille Styles make me dream of a tropical holiday.
I really liked the gorgeous New York appartement of blogger Kat Tanita from With love from Kat featured on the Glitter Guide.
In a recently dug-up video Dustin Hoffman explains how it was playing a woman in Tootsie.

DIY Birdhouse

2013-07-10T00:00:00+02:00

Photo: Miho Design

I recently saw these cute birdhouses and deer heads in one of my favorite shops. The birdhouses and deer heads are from the Italian Miho Unexpected design. The designs are elegant and funny and have a colorful look. They are made from recycled MDF. But, I didn’t want to spend a lot on a design birdhouse.

Photo: Karmuca y Cuquino

After bumping into this DIY on Pinterest, I decided to make my own little birdhouse from cardboard. I found a birdhouse template on the blog of Karmuca y Cuquino. I decorated my cardboard birdhouse with leftover wrapping paper, I only purchased a little fake bird for €3. My version of the birdhouse is not that fancy and it can be more finetuned, but I am happy with the final outcome.

Into the blue

2013-07-08T00:00:00+02:00

Photos from left to right: Baby dress, Dining room, Étoile Isabel Marant dress, Blue flower tumbler, Earrings, Blue and white satin flats, Striped cushion Oven cloth, Floral cutout playsuit.

Summer has finally arrived, the sun is shining, this means I can wear summer dresses! Lately I have been noticing the blue and white trend everywhere from clothes to home decor. I am all in for it! Above is a selection of my finds.

Weekend

2013-07-05T00:00:00+02:00

Photo: UChic

Have a gorgeous weekend! What are your plans for the weekend? The weather forecast is predicting warm weather for the weekend and all next week! Finally summer is here! Saturday I am going to a vegetarian dinner party. I am looking forward seeing my friends, it’s been a long time. Here are some inspiration from around the web.

This frozen watermelon slush is just a perfect drink to beat the heat.
Chambray shirt and patterned skirt outfit idea for the weekend.
Scandinavian sandwich party ideas.
Grilled cumin lime zucchini quesadilla recipe.
Decorate a master bedroom by adding a pop of color.
I am in love with the ombre bark French Connection dress.

Homes & Spaces: Attic

2013-07-04T00:00:00+02:00

Photo: Charming Guesthouse in Australia by Gardener & Marks

At one point we would like to clean up our attic and turn it into an amazing space. Now it functions as a storage/guest room. We really should get rid off all the junk and furniture that we don’t use anymore. Our attic has wood everywhere, and I am playing with the idea of painting the whole space white to give it a clean and fresh look. But first of all, we will have to decide and agree on what we will do with the space. Here are some ideas I have found on the web:

Photo: Eclectic dreams

We definitely need some storage space as well, these built-in shelves look amazing. Our attic doesn’t have such high ceiling, but I can imagine having a smaller version.

Photo: 456 notek

Oh, what a lovely guest room idea.

Photo: Decoholic

We could build a loft for Ella for when she is older.

Photo: Interior Design

Or maybe I will just transform the attic into a walk in dressing room :-)!

Baby food

2013-07-01T00:00:00+02:00

When I mention that I prepare my baby’s food, I get strange looks from people. I can almost read their minds ‘Why do you bother cooking? Are you crazy? There are a lot of baby food that you just have to heat up in the microwave’. Well, I would like to expose my daughter to all kinds of flavors and tastes. I believe home cooked meals are the best. My favorite meals are still my mother’s cooking. Sometimes we ‘cook together’, Ella is sitting in her high chair next to me while I am preparing her lunch or her snack. While I am cleaning, washing, chopping the produce, I am explaining to her what I am doing. Sometimes she tastes a piece of fruit or vegetable. Luckily, Ella is not a picky eater, she likes almost everything. Kiwi is not one of her favorites, but I have learned to give it a few tries before giving up on something. Here are some of her favorite meals.

Wash, peel and chop the ingredients. We initially purchased a second hand Baby Cook foodmaker, the steamer part broke down after couple of months. We still use the mixer part. We bought a big steamer, which the whole family uses now. Apparently, steamed vegetables are healthier and tastier than cooked ones.

For the vegetable purée the portions are 1/3 rice, pasta or potatoes, 2/3 vegetables. I add 1 table spoon of vegetable oil (olive oil, sunflower oil, etc.) or soft unsalted butter. When your baby is 6 months old you can add 15 to 20 g (= 1 table spoon ) meat or fish. At 12 months you can increase the meat and fish to 25 to 30 g. I don’t really know the exact amount of food I prepare, but Ella eats more than 400g at lunch.

Asparagus and potatoes, 1 hard boiled egg (half of a hardboiled egg under 12 months), and a few leaves of parsley.
Sweet potatoes and zucchini with salmon.
Sweet peas or green beans and rice with turkey.
Tomato, bell pepper, pasta with porc.
Raw avocado and potatoes with turkey, and a few leaves of cilantro.
Eggplant and potatoes with beef.
Carrot, witloof and potatoes.
Parsnip, carrots, and potatoes with turkey.
Celeriac, zucchini and rice with sole.
Cauliflower, carrots and sweet potatoes with beef.
Witloof and rice with duck.

I was advised not to add salt and strong spices until Ella is older. Without added salt babies will learn the natural taste of food and too much salt is unhealthy anyway.

For the fruit purée I add at least two different kinds of fruits and 1 betterfood cookie. In daycare Ella eats a lot of apples, so at home I try to mix up things a little bit.

Banana and strawberry.
Mango, banana and strawberry.
Kiwi gold and banana.
Peach and abricot.
Strawberry, rapsberry and blueberry.
Apple and pear.
Clementines and banana (during winter time).
Melon and mango.
Watermelon, strawberry and banana.

Ella is a banana addict, she eats at least 1 banana a day. Her first word was ‘bababa’ meaning banana :-)!

Summer weekend

2013-06-28T00:00:00+02:00

Photo: Pinterest

Have a great weekend! We are looking forward to a quiet weekend, no parties, no big family gatherings to attend. My sister will drop by Saturday for breakfast and to play with Ella. Otherwise if the weather is better we will go for a walk. We are fed up with the cold and rain. Here are some inspiration from around the web.

Great picnic ideas.
Summer sale starts next week Monday and I am eyeing this skirt. This lamp for the bedroom. And this cute shirt for Ella.
I read this inspiring career profile on the Everygirl.
Cute outfit idea for the weekend.
I made this delicous roast provençal chicken recipe on Thursday. It was a hit and will try it again with potatoes and roasted vegetables next time.
These summer looks from Elle France are stunning. Makes me dream of the French Riviera.
We had this vintage Fisher Price Queen Buzzy Bee Toy. Ours had broken wings and one of the antenna’s was missing as well. Memories!
As of 1 July 2013 Google Reader will no longer exist. I already imported my Google Reader feeds to Feedly. I am still learning how to work with it. I will miss Google Reader for sure.

Tasty & reasonable priced restaurants in Brussels

2013-06-26T00:00:00+02:00

We live in Leuven, 25 km or 30 minutes ride from Brussels. As my sister lives in the capital, I often go to visit her. Sometimes we have lunch together in one of the restaurants here below:

If you like a mix of international and French cuisine, head to Restaurant le Malte in Saint-Gilles (Rue Berckmans 30). Their lunch menu costs 9.5 euro, with tea or coffee 11 euro. Really reasonable prices! For lunch I had the beef burger maison and my sister had the salad de roquette. They serve good sized portions, you don’t leave hungry, that’s for sure. We also tried some dishes from their regular menu, I really liked the beef with red vine and shallot sauce, and the mixed fish grill.

In the trendy fashion area, next the chique Rue Dansaert, you can find restaurant Publico (Rue des Chartreux 32, 1000 Brussels). They serve a fresh and creative cuisine. You can stop by just for coffee, a relaxing lunch, or an evening dining with flair. I really liked the duck in marsala sauce and for dessert dame blanche ice cream. After dinner we usually go to one of the popular bars in this trendy neighboorhood.

In the heart of the European headquarters, near place Schumann, I discovered a small and charming restaurant Le Corrège. The restaurant is mainly open during lunch time, except for Thursday and Friday evenings. The food is excellent, they serve dishes according which fish, vegetables and fruits are in season. They have a couple of regular dishes on the menu as well. Lunch costs 14 euro, with appetizer 17 euro and with dessert 20 euro. Every lunch I ate here was delicious. My favorite was the chicken normandaise with apples and cognac sauce. I seem to like sauces :-)!

New York city

2013-06-24T00:00:00+02:00

In May 2011 we went on holidays to New York city for 8 days. It was my first time in New York city and I immediately fell in love with the city. We visited most of the touristy things: Central Park, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Guggenheim museum, Fifth Avneue, walked over the Brooklyn Bridge to Dumbo neigboorhood, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, Battery Park with view of the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, High Line park, United Nations building.

We ate cupcakes at a cutest little cupcake shop and saw the actor Gabriel Bryne from the movie The Usual Suspects. We also spotted Sarah Jessica Parker walking around Greenwich, that was for me a Sex and the City moment. We walked a lot, we had such a great time there!

Here are some tested and approved restaurants and bars:

Shake Shack: we ate the best hamburgers ever, we had to queue for at least a half an hour, but it was so worthy.
Westville restaurant: Fresh food for reasonable prices. We tried the menu of the day, our meals was very tasty.
Five points restaurant: We went to Five Points restaurant for brunch. I had the eggs in cocotte, very tasty. My absolute favorite would be the Raisin-Walnut French Toast with Crème Anglaise & Caramelized Bananas. Heaven!
Rooftop bar: 230 Fifth (230 5th avenue). Rooftop bar with amazaing view over Manhattan. Dress code: dress to impress!
Radegast hall: German beergarden in Brooklyn.

We went for a drink or two in St. Marc’s neighboorhood, we tried some local beers and wines bar. I can’t recall the name of the bar anymore.

Of course, we had to do a little shopping as well. We discovered some nice boutiques and outlets. I am a huge fan of J.Crew, I splurged some money there. Now I can only shop online, they ship internationally, yay! But it’s not the same, I still like to try on the clothes, as you never know which size fits you the best.

We are invited to another wedding this year in September in New Jersey, I am really thinking about attending the wedding and return to New York city for a couple of days. A couple of weeks ago I read this great blog post about discovering New York city by bike. Joanna from a cup of joe is suggesting three bike routes: across the Brooklynn Bridge from Mahattan to Dumbo, Central Park loop, and The Hudson River Greenway. If we return, it’s definetly on my to do list. Next time I would also like to see a show on Broadway, we didn’t have time to see one last time. Also, on my wish list, a boat trip to Coney Island. So much to see, so little time!

De Langste Dag, Leuven

2013-06-22T00:00:00+02:00

Photo: Granny Turismo

Every year Leuven Handelt! organizes the event ‘De Langste Dag’, meaning a day of shopping and entertainment on the ‘longest’ day of the year. It’s a day to celebrate the beginning of summer. Shops already offered discounts before the summer sale begins! Next to shopping, international artists entertained the crowd in the streets. One of the funniest act was Granny Turismo, one of the grannies almost ran me over with her bycicle while I was snapping a picture of her. Despite the rainy and windy weather, lots of people attended the event. Here are some pictures from the event.

Photo: Abacus Theater: Iron Wings

Photo: Die Bayrische Botschaft: Liesl & Lotte

Photo: Cirqumstancio

Photo: The Bottlair Brothers

Photo: Fonske

Tulum (Mexcio)

2013-06-20T00:00:00+02:00

We left Playa del Carmen early morning by bus to head to Tulum. Another 45 minute drive, once we arrived in Tulum it was scorching hot.

In tulum we stayed in the a small Hotel Don Diego de la Selva on the south end of Tulum. We opted not to stay in a beachfront cabaña as running water and electricity are a necessity with a baby. The hotel is situated in a lush tropical garden with a swimming pool, isolated from the outside world. In the hotel bee hives are cultivated from a local bee called meliponas. The meliponas don’t stingue. The owners make honey and soap and shampoo.

There are three types of rooms: double room, family room and 2 cabañas. Every room has a large terrace or an individual balcony with garden views. The hammock on the balcony is added plus to relax or to read a book. Homemade breakfast (fresh fruit juice, homemade jam and honey, and huevos rancheros or a piece of cake) is included in the price. The staff was super friendly and helpful, they sterlized our baby bottles and heated up the baby food in the microwave.

Their restaurant El Paladante serves a mix of Mexican and European cuisine. The food is delicous, but the portions are a little bit on the small side. I tasted the chicken mole and the veal in red wine sauce, both dishes were mouth watering. I read in the guide book that the owners also have a small ecohotel on Tulum beach, Don Diego de la Playa.

The wedding took place in Akiin Tulum beachclub. The ceremony was on the beach with the turquoise Caribbean sea as a backdrop, it was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been invited to. Apetizers and welcome drinks were served on the beach, followed by dinner in a big cabaña. The evening was perfect!

During our stay in Tulum, besides lounging by the pool, we visited the ruins of Tulum, it is one of the best-preserved coastal Maya sites. The ruins are situated on 12m tall cliffs, along the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. It has a picturesque view of the Caribbean. I think pictues speak for themselves :-)!

Denim summer dress

2013-06-19T00:00:00+02:00

Photo: Vanessa Jackman

Photo: Mango

I came across this denim embroidered summer dress on Pinterest. The styling is perfection with a brown belt and sandals. I can imagine wearing this dress on a warm summer day to go to the farmers market, to the beach or just going for a walk. Although the picture dates from 2010, I managed to find a similar style from Mango. I want it!

Playa del Carmen (Mexico)

2013-06-17T00:00:00+02:00

The weather has been horrible in Belgium lately, rainy and cold. Luckily, we soaked up the sun in Mexico in April. We were invited to a wedding of a good friend in Tulum. We stayed in Mexico for two weeks. It was our first real holidays since our baby arrived. The first week we stayed in Playa del Carmen, then we traveled souther to Tulum to attend the wedding.

We took a flight from Paris to Cancun with Air France. Travelling with a baby was quiet a challenge as she didn’t want to sleep on the plane. Of course, when we arrived in Cancun, she fell asleep. Once in Cancun, we took the bus to Playa del Carmen, a 45 minute ride. We booked an apartment through airbnb in the gated community area, Playacar. All the the five star hotels are also situated in this area directly on the beach. The apartment was equipped with all facilities: kitchen, two bathrooms, two bedrooms, washing machine, television, DVD player and four pools on sight. It’s the third time we found a place to stay through airbnb, the appartments were much cheaper and bigger than hotel rooms of the same price.

Downtown Playa and the beach was just 20 minutes walk from the apartment. The city center of Playa del Carmen is too touristic for my taste, the main street is full with shops selling Mexican souvenirs. The beach on the other hand is beautiful with its clear blue water and white sand. As we did or own cooking the first week, I can’t really recommend places to eat. Here are some pictures from our first week.

Easy vegetarian pasta

2013-05-15T00:00:00+02:00

This is an easy pasta recipe that can be made quickly on a busy week night.

Pasta

Ingredients

1 table spoon of olive oil
500g pasta
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
3 onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
100g pine nuts
rucola salad
basil leaves
parmesan cheese
black pepper
salt
green pesto (store bought or home made)

Instructions

In a saucepan cook the pine nuts until golden, toss them once in a while not to burn them.
Heat oil in a sauce pan with the minced onions and garlic and cook until lightly golden and fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are tender.
Cook the pasta al dente. When the pasta is ready add couple of table spoons of green pesto, toss with the tomatoes, onion and garlic mixture. Add some salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with rucola salad, basil leaves, pine nuts and permasan cheese.

Green pesto

Ingredients

60g basil leaves
60g pine nuts
1,5 dl olive oil
60g parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Mix the pine nuts, parmesan cheese, minced garlic, fresh basil leaves and olive oil in a blender until smooth.
Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Linzer cookies recipe

2012-12-21T00:00:00+01:00

When growing up linzer (also known as empire biscuits) and ishler (chocolate covered version) cookies were one of my favorites. My grandmother used to make them around Christmas. These jam-filled cookies have their origin in Austria, but they are extremely famous in Hungary. Especially during Christmas time, linzer cookies can’t be missed from the Christmas table. A great thing about linzer cookies is you can make them well in advance, and you can enjoy them weeks later (store them in a dry, cool place). Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

500 g flour
250g unsalted butter (softened)
130g granulated sugar
1 package vanilla sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon grind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon of baking powder
250g of jam: apricot, raspberry, cherry, etc.
icing sugar

Instructions

In a large bowl beat the flour, baking powder, sugar, vanilla sugar and unsalted butter. Add the finely grated lemon grind, egg yolk, cold water and lemon juice. Beat this mixture until you have a consistent dough. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.

On lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 3-4mm thickness. Using round crinkle cookie cutter, cut out shapes, rerolling scraps. Using a 2.5cm round crinkle or star-shaped cutter, cut centers out of half of the cookies to make tops.

Preheat oven to 170°C. Place about 2.5cm apart, on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake in 170°C oven until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Be careful not to bake the shapes too long, the dough can easily become too hard. Let cool on pans on racks.

When the shapes are cooled, spread generous amount of apricot jam on each cookie bottom (1 teaspoon of jam), place the tops on the bottoms. Dust icing sugar over tops.

Enjoy!

Holiday gift guide

2012-12-19T00:00:00+01:00

Gloves
Mug
Glittery scarf
Sweatshirt
Socks
Bow necklace
Tea
Butterfly earrings
Golden wallet
Lait amande gift package

I hope you find my gift guide under €50 helpful for the holidays. All of the items would make great gifts, whether your are shopping for your mother, sister, daughter or best friend.

Grilled vegetable tart

2012-12-12T00:00:00+01:00

We try to have at least once a week vegetarian dish for dinner. We introduced this tradition as a New Year’s resolution 2 years ago and we are still keeping in up. Three of my girl friends are vegetarian and they make amazing vegetarian dishes! They inspire me too incorporate more vegetarian food in our daily lives. I will try to share once a week a few of our favorites vegetarian dishes!

Ingredients

Herb oil
2 minced fresh rosemary
4 minced fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
peper
salt
Grilled vegetable tart
1 zucchini
2 red bell peppers
1 mozzarella
2 sheets of pâte feuilletée (puff pastry)
fresh basil and/or rucola

Instructions

Herb oil

In a small bowl, add sliced garlic clove, minced fresh rosemary leaves and fresh thyme, and extra-virgin olive oil, mix well. Add some salt and pepper to taste.

Vegetable tart

Slice the red bell peppers in two, remove the seeds. Peel the red peppers with a peeler. Cut each halves in half.
Cut the zucchini in 1 to 1.5 cm pieces. The zucchini doesn’t need to be peeled.
Heat a grilling pan to very hot and grill the zucchini 30 sec. on each side. Set aside. Grill the pieces of red bell peppers. Red bell peppers cook slower, so let enough time to grill them. Set aside. Brush the herb oil on the grilled vegetables. Preheat oven to 180°C. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet (though if you line it with parchment paper, it will be easier to transfer it to a plate later). Spread the grilled vegetables evenly over the bottom of the dough, leaving a 3cm border. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. Brush crust with the remaining herb oil. Cut the mozzarella in small pieces and shingle it on top of the grilled vegetables. Bake the tart until the cheese is puffed and the tart is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with basil, drizzle with olive oil, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the tart onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot with fresh rucola salad.

Fall inspiration

2012-11-14T00:00:00+01:00

Images:

Row 1: Engagement session, Grilled Cheese-and-Bacon Sandwiches with Cheese Curds
Row 2: Honey, Jars, Cold hands, warm hearts, Sunflare Photography
Row 3: Scarf, Hot chocolate, Blankets, Pie: Yevgeniya Shal Food Photography and Styling.

Happy Wednesday! My fall inspiration board is a little bit on the late side as I just started to relaunch my blog. I started this blog two years ago. The aim was to jot down my travel experiences, but as I travel less nowadays my blog was left in the cold. I thought time has come to give this blog another chance and try to broaden its horizon.

This board was inspired by the happy couple having an autumnal picnic in the woods. As temperatures are dropping, I tend to gravitate towards heartier meals, sipping decadent hot chocolate, eating apple crumble, taking a long walk in the woods, enjoying the leaves turning into a yellow, crimson and brown color palette and layering on clothes!

Natural products/toys for babies

2012-11-04T00:00:00+01:00

1 and 2 Weleda calendula baby: we use the diaper care and calendula bath cream with thyme.
3 Mustela cold cream: soothes irritated sensitive skin free of phatalates, paraben, and phenoxyethanol. My baby’s dry skin was softer just after couple of applications and the smell is great!
4 Nivea Pure and natural baby wipes.
5 Petit Bateau onesies are the best value for your money! Great quality and cute designs!
6 Mustela 9 months nursing comfort balm: hydrates and purifies. I have tried few products to sooth the pain, but this was the best!
7 Sophie, la giraffe: made of 100% natural rubber and food paint. Our 5 months old baby already loves her Sophie. She chews on her Sophie’s legs like crazy. Maybe I will have to buy a second one, just in case it gets lost.

Five months ago I became a mom of a sweet little girl. The first months were overwhelming and hard, recovering from child birth, trying to figure out what to do, how to care for our baby, dealing with unsolicited advice from grand parents, great grand parents, people on the street, etc were not helping to cope with the insecurities. Now that we have more or less our routine, things got a little bit easier. Getting up once/twice a night is still hard, but it will improve in couple of months. I hope.

When it comes to products, there is such an overload that is hard to find out what is best for our baby. We are trying to raise our baby in a natural way, make her environment conscious. We are trying using re-usable diapers, but without great success. Most of the time we have to change our baby from head to toe. Re-usable diapers are better for the environment than disposable ones, but I wonder, running the washing machine couple of times a day, is it still worth it? Do you have good experiences with re-usable diapers? What would you recommend?

Paris

2012-09-29T00:00:00+02:00

Row 1: Paris café, Hot chocolate, Macarons
Row 2: Baquette, Paris
Row 3: Le Louvre, Chocolate cake

We are going to Paris for a long weekend! I am really excited about it, as it’s our first holiday abroad with Ella and it’s the first time I am traveling again since my pregnancy. I am little bit scared as I don’t know what to expect when traveling with a baby. This time around we are renting an apartment which we found through airbnb. The apartment is located near Montmartre and Opéra, close to all the mayor sightseeing attractions. What would you recommend when traveling with a baby?

Road trip California coast

2009-10-01T00:00:00+02:00

After 5 days in San Francisco, our road trip along the Pacific Coast begun. As, San Francisco and surrounding are the walhalla for everybody who is interested in IT, we had to stop in Cupertino (situated South of San Francisco) to stop by Google, Apple, Linked In,… It was nice to see the place where everything big is happening in that field!

After couple of hours, we finally reached route 1, first point of interest Monterey. The city is noted for its rich history of resident artists beginning in the late 1800s, and its historically famed fishery. Monterey is well-know for its Bay Aquarium. We didn’t visit the aquarium due to a tight scedule, but it supposed to be one of the biggest aquariums in the world.

Near Monterey you can find the 17 mile drive. The 17 Mile Drive is a scenic road through Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach much of which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf courses and mansions.

On our way to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park we stopped at Café Kevah. The open-air patio offers exceptional views of the coast line, it’s a must to stretch your legs and relax with a nice cup of tea! Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park stretches Big Sur coastline into nearby 3,000-foot ridges. It features a 80-foot waterfall that drops from granite cliffs into the Pacific ocean. This magnificent place used to be the residence of Lathrop and Helen Hooper Brown, also called the Waterfall House. Unfortunately, only the terrace is all that remains now.

Halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles Hearst Castle is situated. Hearst Castle or La Cuesta Encantada (the enchanted hill), belonged once to the famous newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. The castle was designed by the American architect Julia Morgan. Hearst Castle featured 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, 127 acres (0.51 km2) of gardens, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, a movie theater, an airfield, and the world’s largest private zoo. We participated in the ‘Experience Tour’, which is the main tour of the Castle. The tour includes a visit to Esplanade and the gardens, Neptune Pool and Roman Pool, 5 rooms of Casa Grande, and Casa del Sol, one of the guesthouses. Prices: Adult: $24.00, Child: $12.00. There are different tours for everybody’s taste, but if you are in the neighborhood between March through May and September through December 30, I would recommend to do the ‘Evening Tour’. Hearst Castle comes to life. Docents in period dress add life to the magnificent surroundings and take visitors back to the Castle’s 1930’s heyday. Prices: Adult: $30.00, Child: $15.00

Next stop on our road trip: Las Vegas, Death Valley and Grand Canyon!

San Francisco

2009-09-30T00:00:00+02:00

As the plane tickets to US are really cheap nowadays, we decided to go on a road trip on the West Coast for two weeks. We started our trip in hilly San Francisco. We stayed 5 days, but I think in 3 days you can have a first impression of the city. As we stayed with friends, I can’t really recommend a hotel. But I noticed that if you’re hotel is near the BART, you can get to the most important places. The public transport system is not really user friendly, but it’s good enough the travel around the city and surroundings.

Our first experience with San Francisco was the famous Lombard Street, which is well-known for having a steep, one-block section that consists of 8 tight hairpin turns!

Fishermen’s wharf is ideal to stroll around the lively bay area and to catch a glimpse of the famous see lions. Also worth a visit in the area is Ghirardelli square with spectacular views of San Francisco Bay and beyond. The market square used to be an illustrious chocolate factory in the 1800s. As I live in Belgium, first I was hesitant about the chocolate, but I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. The chocolate sundae with hot fudge is absolutely divine! It’s a must to try!

A climb to Telegraph Hill to admire the views from Coit Tower is absolutely breathtaking (literally)! The tower, offers fantastic views of San Francisco including the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (“Aquatic Park”), Alcatraz, Pier 39, Angel Island, Treasure Island, the Bay Bridge, Russian Hill, the Financial District, Lombard Street, and Nob Hill. Behind Coit Tower the Filbert Street Steps can be found. Along the steps is a beautiful garden tended to and paid for by the residents of the street. The steps lead from Telegraph Hill down to Embarcadero, the eastern waterfront roadway of the port of San Francisco. It’s worth to pay a visit to the Ferry building, which is the terminal for ferries that travel across the bay and the shopping center with gourmet shops.

A fun way to get around the city are the cable cars. I ride costs $5, what I would recommend is to buy the 1-day ticket, with which you can take the cable car as many times you want and it’s also valid for the bus. Get off the cable car in China Town for example to visit this lively neighboorhood of the city.

San Francisco is also famous for its prison, Alcatraz. Alcatraz Cruises organises different tours to the island. We took the pm tour, which included a 45 minute audio presentation, featuring actual correctional officers and prisoners who lived and worked on the Island. Unfortunately we couldn’t do the night tour. It’s supposed to be more intimate visit to Alcatraz, with the sunset silhouetting the Golden Gate Bridge and breath-taking views of San Francisco as night falls.

Also a famous tourist attraction are the Painted ladies, the row of 6 Victorian houses bordering Alamo Square Park. Some of you will know them from the opening scene of Full House. From the park catch a glimpse from the skyline of the city.

A good restaurant that I can recommend is the Iluna Basque, a tapas bar with basque influence. The dishes are delicious, I especially liked the seared tuna with Bleu des Basque Sauce and the plums wrapped in bacon. And it’s worth mentioning that the chef participates in the hit show Top Chef!

Stay tuned for my next blog about our road trip down the Californian Coast: Big Sur!

Madrid

2009-08-08T00:00:00+02:00

After having spent 5 months in Madrid in 2005 as an Erasmus exchange student, I think it’s time that I share my experiences.

There is so much to do and see in Madrid, that maybe a weekend won’t be enough!

For cultural activities head to one of the 73 musea of the city. Along Paseo del Prado you will find three magnificent musea such as the Museo del Prado, with one of the most important art collections in the world, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, displaying an exhibition of more than 800 paintings, sculptures and tapestries, and Museo Reina Sofía for the contemporary Spanish art with master pieces of Picasso, Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí and Juan Gris, amongst others.

The Paseo del Arte Card costs €14.40 and is valid for one year, this combined ticket allows one visit to the Museo del Prado, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. The Annual State Museums Card costs €36.06 and is valid for one year, this card allows unlimited visits to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, the Museo Nacional del Prado and all state-owned musea.

After your visit to the musea, go to Parque del Retiro, to have a picnic in the park, lounge in the sun or take a boat tour on the articifial lake. An other nice park to visit is the Templo de Debod overviewing the Royal Palace and Almuden Cathedral, with an ancient Egyptian temple.

If you are a shopping fanatic, Madrid is a great place to shop! I would recommend to visit El Rastro, an open-air flea market, where you can find a great variety of products (ranging from clothing to furniture). El Rastro is held only on Sundays and it’s located along Plaza de Cascorro and Ribera de Curtidores, between Calle Embajadores and the Ronda de Toledo. Also Calle de Fuencarral is worth visiting: one of a kind boutiques can be found one after the other. In this street the Mango outlet store is situated!

In the charming movie theater, Cine Doré (Filmoteca Española c/ Santa Isabel 3, metro Anton Martin), catch a classic movie for €2.50, for students it only costs €2. During summer time watch the movies on the rooftop terrace!

Everywhere charming bars and tavernes are inviting to hop in for a bite and drink. For the best tapas go to Casa de Toni (c/ de la Cruz 14, metro Puerta del sol)! I think I have tried everything on their menu, and the food is absolutely fabulous. A not very know place for tourists is the restaurant Casa de Granada (c/ Doctor Cortezo 17, metro Tirso de Molina), it’s the best rooftop terrace spots of Madrid with sweeping views of the city! Casa de Granada offers an extensive selection of delicious tapas at low prices! It’s easy to miss, as the restaurant is situated on the top floor of an apartment building. As the place is very popular, be there on time, otherwise you’ll have to queue!

Madrid is very well-known for its nightlife and nightclubs. The area of Puerta del Sol and Huertas are very popular night destinations amongst tourists. Every bar is offering some free chupitos. For a more alternative scene head to Malasaña area.

City of Light, La ville des lumières (Paris)

2009-07-20T00:00:00+02:00

For the long weekend we decided to visit the City of Light, Paris. As it was a last minute decision the train ticket could have been cheaper, but it wasn’t overly expensive for a two way ticket (€100/person). And it only takes about 1.20 min from Brussels Midi Station to arrive in Paris Nord Station.

We booked a room in the charming, but eclectic hotel Eldorado, a few steps away from Place de Clichy and 15 minutes from Montmartre. A single room costs between €35-€60, a twin room €70-€80 and a triple room €80-€90. It’s great value for your money!

Next to the hotel, you can find Bistro des Dames. The restaurant’s fantastic outdoor terrace is hidden in the back, so be on the lookout! The menu is delicious and diverse, the prices range between €15-€30! Visit the restaurant on sunny days, daily 12am-14.30pm and 7pm-2am. Getting your foot in the door after-hours isn’t easy, so I would recommend to arrive around 7.30pm to enjoy your meal as reservations are not taken and the place is getting very popular…

Address: 18, rue des Dames 75000 Paris.

What to do

In Paris there’s no end to the activities, whether you love to visit museums or to shop. As Paris has such an extensive cultural heritage it’s impossible to visit every monument or museum in a few days. Take a stroll along the city’s famous Seine River to explore historic sites like Musée du Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Cathedral Notre Dame,… amongst others. To enjoy the Paris experience the fullest purchase the Paris Museum Pass. This pass gives free access without queuing for hours to over 60 museums and monuments in and around Paris. There are 2, 4 or 6 day passes. A 2 day pass for e.g. costs €32. Be careful the pass is only valid for the permanent collections in the museums!

During our stay we have visited 2 wonderful temporary exhibitions in Centre Pompidou: Calder and Kandinsky. The Kandinsky exhibition will last till 10 August 2009. We managed to visit the Calder exhibition on the last day, 20 July 2009. Price: €12 full price and €9 reduced price. Opening Hours: every day (except Tuesdays) from 11am till 11 pm. For these 2 exhibitions there is special nocturnal visit organized. I would highly recommend doing the nocturnal visit, the Centre Pompidou is less crowded and after your visit you can head to the rooftop bar. It’s the perfect place to have a drink, take in the sweeping panoramas and watch the sun set over Paris.

If you’re interested in photography I would recommend to visit the exhibition of Henri Cartier Bresson à vue d’oeil in Maison européenne de la photo. Over 320 master pieces are displayed until 30 August 2009.

On our last day we headed to Versailles to visit the famous château and it’s gardens. Be prepared to queu for hours if you don’t have the Paris Museum Pass. The gardens are absolutely magnificent, however it’s a pity that there are so many visitors, therefore you can’t really enjoy the visit of the castle. You can choose from different visits, we did the full tour and the price was €25. However, if you are under 26 years and a citizen of the EU, the admission is free! Opening Hours: every day (except Mondays) from 9 am till 6.30pm.

I would like to thank Aunomi for giving such a good advice to plan my visit.

Zumba Fitness

2009-07-14T00:00:00+02:00

Zumba fitness, Ditch the workout, join the party!

Since I participated in the first Zumba fitness class in November 2008 during XXL Convention in the Sportoase in Leuven, I have been hooked. The enjoyment and the energy that the instructors, Ruth and Rosy were exhibiting is contagious. Eight months later I am attending Zumba classes twice (sometimes even three times) a week, and I am still excited to go every time.

Zumba combines resistance training with fast paced Latin American music like salsa, meringue, cumbia, samba, calypso, reggaeton and hiphop to create a fun and dynamic work out. The room is filled every time with laughter and participants enjoy themselves while working out! Zumba appeals to everyone regardless their age and shape. As I wiggle my hips, pump my arms and shake my booty to the music, I am able to let go of my worries and stresses.

I thought that the classes will stop during the summer, and I was a little bit sad that I will have to give up my favorite work out. My eyes lightened up when the instructor announced that they will continue to give classes till mid August. The summer classes take place from 6 July till 17 August 2009 in Leuven, it costs 50 euro.

I would recommend zumba to everyone!

For more info, please visit Zumba Leuven or the official Zumba website.