RE BALANCE…. INNER PEACE IN EL PUERTO

Bag: The brewer holdall as my on-board luggage and The Hoxton bag for my daily use

Flight: London to Gibraltar, approx. 3 hours.  I had an unsettling early morning flight having been sat next to an extremely drunk and rather intimidating group, out on their stag do. Adieu Monarch, can’t say I will miss you.

Gibraltar to Cadiz: approx. 1hr 40 mins by car

Stayed at: El Puerto, 10km outside Cadiz

Ate breakfast at: Bar Vicente, owned by 4 generations of the same family, next door to the local market so the perfect spot for people watching. Had a traditional breakfast of Pan con tomate with coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice for only 4 Euros. Could sit there every day.

Ate Tapas at: Bar Apolo, recently renovated, delicious freshly cooked food and great value. Be sure to try the local cuttlefish Choco

Visited:  Cadiz, ferry crossing to Cadiz from El Puerto takes 25 minutes and costs 2.65 Euros one way. The central market sells fish like you have never seen, but go early as they close early. Have to confess I struggled with the sharks

Street food– plenty of choice surrounding the market, I settled for La Taperia de Lula, don’t miss it! They certainly know how to cook the most delicious regional dishes including Arroz Negro– rice with squid ink.

Swam at: Las Redes, the best and longest stretch of beach, perfect for swimming and walking but very full at the weekends.

Excursion: Sanlucar de Barrameda. All that you would expect from a traditional, white Spanish Village: sun washed central square, bars, cafe’s and ice cream parlours. Some lovely historic sites here as well.

Drink: sherry out of the cask at Bodegas Obregon and why not have a small tapas whilst your at it

Buy: Tejas ( Tile biscuits) flat , handmade almond biscuits to die for from Cien Palacios- it’s all they do and they come in beautiful tins.  A fan from the market if you really want a piece of Spain to take back home.

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Travels to New York with my toddler… taking a bite of the Big Apple together

Karla Huang, Designer at Nadia Minkoff  travelled to NY with her 3 year old inquisitive toddler, Jo.

Return flight to NY with British Airways approx. £540 return (correct in  July 2017)

Bag: The Finsbury backpack from Not on The High Street

 

Stayed at: Park Lane Hotel, NY  Room for 3 starts at US$260 per night. Great location on Central Park and a minute away from 5^th Avenue subway but can’t recommend: bad service, over crowded, short staffed, dated ( but clean), expensive for the standard and room price did not include breakfast, never a good thing with a toddler!

 We visited:

The statue of Liberty, of course! We took the Ferry from  Battery park,Manhattan

Madame Tussauds NYC  , Jo managed to catch a ride with ET

Ripleys New York, conveniently located on Times Square, Jo loved the optical illusions

High Line Park, such a fantastic public park built on the historic freight rail line above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. A different view of the Big Apple

Chelsea Market– great for mum & toddler, plenty to eat and some great pop-up shops for much needed retail therapy. It was a cold day so we chose to have Jewish Chicken Soup at Friedmans

9/11 memorial– Very impressive, the size and the concept works so well.

Rockefeller Centre-  Such an exciting place to be, inside and out. Beautiful Art Deco interiors, places to eat and great shops,  plenty of street performers outside. We chose to see if Bill’s burgers were really as good as they say… and they were

Ate at:

Lady M Cake Boutique- sometimes you just need to spend money on a piece of beautiful cake

Peter Luger Steak House,  Best steak and fries but be sure to book a month ahead!

Brooklyn Flea Market/Dumbo–  Great market stalls and food ,we had Shanghai pancakes, they were spicy but they were good!

City Kitchen/Times Square- Hello to the American fast food court , just as you imagine it, with plenty of  great choice but it’s not cheap!

Jo’s Highlights were: The Ferry to The Statue of Liberty, Central park,  but best of all The  Sea Glass Carousel

I loved my Finsbury backpack , trust me although I work for an accessory company I am a very fussy customer. It was just so comfortable, so great to have my hands free at all time , it’s lightweight and it looks great.

ESCAPE… Weekend in Sofia

My trusty travel companions were The Brewer holdall  which contained all I needed clothes wise for the weekend ( it was just an escape after all) and my Hoxton bag which was perfect for keeping my wallet and phone whilst strolling, people watching and eating of course.

I travelled from Heathrow to Sofia with British Airways /club class £670 return /duration 3 hours ( correct at time of writing)

Stayed at: Hotel Marinela , prices start at £100 per night for a King room with city views. Comes complete with loud peacocks in the morning ( not kidding) and loud music at night so..if you are looking for a quiet hideaway this hotel is not for you. But if you want to see some life, this hotel is quite an adventure and the rooms are nice and spacious.

Stroll down pedestrian Boulevard Vitosha for a spot of people watching and a good coffee. If you are lucky you can catch a glimpse of snow on Mt Vitosha, which hangs over at the far end of the Boulevard and looks like something out of a film set.

Then head on round the corner to Tsar Shishman Street and Angel Kanchev Street-here you will find a complete melting pot of  the very old and somewhat run down with the very trendy and excitingly new- designer boutiques, artisan cafes, artisan eateries, speciality shops and downright traditional ones too.

Highly recommend:

Made in Home or Made in blue– home made food, good for veggie lunches, chill vibe

The Tea House serves teas, vegetarian food and has live jazz music nights

Bistro pesto Little Italian place serving salads ,two types of pasta and that’s it  !! but who needs more?

If you want to try the best homemade Bulgarian ‘Banitsa’ ( pie) some great bakes and perfect coffee, do not miss a pit stop at Daro  I absolutely loved this place!!

And if you scream for Ice Cream you can queue and get the best one at Gelateria Naturale

Other things to do, which do not involve food are…

Visit the famous Alexander Nevsky Church  the interior is truly stunning, then pick up a Sofia Free Tour , they also do a free hiking and a free biking tour.

Visit the Borisova Gardina Park, for some street entertainment or a little rest, then the park in front of the National Theatre for some live Jazz

If you’re tired and need a taxi download the Taxime app and only use that, if you pick one up from the street you could be charged as much as triple

And if you want a different eating adventure come night time try Umami  complete with landscaped gardens, ponds and exotic birds… it’s an experience!

 

DINE…. lunch at The Ivy Chelsea Garden

Location :  The Ivy Chelsea Garden, 195 -197 King’s Road, London SW3 5EQ

The Bag: The Goldbourne in Monochrome

Photography: Brian Minkoff

Food: British brasserie & Grill

 

Eaten (and recommended): Duck salad £9.25, Whole Dover sole £37.00, Rib eye £27.95,  Char grilled Banham ½ chicken £14.95, Ivy’s ‘must have’ Signature dessert- Chocolate bomb £8.50

Drinks: Angels Share ( highly recommended!!   a fantastic take on a Mojito with kumquats, ginger,lemon grass , Kaffir lime leaves and Havana rum) £9.50, Lavender Lady £8.00

The space: Elegant, spacious, beautiful garden and terrace

Service: Lively & personable

Celebrity spotting: Michael Caine, Princess Beatrice, Joan Collins