Hilarisch leesvoer..

Een bezoekje brengen aan Antwerpen is altijd leuk.. De redenen hiervan lopen aardig uiteen. Vanwege de architectuur, het lieflijke accent, de heerlijke wafel-lucht en niet te missen het aanbod in winkels.

Waar we in Nederland smalle straten hebben die voor de helft gevuld worden met fietsers, auto's en uithangborden.. Heb je in Antwerpen op de Meir een zee van ruimte om eens lekker door de straten te slenteren langs de ketens die Nederland nog niet heeft gevonden. Totaal niet erg, zo kan je tenminste een enigszins unieke garderobe aanschaffen voor niet teveel poen.

Neem Forever 21. Een Amerikaans concept wat een mix betreft tussen de Bershka, Primark, H&M en een vleugje Zara. Voor de prijs hoef je een bezoek zeker niet te laten. Een blouse voor gemiddeld 20€ en een jeans voor een tientje meer. Wat helemaal absurd is: De kleding hangt smetteloos recht en netjes op maat, alsof er geen enkele toerist of grijpgrage shoppingdiva met haar kleverige handjes aan heeft gezeten. Dit beeld scheppen andere ketens namelijk wel. Chapeau dus. Voor Forever 21. 

Ook Urban Outfitters moet niet worden overgeslagen. Tevens Amerikaans en ietwat hippie/alto-ish. Lees: Gebreide rugzakken, ribbroeken en ruitblouses. Je moet ervan houden, maar ik loop er snel voorbij. Ik ga liever naar de multimedia afdeling waar er gelachen kan worden om hilarische koffiebekers met de woorden 'coffeeslut', opblakbare snorren, vintage scheetkussens en vele andere gadgets die het lachen waard zijn.

Ik bescheurde me vooral om de boeken. Nutteloze, veel te dure boeken die zo ontzettend dom zijn, dat het steeds leuker wordt. Neem het boek 'the world according to Facebook' of 'hot guys with baby animals'.. Cadeautip?

Al met al, we hebben krom gelegen daar in den Urban Outfitters. Oh ja, ultieme eettip in Antwerpen: Tapabar op de Pelgrimstraat voor de lekkerste Spaanse Tapas en Brasserie Appelmans een paar straten verderop voor heerlijke cocktails inclusief lekkere maaltjes. Reserveren is zeer aan te bevelen! (Bij Appelmans zelfs een week van tevoren, anders.. No Chance!)

Brasserie Appelmans

Toscane, onbezorgd genieten..

Ik kijk om me heen en hoor de Italiaanse taal met bijbehorende emoties langs mijn oren vloeien als zachte klanken. De warmte van de zon is nog tot laat voelbaar en de mensen verzamelen zich op eén van de vele terrassen die binnen de stadsmuren te vinden zijn. 

De geur van versgebakken pizza's met verse tomaten bereikt onze ietwat hongerige gevoelens en laat ons besluiten neer te strijken in een gezellig restaurant waar de Italiaanse keuken wordt gebruikt door echte Italianen, op een manier die de rest van Europa vreemd is.Het toevoegen van enkel de pure smaken van olijfolie, basilicum, tomaten en verse kruiden is in elk gerecht terug te proeven en laat je zintuigen de ultieme smaak ervaring kennen van Italië. We bestellen een fles Chianti, die gebrouwd is uit eén van de vele wijngaarden enkele kilometers verderop.Voor niet meer dan 15 euro genieten we met zijn tweeën van deze heerlijke rode wijn en de sfeervolle omgeving van deze pittoreske dorpjes gelegen in de heuvels van Toscane.

De zon gaat onder en het rumoerige geklets en gelach lijkt in volume toe te nemen. Het feit dat het hier om een doordeweekse dag gaat lijkt de Italianen er niet van te weerhouden met de hele familie uitgebreid te dineren. Zelfs jonge kinderen schuiven rond de klok van half tien hongerig aan tafel waar een verse pizza op hun zit te wachten. De activiteiten gedurende deze zwoele zomernachten verklaren de uitgestorven straten en dorpjes tijdens de dagelijkse siësta. Italianen benutten deze uren om te ontsnappen van de zomerse hitte die overdag temperaturen rond de 40 graden kan bereiken, waarna zij vervolgens weer een lange avond gevuld met sociale activiteiten tegemoet gaan.

Dit zijn slechts enkele gevoelens die kenmerkend zijn tijdens een bezoek aan Toscane en je daarbij laten kennismaken met de Italiaanse manier van leven. Het ontsnappen van de dagelijkse sleur van werk, verplichte afspraken en teleurstellend weer doen een mens genieten van de meest simpele manier van leven. 

De meest belangrijke zin van het leven wordt hier voelbaar gemaakt voor elk persoon. Emoties, heerlijke gerechten met bijpassende wijn en de Italiaanse zon zijn primair aanwezig. Een betere omschrijving voor het tot rust komen van een mens is er niet.

Munich, stylish city in Germany..

By spending the weekend in Munich you would think of a few days full of beer, ‘Lederhosen’ and big fat sausages.. Well, if you go to the city during Oktoberfest you will..

Visiting the city in another state of mind, you will be amazed by the style and beautiful buildings that this city has to offer.  Money is a thing that is slightly present in this city. Noticed by the amount of luxury cars on every corner of the street. BMW, Mercedes, Ferrari, Lamborghini are just a few names that pop into my head by visioning the streets of Munich.

We stayed at Sofitel hotel, next to the main train station of Munich. A good location to explore the city by feet or to get a cab just in front of the hotel.. The main shopping streets are located near the central station.  The Kaufingerstrasse is a street filled with chain stores like H&M, Mango, Pimkie, Bershka and more.. Don’t forget to check out ‘Hirmer’, a big fashion store with men-clothing from  a lot of popular brands, Beautiful building and perfectly set up interior.

Also, don’t miss the warehouse Galeria Kaufhof! Nice way to explore the German popular brands brought together in a few departments.

Kaufingerstrasse, shopping street of München

For exclusive and sophisticated shopping, go to the Theatinerstrasse and Maximilianstrasse. More our kind of street.. As well for the adorable boutiques and the beautiful shopping centre ‘Fünf Hofe’  where you will find patisseries, home-deco stores and many more hidden things.

Stlish interior in Fünfhofe shopping center.

We were so lucky to have a sunny weekend with an average temperature of 28 degrees. Hanging out at hotspots and cosy bars is a definite must-do when you are in Munich. The city has a lot of great spots to offer where you can sit outside and enjoy a great glass of beer or an Aperol ( Prosecco, orange liquor, soda).

For breakfast, we found a cute little bar at the corner of the Schleiβheimerstrasse and Gabelsbergerstrasse. It’s called 'Café Lotti' and it seems like you are in a giant dollhouse with all the little white chairs, pink cushions and cosy atmosphere. The owner brings her English inspirations into this tiny café and serves English dishes joined with some German specialties. I had a delicious plate of Yoghurt with fresh fruit, granola and berry sauce. Perfect start of the day;)

Pink interior @ Café Lotti (Photo: cafe-lotti.de)

Next to Café Lotti, i found this vintage authentic LV! @ Exclusive, vintage store.

In my opinion, Germany is the number one country of manufacturing fast and good-looking cars. Once in München, you have to experience the world of the ‘Bayerischer Motor Werke’ Also called.. BMW.

This magnificent museum filled with all the models BMW has made through history, is a must-see for every person that has a passion for cars.. You will feel like a little child exploring a candy factory! For me, it was interesting and amazing to see how technology has developed so fast in the last century. And still.. Nowadays they are still working very hard of inventing all kind of new technologies to make cars faster, lighter, saver and whatnot. Want to explore one of the newest BMW models? You are able to rent the BMW car that you want for a few hours and take it for a drive around München. A great initiative from them, seen most people are dying to ride in of the cars after visiting the exposition! Note: We were too late.. Obviously everybody wants to take a ride, so it is better to make a reservation online before. Next time, we will.. For sure!

For dinner, we went both nights to great restaurants.  Just one block away from the hotel, we arrived at L’Osteria. On a warm Saturday night, with a crowded terrace. It looked nice, delicious and fun so we were willing to wait for a seat at the bar.. And it was worth it. A giant pizza and delicious salads accompanied with prosecco and cocktails.. Together with the noisy Italian waiters we had the ultimate summer feeling;)

On the second night we consulted Tripadvisor for good restaurants.. We found ‘La Brasserie’ at the 'Hirschgartenallee'. A romantic little restaurant in the west of München with the cutest sitplaces outside ever! The restaurant is owned by a French guy who met his German wife and decided to bring some French cooking specialties into the city. And again, we enjoyed the night outside with some good French wine and similar food! As a dessert: Tarte Citrón.. hmm.

Never expected a city like this. Behind the ‘Biergarten’ and ‘Oktoberfest’ there is so much more to explore in this beautiful city! It’s definitely the Milan of Germany;)

(Photo: hetoktoberfest.nl)

Marrakech, 1001 Arabian nights..

Last weekend, my friend and i went to Marrakech for a  4-day citytrip. We had some ideas of what to expect, because we have visited Istanbul once before. These two cities are not the same, but they both share an Islamic culture.

Marrakech is 3,5 hours of flying from Amsterdam. The airport is very close to the city, what is a huge plus! In aprox. 30 minutes you will be able to check into your hotel. Be aware of the time difference in summer (2 hours) and winter (1 hour GMT time +1).

The city is located in the west of Morroco and is very near to the ‘Atlas’ mountains. By arriving at the Menara airport, you will be amazed by the view on the snowy tops of these mountains!

Menara airport, with in the back.. Atlas mountains

Our hotel was in the ‘New city’ district. This modern district is built to keep the authentic and old centre of Marrakech, with its famous square: Djemnaa el Fna and the surrounded souks.

The new district is divided in two parts: Hivernage and Gueliz. You can find many luxury hotels, clubs and trendy bars in these places.. Shop-addicts can find their way to the ‘Place de 16 Novembre’ for a lot of European chain stores mixed with Arabic ones. If you are into fashion definitely pay a visit to one of the Marwa stores. This Morrocan fashion store is in prices comparable with H&M and Zara and offers adorable trendy blouses, tops and pants with matching accessories.  A must see for fashionistas would be the ‘Rue de la Liberté’  as well. This street is filled with small boutiques of amazing designers. Take a lunch-break at the trendy  Kechmara café on its great roof-terrace!

This café is owned by a French guy, which is noticeable in the delicious variety of the menu..

We like to enjoy our evening while having a good glass of wine, nice atmosphere and delicious food. Of course you can enjoy the real Morrocan kitchen on the big square and experience the ultimate Arabic atmosphere, while having a cheap but delicious dish of Couscous, tajine, or soup with lentils.

If you are not into that, do like us.. Browse through the trendy hotspots, make some reservations and decide later on where you would like to go;) Works best for us and you even have the possibility to discover some new, trendy bars!

Because we both like Sushi, we decided to visit the Red Sun restaurant. This Japanese restaurant has also 2 branches in Holland and is known for its delicious food with a great atmosphere and bar.

Entrance of the Red Sun, Marrakech (Photo: theredsun.com)

The Djemaa el Fna square is filled with snake charmers, story tellers and artisians. Later on, in the evening the place is used for Morrocan people to come together and enjoy a typical Morrocan meal. You might think that hygiene is not a common thing around this busy area, but the government pays a lot of attention to this important subject. Around the square you will find tons of artisans with their little shops and selling all handmade products, like leather handbags, ceramic tajines, ashtrays  and typical bachouks (cotton shoes for men). Remember, lower your price as much as possible!;)

Djemaa el Fna square

Handmade bags

Morrocan spices..

Typical Morrocan 'babouches'

After walking around the souks all day, we found a great restaurant in a beautiful setting. It is called Café Arabe. You can sit at the roof terrace, take place on the comfortable cushions, or enjoy a great dinner in the courtyard downstairs. We even had our own lounge sofa and enjoyed a meal of couscous, pasta and grilled vegetables.

Because of the Islam culture, alcohol is kind of a no-go in these countries. Although, Marrakech is a modern city, in a lot of trendy bars and restaurants you can enjoy a glass of delicious Morrocan wine or a home-made cocktail.

Beautiful interior @ Café Arabe

The upper east side of Marrakech, is called ‘Hivernage’. Here you will find big lanes with proper buildings and houses, surrounded by big palm trees. A small shopping area is build, with shops like Louis Vuitton, Missoni and La Perla. Hotels that you will find in this area: Sofitel, Club Med, Novotel and other nice places to spend your high-class holiday.

For a cup of coffee, or an afternoon tea.. Visit café Extrablatt on Avenue Echouhada. With its big terrace that is always filled by the trendy high-class society. Next to this café you will find ‘Le Comptoir’. This restaurant/night club offers drinks and cocktails and has a huge interior for many people to spend their night in style. On Wednesday and Sunday, live bands will play all night long..

A yet undiscovered hotspot would definitely be ‘Azar’ restaurant. On the corner of Rue de Yugoslavie and Avenue Hassan ll, you will find this trendy restaurant/ bar with delicious Libanese/ Arabic dishes. We shared a plate of hummus, tabouleh accompanied with Turkish bread and a salad of Artichokes and goat cheese. Even your visit to the toilet is an experience.. Check it out yourself! In the night, Dj’s are playing and belly dancers will seduce the men;)

Lunchbreak @ Café Elite..

For lunch, we loved to sit every day at ‘Elite Café’. Next to the Place de 16 Novembre, with all the big chain stores like Zara, Mango etc. After shopping, a perfect break to relax on the terrace and spot the people on the streets!

For more impressing culture: Visit the tanneries on the outside of the centre.. Here you will find a small village with families working together to finish all the leather skins that will ultimately be used by the artisans in the city that makes bags, accessoiries and clothes of them. People are working in the old way by only using their hands!

After, take a taxi to the 'Majorelle' gardens of Yves Saint Laurent. Definetely can't miss this beautiful garden with colorful trees, ceramics and flowers.. 

After all, a unique an inspiring city to visit and discover the magical atmosphere of Northern Africa!