Bumbag Motel

Saturday in Shoreditch was most merry times doing some final xmas shopping and then enjoying a most delicious dinns at Kate and Nick’s!! (Cam and Nick in eating and festive joy above)

Also met up with the lovely Emma Cheape in Shoreditch where we enjoyed most excellent hot chocolates at Aida, a clothing shop and cafe, where you get a cup of hot milk with a chocolate lollipop to stir on in. Also received my marvelous Brim Label hat!!

Friday, mid december brought a flat outing to the ‘winter wonderland’ in hyde park. enjoyed the strolling through the magical ice kingdom with bags full of beer from our very own ‘brown towel breweries’.

cam and soldiers unite.

brown towel breweries first brew going down well!

Alzy finished up where his Europa journey began: Brixton! Had some drinks in the Village Market then off to try out the delicious dim sum options at ‘courtesan’ chinese restaurant on Atlantic Road – highly recommend for quality eats and service.

Last day in Barcelona involved exploring part of the ‘Mont Juic’ park.

Here we are at the lookout by the ‘Palau National’ – it was pretty muggy, but don’t worry, we weren’t straining ourselves to get to the top, not when there are escalators!

Liz and Emma pondering the surrounding Olympic buildings in front of ‘Palau Nacional’.

Liz, Ange and Mark in front of the Mies van der Rohe building. First built in 1929 for the International Exposition, taken down and rebuilt again in 1986. Bauhaus classy and timelessness all over the show.

Despite the late start to the Sunday, we still managed to check out some of the main sights – Gaudi’s ‘Sagrada Familia’ above being one of them. So impressive and intricate – still in progress after 130 years!

Tricky start to the day, waiting above to get into brunch place ‘Milk’, ended up bailing to a Spanish place around the corner, for a most excellent lunch (see below).

Mark and Cam most happy at alternate lunch location.

Ange, Emma and Liz were even happier about the mojitos at ‘Vegetalia’ on Orwell Place at the end of the day.

So awesome to wander through this glorious city and arrive at a beach! Sand was nice and fluffy, and the water not too cool (just dipped the toe in). Very enthusiastic to return in summer!

Here is a the upward view from our street, narrow they be and abundant is the terrace flora.

Found some excellent shops on the way home from ‘El Borno’ area and got a bit lost, but that meant we found the square below with it’s wire sculpture – win! Here we have Emma in newly purchased gigantic hood jacket, perching awkwardly below wire (is it number 8?) statue.

Had tapas dinner number 3 this night, this time at ‘Taller der tapas’ in Placa de Pi – the tapas and sangrias just kept getting better!

Had a glorious 4 day trip to Barcelona, basking in magical Gaudi land, heat in the late teens and exploration of this old and vibrant city. Here is the outlook from Park Guell which sits above the Gaudi museum with Gaudi mosaic mania. So intricate, colourful and ghoulish at the same time.

Enjoying the rays with Hannah and Mark. I took a photo for the 4 women to my left, but had to take it 3 times as I missed the ‘cross’at the top of the church, I wasn’t so fussed.

Soda pops in the sun further into Parc Guell.

the pillars below the outlook, dominating!

Enjoyed sampling some of the great bars on our street, especially as this one had Chewbacca shepherding you to the bathroom.

Exciting times at Fullerton Road with the arrival of the beer brewing kit!

Got to help out Kate and Nick with their very thoughtful, creative and tasty wedding favours, by sewing together the recipe and poem book they put together (the above was a practice)! Each book is also accompanied by a chocolate made by Amelia Rope. Big Congratulations to them on their wedding day – 24th November!