Souvenirs from Portugal

Happy Sunday,

Although I am arriving later in good old Europe today, I prefer giving you a last prepared post before I can finally share my East Asia experiences.

Instead I dedicate this post to fashion (believe it or not) and food (easier to believe).

What I don't like about a globalized world is that you find nowadays the same things everywhere: A McDonalds in Shanghai and New York, an H&M in Stockholm and Dubai, Vodafone in South Africa and India. It's no wonder that shopping avenues resemble the same. Only few items are truly traditional and can be called "unique".
The Spanish company Inditex (Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius, Pull & Bear) could at least limit its multinational presence: Most of the brands are only available on the Iberian Peninsula (except Zara and only until now). Obviously, they were my target when I went to Lisbon and heureka! - I was successful.

Jeans shirt (Stradivarius)

Floral summer dress (Blanco)

Light shirt (Bershka)

What do you think about the new items in my closet?

When all my friends packed their suitcases before departure they quickly went to the next bakery in order to import the famous and delicious Pastel de Nata. Well, I wasn't too avaricious to buy them. I'd rather said that I want to try them at home by myself. In the beginning I was really skeptical whether they would turn out with the same traditional taste but I was then surprised positively. The fluffy pastry with the mildness of the vanilla filling are exactly the right snack for a Sunday afternoon.

Pastel de Nata

Ingredients (for 12):

• Puffed pastry
• 0.5l milk
• 250g sugar
• 35g flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. butter
• 1 egg
• 5 yellows of eggs
• 1 package vanilla sugar

Roll out the puffed pastry and stamp out circles with a diameter of about 10 cm. Those pastry circles are put into a buttered muffin tin and then set aside. For the filling bring the milk and butter to a boil in a pot. Then add sugar, salt and flour while stirring constantly. Boil up the liquid and then set aside. Now add the egg, the yellows and the vanilla sugar to the filling. Fill it then into the prepared pastry tarts and bake it in a 235°C oven for about 10 minutes. Normally they should turn out quite dark, in my case our oven wasn't in the right regulation. Bon appétit!

A glass helps to cut out circles

Before the oven

Thank you so much for reading.

Next week - finally - the report about four weeks in Asia will be the topic!

A second shot from Portugal

Capture I

Good morning,

I have the feeling that my single post about the city of Lisbon didn't reflect all what I have experienced. Here comes the second shot!

June turned out to be the perfect month for visiting. Less tourists stroll through the city and the Lisbon people are still in town. For them the "Festas de Lisboa", taking place in exactly this month, are the traditional festivals where they meet friends, have some drinks and dance to traditional music all night long. Main places are the districts of Bica and Alfama where tourists feel like outsiders on Friday and Saturday nights. As the atmosphere was so inspiring I prepared a short video for you.

All tourist guides lead you to Cascais, a maritime village 40 minutes away from Lisbon. Instead of seeing tanned Lisbon people at the beach, you face pale (or/and red) British tourists that roast in the sun. Well, Lisbon people have better places to go.
One of them is the beach of Carcavelhos: it is only 20 minutes away from the city and full of Portuguese people on the weekends.
Why? Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean are known to be a perfect spot for surfers and you will find them here. The waves are enormously high. When we were there we were surprised by the high tide that forced us to move back three times in 5 hours because our towels got wet all the time. For bronzing in the sun this phenomena is slightly an inconvenience but for the surfers it is exactly what they want: great conditions.

(Personally I like WATCHING surfers but I wouldn't dare to stand on a board myself as I am far too afraid of the ocean)

Thank you so much for reading!

Decoration in our apartment - call for inspiration!

Cemetery

Harbour of Belém

Capture II

Capture III

Capture IV

Traditional Portuguese music: fado

Wine Lands

Good morning dear readers,

Since I am still on my great adventure without Internet, I want you to familiarise with my home environment: wine lands. Today is the French national day which is actually a perfectly fitting coincidence.

Home sweet home

Before we start the tour, we need to prepare a culinary highlight: the savoury apple & onion tart. It is so easy to make, but such an explosion in your mouth that I cannot keep it back from you. The mixture of the apple's sweetness and the spiciness of the onions are a great meal on a tepid night.

For the pastry: (you can also buy a ready pastry (pate brisee) and leapfrog the first section)

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Make your pastry dough. Put the flour and the salt in the food processor and pulse a few times. Add 1/2 of the butter and do a couple 5 second pulses. Add the rest of the butter and do a couple more 5 second pulses. Add the water, a few tablespoons at a time, pulsing briefly after each addition. You need just enough water to form a dough. Remove your dough from the food processor and quickly shape it into a disc, wrap it in plastic and stick it in the fridge to chill.

For the filling:

• 3 large tart apples
• 3 onions, sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice

Caramelise your onions. Toss them in a heavy bottomed pan with the olive oil and salt and cook over low heat approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and golden. While the dough is chilling and the onions are cooking, peel and slice your apples. Take the onions off the heat and toss them with the apples. Set aside. Roll your dough into a large circle. Lay it in some sort of pan. The edges will fall over the sides. Spread the filling out inside, sprinkle with your shredded cheese and then gently bring the edges over and towards the middle. Bake in a 200 degree oven until the pastry is pale gold (approx. 45 minutes). 

Before 

After

But how to get to the wine lands? My favourite transport is the scooter. It is easy to drive, not too fast in order to get a glimpse of the environment and big enough to take a second person on the back. I would like to explain you how I got to learn to drive this machinery...
... It was my brother who taught me how to do it. Two years younger but while I was allowed to drive a car, he needed an option to be independent. Only a few weeks ago I asked him to show me how to drive such a thing. Once you know how to drive a car, a scooter is more driving a bike - easy. However, I was glad to have my brother around me who showed me where what was and who laughed at my failure attempts in the beginning. Everyone is still alive. Even the scooter. And my brother, too.
Since I now know how to handle it I'd like to take it every single minute when the sun shines. It gives a feeling of liberty and reminds me of a lot of fantastic summer movies.

Three summer movies worth watching

Finally arrived in the wine lands, it is time to unpack the basket and to start eating the savoury tart. Stop! Not without the fitting beverage. For such a perfect summer day, a cool Cidre is needed. It is made out of apples (a little alcoholic) and complements the culinary meal.

Drink Cidre and you will live a long life - that's my credo

Maybe it is now your turn to begin your trip. It might be for a romantic picnic or another special occasion. And you don't need the wine lands around you to get this feeling - just imagine them: You might want to watch movies like Roman Holidays (I love Audrey Hepburn!), sit in your garden or listen to some music.

I pack my backpack

Hello my dears,

While you are reading this, I am strolling through the busy capital of Vietnam: Ha Noi. On Friday my adventure has finally begun - Vietnam, Laos, Thailand & Cambodia.

My week consisted of the following: sleepless nights, my birthday and preparations for the big trip.

Let's start with the shortest chapter that is sleepless nights. My head was turning mainly due to thoughts about organisational stuff and the upcoming trip. Unfortunately diarrhoea hit me additionally, letting my circles around the eyes appear even darker. Might be that my psychological uncertainties led to the illness and tied a knot in my tummy. I only hope that I won't have the same symptoms in Asia although it is very likely.

103 posts on my facebook wall. 20 whats app messages. 18 facebook messages. One postcard. A few calls & SMS.
On Wednesday I turned 21. A big number and in normal circumstances a huge party worth. Since I am at my parents, I am far away from all my university pals and former school colleagues who left home for their studies. Only few people come back in summer and if, only for a couple of days. Luckily I could spend a lunch break with a good friend who - coincidence! - currently lives in Ha Noi. Therefore we chatted about my trip, about Vietnamese habits and how to say "No, thank you!". In the evening I went to have dinner with my parents at an excellent Italian restaurant.
And presents? Not really. When I was younger I always asked my parents what they want. And I hated their answer that they wish the family to be healthy and good people. At 21 I have grown up because it's what I said to my parents when they asked. During the last year I faced a few critical situations in our family that have changed not only me, but all of us. So no cake and no presents... except one t-shirt my Mom bought me. She couldn't resist.

Shirt with bow detail (1 2 3 - Un deux trois)

Last but not least my preparations for the trip kept me busy: applications for visa, checking for hostels, checking for the flights, buying mosquito-spray and earplugs and packing my backpack. What does an inexperienced traveller take to her first trip to Asia? Besides lots of shirts and shorts, I took the following:

• Rain jacket: I arrive in South East Asia during the rain period. As long as I am not washed away I don't mind rain at all. 
• Sports clothing: Perfect for humid areas as they are light and dry fast after having them washed. 
• 2(!) pairs of shoes: trainers and flip flops is all I need. And who knows what I find on the typical markets?
• Colourful foulard: especially in Laos temples require to cover shoulders. The African foulard sets me into mood for far away travelling.
• Pillow: Yet I don't know 100% where we stay, so I proper pillow is always a reasonable idea. In the plane, too.
• Medicine: Malaria and diarrhoea might occur in such regions; to be well protected is mandatory. 
• All-over-the-world-adapter: Needless to say that I need to recharge my mobile phones. 

Sport cloths (Shirt (Odlo) - Pants (McKinley)) - rain jacket (No Name)

Foulard (from Tanzania) - Flip flops (Cobian) - Trainers (Nike)

Pillow - adapter - medicine

Lisbon and its Pastel de Nata

Alfama & Tejo

Bom dia!

After an amazing week in lovely Portugal, I cannot wait to share my experiences with you. It was just as great as imagined. But let's start from the very first beginning:

We rented our apartment on wimdu.com. Fully equipped we were able to cook meals at home and saved thus some money. After having met one of my friends at the airport we headed to Alfama where we were welcomed by our nice host. We found six delicious Pastel de Nata on the table that had to be tasted immediately.
Of course we first had to explore the surroundings. The following days we had a huge program that I can only recommend: Tram 28, Alfama, Bica, Bairro Alto, Ponte 25 de Abril, Belém, Sintra (with its gracious palaces), Cascais and Carcavelhos (with its hot surfers). The rest of the time we spent on terraces with their stunning views, in good Portuguese restaurants and - of course - with shopping in stores that you can mainly find on the Iberian Peninsula.
Despite being six girls with only one bathroom, it was a week full of harmony and common decisions. It was the last reunion in two years as we all leave to foreign universities. The goodbye at the airport was therefore even harder.

But having all these beautiful pictures in mind I cannot wait to see the five girls at our graduation again!

Carcavelhos

Welcoming present: Pastel de Nata

Castelo de Sao Jorge

Torre de Belém

A century old tramway

Narrow

Bairro Alto, Baixa and Ponte

Sintra: Palacio Nacional

Bica & Tejo

Favourite terrace at night

If you need particular and extraordinary addresses because you plan a trip to Lisbon, you find a detailed list here.

Since I already leave to Asia on Friday and won't be able to post during my one-month trip, I prepared some morning posts that you hopefully like. Enjoy your week and talk to you very soon!

P.S. I've done a few changes on my blog. As Google Friend Connect will be shut down tomorrow, I installed the new bloglovin' button, so that you can follow my blog as before. Thank you!

Beach is calling

Happy Sunday!

As loyal readers you know that I am currently exploring Portugal, more precisely Lisbon. Therefore I have prepared a post that fits to my vacation: What are my essentials when I go to the beach? And how do I work out to get a beach body? Those questions will be answered today while a detailed Lisbon description follows next week. Have fun!

My beach essentials

My favourite bikinis: Yes or No triangle bikini - Hollister bandeau bikini

Hat (French market) - Sun glasses (Ray Ban) - Flip Flops (Cobian)

Protection: Sunscreen (Nivea) - Sun protection (Solar Nutri Protect System, L'Oréal)

Magazines - Bag (Lacoste) - Sun protectors (Nivea & L'Oréal)

• Bikini: It is mandatory for me to have at least two bikinis: a girly one to flirt and a sporty one to do activities. In my case the girly one is a blue Hollister model with a bandeau top. It is perfect to get tanned without annoying tan lines. I bought the green sporty one only last week but it serves its purpose perfectly. As my skin is really pale I'd rather go for flashy colours and patterns. 
• Flip flops: The kind of "shoes" that everyone should have. Especially useful for the beach as sand easily goes off. I like robust flip flops that resist water and that have a Hawaiian style. 
• Sun hat: It gives glamour to your outfit because only few women dare to wear hats (a shame!). I love my sun hat as a fashion item but it also protects my sensible skin in the face. To give it a more sophisticated touch, I like to wrap some nice foulards around it. 
• Sun glasses: Yes, I go for the classic Wayfarer Ray Ban model. Since I saw them in the stores, I couldn't wait to get them and they are my daily companion. From the outside they look boring black but from the inside the underground map of New York appears. Surprise!
• Sunscreen: All the dermatologists preach to take a lot of sunscreen. And I believe them. Not only because my skin is pale, but also because I am afraid of getting skin cancer. My skin colour doesn't change during my holidays and won't become darker, but I prefer this way of protecting myself instead of risking sun burns. Dear readers, please be aware of that danger! Besides, pale skin is a sign of nobleness. 
• Sun protector: Adjacent to my skin protection, I also protect my hair that is exposed to the sun all day. My favourite product is the Solar Nutri Protect System from L'Oréal Professional. which works really well and smells like a fresh summer breeze. 
• Bag: I need an appropriate bag for all my stuff and my Lacoste shopper is big enough to put everything into it. It is a really robust bag that is my steady companion for more than two years now. I don't regret any minute I spent with it!
• Magazines: No beach without magazines or books. All said. 

Body

Beach Body

• Food: After my exam phase in May I had a really bad conscious. We ate so much pizza and pasta that I gained some pounds that I wanted to loose as fast as possible. Since I have been back home, I changed my behaviour: Fresh fruits, vegetables and only small portions in the evening. That doesn't mean that I don't indulge myself a burger, pizza or a cake from time to time. Though, I try to limit it. 
• Drink: Juices are sly. They seem to be great (based on only vitamins they are!), but speaking of calories they are beastly. Next to soft drinks, I also limited my amount of fruit juices or I sometimes replace a meal by drinking a fresh pressed fruit juice. But best for our skin and body is water. Simple water. And if I need something hot, I grab a cup of tea because I just don't like coffee. 
• Work out: Without sport the best diet is useless in my opinion. It is all about the balance in order to get a well shaped beach body. In my case, I work twice a day for about ten minutes: sit-ups, push-ups and lunges (full work out program here). I walk whenever I can. I take the stairs although the staircase is smiling at me. I go in-line skating once a week. I play tennis. I go hiking. I move. 

So that's it for today. I hope this insight helps you to get to know me better! Beijos de Lisboa!

Every summer has its own story, soundtrack, love.

Good morning my dears,

Do you know this fear of having an injection needle being put on you arm? I would love to run away. As fast as I could. On Wednesday I had suffer this happening since I must get my mandatory vaccinations for South East Asia. I have always been afraid of this procedure and turning older doesn't change it at all.

Despite this negative experience this week, I really enjoyed every minute of it. My brother returned on Monday from lovely Barcelona and therefore he was forced to do a lot of activities with me: Teaching me how to drive a scooter, eating fresh beef burgers (here) and playing tennis. With the entire family I am heading to the lake in a few seconds - a huge sailing race that we watch is on the agenda!

Crystal blue ballerinas (maddison)

But I also needed time for me that I went - surprise, surprise - shopping. Sales are already ongoing and I thought that I was time for ballerinas. Crystal blue like the Caribbean ocean they bring a touch of the summer to every outfit. It is actually the first time that I possess two pairs of ballerinas which is quite untypical for a woman, isn't it?
Another fashion highlight was the announcement of H&M that this year's designer collaboration will be with the great French designer Isabel Marant. Much better than last year's Anna dello Russo...The 14th of November is already highlighted in my calendar because I need at least one of her pieces. Like, like, like!

Flower

Car

On a hike

The balcony reminds me of Romeo & Juilet

I thank you very much for your tips for Lisbon. I am really looking forward to seeing this great city in less than two days! So long, I wish you all the best.

Travel, travel, travel

Fresh fruit for fresh summer

Remember when I presented my possible destinations for this summer?
Well, a decision has been made, no, already booked. And the winner is... South East Asia!
You don't believe how happy I am when I will board the plane the 5th of July and stay in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia for more than three weeks. As I pay myself, my bank account suffers a lot these days but such a great adventure is a one time experience. I cannot wait to share it with you. Beforehand I need to figure out all questions about vaccinations and visa - bureaucracy hello.

Hiking the Alps

Carrot Pie

Souvenirs at the wall

This week I found the time to take some time for myself. I baked another carrot pie (recipe below). Then I progressed on my never-ending project: Collage on the green wall. Honestly, I thought that I had printed too many pictures but while sticking them on the wall I realized that there are still three blank spots to be filled in future. Yesterday I spent half of the day hiking in the mountains and used the other half to watch TV. The program was a mixture of the Roland Garros women's final and the princess wedding in Sweden. While Serena Williams won the match, I loved the Swedish atmosphere and warmth of the Swedish people. And have you seen this gorgeous Valentino dress? OMG. I want that. For my own big day. In some years, of course.

In approximately one week I leave for Lisbon with 5 girlfriends. Tell me, have you ever been there? And if yes, what are the spots to be seen? Maybe some of you have some great tips to share. And tips for Asia will follow afterwards, when my mind has enough space again.

Bon Appetit!

Recipe Carrot Pie

5 eggs
200g sugar
300g grated carrots
300g grated almonds
50g flour
3 tsp. of baking powder
4 tsp. of lemon juice, 1 tsp. of rum, 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon, pinch of salt

Mix the eggs with the sugar and then add the carrots, almonds, flour and baking powder. To give aroma add lemon juice, rum, cinnamon and salt. Preheat the oven at 175°C and bake the pie for 45 minutes. For topping you can either choose between chocolate/sugar icing or powdered sugar (in my case).