More sheep than people on the Isle of Islay!
With only two full days on the Isle of Islay, we had a lot to fit in!
Scotland Day Three: Islay Woolen Mill, Bruichladdich, Ardbeg, and Lagavulin
Category Archives: Restaurants and Cafés
Scotland Day Two: Trek to the Isle of Islay
Our ferry to the Isle of Islay
Day Two we made our way from Glasgow to Kennacraig for the ferry to Port Ellen on the Isle of Islay. Before reaching Kennacraig, we stopped at Loch Goil and at the Fyne Ales Brewery for lunch and a tasting.
Scotland Day One: Glasgow
Bagpipes at George Square
For our May vacation, Koen and I headed to Scotland with our friends Chris and Hannah. Our main destination was the Isle of Islay, but to start and finish the trip we spent some time in Glasgow.
London: Ottolenghi, Natural History Museum, The Hereford Arms, and The Harwood Arms
Lunch at Ottolenghi in Notting Hill
Day Five was our last full day together in London. We started off with breakfast at The Butter Bakery in Notting Hill. The bakery is located across from our apartment, so it was an easy walk across the street for our hand pies and coffee.
Barbara in Antwerp: Native and Le Pain Quotidien
Native
When my sister-in-law Barbara told me she’d be coming to Antwerp for the day, I finally had an excuse to try out Native!
Verloren Maandag 2016
My favorite bakery in Antwerp
Another year, another Verloren Maandag (Lost Monday), aka the Monday after Koen’s birthday (Driekoningen / Epiphany). For me it’s really just an excuse to indulge in worstenbroodjes and appelbollen. This year I really outdid myself and ate a total of 4 worstenbroodjes and 2 appelbollen over the course of the day. Anything for tradition!
Mom’s Birthday Part Two: Orso Pizzeria
Orso Pizzeria
Because my mom was celebrating her birthday in Antwerp, of course we wanted to go out for dinner. I feel like over the years my parents have really gotten to know Antwerp the city, but not really Antwerp the province, which comprises of many smaller cities. For the birthday dinner we decided on Orso Pizzeria in Berchem. Berchem is most famous for its art nouveau style architecture. On our way to dinner we were able to look at all of the beautiful houses!
Mom’s Birthday Part One: Café Impérial
Smoked salmon and caviar
One tradition that started a few years back, is that when my mom is in town we go out for a class of champagne at Café Impérial. It doesn’t matter what time of year, we always go to celebrate. Café Impérial is a beautiful café located in the Paleis op de Meir, the former Antwerp residence of Napoleon Bonaparte. So fabulously French! And this time we were lucky enough to celebrate on my mom’s actual birthday!
Florence: Museo Galileo, Trattoria da Tito, and Basilica di Santa Croce
Aristotelian planetarium, Italian ca. 1600
Day Six was a full day of sightseeing! With only two days left, we really needed to narrow down what we still wanted to do and make choices.
Florence: San Lorenzo Market, Chianti, and Piazza Santo Spirito
Eggs Florentine on focaccia for breakfast!
Day Four was our first day spent together with everyone. One of the big things everyone wanted to do while in Tuscany was to see the countryside, visit vineyards, and sample Chianti wines. After a bit of searching we decided on the Chianti Afternoon Wine Tour.
An American in Antwerp 