Tuesday 24 July 2012

Carolina

Hello from Belgium!! I'm spending a few days here in Brussles, to visit my grandparents and aunt before heading to the Olympics!! I said my goodbyes to my family in Mexico on Sunday evening, Ill see them in 1 months time but still, leaving home is always tough! 

That said, today's post is a jolly one because its about FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD!! 

So, here are a few pictures of "Carolina", The St. Regis Punta Mita french restaurant. One of my favourites of Punta Mira, for certain the finest of them all. I forgot to take pictures of the pretty entrees, but here are some of the main plates and desserts, the pictures really don't  do justice to the delicacy and fine taste of the dishes.


Lamb Roasted with thyme, Chick-peas “panisse”, zucchini and basil pure, jus with a touch of garlic

Filet of beef “Angus” Mexican pepper sauce, ,” boulangere” styled potatoes

 The Sea Bass with basil gnocchis and yellow bell pepper sauce


Mango sorbet in a shell

Pineapple dessert with blue curacao
Cappuccinos

delicious maccarons to go with the coffee

I didn't take a pic of the restaurant/table this time around so I included this one,so you can see a bit of the place. This picture was taken in January, with an English  friend ( fair skinned- truly British haha), who came over for a few days.

That was my last post on Mexico for a while...now starts my adventure as a London Olympics 2012 Gamesmaker!!!!!!

Friday 20 July 2012

Friendship Day

Today in South America its friendship day----Dia del Amigo!!
Just like mother's, father's, dog's etc. days are, it is really purely commercial. However, in South America we love any excuse to show affection to each other, celebrate and spend time with our friends...so Friendship day...is a big day! I'm in Mexico visiting my parents, kind of far away from my friends...but here is a small celebratory post!










On another note, still on the friendship matter, this week I met up with 2 people I hadn't seen for 10 years. That is, I was 10 years old when I last saw them, pretty amazing and weird huh?! It was exciting, strange, fun and a tad awkward admittedly, but after the ice was broken, it felt so natural, as if we had grown up together. We reminisced over micheladas, got lost in the city, played tennis, cooked.It got me thinking... people grow up, people change, however they tend to remain true to their essence. Even after 10 years, you can still recognize that little boy/girl and why you called them your friend...and although sometimes you don't share that much in common anymore ( happened with another friend I re-encountered last year), sometimes you do- and those are friendships that will last forever ( a bit corny I know...but true).


Have a good weekend!


xxx, Tatiana

Sunday 15 July 2012

Punta Mita

My parents are currently living in a little paradisaical place in Mexico, called Punta Mita (located in Nayarit, close to Puerto Vallarta) I just got to spend one fantastic, hot, sunny and relaxing month here... and this weekend was my last one :(, before heading back to the UK [ I'm volunteering at the olympics :)].

As a farewell, we decided to spend the weekend at Imanta, which is seriously one of the most amazing hotels in the world [of course St.Regis Punta Mita is also as amazing ;) I 'll do a post on that one later on] hahah had to include that if not I could potentially be disinherited by my father. :p










 That was the view from the living room of our villa, the building on the right was my parents bedroom and the one on the left mine and my sister's...and the pool, all for us, with an amazing beach view















 Sorry for the mess, and my dad haha, but thats a pic of the room, and behind  is the toilet with a gorrrgeous bath tub!

crab trails..making pretty patterns on the sand!


It was an amazing end to my month at home.


xxx, Tatiana


Friday 13 July 2012

Living in Sydney


I had the amazing luck to spend 6 months in living in one of the most amazing cities in the world ( I am biased..I've always loved Sydney). I think its partly the magic of being by the sea, the fact that everyone is so chilled back and sporty...There is some kind of special energy in the air. Haha, enough daydreaming, let me give you a bit of background: 

I went to Sydney for my 1st, 6 month industrial placement; I worked at HSBC ( I never ever imagined I would work in a bank...but life sometimes works in strange ways) and I also did waitressing in events at the Four Seasons. I don't know how I did it, but I still had time (and energy!) to enjoy everything Sydney has to offer! Unfortunately I went from July-December, so only got a few months of summer (hence not so many summer pics), but that didn't stop me from falling head over heels (even more than before) for the city!

Its hard to summarize 6 months in one post, but I'll give it my best...if only I had a 'blogger's mindset' when living there I would've taken more pictures but, oh well...


The city

Street shot of Glebe, a trendy/hippy neighbourhood- If you are around, Clipper Cafe for brunch is amazing! 

View from my grandparent's place...waking up to this view is probably one of the best feelings in the world. 
The Rocks Aroma Festival, Coffee+Chocolate+Teas+Spices... quite entertaining, with random dances and shows around the streets, however if you don't like crowds stay away! The Rocks area is a MUST when in Sydney, you should go to the weekend market! and just have a stroll, have a gelatto or a hot chocolate at Max Benner (best ever)...or visit Sydney's oldest pub The Hero of Waterloo. 






The beaches


Bondi! My favourite! You should hang out in North Bondi, thats where the 'locals' go!  If you are feeling sporty, the Bondi-Coogee  walk is really woth it, it's around 6 km ( 3.7 miles) and you walk past a few of Sydney's  most beautiful beaches. I regret not getting a tattoo done here :/ (I'm a wuss though, I doubt I'll ever do one)
Taking the fairy to manly and spending the day there is another MUST! Manly beach has a real 'family- vibe' to it and the area is super chill and nice to walk around...having fish and chips at manly's is 'the thing' haha


The outskirts


Palm Beach, located in Northern Sydney is needless to say- gorgeous! its a bit of a car/bus drive up from the CBD, but the picture says it all: totally worth it!

  
Parrots & Cockatoos @ the Blue Mountains! ( In real life they aren't as blue as they look in this picture that I took)


Hunter Valley is the wine area closest to Sydney and a great place for a couples getaway ( I just went with wine-loving friends and one responsible driver though haha)

The nightlife



Darling Harbour...one of the several 'tourists musts'. The second picture is the boat where we had HSBC's mid-year party! There are several clubs/bars along the water, my favourite club here is Cargo Bar, the crowd is really nice and international, Tip: try to get on the guestlist, to have access to the top floor!
Musts at Darling Harbour: Go to the IMAX, have lunch somewhere overlooking the CBD, if you're a sweet tooth, Pancakes at the Rocks is your place- but beware, the portions are huge!!






Sydney's nightlife offers something for everyone...In the famous, King's Cross, you will find a bit of everything, strip clubs, posh clubs, LGBT clubs, its quite, let's say...interesting. ( I got attacked by a homeless when leaving a club in this area, she thought I was 'stealing her taxi'...but that's a story for another time),  My favourite is Hugo's and their pizzas are to die for (bottom picture)!!                                  
The first picture was taken at Oxford Art Factory, its what my friend called an 'alternative' nightclub, but the music is reaally good and sometimes they do live performances. Other of my favourites are: The Argyle, Golden Sheaf and Ivy







Top 3 Bars to go to:
1. The Winery at Surry Hills, a chique and relaxed place, great for having a glass of wine in the terrace during summer and a few nibbles (dont have a proper meal, too expensive for what it is); but do go inside and take a look at the decoration!
2.Grandma's bar, located in the CBD, its super cute with grandma-like rocking chairs and quilts! Careful though, cause it's small and gets packed real quick!
3. La Bodeguita del Medio, is a cuban restaurant and bar- highly recommendable for drinks and to have a good time,  but maybe its just cause I felt at home with the Latin music and scribbled walls ( graffiti is big in South America) . However, from an unpartial point of view, their mojitos are gooooood!
The last picture is at a bar for pos-work drinks...with Meko another intern from HK, whom I had to include in this post, cause she really livened up my days at the bank- and become a great friend!





Staff party and last day at Four Seasons...We did an amazing performance of Voulez vous coucher avec moi...I'll post it some other day :)!!

That's a quick glimpse of my life in Sydney, 6 amazing months, which I wouldn't change for anything in the world! But then again, I wouldn't change any of my trips for anything in the world...

xxx,
T