TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

High Tea has become so popular in the Netherlands that a lot of restaurants are now offering this on their menu, including the Tafelberg, a chic restaurant in Blaricum, ‘t Gooi. Because its high tea, we had a lot of sweets, chocolates and sandwiches. We even had crème brulee. I didn’t take pictures of all the food. I was busy socialising =) High tea delights on a 3-tiered plate. All photos taken by iPhone. Quality? Mwah. This is the interior of Tafelberg restaurant. Picture taken from Tafelberg website. We sat upstairs and occupied 1 wing of the mezzanine floor. Tafelberg is located on De Heide, a beautiful nature preserved area in Blaricum. I have read that there is a nice walking trail here where the buffalo look-alike Scottish Highlands goats roam freely. Oh, I want to see these cool long haired goats! I am bookmarking this place and will come back another time for a walk and Scottish Highlands goat sightseeing. After the high tea lunch we all went back to our cars...

Translation: ‘Skating rink on Neude square’ in Utrecht Centrum. This provisional indoor skating rink on Neude is open from 10:00 to 22:00 until 8 January 2012. There is a cafe inside as well. Skating is the national sport of the Netherlands. Almost everyone in this country can skate, at least applicable to those that are of Dutch origin. Skating is big here, it’s just too bad that during winter we rarely get frozen lakes, rivers and canals these days, unlike 20 years ago. In fact the Netherlands is a lovely sight when the lakes, rivers and canals are frozen. So many people from different ages are out skating. Gezelligheid! This winter is probably the mildest winter I have ever experienced. Visit Period: December 2011 Destination: Utrecht Centrum (Utrecht), The Netherlands Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Dutched Pinay Travel & Lifestyle Diaries Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)

I was invited to a beer tasting event with dinner subsequently last month at ‘ Brouwerij de Molen ’ (literal translation: Windmill Brewery) in Bodegraven in the South Holland province. It was a business related event, and the brewery is really located inside a windmill. The Netherlands is famous for beer brands such as Heineken, Amstel, Grolsch and Bavaria which I often call as water beer. I almost never drink them. So it was a big revelation for me to learn that the Netherlands actually produce real beers or something along the gastronomic beers that you can only find in Belgium. Well surprise, there is one in Bodegraven! And it looks like that the ‘Brouwerij de Molen’ is the only beer brewery in the Netherlands brewing the best beers in the country. At ratebeer.com, an international site where beer enthuasiasts rate beers from all over the world, one can find a number of Brouwerij de Molen’s concoctions on the Top 50, even on the Top 10. Interestingly, it is the only Dutch brewer...

Laduree the patisserie branch of LVMH is doing very well these days. It’s most popular branch on Champs-Elysees is a tourist attraction itself. Each day the patisserie shop has a lengthy line that extends outside to the street, and to get a table at the café restaurant is another dragging challenge to endure. Very cute pastel coloured menu booklets. On a side note, I am sure the Dutchman would not want to be caught dead hand ordering coffee or tea here, haha. He always say, 'I am not gay, go pick one of your girlfriends.' Tourists, tourists, tourists. A French colleague once told me, Laduree is just a name, that's all. Blondine ordered hot chocolate drink and mine is a pot of tea goodness. These are delicious macarons, especially the pistachios! Another picture of us because the friendly neighbour saw me struggling to make a shot for us two =) The macarons at Laduree are of course no better than the everyday normal macaron’s sold on the st...

There is nothing much to say about these pictures except... Typically Utrecht. This is the Ganzenmarkt cellar tunnel on the Oudegracht in Utrecht, beautifully lighted in a rainbow of colours as part of the Traject Lumen, an illumination project of the city. Tip: This is right beside and below of Winkel van Sinkel on the Oudegracht. Visit Period: December 2011 Destination: Utrecht Centrum (Utrecht), The Netherlands Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Dutched Pinay Travel & Lifestyle Diaries Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)

Perhaps the easiest way to travel in Paris is by Metro? I quite agree but when you are wearing high heels its not the best option. Having said that we took the cab moving forward. Paris Metro Scenes: They even have Amsterdam beer in Paris? Not heard of! Traffic in Paris was insane. I am lucky I live in the Netherlands where rules are rules and they are followed. Not in Paris though. We had this cab driver who was literally suicidal. He drove on trattoirs and areas where vehicles are not allowed on. He was very aggressive with driving, stepping on the gas and braking all too often that we had to hold on tight for our lives at the backseat. I would not have been surprised if we hit something! He said that it is the usual rush hour in Paris and traffic is mainly caused by non-Parisians visiting the city with their (stupid) cars. He then pointed out and scoffed at all the French cars with non-Parisian plate numbers whilst nodding his head in disagreement: OUI, NON PARISIEN! OUI, NON PARISI...