Do you remember last week post about Jarryd James? Well his song 'Do you remember' is addicting and apparently many people was contagious and are making covers. Some of them really interesting...








And enjoy the rest of your day!

This one was the last trip I will have for the next year... I decided to have a break and not travel so much. This year I already went to London twice, Holland twice, Milan, Athens, Copenhagen and now Brussels. I'm tired!
I'm tired of leaving my comfort zone, spending money, not resting properly... Seriously need some rest and routine. Need to take care of my dog and cats, also. Need to slow down for a while.

On every trip I know I will get out of my comfort zone, although is good to push your limits, that can be also scary. Remember I travel all alone, so if something happens I only have myself to count with. And sometimes that's scary... New places you never been and sometimes places with bad reputation... new people, well you get the idea.

Moving on... I had this trip arranged a few months ago and I had the needed time to prepare however without my guide-map from Editora Estampa I don't know how to organize my trip. Feel so lost...
I'm trying to find a good substitute, so far didn't succeeded.
This time I had lonely planet book and it was very disappointing. The map was incorrect, the review of sightseeing places were not very well organized in my opinion, of course. And I didn't know where all the museums where because I didn't had a map with all of them marked. didn't like it.

Brussels is a city that starts running a bit late. Normally museums only open at 10 in the morning, even coffee shops open late. For me, who like to start the day soon, around 8 in the mourning (!!), this reduced the museums I went, due the little time I was there.

Saw all the main attractions of the city, grand place, atomium, the cathedral, the parliament, manneken pis and the museum of fine arts, among others places.
By the way, the museum of fine arts has combined tickets at very low prices and there is a City Card with option of Hop on Hop off bus, which you can used to enter in all main museums for free. More info here: http://visitbrussels.be/bitc/BE_en/minisite_brusselscard.do

I have a few friends in Belgium so I meet up with one of those friends, Lise. She even took half day off work to go with me around the city. We had lunch at this amazing typical Belgian pub and I ate stew which I cannot remember the strange name. But it was so good! Lise, thank you so much!! Kisses.
I also discovered Belgium beers. I like strong beers and they have very much strong ones, some with 13% of alcohol. But good, like for example, Hopus or Orvel. Those two are not available in every bar, apparently... Because they are Trappists, you can read more about it, below.

The first day, the weather was a bit cloudy but with sun and it was great for sightseeing. The other 2 days the weather was better, sun and a bit warm, except on saturday... too cold in the morning.



The food
Belgium like to eat as they like to drink. They are a passionate by mussels and almost all touristic restaurants have mussels. But, myself as portuguese and living near the beach, I eat mussels and seafood all the time, so I didn't tried it. But I tried other specialties, like the stew, Belgian fried, waffles and the chocolate.
I also took a small video of our landing, specially when the aircraft was crossing the clouds. Its always fun to watch.

A few days ago I had this thought about dating and how I feel ready to date again.
It's been a very long time since I thought something like this. And at the same time, felt funny, is was also a sad moment for me. 
First because I don't know how to date, how to be charming or sexy.
Second, normally I create this walls around me so the guy must be really interested and be patient. I take my time to bring the guards down. 
Third, everybody says I'm a strange person and yes I don't fit in any category but I bet millions of other people feel that way...
Because of f these reasons made me feel an awful person...
I had this episode when I saw this beautiful guy at the airport when I was traveling to Brussels (post about it on the way). He was a 'oh my god' guy, just my type and so out of reach, of course.
So I spent the trip thinking about how nice could be to travel with someone who understand me, and gets my idea of sightseeing. How safe I would feel wondering around the cities and don't have to worry so much about my safety. 
But the truth is, when I think about my future I don't see anyone in it. That makes me sad. 

...traveling day! The last of the year...


And enjoy the rest of your day!

Thanks to my dear friend Heidiland I meet Mr Jarryd James. And now I'm a fan!
I really the music video and visually I believe the music gets another dimension with this,
I congratulate the director because his job done here is great and he can do what many other directors try and they fail.


  







And enjoy the rest of your day!

Holland! I have been there 3 times but only this time I went to Amsterdam... Finally I could visit Amsterdam and see a little of the city. I also went to one museum, Amsterdam Museum, because my agenda was very tight and I had no time for more.

If you have a change go to Grand Cafe Lindenhof, because food there is amazing as well the desserts. Really worth the trip there.

It was so funny when I was walking around Amsterdam and I saw a little board saying 'We have bifanas' in portuguese... I totally thought my brain was tricking me but no, this little coffee shop was run by a portuguese lady with lots of traditional food, including portuguese coffee.
My portuguese coffee, I miss it whenever I travel...
I also saw, a giant octopus painted on a wall, in the middle of a small street... They follow me :)

After dinner, well dinner... it was an adventure to have our dinner... We waited over one hour and half for our food at this mexican restaurant. But after dinner, we passed by some windows with carpets made of cocktails accessories.

Tips:
- I don't think Red District worths a visit, personally, you can totally skip it. It was the only place, from all the countries I have been, that some one tried to rob me!
- Go to a boat trip. It wonderful and so nice to see Amsterdam by a different perspective. And its not expensive.

De Lindenhof

 
 

Exactly one year ago I was signing and buying my house, yeh!!
Well already one year... One year! The time just pass me by flying... I truly thought after one year I would have my house all set, turn out it didn't.
Between trips, lack of time, lack of money lots of details are delayed, like buying a big size bed.

Meanwhile, yesterday night I decided to make a small re-arrangement on my living room.
I already thought about changing it because the place where I had my laptop didn't exist any plug which is kind of essential, but I'm not truly convinced about my living room yet.

But, one year!
At this moment only the entrance is almost done... I still want to change the light and I need to hire an electrician to check some lights.

Slowly I will have my house as I wish!
Some pictures of my house than and now :)











And enjoy the rest of your day!

I have some blogs that I read on a regular basis and sadly some of them move to another domain and somehow I lost track, Although I still have a few that I check once a week and one of those is http://www.delightfully-tacky.com!

I honestly can say that I didn't like all her posts specially the outfits posts but I loved the photography posts and the way she capture the light, objects I was more into that than outfits or lets empower woman posts!
The last post she 'post' is amazing in every way! And I would like to comment that post but she took off the comment section so I can not tell her: thank god you are over with outfit, with looking at numbers... so glad you don't give a fuck to your public opinion. Than I realized: that's why she took of the comments! :) ah ironic!

I really like her photographies and I will show you some of the last post pictures she took and I honestly she could do just this, posting photographies. Because she has talent and from all her posts, I just remember the photographies and I keep forgetting about the rest, the text the meaning of the post...





(images taken from Liz Morrow's blog and copy rights belong to her).

I have this clear idea this was my last beach day, which means for me, the end of summer!
I had this busy day with ativities so I wake up early and deicied to go to the beach and wear my new bikini, well actually I bought on sale at ASOS 3 pieces of bikinis so I could mix and match :)


So my last day of beach of 2015 was calm, with lack of people like I enjoy must, than I went to Gale for my second breakfast, than home... yes I had on my agenda one workshop of watercolour at Leituria with ilustradora Ana Oliveira, also known as Ilustrana.

About Leituria I will talk about it later.

About the workshop, I just love it! And recommend.
I admit my knowledge about painting with watercolour was zero! I didn't know anything... how to wet the ink or the paper, the best type of paper, nothing! I think I had some class of this while I was in school like 25 years ago, but I don't remember about anything maybe what they taught me was nothing...
Ana is super sweet person, kind and she explain her own techniques, gave us a few hints and 3 hours just flow away! We were only 2 persons to attend this workshop and I think it was so cool, more cozy and I like that way, I tend to be more social with less people around me :)
During the workshop we were suppose to paint one illustration made by Ilustrana, Princess Pea. Which was great because I didn't had to think about drawing just to learn and listen to the teacher.

I leave you with some pictures of he exercises done during the workshop :)
By the way, check Ilustrana's work. Its so pretty and you will not regret!

 




And enjoy the rest of your day!