The Shore Currently: Marching on to April

Some inevitable things still surprise me from time to time - like how quickly seasons change, how much rain fall there is in London, and how an exciting March has led me into a very grateful April. It’s been an exciting and rather hectic few weeks. I feel like I’ve had a lot of proper Eat, Pray, Love moments and a lot of changes have been made, particularly on the blog.

I hope you like the new look courtesy of Pipdig, who also helped me with WordPress migration. Although Blogger was more straightforward, the world of WordPress is definitely opening my eyes to new possibilities. With a little guidance from Gary, Angie, Mehreen and Lauren, I’m very pleased with how this blog is turning out! =)

VISIT

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know how much I raved about Morocco.

Marrakech was awesome. I loved waking up to the view of the Atlas Mountains, feeling so spoilt and lush in La Mamounia, discovering secret passages in the souks with my super knowledgeable guide/”bodyguard” Mohamed, being pampered and massaged by super lovely women at Le Bains de Marrakech, and taking lotsa photos in Jardin Majorelle.

And man, it was a great place for jump shots! =)

I also went to the beautiful coastal town of Essaouira. It was a stark contrast to The Red City and the chilled out vibe was much appreciated after spending immersing in the hectic streets of Marrakech.

Morocco was eye-opening and the visit made me realise how beautiful the world is and how grateful we all should be. It was nice to be surrounded by super friendly people and to explore their beautifully preserved culture. 

EAT

I’ve had such delightful meals over the past few weeks and I’m absolutely grateful.

Surprisingly, I didn’t have proper tagines in Morocco but boy, did I eat my heart out! Highlights included dinner at Restaurant Le Francais in La Mamounia and Gastro MK and a super awesome seaside lunch at Le Chalet de la Plage in Essaouira.

Back in London, major gastronomic highlights included lunch at Helene Darroze at The Connaught and dinner at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester.

Other notables involved oysters at Wright Brothers Soho, a surprisingly pleasant meal at Adam Handling at Caxton, bowls of soul food at Salvation in Noodles and of course, decent Japanese at Sosharu.

The ultimate foodie highlight, however, has got to be The Balvenie Craftsman’s Dinner. Not only did I get to spend time with one of my modern-day food idols, I also found a deeper appreciation for the craftsmen and suppliers who make every day dining a little bit more special.

(I know, I’ve used this photo so many times already but I’m such a big fan! Michel Roux Jr to me is what Harry Styles is to half the world).

DRINK

March kicked off with a couple of drinks at London Grind with Vicky, who’s just as nice and as sweet as expected!

Martini Saturdays at The American Bar at The Beaumont seems to be quite a hard habit to break now. It’s a good place to catch up with random peeps!

Caught up with some friends at Pix Soho’s underground bar called Rooms by The Hour, where you can have the option of watching a couple of, erm, interesting films while you and your friends hang out. (It gets funny when you’re a bit more inebriated.)

I drank three times my weight in traditional Moroccan mint tea and I’m still obsessed! I found a really nice blend from TWG in Harrods last week and it tastes almost as authentic. I won’t mind trying to make my own blend from scratch, though!

Seven Tales, the cocktail bar at Sosharu, was very pleasant. We ended up sampling some quality Japanese whisky which I absolutely loved. They have Ichiru’s Malt Hanyu “The Joker” here - and it’s £200 a shot.

BEAUTY

After seeing how much effort goes into production and after a month of usage, I can attest to the power of argan oil. My skin feels more supple and my hair breakage seems less! I bought my stash from a cooperative in Morocco and it doesn’t get any more organic than that!

LOVE

 

Friends P & V finally saw the birth of their lil bump and she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in a while. I can’t wait to meet Gaia once the family’s settled but in the meantime, I am getting slightly obsessed with hunting little girl shoes for gifting. P will probably blame me if the bebe turns to be a shoe-holic but better that than an alkie!

WATCH

I’ve not really been out to the cinemas much the past few weeks as it’s been so ridiculously hectic. I saw Eddie the Eagle which I thought was cute but the one film I can’t wait to catch this month is the new digital adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. It’s one of my favourite childhood books and the trailer gave me proper goosies!

LISTEN

There’s one thing I’ll do
If it ever goes wrong
I’ll write you into my all of my songs
And if suddenly I die
I hope they will say
That he was obsessed and it was okay

AIM

• Cook more
• Finish five blog posts by the end of the month (I am way too behind for my liking)
• Spend more time with my buddy Z before she goes on indefinite leave
• Meet more friends in the community
• Pass probation at work! Three more weeks to go!

CLICK

• Angie’s mind-blowing review of Yashin Ocean House made me book on the dot
• Andrea’s review of our Barnyard date
• Miho’s photo/travel diary of her recent Saigon visit
• Connie’s foodie recommendations in Milan
• Lauren’s Marrakech boutique hotel: Sirayane

Looking back, it’s been a really pleasant few weeks despite having a rather hectic schedule. I hope Spring settles things a little bit and that we all have glorious weather!