When you arrive somewhere, having organised the trip at the last moment, and with very few expectations, it’s a delicate thing. Your first impression often counts for more than a day or two can make up. Have a bad experience and as much as you try it can hard to be completely positive in the days that follow. Be amazed or even just happily impressed and the feeling counts.

So it was for us today in Prague. A city about which everyone waxes lyrical, yet which for us was a last-minute plan. After a 2 hour volcano-induced delay, we finally arrived without many expectations.

So it was a happy surprise to stumble upon Dvur restaurant right near our place. A first impression that impressed, Czech food and beer that left us upbeat and looking forward to exploring the city tomorrow…

Light and Dark Czech beers

Boned Pork Knee, Sauerkraut and Potato Dumplings

Sirloin in Cream Sauce, Dumplings, Cranberries, Lemon and Whipped Cream

Czech Pancakes with Blueberries and Cream

I’ve been meaning to do this post for a while… but I just didn’t get around to sitting down and taking extra snapshots of what I had planned… until now!

During our recent trip down to Barcelona, one of the stores on my checklist was Happy Pills (see more here), a very unique confectionary store, where you can select whatever candy you want and then they’ll be put into plastic pill bottles (amongst other options).
How peculiar indeed! ♥

  

For the larger bottles, you can even select a sticker (in english or spanish) with a statement to go with. For mine, I selected “Nubes rosas para días grises” meaning “pink clouds for grey days” - perfect for a bad day!

  

And here are the snapshots that I was referring to! I couldn’t resist macro-snapping each candy that I filled my bottle with… please enjoy these sugary goodies :)

   

   

   

   

Happy Pills
C/ Argenteria, 70
Barcelona
(literally across from the Santa Maria del Mar church)

Barcelona was and is breathtaking. With its mix of beach and urban cultures, hideaway streets and constant buzz, we loved it!

So to share with you guys our memories, here is a little sneak peak into a few of my favourite images from our collection ♥

  

  

  

From top to bottom, left to right:
1. Flowers from a florist along La Rambla
2. Thousands and thousands of chillis at La Boqueria markets
3. House magnets from Art Escudelleres
4. View from the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
5. Gaudi’s unfinished Sagrada Familia
6. Flowers from a garden
7. Fideos a banda (noodles with fish) at Can Manel restaurant
8. A street with a heart
9. Graffiti art
10. A bubble-maker entertainer

• CASSOULET
  [ka-soo-LAY]
  A classic dish from France’s Languedoc region consisting of white beans and various meats (such as sausages, pork and preserved duck or goose). The combination varies according to regional preference. A cassoulet is covered and cooked very slowly to harmonize the flavors.
• CONFIT
  [kohn-FEE, kon-FEE]
  This specialty of Gascony, France, is derived from an ancient method of preserving meat (usually goose, duck or pork) whereby it is salted and slowly cooked in its own fat. The cooked meat is then packed into a crock or pot and covered with its cooking fat, which acts as a seal and preservative. Confit can be refrigerated up to 6 months. Confit d’oie and confit de canard are preserved goose and preserved duck, respectively.

When Gareth mentioned cassoulet in his previous post, some of you may not have known what that was, as we eventually found out. So I thought it was definitely time for some foody goodness at a recent restaurant we went to in Toulouse which was beyond delicious. It was amazing, and being an uber fan of confit de canard, you can imagine how happy I was!!

Gareth’s choice: Cassoulet au Deux Confits (porc, canard) - pork & duck

My choice: Cuisse de Canard Confit - Duck Thigh Confit

Gareth’s Dessert: Crème Brulée

  

L: Maison du Cassoulet    R: My Dessert: Fromage Blanc au Coulis de Fruits Rouges

Maison du Cassoulet
3 bis, Bd de Strasbourg
31000 Toulouse, France
05 61 22 42 41

… and food definitions thanks to Epicurious