miss b loves......Munich in the summer.

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Munich, a favourite city of mine. I've often been there in the winter but walking around in warmer temperatures really appealed to me. There are so many impressive buildings around every corner......

The National Theatre, home to the Bavarian State Opera
 and the Bavarian State Ballet

There's an abundance of cafés, beer gardens and restaurants with terraces too. One of the advantages of visiting at this time of year is being able to eat and drink al fresco! 

Paulaner is one of the well-known brands of beer. It has been brewed in the city since 1634 and is now exported to over 70 countries around the world!

A traditional wiener schnitzel
 served with cranberry sauce

miss b loves......random photos of Dubai and an impromptu Fashion show.

We packed so much into our visits to Dubai last October and December... As usual I took so many photos! Below are the ones which didn't quite make it into the posts.......

miss b loves .....blue skies in London and a visit to Cake Boy.

We were blessed with amazing weather in London before Christmas. The clear blue skies and sunshine were quite unexpected as back home in the North it had been grey and wet for days (and we returned to grey, wet days too!)  

St Paul's Cathedral

As we were staying near Kensington Gardens, it was an opportunity to have a morning walk (and we needed the exercise, especially after a full English breakfast!)

The Italian Garden,
 Kensington Gardens

It really was more like a spring day .......and the pastel coloured houses in Notting Hill looked even prettier against the blue cloudless sky...

miss b loves ..........welcoming the New Year in Dubai.

Happy New Year to you all! I'm finally getting back into a routine! It was such a treat to be able to escape the cold and wet weather in England to enjoy sunshine and blue skies .....

En route to Dubai
on Boxing Day

We were greeted with so many festive touches especially at The Beach with a giant Christmas tree, huge candy canes and baubles which shimmered next to the palm trees .....

The 'snowmen' on the sand were particularly cute and popular for photos too!

miss b loves .......London, all dressed up for Christmas 2014!

Visiting London in the run up to Christmas seems to have become a tradition of ours.......The capital city has always fascinated me and there's something even more special about it during the festive period.....Last weekend we jumped on the train and just over two hours later we were welcomed by the bright lights of London, all dressed up for Christmas 2014 .......

A tree decorated with Fortnum and Mason
 wicker baskets at Somerset House.

Burlington Arcade

The Giant Observation Wheel
 at Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park

miss b loves ....... getting into the festive spirit in Munich

They certainly know how to do Christmas in Germany and during our recent visit to Munich it was so easy to get into the festive spirit!

Mini Christmas stockings
 at Café Luitpold

I wandered around Viktualienmarkt where wreaths were piled high ready to be decorated.....

There were so many unusual decorations to admire........

miss b loves .........an impromptu long weekend in Munich.

Sometimes the impromptu weekends away are even more enjoyable than those which have been planned for months in advance! A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to spend three days in Munich, a city we have visited before but not during the winter months. It was such a treat seeing it all dressed up and ready for Christmas! 

The enormous Christmas tree in front of the Rathaus(Town Hall) was just about ready for its lights to be switched on!

......and we had arrived just in time to watch again the famous Glockenspiel Clock. As it chimes, tiny figurines re-enact two folklore stories from the sixteenth century .......  

miss b loves ...new openings in Dubai and a few favourite spots

Dubai is one of those places which is forever changing and developing and this for me is one of its attractions. Following on from our fascinating trip to Abu Dhabi last month, we spent a few days revisiting a few favourite spots and discovering new openings in Dubai....

Imagine my delight to find that Ladurée at The Beach had opened at last. 

With views from the terrace over Jumeirah Beach and the Arabian Gulf, this is a very special location. 

This giant deckchair is apparently the largest in the world but I believe the Guiness Book of World Records is in the process of verifying that!

miss b loves ........a gem of a café in Abu Dhabi and a special cappuccinno at the Palace

Having spent much longer than anticipated at the Grand Mosque, we were more than ready for lunch. We headed back into the city to Café Arabia. I had read great things about this café in a converted villa and it actually exceeded our expectations.

Café Arabia is a real find, an absolute gem of a place. As soon as you enter, there's a feeling of calm.  

One of those charming places where there is so much to admire with photographs of well-known people of Arabia and local art adorning the walls. 

Colourful Arabic lanterns dangle from the ceiling...

miss b loves .........sweet treats in Alice's Wonderland

Quirky, delightful, imaginative, enchanting, nostalgic....a few adjectives which sum up Alices Tea Room in St Annes.

As soon as we were handed the giant playing card menus we knew we were in for a treat ......

...with numerous references to Alice in Wonderland....

miss b loves.... a memorable experience at Pollen, Singapore

I mentioned briefly here that during our trip to Singapore in July we enjoyed one of the most memorable lunches we have ever eaten. Well, it was more than a lunch and more of an experience! Pollen takes its name from renowned, Michelin starred British chef Jason Atherton's flagship restaurant Pollen Street Social in London. It's the perfect name, as this one is housed in the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay.

Our table was in the perfect spot with impressive views of the city and the huge ferris wheel, the Singapore Flyer.

The beautiful charger plates, decorated with illustrations of flowers and plants, immediately caught my eye ....

miss b loves ..... a stopover in Dubai

En route to Singapore last month we took the opportunity to break the journey both on the way there and back. It's a seven hour flight from Manchester to Dubai and another seven hours on to Singapore.... A couple of long weekends in Dubai was definitely a good idea...an excuse to visit a few favourite spots...

 ..... and a chance to discover new openings in a city which is constantly evolving.

I'd read that London's iconic Fortnum and Mason store had opened a branch in a prime location opposite the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. The terrace has a spectacular view of the Dubai Fountain too .....

The ground floor stocks a variety of teas, preserves and other treats...

The sophisticated Tea Salon on the first floor serves their famous afternoon tea and the second floor is a stylish ice cream parlour. As it was late in the evening, we made our way to the top floor for dessert and coffee.... 

miss b loves ..... Singapore, the final day (Part 3)

Our final day in Singapore began with a stroll around Little India. It's one of the most colourful and vibrant districts of the city and the air is filled with the aroma of exotic spices. 

It's a riot of colour too with local ladies wearing traditional saris ........ 

It was fascinating to watch the flower vendors making the traditional garlands from jasmine, marigolds and roses. Garlands are placed on the statues of deities as prayer offerings and they are used at weddings and other special occasions. 

More colour greeted us at one of the oldest surviving Chinese villas in Little India. Built in 1900 for the wife of Tan Teng Niah, a prominent Chinese businessman, who owned a successful confectionery business in the area...

We stopped for a while at the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, built in 1881 and dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, wife of Shiva.