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 .....Liverpool and The Three Queens

Liverpool is a city with such an interesting past and has always been a favourite of mine. Last month, the Three Queens (the three iconic Cunard ships) Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria met for the first time in the River Mersey to celebrate 175 years of the Cunard shipping line. 

An amazing event with musical entertainment including the Royal Marines Band outside the Cunard building ..... 

....and a fly past by the Royal Air Force Red Arrows, one of the world's best aerobatic display teams.

The event was even more special as we had been invited for lunch in the spectacular Port of Liverpool building.....

 .....where we had the perfect view of the ships' arrival and we enjoyed a slice of celebration cake too! 

miss b loves....Notting Hill, London

I have always been attracted to colourful buildings so it's therefore no surprise that Notting Hill is one of my favourite areas of London. 

Notting Hill now has a reputation as an affluent, fashionable area with house prices to match! Around every corner there are row upon row of impressive Victorian terraces .....

There's no shortage of high end shops, boutiques, cafés and restaurants especially along Westbourne Grove ...... 

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.... 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, a city of contrasts (Part 2)

What makes Singapore so interesting is the contrast between the old and the new .... the melting pot of cultures. Some might say that Singapore lacks soul and is too sanitised but I would disagree .....A traditional Singapore still flourishes and we headed to Chinatown on Day 2 of our recent visit....

In complete contrast to the mainly low-rise buildings of Chinatown, the three 55 storey towers of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel is an integrated resort complex topped by a SkyPark. Designed by Moshe Safdie, it's the world's most expensive building....

It's an eye-catching, iconic design which has transformed the city's skyline.

miss b loves ....... Singapore, a city of contrasts (Part 1)

I'm back from my travels! 

Singapore is a true melting pot of cultures. We visited this fascinating city a few years ago on a two night stopover from Bali, but having read about the new ambitious architectural projects, we decided to go back and spend more time there. 

It's a city of contrasts with old and new buildings sitting side by side .......stunning colonial buildings and a futuristic skyline. 

There's an array of world-class restaurants and high quality street food which we were keen to try too.

Day 1 began with a stroll around the local area. The Merlion statue is the symbol of the city with the body of a fish (representing Singapore's origin as a humble fishing village) and the head of a lion from the Malay Singapura (meaning lion city.)

Next stop...another Singapore icon...Raffles Hotel, a colonial style building established in 1887 and named after Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore.  

During our last visit we had enjoyed afternoon tea in the Tiffin Room but this time we planned to return the following evening for a Singapore Sling or two!

miss b loves .....the English Lake District ... and a very traditional Sunday lunch at The Drunken Duck.

The weekend before last,  I was craving a traditional English Sunday lunch with all the trimmings but without all the cooking so we headed off to The Drunken Duck near Ambleside, in the Lake District. We're very fortunate as it's just a forty-five minute drive from home.

The lunch was perfect......all served in separate dishes which I prefer so that you can take as much or as little as you like. 

Tender roast beef with impressive Yorkshire puddings presented on a wooden board ......

Cauliflower cheese served in a cute copper pan......

So many flavours on one plate.
Wonderful!

miss b loves .....The Beach, Dubai

Of course I love the beach in Dubai ...... white sand and crystal clear turquoise sea ...

Jumeirah Beach with views of Palm Jumeirah
 and the Atlantis Hotel in the distance

.....but today I'm talking about The Beach, a brand new somewhat controversial project which, as you might have guessed, sits right next to the sea. When I first saw the hoardings go up, like many others I assumed it was just another shopping mall taking up valuable beachfront space!! 

How wrong we were! When we arrived in Dubai a couple of weeks ago, the first phase of The Beach had just opened. This new project has truly enhanced the area ....it's now a beautiful sleek luxury lifestyle destination. Ultra-modern, low rise buildings with cafés and restaurants whose terraces look out over the Arabian Gulf......

We visited Leopold's of London three times in a week! It's newly opened but already so popular. A perfect spot to relax, people-watch and enjoy the many delicious treats.