July 2015 – Mel Adela | London Travel And Lifestyle Blog

Hells Mouth – Surfer’s paradise, Sailors worst nightmare

I spent last weekend getting down and dirty with nature, camping in Wales. I have never been to Wales before and I did not have any expectations however, I learnt that the UK has so much to offer and you don’t have to get on a plane to see clear blue water while sitting on soft sand.

However, you probably do have to get on a plane if you want guaranteed scorching heat. That is something this Island cannot promise. We camped in a lovely, clean camping site (http://www.tyn-y-mur.co.uk/) on a hill overlooking Abersoch, a small town also known as Cheshire by the sea due to the many affluent visitors that flock here during the holidays.

The campsite wasn’t just close to the town centre, it also boasted a great view of the undulating landscape with hints of the blue irish sea.

We had a lot of luck with the sun making its appearance all weekend. The wind, however, caused quite a bit of havoc while setting the tent up. One of our camp neighbours lost their tents to the wind, it literally got blown away. R.I.P

My favourite part of the weekend was visiting Hells Mouth, known by the locals as Porth Neigwl. This 4 mile long stretch of stoney beach is exposed to the Atlantic and is home to waves which attract surfers from all over the world. There are many tragic fishermen’s tales of Hells Mouth and many ships which have been unfortunate enough to end up in this bay, never made it out.

Apart from the mysterious bay of Hell’s Mouth, there are a few other things to do in and around Abersoch:

1. Have breakfast or dinner/drinks at Zinc in Abersoch’s town centre. This bar/restaurant has an open terrace that looks out to the dock and is always busy with locals and tourists.

2. Drive to Whistling Sands – listen to the sand whistle to the beat of your footsteps. This beach on the northern peninsula is popular for its pure, golden sand and clear waters. If it’s your lucky day, you’ll even get to see seals or dolphins. However, sadly it wasn’t my lucky day.

3. Find the hidden beach of Abersoch and enjoy the privacy: When the tide is low you can venture further down Abersoch beach and follow the rigid bend along the cliff on the right. Behind this cliff is where you find this less-known beach with small, untouched caves. Just be aware that you head back before the tide comes back in or you’ll be featuring in your own Cast Away film.

4. Climb the steep steps to the Tin Man in Llanbedrog. Beware: the walk is not for the faint at heart and the view of the coast is more impressive than the sculpture.

Diolch (thank you) Wales for the beautiful views and intriguing language

XOXO

Breakfast for the soul – Top 5 ways to start your day in Southeast Asia

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and while I love a full english, it just does not compare to the more greasy, flavoursome breakfast options in Southeast Asia. You think Curry and rice are just for lunch or dinner? Think again. These are a few of my all time favourite dishes to start the day with, and many variations of these dishes can be found across Asia.

Rava Dosa

This wholesome meal originates from South India but is also very popular in Sri lanka, Malaysia and Singapore. Rava means semolina, which is one of the main ingredients to this vegetarian dish. Think of this as a version of savoury crepe, just with so much more flavour, as all things in Asia. The dosa is usually accompanied by a mildly spicy vegetable curry and coconut chutney.

Chee Cheong fun

This is one of the meals I tend to crave every once in awhile. It is a rice noodle roll, fun meaning rice. It originates from southern China and can also be found in Hongkong, Singapore and Malaysia. “Chee cheong” means pig intestine, however, fear not! The meal contains no intestine of any sort, it just happens to look like one.

Other variations include a piece of pork or shrimp rolled up in the rice noodle. However, Chee cheong fun has no fillings. The timzheong sauce brings the main flavour to this dish, just thinking about it makes me hungry. There is a savoury and sweet version, the one you see below is sweet, covered in the sweet black sauce (similar to hoisin sauce), accompanied by a cold glass of fresh sugar cane juice – bliss.

Appam

This is one of my all time favourites and a known must have at my Grandma´s when I visit. This is a popular Sri Lankan cuisine which can also be found across Singapore (especially in little India or Changi Airport). Appam, also known as hoppers is a, is a crispy pancake with a soft and fluffy centre made of fermented rice.

Whilst, the “hopper” can be eaten either savoury or sweet, the version I grew up on was sweet, topped of with a lot of coconut milk and sugar while being fried on the specialized pan. The rice centre soaked up the coconut milk, leaving it moist and creamy. What you usually find in shops or street stalls is the plain Appam as seen below served with a bowl of coconut milk and gula melaka ( coconut palm sugar) separately. The difference to these two variations is in the texture of the soft centre.

I can easily have 4 of these for breakfast, however, my heart tends not to agree with this calorific sin. But it is definitely something you have to try!

Soya Bean Curd Pudding

This mildly sweet pudding is made of soya bean and is eaten either for breakfast or as a snack. It’s creamy taste and silky texture is the reason this warm pudding is so popular in Singapore and Malaysia, where it is served with a clear syrup and also known as Tau Huay. Other variations of this can be found across Southeast Asia and China with toppings such as peanut and ginger.

Tao Suan

Although Tao Suan is typically a dessert, I justify it as a breakfast dish. This is a green bean starchy sweet soup served with Youtiao (similar to a light fried dumpling). According to the Chinese, this soup helps with indigestion and cools the body. According to me, it soothes the soul. You can find this in most food courts in Singapore by the dessert section.

Now do you still want that english breakfast?

Summer in London – Floating drinks on the Thames

If you love London you’ll love it more in the summer when the sun greets the capital. There are so many atmospheric bars and pubs on every street and alley, you never run out of new places to discover. But for that very same reason, many live in London not knowing what little gems are just around the corner, waiting to be found.

My flatmate brought me to Tamesis Dock, a converted boat bar, after an evening run along the iconic Thames river.

I fell inlove with this floating bar the minute I stepped on the deck. I was whisked away by the gorgeous view of the houses of parliament and big ben with my cold cider in hand and to top it off, the prices on board are so reasonable!

The converted dutch barge is tucked away on the side of the Thames about a 15 minute walk from Vauxhall station..or a 8 minute jog if you want a pre-workout, like we did. Although, I do not advise running back on a bloated tummy, like we did.

Apart from the priceless view and spectacular atmosphere, you’ll find that the meals here satisfy your taste buds and wallet too, especially the sharers. I would advise reserving a table as it can get quite busy when the sun makes an appearance. Especially now that summer has FINALLY arrived.

The Kopparberg logo resonates across the boat and that is exactly the thirst quencher I needed. On certain days, there is live music playing on board, simply check their facebook page for event details. Although their inner space was understandably empty when we boarded, the quaint decor is hard not to admire.