Spontaneous European Adventures
Ok, so the saying from the famous Greek philosopher Aristotle actually goes “You will never do anything in this world without courage”, but chocolate certainly helps give you the courage in trying situations.
You’re probably wondering why, or how I’ve somehow managed to link Greek philosophy, courage and chocolate together?! I was lucky enough to meet Aristotelis of the Dark Side of Chocolate on my recent trip to Athens, and oh what a sweet, and philosophical, treat that was!
Nearly three years on, as I hear of the untimely passing of Stace Bancroft – one of the most inspiring and insightful individuals I have had the pleasure meeting – I have updated this blog post by way of reflection of the great man he was. Stace, we miss you. RIP 16.02.2018. Gone but never forgotten. xxx
*Edited 2018 to reflect on the devastating news that Stace Bancroft, resident of Christiania, past away February 18th 2018. You were and still are an inspiration. Stace, this story is for you. RIP. Gone, but never forgotten.*
After a 4am start in London, to catch an 8am flight from Luton airport, the last thing you want is to be stuck in an epic rainstorm without a brolly. Luckily, Copenhagen is full of delightful little districts and boutique food halls where you can shelter from the onslaught, and where I discovered Groed – just off Torvehallerne, Israels Plads – a small cafe specialising in porridge so good Goldie Locks would have been proud.
I stole Goldielocks’ porridge…and washed it down with an award-winning elderflower beer
View original post 1,109 more words
It’s October 2017 and there is a subtle chill in the air, after a brief pit-stop in Ukraine we finally make it to Georgia, a country nestled up in the Caucasus mountains, just north of Armenia.
He is a tall fellow, and he greets us, leaning on his cane. He is not old, but something in his face tells me his experiences take him beyond his years and life on this earth. Any mention of the word ‘chocolate’ brings a cheeky sparkle to his eyes. He is Gella Kuprashvilli, from Tbilisi, and he is Georgia’s only bean to bar chocolate maker!
It’s October, so it’s a little cold, and a spontaneous last-minute decision saw me book a day trip to Paris. Catching the train at 5:30am from London St Pancras International resulted in a wake up call of 3am – not pretty! Despite the train being quiet, I was WAY too excited to sleep as I was off to Salon du Chocolat – the world’s greatest chocolate show with makers, growers and artisans from around the world. One day gives you barely enough time even to scratch the surface, and being in Paris I obviously had to check out the Eiffel Tower too! Taking some Zotterschokoladen to help me ascend the 674 steps to the second Level.
When you’re asked by the Academy of Chocolate to attend and speak at the Finnebrougue Fine Food Fair in Killyleagh Castle, Northern Ireland, courtesy of Food NI 2016 – the obvious answer to this request is ‘yes’.
The trip was all planned out by Food NI, and after an exhilaratingly turbulent 55 minute flight from Gatwick, I touched down in Belfast City Airport, greeted at the airport by Sharon Machala of Food NI – my chauffeur for the next 28 hours (this was very much a flying visit).
Well, Taverna el Remer had certainly left its mark on me, in the form of one hell of a hangover! I mean, as I mentioned previously, the blues band was amazing and the drinks (extra strong and expertly crafted) went down all too quickly, to the point where I recall little of the night before – but my phone has managed to help me out; apparently on the way back we came across a variety of little glass sculptures which I’m sure you’ll agree are beautiful!
August Bank Holiday weekend saw the boy whisk me off to Venice for a belated birthday surprise! Arriving close to midnight, we stayed in the San Sebastiano Garden Hotel; a little out of the centre, but easy walking distance to the action.
Like most trips, I like to research the destination as much as I can, and create a little map with timings and things to do at each location. Very geeky, I know, but it means that if time and/or funds are not on your side, you can still let the place get under your skin, just about.
York! A medieval walled city in Northern England with a vibrant history dating as far back as Roman times and beyond. Defined by it’s medieval cathedral or ‘Minster’ – built in the 13th Century, and extensive Roman wall (since rebuilt in various places), it is also famous for playing its part in the chocolate and candy revolution of the British Isles.
Continue reading “The (Northern) Heart of English Chocolate”
Still feeling so relaxed we were falling off our proverbial chairs, we layered up to the max and made our way to 101 Laugavegur to catch our ride. It was our last day and we were heading out to see some of the most famous sights and sounds of south western Iceland, courtesy of Extreme Iceland on their Golden Circle Surprise Tour.
With temperatures barely above freezing the snow was starting up again as we made our way up to Þingvellir, or Thingvellir to us Anglicised folk. It was here, over 1000 years ago (in 930 to be precise) that the first ‘Athing’ was held – an open air assembly representing the whole of Iceland, who met once a year until 1798. Here, weather permitting, you can see yet another meeting point, between the two tectonic plates – American and Euroasian plates, who’s boundaries run right through Iceland and are clearly visible at this point – provided you’re not stuck in a blizzard. If you are stuck in a blizzard, then you probably won’t see more than an intricately frosted van window, like the one below.
After a high intensity audio visual experience of the night before, we decided to take Saturday at a slower pace. After breakfast we took a leisurely stroll up towards the Eye of Sauron, sorry, I mean Hallgrimskirkja or ‘Hallgrims Church. But it really does look like something out of Lord of the Rings, and with all these Elf Rocks and blizzards it does get a little confusing.
The Adventures of Elle Coco 