Altitude

Now that our visa are in, our trip to China is getting closer every day. We’re still planning, since it’s a tough job to travel trough China on your own. Most people I know who visit this enormous country go on a organized trip, where you just hop on and off buses, planes and trains whenever someone tells you so. We need to find out all about  this on our own. In a country where they hardly speak English and where all the signs are in Chinese.  Ai!

Right now we’re trying to get a permit to travel trough Tibet, since we would really love to visit this part of China. I’m really curious about this special place on earth, with its high mountains and temples.  I’m a bit worried about the altitude problems we might get (you find yourself at an altitude of 5000 meters), but I hope we’re going to be fine. If not, there should be a café with a Dutch owner where we can buy special tea against altitude sickness. Who knows!

Anyway, it’s all very exciting, but I’m really looking forward to make this special trip!

Photo: project-himalaya.com

Hermessence

Photo: Hèrmes.com

Most famous for their leather wear, one could easily forget the other items in Hermès’ luxury collection. I’m talking about their breathtakingly delicious perfumes.

I smelled their Hermessence Collection about two years ago and ever since I’m hooked. You can’t compare these fragrances to other perfumes, since they’re truly unique. They’re pure, intense and filled with all kind of scents. The Heremessence Collection, reinvented by Hèrmes perfumer Jean-Claude Eilena, consist of nine different perfumes which sound just as chique as they smell: Rose Ikebana, Osmanthe Yunnan, Brin de Réglisse, Vétiver Tonka, Iris Ukiyoé, Vanille Galante, Poivre Samarcande. Paprika Brasil, Ambre Narguilé.

My favorites are Ambre Narguilé, Poivre Samarcande, Rose Ikebana and Iris Ukiyoé (the latest addition to the collection). All of the scents are unisex and perfect to combine. So I prefer the sensual ambre with a touch of spicy pepper. Or the light and delicate rose with a savor of tangerine and orange blossom.

The Hermessence Collection is only available in Hermès boutiques.  In Holland there are two stores in Amsterdam (PC Hooftstraat 97 and Dam 1) and one in Maastricht (Stationsstraat 34). You can buy the parfum in the regular size bottles (100 ml, 170 Euro), but they also sell gift sets with four different 15 ml bottles (100 Euro). Each of the bottles get their own mini Hermès satchel and they’re put together in a signature orange box, perfect! Buy them together with your lover, best friend, mom or dad, and share, combine and spray the love.

Three in a row

In Amsterdam there are a few big parks. I do like the well-known Vondelpark, but for me it’s always a bit too crowded with drunken homeless people, soggy love couples and too excited dogs and kids. That’s why I prefer the Westerpark. I’m not saying you don’t see these kinds of scenes over there (there’s a kindergarten located inside the park.. just saying), but definitely to a much lesser extent. But why I mostly prefer the Westerpark is because of all the great bars and restaurants you can find there. Located at the Polonceaukade (near the Westergasfabriek) there are three places I’d like to highlight for you.

Pacific Parc
Polonceaukade 23

The perfect place for drinks. In the winter, when there’s a big fire place in the middle of the restaurant, or during the summer, because of their huge terrace outside. It’s great for lunch or dinner, since they serve fine food for fine prices. Oh and yes, sometimes I just go there for desert (sticky toffee pudding, hmm!). When you sit outside, don’t count on a romantic table just for the two of you, since other people might easily join you at one of the bigger tables. Though, I really enjoy the laidback vibe at this place. Another asset: they are almost always open!

Photo: Westergasfabriek.nl

Toko MC
Polonceaukade 5

Whenever I walk past this place, there always seem to be some sort of party going on. When you sit outside on their terrace, you can enjoy the Carribean tunes while sipping your modern tropical cocktails. Their interior inside looks amazing, with a coconut wooden floor and blustery wallpaper on the walls. Since the weather turned bad again I didn’t had the chance to have dinner at Toko MC, because yes, I’d prefer to eat my Jamaican, Surinam, Brazilian or Cuban inspired dinner underneath a burning sun to get the full experience. But their menu sure looks promising!

Photo: neverslowdown.nl

De Bakkerswinkel
Polonceaukade 1

This wouldn’t be my list if there wasn’t anything sweet on it too. De Bakkerswinkel, I love it. Located inside a pretty old building you find this spacious, but still very cozy, bakery. There’s also a big terrace outside with big wooden benches. You can go there for breakfast, lunch or high tea, since they're only opened until 5. But please, only decide to order both a brownie and a scone with home-made jam and clotted cream if you’re really hungry, cause it’s heavy! But if you do make the same 'mistake' I made, they have doggybags to take your leftovers with you.. *takes a bite of her brownie*

Dear person reading this

Wow, I just found out about another website that I really enjoy reading. It’s called Dear Blank Please Blank and it’s filled with hilarious, frustrated, thoughtful, evil and sweet  ‘letters’ from one person (or group, object, animal etc.) to another. I don’t know what it is, but I just really (really!) love these kinds of websites. And if you’re tired of reading about other people’s stuff or just feel like putting your own thoughts out in the open, you can easily submit your own letter.

Sorry, just a quick post. There are still so much more Dear Blank’s to read!

  

(Seriously, I'm crying because I'm laughing so hard!)

Happy list IV

Because of my final exams the past two weeks, I haven’t been able to update as much as I want to. But I can always sneak in some time to create one of my happy lists. Even though most of my days have been filled with studying, there are still so many (little) things that make me happy:

1. Going to a bar with some friends only to find out there that it’s Mojito Night.. What a nice coincidence!
2. Strawberry & blueberry French toast for breakfast
3. Waking up with the sun in your face
4. Fitting in a pair of Levi jeans I bought 3 years ago in the US, yaay!
5. Buying a new bikini (umm.. or two)
6. The fantastic high tea my mother and grandmother prepared for us
7. Buying myself a big bouquet of tulips (and receiving one a week later, with peonies this time, pretty!)
8. Fantasizing about the future and making exciting plans 
9. Laughing so hard with my sister that our bellies ached, but we couldn’t seem to stop!
10. Giggling when the dental assistant tells me I have an appointment with a dentist called Elvis..