The Feasting Continues

Mother and I are still being swellegant swans however we have just had a quick change in location. We are now in London. My life is pretty hard right? We got here on the 24th and have been staying with our really good family friends.

We had such a lovely christmas we basically ate a lot and drank a lot and had equally awesome conversation!! Mother even managed to do a vodka shot!! I was mightily proud of her. I really like christmas in the northern hemisphere because it is winter you really feel like staying inside and having christmasy food and because it gets dark so early the christmas lights look amazing!

On Boxing day mother and I went shopping on oxford street!!! I have never seen anything so mad and insane in my life. People had been queuing outside Selfridges (a big english department store) since the wee hours in the morning. The perfumes were almost completely sold out by the time we got there at 10! Utter madness!!

That night we went to the best ballet I have ever seen it was an adaption done by Michael Bourne. It was one of the breathtakingly beautiful things I have ever seen!! The time I have spent in England and Europe in general I really have been having the time of my life!! 

I even got to go to Harry Potter Studio's! Even if you haven't even watched the Harry Potter movies (it should be an international crime if you haven't) you should still go to this if you are ever in London. It is such a fabulous and fantastical place!!! It really illustrates how much work goes in behind the scenes for movies!! It was one of the best days of my life!!! I cannot illustrate with words alone how much I love this place!! so instead i will just give you a row of exclamation marks. 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have loved my time overseas with a passion. It has been amazing to get away and do such fabulous things as it has been a lot about getting my confidence back and putting being sick behind me and it worked. The reality of being sick feels more distant as I have done so much since I got better. 

I feel happy and I am ready to begin my LONG journey home.

Mama & I wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!!

Swellegant Swans

I have made that word up but I have decided that it suits how I have spent the last couple of days beautifully! They have been filled with such cultural and very special events.

Since I last wrote this mother and I went to the best restaurant in Barcelona (it even had a michelin star!) and had the most fabulous meal. We have also been to Picasso's and Niro's art gallery's. I have even been to see a Flaminco at the opera house!

As you can see life has been very hard as we have been having such a fabulous time in Barcelona. I have really enjoyed being here, it has been really cool for Mum and I because this time last year I would have just got back from Auckland and I would be awaiting my histology results and in three days I would get the awful ones.

This time last year I could never have imagined that my life would have ever ended up like this. I have had the most fabulous time with Mum celebrating the life that I never imagined would be mine.

I shall leave you with some photos of the delicious food!

So What If The World Ends!

Barcelona, how I survived without you in my world will forever be a mystery! It is so amazing! The food and just this entire city! If the world ends, I would be happy knowing I spent time here!

Poor Mama has been very sick so I think it was definitely the right choice to leave Morocco. When we arrived at our hotel we got a free upgrade so we are in this huge suite and Daddy, ever so kindly, has situated us on two of the biggest shopping streets in Barcelona.

We have been here for a few days now and have managed to see some of Antoni Gaudi's most famous works like La Sagrada Familia! We also have eaten some tremendous food and have plans to eat more.

Tomorrow should the world end you will find me in Barcelona's top restaurant! I am having such a hard life! It's actually been so amazing being here though.

Like today we went wandering one of the biggest shopping streets. When we decided to stop for Lunch and this lovely old couple were just sitting down to eat. We were unsure if we wanted to eat there but they said in perfect English that it was very good and we were more than welcome to eat with them if we wanted and they could help us understand the menu and give us some tips on what to order.

We found out over lunch that they were a lovely old German couple who were on holiday as they had a house in Barcelona and we ended up sitting and talking with them for just over 2 hours having one of the yummiest meals of traditional Catalan food!

If the world ends tomorrow I am so glad that I managed to do this trip with many people I love and being able to eat such amazing food. Luckily, I don't believe that it will end tomorrow and I look forward to the rest of what is to come.

Quick Change

WE ARE GOING TO BARCELONA! Mama and I have been booking extrodinares today and we are going to Barcelona tomorrow. Mama is quite sick now and I am not that great either so I think it probably is the right decision.

Neither of us are in love with this country, we like it but we don't love it so going to Barcelona for a week should be good. If I was by myself I would do the south but I think Mum has had enough. I think it's hard because we have been here for almost two weeks and although we loved Chefchaouen and Moulay Idriss the cities like Casablanca and Tangier we didn't like.

I am really excited for Barcelona. It should be amazing and I have mother her so maybe some shopping may be done. Christmas sales and all that. Mother says we are going to see the architecture and art but I am sure she can be swayed a little.

Yesterday, after mother and I booked the flights and kept dad up all night (sorry!) I went to the the Jardin Marjorelle with Rosie where the Yves Saint Laurent Memorial was as it was his garden which he donated to the Moroccan people. This had to be followed by a drink at the swankiest hotel called Mamounia.

So hopefully will be leaving Morocco on this high because I have had such a lovely evening. I shall leave you with a picture of the Yves Saint Laurent Memorial Garden.

The Beginnings Of The Female Jamie Oliver

This morning we woke up and we went to a cooking class to learn how to make Tangines. It was really fun and my one actually tasted pretty good but I am not sure how easy they will be to replicate them at home. This basically is going to be my line if anyone actually trusts me to make them one.

It was interesting walking with the lady while she brought her ingredients. It was interesting seeing where everything came from. It was a little disturbing when we went to buy the chicken and they weighed them alive and then killed them right in front of us!

I am surprised after writing this that I still managed to eat my Tangine with gusto. This afternoon we are going to meet up with Rosie. I think Mum wants to talk to Dad about leaving but we have to decide one way or another by tonight.

Marrakech Part 1

Today we arrived in Marrakech and we're still quite tired from the overnight train but we went into the main square which was actually rather intimidating. People were hassling you and basically chasing you with snakes and monkeys that were wearing diapers which sounds a lot more comical than it was.

You couldn't even take photos because they wanted money for the photos and you had to bargain for the price and the people you had to bargain with were scary and intimidating and I feel like I know about both those things having a judge as a mother. When she doesn't get her way...

So we ended up spending very little time in the main square and heading for the nearest cafe seeking refuge. Mum has been humming and haring about going on the second half of the trip as she isn't really loving morocco and the south looks even more basic and we can't bail so we sat in the cafe using wifi and looked at places we could go.

This evening we went to try find mums friend Rosie who was in Marrakesh for a conference however we ended up just missing her so we ended up back with the group because one of the girls was leaving the tour.

At this meeting they went over what was in the next part of the tour and when our tour leader said that "I cannot assure the safety of the food" I think Mum was shocked as what we have been eating (and already been sick from) was considered safe. Poor Mum. I think she plans on talking to Dad but as our hotel has no wifi and there is no cell signal for her in this whole country... Good luck.

Wishes On Tangier

We left Chefchaouen the next morning and jumped onto a public bus which is an interesting experience... The little boy on the seat opposite me vomited all over his mother and the floor and when the mother got off the bus driver just put newspaper over it and we continued on our merry way. Standard bus in Morocco.

We arrive in Tangier and we have lunch and we go wandering. If I am perfectly frank it's not really that amazing. Don't get me wrong, I like it but it doesn't blow my socks off. We had a look around the medina and souq but not as stunning as what the guide book made it out to be.

This evening we are getting on an overnight train to Marrakesh. Mum is excited as she has always wanted to go to Marrakesh so I am hoping that it will live up to all her expectations.

To be fair and I do always try to be. Morocco is a little dissapointing. When you look at photos of this place you would think it is vibrantly full of color and really picturesque and some of it is but a lot of it is incredibly poor and dirty and smelly and actually quite seedy.

As its an Arab country I get stared at constantly and having ransoms grab you bum or wink and you is not that fun. Don't get me wrong, most of the people have been amazingly nice but not all.

I think it's harder for Mum than me because she has wanted to come here for so long. I am enjoying being here but I wouldn't say that I am in love with this country or having the time of my life like I was when I was in every other country I have been to so far.

I hope the south gets better.