Gilmore Girls

Despite the ordination mess, yesterday was a nice evening, especially after a whole day of packing. My mom and I went to Mykene, a restaurant that i loved the first time I went there, but where I've never came back during these six month basically because it'a a little pricy for a income-equal-zero (or almost) college student like me. So, having a paying-parent around it's a good excuse to go in nice places to eat great food (or I thought this!). Anyway, first things first!

I really appreciated the time I spent with my mom since I don't live at home anymore and when I came back for the weekend we couldn't have proper time to chit chat or to really talk with each other, because there were always something to do or someone to meet. I think that this whole moving-madness has actually helped me to get closer again with my mom like we used to be.

This is my mom, say hello!

***

Back to the restaurant that I loved so much the first time, well, we broke up. Definitely.

Why? I'll tell you soon...

The first course and the bread were amazing, like I remembered

a vegetable soup (really appreciated since here is sooo cold)

and 3 slices of whole wheat bread, mmm

The second course was planned to be jacket potatoes with grilled vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes and cheese plus a side salad, well, not exactly what I received...

Ok, I hate when the waitress mess with my ordination, but this time (I'm usually more bitchy on this point) I decided I could live with that (and eat it) since it looked like spinach and cheese jacket potatoes and sufficiently yummy.

Well, it turned out that there weren't only spinach and cheese on the jacket potatoes, but also a meat-hamburger in the mix! (Can you spot it?) I was really pissed off since I explicitly told the waitress I was vegetarian even if the dish was already marked as vegetarian. By the time they changed my dish (actually I'm not even sure if they redid the whole thing or just switched the hamburgers), I knew for sure I won't come back again!

What do you usually do when the waiter mess with your ordination?

Do you change it or you eat it anyway?

***

Yesterday's lunch was this

Whole wheat Spaghetti with tomato sauce, black olives, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes

Now I'm off to the real-deal at Lukemieke, a vegetarian restaurant that I hope won't reserve me unwelcome surprises!

An Antwerp guide by an italian girl- Part II

So, here we are for show you the first reason why I decided to spend a day in Antwerp, and I'm not afraid to say so: Shopping!



Antwerp is full of nice shops and especially of my beloved vintage ones, but let the addresses do the talk:

Belchique

Kloosterstraat 177

Labels Inc.

Aalmoezenierstraat 4

Jutka &Riska

Nationalestraat 87

Sussies

Oude Koornmarkt, corner Zwaluwstraat 69

Bonaventura

Aalmoezenierstraat

Pardaf

Gemeentestraat 8

Think twice

Lange Klarenstraat 21

I also went to Urban Outfitters because I love so much their clothes and here in Europe the stores are rare (only in the northern part) and in England.

***

With all this shopping you'll become hungry at a certain point (like I did; many times). The city is full of cute places for lunch or for a snack. Unfortunately I can't suggest you any place for dinner since I didn't dine there. I really appreciate the fact that there were a lot of  clearly indicated vegetarian option on the menus of the restaurant that I checked (it's usually the same in Leuven, but one time I couldn't take a soup because all the option -6/7 soups in total- were made with chicken stock; this won't happen to you in Antwerp for sure!). Anyway, for lunch I went here:

Lombardia

Lombardenvest 78

I basically chose this place because it was colorful and it has the same name of the italian region where I study, so I was curious to discover why (= the name of the street is Lombardenvest and it has really something related to the italian region). I had one of the best pumpkin soup ever, but it went with only a slice of bread (I need more carbs to tackle an afternoon of shopping!).

Earlier I stopped for a coffee and to plan my day here:

Exky

It's a kind of all natural high quality fast-food restaurant chain and it was full of yummy sandwiches and cakes. I got a good coffee (yes! It wasn't dirty water as usual, a carrot chocolate and some dark chocolate that I'm finishing as I type this, yum)

Another place really worth to mention for baked goods is this:

Desiree de Lille

Schrijnwerkersstraat 14-18

***

To finishing up this afternoon guide to Antwerp, here are two more reasons to visit it:

It's super girlie

Even walls are worth to notice

Enjoy it!

An Antwerp guide by an italian girl- Part I

Antwerp is damn cool!

Yeah, I've finally found a Belgian city that I really love. Mission accomplished!

So, this "guide" won't be exhaustive nor particularly cultural since yesterday was the first time that I visited the city and I wanted to go there primarily for shopping-releted reasons. Indeed Antwerp is known for being a fashion city (it hosts the Royal Academy of Fine Arts) and for the Antwerp Six, a group of influential avant garde fashion designers.

I just wanted to share with you some nice things to see in Antwerp and cool shops that I found when I was there, more like a guide for an afternoon of shopping rather than a cultural and historical visit of the city. I also wanted to share some nice pictures of funny things!

***

The first thing to mention when you arrive in Antwerp by train is the Central Station. I was stunned! It's gorgeous and it's only a little taste of the beauty of the city.

And it also as this beloved place in it (the only one in the whole Belgium- or almost-, unbelievable!)

Afternoon snack: a tall Cappuccino with skim milk

***

Things to see

St. James' Church

Rubenshuis

Cathedral of Our Lady

Grote Markt

Boerentoren

(the oldest skyscraper in Europe, ohhh)

Statue of Brabo and the giant's hand

Momu: Fashion Museum

Momu

***

Coming soon.. the second (and funniest) part with all the nice vintage shops, my purchases and cute places to eat (and more random photos).

A Leuven guide by an italian girl

I know, probably it's not the first city that you want to visit in Belgium (anyway, are you sure that you want to visit Belgium?), but Leuven is nice and really university-friendly (the university was founded  in 1425, uhlala) and it's also were I live now (at least, for another week!), so here there are some random places and nice things to do if you ever will be here.

Things to do

From above:

The Town Hall and Grote Markt

Le Jardin Botanique (or Kruidtuin in Dutch, so harmonious)

Ladeuzeplein, the University Library and the giant beetle

The Church of Saint Michael

St. Peter's Church

Even wander around the city is nice

Things to eat (for lunch)

The food maker

(grab n go snacks without preservatives)

Coup de soup

(well, soups, great multi-grain bread)

Nosh

(bagels and other yummy stuff)

Things to buy

Tante Jojo

Hexagoon

(Ravenstraat, 81)

Living lounge

You can see the strangest bikes here. I love that!

January, 14

Today I woke up too late for a proper breakfast, but too early for lunch, so I had just this:

Arizona diet green tea with ginseng

(very gooood)

It was also too late for doing something productive (studying, anyone?).

For lunch, I went to Greenway. Again. And it was good. Again. I ate a multi-vegetables soup and a ciabatta bread. I was sooo missing ciabatta.

Since I do(n't) have an exam on Monday, after lunch I went shopping

I'll surely find a way to use them

(I'm trying to convince myself that I didn't just waste 7 € for buying nice pieces of paper)

If  you ever will come to visit Leuven

(I don't know why and I've lived here for six months, but anyway who knows)

check this cute shop

Sales at the Body Shop

From America Today

I was willing to pay this 59 €, because I thought it was already the final price, so I was super happy when I discovered that the discount was still to be applied. (yeess)

I needed some shopping therapy.

All my happiness was wasted since I just had a huge discussion with my dad concerning my return home at the end of January.

I hate moving

(especially when it's the third time in six months)

Greenway

I ate here today at lunch.

I had a giant Biobroodje Toscane (eggplant, zucchini, ricotta pesto) along with some salad

They also have a wide selection of drinks and teas

I really loved this place and I think I'll come back there soon. The only problem is that they only dutch menu  (totally double dutch).

Greenway

Parijsstraat 12

3000 Leuven

Belgium

January, 9

... I ate today

buttermilk banana pancakes

Spinach omelette

Baked sweet potatoes and chickpeas

... I saw today

a bleeding Pikachu

a Blinky's invasion

... I loved today

the light of this picture

Original ways of parking bikes

Leuven, from another perspective

and one about me

I love fatty cats

January, 4

... I ate today

peanut butter and banana bagel

Nosh

Naamsestraat 14

3000 Leuven

Belgium

Pumpkin carrot soup

Falafel, hummus, tomatoes and whole wheat tortilla

... I saw today

a church in Leuven

the same church (closer)

even closer

... I loved today

a carousel

a carousel (closer)

Blinky

and one about me

I'm looking forward to Spring