Three Chocolate Bars

It's been a couple of months since I posted anything about chocolate!
The bars have been mounting up recently, as I've not been eating so much of it. But the goal is still ongoing--here's bars 32-34/50, which come from as close as the next town and as far as Japan!

Lindt Kirsch

Milk chocolate with a kirsch liquid filling.

This is packaged in silver foil, inside a red and gold box, so it seems quite luxurious.

Alright, so I love Lindt chocolate as it is, and I enjoy alcohol, and I like cherries, so all in all this seemed like a good idea!

I didn't read the packaging properly so didn't realise the filling was liquid until I bit into a piece, which made it surprising. There's what appears to be a layer of crunchy sugar stuff on the hollowed where the kirsch is; not sure if it's where the chocolate has been sitting in my cupboard during the heat, or if it's meant to be that way. Either way, it's delicious.

Down the Rabbit Hole

After scaling The O2, and eager for further adventure, my friend Lilia (Paracosm of Lilies) and I headed on to the Southbank Centre for an exhibition at the Hayward Gallery.

The artist was Carsten Höller (remember I mentioned him in my last post?) and his show Decision is his biggest in the UK so far.

Rather than an exhibition, it would be better described as an experience! A lot of the pieces were fully interactive, bringing a new dimension to the art world, and some rather trippy results!

This exhibition had a real Alice in Wonderland feel to it, with strange sights, weird experiences, and a very noticeable difference between the world outside, and the world within the exhibition itself.

Up at the O2

Yesterday, I went into London, and completed something that has been on The List for ages--and was one of my main goals for this year! Hurrah!

084. Climb the O2

I met up with Lilia, my lovely friend who blogs at Paracosm of Lilies, and we headed over to The O2, which is right next door to North Greenwich underground station!

For those unfamiliar with London's landmarks, The O2 is an entertainment complex that sits right next to the Thames, and includes an arena, cinema, restaurants, and a bowling alley, among other things.

Up at The O2 runs daily climbs over the dome, to a viewing platform on the summit which stands at 52 metres high!

Lord of the Life of Brian

It's been a while since I posted about films I've watched. Then again, I still don't watch them all that frequently!

Does anyone else go through days of watching tonnes of films, then weeks of nothing? I know I can't be the only one!

So I'm still working towards the following goal:

061. Watch 100 films

Here are films 31-40. I'm actually just over halfway now, with 52 films watched, but have been procrastinating over blogging about them ;)

31. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure

In a Word: Arkenstone

In a Sentence: The Lonely Mountain is in the hands of the dwarves and Bilbo, but the threats keep on coming and a big battle ensues to fight back the forces of darkness, in this final part of the Hobbit trilogy.

Recommended: For Tolkien fans not too bothered about it being an accurate adaptation of the book. (It's good, but there are some differences!)

32. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure

In a Word: Beginning

In a Sentence: Bilbo is old and entrusts the ring of power to his nephew Frodo, who ends up embarking upon a journey to destroy the ring, along with a fellowship of dwarf, elf, hobbit and man.

Recommended: For fantasy fans who don't want the story to be over in just one film.

What Do Vegans Put On Toast?

Last month, whilst out with Mum, we ended up going to Mama Ghanoushe for lunch. Situated in the village of Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, Mama Ghanoushe offers a range of vegeterian, vegan, raw and gluten free foods.

We probably spent ten minutes trying to decide what to have, because there were so many delicious-sounding choices!

I opted for avocado on toasted artisan bread, which came with a delicious salad!
I nearly forgot to take a picture, because I was pretty hungry...

Although avocado on toast sounds like a really simple meal, this was amazingly delicious. Admittedly I left the tomatoes (I can't stand them; I asked for mine without them but they arrived with...) but the rest was really tasty, and definitely worth the price.

Drink-wise, I had a natural sparkling rose drink.
This cafe was great in that they offer advice to anyone with allergies/dietary requirements as to what foods on their menu are suitable. It's nice to see somewhere go that extra length to help people find something tasty!

Really enjoyed the food; if I'm ever there again I know I'll be spoilt for choice.

Sugar-Free Chocolate?

Wow, has it really been months since I last blogged about chocolate? Blimey!
You'd think with the amount I eat, I'd a) be fat b) have blogged about more by now ;)

This post has been ready to go for a while actually, but I had lots of other things to post about - such as everything I went to during Brighton Fringe - and then I, uh, forgot. Oops.

Anyway, I was on a health kick a few months back and decided to try out some chocolate that used alternatives to sugar. Here's how I got on...
 

Balance Milk Praline

With sweetener from Stevia plant.

I decided to try this as I wanted to test out some chocolate that was sweetened with something other than sugar. Of course I have nothing against sugar, but was curious to see if there was much difference.

This bar is made by Belgian company Klingele Chocolade, so of course the chocolate is lovely! It doesn't smell as strongly as some other bars I've tried, nor is it as sweet - so evidently stevia adds a more subtle sweetness to chocolate.

Something I really liked about this bar was the fact I can really taste the nutty flavour of the praline. Whilst I don't like chocolate with big pieces of nut in, I enjoy praline!

Overall this is a great little chocolate bar and it was all I could do not to gobble it all up before writing this!

Say What? Five TEDx Talks to Improve Your Conversation

Have you ever chased a YouTube Paper Trail?

You watch one video, and then another catches your eye, and then another, and before you know it, the afternoon is gone?

We all do it, don't we!

The other day, I ended up doing this with TEDx talks, and ended up watching enough that I can make another post relating to this goal:

062. Watch 100 TED/TEDx talks

This time the talks had an ongoing theme: speech.
I've always felt horribly inadequate when it comes to conversing with my fellow human beings, so these proved to be an interesting, eye-opening bunch of talks. Having watched them, I feel I've learnt something.

So here's my pick of five TEDx talks to improve your conversation...

The science of analysing conversations, second by second | Elizabeth Stokoe | TEDxBermuda

This is where my YouTube Paper Trail began--after I clicked on a Facebook link to this video!

Fascinating talk about how conversations can be analysed, and how the study of recorded telephone conversations helps businesses to alter the way their telemarketing schemes are carried out. The study of conversation can help us to understand each other when we speak, and avoid problems in communication!

In Which I Meet Queen Victoria

Sir John Cordy Burrows, chillin' in the shade. What a casual pose.

At the end of June I needed to go to Brighton, so decided to finally follow the Sculpture Trail whilst I was there. This is, of course, a goal from The List:

040. Follow the Brighton Sculpture Trail

Hooray!
The trail includes both traditional and modern sculptures, and some that I barely consider to fit in the 'sculpture' category!

So then, ready for a virtual tour of some of Brighton's most notable sculptures? Follow me!

Sir John Cordy Burrows (above)
Sculptor: Edward Bowring Stephens

This guy was the mayor of Brighton four times: 1854, 1857, 1858 and 1871. Must have been a pretty good mayor, huh?
According to the Sculpture Trail information (which I'll link to at the end of this post), the statue originally stood in a different place, close to the Royal Pavilion, but was moved to its current position in 1984. I had difficulty finding this one, as it's pretty much lost amongst the trees!

Victoria Fountain, aka the Seagull Bath

Victoria Fountain
Sculptor: W. Pepper

Sorry, But I'd Rather Be Walking A Llama

I've been following Mama's Losin' It! for a few months now, since it was recommended to me, but until this point, haven't participated in Mama Kat's 'Writer's Workshop' linkup.
Partly because I've always been tired when reading my blog feed, partly because I've become terribly allergic to interacting online. But that absolutely has to change, and so this week, I'm participating!


Anyway, from this week's prompts, I've chosen:

1. List 7 things you'd rather be doing this summer

Seems appropriate considering the general theme of this blog, right?

At the end of last year, I made a list of goals I'd like to achieve for 2015.
I thought 'Hey, doing these will be a breeze!'

Evidently I didn't count upon factors such as introversion, anxiety, depression, and of course lack of money and transport. How silly of me!

Anyway, some of those goals are things I would rather do this summer, but for some reason or other don't have plans for as yet.
So what would I rather be doing this summer? I'd rather be walking a llama...

Cream Tea, Finally!

Around a month ago, I ended up going to this wonderful cafe in Hove, Sussex. (I know, I should have posted about this ages ago!)
I don't usually go to this area, but went there with a friend who had an interview along the street. Whilst she was being grilled by prospective employers, I popped into Violet & Doily to see what they had to offer!
I was not disappointed...