Eats | Delrio's Restaurant, York

For a Christmas meal with some old work colleagues, we recently headed to Delrio's, a Sardinian restaurant in York. Set in a basement, the restaurant is deceptively large but full of romantic nooks and alcoves, perfect for a special date or for a larger party. 

The menu is varied - covering everything from traditional pizza to specialities of the chef - so there is plenty to choose from. I began with the Beef Carpaccio and rocket salad, which was very nice (apologies for the picture below - this was taken after I had dowsed the whole thing with balsamic vinegar, which is my favourite addition to this dish). I then had the beef stroganoff with rice, which was rich, flavoursome and generous in portion size. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Others had a variety of pizzas and I was particularly recommended the seafood pizza by a fellow diner.

The restaurant is always busy and has a great atmosphere. I can't comment on the desserts as we didn't partake, but we were served well, wine was free flowing, and a pleasant evening was had by all. As ever, menu choices dictate cost - my stroganoff was almost twice the price of my friend's pizza - so it is a special occasion place, definitely. 

Booking recommended as it gets busy, but definitely one worth checking out.

Stays | The Negresco Hotel, Nice, France

On our recent trip to France we took the train from Paris down to Nice. Although it was November, the temperature was a pleasant 17 degrees and we benefited from avoiding most of the Riviera crowds. We were also able to spend a lot of less to pay to stay in what is arguable the most iconic hotel in Nice, the Negresco.

Situated on the Promenade des Anglais, the hotel is a belle epoque masterpiece, which is essentially a private art museum as well as a hotel. Each room, corridor and bar was filled with artwork, ranging from Napoleonic portraiture to some very bewildering modern sculpture. It was amazing to simply walk round the place (we visited each floor of the hotel as they are all a different theme) and admire the place. 

Our room was very beautiful. We had paid only for an inside room but due to the lack of guests, the hotel kindly upgraded up twice, to a room on the front of the hotel overlooking the whole beach and Promenade. The view was spectacular and a real highlight of the trip. The room itself was spacious and comfortable, if slightly eccentrically furnished (notably the golden bathtub and sink). 

Breakfast was a generous buffet with hot, cold, French, British and American style options, and the restaurant Brasserie on site was filled with courteous waiters. The staff of the hotel were friendly and very willing, at all hours, to assist you. 

This hotel was an amazing experience; it was a great base for exploring Nice during a very celebratory holiday, and I would love to go back.

Resolutions and Plans | 2016

It's a few days into a new year and it's the time when think about what we would like to achieve or focus on in the coming months. 

I am not one for resolutions really (I am not good at keeping them for a start) but I thought I'd write a little post about my plans for the next year and what I would like to focus on.

1. Improve my French. Having been to France last year again, it reminded me that my French is passable for an embarrassed tourist but not for anyone who wants to feel comfortable. I would like to use some of my spare time to keep up with my French, perhaps with books, watching some of my favourite French films or using an app like Duolingo to keep my hand in.
2. Make time for reading. My GoodReads challenge for 2016 has been set at 75 books. Ambitious for me, but I wanted to see if I could do it.
3. Make time for family. I live away from much of my family and so I do not get to see them as much as I would like. In 2016 I want to make a concerted effort to get together if possible, and not just via FaceTime.
4. Go on a couple of trips away from home. I am a keen traveller but with a fairly tight budget this year (see below) and not much time off work, I have to choose wisely. At the moment some plans are in motion for potential trips to Scotland and Portugal. Watch this space.
5. Save some money. This one should be on everyone's list but is particularly important to me at the moment as I recently got engaged and so am now making wedding plans. I am hoping to put away a reasonable amount of my salary each month without too much difficulty - especially when I know it will be for paying for a wedding and a honeymoon.
6. Make plans for a wedding. See above - though I confess at the moment it seems like a mammoth task and probably one which won't happen until we have some idea of a budget. Any tips welcome.
7. Exercise. I work a long day at an office desk and very rarely find time to even get up for a walk around the room, so this one is pretty crucial. I am not proposing I will become a fitness fanatic, but I want to walk (maybe even run) more and swim when I am able. 
8. Look after myself a bit more. This is rather an all encompassing plan or goal for the year, I know, but I think amidst all my plans of action this coming year, it will be important to take some time out to make sure I look after my emotional health. Whether that means some time in the bath with a face mask, or watching book tubers videos, or sitting in Starbucks, drinking an enormous, full fat Hot Chocolate, I promise to remember to give myself down time in the coming year.

I'd love to hear about other people's aims/resolutions/thoughts/plans for the coming year, so please let me know below.

What I've Been Reading | December 2015

I had a really productive reading month in December, which was mostly down to a long Christmas period off work after a busier early month, quiet evenings and some serious reading time on my part. I am pleased to say I read a total of 64 books in 2015.

As a side note, if anyone wants to follow me on GoodReads, please go for it.

Emma by Alexander McCall Smith was a retelling which was leant to me by a friend. I have always enjoyed the original Emma and so, after this sitting on my shelf for a while, decided to try this out. It didn't take long to read and to be honest, I am glad it was a quick one. I found a lot of the characters irritating and the retelling style not really to my taste. The principal issue for me was that Emma Woodhouse, in Austen's original, is proud, thoughtless and arrogant - but still kind, generous and loving. The Emma Woodhouse in Smith's retelling has none of those redeeming qualities as as such, you cannot love her even after her redemption, let alone before. For die hard fans, this might be worth it - but if you're choosing between the novels, please, please, choose Austen.

I then moved onto historical fiction with The Captive Queen by Alison Weir - another I had borrowed, this time from my Mum. The story revolves around Eleanor of Aquitaine, a Duchess in her own right and Queen, at different times, of both France and England. The story follows her from her disastrous marriage to the King of France to her subsequent divorce and love match with Henry Plantagenet, who subsequently becomes Henry IV of England. It is a long ride which decides very much to portray Eleanor as a powerful woman in her own right, although often ruled by passion. This physical aspect of the book can be a bit trying but nonetheless becomes more poignant as Henry and Eleanor's relationship develops and they become estranged. The story is engaging and you trust that, with Weir at the helm, the historical accuracy is going to be reasonable. I would describe this as an 'intelligent historical romp'.

Moving onto crime, I then picked up The Death of Lucy Kyte by Nicola Upson, which is one of her latest books in the series based around Josephine Tey. Set predominantly in the Suffolk countryside and using a history murder, The Red Barn Murder, as a basis for the book's story, I found this novel much more engaging than the previous ones I have picked up in the series. It was an easy and engaging read, with some interesting twists and turns, particularly at the end, which stayed with me after I had finished.

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas followed, as I was keen to finish up to the end of this series as it currently stands, before the end of the year. I have enjoyed seeing how this series has grown and flourished, providing greater scopes for character growth, world building and a sense of a climax ahead. I don't know how many more books there will be in this series but I look forward to the next. An entertaining, easy fantasy read.

My final printed choice this month was a non fiction book I have had on my shelves for a few months but not had the time to read it. Burghley by Stephen Alford is a biography of William Cecil, Secretary and later Lord Treasurer to Elizabeth I of England. Having studied Elizabethan politics quite a lot when I was at university, I always loved Cecil and was very happy to engage with a book which focussed on his life. Alford's approach was interesting and offered some new perspectives on Cecil, particularly a greater insight into his home life that I have found in previous books. This isn't one to read if you are unfamiliar with the reign of Elizabeth I - several important events were glossed over, with an understanding that the reader would know the details, characters and outcome - but if you are an aficionado and interested in reading more about the life of this government minister, I recommend this one highly.

Finally, on the audiobook side, in December I listened to The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits by Emma Donoghue. A collection of short stories, mostly historical, inspired by women from history - this sounded right up my alley. The collection is diverse by permeated with Donoghue's writing style; a style I find at times compelling and at others irritating. Such was the case with this collection, which did lend itself well to audiobook form. Some of the stories were easily forgotten, even seemingly a little pointless; others were thoughtful, emotionally engaging and occasionally disturbing. One story - entitled 'Cured' - I made the mistake of listening to late at night. Without giving too much away, it is about a woman who goes to a doctor for treatment for her back pain. The twist in the story left me gasping with horror and that story has stayed with me ever since. However, this was a rarity in this collection. Others may feel differently, but it wasn't for me.

Eats | Khao San Road, York

The other night we went for a seriously delicious Thai dinner with a couple of friends. 

Not pictured; amazing spring rolls and coconut tempura prawns for starters, some excellent beer/mango juice and a buzzing atmosphere. 

Pictured; 2 thai red curries, 1 duck curry with a creamy sauce, and 1 king prawn Pad Thai. All very delicious. 

The Khao San Road is not mind blowing food and it isn't always cheap; our meal came to £25 each. However, it is always full of people, the staff are friendly and the fare is tasty. Try it out.

Eats | Bouillon Racine, Paris

On one of my recent days in Paris, I went with my fiancé (that's another story) for a dinner at one of our favourite restaurant in St Germain, the Bouillon Racine. We had been there some years ago when we first went to Paris, and now almost a decade later, we decided to return.

We booked a table online with ease and were well attended when we arrived. The restaurant itself has a unique style inside - turn of the century, belle époque, with beautiful weaving metalwork and wood panelling. Very atmospheric.

We began with two glasses of champagne - a celebration of engagement - and then had a nice bottle of Bordeaux. 

Starters (not pictures unfortunately) were snails for him and beef carpaccio for me. Both starters were delicious. Second course was duck with a fruit sauce for him and a scallop risotto for me. The duck was juicy and tasty, and my risotto was surprisingly filling. Generous amounts of well cooked scallops, well seasoned risotto with a creamy, shellfish sauce. Perfect.

 

Dessert was a chocolate mousse for me and a trio of berry fruits ice cream for him - definitely a highlight! We were very pleased with both desserts but the ice creams were so well flavoured and actually complemented the rich chocolate mousse very well. 

We left feeling well fed, not horrendously out of pocket, considering, and like we had had a true celebration. My French is well meant but not always triumphant, but we met with nothing but friendliness from the staff - which is not always the case in Paris.

Highly Recommended.

Bouillon Racine, 3 Rue Racine, 75006 Paris, France, www.bouillon-racine.com/en/

What I've Been Reading | November 2015

December has suddenly swung into view and it is time for a little jaunt around my November reading! I did quite well this month - 6 books in total, including 1 audiobook, which I was able to enjoy on the line train trip across France.

Running Girl by Simon Mason

This is a YA crime novel, where the young protagonist is a teenage boy genius - but he is also a wastrel and a truant. Uninterested in anything in his life, he fills his days with drinking and smoking in the local park with his mates, until a body is found in a local pond. That body turns out to be his ex-girlfiend, and he determines to find out who has murdered her.

I enjoyed this one despite not really seeing much appealing about the main character. It was quite a long book which was humorous but had some very dark subject matter, and the conclusion of the whodunnit is very dark indeed. It is YA, and it is concerned with teens; the adults involved are sidelined, occasionally unhelpful caricatures. Nonetheless, I would consider reading a sequel.

12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

I picked this one up on 2 for 1 on Audible, as I had not seen the film but thought it would be one to read. The story itself is horrifying - a free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in the southern states of the USA. The memoir style of the writing took some getting used to, and occasionally the preoccupations of the writer as not always what the modern reader would focus on; however, the story is compelling and I am very glad I have read it. 

The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

A set of gothic and mysterious tales from the master himself; these were enjoyable as always and a very quick read.

An Expert in Murder by Nicola Upson

Having read 'Fear in the Sunlight' a few months ago, I asked for and received the first book in the series for my birthday. Effectively an introduction to Josephine Tey and her regular characters in future books, this story revolves around the murder of a young theatre goer, who is mysteriously connected with Tey and her current theatre production. 

The mystery is interesting with lots of twists and turns. For people new to the series, however, definitely start with this one first; unfortunately my previous Upson book actually spoilt the big reveal of this one!

Tender is the Night by F Scott Fitzgerald

We were going on a holiday to the French Riviera so I felt it was an opportunity to pick up this novel, one I had never tried before. I actually found it more compelling than I expected, although still, I felt, a rather abrupt ending. Set in 3 parts, we see from 3 different perspectives, and in each part we see that what we thought about the characters, particularly the main husband and wife, is not what it seems. Concentrating on themes of love, lust, mental health and the nature of marriage, this book was an intriguing, if sad, read.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The final YA novel of the month, I confess I picked this up due to the way it has been put together. A modern, sci fi update on the epistolary novel, Illuminae is told entirely through reports, chat logs and emails. Set the distant future, it tells the story of two teens who escape the invasion of their planet, only to find themselves trapped on 2 escape vessels with a deadly virus and a potentially made AI computer. Whats more, the 2 teens have just broken up from a relationship, and are each stuck on a different ship.

The story took a while to take off but once it got going, it was very enjoyable. I did not always see the plot twists coming, although the final twist I felt unnecessary. If there are further books in this series, I may well pick them up. 

Is anyone else really getting into their reading groove with the long nights? I have a whole week off at Christmas and cannot wait to get stuck into my ever increasing TBR pile. Happy Reading!