Alamos 38

Alamos 38 is my new fav spot in Malaga. It´s a restaurant and bar, but I´ve only been to have drinks. The ambience is so cool- so NOT Malaga. When you walk in there is a bar area to the left and if you just continue straight there are antique couches and chairs set up in a courtyard type square, giving it a "lounge" feel. There are plants and vines covering the walls and columns which gives it a very relaxing feel, like you´re in a garden. It is trendy, but not pretentious. Other apsects that I enjoy are the private rooms and dual function as an art gallery. Behind the "garden" area there is an open room with dinner tables. Behind this room there are other private rooms with more dinner tables and a really exotic feel. The drinks are well priced and they give you great bar nuts and candy with your order. Every time I´ve been they´ve surprised us with free shots at the end of our stay! Last time was a rum shot that looked and tasted like a ice cream sundae.
Above: The "garden" courtyard room near the entrance
Above: Carmen sitting on a couch in the entrance

Más de Madrid

Here are some new awesome places I went to in Madrid this weekend:

La Kitchen
Snobissimo
Le Cabrera
Castellana DF

BARCELONA LIST

Restaurants:
We ate at soo many amazing restaurants! Here is what I would recommend to order at each:
Tapas 24: (they don´t take reservations, go early and sit at the bar) foie burger, patatas bravas, bread with tomato, jamon and mozzarella sandwich, chocolate desert
Txapela: ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING
Can majo: tomato mozzarella salad, paella, sangria
Cal Pep: shrimp, fried artichokes, white fish
Attic: any salad, monkfish, lamb, apple tart

Sightseeing:
Casa Battlo
Parc Guell
Sagrada Familia
Las Ramblas
Montjuc
Cathedral
Barcelona Aquarium

Olé!

This week CNN reported on S. Pellegrino's annual "World's 50 Best Restuarants" list and guess what? While the United States was this year's most honored country, 5 of the finishers were in Spain! Olé !

2) El Bulli (Roses, Spain)
4) El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain)
5) Mugaritz (Errenteria, Spain)
9) Arzak (San Sebastián, Spain)
33) Martin Berasategui (Lasarte-oria, Spain)

More Madrid

Here are some new cool spots I visited in Madrid this past weekend:

O'live: Restaurant and lounge in Serrano

Moulin Rose: Bar and lounge near Tribunal. Ambiance and live band was really great.

Lamucca: Restaurant and bar near Tribunal. Atmosphere and food was amazing!

Sushiwakka: Sushi restaurant

Below: at Moulin Rose

THE LIST

For me there are several crucial, yet standard components to making a weekend abroad noteworthy. Roughly speaking: good restaurants, good weather, good sightseeing, good people, good fun.

Here is my London List:

Stay with a best friend
Gatwick Express
The Phoenix
Chelsea
Sloane Square
Eat french fries
Chelsea Brasserie
The Botanist
Hamleys
Walk around Picadilly Circus
Rack up free holiday souvenirs
The Valmont
Very attractive people
Victoria and Albert Museum (free)
Shop at French Connection
Big Ben
Tower of London Bridge
Spacious taxis
Flavored coffee
Open markets
Brick Lane vintage shops
My Old Dutch Pancake House
Find out from bbm and facebook that you actually know 10 people living in London

La Tetería

One of my favorite places to go to in Málaga for a bite to eat, a cup of tea or just some time to relax outside is La Tetería. It is located just opposite of the iglesia de San Agustín and close to the Picasso museum on a very quaint pedestrian street. The menu is six pages of heaven. They have a wide selection of crepes, sandwiches and pastries. Milkshakes, smoothies and coffee can also be found there and are absolutely delicious. Obviously they offer tea as well: green tea, black tea, red tea, white tea, morning tea etc . My absolute favorite category though are the preventive and curative teas. They have one for diabetes, a cold, a cough, depression, energy, insomnia...you name it they have it. Whenever I diagnosis myself with having a cough or headache I run over to La Tetería and order the corresponding curative tea and I always feel better afterward! I hope it's legal to bring boxes of tea in my luggage because I definitely plan on using them as Christmas stocking stuffers!

"Clandestino"

A few nights ago Emily and I decided to go out to dinner. I didn't really have a choice since the gas tank in my kitchen is empty and the company has yet to show up to replace it. We ended up at this restaurant called "Clandestino" on calle niño de guevara. They brought us a free tapa, which was bread with hummus-very yummy and I love free surprises. I ordered pesto pasta with vegetables, which I have been craving big time since I've been in Spain and even told my mom that it has to be the FIRST thing I eat once I get home (so maybe not anymore). Emily ordered a chicken teriyaki dish and was equally as happy. To top it off they gave us two chupitos after dinner. I am sadly hoping the gas company doesn't show up this week and I have a reason to go back to Clandestino for more.

One Week Left

With one week left before I leave for Spain I have been trying to distract myself from thinking about the drastic change in lifestyle I am about to have/my hiatus from home by embracing what everyone loves about New York: Broadway, fashion and restaurants. I recently took my mother to see the musical Rock Of Ages. It was so much fun. Not only is there a cocktail waitress that races up and down the aisle taking drink orders DURING the show, but there is also amazing rock music that reminded me of belting out 80's music at frats with my friends not so long ago. Although I think my mother was a bit outside of her comfort zone with the crude language and strip club scenes, it made for an entertaining and fun night out. So if you often find yourself saying, "I wanna rock" go see this!

I also treated myself and my boyfriend to Jersey Boys. I have always heard so many great things about this show and was even fortunate enough to watch the main character, who plays Frankie Valli, perform at a friend’s birthday party. The music was so fabulous I came home and went straight to my i-tunes to download “Beggin” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.”

This past weekend I went to a friend’s fashion show. His name is Alexander Berardi and I have known him since high school. It was my first fashion show and hopefully not the last. Alex is so ambitious and I am so proud of everything he has accomplished. I loved so many of the outfits, particulary this floral print sway dress. Check out his line here. I wish him the best of luck in the future!

I also went to a delicious tapas restaurant with my girlfriends. It's called Pipa. I didn't know this but apparently "Pipa" is Spanish slang for "having a good time." A pitcher of sangria, a few tapas and some live music later and I was definitely having a good time. The restaurant is adorable and has dozens of beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. We sat outside and enjoyed some of the last summer weather. It was a perfect warm up for my trip to Spain and made me long for tortilla de patatas, croquetas, dátiles con bacon, canurillos de jamón y queso, y champiñones al ajillo.

The rest of the week will be devoted to revamping my euro wardrobe (scarfs, boots, leather, layers) and brushing up on my español. I have also started to look at apartments online. ah!!