I don't think Poland (Polska) was ever on my hit-list, if I'm being honest. However, when you meet someone who is so passionate and patriotic about their country, its culture, natural beauty, food (especially meat) and vodka you can't resist the temptation to see the place through their eyes. And I'm glad I didn't.  

My friend and I talked for four hours straight, from Stansted Express to the flight, to Krakow Airport, pissing off almost every unfortunate soul that had to be around us. We were picked up by a (very beautiful) young man in a fine Mercedes E-Class, which was a nice intro to the country. Although I wouldn't call a local experience, it almost felt necessary after Ryan Air. Apart from a pit-stop for a hotdog in a quiet petrol station, we got to Zakopane within an hour and a half, a small city right at the bottom of Poland.  

We checked into a wooden cottage style house, although a little tricky to find in the middle of the night. The inside of the house was decorated with pretty crochet pieces used as curtains and lots of paper decorations placed strategically around the walls, with a nice warm and cosy feel to it. It felt a bit like a prelude to Christmas.

The following day, we went to Koscielisko Valley in the Western side of Tarta National Park. This was an 'easier' trek near streams, through forests and some waterfalls and a lovely secluded lake, until we decided to check out the caves. We thought this would involve strolling into a cave, taking a few photos and walking out. Instead, it involved close-to-vertical climbs and descents on soap-textured rocks, using nothing but a metal chain and a lot of arm strength.

This was real-life bouldering and I was close to tears. I still can't say if I enjoyed it or hated it (probably both). On one side, was the sense of achievement and on the other side putting myself through that freight that: "if my hands or feet slip I may fall and will die". A slight change from indoor bouldering in Harrow (you fall onto a mattress), or abseiling in Thailand or canyoneering (or canyoning) in Costa Rica where you have a harness and are clipped onto all sorts of things to make sure you will at least hang in the middle of nowhere, but you won't fall into the valley. It was certainly one of the highlights, though. ​

Overall, my impression of Poland has been eye-opening and is certainly under rated or less spoken about as a tourist destination compared to many other European counterparts. The history, the religious influence, the art and architecture, natural landscapes and the vodka... I will be back for more.  

The only thing that I wish I could change about this trip was Ryan Air and Stansted Airport. Neither should be on anyone's bucket list, unless you have a desire to torture yourself, confuse each other and generally not want to travel again (for a while). I will spare the details this time. ​​

caffeine
ˈkafiːn/
noun

1. an alkaloid compound which is a stimulant of the central nervous system.

I have to say, I do struggle to find a good cup of coffee when I’m not in London, but that’s probably because I don’t know the right places, or my taste buds have become biased by the city of coffee addicts. I remember (almost) shedding a tear of joy when we found a nice coffee made with condensed milk in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam after what felt like weeks. I think I had half a dozen terrible coffees on that trip, before I had a good one.

Note: in South East Asia stick to tea. 

A health adviser from BUPA told me recently that ideally, caffeine should be avoided altogether as it's a stimulant and can tamper with your heart rate, but two to three cups of tea or coffee should be fine. Working life in London typically involves a lot of caffeine (and alcohol). When you're slaving away in your job all week, and wise people tell you not to drink 'too much' tea or coffee, you need to make sure that the few cups you do have are good ones and guilt-free. 

According to BBC Health, 400mg* of caffeine is 'safe' per day. So we could have 1-4 cups of coffee as long as we don't have any other energy drinks, chocolates, tea, etc. (Hurray!) 
*200mg for pregnant women

And if you care about how 'fatty' your coffees are, a small flat white, latte or cappuccino with full-fat milk is around 100 calories and 5-7g of fat. There's a quiz from The Guardian to test your coffee-calorie knowledge, which covers the high street coffee chains: Starbucks, Pret, Costa, Nero and good old Greggs. 

Health aside, I'm sure many of you have your personal favourites for the quick and easy coffee, whether they get your name right or change it completely (I once got my takeaway Frappuccino with "FAN" written on it). But if you don't mind waiting a bit longer for what's usually a (much) smaller portion of coffee for what you usually pay, here are some 'artisan' coffee shops to check out in the city on your lunch break:

These guys need to thank me for at least 50 cappuccinos consumed in 2 years and now this blog. And I can thank them for all the good cappuccinos and loyalty stamps I have enjoyed. Step out of Artigiano and there's the grand beauty of St Paul's Cathedral. What more could you possibly ask for?

The staff are quirky, friendly and sometimes they may even give you an extra stamp for your loyalty and a big Cheshire smile. What's more, they serve beer, wine and cocktails (with happy hour) after 12pm. Genius. 

Another one near St Paul's station and cathedral. My only issue with this cafe is that it's tiny. The photo below was when I got one of the three stools facing the window. A takeaway may have to do the job, but otherwise, you can get a pack of biscotti to go with your fine drink.

Arty coffee in arty cups and saucers. If you're having an 'I don't care, I will eat whatever the hell I want' day, they have quite a selection of cakes, macaroons and pastries too. 

I know, I'm pushing it with coffee shops in St Paul's, but I feel like they have all congregated in one area (or I've started to drink too much coffee since I started working in the area). The coffee was good, but not sure about the service and both the size of the shop and the coffee are half the size of others, which I wasn't too keen on. 

I was obviously too engrossed in my coffee from Taylor St. that I didn't even get time to log it on my Instagram. This place has an Aussie vibe, with songs ranging from Kylie to Sia and sometimes you could even get Tim Tams to dip into your latte.

They serve a decent brunch (except that one time they ran out of avocados and basically ruined my day) and everything is served on chopping boards from what I remember, which seems to be a 'thing' at the moment, along with cocktails in jam jars and men with beards and pony tails.
You could even have to share your table with random people... I'm never quite sure if I like sharing tables with strangers, but it's part of the experience. 

Anyway, the coffee is amazing.

I only discovered this coffee shop two years ago while walking past Holborn. The best part was that there is a tiny seat for one! The cafe is slightly below the street level which gives you a lovely view for 'people watching' in a non-creepy way. 

The coffee is great, served in rustic heavy duty cups and they have random baked goodies every other day (last time I had a tiny cinnamon cake for 80p). Sadly it's old (since 1882) so the seats are all falling apart, but I don't care. Mmm coffee. 

cocktail
ˈkɒkteɪl/
noun

1. an alcoholic drink consisting of a spirit or spirits mixed with other ingredients

Cocktail bars sometimes come as a surprise to many. You could go to the most fancy or expensive bar and still come out disappointed (and poorer), or you could go somewhere that looks shady and run down, but end up leaving at 3am when they kick you out. The first lesson I have learnt when judging a bar by its cover is: don't judge. 

For me, it's as simple as good atmosphere + mixologists = good cocktail bar.

Living in London means that many of my favourite bars are in the city, but I have found some hidden gems abroad and have made sure that I remember to write a review on tripadvisor or add them to my instagram, just so I can relive the memory, possibly go back and recommend it to other cocktail-thirsty travellers. 

Sometimes I do get distracted by beer, which may explain why I haven't found amazing cocktails in some of the cities I have been to, but what's the rush? Here are my five personal favourites, but when I struggle, I do look up some options on TimeOut to be safe. 

Top 5:

1. ​Ayahuasca, Lima, Peru
2. Royal Exchange, London, England
3. Lebua Sky bar, Bangkok, Thailand
4. Merchant House, London, England
5. Chowringee bar, Kolkata, India

There are some other interesting places that are worth a mention, such as Absintherie in Prague, the home of Absinthe with a pianist playing the latest songs from Top of the pops, right under the staircase; as well as Coq d'argent, in the City of London, well-known for a notable number of people trying to jump off the top (for personal reasons, nothing to do with the drinks at the bar), as well as well made classics. Can't go wrong with a pornstar martini here. Finally, I have to mention Be at One and their Blueberry Muffin cocktails as well as their hyper and borderline crazy bar staff... plus they have happy hours, so it's a guaranteed fun, tasty night out.

I love this place. Each room has a different vibe, one with Peruvian rugs rolled into glass jars, another secret room with a few rocking chairs and couches, another with a modern bar, and then an outside area. The Pisco Sours had a number of variations and the bar staff were very welcoming, which makes this the one bar you shouldn't miss if you're going to Peru.  

Atmosphere: 10/10
Price: 7/10
Cocktails: 8/10
​Overall: 8/10

The Royal Exchange Grand Cafe & Bar is very close to my heart since we went to university in London. I remember strolling in a Pineapple branded tracksuit, with my coursework with my friend and the bar staff were pleased to serve us that one cocktail that we made last a couple of hours (student budget-permitting). A decade later, I still work nearby, thankfully, and you can always count on them to make you a bespoke cocktail, hot or cold. It's also pretty cool that it used to be a Stock Exchange (hence its name) and a Theatre before the great Fire in 1666. 

Atmosphere: 10/10
Price: 7/10
Cocktails: 10/10
​Overall: 10/10

A.k.a. the 'Hangover Bar' where the film was shot, this bar has the best panoramic views of Bangkok, especially stunning at night. The cocktails are smooth and interesting, however, you'll probably blow your entire evening (or holiday) budget in this bar if you're not careful. The drinks are very (very) expensive. Having said that, if you're in Bangkok, it's a must see. 

Atmosphere: 10/10
Price: 5/10
Cocktails: 7/10
​Overall: 10/10

First of all, good luck finding this bar as it's hidden away in a tiny alleyway near Bow Lane. If you walk past, you'll probably think it's someone's  living room. This doesn't really change while you walk down the wooden stairs, but then you are greeted by friendly members of the staff.
It's a good idea to book, but we usually find a seat for two or three without much trouble, probably because others couldn't find the bar. The music is very chilled out and the sofas make you feel like you are actually in someone's home. We have a personal favourite: the Cuban Zombie which is served in a giant beer mug, involves 7 different types of rum and absinthe, which is set on fire before you drink it. 

Atmosphere: 9/10
Price: 7/10
Cocktails: 9/10
​Overall: 9/10

I probably liked this bar more because of the contrast between the busyness of the streets outside, near New Market and the pool-side silence inside the walls of this grand hotel. The waiters are dressed in traditional Indian attire, which is part of the hotel uniform, which reminds you that you are most certainly in Kolkata. The cocktails are made bespoke, are reasonably priced and you'll be made to feel like a very special guest. 

Atmosphere: 8/10
Price: 9/10
Cocktails: 8/10
​Overall: 8/10