Secret Addresses (not from someone stylish)

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love Stella magazine, which comes every Sunday with the Sunday Telegraph. It bats slightly above my economic bracket, but I read everything in it anyway; dreaming of one day owning a beautiful scarf from page 7; one day enjoying the facial featured on page 12; one day having my own house and decorating using fabulous ideas on show on page 53. It will happen. And the rest of the features are just brilliant.

So, I'm stealing one of their regular slots again. Last year I wrote my own Soul Food column and today I share with you my Little Black Book. In Stella this means "secret addresses from stylish people". Just a disclaimer before you read on: the word stylish would not feature in the first 1000 words to describe me and I doubt very much that any of my friends or family would ever use that word and my name in the same sentence. You have been warned.

The idea is to share haunts: restaurants, cafes, hotels, parks, shops, galleries, museums. You know, the ones the rest of the world don't know about already. You should be thinking by now you will not get any incredible clothes shops in my collection. Last warning. Here we go.

Cocktails on the terrace

Hotel Endorfina Kiyikoy, Turkey
Friendly Mehmet owns and runs this perfectly located hotel in this tiny fishing village on the Black Sea. Perched on top of the hill overlooking the beach, rivers and back across green hills where the sun sets, he'll share stories and gin and tonics with you while his chef cooks up wonderful fish and salads. Heaven. 

www.hotelendorfina.com 


Yin Yang Pie Arenales 2819, Buenos Aires
The best massage in Argentina. Their hot stone massage will  make you forget the hustle and bustle of city life and delight body and mind, as well as a wallet used to UK prices. But even better is the feeling afterwards and the sleep that night. You'll book again next time in town. 
http://www.yinyangpie.com/

Post massage

Mango juice all the way for me

Confeitaria Marias e Maria  Avenida Brasil 1285, Foz do Iguazu, Brazil
When I lived and worked in Foz do Iguazu I went here nearly every day for lunch. Juices full of fruit and nothing else; big, fresh sandwiches; coffees and teas galore (which doesn't always happen in South America) A lunch time chill-out delight. 



Zeera Ealing, London
Zeera is a gem of a local restaurant and worth a tube ride (it's right by north Ealing station). At Zeera you get simple and comfortable decor, friendly and personable service and wonderful Bangladesh and Indian cooking. Have the Goan lamb shank, the achari chicken or nilgiri dish. Tasty, honest and very well-priced. 
http://www.zeeraealing.co.uk/

El Cerro de Siete Colores

Hotel Manatial del Silencio Purmamarca, Argentina
This cute village plays host to one of Argentina's most beautiful natural wonders, The Hill of Seven Colours. Waking up in this neo-colonial style hotel is a joy; it has light and airy rooms with amazingly comfortable beds. Its lounges are decorated with objects from historical local families and the view of the colourful mountain as you take your shower/breakfast/afternoon tea is spectacular.
http://www.hotelmanantialdelsilencio.com/ehome.html


Njaya Lodge Nkhata Bay, Lake Malawi
Perched on the edge of the tranquil Lake Malawi, this place dishes up great food, great service and great times. I celebrated my 21st birthday there in the middle of a diving course and I'll never forget it: the wonderful people and the effort they made with my birthday cake, their fabulous food, beautiful views; never wanting to leave and always wanting to go back. One day... 
http://www.njayalodge.com/index.htm

No menus, just blackboards

Las Pizarras Thames 2296, Buenos Aires
You never know what you're going to get here as chef Rodrigo goes out, sees what he can buy at the market and writes the day's specials on blackboards (pizarras) for you to choose. When you're sick of asado in Argentina, go here for a twist. Excellent food and atmosphere, you'll make friends with the waiter, chef and the next table. Be prepared to stay for more wine. 
http://www.laspizarrasbistro.com/

Groove the night away in Amsterdam

Bourbon Street Leidsekruisstraat 8, Amsterdam
This little jazz, soul, rock and blues bar probably has a bigger spot in Amsterdam guides these days, but it's well worth checking out for quality live music, no-nonsense service and drinking into the early hours. It's the type of bar where anything is possible; a guaranteed memorable night out. 
http://www.bourbonstreet.nl/

When the music's over

I haven’t written on this blog for a few weeks as a lot has been happening. There was a graduation (at last!); a holiday to Italy (hoorah!); getting married (best day ever!); and, of course, London 2012. No sooner had we sent my in-laws back to the land of Cristina the Botox Gaucho than we were sat on the couch with a decanter full of wine and Danny Boyle’s imagination in bonkers overflow.

And there we stayed. Well, that was when I wasn’t donned in purple, red and beige for my two weeks as the welcoming face of Britain; as a helpful hand; as someone who was trying to make the Olympics the best games ever. Yes, I was a London 2012 Games Maker. It was an incredible experience.

We had just got married and then I left him. I left him each day for the Athlete’s Village where for eight hours I would greet, chat to, marvel at, help out, wave on, celebrate with and congratulate athletes, coaches, VIPs, fellow workers, press and families. In a team with other Games Makers and security professionals, we had one of the best vantage points of the games. True, we weren’t on the finishing line; or with a camera and microphone; or in the dressing room, but we got snippets of triumph and disappointment, agony and ecstasy, medals and stories as they passed through security. We made it an easy and pain-free experience and always tried to give them something to smile about along the way.

In the few hours I wasn’t working at the games, I was watching it. We lucked out and had tickets for a men’s volleyball session in which Argentina played, and a men’s hockey session in which both Team GB and Argentina had games. Music, lights, cheerleaders, Mexican waves, interviews, playbacks, chants and incredible sport made each session an unforgettable experience of highs and lows. It seemed each venue had its own character, and characters which would make history there too.

Even watching what I could on the television gave me goose bumps. I think one of the most incredible moments personally was watching a rerun of Charlotte Dujardin’s gold medal-winning performance. I’d never seen a horse do that, and to that music… I was overwhelmed. Simply: WOW.

But there were so many WOW moments over those two weeks. The personal WOW of meeting some of our gold medal winners and congratulating them; the collective WOW of Katherine Grainger’s top-of-the-podium moment; the personal WOW of wishing Mo Farah good luck before his 5000m; the collective WOW as Eric Idle finally took the closing ceremony by storm and we could ignore George Michael and the Spice Girls’ efforts.

There had been so much to look forward to. Now there is so much to look back on. The music is over and London has temporarily turned out the lights. For me, it’s back to reality: teaching, running, wedding planning (we’re having two), writing. It’s not a bad reality by any means, but I am missing London’s energy, music and expectation, those strangers’ smiles and tears, my tiredness, our pride.

I await the beat of the Paralympics with baited breath. Let the music start again…