Txepetxa in Donostia - San Sebastian: wonderful anchovies .

 If you love anchovies, this tapas (pintxos) bar is the best place for you. Located in the old part of San Sebastian (Donostia) in the north of Spain, it's known all over the world for its famous anchovies.

It opens at 12 at noon and gets crowded really quickly because of its popularity. 

The first one is anchovy with jardinera (a salsa of red and green peppers and onions). The second one is anchovy with crema de centolla ( spider crab cream).

For more information, visit their Spanish website here or this one with information in English.

In 2019 I bought these fridge magnets in Tokyo. Miraitowa is the blue one and the pink one is Someity. Little did we know then what was going to happen. I wish the best of luck to all the participants in the Olympic Games. May the strength to overcome this pandemic be with all of us.

 

Lava Custard Puff Macao Flavour

During another visit to my favourite Asian supermarket, I bought a  custard puff which was worth the price because it took me a little bit back to a day I spent in Macao eating delicious Egg Tarts. 

 

Journey Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino: review.

Journey Under the Midnight Sun is a journey into the darkness of the human soul. It's long, sad, and hard. A book full of despair, death, and pain. Keigo Higashino is at his best and at his worst.

I wish I had written a list of the many characters that appear because it's quite difficult to keep track of each one. Some of them are fools who fall for the illusion of love, others are wicked and some are just trustworthy innocent people who unfortunately meet the one that will destroy them.

It starts with the death of a monster[.monster (hide spoiler)] and ends with the death of another one.
A novel I can only recommend to fans of Higashino who are ready to venture into a very gloomy depiction of life in Japan. However, if you are having a tough time with this horrendous pandemic, put off reading it until we are all living in a happier time.

The Best Cheesecake in Donostia- San Sebastian.

 The best cheesecake in Donostia-San Sebastian and probably in Spain can be found in La Viña, located in the old part of the town. I have tastes cheesecakes all around the world and this is without a shadow of a doubt among the best if not the best one. 

It's creamy, soft, and not overly sweet. I queued for forty minutes the first time I bought it and it was worth every second. 

It's around five euros per serving which may sound expensive but the moment you take the first bite you'll forget about the price.

It's located in the popular street 31 de Agosto

They make lots of cakes every day and sell all of them.

The bill shows the price for two servings.

Blackout by by Dhonielle Clayton,Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon

 I wanted to read this novel because one of the six stories included is written by Nicola Yoon who is one of my favourite authors. I was delighted to find a very well-written book about love, black teens, and a blackout in NY city. 

The characters in the six stories are related to each other in one way or another but what they really have in common is how young their hearts are.

In the first story "The Long Walk" I felt the mixture of bitterness, confusion, and longing you have after a heartbreak. 

"Mask Off" and  "Made to fit" were surprisingly cute for me since I don't usually read stories about gay couples.

Being in a library doesn't seem so bad during a blackout, like the couple in "  All the great love stories ...and dust". They start as friends but in the end, find the courage to become more than that.

In "No sleep till Brooklyn" some students from Mississippi are stuck in a  tourist bus on their first visit to  NY. Unfortunately, they picked the wrong time to see the city.

"Seymour and Grace" by Nicola Yoon is about embracing change and accepting that although some love stories are meant to end others will begin if we give them a chance.

I recommend this novel to readers who are willing to enjoy six modern romance stories.

If you click on the following  Teaching Guide you will find some questions and activities that can be useful for a book club or a reading class.

 

Online Colouring for adults: free mindful activity .

 I've always wanted to buy one of those colouring books for adults, with mandalas and flower pictures and also a nice box of colour pencils.

As luck would have it, I came across this website: Michael O'Mara Books, where you can find some cool colouring activities. 

You only need your computer and your imagination to spend some mindful minutes colouring.

Home Before Dark Second Season

 I love this little girl and her adventures. All the characters are very well developed and the plot is almost as interesting as in the first season. It's a TV show worth watching for people of all ages.