Nakd Bars

Have you heard of Nakd Bars? If you haven't where have you been?

Nakd Bars are healthy snacks which contain 100% natural ingredients. They are wheat, daily and gluten free and are even suitable for Vegan's which made some of my friends very happy when a little parcel from Natural Balance Foods turned up at my door. 
They are the perfect snack, whether it's a pre or post work pick me up or something to keep you going at work during the day.

Here's what I thought of all the flavours and my favourites too. 

Berry Delight

This bar is made of Dates 49%, Cashews 31%, Raisins 17% and Raspberries 3% and also a bit of natural flavouring. 
This is probably one of my favourites. It has a a slighty sweeter taste than some of the other bars which suits me as in the afternoon's I do tend to crave something sweet. 

Coco Delight

Again, this is definitely a bar I would reach for. Quite a chocolatlely taste and again, great if you need a little pick me up after a work out. 
It's amazing how chocolaty it tastes. A reason why I love these bars so much is because you know exactly what goes into them and apart from a hint of flavouring, it's completely healthy.

Cashew Cookie

Unfortunately this is probably one of my least favourites. I didn't particularly like the taste (even though I don't mind cashews) but I wasn't that keen on the texture of the bar either. However there are plenty more in the range to keep you busy. 

Rhubarb and Custard

This one would get a 10/10 in my opinion. This is my go to bar after my gym works outs when I need a little something to keep me going until my next meal. It's sweet and tasty and has a very smooth texture. (It also tastes great with a cup of tea).

Pecan Pie

A take on the classic American recipe, this bar definitely packs a lot of flavour in. If you like pecan's you'll love this bar. It definitely had a nuttier texture than some of the others bars. A firm favourite of mine.

Caffe Mocha

I am a huge fan of Mocha's anyway so this bar sounds perfect already. It's a very smooth bar which a hint of that Mocha taste I like.
It's guilt free chocolate.


Cocoa Delight

It is made up of Dates 48%, Cashews 29%, Rasins 17% and Cocoa 6%.
This bar tasted really choclately, more so than some of the others. The best thing for me about this bar, is that if you are graving something naughty, it will stop you reaching for a normal chocolate bar. Which for me is great as I do tend to have those gravings in the afternoon.

Ginger bread 

I am not the biggest fan of ginger but this bar surprised me. It's perfect for this time of year and definitely makes you feel quite christmassy. It smells very strongly of ginger but lucky for me the taste was not too overwhelming.


Natural Balance Foods have a range of flavours. They also stock the 'TREK' bars which are always something I try to keep in my gym bag. They are a little bit more filling than the Nakd bars and so are a great re-fulling snack to have after a workout.

Are you wanting to get healthier for the new year? Why don't you check out this post on Gym Motivation. Along with this post and the Nakd bars, you'll be all set and ready to stick to that new years resolution you were planning on making next year.

A huge Thank you to Natural Balance Foods.

What's your favourite flavour?

Dalston Street Food Market

North of the river in Dalston, you will find 'Street Feast' a bustling market filled to the brim with street venders selling all kinds of incredible food.
In an old abandoned warehouse you will find around 40 stalls, selling a huge variety of different cuisines from all over the world.

Juicy Burgers from the famous Blecker street to flavour packed Korean burritos from Kimchinay, there really is something here for everyone.

There's almost too many things to try that you can't possibly experience everything in one night but maybe that's a good thing, as I know I will definitely be heading back here again.

After taking a few recommendations from friends, we begun our night at 'Sticky Bun's, opting for the Shrimp and Pork sticky buns and boy were they good.

The buns were light and fluffy while the meat was succulent and tasty.

Next we decided to be a little bit naughty and made our way over to Smoke Shack for ribs!

It was possibly the longest queue in the whole place so we joined it eager to see what all the fuss was about.

I don't think I've ever tired ribs that were as tasty as these ones. Still slightly pink in the middle and covered in delicious barbeque sauce, it had just the right amount of kick to it. It wasn't long before these were devoured and we were ready to try something new.

A few beers later we spotted Bleeker St Burger. I have been going on for months about how much I wanted to try these burgers, so for me, there was no question about whether I could manage one or not.

We ordered a cheese burgers but later spotted 'The double beeker' - 2 burgers with black pudding sandwiched in the middle. Not really my kind of thing but Ian thought this sounded incredible. 

The burgers were good, extremely succulent and juicy. The meat was a lot thinner than I had expected which was good for me as I was beginning to feel rather full.

I would highly recommend trying one of their burgers but next time I think I'll head over to Mother Clucker and give them a go.

Feeling full and happy we stood by open fires to keep warm and people watch.

Most of the market is set in an old run down warehouse with little nooks and crannies, and small alley ways leading into hidden bars.

Girls with cocktails in pineapples and coconuts wander past whist others sip on gin cocktails from the bars over looking the crowd below.

Fairy lights and open wood fires are dotted around the place, helping cosy couples keep warm.

There is a real mix of people here which adds to buzz and incredible atmosphere that the market has.

This place would be perfect for a date night or even a catch up with friends after work.

So if you're looking for something a bit different and a huge choice of food, head on over. The website is here.

Arrive before 7pm and it's free other wise you will have to £3 upon entry.

For those who like to eat on their feet, this night market is most definitely the new hot spot in town.

The wonders of Gaudi

The next morning we made sure we were ready for a day of sightseeing. We had a lot we wanted to see.

After grabbing a coffee and some gorgeous fresh pastries from the bakery next door we walked towards the Arc de Trimofe. 

Not quite the same as the actual one in Paris but a good sight none the less. 

Heading towards Sagrada Familia, we were distracted by a rather large circular building on the way. 

Bright blue mosaics shined in the morning sun, enticing us over for a closer look and I'm very glad we did. 

We had stumbled upon a Spanish bull fighting ring.

After paying the rather sleepy looking man at the desk, we entered the stadium.

The entire ring was deserted. 

We couldn't believe how beautiful the inside was and how there were no tourists, in fact, we wandered round for about an hour and the only person we saw was the caretaker casually going about his day.

This doesn't seem to be in the tourist books, nor was it on the map that we had but I highly recommend coming here. 

If you are lucky enough, as we were, to have the place to yourselves, let your imagination run wild and picture what it might have been like when the stadium was packed and full to brim with excited spectators.

Back on track, we walked onwards towards Sagrada Familia. 

This is one of Barcelona's well known attractions, if not the most popular. 

Unfinished it may be but it still has over 2.8 million visitors a year. 

Construction began in 1882 and almost 100 years later, the work is still on going. 

The cathedral is huge and even if you stand at the bottom and look upwards, it makes you feel a little dizzy.

It costs you about 19 euros to go into the church which also included the lift up the Passion/Nativity towers to experience the views from the top of the towers. 

Go early!! We did have to queue but it wasn't too bad. However I can imagine that in high season, it will be busier. 

Guesses on when construction will be complete range between 2020's to the 2040's. 

Even before reaching that point, some of the oldest parts of the church have already required restoration work. 

But wait. If you think the outside is impressive, nothing prepared me for what awaited us inside. 

I cannot express how amazing the inside of the cathedral was. It was unlike anything I have seen before. 

'Give us this day our daily bread'

We got the lift up the Nativity tower which gives you wonderful views over the Barcelona skyline. 

Once you leave the lift you have to walk across a bridge before you can begin the walk down a very steep spiraled staircase.

We did stop for a very quick photo on the bridge but heights are not my strong point so I didn't linger too long here.

Let me show you some of the views.

The little square you can see in the picture above is actually quite interesting...

This magic square of order 4, the sum obtained in vertical, horizontal, diagonal or all four quadrants is 33, the age of Jesus Christ when he was crucified. 

In the museum you can see explanations of the Magic Square with all the different forms that sum 33. (It really is quite clever). 

With our feet back on the ground, we caught the metro up to Parc Gueill. 

I imagine in the summer this place would be a sun haven. Packed full of cheery people, basking in the sun and drinking home made Sangria.

Alas, it was still a little cold when we were there but the sun was shining and in the early evening sun light we managed to get a few good pictures. 

The mosaics are so pretty. We wandered along the long winding benches, gazing at all the different patterns, shapes and colours. 

We wandered around for a while and once the sun had set we made our way back towards the Gothic Quarter for some tapas and cava. 

We wandered the streets for a while, looking at all the different restaurants. There are so many to choose from. 

We didn't have anywhere specific we wanted to go this evening so we just wandered.

We stopped in here first.

I recommend trying the cava. It's what Barcelona is apparently quite famous for. 

It was lovely, crisp and extremely drinkable. 

We continued to explore and only popped into this place to see what it was all about but were suddenly whisked off to a table. Not wanting to refuse, we followed our waitress.

The best bit was that in order to get to any of the tables you had to walk through the kitchen! 

We had ended up in 'Los Caracoles' meaning....Snails. 
It was founded in 1835 by the Bofarull family which is currently in it's fourth generation who have carried on it's excellent reputation within Barcelona. 

Now this restaurant is actually in the Lonely Planet guide. It's very quirky inside with lots of hidden corners and tables tucked away. 

If you do decide to go here, try their most famous dish, Caracoles. Snails of course. 

Unfortunately I didn't take many pictures so you will just have to trust me on this one. 

If you haven't been to Barcelona before, I highly recommend it. 

I believe there is something here for everyone. Whether you like art, good food, architecture or you want to sample the local wine. I promise, you won't be disappointed. 

Let me know where you think I should go next?

To Barcelona we go

After very little planning and a rather spontaneous decision, it wasn't long before we were boarding the plane to Barcelona. 
I'm keen this year to visit as many places as possible and to tick off new cities and places that I can explore. 
We arrived early on Thursday morning and checked into our hotel 'Vincci Gala'. 
If you want a nice hotel that is close to the centre of Barcelona then I can definitely recommend this one. It's very close to Las Ramblas but far enough away that the noise of the city won't bother you. 

Check out the hotel's website here.

First stop on the agenda was the Marcat de Boqueria. Regarded as one of Barcelona's best markets, found just off of the Las Rambles, it was of course, a good place to start. 
For anyone who knows how much I love sweets. You can imagine my delight when I saw this. 

The selection of food here was incredible, especially the fish section, that had some of the best array of seafood I have ever seen. 

Brightly coloured fruit lined the market stalls

And some of the biggest strawberries I've ever seen. 

Salted cod, apparently a delicacy in Barcelona. 

Shortly afterwards we found La Cathedral.

Not wanting to miss anything that Barcelona had to offer, we ventured inside. 

There is something about being inside a Cathedral, especially something as grand as this one. It felt eerie, quiet. We marvelled at the architecture before we got the lift up to the top of the Cathedral where we were treated to some of the views over Barcelona. 

(You'll have to wait until the next blog post to see some views that rival these).

With our feet back on the ground we continued to wander through the city. 

Stopping at the famous Casa Bastillo -designed by Gaudi. We didn't go inside but the detail of the building was just incredible. 
The colours, the detail, really rival a lot of buildings we have today in London. 

We had read a few reviews about restaurants to try whilst we were in Barcelona but before we made our way to the first one, we stopped off at 360. 

A roof top bar in the city centre with 360 degrees views of Barcelona. We got there just after the sun had set and we managed to get some great of pictures of the skyline. 

Unfortunately the bar itself wasn't actually open, maybe because it's too early on in the season but that did mean we had the place to ourselves. 

They even have a pool up here. 

I highly recommend coming here if you are in Barcelona in the summer. 

The bar is called B-Lounge and it's at the top of a hotel called Hotel Barcelo Raval.

Finally we made our way to Quimet i Quimet.
It was possibly one of the smallest restaurants I have been to, if you can actually call it that.
The tapas bar is mainly for standing only but that didn't bother us.

Once you have made it in the door (and trust me it gets very busy) order a glass of Sangria or Cava if you are looking to try some of the typical Spanish drinks and then peruse the menu.
We ordered everything!

A selection of seafood which included: Mussels, razor clams, cockles, squid, tuna and lots of other things too. We also tried, goats cheese with foie gras and salmon with yogurt and truffled honey.
(I couldn't find a website for the restaurant but you can find them on trip adviser and they also feature in the lonely planet guide books).

By the time we left, we were full and in need of a good night's sleep.
Not bad for our first day in Barcelona, wouldn't you say?