Today is my birthday!

Thursday 19 September 2013

It's my birthday today & I've woken to a killer hang over - mental note - must remember not to mix my drinks....too....much

Hubby heads off for an early morning surf & is back in time for breakfast.

Today I had a big day planned - lots of shopping, day spa treatments, trying out some new restaurants while my husband looks after the kids.

After breakfast beside the pool, my first stop is a shop called La Toka in Jl Kunti, find nothing here I like this time, so go back to a shop called Beyond on Jl Raya Seminyak (noticed some nice clothing in the window as I passed by in the taxi).

Bought some lovely baggy pants in a soft fabric for 490,000. A few stores down, at a store called Lakra, I buy a black one shoulder dress with floral embroidery & fringing also for 490,000 & a blue jumpsuit with one frilled shoulder for 290,000.

Their website shows the black dress I bought (only in red)...

http://www.lakrafashion.com/#!newcollection/c199t

Next I headed to Jl Batu Belig to check out some shops I'd read about. One of them was Frockk - beautiful pieces here & loved a dress (the brown & white stripe one) but it wasn't the right size. They offered to alter it for me, but by this time I was starting to feel the effects of last night... and feel the need to have a coffee & something to eat RIGHT now!

Frockk

Mr & Mrs Wardrobe

I head across the road to Watercress & as it's only around 11am, they only have the breakfast menu - so I order a 2nd breakfast! The corn fritters with avocado & tomato salsa + poached egg & rocket sound good, so I order a half serve. They are delicious! The coffee is really good too - apparently from Revolver - not sure if Revolver coffee shop is within Watercress or they just sell Revolver's coffee?

After my coffee I walk to Think Pink Nails to make a booking for Saturday for myself & my daughter who will be turning 7. We have booked a mani & pedi. The place is really busy with lots of ex pats - think it pays to make a booking. The salon is owned by an immaculately dressed Balinese lady who lived in New York for 20 years. On their website it says...

THINK PINK NAILS is a New York City style nail parlor in Bali, where clients can pop in for a perfect manicure and pedicure.

http://www.thinkpinknails.com/about.html

So annoyed at myself for indulging too much last night - I only spend a few hours out & then decide to head back to the hotel where I find the family around the pool. So good to jump in the pool after a sweaty taxi ride!

While I was away, Smitty took the kids shopping for a birthday gift for me. They found this lovely little shop on Jl Dhyana Pura called The Shang. It had lots of lovely homewares and some handbags & clothing. The kids each chose a little gift for me - Sienna chose a silver tin (to match some I already had at home) & Jaycob chose a leaf dish.

I have a 3pm booking at Spa Bali but don't think I feel well enough to enjoy it, so I cancel my booking & reschedule for tomorrow. Hubby decides to take advantage of my cancellation & leaves the kids with me while he has another surf.

Started to feel peckish so the kids & I head to Zulu's Vegetarian Paradise near the top end of Jl Dhyana Pura. Son orders a chick pea burger, daughter some hand cut fries with beetroot relish & I have the middle eastern platter. We also try some of their sugar free treats - All the food is very good & I can't eat all mine, so take the remainder back to the hotel for my husband. When he tries it, he just has to go there for lunch the next day!

Chickpea Burger

Mediterranean Platter

Late afternoon we head to the beach to watch the sunset. We sit at the first bar with bean bags - think it was called Taris Bar. Not as funky as La Plancha, but still a nice spot to have a cold drink & watch the sunset.

For dinner tonight I have chosen La Finca. A newly opened Spanish tapas place on Jl Subak Sari, Canggu. Hubby gets me to sit in the front of the taxi as I have the directions to get to La Finca. I spend most of the trip with my eyes shut & my husband saying 'Hati Hati' from the back seat as the driver weaves erratically through small alleyways...apparently he's taking a short cut?

We arrive & the place looks just lovely all lit up with hundreds of lights. There are all different areas to sit in the garden while having a few drinks, but we head straight to a table.

We are given a complimentry bread basket with dips & order some Mojitos which are huge & really nice - you even get to choose which type of mint.

Later on we order a 1/2 jug of sangria to share & that's also really good.

For dinner we chose 6 tapas plates & a salad, the stand out being the chorizo & cinnamon croquettes 39,000. Some of the other tapas we tried were the crispy mushrooms with paprika aioli 35,000. Crispy potatoes with cream cheese sauce, paprika confit & crushed chilli 45,000. Beef meatballs with fresh tomato sauce & feta cheese 49,000. The most expensive tapas we ordered was from the specials board - Crispy suckling pig cheeks with red wine balsamic reduction 75,000 & while it was nice, it was probably our least favourite.

Crispy potatoes & half eaten mushrooms

Crispy pork cheeks & Avocado, rocket & feta salad with nut praline

For desert the kids have the churros with chocolate dipping sauce & hubby has been chatting to the owner & told him it was my birthday, so they brought out a platter with Happy Birthday written on it & four little pieces of citrus cheesecake. Apparently the recipe is from the chefs grandmother.