Nuremberg | Travelers guide | Part 2

Welcome back to the second part of my Nuremberg travelers guide. Firstly if you're planning a trip to Nuremberg you will most likely be interested in learning some of the history surrounding the city. 

A great tip for you culture seekers is to take advantage of the 'NÜRNBERG CARD'. which also covers the near by town of Furth too. For 28 euros this card will grant you admission into over 40 of the biggest museums/attractions in the city, including the Trials, Nazi rally grounds, old town brewery/hidden cellars and the zoo. The card also gives you free public transport on trams, buses and trains around the city for 2 days!

 If you're interested you can purchase this card from most hotel receptions or at the tourist information center in the main market square. I would highly recommend this card to those of you wishing to visit the rally grounds, zoo and Nazi trail courts as they are all a distance away outside the city walls and travel is included with the card.

The Nuremberg Trials 

First stop on our culture tour was to learn more about the trials held in the courtroom of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice. This is where leaders of the Nazi regime had to answer for their crimes before an International Military Tribunal between 1945 and 1946. The trials had an enormous influence on the development of international criminal law and courtroom 600 remains a working courtroom to this day. Please bare in mind that because of this, occasionally the courtroom is unavailable to view.

Admission into the museum cost 6 euros each and this includes a free audio guide. Personally I loved the audio guide, it was super simple to use and definitely needed .. Unless you can read fluent German that is. The amount of information packed into the exhibition was mind boggling taking us roughly around 2 hours to listen and take in all the information so plan your time accordingly.

The exhibition is mainly made up of written displays complimented by photographs. Each display is numbered so you can follow the exhibition like a story board/timeline and there are a few short films included, but for the most part you will be listening to the audio device. 

The Trials are located around a 40 minutes walk from the walls of Nuremberg. A taxi will cost you around 15-18 euros depending on your start location. However remember, if you have the Nuremberg Card you can use the trams or trains for free & won't pay for admission. 

Documentation Center Nazi Party rally grounds

Today the unfinished Congress Hall, designed to hold 50,000 people, houses the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds. The permanent exhibition "Fascination and Terror" looks at the causes, the context and the consequences of the National Socialist regime of terror. This exhibition will cost you 6 euros per person, but is absolutely worth paying for. Again you are provided with a complimentary audio guide and the tour is easy to navigate. I would recommend giving yourself at least 2 hours to complete the exhibition, and some additional time if you also wish to explore the rally grounds and lakes surrounding the area. Make sure you have some comfortable shoes though, as the area is very large and widely spread out.

It is absolutely free to walk around the zeppelin fields and the rally grounds, there are plenty of information stands with English translation along the way. 
Still today, the gigantic remains of buildings are a reminder of the megalomania of the National Socialist regime. The Large white plinth and steps looking out to the grounds are unkempt and derelict, a stark contrast to the modern museum. 

Interestingly the Zeppelin fields are now largely used for recreational use, sporting events are often held here and the nearby lake, and whilst we were visiting a German Sheppard dog show was being held on the grounds. 

The Rally grounds are around a 40 minute walk from Nuremberg's walls. If you were to get a taxi you would be looking to pay around £18 euros - However as above, if you were to purchase the Nuremberg Card, all public transport and exhibition admission is free. 

We were lucky enough to catch Volksfest Whilst we were in Nuremberg too. This large festival was taking place alongside the grounds of the documentation center offering great pop up beer kellers, fantastic food stalls and hundreds of fair rides including an impressive log flume! It was like a miniature Blackpool pleasure beach but with steins of great German beer and half meter bratwursts! 

After a wander around the festival, we decided to take advantage of the great food and drink and had lunch here. The sausages were excellent, and like Cafe wanderer (mentioned in part 1) the Kellers here will charge a deposit on glasses to prevent theft and breakage. 
If you're lucky enough to be in Nuremberg whilst Volksfest is on, I'd highly recommend visiting, there are some brilliant stalls offering handmade treats and souvenirs. Not to mention lots of fun from the rides and games. 

Nuremberg Zoo (Tiergarten Nuernberg)

This Zoo is by far one of the best I have ever visited (and I live near Chester Zoo, arguable one of the best in the world!) Firstly the grounds are absolutely stunning,  located in the Nuremberg Reichswald (imperial forest) it houses over 300 species including dolphins and polar bears and is one of the largest Zoos in Europe. 

The Tiergarten is built within the forest meaning the grounds are not entirely flat, I highly recommend wearing comfortable shoes as there are some steep hills to climb as you explore. There are lots of great picturesque picnic spots around for lunch too, however there is a great restaurant located at the highest point of the Zoo which serves traditional German dishes as well as a range of burgers, chips & snacks. 
- I would recommend the currywurst! A large grilled Bratwurst in a delicious sweet curry sauce laced with onions and a generous pile of thin cut fries. - YUM!

Adults will pay 16 euros each for admission into 'Tiergarten Nuernberg'  and for those of you planning to travel by Taxi, this will cost you a further 15-18 euros. However, you can hop on the line.45 bus which will be much less expensive. Or remember, public transport is free with the Nuremberg Card, including your admission fee - Bonus!

Handwerkerhof Nürnberg

This charming little town is absolutely free to explore and can be found south of the city just a short walk away from the National Museum - Easy to find if you follow the walls. Comprised of a tiny village of traditional glasscutters, doll makers, leatherworkers and silversmiths, the Handwerkerhof  (Craftsman's courtyard) is a great place for a quiet lunch at one of the Taverns or to buy unusual handmade souvenirs made according to Franconian traditions. 

The Handwerkerhof is located at Königstor, opposite Nuremberg’s main railway station. Whilst entrance to the medieval village is free, it is also closed on Sundays and public holidays, as well as the winter period between December 30 and early March.
The Craftsmen’s Courtyard restaurants and taverns are generally open until late evening, and serve food until around 10pm which gives you plenty of time to sit back with a stein of beer and people watch. 

So, lets break it down - These prices are based on 2 travelers departing from Manchester in September 2018 for 6 nights (Monday - Sunday) and are a rough guide.
Flights were booked via Sky Scanner and hotel booked via Expedia.. Transfers were not pre-booked and cost roughly 18 euros each way from the airport to the Old Town. 

Flights - £78 return

Apartment - £394

Transfers - £38 return

Insurance - £32

Total = £542

You should know that prices of food and drink really do depend on where you are in Nuremberg. We found many of the more upmarket bars in the new town were on average a little more expensive than the Old Town. So because of this we tended to visit the more traditional kellers. I would say that on average you would be looking to pay between €3 - €4 for a stein of beer and wine again around the €4 mark. If you like wine spritzers I would recommend trying a HUGO, this cocktails consists of prosecco, mixed with elder-flower liqueur and fresh mint - A delicious and refreshing drink, great for after a meal. 

Food wise, again it depends on your tastes and were you choose to dine. However myself and my other half never paid more than €50 for a two course meal and drinks. 

In the old town you would be hard pressed to find anywhere charging you more than €12 for a large portion of sausages, sauerkraut and bread. So overall I would say Nurembergs food and drink prices are on average reasonable and in some cases fairly cheap. 

We also made the most of the local super markets, and good old Aldi was a god send. We were picking up bottles of prosecco for €2.69! - Bargain! Not to mention the selection of meats and cheeses were great, cheap and perfect for snacks whilst we got ready to explore in the evening. 

That's it for my guide to Nuremberg. A city steeped in history and full to the brim with medieval charm - And quite simply one of the best holidays we've had so far! 
If you're a lover of city breaks and enjoy getting lost in new places, Nuremberg is the perfect little getaway. Prices to Germany do fluctuate around the year, Christmas being a particularly expensive time to travel due to the stunning Christmas markets.  However if like us, you manage to find flights for less than £50 per person - Don't hesitate & just get on that plane!

Have you ever been to Nuremberg?

EasyHotel & Yee Rah | Liverpool

Sunday nights in Liverpool are a steal for hotel bookings, with many offering rooms for less than £40 a night. Living just half an hour from Liverpool, we often take advantage of the low price rooms whenever we can get a Monday off work for a cheap date night. 

The easyHotel is a fairly new addition to the budget hotel scene in Liverpool. Classed as Super Budget, you can book a room here for as little as £9.99 per night. 

What easyHotel say;

"Just a two minute walk from James Street train station and a 10 minute walk from the Albert Dock’s museums and restaurants, this modern budget hotel is an ideal city location in Liverpool’s financial district, perfect for business and leisure travelers who want to be at the heart of this vibrant northern city."

This isn't the first time we've stayed with easyHotel, we have in fact stayed at their Liverpool and Manchester branches previously pulled in by their super low prices. On this occasion I paid £30 for a standard double room with a window although we have booked rooms in this hotel for less than that during previous trips.   

Firstly, you should know that the rooms are this cheap because of how basic the accommodation is, each room is small with an en suite and towels provided. However there are additional daily charges for things such as Wifi, use of the television, luggage storage etc. The hotel is even pet friendly for an additional £10 charge per night.  So you get an idea of how the charges could potentially add up if you took advantage of all the amenities. 

Our room this time was surprisingly larger than anticipated. Our first stay in easyHotel earlier this year was in a small double room without windows - In which we had barely enough room to move and we had issues with the bathroom plumbing. - Not great.

I must say though the beds are very comfortable and the location is spot on for anyone wanting to visit the Albert Dock or shop in Liverpool One. 

In summary I think this hotel is perfect for a one night stay for anyone needing a comfortable crash pad. I wouldn't recommend this hotel to someone looking to stay in Liverpool for a prolonged period or looking for luxury, unless they weren't planning on spending much time at the room. But it is perfect for a 1-2 night break for a sight seeing getaway or a night out crash pad. 

We booked though booking.com but you can visit easyHotels website direct here.

Yee Rah is an Asian inspired wok & grill restaurant located at the top of Liverpool Ones shopping centre. Offering 2 for 1 across all classic cocktails all day Sunday - Friday the drinks menu is great value for money. We opted for a classic Bellini, but couldn't decide between peach or strawberry, however the bar staff kindly let us have one of each of the flavours without having to order 4 drinks. 

I love Asian inspired food, so the menu at Yee Rah was a mine field of tasty sounding dishes. Eventually however  we settled on some spring rolls to start (which were eaten before I could get a photo!) a side of bread, balsamic and oil - which I know isn't very asian but.. I just love carbs ok? 

For my main I ordered the Sea bass choo chee, "a Sea Bass fillet cooked in a light crispy singha batter covered with an aromatic thick curry cream sauce and a sprinkling of shredded kaffir lime leaves and pac choi. Served with jasmine rice or fries."

Ok, so what I got wasn't exactly what was described above, I ordered mine with chips (wanting the carbs of course.. and to soak up the curry sauce) but I was brought rice, which is fine, I like rice too and the staff were more than happy to get get the chips for us. The sauce was absolutely delicious too, but I wouldn't have described it as a thick curry cream. It was more like a thin Thai red curry, very fragrant and light. I also didn't get any pac choi, this was swapped out for a few pieces of broccoli underneath the mammoth piece of thickly battered fish. Now here's where it all went wrong, I can only assume that the fish had been cooked in oil too hot for the thick coating of batter, as the outside was crisp but inside were large chunks of what felt like just cooked spongy pancake. I ended up pulling the soft sea bass from the batter and eating it separate. 

Basically I feel like I didn't exactly get what I ordered, I do like broccoli and the sauce was good, but it was essentially a different dish to what I ordered and the fish was just disappointing. A real shame because the chicken and beef teriyaki fajitas my partner had were insanely good, as were the starters. 

The staff at Yee Rah were great though, very friendly and happy to help when I asked about the missing chips - So I can't fault the service. I think I would go back to Yee Rah based on the fact the fajitas and drinks were delicious and great value for money. But I wouldn't order that sea bass dish again. 

You can visit their website here

Have you ever been to Yee Rah or stayed in an easyHotel?

Tiger Rock Liverpool | Restaurant review

Image source

Tapas style dining is fast becoming a firm favourite of mine. For the people out there who, like me, look at a menu and struggle to choose, tapas is the perfect way to try multiple things in one sitting without going overboard. 

Recently I visited Tiger Rocks North John Street branch for lunch with a friend. From 12pm - 5pm everyday small bowls & plates are 2 for £9 or 3 for £13.50  which after seeing the portion sizes is fab value for money!

What Tiger Rock say;

"Tiger Rock – driven by our passion for delicious fresh East Asian cooking, offers the best in Thai, Chinese, Malaysian, Singaporean, Vietnamese, Laotian dishes served with a twist. To accompany the small plates and bowls, we have a gin menu, a couple of bellinis and also some delightful wines and beers.

Come and enjoy Tiger Rock’s friendly casual atmosphere combined with great tunes and an array of amazing flavours from the East continent."

We ordered a couple of small plates including the pork and king prawn Shumai and soft shell crab pictured above. Not pictured was a portion of delicious spring rolls and a very generous bowl of pad thai. 
Firstly lets talk about the soft shell crab.. I don't know why it's taken me so long to try this but my god it was excellent. I understand this won't be every ones cup of tea, but if you're a seafood fan trust me, try it. Crispy deep fried crab lightly spiced with stir fried veg and salad - Delicious! 

The pad thai and shumai were also great. I love a good steamed option whenever I eat Asian food, and shumai is my go to dish every time. The mix of pork and prawn together with the crunch of water chestnuts is a firm favourite of mine, and Tiger Rock didn't disappoint. The pad thai was the perfect balance of sweet, savoury and sour with the crunch of nuts and a generous helping of veg, noodles and chicken - Whats not to like?

 The drinks menu at Tiger Rock has something for everyone, whether you fancy a cup of tea or a fancy cocktail.   We opted to wash our meals down with a couple of cheeky Bellinis, which were a refreshing take on the norm. We sampled the Gin Rose Bellini and the Pomegranate Elderflower Bellini and I would absolutely order these again. 

It was on the recommendation from my friend that we strayed away from our usual lunch date spot (Nandos - sorry not sorry) and tried Tiger Rock, and I would certainly go back again. For those of you local to Liverpool, there are even two branches open, the City Centre and Smithdown Road too. 

3 Photos above directly sourced from Tiger Rocks website | Click images for website 

Overall I was really satisfied with my visit to Tiger Rock. The food and drink quality were excellent and there are several things on the menu that I can't wait to go back and try next time. In the end we didn't order from the great value lunch menu and instead ordered from the main menus. Because of this we did spend a little more than the 3 for £13.50. The bill came to just over £50 for the two of us, but bearing in mind that that included cocktails, I would still argue that value for money was really quite good. 

Your thoughts on soft shell crab?
& Have you ever been to Tiger Rock?

Cocktail master class | The Botanist (*)

Ever since being invited to The Botanist blogger tea party earlier this year, I have had a little obsession with the restaurant. I've been back with my family as well as Creatures family and it's always been met with amazing compliments for the food and the great range of drinks.

A few weeks ago myself and 4 other bloggers were invited to The Botanist for a cocktail master class to learn how to make 3 of The Botanists yummy cocktails. As you can imagine this event was right up my street, and not only were we invited to free pour our own delicious alcohol but also treated to a selection of bar snacks mid way through the evening. - Bonus!

Cocktails have never lost that air of glamour for me, I'm still a beer girl through and through but when I do occasionally swap my Peroni for an elegant martini glass, I like those cocktails to actually taste substantial. There is nothing worse than a cocktail that literally just tastes like bog standard fruit juice. However at The Botanist their cocktails not only taste delicious but also so very alcoholic!

What I particularly enjoyed was the fact they use amazing and unusual ingredients in their drinks, whilst we were sipping our hand made Mojitos packed full of fresh mint and watching our next cocktails demonstration, Adam our teacher for the evening began filling his tumblers with baby rose buds! In today's cocktail culture it isn't enough to just have a great tasting drink, it must look the part too, and boy do The Botanists cocktails look pretty!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Botanist, I wouldn't be able to tell you exactly how I to make those cocktails for yourself. I can however vouch that not only will you have a crackin' time 'learning' how to make some of The Botanists signature drinks but you'll also get wickedly drunk.

You can find out more about The Botanists cocktail master classes here

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Marinated lamb & slow roasted tomato salad | Recipe

Lately I've become utterly obsessed with Leeds Market when it comes to my food shop. I've watched food programes since I was a tot and never really gave much of a toss about these great markets in Britain until recently. Whilst walking around, picking up fresh duck eggs and nibbling on bits of sample cheeses, it occurred to me, my Dad would often tell me to visit the local market in Chester, to keep it alive for others to enjoy too when it was threatened to be closed, but the importance just never sank in until now. The huge range of fruits, veg and meat you can pick up is incredible - not to mention cheap! I will forever wince at the price of meat and veg in Morrisons or Tesco after my recent ventures. 

So in honour of my Dad, the ever experimental "throw whatever you have in the cupboard in it" kind of cook. I picked up some quality lamb cutlets and stocked up on my fresh herbs & headed home to pull together a fresh, summery (and relatively healthy) tea for me & Creature.

After routing through my veg stocks, I decided upon a slow roasted baby tomato salad with balsamic glaze to accompany the lamb. My fridge is stock full of salad, veg and fruit at the moment as myself & Creature are on a major health kick. So many of the bits you need for this recipe I already have as cupboard essentials. So without further ado. Here is my recipe for Marinated lamb with slow roasted garlic baby tomato salad. 

Ingredients:

The lamb & marinade:

(Feeds 2)

4 Lamb cutlets on the bone

Olive oil

dried chilies

fresh mint

fresh rosemary

Garlic pepper seasoning

For the roasted tomatoes:

1 packet of sweet baby tomatoes

1 bulb of garlic

black pepper

sea salt

Fresh thyme

Olive oil

Salad:

1 packet of mixed baby leaf salad or Rocket

balsamic vinegar or dressing

red onions (roasted or raw)

Fresh mint

Fresh basil

This may seem like a lot of ingredients, but the most important thing for this recipe is the balance of herbs. For those of you who don't have garlic pepper for the marinade, using garlic salt and a twist of black pepper would be fine. Or even fresh garlic and chilies would work a treat too.

1. The Lamb marinade:  Firstly you need to marinade the meat. Finely chop 2 sprigs of rosemary leaves and mint, mix 3 table spoons of olive oil in a large dish and add in 1 tsp of dried chilies & 1 tsp garlic salt. Sprinkle in your fresh herbs and mix with a spoon until evenly distributed in the oil. Next drop your cutlets into the marinade and made sure they're all lightly coated. 

Cover with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge. The longer you leave them the better, over night would be best. But 4 hours+ will ensure your meat had absorbed enough of that gorgeous flavor. 

2. The roasted tomatoes: Cut your baby toms into half's and mix in a bowl with 1 tbsp of oil, ensuring all have a light coating. Next finely slice 3 garlic cloves and a handful of fresh thyme. Distribute the tomatoes across a lined baking tray, and place a thin slice of garlic on each one. If you enjoy roasted garlic you could also like I have roast some whole cloves too, but this is optional. 

Next,  sprinkle the toms with cracked black pepper and place in a preheated low oven at 140'c for 2 hours. Make sure they are wilted but still a little juicy when took out of the oven. They should be soft and deliciously sweet. 

Leave the tomatoes to cool once cooked so they are at room temp when served. In the mean time, turn on your grill for the lamb.

3. Cooking the Lamb: The lamb will only need 3-4 minutes on each side to ensure it is medium and pink inside. I prefer my lamb pink and juicy. However if you prefer yours rarer, or even well done, add or subtract 1 minute cooking time. The meat should spring back to the touch and the fat will have crisped up some when done, but again this is personal preference. - leave to rest for 5 minutes.

I grilled my lamb to ensure any excess fat was drained off, this was a healthier option for myself and creature. Feel free however to roast the meat instead - basted in its own juices.

4. Assemble your dish: Whilst the meat is resting, in a salad bowl place your salad leaves, whole mint and ripped basil leaves, roasted tomatoes and garlic and toss together. The tomatoes will break up some and create a lovely sweet juice that coats the leaves. On this occasion I also slow roasted some red onions in just a little oil, salt and pepper and tossed with the salad.

Add a liberal handful of the salad in the middle of your plate, dribbling a drizzle of balsamic vinegar around the plate and over the leaves. Then place your cutlets on the top & enjoy with a glass of vino!

Would you try my marinated lamb & salad?

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Cadburys Creme Egg brownies | Recipe

Last week my social media pages were inundated with photos of chocolate from Easter. It may come as a shock, but I'm not a huge chocolate eater, other than high % dark chocolate that I can eat by the bar. However, sweet milk chocolate? - Not my bag.

Like many of you though, I do get an insane amount of Crème Eggs from friends and family. And although I'm admittedly not a chocaholic, I can never say no to a gooey brownie. So here is a deliciously chocolaty recipe that will put good use to any stray crème eggs you may have left over.

| Prep time: 15mins | Cooking time 40mins | Serves 12 |

Ingredients:

185g Dark Chocolate

185g Butter (or Margarine)

85g Plain Flour

40g Cocoa Powder

3 Eggs

275g Caster Sugar

6 Cadbury Creme Eggs

1. To begin, pre-heat the oven to 180 and gas mark 4.

2.You need to start your basic brownie batter. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Once mixed together, leave to the side to cool a little.

3. Next mix your eggs and sugar using an electric whisk. This takes time and your mixture needs to double in size and thicken up. Your mix should also be pale in colour.

Add you egg and sugar mix to your cooled chocolate mixture. TIP: Make sure your chocolate mixture is at least luke warm, or cooler. If the chocolate mixture is too hot it will cook the eggs!

4. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold everything together. TIP: Take your time and be gentle. Cut your creme eggs in half. This is tricky and doesn’t always turn out very neat, but don’t worry, it will still taste great!

5. Pour everything into your greased & lined tray, pushing the crème egg halves into the mixture and spaced evenly. Then bake in your preheated oven for 40 minutes.

6. I like mine still gooey in the middle however if you like yours a little more cakey, leave them in the oven for 50 minutes. Once cooked, leave to cool before cutting into 12 pieces and serving with vanilla ice cream.

Have you ever tried Crème Egg brownies?

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