girlband hits genova

As i'm writing this post i'm wincing in pain. I've just come back from a weekend in Genova and there were just too many laugh until you cry moments for my abdominals to handle.

It's Jess's birthday next week. She'll put her birthday shoes on, chink prosecco out of one birth year and mojito her way into a new one, then the night will descend into chaos, fireworks and horse faces. Something a bit like last years celebrations in Bordeaux. Unfortunately we can't be there. Bad friends. So instead we brought the celebrations forward. Any excuse for a reunion right?

Just a short train ride away from Genova is Camogli, a sherbet-hued fairytale beach town. Channeling our inner German, we packed our bags presto and headed there early to bagsy the best spot on the beach.

Birthday gal

Caffè crema

Alice with her lemon granita

The next day Jess donned her tour guide uniform and showed us her town. Kicking off with a cappuc (cappuccino to you and me)

We looked around the old Palazzo's of Genova, pretending to be all educated and cultured.

And at the top of one of the palazzo's is a rooftop with a view of rooftops. As sarcastic as that sounds it was preeeetty cool.

Now for a self-confessed addict like myself, the word Genovese runs synonymously with pesto. If you ask me, there is no meal big or small that couldn't be bettered with a big dollop of creamy, basil-y, pine nutty goodness. Which is what we told the slightly dubious waitress when we asked for pesto on top of our salad mountain.

Salad improvement x100.

 Birthday girl and pesto aside, the town mice (Me & Soph) and the country mouse (Al) really just wanted to see one thing. The sea. So off again we trotted to the less sherbety but closer seaside town, Nervi.

Before heading home for some birthday cocktails & aperitivi. Aperitivi is something of an institution in all the best parts of Italy. Aperitivi hour is handily three hours, 6-9pm. Select your drink carefully, cocktail envy is not a laughable thing. Grab a plate and load it up with salads, focaccia, pizza, olives, meats, cheeses etc etc. There were even oysters for the brave! Then head back again for seconds, thirds, fourths and fifths. 

I went for some rhubarb & raspberry gin creation and Soph hit the jackpot with a pineappley-minty-rum-heaven-in-a-cup. In fact it was THAT good that we all ordered it the next time around.

But then cocktail envy struck in the cruelest way possible.

It looked the same, it smelt the same, except it just wasn't the same. Soph's uncontrollable laughter was infectious and the whole thing descended into hysterics. Alice (whose Raspberry Mule gave her cocktail envy immunity) sneakily grabbed the camera and shutterbugged the episode.

We tried to get one for the photo album, but Soph was still crying with laughter.

The next attempt wasn't much better...

Before the camera was turned back on Al.

There she is.

Then we trickled back home for a good nights sleep in preparation for the next day's escapades...

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london calling

Mama & Papa Hew's birthdays are on consecutive days which really helps out when it comes to remembering dates and planning birthday celebrations. Every year we tend to double up and plan one big birthday bash. Mama Hew loves watching shows and Papa Hew loves margaritas. The best place to watch a show and sip a margarita? London town.

For lunchtime, a birthday feast in the clouds. On the 40th floor of the Heron Tower is the Duck & Waffle. The restaurant that never closes. No seriously, it's open 24/7. Qwackers!

It felt like we'd walked into an episode of Suits. The men in navy, putting the world to rest.

Then you sit, look outside and feel like the ultimate king of the castle. Ne ne ne ne ne ne neh!

 Freshly squeezed blood orange juice

Even the floor is mesmerising. Documenting these for my future home.

When we'd finished oggling the view it was time to get down to business. As a family we suffer from food envy. Eating out is usually an episode of 'Clash of the Forks' as everybody reaches across, sideways, diagonally to tuck in to everybody else's dish. The beauty of the Duck & Waffle is that not only is it wholly acceptable to order and share everything on the menu, but it's precisely how you're supposed to order.

First up, lobster

2 x Angus beef carpaccio with foie gras, truffle and pecorino

Rosemary & rock salt bread

 Bacon wrapped dates, stuffed with spicy italian sausage

 Smoked mozzarella, granola & amalfi lemon salad

Charred aubergine, cumin yoghurt & flatbreads

Dessert in our family is a bit of a running joke. It's usually only Patch who orders anything, then as soon as it arrives we all take our spoons out of our jacket pockets (alla Joey from F.R.I.E.N.D.S in the one with the cheesecake) and dig in, much to Patch's annoyance. This was no exception. 

With our stomachs feeling considerably heavier, the lift down seemed to go faster than the lift up.

For Mama's birthday treat we went to see Warhorse. Which blew us all away. 

And for Papa Hew's we ended up in Christopher's Martini Bar.

Papa Hew getting his margarita on

Much better than a birthday cake

Oh go on then as it's your birthday too...

And if you two are having a cocktail, Patch & I might as well join you...

I had the Elderberry. Gin, elderflower & blueberry. Patch went for some pansy virgin cocktail which came with a flower.

 They were THAT good, it'd be rude not to have another wouldn't it?

After a long long long deliberation process (cocktail menu panic struck) I went for a Monsoon, some kind of Vodka, Passionfruit & Kumquat thing, and Mama Hew ordered the gentleman next to us' recommendation, Dark Knight, Dark rum, Kumquat & Mandarin.

 We were both suffering acute cocktail envy and so swapped. Mother daughter love.

Papa Hew's was of a knock-your-socks-off strength.

One sip and my vision started to blur..

And on that note the camera was put firmly away as we continued the birthday celebrations into the night. Mama & Papa Hew, always up for a party!

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