Brazil, Curitiba: Batel Grill Churrascaria Review

WOW! WOW! WOW!  What a wonderful establishment and the first of it's kind that we have had exposure to.  We were treated to a business dinner by colleagues who felt this was the best restaurant in town for absolutely delicious yet authentic meals and boy, were they correct!

Batel Grill Churrascaria is located quite near to the Four Points by Sheraton Curitiba hotel which we have reviewed in a previous post but to be honest, even if it were an hours drive away... we would still ensure we have dinner there before leaving Curitiba!

Brazil, Curitiba: Four Points by Sheraton Review

The Four Points by Sheraton is a central location when visiting the city of Curitiba, located a few minutes away from the local Curitiba mall and restaurants. It was one of the better hotel options in the area during our business trip.  Unsure of what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised upon arrival at the establishment.  

Rooms are spacious and equipped with free WiFi, cable TV, a mini bar, coffee and tea making facilities and air conditioning. 

Brazil, Sao Paulo: 5* Marriot Renaissance Hotel

This was the first of our visits at a Marriot establishment.  Situated in Alameda Santos, Sao Paulo - the Renaissance hotel is a 5-star establishment boasts being one of the most luxurious hotels in the area with a great location, with first class rated service and amenities.  It is indeed true that their confident statement mirrors what you can expect when staying at this establishment.

Brazil, Sao Paulo: Figueira Rubaiyat Restaurant Review

As this was our first trip to Sao Paulo, we had heard from friends and colleagues that Brazilian meals are equally delicious and big portioned.  Excited at the opportunity to explore this further, we dined at the acclaimed  Figueira Rubaiyat restaurant in Rua Haddock Lobo.  A typical Brazilian steak house popular with both tourists and locals.

Apart from the fantastic food selection and ambience, Figueira Rubaiyat is well known due to the huge fig tree in the center of the restaurant.  

KLM: Business Class Flight Review

Overly besotted at the opportunity to visit South America, we began our first business trip to Sao Paulo with KLM, flying business class.

Upon checking in at Schipol International airport, which was a breeze and partly due to the privileges of having a status KLM membership, we meandered down to the boarding gates.  Greeted by the friendly cabin crew, we were directed to our seats where we settled in easily.

Our first expat interview...

We were recently interviewed on our experiences and learnings gained, moving from sunny South Africa to the Netherlands.  We thought it appropriate to share our interview with our readers as being an expat in a new country is quite daunting at first.  We hope that our pointers are helpful to our readers and others who are about to embark on the new chapter of transitioning into expat life.  Enjoy reading...

Why did you move to Holland and What do you do?

We were offered a brilliant opportunity to experience Europe both from a lifestyle and work perspective so we grabbed it as we both love to travel and experience various cultures.  Currently we are both working for one of the big 4’s in the Technology sector so having the opportunity to gain multinational experience across continents is a great addition to our career portfolios.

London: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London -Tower of London Review

When spending time away from home on business trips, one appreciates a comfortable living space.  We had the opportunity to stay at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel - Tower of London the past week during a week long business trip to London. 

London: Food Reviews

After spending almost two months (and still ongoing) in London working at a new client, we decided to blog about the food experiences we've had thus far.  Keep an eye out for the accommodation reviews as well.

French Winelands - Blaye... Chez Simon Self Catering Apartments

Nestled amongst the most eye pleasing vineyards is the town of Blaye.  A perfect place to stay when touring the infamous Bordeaux and Cognac regions.  We spent just under a week exploring the beauty of this area on route to Spain during our Summer vacation.

Recipe: Malaysian Prawn Laksa

Laksa is a beautiful Malaysian inspired prawn and noodle soup.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 10 button mushrooms, washed and quartered

Tioman Island, Malaysia: 5* Japa Mala Resort and Spa

Travelling in Asia has always been an adventure for us.  This trip we ventured to an area called Tioman in Malaysia.  We stayed at one of the resorts which in our opinion was perfect for a honeymoon getaway, with rooms hidden in the forest on the hillside overlooking breathtaking ocean views.  The resort is unspoilt therefore making it the perfect place to unwind and relax.  

Recipe: German Schnitzel

German Chicken Schnitzel

Ingredients:

4 butterflied chicken fillets (deskinned)

2 tablespoons of flour
3 eggs

Oberhausen, Germany

Oberhausen is well known for the biggest shopping mall in Europe i.e. CentrO as well as being the home to Paul the Octopus.  

Unfortunately we were not able to have a glimpse of Paul as he passed on in October 2010 prior to us immigrating to Europe however his shrine can be found at the Sea Life Centre.  For those who are not familiar with Paul, he was the oracle used to predict the results of the soccer matches in which Germany played.  He and his accurate predictions received global recognition during the 2010 world cup.  

Recipe: Guinness Shephard's Pie

Guinness Shephards Pie is synonymous with Ireland.  A moreish pie made with lamb as the theory is that shephards are concered with sheep rather than cattle or any other type of meat.

Made with rich lamb mince and topped with a buttery potato mash, this dish is an absolute winner.

Recipe: Mozambican Peri Peri Prawns

Piri Piri Prawns are absolutely divine!  This recipe calls for at least 3 hours of marinating before the prawns are ready however there is initial prep work which preferably should be done the day before for maximum flavor.

Recipe: Tanzanian Peanut and Spinach Curry

  

Mchicha is a traditional Peanut and Spinach curry of Tanzania.  It’s a tasty vegetarian dish which we quite enjoyed during our meatless fasting days during our travels.

Recipe: Kenyan Dawa Cocktail

The word Dawa means "medicine" in Swahili and is said to be so potent that it will cure whichever ailment you have ツ

Nurburgring, Germany

"For a quick lap at the Nürburgring, you've probably experienced more in seven minutes...than most people have experienced in all their life in the way of fear, in the way of tension, in the way of animosity towards machinery and to a racetrack." —Jackie Stewart"

The Nürburgring Cornering Map

A tick off our bucket list was the invigorating experience of being able to race in an BMW M3 around the Nürburgring race track.  We have had a passion for high performance cars since our childhood days.  The sound of a mind-bendingly, reason-defyingly fast engine translates into a sweet serenade for us.  Ironically, when we met many years ago... our interests were so much alike that being able to appreciate the Nürburgring experience together has definately proved to be one of our highlighted memories together.

Dublin, Ireland...

Home to one of the world's most influential rock bands, The beatles - Dublin was a city we were excited to visit.  As it was our first trip to Ireland, we decided to stay at a central point with easy access to all amenities such as the Hop on Hop off bus,  Aircoach to the airport, Temple bar, restaurants and local shopping area's.

Ha'penny Bridge over Liffey River.

The majestic temples of Siem Reap...

Being granted the opportunity to visit Siem Reap was sheer luck as we were told by one of our local Cambodian friends, that part of their beliefs is to visit Siem Reap at least once in their lifetime.  Almost as a pilgrimage to the once holy land, Siem Reap is home to many majestic temples located in the north west region of Cambodia.  These temples awe visitors around the world with their enormity and rich heritage.  Built over a millennium ago, the temples still flaunt the reminisce of Khmer civilization and art.  We must admit that even though the temples are ancient in age, the carvings are still well preserved and magnificent to view.

The magnificent carvings on the temple walls and pillars.