Prague Café Tour

Welcome welcome welcome!
This is my first blog post of 2016, and my first in a very long time.
My apologies for only posting two blogs before this. It's been a hectic six or seven months. I had a summer without wifi last year and I just haven't gotten round to sitting down and doing my blogs, but now I have a good reason to.

So here's the short update on what's been going on since my last post.
I went to the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna in May, and the only way to travel there from Dublin was to fly to Prague and take a train to Vienna. I also flew home from Prague, but not before spending a couple days there. I loved it so much that four weeks later - on the 1st of July 2015, I moved there after securing a teaching job and I've been here ever since! I'll do a full blog post on my move here in the very near future, I PROMISE! It is a really interesting and enjoyable story to read, and I'm looking forward to posting about it.

Anyway, since I moved to Prague, something I had been wanting to do was to go to a new cafe on a regular basis. There are lots of them in the city centre and surrounding districts and neighbourhoods. Three weeks ago I meet my friend Olya for a catch up in a place called Bake Shop which is just a stone's throw from the Old Town Square. I had been here a few times but it was Olya's first time here, and she absolutely loved it. The following Sunday I met her again in another café called Mistral Café, which was also a stone's throw from Old Town Square. While there, Olya mentioned to me that she had wanted to also check out a different cafe in Prague every Sunday, so we both decided, I beg your pardon - we PINKY PROMISED (serious stuff!) to make the cafe visits a regular thing.

So, last week we visited a café called Můjšálekkávy in an area of Prague called Křižíkova.
The first thing I noticed about this place is that it was VERY hipster. The layout, the design, the way the waiting staff dressed... everything. And that certainly is not a bad thing, because I really like that kind of look. It's very cool and chilled out. I personally don't dress very hipster, but I do think it's a cool look for people who can pull it off. Olya reserved a table for us and her friend Katerina. They arrived at 11am, and I joined them later, at around 12:45pm. One thing I have decided to do on each of these trips is to try something new.

I ordered a cappuccino (not really new for me, but I'm starting to get into coffee now, I never really drank it before), and a dessert which I have no idea what was called. I don't remember the name of it in Czech, and I don't think it was written in English. The only way I could describe this dessert is that it was of a moussey texture on the top two layers, and the bottom layer being some sort of soft chocolatey cakey biscuitty texture. The top layer was green tea flavour, and the middle layer was chocolate flavour. I have to say it was absolutely delicious. The green tea layer was a little sweet, which I wasn't expecting it to be, and the flavour blended in very well with the other two flavours.

After Katerina left, Olya and I sat chatting for a while about different things going on in our lives. Something we're planning on doing is going  on a road trip around Ireland during the last week of August and first week of September, which is something we're both very excited about. It was kind of a spur of the moment decision - I had asked Olya was there any country in Europe she wanted to visit. Once she said Ireland, I thought it'd be a great idea for both of us to go together, because not only could I recommend and show her around the best parts of my home country, I would also be able to see parts of it that I've never been to. Basically, I'm going to be a tourist in my own country.
Woohoo!

Anyway, after we had chatted for a bit, we spent some quiet time on our laptops catching up on stuff we needed to do. I don't plan on bringing my laptop every Sunday, sometimes I will bring a book instead as I really want to get into reading now. Would you believe I don't think I've ever finished an entire book?
I only ever did it when I was in school because I had to, but now that I'm older and (possibly) wiser, it's something that I would like to start doing.
I would highly recommend Můjšálekkávy café. It's a great place to chill out with friends and chat over some great beverages and amazing treats. It's also particularly good for people who want to bring their laptops or tablets with them and just sit quietly on your own. The place has a great atmosphere and was buzzing when we were there. Definitely check it out if you get the chance.

Just a few of the amazing desserts Můjšálekkávy had to offer

With my dear friend Olya

So anyway, after we left the café, we travelled on the metro. I Olya went home and I went back to the city centre. I roamed the streets for a bit and then I went to a restaurant called NaGrilu, which is located on Jindřišská, which is just off Wenceslas Square. The reason I went here is because I had a free meal voucher, which I got back in August and hadn't used yet, and I was hungry so I decided to put it to good use.

NaGrilu (which translates into English as "on the grill"), is the first ever restaurant opened and operated by Kofola, which is the Czech version of Coca Cola. They specialise in grilled meats, burgers. soups, sandwiches and desserts, along with Kofala's own range of drinks (a few different flavours including strawberry!), as well as juices from a brand called UGO. NaGrilu has a bit of a reputation as the "healthier fast food option". I can definitely vouch for them on this. 

The restaurant has a "modern-retro" feel about the place. It comes down to the design and layout.
The colours you see in the restaurant along with the uniforms worn by the waiting staff would remind you of an American diner, but the designs on the walls give it a bit of a more modern feel. There are some seats downstairs and a large seating area upstairs. Here there is also an area for you to add extra sauces to your meal, along with a sink for washing your hands.

When you order, you get to pick a main and a side, along with a drink which is served in a large beer glass. For the life of me I don't remember the name of the burger that I got. It was some kind of chicken burger (not an actual burger, it was more of a grilled chicken breast) in a very fresh ciabatta textured bap, and was covered in the usual salad you'd find on a burger. The side I ordered was beetroot potatoes, which was very different and something you'd never find in a normal fast food restaurant. Both the burger and the potatoes were absolutely delicious, and when I said I could vouch for NaGrilu being the healthier version of fast food, it's because I felt perfectly satisfied after I finished my food. In normal fast food restaurants, the majority of people feel horrible after eating food there. I ordered a Kofola to have with my meal. I normally hate cola, but Kofola's version of the stuff is quite different. I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly... Maybe it's just that it's nowhere near as sweet as other cola brands. 

NaGrilu is another place I'd definitely recommend visiting, especially if you're in the Wenceslas Square area and fancy a quick bite to eat (and don't want to hate yourself after finishing your food!). The staff there are very friendly and helpful - and they speak English, which is something that I thought would be a big problem in Prague but it turns out a lot of people here do speak it.

So that's it for my first blog of 2016.
I will be posting a lot more now as I really enjoy taking the time out to make these things!

Stay positive and keep smiling!

AJ :D

Insidious: Chapter 3 Review, lunch in Knox and an afternoon out in Sligo

10:05pm, Saturday the 6th of June.
So I am at last getting round to my first proper blog post - two months after I set this thing up! A lot has happened since then but each will have its own post. There will be a couple of more coming within the next few days, so keep an eye out.
So, after waiting for approximately a year for it to be released, I finally got to go see Insidious: Chapter 3 last night with some friends in the Gaiety Cinema in Sligo. Something you need to know about me is that I am a massive horror fanatic and I have very high standards. I'm not so much into old time horror, I prefer modern day stuff really but the only problem with that is that a LOT of them have been disappointing... but Insidious wasn't. The original Insidious, which was released in 2010, is my all time favourite movie. I am fascinated with astral travelling so when I heard a horror movie based on it was coming out, I was overly excited.
I used to be more into gory movies but now I prefer psychological horrors as I am not one to scare easily, and these kind of movies, as long as they're good quality, freak me out. (Paranormal Activity had a significant effect on me, but we'll get to that another time!)
So when it comes to horror movies, or any movie for that matter, the sequels normally aren't as good as the original, especially when some of the main characters aren't in them, so I was praying that Insidious: Chapter 3 would live up to being "The scariest chapter yet" as stated in its trailer. For me, it definitely wasn't as scary as the first installment, but I would definitely not say it was a disappointment. In fact, I loved it.
As I said, I'm not easily scared, so the jumpy bits, which made a lot of people scream in the cinema theatre, didn't scare me at all. I'm such an expert on horror movies at this stage that I am like 99% able to predict when they're going to happen. It is the creepy, non-jumpy moments that I find most freaky. Not to give much away, but there was a scene last night where a girl came crawling out of a room with no hands, no feet and no eyes. That creeped the life out of me. There was another bit where a demon was creeping around Quinn's (the main character) room in the dark while she was on the floor and unable to move. Not knowing what was going to happen next was what had me on the edge of my seat and, again, this I found freaky. So it's more the scenes that have longer scare moments rather than jumpy moments that I find most scary. In saying that though, I'm not always able to predict jumpy bits. In the first movie, the bit where the boy/ghost jumped out of the closet and the scene where you all of a sudden see the demon standing over the cot... well I nearly had heart failure when watching those scenes for the first time!
There is a good storyline to chapter 3, and something that I really loved about it was that it answered some questions that were left open in the first and second chapters - and in fact, the second chapter answered a lot of questions that were left open in the first one!
So, if you're looking for a good modern horror and fancy seeing one in the cinema, then I'd definitely recommend going to see Insidious: Chapter 3. If you haven't seen the first two yet, it doesn't matter 100% really, you'll still enjoy it and will find it scary and it won't make you feel very confused, but it might be a good idea to check them out first, as there are one or two things that you might be left scratching your head over.
I must say as well, I find it fascinating how guys find horror movies, psychological horrors in particular, very scary, and it's quite funny as well! Last night there were a few guys and a girl sitting behind me, and the guy sitting directly behind me was extremely scared that I couldn't stop laughing, because during several quiet moments where you don't know what's going to happen during the movie, I heard him say something like "Seriously lads, I don't know if I can do this. I'm actually so scared. I can't... I just can't." And then there was this epic moment: "Lads I can't do this. I wanna go home". Well I was trying my best to not laugh out loud. Shortly after he said that, a very creepy jumpy moment happened, and he got so scared that he jumped out of his chair and kicked the back of my seat at the same time! Hilarious!

So, moving on to what I did earlier that day. It was rest day for me (which, in all honesty, when you're training as much as I am, takes more discipline than actually training, because all I could think about all day was the gym!) so I met up with my friend Lucy and we decided to go to a new café/restaurant in Sligo town called Knox, which is located on O'Connell Street. The place opened just about a week ago and it was our first time eating in there. When we went in, we noticed that it was extremely busy - which is definitely a positive, as it's always great to see a new place attract so many customers. We thought we'd have to wait a while to get a table but luckily enough someone was leaving just after we walked in so we were quick enough to nab the one they were sitting at. Looking through the menu I was quite fascinated. The first thing I thought was "Brilliant! We finally have a place that doesn't do the same ol' stuff most restaurants do". Now, before I go on, something you need to know about me is that I am a massive fan of burgers. In fact, burgers are my favourite food, and everyone that knows me knows this. So you can imagine my delight when I saw a chicken burger on the menu - with a twist! It wasn't your average chicken burger, it came on a brioche bun with guacamole and homemade ketchup spread over it. I have recently become a huge fan of avocado, so the guacamole got me pretty excited. I thought "Oooh my favourite food but slightly different!". If that wasn't exciting enough, it came with a side of sweet potato fries with some coleslaw served on a bed of iceberg lettuce. I only discovered sweet potato around a year ago so this got me even more excited. Lucy decided to go for it as well. After we placed our order our food was out to us pretty hastily. Well you can imagine my face when I set eyes on it. Just look at this photo.

The whole lot was absolutely scrumptious. The portion was pretty big but big enough to fill you up perfectly and not stuff you. Also, this was a much healthier option than a normal burger and fries that you'd get at another restaurant which, as much as I enjoy it because it is my favourite food, normally leaves you feeling bloated and sluggish. This didn't. I felt perfectly satisfied after it. In fact I would have happily ordered another one it was that good!
Something else I need to point out about Knox is that the service is outstanding. The staff were very welcoming, very friendly and smiled a lot. If anyone is in Sligo and looking for a high quality place to eat, I fully recommend Knox. It's located on O'Connell Street across from Penneys.

After we finished up in Knox, Lucy had to pop over to Lidl, so we went on our way but made a quick stop off in Heaton's to do some window shopping. We were very lucky to avoid the rain as the weather here at the moment is horrendous. It's the middle of the summer season in Ireland and it's windy, cold and raining. It's pretty depressing! Every single time that I've been outside over the last week and a half it has rained without fail and it I am at my wits end with it.
Before I go on, here's a random selfie I took while in Heaton's. The lighting was good so I thought why not?

Anyway, while we were on our way to Lidl, Lucy mentioned that they have a great bakery in the place and do amazing cookies. Now, something else you need to know about me is that I am obsessed with cookies - Oreos in particular. When Lucy mentioned that she had to go to Lidl, the first thing I thought was "Yessss!!! Cookies!". We were wondering if there would be any left, as it was after 4pm and they might have all sold out. So we walked into the place and as we veered closer and closer to the bakery section we started singing "Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun" to raise the suspense, and to our delight, the entire cookie baskets were fully stocked. To make things even better, I found two stuck together, and when I went to pay, I was only charged for one. Win!
So that's that, my first proper blog post, and I have to say I really enjoyed typing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much! As I said earlier, there will be more blogs coming over the next week as I have a LOT more I want to talk about, such as my goals regarding fitness and bodybuilding, my recent trip to Vienna for the Eurovision, and one I think you'll really enjoy: first world problems.
If you're on Instagram and would like to follow me, hit me up - AJbr0fitness.
I also have a YouTube channel - I recorded a vlog this week but it just won't seem to upload so I'll record a new one in a few days on my camera and upload it straight away. My channel is called AJshredz.
Also, check out Lucy's great blog. Her posts are amazing - very interesting and very funny!

Thanks so much for reading and I'll speak to you guys again soon!
AJ :D

My First Blog Post - an introduction to me

Hello there! Thank you for choosing to follow...
*ahem*
*clears throat*
...the AMAZING adventures of AJ!
Catchy name, huh? I thought of it moments after I decided I would start one of these. I tend to think alliteration really sticks in your minds as it just rolls of your tongue.

A bit about me: my name is AJ (and just to nip this in the bud now, AJ stands for Anthony Junior), I'm 28 and I was born and reared in the lovely town of Sligo, situated in the beautiful northwest of Ireland.
I work as an English language teacher, something I really enjoy doing.
Touching on hobbies and interests, there is no doubt that my biggest interest is fitness and bodybuilding, which I will be blogging about that a lot. I'm also big into music, I'm big fan of pop and dance but I tend to like all genres apart from heavy metal. My favourite singers and bands are Lady Gaga, Rebecca Ferguson, Coldplay and Snow Patrol. I do like a lot more but out of everyone, those four are the only ones whose full albums I buy. I'm also a massive horror movie fanatic, as well as liking the same generic things that everyone else does - cinema, TV etc., but I also consider myself a bit"out there" in that I tend to favour more things that wouldn't tickle everyone's fancy, but, again, I'll touch on that in a future blog post.
My favourite colour is blue.

I don't really have a particular set of things that I'm going to blog on, I have an opinion on practically everything, and seeing as I'm quite direct and tend to rant a lot, I'm sure some of my blog posts will come across as amusing, so I hope you enjoy them!

So as far as introductions go there's not much else left to say... just that I'm happy to be blogging and I hope you enjoy my posts! I will do my best to keep them as entertaining as possible, and if there is anything you would like me to blog about I promise I'll do my best!

Happy reading!

AJ :D