#me w diced herbs recently

[wjbsart]

A complete, very long list of all GBoard-combinable emojis because I can't find one anywhere.

Ok so for those who haven't seen my stuff (or have only seen my Bionicle posts), I sometimes emoji mashup redraws, with the recent fourth one using GBoard-based fusions. Frustratingly, there's no actual list of fusion-compatible emojis, so I'll attempt to compile them, in a list below the "Read More" thing:

Green/▢ = compatible with fusion Blue/△ = only works with certain emojis Red/◯ = not compatible with fusion

Also, since other people's terms for specific emojis might not match up with mine, I recommend using CTRL+F and then doing this to find the specific emoji you're looking for. This list is in the order presented in GBoard's Emoji menu. Some of them will be generic unicode symbols, I don't know how to change that, sorry for the inconvenience. Also, I won't aknowledge multi-category Emoji.

Smileys and Emoticons

😀Open-mouthed smile▢

😃Wide-eyed smile▢

😄Closed-eyed smile▢

😁Closed-eyed grin▢

😆Laughing▢

😅Sweating smile▢

😂Cry-laughing▢

🤣Cry-ROFLing▢

😭Crying▢

😗Kissing▢

😙Kissing, closed eyes▢

😚Kissing, blushing▢

😘Kissing, winking w/ heart▢

🥰Surrounded by hearts▢

😍Heart-eyes▢

🤩Star-eyes▢

🥳Noisemaker and party-hat▢

🤗Hugging▢

🙃Upside-down▢

🙂Smile▢

☺Blushing, smiling▢

😊Blushing▢

😏Looking off to the side▢

😌Relieved▢

😉Winking▢

🤭Hand over mouth▢

😶Nightmare fuel Mouthless▢

😐Neutral▢

😑-_-▢

😔Pensive▢

😋Licking lips▢

😛Tongue out▢

😝Tongue out, eyes closed▢

😜Tongue out, winking▢

🤪Tongue out, wide-eyed▢

🤔Hmmm▢

🤨Suspicious▢

🧐Monocle▢

🙄Rolling eyes▢

😒Unamused▢

😤Snorting▢

😠Angry▢

😡Angry, red▢

🤬Swearing▢

☹Frown▢

🙁Frown but less▢

😕Confused▢

😟Distraught▢

🥺Pleading▢

😳AWOOGA Flushed▢

😬Yikes▢

🤐Zip▢

🤫Shushing▢

😰Distraught, sweating▢

😧Distraught, shocked▢

😦Distraught, neutral▢

😮Open mouth▢

😯Open mouth, surprised▢

😲Shocked▢

😱Horrified▢

🤯Your head asplode Mind blown▢

😢Crying, single tear▢

😥Crying, less sad▢

😓Sweating▢

😞Dissapointed▢

😖Pained▢

😣Persevering▢

😩Weary▢

😫Tired▢

🤤Drooling▢

😴Sleeping▢

😪Sleeping but different?▢

🌛Left-facing moon▢

🌜Right-facing moon▢

🌚New moon face◯

🌝Full moon face◯

🌞The sun▢

🤢Queasy▢

🤮Vomiting▢

🤧Sneezing▢

🤒Unwell▢

🤕Bandaged▢

🥴Drunk▢

😵Dizzy▢

🥵Hot▢

🥶Cold▢

😷Masked up▢

😇Angel▢

🤠yee haw▢

🤑Money-tongue▢

😎Cool▢

🤓Nerd▢

🤥Lying▢

🤡Clown▢

👻Ghost▢

💩Poop▢

👽Ayy lmao Alien▢

🤖Robot▢

🎃Jack-o-Lantern▢

😈Demon 1▢

👿Demon 2▢

👹Oni◯

👺Tengu◯

☠Skull and crossbones▢

🔥Fire▢

💫Star with trail▢

⭐Star▢

🌟Star with bits▢

✨Stars▢

⚡Lightning◯

💥Explosion◯

💯100△

💢Anime anger symbol◯

💨Steam▢

💦Sweat Droplets▢

💤Zzz▢

🕳Hole▢

🎉Party popper▢

🎊Confetti ball▢

😺😸😹😻😼😽🙀😿😾Literally all the "cat in different emotions" emojis▢

❤🧡💛💚💙💜🖤Literally all the coloured hearts△

♥Heart suit▢

💘Heart with arrow▢

💝Heart with ribbon▢

💖Shiny heart▢

💗Growing heart▢

💓Beating heart▢

💞Swirling hearts▢

💕Two hearts▢

💌Love letter▢

💟Heart in square▢

❣Heart exclamation mark▢

💔Broken heart▢

💋Kiss▢

👥Two silhouettes◯

👤Silhouette◯

🗣Talking silhouette◯

👣Footprints◯

🧠Brain◯

🦠Microbe▢

🦷Tooth◯

🦴Bone◯

💀Skull▢

👀Eyes◯

👁Eye▢

👄Lips◯

👅Tongue◯

👃👂🦶🦵💪👍👎👏🙌👐Every other body part and hand gesture, seriously this isn't even all of them◯

People

Seriously, I don't know why none of the people-category emojis are Fusion-compatible. Let's just move on.◯

Animals and Nature

💐Bunch of flowers▢

🌹Rose▢

🥀Wilted rose◯

🌷Tulip▢

🌺Hibiscus flower◯

🌸Cherry blossom▢

🏵Rosette◯

🌻Sunflower◯

🌼Daisy▢

💮White flower◯

🍂Falling leaves◯

🍁Maple leaf◯

🌾Rice plants◯

🌱Seedling◯

🌿Herb◯

🍃Falling leaves again◯

☘3-leaf clover◯

🍀4-leaf clover◯

🌵Cactus▢

🌴Palm tree◯

🌳Deciduous tree◯

🌲Coniferous tree▢

🏞National park◯

⛰Mountain◯

🌊Wave◯

🌬Wind◯

🌀Tornado symbol◯

🌁Foggy scene◯

🌫Fog▢

🌪Tornado▢

☃Snowman (with snow)▢

⛄Snowman (without snow)▢

❄Snowflake

🏔Mountain with snow◯

🌡Thermometer◯

🌋Volcano◯

🏜Desert◯

🏝Desert island◯

🏖Beach◯

🌅Sunrise/set (water)◯

🌄Sunrise/set (mountains)◯

☀Sun▢

🌤Sun with cloud◯

⛅Sun and cloud◯

🌥Cloud with sun◯

🌦Sun and cloud with rain◯

☁Cloud▢

🌨Snowcloud◯

⛈Stormcloud◯

🌩Thundercloud◯

🌧Raincloud◯

💧Drop◯

☔Umbrella with rain◯

🌈Rainbow▢

✨Sparkles▢

🌙Crescent Moon◯

☄Comet◯

🌠Shooting star▢

🌌Milky Way◯

🌉Bridge◯

🌆City in the evening▢

🌃City at night▢

🌍🌏🌎Earth▢

🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘The moon◯

🙈🙉🙊🐵Monkeys, wise or not▢

🦁Lion face▢

🐯Tiger face◯

🐱Cat face▢

🐶Dog face◯

🐺Wolf face◯

🐻Bear face▢

🐨Koala face▢

🐼Panda face▢

🐹Hamster face◯

🐭Mouse face◯

🐰Rabbit face▢

🦊Fox face◯

🦝Raccoon face◯

🐮Cow face◯

🐷Pig face▢

🐽Pig nose▢

🐗Boar head◯

🦓Zebra head◯

🦄Unicorn head▢

🐴Horse head◯

🐸Frog face◯

🐲Dragon head◯

🦎Lizard◯

🐉Dragon◯

🦖T-Rex◯

🦕Diplodocus◯

🐢Turtle▢

🐊Crocodile◯

🐍Snake◯

🐁Mouse▢

🐀Rat◯

🐇Rabbit▢

🐈Cat▢

🐩Poodle◯

🐕Dog◯

🐅Tiger◯

🐆Leopard◯

🐎Horse◯

🐖Pig▢

🐄Cow◯

🐂Bull◯

🐃Water buffalo◯

🐏Ram◯

🐑Sheep◯

🐐Goat▢

🦌Deer▢

🦙Llama▢

🦘Kangaroo◯

🐘Elephant◯

🦏Rhinoceros◯

🦛Hippopotamus◯

🦒Giraffe◯

🐒Monkey▢

🦍Gorilla◯

🐪🐫Camels◯

🐿Squirrel (why does the squirrel of all things have a Unicode symbol?)◯

🦡Badger◯

🦔Hedgehog▢

🦇Bat▢

🐓Cockerel/rooster◯

🐔Chicken◯

🐣🐥🐤Chicks◯

🐦Bird▢

🦉Owl▢

🦅Eagle◯

🦜Parrot◯

🕊Dove◯

🦢Swan◯

🦚Peacock◯

🦃Turkey◯

🦆Duck◯

🐧Penguin◯

🦈Shark◯

🐬Dolphin◯

🐋🐳Whales◯

🐟Fish▢

🐠Tropical fish◯

🐡Pufferfish◯

🦐Prawn◯

🦞Lobster◯

🦀Crab◯

🦑Squid◯

🐙Octopus▢

🦂Scorpion▢

🕷Spider▢

🕸Spiderweb◯

🐚Shell◯

🐌Snail▢

🐜Ant◯

🦗Grasshopper◯

🦟Mosquito◯

🐝Bee▢

🐞Ladybird◯

🦋Butterfly◯

🐛"Bug" yeah sure ok◯

🐾Pawprints◯

Food and Drink

🍓Strawberry▢

🍒Cherry◯

🍎Red apple◯

🍉Watermelon◯

🍑Peach◯

🍊Orange◯

🥭Mango◯

🍍Pineapple▢

🍌Banana◯

🍋Lemon▢

🍈Melon◯

🍏Green apple◯

🍐Pear◯

🥝Kiwi◯

🍇Grapes◯

🥥Coconut◯

🍅Tomato◯

🌶Chili▢

🍄Mushroom◯

🥕Carrot◯

🍠Sweet potato◯

🌽Corn◯

🥦Broccoli◯

🥒Cucumber◯

🥬Lettuce◯

🥑Avocado▢

🍆Aubergine◯

🥔Potato◯

🌰Nut◯

🥜Peanuts◯

🍞Bread▢

🥐Croissant◯

🥖Baguette▢

🥯Bagel◯

🥞Pancakes◯

🍳Frying pan◯

🥚Egg (somehow)◯

🧀Cheese▢

🥓Bacon◯

🥩Meat◯

🍗Chicken leg◯

🍖Anime meat◯

🍔Burger◯

🌭Hotdog▢

🥪Sandwich◯

🥨Pretzel◯

🍟Chips◯

🍕Pizza◯

🌮Taco◯

🌯Wrap◯

🥙Stuffed flatbread◯

🥘Paella◯

🍝Spaghetti◯

🥫Can◯

🥣Bowl◯

🥗Salad◯

🍲Pot of food◯

🍛Curry◯

🍜Noodles◯

🍣Sushi◯

🍤Fried prawn◯

🥡Takeaway container◯

🍚Cooked rice◯

🍱Bento◯

🥟Dumpling◯

🍢Oden◯

🍙Jelly Donut Rice ball◯

🍘Rice cracker◯

🍥Fishcake◯

🍡Dango◯

🥠Fortune cookie◯

🥮Moon cake◯

🍧Shave ice◯

🍨Ice cream◯

🍦See above◯

🥧Pie◯

🍰Cake slice◯

🍮Custard mate what kinda custard have you been eating, this is clearly a créme caramel◯

🎂Birthday cake▢

🧁Cupcake▢

🍭Lollipop◯

🍬Boiled sweet◯

🍫Chocolate◯

🍩Donut◯

🍪Cookie◯

🍯Honey◯

🧂Salt◯

🍿Popcorn◯

🥤Soft drink◯

🥛Milk◯

🍼Baby bottle◯

🍵Green tea◯

☕Coffee▢

🍺Beer◯

🍻Beers, plural◯

🥂Champagne glasses◯

🍾Champagne◯

🍷Red red wine◯

🥃Whiskey◯

🍸Martini◯

🍹Cocktail◯

����Sake◯

🥢Chopsticks◯

🍴Knife and fork▢

🥄Spoon◯

🔪Kitchen knife◯

🍽Plate▢

Travel and Places

🛑🎡Everything from the stop sign to Ferris wheel◯

🎠Merry-go-round horse▢

🎪🏕Everything from circus tent to campsite◯

🌇City at sunset yes I'm surprised as you are▢

🛤Train tracks◯

🛣Road◯

🗺Map◯

🗾Japan is an island by the sea filled with volcanoes and it's beautifuul!◯

🌐Globe with meridian lines▢

💺Plane seat◯

🧳Luggage◯

Activities and Events

🎈Balloon▢

🎀Bow◯

🎁Present◯

🎇Sparkler◯

🎆Fireworks◯

🧨Dynamite Firecracker◯

🧧Red envelope◯

🎐Wind chime◯

🎏Fish streamers◯

🎎Japanese dolls (that's what the emoji's called, don't @ me with the actual name for them)◯

🎑Moon viewing ceremony◯

🎍Pine decoration◯

🎋Tanabata◯

🎄Christmas tree▢

🎗Ribbon△

🥇🥈🥉🏅🎖Medals◯

🏆Trophy◯

📣Megaphone◯

🥅Goal◯

⚽⚾🥎🏀🏐🏈🏉🎾🏸🥍🏏🏑🏒SPORTS◯

🥌Curling stone◯

🛷Rosebud Sled◯

🎿Ski◯

⛸Skate◯

⛳Golf-hole◯

🎯Target◯

🏹Bow◯

🥏Frisbee◯

🎣Fishing rod▢

🎽Running shirt◯

🥋Martial arts uniform◯

🥊Boxing glove◯

🎱8-ball◯

🏓Ping-pong◯

🎳Bowling◯

♟Chess◯

🧩Puzzle piece◯

🎮Controller◯

🕹Joystick◯

👾Videogame alien◯

🔫Gun◯

🎲Dice◯

🎰Slot machine◯

🎴Flower playing card◯

🀄Mahjong tile◯

🃏Joker◯

🎩Top hat◯

📷📸Camera◯

🖼Painting◯

🖌Paintbrush◯

🖍Crayon◯

🧵String◯

🧶Wool◯

🎼🎵🎶Music▢

🎷🎺🎸🎻🥁Instruments◯

🎤Mic◯

🎧Headphones▢

🎚🎛🎙📻Assorted audio stuff◯

📺TV◯

📼VHS◯

📹Camcorder◯

📽Projector◯

🎥Film camera◯

🎞Film◯

🎬Clapperboard◯

🎭Comedy and tragedy masks◯

🎫🎟Tickets◯

Objects

📱🧻Everything from smartphone to toilet roll◯

🧸Teddy bear▢

🧷🧢Everything from safety pin to baseball cap◯

👑Crown▢

🎒💍Everything from backpack to ring◯

💎Diamond▢

💄👓Everything from lipstick to glasses◯

🕶Sunglasses▢

🥽📁Everything from goggles to folder◯

🕶Newspaper▢

🗞🔎Everything from rolled-up newspaper to right-pointing magnifying glass◯

🔮Crystal ball▢

🧿🔓Everything from Nazar amulet to open lock◯

Symbols

There are no compatible non-repeated Emoji here.◯

Flags

Aaaaand none here either.◯

Feel free to let me know if I got anything wrong.

#emoji #emoji mashup #cursed emoji

[skinniberiies]

280 calorie Potato and onion soup!

Hello!

Recently I’ve been all about liquid fasts and I been combining diffrent ideas until I got this really tasty soup recipe that I really like! In total the soup has about 1110 calories.

It’s pretty healthy and it’s super good even when reheated, even from frozen. It takes about a hour to cook. I blend mine until smooth so it is liquid (it is super creamy when you blend it all up!), but you can leave it how it is with potato and onion pieces, I just recommend cutting your potatoes larger (about 1/2 inch cubes) if you do.

<>ingredients<>

* 2 tbsp fat/oil of your choice. (Butter is 82 calories for 2 Tbsp, Olive oil is 96)

* 1 large (or 2 small) white onion, thinly sliced into ¼" slices (66 calories for 1 large, 88 calories for two medium)

* 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed (8 calories)

* 5 medium russet potatoes, peeled (720 calories, 144 calories per medium potatoes w/ no skin)

* 4 cups beef broth, or vegetable broth for vegan or vegetarian (13 calories per cup when using a beef bouillon cube)

* 1 tsp sea salt or to taste

* 1 tsp pepper

* 1 sprig fresh rosemary (1/2 teaspoons worth if dried)

* 1 bay leaf (1/2 teaspoons worth if dried)

* Chopped chives for garnish (if desired)

(Most spices have very VERY small amounts of calories so I don’t count them)

<>instructions<>

1. Begin by Caramelizing the onion. Cut off the ends of the onion and then cut it in half. Slice into strips 1/4 of a inch wide. Heat up the pan with your chosen fat. You need to use oil or butter to caramelize the onions or they will stick and burn. It also improves the taste, so do not skip it I promise it is worth it!

2. Add the onions to the heated and greased pan. Cook on medium low for 30-40 minutes, making sure to stir the onions often, about every 5 minutes, to make sure they caramelize evenly, if they stick you can add some water or some of your broth. It will take a while but you want them to be a golden to medium brown, they taste the best like this.

3. While you caramelize the onions, peel and dice your potatoes. Set aside when done. Mince/crush your garlic, and measure out/prepare your herbs.

4. Once your onions are as done as you like, add the garlic and sauté untill fragrant (1-2 minutes, to long and you may burn the garlic)

5. Add your broth (If you prefer a thinner soup use more broth, or stretch it by thinning it with water), add your potatoes, and all of your spices. Bring to a simmer.

6. Cook for 15-20 min, or until the potatoes are done.

7. Let cool slightly. Remove the rosemary sprig and bay leaf when done if you used fresh herbs.

You can leave your soup as is, but If you want a smooth soup, blend it until smooth in a blender and enjoy!

You can get 4-6 servings from this recipe. If you split it into 4 (fairly large) servings it is 278 calories. If you choose 6, only 185. I calculated this from what I made, using butter as my fat, 4 cups of beef broth(bouillon) and one large onion. I don’t count any seasonings or herbs except garlic, because most of them are <5 calories.

Blended:

Not blended:

I definitely recommend trying this at least once! I like to prep it so I can bring it to work with me, because it is nice and filling, especially when blended smooth! Or try making it for your family’s dinner, my family likes to eat it with grilled cheese and bacon bits on top lol

#thiiiinspo #thiinspp #proana #pro ana #not pro just using tags #anna miaa #i want to be skiny #low cal ana #tw: ed

[basilvercrow]

more about basilvercrow!

a cute witchy get-to-know-me! tagged by @moreofwaterthanblood (honestly i’m so flattered to get tagged in these things like wow?? someone actually thinks of me???? ily)

1. Are you a religious witch? Which region?  i don’t worship or work with any deities, but the path of druidry has been calling my name for a few years now and i’m eager to study it.

2. What is your preferred herb?  i don’t own a wide selection, but my favorite is of course basil :^)

3. What is your preferred gem?   i only own 3 crystals, but i have a very deep attraction to jasper, lapis lazuli, and aventurine

4. Do you do divination? Which kind? i’m working on practicing cartomancy and dice divination (i forget what it’s called lol), and i hope to eventually work with runes and either tarot or oracle cards.  5. Favorite Tarot card? i can’t say i have one since i’m not familiar with tarot, but maybe one of the sword cards bc i love swords lol

6. To Curse or not to Curse?  i never have, but that’s not to say i never would. but i support any magick so long as you are responsible and respectful of it.

7. Do you have a familiar? i love the idea of one, but i doubt i’ll ever have one, at least not any time soon. :^( 8. Favorite candle color? hmm... probably green!

9. Favorite rune? i don’t know them well enough to say! 10. Do you celebrate the solstices, full moons, etc?  i do! or at least try to. i don’t always have the energy for a full ritual or celebration, but i at least try to do something to acknowledge them.

11. Do you wear a pentacle?  i would love like earrings or a choker, but i don’t currently have one.

12. Do you have a broom? not a witchy one, i’ve got a regular mundane one tho lol 13. Do you have a pendulum?  i do not. they’re very pretty! but working with pendulums just doesn’t appeal to me personally. 14. Do you have an athame? i have a dragon dagger, but it’s blunted and dull so it’s more of a collector’s thing. i’d love a separate ritual blade though (i love blades???) 15. How often do you meditate? (((i’ve never meditated i’m the worst witch;;;;))) 16. Do you do yoga? i used to! i’d be happy to get back into it, but like.....energy lol 17. Whats your favorite herbal tea? i’ve only ever had chamomile but i love it! 18. Do you support manipulation magic? if that means magick intended to affect free will, then i’d say i don’t approve of it, but i won’t stop you from doing it. 19. How many altars do you have? i’ve nowhere to put one, or even really anything to put on one :^( i have like a little witch kit that i carry around though. 20. Do you do magic outside often? honey i can barely do magick inside lol. but i feel most magickal when i’m surrounded by nature so i’d like to attempt it someday! 21. Can you read palms, or tea leaves? nope 22. Would you ever open your own metaphysics shop? hmm... i mean i hate retail, but maybe i’d do like a members only online shop or something? 23. Is your third eye open?  i don’t even know where my third eye is lmao

24. Do you like Astrology? Whats your sign? i love reading into it, but i’m hesitant to like... firmly believe in it? like, i don’t take horoscopes to heart but i always make note of like correspondences and stuff. i’m a leo sun, leo moon, and libra rising. :^) 25. Favorite flower? Or Tree?  flower is probably pansy or forget-me-not... or just wildflowers in general. and i’m especially fond of pines/evergreens. 26. Do you have an animal guide? nope 27. Whats your favorite kind of magic? all of it idk??? bottles/jars/sachets are especially good for me though 28. What time do you feel most like a witch? whenever nature is all around me and i’m far from any evidence of human intrusion 29. Are you out of the broom closet? i don’t tell people i’m a witch but if they asked i probably wouldn’t lie 30. Are you a hereditary witch? Or self discovered? entirely self-discovered 31. Are you in a coven? Or solitary?  supremely solitary 32. Do you want to be in a coven? How big? i don’t think i’d do well in a coven. my practice is very personal and individualized. but it’d be cool to maybe have a witchy friend or two to just hang out with and do little witch things with, like making charms or sigils for each other. 33. When did you become a witch? january 2017! i’m just a wee bab 34. Do you make your own spells?  i plan to! 35. Do you make your own sigils? yep! i love sigils so much 36. Why did you choose this path?  it’s something that has always called to me throughout my life, but it was only just recently i realized it was something i could truly pursue, and i am so thankful for that revelation. 37. Whats your favorite element?  air~ 38. Do you do any misc. magic? i’m not sure what’s classified as misc. magick :^O 39. Magic or things you will never do? i will never fuck w spirits keep that shit away from me. like i totally respect and support those who do it’s just my every instinct tells me to stay away. i won’t even be in the same room as a ouija board like i am outta here goodbye

40. Strangest way a spell backfired? hasn’t happened yet, though i’m positive it’s only a matter of time

i never tag other people in these, but please feel free to do it and tag me so i can learn more about you lovely witches! :^)

#about me #murmurs #tagged

[jenkinatortravels-blog]

  Tirana, Albania’s capital city – all I knew about Albania was that it had produced the people responsible for kidnapping Liam Neeson’s daughter…

I was afraid, very afraid��� my dad is not Liam Neeson and he does not have a very particular set of skills – if I was TAKEN and made part of a prostitution ring in this ex-communist nation, that was me done.

However, I was not taken and I had an unexpectedly amazing experience in the eclectic city which boasts a rich history dating far back before it’s brutal, communist regime era.

  In order to get to the city, I had to catch a small van ride from the coastal paradise of Budva, situated on the southern coast of Montenegro near the Albanian boarder. The drive began with the venal, cigar-smoking driver stopping at many small road-side stalls, collecting a fair number of cigarette cartons which he then smuggled over the border from Montenegro and in to Albania. Obviously his day job, driving tourists back and forth across the boarder, was not quite fiscally rewarding enough to stop him from risking arrest by the Albanian boarder police.

Once in Tirana – a city under constant construction as a result of the corrupt nature of the government there – I made a bee-line for my hostel so that I could deposit my belongings in a ‘semi’ safe location. As I wandered across the cracked sidewalk and past rather decrepit buildings, I was beginning to wonder if I had made a wrong turn somewhere… when suddenly a man stood up an ushered me over to the group of elderly men squatting around a game of street dice – I must have looked very lost at this point. Rather apprehensively, I stepped towards the small crowd and the man pointed to a small green gate at the end of a rubble covered carpark that was also home to a ‘pill-box’ bunker… “hostel is over there!” he shouted, before he returned to his gambling.

“This is it” I thought, I looked at the door and knew that after months of travel, I had finally stepped into the scene of  the infamous film ‘Hostel‘ and was going to be drugged (against my will in this case…), have my organs stripped from my carcass and left to die in some dirty, icy bathwater.

However, I was pleasantly mistaken to find that behind this unassuming green gate, there was a garden oasis with individuals and groups of people sat reading, chatting and smoking some strange scented herbs all around the small, jungle-like Eden I had stumbled into. Sadly, this relief was short lived, as I was immediately set upon by the resident ‘traveler‘  who’s picture below will do everything that my description can’t…

Anyway, after hearing of this lad’s tales of self-discovery, I went walkabout around this strange city and joined a walking tour which consisted of the tour-guide, me and a young Chinese chap who had to leave early to collect his dear mother. As I would always say to anyone thinking of going on a tour of any European city, the free walking tours are an absolute must; they are simply the best way to get a quick overview of the cities history, the best spots to go out for a drink and something to eat and they also help you get your bearings.

Having my own personal tour-guide was great! I took it as a chance to ask the many questions I had about the hundreds of small ‘pill-box’ bunkers I had seen around the city and was shown to an area of the local history museum usually off limits to tourists which housed the broken and battered remnants of the statues of the once proud Communist Icons which littered the capital.

I also learnt the story behind the mystery of the many small bunkers I had passed on my walks around the city; it turns out that the entire country had been covered in over 750,000 small bunkers during a ‘bunkarisation‘ scheme that the communist government claimed would be able to defend the isolationist regime against any threat – a claim that was, thankfully, never put to the test. These small bunkers were so many in number that there was one per four people in Albania and were intended to be used by every man woman and child to defend themselves and their ‘glorious’ leader.

Made by Jeroenvrp http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Jeroenvrp Made in the summer of 2001 by a analog camera and scanned in Feb. 2008

Tirana also hold many other interesting secrets, including: the solitary minaret of the only Mosque left as a museum by the communist regime; a street named after the US president George W Bush; a ‘modernist’, communist, concrete pyramid falling into decay; stray dogs in massive numbers (most of whom were steralised by the local government in recent times); massive clubs and bars; and best of all…

An absolutely immense underground bunker! This bunker (or bunk’art, as it is known by the locals) was built by the Albanian Communist Dictator, Enver Hoxha. It was one of his private anti-nuclear shelters – reserved for the Albania’s political elite. This bunker remained hidden in plain site – right beneath the city of Tirana itself – for over 40 years. When I say that this bunker is immense, I mean it is absolutely MASSIVE! It has over 100 rooms, including: a dining hall, classrooms, exercise rooms and, of course, a cinema!

This underground labyrinth  had to be the highlight of my time in Tirana; it is most certainly at the top of my recommendations for anyone traveling to the city to go and visit. Even if you aren’t someone interested in Cold War history, I truly think it is an awe inspiring creation and shows the reality of the scale of the corruption of the despot dictators of the European Communist regimes.

Anyway, after having nearly locked myself in a toilet some distance underground and thinking that I was going to be trapped in this bunker overnight, I returned to my hostel just in time – almost as soon as I had walked through the door, an almighty downpour of rain began to fall. Shortly thereafter, the thunderstorm was in full swing and our power went out. As a result, there was no wifi, barely any light and nothing else for it, but to sit on the covered balcony and start chugging back the delicious home-brewed beer on offer at the hostel bar.

It was while I sat chatting to a rather large African-American ‘jock’, a very hungover kiwi girl and two Germans, that I came across a small guitar and a beanie… being a ‘few’ pints into the candle-lit drinking session, I thought I might take on the persona of the traveler lad who had greeted me at the door the day prior…

I think I pulled of the look rather well, don’t you…?

  Tirana, was an unexpectedly interesting and, most certainly, enjoyable city to visit. There were plenty of things I simply didn’t have time to explore there, such as the numerous night-clubs and bars apparently heaving with beautiful Albanian women (guarded by their very protective brothers, fathers, uncles, male friends, male cousins, second-cousins… the list goes on).

This city is a must do – the beers are cheap, the history is rich beyond compare and the locals who experienced life under the regime are still very much alive and will happily answer any questions you might have.

Aside from the infamous ‘traveler’ ‘friend’ I met at my hostel, it really is one of the Balkans‘ best doss-downs – so, if you’re heading over that way ‘Trip’n’Hostel’ is the way to go.

Tirana – Bunkers, Beers and Powercuts Tirana, Albania's capital city - all I knew about Albania was that it had produced the people responsible for kidnapping Liam Neeson's daughter...

#Albania #balkans #balkantravel #Bunkart #coldwar #expandyourmind #explore #instagram #instatravelling #livelife #nuclearbunker #Travelthebulkans #bbctravel #instatravel #instatraveling #lifestyleblog #lifewelltravelled #mytravelgram #solotravel #Tirana #Travel #travelblog #travelbug #traveldeeper #traveldiaries #Travelgram #travellers #travelogue #traveltips #welltravelled

[i-heart-foods]

Evening on the Creek

 I go to a lot of events - I mean a lot! If you follow me on on Instagram (click on my feed to the left) you'll know I'm out and about all the time. Most of the events I go to revolve around beer, reason being is that there are basically more beer events than there are food events. Food events involve a ton of planning, prep work, staging, cooking, etc... I definitely try to attend any food event I'm invited to, they're great for checking out a chef's innovation and creativity. Needless to say, the food is a treat to eat of course!

I was recently contacted by Kate from Hoffman Beverage, a large distributor in our area, about helping promote a beer and food event that would be located at the Virginia Aquarium. They've invited me and Shelby to come hang out and do a couple of my favorite things:

Eat and Drink

Oh, that's Kate in the photo below!

Her idea, Evening On The Creek, was to do something that was different than the what has become the standard event model of setting up a table, have volunteers pour beer, rinse-dry-repeat till you're drunk. Kate and the team wanted to pair some unique beers from breweries they have in their catalog with some goods eats. The result looks pretty delicious too! Ticket holders will be treated to some great beer and food at tasting stations that allow people to take their time to appreciate their pairings and peruse the components of the collective meal. All of this will be at the wonderful Virginia Aquarium over looking the beautiful Owl Creek.

I can go on but I'm going to copy and paste the official event notice here for you to check out. There's a link below to purchase tickets too, "Early Bird" tickets are on sale until MARCH 24th, 2017 for $75. I hope to see you there!

Buy tickets here.

The Official Stuff:

Join 20 local, regional and national breweries in support of Virginia Aquarium’s Stranding Response Team as they host the “An Evening on the Creek” on March 25th at 6 pm. Each expertly crafted beer, chosen in part for their rarity or limited quantities will be masterfully paired with complementary artisanal eats created by Chef Jason Congleton. Enjoy these rare, limited quantity beers and amazing food all while overlooking the beautiful view of Owls Creek and stunning environment of the VA Aquarium.

Tasting Station 1: "Bourbon Barrel Aged" Goose Island Bourbon County '14, Oskar Blues Barrel Aged Ten Fidy '16, Bell's Black Note '16, Founders KBS '17.

(GF) European Cheese & Charcuterie Platter- Rabbit & White Wine Sausage, Wild Boar with Cranberries & Shiraz Sausage, Garlic & Herb Gouda, Dilled Havarti, Aged Provolone, Creamy Gorgonzola, 3 year aged White Cheddar, Spicy Garlic Pickled Veggies (V) *Without the Sausages*

Tasting Station 2: "Sours" Avery Raspberry Sour, New Belgium La Folie, Brouwerji Omer Vander Ghinste Cuvee Jacobins Rouge, Commonwealth Sophrosyne Sour Saison.

Bavarian Style Smoked & Beer Braised Wild Antelope Bratwurst with House made “Southkraut”, Quick Pickles, & Creole Grain Mustard Crème in Split Top Lobster Roll (Stadium Dog on steroids)

Tasting Station 3: "Hopped Up" O'Connor Heavy Footer, Starr Hill King of Hop, Alewerks Bitterest Valentine, Heavy Seas Alpha Effect.

Schweineschnitzel Street Taco – Savory Pan Sauteed Breaded Chicken Tenderloin Cutlet with hints of Lemon & Citrus, Red Cabbage & Local Apple Slaw for a little sweetness, Spicy German Potato Drizzle

Tasting Station 4: "Tasting Room Only" Smartmouth IV Chocolate Porter, Devils Backbone Cocoa Bear (Russian Imperial Stout), Back Bay Owls Kreek (Farmhouse style mixed grain Grisette w montmorency cherries), Young Veterans Brewing Company Goat Locker.

German Spaetzle, sautéed with Wild Forest Mushroom Glace & topped with 48 hour Beer Marinated & House Rub Seasoned Flat Iron Steak (V) *Without the Steak* **each week new limited beers will be announced!**

Station 5: "Free Pour" Center of the Universe Pocahoptas, Bold Mariner Frogman Lager, Bold Rock Citrus CIder and Port City Optimal Wit will be on-site with your favorite local craft brews.

Poke Bowl – Duet of Garlicky Spiced Arctic Char & Eastern Shore Blue Crab With Citrus Essence Poke, Shaved Carrot, Pickled Shallot, Diced Mango & Pineapple, Red Ginger Wakame “Salad”, Toasted Sesame, Honey-Gochujang Mayonnaise, Rainbow Trout Roe, Sticky Rice  

#Evening on the Creek #craft beer #Virginia Aquarium #Virginia Beach #event #Hoffman Beverage