Hanging Out by the Sea

Yeah! I am in the office right now sitting in this same old desk and staring blankly in the laptop in front of me. Physically here, that is! As far as I know my mind is somewhere else, back in Portsmouth where we spent the long weekend by the sea (having May 7 as May Day bank Holiday) and the loads of shopping items we were able to avail at great, great prices at Gunwharf Quays!!!

We headed off to Portsmouth at the southern coast of England early last Sunday. It was truly a marvellous weekend as it was a mix of travelling, sightseeing and SHOPPING! What more can be so fun? Despite the wrong-timing onset of clouds, showers and wind, our energy level soared and hubby and I tremendously enjoyed our two-day holiday which we have planned two weeks ago.

The moment I spotted the Spinnaker Tower on our approach to the harbour, I got overly excited and started giggling uncontrollably. The thrill of having to shop at Gunwharf Quays’ designer outlet shops totally got over me and maybe due to adrenalin rush or whatever, I became energetic despite waking up quite early and missing breakfast that morning. Gunwharf Quays, home to a large shopping center, is located in a historic setting with the Historic Dockyard and Old Portsmouth just a few walks away. It is basically an interesting contrast and integration of old and new architecture. It is where one can experience shopping in the pedestrian avenues, relaxing in the wide open spaces, see spectacular views across Portsmouth Harbour, and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere. It has over 85 designer outlets, 20 cosmopolitan bars and restos, health and fitness centers, 14-screen VUE cinemas, bowling, pubs, discos, comedy bars and hotel.

After grabbing something to eat and a location map, we started off our shopping galore. Initially, hubby and I can’t seem to agree on what shops to check out first as both of us have particular ones in mind. We even considered splitting and meeting up after we have done our own shopping but I immediately decided against it since I really can’t buy well and wisely without Zach. You see, shopping for me is never complete and enjoyable without my dear hubby. Then realizing that we will be staying until the next day, as we have booked a room in the nearby Holiday Inn, we planned out our itinerary and check out the shops one by one. Indeed, it was heavenly especially discovering huge discounts on top of outlet prices shop after shop. The day was literally spent going in and out of shops and fitting rooms.

When it started to get dark, we decided to take a short rest and freshen up in the hotel room to get ready for dinner. All week I’ve been looking forward to eat in La Tasca. It is a Spanish restaurant with warm and colourful Hispanic decors, friendly and hospitable environment, great entertainment and of course, their authentic cuisine of tapas, paellas, sangria and wide range of Spanish wines and beers. Somehow, this restaurant made me feel closer to home. Zach decided against having paella as he is on diet (so he claims…heheh!) so we decided to settle to start on some salad and hit the tapas. While waiting for the food, they served their house sangria which was just perfect. Minutes later, our food came and saw pairs of eyes widen around us as we have ordered far too much for two people. hehe! We had the salad: ensalada de tomate y queso de cabra (salad of tomatoes and goat’s cheese); patatas bravas, champinones al ajillo (mushroom sauted in garlic and olive oil); seleccion de embutidos; chorizo frito al vino; gambas gabardina; calamares andaluza; and pan de ajo y queso. We truly enjoyed our meals and it was gone before we knew it.

With heavy stomachs, we decided to stroll along the harbour and took photos. The Spinnaker Tower looked fabulous at night. The whole setting was amazing and even the strong wind did not ruin the romantic backdrop of the sea and skies. A few people had been strolling around as most of them were inside the pubs, cinema, comedy bars and discos. After grabbing a drink from one of the pubs, we retired to our hotel room and rest the night away.

The weather kind of turned more gloomy and windy the next day and we got up quite late. Luckily, we were able to avail the hotel breakfast just when they were about to close. We spent the whole morning shopping around and the headed off to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyards before heading back home. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is home to the world famous historic ships that have shaped British history – HMS Victory, the Mary Rose and HMS Warrior 1860.