Nope, this isn’t an April Fools joke my friends. This is not only a Foodie Fieldtrip Friday, but its a Fearful, Freaky and Fun one too! I’ve been wanting to climb the O2 since I found out it was an actual activity.  But the weather can wreak havoc on plans of scaling the largest concert hall in Europe! So with improved weather, and the discovery that there is a package you can purchase that includes a meal I was like, HELLO where can I sign up!?

I told no one, including my Hubby, as I know he would have worried about my safety. And I surreptitiously booked and printed out my ticket without his knowing.  How did he find out? Why social media of course.  Oops not the best!   But I was going to tell him, he just saw my Instagram photo first!  Then he watched my snapchat story (though it has since expired, you are welcome to come over anytime to watch my wacky goings on at: blissbakery).  While we weren’t allowed to take snaps during the ascent or descent, we were able to do so while getting prepared to go up and of course on top of the summit!  Once we got down, I was so hungry I went straight to lunch! But I had to take this pic of the next group on their way up.  It made me feel really proud of myself for doing it!

The “Up at the O2” is a great way to see the view of London and the surrounding areas, while experiencing a breathtaking trek up and down a national landmark.  Though originally started as an activity coinciding with the 2012 Olympics, it was so popular that it is still going stronger than ever. They offer original climbs, twilight climbs and sunset climbs as well as the climb and dine which I did. They also have private climbs for parties, corporate team building and they even have a climb for those in wheelchairs.  It is actually one of the most popular climbs as people with limited mobility are able to experience the thrill of rock climbing in a safe and supportive setting.

I brought along my pal #snappy (the Snapchat mascot) and snapped pics of him along the way. I loved the whole process from step one of check in, to “training” to getting suited and booted. Of course the climb itself was a massive adrenaline rush.  I was scared, but with our guide Chris I felt well looked after.  And though I was the first climber, I was strapped in and 100% safe!  It was perfect weather, sunny and a bit of a cool breeze.  But the walk up was a bit bouncy due to the material used for the fabric walkway.

Once up to the top, everyone was buzzing around, taking photos and spotting all the different famous sights in the skyline. The total time of the tour was 90 minutes including our induction training and getting fitted with our gear. I was surprised at how much upper body strength was needed on the ascent. The decent was much steeper and used more leg strength. At its highest it is 52 meters, which is 170 feet (or the equivalent of a 17 story building).

Once we were down and undressed we were able to peruse the souvenir shop and purchase professional photos of ourselves. Though I didn’t get any goodies apart from a photo magnet, I think someone else had fun playing around!

Just a few last snaps before heading out to lunch, just to let Hubby know we were all safe and sound, and that we were total explorers!

Inside of the O2 there are numerous restaurants, cafes and bars. The voucher stated I was to have a two course meal at All Bar One. They were all ready and waiting for me with a personalized reserved table.  I was near the Cocktail Bar, which was quite tempting to calm the nerves after the exhilaration!

The menu I was shown was an abbreviated one from the normal restaurant menu. Which was fine, and I spotted what I wanted right away. The butternut squash burger sounded delish. But the waitress had to return to the table to tell me they were out of them. So I ordered a pasta dish. Then another server arrived to tell me that they didn’t have that either. Basically my choices were becoming more narrow by the minute!  I eventually asked her to just tell me what they did have available and then I went for the salmon cakes and salad.

I have to say I wasn’t that impressed with my main course.  I am not usually a harsh critic because as a chef I know how much work it takes just to get something on a plate!  But I have to be honest here and say that the salmon cakes were just so so and the cole slaw was way too mayonnaise-y.  The salad was the best thing on here and it was pretty much all vinegar. The service wasn’t that great either, not a single person came back to check on how things were. It wasn’t that busy in there with lunch customers, but maybe they were busy getting ready for a dinner rush.  Nevertheless each table, no matter the time of day or number of patrons, should be just as important.  Oh well.  However, the good news is that I am a dessert person.  So the Churros came and saved the day!!!  I rearranged them on my plate so that they all looked liked hearts, my fav! And I left a happy camper!

All in all it was a fantastic Foodie Fieldtrip Friday.  It was definitely a highlight of my time in London so far.  It was not only fun but also terrifying.  I’d like to make up a new word and say it was a terriFUNing day! And I would recommend it to anyone.  Even if you can’t climb the O2, just do something that scares you and stretches your safe zone a bit. You will end up feeling proud of yourself having gained new knowledge of your bravery and what you can actually accomplish!

I churro love you!

YDP

ps. I dedicate this post to two of the most amazing Irish women who inspire me. Though I haven’t known either for very long, they show bravery everyday of their lives. I hope to meet each of them in person one day. Until then I’m glad my wacky adventures bring a smile to their faces! Lots of love to my snap sistas @lilomaria and @emilyrowleyy !

The Sunday Spotlight Snap Sista has become one of the most popular installments on my snapchat account (username: blissbakery). I started it as a way to shower someone from Snapchat Land with a little love, and also to help the rest of us learn a bit more about another snapper. And rather than call them by their own name, I refer to them as a Snap Sista. Like a Bosom Buddy, Pen Pal or Facebook Friend, which by the way can be a woman or a man!

Because of the day that is in it today, Easter Sunday, I won’t be doing an episode. Therefore I have decided to take this time to do a little recap.  It has been my utter pleasure to dedicate a Sunday afternoon to make someone out there feel special. These are people I have been watching on Snapchat and they have brought so much fun into my life. So only fair I return the favor! There have been 9 weeks (installments) so far and each one has been a sheer joy to do. I incorporate special music hand picked for each recipient along with a special gift (usually foodie related) that the honoree receives. Then the rest of us get a gift too, which is a quote inspired by the Sunday Spotlight Snap Sista!

Holly Shortall (@hollywooddublin): Holly’s gift was a pair of Glam Kitchen Gloves (with a lashing of leopard print, her fav).  Holly is a world famous fashion illustrator and popular social media personality. I absolutely love this woman and call her a friend!  She is the reason I am on Snapchat and I owe her a great debt no doubt!  She has done several commissioned works for me (including this moving card) and is incredibly talented. Holly always has a funny outlook on life, whether it be about fashion, makeup or current events.  She is Irish and lives in Dublin. Besides her art, she also works for a marketing and media company (@newslangie) and is doing on camera work as well…’litch looking gorge.” A caring philanthropist, she has spent time in the refugee camp in Calais.  The quote for all of us inspired by Holly, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent on things that matter”.

Miram O’Sullivan (@bakemystyle): Miriam’s gift was a set of Valentine’s themed cupcake cases. Miriam is food/fashion blogger originally from Kerry, Ireland but living in London. She is one of the most fun people to watch on Snapchat, so cheerful and engaging. She is stunning with her bright ginger hair and wears equally bright assorted lip colors. I had the ultimate pleasure of finally meeting her a couple of weeks ago on a Foodie Fieldtrip Friday!  I always look forward to her upbeat snaps.  She brings a bit of sunshine wherever she goes! And occasionally we get to see her adorbs bearded hubby Dave!

Kelly Ging (@KellyLouCakes): Kelly’s gift was a package of rubber erasers in the shape of baked goods. Not that she would need them as I suspect she doesn’t make many mistakes. This lady is a force to be reckoned with!  Kelly is the owner and head baker of Kelly Lou’s Cakes and Cafe in Portlaoise, Ireland.  I was able to meet her when I did a Foodie Fieldtrip Friday out to her place. I ate an amazing Rocky Road Cupcake there too! But the biggest treat of all was meeting Kelly Lou herself. And her smile is even bigger in person! Truly one of the nicest people that ever walked this earth! Hence this quote below inspired by her ethos, which could do all of us some good!

Paul Broughhall (@paulieblogger): Paul’s gift was a package of marshmallow Peeps. Why you might ask? Well Paul is not only a blogger and children’s author, but he is the creator of the “Artistic Chicks” and it was only fitting he got one of America’s most iconic Easter goodies.! The Artistic Chicks have painted portraits of numerous celebrities and have brought joy to the social media world and beyond. I have never met Paul personally, but his snaps are all about music and art and the stories he creates out of them. I have been told he is quite tall, but if this is the case, he is a gently giant. He is the most lovely and pure soul I have seen. His quote sums it up perfectly:  The nicest thing you can do for anyone in a day is to make them a little bit happier than they were before they met you!

Katrina Kelly (@KatrinaK2Hair): Katrina’s gift was a large Chocolate Bar wrapped to look like a Million Dollar Bill. Back in January I met Katrina in person. She is so beautiful with her radiant blue eyes.  I met her at her fav coffee place called Treat, just around the corner from one of her shops. I was struck by her beauty, but even more gorgeous is her soul on the inside. A successful business woman with two beauty salons in Dublin, she just launched a make up line called PUSH and she also does makeup/hair master classes. But her #1 job is mommy to her two gorge kids! And this future bride is getting married this summer! Congrats Hun and Matt is one lucky guy!  Katrina is positivity personified! This quote was one I submitted to a contest she was running. I won some PUSH makeup, but even better, I’ve won a lifelong friend!

Jen Morris (@toodollymakeup): Jen’s gift was a set of lip balms in cute cupcake pots. This girl will eventually rule the world it would appear. She is a super popular blogger, snap chatter and Instagram Queen. She has thousands of loyal followers and she is still as down to earth as the day she left her family home in Clonmel for the big time in Dublin. But she is so popular because she doesn’t mind showing you her bare no makeup look, which is as important as the Glam Jen! She is also as student getting her degree in business. Jen is so generous with her skills and often does makeup tutorials for Snapchat. How she does perfect eyeliner with one hand while holding her camera phone with the other is beyond me!  Not only is the makeup on fleek, but so is she! Love ya Jen!  I’m still practicing and one day I’ll make you proud!

Tracy Benjamin (@tshutterbean): Tracy’s gift was a salt and pepper shaker set with the logo “Keep Calm and Carry On” Tracy is a San Fran girl.  Hence her snaps reflect that. Along with her son Cooper, husband and a cat named Pinot, Tracy’s style is introverted, thoughtful and awesome. She snaps some of the most beautiful images I have ever seen. Whether it be food, or rain water on a leaf. This girl has the eye and shares it all with us! Tracy’s quote:  Mother’s hold their children’s hands for just a little while, their hearts forever. Perfect for the day as it was Mother’s Day in Ireland the day she was chosen. And as a mom herself (though in America Mother’s Day isn’t celebrate until May) I thought she could appreciate the sentiment behind this Irish proverb.

Laura Cunningham (@cunninghamlaura):  Laura’s gift was a mug personalized with pics of her cat (#markthecat). I figured since she loves him so much she can have him with her while she is indulging in a cuppa tea at work!  He really is a cute cat! And a bit of a rascal.  I first started to watch her snaps around Christmas when #markthecat would climb the tree and remove the ornaments! Oops!  Laura is an editor with Confetti Magazine as well as the creator of her online gifts store called Hippenings. Laura is always on the ‘best of’ list for snappers and is part of the popular group of snappers called Bridies. Though I have yet to meet her, I feel like I know her. She shares raw uncensored chat about life in general, as well as beautiful images such as a recent ski trip. Utterly dreamy! Her inspired quote is actually from her Instagram account: What would you do if you weren’t afraid?!

Maria Ryan (@mariaryan2014): Maria’s gift was Coco Pops Cereal Flavored Lip Balm. Say what? Well you would had to have seen her story for this to make sense. But let’s say she took an early morning trip to the store for a giant box of her fav Coco Pops Cereal. And after three bowls shared the rest with the neighborhood birds and cats!  It was classic!  Now the perfect gift would have been the actor Colin Farrell, her Hollywood crush.  This is the girl who I said represented Quality Time from the Five Love Languages book. And it is the truth!  She is the only blogger I know that actually looks at the camera and says, ” how are all of you today?” and checks in with Snapchat each morning and evening. She is a super special person.  In fact she is a play therapist working with autistic children and those suffering from various challenges. I had the pleasure of meeting her for a cuppa back in January and it was lovely!    And no one on Snapchat gives as good a tour as Maria. We were covered for sure on Paddy’s Day as she drove around Dublin taking in all the historic sites lit up Green! And filmed it all for Snapchat!

Hope you have enjoyed our little SSSS recap. I’ll be back again next Sunday spreading the LOVE and shining a Spotlight on a hand picked and deserved Snap Sista!  Until then… Happy Easter to one and all!

Lots of love to you and my Snap Sistas,

YDP

P.S. Since this post went up, I have done another Sunday Spotlight Snap Sista Recap of honorees 10-19! So click here if you’d like to see more fabulousness!

If my grown kids read this post they will think it is utterly ironic that I took a Foodie Fieldtrip Friday to the Cereal Killer Cafe. You see, when they were young I didn’t buy sugary cereals. I wanted to give them the most healthy foods possible. And when I did give them a treat, it was usually a home baked, unprocessed dessert with very little sugar. As they got older, I  might have let them have a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios for a weekend splurge.

As a child my family situation was quite different.  We were so poor that though we did eat sugary cereal, it was never the name brand kind. So when I had the chance to choose a cereal from over 100 varieties at the Cereal Killer Cafe, I was overwhelmed!  Therefore, I went with my YDP compass (short for Yankee Doodle PADDY) and opted for Lucky Charms!  It was quite sweet with the colorful marshmallows of “pink hearts, yellow stars, blue moons and green clovers” as the voice over actor on the television commercial used to say in a pretend Irish accent. Pretty cool at 51 years old to finally be eating some!  Funny side note, there is a selection of different milks you can order to go with your cereal.  I ordered mine with Unsweetened Almond Milk.  I guess that is similar to when people get a cheeseburger and then order a Diet Coke. However you get yours, the mini milk bottle is a sweet touch.

I’ve been wanting to check out the CKC for quite a while actually. When I did the London Food Tour of the East End back in October (click here to read) I got to see how hip and cool the famous Brick Lane area was. The whole vibe with the street art and all is quite unique. And so a cereal only cafe couldn’t be situated in a more perfect spot!

Started by twin brothers Alan and Gary Keery from Belfast, this place is an 80s/90s pop paradise. The entire place is decorated in memorabilia from that era featuring old fashioned television sets and VHS cassettes playing cartoons from back in the day. Even the music on the speakers is picked to perfection only adding to the complete touch while you mow down a bowl or two of your favorite brand of cereal.

However, what makes this place so awesome, is that their menu is more diverse than just bowls of cereal. It offers “Cereal Cocktails” with clever names. I almost ordered the “S’more Than Words” (Golden Grahams cereal served with chocolate milk and topped with marshmallows). Another choice would have been “Unicorn Poop” that is a combination of  colorful cereal, marshmallows and rainbow sprinkles, that, well, looks like it sounds!

They have a range of Barista coffees and teas and “Stacked Hot Chocolates” as well. This is where I got into the naughty territory. I indulged in a “Stacked Reeses Puff” hot chocolate that was literally to die for, no joke!  However, the chocolate milk was made with rice milk, and the whipped cream on top was made with soya cream.  But it was topped with Reeses peanut butter chips, Reeces Puffs cereal and a giant chunk of a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup on the side of the mug!  HELLO! NEED HELP DOT COM!

But I defo want to go back again because there were so many types of cereal I’d like to try. They carry American, British and Global varieties.  And yes they even have healthier cereals as well.  They also have POP Tarts!  If you need a gift or souvenir, they sell loads of tchotchkes such as magnets, cereal flavored lip balms and the famous Cereal Killers Cafe cookbook. They also have party packages for young and old, and the list of party suggestions is hysterical. Obviously they list the usual birthday party, but they offer brand/product launches, bar mitzvahs and divorce parties! OMG!

This place is a must stop for anyone visiting London that wants to add a bit of fun and novelty to their experience. They have two locations, the first at 139 Brick Lane that I visited opened in December, 2014. Another is located in the North London area called Camden.  And if you aren’t planning a trip to the Big Smoke, why not open a cafe in your hometown? From what I can tell, the brothers are mighty business men as well. They are selling international franchises, so if you are mad about the idea, go for it and start your own CKC!  Then you can have your cereal and eat it too no matter where you are!

Love you like a big bowl of sugary crunch!

YDP

P.S. I just want to add that the service was really lovely! All the staff were friendly and I had a nice chat with one in particular, Orla, who hails from Dublin (where Hubby and I still have our home).  It really is a small world!