There's no place like my spiritual home!

To celebrate my success in completing the 19 Day Body Challenge, I hopped on the 21.04 out of Euston on Friday night and headed back to my spiritual home.  The best thing about no longer living in Liverpool is coming back to visit, I get so excited and everyone says that I am bound to end up back there one day.

Saturday morning, I was up nice and early and headed straight to my old gym for a session with my Personal Trainer, I miss having him put me through a gruelling routine twice a week but still haven't got around to sorting one out in London.  To be honest I think I am just going to upkeep my own routine for now until I feel I need a shake up once my body gets used to the new workouts I've been doing as part of the detox programme.

Maz putting me through my paces a few months ago pre-wedding.

Afterwards I headed over to Relish on Allerton Road and stuck with the healthy and clean eating plan by having a green tea, 3 poached eggs and smoked salmon with the husband and my best friend.  The waiter seemed a bit confused about my bizarre breakfast request saying, 'what d'ya want that on? Just a plate?' Despite his reservations, it was possible to enjoy it without any bread.

We then headed into Liverpool One for a little shopping, I needed basics desperately and I bought a few tees, blazers, leggings and jumpers from H&M and Zara but I will blog about those in a different post.  I had a sneaky look in Cricket but they only had 2 of the Celine Luggage bags I'm currently desiring left, and they weren't in the colours I want, so I headed over to Nail Nation to get my nails done.  They've just got the new Gellish Neon collection in and I went for the shocking pink (I wasn't daring enough to go green, yellow or blue but maybe next time)!  I think they look fab and they certainly went with my outfit for the night time.

Gellish Neon Collection

After meeting more friends for coffee we checked in at our hotel, 62 Castle Street, a small boutique hotel on the same street as my favourite restaurant which we happened to have booked for later on that evening.  The receptionist seemed very keen to inform us that our suite had recently been occupied by Charles Dance for two weeks.  Apparently he's a famous film star, but I've never heard of him!  The room was pretty amazing with THE biggest bed I have ever stayed in and a nice view across Liverpool.  We got ready and headed downstairs to the bar for my first alcoholic beverage in three weeks!! If I'm honest I think 3 weeks is the longest I have managed without alcohol since I was about 14 so it was well enjoyed, I can tell you that!

Dress - Cop Copine, Necklace - Maje, Blazer - Zara

My favourite restaurant in Liverpool is San Carlo, an Italian hotspot renowned for hosting most of the city's footballers, wags and numerous other designer clad, fake tanned, bouncy haired scouse girls.  I finally persuaded my friends to join me for dinner there (it's not really their scene but I knew that they would love it if they came) and they all agreed that the food was on top form last night!! I was too busy chatting and forgot to get pictures of the starters but here are some of the mains:

Seared Tuna with Lentils, Sides of spinach in garlic, fried courgettes and green beans

Turbot with onions and cherry tomatoes, boned and served at the table by the waiter.

I opted for the seared Tuna and Lentils which was deliciously tasty and shared some sides of spinach in garlic, green beans and fried courgettes.  The fried courgettes were a great alternative to chips and the spinach was the tasty thing I have eaten in a long time! I didn't even feel too guilty as, apart from the fact the courgettes were fried, it was all pretty much in line with the healthy eating I have been trying to stick to since the new year.  You know you've had a good meal when you can't stop thinking about it, and I literally have not stopped thinking about this all day!  My friend went for the Turbot which, quite frankly, was huge and was prepared at the table by the waiter, I had a sneaky try and it was delicious! She struggled to finish it!  My other friend had the seafood pasta, which I have had before and I know is as scrummy as it looks.  The pasta sauces are to die for at San Carlo and there is so much choice it is hard to know whether or not you have made the right decision.  Fortunately though, I have never regretted my choice on any of the many occasions I have eaten there.  The husband is a sucker for pizza and went for a Spicy Italian Sausage Pizza, it was hot but he loved it and devoured every last piece!

Seafood pasta, the tomato sauce base was to die for!

Spicy Italian Sausage Pizza

One of my friends did not have quite the appetite as my husband and could only manage half of her chicken and mushroom pizza so the waiter styled her a slice in a handbag shaped doggy bag so she could take it out dancing with her! I've just seen her Facebook status and it made it through the night for breakfast this morning!

All in all absolutely fabulous evening was had and we headed into the night to enjoy more cocktails and a good natter about the goings on in our busy lives in the three weeks since we had last met up. As I headed home back down the M6 (The husband had come in his car) I was already plotting as to when I can next return up North for some more fun times!