A DANISH MINI BREAK

Back to life. Back to reality.

Why do weekends always feel so freaking short?! And why do I never do enough in them??

To Copenhagen and back...it took less time that it takes to get to Edinburgh normally. And about the same price too.

Anyway enough of what I haven't done. Let me tell you about what I did do.

Copenhagen. Voted the best city to be a woman in Europe, according to Stylist!

And it truly was amazing.

Such a beautiful, clean, safe, happy city. Everywhere we went, people were kind to us, friendly and willing to take the time to help. A novelty after the crowded, silent rush of London's people.

We spent the weekend wandering round the city's streets, stuffing our faces with delicious pastries and food in general (check out Skank & Cofoco if you're heading out there), sitting around chatting about rubbish and just generally having the most special time.

There's nothing quite like hanging up your responsibilities for a moment and just immersing yourself in a new place.

And it's made all the better when you're with people you love.

Copenhagen, our weekend was too short but oh so sweet. Safe to say I'll be back, although this time with an updated guidebook....

Check out more snaps after the jump, especially the most incredible porridge restaurant called Grod. Seriously, if you're considering a trip to the city, make sure you go there. You won't be disappointed I promise! (Unless you don't like porridge...in which case don't bother, as there's nothing else on the menu!)

MADE YOU LOOK

This sign is on probably one of, if not the, busiest streets in London.

Portobello Road.

Blissful on a weekday. Pure hell at the weekend.

But I always wonder how many people have actually seen this artwork. How many people actually look at it. It's just at the start of the road when you're coming from Notting Hill, quite high up over a flat bit of roof that houses a garage. 

The wall is red brick and the sign is black and white. Nothing massively eye catching, nothing too outrageous. And nothing compared to the psychedelic colours of much of the street art in the area.

But for some reason it always grabs me.

I decided long ago to try and notice the details of a place I'm in. I think it comes from being an obsessive photographer of everything around me. I never want to take the photo that has been captured before. Where's the fun in having a duplicate of someone else's work?!

My imagination is in a constant state of heightened excitement whenever I wander through London. (Although not really so much this week as the temperature drops below that at which I want to be simply wandering!)

There's always so much going on, so much to look at, so much to be shocked by/laugh at/stare at/be generally amazed by.

I've realised that the reason I love to write and to take photographs is because my brain is just one big, giant, fluffy sponge, absorbing everything around me for later use.

And I tell you what?! Apart from sometimes being unable to sleep, and always having to keep a pen and paper by my bed, I'm rather a fan of my sponge-like brain.

So next time your marching along the streets of your city, look up, look around you.

Be a sponge.

Make yourself look.

And be all the better for it.

Pic shot on Sony x55

DRINK MORE LEMONADE

So it's 2016. A new year once more.

Where did the last one go?!

I have spent the last three weeks in a semi-food-comatosed state, blissfully unaware of and totally ignoring the reality of life. Unfortunately tomorrow is the first Monday of the new year and thus brings with it the harsh awakening that I have been so avoiding.

Having trawled my way through both the Telegraph and Times newspapers this weekend, I have no idea which vegan/paleo/veggie/*insert other food fad here* diet to follow, nor which bizarre new exercise regime I should undertake.

And so I feel like I may just ignore them all.

That is not to say that I am going to neglect the diet/exercise trend entirely. That would be foolish considering the whale-like state I'm currently in.

But having glanced at the newspaper front pages in the Co-op, it feels a teensy bit like people are completely and utterly obsessed with the change you must undertake in your own life come January.

I'm all for great resolutions, most of which I never stick to, but come on. I don't need to read five different magazines and find five different ways of improving/detoxing/self-helping my life. 

My goals for 2016 look something like this:

1. Get a job. Like a real, proper job that I feel excited about and proud of. Or at least a few interviews

2. Stop eating chocolate after every meal. Seriously, it's getting out of hand

3. Remember to polish my shoes for said potential job interviews. Scruffy boots just aren't really an option

4. Stop stalking other peoples' lives on Instagram. Maybe just live my own

4. Stop giving a f*** about things that don't matter

Oh and try to blog more. But I say that every month don't I?! But seriously, I mean it this time.

Realistically, why don't we just drink more lemonade?

Pic taken in LA, shot on Sony x55

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

“People come in here with a need but they leave with a want,” smiles Marla Collins-Soana, buyer at Retro Clothing, Notting Hill. Sandwiched in-between a garish tourist shop and an unassuming art shop, Retro Clothing is not immediately eye catching as you wander past, involuntarily herded along by throngs of people pushing their way along Portobello Road.

Step inside and you understand why people liken un-cave like places to Aladdin’s Cave. Rows upon rows of previously loved clothing line the walls. A glass cabinet runs along the length of the store, filled with glittering pairs of shoes, their labels twinkling under the lights.

I couldn’t resist, and nor could most of the people, mainly women, in there. I wanted what I couldn’t have, what other people were holding and what I’d seen in magazines. As I clasped an exclusive sweatshirt in my hand, glaring at anyone who dared come close, I eagerly showed my friends.

“That’s so nice,” they both mumbled. “But, it’s just a jumper. Isn’t it?”

NORMALITY CAN BE EXTRAORDINARY

I wonder what it feels like to be genuinely extraordinary. The kind that makes people stop and stare, the kind of extraordinary that justifies the definition in the dictionary: very unusual, remarkable.

 I simply wonder for I am quite normal, just like the woman who gave me my Time Out magazine this morning is (or at least seemed), just like my housemate eating his lunch next to me is. We conform to a standard, that which is usual, typical and expected of us: that which is normal.

 But we have been given a means to change the way the world sees us: social media. It has become a powerful weapon of choice for many self-made modern-day celebrities. Many would say it is not a power-giving weapon however but that it is, or will be, our downfall. Alice, a self-confessed social media avoider, pointed out: “If you’re on social media, you don’t have to meet people. You just have to stand out.” It is a way for people to capture their world, filtering it if they like but always documenting, supposedly, every single aspect of it.
 

CITY OF ANGELS

So I realise that it is now September, month of changes, back to school and impending winter months.

But I've finally got round to the last instalment in my American road-trip diary: Los Angeles, the City of Angels.

SANTA BARBARA

So from beach to beach we travelled. But Santa Barbara definitely trumped Carmel.

I can't explain it but there was just a feel about the city that was just so idyllic, so overflowing with creative amazing-ness.

It wasn't too big and intimidating like San Francisco was slightly but it just the perfect size for a few days of exploring. We stayed in an awesome hotel with a rooftop pool that was within biking distance of the beach, an absolute dream on the hot evenings when all you wanted and needed was a quick swim in the sea.

BEACHSIDE

A beaut few days were spent in Carmel on the coast of America.

It was truly beautiful and we had a lush few days maxing relaxing and nursing our hiking blisters in the freezing cold sea.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

 Next we ventured into the woods, into Yosemite National Park to be exact, to stay in a little log cabin for a few days in the wilderness.

Safe to say I think this was the highlight of the trip.

Humungous, looming trees that were millions of years old; wildlife in all shapes and sizes from an entire bear family to a teeny, tiny squirrel; and not to mention the most breathtaking views I've ever seen.

A GOLDEN RETREAT

As promised the first of the five different places we visited in America: San Francisco.

Flying into the city was breathtaking as we had totally blue skies and the brightest light. The weirdest thing about the weather in the city (which made getting dressed a nightmare!) was that you woke up to a totally foggy, actually quite cold morning and by lunchtime the sky was clear blue and there was no need for the jumper and jacket that you then spent the rest of the day carrying around!

So many amazing sights to see. Safe to say we hardly slept owing both to the jet lag and Dad's plans to see as much as possible in the few days we had.

And see we did. From the classic open bus tour around the city, to an incredible cruise to Alcatraz prison, San Francisco is fascinating. Alcatraz was so amazing. Totally eerie, chilling place when you think about who was kept there. We went round in total silence as there still seemed to be some essence of what had happened there, especially when you stood in the cells, seeing what the prisoners saw and imagining what their life must have been like.

A highlight was sneaking in a trip to a ball game which was epic. I can now officially say that I understand the rules of baseball, up to a point. And stopped by the Golden Gate Bridge to snap a few piccys.

I think that there is a whole lot more to the city than I managed to see. Because we only had a limited time we kind of stuck to the classic touristy things. But from driving around the city there were so many little areas and cafes and museums that we didn't get to see.

I'm not sure if it's a city that I'd want to spend a huge amount of time in (the constant wind would drive me insane!) but there's definitely more to be explored. 

Still, as my first experience of an American city, it certainly was an eye opener.

Oh and there's no pictures that could do them justice...but the breakfasts...just, wow, just completely

U N B E L I E V A B L E.

Breakfast wise, if you get the chance, head to Lori's Diner or Sears Fine Food (where you should have the french toast - words can't describe).

Pics shot on Sony x55, iPhone6 & Fujifilm Instax Mini8

WEST COAST BABY

So America, weren't you an absolute treat!

I've just got back from two and a bit weeks travelling down the West Coast of America with my family. Living out of our suitcases, packed into a people carrier, having the time of our lives.

We started in San Francisco then headed out to Yosemite before cruising down the coastal road from Carmel to Santa Barbara and finally ending up in Los Angeles.

It was the most incredible trip, just breathtaking at every turn.

I wasn't sure what to expect from America really. I'd heard all the stereotypes and read a lot about it but when I got there, it surprised me. I completely fell in love!

From the huge sky rise blocks in San Francisco, the blissful stillness of Yosemite and the dolphins on Carmel Beach to biking down the beach in Santa Barbara and finally making it to the City of Angels, there's too much to tell so instead I'll show you.

Stay tuned for a collection of snaps from each of the places I visited. Or if you suffer from holiday envy, come back next week. I promise I will have finished gloating by then.

Ph. shot with Sony x55

BON VOYAGE

Although I love England when the sun shines, there's nothing better than the feeling of excited anticipation that surfaces before foreign travels.

My family are all growing up and doing their own thing but we still love nothing more than all escaping together, somewhere we've never been before, to discover all things new and amazing.

And next week we are off to the West Coast of America and I couldn't be more excited. I've stocked up on polaroid film, have (finally) got my digital camera fixed and am busy trying to decide what to pack and where to go and what to eat and see and visit.

But in actual fact, I'd rather know nothing. 

There's nothing like getting lost in a new place. That's how you end up truly exploring a country.

So what do you say?!

Let's get lost together.

Bikini: COS

Notebooks: Smythson

Trainers: Adidas Gazelle

Camera: Fujifilm Instax Mini 8

Sunnies: Toyshades

Scrub: FrankBody Coffee Scrub

Clutch & Card Holder: You'reSoVain

"How to be Parisian, Wherever You Are"

Pic shot with Sony a100