tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11136527276272397582024-03-13T06:11:01.755+00:00Soup and ChampagneKatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-56917414082747457982018-04-05T08:30:00.000+01:002018-04-05T08:30:09.487+01:00The Ordinary: The results are in! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUiaS3z00BCzzDWFMhy1IlOxgsnXp6IZJxAIbCK_PFwl7ZifM9h7wSt_P_Q-5CMJckQa1FUiOPLU4PDSCvea9F4nVeFnk2HesgPNBrICP-QwvJUg07nRX3RVXn20bMcVaPwbys3A5_3o/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="629" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUiaS3z00BCzzDWFMhy1IlOxgsnXp6IZJxAIbCK_PFwl7ZifM9h7wSt_P_Q-5CMJckQa1FUiOPLU4PDSCvea9F4nVeFnk2HesgPNBrICP-QwvJUg07nRX3RVXn20bMcVaPwbys3A5_3o/s640/Capture.JPG" width="562" /></a></div>
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At the end of January, I wrote <a href="https://soupandchampagne.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/the-ordinary-skincare-revolution.html">this post </a>about a skincare range called The Ordinary. As you may remember, The Ordinary is a very reasonably priced skincare range which claims to value integrity and which uses sought out ingredients (such as <span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> retinols and hyaluronic acid)</span> in surprisingly high concentrations, especially given the price point. Therefore, back in January, I decided to give The Ordinary a go. Now, a good two months later, I'd like to share with you the changes I've seen.<br />
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As a little recap, I have been on a hard fought uphill struggle with my skin ever since my teens where I had acne which left me with scars. As well as still getting a smattering of spots, I have the occasional overlarge pour and, now I've hit 25, am keen to start the anti-aging battle a little ahead of schedule. Therefore, I went all out and bought a rather large collection of products to tackle these areas and here is my stream of consciousness on them:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt49n8JBM4pVRI0hDImJHphn3npAFRn-t30cEsMepR8i4J1RPlCm9lEIVt_RfqiNV4qJcIwwqnwozNvCkQr01tEcQSBzv26wnoBeSb89GFyEUerUa9bCXCOUNWYbUjBF788-WCziT7lkU/s1600/IMG_5141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt49n8JBM4pVRI0hDImJHphn3npAFRn-t30cEsMepR8i4J1RPlCm9lEIVt_RfqiNV4qJcIwwqnwozNvCkQr01tEcQSBzv26wnoBeSb89GFyEUerUa9bCXCOUNWYbUjBF788-WCziT7lkU/s640/IMG_5141.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Before going in to detail about the various products, I'd like to say off the bat, my skin has most definitely improved. It's not like my scars have vanished or that no spots ever push their ugly heads through my precious visage, but overall, it looks more glowy, the spots have reduced and the overall texture seems better. My scars definitely still exist, but with the general overall improvement, they at least seem less obvious to me. You can make your own decision from the photos below, but I think the thing that really convinced me of the improvement was the number of comments friends and family made. Now, in the interest of honesty, I have to say my friends are aware of my skin battles, so usually are rather nice about this pesky epidermis of mine, but the compliments were much much more genuine and came in much greater frequency. One exchange between myself, my sister and her boyfriend went as such: </div>
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Lulu: Kaaaatthhhh your skin looks so nice! And so smooth....kinda like you've had a facelift! </div>
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Me: <i>*Looks slightly shocked at the thought of a 25 year old having a facelift* </i></div>
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Alex: Yeah, I thought the same! It's so tight looking! </div>
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Me: <i>*wondering whether tight is a good thing* </i>Errrm, thanks guys!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nCllePoLFh9eb01QGpp-xZADiIAQ341e86ZHGc43I_0-2svpBINtkDmP-3OnEBgu_jF8_5g0rX-FSU0pkPVCZAhSYUB1J_2NuLDEme64OpN2G8a1k1EpHanA8uH2KUOoPnK3sgxvQQs/s1600/pizap.com15228378677871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1023" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nCllePoLFh9eb01QGpp-xZADiIAQ341e86ZHGc43I_0-2svpBINtkDmP-3OnEBgu_jF8_5g0rX-FSU0pkPVCZAhSYUB1J_2NuLDEme64OpN2G8a1k1EpHanA8uH2KUOoPnK3sgxvQQs/s640/pizap.com15228378677871.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>(Sorry about the tan difference!)</i></div>
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So, as you can see, positive noises were made. With that in mind, lets get into the detail: </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution: A twice-weekly mask which aims to exfoliate the skin, de-congest pores and fight blemishes.</span></div>
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- Now, I have to confess, I was not super religious at doing this twice a week. However, I did manage a fairly consistent weekly peel, sometime at the weekend and before whatever leisurely weekend shower I was about to take. The peel itself is an amazing red colour and tingles slightly as you apply it (I appreciate some people may find it 'burns' but due to my previously mentioned acne-battle, I do think my skin is perhaps a little tougher to these burning sensations than some other peoples - personally, I didn't find it at all uncomfortable). I'd then leave it on for the required 10mins (or a bit longer if I was being slow at my 'pre-shower' prep*). Once I'd washed off the product, I'd definitely notice that my face felt smoother to the touch, but I have to admit, I cannot swear to the peel's effectiveness at fighting blemishes. However, given my skin's overall improvement, I plan on keeping up the weekly peels.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRnyhf9tkgUQmunsnMxx1bf9tEXGh97CstUlt6kPziVkfiBdXPZYy5HqGMsq6MqRnQJ1dSnzCE81qYvD5_hIXI_-36TBIJXcWh0oqk_WyBa_eh-pJZjACs206N0pO1uXjomr7m2iw-8Y/s1600/pizap.com15228379434131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1023" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRnyhf9tkgUQmunsnMxx1bf9tEXGh97CstUlt6kPziVkfiBdXPZYy5HqGMsq6MqRnQJ1dSnzCE81qYvD5_hIXI_-36TBIJXcWh0oqk_WyBa_eh-pJZjACs206N0pO1uXjomr7m2iw-8Y/s640/pizap.com15228379434131.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Salicylic Acid 2% Solution: Salicylic acid is found in many spot-fighting treatments as it can sink into pores and exfoliates them from the inside. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"> - I loved this product and used it virtually every day. I'll expand on the routine I got into later on in this post, but this is a product I will 100% be buying again. It rubbed into and dried on my skin well and I noticed any spots which this was applied directly to seemed to be reduced by morning. One thing worth noting however was that if my skin was damp (or if I applied too much product), the acid would go white when I rubbed it in. I don't know if this is 'bad' or not, but once I noticed, I attempted to use less product and dried my skin carefully before use. </span></span></span></div>
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Retinol 1% in Squalane: a vitamin A derivative which has been proven to boost collagen production and increase cell turnover.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> - I used this product three to four times a week before bed. As expected, after using the product consistently for a few days, my skin could get a bit irritated, at which point I'd usually dial down my usage a little. However, this irritation settled down with time I have noticed an improvement in my skin's texture, something I believe I can attribute to the retinol. The one downside to this product is that it can take a while to sink in to the skin and, for me, could feel a little 'greasy' after application. I believe this is because of the squalane as I encountered a similar sensation when using the 100% squalane. However, despite not being the biggest fan of the texture, I didn't seem to have any of the adverse effects attributed with greasy products (breakouts etc...) and I was usually going pretty much straight to bed so again, I will continue using this product. </span></div>
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Alpha Lipoic Acid 5%: A high concentrate of ALA which is known for evening out skin tone. It's an antioxidant which is easily absorbed by the skin and can help combat signs of aging and help with the appearance of scar tissue. </div>
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- This product, as warned on the bottle, is quite harsh. Persistent use with no breaks does result in irritation, as I found out the hard way. However, once I'd followed the bottle's instructions and used it just a few times a week, I found I could put it on before bed and when I woke up in the morning, my skin just looked... better. It was noticeable. Weirdly enough, my sister (who also bought a couple of The Ordinary products), also mentioned the same in passing. It smells a little chemically, but personally this doesn't bother me. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5: Hyaluronic acid attracts up to 1,000 times it weight in water which makes it an excellent hydrator.</span><br />
- Yup, this works. I could even put it around my eyes and my skin felt soft and well moisturized. 'Nuff said.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">100% Plant-Derived Squalane: Squalane is another hydrator which can also be used on your hair to protect from heat. </span></div>
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- This was my least favourite product. Admittedly I didn't use it on my hair or anything like that, but for me, on my skin the slightly greasy feeling was not to my liking. However, it did seem good at locking in moisture, I guess in the same way as baby oil is! It just wasn't the texture for me.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: This is another one for blemishes and congestion and pops up quite a few times as a bit of a 'miracle cure' for spots. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">- This was another favourite which I used every day. My skin is pretty much blemish free which I believe this product definitely helped achieve. Only downside - don't go layering this on top of too many other products, especially if they haven't dried. Otherwise, the Niacinamide seems to 'pill' or crumble under your fingertips as you attempt to rub it in. However, if I used it first or second (on a dry face) I didn't experience this issue. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">One more product I actually went back and bought mid-way through my experiment (yes, I know, not very scientific, I apologise) was the Vitamin C Suspension 30% in Silicone. I don't believe I have been using it long enough yet to judge any difference it has or hasn't made, but I will say that it feels amazing on my skin and for that reason alone, currently I love it. </span></span></span></div>
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So there we go, that's my thoughts on the individual products. Here is how I ended up combined them in my consistent daily routine: </div>
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Morning: </div>
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- <span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Salicylic Acid or </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Niacinamide</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"> - originally I started off by using both, but this got too time consuming for the mad dash of my morning routine, so I cut down to one</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">- Followed by </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Hyaluronic Acid</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">- Then, a Nivea day cream with SFP</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Evening: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">- Which ever one of the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Salicylic Acid or </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Niacinamide I hadn't used in the morning </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">- Followed by the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Retinol 1%</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">- A few times a week, this was then followed by the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Alpha Lipoic Acid</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">- If not using the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Alpha Lipoic Acid, I've now added in using the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Vitamin C Suspension last</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">- Again, once everything had sunk in, I'd add some Nivea night cream</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Then, as I mentioned, I'd use the skin peel once a week or so. I'd keep to this routine most days, however there would usually be two days a week which would be essentially product free as on these nights I'd be at my boyfriend's. I'm not sure how beneficial these breaks were, but they did give my skin some time to 'calm down' if any minor irritation had arisen. </span></div>
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It's hard to attribute any one product to the overall improvement I've seen in my skin which I realise is completely and utterly frustrating from your, as the reader, point of view. However, I can confidently say I have definitely seen a noticeable improvement and, based on that, will be continuing with my routine. Personally, I am very happy. </div>
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Have you tried the products? How did you get on? Do you hate them with a passion or have you jumped on board The Ordinary train with the rest of us converts? Please do let me know in the comments! </div>
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*Brushing my hair very thoroughly, laying out towels, finding my toothbrush (yes, I'm one of those people...).</div>
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<Please note, this post has <b>NOT </b>been written in affiliation with The Ordinary - all views are very much my own!> </div>
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KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com0London, UK51.5073509 -0.1277582999999822351.1912379 -0.77320529999998222 51.8234639 0.51768870000001777tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-23115000049724550782018-03-02T09:40:00.000+00:002018-03-02T09:40:02.985+00:00Orchid Festival at Kew GardensWith the torrential snow which has hit the UK in the last few days, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has found themselves dreaming of warmer climates. However, if a holiday to Australia (or the fiery pits of Hell - honestly, I'd take either right now!) isn't on the cards, I may have the next best thing for you - a trip to the <a href="https://www.kew.org/">Kew Royal Botanical Gardens</a> in West London.<br />
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"What?! Are you mad?! The whole nature of gardens is that they're outside!!"<br />
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Well thankfully not at Kew. In fact, Kew is home to some rather large, wonderfully temperature controlled, tropical greenhouses. Not only that, but currently their yearly orchid festival is on, so one greenhouse in particular is a riot of beautiful colours and smells.<br />
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Kew's orchid festival has been running for 23 years and this year, there's a particular focus on Thailand (which apparently is home to 1,100 species of orchid and to 10% of the world's flowering plants!).<br />
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Wandering around the greenhouse is a spectacular experience. Everywhere you look, beautiful flowers are there. Arches drip with orchid blooms and other plants whilst living pillars rise up, some even supporting mini pineapple plants! The smell is just incredible too.<br />
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The exhibition is very well put together - winding paths take you in all directions through the greenhouse so I felt a bit like an explorer, waiting to see what was around the next bend.<br />
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The center piece of the exhibition is a magnificent model of a Thai palace in the middle of a pond. The roof's covered with flowers and blooms burst through the palace arches!<br />
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Whilst walking around, I liked how the more 'permanent' exhibits hadn't been removed for the festival - before reaching the orchids, you wind your way through a cactus garden and inside the main exhibition, small side doors take you off to oggle carnivorous plants in all their boggy glory.<br />
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<i>(Tangent alert: when I was little, I used to keep different kinds of plants in my windowsill. I started off with cacti - supposedly the easiest plants to look after. I killed them. Weirdly, some were over-watered, others dried out... My next obsession was carnivorous plants - I had a Venus fly trap, a sundew plant and two different types of pitcher plants. These boggy little terrors also met unfortunate ends. Next up was an orchid - this rotted in its pot! Safe to say, I am not at all green fingered, but you can definitely see why a greenhouse full of orchids, cacti and carnivorous plants appealed to me!) </i><br />
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Eventually, I'd seen just about everything in the greenhouse (and taken enough photos to last me a life time) so I ventured back out into the cold... before quickly heading back inside another tropical haven - the Palm greenhouse.<br />
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This glasshouse was more interesting than I was expecting, especially considering everything in it was 'just green' - it housed different kinds of palms from all over the world and it made you feel like you were in the middle of the jungle! I especially enjoyed climbing the wrought iron staircase to gaze over the tree canopy. (plus, it was warmer up there!)<br />
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For me, visiting Kew was a pretty magical experience and it's definitely a resource I plan to make more use of going forwards. Visiting at Christmas for their light show was one thing, but it was another to see what they're best at - growing spectacular plants. If you want to visit, the Orchid Festival happens for just one month (Feb - March) while these beautiful flowers are in bloom and it really does have to be seen to be believed. <a href="https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/orchids-festival">Entry to the orchids</a> is included with your day ticket (and it's cheaper to buy your tickets on line in advanced!). I think the festival ends on March 11th so there's just a week left to go see it but I would thoroughly recommend making the time.<br />
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<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com1Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AB, UK51.4787438 -0.2955729999999903225.956709299999996 -41.60416699999999 77.0007783 41.013021000000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-47082563589145830672018-01-28T08:00:00.000+00:002018-01-29T14:27:36.741+00:00The Ordinary: a skincare revolution? Recently, I've become very interested in the skincare range called '<a href="http://theordinary.com/">The Ordinary</a>'. I firstly heard about it from my friend Frankie and then, after a bit of a google, found out that it seems to have a very loyal following of people looking for affordable yet effective skincare.<br />
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The Ordinary states it values integrity, providing skincare that works without the enormous markup seen on the majority of brands. This seems like quite a high bar to live up to, but after having read through just about every page in their website, I can see how they're planning to achieve this. Each product description clearly states what is in the bottle and how exactly those ingredients will help you, along with how to use it. I was quite excited as I could quickly see a number of ingredients (such as retinols and hyaluronic acid) in relatively high concentrations which aren't usually available in cheaper skincare ranges.<br />
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SO. I may have gone a tiny bit overboard and ordered a lot of their products. Oops.<br />
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My skin has always been my biggest 'problem'. Growing up, I had fairly resistant acne which refused to budge. Although the spots were never as terrible as some poor peoples', every one I had left a nasty little scar. Nowadays, it has mostly cleared up, but I definitely am prone to outbreaks and I really dislike all those little scars. Therefore, I'm very much hoping that these concentrated products from The Ordinary could work towards resurfacing my skin without stripping it of all its moisture, whilst combating those mid-twenties signs of aging to boot. (God. Mid-twenties. I feel old!)<br />
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I've worked out a new regime just using these products and am keen to see if they live up to the hype. The plan is to report back here in about a months time and see whether I can see a difference. But firstly, what did I buy and what do they supposedly do?<br />
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AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution: A twice-weekly mask which aims to exfoliate the skin, de-congest pores and fight blemishes.<br />
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Salicylic Acid 2% Solution: Salicylic acid is found in many spot-fighting treatments as it can sink into pores and exfoliates them from the inside. This is just a slightly more concentrated solution to do just that.<br />
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Retinol 1% in Squalane: Now, retinol is a vitamin A derivative which has been proven to boost collagen production and increase cell turnover. It's quite often found in acne creams to try and force your skin to regenerate and can also be found in very low quantities (more like 0.2%) in commercial skincare. Therefore, this product really excited me, although I am aware it may initially irritate my skin.<br />
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Alpha Lipoic Acid 5%: A high concentrate of ALA which is known for evening out skin tone. It's an antioxidant which is easily absorbed by the skin and can help combat signs of aging and help with the appearance of scar tissue. </div>
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Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5: Hyaluronic acid attracts up to 1,000 times it weight in water which makes it an excellent hydrator.<br />
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100% Plant-Derived Squalane: Squalane is another hydrator which can also be used on your hair to protect from heat. Importantly for me, it's not greasy unlike other oils!<br />
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Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: This is another one for blemishes and congestion and pops up quite a few times as a bit of a 'miracle cure' for spots. I actually went back and ordered this after my original delivery as it came up so much in skincare reviews of the brand. So, I'm very hopeful it will do what it says on the tin! <br />
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Below, you can see my skin now, first thing in the morning. I have no skin products on bar a little fake tan - please excuse the scraped back hair and awkward face expressions! (You can tell my dedication to this trial as I'm posting such unflattering photos on the internet!) To summarise, I have large pores on my nose, scaring on my cheeks, along with a scattering of spots.<br />
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I plan on using these above products every day - the morning and evening for some, others I will spread out throughout the week as directed.<br />
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Hopefully in a month's time I'll take some more photos and we'll be able to see an improvement! I will also let you know the routine I ended up settling on.<br />
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Have you used these products before? If so, which were your favourites? (Did you actually hate them?) Or have you found something that does the job better? Let me know in the comments!<br />
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<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com0London, UK51.5073509 -0.1277582999999822351.1912379 -0.77320529999998222 51.8234639 0.51768870000001777tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-29270183832666872632018-01-23T11:00:00.001+00:002018-01-23T11:00:47.576+00:00Cinematic Dining: Lunch at Olympic Studios, BarnesWhenever my mother comes up to town, we tend to end up exploring areas that perhaps I wouldn't usually venture out to. (In part, this may be because she tends to bring a car, whereas usually I rely on public transport.) This weekend, we headed out to Barnes which, admittedly, is really just a stone's throw from my doorstep. Since the weather was down-right grotty, we found ourselves taking refuge in <a href="https://www.olympiccinema.co.uk/whatson">Olympic Studios</a> - a local cinema and (it seemed) a rather <a href="https://www.olympiccinema.co.uk/dining">popular restaurant</a>.<br />
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A little research post meal lead me to understand one thing - Olympic Studios is rather a big deal. Back in its hey day, Olympic Studios was a recording studio where some of the biggest names in rock 'n' roll history came to record their latest tracks. Artists included the Rolling Stones (who recorded six albums there!), The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin and even Queen! Later on, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Oasis and my personal favourite, The Spice Girls, all paid the studio a visit. It seems the studio wasn't just a rock and pop haven however - film soundtracks (The Italian Job, The Rocky Horror Picture Show...) were also recorded there. Personally, I found all this quite astounding given Barnes to me seemed like a lovely but quiet end of London!<br />
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Anyway, back to lunch.<br />
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You wouldn't maybe thing that a recording studio-cum-cinema would have a particularly good restaurant attached. However, in this case, you'd be wrong - we had some wholly unexpected excellent food!<br />
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As the rain poured outside, we settled down to a starter of a large ball of burrata on a bed of beetroot, pomegranate and pistachio served with bruschetta. We also ordered some tasty pineapple based smoothies which were delicious and came beautifully presented!<br />
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Then, Mum opted for a lovely looking salad and I (feeling slightly unadventurous) went for the cheese burger. The burger was definitely tasty, but I have to say the chips were fantastic! I'm not normally a big chip person, but each one of these was crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, without being too thick or thin. The texture on the outside almost looked 'bubbly' so I wonder if they had been double fried? Anyway, they were great!<br />
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We finished the meal with an absolutely stunning little pudding (a mille-feuille filled with baby rhubarb and pistachios) and just about felt ready to face the very British weather outside.<br />
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All in all, the Olympic was a completely unexpected and enjoyable surprise. Not only was the food good, we also had an excellent waitress - attentive, friendly and generally helpful. I can definitely see myself venturing out to Barnes to go again, although I may wait for a slightly less-wet day!<br />
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<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com0Barnes, London, UK51.4752941 -0.2392052000000148851.4555161 -0.27954570000001489 51.4950721 -0.19886470000001488tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-30849505127895223582018-01-20T08:00:00.000+00:002018-01-20T08:00:43.207+00:00Easy Steps to Saving the WorldIt's amazing how much a simple image can change the attitude of an entire country. However, that's exactly what BBC's 'Blue Planet II' managed to do with a shot of a whale carrying its dead calf in its mouth. The calf likely died of plastic poisoning and so this image has spurned a countrywide movement to cut the plastic.<br />
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Now, I know I'm not the most environmentally friendly person in the world. I don't always recycle - my flat is tiny and really does only have room for one bin - and my washing machine doesn't even have a 30 setting. However, the Post Blue Planet Guilt has set in and consequently, I've adopted a couple of simple steps which, with very little thought, make it easy to cut my plastic consumption.<br />
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<i>(No whale photos I'm afraid, but here's a shot of a beautiful Costa Rican beach. Note the lack of dead sea life.)</i></div>
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1) Make the bag for life your new companion for life. I have a durable, reusable, (admittedly plastic) bag in my handbag at all times. This way, it's always on you and you don't even have to think before popping down to the shops. Sounds obvious, but it took me a surprising number of 'damn I forgot bags again' at supermarket checkouts before I trained myself to keep one in my handbag.<br />
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2) Get a travel mug! Again, sounds obvious but this one will go a long way towards making you an environmental friendly pro. For example, did you know that there are only three places in the UK where coffee cups can be recycled? So all that effort you've expended into putting them into recycling bins was probably wasted as most cups never make it to one of these three recycling plants. Initially, I 'tried to be good' by reusing my coffee cup and trying to keep to one throwaway a day. But in the end I realised this was just a bit ridiculous and popped into a TK Maxx on the way home and picked up a travel mug for a fiver. I could have spent even less, but I wanted a pink one. Now, I get to sit at my desk feeling smug, judging all the disposable cup using people. It's a good feeling.<br />
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3) Back to the supermarkets - y'know the fruit and veg sections? Forgo the little flimsy plastic bags you can pack your veg into and just stick it straight in your basket. If you're anything like me, those bags go straight in the bin when you get home anyway! If you have too much veg and you don't want it rolling around everywhere, try and hunt down those bags for loose mushrooms. For some strange reason, those bags seem to be made of predominantly paper. Not a perfect solution, but definitely a step in the right direction!<br />
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4) My forth and last tip is stop using plastic straws. Just sip your cocktail (or drink Champagne - no one does that with a straw!). Fine, it's a pain in the arse if you've freshly done your lipstick, but on the plus side, at least you can admire the colour if it's stuck on the side of a glass...<br />
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So those are four (hopefully super easy) steps to reduce your plastic waste. No need to be a complete hippy-eco-warrior, but little changes to our lifestyle can add up and make a big difference.<br />
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What tips do you have? Let me know in the comments!<br />
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<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-40622147523024349212018-01-15T14:45:00.000+00:002018-01-15T14:45:34.542+00:00What January Blues? Lima and a Little Dose of ChildhoodFor most, January can be a pretty dreary month - the festivity of Christmas is over, the new year has been waved in and <a href="https://soupandchampagne.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/new-year-new-me.html">the January diet has started</a>. However for me, the month is just one big count down to my birthday! So, with the aim of kicking off the new year in the right way, here are a couple of little recommendations to perk you up!<br />
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To kick us off, this month my friends and I finally had the chance to eat at <a href="https://www.limalondongroup.com/fitzrovia">Lima Fitzrovia</a>, a Michelin starred Peruvian restaurant. We chose food from two set menus - the Andes menu or the Amazon menu - whilst sipping on the restaurant's signature Pisco Sour cocktail. I was very excited as my last experience of Peruvian food (at Pachamama) had been excellent!<br />
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The meal started off with a small amuse-bouche and large hunks of brown bread. This was then followed by the black bream ceviche, thinly sliced beef in a yellow aji sauce, beef pachamanca (which literally means 'cooked underground with hot stones') with Andean roots and finished off with a dulce de leche cream and port pudding, dotted with shards of meringue.<br />
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Personally, I found the food absolutely delicious! Around the table, we'd all chosen slightly different dishes and (after nabbing a couple of bites off my boyfriend's and friend's plate) I can safely say the octopus starter off the Andes menu and the lamb off of the Amazon menu were also fabulous. The only dish which slightly let the meal down was the pudding - the dulce de leche port mix didn't go down so well with the group of us. However, we thoroughly enjoyed the majority of the food! Not only that, but the waitstaff were attentive, friendly and knowledgeable (without being overbearing), which definitely added to the experience. I would most definitely recommend heading there for a taste of Peruvian cuisine.<br />
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This month I also finally got a chance to potter down to the V&A to see the '<a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/winnie-the-pooh-exploring-a-classic">Winnie the Pooh</a>' exhibition and the '<a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/opera">Opera: Passion, Power and Politics</a>' exhibition.<br />
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Now, I know I bang on about the V&A a fair amount on this blog. But this is because I honestly believe it is an absolutely brilliant institution. We are very lucky in London that so many amazing resources are open and free to the public: the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the British Library (and of course the Victoria and Albert!) to name just a few. Special exhibitions like the above you do have to pay to enter, but the ticket cost helps support the thousands of other exhibits on show. I've chosen to buy an under-26 V&A membership (which allows me free entry into the special exhibitions) and I have to say I'm so glad I have - I have 'earned back' the cost of the membership many times over and I'm more than happy to support the museum!<br />
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ANYWAY. The Winnie the Pooh exhibition was just adorable and surprisingly interesting. I just had no idea that the little portly bear had captured the hearts of so many people all the way around the world. Not only that, but learning about how the illustrations and the words came together to bring the stories to life was really insightful.<br />
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As you went around, there were original sketches everywhere and little corners where you could sit and listen to extracts from the books, along with tiny doors and cupboards of 'hunny' to open. The curators had managed to make the exhibition really rather magical.<br />
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'Opera: Passion, Power and Politics' was quite a different kettle of fish. On entering the exhibition, I was given a headset which, rather like the <a href="https://soupandchampagne.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/their-mortal-remains-and-importance-of.html">Pink Floyd exhibition</a>, cleverly played the relevant soundtrack as I moved around the cases. The exhibition walks you through the (often quite dark) history of opera and the influence it's had on the masses by taking you on a journey through a number of cities where prominent operas were first performed. Not only used to provide entertainment, the opera was an opportunity to socialise, display your status or even spread social change or political ideas - the independence of Milan from Spanish rule, the social recognition of the 'lower classes' and the independence of women for example.<br />
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I thought the exhibition was very cleverly put together - the different music complimented what you were seeing and the undercurrent of gunfire, dock workers' clatter and city life hubber brought the history to life. I had been unsure whether I was going to particularly enjoy the exhibition (mainly as I have no real interest in opera) but it definitely left me wanting to learn more!<br />
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So that's it from me for now, but let me know how your new year is going! What places would you recommend to visit over the next month?<br />
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<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com0Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL, UK51.4966392 -0.1721800000000257626.306997699999997 -41.480774000000025 76.6862807 41.136413999999974tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-44153210546177607512018-01-05T09:00:00.000+00:002018-01-05T09:01:09.043+00:00New Year, New Me? Firstly, happy new year! I hope you all had wonderful times over the Christmas period and said farewell to 2017 with a bang!<br />
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Now that January has well and truly started in the only way it knows how (queue drizzle, wind and general murkiness) I found myself thinking about the concept of new year's resolutions and whether or not it was particularly worth creating any. Throughout January, the phrase 'New Year, New Me!' gets tossed around more than avocados in a salad bar, but it had me wondering 'was there really that much wrong with the old me?!'. Well, the answer I've come to is 'no. Not really.'<br />
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I mean, there are definitely things I could improve on (do more exercise, cook more, sort out my flat, donate to charity, get promoted, meet more people, make more of an effort with existing friends etc...), but on reflection I realised these were things I should think about everyday. The arbitrary marker of time slipping from one round dozen months into another shouldn't be the only thing that kick starts me into action.<br />
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So, bin the over-inflated #goals and the resolution-breaking guilt - here's to doing our best every day.<br />
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(...I may have just booked my first ever spin class, but hey, I could have chosen to do that ANY month of the year...)<br />
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<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com0London, UK51.5073509 -0.1277582999999822351.1912379 -0.77320529999998222 51.8234639 0.51768870000001777tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-9848618984819733572017-12-19T13:05:00.000+00:002017-12-19T13:05:59.714+00:00Christmas at KewOn Friday, I finally made it to Christmas at Kew. I really wanted to visit last year, but tickets (at sensible times) sold out very quickly. This year, it was the same story. However, luckily for me, a friend of mine had a couple of spares and so my friend Shreya and I turned up at the Kew gates, ready to experience the magic.<br />
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At Christmas, Kew Gardens is dressed up in thousands of twinkling lights in every colour. You follow a winding path through the plants and trees, stopping for mulled wine or treats on the way. The trees sing out carols as you pass and, in one particular section, amazing smells waft over you whilst in another, bubbles floated through the air.<br />
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We came across a little wooden hut selling marshmallows in elaborate flavours. I bought a blueberry and gin one which I then toasted over a flaming pit.<br />
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Then, we found the funfair! After some cheesy chips and a large hot chocolate, we spun around on an old-fashioned carousel before swinging on some boatswings and sliding down the helter-skelter.<br />
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Once we'd spun, swung and slid all of our funfair tokens away, it was time to press on with the trail. As it had got later, the path was fairly empty and so we had a chance to fully absorb what was around us. At one point, we came across a 'wishing tree' where people had written down their wishes and hung them in the branches.<br />
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The big finale however was a spectacle like nothing I've ever seen before. The huge Kew green house was lit up with ever-changing lights, whilst the water fountain shot up a screen of water which images danced over whilst music played in time. The overall effect was completely magical! (I'm afraid the pictures just don't do it justice!)<br />
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Eventually, as our toes were starting to turn blue, we tore ourselves away from all the dazzling displays and turned to leave. It was safe to say that the magic of Christmas had firmly descended!<br />
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<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com0Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AB, UK51.4787438 -0.2955729999999903231.026192299999998 -41.60416699999999 71.931295299999988 41.013021000000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-57911034719133160212017-12-08T08:30:00.000+00:002017-12-08T08:31:11.424+00:00DIY Christmas Gifts: How to Make Affordable Pearl Necklaces This year I wanted to give my girlfriends a Christmas gift which was a little bit more personal. I was keen to make something, but was worried it'd just end up in the back of a draw somewhere (or in the bin...!). In the end (and after a little research), I settled on making freshwater pearl necklaces.<br />
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I sourced freshwater pearls from eBay, along with some silk thread, jewelry clasps and threading needles. The pearls were aprox. 5mm in diameter, came on threads 50cm long and, surprisingly, cost less than £4. I bought two of these strands which made a total of 4 necklaces, with pearls to spare.<br />
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To create a necklace, I cut a strand of thread about 80cm long. I threaded the clasp onto the thread, before folding the strand in half and knotting the clasp in place. I then proceeded to string the pearls onto the doubled up thread. (Doubling up the thread is a good idea as it'll make the necklace stronger!) By the time I was finished, the total length of the necklace was about 40cm long.<br />
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I tied off the pearl strand with a small jump ring so that the clasp would have something secure to grab on to. Finally, I dabbed any knots I had tied with a little superglue to make them extra strong.<br />
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So there we have it - a super simple, good quality gift idea for under £15 for four!<br />
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Do you have any good DIY Christmas gift ideas? If so, leave them in the comments below! Also. don't forget to let me know how yours turn out if you decide to give this a go<br />
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<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com0London, UK51.5073509 -0.1277582999999822351.5073509 -0.12775829999998223 51.5073509 -0.12775829999998223tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-56625685639785531212017-12-04T08:30:00.000+00:002017-12-04T08:30:21.066+00:00Selfridges: Sink the Pink Presents the Queens Head<div>
Pantomimes and Christmas go hand in hand like mulled wine and minced pies. However, as we grow older, the cheesy fairy tales become a little old hat. Well, don't worry, I have the answer! </div>
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On Friday, my friends and I paid a visit to an East London pub. The slightly odd thing? It was in the basement of Selfridges. We had arrived for <a href="http://www.sinkthepink.co.uk/">Sink the Pink's</a> panto which promised to provide an (adult only!) immersive theater experience, with all the glitter and glam that can only be bought by a cast full of drag queens. </div>
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Being the keen beans we are, we were one of the first to arrive. We waited outside the 'pub doors' before rushing to a front table. Settled down, we popped to the bar to pick one of our first complimentary drinks, before gazing around at the be-tinseled pub surrounding us. </div>
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Before long, the show kicked off. The general premise was that the pub landlady was being interviewed by the local news station who were covering the annual switch-on of the famous pub Christmas lights. Of course disaster and unexpected events befall the protagonists, broken up by lip-synced songs, live music, impressive dance numbers in sky-scraper heels and general hilarity. </div>
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By the end of the evening, we had sung, danced and laughed our hearts out. Not only that, we'd had what felt like an incredibly good value night! The tickets were £25 which included three complimentary (and quite generous!) drinks and as many bar snacks as we could stuff our faces with.</div>
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So if you're looking for something to do to get you in the festive mood, I'd highly recommend giving the <a href="https://dice.fm/residency/sink-the-pink-present-the-queens-head">Queen's Head </a>a visit - it's running the whole way through December! </div>
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KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com0400 Oxford St, Marylebone, London W1A 1AB, UK51.5145638 -0.15381139999999505-22.860890200000007 -165.3881864 90 165.0805636tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-624965289846273182017-11-21T16:15:00.000+00:002017-11-23T13:04:31.221+00:00Cèilidh at The Caledonian ClubThe sound of bagpipes washed over me as I waited on the corner of a street in Belgravia last Friday. Then, there was the clattering of feet and the rustling of bags as my little sister Lulu and our friend Shreya came rushing towards me. We were on our way to a <span style="font-family: inherit;">Cèilidh</span> at the <a href="http://www.caledonianclub.com/">Caledonian Club</a> and, as usual, my sister had arrived half dressed.<br />
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Flats were quickly swapped for glittering heels (and hair was swiftly brushed) as we headed towards the source of the mournful pipes. We were ushered through the front door as my sister touched up her eye shadow and put on the sparkling earrings she'd asked me to bring her. (Little sisters, no matter how old, are under the impression they own not one but two wardrobes). We had arrived.<br />
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We swept upstairs in a bubble of excited chatter, before collecting our glasses of fizz and heading to the tartan-filled ballroom for a quick catch-up. However before long, the bagpipes started playing again, calling us all in to dinner.<br />
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Dinner started with the Selkrik grace, often attributed to Robert Burns:<br />
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<dd style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i>Some hae meat and canna eat,</i></span></dd><dd style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i>And some wad eat that want it,</i></span></dd><dd style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i>But we hae meat and we can eat,</i></span></dd><dd style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><i>Sae let the Lord be Thanket!</i></span></dd><br />
before the haggis and neeps arrived (not pretty to look at but definitely tasty). This was followed by lamb and then a trio of deserts. It wasn't the best meal I've ever had, but was pretty tasty and definitely good fuel for the dancing to come!<br />
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Eventually, we all left the table as the cèilidh band started up in the ballroom and an elderly Scotsman started energetically bustling us into lines of three. The first dance began!<br />
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The great thing about cèilidhs is that you really don't have to have to know the dances. The moves are explained at the start of each dance and you're thrown from line to circle to new partner at lightning speed. By the end, most people are gasping for breath and laughing.<br />
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The evening's entertainment ended with everyone standing in a circle around the hall singing Auld Lang Syne followed by God Save the Queen. The average Brit I feel, by nature, is not too overtly patriotic, but I thought this was a lovely and rousing way to end the night! However, it did remind me that I needed to brush up on some lyrics in time for New Year's Eve....<br />
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As the cèilidh came to a close, we decided it was time to engage in some rather more 'modern' dancing. Therefore, we all headed off to <a href="http://annabels.co.uk/">Annabel's </a>where we danced until the early hours under some spectacular Christmas decorations.<br />
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I had a great time at The Caledonian Club cèilidh and cannot wait for the next chance to dance the night away!<br />
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<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com09 Halkin St, Belgravia, London SW1X 7DR, UK51.5006908 -0.1528206000000409425.9786563 -41.46141460000004 77.0227253 41.155773399999958tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-49119391896624160762017-11-09T14:56:00.000+00:002017-11-23T13:04:22.651+00:00Delicious Spiced Lamb in Brioche BunsFor Bonfire Night, I went home to my Mum's for a bit of a Bonfire Night Party with family friends. Mum had gone typically all out, setting up a table in the loggia outside, stringing fairy lights everywhere and cooking A LOT of food. She'd gone for wintry comfort food theme - shepherds pie, crumble, spiced apple and the most amazing spiced lamb which had everyone scraping the bottom of the dish.<br />
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Unfortunately I don't have a picture as it was quite dark outside and it wasn't the prettiest looking of dishes, but I do have a recipe!<br />
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Mum had adapted this from a Tom Kerridge recipe for pulled beef and, if you choose to replicate it, it will be the best thing you eat this winter. Yes, it even beats Christmas Dinner.<br />
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For this tasty adaption, you will need:<br />
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<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- 1 tbsp coriander seeds</span></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- 1 tbsp cumin seeds</span></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds</span></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns</span></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- 1/2 tbsp dark brown sugar</span></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika</span></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper</span></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- 1kg lamb, rolled breast and shoulder (you can ask your butcher to help you with this)</span></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- 250ml </span>vegetable<span style="font-family: inherit;"> stock</span></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- 50ml brown sauce</span></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- 30g brown sugar</span></li>
<li class="recipe-ingredients__list-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Worcestershire sauce </span></li>
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Start by lightly toasting the coriander, cumin, mustard and peppercorns in a dry pan, before crushing the spices in a pestle and mortar. Mix in the sugar, paprika and cayenne pepper. </div>
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Next, take your lamb and rub the spices into the meat. Then, add the spiced lamb to a roasting tray and pour in your vegetable stock. </div>
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Heat your oven to a low heat (180C) and cook for four hours. </div>
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Once the four hours is up, take out the oven, pour off the juices (save these!) and shred the meat with a pair of forks. Lastly, whip up some sauce by mixing together the brown sauce, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, the sugar and the juices from the roasting tin. Pour this over the meat and you're ready to go! </div>
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Mum served the lamb in brioche buns with 'dry' coleslaw, which is basically just shredded cabbage, onion and carrot. The lamb had enough excess sauce and juice that there was no need for the added mayo. </div>
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After we'd stuffed our faces (and I'd waved around four sparklers. Yes, four. I was very happy.) we headed off to our local fireworks display. As glittering sparks flew through the air, I was suddenly very glad Guy Fawkes had tried and failed to blow up Parliament all those years ago. </div>
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So give the recipe a go and let me know your thoughts! I promise you won't be disappointed! </div>
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KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-89547279720557226362017-10-31T15:05:00.000+00:002017-11-23T13:04:13.885+00:00Little Black Book: Part 2First thing's first, happy Halloween! I hope you're having a spook-tacular day...!<br />
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So, today's post is I'm afraid not in the least bit spooky. Instead, I'm going to tell you about two places which I really feel you should visit once you have recovered from your candy-coma.<br />
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The first is a brunch spot up in Crouch End called <a href="http://www.the-haberdashery.com/TheHaberdashery/Home.html">The Haberdashery</a>. It's a tiny rustic restaurant, eclectically filled with bunting, tea cups and local artists' work. And, most importantly, it serves the best brunch!<br />
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It is this place that my boyfriend and I would often go and order enough food for a medium sized family. I'd order the avocado toast with two poached eggs (served with a shot of carrot juice) and my boyfriend would order the hedonist breakfast which was a combination of both the full English AND the vegetarian version. Then, we'd likely share a side of French toast or pancakes. Sometimes, I'd even order the poached pears in porridge as well! I can definitely say we indulged, but the food was so good it was hard not to!<br />
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However, my favourite bit of any brunch here was the small bowl of white hot chocolate which I couldn't not order, festooned with mini marshmallows. Pure heaven and not to be missed!<br />
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The second place I wish to share with you is perhaps the best pizza restaurant in London. Now, I'm not a massive pizza fiend - I didn't even eat much of it as a student, despite this seemingly being the staple university diet, but this pizza is honestly delicious. It's from a place in Notting Hill called <a href="https://www.pizzametropizza.com/">Pizza Metro</a> where the pizza comes in meter long strips and is cooked in a wood fired oven.<br />
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I was first introduced to Pizza Metro as a takeaway whenever we had a lazy dinner over at Frankie's and Demi's, but eventually we got around to visiting the restaurant too. In the restaurant, you can have multiple flavours all down the length of the same bit of dough!<br />
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My absolute favourite flavour is the Percorina, a white pizza covered in goats cheese, red onions and mozzarella. Honestly, I could eat this and only this for the rest of my life it is just that good!<br />
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The nice thing about the restaurant is that it's inexpensive and they're good at accommodating last minute large groups - the photo below was taken late at night when the need for food had struck our party after an evening in a cocktail bar! We caused minor havoc with our ordering, but the staff took it all with a smile. What more could you possibly ask for?!<br />
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So that's it for round two of my Little Black Book. Let me know what's in yours!KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com1London, UK51.5073509 -0.1277582999999822351.1912379 -0.77320529999998222 51.8234639 0.51768870000001777tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-81491023483243621062017-10-24T11:35:00.002+01:002017-11-23T13:04:03.556+00:00Little Black Book: Part 1<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">The absolute joy of living in a place like London is there is an absolute plethora of things to do. Every day, you can stumble across a new caf<span style="background-color: white;">é, bar or cool place to visit. Not only that, but there are some old favourites that you'll forever find yourself going back to. Therefore, I've decided to do a series of posts sharing with you some of my new finds and personal faves. Welcome to my little black book. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">First up, the rooftop of Selfridges. Now, if you're looking for views over London, this perhaps isn't the best place to go, but what I really like about this space is the fact it's always evolving. New concepts and pop-ups seem to be brought in seasonally, along with a new look and a new menu. <a href="http://soupandchampagne.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/january-and-feb-adventures.html">The first time I visited</a>, it was decked up as a fairy-tale winter forest and since then, the roof has had a number of different looks. Currently, it's '<a href="http://iltetto.co.uk/">Il Tetto</a>' a rustic, Italian inspired restaurant. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Now, at this point, I have to say I have never eaten up on the roof. But I have most definitely drunk up there and I have to say I have been very happy with the cocktails each time. Fairly 'normally' priced for London cocktails (around the nine quid mark, which I appreciate whilst not cheap, is also not extortionate when compared to other 'up-market' venues) and definitely well presented and tasty. Personally, I really enjoy huddling out on the terrace, under a thoughtfully provided blanket, warming my hands on one of their wintry concoctions! </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Next, a lunch or dinner spot which I love - <a href="http://www.pintothaiputney.com/">Pinto Thai</a>. Located on the Upper Richmond Road in Putney, this small restaurant is the answer to all of your Thai foody needs. The restaurant itself has a quite cool modern vibe, whilst still managing to let you know what kind of food is served. It's also not a stranger to solo diners, with a bar-style table lining one wall. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">The colourful menu easily helps you decide what to order and the food is served in round tin dishes which verge on hipstery-cool. Most importantly, the food is delicious! As in, scraping-around-the-tin-to-get-every-last-grain-of-rice delicious. I would especially recommend the lemongrass chicken and a glass of milky Thai iced tea. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My final spot for this first 'Little Black Book' post is a place I love to visit when I fancy a little breath of fresh air - Fulham Palace gardens and Bishops Park. This is a beautiful area which runs along the river and is perfect for a stroll or even a summer picnic. You can wander through the beautifully manicured palace grounds, admiring the formal flowerbeds within the walled gardens or walk further down through the park until you hit the beautiful pond area where ducklings paddle in the spring. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The park is also a bit of a staple venue in the Fulham calendar - the Oxford Cambridge boat race starts nearby and so big screens are set up to watch the race on whilst funfair rides whirl on the grass. On bonfire night, fireworks in the park fly up and light up the river, and throughout the summer, an open air cinema pays a visit, projecting classic films among the trees. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So that's it for part 1 - I'll be back soon with more places which are worth becoming a staple part of your stomping ground! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Let me know if you have any great places you'd like to share! </i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com0London, UK51.5073509 -0.1277582999999822351.1912379 -0.77320529999998222 51.8234639 0.51768870000001777tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-27118134048957814132017-10-18T08:30:00.000+01:002017-11-23T13:03:37.923+00:00Their Mortal Remains and the Importance of Being a LondonerLast weekend, I had a rather eventful day. I was planning on catching one of the final viewings of the Pink Floyd exhibition, Their Mortal Remains, at the V&A, but on my journey there, I got caught up in the terrorist-attack-which-wasn't-an-attack.<br />
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As I stepped off the tube at South Kensington, I heard an announcement over the tannoid. We were being asked by an automated voice to make our way, calmly and quickly, to the nearest exit. The press of people filtering out of the station were visibly anxious - recent events in London have left most of us on edge, but it was impressive to see that no one was in a full blown panic. As we exited the station, we were confronted by walls of blue and white tape and armed police blockading the roads. A helicopter chattered overhead and people were milling around, not quite sure where to go now that their destination had been cut off. Something had apparently gone down on Exhibition road, but nobody quite knew what.<br />
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Of course, it eventually transpired that an Uber driver had bowled over a bunch of pedestrians outside the front of the Natural History museum. He wasn't a terrorist, just a dangerous driver and luckily no one had been seriously hurt. But it was amazing to see the response to a potentially awful situation in action. Our London police force had responded at lightning speed and everyone you bumped into in the crowded street was helpful, looking out for the people around them. Whether it was offering a moment of reassurance, or letting you know which street hadn't been blocked off yet. Personally, I feel this is incredibly important - it shows that in the face of potential disaster, Londoners pull together to support those around them.<br />
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After winding through a convoluted route of backstreets, I finally made it to the V&A. Moments later, I was being handed a headset and was entering down the psychedelic rabbit hole and into Their Mortal Remains.<br />
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The exhibition was fabulous! I am by no means a huge Pink Floyd fan - they're a band of my Dad's era, so I grew up with their music in the background, but it was never something I paid a huge amount of attention. However, following the exhibition, I'm going to make an effort to listen to more!<br />
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The exhibition followed the band's journey from student-y band to world-famous (yet mysteriously anonymous) rock royalty, showing how their performance had changed over the years and demonstrating just how ground breaking they were for their time.<br />
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A Pink Floyd gig was a riot of colour, lights and puppets. Huge inflatables would hang over the venue, a terrifying 'teacher' puppet loomed from the stage, eyes blazing while their signature circular screen would flash movies and animations behind the band. For their 'Wall' tour, they even built a giant structure out of individual white bricks. A performance was a full on production!<br />
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The exhibition was huge and incredibly well put together. Your headsets would automatically play different audio as you got closer to certain exhibits or videos. Props, posters and instruments were on the display whilst lights flashed around you. You could even play with a mixing deck and create your own version of a Pink Floyd track.<br />
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The exhibition ended in a concert - everyone sat around on the floor as a wrap around screen played Comfortably Numb from their 2005 reunion at Live 8, as lasers danced overhead. It was strangely emotional, a reminder of musical genius which is rarely seen in music today.<br />
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<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com1South Kensington, London SW7 2ND, UK51.4941501 -0.174685299999964630.58276860000000141 -82.791872799999965 90 82.442502200000035tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-30816902808713910762017-10-16T09:45:00.000+01:002017-11-23T13:03:25.032+00:00Edinburgh (Not Quite) Adventures So, the nature of my ('proper', full-time, non-blogging) job means that I am required to be wherever my clients are. For the majority of my career, I've been lucky enough to be based in London, beavering away happily in the city and not in some god-forsaken wasteland in the middle of nowhere (or on an oil rig in the north sea, as one unfortunate colleague ended up at). However, recently I was asked to leave the cozy south and travel up to Edinburgh for part of my working week.<br />
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Now, initially I was pretty grumpy about this. In terms of traveling, Edinburgh was just about as far as you can be reasonably be expected to travel on a weekly basis. AND, it's COLD. To add insult to injury, in order to get there at a reasonable time to do any form of work on a Monday, I am rudely forced out of bed at 5am. I'm telling you now, 5am is a time of night I will never be happy to see.<br />
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However, as you may have notice from my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/katiejanegold/">Instagram</a>, Edinburgh is undeniably a beautiful city. Full of wide, sweeping streets, beautiful old building and more spires than you can shake a stick at, it cuts quite the impression. The city is watched over by the imposing castle, located on a hill in the city center. Walking through the streets in the evening, I love looking at the lit up monuments (which seem to be everywhere) and listening to the haunting notes of a busker's bagpipes playing the Skye Boat Song* (a tune which has taken on a whole new life in my head ever since having become obsessed with Outlander...). Yes, I'm a clich<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">é</span> in a bucket, but I don't care. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The problem with working up in Edinburgh is that I don't have the </span>luxury<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of daytime hours to explore the city, so now I'm going to turn to you dear readers. Please, let me know your recommendations of things to do in Edinburgh outside of 'usual' hours. Where should I visit and what should I see to get a real feel of the city? What things shouldn't be missed? And, perhaps most importantly, where should I eat? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, help a travelling Londoner in need and send your recommendations this way! </span><br />
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*Controversially, I also love the tram....<br />
<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com3Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.810968 -3.5109904999999961 56.095535999999996 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-67874616821969551322017-09-06T09:30:00.000+01:002017-11-23T13:03:15.767+00:00Wild Flowers and Wedding BellsLast weekend, my boyfriend and I attended his big sister's wedding up near Newcastle. I'd been really excited about the big day for quite some time as the last time I attended a wedding, I must have been about knee height!<br />
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First things first however, I had to find a hat! The boys in the wedding party were sett to look dashing in mourning dress and so I had to find something suitably smart. In the end, I found one in a place I wasn't necessarily expecting - <a href="http://www.marksandspencer.com/l/women/bags-and-accessories/accessories/hats-n-cjvd2"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Marks and Spencer</span></a>!<br />
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The wedding was being held in a beautiful barn conversion out in the countryside. Surrounded by dry stone walls and fields of ponies, the location couldn't have been more idyllic! The barn itself had fairy lights weaving in and out of the rafters and beautiful spherical flower arrangements hung from the ceiling.<br />
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Soon, it was time for the bride's entrance. She floated down the aisle in a cloud of white, lead by bridesmaids in cobalt blue. Moments later, the barn erupted into applause for the new happy couple.<br />
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Confetti was thrown, photos taken and speeches spoken before the wedding breakfast was served. I couldn't have been happier when a large platter of beef carpacccio materialised on the table in front of me!<br />
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The tables were frosted with more arrangements of white flowers and, from our seats, we could look out over the countryside as we tucked into our food.<br />
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The rest of the evening passed dancing to the band (who were fantastic!) and roasting marshmallows over the fire pits which crackled away merrily in the barn's courtyard.<br />
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The whole of the wedding was thoroughly enjoyable. The location was rustically elegant, the crowd lively and the happy couple, well, very happy. I was delighted to have been a part of their big day and wish them a beautiful future.<br />
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<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com3Healey, Riding Mill NE44 6BN, UK54.922802399999988 -1.984445000000050654.904552399999986 -2.0247855000000508 54.94105239999999 -1.9441045000000505tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-86098680266225586142017-08-30T08:30:00.000+01:002017-11-23T13:03:04.163+00:00Last of the Summer Sun: Tuscany, ItalyLast week, I was lucky enough to go on holiday with four of my favourite people. We'd chosen to go somewhere where we could chill in the sunshine but also pop off for the occasional day trip, all whilst eating good food. So, perhaps it wasn't all that surprising when we settled on a<a href="https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/10692101?eluid=0&euid=f2ec095b-2a12-ae91-8cf4-a1c0d989a406"> <span style="color: #351c75;">little villa</span></a> just out side the Tuscan village of Sieci.<br />
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Our villa was situated on top of one of the rolling hills Tuscany is famed for. Since we hadn't the foresight to hire a car, we had an entertaining (frustrating) time dragging our cases up the long country road to our home for the week. Thankfully, the trip was worth it!<br />
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For the most part, our days passed blissfully by the pool, catching up on all the reading we'd failed to do throughout the rest of the year and floating around on the must-have accessories of 2017...<br />
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Occasionally, we'd potter down to the nearby village (eyes out for the wild boar!) to stock up on essentials such as wine, cheese and parma ham.<br />
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Demi took the role of resident chef, cooking us up spectacular meals each evening while we drank wine and bickered over whose turn it was to do the washing up.<br />
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Since Florence was only a short train ride away, we ventured into the city to explore the beautiful streets and visit some old favourite spots.<br />
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Of course, stopping by the spectacular<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">and the Ponte Vecchio bridge.</span><br />
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One particularly good discovery was the rooftop bar at the <a href="http://www.westinflorence.com/?PS=LGEN_AA_DEMA_CGGL_TPRP&SWAQ=7M96&audland=ENAudience&audbrand=WestinAudience&auddest=ExcelsiorFlorenceAudience"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Westin Excelsior</span></a> which gave us unrivalled views over the city and tasty cocktails. We enjoyed our first visit so much, we returned a couple of days later for round two! Just look how far we could see over the rooftops of Florence!<br />
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Whilst in Florence, we took an afternoon course to <span style="color: #674ea7;"><a href="http://tours.discovertuscany.com/en/8357/tours/Florence/Florence-Cooking-Class-Learn-How-to-Make-Gelato-and-Pizza/d519-5049ITALY_PIZZA"><span style="color: #674ea7;">learn how to make pizza and gelato</span></a>.</span> We learned about the different flours Italians use in their cooking, how to stretch our pizza dough properly and the exact differences between gelato and ice cream. The course was really fun and interactive, made all the better by the tasting session held at the end where we got to eat our hand made pizzas and sample the gelato, all washed down with a generous glass of wine.<br />
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On our last day, we escaped the city's heat by looking around the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall. Famed for once having been the seat of Medici power in Florence and later, the home of the provisional government, each room of the building is decadently decorated with elaborate paintings, likening the residents to various old Roman gods and goddesses.<br />
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Tuscany is a magical area of Italy. The countryside, with its vineyards and olive groves, is simply beautiful and Florence is a spectacular city. I already can't wait to return.<br />
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<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com0Tuscany, Italy43.7710513 11.24862080000002640.815527800000005 6.0850468000000264 46.7265748 16.412194800000027tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-21427785222774690392017-08-14T11:30:00.000+01:002017-11-23T13:02:53.996+00:00From Selfie to Self-Expression at the Saatchi GalleryThe Saatchi Gallery on the King's Road is often home to some of the quirkier exhibitions in London. Not so long ago, it hosted the Rolling Stones and the icon Chanel exhibitions, before that, a rather 'out there' pop art show. Now, we're in the final weeks of 'From Selfie to Self-Expression' which aims to demonstrate our changing relationship with art.<br />
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The exhibition starts with some instantly recognisable self-portraits from greats such as Van Gogh and Picasso, all displayed on screens, allowing you to 'like' your favourites. These very first 'selfies' show that immortalising yourself in print is by no means a new concept - it's something we've been fascinated with for hundreds of years.<br />
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As you move through the exhibition, you are confronted with a host of more modern images, giving you a glimpse into the picture-taker's life and how they views themselves. Some, perhaps more vapid than others (Kim Kardashian's mirror shots spring to mind, especially compared with Nan Goldin's shot taken one month after being badly battered).<br />
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I loved the video series put together by Juno Calypso, which showed her in the honeymoon suite of a hotel, surrounded by mirrors and very much on her own.<br />
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There is even one room where every inch of the walls is plastered in projections of selfie-videos of every day people.<br />
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The exhibition is wonderfully interactive. Like this pom-pom picture which mirrors the outline of its viewer! <br />
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Or these two, which bring you right into the art pieces.<br />
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I really enjoyed wandering around the exhibition - some of the shots were familiar, some thought provoking and others just down-right entertaining. Although some people may argue that taking a selfie is not 'art' in itself, it's interesting to be reminded that self-expression is just a button click away.<br />
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<i>The exhibition runs until September 6th and is free - worth a quick pop by if you're in the area! </i><br />
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KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com1Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York's HQ, King's Rd, Chelsea, London SW3 4RY, UK51.4906972 -0.1587164999999686225.9686627 -41.467310499999968 77.0127317 41.149877500000031tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-64266872731247230682017-08-03T09:00:00.000+01:002017-11-23T13:00:55.827+00:00Portugal: Sucolento and the CityWhilst in Lisbon, Jossi and I found the best little local restaurant ever. But more on that in a moment. Firstly, a little more about what we got up to in the city its self, starting from the hotel!<br />
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So, I have already mentioned we were staying in a rather nice hotel, up a rather large hill. Because of said hill, Joss and I had a plan to attempt to not walk up and down it too much - head out nice and early in the morning, see what we wanted to see and then make it back to the pool side to catch the afternoon rays.<br />
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Well, of course 'holiday time' kicked in, along with routinely eating too much for breakfast, so our start times steadily got later and later, and I could be found more often like this:<br />
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That said, we still managed to get out and about to see what the city had to offer.<br />
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Lisbon is a lovely city to walk around. The buildings are all brightly coloured, their facades covered in beautifully painted tiles called 'azulejo' and there are places to stop for a bite to eat or a drink everywhere. Trams rattle precariously through the streets while pedestrians weave in and out of the narrow side streets. In the evenings, 'Fado' bands pop up everywhere from restaurants to public parks, playing live music accompanied by guitars late into the night.The city is very much alive.<br />
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This beautiful building is the train station, can you believe?!<br />
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Oh, there are bakeries everywhere....!<br />
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One of the main sights to see in the center of the city is the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;">São Jorge</span></span></span> Moorish castle which commands the city from one of the seven hilltops.<br />
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The castle dates from Portugal's medieval period and is mostly just an impressive network of fortified walls and battlements now. However, it's fun to walk around and get a feel for the history of the town.<br />
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If you're lucky, you may even get up and close to this fine fellow!<br />
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The castle is surrounded by narrow streets, perfect for getting lost in. We found an incredible little ice cream place called <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/gelatariaportuguesa/reviews/">Gelataria Portuguesa</a> where I had some pear ice cream which was just amazing - so flavoursome and fresh! Not only that, it was very inexpensive too which is always a nice bonus. </span><br />
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Whilst we were out in Lisbon, we had number of recommendations from friends who <i>insisted</i> (multiple times, through various forms of communication) that we should visit the <a href="https://www.timeout.com/market/">Time Out Market</a>.<br />
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Now, I am a fervent disciple of <a href="https://www.timeout.com/">Time Out</a>. In London, if Time Out suggests you should go somewhere, I will make the booking. If, on the rare occasion I get somewhere before Time Out reports on it, I am flooded with a overwhelming sense of smug validation. <i>Yes Katie, you are indeed a trendy and up to date person. You may be heading into your mid-twenties, but you're far from your box yet! </i><br />
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The idea behind the Time Out Market is to take the best of a city, from street food to Michelin stared restaurants and put them all under one roof.<br />
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The result is a cavernous warehouse filled with food stalls and communal eating tables. We perused the stalls, finally settling on one (after having picked up a couple of nibbles from other stalls) and ordering our meals.<br />
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Then, armed with our trays, we headed to the tables, finally finding a spot opposite a trio of German siblings who were enthusiastically tucking in to each other's plates.<br />
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This was the joy of the market place - there is so much to try you can't possibly eat it all, but you can definitely attempt to. Divide and conquer is the way forwards! Not only that, but communal eating spaces meant we ended up deep in (hilarious) conversation with our German neighbors, bonding over the deliciousness in front of us! All in all, the Time Out Market was an incredibly enjoyable experience.<br />
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But! The market was nothing compared to Sucolento.<br />
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We heard about Sucolento through Trip Adviser and quickly booked ourselves in for dinner.<br />
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Thank God we did.<br />
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Sucolento turned out to be our favouite place to eat we found all trip.<br />
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The little restaurant is tucked away down a narrow street somewhat off the beaten track. Small and family run, there is evidently a bit of a fight for tables. On arriving, we accidentally stated the wrong time for our reservation and were met with mistrust - <i>did we dare think we could sneak in so easily?!</i><br />
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However, we ironed this out and were shown to our table, where we proceeded to order a selection from the menu. I went for the 'Rosbife' and we ordered some chicken tacos to share, along with a bottle of wine.<br />
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The food honestly blew us away. It was relatively simple and wholly delicious. Not only that, when one thing wasn't available on the menu, we were brought a little taster of another dish to try instead by the bemused restaurant owner. <br />
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By the end of the evening, we were totally in love. The food was great and we had managed to win over the staff who we were chatting away happily with by the end of the meal.<br />
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We tried desperately to book in for another dinner, but Sucolento was totally booked up until we left! So in the end, we settled for a lunch time reservation and on our last day in Lisbon we returned and were enthusiastically met with a <i>'you're late!'. </i>I ended up ordering the same again (which was just fantastic) but then regretted my choice when I saw the incredible open top sandwiches emerging from the kitchen. Everything just looked so great.<br />
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I couldn't recommend Sucolento enough. The food was fantastic, the staff were fabulous (definitely had their own charm and were evidently very enthusiastic about the restaurant) and the menu inexpensive. Despite being (very obviously) tourists, by the end of two short meals, I felt almost as if we'd been accepted into the family. All in all, a truly brilliant experience.<br />
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Lisbon was a city of surprises. I arrived not really knowing what to expect and left with a list of things I cannot wait to return to do! If that's not a mark of a great place to visit, I don't know what is!<br />
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<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com5R. Do Instituto Industrial 7, 1200-109 Lisboa, Portugal38.708326 -9.150789000000031613.1862915 -50.459383000000031 64.2303605 32.157804999999968tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-11371674664934720772017-07-31T09:00:00.000+01:002017-11-23T13:00:44.166+00:00Portugal: Queen of the Sintra Castle I am 100% certain that in your life, at some point, however briefly, you have wondered just what it would be like to live in a castle or palace. It is also entirely possible that I may have spent more time thinking about this than the average person.<br />
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No, seriously. I have the floor plan worked out and everything.<br />
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Anyway, with my dreams of castles firmly in mind, you can see why the day trip we had planned to Sintra was perhaps one of my most highly anticipated days of the trip.<br />
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Sintra, only a short train ride outside of Lisbon, is home to Pena Palace which must surely have been the inspiration for just about every Disney fairy tale castle ever imagined. As you walk up the fairly steep path to the palace gates, an eclectic mix of turrets and towers rise up over you. Built in a 'romanticist' style, every bit of the castle is different. You can really see the Moorish influence in the architecture, mixed in with a more European, classical style.<br />
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Just look at these archways!<br />
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And this turret!<br />
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AND this window! It's as if Ariel's dad got immortalised in stone.<br />
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I'd really recommend going inside the palace rooms as it's here where you get a feel for the history of the place. Pena Palace was built on top of an old monastery by Kind Ferdinand II and so remnants of this old building remain in the layout of the rooms - a dressing room which used to be a monk's 'cell' or a wine cellar which used to hold misbehaving monastery members. The palace also showcases the changing family values in the mid 1800s - rooms are smaller than expected, much more intimate and closer together, signifying the view that even the royal family had a right to be a closer unit with an element of privacy.<br />
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The view from the ramparts is simply spectacular and you suddenly appreciate just how high up the palace is!<br />
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Attached to the palace are extensive grounds and suddenly I was very, very glad I had won my trainers. Normally, there's a hop on hop off bus which will wiz you around from place to place, however on the day we visited it was out of service! So Joss and I took it upon ourselves to walk the kilometer and a half across the grounds, up hill and in 30 degree heat, to visit the Queen's chalet.<br />
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The walk was rather beautiful in places - we stumbled across bridges, ponds and even vegetable gardens.<br />
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However, finally we reached the chalet. The building was based on a Swiss chalet and felt like something out of Hansel and Gretel, all carved out of wood. Inside, it was surprisingly small, with vines and branches carved into the ceiling.<br />
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Our next stop was the medieval Moorish Castle which was on top of its own hill, a long walk away. Now, mostly what's left is a collection of stone walls which you can walk along. There's also a cute little market selling local food and drink.<br />
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We climbed right to the highest point - it seemed like we could see over the entirety of Portugal from up there!<br />
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Sintra was a fantastic day trip - I really enjoyed discovering all of the different places to visit even if the walks between them were long, hot and sweaty! The Pena Palace really is not to be missed - although I wished we'd had a little more time to explore every little nook and cranny!<br />
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<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com3Estrada da Pena, 2710-609 Sintra, Portugal38.7875851 -9.390608899999961113.265550600000001 -50.69920289999996 64.3096196 31.917985100000038tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-23606412441785473242017-07-28T09:00:00.000+01:002017-11-23T13:00:11.406+00:00Portugal: Exploring Belém<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Having managed to finally settle down in our hotel and survive our first night, it was time to start exploring what Lisbon had to offer. First stop therefore was the famous area of Belém.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Belém is a little way out of the city center and is home to many of Lisbon's most popular sites. The first of these we came across was Belém Tower, an old military outpost which used to protect the river from pirates and enemy attacks!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Despite it's rather serious purpose, I thought the tower its self was rather beautiful!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">A short walk along the river front brought us to <span style="font-family: inherit;">the <span style="background-color: white;">Padrão dos Descobrimentos or </span>'</span>Monument of Discoveries', a great big sculpture which cut against the sky. The monument represents the 'Age of Discovery' when Portuguese adventurers ventured across the oceans for the first time to discover previously unknown lands.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">We opted to go inside the monument, which involved being packed into a surprisingly small lift and then walking up a few steep flights of narrow stairs. The view from the top was quite impressive, however perhaps Lisbon lacks some of the amazing skylines you may have experienced in other cities. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">It turned out that there was an unexpected exhibition in the base of the sculpture which depicted how non-Europeans had been depicted throughout Portugal's history which was fascinating but also quite hard hitting, drawing attention to the extreme racism present in Europe's history.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRdWZylyjWsO9TbjkgSvChlJbNEK92nCKd-ZPHyoco0ZMP1WZoeXzRFc_VuD4oNiAypu9AFZoLXrV6ecdj4UVYQ7g_7LMsxoypB6Sun-qA4o4GUckNWJmqThttzLNNJIIxX1py-DhAVk/s1600/DSC00530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRdWZylyjWsO9TbjkgSvChlJbNEK92nCKd-ZPHyoco0ZMP1WZoeXzRFc_VuD4oNiAypu9AFZoLXrV6ecdj4UVYQ7g_7LMsxoypB6Sun-qA4o4GUckNWJmqThttzLNNJIIxX1py-DhAVk/s640/DSC00530.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Our next stop was the stunning<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jerónimos Monastery and chapel. The monastery used to be home to a brotherhood of monks before the state decided that monks and nuns weren't really contributing anything to society! They were then turfed out and the monastery opened up to the public. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TSxDbuGL-Danb37rxqu7lwRCwlqcbsEVGO5qgwu_hjHhtOC9eDpqx1OGTZPba9-eM3Q3WLWGZVQNGlti_wlzJXRqGqWhroc16T8ExK1dY6oZGVkBGyJZ6Ki3FVlDiaieWV82-ZxT7fw/s1600/DSC00543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="426" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TSxDbuGL-Danb37rxqu7lwRCwlqcbsEVGO5qgwu_hjHhtOC9eDpqx1OGTZPba9-eM3Q3WLWGZVQNGlti_wlzJXRqGqWhroc16T8ExK1dY6oZGVkBGyJZ6Ki3FVlDiaieWV82-ZxT7fw/s640/DSC00543.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">It was said to be in this monastery that the famous 'Pastel de Nata' (custard tarts) were </span><span style="color: #222222;">accidentally</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> created by a young novice monk who had been banished to the kitchen for misbehaving. These tarts were then sold to try and generate an income for the now homeless monks! </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBgOJHcM24-rKTQv7pwsGm9oB0H1uJwXrJklJZE6BsWnZ4vGJLVz9fzSoU4pvxVms6zd_a7NgYidu_ADdAUFHl8rGrGUl6-LP0pXh3Qn3ds7hBE77o4rWAuGInjeop81FY0-5bXgnT3s/s1600/DSC00576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="426" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBgOJHcM24-rKTQv7pwsGm9oB0H1uJwXrJklJZE6BsWnZ4vGJLVz9fzSoU4pvxVms6zd_a7NgYidu_ADdAUFHl8rGrGUl6-LP0pXh3Qn3ds7hBE77o4rWAuGInjeop81FY0-5bXgnT3s/s640/DSC00576.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">The architecture of the monastery is just simply stunning. Everywhere you look there are sweeping archways and beautiful details carved into the stone. There's even a lion who is rumoured to grant wishes if you rub his paw!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUsoocJk-dT8qvHcNfvyV21YzBr1E932H-4pSMuV8lovYxqXqtI1Hxx8JhbtZRoPBH7elFyRv2aYNY0IRLvIe1ssG9lfJhJOh15_DaM1IJXZMLC3qEd_DLuA3NnJIC_7jLGxacAruyf4/s1600/DSC00568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="426" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUsoocJk-dT8qvHcNfvyV21YzBr1E932H-4pSMuV8lovYxqXqtI1Hxx8JhbtZRoPBH7elFyRv2aYNY0IRLvIe1ssG9lfJhJOh15_DaM1IJXZMLC3qEd_DLuA3NnJIC_7jLGxacAruyf4/s640/DSC00568.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">All of this exploring was hard work and so our last stop of the day was a chance to sit down and devour some of the Pastel de Nata at the famous bakery<span style="background-color: white;"> '<span style="color: #040d31;">Pastéis de Belém. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Now, I have to admit, despite the hype, I was a little dubious of the egg tarts - to me, they just didn't look all that appealing. However, I was proven wrong the moment I tool a deliciously crumbly first bite. They were seriously tasty.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMHjJU0ik5bhmcfsc90bSkvB_GnL0GbxdmB2JpdUuQb4lhBqyNV9EJe0PGxiytPTpmKp8cBM_gmK7F6736BXl-RjH7dCwQXdREeiI6PLrfghfMkPJuvRHObRlWOicyFWGbytxN-uQhc4/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1491" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMHjJU0ik5bhmcfsc90bSkvB_GnL0GbxdmB2JpdUuQb4lhBqyNV9EJe0PGxiytPTpmKp8cBM_gmK7F6736BXl-RjH7dCwQXdREeiI6PLrfghfMkPJuvRHObRlWOicyFWGbytxN-uQhc4/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="596" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Tasty enough that Joss and I may have devoured five between the two of us....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutUnShg2moY1oaq2aXn_vbV-yUF6i-hAf1QaZ3iPAoXi7oDy38JbjfYcevOeWu_1SHh5ny-h2aRUg0c9-zEK_-3hBS7JMNTYT2PCHq3O-itnznUNJocOX4PJpO7UpTmxihXqFsQgM-ww/s1600/IMG_1278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutUnShg2moY1oaq2aXn_vbV-yUF6i-hAf1QaZ3iPAoXi7oDy38JbjfYcevOeWu_1SHh5ny-h2aRUg0c9-zEK_-3hBS7JMNTYT2PCHq3O-itnznUNJocOX4PJpO7UpTmxihXqFsQgM-ww/s640/IMG_1278.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">The recipe for Pastel de Nata is a closely guarded secret and one which the bakery has followed for over a hundred years! Each day, thousands of the little tarts are baked and sold, but only the master confectioners know the recipe, mixing it up in a 'secret room' within the shop. The line for the bakery was filled with tourists and locals alike, showcasing just how good these little tarts are!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Belém was a great day trip and we left still wanting to explore more - I can't wait for a chance to return and see what else it has to offer!</span><br />
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KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com2Av. Brasília, 1400-038 Lisboa, Portugal38.6915837 -9.215977299999963213.169549200000002 -50.524571299999963 64.2136182 32.092616700000036tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-20949209682016745282017-07-25T16:50:00.002+01:002017-11-23T13:00:00.903+00:00Portugal: Arriving in LisbonWhilst Jossi was over in the UK, we decided to use the time to see a bit of Europe neither of us had visited before. Therefore, one hasty plane ticket booking session later, we found ourselves on our way to Lisbon...<br />
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Travelling with Joss is always a bit of an adventure and this time was no different. This trip, our adventure started virtually the moment we got off the plane and onto the airport bus which, we had been assured by the very nice helpful bus information lady, would drop us no more than 3mins walk from our hotel.<br />
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The very nice helpful bus information lady was lying.<br />
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When we disembarked (after what had been a very scenic journey) we found ourselves at a busy roundabout with no buildings which looked quite like our hotel in sight.<br />
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Now, Lisbon is known as 'the city of seven hills' which, as you can imagine, doesn't make it sound very suitcase friendly. Whilst on the bus, Joss and I had joked among ourselves about how 'thank God we didn't have to walk up any of those hills today' as well as wondering whether we would be staying at the top of any of the giant hills in sight. Well, it turned out we were. And that the bus stop was most definitely at the bottom of said hill.<br />
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Needless to say, the next 25mins were not so much fun (3mins my arse!). The hill was definitely as steep as it looked and suddenly the invitingly sunny weather morphed into a blazing inferno. Suddenly I was incredibly glad that we were travelling only with hand luggage, despite the faff of having to fit all of my carefully selected toiletries into one tiny clear plastic bag.... <br />
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We arrived at the <a href="http://www.lisboa.epic.sanahotels.com/en">Epic Sana Lisboa</a> hotel finally and were greeted by incredulous looks from the staff ('You walked?! With all of that?!') and thankfully, a selection of small nibbles.<br />
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We got ourselves checked in and went to play with our room - I felt like I was in that movie 'The Holiday' when I discovered I could control three different sets of curtains with a switch from beside my bed!<br />
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Finally it was time to relax. Travelling with Joss is always an adventure, and a damn good one at that!<br />
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<i>Apologies for the lack of photos in this post. Hills + Travelling = One very grumpy Katie</i><br />
<br />KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com0Av. Eng. Duarte Pacheco 15, 1070-100 Lisboa, Portugal38.724525 -9.15850699999998613.2024905 -50.467100999999985 64.2465595 32.150087000000013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-77285294454907876902017-07-13T08:30:00.000+01:002017-11-23T12:59:02.460+00:00Exploring Provence: Gordes, Roussillon and the Lavender Fields Our Provence exploration continued when we signed up to a little day trip which took us out to see the lavender fields and the very different towns of Roussillon and Gordes.<br />
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Our day started quite early, with a small group of us piling into the back of a people carrier and being driven out of the walls of Avignon. Our guide was very chatty, telling us all about the history of the region, how the Popes came to be there and what happened to all the lavender being grown, as we drove through the beautiful Provence countryside.<br />
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Our first stop was <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Sénanque Abbey where monks still live today. Here, they tend fields of lavender and keep honey bees for their </span><span style="color: #222222;">livelihood</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">, as well as offering tours of the abbey. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">After a quick look around, it was back into the car and on our way to Gordes. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">We turned a bend in the road and suddenly we could see the town in front of us, jutting out of the ground on a great peak of rock, overlooking the plane of the surrounding countryside. It was quite a magnificent sight! </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsy-hHi-KgnEuqsUomRImgavnC1DfAJOrYj0bxZIdn5HYWu_Hq6vu5MWnb8bv-Px0SArpN0-lSJ8GS7J41Coi59uEe3APqyBeMvh7UYoB9CwCOsHMPRPA8gnCsD312TugJR0P8eYd2ug/s1600/DSC00445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsy-hHi-KgnEuqsUomRImgavnC1DfAJOrYj0bxZIdn5HYWu_Hq6vu5MWnb8bv-Px0SArpN0-lSJ8GS7J41Coi59uEe3APqyBeMvh7UYoB9CwCOsHMPRPA8gnCsD312TugJR0P8eYd2ug/s640/DSC00445.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">When we got down into the town, we discovered it was market day! We wandered amongst the stalls, before buying a large tranche of cheese which got demolished by time we'd made it back to the car.... Ooops. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">I popped my head through a hidden wooden door and found a beautiful painted church inside. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitykWjr8_SpRUSl_ZiU66ZcWs32P4IgXVZdXc6c3VFg_w-RrDpTpcutQ3i9tlcQZQe0NM2VPMEa70-075QOmethXYlaaH-mK3Rjc1-4B6RyENB9CajXqewR_g0YSyHwdPuV5kSJZDp2us/s1600/DSC00460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitykWjr8_SpRUSl_ZiU66ZcWs32P4IgXVZdXc6c3VFg_w-RrDpTpcutQ3i9tlcQZQe0NM2VPMEa70-075QOmethXYlaaH-mK3Rjc1-4B6RyENB9CajXqewR_g0YSyHwdPuV5kSJZDp2us/s640/DSC00460.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">The town was made up of winding pale stone streets and pretty shuttered houses - I wish we'd had more time to explore, but before we knew it it was time to head back to the bus. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshiAtrYSdMWnkEoTNsnxJE0ov2Eo3OlXxQQyW8gArm93w-blici1d6-5fKeZoWo7XKfbAu6NYFkMfI7VgByvv1ZhGPFvRk9la9j6671ZSer1DpSDqh65_JidoGNB6K351Ef5XV8v5Jhg/s1600/DSC00461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshiAtrYSdMWnkEoTNsnxJE0ov2Eo3OlXxQQyW8gArm93w-blici1d6-5fKeZoWo7XKfbAu6NYFkMfI7VgByvv1ZhGPFvRk9la9j6671ZSer1DpSDqh65_JidoGNB6K351Ef5XV8v5Jhg/s640/DSC00461.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qjQiQ8c7YSFICu66oGROONgMxWRu_37npgTSaxsVQmnZ2UfT-dmuggWW1YdY8oFfAd8koa5DlPplJRvFPKbDZK6MO3WRcqwapS-Rnjcb9BZ41AMmRVJHtLWKW9k08JyrwmYMbGrvJpw/s1600/DSC00470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qjQiQ8c7YSFICu66oGROONgMxWRu_37npgTSaxsVQmnZ2UfT-dmuggWW1YdY8oFfAd8koa5DlPplJRvFPKbDZK6MO3WRcqwapS-Rnjcb9BZ41AMmRVJHtLWKW9k08JyrwmYMbGrvJpw/s640/DSC00470.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">Our third stop was the lavender fields. Our guide explained how all the flowers we saw were actually 'lavandin' which is a specially bread variation of the flower characterised by its stronger colour as well as larger, more plentiful flowers. It turned out that lavandin is often the plant used when a stronger smelling oil is required and that most of the 'lavender' in Provence was in fact 'lavandin - as much as 80%'!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLriasrc4Czl6rmHliIh0Qy-XSLvC529jnLezfQXi7eMjLOfm3vaQFfsSC1NQfECy4YDe1u_q88f4AoHAoxQljKaBU4SXzwyadOx8DxDypMH5k4Q4jo_HwquzxqZbKLaY3g7M_8iagr3I/s1600/DSC00485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLriasrc4Czl6rmHliIh0Qy-XSLvC529jnLezfQXi7eMjLOfm3vaQFfsSC1NQfECy4YDe1u_q88f4AoHAoxQljKaBU4SXzwyadOx8DxDypMH5k4Q4jo_HwquzxqZbKLaY3g7M_8iagr3I/s640/DSC00485.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">The field smelt absolutely incredible and I had far too much fun trying to photograph the waving stems (while trying to avoid the million and one honey bees everywhere!). </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf27w9ztgMDwZbMwoevggRFRPP3UbkCvHur_sj9Ts96OgegmL4EKC-NksJWzNYUAWZOlMkC31iGzJf4mXpTEjyPvQZDZQ2SCVhf9JtidKLqEtlDNKqGmy5Nl7IarHxfBgepH7yqhoNQzU/s1600/DSC00490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf27w9ztgMDwZbMwoevggRFRPP3UbkCvHur_sj9Ts96OgegmL4EKC-NksJWzNYUAWZOlMkC31iGzJf4mXpTEjyPvQZDZQ2SCVhf9JtidKLqEtlDNKqGmy5Nl7IarHxfBgepH7yqhoNQzU/s640/DSC00490.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">Finally, it was off to our last stop: Roussillon. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">The first thing I noticed about Roussillon was the huge contrast it posed to Gordes, Pale stone had given away to a rich red landscape with houses carved out of the same ruddy colour.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>'No Filter Needed'</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">The amazing colour comes from the ochre deposits in the ground - the village was once famed for the quality of ochre which could be mined there. Now, the mining has stopped and the village is left with an incredible quarry landscape which you're able to walk around. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">The colour is so intense you almost feel like you've stepped into an artist's impression of the red planet... </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">I loved how the vivid green of the trees stood out against the rich red of the ground. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">Before long, our tour was over and it was time to return to Avignon. The tour had most definitely been whistle-stop and I wished we'd had more time in each place, but I'd definitely gotten an informative taste of the amazing places available to visit in Provence. Hopefully I'll be able to return soon and explore it further! </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com084220 Gordes, France43.911314999999988 5.200176000000055943.819794999999985 5.0388145000000559 44.00283499999999 5.3615375000000558tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1113652727627239758.post-20904457994081005302017-07-08T09:00:00.000+01:002017-11-23T12:58:54.479+00:00Exploring Provence: St RemyLuckily for me, whilst I was in Provence I had a packed with me a tip top guide in the form of my mother. She's been back and forth to the general area a fair few times and so had a number of places on her hit list for me to visit before we left.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">First stop therefore was St Remy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">St Remy is probably most famous for being the place where Van Gogh spent a year in the Saint Paul de Mausole Monastery,</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> a psychiatric </span>institution<span style="font-family: inherit;"> where he produced some of his most famous paintings. More on that later, but first, lunch. </span><br />
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Mum took me to a little restaurant called 'Gus' which was thoroughly French and thoroughly enjoyable. We sat outside under wide umbrellas and made our way through beautifully presented (and very tasty) food whilst attempting to chat to the waiter in rusty, broken French.<br />
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Feeling sufficiently refuelled, we headed up towards the monastery, pausing along the way to read extracts of Van Gogh's letters displayed along the route.<br />
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(We also came across these rather amazing Roman ruins, seemingly abandoned at the side of the road.)<br />
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The outside of the monastery was rather beautiful. Boarders were planted with colourful flowers and cyprus trees - there was a sense of peace over the whole area.<br />
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Inside, we found a courtyard filled with flowers.<br />
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With more flowers out back.<br />
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Upstairs, the mood is a bit more somber. Here you can find Van Gogh's room, complete with simple bed and small window looking out over the grounds.<br />
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Over the single year Van Gogh was living here in the monastery, he painted over 140 oil paintings and numerous drawings, many inspired by his surroundings. Nowadays, the monastery is still a hospital and art created by the patients is available to buy.<br />
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Whilst in the garden, we met an American and his daughter who recommended we visit the <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Carrières de Lumières exhibition taking place nearby. This turned out to be an incredible projection-art show taking place in a gigantic quarry. Works of art were blown up and projected all over the </span>cavernous<span style="font-family: inherit;"> space, </span>animated<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and set to music. The result was totally immersive and somewhat breathtaking! </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As you stood in the space, monsters, angels and other creatures bloomed around you as the paintings o<span style="font-family: inherit;">f </span></span></span><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bosch, Brueghel and Arcimboldo came to life. The </span>exhibition<span style="font-family: inherit;"> was so totally unexpected and blew me away! </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Our day ended with a bus ride back to Avignon. St Remy had been beautiful and full of surprises - I'd definitely recommend a visit to this little town should you get the chance! </span></div>
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KatieJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16386630168672337983noreply@blogger.com213210 Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France43.788652 4.831343000000060843.696939 4.6699815000000608 43.880365 4.9927045000000607