Today we visited the five houses of Muharraq, a journey of Bahraini culture told through architecture and design. I particularly love Bahrain's economic history with the pearl and the way it became a powerful symbol of prosperity for the country. Its influence on design is ever present, as evidenced by the light above.
As we approached the souk, the call to prayer bellowed from the minarets, a beautiful addition to the golden evening sunset.
In Provence the attitude to life is calm and all about pleasure,(especially if pleasure can be ingested). The fruit bursts with flavour and the wine leaves a constant smile on your face..don't even get me started on the bread or we'll be here all day. My favourite moments were spent at this table in the sunshine, drinking rosé, eating melon and conversing in broken French.
Nydala is the name of a lake in the city of Umeå in Sweden. Before I moved there I looked at the map and pinpointed the apartment building closest to it. Funnily enough, my friends did the same and thus it was Nydala that brought us all together. Barbeques, sunsets, northern light displays, skinny dipping, sunrises, and long walks ensued..
It's always really cool to see someone in the process of creating art. This man was sculpting what appears to be a giant eye or perhaps even something beyond conventional categorization. Either way, it looks fantastic.
If you are or ever were a student, you'll recognize that blissful atmosphere in June when your final exams are over for the summer.
I find it so refreshing to be surrounded by inquisitive minds, it inspires you to think more about the world yourself.
Isn't it sweet when a street expresses its feelings?
Above the great walls of Antibes sits the Nomade sculpture, a hollow figure looking out to sea. As I walked towards it I noticed a group of friends unknowingly mimicking its position.
I recently discovered Charentais, the sweetest melons in the world. Native to the south-west of France, they are a heavenly compliment to parma ham and fresh bread. I'm having withdrawal symptoms already.
I love visiting places with a high altitude. The higher the better, even though I feel a prickle of fear every time I look down. It's thrilling to see the world below, believing that you have transcended it somehow. While on an expedition to Mons, I found these wild roses swaying in the wind and thought they were a beautiful contrast to the valleys beneath.
I'm lucky to have a best friend that seems to always be surrounded by dogs. When I was growing up we didn't have pets (unless you count short-lived fish and a borrowed hamster) so I'm always more than delighted to hang out with them now. His beautiful dog Jamie recently had a litter of pups and very kindly posed for a family portrait.
Since I started University I find I read less and less for pleasure and more and more for work. I often forget that it's the most simple pastime, the perfect way to lose yourself in another world. On days like today when there's a blizzard raging outside and I can't feel my toes, I think back to those summer days when the boys and I cycled down to the lake and read for hours.
No, don't worry I haven't converted to food blogging, there are enough great ones out there! I do however, have the urge to show everyone the pizza we had in San Remo this summer. That's one thing I love about Italy, on every street-corner..or even in the middle of the street, whether you pay a fortune or a tuppence, the pizza is guaranteed to be sublime. Funny how it originated as 'the dish of the poor people' in Napoli and grew to become a global favourite.
One Saturday in October we hiked through Skuleskogen, a national park on the high coast. Eventually we decided to set up camp at this beautiful beach overlooking a large lake. We spent the afternoon exploring the surroundings, the evening chatting by the campfire, and the night whispering in the woods.
Sometimes you're lucky enough to capture a natural moment of beauty in someone. They often have no idea how they look, or perhaps are under the impression that they only look beautiful when they try. I think theres beauty in everyone, and it doesn't require much effort.
On the way home from St.Tropez we were singing and chatting and trying to get the sand out of our shoes when I spotted this gorgeous cloud in the distance. It had a silver lining, the classic symbol of hope and optimism even when times are tough. Every cloud has one after all.
I love street animals. You know the ones, cool as a breeze, laying unattended on any given pavement. This is Wrinkles, isn't he fabulous?
I love the Gustavianum building in Uppsala - it has this magnificent dome at the top which lights up a bright shade of violet, green and cobalt blue when the sun goes down. Even if it adds an extra five minutes to my journey, I try and walk past it on my way home. Who wouldn't?
