I love ships! If I had the choice I would spend my life at sea, eating biscuits, catching fish, wearing stripes (the entire cliché would be brilliant). I blame this fascination on my parents, who continue to enthusiastically decorate our house with a nautical theme.
There must be something so exciting and free about having a boat, being able to set off into the horizon anytime you feel like it, having complete agency over one's own travel. The geographical possibilities are endless, as is the supply of fresh seafood.. it must be fabulous!
It's fun to hang out by the sea in Skeppsholm in Stockholm and watch the proud owners of ships moor their boats in the sunshine, wondering where they have been and where they are headed next. The boats themselves are stunning creations, a harmony of wooden planks, steel poles and tightened ropes, they evoke the inevitable drama of the sea. I imagine the lines being pulled to adjust the wind pressure, the sails being rigged to change directions in a storm, the lifeboats prepared for the worst. There is no adventure without risk, as they say, and what could be more risky or adventurous than living life at sea! One can dream..
I've been spending a lot of time in Cambridge and Oxford over the last few weeks, mainly because as part of my summer job I'm required to regularly give a tour of these cities to large groups of international teenagers. This is quite ironic, seeing as I've never actually been to these places before, but after some time...you learn to wing it (with a map, a sense of humour and inflated false confidence). After I've shown them the main sights, I'm free to explore, and I so I headed straight for the river to check out the famous tradition. There is something quite romantic about punting, breezing along the river, ferrying passengers to and fro, having a beer. I could have watched from that bridge all day.
My favourite day of the year has to be my birthday, as self-centred as that sounds! Though it can feel unnerving to get older I place a large importance on marking them as an occasion, probably passed on from how brilliant my parents were at making me and my siblings feel so special on that one day a year. When I get the chance I try and do the same for those closest to me, there's nothing quite like being spoilt even if it's just a muffin with a candle in it, or a scribbled homemade card, it all counts. Even after all these years I was definitely touched by the little details. My parents still wrap up anything, even if its a keyring or something lying around they thought I would like. It's become a bit of a joke over the years, and I always expect the kind of free merchandise that you get on planes and from companies they represent! Year after year they write me a message in a funny card and arrange everything so beautifully that I just melt.
This year I was twice as lucky, treated to cake in the garden, bubbly on the beach and dinner at a beautiful little restaurant in Vieux Nice. After blowing out my candles we ended the evening by visiting Fennocchio's ice-cream parlour and buying some wacky flavours to eat by the boats. All in all, a wonderful day...and I'm so grateful to my family, friends and boyfriend for being so sweet!
