A new life for me – Crystal Palace

I moved to Crystal Palace last year and in many ways, started over. I’m across the street from the incredibly lovely Dinosaur Park. Pepper, C and I spend quite a bit of time walking around in the woods.

It’s leafy and calm. In London but not IN LONDON. Feels like home now.

Listen to this Memory Palace episode about the dinos.

Of course, there is a piece of me that will always miss my Nashville life but it seems really far away from me now.

Distance does that I suppose.

I’m really happy and settled here. It’s beautiful and full of little natural gems. I feel lucky to have such a pretty little oasis literally a stone’s throw from my flat. Here are some bits. x

❤

Barcelona part three – Olympic Park and beyond

One of our last days in Barcelona was spent wandering around a very awesome (albeit seemingly abandoned) Olympic Park…

Teenage Dali Dreams

I had the honour and privilege to visit the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Spain last year. Obsessed with Dali as a teenager, this was an absolute dream to experience. Cathartic. Heartbreaking. Confusing. Exhilarating. 

Til next time. x

Barcelona part two – Montjuïc Cactus Park

In Barcelona there is a magical little succulent garden packed with every spiny cactus imaginable. Pure bliss for someone as obsessed with photographing plants as I am…

See you later. x

Barcelona part one

Lots to see in Barca. Park Güell, Parc de la Ciutadella and The Basílica de la Sagrada Família get extra points for absolutely taking my breath away and giving me lots of opportunities to play around with my camera.  

Bye for now! x

The things that were eaten in Spain

This blog started as a food photography/review blog in my earlyish twenties with a bad camera and annoying commentary. These days nature/travel photography is more my thing but I still love photographing the delicious things I eat like everyone else on Earth. 🙂

Food in Spain is amazing in general but Barcelona was pretty next level…

The best burger I’ve had in my entire life happened here (seriously, I wouldn’t lie to you) at Granja Petitbo 

Root Vegetable crisps + honey & sesame seeds at Negro Carbon

Tempura fried veggies, craft beer and some rare and wonderful bavette at Bier cab.

Dreamy pina coladas and guacamole at El Pachuco

Followed by mojitos…

daiquiris…

Then an exquisite dinner of tapas at Betlem.

Steak tartare

Octopus, artichoke & pea

Crab ravioli

Roasted Octopus

Apparently when on holiday, all I eat is Octopus so I decided to order a whole one roasted in paprika in Figueres.
It was the best thing I ate on the whole trip (next to that legendary burger because it was EPIC)!!

It’s a shame I don’t have anything for scale. Let’s say bigger than a rabbit smaller than a cat. I ate the whole thing. Obvs.

My pants no longer fit. No probs. x

Sintra

If you holiday in Lisbon, a breath-taking day trip to Sintra is a must. Make the time…trust me.

Quinta Regaleira

Really surprising octopus and potato salad in the outdoor cafe…

Pena Palace

Bye bye! x

Lisbon

LISSSSBBBONNNN! 

A Cevicheria is a MUST.

BBQ octopus with pork rind

Salmon & tiger milk ceviche with edamame and peanut

Tuna ceviche with tapioca and tomato

Whitefish ceviche with potato lime and seaweed

Halibut with quinoa, mussel, prawn, seaweed, cockle, oyster foam & kombu

Banana & peanut butter cake

Lisbon Timeout Market had an unbelievable selection of eats to choose from…and I am proud to say that I spent a good portion of the day here eating everything in sight.

Cold Octopus salad

Roasted octopus stew with potato crisps…

Salad with goats cheese & honey ice cream

Chocolate bomb

Portuguese custard tart

Seafood hotpot

Send stretchy pants plz. x

Margate Beach Pups

There’s nothing better than chilling at the beach with your mates…

❤ ❤ ❤

Piel Island

Not far from the coast of Barrow-In-Furness lies a curious little island with an rich and interesting history. Earliest records stretch back to the 12th century when King Stephen placed the island under the care of Savignac Monks and the Cistercian order. It was here that for centuries grain, wool, wine and other precious commodities were stored (and smuggled).

What remains of the castle and it’s surrounding fortifications today is mostly a mass of crumbling stone and a pub called ‘The Ship Inn’. This pub has taken care of those that pass through with lunch and a pint of local ale for centuries. Traditionally whomever runs the pub is crowned ‘King of Piel Island’ and the tradition continues to this day. Apparently there is a ceremony that involves you sitting in a 300 year old wooden throne and having beer poured all over you.

My idea of heaven.

Last July when we visited Cumbria we took a tiny little boat across waters peppered with jellies to explore Piel island and a few pints.

We made a friend on the ferry over. 😉

And even more friends once we got there!

I love a good sheepie cuddle. ❤

Our tour guide Mr. Chicken was ace.

A few little jellies…

That’s it! Piel Island done! x

Coniston Old Man

Oh crap….I’m almost a full year behind on posting. 😦

I have no idea how that happened.

I’m so bad.

I keep doing this to you! All 7 of you who come here. LOL.

Lake District. Summer holiday.

After an initial taster walk around the Lakes, S and I decided to take a crack at the Coniston Old Man and Dow Crag walk. Coniston Old Man is a gorgeous mountain (12 largest in England) which stands 2,634 feet above Cumbria and boasts some of the most spectacular views I’ve ever been lucky enough to witness.

Swirling layers of fluffy clouds slicing through the horizon. Bright rolling hills carpeted with greenery and napping sheep. SHEEEEEEEEP.

Ancient boulders jutting from the Earth like sleeping giants in some fantasy novel.

The surprise discovery of tiny sparkling lakes as blue as anything, shimmering in the sunlight like a bag of sapphires.

Making lots of new friends.

Pretty romantic stuff.

But holy hell, you’ve got to work for it. It’s a proper 5-hour climb with some bouldering and nausea-inducing do-not-look-down-for-the-love-of-God moments (granted that’s coming from a complete mountaineering novice who spent much of last summer drinking craft ale and lazing about. See below the out-of-shape beer goddess in her natural habitat.)

S was ahead of me most of the climb as I heaved and puffed and swore until my body warmed up and I got into the rhythm of the ascent. Once my lungs caught up and my booty kicked in it was excellent.

It was windy and warm and lovely and challenging. Totally surreal to be up with the clouds. To have climbed your way up to something that high. For me anyway. I’m new!

We did it in just over 5 hours and we were pretty knackered by the time we got back to the car, but it was really amazing.

Next up… Piel Island!

Summer in the Lake District – Walla Crag, Keswick

When the need for surroundings involving less concrete and more sheep became all-consuming this past July, we took some time off and drove up to Cumbria.

10 glorious days were had. 10 spectacularly restorative days without buses rammed solid with summer tourists. Quiet mornings free from angry elbows digging into my ribcage as I try to squeeze on the 8:00am train into London. Tranquil afternoons. Peaceful evenings. Just clean mountain air, craft beer, and lots of green and blue.

I’ve mixed in a bit of black & white for fun. 

Take me back please. x

Belgium! Discovering Ghent, Bruges and Brussels…Part Six – The Atomium.

There was one final place on our list to visit before our stay in Belgium came to an end!

I give you, The Atomium in Brussels.

Constructed for the 1958 World Fair in Brussels, this futuristic architectural wonder is equal parts science fiction and brilliant design. Crafted of steel and standing at 102 meters high, this amazing structure is a replica of the unit cell of an iron crystal atom – magnified 165 billion times.

And you can go inside of it!

Inside the beast…

Elevator shaft…S looks up intently.

View from the top sphere…

2001: A Space Odyssey on a loop…

Each giant steel sphere is connected to the next by tunnels containing either metal staircases or escalators lit with rainbow light panels that flicker and pulse as you descend.

Read more about the Atomium here: http://www.atomium.be/

Farewell Belgium! You were very good to me – thanks and see you again one day! xx

Belgium! Discovering Ghent, Bruges and Brussels…Part Five.

On our last day in Belgium, we wandered around Brussels a bit aimlessly. A happy and relaxed last-day-on-holiday sort of aimlessness. Eyeing the shop windows for choccy, stopping in for moule frites, exploring some back streets and churches. Blissful wandering.

Camera in hand as always. 

So many treats…

Byeeeee. x

Belgium! Discovering Ghent, Bruges and Brussels…Part Four.

Ghent was indeed quite beautiful, but Bruges really stole my heart and I didn’t want to leave. ❤

Bruges is where I really let my chocoholic flag fly proudly.

Who doesn’t need a big pair of chocolate boobs?

No shortage of beer!

And beer flag of course.

Mmmmmmmmm KWAK!

Beer bible! The only bible for me!!

Satan makes delicious beer. No surprises there.

Birthday Food was wonderful as well!

Fondue…

Vol-au-vent au poulet

And Bruges, itself…simply stunning.

Basilica of the Holy Blood

DALI Museum

Probably should have split this up into more posts! Oh well. x

Belgium! Discovering Ghent, Bruges and Brussels…Part Three.

There were lots of rainy days when we were in Belgium (which is perfectly fine if your top priority is drinking beer 24/7)!

In an effort to not be completely sloshed for the duration of our holiday, we visited the Design Museum Gent to see the temporary exhibition, Lightopia.

Lightopia is a playful and mesmerising exploration of light. From the humble but extraordinary beginnings of electricity, through the evolution to ultra modern and cutting edge lighting fixtures, we wandered around for hours absorbing the artistry and immersive experiences that the exhibition offered.

The design museum itself was really beautiful, but the contemporary light fixtures woven throughout the 18th century drawing rooms takes you on this amazing journey from the past into the future. Walking away and further contemplating my experience over a large pint of delicious Belgian beer, this part of the exhibition was what really stayed with me.

Photos presented below without comment – Enjoy!

Next up… Onward to Bruges!

Belgium! Discovering Ghent, Bruges and Brussels…Part two. WAFFLES.

Who’s in the mood for some motherflippin waffles?!

The answer is: ALL Y’ALL.

I did some investigative “wafflesearch” (as you do). So there’s this place called MAX in Ghent.
It’s this super cute but 100% touristy little art nouveau cafe that says they invented the waffle.

Isn’t it a beautiful building?

Of course, I ordered a waffle.

A big, fluffy, light-as-air, splendid and amazing waffle. Crispy. Slightly Sweet. Yum.

And a really dumb fancy coffee.

And then I ordered an apple fritter because I’m insane.

Next up – LIGHTOPIA!!!!

Belgium! Discovering Ghent, Bruges and Brussels…Part one.

Ahhhhhh Belgium! So many reasons to visit this beautiful country.

Picturesque cottages. Quirky Cobblestone streets. Beer. (REALLY AMAZING BEER) Art. Chocolate. (REALLY AMAZING CHOCOLATE) Swans. Misty canals. Moules Frites. Medieval churches. Waterzooi. More beer. More beer. More beer.

I chose Belgium for OPERATION: DECOMPRESS VIA ALL OF THE BEER.

The old Monastery conversion we stayed at in Ghent was absolutely stunning!

And the historic town centre itself is incredible.

Sint-Michielskerk glowing at night…

Graffiti tunnel…

Had a beautiful dinner at De Graslei where I ordered the very traditional Flanders dish “Waterzooi”

It was SO YUMMY.

All the walking around in the freezing rain made us VERY thirsty. So we spent a lovely evening sampling (pouring beers directly into our faces) a few of the 250 beers on offer at Pub ‘de Dulle Griet’

If you want to drink the gigantic “Max” beer, you must hand over one of your shoes. It goes in the basket, the bell is rung, your shoe is lifted high to the ceiling and here comes your beer!

And then you drink the rest of the beers…

ALL THE BEER! Up next…The Design Museum Exhibit Lightopia and WAFFLES!

Paris, FINALLY! Part Two. AND Three.

Annnnd we’re back! I decided to cram the rest of the photos into one last post so this is your warning that it’s a LONG one!

So picking up from where we left off with part one of our Paris trip, after a sweet little breakfast at Maison Lacombe we made our way toward Notre Dame and the Centre Georges Pompidou.

Centre Georges Pompidou!!! Amazing!!!

The walk to Notre Dame…

My beautiful parents!!!

Cutest lunch at Aux Arts Etc Cafe’ Galerie

The owner was soooooo lovely!

Off to the Pantheon…

Eiffel Tower!

Collectively sharing our feelings about selfie sticks…

The sweetest older lady and dog duo there ever was…

We were completely destroyed from all the walking and had a simple charcuterie and cheese feast for dinner…

Yum.

The next morning we took a boat cruise on the Seine from The Eiffel Tower…

Then a quick little pit stop in Bistro De Montemartre…

My beautiful mother who never seems to age!! ❤

Followed by a walk through the beautiful and sombre Montmartre Cemetery…

Our journey to Sacré-Coeur began with more walking around Montmartre…

SACRE-COEUR!!!

Loviest of birds… ❤

Our last dinner was at a tiny neighbourhood restaurant in Ternes called Le Petit Acacia.

We were incredibly lucky to yet again, have a stellar meal.

The parents look pretty darn happy and relaxed! 😉

The FOOD!

Roasted Bone Marrow

Suckling Pig

Confit Duck

Creme Brulee

On our last day in Paris, we toured the Musee D’Orsay then dined at another fantastic restaurant Le Recrutement Cafe for one final Parisian feast.

They still look happy after all of the endless walking! Success!

Lovingly threatening my darling with my Escargot tongs…

Which was short-lived because then there was escargot! YUM.

Beef stew

Salad with duck gizzards and foie gras

Cheesecake (my mother says this was the best she’s had)

Cheeky Cheese Plate

Apple Tart with salted butter ice cream

And creme brulee #2 for moi.

One final look before heading to Gare Du Norde…

So that’s it. Sadly!

Thank you for taking the time to scroll through all the photographs!

Goodbye, beautiful Paris. See you again soon! x

Paris, FINALLY! Part One

My folks flew over for 10 days (they are still here actually!) and we took the Eurostar over for a little Parisian city break!

We rented a beautiful flat in Ternes for 3 nights and had the dreamiest time exploring Paris!

Our lovely apartment…

A beautiful first meal near the flat at L’ANNEX.

I enjoyed a few well-deserved glasses of crisp grassy Sancerre…

Followed by the most gorgeous Escargot…

Rare Rib of beef…

And SWEETS!

Apple Tart…

Panna Cotta with Raspberry…

Then a night walk to the Arc du Triomphe for some magical night photography fun.

Love them!!

…and many many stairs to the top!

We awoke the next day to gorgeous electric blue skies and had a beautiful little breakfast at Maison Lacombe.

I had read that people travel all over for their croissants and I completely understand why as I was unable to get a photograph after shovelling the croissant into my face in record speed.

I shall leave you with these and pick up at Notre Dame and all the rest tomorrow! x

My Brother Arrives!

Hooray for visitors! My big brother recently flew from Nashville to London to visit me (first time travelling outside of the US mind you). This consisted of us basically dragging him around to anything and everything historically notable we could cram into his short stay! We made sure to keep him calm in the face of public transport by plying him with lots of craft beer! Please forgive the combination of bad iphone photos and proper photographs! 😉

Climbing at Trafalgar Square…

Imperial War Museum!

British Museum!

Boat taxi home on the Thames…

The obligatory phone booth shot!

The Emirates Air Line!

Deep thoughts on the Thames with Dan…

Off to the Tower of London!

A little afternoon stroll…

I already miss ya bro! Come back soon! xx

Another Glorious Green Park Pug Meet + Being A Tourist…

Prepare yourself for a big dose of HAPPY.

Because PUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGSSSSSS!!!!

NOODLES is convinced that he is their leader…

I even brought some friends this time to share in my crazy.

Who’s pug is this? DOESN’T MATTER – I just had to HUG him.

Pepper is such a little tart…

Then off to Tower Bridge for a stroll along the Thames.

ACK!!! Tourists!

My dog has been more places than you.

If you live in London you should check out the poppy installation currently at the Tower.

http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance/ww1-centenary/poppies-in-the-moat

We ended with pints and grub at Southwark Tavern…

Fish and Chips!! Yummmmmm.

It was a brilliant pug & London event-filled day! And then it was bedtime for all! Cheers! x

A Weekend in Worcester…

It was that time again.

Work. Sleep. Work. Sleep.

We needed a break!

One Friday afternoon a few weeks ago, we piled the family into the car (pups included) and headed North for a couple of days of respite.

Goodbye London, hello Worcester!

Our friends live in a beautiful old Georgian house filled to the brim with antiques nestled quietly between neighbouring farms.

The view from breakfast…

A gorgeous hike…

Happy little babies…

A bit of rain…

Which gave me plenty of time to explore this amazing house stuffed to the brim with antique tins, boxes, bottles, prints, signs and general oddities!

Pepper was not at all pleased when we told her it was time to leave! (Neither we were)

Thanks Linda & Al!!

xxoo

Beautiful Barton-On-Sea and The New Forest – now with MORE PONIES!

Barton-On-Sea is a very special place. When we can no longer stand the incessant hum of city life, this is our escape. A couple of hours in the car driving south takes you to a magical land where animals roam free. Sparkling waters, crumbling orange coastline and The New Forest nearby. Cows, pigs, ponies, donkeys…all just knocking around your neighbourhood as tame as a house cat.
We recently escaped to the sea for a few days of peace and sunshine.

Car Surprise!

My Dad has always been obsessed with cars. The curves, the sparkle. The speed. The smell of expensive leather. It’s a thing apparently.

Hey Dad! I hope you enjoy this car-themed birthday blog post just for you!! x

Noodles starts us off right with a bit of window surfing on the drive to the park…

He gets really zen in the wind…

Pepper spent the entire time being adorable.

And then the sun turned to storm clouds…

Super surprise old car festival meet up thing was going on!

This used to be a VW bus right?

This is a tow truck and I know that because I can read.

This is Elvis’ car and I know this because his name is all over it.

This is Dick Tracy’s car.

xx

Four Countries In Four Days – Part Three.

I completely forgot to mention the epic meat feast Uros treated us to in Ljubljana at CAD This was the day we walked around in the rain and watched the Rugby in the pub!

This was my first experience with Serbian/Bosnian cuisine and it reminded me of Thanksgiving because the food was so delicious and plentiful but my stomach started waving the white flag of defeat shortly after we started!

So let’s wrap up this colossally amazing trip with more photos of things we saw, ate and drank! 

The last full day/night in Ljubljana we met up with Uros and Jani and drove to Lake Bled. 

The castle!

The church in the middle of Lake Bled!

Uros!

Me trying to express how hungry I was with very lady-like hand gestures…

They took the hint and we went immediately for Slovenian Pizza and beer!

Which, was UNBELIEVABLE.

Afterwards, we took a stroll down to the bottom of the hill to get a good view of the castle…

Then we piled into the car for a scenic drive…

And did some frolicking in the snow…

 

Which kicked off an obligatory snowball fight!

Then we drove into Austria! Because why not?

We got there just in time for a sunset stroll in Klagenfurt…

We stopped for a coffee and ice cream and cake! MMMMMmmmmmm.

More dragons!

SCHMUCK JEWELLERS. AMAZING. At least they are upfront about it right??

Thank you Jani for the beautiful tiny dusk tour of Klagenfurt! xx

The next morning Uros took us out for a scrumptious breakfast in a gorgeous little French cafe in Ljubljana.

Then we packed our bags and headed to Italy for one last stroll around the coast in Trieste.

And that’s it! Four countries! Four days! All of the fun times!

Thank you to Uros and Jani for being such incredible hosts. x

Four Countries in Four Days – Part Two.

Where did we leave off? Breakfast in England. Quick afternoon flight to Italy. Seaside dinner in Piran. Cheeky drinks in Croatia. This clearly is a great way to start a holiday.
As our eventful first night was nearing a close, I suppose we were well within our rights to pass out when we got to Uros’ flat in Ljubljana, but noooooo. HOLIDAY!!

We freshened up and high-tailed it to Zlata Ladjica – The Golden Ship, to drink more beers and meet more friends.

This is where I fell in love with Bevog Tak:

One of the most beautiful beers I’ve ever had. And the artwork is amazing as well.

I’m not sure how easy is is to get your hands on Bevog, but if you see it in your local specialty beer shop, snatch it up. It’s excellent.

http://www.bevog.at/#beers

Here is a very blurry and VERY MERRY snap of us after a few drinks:

On the way home I noticed a little vigil in support of Ukraine…heavy times…

On that note, we grabbed some street food and made our way back the flat for a well-deserved sleep.

I was lucky enough to wake up to beautiful Slovenian donuts filled with peach jam and super thick dark coffee.

Yum. Thank you to Uros’ brother Niko!!!

We ventured out in the rain to roam around the city…

Dragons!

Translation: Tits

The sculptures around Ljubljana are like something out of a Tool video. Which obviously makes me love it all the more.

Nightmarish pope related Church doors!

Yes, that is a turd sculpture. Bronze turds with faces. Spectacular.

We met up with Ajda and her wee little pup Laika (like the dog the Soviets sent to space!)

We stopped at an adorable coffee shop for a spell…

The sun came out eventually…

Dragon in the sun!!!

We spent the rest of the day in an Irish pub watching Six Nations and took an early night to prepare for the next day’s events.

x

Four Countries in Four Days – Part One.

It was officially time for a holiday. To the land of beer and dragons! SLOVENIA!

Our good friend Uros, drove an hour from Ljubljana and picked us up from the airport in Trieste, Italy because he is awesome and generous. We then drove into Piran for a little evening stroll through the tiny medieval town followed by one of the most delicious meals. SQUID. INK.

Dinner was unbelievable.

Aside from the beautiful bearded men…

We dined by the sea…

Cuttlefish salad…

AS PROMISED. So inky. ❤

Spaghetti with Clams…

Jesus Christ. So delicious. It’s painful to look at these photos now.

Prosciutto & Cheese Stuffed Squid.

After a few Slovenian beers and finishing the delicious seafood feast, we decided to drive into Croatia to up the country count. We stopped at a very out of the way pub full of local fisherman in Umag and had a cheeky beer. We were sat outside despite the wintry evening temperatures and every 5 minutes the electricity went out and all you could see was a vast black sky full of stars. BEST.

This is the only proof of me being in Croatia!

First day, so far sooooooooooo good! More from this trip to come soon! x

PUGS! London Monthly Pug Meetup @ Green Park!

The first Saturday of every month there is a gathering of pugs and pug owners in Green Park.

Behold! Pugs galore! All shapes and sizes! All magical and super rad.

Princess Peppermint Sparklechops was ready for it.

I certainly was. I picked up the first stranger pug I saw. MINE! HUGS! GIMME!

Puuuuuuuuggggggggzzzzzzzz…

This is the slugger that did me eye in…

Sir Noodles got some snuggles too…

Pretty much the best day ever. x

(Staying) Home for the Holidays.

All we wanted for Christmas was to kick our feet up and RELAX.

And because these are too fantastic not to share-here are a couple of brilliant shots from the company holiday party.
Can you guess the theme?

We’ve been dog sitting a little muppet of a dog over the holidays as well so there are THREE pups in our pack currently. Lots of walks and lots of fun at Greenwich park.

Meet Cooper. The Fraggle.

I took my camera along on one of our walks the other day to capture some more of the magic that is my new neighbourhood.
I seriously cannot believe I get to live in such a beautiful place.

That view NEVER gets old.

We made a few furry friends along the way.

x

You can never have too many ponies…

On a hike through New Forest, a few months back when the weather was still bitter and the Spring flowers were desperately trying to push through, I encountered ponies. Velvety, soft and magnificent ponies. Gentle and wild all at the same time.

It was extraordinary and it made me feel very pleased to be alive and grateful for EVERYTHING good in the world.

I also found some super fluffy sheep and some delightful foresty bits.

Towards the middle of the day, after hiking for a couple of wintry hours, we stopped in Burley for lunch and I saw this in a shop window…

This immediately reached in and dredged the whole bittersweet flutter pony childhood tale from my memory banks.

And then on the last leg of the hike, I climbed over mounds of prickly bushes and through deep pockets of mud just to say hello without trying to “capture the moment”…

My husband pulled out his iPhone just at the right time and snapped this sweet little blurry shot of me COMPLETELY in my element.

Life is beautiful. xx

RHS Wisley

I’ve always loved flowers and plants in general, but I never really SAW them for what they are until I got into photography. Suddenly all of these mesmerizing geometric patterns and abstract neon art designs suddenly became available to me. And then I couldn’t stop noticing everything everywhere. The deep cracks within the bark on trees. Discarded snail shells. I hope you enjoy this feast of botanical eye candy from my recent trip to RHS Wisley in Guildford.

x

The most spectacular landscape in England, and parking lot ponies…

We decided to cut through Dartmoor National Park and the day was SAVED!!!

SAVED BY SHEEP!!!

SAVED BY PONIES!!!

My husband is brilliant at spotting things way before I see them (because of his super sharp astronaut vision) And he was able to see ponies congregating in a carpark off the side of the road in time for us to hang a sharp right and park the car amongst them.

These ponies were the most ultra chilled out group of ponies I have ever met.

I’d say they were “stoner ponies” if such a thing existed because they were M-E-L-L-O-W

Check out the utter disbelief on my face.

Followed by complete happiness…

After more time petting ponies than we had probably spent in the Dartmoor Zoo, I reluctantly got back in the car, blowing air-kisses at my new fluffy friends as we pulled back out onto the main road.

Thinking I had seen it all, that the day was not only saved but could not get much better, I made another friend by the side of the road!

Also mega-laidback and happy to be hugged.

Next up…RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey

Dusk in Looe and a cemetary stroll…

During our weekend getaway to Cornwall, we spent a few hours in the lovely little seaside town of Looe.

We just missed the sunset…

On our drive back, we spotted a spooky graveyard poking out from behind some dark trees and. I loudly announced “creepy graveyard”, prompting an immediate  U-turn, and drove down a narrow forest path to an eerie-looking church. It was almost nightfall.

x

The Eden Project Part II…

Here is the second batch of delightful little flowers and plants from my birthday Eden Project visit!

Weird and amazing little wood carvings and teensy sculptures…

The SEED…

Terminator vibes

I guess he’s into gardening?

See you later beautiful biomes!!!!

Coming up next…Ice cold beaches in Looe and a creepy Cornwall graveyard stroll…

Turning 30 and The Eden Project Part I…

My 30th birthday gift was a beautiful surprise road-trip to Cornwall.

Stayed in the most adorable little cottage…

With Alpacas in the front yard…SQUEEEEEE!

We spent an entire day trying to absorb all of the exquisite botanical treasures at The Eden Project

Lots of photos of flowers and teeny tiny plants await.

Next up: Even more Eden Project treasures…

Going Home…

It’s been a year! First stop – CLEVELAND. Seeing my beautiful Aunts. x

I even got to spend some quality time with the family pets!

And no trip to CLE is complete without stopping by Cedar Point.

We rodes some epic and terrifying coasters…

Ate some massive BBQ turkey legs…

Then we passed out from jet lag exhaustion!

Followed by a quick flight to Nashville!!

I immediately had a bar party and invited everyone to come out and give me a year’s worth of hugs.

They complied!

Toasts were made…

I was so excited to spend time with some of my besties…

And baby!

OOooohhh baby!

There were lots of babies being made whilst I was away…

Big fat squooshy pretty babies!!!

Aunt Jamie ❤

And some of the babies I knew a year ago weren’t babies anymore, but little tiny people…

Lunch with my LaLa. ❤

My mom was just as pretty as I remember her being…

My brother was still a massive fantasy football dweeb…

Becca and her fantastic fiance Josh took us out to Dinner at Silo 

Elevated Southern cuisine welcoming me home proved to be JUST what I needed…

Especially deviled eggs three ways…

Deep fried greenbeans…

And pork belly…

We even visited my beloved Bombay Palace

They were all super excited to see me too! HA!

Actually, we did a lot of eating.

And of course, we had to work some of it off…

No better place than Edwin Warner Park…

See ya soon Nashville xx

Food in Spain.

I just wanted to share some of the food I DEVOURED in Spain

A simple lunch…

Followed by a decadent dinner…

Tomato and goat cheese salad

Beef carpaccio with sheep’s-milk cheese

Tuna carpaccio with pink peppercorn and dill

Filet mignon with foie

Vanilla bean panna cotta with black currants…

Me in action!

Grilled calamari for another yummy lunch…

A little scampi party…

Tasty tapas…

x

My Spanish Animal Friends…

I made a few friends in Spain…the furry four legged variety.

And of course, because I am me, I took their photos…

Farm cats…

Scaredy cats…

“Jimmy”!!!

Look at his big fat grumpy head! xxxooo

This dog that looks like yoda…

My niece-kitties “Six” and “Seven”…

Snuggle time!

Super schnozzle close-up…

And last but not least, my Father-In-Law’s adorable beagle mix “Benny”

If this goofball doesn’t bring immediate joy into your heart then something is clearly broken inside of your soul.

Benny shows off his serious dog model good looks…

x

At the Olive Farm…

Alcalá la Real is full of olive farms. My Sister-in-Law Veronica has just inherited her family’s olive farm and is running it with her sister. It has been passed down over many generations and is a spectacularly beautiful place to get to explore. As far as the eye can see, just rows and rows of beautiful twisty olive trees disappearing over the hills…

I wandered around the farm and tried to capture as much of the magic as I could…

And all of these beautiful olives…

x

Road Trip to Granada…

We woke up bright and early one morning and hit the road to Granada…

The Alhambra!!!

I really don’t have words for how grand and beautiful the Alhambra is…simply stunning.

x

A December Stroll Around Alcalá la Real

My first day in Alcalá la Real gave me the bluest skies…

Moody light…

The Magi…

Next up…Our road trip to Granada xx

Sunrise Hike in Alcalá la Real, Spain

Greeting the sun…

The sky cycled through so many colours and the clouds created an amazing collection of patterns all within the span of 20 minutes or so…

All the tiny things come to life in the early morning light…

La Mota sits high above Alcalá…

The fog lingers…

Then the blue sky pushes through…

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday wherever you are. xx

Barton on Sea

Beaches, flowers, forests full of ponies, frolicking puppies and double rainbows.

Rainbows and wild ponies in New Forest!!!

Amazinggggggg!!!!
xx

Autumn in Richmond Park (and pups!)

Richmond Park is one of the most magical places in London no matter what time of year you visit, but an October or November trip is extra special.

After 4 hours of magical hiking through the woods, the pooches (and myself) were absolutely shattered and had a nice snooze on the ride home.

Happy Autumn-ing! xx

Tiny Holiday in Kirkby Lonsdale

We decided that our souls needed a bit of open sky a few months back and we took a 4 day trip to Kirkby Lonsdale.

The raddest steps in England.

English sweets.

If you ever find yourself in Kirkby Lonsdale, you simply MUST do this:http://www.ingletonwaterfallstrail.co.uk/

Those are pennies!

Penny Mushrooms!

SHEEPS!

SHEEPS THAT WOULD NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LET ME HUG THEM.

SADFACE.

If that wasn’t enough magic for one day – then we visited farms!

And I made friends and kissed fuzzy animal faces and my dreams came true.

I don’t remember this guy’s name, but he was ace.

Hands down the friendliest goat I’ve ever met.

BAAAABY GOAT!

Lambies!!

Snouts!

He’s got PIGGY EYEBROWS!!!

(pig sex photobomb totally happening in the background for extra points)

Which is how you end up with BAAAAABY PIGGIES!

And buns! So many buns…

Check out all the feet floof!

BIG bun…

Baby cows!

Hugs!

Horsies…

I’ve seen dogs with longer legs…

Owls…

Alpacas…

Soooooper goofy donkey friends…

Chickens…

The moment you have been waiting for.

The hugging of a sheep done by ME!

He came right up to me and said hello.

So I said hello back.

And he was totally into it!

Best tiny Holiday ever! xx

Parental Invasion!

My parents came to see me!!!!!!!

Of course, we had to go to Westminster…

As well as Westminster Abbey…

Mom attempts to soak in more than a thousand years of history…

Trafalgar Square was next…

It was pouring down rain off and on, but we soldiered through!

A stormy stroll along the Thames…

My gorgeous mom taking in the view of the Thames from London Bridge.

We stopped in Stratford-upon-Avon (the birthplace of William Shakespeare) on the way up North to experience some of the festivities taking place in honour of his birthday.

Strolling around the Lake District…

AND FINALLY, SAFARI PARK HAPPY PLACE!!!

Sleepytime bear…

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE GIRAFFE…

GIRAFFE KIIIIIISSSSSSEEESSSSSS….

Look at this guy’s FINGERS!!!

MAKING FRIENDS LIKE I DO.

Emus?

They are very very large and aggressive…

But THIS dude right here is THE BEST!

THE END XXOO

Becca’s Visit!

When I found out my friend Becca was going to come from Nashville to visit me I literally jumped up and down in my bedroom screaming “BECCA’S GONNA COME SEEEEEE MEEEEEEE!!!!!” at the top of my lungs while my dog looked at me with distinct disapproval of my volume level.
Most of the photos are of Becca because she’s just really super pretty.

A day exploring Greenwich…

The Prime Meridian Line-where time begins!

Becca is also a MAJOR Harry Potter fan.

She was a little excited.

Simply adorable.

Here we are slurping down a few beautiful craft cocktails at Bar Social…

And then snarfing down some gorgeously sinful pizza in Shoreditch…

And beer…

And the prettiest little butter lettuce & avocado salad…

Did I mention that Sir Noodles fell in love with Becca during her stay?

(she’s totally channelling some ultra-hot Uma Thurman in this shot)

Exploring Salisbury + Salisbury Cathedral.

Sunday Roast…

Let’s all just take a moment of silence for how breathtaking my friend is.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t stay forever and had to go home. SAD FACE.

Til next time!

xxoo

A Very Cold Venetian Holiday…

Ahhhhhh Venice!

Much to our delight and complete surprise, Carnival was in FULL SWING when we arrived in Venice.

Costumes, music, FOUNTAINS OF RED WINE, and confetti, confetti, confetti!!

Venetian shop windows…!!!

My most favourite book…

Rialto Bridge at night…

A night of glorious Italian opera (birthday gift from the super sweet hubs)

Day in Murano…

The Venice Cemetery…

Ponte dei Sospiri (The Bridge of Sighs)

Confetti covering everything…

Pups!

St. Mark’s Basilica

It was cold, but it was still dreamy. Ciao Venice xx

MAJESTIC FLORENCE PART III…

I present you with the last of my Florence photos!
Wondrously Amazing Florence…

Boboli Gardens

Ponte Vecchio

Medici Riccardi

Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross)

GOODBYE SWEET FLORENCE! xxoo