Moleskine Stuff

I'm about to finish my current Moleskine, so I've been checking the old pages and my traveling notes that usually are as you see it on the photo. Whenever I travel it is essential for me to take notes or keep some sort of diary, otherwise my lousy memory would totally forget moments, places, names, anecdotes... regardless of their awesomeness, at the end of the day, boom! Gone.

I don't have any travel planned for now because I'm in a self-imposed war-economy saving plan... (or at least I'm trying)... what about you? Any fun destination coming your way this year?

Tips for Happiness

Yesterday when I was posting the Bristol photos I bumped into this one that definitely deserves a post of its own. This was on the Harbour's floor during the Festival and the idea was for people to write their tips for happiness, as you can see, the two most important things in the pursue of happiness are: beer and Batman. In that order. Don't forget.

Also, Happy Groundhog Day!!! Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter so, lots of patience, wool, beer and Batman! x

Tobacco Factory

Back in July when I was in Bristol I have the opportunity to visit a lovely Sunday Market in the Tobacco Factory in Raleigh Road. There was a lot fresh and delicious food as well as plants, books, vinyls, vintage clothes and super nice people willing to give you a taste of their lovely dishes.

We bought 'falapples' a delicious recipe created for Jabob that mixes, as you probably imagine, falafel and apples, we also tried the falafels with tomato and the hummus, everything was amazingly good. We got carried away and end up buying lots of cheese and chutneys (the onion marmalade was my favorite one) for sharing with friends and to finish our time in the market we shared a nice pie from the popular Pie Minister.


The Sunday Market has its own Facebook Page and the Tobbaco Factory, that also serves as a café and a venue for cultural events, is having soon a 10 Year Anniversary Celebration, you can see the details of the event here. So if you happen to be in Bristol don't miss any of this, you're in for a treat :)

Summer in Film (II)

Lyme Regis, Durdle Door and Budleigh Salterton. UK I miss you.

Summer in Film (I)

There's something about film photos. About their texture, their colors, their grain, their everything. They are perfectly imperfect. There's also something about the waiting, for me specially I reckon. I usually wait a long time to develop my film pictures, not for any particular reason but my usual distraction. It takes me ages to take the reels to the photo shop, and some more ages to pick them up. In the meantime I usually forget what's on the reels, so when I finally got the photos I end up with a handful of surprises.

Some photos arrive just in time to color your day with beautiful memories. Some photos are like a delayed mini epiphany that arrive a little too late and that's part of their perfect imperfection.

Well, I said too much, except that this photos belong to the gorgeous towns of Sidmouth, Lyme Regis and Durdle Door in the wonderful West Country in England.




PS: I know that I took one too many photos of that Mr. Whippy, but come on, look at it, is the most beautiful ice-cream ever, isn't it?

West Country Tour (IV): Durdle Door

It the coast of Dorset, facing the English Channel you got this very special place called Durdle Door (a combination of words really dificult to be pronounced properly if you happen to been born in a place other than the UK). The name Durdle is derived from an Old English word 'thirl' meaning bore or drill.

The door is an arch made of stone located in a beautiful peaceful beach (despite the big amount of tourists coming and going). They say that eventually the arch is going to collapse leaving just a bunch of rocks piled at the sea.

One thing I didn't know when I went there is that all that area is privately owned by the Welds, a family who own 50 km2 in Dorset in the name of the Lulworth Estate. I read that on the map though. Fortunately this amazing place is open to the public.

The water is cold, very cold, but not impossible cold. Being there and knowing that is possible that I might never come back I took my chances and went for a swim even though I had no towel, it was part refreshing and delightful, part painful, but overall it was definitely worth it. Who knows if I'm going to have that chance again.

So, if you ever around this part of England you definitely have to go to Durdle Door. A lot of amazing sights, delicious water, gorgeous sunset light and the best Mr. Whippies ever. And as Douglas Adams would say: don't forget to bring your towel. 

x

West Country Tour (III): Lyme Regis

So, the Jurassic Coast of the UK is like a bunch of little lovely towns, one next to the other, one more beautiful than the other, with Lyme Regis, on West Dorset, being one of the nicest. Maybe is because is on a hill and so the Sea is kind of omnipresent, or because the beach is (or at least seems) warmer, or because of the contrast between the amazingly green garden on top and the salty sandy beach (I think that's pretty common in the UK, but for me it's a wonderful surprising sight). Probably because all of the above.  

We left Sidmouth at noon and in the way to Lyme Regis pass a Donkey Sanctuary (yes, we drove into the Donkey Sanctuary, for 10 minutes, but come on... it's a Donkey Sanctuary!) and another town named Beer (also yes), and arrived just in time for lunch. We share a typical English salad which name I'm just incapable of learning: Ploughman's lunch (I juggle with Google to came up with that) and some other salad made with crab. The day was sunny and at the beach they were celebrating the Lifeboat Week, so there was a lot of people, music, boats, seagulls, fudge. It was perfect.  

Some other interesting facts about Lyme Regis, according to Wiki, are: the town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border. It is nicknamed "The Pearl of Dorset." The harbour wall, "The Cobb", features in Jane Austen's novel Persuasion. And last but not least, the town was home to Admiral Sir George Somers, its one time mayor and parliamentarian, who founded the Somers Isles, better known as Bermuda.

West Country Tour (II): Sidmouth

Once again, accordng to our friend Wiki, Sidmouth is a small town is a small town on the English Channel coast in Devon, South West England. The town lies at the mouth of the River Sid in the East Devon district, 15 miles (24 km) south east of Exeter.

Sidmouth is the town where some of my new English friends were born. A lovely town in the Jurassic Coast of England. This past week they had a Folk Festival and we went to have a look Friday night and Saturday morning and it was lots of fun, based on hog roast, pub chanting, Folk dances, walks on the beach and lots of cider. Totally recommended.

A photo of the night sight of the beach :)