Penwith's best

Starting the day at the Prom, Penzance, we watched the Olympic torch race by, then ran up Chapel St to watch it changing hands at the top of Market Jew St. Then commenced a tour of the loveliest places to bring around 100 friends and family. Starting in Chapel St, we visited Penzance's oldest pub, then immediately ditched that idea due to its dubious stance on sustainability amongst other things. On the way out of Penzance we got caught up in the torch parade, and as we waved flags out of the open top of the car, we were cheered on our way. Our next stop saw us upgraded to the beautiful Sandbar at Praa Sands, well worth a visit any time as it looks immediately onto the beach. Just stunning. Next were two St Ives hotels, one much bigger than the other, with a better view and stunning wooded gardens. Eventually we made it to the Sandsifter in Hayle, which did not compare to the splendid Sandbar or the opportunities for fun in St Ives. A fab day finished off with one of my favourite activities, drinks and gossip around the kitchen table with family. Having also somehow found time to book a church, I feel we had a very successful day. How lucky to have so many stunning places to choose from!

Sunday in Stroud

I was all ready to embark on a day of admin and sorting, when I realised I could see something rare and wonderful outside - the sun! So plans were scrapped and off we went towards Stroud, with the intention of checking out some art galleries. Most things in Stroud seem to be shut on a Sunday however, so we adjusted our plans once more and went for a roast in The Crown in Frampton Mansell. The service was great and the pub cosy, but before we finished our game of scrabble we were enticed out again by the sun and beautiful surroundings. We walked along a path, crossed the railway and entered a field with cows and a stream which looked a bit like paradise. I'm growing to love this area, and am very hopeful that we can move here soon.

A beautiful weekend

A beautiful weekend spent in Penzance and Somerset. On Friday evening Jim, Matt and I walked to St Michael's Mount and had a look around in the gorgeous evening sun, then supped on cider at the Godolphin Arms, a starling by our side. On Saturday morning the entire crew minus Andy went to play on Perranuthnoe Beach, setting off foam rockets, playing football and scrambling across the rocks. Another drink at the Godolphin followed, and on Sunday, after a wonderful walk in the wilds of Penwith, we made our way to Matt's parents, to skip, hunt Easter eggs and celebrate in the beautiful garden. Happy family gorgeous sunny outdoor times.

Vancouver

I will always think of Vancouver as bright, blue, clean and shiny. It's a bit of a contrast to Seattle, which is greyer, grimier and busier by comparison.
Vancouver is easy to walk around, easy to get out of and easy to be in. In the short time we were there we managed to climb mountains, eat seafood and rollerblade around Stanley Park in the sunshine. I felt far away from worldly worries. I felt, warm, carefree and happy. A great place to visit.

Seattle

The city of rain... nobody told me this before I went. It was still good though. I loved the Seattle mentality, it seemed so British. It might be raining, so what? Get wet! And we did get wet, particularly when walking through the water sculpture... funny that! We also drank loads of coffee, ate tons of good food, and shopped away, specifically in Capitol Hill (I want to go back), Fremont and Pike Place Market. The latter is a great place for a coffee as you watch the sun set over the mountains and the sea. No wonder they are sleepless in Seattle, the amount of coffee they drink! Seattle is cool. Best of all, it brought the four of us together again after 6 and a half years, and hosted the wedding of CJ and Nik.

Holford

We trudged through a muddy field in the dark to get to The Plough for Fran and Chris' 30th birthdays. It wasn't far to go, but I wasn't to know that, having never done it before, so I found it a little disconcerting when a horse came galloping towards us. It was stopped by the electric fence though, and we soon emerged onto a quiet road on a starlit night.
After a few drinks in the pub we headed off into the night again, breaking the silence of Holford's lanes on our route to the cottage, which was once the Village Hall. The rest of the evening was spent chatting and relaxing in the cosy living room.
The next day, between the heavy showers, was bright and clear. We spent Mothers Day afternoon walking in Crowcombe, which was just heavenly. The air was clear, the views panoramic and nature all around us was waking up to the warming sun.
We saw newts and their spawn, lizards, buzzards and deer, all to the tune of the skylarks song and the sweet smell of gorse. As we looked down the valley we saw steamtrains coming inland from Minehead, and as we stood on a perfect circle made from broken stones, I had the feeling that this view seemed unchanged in 100 years. With no traffic noise, the steam from the trains, and expanses of green stretching in every direction, I could fool myself that we were far from 2012.
I was very happy there, and can't wait to go back in the Summer, as there is so much space in which to play and sunbathe. I could happily spend a day forgetting myself in the fields.

Berlin

12 and a half years after getting my German GCSE I finally got to it try out when I visited Berlin this week. I've been meaning to visit for a long time, especially as my younger sister was living there recently and absolutely fell in love with the city, and as people often draw comparisons between Berlin and Bristol, the city I now call home.
Finally I found the time to go, though not enough time as it turns out. We were looking forward to a break after working very hard and putting up with a freezing flat at the start of this year, so we booked ourselves into a posh hotel and packed our bags.
We turned up late on Wednesday and headed straight out for food. Bizarrely, we could find not a single place to eat, and after wandering many quiet streets we gave up and headed back to our hotel. Luckily where we were staying was clean, comfy and cosy, and some consolation.
After a good sleep we stepped onto Berlin's streets again, wandering hungrily for a little too long until we finally stopped at a cafe and filled our bellies with good food. We were surprised at how cheap our meals were. We made it to Ku'damm and sat down in another cafe, this time with a beer. After a swim in the hotel pool we headed north to take in the graffiti and hang out by the river, and ate at a wonderful sushi place where we were treated to no less than 34 pieces of sushi, and after drinks our bill still came to less than £20! We ended the night in a studenty area, drinking strong, tasty vodka based drinks and taking a taxi back to our lovely hotel.
We began the next day at the Turkish market in Kreuzburg, where we bought lots of edible treats, then sat in a Turkish cafe eating baklava, once again surprised by how cheap it is to eat in Berlin. Wandering the streets of Kreuzburg, eating and drinking beer took up the rest of the afternoon, and after a stop in the Topography of Terror museum, we were ready for another swim, sauna and spa. In the evening we visited Checkpoint Charlie, which was really expensive but really really interesting.
Berlin is a place crammed full of history, shopping and graffiti. It is culturally very diverse, despite its chequered past, and must be a wonderful place to be a student. I loved the metro, the food and the street art. Next time, I want to visit more museums, hire a bike and hang out in the sunshine. A few days is just not long enough.