Arty Farty

Love this art installation in Belgium. Via Cup of Jo.

Just Wow!

Thank you to my cousin Elanor for sharing this on facebook - I can guarentee that your mind will be blown by the principle dancer's beautiful and completely implausible moves!

Pelican

I can't remember where I found this image of a pelican, but I like it.

Song of the Day

Thanks to the lovely Elliott Smith I've been using Spotify alot since I got to Norway. My most played song is A Case of You by Joni Mitchell because a) I love it and b) it reminds me of singing along completely out of tune and at a ridiculous volume with Naomi in the car "oooo-ooo-oh Caaa-naaaa-daa-aaa".

I Arrived.

Well, here I am. In Stavanger, Norway. I've been here for 4 weeks now and slowly but surely I'm finding my feet and my way around.

The city centre is between the harbour and a lake

There are lakes everywhere, this one is 10 minutes walk from the house

The 'Old Town' looks like something from a fairy tale

I'm still getting used to my new job, looking after a toddler (and occasionally a 5 year old) is worlds apart from being an Account Manager but I think that I'm going to really enjoy the rest of the 10 months that I'll be spending in Stavanger, and after that - who knows!

Ready for a Change

In the words of Queen, I want to break free.

I am so, incredibly, absolutely ready for my upcoming change of scene.

I just can't wait!

Annie Leibovitz

The National Portrait Gallery had an Annie Leibovitz retrospective last year and Naomi & I spent a few hours having a good look around.
I was expecting a lot of glossy celebrity photos (and that would have been fine by me) but I was surprised to find that amongst the magazine cover shots there were some very tender portraits of family members, as well as a moving series of photos chronicling her long term partner Susan Sontag’s battle with terminal cancer.

The two photos that I found most compelling were those that bridged the gap between celebrity glamour & intimacy – a shot of Kate Moss and Jonny Depp taken just at the time when they were in the middle of their very public engagement, and a photo of John Lennon & Yoko Ono, taken only hours before he was killed.

Norway

In exactly four weeks I will fly to Norway to live there for a year. I'll be an au pair in Stavanger for a lovely French family, looking after their 5 year old son and 18 month old daughter - I can’t wait!
I've got a lot to do between now and then to make sure I've handed everything over at work, successfully sold / given away / palmed off most of my possessions and packed the rest to either store with kind family members or take with me in my two suitcases.

I’ll use this blog to keep everyone up to date with what I’m up to & to share some pictures of the new places I’ve visited.

Exciting times!

p.s. Norway isn't actually that far from the UK...

Love

From Le Love

Economics 101

Summer Evenings

Pigeon Fear

I have peristerophobia, a completely irrational, but very strong, fear of pigeons.

Last night I watched the series finale of Modern Family and was not at all happy when the story included a pigeon flying into Mitch & Cam’s house while Mitch was home alone with his baby daughter. Watching the pigeon fly around the house, and how close it was getting to him, was making me FREAK OUT in a more dramatic way than the over-the-top-camp fictional character was. It was absolutely horrendous.
Lately I’ve been more aware than ever of just how scared I am of pigeons, or more specifically of one touching me. The flat that Ian and I live in has a little balcony off our kitchen and during the recent hot weather, when it would have been nice to have some fresh air wafting through, I have left that door shut and locked for fear of a pigeon, or any bird, wandering into the flat, getting trapped and touching me in its flapping panic to get out. I also don’t open windows wider than a couple of inches for fear it would be an invitation for one to hop on in.

The other week I accidentally hit a pigeon with my car when it was flying loopily under a bridge. I could see it coming and because of the traffic had no way of avoiding it, so I shut my eyes and shouted “no, no, no, no, no” when I felt it hit. I pulled over immediately and was cowering in the car on the phone to Marge, panicking, hot, short of breath, crying and screaming at her like a mad woman that I didn’t know where it had landed and that it might be on the roof. I imagined it rolling down onto the windscreen and that I’d have to look at it all the way home or touch it (aaaarrrrrgggghhhh!!!) to get it off. She tried to calm me down, but I knew she thought I was insane so I called Ian and told him that in 5 minutes time I would be pulling up to the kitchen door at the restaurant he works at, and that he had to come and check my car to see if there was any pigeon on it before I could get out. I drove there at about 10mph, making sure I didn’t take any sharp turns or brake too suddenly, then when I got there he swore on his life I was all clear, laughed at me and told me that all his colleagues think his sister is demented.

That night it took a couple of serious vodkas before I stopped shaking, and I was traumatised for quite a few days afterwards.

I don’t really know why I’m so scared, I vaguely remember dropping a teeny, tiny, fluffy new chick on the floor at Grandma’s friend’s farm when I was 3 or 4 because it was scratching at my hand and it was TOO WEIRD, and when I was about 13 a pigeon’s wing touched my arm when it flew past which really upset me. But then all of a sudden when I was around 16 I just lost the plot. I can’t sit down on chairs or benches outside in case a sneaky one walks too close to my feet and then needs to fly and ends up getting tangled up about my person. I can’t cope when there’s a pigeon inside a building, even if it’s a massive building like a train station or shopping centre. Naomi once had to drag me out of the Arndale Centre in Manchester because there was a pigeon that was trapped in and trying to get out through the glass door, banging around and completely out of control - I was on the verge of crying and / or doing a little wee through sheer physical terror.

I’m a bit scared of all birds, but my fear of pigeons is the most intense – probably because they’re around more and there’s something about how solid-looking they are and the knowledge that some of them aren’t scared of people that really gets me. Also, I think that just like you get insane people you must get insane pigeons who forget that they’re not supposed to land on humans and peck them / flap on them / claw them.

You can't tell me this isn't horrific.

When I went to Venice with Rachael I kind of ruined her plans because I refused to queue in St Mark’s square to get into the Basilica because it was heaving with hundreds of pigeons that were so used to being fed and petted that they were just landing on people and touching them when they were walking around their feet. Wrong, wrong, wrong. It was such a beautiful place but I couldn’t wait to get out of that square – I was completely pre-occupied by fear.

I agree with most people that it’s a bit funny and a lot pathetic, so I’m going to try and get over it. Maybe I should just get it over and done with and touch one…

NOOOOO!

My Favourite Smells

Ghost perfume, petrol, lavender, honeysuckle, bonfires, Jon Hamm (I imagine), fresh bread and coffee, the air as you get off the plane in a hot country, mop hair products, a hot bath with bath house salts

The weekend is nearly here!

Tomorrow I'm visiting Elanor, one of my top 5 cousins of all time(!)
Last time I saw her we abseiled down the Cunard building.

Then we went for lunch and a big glass of red (or two). This time I think it will mainly just involve the wine...

Happy Weekend!

Happy Birthday Marge & AB!

On a lighter note

It’s lunch time & the sun is shining and for some reason this has reminded me of the enormous salads that Rachael, Naomi and I enjoyed in Corsica last summer. The most typical Corsican salad is the Chevre Chaud au Miele, or warm goats cheese with honey, and it is totally unhealthy and completely delicious – just how I like my salads!

Naomi and Rachael in the Bavella Mountains, Corsica 2009

To make the salad:
· lamb’s lettuce or baby spinach
· fresh goat cheese
· 1 avocado
· 1 large tomato or several small ones
· 2 slices of fresh bread (preferably baguette)
· butter
· honey

For the dressing:
· honey
· dijon mustard
· olive oil
· balsamic vinegar

First slice the bread and toast it in a pan with some butter. When the bread is golden and toasted, add a thick slice of fresh goat cheese on top. Place it under the grill with a low setting so that the cheese softens but doesn’t melt completely.

In a separate bowl, make the dressing by combining a small spoonful of honey with a small spoonful of dijon mustard. Beat with a fork until blended. Then add a splash of balsamic vinegar and blend again. Finally, add a generous amount of olive oil and keep beating the dressing with a fork until it is completely smooth and thick. If the dressing separates, keep adding small amounts of each ingredient until it blends smoothly.

Rinse the salad greens and arrange them on a plate. Distribute the sliced tomatoes evenly on the plate. Add a few slices of avocado. Pour some dressing over the salad. Finally, place a slice of bread with the warm goat cheese in the middle of the place on top of the salad greens. Drizzle with honey and serve.

I don’t think my egg mayonnaise sandwich is quite going to cut it now…

A Serious Issue

This blog is still brand new so I haven't really established the direction or tone of it yet - I imagine that it will mostly be my light-hearted news, wish lists of things I like and photos I’ve taken and want to share. One thing I didn’t plan on sharing are my partially formed opinions about weighty political issues and events that I can’t claim to know much about at all.
That being said I have been very moved by the news this weekend of the Israeli Naval Commando attack on the flotilla carrying aid supplies to the Gaza Strip. The attack and resulting loss of life and serious injury is obviously shocking in itself, but furthermore it has put the spotlight on the severity of the Gaza blockade that has been in place since 2007, and brought it further into the public consciousness.

According to the BBC website the UN agency UNRWA reports that as a result of the blockade 80% of Gazan households rely on some kind of food aid and that when aid is discounted, 70% of Gazan families live on less than a dollar a day per person. People can’t afford to provide for their family, even where items are actually available, because unemployment has soared since 2007 - before the blockade 3,900 industrial premises were operating, employing 35,000 people - by June 2008, and only 90 were still functioning, employing only 860.

This conflict is rooted in thousands of years of murky history and religion, and the things I know about it are a drop in the ocean of all the past events, but I fundamentally believe that the Israeli government should not treat these people, 1.5 million human beings, in such an appallingly inhumane manner.
Regardless of the security issues ongoing in the area, to forcibly deny the ordinary men, women and children who live in the region the necessities to live is unacceptable and our government and the UN should be putting serious pressure on Israel to change its tack. At the very least they should allow the people of Gaza access to clean water, food and medical care as well as allowing them to trade freely and removing their reliance on aid agencies and handouts.
In a 2008 article Chris Guinness of UNRWA was quoted as saying "This is not a humanitarian crisis, This is a political crisis of choice with dire humanitarian consequences." The same article quotes Tony Blair, in his role as Middle East envoy for the Quartet (US, Russia, the UN and the EU) saying "the present situation is not harming Hamas in Gaza but it is harming the people" and that the blockade was reinforcing rather than undermining Hamas’s hold on power.

If the Israeli government can’t bring themselves to remove the blockade simply because it’s the right thing to do, then perhaps they could consider it a political move to stop the inevitable radicalisation of every single Gazan resident if the blockade continues.

As for the attack on the Mavi Marmara, perhaps the most we can hope for is that it was the catalyst for change that is so desperately needed.

Verona and Lake Garda 2008

There's a new film being advertised called Letters to Juliet about an American girl who visits Verona - Amanda Seyfried is in it and needless to say it looks rubbish. Despite that I will almost certainly watch it at some point because it’s set in a city I've been to and I feel inexplicably excited (& a bit famous) whenever I see somewhere or someone I know on television.
I went to Italy on holiday with Rachael in July 2008 and stayed in Lido di Jesolo, a beach resort near Venice. As well as visiting the islands of Venice, Burano & Murano we went on a day drip to Verona and Lake Garda.

The main attraction in Verona is the Casa di Giulietta, complete with balcony. On the way into the square the alley walls are absolutely jam-packed full with the graffiti of couples names, love hearts and poems.


The balcony itself was built in the 20th century but tourists flock there as the focal point of the city’s association with the story (our guide pointed out a grand house in the hills outside of the city, which was apparently the home of the real life inspiration for Juliet).
We were there in high season so it was heaving with other tourists and there was a play going on with Romeo and Juliet chasing each other round the courtyard and appearing at the balcony.


There’s a bronze statue of Juliet that has a very shiny right boob because if you rub it apparently you’ll be lucky in love. It’s a myth I tell you!

The rest of the city is much calmer and really beautiful, there’s a coliseum and plenty of historical buildings, as well as a bustling market and secret winding side streets with panino & gelato shops. The city sits on the shore of the Adige river and the Ponte Pietra was a great place to catch a breeze and take some photos.

We ended the day in Limone and had a paddle in Lake Garda.

Whilst I’m glad I’ve been to Venice and the surrounding islands I doubt I’ll ever go again, however I’d love to be able to visit Verona and the Italian lakes twice a year, every year!

Birkenstocks

My new Birkenstocks, a gift from AB. Love them.

Element

I would like to thank Element Contemporary Jewellery in Hebden Bridge for inspiring me to stop biting my nails again after a 3 month relapse.
During a recent visit with Naomi and Rachael I saw, and fell in love with, this ring…

But it’s far too delicate and pretty to be seen on a hand with bitten nails, so it was the push I needed to grow mine again and this weekend I’m ready to invest in my incentive!

The shop has been around for a few years and is well established as an inviting & friendly place that showcases a variety of jewellery designers, including some from the local area. Items range from the very expensive to the just-about-justifiably-cheap (the bud ring is pretty reasonable at £30). They have a full and easy to use website if you fancy a browse but can’t make it to Hebden.

Come in, Go away.

Wait

I don't have anything significant to follow this up with.

British Summer Time

This weekend was glorious. I spent Saturday at Naomi's house sunbathing on her decking, we had a view of the horses in the field next door and the Pennines in the distance. More friends popped round in the afternoon and apart from a quick break to eat a massive takeaway we stayed outside until about 10pm. We bounced on the trampoline, messed around with some golf target practice (I was predictably rubbish) and just generally lazed around all day. Brilliant!

After some more sunbathing yesterday morning we went to a bbq for the afternoon. I was in danger of burning by this point because of the green-tinged translucent skin that I have inherited from the ginger Irish Godfreys (why couldn’t I have got the Smith borderline-olive-skinned gene?). I ‘borrowed’ some stronger SPF cream and manoeuvred away from the strongest glares and it seems to have worked because I escaped the burn, but still have trillions of freckles that just make me look like I need a good wash!

When I got home last night I was grateful for our west-facing balcony because I had a really good view of the sun setting over the Todmorden hills and saw some amazing Crepuscular rays (my new word for the day). I didn’t take a photo but for the purpose of the blog let's pretend it looked just like this…

I feel as though I’ve been away on holiday this weekend and am suitably refreshed - now I’m ready for the bank holiday to begin! Bring on Friday 6pm…

This was only ever just a temporary measure

This autumn, about a week before the epic snowy winter set in, I went to the Lake District with my mum for a very relaxing long weekend. In between eating hearty breakfasts and pub suppers we were on the constant look out for coffee & a slice of cake to tide us over during our meanderings.
While we were wandering around Keswick one afternoon, searching for our next fix, we stumbled across Temporary Measure, a gorgeous gallery / shop / cafe on the high street.

The lady who owns Temporary Measure turns photos she's taken in the Lake District, Japan & San Francisco (amongst other places), into canvas prints and adds a short narrative that sounds as though it's an excerpt from a longer, more elaborate, story.

The most beautiful boy in all of the world...

I'd actually seen some Temporary Measure wares (bags, purses & trinkety things in a similar style) at one of the pop-up Manchester Market stalls about 5 years ago with my friend Jemma. We both loved it all and indulged ourselves by buying a little badge each, so when I found a WHOLE shop to browse through I was in heaven.

The canvases fill the walls of the shop and you can stare away at them all while you enjoy a nice pot of tea & piece of homemade cake in the little tea room.

Delicious!

Isn't this lovely?

I really like this, it makes me feel free just looking at it.

I don't know where it originated from because it's on lots of people's flickr & ffffound pages but I first saw it on India Knight's blog.

The first post

I wanted to start this blog so I can share some photos from things I've been (& hopefully will be) up to.

This is a photo of Ian & Sarah, my brother & sister, on a recent night at the pub.

I love it because it reminds me of this:

But they were actually having fun, honestly.