Schoolgirl

As a child I wished I could be going to a Japanese school alongside Serena Tsukino or Sakura Kinomoto, catching up with my friends at the arcade after class or meeting my brother and his friends to go to a festival at the shrine. I spent hours reading manga and daydreaming about my alternate life – it was an escape from my life as a loser at school. I don’t think I realised how much of the clothes and fashion present in anime and manga infiltrated my young brain until this trip – so much of my personal style was identical to the young girls we saw daily in Japan.

This seifuku outfit was completely serendipitous (blouse, skater skirt and trainers is my daily uniform at home) but the minute I emerged Sam exlaimed “you look like you’re going to school!”. So of course when we visited Keio University we had to take these “going to school” photos! My own school uniform was pretty boring – I would have preferred cute sailor collars and pleated skirts! We headed to Kinchi Park afterwards, a beautiful little playground filled with teenagers and kids. 

The Keio Univeristy campus itself was so regal – I’m sure it was partly due to the combination of sakura bloom and intense sunshine (notice me squinting in every photo…) but the buildings seemed steeped in wisdom, authority and knowledge. It wasn’t too hard to slip back into my childhood daydreams and imagine myself chatting with friends on the walk to lectures or studying under the sakura during summer exams. I always like visiting universities when I go somewhere new – my own university meant so much to me and I suppose I’m curious about where everybody else spends their student years!

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Blouse – £4, charity shop. Cardigan – £3.50, Topshop via eBay. Cat ears – gift. Shoes – £25, Rocketdog. Skirt – £10, Urban Outfitters (sale). Socks – £2.50, Topshop (sale).

Tewkesbury

If this outfit looks a little familiar to the last post it’s because I was only away for 5 days – so just took one coat and bag! I’m always amazed at bloggers who manage to generate 2-3 completely different outfit posts on a single weekend trip; how much stuff are you guys taking? It impresses me as I’m way too lazy to carry my own stuff and never pack anything heavy or bulky. I’m sure that will change when I get my own entourage..!

This dress is a rare new item and it was a Christmas present; I love velvet and I love red and I really love short dresses so it’s a winner all round. I got the coat from a charity shop and including dry cleaning it was a grand total of £14! Everyone describes it as red but it’s more of a very dark orange.

These photos are from Tewkesbury – the main attraction is the stunning Tewkesbury Abbey, but we spent a fun afternoon exploring antiques shops and tea rooms. That was kind of the timetable for the whole holiday if I’m honest – I’ve never really been on that kind of slower-paced, meandering holiday and so it was quite novel for me and a really different experience. I especially loved strolling along the river; I tend to think of London as quite green and full of nature (typical Londoner…) but there’s none of that woodland brand of stillness that I found in the Cotswolds.

Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine

I first went to the French architecture museum in Paris when I was 20. One of my best friends had visited a few months before as part of his architecture degree. He’d sent me a postcard which lived on my university bedroom wall, so the museum already seemed familiar. I spent an entire happy day wandering in and out of the gigantic halls, astounded by architectural feats, the permanence of everything.

Immediately it became one of my favourite museums. There’s such a sense of calm there being surrounded by the huge windows that overlook the Eiffel Tower and gardens. The atmosphere is part museum, part library and part reverential sacred space. I’m not sure if it’s the enormity of the building or the many casts of churches and cathedrals, but it’s quite unlike any other museum I’ve visited. Old buildings always fascinate me; what would they say if they could talk? What have they seen? Who have they known? Did the hands that built them know they would be remembered in hundreds of years time? Commemorated, examined by artists and dreamers?

So of course on our most recent and magical trip to Paris I took my friends. We wandered around in silence, speaking quietly in hushed tones so as not to disturb the ancient buildings. And I left with that same sense of wonder, of reverence and of sketching out ideas that might outlast me. Outside the feeling continued on the square tiles of the Trocadero, laid down hundreds of years before, and the “temporary” structure of the Eiffel Tower posing in the background.

Christmas Shopping in Frankfurt

German christmas markets have become a staple in London during the festive season but it can’t really compare with the genuine article! On my recent trip to Frankfurt I actually experienced the opening of the main christmas markets in the Aldstadt (Old Town). It was truly magical. The carousels began to turn, the music started playing and suddenly all the lights switched on and the whole of the Römerberg Plaza became illuminated with twinkly coloured lights. You’ll have to imagine the accompanying smells of Apfelwein, Lebkuchen and gingerbread!

I thought I’d share a few of my other tourist highlights in case any of you are visiting Frankfurt any time soon.

STADEL – Schaumainkai 63, 60596 Frankfurt am Main

The Städel is one of the biggest art collections in Germany. It is mostly drawings and paintings, although there is a huge library as well and an impressive sculpture collection. The building itself is stunning and overlooks the river, fronted by a pretty garden containing a few more sculptures.

DIE KLEINMARKTHALLE – Hasengasse 5, 60311 Frankfurt am Main

This covered market was a labyrinth of colourful fruit and veg stands, lanterns lighting the paths and twinkly fairy lights adorning the stalls. It reminded me a little of similar covered markets in the UK, except far more magical!

WOOD CARVING SHOP – Römerberg Plaza

This shop didn’t seem to have a name but the building was a dark green with a picture of a tree. This charming little shop was filled with brightly painted wood crafts and decorations. Given the season this tiny shop was overflowing with the most stunning woodwork creations for Christmas; windmills, vignettes, figurines and music boxes seemed to be overflowing from every shelf.

EATING OUT

Germany doesn’t have a reputation for being veggie-friendly – I was imagining a lot of meat and potatoes before we arrived and I wasn’t far off – but the chicken-free schnitzel I sampled was incredible. The stall I found offered potato, aubergine and tofu variations. Make sure you get yours with mustard and fried onions for the full experience!

EISERNER STEG (Lovelock bridge) – Mainkai, 60311 Frankfurt am Main

If you’re not familiar with the concept of the lovelock bridge, the idea is a couple writes their name on a padlock, secures it to a bridge and throws away the key, thus ensuring their love can never be broken. There are a number of these bridges around but I found this one particularly beautiful; the padlocks looped to the higher structure of the bridge made delicate garlands and looping boughs.

MYZEIL SHOPPING CENTRE – Zeil

Zeil is the main shopping street in Frankfurt. I was eager to visit the MyZeil mall for the architecture! The building is full of majestic curves and the central glass mirror structure is light-harvesting, meaning most of the mall is lit using reflected sunlight from the column rather than needing swathes of electric lighting. Pretty cool! I particularly enjoyed the views from the top floor and the rotating escalators; it felt a bit like a space-age film set!

If you like architecture I would also recommend DEUTSCHES ARCHITEKTURMUSEUM.  When I went there was a review the International Highrise Award, as well as a whole floor documenting the many skyscrapers in Frankfurt and their history. It definitely enhanced all my skyline-viewing for the rest of the trip!

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So there we go! Let me know if you’re off to Frankfurt anytime soon, or your favourite places if you’ve been before. I’m hoping to get back there sometime soon!

La Pedrera & Antoni Gaudi

It’s all systems go here at the moment but I wanted to show you a bit more of beautiful Barcelona. On our first day we went to La Pedrera, one of the many notable buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi. As well as being a great example of Modernist design it’s a hugely innovative building in that it is self-supporting (mostly due to an innovative arch design rather than using load-bearing walls).

Most of these photos were taken on the roof which is decorated with these amazing statues and sculptures. To me they look like deformed heads or statues from some strange mutated army of warriors, and what with all the sun and peachy, sand coloured walls it did feel a bit like we had been transported into a sci-fi desert. It was just a really unusual and evocative environment. When the building was first completed it was used as luxury flats. Can you imagine living somewhere so fantastic?

We spent about an hour wandering the top of the roof; Christina sat sketching and I was furiously scribbling words as they sprang into my head. Afterwards, we went down into the museum. The cabinets housed various natural and manmade forms that inspired Gaudi’s designs and architecture; types of plant, animal skulls, driftwood, metal filings, glass bottles, geometric drawings. I left with my mind buzzing and whirring with ideas, and a strong sense of reverence. I’ve always thought that good architecture is like the grandest extension of art; unlike most of the art I deal with it’s so permanent, inherently useful and with such a clear reason. Gaudi was an artist, designer and an architect and had the kind of genre-changing career most people can only dream of. He devoted himself entirely to his work, eventually giving up socialising, relationships and everything but his religion and his work. Maybe that’s just what it takes?

Mini-guide: Cardiff

I’ve only been to Cardiff a handful of times but I thought I’d create this little guide of our favourite shops and cafes I discovered on my most recent visit there. We spent our days in Cardiff shopping for vintage clothes, admiring the adorable arcades and eating wonderful food. I highly recommend a trip to Cardiff if you can get there; it’s beautiful!

Be warned, there are a lot of photos in this post – everything was so pretty I just wanted to document it all! I’ve written about the place underneath the photos and I’ve put links in all the headings if you want to find out more.

VINTAGE ZIZOU

(16 Crown Arcade, CF10 1BU)

Vintage Zizou is a clothes and accessories shop for women; for a relatively small premises they have a very varied stock with vintage and contemporary clothes, bags, jewellery, vintage accessories and some gorgeous bridal wear. My friends were quick to drag me away from the wedding dresses before I could spend another half an hour dressed in tulle. Prices were fairly reasonable; I got a beautiful costume jewellery for £6 and one of my friends took home a stunning sequinned top for £25 which was in mint condition.

TROUTMARK BOOKS

(39-43 Castle Arcade)

Troutmark Books is an absolute must-visit if you’re a bookworm like I am. The shop appears deceptively small from outside but once you get set foot inside you’re confronted with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. The shop spans 3 floors and has a huge selection of genres available. The shop owner is very friendly and we spent a long time poring over various titles in this shop. Being the kid I am, I especially loved these old children’s books with beautifully coloured spines and the impressive comics collection.

SOPHIE’S

(16 High Street Arcade)

There are a huge number of cafes around Cardiff and I won’t lie, we chose to go in to Sophie’s purely because we had a Sophie in our group. Sophie’s specialise in crepes and galettes and although there were no vegan options listed they were happy to accommodate and create something new for me. Again this cafe was deceptively small; however downstairs there was a spacious seating area where we occupied the sofa for a good hour or so.

HUBBARD’S CUPBOARD

(35 Castle Arcade)

This shop was so beautiful! Light, airy and very well-presented; we spent a long time in here as it was also one of the first places we found with a decent mens section. The shop was split into two sections; vintage on one side (with a great selection of dresses ranging from medium to high prices) and crafts, stationary and wedding bits and pieces on the other side, all laid out impeccably. I’d recommend this shop to seasoned vintage shoppers or crafty people with an interest in aesthetically pleasing displays!

BARKER TEA HOUSE

(High Street Arcade)

I’m genuinely upset I don’t live closer to this place as I have been telling everybody about Barker Tea House since I got back to London. I am a prolific tea drinker and the mate infused with mint that I tried at Barker Tea House was exquisite! This was the last “meal” we had in Cardiff; the mini afternoon tea for one came with scones and chocolate brownies that were extremely rich and shared between three people we had more than enough. The upstairs area has a lovely interior which kind of reminded me of an updated country house or old-school british library; I loved the floral tiles that were used as accents and the stripped wood everywhere. I can imagine whiling away a lot of afternoons chatting with friends in this place. (Side note: doesn’t Danilo look like an advert for beards?)

HOBO’S VINTAGE

(26 High Street Arcade)

Cardiff is well-known as a vintage destination and I don’t know if Hobos is the oldest vintage shop there but it certainly seems to be one of the most iconic. The stock isn’t hugely varied, instead focusing more on popular vintage items (such as silk blouses and varsity jackets). You’re unlikely to stumble across a sequinned ballgown but the items they are all in excellent condition and available in a good selection of colours and prints. For people who take a more streamlined approach to vintage shopping or those who have a more classic style I’d recommend Hobos. They also had a great selection of upcycled vintage items and retro inspired clothes (including the Northern Soul dress I wore in this post!).

COFFEE BARKER

(13 Castle Arcade)

On my previous trip to Cardiff with James we had an idyllic meal here; I can’t remember what I ordered but I can remember both James and I talking about how great the food was on the train home. Another gorgeous cafe where I could happily spend a few hours if there weren’t so many other things to go and see! The interior has a kind of New York coffee bar feel to it, with squishy brown sofas and lots of cute metal signs.

GARLANDS

 (4 Duke Street Arcade)

A couple of locals recommended their Garlands so we headed there on our final (hungover) morning. The vegetarian/vegan breakfast was so filling and although quite a small and busy place the staff let us sit around for a while which made us feel very at home. Prices were great and the plates were so large it was really good value for money. I also recommend their juice; it was amazing!

CLAIRE GROVE BUTTONS

(45 Castle Arcade)

This shop was about to close by the time we got there but a quick look around confirmed that they have a HUGE selection of buttons and beads from all over the world. The shop has been there for over 30 years and they also have a selection of quirky cards and prints. If there was a specific button or bead you were after I imagine you’d be able to find it here but it’s a great place just to browse as well – the shop is quite small but beautifully laid out.

CARDIFF FASHION QUARTER

(Womanby Street)

Cardiff Fashion Quarter is almost a miniature shopping mall of independent traders selling a combination of vintage and contemporary clothes, books, jewellery and furniture. It’s based inside a converted cinema and is spread across two floors. Some of our favourite shops were Rhinestone Cowboy, Nelly’s Treasures, Rock-Ola Reborn, Bada Peng and Freak Unique Boutique. The whole space was beautifully decorated with fairy lights, bunting, paper flowers and pretty wallpapers covering the space and each stall had cute displays, we spent such a long time just wandering around and browsing all the cute retro toys!

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Other places I would recommend based on my previous visits to Cardiff:

Chapter Arts

One of my favourite arts centres with a really good programme of events, also the cafe is absolutely amazing!

Spillers Records

Obviously I collect records so I’m always biased towards record shops anyway but even if you’re not a vinyl owner this shop is worth a visit anyway – it’s the oldest record shop in the world.

Natural History Museum of St Fagans

The Gate Arts Centre

Bute Park

 

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So there we go, a few of my suggestions for Cardiff! I’ve not really written any city guides like this before so let me know if it’s useful or if you’d like to see more. If you have any favourite places in Cardiff pop them in the comments so other people can go there too!

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Lutyens House

I hope all of you have been enjoying the gloriously warm evenings we’ve been granted this summer! It’s so lovely to be able to stay out in the sunshine late into the day. These pictures were taken at Goddards, a beautiful country house in Surrey. The house was designed by renowned architect Edwin Lutyens  and for most of the time it is private to the public and kept for reservations. James and I were lucky enough to be invited to a dinner at the house with members of the Lutyens trust and took the opportunity to explore the beautiful home usually off limits. It was a gloriously golden evening when we arrived and the stunning gardens were filled with dappled rays of evening sunlight.

Edwin Lutyens collected many interesting objects throughout his life which have found their way into the home, such as the beautifully ornate door knocker pictured below and the rare stag heads decorating the bowls room. It felt like every room was filled with yet another unique treasure! The living-room also featured a hidden door behind the curved bookshelves, originally put in to allow a small person to crawl through and clean the windows behind. Old houses have such a feeling of adventure, don’t you think? Especially when filled with as many quirky details as Goddards!