Showing posts with label photos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photos. Show all posts

Monday, 14 April 2014

Pick Me Ups

A list of things that feel good:

  • Having your class cancelled on a beautiful day. 
  • Laughing so hard your face hurts. 
  • Watching a child do something for the first time. 
  • A great idea. 
  • Getting mail. 
  • Walking out of your last exam. 
  • Seeing hard work pay off. 
  • Your favourite lunch.
  • Clean laundry.
  • Being told you did an excellent job.
  • A care package. 
  • Student discount. 
  • A crisp white shirt.
  • Seeing how happy your dog is when you take him for a walk.
  • An unexpected gift. 
  • Walking barefoot in the sand. 
  • Taking uncomfortable shoes off.
  • Singing in public and hearing a stranger say “You *GO* girl!” 
  •  Landing on the runway after a long flight. 
  • An almost dangerous sense of determination. 
  • Feeling needed.
  • The ability to listen.
  • Compassion. 
  • Travelling.
  • Writing something you're proud of.
  • Smiling at strangers and getting smiles in return.
  • Wide open spaces.
  • Knowing that we live in a world where most things are just a phone call away.
  • Snacking when you get home late. 
  • Latte art.
  • Being with someone you love when you need each other.
  • The smell of the first bbq of summer.
  • A sleep in the afternoon after a big meal. 
  • Making use of the whole day. 
  • Watching a black and white film.
  • Eating food you grew yourself. 
  • The first warm summer days.
  • Being brave enough to stand by your decisions.
  • Waking up next to someone you love. 
  • The smell of freshly cut grass.
  • Knowing that all is well.
  • Finding a starfish at the beach. 
  • The sound of wind in the trees. 
  • The sound of the ocean at high tide.
  • Meeting new people and having them become good friends faster than you thought possible. 
  • Finding common ground with someone you were unsure about.
  • Knowing and feeling that some person really likes you as you are.
  • When the weather is just warm enough for you to eat outside.
  • Listening to the falling rain drops. 
  • Watching the dew drops on flower petals early in the morning. 
Keep a look out for Pt. 2!

Monday, 7 April 2014

London Coffee Festival!


This year the London Coffee Festival hit Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane. It opened on Thursday and Friday (3rd-4th of April) to trade. Then, during the weekend (5th-6th of April), they let consumers run loose. And boy, what fun did we have!


On the way in we picked up one of The Coffee Festival magazines. It's full great stuff! Articles including: 'The Science of Espresso' and 'The Importance of Water'. The writing is outstandingly articulate, easy for full blown coffee geeks and those just starting out to understand. Concise and clear. The images inside are also worth a mention. The photography shown is of the highest quality, making coffee and the different processes look beautiful.



We then headed downstairs to the True Artisan Café where the majority of coffee served was free - in response to this they kindly asked that you made a donation to Project Waterfall. This is a charity that focuses on providing safe drinking water and good hygiene to some of the poorest communities in the coffee growing regions of Africa. Undeniably a cause worth reading about and getting involved with.

The music downstairs was mind blowing! One DJ supplying the whole place with the most easy on the ears mixes - some of the best I've ever heard. It created an unimaginable atmosphere (and definitely kept everyone on their toes).


I was lucky enough to sample Nude Espresso's cold brew. Brewed for 18 hours with beans from Kenya gave it an overwhelming fruity taste that I just couldn't get enough of. That's my summer drink sorted!



The entire set up worked fantastically! Easy to move around, observe and talk to different stands and people interested in coffee (roasting, brewing, the science behind it etc). Everything you could have needed was right there.


The Festival also brought along a few treats! Everyone who entered was given a tote bag with a few goodies inside. The London Coffee Guide was also available to buy - I'm looking forward to having a read of that one!


All in all it was a cracking event - well planned, and executed. Bring on 2015!

You can find all of The London Coffee Festival's Links here:

Sunday, 6 April 2014

Travel: London


The day started with an early - surprisingly busy - train from York to Kings' Cross.


We headed to the market not long after arriving. Picking up doughnuts and becoming intoxicated by the smell of fresh bread and spices.


The view from Bankside was incredible! Pretty much clear blue skies and boats passing through every few minutes. 


I may have developed a slight infatuation with Soho. It was completely my kind of thing, interesting shops, eateries, buildings. I could have happily wandered around there all day.
I got a little snap happy!


The sandwiches were to die for! Full of quality ingredients and sold by the chattiest fellow.


Freshly squeezed blood orange juice reminded me of being home in Bari (Italy). Packed with flavour, made from oranges straight from Sicily - I can assure you it was worth the £3.50 it cost.


The three images above are all from Fernandez and Wells. A small but well utilised space. It was packed with locals and the staff were more than helpful - willing to chat and advise, ideal!


The view from the front window of Fernandez and Wells.




In the end, we calculated that our feet travelled around 14km, it was killer and I'm a little achey as I write this but it was so worth it!


One of the many amusing A-boards we passed on our journey. Spotted another that said 'Topless baristas here..." - cheeky, but I'm not sure it would go down too well in Harrogate!



Labour and Wait  - Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to take a peak inside but with all the commotion seen from inside and out it looked pretty cool.


Coffee beans from Nude Espresso.


Everything in London looked stunning! So well thought out and it really felt like people wanted to be there, selling their products.




The versatility of the art and graffiti that stretched throughout London was astounding!


Much to my dismay I did have to return to the North that night. It reiterated just what you can do 24 hours.

I am completely besotted with London. The amount of culture, fashion and food inspiration, coffee, art, writing (and all the rest!) that I absorbed in that one day is beyond measure.

A trip that was more than worth the 5:30am wake up.