Well, summer has come to a close. It’s always a bit bittersweet because summer is such a magical time of year. And even though I was working and keeping myself busy, it still felt like vacation all along.
Flights: 6
Countries: 2
Beds: 4
I finished my last exam May 30th and promptly left the next day to Mallorca with some university friends. It was my first time going to Spain without my significant other, but I am happy to say my Spanish came in handy a couple times! Mallorca is a beautiful island, which I have yet to write about (whoops), but I also loved the city of Palma. It is almost like a mini-Barcelona if you will. Our time spent in Mallorca was great! Delicious food, luxurious accommodation, beautiful weather… what more could I ask for?
Right after Mallorca Victor and I had a celebratory vacation of our own in Dublin. Still recovering from sunburns, I had to wear full length jackets in Ireland because the weather was dreadful! We’re talking constant rain and downright autumn temperatures. Our motivation for the trip was for the Bullmer’s Music Festival, where Flying Lotus and Bon Iver were playing. It was amazing seeing them live, but unfortunately, as Bon Iver was performing outdoors in an open field, we were rained out. Nonetheless, it was still really fun to wander around Dublin and see some places I had missed over the years.
The rest of June was spent focusing on re-loving London. Because I was on house lockdown throughout May for the sake exams, I was really missing London. Victor and I went to a couple art exhibitions, enjoyed a few picnics, and attended some lovely concerts.
The big event for July was Victor’s parents’ visit to London. It was a busy week showing them all around! We walked so many miles, but it was great packing in so many things. Since Victor had to work much of the time, I played tour guide for a bit. We visited many areas like Paddington, Camden, Hampstead, Marylebone, Greenwich, and the City of London. We visited the Victoria & Albert for the Pink Floyd Exhibition. We also visited the Tate Modern for the Giacometti exhibition. Of course we also had plenty of awesome meals, some my favourite of all time. Busy, busy!
In August I continued to explore as many areas of London as possible. Victor and I celebrated our third year anniversary by taking a weekend trip to Eastbourne and Brighton. It was amazing and I loved every minute of it!
The second half of August was incredibly busy. We headed to beautiful Barcelona where unfortunately tragedy struck my second home. I was in Las Ramblas just a few hours before the terrorist attack and honestly I think I’m still in shock. It just feels so personal. Nonetheless, we showed resilience by continuing to enjoy the wonderful city. We came to enjoy the Festa Major de Gràcia and it was fantastic! A truly magical summer experience.
Annnnnnd the big news for me was that mom visited! I never expected her to visit, but I’m so glad she did. We were so incredibly busy and I can’t wait to share it all with you.
Lowlights
- Getting rained out at the Music Festival in Dublin was no fun… it was actually a real bummer. I guess music festivals always have the risk, but the festival could’ve been really amazing if the weather had just behaved a little better.
- The terrorist attack is obviously way worse than just a lowlight. It was terrifying and incredibly sad, but I am very proud of how Barcelona is dealing with the situation. I’ve seen so many photos of protests and demonstrations against terrorism. Barcelona will always be strong <3
Highlights
- We finally bought a BBQ! I feel like buying a BBQ is a sign of success and stabilisation, so there you go! We’ve cooked sardines, salmon burgers, and lots of vegetables so far. Great summer dishes(:
- Mallorca was a much needed break, and I’m so thankful I got to take that trip. I had never been on an all-girls trip before, and definitely never to somewhere out of the country. I will say that a group of girls does provide so much unneeded drama, but it was still a lot of fun and we had so many laughs. My sarcastic humour was on point.
- While Victor’s parents were in London visiting, they took us to a night of orchestra. As part of the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Music Hall, we saw a spectacular performance. I can check this off from my ‘Most British Things To Do’ list.
- Festa Major de Gràcia is a magical event in Barcelona and I’m so happy I got to see all the beautifully decorated streets. While August is a terrible time of year weather-wise, it’s all worth it because of the festival.
Upcoming
- September should be another great month of exploring London before I go back to classes. I have many other places on my list, so let’s see if I can see it all before my time runs up!
- My HUGE news is that I’m heading to Egypt in October!! A childhood dream, I cannot believe this opportunity came up. I can’t wait to write about it.
- I have an even more ginormous announcement which will just have to wait a little longer. It has to do with the future of this blog, but shhh.
Ideas & Dreams
- I’m starting to think of trips to take in the winter. I’m already booked solid from mid-December onwards, but I’d really like to go to a Christmas Market somewhere in Europe. Maybe Budapest?
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