Pooling around

Hey friends! Firstly thank you so much for your lovely comments on the previous post. Secondly, I'm not going to accept a weekly (or bi-monthly) post on this blog; the reason I couldn't post sooner is that I hurt my back a couple of weeks ago, and am only now feeling more back (haha) to normal. So I need to up my post ratio! Anyways, back to that Devon trip that now feels like a hundred years ago. As the weather was rubs, and as there was three kids in da house, the option of just hanging out indoors all day was not applicable. So, on one of the days we drove to Ilfracombe to check out the old Victorian rock pools at Tunnel Beaches. It's funny, but looking at pictures of the same place in good weather doesn't seem to make the place justice. I think bad weather actually suits it better! But then I wasn't hoping to go for a dip there anyway, and so didn't feel let down. It's funny looking at these pictures now; you can't tell from them that is was actually quite busy, but it's amazing how easy it is to edit reality by cropping something out of frame.

Hope you have a great weekend, and I'll promise I will be back to regular posting - I need that as an excuse to take the camera out for regular walks again!

In the Valley of Rocks

So we went to Devon in what turned out to be the worst week of the summer. It's always a gamble when you holiday on these fair isles, and it was a gamble that we lost. But hey, that's what rain proofs and wellies are for, right?! Anyway, we and some friends rented a house in North Devon and it was ridiculously beautiful, despite the weather. On this particular day the weather was dreadful, but we got out of the house anyway and headed to Lynton, a little town on the coast. The skies cleared after lunch, and me and the boys walked up to the Valley of Rocks, a beautiful, if slightly smelly, walk along a coastal path. The smell became self-explanatory when we literally crossed paths with a feral goat. The walk itself was our favourite part of the whole week, something you might be able to guess from these pictures. It was still a bit drizzly so we got to see a rainbow - from above!! Just breathtaking. Along the path there were little sheltered seating areas, and in one of them we found a box of poems where anyone could scribble down what they felt like, as they sat there, staring at the sea (see pic 4). Some of them were very funny. And rather than writing down a poem, I'd like to think of these pictures as a sort of visual poem of that day :)

Greetings!

Dear neglected blog,

I'm sorry that I've been ignoring you for the past month. I didn't mean to disappear like I did, but life got in the way. Big things have happened; Oomoo started school a couple of weeks ago. He loves it and has settled in well. When he was born almost five years ago, the first day at school seemed like a life time away, and suddenly we were here. It feels like everything lately has revolved around this momentous moment, but now the dust has settled it's time to knuckle down and get on with things. You know, I don't think I've even touched my camera this month. Must see to it that I do. And I haven't even shown you the pictures I took on our Devon holiday at the end of last month! I'll get on it, I promise. Anyway, good to see you again and let's catch up some more next week.

Love,

F xx

A favourite

For the past 23 years or so I've been fortunate enough to visit my friend A's country house, just a half hour outside of Stockholm. It's insanely photogenic, and the evening light on the particular day we were there this time round was ridiculous. We had a lovely time out there; swimming, eating and playing (and Oomoo got his first bee sting there too!) and I really hope we get to go again. What you can't see in these pictures is quite how packed the island has become, new houses keep being built for people who now live there all year round, and that country side feeling is quickly getting lost. My friend is thinking of selling up and getting something much further out in the Archipelago, but whatever happens, I'll always cherish my summer memories from this very special place.

No people

Some random visual vignettes from Sthlm. The building in the last pic is on a very busy road, and I love the pattern that fumes and dirt have left on it. I doubt it'll look as pretty if/when it gets re-decorated...

Maximum selfie

I was trying to put together some Stockholm posts before bed last night, but I got into all sorts of technical troubles, so they'll have to wait. I should have known I was too tired to plonk myself in front of the computer instead of catching zzzzz's (or reading my bedtime read; Donna Tartt's 'Goldfinch' - sooooo gooood!). Anyway, during this technical hitch I'm posting a selfie I took at Tekniska Museet in Stockholm. Laters!

Stockholm 2014

Looking at these pictures now, it seems like ages ago that we were in Stockholm, even though it was only last week. It was insanely hot when we were there, and we were relieved to come back to a cooler London; but now as I type this, with rain and wind lashing at the window and wearing a jumper and a scarf, I wouldn't mind that heat all over again. I wasn't really in blog mode when we were there, so my pictures from the trip are very random. We stayed in a sweet little flat in a neighbour hood that I've never lived in, just so it felt more like a holiday than it usually does. Those of you who live away from family will know the madness of those trips, when you go "back" to see everyone you've left behind, which quickly becomes a bit like an endurance test. So many to see, in such little time, all over the city. But it's worth it. Seeing Oomoo and morfar (my dad) messing about and having a laugh is a true joy to witness, and I'm very grateful for that. We can always recharge our batteries once we're back home again.

Last Sunday evening

Just got back from a six day trip to Stockholm. It was a hectic few days of intense heat, a couple of swims, lots of ice-creams, meeting up with loved ones and not getting much sleep. Oh, and loads of pictures. I'll be back soon with some more. Have a great weekend peeps.

Under cover

Just before bedtime

Les rythmes digitales

A couple of weeks ago I took the Oomster to see the Digital Revolution exhibition at the Barbican. As we entered the first part I thought I'd made a big mistake, as it was full of computer games from the past. Where was all the cool interactive stuff we'd seen on the website? Luckily, after passing through some curtains, we hit jackpot. Chris Milk's installation was beautiful and quite creepy (pics 1, 4, 6). The screens in front of you are actually black and white, but the shutter speed I shot with picked up the RGB pixels and has made it look totally different. I ain't complaining. 

All aboard

At the fair

Holding hands x 2

The post where the pic has nothing to do with what I've written

Hey. Apologies for the radio silence. Too much to do and not enough time to plonk myself down in front of the computer. I'm running another 10K race in three weeks time, so my training is taking up a lot of time and energy, and Japanese has stepped up a gear as well. However, I want to share some music that I've been enjoying a lot for the past few weeks. It's the best band I'd never heard of and their first album isn't even out yet! I also watch the videos regularly; they really bring me a smile and a lump in my throat. I sent them to a friend recently and said that seeing them I realised that I'd always wanted to be a B-girl, I just didn't know it at the time. Does that make sense? You always regret the things you didn't do, rather than the ones you did, right?! As a result I've promised myself that even though I'm nearly 40, I will start going to a street dance class (breakdancing will be way too hard!) later this year. For reals. Anyway... I digress. The band is called Jungle and they are effin' brilliant.

The Heat is my favourite video in years; so simple, fun and uplifting.
Platoon features little 6-year old B-girl Terra - she's so goooooooood!
And lastly Busy Earnin'. The guy in the pink top is the best of the bunch.

Now then, I've got some tidying up to do and when I do I will blast my new favourite band :)

Parting shot

And so, we've come to the last picture from our weekend away. This was actually the last picture I took. E on the left is my hubby's 13-year old god daughter; we've known her from day one and have seen her grow up, and she's now turning into a young woman. She's already taller than me, and I'm 5'7"! To fast forward in time and think that Oomoo is going to be a teenager one day is unfathomable. In fact, it doesn't feel like it was that long ago I was a teenager. But it is. Time goes by so fast and one day I'll have a 13-year old too. I sure hope we have some great summers along the way.

Asking for it

On one of the days we were in Wilsthire there was a school féte in our friends' kid's school. We went inside to have a look around (and cool down!), and as we passed the dining hall the light was just so. Click. Gotcha chairs.