We were technically there for 4 days, but since Richard was the best man at the wedding, there was a lot of time spent doing wedding-related stuff. Everything we did could be easily crammed into two days.

Romania wasn’t exactly a country that was on either of our bucket lists, but we enjoyed the opportunity to check out someplace new. It’s been described as “the new Berlin” (since I’ve never been to Berlin, this didn’t really mean much to me), and definitely has a lot of new bars and coffee shops popping up all over the city. It’s a city that seems ripe for development; I couldn’t stop admiring all the old buildings around town, and kept wishing people were buying them and fixing them up. Buuuut despite the lack of a squeaky-clean exterior, there are a lot of new restaurants and ‘hipster-type’ hotspots all over the capital city that are worth a look.

The best place to start is definitely the Old Town, which is full of cafes, bars, and plenty of tourist shops if you’re feeling the need to buy some sort of fridge magnet or tacky shot glasses. It’s quite small, so you can walk around it pretty easily and admire all of the buildings. And, if you’re hotel is located a bit outside the old town, why not walk through a park to get there?

Bucharest has plenty of nice old parks all around the city, which are great in the summertime. If we’d had more time I would have wanted to walk through more of them to get to/from Old Town and our hotel. However, with the wedding activities, it was often more prudent to simply get an Uber. (Oh, and if you happen to visit Romania, make sure you use Uber! It’s so insanely cheap in Romania, but also incredibly reliable. We used it to get everywhere, including getting to and from the airport.)

Outside of Old Town, there are a few major monuments that people seem to visit. We went to the Palace of Parliament but didn’t bother going for a tour inside. I’m normally more interested in seeing sites from far away than doing a tour, plus you need to bring a passport to get inside, which we didn’t. We only viewed it from the side of the building, as the thing is absolutely massive! It’s the second largest administrative building in the world, after only the Pentagon. Not exactly something you expect to find in Romania, no? We also saw the Arcul de Triumf while driving back to the airport, which is like a smaller version of the one in Paris. I had hoped to see it, and was glad when our Uber driver happened to take that route!

We didn’t really go out of our way to visit all the old churches or buildings, as we were more interested in just wandering around, or checking out cool places to eat and drink! We looked some up before we arrived, but only managed to try a few.

First up, are the restaurants. We only went to a couple of them due to time, as we tended to visit cafes for breakfast and didn’t seem to eat much lunch. Most lists of restaurants to see in Bucharest mention Caru’ cu Bere as the place to go if you want to try traditional food. We had tried to get a table our first night, but when we called, they said they were all full for the duration of our trip. So we headed to a traditional restaurant that Richard found, which felt like it was on a random street in the middle of nowhere. The food was alright, but nothing really to write home about. But it did allow us to sort of check “traditional” food off our list.

Caru’ cu Bere photo source

We later stopped by Caru’ cu Bere while wandering Old Town, and I reckon we could have gotten a table if we’d just gone in person that first night. However, my overall impression of the place was a bit – meh. It just felt super packed and touristy, not really an authentic place like advertised. The building was kind of cool to look at; we ended up just getting a beer, and headed elsewhere to eat.

The restaurant that we both enjoyed was Energiea, which was a little walk outside of the hub of Old Town. Their food felt fresh and modern, with some rather unusual cocktails and awesome fresh lemonade on the menu. While it was what Richard would have called “hipster” it didn’t feel like they were trying to just recreate a Western restaurant – but rather create something new and modern in Romania. Their chips with sour cream and dill dip were also fantastic.

Energiea photo source

Energiea also happened to be one spot away from one of the coffee shops I had on my list to visit!

Now, really great coffee seems to have become a passion in Bucharest. You find these little hidden gems all over the city, and they really care about the brewing/beans/everything! We visited two while we were in the city, and enjoyed both quite a lot. One even gave us a little map with a guide to all the best coffee spots in the city! I wish it wasn’t our last day because I would have loved to check out more. The map had little scores that you could give each place, so you could do a self-guided coffee tour of Bucharest!

First, we stopped in Origo – the one right near Energiea. It’s a cute little place, down a few side streets outside of Old Town. We sat outside on their little makeshift patio (it’s just on the sidewalk) and enjoyed some nice herbal iced tea. Their coffee looked, and smelled, amazing – but we’d both just been walking around all morning and needed to cool off.

Origo photo sources here and here

The other coffee shop we went to was M60. I had wanted to go there for brunch the first morning, after reading about it, but some friends we were there with had gone to check it out that morning and said it wasn’t great. But then after going to the place they recommended (overpriced and felt like a tourist chain), I decided to follow my instinct and go our last morning. Man, I wished I had gone there each day. Their coffee was amazing (we bought beans to take home), and their breakfast options were light but fun. I had a halloumi egg sandwich, which combined two of my favourite things! That, plus the laid-back decor – these were my people.

M60 photo source

Oh, and the servers really care about the coffee. After buying beans, one guy came over to make sure we knew to soften/filter our water and grind to the right consistency etc. He even gave Richard a shot of the espresso straight up, just so we could taste it without milk and know what to aim for when we got home. He was also the one who gave us the map/tour sheet of all the good coffee shops in the area. You could tell these people live for their coffee.

One final cafe we visited for lunch, was Cafe Van Gogh (weird theme, as he’s not Romanian). It’s down a quiet street in the middle of Old Town, with a great patio. They had decorated it all over with hanging fake flowers, which was surprisingly fun, and had that water vapour machine which Richard loooooved. A great way to cool down as the days we were there were sunny and over 30 degrees. We split some simple lunch food (good quesadilla) and had beer, iced coffee, and lemonade. It was a welcome respite as almost every other cafe/restaurant we walked past in Old Town had a hostess outside trying to convince us to come in.

I don’t know about you, but both Richard and I detest that! When someone is standing outside telling you to come in, and doing so by telling you that they serve “cheeseburgers” or “pasta” as though we Westerners can’t abide any cuisine but our own… well it immediately puts us off. If you have to convince me to come in, I won’t. I don’t care how nice your place looks – I don’t want to feel pressured to eat there! Okay, rant over.

Gradina Eden photo source

Other than restaurants, we visited one bar that I would definitely recommend – Gradina Eden. I read about it online before we got there, and we went on our first night! It’s a garden bar, tucked in behind this old building. Honestly, we thought that we might be walking into something kind of sketchy when we walked behind the building and then bam! – there were hammocks, string lights, and seating galore!

I wanted to go back there a few times while we were in Bucharest, but our time was already accounted for with wedding-related engagements. This place even had food trucks – one of them was waffles! I mean come on, warm waffles with a few cocktails while relaxing in a hammock on a warm summer’s night? Kind of perfect in my books.

Oh, and we grabbed some ice cream at Emilia Cremeria, which was quite good! Their mango was the best!

Okay – I think I have exhausted places to eat or drink in Bucharest, which just leaves one last place – the best place! If you look up Bucharest on Pinterest, you’ve probably seen photos of it. It’s the prettiest bookstore I’ve ever seen – white columns, spiral staircases, and natural light galore. And they even sell wine! In a bookstore!

If you like either books or architecture, then you’ll want to visit Carturesti Carusel and just wander for a bit. You can look at tea cups, cards, and books, and even get your purchases gift-wrapped at their little wrapping table. Richard got a bit bored, but I could have spent lots of time there.

And that’s it! Those are all of the places that we visited while in Bucharest that I would recommend. So if you happen to visit Romania, make sure to check out all of the new cafes and restaurants popping up around town. Grab some fantastic coffee near Old Town, wander through a park, and end the evening with a cocktail in hand on a hammock… a perfect day in Bucharest!

The main street is the kind of place to head if you’re in the market for a cheap pair of sunglasses or a phone case. But it’s the market itself that draws me in! Part food market, with open-air stalls, and part handmade/antique sellers hawking scarves, jewellery, and the like. In the fall, it’s the perfect place to find a new scarf or toque, and in the summer it’s a great place to find a new pair of sunnies or a new bag! But in my case, it was the perfect excuse to try a fancy hot chocolate I had heard about.

I first visited Camden Market waaay back in August 2015 when I came over for a few days to see Richard. It was a quick whirlwind trip, where he tried to show me London as much as the limited days allowed, Camden included. He knew I would enjoy wandering the indoor market full of antique clothing and accessories, but my favourite thing had to be Chin Chin Labs. They are an ice cream shop that specializes in liquid nitrogen frozen ice cream! They make it to order, and it looks all sciency and cool! But this time of the year, and especially the recent weather, meant that even a diehard ice cream fan like myself was tempted by something a little warmer. (But honestly, ice cream is always a good idea, no matter the temperature!)

The hot chocolate at Chin Chin comes either plain or with a toasted marshmallow topping. I decided to try it with the topping, despite not being that into marshmallow frosting, as it was voted the best hot chocolate in London. They gave me my cup in a bowl, which I thought was confusing until I tried to actually drink it! That marshmallow doesn’t come off easily! Anytime I tried to scoop some off, it ended up spilling cocoa all over the bowl. Quite a messy drink!

The hot chocolate itself was nice and rich, but I found the frosting too sweet (and too much). It kind of feels like you don’t get enough of the hot chocolate to make room for aaaaall that sugar. If I had it again, I would definitely forgo the frosting in favour of more of what I came there for – the drink itself. Or maybe I’ll just get ice cream instead

After that sugar intake, I wandered the antique stalls for a bit and considered trying on some hats, before realizing that I had to run for the subway, as they were closing Camden station early that day. Much as I enjoy the market, I didn’t want to get stuck there or have to walk to the nearest tube station to get home.

So if you’re in the neighbourhood, or find yourself on the Northern line, why not visit Camden Market? I’d especially recommend it on a sunny day when you can enjoy ice cream outside, or eat along the side of Camden Lock… but then again, those days are the busiest!!

I keep looking at photos of other paintings by artists that I like, but I don’t want to simply copy. I’ll probably never truly like my own work, but it’s cheaper than the alternative. Or at least that’s what I thought. There are lots of artists out there on places like Etsy these days, that can actually be quite affordable. Here are a few of my favourites.

Etsy

Lola Donoghue’s work was probably the first abstract painting that I fell in love with. I’ve had my eye on her painting “Turn Left at the Pitch” for years now, and apparently she only has a few prints left, so I may need to buy it quick. She tends towards recognisable shapes, in bright colours, with plenty of pink and teal. She’s almost always on people’s lists of affordable abstract art, and for good reason!

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I recently discovered Dan Hobday’s work and can’t believe how affordable his stuff is. I especially love that he does set that pair together well for diptychs and triptychs. There is a fair range of abstract styles, unlike many artists who tend to stick to their ‘look’.

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Camilo Matiz is another Etsy artist who does fairly colourful abstract paintings. They remind me a bit of Lola Donoghue’s work, with the colours and shapes.

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Minted

Like Etsy, Minted has been a great resource for affordable art. Not only do they sell prints for the home, but they also do plenty of cards and other personalized items. They sell individual prints, as well as whole gallery walls if you’re new to coordinating artwork.

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Artfully Walls

Artfully Walls is a great resource that I discovered a couple months ago. Like Minted, they have a range of artists selling photographs, paintings, etc. and have a few great abstract artists in their repertoire. They also have curated gallery walls, which are a great place to start if you’re unsure of how to group different artists together.

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*This post contains affiliate links*

Unless you’ve been asleep for the last 20 years or so, you’ve definitely heard of H&M. Their low-priced clothing and accessories have been a staple in many people’s wardrobes for the last few decades – as the second largest clothing retailer in the world, it has stores in 62 countries. You’ve probably been to one before, and mostly likely own a piece or two of their clothing. But did you know that they also sell home decor items?

I first heard about H&M Home a few years back but hadn’t seen any of their items until I moved to the UK. There are a few stores here that sell their home decor line, but otherwise, you can purchase it online. As with their clothing, the home decor items are current, on-trend, and cost-effective. Pretty much the perfect thing for someone like me, ha! Our flat still feels like it needs more finishing touches and accessories, yet I don’t have money to burn on frivolous things.

Most of the items that they sell are kitchen/table-based, as well as some pillows, picture frames, and other items. I wish they had furniture or lighting, but I still love the rest of the stuff they have. Wouldn’t it be awesome if they sold sofas and tables? I can only imagine how sleek, minimal, and functional they would be.

So, have you seen their stuff in stores? Do you like it as much as I do? Here are some of my favourite H&M Home items in stores now.

Textiles

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Baskets

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Storage Containers

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Decorative Accessories

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Kitchen Accessories

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*This post contains affiliate links*

So as I’ve been drafting up ideas for upholstering our bed, or making floor pouffes, I keep coming back to the idea of French seams.

Right now, I am thinking of making a sort of bed slipcover for our white MALM storage bed frame. Something that won’t involve taking the whole thing apart, but will make it look like I did. In the end it’ll look sort of like this bed but with French seams all along the edges.

Restoration Hardware bed frame

I figure I can add some plywood to make the headboard taller, then pad it with foam and batting. After that, I’ll make a bed skirt to cover the base and a fitted cover for the headboard. I may even make them all one piece, but I’m unsure as of yet. Does that make sense? The headboard will have seams all around like the one below.

french seam headboard inspiration

My original inspiration came from this bed’s headboard. Then when I was googling more inspiration, I came across some photos of headboards with simple bed skirts, and my idea was realized. It’ll be easier than trying to upholster each piece of the bed frame, and then put it all back together.

Nate Berkus French seam headboard

After that, I want to make a couple floor pouffes like the ones in Orlando Soria’s last apartment. They look super easy, I just have to find the right linen fabric.

So what do you think? Are you as into French seams as I am these days? What about these gorgeous ottomans and sofas?

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So if you’re in the market for antiques, go on Thursdays, but the other days are interesting too! Spitalfields has a number of food trucks and stalls, and even just completed a new food hub, dubbed the Kitchens, in the middle of the market. If you’re in the neighbourhood, it’s a great place to grab lunch! When Richard and I stopped by recently, we were on our way to another part of London for dinner and just wanted a snack. He had some prawn dumplings from Dumpling Shack, and I got a lamb shawarma from Berber and Q. As he put it “I won” the afternoon snack competition, because my food was way better value for the money, and looked awesome!

I had seen someone else receive their shawarma and thought, that looked good! Nothing beats melt-in-your-mouth meat, tahini, chilli sauce, and pickled jalapenos!

But food isn’t all Spitalfields Market has on offer! Around their new kitchen hub, the market has begun constructing scandi style stalls for their traders. It used to be more fold-out tables and white fabric, but now each vendor gets a little wooden booth.

During the Trader’s Market, you can find plenty of handmade and local clothing, accessories, and jewellery. I got a lovely necklace from Richard last year, from trader Littlesmith – a custom bar pendant with the GPS coordinates of where we met. (I know – he’s a keeper!) I would say that more than half the stalls cater to women, with scarves, purses, dresses, and jewellery taking up more than their fair share. However, you can find leather jackets, funny silk-screened shirts, antique maps, and artwork. A little something for everyone.

Not only is the market a pretty great place to stop by, but the surrounding shops are pretty great too. Anthropologie, All Saints, Lululemon, Dr. Martens, Jigsaw, etc. etc. If you’re in the area, you really should stop by!

Spitalfields Market is just a quick walk from Liverpool Street Station, Shoreditch Street Station, and Moorgate Station. Why not visit the next time you’re in the area?

Gorgeous aged brick fireplace from Jacquelyn Clark

This past Christmas… the tree was decorated in the corner, glowing houses were on the credenza, and we had constant Christmas music and warm drinks on hand. But still, something didn’t feel right. It wasn’t quite cosy enough for Christmas, and I think I have put my finger on it. No, it’s not the lack of snow here in England… it’s the lack of a fireplace in this flat!

We have turned on the fireplace videos on Amazon Prime or YouTube, but it just isn’t the same. You need the crackling sounds, wavering light, and smell… oh the smell! Especially cedar! Just heaven!

Richard and I both miss having a fireplace, especially in this cold January season. It’s probably the one thing we wish for most in this flat, other than a second bedroom. We would probably rather have a working open fireplace than a dishwasher!! We can tell where a fireplace used to live in our flat, because of the vent down by the baseboard. Curse whoever ripped it out!!!

So, it’s only logical that I have fireplaces on the brain and their relevant accessories!

On a recent gift guide, Emily Henderson’s team listed this match striker + holder. I don’t know why, but I have always loved matches! It’s kind of a weird thing to love, but as a kid I remember my parents had this round matchbox with very long matches in it, and I loved it and always wanted to use them. Maybe it’s the pyro in me, but using matches is fun.

So when I saw this match striker, that doubles as a place to store your matches, it was love at first sight… until I saw the price tag! $50 for a wee-match striker! So I started searching for more match striker/holder things, and found some even more expensive! Who knew these were pricy designer items?!

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Here’s a list of my favourites, both expensive (in case you’re the type with oodles of cash to blow on silly things – lucky you ;)) and less so. It’s my new favourite thing to have on a mantle, which I don’t have… yet. Someday, we will buy a house and it WILL have a fireplace. Honestly, that’s non-negotiable for us.

built-in wood and blanket storage from Heather Bullard

But other than match strikers, I often find myself looking at wood storage. I love a good built-in storage option, but if that isn’t available, there are some really great containers. You can get racks that sort of mimic the built-in look or baskets… or even copper pots!

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But if we had our dream house, the fireplace would be brick. Quite frankly, if Richard could build a home, it would be red brick all over – he loves the stuff! And, if the house can’t be brick, well then the fireplace has to be! Like these beauties!

herringbone brick fireplace interior from Marcus Design Inc.

brick fireplace surrounded by teal from Little Green Shed

herringbone brick fireplace from Lonny

Although, if I somehow found a place with an antique fireplace like this beauty, I think I could live without the brick…

antique marble fireplace from Apartment Therapy

What about you? Do you have an open fireplace? Any must-have accessories?

*This post contains affiliate links*

Every Monday the Apple and Jubilee markets at Covent Garden make way for antiques! Once home to fruit and vegetable sellers back in the day, these markets are usually home to stalls selling handmade wares and lots of touristy kitsch. The antiques you find on Mondays are a refreshing reprieve from what you find the rest of the week. They tend to set up a bit later than most markets, so if you end up there too early, just wait until closer to 11 or 12. I thought that being there around 10:30 would be late, but half the sellers were still setting up their wares.

Most of the sellers are peddling jewellery, silver cutlery and other tableware. You can find the odd stall with some artwork, or other housewares, but it’s almost all the same stuff. I almost bought some vintage Kuba cloth fabrics but was unable to get a hold of Richard before heading home. Maybe they’ll still be there next time? £20 (asking price, which means there’s room to reduce) for Kuba cloth isn’t too bad! Now I just need to find someone selling mali indigo fabrics and I’ll be sorted!

So if you happen to find yourself in the heart of London on a Monday, and wish to look at something other than brand names, why not stop by? Even if you’re not too into antiques, you can still peruse the fancy perfume and tea shops located in the market, or listen to the music! There’s always a musical quartet or some such, playing in the East Collonade of the market. When I first arrived a woman was singing opera! She was amazing!

Our home base in the city was the Fairmont Norfolk Hotel. Not as fancy or luxurious as the Fairmont in Mt. Kenya, but it was in a good location, right beside one of the markets that we were planning to visit. As we had dropped off our vehicle when we arrived in Nairobi, we hired a driver for the time that we were in Nairobi. It was a great call, as he knew all the best ways around town, as well as some places to eat along the way.

Our first stop was the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, to see the orphaned elephants. I had been picturing some sort of romantic scenario, where I get to hand-feed baby elephants, but the result was a biiiit different. The crowd at this place was massive, which meant that we ended up at the back of a group of school children, unable to get very close to the elephants. It was a bit of a letdown, as those people in front were taking photo after photo and not letting anyone else have a turn up close. If you decide to go yourself, get there early in order to beat the tour groups.

However, the elephants were exceptionally cute, and it did feel good to spend money to help a group of orphaned elephants, rather than pay some zoo. Although why they are orphaned in the first place (ivory) is so sad. By the time I have kids, elephants might be something you only see in zoos.

After the elephants, we had lunch before venturing to the Giraffe Centre. Now, if you have Pinterest, you’ll probably be familiar with Giraffe Manor.

It’s a fancy old house-turned-hotel where the giraffes come right up to your window and stick their heads in (you often see photos on Pinterest in “best hotel” lists). Well, these Giraffe don’t live on the Manor grounds but are part of the Giraffe Centre which is right next door. If you don’t have the money to stay in the Manor ($$$) or it’s booked solid (like it was when we checked) then you’ll want to visit the nearby Centre.

Here, you can get real up close and personal with the giraffes! Just watch that you don’t turn your back on them, as they like to head-butt you for more food. And as you can see in the photos, their heads are big!! The Centre started out as a breeding program for a variety of Giraffe that were going extinct, and now also serves to educate young Kenyan school groups on conservation and animal protection.

But the best part is how much you get to interact with the giraffe!!

At the end of our first day, we had a bit of time before dinner and opted to visit the Nairobi Animal Orphanage program at the National Park. It was a bit of a letdown, in that you find out so few of the animals get rehabilitated into the wild (they had lots of large cats). Kind of sad seeing large lions knowing they will spend their lives in captivity.

But you can bet I got to pet more cheetahs! Never tell me that I am allowed to touch cool animals because it will become my new mission in life… oh and I got a monkey to climb all over my shoulders. And can only find a crappy iPhone photo of it.

On our second day in Nairobi, we opted to spend it perusing the markets. I had read online that there were two Maasai markets on certain days, and that one was more geared towards locals, and the other towards tourists. Our driver opted to take us to the touristy one first, and it was a bit of a letdown.

Sure, there were tons of the styles of bowls and spoons that I liked, but so many sandals and purses and other “non-traditional” items. I had really been wanting to find things like masks, baskets, and carved gourds. This market had none. Although you can bet I still bought more bone inlay bowls…

So it was with some uncertainty that we approached the second market. And boy, it did not disappoint. It was huge! Just a big field-type space where the people all set up their little stands, and it can be a bit overwhelming walking through. Everyone wants you to stop and look at their stuff, and the odd trader can be a bit aggressive in following you.

But they had gourds! And baskets! And masks! And you can bet we came home with all three. We even went back to the market later, as we had been rushing through the first time, and it was only a short walk from our hotel.

I can definitely suggest picking the markets not located in malls if you are visiting on a day with two locations. The market might be a bit chaotic, and the sellers more pushy, but you’re more likely to find something unique. I even went home with a bunch of porcupine quills! This woman just had a box of them beside her necklaces and I spent like £1 on a handful. It was almost my favorite purchase because it was unexpected.

And so, after two days in Nairobi, we packed our bags for the final time and headed to the airport. 10 days went by so quickly, but it was an experience I doubt we will ever forget.

Artist Residence in Brighton | Hello Victoria

For a while now, Richard and I have been talking about spending a couple days down in Brighton. It’s so close by, which makes it perfect for a quick little weekend, or even a day trip by train! And of course, ever since watching the original A&E Pride and Prejudice as a kid, I’ve wanted to go. Just like Lydia!

A little bit of sea bathing would set me up too, Mrs. Bennet.

But other than seeing the ocean (I miss that), I wanted to go because Brighton is a smaller, younger-feeling city. It’s got the sort of hippie-meets-hipster vibe that you find in places like Seattle or Portland, with lots of small businesses. Most of them are centered around a few small streets, called the Lanes. They can be quite busy and a bit touristy at times, but still lots of fun. In a weird way, it reminded me of Coombs, if Coombs was a proper city with a university, etc al.

Richard had been wanting to take me there because it’s where he went to University! He mostly wanted to show me where he used to live and have a pint in an old pub down the lane, but it was closed when we tried to go. Darn.

Now, I mentioned that you could take the train down and do Brighton in a day, but when we tried to book our tickets a few days before, they were so expensive!! We did the math, and it would be only £20 more to drive down and get a hotel room for the night than the train! Of course, we decided to choose that option, as it would give us more time to explore Brighton.

isn’t that brick wall and tufted headboard gorgeous?

Not only would this option give us more time in Brighton, but it would also give me the option to stay at the Artist Residence!! I first heard about this chain of boutique hotels when we were traveling around the UK in December. We were looking for a cool place to stay in Cornwall, but unfortunately, they were fully booked for New Year’s. Ever since then, I have been looking for a reason to stay at one of their locations in Cornwall, London, or Brighton (with more opening soon).

the lovely sea view from our room

Let me tell you, this hotel didn’t disappoint! We were staying in one of their smallest rooms (they have large ones with four post beds and free-standing copper tubs in the room – serious) and yet it still felt luxurious. Our wee room was packed with charm, as well as tea, biscuits, and some really lovely-smelling bath products. Not only that but the cutest little radio, which was playing some retro Sinatra-style music when we checked in.

After getting settled in our room, we decided to make the most of our day shopping in the lanes. From little shops that specialize in kitchen trinkets, to antique stores, and curated clothing shops – Brighton has it all. My favorite shop that we went in was actually not on the lanes, but close by our hotel. I Gigi had some great ceramics and other items sourced from around the world, with everything sort of muted and handmade looking. I went home with a plant pot, a small-footed bowl, and a necklace from their sister clothing store (just down the road). They even have a little cafe above the store, which has some lovely-looking treats!

I Gigi’s beautiful ceramics and gorgeous staircase

Speaking of lovely treats, while exploring the lanes, we stopped at the first cute-looking coffee shop we came across. Turns out it was the Flour Pot, which I had heard about through a colleague. Their location was very cute, and the focaccia sandwich I had was amazing! The other place that we tried was No 32 Duke Street for dinner. I was a little underwhelmed by my food, but the decor was really nice!

But I’m getting ahead of myself! Before we had dinner, (and after we went down the lanes) we went to the pier! We were both really hoping that some of the carny games would be open so that Richard could win me a teddy bear (and I could win him something bigger ;)) but only the arcade games were open. We spent a few pounds playing air hockey, and skeeball before relaxing on the beach for a while. Just down the road from our hotel is where the burned-out pier is, and we parked ourselves on the pebbles to watch the sun sink below the water.

Oh, and as if our hotel wasn’t cool enough, they have two cocktail bars! And a ping pong table! We definitely made use of the former, but then were too tired for the latter.

The next morning, we had breakfast at our hotel and sat around drinking tea, planning our IKEA trip that day. Breakfast was actually really nice for something that was included, and the little cafe room is so cute. Nothing gets you ready for a full day trying to buy a new kitchen like berry-topped pancakes…