Learning French in Brussels: reflections on two months of lessons

After two months of semi-intensive classes, I've thought a lot about personal milestones, the nature of "fluency", and French culture.

A long weekend in Scotland: castles, trains, and fishing villages

It's been a very, very strange six months to be a Brit. Especially after the EU referendum in June 2016, my thoughts were scattered, anxious, furious; but one positive which emerged was a sense of fervent solidarity with fellow remainers - including dear Londoners, city-dwellers, the young, passionate older folk, the Northern Irish, the Scots. … Continue reading A long weekend in Scotland: castles, trains, and fishing villages →

My favourite places in London

One of my favourite quotes of all time is from the 18th-century writer, Samuel Johnson: "a man who is tired of London is tired of life". It's a quote, and a sentiment, familiar to many Londoners - and one which I thought of regularly when I first moved here as an 18-year-old. I would be filled … Continue reading My favourite places in London →

London’s best Ethiopian restaurants: Kokeb, Wolkite Kitfo, Mesi’s Kitchen, Andu Caf‎é

It’s hard to overstate the transformative effect of Ethiopian food on my idea of “going out for dinner”. Since discovering the cuisine here in London a couple of years ago, the delicious blends of aromatic spices with deceptively simple ingredients have shaken up my palate and induced a ravenous single-mindedness when it comes to choosing … Continue reading London’s best Ethiopian restaurants: Kokeb, Wolkite Kitfo, Mesi’s Kitchen, Andu Caf‎é →

Cyprus heat

A very dear friend of mine grew up and lives in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus. It's been almost a year since we saw him last, and we'd always promised to visit, so it seemed high time that we flew there this summer and reunited. Cyprus is a fascinating place on a sociopolitical level, with … Continue reading Cyprus heat →

Brooklyn, and big decisions

When I went to see Brooklyn yesterday, I wasn't expecting to be so reminded of myself. Yet Soairse Ronan's character, the young Eilis who moves across the ocean from County Wrexham, Ireland to Brooklyn, NYC in the 1950s to make a better life for herself, embodied all the emotional turmoil so familiar to me when … Continue reading Brooklyn, and big decisions →

Marrakech: a winter weekend break

We leave a grouchy London, all grey skies and scattered showers, and arrive 3.5 hours later in Marrakech's tiny airport. We're welcomed by a taxi driver who brings us to Riad du Bonheur, the place we're staying in the old, walled Medina district (a UNESCO World Hertiage Site) and where we are greeted by a … Continue reading Marrakech: a winter weekend break →

A day out in the New Forest

One of the wonderful things about travelling afar is that it gives you a deep and true appreciation of what you've left behind. While I explored the majesty of the Peruvian coast or drank in the pure magic that is the Brazilian landscape this spring, I realised that there is so much to discover on … Continue reading A day out in the New Forest →

Going up the Gherkin – one of London’s most iconic buildings

Quick back story: Open House London is an annual festival celebrating the best of London's architecture and design, and it's been going for over two decades. Every September, for one weekend only, the doors to some of London's most iconic and protected buildings are cautiously unlocked to the general public. My choice was the Gherkin, … Continue reading Going up the Gherkin – one of London’s most iconic buildings →

Two days in Berlin

My first time in Deutschland was great. Berlin is a fascinating place, not least because of its fractious history and subsequent, phenomenal regeneration - less than three decades since the falling of the Wall, barely 70 years since the end of WWII, and it's a thriving capital within Europe's strongest economy. Germany's continued innovation and dedication … Continue reading Two days in Berlin →