My friend, Ayden, moved into a proper grown-up home with a garden. The previous owner has planted lots of fruit and vegetables, so I took some rhubarb home. I haven’t had rhubarb since I was a kid, which I used to dip in sugar. My metabolism wouldn’t forgive me for that now, so I just boiled it and washed it down with black coffee. It was a tasty breakfast!
Coffee Dates with Dogs
Went on a doggy coffee date with Indie and Luna to The Good Coffee Cartel. Indie likes her coffee black, whereas Luna is partial to a flat white.
California
This was the trip of a lifetime and it took me by surprise. I was not planning on visiting California this year.
In July I got a Twitter DM from Dann Petty asking if I wanted to speak at Epicurrence. A month later I was on a plane to San Francisco where I spent 24 hours before driving to Yosemite National Park. We hiked, mountain biked and share stories around a camp fire.
I didn’t get to see much of SF, but I made a point of visiting Mrs Doubtfire’s house! Yosemite was everything I wanted it to be and more. A month later and I can’t stop thinking about this trip.
Vet Day
Today is vet day. Indie is struggling to walk up stairs and I’ve noticed she trips over her back legs a lot. I’m not too concerned. It’s very normal for a dog of Indie’s age (12) to have arthritis. Hopefully the vet will give us some medication. I’ve also ordered dog stairs so she can get onto the sofa without jumping.
Lunch with Laura
Spontaneous text from Laura on Sunday morning. “Fancy lunch? Somewhere cheap… with wine.” Yeppp, I’m game.
Grain and Grind—Glasgow South Side Coffee Shop
Another weekend, another coffee shop. Grain and Grind is in Glasgow’s south side, which seems to have a lot of excellent places popping up lately. With the weather we’ve been having (I’m wearing factor 50 every day. That’s how hot it is) I was craving an iced coffee with oat milk. I also couldn’t resist one of the cinnamon buns. Delicious!
A Quick Trip To Manchester
I have a confession. The first couple of times I visited Manchester I didn’t enjoy it. Whenever I visited there was a monsoon of rain. My Converse would get wet and I was cold. Miserable! Now it’s one of my favourite cities, and this visit to Manchester is one of my best summer memories so far.
A group of us got a loft-style apartment in the city. The sun was shining. The World Cup was on. We ate good food and drank Sangria. Perfection! I like you a lot, Manchester.
Brunch at Lagom Kitchen
I’ve heard about Lagom Kitchen from many people. Everyone rates it highly, so I had to check it out for myself. Brittany and I had brunch one Saturday morning and it was as good as everyone says it is. I had pancakes. Brittany had… I can’t remember what Brittany had but she enjoyed it.
It’s Your Third Birthday!
My nephew, Blake, turned 3 on the 28th of May. I got up at 5AM to get a flight home from Amsterdam to surprise him for his birthday. In the run up to his birthday, he kept FaceTiming me and asking if I was coming to his party. The guilt was too much so I happily changed my flight to an earlier one.
Blake had a party at his house with all of his friends. There was a bouncy castle that I perhaps spent too much time on (wow, what a workout). The sun came out for his birthday and I think it was a success. Well done to my sister, Carolyn, for planning it all.
48 Hours In Amsterdam
Last year I visited Geneva for a few days with just my camera. I enjoyed my trip and vowed to make solo photography adventures a regular occurrence. Fast forward to May, 2018 and I took a short flight to Amsterdam for a few days. Here’s what I got up to in my 48 hours there:
- Walked 33KM around the city
- Saw a lot of dogs on scooters and bikes
- Had lunch with Chris, who has been working in Amsterdam
- Spent €20 on a gin and tonic
- Ate a life-changing sandwich at Small World Catering
- Got sun burn
- Took a canal boat ride
Amsterdam won me over instantly. I can’t explain why exactly, but I haven’t loved a city as quickly as I did with Amsterdam. It was very easy to get to (1 hour and 15 minutes in the air, then a 15 minute train ride into the centre). The weather was perfect. Every person I encountered was friendly (aside from a bad experience on my way home). The food and drink was tasty. It was easy to get around.
I can’t stop thinking about Amsterdam and I’m already considering a second trip. There are so many food places and museums I still have to visit. Have you been to Amsterdam? What did you think of it?
