TRAVEL | hampsted heath photo diary

You don't find parks like these anywhere else. England has some of my favourite parks in the world (Brandon Hill, Hyde Park etc.) - they're all so tranquil and melancholic. They're the only place where I feel true contentment and where I actually feel myself firmly rooted in the present.

I spent the last hours of my epic Eurotrip at Hampstead Heath, taking in the greenery and saying my final goodbyes to London. And as sappy as it sounds, I really can't imagine spending my last afternoon anywhere else.

TRAVEL | the last of londontown

I've been putting off uploading the last of my photos from London for a long time (about 4 months to be exact). Half of its because I'm not loving how some of the photos came out but mostly it's because (cheesy, but bear with me here) I really couldn't bring myself to look at them - I miss it too much. In my little two month trip I was probably the happiest I've ever been - I learned a lot, I pushed myself both mentally and physically, and I met some outstanding people on the road. It was just too sad to think about bidding that chapter goodbye. At least for now..until I manage to save up for another adventure.

A bit of East London on my second to last day. I remember it being freezing that afternoon despite the warmer weather earlier in the week. I took a trip here specifically to take photos because I love this edgier, grittier side to London. Unfortunately the cold kept me from taking photos because after about an hour in my fingers became frozen solid.

Had to stop by [ Nude Espresso ] on Hanbury Street for a cup of Flat White to warm myself up. It looked like a great place to sit for breakfast and coffee but it was a Sunday morning and the cafe was filled to the brim. I did end up picking up one of these gorgeous scones to eat on the road though.

On this past trip, I've developed a new appreciation for Bankside, London. I took a walk one rainy morning from [ Borough Market ] to [ Tate Modern ] - as sort of a small farewell to my favorite places in the city - when the light pierced through the clouds and for just a moment and lit up the whole riverbank. After what has been one of the coldest weeks since my trip began, having the sun out and shining was an absolute treat (but knowing I'd be back in sunny California by the end of the week, I was secretly wishing for more rain, shhh). 

TRAVEL | borough market, the happiest place on earth

I have been waiting so long to get this post up and running. In the midst of all that has been happening I found very little time to upload and edit old photographs. I still can hardly believe that it's been 3 months since the big trip has ended. I still catch myself daydreaming about my old travels, and then subsequently daydreaming about new ones. However, travel plans for the near future will be put on hold since I have a lot of saving to do all over again - and not to mention, school and work will be keeping me busy as well. So in the meantime, these photos will have to do.

Presenting: Borough Market. Where do I even begin? It is the BEST food market I have ever been - and I've visited several around Europe. They have these sandwiches with fresh sausages made from wild game (boar, deer, phesants - take your pick), fresh fruit/cheese, raclette grilled to order, the most delicious mulled wine, loaves and loaves of homemade bread, and other misc. food shops. I can be there ALL DAY and just be full from eating little bits of deliciousness.

I couldn't quite capture the sheer massiveness of this sandwich but they were each about the lenght of my arm. Probably meant to feed a family of four.

I usually like to buy some cheese, bread, or pastries to take home for an afternoon snack. The hardest part is resisting the urge to buy everything I see.

Raspberry & Chilli goat cheese ice cream from [ Greedy Goat ]

As I've mentioned before, there are many so opportunities to sample at the market. Therefore, if is of the utmost importance that you arrive early in the morning with an empty stomach and a thirst for adventure because I can guarantee you'll find something new and interesting to try.

For more information check out [ Borought Market ]

Edit // 

I had actually written more but somehow blogger decided to suddenly crash on me. It's 12am and this was the best I could do to recover what I wrote. :(

TRAVEL | côte d’azur

The quintessential Mediterranean playground. 

I should have spent more time at the beach.

TRAVEL | nice photo diary

Looking back on my trip, I couldn't have picked a better endgame to my European tour. Nice, where the French go to eat gelato and play in the sunshine. The city undoubtedly lives up to it's Côte d'Azur name; I don't think I've ever seen waters this blue--are we sure this isn't just one big swimming pool? And the Mediterranean Sea backdropped against the building's red and white...it makes for a killer view. I dare you not to fall in love with it.

In fact, I loved the city so much I ended up only taking a handful of photos of it because towards the end of the trip, after two full months of traveling, I was tired from carrying around my camera from destination to destination. So after the first day of shooting atop the Colline du Chateau (overlooking the Nice Harbour and Old Town--gorgeous doesn't even cut it) and the Promenade des Anglais I ditched the cameras for next four days to enjoy the food, sun, and sights.

Priorities, you know?

TRAVEL | riomaggiore

Confession: I had Italian love affair with the beautiful Cinque Terre.

Given my pick of the five towns (terres), I chose to stay in the first of the five, Riomaggiore. I had picked a 10 bed dorm/apartment but due to it being off season I had the whole place to myself for two full days, except for a traveling artist by the name of Oliver, who rents out the master suite during the summer months, whom I rarely saw but turned out to be an incredibly sweet man.

Since returning to the States, a lot of people have asked me which one of the cities I've visited was my favorite and I always answer "Riomaggiore" without a moments hesitation. That is because it is literally impossible to not fall in love with that place. It is exceptionally charming; from the multicolored buildings to the little fishing boats sitting pretty by the marina. The village itself is tiny; it only takes about 5 minutes to walk from the shoreline to the top of the valley and there are several restaurants, mom and pop delis, and cafés are scattered along the one main street.

A popular tourist activity includes hiking along the coastline from one town to the next. But as I was nearing the end of my European tour, I was painfully exhausted from all the walking and sightseeing I had done for those last 8 or so weeks. Therefore I spent two days in Cinque Terre practicing what the Italians call "l’arte di non fare niente", the art of doing nothing. 

And those two days were some of the best days of my life.

I loved my little kitchen.  I had my first home cooked meal here in weeks. Traveling artist Oliver cooked a delicious meal of salad Niçoise and pasta with tuna, parsley, tomatoes and onions on my first night. The meal was paired with the local Cinque Terre white wine and it ended with a dessert of italian chocolate. It was a humble meal, but so memorable I've replicated it many times since.

Oliver, wherever you are (Thailand, Berlin, Croatia?), thanks for the delicious food!

The beginnings of the hiking trail above Riomaggiore. The view top the top of the hill was absolutely insane! A little Italian grandma taught me a shortcut to get back down into town--the path she took me on required weaving through people's backyards--I must've climbed down at least 20 flights of stairs. What an adventure!

Nothing compares to the sound of a wave crashing onto a pebble beach. I could sit for hours (and I did) listening to it.

As cliché as it sounds, people watching had become a favorite pass time for me on my travels. As a single traveler it was nice to finally have some time dedicated to only myself, to sit quiet with my thoughts and be shut off from social media for a change. I like being alone, for the most part, and especially so in Riomaggiore. One of the best parts of my day was breakfast time, when I got to watch all the locals running all their errands before the tourists from La Spezia arrive in the afternoon--I especially loved it when people shouted greetings from their cafes or delis to the other cafe or deli across the street. It was clear that everyone knew everyone in that town, and for me, getting to sit there, being apart of such insignificant yet endearing events, was an experience in itself.

In the end, Italy proved me wrong. With so many other places in Europe to explore, I thought I wouldn't be interested in returning any time soon, but now every time I about traveling Europe again I dream about stepping off that train once more back into my little slice of Heaven.

TRAVEL | florence photo diary

I arrived in Florence in the early afternoon. The hostel I had originally planned to stay in was all booked on the first night so I had to lug my bags to a smaller hostel a few blocks down. The room small and more intimate that I have been used to in the past, but I had a larger shower space than I've had in weeks-- a definite bonus. The hostel was built in this run down old building in the heart of Florence's historic center--which makes it quite the ideal neighborhood if you're looking to visit David in the Academy Gallery or looking for a quick trip to the { Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo } (San Lorenzo market).

Leather stores galore in Firenze. If I wasn't so tight on money I probably would've walked away with a new bag or something of the sort. I had my eye on this beautiful ipad case made with supple, buttery leather, but I spent that money on pasta instead.

Famous Ponte vecchio, home to silversmiths and artisan jewelers of Firenze. I had to shuffle around amid crowds of people trying to get through to the other side. Surprising, considering it was off season for tourism. Needless to say, I avoided that bridge for the rest of the week.