Peets Hill at Sunset.

Just wanted to share a snowy sunset from a few weeks back. Peets Hill is so pretty!

A little happy list!

1. Making Guacamole - this used to be a tradition when I lived in Italy and since summer weather has arrived, the time has come to make this delicious dip once again - so tasty and easy to make! All you need is some avocado, a tomato or two, some red onion, lemon or lime juice and a dash of salt - mix together for the yummiest dip of all the dips!

2. Sunny days: they have so much more potential than rainy ones, many days have been spent lazing about in parks, dipping our toes in the sparkling sea and exploring new places by bike.

3. Making the most of everyone still being around before they go home for summer next week. It will be strange when it's empty here next week, with only four of us around!

4. Holding hands with the boy as we wander through town.

5. Waking up early. I've never been a morning person but recently my body has been waking me up at 8.30am which is nice rather than having to set an alarm to get up.

6. Little adventures - going to Cornwall for the day was fun, finding our way to beach by clambering over the dunes and trekking to a far away to find food on a Sunday night.

7. Girls nights with next year's housemates, excited to live with them all next year, and for more funny movie nights and dinner parties.

8. The Summer Ball on Saturday - excited to dress up for a change and see everyone in suits and dresses!

9. Getting to know Plymouth like the back of my hand, lots of bike exploring is being done on bikes and on foot, finding little harbours and viewpoints that no one else knows about, and are always empty and so beautiful.

10. Cats! On our many walks, we have found lots of cats who seem friendly, I've been missing mine so it's nice to have some feline company!

Nostalgia.

Lately, I've been thinking about my time living in a little Italian city, if you're new here, I spent 9 months (or so), working as an au pair in a small city in Northern Italy as part of my gap year.

Sometimes, on rainy days when there appears to be nothing to do and no one is up before 1, I find myself looking back at old photos and wishing I was back there. I thought I'd share a few with a bit of nostalgic rambling to go with it as well as some anecdotes of things that only happen in Italy/Cremona. Hope you don't mind! 

Something that always used to confuse me was the signs telling you that you were no longer in a place. 

So, I know I'm not in Cremona, but where am I? Logical, right?

Horses in the park, one Sunday morning, the type of random activity that is unique to Cremona, along with 

the promise of Water Polo flash mobs and pop-up Lego exhibitions.  

One of the highlights of my stay was meeting a life-long friend in a bookshop who I miss so much but

until we can afford to see each other again, we will have to stick to skyping and letters!

The spiral staircase in my host family's apartment, I loved it throughout the seasons, it was always so picturesque and pretty. 

I miss making elaborate meals with my two american friends, incorporating foods that we all missed - the evening pictured above was mac 'n' cheese, homemade chicken nuggets and roasted veg - so good!

Looking out over the city on my penultimate morning.

Oh how I miss the Italian Gelato - but it never made sense that we ate it when the temperature was -9 outside. 

My favourite tea shop, which was always our meeting place for catch ups and tea that I cannot find anywhere else - Blueberry Cherry.

Tisneria - our favourite bar where D + Me always got catcalled at for our funny accents. So happy that D lives in London now!  

Seeing the Torazzo (the tower in the city) poking out above the buildings and using it as a guide to find my way around the city. 

The sporadic antiques market which sold so many old cool cameras that I wish I had bought!

Finding contraptions such as a pringles vending machines and M trying to work them out. 

The funny little things my kids used to do like kissing windows on the way home from school cause he could see his own reflection in it. Think we might have a future heart-breaker on our hands now. 

River trips and having fun with C. I do miss those friends of mine! 

Ellie x

A Snapshot: Sunny Sunday.

This weekend, the sun has finally re-appeared in the West Country after the storms that have been happening all week. I had a glorious lie-in which I really appreciated cause sleep is always good especially when we stay up until the early hours talking.

The morning was spent with my flat as one of my flatmate's parents have been visiting and they very generously decided to cook a roast for us which was delicious and so lovely to have a home cooked meal that I didn't make. Once we were suitably stuffed and had given some roses to the parents as a thank you, we had fun listening to old songs and catching up with a friend we don't see too often. 

After that, I met up with one of my best friends who lives next door to go for a photography walk, we walked about 4 miles in total and ended up right at the edge of Plymouth where the ferry leaves for Cornwall, we even found a welcome to Plymouth sign to pose by and even though we got a bit lost and didn't actually find the place that she was looking for, we had a great time along the way chatting, talking photographs and watching the sunset.

It was a really lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and afterwards, we headed home for a bit of BAFTA watching, a quiz with all of the flat and a bit of socialising. The night ended with me falling asleep on the sofa at 3am and being rudely awoken by my flatmate throwing water at me, which escalated pretty quickly into a full blown water fight. Oh dear. But somehow, I still love 'em.

How was your Sunday?

#30 of the 30 Day Snap! The final day!

Read more about the series here and here.

Day 30. 

Pretty sky tonight! A lovely day spent in Suffolk with family. Reunited with my sweet little cousins too, who I hadn't seen since August! We had a lovely BBQ, numerous games of hide and seek and lots of catching up! 

<3 

#13 of the 30 Day Snap | Sunset

Read more about the series here and here.

Day 13.

yesterday's sunset was so beautiful. I love it when the sky is so pretty, a mix of burnt orange, pinks and yellow. 

<3

Making me smile this week....

This week, I have gone back to Italy after spending three weeks at home with family and friends for Christmas/New Year, it's a bit of a change, and I wasn't really looking forward to coming back (because home is where its at) so am making a conscious effort to note down the little things that are making me happy in order to appreciate things more.

the view at sunset from my host family's terrace.

1. Seeing the sunrise on the way to the airport in England.
2. Being greeted with grande abbraccio's (big hugs) and Peccatino's (little kisses)  from my two little Italian boys - excuse my Italian spelling. And also the happy greetings from my host parents.

the boys and I in the autumn.

3. Riding my bike again, gosh I do love my bike here! (and yes, there is a little seat for a 'bambino' on the back!)

my Italian bike. 

4.Making a friend in the English section of the Italian bookshop, we chatted about books and agreed to meet  up for chats and coffee in the near future - yay! Plus, she was an au pair in Ireland a few years ago so speaks perfect english and knows how it feels to be an au pair and was just genuinely lovely.
5. The fact that my camera does Bokeh (blurry light effects) - so exciting + trying it out all the time.

6. Editing the wedding video I filmed a few weeks back, I'm so excited to share it with the happy couple and hear what they think.

a still from the wedding video.

7. Wearing flowers in my hair every day, I love it, it always makes me feel cheerier. Except when my dad commented: 'I think you have a leaf stuck in your hair." - oh Papi

flowers in the hair. 

8. The market, happens twice a week in this city and is so easy and close and they have fresh delicious fruit + bright flowers and sell everything imaginable that you might need.

The bi-weekly flower market in the main square (maybe I can find some for my hair here?)

9. The prospect of one of my best (+craziest) friends coming to visit and/or coming to Italy for adventure travels together! Yayayayayayay!
10. Listening to a lot of Lucy Rose, her voice is so gorgeous, go check out her music, pronto! I suggest: 'bikes', 'Middle of the bed' and 'Shiver' - they are my personal favourites.

I just need to remind myself that I am very lucky to be living in an Italian city and travelling around such a beautiful country + staying with a lovely host family. Being away from home is difficult, but it isn't forever and I need to enjoy myself and go on adventures and learn Italian all while looking after the sweetest of boys. I've got it pretty good, I do believe.

what made you happy this week?

Ellie xx