TRAVEL | ILFRACOMBE, DEVON

I love to travel. I love to see new places, experience new and interesting cultures, treat my eyes to the beauty that is planet earth. But to me travel isn't just about hopping on a plane and jetting off to exotic, foreign lands. It's about exploring your own back garden, jumping on a train/coach/in the family car, and heading off to learn more about the country you call home. On the 26th July that's just what I did. Accompanied by my mom, dad and best friend, I spent the week soaking up the English sun in the stunning north of Devon.

The first place we ventured to was the seaside town of Ilfracombe, an absolutely beautiful little town with a sweet little harbour, surrounded by cliffs and sea. This little place is steeped in history having been around since the Iron Age, being the town the late great Peter Sellers made his very first stage appearance, a brief home for the evacuated Joan and Jackie Collins and now for the artist Damien Hirst. It's history, it's cute little buildings, beautiful views of the harbour, beach and cliffs all make this town a very worthwhile place to pay a visit to if you are ever in this part of the country.

If you do find yourself in Ilfracombe and are looking for somewhere to grab a spot of lunch, I'd definitely suggest heading down to the harbour and popping in the The Smugglers, a beautifully decorated, cosy cafe where you can grab a very tasty light bite.

my mom and dad inside The Smugglers

How can you be mad in a moonlit Rome? | Day 3

^^^ Look at that moon! ^^^

Friday the 21^st September was my 20^th birthday and the day we decided to go see the Vatican. What a wonderful place, and the Sistine Chapel is just as beautiful as you imagine. It was a completely magical birthday, one I'll never forget in a city I'll always remember as the love of my life.

The title of this post comes from something Adam said to me as we was strolling around in the dark. Very poetic, very cringey and it's become a kind of catchphrase for us now. 

On an evening in Roma | Day 2

^^^ As an Ancient history student, it was pretty amazing learning about these places in my lectures and then visiting them for real. Seeing how much has survived over thousands of years and being able to visualise the goings on that happened here. Wow. ^^^

^^^ If I could chose any place in the world to get married in, it would be here in the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli next to the Capitoline hill. Such a beautiful building inside and out and has the most amazing feeling. And, the most incredible view, seen in the picture below! ^^^

Day 2 was our tourist day. We jumped on a sightseeing hop on hop off bus and went exploring the city. Wow. Just wow. If there is one city which amazed me at every single opportunity it was Rome. So much beauty and history and culture on every street. Me and Adam both said how much we’d love to just put on a playlist of our favourite songs and spend hours walking alone around the city because it was just so inspiring and amazing and… wow. I think ‘wow’ is actually the only word I can use to describe it. Wow. 

When in Rome do as the Romans do | Day 1

I know exactly when and how my love affair with Italy started. It was in 1998 when I was just 6 years old and I watched the film 'Sabrina in Rome' a dozen times. Then, five years later, The Lizzie McGuire Movie was set in Rome and it was after watching that movie that I realised I would never be happy until I visited Rome. Afterwards, as both myself and technology matured, I was able to learn things about the rest of Italy and fell in love with the whole countries history, culture and beauty. I dreamed of living in such a stunning and  historically rich country, I wandered around Rome on Google street maps pretending to be a native and I watched countless other films set in Italy (some ridiculously rubbish) just to see more of my first true love. On the 19th September 2012 I flew to Rome, Italy with my then boyfriend to spend a week in the country I had loved since I was a little girl. Whilst I was incredibly excited to finally be going, I was also a little scared. It was like the saying 'never meet your idols' and I was so nervous that I was going to be hugely let down.

I wasn't. As soon as I stepped out of the airport, I felt like I was home.

The first day brought rain – and lots of it! After checking into our hotel and heading out into the warm Roman air we came to the Colosseum and, being two massive history buffs, could not put off for another second entering the world famous amphitheatre.  It was truly spectacular being there, surrounded by so much history it was breath taking (although we kind of felt like that the whole time we was in Rome!) and you could imagine it being packed with Roman’s watching the gory ‘sport’ taking place in the centre. As the floor was missing you could see right down into the ‘backstage’ area where the gladiators would await their fate. Amazing. Then the rain struck and we decided to head back to our hotel. Unfortunately we had no idea where it was and couldn’t understand the directions given to us, so we found ourselves walking around the city getting absolutely drenched, hiding in doorways for a bit of a break from the unrelenting downpour with no money on us to jump into a taxi or even grab an umbrella. After about 16 hours we found our hotel and dried off, waiting for the rain to stop so we could go out once more and grab some food. We found a little café type restaurant right round the corner from where we were staying where we each got a pizza and a pasta carbonara to share, because you can’t go to Italy and your first meal not be pizza or/and pasta can you!? It was delicious.

happy birthday wolf

Happy 22nd birthday to my best friend. 

"I'll love you today, tomorrow and more. 

I'll love you always, small ways and all. 

From the moon up high to the ground below, 

your my one and my only and I'll never let go."