Edinburgh

It’s Tuesday and I’ve spent the last 4 days in Edinburgh, Scotland. Beautiful city. It’s kind of hard to believe that these buildings have stood longer than the country I come from.

I came here to take a small break from the hustle of London. I decided I wanted to see more of the country before settling down into what will be the inevitable grind. It’s just such a different vibe from London. Breath-taking views, a tonne of history, very grey and wet, but overall the people are extremely warm. 

I got incredibly lucky on my way in by way of an adorable airbnb that popped up the night before my departure and an empty spot in a silver clay jewelry making class. I’ll put that in a separate post given I took a lot of photos and want it to stand alone.

One thing I noticed is the doors and ceilings are super high here! It makes me feel that this place was once inhabited by giants or just people who appreciated their own space. Though with that comes the creeping cold that buries itself into the bones. The upside is the moist air keeps the plants and flowers flourishing. In all my years, I don’t think I’ve ever seen petunias hanging so heavy and rich in colour (pictures don’t do it justice). Definitely good material for future paintings or art.

On a complete other side note, I cannot stop listening to Scottish band The Cocteau Twins. This scenery just demands this level of dreamy soundtrack.


The Tate Modern & Other Inspo

It’s always amazing to me how much one can fit into a week. I’ve been here over just 10 days and have had my mind blown by just how much I’ve seen. The scenery, the smells, the people, and best of all, the art continually reminds me I’m in another world.  

I lucked out and had a week straight of sun my first 7 days, so a lot of walking was had. I crossed Tower Bridge and took the obligatory photos of the Tower of London, which to modern standards, feels more like a fort and less like the towering giants we come to build today. 

By far, my favourite museum so far has been the Tate Modern. I nearly cried walking in to an original Meredith Frampton “Portrait of a Young Woman”. To my surprise, she was much larger than I imagined she would be. Stand-outs for me were all the surrealist art, Nan Goldin’s photos, Yinka Shonibare’s British Library, and Ellen Gallagher’s quirky mock up’s of old ads (pictured below). Feeling extremely grateful to experience all of this in person! I could get lost in that museum and mark my words, I will again.

The week fluidly made it’s way into weekend nightlife with a Montreal ex-pat and extremely talented dj, my gal pal Heidy. We were transported back to 2008 La Rockette and danced like mad. I spent the next morning in foodie heaven at the Maltby Market. Street food from around the world, tucked away in an adorable alleyway. Also I found the trench coat. I had been saying for weeks that I would wait to buy one here and it’s happened.

Needless to say, I’m enjoying my time here immensely and look forward to the job hunt that will come with my desire to stay in this city. In the meanwhile, I’m heading off to Edinburgh tomorrow in hopes of fresh air and come what may.  





 


London

Time to revive the blog!

I cannot promise anything but I will do my best to update as often as possible. After 2.5 years in Toronto, I’ve taken the leap to London. While Toronto has been an excellent stepping stone, I’m very excited to have something to really write home about.

Today I’m sitting in a nice little organic coffee shop off Commercial in East London. The soundtrack is off the hook for a Monday morning and I couldn’t be more thrilled. This town definitely has a great vibe. It’s old world meets new world: patchwork sidewalks, colourful alley ways, brick and glass. Walking around feels like the equivalent of learning to brush your teeth with the opposite hand.

While I have no idea where I’m going to fit into the whole equation this early in the game, I am very much at ease. Bouts of déjà vu and little miracles serve as perpetual encouragement to keep right along.

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