If Cities Could Speak

A fallen tree on the train tracks means we arrive at Walk Wood Wagon two hours late; mother nature making her power known. It’s still light though, just. We arrive at the clearing in the woods and plonk our heavy rucksacks down on the ground, taking in the sight of the black and white wagon that is to be our home for the next few days. The chimney poking out of the roof promises warmth on this February weekend in East Sussex and we’ve been assured by the owner that the small space heats up quickly once the fire gets going. There’s a deck attached to the wagon with an outdoor kitchen, a little table and two bright blue chairs that look garish against the earthy tones of the woods. The wagon is surrounded by a tangle of spindly trees that creak like an old man’s bones as they sway in the wind. There are fields visible beyond the trees too, great expanses of green that stretch out into the distance. We park ourselves on the chairs and gobble down cheap Tesco sandwiches that satiate the ap...

The sky is turning the shade of octopus ink by the time Vicente finishes running us through the idiosyncrasies of his army-green VW campervan. It is a T3 model - in other words old - and it will be our home for the next four days. Before we venture out into the Puerto del Rosario night, Vicente directs our gaze to the wall where a large white map of the island is pinned, strips of purple post-it notes stuck on various points to indicate desirable parking spots. I take three pictures of the map on my phone and we climb into the van. Jorge is driving; I am too nervous to go first and besides, he is more accustomed to driving on the right-hand side of the road.  It is a bumpy first ride (the darkness doesn't help) and we’re too flustered to venture far. We’re also hungry, the energy from our airport sandwiches dwindling. We park up on an empty road and venture into the city to find food. We’re not fussed about fine dining - the thought of securing a suitable place to park for the nigh...

Puerta del Sol December is here, Mariah’s on the radio and I’m watching the Grinch on repeat. The Christmas countdown has officially begun. Although this year the height of festive fun is a socially distanced mug of mulled wine on a freezing terrace, we can hopefully look forward to cosy Christmas markets and spending time with more than six people next winter. Maybe we can even dare to dream about hopping on a plane or train for next year’s festive getaways.  When you picture spending a long Christmassy weekend exploring another city, I’m willing to bet Madrid doesn’t immediately spring to mind. But having visited Spain’s capital during the festive season for the last three years, Madrid at Christmas holds a special place in my heart. If you’re in need of some festive daydreaming or if you’ve gorged on enough German gingerbread to last a lifetime, here are four ways to get your Christmas cheer on in Madrid.  1. Get your churros fix at San Ginés There’s something about the com...

  La Cabrera, Madrid After six months of lockdown life in our cosy East London flat, the thought of leaving the city, let alone the country, seemed inconceivable. But somehow, our bags were packed, the fridge was emptied, and Jorge and I were heading off to Spain for the month. Most of our time was spent in La Cabrera, a small town surrounded by mountains in the Sierra Norte de Madrid, with more fresh air than our lungs could handle after the traffic fumes of London. Being so close to the brown, bouldery mountains meant we were met with beautiful views upon opening the curtains each morning. It also meant we spent a lot of time in nature, hiking, walking and scrambling up rocks until our legs were sore.  We were staying close to the Pico de la Miel hiking trail, which gets its poetic name from the honey pot shaped peak. The climb up is steep but beautiful, and the views at the top are worth the exertion. We tackled the hike three days into our trip, which was a bold move consi...

The sun always shines in Margate.  Ok, this isn’t strictly true.  But the sun has shone every time I’ve visited this glorious seaside town, reflecting its beams off the sea and making everything golden. And even if the sun isn’t there to warm your face and light the cobbled streets, it’s well worth getting yourself down to Margate anyway. If you need convincing, here are 3 reasons to visit. 1) The beach Many of Britain’s beaches are pebbly affairs. Yes, they’re majestic in all their grey glory, but sometimes you need to feel the sand between your toes. Margate’s beach consists of a beautiful, butter yellow stretch of sand with easy access to the sea for all your swimming and ankle wading needs. My last visit to Margate fell fortuitously during a hot spell, which meant I could spend the whole day stretched out on my towel, interspersing my reading session with invigorating dips in the sea. I even bought a parasol from one of the little beach shops.  I’m not the only one dr...

Photo by  Mitchell Henderson  on  Unsplash Let’s start with a story. Upon leaving university and finding myself one year into an administrative job that was cushy but not exactly my calling, I was feeling stuck. I longed for a challenge and realised that I missed studying; I wasn’t ready to give it up yet for the world of grey skirts and glass-doored offices. I got a place at Queen Mary to study marketing and had a gloriously long summer stretching ahead of me in between leaving my admin job and starting my degree. Giddy from my newly acquired freedom from office life and in the mood to learn, I booked a spot on a French course in Lyon. I knew absolutely nothing about Lyon and my French wasn’t so hot either, but I was fired up by the feeling that I could go anywhere and be anyone.  I landed in Lyon and made my way to the rustic pink stone student accommodation, feeling pleased as punch that I’d made it this far (to put things into context, I was a fairly shelt...

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash Perhaps you’re coming to London for the second time, having already strolled through Hyde Park, battled hordes of shoppers in Covent Garden, and taken the obligatory selfie with Big Ben. Now you want to see how and where the locals live. This is no mean feat, given that this vast city sprawls across a total area of 1,583 square kilometres (put into context, you could comfortably fit five Maltas into London). With this in mind, you might want to home in on a particular area. And if vegan breakfasts, vintage clothes, quirky culture and proper pubs are your jam, get yourself over to East London. Whenever I have the pleasure of showing out-of-towner friends around my city, I always do a variation of the following.  Brunch Set yourself up for the day at Mother , a peaceful café on the canal bank in Hackney Wick where you’ll find banana laden toast slathered with peanut butter, crunchy granola bowls and smashed avo sourdough (an East London stap...

Photo by Håkon Sataøen on Unsplash Take two lifelong friends and one vague plan for a weekend away and what do you get? A wonderful, friendship-affirming adventure in Berlin several months later.  Berlin had been on my bucket list for some time. Artistic and achingly cool, Germany’s capital didn’t disappoint. But there’s so much more to this city than its hip credentials. Berlin carries the weight of a dark and troubled history, which it addresses in its many museums.  With only two days and two nights to play with, we had to make every minute count. By Sunday evening, we flew back to London feeling sleepy and satisfied that we’d done Berlin justice (and knowing that we’d have plenty more to do whenever we return). Where to stay We stayed in a suitably cool and sparsely furnished Airbnb in Mitte, Berlin’s most central borough. Berlin is huge, so you’ll never be within walking distance of everything. But Mitte is about as convenient as it gets, and the neighbourhoo...

Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash Heading to Vienna? Lucky you! The city of music, the city of dreams, whatever moniker you give it, Vienna is one incredible city. Here are my must-see museums, essential eateries and sights you should soak up when in Austria’s beautiful capital.  Surprise! As we bundled onto the coach in the wee hours of the morning, my boyfriend Jorge pressed an envelope into my hand. In it contained three green cards with clues hidden within the folds. The clues read, “The city of music”; “The city of Klimt”; and “The city of Freud”. The destination of my mystery 30th birthday weekend was, of course, Vienna.  One coach journey, Leon porridge and a two-hour flight later, we were there – feet firmly set in the city of music itself and greedy for everything Vienna had to offer.   Where to stay We stayed in a beautiful Airbnb near the Prater, a famous amusement park in Vienna’s second district, Leopoldstadt. Leopoldstadt is having ...