hollyberries

Unbelievably, friends, it's almost November. And although some of you have been embracing sweater weather for a while now, Summer has only just ended over here... And somewhat controversially I'm so happy Autumn has finally started to arrive in Madrid. A girl can only take so much 30 degree heat (#sorrynotsorry). The mornings are getting chillier, the days are getting shorter, and the lattes are getting pumpkin spicier.  Here are my top reasons for fall ing* in love with this time of year:  (*I mean the pun was right there you guys) 1. Cosy jumpers Gone are the worries of whether or not you shaved your legs, and trying to suck in your food baby from lunch - hello chunky, over-sized sweaters, wooly tights and cute ankle boots. Plus an excuse for a whole new wardrobe, obv.  Keeping it cosy in Retiro Park Cute dog: essential Autumnal accessory Chunky scarves that double as blankets are where it's at 2. The colours Brb just jumping through piles...

Queridos amigos, Well hi there, it's been a while.  But seeing as I'M BACK IN MADRID(!!!) I thought it was time to re-enter the blog-o-sphere (is that a thing?) - basically my life is no longer a boring blur of lectures and the library so I might have something interesting to share with you lovely people every now and then! Back in February it started to hit me that I was about to finish my degree and I had absolutely zero plans for after graduation.  With the whole world as my oyster it wasn't difficult to come up with ideas: PGCE, ski season in Canada, job hunting in London, travelling in South America...  But anyone who knows me knows making decisions is not my forte and so the simplest thing I could do was ask myself, what do I really want? And my immediate reply? I want to go back to Madrid.  And honestly I can't quite believe how quickly it all happened, and that I'm actually here again, sitting on my balcony on a sunny September Friday in the hea...

I somehow only have just over two months left in Madrid , it's really snuck up on me, I tell ya. And the thing I'm most worried about? Leaving before I've eaten at every place on my 'Where To Eat in Madrid' bucket list. Yes that is an actual thing I have made, #priorities. I mean, it's difficult, you want to go back to the good places AND try all the new places. This year abroad stuff is really tough.   So here is Part 2 of the highly acclaimed series, I know you've all been waiting with bated breath. If you want... PIZZA Name : Ôven Where? : Calle de Fuencarral, Calle Gran Vía,  My favourite : Pizza De La Huerta Pizza Pizza Pizza. The tagline of this place is 'Mozzarella Bar'. Need I say more? But for reals, this is definitely the best pizza I've had while being in Madrid, maybe even EVER - serious allegations being made here you guys.  They also have an amazing selection of Mozzarella and Burrata dishes, their speciality, whi...

I've decided I can't live in a big city when I'm older.  I need to be surrounded by nothing but fields of sheep .  How am I supposed to resist the 7 million different eateries right outside my front door?! Everything from pizza and burgers to ice cream and churros is less than a 5 minute walk from my piso in Madrid and it's pretty stressful, I tell ya. This sort of thing just can't be helped It's safe to say I've sampled a fair few restaurants/cafés/bars (did you know Madrid has more bars per square metre than anywhere else in Europe(!)) since arriving in Madrid 5 months ago - and there's so many more to discover! So I thought I'd start a little series of my favourite places (I couldn't possibly condense them all into one post, or we'd be here for hours.) Sorry in advance for making you really hungry. Trust . If you want... BRUNCH Name:   Federal Café Where?: Plaza de las Comendadores, Plaza del Conde de Barajas  My fav...

I'm the type of person who always has high expectations for things, which often leads to disappointment. I don't mean to, I just prefer to think only about the best possibilities, but they're not always 100% realistic. Before I set off on my year abroad I was so excited to start, what everyone had told me would be, the best year of my life so far. But of course, people only ever tell you the good parts. So I had really got my hopes up that as soon as my feet hit Spanish soil I'd be having the time of my life. The truth is, so far, it hasn't been exactly what I was expecting. In fact it's been quite a bit worse. Moving country is hard, man. I found leaving home to go to university scary enough, and this is the same, but like 100 times different.  I know Spain isn't massively far away from England but it suddenly feels like everything is different. The people, the food, the shops, the language (duh), the lifestyle. Obviously it's amazin...

Hola amigos! So I haven't blogged for a while and I've got a bit of an update.  I've moved to Spain! Basically, I am now in the third year of my undergraduate degree at the University of Exeter (aka I'm supposedly almost a grown-up) and because I study languages I have the amazing opportunity to spend it abroad. So that's what I'm doing. A couple of weeks ago I attempted to pack my life into a couple of suitcases and flew to Madrid to start my 9-month adventure.  With accommodation, a Spanish bank account, and even a gym membership (who am I) all finally sorted, I'm beginning to feel a lot more settled.  And if you're wondering what I'm actually doing out here (other than eating tapas , paella , churros con chocolate ...(now you understand the gym membership)), I am working in a school as an English language assistant , helping teachers prepare lessons and helping the students with their English. I know I've only just started but...