Whitby part 2

Continuing on from the last post .. the town of Whitby is full of quaint little shops that provide a delightful haven for tourists, hungry tummies, tired feet and a sight for sore eyes... 

I have a fascination for all the names of the places here in England. Whitby I realized, doesn't deviate from what appears to be a tradition of naming establishments after animals ... . 

The Magpie's Kitchen ... a heaven for people like my mum because this place has floors and floors of tableware and kitchen accessories ... 

The Dolphin 

The Black Horse

We had lunch at The Magpie, an eatery that came highly recommended but unfortunately our box of the infamous Whitby fish and chips was slightly overrated ... at least the cod was very fresh though ... or maybe it's just the fact that fish and chips just isn't my chosen bite ... hmm  

Candy shops provide an endless source of temptation for sweet tooths and overgrown children like yours truly .. 

Hehe ... this was a shop selling hand made soaps that looked good enough to eat don't you think ? 

The shops here have got jolly good names too ... 

The Jolly Sailors 

The Moon and Sixpence 

And ... this one here's Naughty but Nice ... 

Now, we come to the part of Whitby that I personally loved best .... 

I <3 independent bookshops .... and nice ladies who allow me to take photos in them .. 

This was literature-ly my stairway to heaven ... 

I only had time to take these snapshots because my friend pulled me away from the shop.. but looking at this photo now ... I spot Middlesex and Pigtopia !! Arrgh ... and these books were going for 60% off the RRP . 

and more ... 

Needless to say, my souvenirs from Whitby were ... 

I'm incorrigible I know .. *inserts appropriately repentant doe-eyed expression ... *

Whitby

The eager call of seagulls heralded our arrival to this picturesque little town by the sea. Whitby is located near the Yorkshire coast, nearby Ravenscar, Scarborough, Filey and Bridlington. 

One of the must sees here would be the Whitby Abbey. Located on top of a hill, the abbey looms up magnificent , and it doesn't take much imagination for you to see this splendid structure resplendent in its former glory. 

The Abbey's first Abbess was Lady Hilda, and is thus also known as St Hilda's Abbey. It fell to Viking attack in 1078, and although it was later reformed by a soldier monk, Reginfrith, the buiilding fell to ruins after an attack by King Henry VII in the year 1540. Today, the abbey remains a prominent landmark for the town of Whitby and has become a major tourist attraction. 

Look at the blue blue sky ! 

I think there was a stable nearby, so there were lots of these horses grazing in fields. There was this particular little pony which was really friendly and inquisitive. Ah, I wish I had a lump of sugar or an apple :( 

At the entrance of the Abbey's souvenir shop. There was a stained glass bookmark in there that I fell deeply in love with, but alas, it was way too expensive for a student. There were lots of Celtic crosses, little figurines, and even quills on sale there ! I could have spent all day browsing that place... 

I think this was St Mary's Church ... what drew my attention was the graveyard, at the top of a hill overlooking the sea ... this place had a very gothic feel about it. I could just imagine turbulent waves crashing in, and a dark, gloomy sky with streaks of lightning illuminating random headstones ... 

The view on the other side of the church ... breathtaking huh ? 

Whitby is also famous for its 199 steps, a flight of stairs leading up to St Mary's Church. I'm sorry there are no better pictures of this beautiful *torturous* place because I was so afraid of heights that I practically held my breath and counted step by painful step down with my eyes focused on the ground and nowhere else. As you can see from the picture, the view was actually magnificent so I kinda missed a lot. I was coerced into taking this picture by some friends, so I have to thank them for this slice of memory since I honestly can't remember much from this .... :( 

The view from the top of the steps ... 

Solid ground at last !! Narrow alleys, and quaint little shops dot the town of Whitby. There was lots to see here ... but probably that will come in the next post since I think you guys have had too much of looking at photos of me for one day  :) 

48th

One day years ago, the path of two wanderers in a vast world collided and we were birthed. It's been 4 years of laughs, tears, tempers and joy. 4 years of ups and downs. 4 years on a rollercoaster ride of discoveries and all things glittery and sparkly. 

At the age of 4, a child finally learns how to express him/herself eloquently. Tempers fly, tantrums storm, but laughter is pure, unfiltered, and joy is so very real. Character development becomes evident. A parent starts discovering things about the energetic, bustling toddler. 

This particular 4 year old is :

• open to cuts, grazes and the healing power of love

• adventurous, yet trusting

• trying, testing, at times hard to handle

• exuberant, playful, inquisitive

• yours, mine, ours

Time has spread its wings and taken off. We're now 4 years old. 

Here's hoping we continue to grow, regardless of distance, continents and a couple of big blue seas in between.

Happy 48th Bay Bee.

xoxo,
Jo

Reality Bites

" I had dreams, aspirations, childlike wonder - ..... "

" .... and then reality strolled along and took the seat next to me " said she. 

Life is a fragile, mystical thread that twists and turns on its own path along the tapestry of destiny. 

Dear Lord, 

I hereby submit each and every second of my life unto Thy hands, 

Thank you for the beauty that surrounds me,

Thank you for every breath that I draw, 

Thank you for the lessons, the scrapes, the joy and the tears,

Thank you for the comforting knowledge that there is a reason for everything, 

Thank you for my fantastic support team of lending hands, listening ears and shoulders to lean on, 

Amen, 

Pre-birthday a.k.a excuse for cake

Hiya !

Today I officially turn 22. One of the plus points of celebrating in the UK is that I get to remain 21 for an additional 7 hours !! *oh-gawd-I-can't-believe-I'm-so-old-already !!* 

I wish I could come up with something funny or witty to post about this belated coming of age 'event', but words just seem to elude me today. 

A huge thank you to all of you who've made my day wonderful. Here are some pictures of a pre-birthday do that I had. Friends, black forest cake and a night of laughs are the best gifts a girl could ever wish for ! 

I was in the mood for some cooking so ... Spinach and ricotta tortellini, basil tomato salad sprinkled with bits of blue cheese and artichoke hearts ... and urm ..that little shriveled up piece of meat is cod btw ( I'm a novice cook... sorry mum! ). I did a cost estimate at the end of the day ... and guess how much all these came up to ? £1.20 tops !! 

There you have it. Frozen black forest cake. Anything to satisfy my craving for cream, cake and chocolateee.. 

And since a lot of you asked for this .. urm. ... concrete evidence of imminent murder ... *cough*  You know I really meant "Obligatory Cake and Birthday Person Picture " right ... ? 

Alrightie ! My assignments want to spend some lovely birthday one-on-one time with me so you really can't say no to stacks of paper screaming for your attention ... 

Toodles !

xoxo,
Jo

Sheffield

"I want the pink one !! " followed by an excited little giggle. 

Captivated, I turned around and my breath caught at the sight before me. Blue skies, red brick buildings, adorable little girls, and a splashy jumble of BALLOONS ! 

The city is full of little surprises that come at you when you least expect them to. I remember it was an exceptionally tiring day of lectures and info overload, so I decided to walk through the city center just to get my mind off school. I love the way the city center is always bustling with people, young, old, busy, relaxed. People from all walks of life.

The sky has been sunny this weekend, and as I walked along to the gentle caress of the breeze running its fingers silkily through my hair, Sheffield soaked itself bit by bit into my every pore. 

The pubs here have cute names ! 

This one is the Frog and Parrot ... why those two animals I wonder ... 

The perennial red phone booths make for really sexy photo props ... 

Pigeons here are really used to humans and they don't flit away when you go near ... I like this shot of a live pigeon stomping on a stone sculpture of a bird. 

" Hah ! I'm alive ! I flutter, I poo, what can you do o' ginormous bird creature ?? "

I also made a new friend ! Since he didn't have a name plaque anywhere in sight, I took the liberty of naming him myself ! Say hello to Ryder the Wooden Horse and this is me ... hoping not to break him. 

How can an entry be complete without a picture of yours truly 'reading' =p But oh, it was awesome weather to be out reading today. 

I just want to snuggle in with all these impressions, happy laughter and colours. This weekend has been wonderful in the way of discoveries and sometimes I guess all it takes is looking in the right places. =) 

And before I forget .. Happy Father's Day ! I hope it isn't too late to wish you daddies out there ! 

Update Numero Uno

First off, I've taken the last post off because I think I need to learn how to keep my thoughts to myself at times but I deeply value the comments and thoughts that you left for me. :) 

The sun is starting to peek out from under its slumberous state here in Sheffield. I guess this year Mr Solar decided to sleep in a little, and feeling in a generous mood, I say the guy deserves a break after a few billion years of being at it. Breaks aside, the sky is finally BLUE again ! Just the way we were thought way back in Kindergarten ! 

Strictly for illustration purposes, the sky turned from this : 

(There's just something so ... mysteriously romantic about the grey, overcast sky though ... like an eccentric, moody artist given to spurts of genius and sexily frustrated tantrums .. wokay, I'm not making much sense am I? ... moving on ! )

to THIS : 

* the person behind the lens duly apologizes for injustice done to the breathtaking awesomeness of this particular setting and solemnly promises to learn how to take better photos in the future *

Soo.. what this means is that now there will be more chances to frolic in the sun, snap more pictures to keep you guys updated and start honing my 'photo taking' skills. :) 

Oh yes ... if I ever need proof that I'm my mother's daughter ... I cooked Fusili Aglio Olio with Cumberland Sausages and juicy Cherry Tomatoes the other day !!The last time I checked I still have all 10 fingers, and 10 toes, I didn't set off any fire alarms, and it's actually edible! All those years of stealing-food-in-the-kitchen, watching mum cook paid off ! At least dying-from-starvation can be taken off the list for now. 

Settled

Hi all,

So sorry for the lack of updates lately. Things have been chaotic the past week, but hopefully things start looking up this week on. I'm already in Sheffield, and boy is it a beautiful city ! I'm living smack in the middle of the city centre, so its a very advantageous place to be because shops are a stone's throw away, and by shops, I mean BOOKstores mainly, although there are lots of boutiques and eateries scattered everywhere, most of these are things I can hardly afford on a student's budget :) 

I wish I took more pictures, but the weather has been horrid the past week, rainy, cloudy, moody, COLD, so I have a very limited number of pictures for you guys. 

This is so mummy doesn't think I've been starving. I made this the second night I arrived : Broccoli and mushrooms in Bovril. Simple, hot, satisfying ! 

Last night's dinner (or rather the first time *in my life* I cooked! I know, I'm a sad specimen of a female ) Feeling rather 'adventurous', I grilled sausages, fried an egg with lotsa onions and herbs, and my 'main' dish was brussel sprouts and onions in a ratatouille based sauce. Nothing like home but still absolute yums ! 

Sorry about the lousy picture quality, was too hungry to get the camera set up so I just snapped a picture and bon appetit-ed away ! = P

That's about it for today. It's a beautiful Sunday morning, I've just finished with my laundry so it's time to go explore ! See ya !