Unexpected summer

 source: http://thxthxthx.com/

Tomorrow I’m going back to Barcelona, after spending the hall summer in Torquay.

I have to say, that I’m quite sad about going back home, because this has been –unexpectedly- the best experience of my life: I’ve loved living in a charming place like Torquay, with its beautiful parks, cute quarters, friendly and helpful people, amusing night life, interesting art exhibitions and, of course, delicious food (particularly Devon cream tea and fish and chips at Babbacombe), …

Also, I’ve been very lucky to live with a nice and homely family and to meet incredible people that I’ll never forget. Moreover, I’ve travelled around the area and fall in love with every single town and city I have visited: Brixham (where I ate the famous crab sandwich in a terrace at the harbour), Dartmouth (a place to get lost through its narrow streets and art galleries), Exeter (which has one of the most beautiful cathedrals I’ve ever seen), Plymouth (with its adorable old quarter of Barbican), Bath (with its honey-coloured stone Georgian buildings and elegant streets) and Bristol (which captivated me with its artsy vibe).

And finally, another reason that makes me not want to leave Torquay is the place where I’ve been working as an intern: the Torbay Council’ Arts&Culture Department. They gave me the opportunity to participate in amazing projects and events around Torbay: the Cockington Court Summer exhibition “Art on the English Riviera”, the painting exhibition at Torre Abbey “Death and The Maiden” by Robert Lenkiewicz, the opening of a new contemporary studio workspace at Lupton House, the Children’s Festival that took place in Paignton...

I am infinitely grateful for today’s unexpected sun. After three months here, I went to the beach for the first time and finally touch the water! Surprisingly it felt quite warm.

Last days

 

 

 

 

 

 

1, 2. Sunny walks

3. My work place

4,5,6. Bits of Torquay

7. Thursday Flea market. I could just spend hours and hours snooping 

These last days I’ve enjoyed having long and quiet walks around Torquay. It feels weird to think that I’m coming back home, while here I really felt like being home. 

Journeys inside the Journey: Totnes

 

 

 

Last Monday ended up being super nice. Since, on Sunday I finally finished my career project (I’ve been working on it all summer long), and Monday was a national holiday, I decided to go to Totnes. 

 

 

 

 

My last journey inside the journey was a great success. The magical atmosphere of Totnes made me fell even more in love with this country.

Brunch at Rocotillos

 

 

In Bristol we had brunch in a lovely dinner where I ate the most delicious nachos and veggie burger that I have ever tried. The pancakes with vanilla ice cream were just the icing on the cake.

Journeys inside the Journey: Bristol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bristol totally surprised me with its energy and artsy vibe. We spend the day walking and trying not to spend all of our money in the countless all kind of shops around the city. And when we were on our way to catch the train back home, we run into a street festival in honour of Banksy, full of young people chatting, painting graffities, dancing and having fun! It was incredible! Bristol is now on my places-where-I-would-like-to-live-some-day list.  

 

 

 

 

weekend bits

 

 

 

1. Summer supper: baked pasta with roasted vegetables, brownies and white wine.

2. A sunny Sunday enjoying a fish and chips

3. The stunning 240ft red-clay cliffs at Babbacombe
4. The best Devon cream tea at Cockington Court
5. Paula through the Hazel Cloud

Journeys inside the Journey: BATH

A few weeks ago we went to Bath. After two hours and fifteen we arrived to what is known as the most beautiful city of England. And the truth is that it’s amazing: honey-coloured stone Georgian beautiful buildings, elegant streets, narrow passages, parks and gardens full of people, all kind of shops, charming restaurants and bakeries… it seems a fairy tale town.  We spend all day walking and walking… but we didn’t have enough time to visit some museums or do some shopping (I just went to an incredible three floor’s library). So, I hope that I have a free Saturday before I have to leave to come back to Bath to: go with a boat along the canal, take a tea in a café that I saw with views over the canal, visit The Postal Museum and the Jane Austin Centre and maybe do some shopping. 

Yesterday I made a great discovery. After I left the office I went to the library to work on my career project (which I have to deliver in September :S) and at the shelves next to my table, among the most variety of books, there was The spin doctor’s diary by Lance Price. It’s a journal of an ex BBC Political Correspondent who worked at 10 Downing Street during the first years of Tony Blair’s government. I started to read it, and totally hooked me. I think it’s interesting to read it nowadays, when it’s going on the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, which has become a national debate about the relation between journalism and politics. 

*PD: finally yesterday I could enjoy a lonely and quite night in my home. In my home we’re 6 people living here: my “English parents” and four Spanish girls. So, as you can imagine, it’s difficult to be alone, or just have quite moments. And yesterday, instead of going out with them, I preferred just to stay at home, cooking, watching the news, reading and watching a film! Just the night I needed! 

Art at Cockington (my favourite place in Torquay)

Last Thursday was the opening of “Art on the English Riviera” at Cockington Court Craft Centre, a free art exhibition which includes two pieces of land art. 

 

The Horizon Cube by Henry Bruce (creator of the Dartmoor chair).

 

And the Hazel Cloud by Mike Fletcher, a piece that comprises of 1000 large sticks of Hazel which people will help decorate with the red earth of Cockington.

 

It was a great and funny afternoon. First,I had a great walk to get to Cockington, it was so calm and quite.

 

 

I could take lots of photos (luckily it was a sunny day) and drink white wine and eat canapés with Mike Fletcher and his charming family.

And listen to the amazing life music played by phillip henry and hannah martin.