21 Jun 2014

Going home and my trip to Cornwall


It has been two weeks since I went on a train journey (the one described here) and took myself to Cornwall and back for a weekend.
The weather was beautiful, I ate my weigh in cream tea, got woken up by seagulls in the morning and just spent a nice few days with some of the loveliest people I have met in my life.

At the Royal Cornwall County Show - So many cream teas!
  
Beach at St. Agnes


Very cute Café on the way to the Beach

Following that trip, I finished my internship, went to a parliamentary panel discussion where I sat next to a proper journalist from The Guardian (I felt a little out of place. But the food was great.), went shopping with the money I had left, moved out of my room in the student residence, watched the England vs. Italy match in the Shutterbug Café, then got a cold while waiting for the night bus.
The next day, I boarded the plan and flew to Berne, where my family was already waiting for me. I’ve been home for two weeks now and I can honestly say that I am absolutely happy to be back.
Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I hated it the whole time and was just miserable 24/7. London itself is still my favourite city and I’m sure it won’t be long until I will back for a city trip, but having escaped my not-too-interesting office job and getting my social life back does feel pretty amazing. However, I already miss all the unique little cafés, restaurants and other places you can find everywhere in London. I guess you just can’t have everything, right?

Dessert for Breakfast

I want all bills to come in a book like that. It's the small things that make a difference.

Reggie the Veggie at The Breakfast Club in Soho


It's coffee in a jam jar. How can you not get excited about that?

Delicious Raspberry Lemonade and a hazlenut-chocolate thing (what a precise description Anna, well done!) at Le Pain Quotidien

 That’s it for now. I hope you’ve all had a wonderful weekend!

12 Jun 2014

Thoughts while on a train


The past weekend, I got on a train to visit a family that I met three years ago in their new home in Cornwall. Starting from Paddington Station, the journey took me 4 hours and 45 minutes. That gives you a lot of time to think. So I started writing down random thoughts that popped into my head and this is how this post came to happen. 
Let's get started!
The English countryside is really flat.
Until suddenly, it isn’t.
Sheep.
That halloumi bagel from the train station was actually delicious.
Cows.
So many canals. I think I want a boat.
Looks like Harry Potter could have lived here.
Why is there an imprint of a giant white horse on that hill?
This looks exactly like the setting for all those romantic movies (that then was a recurring theme)
Where’s the sea? I want to see the sea. Oh, that’s a rhyme.
I want to be i a car and drive these beautiful country roads. I don’t have a car. I can’t drive.
I should go on train journeys more often. Looks like I actually could be productive on a train.
Only three more hours.
I’m more than halfway through this magazine and have read every single article. I never do that. Also, why do the headlines on the front page always have to say something that makes you want to hide what you’re reading from your fellow passengers?
I wonder if the person sitting behind me can see what I’m typing. Probably not. I hope not.
Didn’t finish the magazine.
Is this the sea? Where am I? I need a map.
It’s the sea. It’s beautiful.
Passing people sitting by the sea, eating fish & chips. I want to join them. I’ll have chips & chips, please.
Two more hours.
Stared out of the window fort he good part of an hour.
Seeing people meet their friends or family at the train station is simply heart-warming.
I wonder what the air outside smells like right now.
Now it’s raining. And it got dark.
20 minutes left.
Announcement over speakers: „in case you haven’t noticed, it has started raining quite heavily. Coats are advised.“
Soon I’ll be one of those people with someone waiting for me at the station, looking for me as I get off the train.