Action packed week

So sadly I had to say goodbye to my amazing friend Dillon on Monday morning. I was lucky enough to meet Dillon through blogging. Life is crazy and I seem to meet the best people on the Internet. I had a wonderful time while he stayed with me and we explored London and pretty cute towns nearby. Looking back now I feel so happy about everything we did. I am very happy with all the adventures we had, but I am also still very tired. I don't think I have ever walked so much in my life.

I think it's not until you relax, you really get to enjoy life. We spend so much time working and working, and waiting for our days off to finally have adventures. This past week I was getting up early, grabbing my bag and visiting a new town or city for cultural fun. I don't think I have been like that since when I was at university. Life seems so care free, and I always seemed to have the time to visit art galleries. Now it's hard to find the time, and when you do it's extra special. But this last week was different. I planned adventures, and had those adventures. Made those memories, took so many photos, and loved life. Life is good, and even more so with my amazing friends and loved ones by my side.

Unexpected visit to Clutch

So we honestly chose the worst day to visit the Colombia flower market while Dillon was here. Oh, by the way, DILLON IS HERE. HE IS ACTUALLY HERE. We hopped on a train with Charlotte and met Tom in London. The heavens opened and it rained, so hard. We really did get soaked. Our waterproof jackets did not serve us well. We ended up wandering around in the rain for quite a bit of time. I ended up getting grumpy, and we really needed to find somewhere to escape the rain. 

I am a true believer in everything happens for a reason. We wandered some more, and then we spotted this gorgeous yellow building. It looked super quirky and I was drawn to it immediately. The restaurant/cafe was called Clutch. 

We walked in dripping all over the place. We were shown to a table in this small but busy room. So straight away I was drawn to this place. The table was gorgeous. Shiny/gold/mirrored table was kinda perfect. We ordered coffees and then chose our food, which happened to be brunch. Lots of chatting and getting to know each other better was done, and then our food arrived. It really was delicious. I ordered the banana bread with the most perfect topping. It really does make my mouth water when I think about it.

One of my favourite things about this restaurant, apart from the fact it was yellow and the food was great, was the amazing black/white patterned wall around the side. I think we stood next to that wall for quite sometime taking photos. It just shows that you plan everything down to the wire, but sometimes the best adventures and memories happen when you least suspect it. May this continue to happen in my life, because the un-known is always the most exciting.

Fleur de Thé date

While I love a good cup of coffee, and I am still very much in love with a great cup of English tea. The best tearoom in Rochester has to be Fleur de Thé. I remember finding this cute place last year the days before my birthday. It is simply too perfect. It's a tearoom but its also a gorgeous shop. Lots of amazing pieces to buy, and treats to eat while in there!

Myself and David popped in, grabbed a seat by the window and ordered two cream teas. I love the mix and match tea cups, plates, and beautiful teapot. We drank our tea in peace and chatted about our day. Drinking tea is always so relaxing, and really is good for the soul.

This tearoom really is such a lovely place to visit. We sat and talked about adventures ahead. It's a great place to relax and watch the world go by. I'm still swooning over the gorgeous teaspoons, which I hope to go back and purchase one day. Plus maybe some teacups, oh and a teapot, actually who am I kidding I want everything they have for sale. They even had pastel painted mason jars for vases which I think will be going on my next craft list! They really did look perfect. I really can't wait for my next visit.

Wandering through the avenues of art

I think its important when you visit a different city or country you should go to an art gallery. You should see some art, wherever you go. While I was in Amsterdam I actually got to see quite a lot. Whether that was street art or visiting various galleries and museums. 

My favourite was of course the gorgeous Van Gogh museum. This was actually one of the highlights of my trip. I was looking forward to visiting for quite some time. When I walked in the museum I did feel like a kid again. I know that sounds very strange, but Van Gogh is one of those artists that you learn about from an early age at school. So I do feel very connected with his work. Of course seeing the work in real life is completely different. 

Wandering up and down the gallery looking at everyone enjoying his work is quite powerful. I really felt at home in that gallery, and very peaceful. Walking around looking at art work will always be one of my favourite past times. We had a coffee in the restaurant before we left. It really was a lovely morning in Amsterdam.

Slow Club gig

So I just got back from an amazing show in my home town Ashford. The equally amazing band Slow club were playing. The gig was in my local church. I am buzzing with smiles of joy right now. I first saw Slow Club (Rebecca and Charles) 9 or 10 years ago back in Nottingham when I lived there for university. I was immediately struck by their beautifully written songs, and joyful tunes. I have seen them many times since, but I was lucky enough to see them again on Wednesday.

The venue was an old church I used to visit when I was at school. The church was beautiful because of the acoustics, the sound just bounced around the room in a perfect way. Listening to Slow Club again was so strange. Mostly because I was so young when I first saw them, my uni days were such a long time ago. They have been a solid part of my music taste for nearly 10 years. Listening to them again while they sang their new music, which is so calming and relaxed made me realise how much life has changed. How much I have changed. 

Rebecca and Charles' voices are still as gorgeous as ever. In this performance they both gave each other the chance to shine, letting each other take the centre stage. I loved listening to their voices. But of course I just fall in love with them all over again when they sing together. 

After the performance I managed to speak to both Rebecca and Charles. I said to them about how it was amazing to see them in my home town after seeing them for the first time back in Nottingham. We talked about how long ago that actually was, crazy really. They signed my vinyl and an old CD I had. We also talked about how nice it was to listen to their new music, and they enjoyed performing it. It was a wonderful night, and made me remember how much I love seeing live music. It really is good for the soul.