Krakow

#ellhen!
Listening - Temperature by Sean Paul
Podcast - Guys We F*cked (11/01/19 - You'd Rather Give a Bl*wjob Than A Gift?)

My lovely mate Ellie got married in April, and of course what is a wedding without a hen party? She decided early on that Krakow would be our destination, and having never even visited the country of Poland I was well up for an adventure there. The troops were rallied (13 of us to be precise) and thanks to Ellie's masterful organising skills everything was planned to perfection, which was a welcome change as I am usually chief coordinator of all the travelling I do!



We rendevouz-d with the whole group at the airport, but a few of us had congregated at Ellie's beforehand for a couple of swift gin in tins pre- journey. The flight went smoothly and we had a mini bus waiting to take us to our air b&b when we landed. It was a fair distance away, so we bagsied beds and retired to sleep pretty much instantly.

In the morning a few of us volunteered to go to the local supermarket for some breakfast stuff, snacks, and booze for pre-drinks that evening. We got absolutely loads and I can't believe how cheap it all was! We had a monster buffet with pastries, fruit, eggs, cereal; and then left the house and wandered through pretty Market Square into the Jewish quarter of the city where we started a free walking tour. 

I say started because after about half an hour some of the group were too cold so went off for hot chocolate, followed by the rest of us soon after as we had grown a little bored with the none too charismatic guide. We gave the guy a small tip to make us feel less guilty, and then sacked it off in favour of traditional Polish open sandwiches called zapiekanka and salted caramel churros from a nearby market which were delicious!  

We met up with the rest of the group in a bar/cafe called 2 Okna where I had a mulled wine and thawed out before we headed back to get ready for our first night out. We did a cocktail making class at a cool bar called Scandale Garden, where we got to make a Bramble, a Strawberry Sour and a Dark 'n' Stormy (all definitely generous with the measures) and had a few shots before moving on to a club called Opium for the rest of the night. 

It was a classic uni style club with super cheap drinks, (12 shots for less than a fiver anyone?!) questionable clientele and all the dance classics pumping, so of course we couldn't resist asking for some Sean Paul bangers. Rather worse for wear and with aching feet, we set off for home in the early hours of the morning after demolishing a Polish spin on takeaway chips. A couple of us opted to walk rather than taxi, which obviously meant that we ended up getting completely lost and rolling in an hour later than everyone else! 

On the Sunday we had a spa day booked at Lesne Spa, so a minibus arrived to whisk us away for a day of pampering. We had a couple of glasses of fizz, and relaxed in the jacuzzi, sauna and steam room before each getting an individual massage which was exactly what was needed after a night on the tiles.

That evening we had a slightly more refined night, starting with a three course meal at a gorgeous restaurant in the main square called Wesele. It was very decadent inside with a mirrored ceiling, wood panelled walls and floral decorations everywhere, and the service was excellent. I had the trio of sheep cheese to start, followed by lentil pierogi (Polish dumplings) in mushroom sauce, and finally dessert was apple pie, all of which were well presented and very tasty. Afterwards a small group of us continued the celebrations with a drink in nearby bar Budda before we joined the early birds back at the apartment.

Our final morning dawned and we packed our bags ready to check out. Luckily the owner of the air b&b was happy to look after our cases until we had to leave at 3pm, so we dropped them off and went for breakfast at a very Instagrammable cafe called Zalipianki. I had a carrot, apple and orange fresh juice and a mushroom, cheese and spinach omelette, clearly trying desperately to get back on that health train!

We walked up the hill to the castle where there is a famous dragon sculpture and perfect views of the city and across the river. After multiple group photos we dispersed to go shopping or for coffee and cake; I tried on a few things in Zara before giving up, and bought a salted caramel doughnut dipped in white chocolate from a cute pattisserie. We went back to collect our bags later and the minibus returned to transfer us to the airport to fly home.

My first experience of Poland was a very positive one; friendly people, lots to see and do, and helped infinitely by how cheap everything was. I shall almost certainly be back!

Breakdown
Flights  - £92 (inc assigned seat & hand baggage)

Accommodation - £70 (3 nights based on 13 sharing)

 Spending Money - £105.50 (inc taxi one way between 5 & airport spending)

Misc - £89 (spa day, cocktail making & transport)

Total = £356.50

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Thirty Nine

'If you laid in your own thoughts, would you sink?'
(Anie Hart)

I started Monday by getting a poem up on Instagram, read it here. The beginning of the week was fairly unremarkable, so I will stick my track for this week in below; it is one that I am sure you will have heard as it is everywhere, but you can't ignore the public opinion when it is this en masse, Cabello is killing it!



On Thursday I went on a date with Moj to a restaurant that we have both wanted to try for a while - Randall & Aubin in Manchester centre. It is the second branch to open, the first being in Soho, London, and is predominantly a seafood and fish place, famous for its fresh oysters. We got the French dozen, served with tabasco, lemon and an onion relish, and they were delicious. As a big seafood fan, I was surprised at how different they tasted from everything else I have previously tried, and varied so much in flavour from the cooked and battered variety, which I sampled whilst in Boston a couple of years ago. 

For main I actually had one of the starter dishes: six Manx scallops served with pancetta and a caper, lemon and garlic butter dressing, and ordered a side of potato gratin to accompany. I would recommend R&A to anyone who likes a chance to dress up and go somewhere a bit classier than the average eatery, but are still conscious of overspending; it is a tastefully decorated, well thought out venue with a tasty menu to suit all budgets. The bill with a tip came to approx 30 quid a head, which I think is reasonable for two mid-price-range courses, albeit that being sans alcohol with my current sober status.

On Friday Aum had a random day off school, so we invited his friend Anay over for a playdate and then I took them for lunch at Pizza Express in Hale, an easy go-to. I tried one of the new pizzas, the Campana (pork and fennel sausage, garlic oil, tomato, mozzarella, friarielli and parsley) it was so huge I had enough to take home for my tea as well! That evening I met up with Lydia and Tasha at The Elk in Hale for a couple of drinks (though still just coffee for me) it was mint to catch up with them both and we had a proper gossip/ giggle.

Yesterday I had a chilled day, cleaned the flat and got some washing done, then rewarded myself with my first alcoholic drink in three weeks at Laura's leaving party for her going travelling, which was at The Con Club. She is a super popular girl so there were lots of people to mingle and chat to, and I surprised myself by not going too overboard on the espresso martinis - I actually feel pretty perky today! I have just got back from having tea at Mum's but apart from that I had a lovely little lie in and then walked the dog today, top Sunday.

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Ten

'She had a mind like a box of fireworks and hands

that played recklessly with matches.'
(Fireworks - Michael Faudet)

The quote above is by a writer from New Zealand whose poetry and short story book Dirty Pretty Things I got off eBay last week. His material is mainly romantic/ erotic, yet very accessible; and there are a couple of pieces about a redhead called Sophia in there which was a cool discovery! His latest collection Bitter Sweet Love is now on my to buy list. 

This week got off to a flying start as I went to watch The xx at the O2 Apollo, with support from Francis and the Lights, which was a pleasant surprise as I have been listening to them a fair bit recently. The xx were incredible live, they played loads from their back catalogue rather than just the new album which I was chuffed about, and the set/ lighting was so impressive - it included a perspex box in the centre for all the production aspects of the music, and the stage was surrounded by a series of movable mirrors including one suspended from the ceiling to create some really funky lighting effects.

On Tuesday I got back in the gym after a lazy couple of weeks, though I have still been doing a bit of yoga/ weights/ running at home so I won't grind myself down too much. It is just over six weeks until Emily's hen party to Ibiza, so I am keeping my eyes on the prize of a bikini bod and trying to stick to at least three decent workouts a week. I also got a new poem up on Instagram, a bit of a personal one this week that got pretty good feedback, you can read it here. 

The track I have chosen to include this week is by EDEN, a really talented 21 year old Irish kid who I reviewed for Candid when he played at Manchester Academy back in November, not knowing much of his material. I have since got one of his EPs and have been playing it to death the last couple of weeks; his stuff is progressive, with aggressive beats (great workout music), but retains a sense of emotional vulnerability through the lyrics, and this video knocked me for six: watch it until the end. He does everything singlehandedly on stage much like Jack Garrett, and given his success I reckon EDEN will do similarly well in the current musical climate.

On Friday after a boring couple of evenings babysitting (not complaining at the money though!) I met up with a load of mates at Crazy Pedro's pizzeria in Manchester. There is one just off Deansgate, but we went to the one underneath Affleck's Palace which has a chilled atmosphere, great for post-work drinks. They have a fantastic deal on where between 5pm-9pm all week 16 inch pizzas are just £10, and all cocktails are 2 for 1. The food is definitely worth trying - even without the price reduction - and the menu all sounds so tasty we struggled to choose which to order! We got two pizzas and some nachos between six girls and there was ample food; the boys got four between six. We went for one with nachos, pulled pork, sour cream, salsa, sweetcorn and jalapenos (pic on the right), and another that had mini burgers, lettuce, mac sauce, cheese and gherkins on (left). The raspberry margarita cocktail was one of the best I've ever had too!

After food we all went around the corner to Turtle Bay on Oldham Street to catch their drinks deal (2 for 1 cocktails after 10pm) and then a few of us ended the night with a game of pool and some dancing at Black Dog Ballroom. I wasn't intending staying out late but was having so much fun, and it was really lovely getting all the group together for lots of laughs and catching up.

Yesterday it was my cousin's fiancee Hayley's Hen Party, so I drove Jasmine and I to Leeds just after lunchtime. We arrived at my cousin Stephanie's and got ready and met everyone in The Pit on Merrion Street at 4.30pm for a few bottles of wine before moving next door to Bar Soba where we did a cocktail making class. There were twenty of us so we had to split into two groups, and we made a Bramble and a French Martini - two of my favourites! We were also given a few shots and some amazing dim sum to soak up some of the booze.

After that we all got aboard a huge pink coach complete with disco lights, dancing poles and copious amounts of fizz, where we drove to B&Q carpark, picked up a tattooed muscled man in a fireman's outfit and watched him strip!! Bloody hilarious, Jasmine and I were hiding at the back absolutely wetting ourselves, the guy was like something out of a worse Geordie Shore, not our cup of tea looks-wise but was definitely an experience! Our final port of call was Revolucion de Cuba, where we danced the night away and Jasmine finally made me try one of their infamous drinks served in a plastic pineapple cup. A fabulous night with fabulous people.

Today I have felt awful, and had a nightmare drive home including a closed motorway and an annoying incident in a McDonald's car park where I was waiting nearly 15 minutes to leave whilst everyone was stopping me reversing; my patience wasn't at its best though. Mum's roast dinner when we got back helped to improve the situation, and now I am off for some much desired sleep before work tomorrow. Hen Do, Hen Did!

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Nine
'I love freaks, I don't care if you're a wild one, and me?
I, I'm not the prettiest you've ever seen, but I have my moments...
Not the flawless one, I've never been, but I have my moments...
I can get a little drunk... but on good days I am charming as fuck.'
(Moments - Tove Lo)

This week was a slow starter, I overloaded on pancakes on Tuesday, and got a new poem up on Instagram (read it here), but on Wednesday my mum took a random day off so we went for a spot of shopping at Crownpoint retail park in Denton. It has a varied selection of shops and I got some bargains as usual; two pinafore dresses from Dorothy Perkins at Outfit, one is a cute short, black cord one for daytime (below - £7), and the other is black too, but a longer pencil skirt style (£5) that will look lovely paired with a lace top or bodysuit under for a night out. We slummed it at good ol' Mcdonald's for a coffee afterwards before heading home.

That evening I got a phone call off W, who admitted that he didn't want to be seeing anyone at the moment. It could have been an excuse, but the fact that he rang instead of playing the ghost card or even just resorting to a text, certainly made it seem like a legit reason, and I had felt those kind of vibes so it wasn't unexpected. Considering we only had a few dates I thought it was decent of him, and it gives me hope that there are some guys out there who still have manners and respect.

This week's track is by one of my favourite bands of the last couple of years, PVRIS. I was lucky to see them at Leeds Fest in 2015 and again in Manchester last year and they were amazing live, but unfortunately are only playing in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin this year, and I can't make any of the dates. I really like the contrast of the electronic aspects of their material with lead singer Lyndsay Gunnulfson's haunting, ethereal voice. I also think she is insanely hot - she has previously dated Alexa San Roman and Kristen Stewart - not a bad back catalogue. This is the stripped back version which I prefer to the original, but if you like a bit more of a punch, the original video is here.

On Thursday evening I went to Abi's as she had prosecco left over from New Year's Eve - I didn't need asking twice! I was lucky enough to have Friday off again as Aum was competing at Oxford University in a science quiz, so it was a welcome end to my working week.  I spent my extra day off as an advert for being a basic bitch: I had a lie in, did some yoga, got back on Bumble - I deactivated it a week ago as really couldn't be arsed -  took the dog for a very wet walk, had a lentil and chickpea curry with cauliflower rice for my tea, and then lit some candles, drank gin, ate a pistachio Magnum and chain watched Sex and the City. But you know what? Frickin' awesome day!

Yesterday I actually made it out of bed before 9am and went for an 8km run in the sunshine (never usually happens on a Saturday) then I went into Chorlton to have a tattoo consultation and pay the deposit at Sacred Art - all booked in for end of March, excited! I also popped into a few of the shops, and managed to get some gorgeous vintage satin cigarette trousers for £15 from Chorlton Art Market; they need a slight tweak on the back seam as they are a bit baggy, but they look like they've never been worn so were a fortunate find!

In the evening I had Abi, Tasha and Emily to mine for some drinks before a night out in Manchester. I introduced them to the secret bar in Cane & Grain (always good to keep spreading the word) where I had the Dry Ice Zombie this time, and then we met up with our friend Alice and her flat mate Laura in Terrace for more drinks and dancing. It was fun to have a girly one, and the classic r&b tunes in Terrace are perfect for getting nostalgic and having a sing along!

This morning I made a greasy old fashioned breakfast to stave off my impending hangover (including black pudding of course) and cracked on with some work and general adulting before going to my mum and dad's for a Sunday roast. I even managed a glass of red wine with food despite my lingering headache!

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Six

'Just be a tough act to follow; a free spirit, with a wild heart.'
(Simple Things - Miguel)

So my little puppy Ferryn had her first haircut this week! I'll be honest, she is pretty skinny and I was worried I'd go and pick her up and want to cry because she looked like a rat, but they did a great job (cheers Dog Beauty in Timperley). I was obviously real jealous of her looking all cute and trim because I went and had my own hair cut on Friday (though at Bellisimo in town, not Dog Beauty...). I dyed it beforehand, using Schwarzkopf Live colourant in shade 035 - Real Red. I also put another poem up on my Instagram, so far sticking to my plan of doing it weekly - check it out here.

I'm going a bit old school with the track this week, I don't quite know how Miguel hasn't made it onto my radar more before. I Shazammed this record off the TV and then got the album and it is completely badass, like an amalgamation of The Weeknd before he went mainstream, mixed with Prince and a bit of Lenny Kravitz. The bass on this single has had my car vibrating all week, and Gigi is in the video, which can only confirm it is quality. 

On Friday evening Tasha, Abi and I went for some much needed drink at Victor's in Hale. Tasha was working the next day so couldn't make a full night of it, but it was great to catch up and have a giggle. Abi and I stayed out and got talking to a couple of guys - one had already caught my eye from across the bar - and we ended up on porn star martinis and dancing in Suburbia, Hale's closest thing to a club. I think spontaneous nights always end up being the best; I got his number and we're going out next week so check back for an update!

Yesterday I felt like I was dying for the majority of the day, and only eventually made it home to mine at 5pm. Benn invited me to the cinema (he was in a world of hangover pain as well) but there wasn't much on and I honestly couldn't face leaving the flat, so he just came round and we watched crappy Saturday TV, I think any kind of company is always appreciated to calm the post-alcohol anxiety after a night out!

This morning I went for a lovely walk in Alderley Edge with Emily and Smeed and the dog, but it was bloody windy at The Edge, it definitely blew away the cobwebs! Ferryn of course chose all the deepest muddiest bogs to jump and play in after smelling like flowers all week, but she was having fun so I'll let her off.

This afternoon after dropping the dog off at the ex's, I met Laura in The Laundrette in Chorlton for a 'coffee' which turned into a cocktail (I had the soap sud caipirinha) - there's a precedent to adhere to when we get together! I drove us back to Didsbury where she lives and we had some wine in Mary and Archie, it had been ages since it was just the two of us, so we had a proper laugh catching up. I had cod and chips from Ida's Fish Bar to soak the remaining booze up so I could drive home, which was a lucky decision as I got a very dramatic phone call after Ferryn had a funny turn at Jason's, so I had to take her home. She is now fast asleep; panic over thank goodness, though secretly I think she was just missing her mummy! 

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Three

'She wants to engage in chaos because she knows she's a storm trapped in the middle of a calm sea.'

(R. M. Drake)

I feel like I have spent a lot of the last 7 days eating! Luckily since the new year started I have been a bit more motivated in the gym (helped by the below song which I have been playing to DEATH) and have been going three times a week, so I'm not making myself feel too guilty for indulging in some extra fuel. On Monday evening my friend Emily came round and I made us a Thai green curry with egg noodles for tea, it was a good excuse to cook a proper meal as I have been a bit lazy recently. 



On Thursday I met up for lunch in Manchester with my university friend Amanda, who has scored an incredible job opportunity and so moved to Paris this weekend to start on Monday! I got some vouchers for Zizzi for Christmas so thought it was a great chance to use them to celebrate. We went to the Piccadilly Gardens restaurant, and shared the mushroom Brindisi for starter, which is: 'Creamy mushrooms & smoked mozzarella oven baked on our dough, then finished with chopped parsley, grated riserva, crispy sage & smoked garlic oil.' For main I had Gressingham duck which was served with lentil ragu, mash and broccoli in a Chianti and rosemary sauce. It was all flippin' tasty, and even better when it's free!

I had a very chilled Friday night in watching a few episodes of Westworld, which I have nearly managed to blitz in a week, love it. Yesterday I met up with Emily again, this time with our friends Laura and Ellie; together with Em's sister Sarah we are all bridesmaids for her when she gets married in May. We went for cake and prosecco at Sugar Junction in Altrincham, the second branch to open after the success of its sister cafe in the Northern Quarter. Ellie and I shared a cake trio (pic top-bottom: raspberry and lemon sponge, chocolate orange sponge and black forest gateaux) AND a scone with jam and cream, washed down with a couple of bottles of fizz. It has a great selection of reasonably priced food and cocktails, so is the perfect location for a girly get together, but it does get busy at weekends and is walk-in only except for special occasions.

From a civilised afternoon the night wore on to a rather messy evening! After we had eaten we went to Altrincham Market for a few more drinks (and shared a surprisingly yummy broccoli, chilli oil and parmesan pizza) and then after escorting Laura into a taxi home at 7.30pm, onto Apres Wine Bar where, you guessed it, I started on the margaritas! Emily got a lift home from Smeed her fiance at around 10.30pm, and Ellie and I, joined by our friend Bob, headed to Traders Tiki Bar, where they serve strong Zombies and stronger headaches. I made it back to my parents where I was staying at 2am, where I realised I had left my keys inside, so had to bang on the door until I was let in; nearly 12 hours of drinking has left me rather worse for wear today!

This evening, since I had sufficiently recovered due to copious amounts of mac 'n' cheese, I attempted to go to the cinema with my friend Benn to watch Split, the new James McAvoy psychological thriller. We got there to be told it was completely sold out, and when we tried to go bowling instead (which is next door) the next free lane wasn't available until 10pm, so we turned around and drove back home. Pretty much sums up my Sunday!

Bumble update: a few matches, chatting to a couple of potentials, and one date on the cards...

Weekly Musings

2015- Week 6

'Now my life is sweet like cinnamon, like a fucking dream I'm living in.'
(Lana Del Rey - Radio)

I've been replaying a bit of Lana this week, every now and then I get a real craving for her melancholy tones! This week has been far from melancholy though, despite crashing my car AGAIN on Tuesday, meaning I've gone from seven bump free years to two crashes in the past 12 months! 

That evening I ventured out on another date, but luckily this one didn't have the disastrous result of last time, in fact, it was pretty bloody good as first dates go! I was a little late due to unreliable trains, but we met at Deansgate and went to a place called Evuna for tapas - always a good cuisine option for striking up conversation and sharing food. Slight miscommunication meant we ended up with rose wine (I said it was the only type I wasn't fond of, he thought I'd said it was the only one I liked!) but I didn't have the heart to embarrass him, and fortunately it was actually decent tasting. Conversation was easy, we both had similar passions and taste in music, which is always a winner with me! He was genuinely interesting and had a great smile, dressed smart and it felt very relaxed - he got the bill as well which always helps!

Afterwards we moved on to Cloud 23 in the Hilton, quite a statement for a first meeting, but it didn't seem like it was done to show off, and I was actually really excited to go as I hadn't ever been. I had a gin and cherry cocktail and then moved on to just gin and lemonades, and we left after I realised I had missed my train and would have to get the metro home - definitely the sign of a successful date! I don't really know what I was expecting from it, but I think after last week it was reassuring to have met a normal guy who I wouldn't mind seeing again, and he was a cracking kisser too!

The following day I met Abi at Cafe Gourmand and of course filled her in on the gossip, and in the evening I went to watch Aum perform as Kaa the snake in his Jungle Book production, which was fantastic! MGS clearly pull out all the stops when it comes to school shows - the boys had amazing costumes, full hair and makeup, impressive lighting effects and microphones attached like popstars!


On Thursday I went to watch a band called Liu Bei at The Eagle Inn in Salford (great little venue) and have had a fairly quiet weekend: I babysat last night and went for a few drinks with family friends on Friday night, then have just had Mum, Dad and Jas round for Sunday dinner. I am now off to watch Interpol at the Albert Hall!

Weekly Update!

Zombies, Articulate & Sneaking!

On Monday I saw Bombay Bicycle Club (see previous post), who were amazing, and definitely worth me buying a ticket last minute for. I went with Lydia and Lizzie, and we bumped into Kelly and James there too which was cool. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nothing much happened, I had a gorgeous dinner at Mum and Dad's of meat, falafel and halloumi on the sizzler, gymmed and stayed at Mo's, and babysat for a bit of extra money, where I made a lovely prawn rice dish.

On Friday after work I got the train to Luke's and had some Mexican food with him and his two friends from school. We were going to do the Christmas markets, but it was pouring down, so we opted for a few drinks instead. We started in Soup Kitchen, and then moved on to Hula Tiki where we hit the zombies. We didn't want a super heavy night so went home at 12pm, and played a couple of games of Articulate, very civilised!

Yesterday I got the train home and met Abi for a spa day at the Country Club which was really chilled and great to have a mammoth catch up. In the evening we went out to Manchester for Jasmine's birthday (see previous post) and today after sneaking Mo out of my parents' house this morning (my dad doesn't know we're seeing each other again, awkward!) I had a roast dinner and am now chilling at Mo's for the evening.

Nights Out...

Manchester Christmas Markets

The Miles trio's annual trip to the Christmas markets in Manchester took place last night! I love going every year as it is a welcome change to do something with Dad, who often gets overlooked in favour of shopping trips and cake outings with Mum! 

I caught the train after work and met him and Jasmine at the met stop, and we wandered to the main market in St Ann's Square. I had a cherry gluhwein to begin with, and we all got a hog roast sandwich from the stand that is there every year. We looked at the stalls, and got some ceramic novelty wine toppers for Christmas presents before wandering to some of the other sites. We stopped for our second drink in a wooden hut selling German ales, and I decided to try an eggnog - which I instantly regretted, it was bloody awful! Dad must have drunk half of it, because I really couldn't face it!

After a crepe (with caramel and almonds) for dessert we followed tradition and went for a cocktail at Alchemist. Dad had a brandy based one that was practically straight! I had the Garden Martini (Hendrick’s gin, Briottet elderflower, rose liqueur, lemon juice and sugar topped with lavender foam and garnished with cucumber) and Jasmine had a White Cosmo (A frozen orchid bathed in Green Mark Russian vodka, Briottet elderflower, Cointreau, citrus, white grape juice and lemon bitters.)

The train times were really inconvenient so I decided to test out the new metrolink line that goes back to my flat - what a mistake that was! It took me over an hour and a half to get back, as they are not very frequent, and my stop is one of the last ones so it takes an absolute age to get there, then I had a twenty minute walk home. If I had walked to Piccadilly station, waited twenty minutes for my train and walked from the stop I would have been home over half an hour earlier. Not an experience to be repeated again!

Weekly Update!

A&E & A Food Fight!

This will be a fairly short post as I've just done one on the weekend away that I have just returned from. On Monday I ended up sat in A&E with Mo as he needed to get his leg and ankle looked at after he had a fall on Saturday night in London. Luckily nothing was broken, just bad bruising and ligament damage - puts him out of action for a couple of weeks yet again though! He stayed at mine that evening and on Tue

sday we made a nice brunch, and then I ate at the Country Club in the evening.

On Wednesday I went to Sofar Sounds (see previous post) and on Thursday I went shopping in Manchester and got some Christmas pressies, and in the evening I popped to my parents' for a lasagne as some of my relatives were over for the night. On Friday I went to this event in Manchester called Friday Food Fight run by the same company that did Up In Your Grill that I went to in summer. 

I went with Amanda and a friend called Nadina who I haven't seen since university which was fun. I had a hotdog from a stall called Piggie Smalls which had beef brisket, crispy onions and barbecue sauce on it, and a cocktail that was a variation on a mojito. Afterwards we went for a couple of drinks in Bar21 in the Northern Quarter before I caught the train home so I wasn't hungover for my drive the following day. The rest of the weekend was spent in Leicester and Birmingham (see previous post).

Weekly Update!

Reunions & Revolution!

This has been a really bizarre week, as it appears that somehow, Mo and I are seeing each other again, which has come from nowhere! He seems to be in a really good place and I'm happy, so we'll see how it goes, it's nothing permanent for now! 

I saw him on Monday, when he came round to mine for drinks, and during the day on Wednesday I went to Gastronomy with Lydia and Abi for lunch, and then Mo came round again in the evening to chill at mine. On Thursday I had my nails done, and Friday I popped round to Mum and Dad's for a cup of tea as my babysitting was cancelled so I had a free evening. I got an early night as had Aum's birthday party at Laser Quest the following morning, and I had to go and pick up his cake from Slattery's beforehand so was in a bit of a rush.

Straight from the party I drove to my friend Bex's house near Ripon, for a catch up and night out in York. She lives with her sister in a beautiful converted church which I was very envious of. We got the train into York and started in a bar called Blue Fly that did cocktails, I had a caipirinha which was really strong! We then moved on for a couple in a huge bar on two floors that had an almost church type feel, and then after a quick prosecco in a dingy pub, we ended in Revolution, where we drank pitchers and danced the night away!

The following day we went to a cute little cafe in Ripon called Oliver's Pantry for brunch, where I had a huge field mushroom with rocket and bacon on sourdough bread, with an oreo cookie milkshake. It sorted my hangover out, and I drove home at 1.45pm for a roast dinner at Mum and Dad's. Mo came round to keep me company on my usual Sunday evening hungover lounge-around which was a welcome addition, not that I was much company!

Weekly Update!

Girls, Greek Food & Glastonbury!

This week has been full of ups and downs. Monday and Tuesday were as normal, we ate at the Country Club where I had amazing fish and chips, and then I babysat on Tuesday, and again on Wednesday, so was good to earn some money. On Thursday I went for lunch at Oxford Road Cafe with Laura, where I had eggs Benedict, and then in the evening I went to see Gone Girl with Emily and Abi (see previous post).

Friday was where the down started, as Mo and I broke up, which wasn't the best start to the weekend. Luckily I had a fun trip to Carlisle planned with the girls to visit Lydia, which helped to take my mind off things. We set off mid-afternoon and arrived just before tea time to get ready to go out for a meal. We went to a Greek place called Alexandros, which was a cute little restaurant with a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. I had the lamb shank with vegetables followed by a honey, plum and nut cake, which was a little too sweet for my liking, but I ate it all the same!

Afterwards we went for a few drinks, firstly in a chain type bar and then after a quick shot at another venue, we went to a cocktail bar called Eaten By Monsters, where we hit the zombies! It was a bit creepy downstairs, almost like the set of a horror film (perhaps the name was inspired by it?!). We then moved on to another bar called The Last Zebra, which was really cool, it had a huge cocktail menu and animal skins on the walls - as well as some awesome toilets with massive mirrors and thrones in them!

On the Sunday we were up early to buy Glastonbury tickets, which we all managed to get (woop!) and then we headed home just after lunchtime. A really great weekend to break me into impending single life!