Sotogrande

Destination Wedding

Listening - Love + Fear by Marina

Podcast - Happy Place (17/06/19 - Dolly Alderton)

This trip was highly anticipated to say the least! The flights and accommodation were booked in September 2018, the wedding outfit was purchased a year in advance, and most of my friends flew out a few days before us, so as soon as I clocked off work on the Thursday it was action stations!

It was a late evening flight and then a 90 minute car journey to get to Sotogrande, the area where the wedding was taking place, so with the hour time difference we didn't arrive at our apartment until nearly 3am. We were giving some friends a lift to their hotel, so had to cram 4 adults plus luggage into a Fiat 500 which was slightly comical, and coupled with the fact it was my first experience driving abroad AND we got a bit lost, I was beyond happy to crash into bed!

We woke the next morning at around 10am, and the friends who we were sharing our apartment with were up and about and had done a food shop the day before when they arrived which was really appreciated. Me and Chris joined forces to make a buffet breakfast and we all sat catching up sipping bucks fizz in the sunshine. Our accommodation was on a golf resort next to a huge lake and the wedding wasn't starting until 5pm, so we had a few hours of sunbathing before we began beautifying ourselves for the big event!

As Chris doesn't drink we were lucky enough to have our own personal chauffeur to the nuptuals; and we arrived at the incredible tree lined driveway of polo club venue Cancha II to a sangria and canape reception under the shade of trees whilst a violinist played. It was literally like something out of a dream, with the sunshine cascading through the leaves, and all our friends looked amazing in their wedding outfits. We took our seats when directed, and eagerly awaited the bride. When she glided down the aisle, Abi looked absolutely stunning, as did all the bridesmaids who wore a pale blush pink. The ceremony was relaxed yet intimate, and I was asked to do a Bob Marley reading; a lovely passage which really suited the overall atmosphere. 

After the ceremony we wandered up to an elevated area above the polo pitches where the wedding breakfast was being held on three long white trestle tables decorated with beautiful flowers to match the bridal bouquet. Each course served was followed by one of the speeches (father of the bride, two best men and finally the groom), and the food, which we had picked from an extensive menu a couple of months before, was incredible. I started with a cold seafood dish of smoked salmon and langoustines, followed by saffron, mushroom and truffle ravioli topped with parmesan crisps, whereas Chris had a buffalo mozzarella salad and pan fried seabass, and for dessert we both opted for the white chocolate mousse with raspberries. By the time we had finished eating, and toasting the newlyweds, dusk was falling; so the cake was cut, the band started, and we danced the night away!  

The following day, the wedding crowd congregated again, this time at the house belonging to Abi's parents, who reside in the area. More drinks flowed, and a fancy barbecue style spread was put on over lunchtime, whilst we all recounted the previous days antics (and Chris and I even ventured into the pool!). We left around 7pm, and a group of us went into the town for a few more wines and nibbles at a restaurant called the Hairy Lemon!

On the Sunday most of the guests left very early to catch flights home, but Chris and I had booked to travel later that evening so as to make the most of the long weekend. After we had checked out of the apartment, we drove in the direction of the airport, and stopped in the town of Benalmedina for a few hours. We got the most amazing sushi platter from a place called Inasia for lunch, and then wandered around popping into the shops, stopping at a few different points including the beach and lovely marina for drinks and ice cream along the way. 

Although it wasn't the longest trip, to watch our friends get married in a gorgeous setting surrounded by friends and family in the Spanish sunshine was just magical, and a perfect little chilled break from the daily grind of home. 

Breakdown
Flight - £207.90 - Ryanair & Jet2
Car Hire - £46.74 pp - Marbesol (4 days hire based on 2 sharing)
Accommodation - £82.29 (3 nights based on 4 sharing) - Airbnb
Spending money - £87.88 (inc airport costs & car hire petrol between 2; worth mentioning this was so low due to everything at the wedding & barbecue being very generously catered for, including an open bar!)
Total = £424.81

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Thirty Five

'It is a poet's curse to be able to write about love but not have it.'

(Jessica Katoff)

For those that read my previous post, you will know that this week started amidst the dregs of Leeds Festival, battered and sleep deprived. I drove the three of us home and then I hibernated on the sofa with Moj and a takeaway Chinese back at mine which was just what the doctor (and hangover) ordered. I was in work on Tuesday and the week passed relatively unremarkably - on Thursday Aum had a playdate so we went to play Paradise Island Crazy Golf at the Trafford Centre and ate lunch at Coast to Coast, I just had a couple of nibbly bits (pretzels and spicy calamari) as I was out for a meal that evening.

That night I met Moj and we went to Bundobust in the city centre, it does vegetarian Gujurat inspired street food and is up for the award of Best Overall Restaurant at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival 2017. It is in a basement in Piccadilly gardens, and is super relaxed, with a great menu and impressive array of drinks (I went for the prosecco ofc). With all the dishes being small, we got a load and shared them tapas style, sampling the okra fries, biryani bhaji balls, idli sambhar, paneer and mushroom tikka and massala dosa. SO. TASTY. I chased it up with a cocktail at Sugar Rays which is a cool underground drinking den on Newton Street.

On Friday I took Aum and his mate for lunch at Pizza Express, and then dropped Ferryn at my parents as I was going to Tetbury in the Cotswolds for my friend Hana's wedding. I got a lift down with Tasha and her boyfriend Tom to the big house that eleven of us had hired out, and we arrived at about 10.30pm in time to have a couple of glasses of fizz and watch Naked Attraction with everyone, classic!

Yesterday we all woke nice and early and had breakfast together before starting to get doled up. The weather was stunning and we headed to the venue (The Kingscote Barn) in dribs and drabs ready for the ceremony to start at 1.30pm. It was a beautiful day, filled with love and laughter, a really gorgeous celebration for two glorious humans. The food was the best I've ever had at a wedding (goats cheese bruschetta, pork belly with dauphinois potatoes and chocolate creme brulee) it was an open bar all night, and the groom's sister Beth sang Florence and the Machine's version of You Got The Love for the first dance (hence its inclusion as my track of the week above). I was the Master of Ceremonies with a guy called Robbie so we had various announcements throughout the day to make, including the entrance of the bride and groom, each course of dinner, the speeches, and the surprise fireworks which were magnificent!

Today I have been super hungover, but it was definitely worth it. We packed up and left quite early as it was a long drive back to Manchester, stopping on the way for some much needed hangover cure mac and cheese in a cute little place called The Bank Cafe in a village called Dursley. Early night to bed required!

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Twenty One
'Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age.'
(Anais Nin)

It would be impossible to start this post without mentioning the horrific terrorist attack that took place in my home city on Monday night. I saw the ripples of chaos via social media just before I went to bed and woke up to the awful news. Despite the sorrow felt by everyone in the vicinity, and indeed the world, seeing our resilience, love and fighting spirit in the aftermath this week has made me immensely proud to be a Mancunian; and the bumblebee tattoo I had done a couple of months ago is certainly in good company now!

My track for this week is a song that really resonates with me. It came out a few years ago when I was visiting my friend Claire from uni at her family home in Bergerac, France. I had just had my heart broken for the first time, and as well as being devastated, it had also opened my eyes to the hurt I had unwittingly caused people in my relationships in the past. We were driving through acres and acres of vineyards to go to a gathering at a remote farmhouse, laughing away with the windows rolled down and the sun beaming on us with this tune playing super loud and, romantic as it sounds, I remember it feeling like a life affirming moment, a turning point. It came on shuffle randomly this week on Tuesday, and after everything that happened on Monday it made me well up in the car, as it transported me back to that memory and seemed like the perfect reminder to stay strong and move forward despite feeling pain. 

On Wednesday after work it was the rehearsal for Emily and Smeed's wedding. It was fairly simple, but I was glad to practise walking to the front and doing my reading before the big day, knowing how clumsy I am I wanted to eradicate any possible errors! We went to The Con Club for a couple of drinks with everyone afterwards, which was gorgeous on the patio in the sunshine. I babysat on Thursday and had a quiet evening on Friday knowing I had to be up super early yesterday to begin the day's events, although I did manage to get a new poem up on Instagram, read it here.

Yesterday morning we had to be at Sand hairdressers in Altrincham for 8.30am, and after all having our hair done in variations of beachy waves with a side plait, we headed back to Emily's mum's for some breakfast, makeup and the all important fizz to start off the celebrations. The wedding car was a cream stretch mini which looked cool even if it was a nightmare to get (or fall) into, and we arrived at the church in time to beat the torrential rain - 'though Emily wasn't as lucky!

It was a lovely service, and my reading received a lot of praise which I was really pleased about. The reception afterwards was at The Oaktree of Peover which is a stunning venue, and there were little touches added like having a 'Pimp your prosecco' area, blankets for when it got chillier later on, and stone baked pizzas outside for the evening snacks, which went down an absolute treat. The speeches had the whole room giggling, and a special mention has to go out to the band who were called in last minute after the original duo cancelled; their setlist was full of gems that had the dancefloor permanently buzzing which always makes for a fun wedding.  

It was an incredible day, spent with lots of people I adore, eating, drinking and laughing, and we continued the party today (after a quick chill session in the jacuzzi/ pool) with a barbecue at Smeed's parents house in Gatley which was a nice way of prolonging the weekend's events. It feels sad to all be over now, but I know there will be lots of photos popping up in the coming weeks as reminders of a beautiful day for a wonderful couple.

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Fourteen

'And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.'
(Nietsche)

This week I have been off work, and had specifically not planned very much with the intention of chilling out, getting some jobs done around the house, and having a few spontaneous days/ nights out; and I have done exactly that! 

I eventually got the review of Lewis Watson's gig that I went to last week up on Candid, read it here.On Monday I had a seriously lazy day after the busyness of last week; I watched a load of telly, got a poem up on Instagram (read it and my other from this week here) caught up on some work emails, did a relaxing yoga class in the evening and then made barbecue pulled pork with roasted sweet potato and squash for my tea. 

On Tuesday I met up with my friend Hannah and we went for a walk around Tatton Park with the dog. The weather turned out to be gorgeous in the afternoon so we even managed to have a cheeky honeycomb ice cream in the courtyard before walking back to Hannah's for a brew.

That evening I went to C's house in Poynton about 15 mins from me, as he had invited me round for dinner. He cooked us some lovely spicy fajitas and I had some prosecco, though I was driving so had to be sensible. I still didn't really know what to expect after last week's date (if it was even that?!), so went with an open mind. Again it wasn't awkward, conversation flowed and considering I was pretty much sober this time I felt totally chilled and had a good time. There was a bit more flirting, but even after walking me to my car at the end of the night there was still no proper kiss, which is completely unheard of for me haha! Not sure if he was nervous or just waiting for me to make a move...weirdly though it doesn't worry me, I know he's interested, I think I've just not had my head in the game recently so have been a bit oblivious. I left definitely feeling more into it than before so I'm just letting things happen, maybe it's a slow burner!

On Wednesday I met up with Rosie for a late lunch at Beech Road Cafe in Chorlton. I had the most amazing poached eggs, served with tomato chutney, spinach, grilled halloumi and mushrooms on a buttered bagel - it was that delish that I took home a slice of their coconut and raspberry bakewell tart for dessert to try. On Thursday my mum and dad were finally back from Sri Lanka, along with crazy tans, lots of photos of cute elephants and some great presents; I got some Sri Lankan tea leaves, an elephant keyring and some incredible harem pants that I cannot wait to wear!

On Friday I met Ellie in Alty for tea and a scone at Sugar Junction on her lunch break, and afterwards I did a spot of shopping and had my nails done. In the evening a few of us went to Ellie and Jordan's to celebrate their housewarming with some homemade sangria, and I managed to find some prosecco scented candles in cut off bottles, which I thought was a fun twist on a traditional bottle of fizz for a gift!

Yesterday we headed to Leeds mid-morning for my cousin's wedding at Woodlands Hotel. The weather, bride, venue, in fact just about everything was beautiful, and lots of family had travelled a long way to be there so it was a fantastic celebration. Lots of prosecco, dancing (the above track for this week had everyone on the dancefloor!), photographs and laughs were had by all, and I eventually made it to bed at 4,30am after doing sambuca shots at the bar with the Best Man, and Groom's friend. 

A very sore head was endured today, but luckily the sunshine kept up and we enjoyed a huge picnic and couple of pints of cider at a local cricket club before going back to Manchester, where I am about to go back out to Gorilla to watch 2manyDJs, making the most of still being off work tomorrow - update to follow!

Weekly Update!

Hair Dye, Victor's & Lancaster!

This week started in Liverpool at the wedding that Mo and I were at over the Bank Holiday (see previous post) Once we got home we made a lovely comfort food dish of toad in the hole with boiled potatoes and onion and mushroom gravy. 

On Tuesday it was back to work, though Aum was at a tennis camp so I had chance for a gym session and a quick trip to the Trafford Centre. On Wednesday I had my hair dyed and had dinner at Mum and Dad's, and on Thursday after work I went for dinner at Hale Kitchen (see previous post). 

After the food we went to Victor's, the new bar and diner that has opened in Hale village, where Man Zen Chinese used to be. It is owned by the same company as Neighbourhood in Manchester, and has a great atmosphere and the food looked incredible... shame there's a MONTH waiting list for an evening meal. We had a couple of drinks, which weren't too badly priced for Hale, and then got taxis home at around 11.30pm - Mo came round to my parents at 3am after his works leaving do had finished!

On Friday after work we headed over to Lancaster for a weekend with James, Kelly, Jack and Anna. The first night we had a lasagne that Mum had kindly made, and played a few games with some drinks, which turned into quite a late night! See next weeks post for what else we got upto!

Travellers' Tales...

Becky & Oli's Wedding

This Bank Holiday we have been at a friends wedding for the whole weekend, which has been so much fun. They got married at 2pm on Saturday in a lovely little church in New Ferry on the Wirral, which we just made due to being stuck in Creamfields traffic! The bride's dress was a 50s style one with a full skirt down to her mid calf, and she wore a veil for the ceremony. The bridesmaid dresses were a similar style, in a turquoise/ teal shade which looked lovely next to the flower arrangements of orange, fuschia pink and buttercup yellow.

After the service, a double decker bus was provided to take us to the reception venue, a church hall in Heswall. There was no seating plan which meant everyone mingled, and tea and cakes were served buffet style upon arrival (including some baked by the guests - I made peanut butter blondies!). Drinks flowed, and after the speeches there was a live band and a hog roast later in the evening to keep everyone going.

A group of us ended up going out in Birkenhead afterwards, to some dive bar that was open until 4am. It was so much fun though, and even one of the bridesmaids rocked up in her dress for the occasion!

The following day Mo and I were very hungover, so after a McDonalds we went back to bed until the afternoon, when a barbecue at a local golf club was put on as a second party! There was a quiz and a musician who was very funny, getting everyone involved, and the drinks got going again, hair of the dog!

This time we ended up out in Liverpool, although after going to a couple of places playing dance music and serving cheap double vodkas around Matthew Street, we found ourselves back in a McDonalds before grabbing a taxi home to our hotel. Today we are enduring a double hangover, and at 2pm I drove us both home, where I will be vegging out for the foreseeable future!

A Wedding!

Laura and Dickon Morris

I have just returned from what is possibly the most beautiful wedding I have ever attended. It was the union of my good friend Laura Lane and her fiance Dickon Morris. It is her Hen party that I attended in Edinburgh a few weeks ago, and she also happens to be the first to get married within our university friendship group, so the event has been highly anticipated since we found out it was happening nearly a year ago. 

It took place in Giggleswick, North Yorkshire, at the Chapel belonging to the boarding school there, which has recently celebrated its 500 year anniversary, and afterwards in the Richard Whiteley lecture theatre within the school grounds. The chapel is quite simply stunning, and the ceremony was so well done. Laura walked up the aisle looking a million dollars in a heavily laced dress complete with veil, glovelets and a long train to Pachelbel's Canon, carrying a bouquet of babies breath and roses, followed by her six bridemaids who wore varying dresses in a pale taupe. She was met by Dickon who wore a purple bow tie, whilst the groomsmen had spring green ties, and a couple were sporting kilts.

After the vows there were some heartfelt readings from both bride and groom's family and friends, and then a few prayers and well chosen songs which were led by one of the ushers on guitar and one of the bridesmaids on drums. The register was signed to Newton Faulkner, and then the newly married couple were followed outside into the glorious sunshine, where we were given Pimms to drink whilst the photographs were taken.

Next was afternoon tea at the cricket pavilion, which was really fun and relaxed. Whilst the bride and groom had a drive around the countryside in a gorgeous blue and grey old car with some champagne, the wedding party drank tea out of pretty china teacups, and when they were welcomed back, we ate a selection of sandwiches, cake and scones, and then lounged around on the grass and played croquet - it was fantastic!

At 5.30pm we were ushered to the lecture theatre, where we watched a short avant garde theatre piece which was a play on the Secret Garden, the theme for the entire day. The venue was decked out with huge flowers and drapes, and the table centre pieces were bird cages with candles inside, surrounded by pots of herbs (which we got to take home). We had a choice of venison, pork or turkey, served with potatoes, quinoa, bulgar wheat and slaw, and the dessert was buffet style with meringues, fresh fruit, brownies, shortbreads and cream. Claire and I sang a couple of songs whilst people ate, which was nerve-wracking but went well overall, and then we were all given champagne to toast the speeches, which were lovely.

Then there was the 'cutting of the cake' which was difficult as it was made of loads of flower shaped cake-pops with rice paper petals, but the effect was there! Afterwards the cocktail bar opened, where there was a menu of all that was available, served very extravagantly by flarers in teacups, or jam jars garnished with marshmallows, and best of all - free! There was popcorn available to nibble on throughout the night, and music was provided by a few of the guests playing/singing, followed by an awesome playlist that Esther, Laura's sister and bridesmaid compiled.

At 11.45pm we all went outside with sparklers to see the couple off to their hotel, unfortunately it was raining at this point, but that didn't stop it from being a magical ending to a perfect day. Congratulations Mr and Mrs Morris!

Weekly Update!

Cocktails, Afternoon Tea & Singing Practise!

I have just come back from the most beautiful wedding (see previous post) but aside from that, this week has been pretty quiet, despite it being my final week off.

On Monday I went to Cheshire Oaks with my mum (see previous post) and on the way home we brought Claire, the uni friend I stayed with in Paris, back with us, who came from  her boyfriend Greg's on the Wirral. We went for a few cocktails at the Slug and Lettuce in Altrincham, and then on Tuesday spent most of the day practising the songs we were singing together at the wedding. We got the arrangements sorted and I felt quite confident with the tracks we had chosen so it was worth the effort. That evening after Claire had left we had fish and chips for tea, and then I stayed at Mo's and we watched the fifth Harry Potter.

On Wednesday I had a lazy day, though managed to drag myself to the gym for a class. Mo came round in the evening and we watched the sixth instalment of Harry Potter.

On Thursday I had my nails done in the morning, then got the train into Chester and met Hannah for afternoon tea. We went to a place called Edgar's which was in a Georgian house overlooking the river, it was gorgeous in the sunshine. We paid £15 including a tip, and got finger sandwiches, fruited scones with jam and cream, and three assorted mini pastries each which we shared - there was lemon meringue pie, strawberry cheesecake, a chocolate cup filled with mousse, a chocolate eclair and 2 Bakewell tarts. I wasn't a huge fan of the sandwiches as we didn't have a choice of filling and I didn't like two of the three (a rather strange concoction of coronation chicken, egg with cheese, and ham with mustard), but the scone and cakes were really good, especially the meringue!

Afterwards we went for a wander around the shops, including a cool designer vintage shop, and then I caught the train back and was greeted with a lovely pork casserole upon my return.

On Friday I did a spinning class, and then had my car valeted ready for a trip to Giggleswick in Yorkshire for the wedding. Mo had a half day off work so we set off at 2.30pm, and called in to Claire's grandparents house near Skipton (where she was staying) en route for a cup of tea. Their house is amazing, a proper country manor set in rolling fields, and Claire and I had a very nerve wracking first performance in front of them and Mo and Greg. It went well though, aside from the lack of confidence, but Mo assured me we were good which made me less apprehensive for the big day. 

At around 5pm we popped to the shops for some barbecue food, and then checked into the hotel before meeting up with Geoff and Brian at the bunk barn they were staying at. I went to pick Joe and Chris up from the station whilst they got the barbie going, and then we had a chilled evening drinking and eating meaty treats. Mo and I got a taxi back at around midnight, and went to bed in preparation for the big day.

First World Problems

Finding the Perfect Dress

It is my friend Laura's wedding on July 27th, and for the last few months I have been desperately on the hunt for a dress for the occasion. As it is the first wedding I have been invited to as a 'friend of the bride' as opposed to 'daughter of the couple we're actually bothered about seeing' I have given myself a comfortable budget of £150. This is with the premise that the dress must be exactly what I want, and make me feel like a million dollars, as the event is not only to celebrate the lovely union of Laura and Dickon (who I am crazy excited for) but also a mini university reunion (including an ex) as well. 

I like to think of my personal style as being quirky, so I want a garment that reflects it, as opposed to opting for a traditional wedding style knee length muted coloured floral dress from a generic department store. My first trip was in March, and I thought I was being pretty prepared beginning to look then, but I am glad I did. I tried on three dresses on that jaunt:

1. A navy blue structured bodycon from French Connection with thin straps, £130. I was happy at the fact that I managed to comfortably fit into a size 8, but unhappy at the dress's complete lack of proportion for my body - the parts to cover my boobs were so nipple grazing I felt like an extra in a porn film.

2. A pale rose textured shift dress with a full skirt from Reiss, £159. This was a little over budget, but looked really expensive as it was made out of good quality thick material, and I loved the 50s style skirt, which was quite puffy due to a two layered underskirt. Again I fitted into a size 8, and it clung really nicely in all the right places, giving a lovely silhouette. Unfortunately the pink shade did nothing for my colouring, making me appear slightly like a Barbie who had been put in the tumble dryer and had her brightness turned down.

3. A pastel blue, yellow and peach pleated dress with a waist tie from Ted Baker £129. I originally saw this in John Lewis before Christmas, and had been coveting it ever since, so was excited to try it on. I love the colours, as they are bang on trend and also apt with the wedding having a Summer date, but I was disappointed with the shape as it was quite sack-like. Even with the waist tie (which was too thin to actually pull anything in) it didn't accentuate my middle enough, which coupled with the high neckline and past knee length, made it seem almost matronly.

After that unsuccessful attempt, which was in Manchester city centre and ended with wine in Harvey Nichols (which is always a good way to drown your shopping sorrows) I gave up for a while. My next go was again in Manchester, this time with fellow wedding attendee Claire, who has had her dress for ages, just to rub it in. 

I didn't even see a dress I wanted to try on until we were in the last shop, Zara, but the £39.99 price tag made up for it. It was a lovely bright orange/coral colour, which I have quite a few things in as it suits my skin tone and hair colour, and although it was a plain shift shape, it had a completely cut out back, which I thought jazzed it up a bit for the evening party. I tried on a Medium, and couldn't do the zip up, so didn't even bother with a Large, as I knew the proportions would be wrong then (too big on the chest and legs, but snug on the hips). It is a problem I often have with Zara dresses, which are clearly designed for European girls with boyish frames.

At this point, I was nearing surrender and considering just wearing a dress I already had. In a last ditch attempt, I tried online shopping earlier this week, and went a bit crazy, spending £352 on four potentials using my credit card, and fully intending making use of free returns! Two were from ASOS, an electric blue floorlength jersey dress with a low cut back, and a navy blue silky cotton shift dress with two pleats at the front. The first was nice, just not very formal and looked quite cheap (it was only £30) and the second fitted really well, but was quite plain and didn't really have the wedding factor I wanted, so they were swiftly returned.

The other two were from House of Fraser, one is a navy French Connection shift dress (there seems to be a pattern occurring) with a pink faux collar and jewelling detail at the centre that was £112 in the sale, yet it is made of linen so doesn't look that expensive, and it doesn't fit me snugly enough around my back and waist. The final one was a purple Phase 8 number with cream swirly piping detail that was £140 reduced from £175. The latter was my favourite upon purchase and when I first tried it on, as it fitted really well, and was quite unusual and felt like it was my kind of style. However, the more I look at it, the more I feel it is a little old for me, and also as the detailing on it is cream I feel I would need cream accessories, which I don't think I would make use of again. I swayed back to the former, before eventually deciding to return it and stick with Phase 8 unless I find something better or change my mind in the two week cool off period, in which case I will start from the drawing board again.

The search continues...