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Click to read about my trips to Switzerland, and a tour of the American Southwest.
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David Cameron, Nick Clegg & Twitterish Thoughts
Well, well, well. We have a new Prime Minister and a whole new government - I genuinely hope that the coalition works as well it should... Who I voted for is no one's business but my own; but let me say that the best man for the job, got the job in the end (IMHO) and leave it at that :o) I've found the whole election campaign and politics in general fascinating lately - not sure if this is a sign of my age, or just that I'm a nerd. Probably both. Thoughts for the day are on Twitter, which is probably the app I visit most on my iPhone these days. I mostly follow comedians - Jason Manford, David Mitchell, Rob Brydon, Sarah Millican - who all amuse me. Stephen Fry is like the King of Twitter. Between them and a few others, it makes for interesting reading. I think I prefer it to Facebook; just for it's simplicity. Until next time... Sarah |
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Would I Lie to You?... and who to vote for?
I went to a live TV recording of Would I Lie to You? last night, featuring Rob Brydon (host), Lee Mack, Hugh Dennis, and my favourite - David Mitchell. Had a brilliant evening, incredibly funny and interesting to see the set, etc. Bravo to all those involved! On another note, I am one of those people who can't decide who to vote for... I've been taking a reasonable interest in all that's going on, attempting to sift through the fog and make an educated decision, but I'm still undecided. If David Cameron or Nick Clegg would like to pop round and clean my car for me, that might help (sorry, Gordon, no hope for you). Sarah |
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Reading & Writing...
... my two favourite pastimes! I've just finished reading Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby, who is one of my favourite authors. I love his direct style, and very much enjoyed his latest offering. Juliet, Naked was funny and moving, and deprived me of sleep (as any great novel should). Few books are fabulous enough to evoke that feeling of loss when you close the final page, and I'm not sure what to do with myself now... I need something brilliant to read next, so I've picked up Wish You Were Here by Mike Gayle; for some reason I've not gotten around to reading it, but I'm sure MG won't disappoint; he's never let me down before... As for writing, I think I've written more in the past few months than perhaps the whole of 2009. I've realised discipline is key. Still lots of hard work to be done before I get anywhere worth shouting about but I'm enjoying it and that's all that counts... Met up with an old school friend (from middle school, no less) who I have known for about 20 years but haven't seen for about 7. It was great to catch up and I really must make more effort with said friend, and others, in future. If any friends are reading this and haven't seen me in yonks, drop me an email right away :o) Right, let's get started on this book... Sarah |
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American Adventure
I have finally got around to uploading a handful of photos and some brief description of my southwest American adventure! The trip took us through Nevada, Arizona, and Utah and included: Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Arches National Park, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, and Zion. Click here to read all about it. Sarah |
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Coming out of hibernation...
I've been rather lazy this winter. I've taken up yoga, and I've been keeping (or, rather, getting) fit with the Wii, but otherwise things have ground to a halt. Few words have been written, little novel progress has been made, and my creative juices have almost ceased flowing. My one piece of news is that two weeks ago I turned 29, and went to London for a birthday weekend including seeing Hairspray - twas brilliant - and then several miles of walking around the touristy sites on a beautiful sunny Sunday morning. As the days are getting longer I feel my hibernation period is almost over. I've been thinking about my novel a lot and finally felt the urge to write a blog entry. February is almost upon us once more. Roll on the warmer weather and lighter evenings! Sarah |
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Long time, no blog...
There are several reasons why I haven't written a blog entry for a while, but essentially I've had some personal stuff to deal with, and everything else just kind of fell by the wayside. But, it's all good now and I'm back! I still haven't typed up my holiday journal, but will do soon. I can't believe it's only 2 weeks until Christmas. Where has 2009 gone? I'm sure I wrote something similar this time last year, and probably the year before that too. Highlights of 2009:
Not a bad year at all, truth be told. I hope to make 2010 even better - I have only one more year left of my twenties and I *need* to at least try and make it as a writer or I'll never forgive myself :) Oooh Gavin & Stacey is on tonight. Hurrah! Sarah |
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Stephen Gately
My 15 year old self is weeping after hearing the news that Stephen Gately died yesterday, aged only 33. I had a huge crush on him. My thoughts go out to his husband, family, and friends. What a devastating loss for them. It seems a little insignificant by comparison, but I had a great time on holiday... saw some amazing places, met interesting people, ate good food. I'll post my travel journal when I get some time. Sarah |
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Four days!
Only four days until the American Adventure. We've quite literally been talking about this trip for at least three years, and it's almost here. It feels kind of surreal actually... I'm kind of disappointed at my lack of writing effort - since I had flu, I've probably written less than 2000 words, life seems to get in the way! But I'm determined to give my novel some priority when I get back, and may even set a deadline for finishing... Reading Wuthering Heights again - what a classic. I've got White Teeth by Zadie Smith to take on holiday, I've never read any Z.S. but heard she's great. Let's see if what I've heard is true :) A rather excited, Sarah |
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Pinot Grigio... & My American Adventure
I am drinking wine, listening to good music (at the moment, The Script) and wasting time on sites like Facebook, Twitter, & IMDB. Superb! This week has gone so fast, and it's only one month today until I go to America, hurrah! Here's a quick itinerary if you are interested:
Two nights in each of the following (driving between them): ...then back to Vegas, where I am seeing Cher on the last night! How exciting... it'll be a whirlwind, but can't wait to see all these amazing places... Sarah |
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August!
Well, well, well... long time, no blog. I'm not sure why... but here's an update: Novel - coming along still, slowly but surely!! Camping in the Lake District - Marvellous. USA trip - only 6 weeks away, yay! More to come soon, Sarah |
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Inspiration
The past few weeks I've felt extremely tired and rather un-motivated (to do anything). I'm not sure why, maybe I'm coming down with something. Today I read this, which just gave me instant inspiration. It's simple, really, but helped somehow:
"Take a deep breath and realize how completely insane it is that you're
alive." The novel is still moving, I'm just not sure in which direction :) That's all for now... Sarah PS: this website is now 1 year old! Hurrah! |
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Take That
Last night I saw Take That at Wembley Stadium. Seeing Take That in concert is unlike seeing any other band; they put on such a spectacular show, including circus tricks, a giant elephant, fireworks and more. This coupled with their music (a great mix of older and newer songs) made for an amazing evening. We danced, clapped, and sang to our hearts' content. There's nothing quite like singing 'Shine' at the top of your voice with 80,000 people. We had such fun. My companion declared it was the best night of her life. I've been a TT fan since I was 11 years old, and I'd never have believed as a teenager that Jason would become my favourite, but *wow!* - he has grown on me with age! :) Feeling slightly dreamy and a little hoarse, Sarah |
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Michael Jackson... and Slumdog Millionaire
I was sad to hear of Michael Jackson's death, what a true entertainer he was... I'm not going to jump on the various controversial debates about his 'strange' life, I think it's better to focus on the positive. Today, I had a day off work and went to do a little shopping (books and DVD's). Every store was playing MJ tracks and all the customers were singing along, tapping their feet, or bopping slightly (I was doing all three). What fabulous pop tunes, every one of them. I just watched Slumdog Millionaire, and it was fantastic, I really enjoyed it. If you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for? :) You won't regret it. Blaming it on the boogie, Sarah |
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Saturday Saturday, 13 June, 2009 12:04 BST I have spent the morning writing and I'm pleased with what I've done :) I realised yesterday that it's now 10 years since I left school. Goodness me... I must be getting old! :) Sarah |
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Twitter Wednesday, 10 June, 2009 19:46 BST I am now officially using Twitter. If you're interested in knowing when I have written a new blog entry, feel free to 'follow me' (visit http://twitter.com/sarahsmith16) ...it's a strange concept, really, but more and more these days sites like this are becoming very popular. I originally signed up just to see what all the fuss was about, from a marketing point of view. Now, I'm still not sure about the fuss but maybe it'll come to me :) Meanwhile, the novel is still coming along very slowly. Everything else is good. I'm starting to count down the weeks until my trip to America, it's all rather exciting. Sarah |
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Laughter Monday, 1 June, 2009 21:44 BST I'm not sure why it's been so long since I wrote a blog entry. I guess I just didn't have anything to blog about, and I've been busy. Last weekend I went to see Jimmy Carr live with my step-sister and her fiancé. We had a great night out, a lovely meal and drinks, and then Jimmy was brilliant, very funny and enjoyable. I've become quite the stand-up comedy fan lately. Laughter is good! The novel is coming along, slowly but surely. All else is well... Sarah |
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Progress Thursday, 30 April, 2009 19:34 BST Well, I've made quite a bit of progress with my novel in the past week or so. It finally feels as if it's coming together. I've still got plenty of hard work to do, but I'm getting there. I have been planning my trip to the US later in the year and have just booked this sunset helicopter tour. It looks amazing, don't you think? I'm going to get back to my characters, they're waiting to see what happens next. Sarah |
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Gavin and Stacey Monday, 27 April, 2009 18:21 BST I'm not sure what planet I've been on, but I've only just discovered Gavin and Stacey. How fabulous it is. Where have I been? I know I don't watch much TV, but... I've been missing out it seems. Hurrah for me and my entertained little brain! Sarah |
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The Pope, Barack Obama, and a cracked screen
Saturday, 21 March, 2009 06:04 GMT The Pope: What planet is Benedict XVI on? He really needs to come out of the dark ages and wise up to the modern era. He really is just stumbling from one controversy to another. He's offending everyone - Jews, Muslims... then this whole condom thing in Africa. How can you possibly say that condoms can worsen the spread of AIDS? But then, I don't understand how you can justify condemning a 9 year old girl, impregnated by her step-father, for having an abortion, either. He also famously declared something along the lines of "homosexuality is as great a threat to the planet as rainforest destruction". If that's the type of God you believe in, then I pity you. Mr. Obama: On to to a much more inspirational man. I've just recently finished reading Dreams From My Father, by Barack Obama. It is, by far, the best autobiography I've read. For the most part, auto-bio's are a little dull. There's the odd interesting anecdote, but that's all. This is the opposite. Barack has had a very interesting life - and the book was written in 1994, so there's much more to come after that. He describes in beautiful detail his struggles to deal with his absent father, and finding his own identity as a black man, raised by a white mother, living amongst various struggles in society. I'm going to read The Audacity of Hope at some point, and must say I hope this man lives up to all of our expectations and changes the world. He's quite something. Cracked: On a more personal note, I was cooking on Thursday evening and texting my brother at the same time. I put my phone down on the kitchen worktop, and then reached for a jar of paprika, which fell straight down on my phone and cracked the screen. I'd had this phone for two days. Two days! Of all the places that paprika had to fall, it was in that exact spot. But, after watching comic relief last week and seeing some of the scenes in Africa, I'm not going to dwell on my phone misfortune. In fact, it's not really a misfortune at all, is it? Sarah |
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J.D and Tapioca Wednesday, 25 February, 2009 21:58 GMT |
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These are my cats... Sarah |
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Mr. Charles Darwin Saturday, 21 February, 2009 13:37 GMT Last week, it was the 100th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. What a great man he was. I recently read an interview with Sir David Attenborough concerning Mr. Darwin and I quote: "Natural selection is a theory, but evolution is not a theory. It is as firm as the fact that William the Conqueror came here in 1066..." (Sir David) Sarah |
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Random Waffle Monday, 2 February, 2009 17:06 GMT I've got quite a lot to blog about today... hence my sub-headings: |
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My birthday ...was nice. I had to go to work during the day, but had a lovely meal at my favourite restaurant with my Mum and her fella in the evening, and went out hiking in the Peak District on Saturday with Chloe, which was lovely. |
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My health I've been ill for the last two weeks. It started off with an ear infection, tonsillitis, and laryngitis. The first two cleared up quite quickly, but the latter had me off work for a week and a half, kept me up at night, and made me loose my voice. It wasn't much fun and I've spent the majority of the time since my birthday trying to rest, and generally feeling sorry for myself. I'm starting to feel much better now... New interests discovered!!
I've become a bit of a history buff. I've been reading a lot
about the Tudors in particular. Also went to
the Tower of London this weekend just gone, which was most
enjoyable and interesting. |
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Getting steamy I've just purchased a steamer and am raving about the benefits of steaming your vegetables, meat, fish, etc. Steaming preserves the nutrients and flavour. Go on, buy one! (No, I'm not working for Morphy Richards, I just love my new steamer!) |
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Hakuna Matata ... what a wonderful phrase! Went to see the Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre (birthday treat). Loved it, it was brilliant. I actually started crying during the first song (The Circle of Life)... Yes, I'm that much of a loser that I get all teary during musicals (except for West Side Story... Grrr.. I hate it!). |
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Last but not least... it's snowing! I love the snow (so long as I don't have to drive in it) it's so beautiful and I managed to take a few photos, including a robin on the back fence. Everyone left work an hour early today, due to the weather... Wowee, that's maybe one of my longest ever blogs (except maybe for my xmas rant!). Until next time... stay warm. Sarah |
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Twenty Eight Friday, 16 January, 2009 07:02 GMT So, today is my 28th birthday. To anyone 29 or over, 28 probably doesn't seem so bad. But this is what I've worked out: if I die when I'm 84, then I've already lived a third of my life. A THIRD! And I might not live that long, either. Maybe I've lived half, or three quarters already. I know it could be - and will be - much worse. It's just scary, how quickly the years fly past. So, I'm feeling rather philosophical today... lots of "life is short" and "make each day count" clichés in my head. I'm going to listen to those thoughts and intend to have a great day today, and tomorrow, and the next! :) Sarah
PS: Happy Birthday to Kate Moss and James May. |
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Two Thousand and Nine! Saturday, 3 January, 2009 16:11 GMT Goodness grief! It's 2009 already. 2008 was a busy but interesting year... |
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Highlights of 2008: Trip to Paris. Hiking in the Swiss Alps. Going to the Pump Room in Bath. Going to Jane Austen's house. Buying a brand new car (see left). Walking along Curbar Edge in the Peak District. Writing (more than I've ever written before). |
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I'm looking forward to the year ahead. I have grand plans to go camping (!) and have several mini-breaks away, and I am going to the US for my annual vacation to tour the Grand Canyon region. Also, I hope to finally get somewhere with my novel, if only to be rejected by every literary agent there is! I hope 2008 was as good for you, as it was for me! And here's to 2009... Happy New Year. Sarah |
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Wise Words Wednesday, 17 December, 2008 22:02 GMT
Al Pacino: Well said, Mr. P! Homophobia is something I cannot understand or respect. Keeping it short and sweet today... but I have learnt that I get approx. 30-40 hits on my site each month - wowzers, that's 30-40 more than expected! Sarah |
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F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Sunday, 7 December, 2008 16:12 GMT Could the TV show Friends be any greater? Na-ha! I don't watch a lot of TV. In fact, the only thing I've really watched over the past 12 months are comedy shows and the news. However, despite having seen all the episodes several times before, I have been watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S on DVD for the past six months. I watch an episode every couple of days. Today I watched the last one and, as always, I cried. It's like a cult show that I grew up with, and pretty much everyone I know who's my age, or 10 years either side, has seen every episode, and we all still, four years after it ended, quote it and laugh about it and remember how fantastic it was... Chuffing marvellous. Sarah |
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Why I'm boycotting Christmas Thursday, 4 December, 2008 20:34 GMT My Christmas rant blog entry has been moved... click here to find out why I hate Christmas! Sarah |
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Six Hours Sunday, 23 November, 2008 16:12 GMT I have been writing for the past six hours. Six hours!! A good day, writing-wise. I did the same two weeks ago. I've written 5k words today (and wrote 5k two weeks ago). I just need to not leave it another two weeks, that's all. Writing today was a good idea, as the weather is pants. Winter is truly on it's way, but you know, I don't mind. The winter weather makes this country what it is: dull and dreary most of the time, but gloriously beautiful when the sun is out :) I'm off now to munch on a plum, and maybe watch a DVD or something. My brain is feeling a little frazzled. Good day to you. Sarah |
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Ugh! 3 November 2008 20:44 GMT I'm having what I like to call an 'Ugh!' day today. It's one of those days where you just feel tired and lazy and kind of fed up with the world. I usually only get these when I'm on my period, which I'm not right now. I'm sure it'll pass. Maybe chocolate will help... I couldn't even summon the motivation to write at all today, but I did some research which is good... Sarah |
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| Snow! 26 October 2008 08:56 GMT | |
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In October. This is the 28th time I've experienced an October and I don't ever recall seeing snow. But, I have to say I like it. It's kind of graceful the way it falls; if you can stay in doors it's beautiful and relaxing to watch it drift to the ground. Sarah |
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Fabulous weekend (11/12 Oct!) 23 October 2008 20:04 GMT So, like I said, I had a great weekend. Saturday I went to West Midlands Safari park. I adore the big cats. I spent a huge amount of time taking photos of cheetahs, lions, leopards, and tigers. They enchant me with their big paws, their beautiful coats, their interesting social behaviour... the cheetahs are my favourite. Sunday I went to Curbar Edge in the Peak District. Went on a great walk (about 8 miles in total). It's a beautiful place. The rocks are so smooth, they almost look man-made. The trees reminded me a little of being in New England last autumn. The leaves were shades of green, yellow, orange, red, and brown. One yellowing tree looked golden in the sunlight. I think the outdoors suits me. Sarah |
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| Jenny Yellowstone 13 October 2008 20:16 GMT | |
This is my Sim, Jenny Yellowstone. She was castaway on an unknown island a few days ago. Since arriving she's built a shelter, adopted an orang-utan, and eaten a lot of fruit, especially coconuts. She's hoping to meet some other castaways real soon. Wish her luck. Meanwhile, back in the real world, I had a fabulous weekend. I'll write more about that and post a few photos very soon. Ciao for now. Sarah
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I love Switzerland 4 October 2008 21:16 GMT Well, I am finally ready to post my Switzerland travel blog and photos. Click here if you're interested. I've had an okay week, but am now experiencing something no man will ever understand: menstrual stomach cramps. I've spent most of today being lazy. I'm tired and going to bed soon, but I wanted to actually get the Switzerland stuff published and online (I prepared it a week ago). I wish anyone reading this a pleasant weekend! Sarah |
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Oh Crystal Ball, Crystal
Ball, Save Us All, Tell Me Life is Beautiful
Wow. So it's been a month since my last blog... I have much to report. Firstly, as you might have guessed, I'm listening to Keane. I love this song (hence the lyrics in my blog title). Anyway... Switzerland was AMAZING. It's the most beautiful place I've ever been, and the best holiday I've ever had. I kept a travel journal, which I'll post on this site when I get time, along with some photos. I've been writing a lot. My current novel is now the longest piece of writing I've ever done. I feel so inspired to keep going and have even been dreaming about my characters. I finished reading the Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green - very, very enjoyable and I recommend it. Then I read The Time Traveler's Wife. An amazing, convincing story. Now I'm reading the Life of Pi. Strange but good. So far. Last thing... I've been really enjoying music recently. I always have, but lately I seem to find it suits every mood. As well as Keane, I've been listening to Joshua Radin. So that's my short and to the point update. Switzerland story is to come. Sarah |
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Pina Colada Song 12 August 2008 21:23 GMT A quick summary/update of my week so far: Novel is progressing slowly but surely. Feeling pleased with my hard work. Everything else is pretty much normal: work is okay, as is everything else. I've been reading The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green, by Joshua Braff. It's very enjoyable so far. The weather has been AWFUL. A lot of rain. Still, we have managed two woodland walks... It's now 18 days until we go to Switzerland. Hurrah! I've (sadly perhaps) been reading archives of Zach Braff's blog J
As I write, I'm listening to the
Pina Colada Song. What a classic.
Until next time... |
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Growing Up? 6 August 2008 22:33 GMT I've noticed a change in myself this past year. I've become more tolerant and less judgemental of others, I'm less likely to argue or blurt out my (often controversial) points of view, I feel calmer and more content. I think I just feel more like an adult. I suppose this is a good thing. Next time I notice something like this will probably be at the appearance of wrinkles and grey hairs. On a much lighter note, I'm starting to feel rather excited about the holiday in Switzerland. I can't wait to view the spectacular scenery... and I've also been writing a lot. Marvellous. Sarah |
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New Website... and what a splendid
time is to be had in Bath Welcome to my new website. I think writing the blog is a good way to keep me writing regularly, and I like to play around with web design and share photos with friends and family, so I figure this is a good chance to do that. I have not created this site for others - it's really just for myself. However if you'd like to know more about me, well, this is the place to find out. So... this weekend I spent in Bath..
Bath is full of character and history -
something my home town lacks. I am not a city person, and no
building, no matter how historic, beautiful, or colourful, can
please me in the same way that a mountain, lake, or the coast
can. Three days was enough, I was ready to leave, but there's
something about it which really captivated me. We also visited the Jane Austen Centre. I'm a huge JA fan and this was a fitting and wonderful tribute to her. On our way home, we did a detour and visited her home between 1809-1817: Chawton Cottage. It was amazing to walk through rooms which she slept in, ate in, wrote in... learning so much about her from the centre in Bath and the cottage, left me feeling almost emotional - firstly, that she never knew how popular and legendry she would become (two hundred years later and she's still internationally very, very popular), and secondly, that she died so young - aged 41.
So I have returned from Bath feeling
enlightened, refreshed, and inspired. I highly recommend it as a
weekend break to anyone who has any interest in history, and/or
Jane Austen. |
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