My first paintings ;-)

Dora in Camden Town

Monday was such a glorious, unseasonably warm October day. Simply brilliant. Gold, red and rusty leaves coated pavements and streets. I had a couple of days off, so I decided to do something spontaneous, to go to a place I had never been before. I decided to go to London. As you probably know, I have been to London on multiple occassions - Soho, Westminster, visiting galleries. This time I went to London on the couch, took a long leisurly along Buckingham Palace Road up to Buckingham Palace, then walked up to Trafalgar Square where I got 24 double-deck bus to Hampstead Heath. Number 24 bus is a great cheap alternative to sighstseeing buses. You can catch it from Victoria Coach Station. It stops near Westminster Abbey, Parliament Square, Trafalgar Square, Cambridge Circus, Camden Market. Its final stop is Roayl Free Hospital. On your way back from Camden Market you can catch 24 bus again - it goes to Pimlico and stops close to Victoria Coach Station. 

 
Camden Market is one of the world's famous markets. The market is packed with stalls trading in handmade jewellery, leather bags, satchels and purses, clothes, souvenirs,bric-a-brac, music memorabilia and eclectic delicious food. Food selection from all corners of the world. You can buy all sorts of clothes here: vintage, goth, punk, pin-up-girl dresses, Victorian,  Asian outwear. I loved some of the Korean coats - very stylish and good quality. 

Camden is incredibly lively, vibrant and unique. If you like people watching - Camden is a perfect place for it. So many individuals wearing cool, vintage clothes. They look like birds of paradise. Camden is bustling with music, colours and flavours. Camden Market is undeniably a very characterful and sensory shopping experience. The market started its life selling solely arts and crafts, but recently it has been hosting an array of events, from festivals to night markets. Camden caters for every taste. It is a home to a plethora of vegetarian and vegan bars and coffee shops. I was over the moon when I discovered a vegan coffee shop which served raw vegan snacks and desserts. I ordered vegan latte and raw chocolate brownie - simply delicious!

Camden Market is the fourth most popular visitor attraction in London, attracting approximately 250 000 visitors each week. Camden Market is a broad name for smaller and distinct markets such as Camden Lock Market and Stables Market. Camden Lock Market is situated by the Regent's Canal on a site formerly occupied by warehouses. 

The Stables Market is located in the historic former Pickfords stables and Grade II listed horse hospital which served the horses pulling Pickford's distribution vans and barges along the canal. Many of the stalls and shops are set in large arches in railway viaducts.
Chain stores are not permitted there and trade is provided by a mixture of small enclosed and outdoor shops and stalls, of which some are permanent, and others hired by the day. In common with most of the other Camden markets the Stables Market has many clothes stalls. It is also the main focus for furniture in the markets. Household goods, decorative, ethnically-influenced items, and second-hand items or 20th-century antiques, many of them hand-crafted, are among the wares. There are also clothing and art pieces for alternative sub-cultures, such as goths and cybergoths. These shops include Black Rose, which caters for goths, with items such as coffin-shaped handbags, and Cyberdog, which houses much cyber-style "neon" PVC and rubber clothing (from Wikipedia).

 

Camden Town is a great place for experiencing street art at its best. Camden is full of amazing murals. When you go to Camden keep your eyes wide open. 

Below you can view examples of Camden Town street art I checked out. 

 

Urban architecture of Camden is eye-catching, eccentric and often grotesque. There is no other place like Camden! 

 

 

 

Camden - Amsterdam of London 

If you are fan of cannabis lollipops, candy and chocolate bars come to Camden Market. I was actually surprised to come across so many stalls selling products containing cannabis. In this respect Camden is a miniature Amsterdam.

My short break in Devon

I spent one day in Torquay yesterday. It was an amazing experience. It was such a randon thing to do too. How often do we do random things? Hardly ever. And I decided to do something random yesterday. The weather had been glorious - sunny and warm. I left my home at 06:30. I arrived in Torquay after 11:00. The train to Penzance was overcrowded - hordes of tourists heading to Devon and Cornwall for vacations. Shortage of seats and room in the luggage space by the side of the door. Luggages falling and obstructing way to the toilet. Travelling to Devon in season is challenging but I decided to focus on the positive things - great weather and a sense of adventure. I was travelling on budget - I am going to Portugal in a week's time so I have to be tight with money. 

I have lived in the UK for 6 years now, yet have never been to Devon or Cornwall. I have always wanted to visit the English Riviera - even for one day ;-)

Torquay is absolutely gorgeous. It is very idyllic place - it has lovely beaches, beautiful pier and stunning marina. Torquay is famous for its wrold-class sailing races. The beautiful coastline is perfect for exploring on foot or bike. Torquay offers numerous boat and ferry trips. There are regular passenger ferries to the neighborhood towns of Paignton, Brixhman and Dartmouth. 

My brief trip to the National Portrait Gallery in London

The National Portrait Gallery

I did not visit the National Gallery this time because I just knew I would spent the entire day there again. I have been to The National Gallery several times and decided to devote my time to exploring the National Portrait Gallery instead. I arrived in London at midday and I was short on time. Besides, the main reason why I decided to go to London on that day was to see ballet performance at Sadler's Wells Theatre. I have been a massive fan of Pina Baush's hugely dramatic works and her minimalistic yet deeply intense choreography for a while now and as soon as I found out that English National Ballet scheduled to perform Pina Baush's masterpiece The Rite of Spring I booked the ticket and set off to London! English National Ballet was only the second company in the world beyond Tanztheater Wuppertal to perform The Rite of Spring. Baush's masterpiece was a part of the triple bill that also included William Forsythe's In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated and Adagio Hammerklavier by Hans van Manen.

Pina Baush's The Rite of Spring

Photo Ulli Weis 

The video above captivates the essence of Baush's works intensity, passion and raw beauty - the qualities I truly enjoy. 

My evening was reserved for ballet, my afternoon for the National Portrait Gallery.

Perfect tranquility - the Isle of Wight

I am very lucky to live in South West England. South West England is a beautiful coastal region that has amazing places to visit and boasts incredible attractions. Wiltshire county is gorgeous - green, lush, rich in culture and history, home to Stonehenge and the tallest cathedral in the UK - Salisbury Cathedral. Dorset has great seaside and lovely, sandy beaches. I love Bournemouth and Boscombe. However, in summer time Bornemouth beaches are extremely crowded. Therefore, if you like tranqulity, you should head for the Isle of Wight. The Isle of Wight is one of my favourite seaside destinations in the UK. Beaches in the Isle of Wight are so peaceful and relaxing...they are perfect for introverts!

Wiltshire is full of amazing places - stylish museums, elegant buldings and beautiful gardens. This picture shows Wilton House - an old English country house near Salisbury. 

If you ever come to Wiltshire, visiting Stonehenge is a must. Stonehenge is a very mysterious place, you should definitely immerse yourself in its mystery.

Back to the subject now. As I mentioned earlier, I would definitely recommend the Isle of Wight for peace and natural beauty seekers. If you decide to escape to the Isle of Wight, you will need to get there on ferry. I went to the Isle of Wight last year. I booked a ferry journey from Southampton to East Cowes. Red Funnel company provides cheap and comfortable Isle of Wight Ferry travel for both foot passengers and vehicles. 

             

... boarding begins!

...sailing away :-)

The Isle of Wight is a relatively small, diamond-shaped island. It has a diverse and beautiful scenery and is perfect for walkers. The island has lots of footpaths that will lead you through green farmland, stunning cliffs and charming, dreamy villages. 

Dramatic cliffs and stunning views of the Frewshwater Bay. 

Charming, dreamy thatched cottage church in Freshwater Bay is like a fairy tale cottage. You must not overlook this lovely little church. St Agnes Church in Freshwater is the only thatched church on the Isle of Wight. The church is located along the Freshwater Bay to Alum Bay. I discovered this little gem by accident while walking along numerous footpaths in Freshwater and Freshwater Bay.  

If you are an avid cyclist The Isle of Wight is perfect for you. The island is ideal for bike excursions. It has 500 miles of cycle paths through amazing landscapes. 

Dramatic scenery in Alum Bay. Tall grass, breathtaking, red cliffs and balmy breeze. There is a famous Needles Park out there. With stunning landscapes and a spectacular chairlift past various coloured sand cliffs, the Neddles Park is definitely worth a visit. 

The iconic Needles Chairlift is the best way to see the Isle of Wight's famous landmark.
The trip starts from the top of the Alum Bay cliffs down to the pebble beach below. Then the chairlift takes you back to the top - you can admire multi-coloured sand cliff of Alum Bay. Before taking your return journey you can spend some time on the pebble Alum Bay beach and embark on a trip on the boat. Unfortuantely, I could not take the boat trip on that day because the boat service was cancelled - the wind was too strong and the waters too rough. 

Amazing caves in Freshwater Bay and Freshwater.

If you look closely, you can spot me in this picture :-)

The rocks and cliffs in Freshwater Bay and Freshwater (small villages in the north of the Isle of Wight) are breathtakingly beautiful. There is an air of wilderness about them.

The Isle of Wight is full of surprises. When I was exploring Freshwater Bay village, immersing myself in its unspoilt wilderness and secluded landscapes I stumbled upon Dimbola! Funny name isn't it? If you are fan of museums, galleries, photography and Victorian era, Dimbola might be a place for you. Dimbola is a museum and a gallery dedicated to life and work of a Victorian photographer - Julia Cameron. Located so close to the cliffs, overlooking the sea, Dimbola must have been a very unspiring place to live and work. Apart from featuring Julia Cameron's photography, Dimbola now also showcases contemporary exhibitions from photographers around the world.

Julia Cameron took up photography at the relatively late age of 48, when she was given a camera as a present. The bulk of her photographs fit into two categories: closely framed portraits and illustrative allegories based on religious and literary works. In the allegorical works in particular, her artistic influence was clearly Pre-Raphealite,with far-away looks, limp poses, and soft lighting(Rosenblum, Naomi. A History of Women Photographers. Third ed. New York: Abbeville Press Publishers, 2010. p. 52.)

When I visited The Isle of Wight last year, I wanted to go to as many places as possible. I wanted to explore the north and the south, the east and the west of this adorable island. Unfortunately I did not manage to fulfil my goal. I did explore the west of the island (Freshwater Bay, Freshwater, Alum Bay, Yarmouth) and a little bit the east part of the island. I would love to go the south of the island this year and visit Ventnor. 

Last place I would like to write about in this post is Shanklin Town and and the Old Village of Shanklin. Shanklin Old Village is another charming and fairy-tale like place full of thatched cottages, lovely gift shops and cute tea rooms.

 The beaches in Shanklin are golden, soft and sandy. There are lots of fantastic parks and gardens around the town and the village. 

Shanklin Old Village

The place I enjoyed a lot was the Shanklin Chine. The Shanklin Chine is a gorge with rare, exotic plants and a mesmerizing waterfall which is beautifully illuminated at night time. After activity packed day in Shanklin Old Village (shopping, swimming, walking and absorbing sunshine) I spent my evening in the magical Shanklin Chine. 

Take a peek at the pictures. I know that the pictures are not best quality but it was getting late and I was in a hurry because the place was about to close down. 

Thank you for reading my post!