Footnote…turns out the sets weren’t for GofT but Robin Hood! Still fun though 😉
Clare begins her very own walk of shame. Turns out they CGI in the actual Sept of Baelor at the top
Category: random (Page 1 of 4)
Friends of Fromeward Bound; The Overland Armstrongs had a nice article posted today.
We get a ‘name check’ towards the end! And I quote:
The couple travelled on to Armenia, Georgia and Turkey before stopping in Greece, where they are now staying with a couple they crossed paths with earlier.
Read the full article here.
(My second Game of Thrones reference on the blog!)
I’m writing this from the comfort of a sofa placed not far from a raging open fire. Large gnarly chunks of olive tree branches crackle and blaze; giving off not only heat but also that flickering light you can only get from a real fire. It is fabulous!
I have been meaning to write this blog post for the past month or two (of course it would then have been titled Winter is Coming) but I never got round to it. I suppose now, in a way, I feel I need to justify why I’m sat here in front of this fire and not out in the depths of Armenia.
One of the best things about this trip is that there is a nice balance between routine and spontaneity. I love routine and with a trip like this there’s lots of routines to get your teeth stuck into. Living in such a small space means you have to be organised and you naturally fall into a pattern of chores that need doing. From opening the curtains each morning to setting up the tea making paraphernalia. From checking the drawers are locked to closing the sun roof cover. From locking the car each night to lying in bed watching something on the computer.
But unlike being at home and going to work where, no doubt, everyone has their own set of routines and chores: we are constantly on the move. So each day is different. Each day we have different vistas and different experiences. And it is here where the beauty of travelling lies. Each day is filled with hundreds of small un-noteworthy details that don’t amount to much. But combined, these small strokes build up to create one large painting. And it’s in these small details, that happen in the gaps between each routine, where the real beauty lies.
(A companion piece to Building with Botox)
I have literally fallen head over heels in love with Tbilisi; the capital of Georgia. We are staying in the old part of the town which nestles under a 4th century fort perched high on the hillside.
Where Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva have been renovated to within an inch of their lives, parts of Tbilisi sit preciously on the edge of destruction. It’s like walking around a city that has just been discovered, decaying under a mesh of grape vines that criss cross from one side to the other creating a canopy of forbidden fruits. The eclectic mixture of architecture: from Middle Eastern, Moorish, Neoclassical, Art Nouveau, Soviet and Modernism only add to its utter charm.
Crumbling doorway
What with the endless eating and boozing over the last week in Tbilisi I’m not sure if I’ll fit into any of my clothes anymore!
So, with that thought here’s me modelling some key looks from my Winter 2016/17 Collection. I will accept any modelling offers as a result…. enjoy 😉
A striped puffa jacket partnered with some thermal leggings. This works despite the clash of patterns – though it has to be said not everyone could pull this look off.
On-trend lime green Burton snowboard jacket over a Dickies boiler suit. Two brands to look out for.
Red cashmere scarf paired with gingham jim-jams. Note how the scarf picks out the red accent in the socks.
Though I’m enjoying this trip immensely there are undoubtedly some hardships that one has to suffer. The most obvious ones: defecating in dug out holes, wild camping on windswept nights, living out of the back of a car – aren’t really much of an issue to be honest. Rather it’s been things I wasn’t completely anticipating that have turned out to be the biggest hardships.
Today we changed another £60 to cover our fuel expenses for the rest of our time in Uzbekistan – this time we got our Uzbek money in 1000 som notes! The wedge is even more extreme.
Around £60 – this time in 1000 som notes
We’ve spent the last week travelling to the classic tourist sights in Uzbekistan: Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. To be honest it’s hard to do anything other than that as the road literally leads you from one place to the next with little chance to detour. Whilst the immense desert doesn’t help, you also get the feeling that the powers that be just want you to stick to the tourist trail too.
Kalon Mosque
Bhukara
We’re packing a big old wedge in Uzbekistan! Not the result of a successful drug deal, but what you get if you change £100.
With the cost of most things being in the 100,000s we’re quite paranoid about accidentally overpaying by a factor of 10!
About a hundred quids-worth of the highest denomination notes available in Uzbekistan
Recent Comments