Surfin' GB!

This is Croyde beach, where we went to enjoy the 13 degrees Celsius seawater, and catch some waves on a bodyboard.





















As you can imagine, the water is simply freezing, and though the waves are exhilerating, you can't stay in for more than a few minutes. So this time around we got some wetsuits second hand from a surf school, and while we were there, we signed up for our first ever lesson too... Cue major excitement from me!




















Croyde bay on the day of our lesson - a lovely British summer's day and nice big waves!

The lesson was brilliant and I enjoyed every minute. Learning the basic moves, struggling with the board, feeling the first rush of speed... And then I even managed to stand up and actually surf! Once! :D Amazing performace from such a sporting anti-talent as me!















































If you're visiting the Atlantic, I highly recommend both a wetsuit and a surf lesson, you will remember your trip to the sea for a lifetime!

Some practical tips from a total beginner, if you actually do so:

1. Trim your nails as short as possible when trying on wetsuits and planning on wearing them, as getting into the wetsuit is a workout in itself and requires all your fingertips!
2. Listen to the expert - whether you buy your wetsuit second hand or new, get it from a trusted place and ask for advice. There are different wetsuits for different seasons and the sizing is still a mystery to me.
3. If you go for a lesson, listen to the tutor - always share if you have any medical problems and make sure you're a strong enough swimmer.
4. If you feel unsure, go for a small group lesson or a one-on-one where the tutor has more time for making you comfortable.
5. Don't let the difficulty hold you back! If I did it, anyone can! :)
6. Wearing a wetsuit keeps you warm and it did wonders for my self confidence, as I could move, fall into the water and be clumsy whichever way I wanted without the possibility of revealing any indecent pieces of skin.
7. Enjoy the waves and the speed! :)

Sun in Medveja

Sometimes the sun came out and it was perfect! I even swam, about 5 minutes at a time though, as seawater 15 degrees Celsius is a bit difficult to get used to! :)






































Here's one tip for travelling: always take jewellery with you! For me the feeling of being able to pick and choose from a few necklaces in the morning makes all the difference - especially as I never take many clothes. I'm all for a light suitcase, as I don't drive, so being able to lift my luggage on and off trains and buses is quite important. :)





















By the way, I affectionately call this above piece the oxymoron necklace, as the bow should be textile and it's metal, and the chain should be metal and instead it's textile. So yeah, it's a solid bow with a soft chain, behold the oxymora!





















This gorgeous bay is Medveja, a few kilometres from Opatija. walking there among the pines heavy with the scent of summer and fig trees growing tiny little fruit was such a joy. A perfect day.

Wearing: Promod dress, Chinese shrug and leggings, Vagabond shoes, 

C&A necklace, clip-ons... can't remember.

Opatija and a Seagull with Attitude

Hello again! Or indeed, ahoy!






































I'm back from the shores of the Adriatic Sea! Sorry for the delay, but it's always so difficult to get back into the swing of things after prolonged exposure to sea air.






































I accompanied my Boyfriend to Opatija, Croatia where we enjoyed turn of the century charm and gorgeous blue sea, and while he conferenced, I strolled with my camera at hand at all times... We had some unpredictable weather, but who cares about rain and clouds at such a wonderfully atmospheric location?






































The villages around Opatija are connected with the Franz Joseph walkway which winds its way around the edge of the sea for long kilometres, and I just can't tire of it... No matter how many times I return to the area, this walkway will never bore me.






































I hope you enjoyed the great posts from my lovely Guest Bloggers! Thank you so much again, Nikki, Carina and Marisa! I loved reading about your dream wardrobes... And let me tell you, if you've never had guest bloggers, you must give it a go. Pasting the html codes I was sent by them into Blogger, then hitting the Preview button - it's like a birthday present, first seeing their posts materialise on my blog! I'm prepared to travel more just to have more of these great blog surprises!





















"What did you just say? Huh?" - says the Seagull with Attitude.
OK, I'll stay for a while. Just because the Seagull asked me.
But next year I will surely return to Opatija, and till then, a few more posts about my time away to follow!

Ocean Waves Weave Tales

Running into the cold cold sea in England, feeling your skin protest and guarding your tummy as you know you will get a shock once that's submerged in the ocean, then feeling the first wave break on your body and enjoying the endorphins erupt with such an unexpected force that you laugh out loud and you cannot but wait for the next wave, and the next and the next... And you don't care about the cold of the air or of the sea anymore. Brilliant.

I loved the ocean and the long, sandy beaches and the secluded, secret ones, the constant sound of waves rushing towards you. I loved the two sunny days we had and all the others when a raincoat and a wooly hat were required to enjoy the beach fully. I loved the rugged coastline and the sheep, the English families huddled behind windbreaks and tucking into fish and chips with relish, the kids screaming for ice-cream even in icy wind and the shells and stones and the grains of sand in everything I wore.

I could go on and on posting gorgeous pictures of the ocean, but let me show you some other delights of Devon too.

The house we stayed in, with the most gorgeous English garden... Thank you for the hospitality Vanessa and John, my Boyfriend and me were so lucky to stay with you!

The streets of Appledore, which were such an unexpected gem to find, and reminded me so much of Burano.

The Green Man festival in Barnstaple, watching people enjoying parading through the town centre and then listening to great music and dancing in the streets.

I cannot wait for the wind and the rain, the sun and the sea to direct me back to Devon again.

Oh, and while I was away, I hope you enjoyed the wonderful guest posts my lovely guest bloggers provided - I surely did! I'm already inspired to ask you all about something else to blog about, I guess I'd need more holidays for that! :)
Thank you again Waves, Pau, Sarah and Kirstin!