Ciao Venezia!

Hey everyone!

After spending a lush week away in the sweltering heat of Venice I've returned, ready to get my job/internship hunt on! (Wish me luck folks...)

But anyway, onto the real details. Of course Venice was just lovely, unique as it stands on its waters with beautiful, classic Venetian architecture towering above, adding to the character of this already enchanting city. Wooden shutters provided some mysticism as we wandered through the narrow alleyways of Santa Croce, a quiet neighborhood hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Venice's main attraction, San Marco.

We stayed at the Carlton on the Grand Canal, a four star hotel that came with really good service, though maybe a little over priced as we ended up paying 6,50 euros for a large bottle of water... Oops!
We mostly walked everywhere, staying away from the busy water buses, as there really is so much to see and take in- old churches with awe-inspiring frescos of magnificent detail, vacant Venetian masks haunting every "calle" from tourist shops and artist boutiques and then these grande, flaking buildings ridden with vines and shrubs.
Curious smells hung in the air from the waters of the Grand Canal soon to be overtaken by the all too familiar smell of freshly made pizza from a small risorante or the smell of freshly baked bread from an artisan bakery in the corner.

On our third night, we went on a gondola ride at a hefty price of 100 euros! Pricey it was but you just can't beat the peaceful ambiance that comes with this intimate boat ride. I mean, you've got to try everything once, right?
The food was beautiful but I have to say, I think I've had my fair share of carbs for at least a month with all the pizza, pastas and breads you can eat! Like the city, the food is Venice is rich!

I feel a little nostalgic already, it was a really great getaway!

Venice I miss you!

My first internship

Hey everyone!

So I should probably fill you in with what's been going on recently. Two weeks ago I got a long awaited and rather unexpected email from Now magazine inviting me for an internship. After a year of waiting I seriously thought my application had been discarded to the trash folder long ago so it was a pretty pleasant surprise. It was the best news and just what I'm looking for now that university is over *sob*.

I'm working in the web department and my duties certainly don't involve making cups of tea for my superiors! A typical day consists of transcribing articles and helping to produce online content for the magazine's website. Like today I practically spent the whole day researching baby shoes (I don't have my own column just yet!) and compiling pictures for a Royal birth themed gallery (yes, most of my day was spent oohing and awwing at uber cute mini footwear).

If I've learnt anything so far it's to never underestimate the work that goes into producing an online article. You assume it'll be simple and quick (which it can be) but these tasks really involve double, if not triple checks, scrutiny and attention to detail because even the smallest of errors can be fatal. It's also so easy to become lost for words, even if it's writing something small like a caption; you just sit there asking yourself whether you really did spend the last three years of your life completing an English degree. Thankfully, there's thesaurus.com and practise does lead to the eventual formation (never perfection) of a sentence that won't be totally lost when subbed.

Well anyway, the experience has been a real eye opener into celebrity and web journalism and I'm learning something new everyday. I've been lucky enough to attend one press event. On Wednesday I got to go Fern Cotton's launch of her new home ware range for Very.co.uk. Her pieces were very pretty, very girlie and quite vintage chic (if there is such a thing) with a running floral motif on most of them. She's released everything from sofas, cat inspired lampshades to rugs and pillows.

I have loads of pillows on my bed so the cat pillow caught my eye, plus its probably the most affordable piece... 

I'm going to end this post here and will update again soon. I'm still waiting for my laptop to return from repair, it's been 2 weeks to too long!! 

Thanks for reading x

Day Two: Proost!

From the early hours of this morning me and my fellow Top-deckers have been up and at 'em!

Starting the day with a bike tour with Mike's Bike's around the city at 9am, the group was brought to life with the chill of the bitter wind and the lovely views of the city before the bustle of the afternoon. The tour took us through the some of the main sights like the 'I Amsterdam' sign in front of the famous Rijksmuseum, the Anne Frank house (which had a massive queue outside) and the (fake) lizard park. We cycled over a lot of canal bridges which was a work out in itself! And halfway through the tour we stopped off at this lovely little rustic cafe to grab some coffee. It was my first time ever doing a bike tour and I can safely say the company cater for all types of riders, like, say, the short novice... Also the guide was really knowledgeable and friendly with the tendency to crack jokes throughout the tour. It was really good fun.
On a general note, if it's one thing you'll definitely notice upon entering Amsterdam it's jut how much cyclists have a reign over the streets. According to urban lore they are at the top of the transport hierarchy, which probably explains why there are so little cars driving around and also why everyone around here seems to be a pro at riding a bike.

After that some of us went to the Heineken brewery which was pretty cool. Personally my favourite part was this 4D interactive visual experience where we were "brewed and bottled", becoming a part of the making process, with bubbles coming out from the ceiling and a trembling platform. All in all the museum was quite quirky and displayed the long history of the Heineken brand- I would say it's generally a good activity to do but great for beer lovers as you get a beer tasting session and then 2 free complimentary beers at the end of the tour! Awesome, right?!

The latter half of the day consisted of a tour through the red light district. Two of us decided to take up a tour with the Prostitution Information Centre who offer insider knowledge on the district. It was actually really informative and educational, shedding light on probably one of the most misunderstood aspects of the city. We were also given useful tips like to never stand in front of a window because it makes the workers angry as it could deter customers. Loitering could indeed result in pee, water, or even a dildo thrown at your head. Don't do it!
And then came the optional activity that no doubt everyone signed up for: the sex show. All I can say (and will say) is that it was a very theatrical type of show, probably one of the more accessible shows geared to attract more than one type of audience... There were several different acts which were all good, if not a little tacky, but overall the show was at times really funny and entertaining with some awkward parts. It might not be everyone's cup of tea but if you think you'd be up for it it's definitely a to do whilst at the red light district.

Tomorrow should be another fun filled day with yet more exploring and a trip to the flower fields lined up in the morning! I can't wait.

HARD ROCK 2K12

Ok so these photos don't actually give the festival itself any justice but they reflect the awesome time I got to experience as a VIP crew member throughout the festival!

I have also written a review of the Festival that is on the Digital Spy website, read it here!

Thanks guys!