Neasden Temple, 2017

Groups of women preparing delicious food

Litter picking in style

Shoes off to enter the temple

A few years ago:  Neasden Temple and the Diwali celebrations. It was an amazing feast for the eyes - the elaborate, beautiful shrines with hundreds of silent pilgrims and the loud, celebratory groups of people enjoying food and music everywhere. 

D&G 2002

Spanish Refreshment

Drinks - both small and large, and a calamari sandwich in central Spain last week. 

Late afternoon and early morning, Madrid

Just home from a few days in Spain - an adventurous train trip from Madrid to Seville with a couple of nights in the mountains. The start of the journey in Madrid was sandwiched with visits to one of my favourite bars near Atocha station, busy all day and through the night.

ROCCO

 

Rocco is a beautiful restaurant in Rome, tiny and relaxed with delicious food and wine. It's the kind of place you want to stare at all the other diners for hours and then go out and buy exactly what they're wearing so effortlessly, while also becoming a chef and florist. A jewel of a place!

Glazed

Marzipan fruit... Looks SO good, tastes SO rank

Spain last week

Potentially my favourite meal ever - a beige (and v unfashion) one of Calamari and Cañas

Spain last week where I spent 3 nights on holiday with my Mum, enjoying a largely liquid diet. It was 42 degrees after all...

Oysters in the 18th

I got back from Paris yesterday after spending a long weekend walking, drinking coffee and wine in equal measures and staring at everything/one with my mouth wide open. A highlight of the trip was a morning spent in the 18th, where we chanced across a food market and stall selling oysters and white wine in plastic cups which locals were standing around knocking back and chatting. I just loved it - what a great way to experience my first oyster!

Cats

Apparently cats and food are the two most popular things to Instagram. So here is a blog post to add to the pile - a postcard I bought Tessa from The Photographer's Gallery a while ago.

 

A sunny late afternoon really is the best - especially for the shadows. I used to really enjoy walking around the Northern Quarter in Manchester on a winter's afternoon when I lived there. 

More from Mexico

 

I went to Casa Mexico near Bethnal Green on Saturday. I was hoping to come home overwhelmed with Mexican foods and cook up a storm, but I realised as soon as I got to the shop that I really didn't know where to begin. Next time I will remember to look at a cook book. I really enjoyed all the Day of the Dead stuff as well as all the other household things like tiled mirrors and crucifixes etc. I would love to go to Mexico soon and source tons of stuff for One Off. So much colour, embroidery and pattern to be had. I loved the beaded bracelets (above) too. A trip to put on the diary's wish list...

Weekend Off

This never, ever, happens to me

What better way to celebrate? Slightly embarrassing that James' toasted sandwich doesn't even come close to the amount of food I ordered....

Christmas Dinner #1

In Brixton last night we took over Hannah's kitchen and made a delicious roast. Lula managed to bring a particularly odd looking Brussell sprout stem, that turned out to be in Min's words, 'the best brussell sprouts I've ever eaten.' Thank you Tdubs!

When things look nice, you want them

Bank Holiday Pink Lunch

And spring coloured cocktails