Spain Away From Spain

Brighton has such a big food culture that after living in the seaside city for three years, I have become a typical Brightonian always on the look out for new restaurants to try. The multicultural aspect of the city is reflected in the variety of Mediterranean restaurants from Italian, Greek and Spanish. As a French native from Lyon, I particularly enjoy the cultural aspect of food. I was not disappointed when I went for a dinner to Olé Olé on a Thursday night where I experienced an immersion into the Spanish culture.

The Royal Pavilion: a peculiar architectural construction or the epitome of Brighton?

Although the Pier might be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Brighton, the Royal Pavilion is a significant part of the heritage of the city. Having lived in Brighton for three years, the Pavilion had become a familiar landscape in my daily commute to university. I would see many tourists stop in front of it to take the traditional picture from the gardens with the palace in the background. Strangely enough, I had passed in front many times and even took some pictures of the architecture but it is only recently that I finally got to discover what was hiding inside such a peculiar building. I did not know what to expect and I was in for quite a surprise when I discovered the exotic and extravagant decoration and pieces of art. Unfortunately, pictures are forbidden inside, which could also explain the mysterious character of the edifice. I would really recommend taking the audio guide as it gives such an insightful take on the decadent lifestyle of George IV at the palace.

Current playlist / a walk somewhere else

Long time no see. The hardest thing about university is to juggle your studies and your free time. In my course, I do not have a busy schedule and I have a lot of ‘free time’ that are meant to study more than to do others things. What happens to me is that I tend to tell to myself that I need to study and I exclude anything else. I know, it’s a bit intense but I am in my final year so I feel even guiltier if I take some time for my hobbies. I’ve realised that I haven’t written (apart from essays) or made graphic creations since I got to uni, which saddens me. The thing is that lately, I feel that I cannot just study all the time and that in the end I don’t even study that much because I am always frustrated that I cannot express myself in a creative way. That’s why I am coming back on here to write and post about things that I love because I need it. I have a notebook filled with ideas of blog posts but I always tell myself that I have no time or that my studies are more important. The truth is that I need to find my balance between uni and hobbies.

Well, music is something that I will never give up because it literally helps me in every aspect of my life. I cannot study or write in silence and at the same time in my little free time I escape by listening to music. Music is like breathing, it’s essential to me. So I thought I would share what I have been listening to lately. I’ve put some recent discoveries and some old favourites that I will never get bored of.

summer scent

Before I ever got into makeup, there was my first ever perfume. Since then, perfume has always been a symbol of femininity. Of course men do wear perfume but it was my first gift as a teenage girl so I associate perfume with womanhood. Scent is a very personal thing and I wore the same perfume for 7 years. It was a fresh orange flower perfume from a luxury brand that I would get as a Christmas gift every year. Everybody associated me with this smell and it was really hard to transition to another perfume. Two year ago, when I celebrated my 18th birthday, I had the idea to change perfume to mark the beginning of a new era. It took me one year to find a fragrance because I instantly bought a fragrance that had the same ingredients than my previous one. When you wear the same scent for years, it's really hard to let go of it. It's comfortable to wear and it smells like you. But I found a great perfume that blended with my skin. It's less known and more complex since it's from an exclusive collection. However, I don't feel like I am as attached to it than the previous one. I am getting comfortable with the idea of having different perfumes depending on my mood. I used to hate that idea and didn't understand how people could change their perfume just like that. Until, I went to Victoria's Secret store in London, one month ago during my trip with my cousin. I thought I would never like Victoria's Secret scents because I hate girly and sweet perfumes which I associate with the brand. Victoria's Secrets with its pink everywhere, sparkling bras and in your face femininity, everything that I'm not so fan of. Well I ended up buying 3 fragrance products and here is my thoughts about them.