It's true that for many years, Glasgow had a bad rep. A former industrial, working-class stronghold, Scotland's second city huddled (at least on the tourist itinerary) in the shadow of its fancier neighbour, Edinburgh. While Glaswegians have always known their home town had more to offer, taking pride in their working class heritage, the wider world began to wake up to its charms in the last few decades. It was awarded European City of Culture in 1990 and regeneration has continued apace, with the hosting of the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and ongoing investment in the city's artistic and cultural offering. All this being said, a reputation as a grey, unforgiving and dangerous destination (in 2005 the WHO named Glasgow 'the murder capital of Europe') still dogs the city.

If anything though, this adds to its charm. I like a city with realism and a sense of the actual people who live there and who have contributed to the fabric of the city throughout history. My favourite day was when we strolled through the city centre, across Glasgow Green to the People's Palace, a museum of social history which tells the story of the people of Glasgow from 1750 though to the present day. Glasgow Green itself was granted to the people of Glasgow in 1450 and has served myriad purposes including the establishment of the city's first steamie (washhouse - and social hub for the working class women of the 20th century), a meeting place for the women's suffragette movement in the 19th century, and sporting and music events throughout the ages. That same day, we went to a painfully hip streetwear store and got chatting to the store assistant as he tried to teach his tiny puppy to skateboard - it really is the people who make the city!


Glasgow's architecture is stunning, its many Victorian buildings including the beloved Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, which counts amongst its dazzlingly varied collection Sophie Cave's Floating Heads, Sir Roger the Elephant, and Salvador Dali's breathtaking Christ of St John of the Cross. The influence of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the homegrown Art Nouveau genius (think Glasgow's own Gaudi), is felt throughout the city, lending a uniquely Glaswegian spin to the architectural character of the streets. Some of Mackintosh's work is featured in the Kelvingrove Museum, and we also visited his first public commission, The Lighthouse, and took afternoon tea at the Mackintosh-designed Willow Tearooms.

The typically Victorian Botanic Gardens are also well worth a visit, followed by a wander through the streets of the West End, perusing vintage shops and stopping for ice cream at Nardini's Gelateria (the Italian influence on Scotland's dessert palate is a blog post all of its own!). As vegetarians, we were spoilt for choice in Glasgow, named the Vegan Capital of the UK in 2018. I would recommend McCune Smith for brunch (complete with veggie haggis of course), and Mono for vegan junk food. We also enjoyed our fair share of cocktails and craft beers at Gin71, Inn Deep, Super Bario and Doghouse.

My favourite way to explore a city is to just set off on foot, with some ideas of where to go but an attitude of stopping whenever we see something interesting (or are ready to eat or drink!). Glasgow is the perfect place in which to do this, as its many green spaces, historic streets and plethora of cosy bars beckon you to take a closer look.

A few snaps from a winter weekend in Lisbon last month.

Don't be misled by the title of this post - I loved Lisbon. It was its imperfection, its air of incompleteness, that made it so endearing. A lot of major western cities have a polished sheen to them, but Lisbon just seemed very real, quite raw in parts.

There is a lot of ongoing construction work and it's clear that the city is still in the process of a big regeneration project. Some of the buildings by the waterfront stand unoccupied and derelict, nestling side by side with stunning, freshly tiled frontages. Slick modern trams run on the same tracks as the original 1930s models which rattle and clang through the streets.

There's a distinct lank of 'hipster' cafes and bars - don't get me wrong, my boyfriend and I are both suckers for a trendy venue and we did pay a visit to the 'cool' part of town, LX Factory, but it was refreshing to spend most of our time in the poky, smoky and incredibly cheap bars of the Bairro Alto or huddled against the cold, enjoying a beer at a simple but quaint quiosque de refresco.

But if there is one thing Lisbon does with sheer perfection, it's the custard tart.

Bringing some sunshine back into my life with these snaps from a girls' trip to Barcelona back in April last year.
I've decided to start blogging again, mainly to share photos and moments from my life that I don't really get a chance to share elsewhere.

Things I liked about Barcelona:

• The proximity to the beach. The buzz of city life combined with the tranquility of the seaside is the ultimate combination.
• The architecture. You have to remind yourself constantly to look up - you may see a towering monument, intricate, gothic frontages, a centuries-old cathedral, or of course, a Gaudi masterpiece. 
• Sun-drenched squares, perfect for an afternoon beer, intespersed with wide boulevards and shaded, narrow streets.
• The surprising choice of vegetarian and vegan eateries (surprising because I'm accustomed to hidden ham when eating out in Spain!)
• The sun. Oh how I miss that sun.

My boyfriend and I recently returned from 2 weeks in Thailand. 2 weeks is nowhere near enough time to fully explore this beautiful and expansive country, but it does offer a tantalising taste, with time enough to visit a few different areas and fit in some downtime too. I was really pleased with how our carefully planned trip panned out, so I thought I would share our 2 week itinerary (along with some recommendations of where to stay/eat/visit) in case it helps anyone else to plan their own.

Saturday 21st January marks the first day of Donald Trump's US Presidency. For many, Trump's rise to power is symptomatic of a growing right-wing movement, fuelled by a fear and hatred of the 'Other,' which has been gaining momentum in the States and across Europe. As the Women's March on Washington's mission proclaims:

'The rhetoric of the past election cycle has insulted, demonized, and threatened many of us - immigrants of all statuses, Muslims and those of diverse religious faiths, people who identify as LGBTQIA, Native people, Black and Brown people, people with disabilities, survivors of sexual assault - and our communities are hurting and scared.'

The Women's March seeks to defend and give voice to those communities who have been targeted and undermined in recent political campaigns, the media, on the street and online. It calls on women and their allies to come together 'in numbers too great to ignore' to demand equity for all.

I mean, why wouldn't I go?

Well...I've never been to a march before. I've never taken part in anything remotely 'organised' or 'political.' I feel strongly about gender equality, feminism and left-wing politics generally, but these are all opinions I've kept to myself, my close friends, and the ballot box. A healthy dose of apathy and a sprinkling of cynicism have prevented me from joining a protest before. I'm all for going out and casting my vote, but when it comes to giving up a Saturday to hold a placard and gather in a crowd to say, 'this is bad and we disagree with it,' I can't help but think, 'what will this actually achieve?'

I was only 13 at the time, but I clearly remember watching the news about the huge protest in London against the Iraq war. I was far from politically engaged at that age, but I was very much against the war (as most kids would be). I desperately wanted that march to make a difference, but Blair's government proceeded to ignore the people and go to war anyway. Approximately 2 million people marched on that day, and it effected zero political change. In 2015, the government put forward a proposal to carry out airstrikes on Syria, causing thousands of people to descend on Downing Street in protest. And what happened next? MPs voted overwhelmingly for the bombing.

Events like this have really left me questioning the point of it all. How much political clout can the ordinary person really wield - even when they come together in their thousands, or even millions? But then my friend asked me to go to the march with her this weekend - and I thought, OK, let's see what this is all about.

Reasons to March

First off, the march is not about protesting against Trump's election, or an attempt to have him removed from office. He was elected democratically (although questions have been raised regarding the efficacy of the Electoral College system) and ain't nothing we can do about it. As stated on the Women's March on London's website, the election 'proved a catalyst for a grassroots movement of women to assert the positive values that the politics of fear denies.' The march is about sending a message and showing solidarity with women and oppressed communities the world over.

Remember the Iraq war protest from earlier, and how it achieved nothing? This Guardian piece from 2013 explores both sides of that argument. Although a number of people who were part of the march believe it was futile, I was struck by Stop the War's Lindsey German's claim that 'the anti-war movement had a lasting impact on what we know about the war (without protest there would have been less of the scrutiny that exposed the sham of WMDs), on British public opinion (more sceptical of other wars) and on politicians.' Protest might not always cause seismic changes, but perhaps it can make some difference.

It's also about 'being part of something.' Not just sitting at home and complaining about the state of the world, but getting out there, meeting like-minded people, contributing to a movement. Following in the footsteps of protesters who truly changed the face of society (the Suffragettes, the American Civil Rights movement). Being able to say 'I was there' - not just for the sake of it, but because it meant something, because you genuinely cared enough to say, 'this isn't right and I want the world to know.'

And really - why the hell not? It'll be interesting, and exciting, and it certainly won't do any harm.