I brought back the lurgy from Venice and other stories

Featuring tales of holidays, kind people, museums, and deadlines.... why are there are always deadlines?

It's been almost a month since I posted here which is kinda weird considering how often I used to write but also to be expected considering the chaos that was last month. To give a very brief summary, and as you may be able to guess from the title, I managed to get ill quite literally the evening I got back from Venice and am only just about recovered. Did I mention that it's the last week of semester this week? Finals with flu. Yeah, that's been fun. So, as opposed to multiple detailed posts we're doing another of my favourite style smush posts but, this time, with pictures (yay!) and subheadings because I recon it's going to be a long 'un!

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So, we should probably start with Venice. It was an amazing trip. Truly.

Compulsory tourist shot.

I actually traded the week long Dutch summer for an overcast Italy so this was a major sacrifice, although it did warm up for the last couple of days, and still that city is quite magnificent. There are mazes of streets, so many bridges, beautiful churches. The other thing is - and it reminded me of Amsterdam in this sense - it's painfully busy in the touristy areas but you can go just a couple of streets along and be alone. It's a magical, magical place and you can kinda see why, if a film is set in Venice, it's either a romance or a horror.

The majority of my time was spent wondering these streets getting between different churches and the odd museum which is why I actually didn't take as many photos as one might have expected. Seriously, the museums I wasn't too impressed by,  generally, but the churches... we all know I'm a religious art nerd and I was so very much in my element. We, naturally, went into the St. Mark's Basilica and, when we went in, the doors to the basilica proper were closed so, instead of opening them, we, like sheep, followed each other up this uneven mountain of stairs. Anywho, this led up into the basilica's museum, something I hadn't really been too bothered with going round. After climbing those hellish stairs we were going round that museum whether we wanted to or not!! And, frankly, I would recommend it heartily, if only because you get to see the amazing mosaics up close. The song books were also a highlight for me. The other church that made a huge impression was Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. It's a bit more out of the way but it's worth making an effort to see. I wanted to go because the altarpiece is one of Titian's and, to be honest, I was unaware of just how much art is in this building. It's exquisite. There are also some rather impressive monuments that are quite striking, the most well known being a monument to the sculptor Canova.

Came out the church to be greeted by this - sat and watched for a while.
Couldn't have planned it but what a perfect moment.

Other than churches, it's got to be said, I ate quite a lot and also spent quite a lot of time sat outside restaurants having a drink and people watching. Both my mother and I really enjoy sitting down and watching the world go by. You learn so much that way.

I also ended up meeting up with quite a few people out there. Seriously, I had more of a social life in Venice than I do back home - what is this madness? It seems that half of my university had taken a trip to the city at the same time and also, against the odds, we bumped into each other on Murano one day. I was also lucky enough to meet up with the lovely Fietje for dinner which was delightful... although the food wasn't the best and the waiter was, quite seriously, the most miserable soul I've ever come across. I tried so hard to make him smile but I failed in my attempts!

And the other person I met up with was Jacopo who quite literally turned up in the city on the first evening I arrived even though he couldn't be sure I'd know he was there because I didn't have internet. Luckily, I did pick up his message and, unluckily for him, he had to socialise with an extremely tired from traveling me! He was also so kind and saw us off at the airport. Highlight of meeting up with him, other than the fact he's a lovely chap for sure, has to be that moment where he led us over a bridge that led to a block end accidentally and, in his annoyance/embarrassment/I don't know, threw sat himself down on said bridge. And this is where the stereotypes about those southern Europeans come from, you know! Yep, I know he'll read this and I am actively teasing him right now... should probably stop! But it's so much fun!! Anyway, you can read his version of events over on his blog here, scroll down for English.... he's probably been mean about me in the Italian part knowing I can't read that ;-)

With Jacopo on the first evening in the city, featuring tourists walking in sync

I am certainly going back to Venice in the not so distant future as there is so much I want to see there. I also want to go to a few of the other cities in the vicinity so it would be nice to book out a longer trip. Trying to talk Dania and Leonoor into going with me next year and, frankly, I don't think they need much convincing. If only it wasn't so expensive!

As a bit of an aside, I ended up having a paper on Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice due just after my return so I did bits on it while I was out in Venice. I was writing, mainly, about the significance of rings in the text. I left my own ring in my hotel room. You have no idea how much struggle it was to get that ring back but seriously, I had to laugh about it!

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So, as you may recall, upon my return, I was supposed to go to see the Bosch exhibition. Well, I got struck down with the flu and that was not going to happen so I missed out. I am seriously disappointed. However, there was some bright side in that the hotel I had booked for the night before due to having such an early slot at the museum cancelled the room without charging me despite my only being able to let them know on the day of arrival and them having a 'no free cancellation policy'. And, actually, kindness was the theme of this fluey time. Thijs went and got me food and juice because I had literally nothing. Fatiya dropped me round readings I'd missed and was a complete gem as we were supposed to be preparing to lead a class together and I was messing her around so much. Other people sent me through notes without my asking them. People sent me messages asking how I was. I felt so loved. And physically a wreck but, y'know, like a loved wreck. So thank you people for looking after me <3

I also had exams and papers due during that time and somehow managed to get them all in before the deadline. More surprisingly, those that have been graded actually have high marks - higher than usual despite the fact I was writing with a candyfloss brain. I genuinely would have expected to get lower grades considering I couldn't study or think straight. What is this backwardness? Anyway, I now only have three roundtables (one of which is a paper defense - eep!) and then this semester is done and onto German. The less said about that the better. I'm so nervous I cannot put it into words.

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However, the lightening of the work load has meant that I can socialise a bit more and that means my favourite thing: Museum exploration with Dania!

Sunday, we went to the Rijksmuseum to see their Catwalk exhibition which was closing that day. As the name may suggest, this was a fashion exhibition and we'd wanted to go for some time. I have to say, it was well worth getting up early for. There was a really nice range of pieces on display and, importantly, the curation was exceptional. My particular favourite was a room with a conveyor belt (think airport baggage collection just prettier) on which manikins wearing different costumes slowly rotated in a catwalk type fashion. There were chairs where you could sit and watch the 'show' and a book attached to each chair explaining the significance of each piece. There was a seriously snazzy pair of pyjamas made to look like an evening dress too... I might have got some ideas! The highlight of the exhibition was the widest mantua in the Netherlands (over two metres wide) and there was a cardboard cut out in the lobby so, you know.... Dania forced me ;-)

I seem to be missing a neck....

And then today we caught the Spanish Master's exhibition at The Hermitage. Again, we'd planned to see this one since before it opened and, again, we caught it just as it was closing (although it's there until Sunday so if you get a moment then it's worth popping to). I wasn't so interested in this one because I've never really go that into a lot of the Spanish artists. That said, I'm really pleased I went. I actually saw a few paintings, and a few styles, that really did catch my eye and my imagination. Perhaps I need to do a bit more research into the area's art history. The other thing that I really liked about this exhibition is the fact that it was set to music. As opposed to having information given over the audioguide you had a different song/tune play that was supposed to evoke the feelings of the pieces in that area. It made it a very special experience and I kinda want the CD (while I don't think there is a CD you can listen to the music here)

Post exhibition selfie, as always!

While I've had a great time at both museums, I don't think I'm going to go to any more for a while. I fell down stairs in the Rijksmuseum and broke the exit gate at the Hermitage. Am I clumsy, cursed, or is someone trying to tell me something? ;-)

Okay, okay, procrastination over. I will get back to working on my stuff for the next two days. On the bright side, I'm definitely going to Keltfest - there's a light at the end of the tunnel!

Oh look, another smush post!

Featuring: University blegh (as always), a bit about Venice and a touch of Bosch.

As you may well have garnered from the title, this is going to be one of those all over the place, rambling posts whereby I say vaguely what's been going on without the use of (m)any pictures... and we all know that's the interesting bit! Anyway, I'll try to keep it short!

The last few weeks have been completely and utterly insane in terms of workload. I've struggled quite a bit to keep on top of things and, so far, have managed. I'm also trying to get ahead - and managing thus far - because next week I'm going away and I refuse to do any work during that time! I submitted three essays in two days over the weekend and have another three to submit before the end of the week. It's a self imposed deadline but one I really want to stick to. Of course, I'm sat here typing instead of being all academic and stuff! Then, after spring break I have a few exam icks to get through but, other than that, I will just have to focus on reading the set texts for classes. Hopefully, this will give me a few weeks where I can obsessively study for the German intensive in June because, frankly, I am terrified about it. Emphasis there to show that I am in no way exaggerating my genuine feelings.

That said, before I go on to face the terrors that late May and June may hold I have the wonders of next week which is spring break. So excited.

So, for my vaguely significant birthday last year my mother decided to impulse book me a trip to Venice. Seriously. Anyway, almost a year after booking, the trip has finally rolled around and I'm going to be off there next week (with the mother, of course). I actually visited Venice a few years ago - okay, when I was about 12 so more than a few years ago - but, since starting to study art history, I've really wanted to return and see it all again 'knowing' what I'm seeing. And yes, I may well dig a few old photos out over the next couple of blog posts. My camera was really poor then so the photos are grainy but it's amazing how much of a "Muuuuuuum... do I really have to pose on this bridge/by this piece of architecture/with this food?" feeling I give off even at that tender age!! You also start to realise where I got my "You will pose for this photo" outlook from ;-)

Prizes to anyone who realises that I still own and wear that roll neck top!

Anyway, the past aside, I'm not going to upload photos to Facebook/write blog posts until I get back and, even then, I would expect some delay because of general life chaos. I'll try to upload a couple of decent shots to my Instagram while I'm out there and keep Snapchat updated with silly/food photos WiFi permitting. I'm aware that I'm going somewhere a few of my friends wanted to go so I have to rub it in keep them in the loop  ;-)

And then, when I get back to the Netherlands I am going to catch the amazing Bosch exhibition. Super excited because he is seriously one of my favourite artists and I really had to fight to get tickets - they kept selling out. Going to be exhausted by the end of the week but I am going to have so many amazing new memories so no complaints... and a lot of scrapbooking to do, no doubt!

So, until then!



If you are wanting to stalk me in Venice or just socialise generally through the visual medium then my username on both Snapchat and Instagram is oiahavanah

End of the semester and home!

Well, this post is the first of what will undoubtedly become a fair few to be written in England. That's right, I'm home and it is lovely to be back.

But, since my last incredibly rambling post a little bit has happened so lets attempt to do this in some logical order! As I mentioned, I went to pick my mother up from the airport on Saturday evening. The plan was to explore the Netherlands a bit before I returned home but, suffice to say, that didn't work out as I managed to get (if that's the right word) tendonitis in my foot again. So yep, I spent the last half a week sitting with my foot in the air doing basically nothing... actually quite nice if a little frustrating.

Anyway, it also meant that my picking up my mother from the airport was pretty tricky and I was quite lucky in the fact that Leonoor went with me to assist. Weirdly, my mother's flight got in half an hour ahead of schedule... which is really strange when you realise the flight is usually only 50 minutes or so.

Mother also brought over a suitcase full of stuff from back home, bit of non-perishable food for next year and some of the stuff that I've ordered to the UK to save on shipping costs. Can you blame me? Anyway, one of those things is a print of a drawing that I've wanted for a long while by The Picsees, called Sleepy Time. The idea just really fit with my own outlook on life and I knew I had to buy it. It had, sadly, sold out at the time I was able to buy it but, with some lovely conversations via facebook, I was able to get my print. Really rather happy about that!

Even the packaging of the print was lovely. An all round wonderful service.

The week itself, other than a brief foray to the cafe down the road with the lovely Maria, was spent in my flat with my mother. We watched a lot of films (The East was one that we both really enjoyed and would recommend) and lurked a bit. It was relaxing and enjoyable even if I felt so guilty not to be able to show her around as planned. Nothing I could do but all the same!

No prizes for guessing how we made
up for our inability to go out!

And then today it was time to fly back home. We had a right old time getting to the airport as, even in the early morning the heat and humidity made for an intense experience. Not to mention the fact that I was bringing a lot of breakable heavy hand luggage home for the summer... well, we made it but I'm not sure either of us knew quite how we did!

The airport was chaotic, as normal, it seems. However, everyone seemed to be in a really good mood. Even the security people were chatty. Mind you, I have never been so happy for a broken violin string as I was when going through security because I was seriously pressurised to play. So lucky I had an excuse... and didn't mention the whistles ;-)

Proud that we got this the airport without resorting to a taxi.
We regretted not resorting to a taxi!

I also had some glorious news at the airport in terms of my German grade. I was waiting on my portfolio grade - so basically a varying load of written coursework - and I was, shall we say pleasantly surprised. When you bear in mind how awful I felt it was all going at points... well, I'm over the moon. Pretty sure that all my grades are in for that subject now so I'm pretty sure I've got my A grade overall. The A grade is significant as I need a 4 GPA, including all years of the degree, in order to apply for the course I want to go onto. It basically means I need an A, minimum, in every subject which is a hellish pressure but 100% worth the work if it gets me where I want. I seem to have managed it last year... I can say that now it's the summer!

But back to today:
The flight itself wasn't overly pleasant. The flight was over booked and staff were overly stressed and it was a bit of a mess. There was a large group of unaccompanied children on the flight too which I think was putting some pressure on the cabin crew. Mind you, as I tried to leave the plane I got really seriously told off by the one woman who'd been so rudest for whole flight. She was telling me off for moving from my seat because someone was "coming to collect me"... took me a moment to realise she somehow thought I was part of the under-14 group (how!?) but her embarrassment when I said that I was an adult was kinda worth it! We both ended up having a bit of a laugh about it in the end and hopefully she will think twice about being rude even when under pressure because she seemed quite nice when, well, embarrassed!

Anyway, I got home, ate a beautiful dinner out in the garden with my parents and then sat down and painted. I've started preparing my Castlefest scrapbook because I know that takes me some time. I'm also expecting my Budapest photos to be coming any day now so that's another full scrapbook to be made and assembled. Holidays and festivals take so much time but I never regret the scrapbooking habit!

Anywho, this got a fair bit longer than I had planned! Off to bed with me! It's midnight back home and I've had a long old day ;-)

Taking The Mother to see Rapalje "Met de billen bloot"

It's Mother's Day on Sunday the 14th and I decided to use it as a complete and utter excuse to take my mother to various things etc etc. I know that using such (now) commercialised days may not be the best way to show genuine appreciation for someone but if you're trying to find an excuse to 'force' them to come to a foreign country when you want to do things then such days are pretty darn useful!

Anyway, our week of adventures (*) started yesterday with a Rapalje concert in Rotterdam. I had planned to book this one anyway due its date, and to book a hotel, but I realised, relatively late, that it was a lunchtime concert meaning the hotel wasn't needed. Saved a bit  of time and money! One of the many joys of the Netherlands is that, as long as timings are okayish you can get from one side of the country and back with relative ease, at least if one's comparing to back home.

It was actually my first time visiting Rotterdam although I can't really say I saw much of it. We were highly conscious of my need to study for exams and therefore only really went to the show and back. First impressions seem to say that the city is a fair bit more modern than Amsterdam but that's based solely on the area around the station. I'll just have to go back to judge it properly ;-)

I'm not sure if the venue is also a theatre or solely a concert hall (although the layout suggests the latter to me). I'm too lazy to google it. Either way, it was a very easy to access place with a rather good hall layout which meant you could have a pretty good view from anyway, I'd wager. Can you tell I keep lists of decent places to sit in each place I visit? 

The show opened with a performance based person by person introduction to the band which was something I'd not seen before, and I assume it's new to this show although I cannot be sure on that front. Either way it was a lovely added touch. Maceal came on as a one man band and played a rather speedy piece that did get us clapping although there were multiple rhythms going on throughout the audience; William sung a song with guitar and harmonica... well, almost without the harmonica as it got left offstage until the last minute; Dieb and Maceal played "Into Folk" while wearing some stunning embroidered jackets (yep, no kilts!); David played a short bagpipe medley which was really cool for want of a better way of describing it! We were reminded, once again, of how (multi) talented the members of this band are. 

After that followed a more 'normal' set during which the band played songs off of their albums as well as some new songs (I forget how many so if there was just one please adjust grammar to match). It was a good fun show that saw the usual mix of fast tunes and slower pieces. I think this may have been the first time my mother's seen Rapalje play with dancers too so that was a nice bonus for her. Meanwhile, David playing bagpipes and leading the three dancers (and Maceal playing a drum) around the hall certainly impressed the audience. The final number was the "Wild Rover" which clearly lives up to the show's name. And all that, as my mother said, before lunchtime!

Of course, after that we did get lunch and then made our way home for me to fight with multiple assignments and a tonne of revision. Yuck. Just to clarify that the 'yuck' refers to work... the food was good ;-)

So yes, all in all, I think that the first day of the Mother's Day Week went rather well. I just have to survive a physics exam, for which I am poorly prepared, before the next treat in the form of seeing the musical Elisabeth in Essen. I've even managed to start a painting for that one... gone are the days when I used to paint something before every and any event!

Right, less blogging, more studying, right?

(*) I know, I know, I have the cheese factor turned right up again!

Also, apologies for the crappy post title. I've been up since forever and studying has stolen the little imagination I had... may also explain the repetitive nature of description throughout the post!!

What a day!

For once, a happy blog post! Everyone's entitled to some justified misery once in a while but it does feel good to be able to write about something at least vaguely good for once!

Well, today, as always, started out with my singing lesson. It didn't go particularly well or particularly badly. I have days when my confidence is more shaky than others and this was certainly a shaky day. That's no problem though because I remember what I was like a few short months ago. Certainly an improvement!

After that it was a trip to hospital with my mother. Okay, this wasn't a joyous event in its own right and we were both a little nervous as she was having tests regarding the Christmas hospitalisation. The nurse who took her blood, however, certainly made things worthwhile. First impression was that he was a little...odd...shall we say. Mother and the gent had a little conversation that was quite something! To give you an idea of the content:

Nurse: So what are you wanting from Santa Claus?

Mother: What?
Nurse: You were talking about Santa Claus earlier.
Mother: No I wasn't.
Nurse: Oh. Well do you believe in Santa Claus?
Mother: I believe in a lot of things.
Nurse: [quite seriously] Do you believe that the cow jumped over the moon?
Mother: ...I don't know.
Nurse: If a cow could do it then surely a man could do it?
Mother: I suppose so. Are you good at this [taking blood]?
Nurse: I'll tell you after I've done it.

And this, ladies and gentlemen is the state of the NHS today. Quite frankly, I think that the gent had maybe been experimenting with illicit substances because I don't think I've ever heard such an amazing conversation! Admittedly, when my mother was pregnant with me she booked into an appointment and was examined by a builder who was pretending to be a doctor so who knows what happened this time!

Anyway, the day really picked up when I eventually got home and opened my email inbox to find out that the university in Amsterdam have offered me an interview and activity day thing. I don't have a date yet (I have to contact them about whether I want to travel out there or want a skype interview) but I'm so chuffed. I didn't really expect to get an interview and, although I know that we're not out of the woods yet and I probably won't get offered a place, this feels like one step closer to something I desperately want! Actually, I think I'm still in shock!

To top it all off, tomorrow I'm off to London to see Within Temptation, one of my utter favourite bands from my childhood, performing a short acoustic set. There's going to be a signing too and I will, finally, get my hands on their new album. Oh did I mention that I'm going to be joined by the lovely Kim and her mother? My own mother is coming with me to London but not to the show, sadly. 

Anyway, today has been great and tomorrow should follow suit!

I didn't want to sleep tonight anyway.

I'm going to the Netherlands today. I didn't plan on saying this because I planned on being in bed. I planned on posting a blog talking about how I was setting off tomorrow but the fact is that it's now after midnight and therefore I cannot do that.

So, I mentioned that it's after midnight but do you think we're ready?

Of course, the answer is a resounding no. As I glance around the Travelodge room I see chaos. Pure chaos. Piles of clothes, piles of bunting, food that I can't eat even though I'm hungry, oh and my mother hurriedly trying to finish a report for the court that we have to format and send tonight before we can even think about condensing this mess into a case and a rucksack. On the plus side, now that we're getting a taxi and not a tram, a subway, and two trains (and then a walk) to get to the hotel my mother has decided to take a bigger case which means that muggins isn't having to lug quite as much in her rucksack.... when she packs the rucksack.

This isn't even half the room and that case needs to be unpacked before we
can even think about packing it for the trip. No wonder my teddy is hiding!

It's also amusing how much my mother and I manage to pack between us. I mean, yes, there is a tent and the associated paraphernalia this time but I can honestly say that about 50% of the things we have ready to pack are toiletries. These are not toiletries in the feminine make-up and hairspray ways, oh no. This is a survival pack for in case we somehow get lost and stuck in the North Pole for six months without a penguin for company (think about it... there wouldn't be one!). Neither of us seem to be able to pack to go away without taking a full medicine chest. My mother even takes dental kits...

All this said, it simply wouldn't be a holiday without all this. Every time we go away we plan to go to sleep early with everything sorted. Every time my mother is franticly trying to finish some work as I rush around trying to get things in some kind of order so that we can pack once she's finished (usually at about 2 a.m.). Often this means that we don't actually go to sleep the night before a trip. It's part of the tradition now.

Anyway, I don't think I could sleep even if everything was done... I'm simply too excited!

"You need to write a list"

If I had a pound for every time my mother said this to me then I would be a very rich woman.

During exam revision mother would constantly say that I needed to write a list of the things I still needed to revise. The fact that I had made a revision timetable back in January was beside the point. It wasn't in list form.

So you can guess my horror when today I suggested that I needed to write a list. I think I'm turning into my mother who, darling as she is, does have a minor list obsession.

The problem is, I am good enough at procrastinating on my own and I don't need the help of lists. Heck I am procrastinating writing the list by writing this blog about writing the list. On the plus side, since I am a nomad at the moment, I can probably classify the list as necessary for me to be able to get things organised in time for The Festival at the end of the month.

Of course, me being me, packing is the least of my worries. I'm busy thinking about embroidery and scrap-booking and the like. My red and purple bunting is finished now and I just have the same length of green and cream bunting to do. The flag is nearly finished and I just need to sew on one bead because it fell off and finish embroidering about an inch.

As for the scrap-book, I need to make some paper to take with me because I am not taking the scrap-book itself for all the tea in China. Actually, I adore tea so that might be an incentive... 

The long and short of this post being that I am not going to be online much at the moment as I have a tonne to do. Of course, that could mean that I'll be online all the time because we've already ascertained that I'm a major procrastinator!

Oh, and I'm meant to be learning Dtuch. Yeah.