24 Feb 2019

A Beautiful Lunch at Aymi Café, St Albans

Aymi Café, St Albans

This is one of those occasions where I’ve opened word to write about something else and have found myself writing about the lunch currently digesting in my belly. I’m not sure how interesting it is for anyone but me, but hey; my blog, my musings.

The weather right now is a delight. It’s like February just really wanted in on the spring action so has decided to go for it, even if everyone else is left feeling hella confused. This time last year the Beast from the East was here; this year, we got blossom and ice cream. Yes, that’s right; I JUST HAD AN ICE CREAM. I’m such a stereotypical Brit, losing my shit at the first sign of blue skies.

G was a teensy bit hungover when we got up this morning but I had a real urge to not let the blue skies pass us by whilst we sat on the sofa, still in a it’s-mid-winter mindset. So I suggested we head out for a walk and maybe go check out Aymi Café – a relatively new boutique café – which has been on my radar for a while thanks to its major instagramability (totally a word), but I’ve yet to nip in as it’s about a mile out from the centre (aka, not within five minutes from my flat; someone hand me the world’s smallest violin).

It was a cracking day for a lil walk though so we made our way across town for spot of lunch.

Aymi Café, St Albans

Aymi Café, St Albans


As I knew it would be, Aymi’s décor was a joy. Think pale greys & rose golds, with white tables and cute succulents. And that flower wall. Yes, I do want to recreate in my own house one day. There’s a sofa running along one wall, with blue & gold cushions to settle into, and the counter is adorned with a big selection of cakes, scones and brownies. Oh and they also do a beetroot latte should that kind of thing float your boat (tbf, they look cute and pink which tempted me despite the fact I don’t even drink coffee).

We both went for open sandwiches; I had the goat’s cheese, beetroot, rocket, walnut & balsamic and G had the bresaola, parmesan, rocket & tomatoes; both on a slice of toasted sourdough. They were both beautifully presented, and really, like really, tasty. Like okay-I’m-a-bit-surprised-at-how-good-this-is level of tasty.

I was keen to try out the cake selection but eating ice cream and sitting in the sun seemed like too good an opportunity to miss IN FEBRUARY so we heading back out to find the ice cream parlour in town. I shall, however, be heading back to Aymi to delve into their menu further – and take more photos of that flower wall of course.

Aymi Café, St Albans

Aymi Café, St Albans

A Photo A Day | 11-17 February 2019

A Photo A Day, Week 7
11 Feb 2019
Location: Home, St Albans
Starting the week with a fresh hair cut & fresh flowers 🌷

A Photo A Day, Week 7
12 Feb 2019
Location: Home, St Albans
Tried out my new noise-cancelling headphones on the commute for the first time today and I could no longer hear any announcements or people sniffing or Dave from Luton banging on about the football. IT WAS BLISS.

A Photo A Day, Week 7
13 Feb 2019
Location: Sketch, London
BIRTHDAY!

A Photo A Day, Week 7
14 Feb 2019
Location: Home, St Albans
4 years since this chappy invited me over, cooked me jambalaya, bought me a cheesecake and made me pancakes the next morning. Safe to say he knew the way to my heart from day 1...

A Photo A Day, Week 7
15 Feb 2019
Location: The Gin Cave, St Albans
Anniversary wine, cheeseboard & gin buckets❣

A Photo A Day, Week 7
16 Feb 2019
Location: Home, St Albans
Assumed the position on the sofa this morning and spent the day switching between life admin and chasing horcruxes⚡️ 

A Photo A Day, Week 7
17 Feb 2019
Location: Bill's, St Albans
A Sunday that includes a hearty bowl of mac & cheese is the best kind of Sunday🍝 

23 Feb 2019

Dining In St Albans: Here’s Where Your Next Date Night Should Be

Date Night In St Albans

I’m slightly loathe to use the term ‘date night’ but I have yet to formulate a better description of the evenings where G and I leave the flat together to go dine out and dally over food and wine. We eat together nearly every night and yet it’s the act of deliberately sitting down to eat somewhere different that somehow makes you feel newly connected. Date nights are important and should not be rushed. Here’s some of my favourite places to go in St Albans:

For Friday or Saturday: The Bishops Cave / The Gin Cave 

I’ve talked about The Bishop’s Cave before; the moment I knew a cheese and wine bar was opening in St Albans I was there (read more here) and took my girls the last time they came to visit. Honestly, I just think it’s the best. This little bar, with its lovely lovely vibes, serves cheese, antipasti, wine and craft beer. The moment you walk in, you’re faced with a huge cheese counter with at least 40 different types of cheese. The staff are really attentive and seem to delight in finding you a cheese that you haven’t tried before and really like. It has just the right balance of feeling busy and yet like you have your own secluded corner. On our most recent visit, we were moseying on over to celebrate our anniversary when we noticed that, right next door, The Gin Cave had opened! Same guys, same branding but this cute little bar specialises in – you guessed it – gin. Have a gin before or after your cheese; either way, what a great night out. The Bishop’s Cave is quite small and very popular so you really do need to book in advance, but I promise it’s worth the wait.

Date Night In St Albans

Date Night In St Albans

Date Night In St Albans


For Sunday: Bill’s* 

Fun fact: when we first moved to St Albans, I assumed Bill’s was an independent restaurant. Quite how I’d managed to miss all the other Bill’s dotted around the country, I dunno, but that’s not the point. It just has that vibe. It maintains its independent-restaurant quality despite the fact that it’s not and I think that’s part of the reason I go back again and again. Last year, Bill’s had a make-over (which I wrote about here) and the food and décor is still just as dreamy a year on. Expect vintage sofas, luxurious velvet chintz chairs, walls decorated with antiques and lovely pops of colour. The food is beautifully presented but lacks pretention; it’s tasty and wholesome. Whilst Bill’s is famous for the brunches (which tbf, are amazing), on our most recent visit* G and I spent a cosy Sunday evening in there and it dawned on me that Bill's is actually the perfect place for a Sunday date night in the winter. We had a big bowl of mac & cheese (for yours truly) and wellington & mash for G. Topped off with apple & salted caramel crumble (for me) and lemon meringue pie in a glass (for G). They let us sit undisturbed for as long as we wanted; no ‘table required back after one hour’ – a crime against dining out in my opinion. We just sipped on their pink lemonade and nattered whilst sat on comfy sofas; perfect Sunday evening date night.

Date Night In St Albans

Date Night In St Albans


For whenever: The Pudding Stop 

Ah The Pudding Stop. On balance, I will probably miss this place the most when we leave St Albans. Often busy, a little more hectic perhaps, but what a bloody lovely concept. Puddings! All the puddings! You couldn’t get a better setting for a date. Indulge in their counter selection (the butterscotch blondies are my fave) or get serious and settled with their pudding menu (I really need to try the chocolate chip bread and butter pudding). Go for the evening (they are open until 11) and add in a glass of wine. Go in the morning and have their amazing pancakes – also highly recommend the Oreo milkshake. Hell, go whenever you fancy – eat in, takeaway – all the options. They even now do bake-at-home puddings which you can pop in the oven and boom, baked cookie dough pudding on the sofa for tonight’s date anyone? Oh and they have an online store so even if you don’t live nearby, you can still partake in the joy.

Date Night In St Albans


*Our recent meal at Bill’s was complimentary but all love my own.  

18 Feb 2019

Twenty Seven



Well hello late twenties. At least, I think it’s late twenties. Twenty seven is surely no longer mid-twenties right?

I’m sat in a cafe, with one eye on my uneaten muffin and Ed Sheeran in my ears. Not literally… that would be really weird. I figure now is as good a time as any to have a little reflection on turning 27.

To tell you the truth, 27 crept up on me a bit. I have been super busy and super distracted and then suddenly, woah it’s February 2019 and apart from making a few plans for the actual day (which included seeing The Lion King at the theatre finally) I haven’t given turning 27 much thought.

And tbh, it’s not like it’s a ‘big birthday’ so it’s relatively easy to let pass without too big a fuss. But when I actually digested that I was about to turn 27 the other day, I did do a minor double take.

Mostly because, for a long time, 27 was the age I thought was a good age to have my first baby. Sure, that’s no longer the case but WOAH, I have now hit the age that my teenage-self considered mature enough and far enough away that she could say, with total confidence, that that was the age her future self would reproduce. When I mentioned this to G, he noted that whilst I might not reproduce this year, 27 will be the age I become a married (likely) homeowner (hopefully).

And this bemuses me. Somewhere along the way, I’ve taken a lil hop, skip & jump from boozy student to lost graduate to a functioning adult with a wedding mere weeks away and rightmove bookmarked on her laptop.

And yes, a part of me does feel a little bit like BUT WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN EXACTLY. Cos, well, it has gone fast. I am utterly bewildered that it has been nearly NINE years since I went to university. They say time speeds up as you get older so I can only imagine your 60s last about 30 seconds.

And yes, another part of me – briefly – thought SHOULD I HAVE DONE MORE BY NOW?! Have a missed opportunities to do things one should do in their twenties?! I don’t really know what these things are by the way, but apparently I’m worrying about them anyway. Backpacking? More clubbing? More dating? And then, lol, G pointed out that I wouldn’t enjoy backpacking (more of a suitcase gal), hate clubbing and that the dating opportunities have well and truly left the building. So I lay back down on the sofa and carried on playing with my birthday balloons (that’s not an innuendo you filthy animal).

Cos really, I’m quite content with where I am. I’m still politely surprised that my early twenties have been and gone but I am here and ready to embrace the age I get married and (fingers crossed) buy a house. It’s all very ‘grown-up’ but I think I might be one of them adult things now? Maybe.

11 Feb 2019

Sledging With Huskies In Swedish Lapland

Sledging With Huskies In Swedish Lapland

Sledging With Huskies In Swedish Lapland

On our first morning in Swedish Lapland (read about our adventure-filled arrival here), we woke to minus 8 temperatures and were ready to get out exploring.

Today’s adventure was a husky experience and we were driven to Abisko National Park, about five minutes down the road. The woman who collected us explained that she had been late because a moose had been standing in the middle of the road and had refused to move. Like, cool cool, average day then.

The temperature in Abisko was just a casual minus 27. Which, stating the obvious, is cold like we had never experienced before. Ice actually formed on the inside of my nose and on my eyelashes. By the end of the day, bits of my hair would also be frozen. It was surreal.

We were given the option of operating our own stand-up dog sledge or being sat on a longer sledge operated by one of the guides.

Given that the former option – once explained - sounded surprisingly complicated and I wanted to enjoy the experience rather than stressing over keeping half a dozen huskies under control, I opted for the latter option. Once the others had set off, the three of us who opted for the latter drove a little further to where the huskies lived. To pull four of us on one sledge (3 sitting plus 1 standing guide), we needed 10 huskies. We were shown how to put their harnesses on, and attach them to the rope that would pull the sledge. The huskies were unbelievably cute (as well as very loud and slightly smelly). They were all over excited so attempting to get the harnesses on them was a challenging, if entertaining experience. They were also super friendly and often jumped up affectionately to give you a hug!

Sledging With Huskies In Swedish Lapland

Sledging With Huskies In Swedish Lapland

Sledging With Huskies In Swedish Lapland

Sledging With Huskies In Swedish Lapland

Sledging With Huskies In Swedish Lapland

Once everything was ready, we set off. As soon as they were running, the huskies went deadly silent. It was quite something to be pulled through the wilderness on a fur covered sledge by ten different-coloured huskies, with snow-covered trees and mountains flying by. You could see nothing but sparkling white for miles around. There were lots of bumps and bends, uphill and downhill, a bit like being on a rollercoaster – only colder!

We stopped for a bit to meet up with the others and when the huskies were together, the noise was unbelievable. It sounded like operating your own sledge was pretty hard so I was glad I was able to just admire the views.

We set off again, pausing a couple of times as the lead husky was still in training and kept leading the other dogs in the wrong direction. I'm not sure how far we went, but I'm pretty sure those furry dogs ran several miles. I wish I could have taken photos whilst on the sledge but it was a hang-on-for-dear-life situation plus, even with three pairs of gloves and four pairs of socks, my hands and feet were starting to hurt by the end of the trip! But they soon started to warm up when we had to un-harness the huskies. One husky hadn’t been on the ride and he was brought out for some air – he was so affectionate and kept giving us really long hugs. It was so cute!

By the time we got back to the resort, it was minus 17 and we were knackered (although probably not as knackered as the huskies!).

Sledging With Huskies In Swedish Lapland

Sledging With Huskies In Swedish Lapland

Sledging With Huskies In Swedish Lapland

Sledging With Huskies In Swedish Lapland




A Photo A Day | 4-10 February 2019


A Photo A Day, Week 6
4 Feb 2019
Location: Home, St Albans
Little bit of colour on a dreary February morning 💐

A Photo A Day, Week 6
5 Feb 2019
Location: St Albans station
Sheltering from the drizzle & listening to Imagine Dragons on this morning’s commute 🚂

A Photo A Day, Week 6
6 Feb 2019
Location: St Albans Cathedral
Stop showing off St Albans 😉 Walking through the park to go cat sitting whilst listening to podcasts was v relaxing 😌 

A Photo A Day, Week 6
7 Feb 2019
Location: Farmer's Boy pub, St Albans
Late one tonight (for a Thursday anyway...) to see Katie Plus Juan perform 🎤 So good as always 😍

A Photo A Day, Week 6
8 Feb 2019
Location: Nkora, St Albans
Rainy days call for cafes with misty windows 😍 (Plus a long bath and takeaway.) 

A Photo A Day, Week 6
9 Feb 2019
Location: Home, St Albans
Making pizzas in loungewear cos Saturday 🍕😍

A Photo A Day, Week 6
10 Feb 2019
Location: Parents house, Bedfordshire
Yes I bloody love my new converse, thank you for asking 🐆🎁 #earlybirthdaypresent

6 Feb 2019

Our First Night In Swedish Lapland: Snowmobiling Through The Wilderness

Swedish Lapland

I recently went to Denmark, my fourth Nordic country, and it’s made me all nostalgic for my other three Nordic adventures… and they really were adventures! 

I have sat down to write about Sweden a thousand times but never seem able to put words to screen. My snowy adventure in Swedish Lapland in February 2013 was such a once-in-a-lifetime, out-of-this-world experience that my words will never be able to do it justice. But I’ve dug out the diary I kept at the time and am giving it a shot.

Just days after my 21st birthday I landed at Kiruna airport, a town nestled in the far north of Swedish Lapland. We were heading to Björkliden, out in the arctic wilderness, for four days and it was like nothing I had ever experienced before.

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland

The plane landed in the dark, somewhat surreally, on a runway covered in snow. Within moments, our luggage was being driven off to the small ski resort we were staying in and we were gearing up in snowsuits and helmets so that we soon resembled giant slugs. And then – just an hour after getting off the plane – we were riding snowmobiles (skidoo) through the wilderness. I wasn’t driving so I just got to sit back – okay cling on for dear life – as we flew through snow-covered Narnia in the dark. As it was ‘warm for this area’ – a toasty minus 5 – and we were appropriately geared up, the cold only really stung your face at that point. The space was vast; just snow and trees and the occasional cabin on the lakeside (we whizzed across the frozen lakes no problem). It was unbelievable.

After a while, our guide stopped in the woods at a wilderness cabin. Once the skidoos were turned off, it was incredible how silent it was – apart from the occasional husky howl in the distance! The snow made it easy to see in the pitch black, helped by the vast amount of stars visible without artificial lighting. We were suddenly like kids on the world’s best snow day. The snow was knee deep and begging to be jumped in. And so that’s just what we did. I can also remember creeping to the edge of the woods, which had a sudden drop, and looking out across the frozen valley in awe.

We were taken into the cabin – which had several foot of snow sat on top of it like a weird hat – and sat around the open fire where we drank warm lingonberry juice and ate sandwiches in the warmth.

And then we were off again, whizzing across a frozen lake to the ice hotel!

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland

The ice hotel is built every year from natural snow and ice from the Torne river and it is 100% on my bucket list to go back one day and spend the night. This time though, we were just popping in for a nose. From the outside, it looked like an enormous, extravagant igloo. We headed in through the reindeer skin doors into an entirely-made-out-of-ice lobby and then through to the Ice bar. There was a blue-glowing ice bar, a multi-coloured ice chandelier and Emile Sande was playing on the sound system! Vodka was the main drink on offer because it doesn’t freeze, so we all had a vodka cocktail and chilled – lol – in the bar area for a while. It’s a cliché, but it all felt so surreal.

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland

We got a pre-arranged taxi to Björkliden. It was a long journey but when we were nearly there, my dad suddenly grabbed my arm and pointed and there were northern lights flashing through the window! We arrived a few minutes later and when we stepped out the taxi – bam – northern lights across the whole sky! They weren’t as dramatic as you see on the TV but they were a bright emerald green, creeping over the mountains and curling and dancing across the sky. We were wandering around vaguely looking for our cabin but with our eyes really fixated above. The temperature had dropped significantly and my hands physically hurt in the cold, but so worth it! When we eventually found our cabin, we stood on the balcony watching them across the whole sky.

The next morning, we had our first look at the area in daylight. That view. Our balcony overlooked a frozen lake and we were surrounded by snow covered mountains. Everything sparkled as the sun rose (about mid-morning) and we were treated to the northern lights during the day time which is a difficult one to describe – the colours of the sky were gorgeous!

What. A. Welcome.

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland