I don’t like poetry*. But I like this piece by Derrick Brown.

*I also don’t like Labradors. But every time I meet one, I must make an exception for each particular golden fuzzy face.

Impressions of the medina – this lot was taken on some very nice Lomography film, called Lady Grey. Marrakech, Morocco. October, 2013.

Happy Easter! And hello Turkey! I’m back from three nights in Istanbul – a beautiful, ancient and sultry city. Oh, it was so nice to thaw out for a bit, hang out with my favourite dude (at a chicken themed hotel, no less), and enjoy some excellent food. As usual, I had my camera in tow. These are the snapshots I liked the best. Please note my exposed ankles:

Another gloomy day, the pain of which was only eased by the presence of strong coffee and dim sum delicacies. We celebrated St Patrick’s day by listening to a pipe band in Leicester Square, taking shelter under strangers’ umbrellas. (Until this weekend I never knew there was an Irish, or uilleann, bagpipe – fancy that!)

Non linear posting ahoy… My trip notes are starting to blur together, and I’m coming and going faster than I can post. Last week I was in Brussels for work. It was snowing heavily, and when we woke up on Tuesday we were snowed into the hotel, then ultimately, every Eurostar train was cancelled, meaning lots of hurried calls and a flight home. I had a really short but sweet time though!

My favourite Belgian things:

1. Trains – being able to catch a train from my house, under-the-sea then to Belgium in just two hours is mind-blowing.
2. Speculoos – ginger cookies in spreadable form? Yes, please.
3. Beer – cheap Kwak and Kriek in every bar, what more could you want?
4. Friendly people – Brussels sometimes feels like a cute, sweeter version of Paris.
5. Wildlife – the snow was too much for the taxi to take us further, so we walked back to the hotel past some fields… And were treated to the sight of more bunnies that one could count, frolicking in the snow.

Upturned swappa crates, bone handled knives, flaky mushroom & mozzarella galettes, strong coffee and a fire-engine red hippo. Little and Friday is a breath of fresh air in the form of a cafe for Auckland’s sleepy Belmont neighbourhood.

I ended up here with Mon when we were on an op-shopping mission – it turns out it’s a mere eight houses away from where I grew up on Eversleigh Road. I would have never expected to find such a cool place nearby, but times/me, they are a changing. If you can, get your hands on the Little & Friday cookbook - it’s sumptuous and inspiring.

The joys of forgotten film! It was a cold, but sunny spring day in 2012 when I took these pictures, not too dissimilar to today. This is the Barbican, my favourite place in London. From the concrete Brutalist architecture to the high walks of the estate, the sound-muffling lake and the velveteen belly of the performing arts centre, I love everything about it. It’s my dream to live there one day, fingers crossed we make a milli in the next year or so.

If you’re ever in London, make sure the Barbican is on your list – whether that’s to see a film, visit the art gallery, or simply hang out next to the lake with a coffee and a good book. Don’t forget to visit the hidden conservatory, too. Built to disguise the theatre’s fly tower, it is home to over 2000 species of tropical plants and trees. That’s where I took the photo of a lonely heart…

One breathtakingly beautiful Sunday; Mon, Hank (her adorable Brussels Griffon) and I took a ferry to Waiheke Island.Only 35 minutes away from the city, Waiheke is a micro-paradise with a climate all of its own – making it perfect for vineyards and other grape related pursuits. That day, however, we were there to walk the Headland for Sculpture on the Gulf, a 2.5km walk over rolling hills and some of the most gorgeous scenery on the planet. Here are some photos I took:

Temporary; a work by Delicia Sampero.

Wildfire, by Sarah Brill.

Sheep Track, by Gina Ferguson. I loved the physical experience of this one; walking over a raw,  knitted pathway, carefully considering the shape (and smell) of the new terrain.

Christian Nicolson’s Look Darling it’s Tom and Nancy - this was one of my favourites, and one of the most humorous. Nothing says sculpture has to be serious!

Sometimes I wonder why I’m going back to film (particularly while trudging up the hill to Angel in the bitter cold to get my rolls developed) . It doesn’t seem to enhance my photography skills at all. I suppose I like it for a different reason, the fact it lets me slow down, and luxuriate in the moment rather than snap-snap-snapping. Being forced to stop and think about what I’m looking at is definitely a pleasure, and I’m starting to savour the surprise of getting my photos back – all the control is long out of my hands.

She said yes to this proposal played out publicly on the Shoreditch Art Wall.

I adore stuff like this, it reminds me of Andre’s Parisian love graffiti.

I made a Spotify playlist featuring some of my favourite Kiwi tracks to celebrate/serve as the soundtrack to my mini summer. <<<HEADING HOME>>> Two weeks was never going to be enough.