THIS PAST WEEK, we were back in London, thinking it might be the last time in a long time again that we would be able to be out and about before another national lockdown. We were also there to celebrate the holidays and two anniversaries. When we were last here, it was May, and things were only tentatively opening up again. All the pubs and restaurants were outdoor seating only, which mean it was difficult to find a table without booking the good places in advance through an app. The weather was unseasonably rainy and cold and we wondered if it had been a good decision to come ...
WE HAVE BEEN BACK to Edinburgh many times since we moved away in 2015, but it was not until this past visit in June did we notice how much things had changed in the city since we left, but more so, how much had changed just in the past year of lockdown. One of P's favourite pubs, Smithie's, where he would often go after playing football (soccer) on Thursday nights, closed forever, set to be turned into a block of flats ...
AT THE BEGINNING of the summer, P & I bought folding bikes and on every sunny day over the past few weeks, we went on as many bicycle rides along the English countryside as we could, often ending up in charming, cosy pubs, places with names like The Wallace Arms and Rose & Crown; The Black Bull and Robin Hood. On one trip, our longest, we went from the city all the way to the seaside ...
IN THE SECOND week of May, just after the Bank Holiday, we decided to spend some time back in London. We normally visit several times a year, but since 2020 was the year of the Great Lockdown, the last time we had been was the May previously to meet up with a friend from Spain—it was hot then and perfect for traipsing about. P had heard that there would be a heat wave this time around
WHEN I FIRST began putting together this instalment of Life Lately, had actually disabled the entire TIG Instgram account (as in, removed it from the internet) and deleted the app from my phone—hence the title. Also took time off from Twitter at same time and reclaimed all of the EXTRA hours left from those two alone to catch up on reading (currently reading this book). Recently, in our triweekly articles series, we had included two very interesting articles on this very topic: The Case for Deleting Everything and America Offline, both of which had confirmed my restless feelings and urge to be extremely and wildly social media-free.
I AM NOT sure why―when it happens every year―I am so unprepared for winter. The cold. The dampness. The continual overcast skies. And most of all, the darkness. Yes, the days have been, happily, incrimentally longer every day since winter solstice, but tonight, the sun still set 4:17pm. 4:17pm! On Sundays, everything moves a little more slowly ...
We live in a quintessential English countryside village, the kind that looks like it’s a movie set, a beautiful place with stone cottages that have names like Rosebank and Appletree Grange. It's the kind of place where there are cosy pubs and a greengrocer for fruits and vegetables ...
IN LATE MAY we went on holiday to the south of France for a few days, and then to Scotland for nearly a month. During that time, we ventured to England on day trips, and it was during this time that we fell absolutely in love with the English countryside and thought it might be fun to have a look at places that might be available in any one of the very quaint and utterly charming villages and towns we found along the way...
Here we are again at the beginning a brand new year. It seems everyone have spoken with is happy to leave the past year behind, for there were those in the throes of life transitions—be it a broken heart or career uncertainty, serious illnesses or loss, worries about the future and the state of the world in general.
STRANGE to be writing this message on the very last day of the year, as when many of these photos were taken, the month of December stretched out like a long and languid dream.
"Have you ever thought that you would be living in Spain?" It's a question that P asks often, and my answer is always the same: no, never in a million years had I ever imagined that we would, on a whim, move here, having never visited before, and to this particular city, as opposed to the more predictable choices of Barcelona or Madrid. Not because it's not a wonderful place to live, to be sure, but because I (like many others, it would seem) had never even heard of Valencia before.
IT IS THE HEIGHT OF SUMMER here, and all the days are draped in a wonderfully sultry heat. A time for roaming the winding city streets in billowy lilac-coloured chiffon dresses and espadrilles, drinking cava on leafy terraces and picnicking on strawberries and raspberries on the beach in front of the glittery Mediterranean. Here are a few favourite moments of life lately ...
This letter arrives months late, but with good reason, for it has been the most eventful past few months ever, we can assure you! Life-changing in many ways, both personally & professionally, the year 2015 will go down in history as one to remember always.
IT HAS BEEN A WHILE since there was an update on what we have been up to lately. For those who follow along on instagram, you will recognise a few moments here & there, but for those who don’t, here are a few snapshots of stolen moments and cherry blossoms, heart-shaped sunglasses and life in square format . . .
And when you find yourself in Edinburgh, do stop by Georgian Antiques, on Pattison Street, in the historic area of Leith, being certain to leave a few hours for leisurely browsing the astonishing five floors and over 50,000 square feet of sheer opulence.
