Be by the sea. On Cramond Island
I love the sea. Always have, always will. It’s in my blood. My grandpa used to joke that my family is part-selkie. Sometimes I half believe him. More than a few weeks without a shoreline and I get a little stir crazy. So, as one of my thirty things for being 30, I’ve promised myself … Continue reading
Poll: Where in the World?
I won plane tickets from bmi – anywhere they fly. I’ll tell you all about it over here. So the big question is…
bmi #150ticketgiveaway
<<<Go straight to the poll>>> So I’m not one for advert blogging, but this is story is worth sharing. bmi are [have been] giving away free flights. Yesterday, on their social media pages, they released clues about certain locations across Belfast and Edinburgh [I think they’re also doing Manchester and London later, too]. In short: … Continue reading
Sharjah Art Museum & Maraya Art Centre
The first thing almost anyone here will tell you about Sharjah is its immense investment in culture. The city practically oozes with museums, galleries and events. There is a huge concerted effort to celebrate culture and art here. In fact, it’s a major tenant of the Royal family’s work. His highness is a prolific writer. … Continue reading
The Amazing Shobhaa De
The last two days have been amazing – and full of outstanding women. One of them is the excellent Shobhaa De – an Indian writer and broadcaster, and one firecracker of a speaker. She was on the outstanding Women in Fiction panel at #shjibf with Kate Mosse , Oumaima Abdullah al-Khamis (Saudi Arabia) and Dr … Continue reading
Exploring Sharjah
Today I went exploring near my hotel. The city of Sharjah is centred on a large lagoon, so almost everywhere are promenade waterfronts and high rises. Next door to our hotel there is a public park full of palm trees, all in impeccable rows. As I wandered in this garden, hopping from shady spot to … Continue reading
Sharjah Day One: Feasting & Wafa’ Tarnowska
Today I am brimming with ideas. Artistic, political, cultural, social – my mind is racing from such complex stimuli. I’m honestly having trouble keeping up with myself. Once I’ve digested the big thoughts I’ll let you know, but for now, a brief note from last night. First off, there was a brilliant feast at Al … Continue reading
Bundles of Joy ( & Thirty Things #9)
A few weeks ago, I boarded the train to London. The East Coast line between Edinburgh and the Big Smoke is one of life’s great pleasures, but on this occasion I was rather too excited to gaze fondly at the crashing North Sea or the quaint clusters of Northumbrian sheep. I was en route to … Continue reading
Thirty Things Update
We are going away tomorrow. For a whole week of blissful time-out and thankfully, also some blistering sunshine. Lord knows monsoon season in Scotland hasn’t provided us enough Vitamin D this year. So before we leave, I thought it was time for a check-up. How am I getting on with my Thirty Things? One Visit … Continue reading
Que Sera Sara? 