bloomzy /

Photo Diary: Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea at Penmaenuchaf Hall – Dolgellau, Wales
A few weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of having afternoon tea at Penmaenuchaf Hall.
As some of you may know I am a big foodie, and I adore tea so you can probably guess how much I enjoyed it there.
If the grounds and hotel weren’t stunning enough, the food was even better! We were served a large selection of sandwiches, cakes and scones – with cream and jam, of course. I definitely ate my fill, which was accompanied by a ton of Earl Grey…I’d like to say literally but I don’t think that’s possible, even for me.
It’s funny because when I was living in Tokyo one of the main questions I was asked by the Japanese people I met was “When do you have afternoon tea?”. It always made me laugh and I would tell them that ‘afternoon tea’ wasn’t really practised now as often as it was in the past, nor was there a specific time for it. Yet after having this I felt a little sad that ‘afternoon tea’ was now kind of in the background of British culture. However I have noticed a variety of tea rooms opening recently in lots of cities (Norwich has plenty), all which seem to offer ‘afternoon tea’. 
I hope the practise won’t die out just yet, because it’s so much fun, and incredibly tasty.
…not to mention, very British!
bloomzy /

Summer skin goodies

(Aloe Vera Lip Balm*, Tan Tablets*, Aloe Vera Wet Wipes*)
A few days ago some goodies turned up in the post for me.
I was quite intrigued as they all seemed to be centred around ‘Summer Skin’.
Honestly, at first I was a little dubious when I laid eyes on the ‘tan tablets.
The whole idea and concept just seems a bit odd and weird to me, but after reading up on them and finding out how they work I felt a bit better about the whole idea. They basically contain all the key vitamins that you need to achieve a deeper tan. Just remember that if you do buy these, you do still need to protect your skin against the sun – so don’t forget the sun cream! I may be tempted to try them, however with my fair skin and lack of tan (I’ve never tanned), I don’t think they’ll be much use. However if you can tan then these may be for you!
Luckily I have a friend who does tan and she has offered to try them out and write a small review for me!

As for the Aloe Vera lip balm and wipes – so happy!
I’m a bit of a lip balm hoarder and this one contains SPF15, so I will be taking this on my holiday in a couple of weeks when I head off to the sunny South of France. It will be perfect for moisturising my lips and keeping them safe in the sun. 
I think the wipes will also be quite handy to carry in my bag for removing my make-up or just freshening up.
These would also be great for anyone planning to head of to the festivals this Summer.
If you’re interested in any of the items you can purchase them from Holland and Barrett (online here).
bloomzy /

Photo Diary: Tokyo, Old & New

Central Shibuya and Ichigaya Fishing Centre – Tokyo, Japan

I wanted to do another photo diary post from Japan as it seems like I haven’t done one for a while.
As I was looking through my photos from my time living in Tokyo, I was reminded of one of the reasons I love the capital city so much – the mixture of old and new. It might seem a bit cliche or it may not even make sense, but to me Tokyo manages to perfectly mix traditional (or ‘old’) and modern culture. Of course there are times when the two don’t match, but it’s surprising how harmoniously they get on in such a bustling city.
The new
Shibuya is arguably one of the most modern districts in Tokyo, known as a mecca for young people.
In the photos I included you can see Shibuya station, which is constantly packed full of commuters.
I also included photos of popular shopping malls Shibuya 109 (aimed at young women), and Shibuya 109-2 (the male equivalent of 109, which also has a few women’s stores). The adverts on the sides of the buildings change constantly, keeping you up-to-date with the music, food and tv you should be partaking in.
The Old
Ichigaya Fishing Centre may not seem that ‘old’ but the past-time of fishing goes back a long way in Japan.
As you exit the highly modern commuter train (Chuo/Sobu line) and look out across from the platform you will spot the fishing centre hidden amongst skyscrapers, and high-rise office buildings/apartments – the set-up definitely stands out against its backdrop. The customers who frequent the centre use traditonal methods to catch the fish.
Don’t worry though, all the fish are put back in the pond after being caught and weighed.
bloomzy /

Food and Architecture in Tokyo, Japan | Photo Diary

Food and Architecture in Tokyo, Japan

Looking through my photos from my times in Japan you will see a lot of food & architecture. Those are the two main things that I go a little crazy about when visiting another country, especially when it’s for the first time. Well these pictures were taken on my second trip to Tokyo (before I moved there), when the fiancé and I went wandering around Tokyo Tower, through back streets and temples. The food pictured above is a ‘traditional’ Japanese breakfast, with rice, miso soup, bacon, egg, salad and natto. If you ever get the chance to try natto, then do, because Japanese people love to know whether you’re a fan or not – it’s basically the Marmite of Japan. The second photo is of a bowl of ramen and gyoza, if I remember it was from a cheap-ish chain restaurant. Japanese ‘fast-food’ is similarly priced to the UK kind but doesn’t feel anywhere near as bad when you’re eating it – ramen, rice & meat and noodles are probably the most popular. I’d recommend Yoshinoya, Ichiran Ramen & Coco Ichiban Curry (my favourite!).

All these photos are making me crave Japanese food.
I think I will have to start cooking it more often…or head back soon!

 

 

bloomzy /

Photo Diary: Life in general

Personalised easter egg, foxes hanging in a hotel bar, the diet of a Coeliac, 
odd pig statue, dissertation was finally handed in, so shopping ban was lifted, 
fringe was in need of a cut, business cards were made for the blog, matching nails & trousers,
parents (&dog) came to visit, hot chocolate with everything on top, and my favourite chocolate shop in Kendal.

As the ‘Instagram Weekly’ posts I did kinda fizzled out, I haven’t really posted anything since, unless you check out the sidebar widget I have. So I thought I would post some pictures from the last few weeks, just in case some of you are still interested in my boring life…and if you are, thank you.
bloomzy /

Photo Diary: What do you want to see?

Jizo statues at a temple in Tokyo, Japan

If you’re a regular to my blog, you will know that I often post ‘photo diaries’.
These are just a small collection of photos from my travels, or events that I have attended etc.
I plan to continue with my Japan & Paris photo diaries as I have plenty more photos to post.
However I thought it might make a change if I did a couple of ‘personal’ photo diary entries.

Leave a comment with something you would like to see a photo of from my daily life.
e.g. My favourite item of clothing, the view from my window, a funny sign etc.
bloomzy /

Photo Diary; Adventures in the World of Amélie

Café les Deux Moulins, Montmatre, Paris

On one particular day during my time in Paris, the fiancé indulged me and we went to Montmatre.
That’s a pretty normal tourist thing to do in Paris, I hear you say. Well yes it is, but as some of you may know by now I am a bit of a Francophile, and my favourite movie is Amélie. Sooo you may be catching on that we went to Montmatre to…visit the places used whilst filming Amélie.
I took a lot of photos around the locations in Montmatre during that day.
So I choose to post these ones first. Probably the most iconic location in Amélie: Café les Deux Moulins.
This is where they filmed the scenes of Amélie and her friends at work, where she choose to eat her favourite creme brulee, and where several of the major storylines take place. I always remember Amélie staring at Nino through the glass screen longingly as she wrote the day’s specials ♥
The cafe itself, is a lot smaller than it looks in the movie. Nor does the front of the cafe look the same as in the movie, and it isn’t in the location they filmed the outside from, so be careful as you could easily walk by and miss it! 
Tables and bar stools take up most of the space, which is filled with tourists (mainly Japanese) and the odd local. 
The bar & toilets have been kept the same as in the movie, whilst bits of memorabilia are dotted everywhere.
Our waiter was hilarious. He laughed and helped us with our pronunciation and chatted with me about Amélie and my love of Macarons. He even tried to get a kiss from the Japanese girls beside us, but the cultural barriers were just too strong.
If money isn’t an issue I would suggest grabbing a bite to eat, so you can soak up the atmosphere.
I had a salad, white wine and macarons for dessert, whilst the fiancé had a burger and beer.
At €40+ this is expensive, even for Paris, and it’s obvious the little cafe is cashing in, especially as the food is average.
However I had been waiting for this for a long time and the atmosphere was wonderful so I didn’t mind at all. 
Trivia: For other Amélie fans out there, remember the scene where Nino finds all the ‘Ou et quand?’ posters?
That was my metro station! La Motte-Picqet-Grenelle, located in central Paris, a 10min walk from the Eiffel Tower. 
It’s a small world.