It was a rainy day in Brighton. My friend Jenny had come to stay. She makes me laugh and smile and feel totally okay in the world. That's the best way a friend can make you feel, I think.
It was a rainy day in Brighton. But we went out anyway...
We went to the Sand Sculpture Festival at Black Rock Beach, got soaked when the rain started to fall, took shelter by drinking tea in a shed, hopped on the Volks Railway to take us to the Pier, played on the 2p slot machine games (I won three pink penguin key rings; it became an addiction), took advantage of a dry spell to walk up to North Laine, had lunch and courgette cake at the perfectly named Little Bird on Kensington Gardens, popped in as many vintage clothes and charity shops as we could, feared more rain so caught the bus back to the flat and took a nap before heading out to see Brighton's Gay Men's Chorus as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival. They were fabulous. Jenny is fabulous. Life is fabulous.
Of course, when we woke the following morning it was a sunny day in Brighton...
That's the question we ask each other on the gloomy days here in Brighton. We're tempted. Always. Maybe you'll understand why after you read this.
Here is a short and sweet review of a holiday villa that became our home near Marrakech in Morocco.
What's it all about? Luck was lurking on my shoulder when we found this place on Airbnb and proceeded to make a last minute booking for a five week stay during February and March this year. There were two (huge) bedrooms, acres of garden and olive groves, a vast roof terrace with a view of the Atlas Mountains and a swimming pool whose tempting blue didn't let on how shockingly cold her water was.
There was also a large open plan reception room with multiple soft, pillowed corners to lounge around in and a set of double doors leading you out to the patio.
We set up office in a separate room that had a long dining table and floor to ceiling glass doors on either side meaning light flooded in from all angles all day.
A well equipped kitchen (and a housekeeper who insisted on cooking evening meals for us - we didn't argue) opened out on to the "blue patio" and with two luxury ensuite bathrooms attached to the bedrooms it fast became a place you'd struggle to find fault with, particularly as its decor was impeccable throughout; a wonderful mix of bright white walls, traditional Moroccan detail and warm colour combinations.
What's so good about it? If the photos and my previous post about this place don't answer this then I don't know what else I can say other than the villa's location, around 15km away from the centre of Marrakech, allows for some very restful peace and quiet and a guaranteed relaxing break from it all.
Who, me? It's hard to think who wouldn't be happy here. Because it was built and is used and still much-loved as a French family's summer home, it's also very well-equipped for families and children.
Alternatively, you could easily spend time here in a couple or group of friends as the garden is asking for long evenings outside putting the world to rights.
There are, however, two things to take into consideration if you're keen on sharing our little Moroccan secret.
Firstly, its location is somewhat away from it all down a maze of dirt tracks that are more pot holes than anything else; in order to get to the supermarket and see Marrakech or explore beyond, hiring a car is a must though the owners can help arrange this at a very affordable price.
The second thing, well, is three things: Leon, Bloom and Tosca.
These three animals will absorb as much love as you can give, in their own strange ways (read more about Leon and Bloom here). And there's also a gang of chickens, a number of other wild cats - who are laughably petrified of humans - and a beautiful collection of doves, but all of these animals are fed and watered by the onsite property manager, who is polite, helpful and the owner of one of the most genuine smiles in Morocco.
Find out more and make enquiries with the always helpful and welcoming Karine via Airbnb.
Good Monday Morning. Today's MusicMonday is a song I love and I was reminded so by an excellent DJ called Miss D at a welcome drinks event in Rotterdam. I think I'd forgotten how much I loved neo soul but she did a great job in reminding me as she played some truly wonderful soul music as we sampled just a taste of the diverse food and drink the city has to offer. If you don't have D'Angelo's first two albums in your collection, you are missing a piece of magic in your life.
I really did mean it when I said I want to come back to Rotterdam already. I may possibly, maybe, might be even hatching a plan.
But in the meantime, here are some of the photos I took...
I have a few small things to share with you, if you don't mind.
I did my presentation "Shine Online" at TBU on Saturday. It was another great and positive experience, even though I did get incredibly nervous just like last time. I spoke about using your blog to promote skills and services that you can sell online and making your blog part of a professional and approachable online network. You can find a copy of the presentation here. If this is all new to you, but you'd like to know more I would really recommend that you look at this page first and then move on to the Shine Online presentation as the two really do go hand in hand.
I've decided to take a break from MusicMondays, so this one will be the last I do for a while. I love picking and sharing a song with you all, in addition to my Instagram photos, but it's time for a change, I think... Music will stay a part of this blog - and I'm working on some more 8tracks playlists - just in a different way, one that is hopefully more beneficial to you, my readers. I'll also keeping sharing my Instagram collages, just less regularly.
It was a rainy day in Brighton. My friend Jenny had come to stay. She makes me laugh and smile and feel totally okay in the world. That's the best way a friend can make you feel, I think.
What's so good about it? If the photos and 
in your collection, you are missing a piece of magic in your life.