Review: We Were Evergreen

Photos taken by Dan Korkelia www.dankorkelia.com

Last night at The Borderline this cutesy but cool parisian trio warmed London's hearts with a sell-out show to make everyone smile. Their kooky sound - think of a ukelele accompaniment to a light hearted game of ping-pong - leaves you smiling from eyelashes to toenails. There really is no escape from the happy-go-lucky, carefree vibe they pour into the room. I emerged from the club afterwards in the centre of London feeling like I'd just been led to the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow by a unicorn playing a ukelele, but not in a trippy way...

Am I making any sense at all? Its surprisingly difficult to describe We Were Evergreen without underselling or sounding like a flower fairy. This band is like no other I've ever come across.

Lets establish the basics. There are three lovely parisians on the stage surrounded by a variety of fun looking instruments to play with. A girl in an impossibly cool and understated outfit stands to the right, playing a xylophone and glockenspiel and singing lovely harmonies. She beams from ear to ear, exuding pure glee to be on stage. With pixie cuteness she makes you want to get up on stage and join in, until you realise this may ruin the vibe somewhat and that its probably best to leave it to this talented trio.

On the left is a slightly edgy guy, a genius with a loop pedal. He builds the backbone of the music with dextrous use of an array of, often overlooked, percussion instruments, not to mention the occasional foray into beat-boxing. He follows this by playing the bass, ukelele and guitar and jumping in on vocals. This man is a musician from head to toe so he'll pick up any instrument he finds and churn out a catchy riff or bass-line, he's no front man, he forms the entire skeleton of the band.

Meanwhile the fantastic front man with a cheeky grin leads the band through their set singing about trees, children, penguins and memories. He leads the vocals, plays the ukelele and the guitar and keeps on smiling the most genuine smile I've ever seen.

What is great about We Were Evergreen is they don't stop at just plain cute, they push their songs further into the realms of electro to give these catchy hooks a bit of a kick to keep you dancing, and they do incredibly well without a drum kit per se. Their innovative use of percussion is possibly my favourite thing about them, no cow-bell is spared to give a variety of sounds and beats.

If one thing is certain, this band are genuinely thrilled to be performing, and their music is as cheery and light-hearted as they are. They'll instantly put you in a good mood and will have you smiling all day.

The only thing left to do is stalk them on youtube and spotify....I've given you a head start see the links below and I urge you to absolutely go and see We Were Evergreen live if they are performing within a million miles of your home...

My favourite version of my favourite song...

Another lovely song...

And their spotify page:
We Were Evergreen


Enjoy...

One Day: Review

Every chapter of this book pulls you into the lives of Emma and Dexter on 15th July of a different year from 1988 to 2007. Sometimes they are together, sometimes apart, occasionally they get on, but it is clear that they love each other from beginning to tragic end. 'One Day' is unique, hilarious and stunningly written throughout so that by the end you feel like you've been there for twenty years through the ups, the downs and all those missed opportunities.

Emma and Dex meet on 15th July 1988, the night of their graduation. After an awkward morning following their one-night-stand they must go their separate ways, but that is just the beginning of their intensely complicated friendship.

Dexter dives straight into two adventurous gap years travelling the world, living a charmed life. Rich, gorgeous and charismatic, the world is like putty in his hands, as are the many women he encounters. Meanwhile Emma is stuck in a rut in a Tex-Mex restaurant in London, wondering how she ended up there and how on earth is she to get free and make use of that glittering potential that only Dex seems to appreciate.

However Dexter's life of Riley has an expiration date, which he hurtles towards with the grace of a drunken elephant crash landing a plane. Dex is forced to grow up despite his Peter Pan attitude and becomes trapped as his various vices catch up with him. As Emma gets her life together Dexter is unable to keep up. This pattern weaves its way through the novel, Emma's up and Dexter's down then they're up, down and confused all at once and never at the same time. As their relationship develops and dwindles over the years, they try to keep track of their own complicated lives and it certainly takes a life-time for them to find that same page they both need. 

This will-they-won't-they rollar coaster is enchanting, enthralling and impossible to put down. One Day made me laugh, cry and laugh a whole lot more. David Nicholls keeps you guessing as you leap from year to year dipping into the successes, disappointments and catastrophe's of Emma and Dexter's lives. I found myself excited at the beginning of each chapter to know what had occurred in these charmingly flawed brutally realistic characters' lives, as if catching up with old friends after a year apart. I emerged from this book (finishing it on 15th July might I add) feeling like I had known Emma and Dexter for twenty years and already missing them. Call me crazy but thats how involved I became in their extraordinary, and yet, surprisingly ordinary story. 

I am now exceedingly excited for the film to come out on 26th August and I urge you all to read this smashing book before seeing the film. Here's hoping Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess can do it justice as they tread that tricky tight-rope of literary adaptations, I have a feeling they'll carry it off with style.

La Dolce Vita

Italy is bursting at the seams with culture, from Roman ruins to renaissance artists it is impossible to visit this beautiful country without diving directly into its culture. As a result it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and is also one of the most commonly written about in travel magazines and sunday supplements. I could fill you in on the stunning Basilica's I saw or I could describe the electric atmosphere of Venice and the understated beauty of Verona. However you've probably read it all before and the cultural aspect of my Inter-rail trip was only partly responsible for making it unforgettable, the rest came down to the hostels we stayed in and of course, the people we met. 

I had notions of what a hostel might be like - dorm rooms full of snoring teenagers, shower blocks and canteen style breakfast rooms. To an extent I was right - each hostel had dorms, showers and a breakfast room but the similarities ended there. In reality hostels are incredibly individual, each one is different from the last in clientele, atmosphere, and, unfortunately, cleanliness. Not only that, but part of the charm of each hostel is the way its atmosphere fits in completely with the character of its location, a lot can be learnt about a place by the hostels found there. 

We started our trip with a pit stop in Turin, an industrial town known for car manufacturing and winter olympics and not a whole lot else. The hostel here was huge and impeccably clean, everything had a smooth, modern surface and absolutely zero character - just like the car factories full of robots that inhabit this city. We felt like we could be anywhere in the world and not a single one of my 600 photographs was taken in Turin.

The next stop was Como, unbelievably picturesque Como. As we arrived at this family run hostel we were greeted like long lost friends by a textbook stereotypical Italian "Mamma". Ostello Villa Olmo is laid back, almost horizontal, and full of really lovely people. As you walk into the reception slash dining room your eyes are immediately drawn to a wall covered with postcards and drawings from previous visitors and this hostel was my absolute favourite for atmosphere, charm and comfort.

I think its fair to say that this lake side town is beautiful enough to merit the photographic binge that I had there. 

From one beauty to the next, we moved on to Verona. Verona has more character than the rest of Italy combined, everywhere you look there is another 16th century villa or Roman amphitheatre (ok so there's only one amphitheatre but it is huge and built from pink marble so it dominates the city centre). As you walk around the stunning city you can't help but feel like you are walking around a film set, "fair verona" doesn't even begin to cover it. In-keeping with this theme, the hostel we stayed in (Villa Francescati) is a converted 16th century garden estate just over the river, bursting with character and with people too. As much as we liked the hostel here, a lot of our sentences during our stay in Verona began with "when we are millionaires" as it seems that the best way to 'do' Verona is with a very large budget for a boutique hotel in the centre and copious shopping trips and opera outings. Whatever budget you are on, Verona has a magical and very romantic atmosphere - tale of star crossed lovers anyone?

Juliette's tiny balcony

Piazza Bra - surrounding the famous open air opera house

24 hours in Verona then we skipped off to Padua, university town since the dawn of time and the atmosphere to match. Our hostel was shabby but clean and friendly and the girl in our room was an art history student who gave us great advice about Venice. This was one of the best sides to staying in hostels; not only do you meet great people but they'll often reel off as many tips and recommendations as they can think of for a few of your own tips in return of course. We found Padua just as friendly as the hostel and although we didn't spend much time actually in Padua the feel of a university town was a great comfort to us as we were surrounded by young people. 

We visited venice from Padua, having heard that the humidity in Venice makes it nearly impossible to sleep comfortably, not to mention the thought of how many euros you are spending not to sleep in this ferociously expensive city. I think Hannah would agree that this made our visits to venice that much more relaxed and enjoyable as those swarms of tourists need to be taken in small doses. Although hoards of people were only found in the huge piazza's - dive down one of many side streets and the crowds disperse, leaving you to enjoy this city which becomes on big bold and beautiful tourist attraction in the summer months. 

Our gondola driver grabbing a beer from the local pub during our (free!) gondola ride - highlight of our time in Venice

Following a magic but manic time in venice we took a time out in Tuscany. We stayed with H's parents in their holiday villa in the mountains whilst we took a break from cities, hostels and shower blocks. This few days was stunning and so relaxing, giving us the perfect opportunity to rev up for Roma. 

3 days of culture in the countryside and we found ourselves on a train to Rome, our last stop in Italia, unfortunately for just 2 days. They say a lifetime isn't long enough for Rome and I completely agree, having spent two days flying around the city trying desperately to squeeze in one fascinating place, or fabulous meal after another. "Hotel Beautiful" was certainly not my favourite hostel of the trip - it was a place to crash out and nothing more. Initially we were worried about a hostel in the seedier part of town "Termini" and I certainly wouldn't recommend it, except that we were about 45 seconds walk from the immense airport-like station Roma Termini, which is very convenient for catching a train at silly o clock on the last morning. 

Aside from the noisy but fine hostel, Rome itself was magical. It is in fact a lot like London as it is full of stunning architecture with an incredible, monumental history and meanwhile it is a fully functioning modern city. We saw stunning sights and awe-inspiring buildings but the absolute highlight of our visit to Rome was the best pizza I've ever had. Lonely Planet calls it the best pizza in Rome and as far as I'm concerned that makes it the best in Italy. Pizzeria da Baffetto is a bustling trattoria, where people were still queuing outside at half 10 at night hoping to be squeezed onto a table with other strangers just to save time. The pizza was indescribable and perfect. It was a perfect combination of finding this place by accident, when we were tired and starving combined with a truly Roman Pizzeria experience that I highly recommend to anyone who is heading to Rome. 

Trevi Fountain

Picturesque and buzzing Trastevere is the ideal place to spend your evenings in Roma

I think it's clear that hosteling around Italy was a truly fantastic experience and all I can say to sum up is now I've tasted "La Dolce Vita" of laid back and friendly Italia, I can't imagine a better lifestyle. 

Hostel Recommendations

Ostello Villa Olmo (Como) - http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Como---Villa-Olmo-031065.en.htm

 - This is the only hostel in Como but it really is fantastic, it is a lovely lakeside walk into the centre of town and they do huge and delicious meals for only 10 euros, I highly recommend this place.

Villa Francescati (Verona) - tel 045 59 03 60 ostellionline.org

- This hostel is in a really cool villa with lots of character but I'd take earplugs as the traffic outside is noisy.

Ostello Citta di Padova (Padua) - ostellopadova.it

About half an hours walk through the city centre to the station, but it is a nice walk and the hostel is easy to find, friendly and clean.

Beehive hostel (Rome) - www.the-beehive.com 

This is not where we stayed but we were too late to book here as it is very popular, it has fantastic reviews and looks like a great place to stay. 

I also highly recommend the Lonely Planet guide to Italy - it is very easy to use and helpful for accommodation options and restaurant suggestions as well as history about the various sights. I became dangerously attached to my copy during our trip!

1 month

A month ago I moved house, so far I have lived in this house for 7 days. I have been so incredibly lucky to spend three and a half weeks exploring Italy and the South of France. Returning home on wednesday I felt particularly scattered and now I've had chance to catch my breath (and learn where the kitchen utensils go) I want to catch you up on my travels over the next few posts. I want to provide you with a little escapism from the abundance of bad news that seems to be filling newspapers, radio and blogs at the moment. Take a step away from sickening reports of the appalling riots which have "broken Britain" and of the endangered stock market which seems to be going to hell in a handbasket, as I try to portray the last month as vividly as possible before my tan fades.

If you want the reader's digest of what I've been up to....

3 days after a chaotic change of address I hopped onto one of many trains to Italia for 2 weeks Inter-railing which was inspiring, enlightening and so much fun. 

Why I adore Venice

Hannah and I spent 2 weeks skipping from Turin-to-Milan-to-Como-to-Verona-to-Padua-to-Venice-to-Tuscany-to-Rome-to-Annecy-to-Paris. Meanwhile One Day was my train book of choice.

I came home for 4 days and my head was spinning! I was busy washing clothes and catching up with friends whilst trying to figure out where I'd squirrelled my stuff away to in my new room. Before I knew it I was in the car with the parents trekking down to Roujan in the South of France for a chilled out week that is best summed up by this picture:

This hammock is in the garden where we stayed and is my favourite place in the world.

Last friday I took a train from Beziers to Grenoble and was greeted by my favourite sister. I spent 5 fantastic days with her in Meribel in the french Alps where she now lives all year round, the alpine villages in summer are stunning and worlds away from their winter alter-egos as ski resorts. 

Watch this space for travel recommendations, a book review of One Day and some insight into the relaxed vibe of a ski resort during its summer season...

This has been the best month of my life so far so I want to share it with you.

What has become of my bedroom:

Invasion of "The Packers"

I woke up this morning to the crunchy, scratchy, velcro sound of tape being stretched around a cardboard box. Walking downstairs I heard the chatter of strange men and felt the atmosphere of chaos surround and engulf me. The reality - that "The Packers" had taken over my house and were swiftly squirrelling away all my family's belongings - hit a few seconds later. I wandered into the kitchen in the hope of some breakfast and a cuppa, only to find yet another strange man packing away the contents of the kitchen cupboards, I was suddenly confronted with the excruciatingly awkward situation of making some kind of attempt at breakfast whilst tiptoeing around the man stuffing my favourite mug into yet another big brown box, why did I feel like I should apologise to him? It's my house after all, well, not for long.

Maybe I should explain - tomorrow we are moving house. So, for the past week I have been gradually and systematically filling boxes with books, clothes, pictures and general rubbish that I can't yet bring myself to throw away (3 years worth of Vogue and Elle Magazines) and that I'll probably end up throwing away in ten years. Today we thought the packers would come and to pack up "the breakables" that we are clearly incapable of packing ourselves? Imagine our surprise when it became painfully obvious that they were here to pack, well, everything. Whilst it was certainly a bonus not to have to do this ourselves, an atmosphere of stress descended on my mother and myself (control freaks that we are) as we found it impossible to keep up with the speedy packing up of everything from kitchen utensils to lampshades. We shared looks of concern and despair as we imagined the interesting weekend of unpacking which lies ahead. Interesting does not begin to cover it!

Despite my initial shock at the speed at which our cherished belongings could be bundled away, not to mention the sharp pangs of that rug-being-whipped-out-from-under-my-feet-feeling, I eventually surrendered to the whole fiasco. In my experience when a situation runs away from you, the only option  is to surrender, just let it all happen. I found as soon as I achieved this, and once I'd eventually had some breakfast (having run away to hide upstairs earlier in the morning) I became incredibly excited about the move. 

I'll admit I didn't totally surrender, I was absolutely determined to pack all of my boxes myself whilst the packers sorted the rest. Why, I'd already gathered and packaged most of my things and so I stubbornly decided to finish what I started - as ever. I was not prepared for the afore mentioned strange men to be emptying my underwear draw, no. 

"The Packers" did work very hard and kept the moaning to a moderate level - "its a big house for a big family so man up and stop wingeing about how much stuff we have!" - is what I felt like saying, instead I hid away in my room until all but the pictures and a few choice objects (handbag, ballet bag, hairbrush, italy guide book) were jammed into big brown boxes. My next defensive move in the battle of the boxes was to go out for a couple of hours doing any and every errand I could think of to pass the awkward time.

So here I sit, on my bed, in the middle of my now very empty room; I say empty - all my belongings are still here, just rearranged and I am now surrounded on all sides by piles of boxes, in fact my room is completely full. I'm exhausted from the mental effort of the day and also somewhat disorientated by the great peaks of boxes stacked to the ceiling in various parts of the house. I had also planned to include some pictures of the ridiculous stacks and pillars of boxes which surround me, until I realised, oh irony, my camera cable is buried in one of these boxes and there's no way of telling which one. Pictures to follow...

I think its best to leave you with just three of the (multiple and very mixed) feelings I'm experiencing right now during the last night on the corner where I've lived for 95% of my life; nostalgic, exhausted but nonetheless very excited :) 

SugarCraft: not for the faint hearted

My artistic capabilities leave much more than much to be desired. Painting my nails is the closest I should be allowed to painting, but as someone who loves to indulge my creative spirit I am greatly disappointed that I am completely inept when it comes to translating ideas into art. In April I spotted, off in the distance, a glimmer of hope: in the form of Suger Craft (otherwise known as icing cakes). Having spent the girliest day, possibly ever, fussing and faffing about how to use a piping bag and the best way to cut flowers from icing, I came home with my frighteningly fragile birthday cake, creatively inspired. I was ready to reattempt all sorts of artistic endeavours, from drawing to knitting and everything in between. This was in April, since then I have altered a jacket here, made a bracelet there but I have yet to brave the challenge of SugarCraft unsupervised and in the comfort of my own home.

This delay has been inevitable and frustrating, due to the arduous, strenuous, torturous (and many other -ous words too) never-ending revision spin class* which I have been pedalling since mid-April. *(for anyone not familiar with revision, you go round and round in circles until you are exhausted, sounds like a spin class to me!).

There is hope yet, a second attempt at SugarCraft made it onto my list of post-revision fun (and dangerous) things to try. You may wonder why I say this with caution and trepidation, the answer is simple - it all comes down to supervision.

The cake I decorated for my Birthday (see picture below, isn't it a beaut - proud), was decorated under the supervision of leading SugarCraft artist Rachel Mount, not only was she standing by for any sugar-emergencies but also - I'll let you in on a secret here - she had mixed the petal paste, which is what we used to create the flowers, of which I used a fair few! Considering that some ingredients of petal paste include liquid glucose and "Gum Tragacanth" you may understand my concern that this complicated concoction could go horribly wrong...

Optimistic and up for any challenge I am determined that I will succeed and I'll keep you posted on my progress (in the new Blake Bakes part of this blog) as I experiment with the techniques I learned direct from the master herself. Give me time and I'll be knocking out beautifully crafted birthday cakes at every opportunity, of course all of this in preparation for "Blake's Cake Bakery" someday, watch this space...

Link to Rachel Mount's website: http://www.rachelmount.com/
Yes those really are all cakes, she is certainly the coolest artist I've ever encountered!