After our brief stop to explore Castelsardo, we continued on to our next destination.
For the second part of our trip we stayed at the Corte Rosada resort near Alghero. The hotel had a private beach and it was a haven for local wildlife. I spent most of my days here making more fishy friends and pretending to be Dr Dolittle.
Porto Conte itself isn’t more than a few houses grouped along the shore. It has a private harbour – but we got around that by hiring a pedalo so we could go and admire the boats.
When we left Isola Rossa, we headed south along the West Coast and on the way we decided to stop off at Castelsardo. The castle itself is 12th Century but the area’s history extends back much further than that.
There is some parking higher up but we opted to walk up the hill so that we could see more of the town and it’s charming shops (note to self – next time, do shopping on the way down). It was quite a climb but we were rewarded when we got to the Castle with a blast of fresh air at the top and the most stunning views of the harbour and the Sardinian countryside behind. Oh and there was a Gelato shop up there – so that helped too!
For the first part of our trip to Sardinia we stayed in the beautiful Hotel Relax Torreruja. Located on a rocky outcrop in the north of the Island it’s surrounded by stunning views – but be warned it can get a little breezy up there!
It’s a moment away from the small-but-perfectly-formed town of Isola Rossa. There isn’t a huge amount to do, but quite honestly that didn’t seem to matter as the days slipped by easily. I spent them laying out in the sun overlooking the sea, reading a few good books and slipping into the sea to make friends with the fishes whenever I needed to cool off.
I packed a lot of summer dresses for the trip and the Topshop one below is an oldie but a goodie. It’s very girly and flirty – perfect for sunny summer evenings. As it’s one from way-back-when it’s no longer available in stores but there are similar options here and here.
Monday is a national holiday in the UK so I am currently in the midst of a lovely and relaxing long weekend. Today I ventured out to Cannon Hall Farm to see what was on offer at their food festival.
There were tents as far as the eye could see selling all kinds of food, lots of it local to Yorkshire. I did a lap before settling for a Caribbean lunch and some homemade ice cream for pudding (and I’ll be dining on all the yummy extras I bought tonight!)
It runs until tomorrow evening so if you are in the area I would recommend a visit. There are also cookery classes and workshops on offer – and live music in the evening.
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden has to be one of the more breathtakingly beautiful places I’ve ever visited. It is a little of the beaten track (just outside of Ripon) but it was well worth the trek. The Abbey itself was built almost 900 years ago, and having survived Henry VIII’s closure of the monasteries is one of the most complete abbey remains in the country. A truly historic place.
The water garden that surrounds it was created in the early 18th century and is an equally tranquil place of beauty. They gardens themselves are peppered with a number of building’s known as follys (each of which is currently filled with a unique piece of artwork).
I took far too many pictures so here are just a few of my favourites to give you a taste…
Brownies are something I consider myself to be a bit of an expert on. I’ve been experimenting with different recipes for a long time and this has to be one of my all-time favourites.
Lorraine Pascale’s cookery show was addictive viewing for me and I couldn’t wait to buy her books afterwards. These brownies seemed a little fiddly at first, but it was surprisingly easy once I got going. They came out perfectly textured and full of fudgey goodness – perfect for a chocoholic like me!
You can find the recipe here and you can buy Lorraine’s book here.
Last weekend when the rain was pouring down and my stomach was rumbling, I headed into Manchester in search of something to eat. I’ve wanted to visit Castlefield Market for ages but it’s only held on the first weekend of the month and for one reason or another I’ve never been able to make it before. And I have been missing out!
The indoor market is full of handmade crafts and homemade produce. With plenty of street food stalls providing sustenance along the way. I loved the relaxed vibe – a DJ was playing music in the corner and everyone ate along big communal dining tables while making new friends.
It was a hard decision, choosing where to buy lunch from, but in the end I went for a jerk chicken sandwich with the most amazing mango salsa from The Blackbird Pantry. Followed by what has to be the best brownie I’ve ever eaten. The stall holders were all enthusiastic and happy to chat about their products. There were lots of ‘tasters’ on offer too – an added bonus!
As promised here is a peek at some of the glorious outfits I got to witness at last week’s Great Yorkshire Show. The Fashion Show took place in the Fashion Pavilion and featured a mixture of graduate designers, high-street brands and couturiers.
With so many beautiful dresses on show I was hard pushed to say which was my favourite (though I think James Steward’s gowns may have just swung it!) Which do you like best?
I have been dreaming of the perfect day out at Great Yorkshire Show for a while – and this week I got my wish. After missing out in recent years, I finally managed to get time off work to visit this annual celebration of all things rural and Yorkshire.
I grew up in a rural community and love spending time in the great outdoors. I’m also very aware of where my food comes from – I always ensure my food is free-range and do my best to shop local. Events like this are pretty much paradise for a foodie like me, but they also support other local businesses and help to maintain/promote countryside traditions which might otherwise be lost.
After a short journey I arrived at the show ground. The sun was beating down, there were ice cream vans everywhere, and white tents as far as the eye could see. I grabbed a quick mid-morning snack and settled down to watch the sheep shearing competition. It’s safe to say I have no idea what the rules were – or even who the winner was – but it was a terrific atmosphere all the same.
Afterwards I made my way to the fashion tent for the Fashion Show (more on that later this week!) before roaming the show ground and soaking it all in. In the afternoon I settled in by the main show ring for the ‘mane’ event (get it?) – the much anticipated Shetland Pony Grand National – and stayed to watch the show-stopping draught horses compete against each other.
If you happen to be in the area next July, I would definitely recommend you spend a day here.
I fell for this dress the moment I put it on. It’s the kind of dress that makes you love every bit of your body the way you should. The bold yet intricate print is cleverly designed to draw attention to the body’s curves in just the right way.
However, while the mirrored print is bold, the colour palette is understated – which means you can be very flexible when choosing accessories to pair it with. I stuck to neutrals for this post but it works equally well with metallics and pastels.
I have been meaning to photograph it for ages. Sadly I left it a bit too late and this dress is no longer stocked on the ASOS website. However I did manage to find some similar options here, here and here.
Girl In The Pretty Dress 