Photography: Structures in Paris, Barcelona And Berlin

Back in Paris in the spring of 2015, I started a 36 exposure black and white film with the intention of photographing structures, both natural and man-made. Since then, I have lived in Barcelona, revisited Paris and travelled to one of my favourite European cities - Berlin - and my SLR came with me.

PARIS

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Paris is known for its beautifully classic, sand-coloured, Haussmann buildings but there certainly is more to the city's architecture than that. These photos were taken along the gritty, more industrial Canal Saint Martin where the different lines and grids were beautiful to photograph. As I started this film not long before I moved, unfortunately I was unable to fully explore this unusual way of photographing the white city.

BARCELONA

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From Paris-esque Metro signs to interesting trees and the mix of industrial and picturesque architecture, I could not help but photograph such a variety of subjects in Barcelona. While shooting this film, I spent the most time in Barcelona, which was both an advantage and a disadvantage. Perhaps after a while, some things that would have photographed so well, I took for granted although the more I explored, the more photographs I could take. Watch this space for my colour film photos of Barcelona coming soon.

BERLIN

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Berlin is a very urban city with street art on every corner and vast open spaces of both development and nothingness. What particularly struck me was how many organic communities there were around the city who had created camps or makeshift shelters. I feel that I cannot comment further on this because I do not know about these communities but it certainly was intriguing to photograph.

I hope you had enjoyed seeing a few snapshots from my latest film. This follows on from my film PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE IN PARIS, which I shared on the blog a year ago yesterday. Yep, I must take more photos, more quickly - duly noted!

Izzie x
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YouTube Fortnightly Vlog - Weekend in Bristol and Last Two Weeks in Barcelona

It is Sunday evening and that means that my time in Barcelona is almost over. I leave tomorrow night - back to Bristol for a few weeks! I have vlogged my last two weeks in Barcelona (plus a weekend that I was in Bristol for a wedding) and these are just some of the amazing memories that I have made here. I hope you enjoy this vlog that contains some serious food porn, outfits and sunny Barcelona!
Izzie x
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Barcelona Guide: NAP (Neapolitan Authentic Pizza) Review

Location: Carrer de Gombau, 30, Barcelona

Bold statement alert! Today I am introducing you to the restaurant which serves the best pizza I have ever had.

Neapolitan Authentic Pizza, affectionately known as NAP, is situated in the El Born and Barceloneta districts of Barcelona and although NAP is not the most photogenic of restaurants, that certainly could not be a reason not to share this gem with you. Being residents of El Born, Lewis and I always frequent the NAP in this area and all our visitors that we have brought to this super cheap and tasty pizzeria have equally sung its praises (hell, someone even ordered a second pizza!). 

There is always a queue outside NAP but don’t let that put you off. Pop your name down, grab a goblet of wine and chill in the little square outside until they have a table for you. NAP brings out pizzas as fast as I can drink a glass of wine (very fast) so you should not be waiting long.

Now let’s talk pizzas. I always get a Margarita with extra ricotta and a glass of the house red all for a bargainous 10 euros. Call me unadventurous for not having ever tried anything else but when you have got your combination down, why change it? The pizzas arrive within just a few minutes of ordering, steaming hot and straight from the wood fire oven. One of my favourite things about NAP pizzas is the dough. It is stretchy, soft and always perfectly cooked.

I would highly recommend NAP if you are looking for a great pizzeria in Barcelona. However, I would like to put a little disclaimer here. Due to its sheer popularity (thanks to its cheap prices and delicious pizza), NAP does have a quite chaotic atmosphere. The kitchen dishes out pizzas as fast as possible therefore it has that in-and-out kind of vibe so that they can get as many people through the door. If you are looking for a relaxed meal, don’t go to NAP. But if you can handle noise, bustle and perhaps being a bit squished in, then you are going to have a great evening.

Izzie x
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Youtube: Monthly Vlog - May in Barcelona

Hello huns! I apologise that I have been a bit absent this week - I have been feeling a bit demotivated and overwhelmed by life right now but I'm getting back into the swing of things! 
During May I documented what I got up to in Barcelona - some mundane things, some exploring the city and some general chatting to the camera. I would love to know what you think - is the video too long? If so, then would you prefer fortnightly vlogs? Would you like to see less chatting and more stuff out in the city? Or perhaps you love it how it is! I'm new to this life vlogging so I'm open to your comments!
Happy Sunday and Happy Bank Holiday Weekend to you UK readers! 
Izzie x
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A Photography Tour Of Barcelona

Last Saturday, Lewis and I grabbed our cameras and took to the streets of El Born, Barcelona for a unique photography tour by FOTO RUTA BARCELONA. El Born is a district in the old town of Barcelona full of cute streets, lively bars and a lotta culture. We actually live in El Born so we already knew the area quite well (although surprisingly we discovered some streets we had never frequented) but it was an amazing experience to be guided through the streets of our neighbourhood with no other objective than to take photos.

We met our guide (and professional photographer) Juan in the cute En Aparté cafe at the top end of El Born where we had a complimentary drink whilst being shown a short presentation. He talked about photography techniques - aperture, shutter speed, ISO - as well as tips for taking a good photograph - framing, patterns, lines etc. Then, we headed out into the streets of El Born for three hours with just cameras in our hands and time on our side. Here are my favourite shots.

Samedi dernier, Lewis et moi avons pris nos appareils photos pour un tour unique avec FOTO RUTA BARCELONA. Nous nous sommes baladés dans Le Born, un quartier historique dans Barcelone avec plein de petites rues mignonnes, des bars vivants et beaucoup de culture. Nous connaissons déjà bien Le Born parce que nous y habitons - mais nous avons découverts des endroits que nous n'en connaissions pas - et c'était génial d'être guidé dans notre quartier avec qu'un seul but - prendre des photos.

Nous avons eu un rendez-vous avec notre guide, Juan (un photographe lui-même), dans un cafe mignon qui s'appelle En Aparté en Le Born. Nous avons bu une boisson offerte pendant que Juan nous a montrés une petite présentation sur les techniques de photographe - l'ouverture, la vitesse d'obturation et l'ISO - ainsi que des conseils pour prendre une belle photo - la composition, les motifs, les lignes etc. Puis, pendant trois heures, nous nous sommes baladés dans les rues de Le Born avec nos appareils photos et du temps. Voici mes photos préférées.

Izzie x

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Barcelona Guide: Palo Alto Market

PALO ALTO MARKET is without a doubt the hippest market I have ever been too. Now let's be honest - we all love indulging in a bit of hipster which is why I will definitely be back. Palo Alto takes place on the first weekend of each month in Barcelona's up-and-coming Poble Nou neighbourhood. This area is usually pretty quiet so you are unlikely to bump into lots of tourists here - win - but do be prepared to queue as it is pretty popular.

LE MARCHÉ PALO ALTO à Barcelone est, sans doute, le marché la plus tendance que je ne suis jamais été. Pour être honnête, tout le monde aime un peu de "hipster" de temps en temps et cela est pourquoi je sais que je reviendrai. Palo Alto se passe chaque premier weekend du mois dans un quartier montant qui s'appelle Poble Nou. Normalement ce coin est super tranquille du coup vous ne risquez pas d'être entouré de touristes mais préparez-vous de faire la queue comme ce marché est très populaire.

I was expecting the kitsch food trucks, similar to those that I had seen at other smaller events in Barcelona, which despite being nothing new these days are still super cute. There was quite good a range of gastronomic options from traditional Catalan food to Mexican and Indian. As we had been missing a good old French crepe, we decided to go for a yummy Galette Bretonne with lots of cheese. After filling our bellies with food, we were ready to navigate the winding pathways and very busy market.

J'avais attendu ce style de caravanes qui servent de la nourriture car je les ai vues aux autres événements à Barcelone et même si elles ne sont pas une nouvelle idée aujourd'hui, je les trouve super mignon comme même. Il y a une bonne gamme de choix comme la bouffe catalane, mexicaine et indienne. Nous avons choisi une miam galette bretonne avec beaucoup de fromage parce que ça fait longtemps qu'elle nous manque! Après avoir bien mangé, nous étions prêts d'explorer le marché très occupé. 

If I am honest, I had expected a market that was a bit less "well curated". I wanted crammed rails, piles of clothes for rummaging and second hand crap that costed next to nothing but none of that will you find here. Instead there are different halls that contained designers' collections, workshops and exhibitions as well as smaller outside stalls. Lewis was deeply unimpressed by the hall containing male grooming products and lots of motorbikes sold by men with the best trimmed beards in Catalunya. It was a hipster's paradise but despite being interesting, it was not really our kind of thing.

Si je suis honnête, j'avais attendu un marché un peu moins "organisé". J'ai voulu des rayons blindés, des montagnes de vêtements dans lesquelles il faudrait fouiller et plein de conneries à second main qui coûte presque rien. Par contre, il y a plusieurs "halles" qui contiennent des collections de créateurs, des ateliers et des expositions ainsi que des petits stands à l'extérieur. Lewis n'étais pas impressionné par la halle où il y avait des produits de la tenue masculine et plein de motos, vendu par des hommes avec les barbes les plus bien coiffés en Catalunya. C'était un paradis pour un hipster et même s'il est intéressant, ce n'était pas vraiment notre truc. 

Whether you are into trendy markets or not, I would definitely recommend that you check out Palo Alto Market, for the beautiful setting if nothing else. Surrounded by palm trees and flower-covered buildings, enjoy some good food, chill with some beers amongst friends or explore what up-and-coming designers have to offer. There is something to suit everything and the crowd varies from stylish youngsters, families and middle-aged couples. ¡Vamos!

Si vous aimez des marchés à la mode ou non, je vous conseille sans doute d'aller jeter un coup d'oeil à Palo Alto - pour le cadre si rien d'autre. Vous etes entouré des palmiers et des bâtiments couverts de fleurs alors allez profiter de la bonne bouffe, détendez-vous avec des bières et vos amis ou explorer ce que les créateurs offrent. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde et la foule est varié entre des jeunes stylés, des familles et des couples d'âge mur. On y va!

Izzie x

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Flax & Kale Restaurant Review

Flax & Kale - Carrer Tallers 74B, Plaça Castella, Barcelona

When walking into super cool restaurant FLAX & KALE in Barcelona's edgy Raval area, you are greeted by an entire wall filled with colourful juices and a fridge containing lots of veggies, you know that you are going to eat well and healthily here. And that we did. For Barcelona, Flax & Kale is quite pricey but you are getting good and well prepared food and, if i couldn't treat myself on my birthday, when the hell could I?!

Flax & Kale is a healthy flexitarian restaurant developed by chef TERESA CARLES in addition to the vegetarian restaurant named after her (where we have also been) and TERESA'S JUICERY. 'What does flexitarian mean?' I hear you ask. Well it is flexible vegetarianism - following a vegetarian diet most of the time but occasionally eating some ethically sourced meat or fish. In fact, Flax & Kale does not serve meat but the menu does let you know with a handy icon which dishes contain oily fish and which are plant based, raw and gluten free. 

We started with a nibble on some of their kale chips - we thought it would be rude not to seeing as the restaurant is partly named after this vegetable, which claims to be perhaps the healthiest thing you can eat. They were completely not what I expected when we ordered them, they were so much better. The leaves of kale seemed to have been covered in garlic and some kind of cheese and then baked or fried. They were delicious, crispy and not like anything I have had before - in a good way of course!

For my main course, I chose Salmon Fishing In Algerri because living with a strict veggie, I rarely eat fish. The salmon was perfectly cooked with rosemary and was served on a bed of quinoa salad, which was quite sweet. Normally, I do not like mixing sweet with savoury but this quinoa dish went amazingly with the salmon. 

Lewis chose Green Power Ravioli, which is like a fancy take on the classic spinach and ricotta ravioli but this also contained tofu and cashews and came with amazing chunks of baked aubergine and a lovely green sauce. Of course I tried some and it was delicious. I was almost tempted by their other ravioli dish (Orange Is The New Healthy Cuore) which is spelt and tumeric ravioli stuffed with sweet potato, carrots and other yummy goodness. Next time eh?

We ummed and arred about having dessert and, well, unfortunately it was a bit disappointing. I think we just made the wrong choice with the Two Textures Choco Cake whose description on the menu was slightly confusing. It says the cake comes with Teresa's juicery miss avena avellana merengada cream, which we thought meant a thick cream with the taste of a Teresa juice but in fact the cake was swimming in a creamy juice. That aside, the brownie and mousse combo was lovely and the strawberry sorbet was exquisite.

I would highly recommend Flax & Kale to everyone - whether you are vegetarian or a full blown meat eater, I am sure you will love it. Next time I want to take myself out of my comfort zone and try one of the raw dishes, such as the Raw Vegan Lasagna, because they sound really interesting! Also, whilst writing this post and browsing their other menus, I got myself all excited about going for brunch there soon - their brunch menu looks insane!

Izzie x

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