Bristol, 21.-23. October - Street art and Katy B!

Hellooo there!
I'm so sorry I haven't posted anything new recently. I can't seem to remember to write a post whenever I finally have time for it!

So what's been going on.. Well, last time I mentioned I was going to Bristol to meet a friend and to go to a Katy B concert. So; - Bristol blew me away, in every way. First off; the city is so vibrant, it's crazy. I mostly feel like this because of All the street art that's over there. I learned that Banksy, the street artist, is from Bristol, so no wonder the city was packed with graffiti from top to toe.

From the street right below high street and all the shops.
I believe there was a graffiti competition here between the best street artists in Europe,
so all you see is their work.

It was really great to see my friend Therese again as I haven't seen her since the summer! We lived in a hostel while there, or, I lived in two and she in the same one all her stay, and I checked in at her hostel for my second night. It was very hard to get a place to sleep there, some place decent at the least (female dorm...), since the season obviously wasn't over. (That's what the lady in one of the receptions said).

We walked around the city centre mostly and down by the harbourside. It was _so_ nice to relax for a while together with Therese, and the atmosphere was so much different than in Southampton. First of all you could feel the culture really swiping over you, and second the city centre had a lot more to offer than back south. Third, I remember live guitar and keyboard music in the streets while sitting on a bench, just listening and enjoing life. Oh Bristol, I liked you!

I visited the city from Friday to Sunday, and the second day we took a stroll uptown and walked into a a memorable street, Stokes Croft, where magic happens. I mean, not really, but I just felt so at home and so inspired here! This area of the city is very shabby and not particularly pretty, with, I guess, a lot of garbage laying around randomly. But here you could see more of the original street art part of Bristol - the origins. Here's another of my slideshows starting with street art in the city centre to the shabby neighbourhood of Strokes Croft.



I have to mention a café both me and Therese fell in love with in Stokes Craft. Café Kino. This was just a little café hidden on a corner, but a charming place with with lovely ambience, good cappuchinos and lovely home-made kake! We sat there for like an hour, just mezmerized by the street and the people. Artists, retros and simply the core of craft in Bristol. Loved it!

Café Kino on the end of this block.

We took strolls down the hight street and of course payed Cabot Circus a visit - that place is huuuge! We enjoyed Costa coffees and the beautiful weather on a bench in the street while listening to the rythms from a guitar and a keyboard. Oh yes life was good in Bristol, but about to get better.

One of our favourite shops - Urban Outfitters!
I miss that from the US!!

In the evening on Saturday was the long anticipated Katy B concert! Before the concert, we ate dinner in a local irish pub, right by the Bristol O2 Academy, before queuing at 6pm. The doors were to open at 7pm, and we were lucky to be one of the first to get in to the academy, with a long queue forming behind us.

Exciting girls!!

We got in and were lucky again to get some nice places amost in front and almost in the middle, before the scene. Before Katy, there was a line-up with different artists, among them DJ Zinc and P Money, which were both _amazing_!! P Money joined Katy on stage later as well, backing her up on some of her songs. 

When Katy B herself came on stage the atmosphere got Electric, Energic and just Magic! I loved every second of it. And Katy turned out, not only, to be the most down-to-earth person you can meet, as we thought she would be, but she also sang as amazing as we had anticipated ever since we first started listening to her music. 

Here's two clips from the concert - first a clip from Katy's song Whiches Brew, next Perfect Stranger (a featuring Magnetic Man (he wasn't there)):

Katy said herself that she makes music that just makes you feel good, and her tunes are a blend of R&B, dubstep, electronica, pop and house. The whole night we danced to the music along with her and just had an great time.

We checked out some nightlife in Brisol as well, and fell in love with a bar on the harbourside called, guess what, No. 1 Harbourside! A small bar, packed with people, good music and good beer. I absolutely recommend it to everyone visiting Bristol in the future.

Goind down the harbourside.

Sunday me and Therese parted although we really didn't want to. Unfortunately I had school waiting, but Therese was lucky enouth to stay in this great city for a few more days. We're definitely go back together some other time.

That's all about Bristol folks, next awaits a family visit from Norway and a nice little trip to Winchester!

- vic -

The club scene, and London again!

The past weekend the girls and I checked out the club scene here in Southampton. Friday night we went to Junk which was, well just okay. I mean, we had fun, but the place wasn't fun. And the DJ(s) played annoying music, because they would play an intro to some hit and then go on to the next intro. So we NEVER got to hear a whole song.

Saturday night we went to my friend from Sykkylven Sarah's place. This is where we started our evening and got to know three other girls that she knows. We continued to Orange Rooms this time and this place was way better than Junk. I actually read that they have won Southampton's Best Bar Award. Here's a picture of the interior from their website.

I loved the interior, and the place was packed, so the atmosphere was really great! (Also the music was normal in comparison with Junk...) I'm not dissing Junk, it's probably a great place on other evenings when they have more people and other music-themes. Just, not this Friday...

Before the weekend, actually when I was in London on Tuesday and met Marianne for the coffee, we talked about me coming back for this weekend for 100%DESIGN. That's basically a huge event where a lot of designers and companies gather to promote their products and prototypes. I really wanted to go, but didn't know if I would really be in shape for it after two days out in a row. BUT, I found myself up and running at 8 o'clock Sunday morning, sat on the bus to the Central Station at 9, and had my butt placed in the train to London at 10! I'm very pleased with this achievement.

I met Marianne at Earls Court, where we later met Runa (from my class in NKF). I really didn't know that Earls Court was as big as it was, I had only heard about the name. 

But, it was this big.

And actually that's just half of it.

So as you can see, this place was big enough to have fun for hours. 

But after 4 hours you're pretty tired and don't have any more space in your head to take in what's left.

I've made another slideshow for you, (I think I'm gonna stick to this when posting loads of pictures...), and they show some of my favorites from Channels, darestudio, Il Vetro Dei Dogi and Melin Tregwynt.

I stayed in London for the night with Marianne. On Monday before she left for her first day of school, she showed me a place called Brick Lane. Basically this street is a designer/artist/musician street, and you can find many cool vintage shops, not-so-known-(yet) designer stores and a great music store called Rough Trade. I loved this little colorful strip.

When we said our goodbyes for now, I went to the Victoria and Albert museum that I had heard many great things about. Sure enough, this place was filled with amazing art and design from different periods. Divided into different styles and countries, it was way too much for my head to see absolutely everything. That is why I stuck to checking out the Asian part with beautiful decorations, handmade furniture, ornaments and amazing and colorful textiles. I am very fascinated by the Oriental art and culture. Maybe this is something I can use in my coming dissertation later on this semester?

I also checked out the iron section, the glass section (mostly window glass paintings), and last but not least the performance and theatre section - something that I'm also very interested in. I love both the stage part of the theatre and the costumes. I love colors and patterns, and think the idea of forming a role or a character's clothing is very exciting, with all the different textiles and masks and what not.

Here's a little bit from the V&A museum.

There were extremely many cool things at both 100%DESIGN and at V&A that I will take with me in future projects. I gathered very much inspiration before school-start, and think that when I've digested all the impressions and sights, I will be ready for this coming year. And it's all starting on Monday October 3rd!

After everything I'd seen and learned I decided to go be a real tourist before I headed back to Southampton. I'm not going to tell you much about that, because everyone who's been in London have probably done the same things as I did, which was seeing Picadilly Circus and take a stroll through Chinatown and Covent Garden. After that my head nearly exploded, so I took the next train at 1635, 1 1/2 hour earlier than planned. 

Picadilly Circus.

When walking in Covent Garden, I stumbled upon this place, a dear memory from the days back in high school, when visiting London for a week together with my dancing class.

Pineapple Dance Studio.

London - you showed me Way too much - but I loved it!

- vic -