Dear salesgirl at Harrods...

Dear salesgirl at Harrods,



Put a skirt on, for heaven's sake.

Love,

Elizabeth.

--------

You'd think that the HR department of such a prestigious retailer as Harrods would have stringent policies on such things. Clearly not. Shame, Mr al-Fayed, shame.

I had a great day yesterday - making flirty eye contact on the tube with the man of my dreams (more on him later), wandering around Portobello Rd market, exploring the British Museum and spending ages at Harrods drooling over things that I could never afford in a million years (Anyone got a spare eleven thousand quid for a chinchilla fur cape?).

I did, however, indulge in some far more reasonably priced luxury leathergoods - a gorgeous little woven-leather purse-wallet-thing by Dior.

Ooh la la!

This is my first foray into the world of deluxe designers, but I've been squirrelling away part of my savings for a while now for this particular reason. It'd be wonderful to be able to drop a few grand every year on the latest It bag (like a couple of Saudi princesses were doing in the Chanel department) but I think my way is just as good, and perhaps more special. My little purse will mean far more to me than Paris Hilton's Birkin collection ever will.

What do you think? What's the most luxurious thing you've ever bought for yourself? What are you coveting? Just because we have no money doesn't mean we don't like to look at beautiful things!

E xox

How to ruin a perfectly cute dress:

Via Go Fug Yourself.

A Very Un-Day Monday.

This morning, I was all revved up! I got up early-ish, and got all dressed and ready to go into London to start off my week of sightseeing in the city.

Then, and I'm not sure exactly how it happened, I looked at myself and said, "Actually, no. I'm going back to bed."

And so I did.

And goodness, my body really must have needed the sleep, because I went back to bed at 10am, and I didn't wake up again until well after 7pm.

Does that ever happen to you? Sometimes you just have to listen to your body.

But having wasted my Monday, I only have 5 more days to see as much of London as I can. I better hit the ground running tomorrow!

xox

Overheard In Potters Bar.

Scene: a small boy, walking with his mum and his baby sister in a pram, trips over and falls down. His mum picks him up and dusts him off as he tries manfully not to cry.



Mum: "Oh, dear, have you been drinking Daddy's beer again?"

Love.

This image made my heart skip a beat or two.

Via Le Love.

xo

Dear security guard at the Carling Academy...

Dear security guard at the Carling Academy in Oxford who confiscated my Mars Bar and (probably) ate it,

We will meet again. I want my Mars Bar back.

Love,

Elizabeth.

-------

Seriously, though, I thought that was overkill. Confiscate my water bottle, fine, but a Mars Bar?

I was in Oxford for the weekend, and last night I was wandering up the road past the Carling Academy I noticed that there would be some bands playing there later on. I bought at ticket from one of the support bands who were loitering around out the front, and promised to come back later to check them out.

Unfortunately, though, I had a dinner date already arranged with some girls from the hostel, so I only managed to get there in time to see the headline act, Flamboyant Bella who, in all honesty, weren't that great. So I missed the band I was supposed to see, Target Nine, but I did get to meet some luverly people for some beers after the show, so it was well worth it.

Oxford is totally gorgeous, by the way, despite the Mars Bar-grabbing security guards. More on that later, I've gotta go heat up my Marks & Spencer dinner...

xoxo

Elizabeth in the lands of Spaghetti and Bad Teeth.

Here it is, my new blog of adventures!

Elizabeth in the lands of Spaghetti and Bad Teeth.

There's only one post in there so far, and it covers my journey from Melbourne to Dubai, so don't get too excited, just yet..

I'm pulling big-sister weight tomorrow and dragging my brother into London to do Christmas shopping for our families. The lazy sod didn't send them anything last year, but I'm making damn sure he does this year. Wish me luck!

All I Want For Christmas..

...is some snow!!

It's freezing here in southern England, but the skies have been clear all week. Mother Nature better smarten up her act!

I'm actually planning (hoping!) to spend Christmas in Copenhagen with some friends, where I should DEFINITELY see some snow. Depending on flights/whether I can afford it, I'd also like to spend a couple of days in Paris. Flights aren't hideously expensive, and luckily I am on paid leave from work and have a brother who will lend me money if I need it. So tonight will be spent running around the internet trying to find the cheapest flights. Does anyone know anyone who will let me stay with them in Paris??

I've started typing up my travel diary, and I got my photos back today on a CD, so I can start putting that stuff online soon. So that I can keep the spirit of this blog intact, I'm going to start up another one that will strictly be a travel diary. Only thing is.. what do I call it?? Suggestions are very welcome.

Here's a shot of me in Sorrento as day was breaking. The Bay of Naples is just beautiful, no matter what time of year it is! It rained hideously for the full day we were there, but then by the evening the clouds had cleared, and the morning was gorgeous, as you can see in the photo!



xoxox

The Old Country.

So it's goodbye to Italy (for now, at least), and a big hello to the United Kingdom!!

As I type this I'm lying in bed in my brother's flat, snug in a doona and listening to the trains roll past. Poor Dave is hard at work in the kitchen downstairs - he'll finish up at 10pm and I'll go down to the bar to join him for a knock-off pint or two.

That is, if I'm still awake! I awoke this morning at 3am, and was at the airport in Milan to catch my flight to London at 6. Ouch! I'm not at all sleepy though - I napped on the plane and on the buses to and from the airports, and I had a snooze after I arrived here in Potters Bar.

England so far is not really how I expected it to be! The town where my brother is living, Potters Bar, is quite nice, but I was expecting something smaller.. something a bit gentler and more countrified. There are four charity shops in the High Street so I am looking forward to rummaging through those!

Tomorrow I am going to begin work on my Italy tour blog - I'll keep you posted!

For now - goodnight from the Old Country.


xoxo

A Sad Story

On Monday morning, I am catching a plane from Milan to London.

My flight leaves at 06.45.

I have to check-in by 06.05.

The bus journey from the train station to the airport takes one hour.

I am catching a bus at 04.45.

I need to be at the train station at 04.30.

I'm thinking I'll book the taxi to pick me up to take me to the train station at 04.00.

It's going to be a LONG DAY. I think I might just not go to bed the night before.

Still alive!

Ciao!

Just a quick note to let you know that I'm still alive and well and in freezing cold, drizzly Milan.

I was abandoned by the tour group this morning as they head back to Australia, by way of Dubai, and I've just spent a frustrating and fruitless couple of hours at the central train station trying to locate the lost property office - I left my red leather Columbina mask on the train from Venice yesterday! I was told "Down the stairs and to the right" by many different station staff, but it must be invisible or something - it's definitely not there! I wll go back with Rita or Mia in tow tomorrow and they can help me break through the language barrier. One phrase I will definitely not forget now is "dov'è l'ufficio di bagliato perduto?" Argh!!

I'm feeling quite at home in Milan though because they have trams, just like in Melbourne! I am spending three more nights here before flying off to London very early on Monday morning.

What else is news? Since I last posted from Rome, we've been to Sorrento (spending the day at Pompei in the pouring rain), Orvieto (Google it - the duomo in particular is just AMAZING), Florence (David! The Uffizi!!) and Venice. The day we arrived in Venice was the day it flooded - the highest acqua alta in 50 years! We arrived at the station at 12.00 and weren't able to get into our hotel until the water dropped at 16.00. Venice is so gorgeous though, I felt the most at home there than any other city so far. I'd really like to go back there (once I've finished paying off this trip!) and spend a semester or two studying at their university.

I did some serious shopping in Venice too - I bought a pair of gorgeous, soft, cashemere-lined red leather gloves, a red leather mask (now trapped in the non-existant Ufficio di Bagliato Perduto...grrr), a print of my favourite painting in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and a cute navy blue leather purse from a shop I just happened to stumble into on my roamings through the lanes and streets.

I'm sorry for the lack of pictures, too - I'm in an internet cafe, and my USB cord is in my suitcase back at the hotel. I'll post photos soon, I promise!

Here's a photo of the print I bought at the Guggenheim, though - it's called Solidità Nella Nebbia (Solidity Of Fog), painted by Luigi Russolo.



Until next time....

xoxoxo