Aloha

Greetings all,
How are we? Surreal day spent sitting at the bottom of a cliff, feet dipped in a rock pool whilst reading Virginia Woolf, feeling sorry for Mrs Dalloway! Managed to burn my boobs again (only a little little bit!). Maybe God didn't intend for women to ever sunbathe topless.

It's worth a mention that since leaving home I haven't yet worn a bra. Or socks. Or trainers. Don't worry, bikin tops are proving a very good substitute and you know I don't like wearing shoes anyway lol Seen SO many lizards today was unreal. Really don't think I like reptiles.. prefer animals that are fluffy. Anywyay, so how is everyone? Enjoyed your response to my Epiphany post LOL I know, bit wordy but rest assured, ruled out running off and joining a Catholic convent school. However, definitely thinking about conversion over to the Catholic church to abuse the confession side of it (joking). Can't think of anything worse than exploting all my raving days to a priest. Ha!

Do miss you all, especially the Enfs. Wish you were all here to share all the experiences I'm having and such. Mum would enjoy all the culture aspects, watching all the people and talking about life. Could really benefit from your life coach skills round about now! Dad, miss your face and comic relief you never fail to provide. Sev, so wish you were just to deck on the beach with and go paragliding (mine and Tim's next adventure! Booked on the itinery for Wednesday AND we get an hours jet ski hire thrown in FOR FREE coz he's a rep! Get in! Really wanted to do water skiing but gutted they don't do it grrr). I promise to wear a life jacket but, rest assured, T is a fully qualified life guard remember!

Still happy, still feeling peaceful and hippy happy. Looking forward to getting to Valencia - FOUR MORE DAYS! Saw some of Flavia's wedding pics online and she looked absolutely stunning. So happy for her and sad I missed the wedding!

Love to you all xx

Epiphany

I put some new pics up! Have a look at last post I made yesterday.

This is by fat the most hippy, self-assuring, soul searching wank I'm sure to write on here but I feel enlightened and spiritual so bare with me if you fancy a good read/laugh!

"You cannot be the person they know and the great, glorious person you want to become. Not at the same time. The people who really, actually loved us... they'd beg us to go. To fulfill our dream. Practice our craft. And they would love us when we came back".
Re-reading Chuck Palahniuk's 'Haunted' again and that quote appealed to me and seemed really apt! (This may grow to be quite a ramble so apologies if I go on a bit - just stop reading and do some work!!)

Being out here and away from all the stress of social politics, uni etc really has enabled me the chance to relax, feel inspired, reflect, and work out what it is I really want to do with my life. Without souding Holy and all Oscar acceptance speech, I am so grateful and thankful for my family, not only for financially abling me to do the things that I do- go to uni, live in Brighton, go travelling - but also for supporting me and encouraging me to do it. Getting all soppy, I feel the greatest sense of freedom and just general excitment of what I get to do next. Guess you could say I feel refreshed? Reminded of what's how there and how GOOD life can be! I think you know, mum and Charlie especially, how stressed I started to feel after leaving Brighton, worrying about uni, my future, career, my love life, life in general!! Matters and trivial stuff that completely overwhelm at the time but in retrospect can be seen clearly.

I can't say exactly what's triggered all this sudden calm state of mind and clarity(maybe it's the over dose of vitamin D from the sun!) but it's friggin awesome and this is probably the happiest and most settled in life, I've ever been. I'm seeing and learning so much and realizing there's so much more outside of the UK! Definitey thinking I might have to move abroad after uni for a bit - not just for soul reasons but my death hands and feet are no longer deathy! I haven't turned purple once and am thinking might seriously approach the NHS and request funding to live in a warmer climate... I can dream. But seriously, once I've finished uni, hoping to maybe short- term move to Valencia and finish this book with Fern then who knows! Getting to grips with Spanish and when I get back, plan on finding a tutor at uni.

As much as I love Brighton and it will always feel an integral part of home, I can't really picture myself moving back there.. Not in the next few immediate years anyway. I love the place, I love the people, the nightlife and the atmosphere, but career-wise, nothing really happens there. Sounds really poncey and profound but Brighton litereally holds no job opportunities unless you're in a band or a DJ, or want to work in the hospitality trade. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVED working at the Tin Drum and met some of the best people ever there (Kat and Ash - adopted sisterhood forever haha!), but unless I set up and run my own bar with Lyd's (definitely an option), can't really see myself moving back there. Maybe when I'm older but not before I try my hand at writing.

So many things have happened out here that I'm not even fully aware of! Unintentionally and I guess, accidentally given up smoking! Know it's only been just over a week and I've done this a thousand times before, but I don't even fancy one and the thought makes me feel a bit ill. Gone past the 3-day crave fest so feeling good about not wanting one. Hoorah! Know more annoying myself when I get pissed and buy baccy then smoke it just for the sake of it. SMOKE FREE ROMY! Let's make it last. Another thing, after Thursday night and having my head stuck down a toilet, (and you're going to love this mum!), after don't know how many years, I actually thought and analyzed al the reasons why I insist on binge drinking and consuming all the vodka in Chestfield. I never really used to drink so much until I properly moved to Brighton, and beleive me, of all the places (apart from Leeds!) Brighton can DRINK. Until Thursday, I hadn't actually puked off alcohol since my first shift at the Tin Drum when me, Ash and Gareth drank a whole bottle of Tuaca between us and Lord knows how I felt the next day, and sure Lydia remembers the smell and state of our bathroom and my bin... But yes, no more appauling booze binging for me because some hungover mornings, actually make me feel like I would rather have my leg chewed off by wild badgers then smell vodka again. **I am very aware that this might sound rich and unrealistic but I've been so content just spending time, reading, writing and thinking. Barcelona was by far, one of the best weeks ever and me and Whiz had such a good time. Guess I'm just relaxed within my life and looking forward to the future and approaching with this hopefully maintained, clear mind-set. Yes, I still know me and recognise I love a pint of cider/double vodka, lime and soda as much as the next (and a line of k/spalsh of MD on special occassions) but all in moderation and not every night to avoid boredom. Amen.

So with all that in mind! let me proceed onto the vague roughness of my new life plan! We have..

- Every intention to work flat out at uni, obtain my first and have fun experimenting with photography. There might be a line of work in there somewhere..
- Possibly move to Valencia and get this book sorted with Fern. Maybe work as an Au Pair as everyone knows how much I love kids and would definitely help promote my language skills.
- Publish our book, maybe fit in a tour inbetween (Sev get working on your credibility and tour managing skills and let's start working for Britney or Mumford!)
- Hopefully, our book will become a roaring success, we'll appear on Jonathon Ross (ha!) and be allowed to focus our talent onto many other projects invovling film and TV (love to experiment with producing/directing and acting. That be sweet!)

And somewhere, in between all of this, I'm going to save the world, get married, buy a house, a goat, a donkey and a llama, and have lots of babies. The End.
Hahaha well that's the plan anyhoo I'l pribably read this back in ten years time and cry my eyes out as I sit, surrounded by cats, in mine and Beki's caravan, off my head on smack, wishing I was on Jeremy Kyle.

Still plan on travelling as much as I can. Think once feeling really confident with my Spanish, South America and the Amazon is definitely on the cards! When money permits, Charlie and I are taking ourselves to LA to find Marissa's beach hut, then onto Hawaii. Thailand, New Zealand, Vietnam.. there's so much I want to see!! Show me the money and I'm getting on that plane lol

Really, really miss Phoebe today. Wish to God this laptop had a camera so I could persuade mum to let me skype her haha Had a really REALLY bizarre dream about our old cat Pepsi last night, anyone remember her? She was white with a black spot and got her stomach cut open on Don Bower's fence one time. Anyone remeber here? What the douche happened to that cat?! Did she die or did we sell her? Random. I think her spirit contacted me last night like Ian did the day that he died (For all of you that didn't know, Ian Curtis hung himself on my birthday and I'm convinced his soul went into me). Ha! Be so good if it had. R.I.P Curtis x legend.

sun, sea and dolphins!

Yo! How's everyone? Today was so so good. Tim had the day off so he took me to the beach about 20mins away from the hotel and ohhh myyy beautiful! Really didn't expect to find anything so gorgeous like it in Gran Can! The water is actually crystal clear and just stunning. Got some cool photos which I'll hopefully be able to uplaod soon but enjoyed a long swim in the ocean and there were wild dolphins! (not within touching distance but they were nearby!!)so surreal and made me want to cry! Tim said that when he went out on one of the boats here, further out, there were flynig fish everywhere - weird! Fish that fly.. that's nearly as scary as daddy longlegs. Some animals just shouldn't have wings!! Anyway, so lovely day at the beach, soaking up the sun and mish mosh. Just going back to the hotel now and Tim's got work 7-12 so I'm gna catch up on my Prison Break, maybe do some washing (just realized you probably don't care or need to know about this!!).

Love you aaaalllllll x

There's not enough blood in my alcohol stream!

Hiiiii urrrgghh... When did it become that Tim was able to drink more than me? Maybe it was the fourth round of vodka jelly shots, jager bombs, or the stupid amount of vodka I consumed but I definitely had my head down a toilet at 4 o'clock this morning. Not pretty. Before then I got myself on stage, danced and sang along to 'It's Raining Men' (why?) and shook my booty to Rhiana's 'Rude Boy'.

Predictably, all the reps out here are absolute pissheads and can drink drink drink! They're all lovely and love a bit of dancing round your handbag! and have been very accomodating and welcomed me into their little gang. I feel very honoured. And hungover.

So how's everything at home? Is the weather still shit or has it got nice again? So hot here.. feel like I'm melting. Check out my tan though! Not bad for 2 weeks work.

Don't really know what plan is today. Have a craving for cheesey chips and beans so that might get sorted soon! Writing a lot whilst I'm out here so will no doubt return to that later. Watching Prison Break, season 1, on T's laptop, remembering all my love for Wentworth Miller. Why does he have to be gay? I actually feel betrayed watching PB. Such a waste. Love and misses to you all as always xxx me and Tim brought PG Tips yesterday and had a cup of tea this morning. Good times.

Wifey pics and Romy Barce things!

a select few from Barcelona!

Have so many more but here are some culture lover ones:

IN GRAN CAN WITH MY PORKCHOP MAN!

Hiiii guys, sorry haven't updated this since I've been here. Today's the first real chance I've had to sit down with internet useage as Tim doesn't get the net in his room so I have to lug his laptop down to a internet cafe whilst he's at work. So! How is everyone? I miss everyone but it's so great getting your emails - loved hearing about Sev's eventful Irish bar night - bet he felt right clarity of mind and rosy the next day!

So Gran Can is the tackiest place I've ever been! Hahaha you all knew I'd hate it, and I do, but it's so good to see Tim and for what it's worth, it's all very tongue in cheek and aware it's a shit hole and the people are lovely, the food's disgusting and the music is awful. Vodka redbull is 1 euro though and I had my first vodka lime and soda last night for 5 euros i got 2 tripples so can't complain!

Tim works ridiculously hard. I didn't appreciate what his job actually entailed and god, I never see the boy! He looks great but heavily exhausted and his hair's gone ever so (worryingly) ginger and he's lost a lot of weight.. He is however, having the time of his life and really really enjoying being on stage every night. Due to being the only straight male rep I know he's also enjoying all the female attention lol (SLAG!) but no, really great to see him and so good to catch up. Like I said, barely get to see Tim but utilising my time wisely, working on mine and Fern's project (going to be immense!), catching up on my reading and soaking up the sun, working on me tannnn. Seriously, never been this brown! You'll be pleased to hear I haven't burnt (properly) ONCE since I've been here! Lather my tats in sun cream several times a day as the sun fades them horribly and I've already lost a bit of colouring in my bird but I am definitely a sexy mocha colour and impressed my skin can take Gran Can heat!

Took a little tour of the island, which I learnt, can fit in the m25, did you know that? Yep, the whole island can be placed in the centre of the m25 and still wouldn't cover it ha! So what is island life like? Hmmm well, first off, mummy would die or be critically ill if she lived here. Think Blackpool in the sun, think Brits, lots of them, all sunburnt wearing a lot of gold jewlry, over-weight, saggy boobs, beer belly flab, bad bad tattooes (a lot of Chery Cole hand ones) and times it by a million thousand AND HERE I AM! haha no it's ok, for what it's worty it's all very self aware and kitsch, knwoing it's awful so people out here make the most so can't complain!

Have so much admiration and respect for Tim - could never do what he does. He wakes up every morning (apart from Wed where he gets a day off, and Sat he only gets the morning off), and is on poolside by 10am-1pm, entertaining the kids, playing table tennis, water polo, whatever with them. Gets 2 hours off for lunch, then back out 3-5pm. 2 hour break then, 7.30-12am he's in the bar hosting the nightlife and performing on stage! Credit to him, he works hard and the shows are really good, he can dance now! haha no, i'm realy proud of my little chop and although wanting to capture him and bring him home, exceedingly proud he's doing what he wants.

One thing I am really bemused at is the fact there are pigeons here.. Now I don't know about you, but flying however many miles, being an hour off the coast of Africa, I didn't really expect to see London sky rats everywhere. And they are EVERYWHERE. Dirty rendels, hate them. There's cockroaches as well apparntly but thankfully I haven't had to encounter one (yet!). If I do, it's going straght down the toilet into a life of a Hell.

So not much else to report. As I mentioned, working hard trying to get mine and Fern's project underway - watch this space! Can't beleive how much everyone smokes out here, or how cheap tobacco is. Haven't had a cigarette since.. I don't know, a week? nearly.. not much but conisdering I'm travelling and quitting as soon as back in Uk! am determined not to but by Goddddddddd I WANT ONE. Shan't do it though, take that most addictive substance known to man! Yeahh..

Standard love and misses to all. Going out tonight with all the hotel reps so will no doubt have some questionable stories to report tomorrow! Hope you're all Ok and keeping England warm for me. Ciao xxxxxxxxxx

last day in Barcelona

And on Gran Can tomrro! Silly excited to be seeing him. This is the longest we´ve been without seeing eachother since we got together when I was 18 so pretty weird to think I´ll be with him this time tomorrow, somewhere on the Canary Islands, near Africa!

How´s all at home? Got a nice email off dad today which made me smile - mum and Sev where are you eh?! I write this blog every bloody day to tell you what I´m upto and I get a poncey email off mum asking me what I´ve done with my rings. Haha i´m joking but not. Get in touch and tell me how my baby´s doing and what´s going on back home.

Spent most of today at the beach, soaking up last of the sun and drinking falvoured water which seems to be the norm out here.. Went shopping for the first time since I´ve been here and found an aaammaazzzing octopus t-shirt which I love, shoes shoes everywhere shoes! Purchased myself some sexy black, beaded flip flops which are niiiicceee and comfy. Loads of postcards I keep on buying, mainly of art but as you know, Spanish art - very classy and aesthetically stunning.

No harassment today apart from one guy on the metro, and hate to jinx it, but so so so glad neither me or Charlie have had anything stolen since we´ve been here. From all the stories we´ve heard, we´ve either been extremely lucky or very very clever. I like to think the latter. One girl turned up at our hostel and had her bag unzipped as soon as she stepped off the train by a randomer. Lots of hearsay of how on the main strip, Las Ramblas, pick pockers walk off with about 3,oooeuros A DAY. Cheeky bastards out here and one of the Sweedish girls who was staying in our room earlier on in the week, one night she was in line outside a club and this guy came up to her and CUT her bag and ran off with it! Literally, cut one of the straps off when it was on her and made off with her purse, camera etc Seeeeee I am responsible really !

All packed and ready to go, so just gna chill in the hostel bar tonight, have one last jug of sangria (even though drunk so much of it out here, the smell of it is starting to make me sick!). Run out of food as well so today´s diet has consisted of mainly chocolate.. definitely putting on weight and deffinitely NOT happy about it! I thought you were meant to lose weight whilst you were travelling? Oh well, maybe I´ll gym it up once in Gran Can. Love xxxxxx

Sober update on what actually occured last night

Whhheeennn will I learn not to go on Facebook drunk? Seriously. The whole world is now aware of the fact I engaged in a full dance off with a bunch of gay men, lost, terribly got owned infront of millions of people and danced like a pony on crack to Blondie and the Spice Girls, knowing, and shouting, all the lyrics. Best thing of course is that I have all the photographic evidence documenting this. Anyhoo, so yes! Razzmatazz! Best. Club. IN THE WORLD. Had such a good night and danced my lil socks off till 7 o´clock this morning when me and Charley staggered home and I threatened to sit outside McDonalds until it opened. Soon realized it was Sunday and McDonalds wasn´t going to be open until Monday so came back to the hostel hungry and ate stale bread and garlic mayonanaise whilst broadcasting my failures on facebook for the whole virtual world to see.

The club itself was the most impressive thing. Spread out over 3 floors, 5 rooms housing pop, electro, r&b (didn´t go in there, sorry Tim), hip hop and i think, punk.. We mainly danced in the pop room and the main electro floor which was INsane. They had stages all around and at one point definitely lost Charlie who I later found twirlling around 6 gay guys - we were actually fag hags last night I hate to say. But but but did interval it when we bumped into LADS ON TOUR stag night from Dublin haha they were lovely and I definitely had a cheeky snog with a Essex boy (sorry mum) but he was preeettttyyyy and smelt nice.

Omg, forgot to say, after being compltely owned on the dancefloor, the main gay guy I was dancing with, we had a hug and laughed it off, shared a cigarette, THEN HE TRIED TO STICK HIS TOUNGUE DOWN MY THORAT! it was the weirdest thing ever and he gave absolutely no warning before hand! Literally, hug. cigarette. TONGUE! and he was so homosexual!!! Couldn´t understand it and freaked me out completely and I ran off, fretting to Charlie that i now had AIDS. Sorry, not funny. The gays really loved us last night though man, we were their queeeeeens!

Considering we got back at 7am, today has more or less been a write off. Did however make it down to the park near our hostel and saw the cutest thing ever - was basically a dog party as loads of owners had conrgated by the river and all the dogs were bundling in the water and chasing eachother. One Doberman was absolutely GORGEOUS and I kept on thinking of Bella as he had her colouring exactly, then I got all emotional thinking about my dead dog and had to stop as delicate hangover mind plus real dead dog issues makes one sad and unhappy Romy.

Talking to Kingsley right now online and he´s informed me he´s got lots of connections spread accross Italy as he´s curretnly lving with two Italiens. SO! With that in mind, looks like I might be editing some of my plans as fly to Valencia 4th June, don´t know exactly how long I´ll be partying it up with Fern but thinking I´ll probably carry on to Seville around 15th June? Kings has his last exam 26th June and then we´re talking of travelling around Italy together until I meet Nina in Croatia for Soundwave.. Superb! Neither me or Kings have been to Italy before, so both desperate to see as much of it as we can and have our own holiday. Plus, haven´t seen the dude for ages and he´s basically my estranged brother so family holiday lol!

Heard lots of people say weather back home is nice - (but not as nice as it is here mwahahhaha)´Can´t wait to get to Gran Can and work on me tan. Wanting to go from my nice tea colour to, as Harry would say, a nice MOCHACINO haha Loveage. xxxx

RAZZMATAZZZZZZZ

Just got back from THE sickest club I´ve ever had the pleasure of going to. 5 rooms,spread over 3 floors, playing beats from the nastiest dub-step, to a pop room playing delights such as Madonna and the Spice Girls. Me and Whiz had a dance off with a groupd of gay men.. no questions asked but they were asking for it haha, got a whole bunch of pictures to upload once I get to Gran Can.

Barcelona is the nuts but could never picture living here. Being away, mkaes me appreciate England in the way that I understand the culture and society gets me - here it´s all drink drink, smoke smoke, letch letch, go party party. Which is good, don´t get me wrong, very similar tp Brighton in it´s Peter Pan ethos but Spanish men again, are far too letchy. Amazing music though and me and Charlie have had the best holiday ever but looking forward to exploring Europe more. Big love to all at home, bad news about Bono but I´m sure heñll live. I want Macdonalds and a cup of tea x

Annoying Germans, letchy, pervy, gross Spanish men, taking pictures of dogs and ice cream

I really really can´t understand Spanish men. After much confusion, just been informed that ´Rubia´ means blonde girl and for some reason, men out here just go crrrazy for blondes. Annoying because Whiz hasn´t had any trouble, but me they just literally STARE and then walk towards me. So creepy but I´ve learnt the best thing you can do is stare back and stand your ground or tell them to f off and luckily, once told, they do but arrrgh I HATE THEM!!!

Group of German kids staying in the room next to us and I know, i´m not generally the biggest lover of Germany in the world but oohhhh dearrr they are so annoying. So loud and accents are so agressive. Really not enjoying their existence right now but doesn´t bother me that much as we´re hardly here but at 3am when you´re trying to sleep you do question killing them individually a lot.

Anyhoo, so as promised and much to my enjoyment, am sampling different ice cream everyday,. Today it was pistachio and hazelnutm yesterday had a vanilla mini milk (because they´re still the best), day before that was a caramel, and day before that was chocolate and almond. Have to say pistachio and hazelnut is so far winning.. yummy! Have also developed a weird craze of buying an avacado daily and eating it whole. Weirds Charlie out but healthy healthy and yummy in my tummy.

Tonight we´re going out to the largest club in Barcelona (holds capacity of up to 5,000 and is spread over 5 rooms on 3 floors!) can´t wait for that. It´s called Razmatazz and aparantly is THE club to go to and girls get in free so all good. The American boys left this morning and have been replaced by 2 guys from New Zealand who seem pretty sweet if a little dull. Hopefully after lots of vodka, red bull they´ll perk up. The measurments out here are brilliant - as a big spirit lover they literally ask you what you want then free pour it until you say stop. Love it! And it might account for my sorry mind state the next day but if only that would catch on in England, know me and Lyd´s would be two very happy Russians :)

Haven´t really got much to report today. Loving Spanish music - everywhere you go, whether it be on the street or in stores, there´s always Spanish instrumental music playing and it´s so lovely and beautfiul, definitely wished we had that in England! Starting to go a really nice brown colour, I know, i actually have a tan haha! God knows what i´m going to be like in Gran Can or Seville as i´ve heard it´s even hotter and in the 30´s there.

Hope everyone´s doing OK back home. Had a really bizarre dream last night that I went to a MGMT concert and Furely was djing as the support act - miss him and hoping to catch him as hé´s travelling around Europe too this summer. Spoke to Matt Fraser randomly yesterday and Oxfrod uni are paying him a grant of 2grand to do a tour of America and research American accordian music! How random and so Matt. He seems good but stressed as has eight 3 hour papers (jeeezus) so glad i´m not having to deal with exams right now! Checked my kent account and my final marks still aren´t up so can´t report back with that.. Told you that Lyd´s is getting deposit back so will sort that out for you Mum. Ermm.. planning on getting my fifth tattoo either in Valencia where Fern or Dan can talk to the artist in Spanish and fully exaplin what I want and make sure I don´t walk out with a Kermit the frog or anything lol

Big love and misses as always, hope everyone´s OK and please email me updates on silly things like what´s happening on America´s Next Top Model because you know I love that. Adios x

Hola Hangover

Arrrgh INTENSE. Firstly, apologies for this update as it´s 6pm and we didn´t get in until 6am, 4 hours sleep, been at the beach all day, littel sunburnt, a million times hungover/dehydrated DESPITE drinking about 6billion litres of water! All good though.

Find the nightlife so weird here - i mean it´s brilliant! but people don´t go out until around 3am and that´s when i´m used to leaving clubs! We went to a bar last night at 12.30 and were the only ones in there. Club at 2.30 and it had just opened and they don´t close until the sun comes out. Anyways, so update on Spanish life - the men out here are appauling and continuing to gross me out with their extreme letching and ´Hi girls!´, come here looks. Even when totally covered up, they stare and perv at anythign below your neck. Still, haven´t been mugged yet or attempted rape so all good.

Daytime fun generallty occurs around 9/10 when people in our room surface and start walking around, visiting places or just going to the beach. Yesterday Charlie and I went to the Gaudi park and then Contemporary Art Museum in the a´noon. Gaudi park was stunning but so bloody hot and full of tourists - was like intense desert heat, Vegas style! Got some good pics though and had a wifey picnic. Have developed weird obsession for Spanish tortilla, as in the omlettes - so good and I don´t want to know how many eggs/calories are in them but yum yum yummy. The museum was great, and saw loads of conceptual work by Sol Le Witt, Donald Judd, some amazing Richard Hamilton pieces and discoverd photography artist Eleanor Antlin (anyone heard of her?) Anyway, I fell in love with this amazing piece she´d done titled ´100 Boots´´. Really beautiful. Forgot to say that I had a little moment in the park when walking through the main open circle bit, as there was a Spanish string group playing Pachelbel Canon - mum would have cried lol so epic. After museum went to ice cream place mum suggested and OH MY GOD. Died and went to Heaven lol thanks for that mum!

There´s 2 American guys from L.A. staying in our room at the mo, who are studying Spanish here so it´s really cool having them around as they´re basically fluent and really funny, laid back. Last night we went out to an ice bar! Everything COMPLETELY made of ice and they gave you these special gloves and jackets - got some brilliant photos but yeah, that was really cool and they were playing funky music we had a little stop to. As i mentioned earlier, find it so weird how late people go out here but we went to this club called Shocola? (i think) and pulled shapes to the weirdest mix of music and had these amazing breakdancers on stage. Really cool place but felt weird coming out at 5am then getting on the metro with sober normal people going to work! Charlie pulled - random guy selling cocaine on the street fell in love with her and had to endure a very drunk charlie lecture on how he should go get a real job, drugs are bad, and he should get back into society LOL he clearly didn´t understand a word she was saying but just stood there smiling at her, trying to stroke her hair. One of the best things i´ve seen ever.

So epic hangover today but the best kind where you know you had a good night and can´t stop eating or drinking. Really looking forward to going and seeing Tim, although recent pics on facebook suggest he may have developed a bit of a drinking habbit hmmmm ?? haha. All my love to people back at home - Mum, i think Lydia´s gettign deposit back of Young Lee so give her a text. It´s also her birthday 1st June so send her 21st brithday wishes. Fern, i´m so sorry I haven´t emailed you honey - that´s my next port of call and what i´m doing now now now! Sev and dad, miss and love you as always and ALL MY LOVE TO DIPPITY DOG! and mum, you´re good too. Love xxxx

Day One

(written last night)

Day One in Barcelona welcomed hot hot hot sun, patchy sunburn on my elbows, thinghs and feet! and a lot of naked boobs, old man penis, and naked flesh in general. One guy was actually walking along the beach completely starkers and had a tattooed bottom - just a complete black, shaded arse - one of the oddest things I´ve seen in my years. Despite regularly attending Glade and Amsterdam visits, and generally living in Brighton.
We started the day off nicely with a ripe sangira hangover, first night in hostel disorientation, free breakfast of some form of oat cereal and warm milk, and went about our day. Staying in a room with 6 other people who change on a daily basis - when we first arrived, we were sharing with 2 american girls who had lengthy drunken discussions about Lady Gaga and The Hills with. Tonight, it was politics and Obama with a strange guy named Alex from Florida. There´s what we think to be a Russian guy, sleeping in the bed above Charlie.. he has lots of tattooes and kind of looks like an escaped convict. Doesn´t speak a word of English (or maybe he does¿!?!). Weirdest thing was today at the beach, amongst all the naked sunbathers, a group of English lads rocked up next to us and guess where they were from? Of all the cities and countries in the world they were from Brighton lol. Here to enjoy the football, lads on tour behaviour, and get drunk in the sun and shag some birds. Charlie hated them but they seemed pretty nice.
Anyways, so began our day wandering aimlessly in what we beleived to be the right direction, towards the Gaudi cathedral, turns out we were wrong but redeemed ourselves! and after much confusion and losing the cathedral once or twice, made it and OH MY GOD. Breathtaking. Sunch intricate detail and sublime structure. I won´t ramble on and bore you with emotional details but fuck me, you´ve never seen anything like it. We went inside and I just wanted to cry. Stunning and a real shame that it´s under construction but I think it´s good that they´re continuing his work.

After the cahtedral and being continuously told not to sit there, and could you please move over there, we hoped on the metro and headed for the beach. AMAZING! Crystal, glitter water, golden sand, and far too many attractive naked sunbathers sprawled everywhere but of course me and Charlie went and joined them! Can safely say I celebrated my coming of age after much "go on i dare you, i will if you will", publicly sunbathing topless haha (stopped immediately as soon as Brighton lads arrived!!) No sunburnt nipples - yes Mum, am using suncream - factor 25). Went fro lunch on a gorgeous terrace stretch right along the beach which reminded me of Tel Aviv in Israel. Tasted my first proper Spanish paella and God was it good (but Charlie did have to decapitate the prawns for me as they came whole and it was a bit too much to handle). Had a beautiful cheesecake and chocolate brownie (me and Whiz did half an half), then we headed on to check out La Ramblas. Busy! But really cool and totally reminded me of a European Brighton. All good except for the freaky life statues and lots of birds kept in cages - not a fan and got really scared that I was going to see a puppy or a kitten and have to leave Spain forever. Brought a 2euro brclet from the market and have decided going to buy a cheap one every place I go ¨) We got the metro back and Whiz brought a Dunkin Doughnut. Back at the hostel and had a quick one hour sleepy - you forget how much the sun drains you! Sitting in hostel bar now, enjoying one endless jug of sangria. Completely blessed by all the facebook love I recieved on my birthday - thank you all, means so much and was really touched by it! So far only thing I´m missing from England is people and Newsagents (you can´t find them anywhere!) and speaking to mum and Phoebe! So brilliant and really enjoying not having a phone but do promise to sort one once I get to Valencia and stay with Fern. Can´t think of anything more to say apart from I miss England but not that much :p and am really, really happy here! Hope everyone´s OK, love and misses xx

SAFE AND SOUND IN BARCELONA

So after much confusion and threat of bloody Iceland ruining our trip, Charley and I made it safe and sound to Barcelona and on Spanish soil. Drunk as pie on our first night - got on the first train that appeared at the airport and luckily it took us within 100 yeard of our hostel where we were greeted by a very nice man with a nose piercing and dreadlocks (babe) HI ANDY PRICE and made our way to room 701. Here we were greeted by 3 american girls, awkward silence... but they turned out to be nice and got us drunk on sangira I´M 211111 bye andry price. Gaudi catherdral 2mz. i love you mum, i´m safe and sound I MISS PHOEBE! lvoe to all and will update when sober xxxxxxxxxxxx