Notting Hill Carnival

Last weekend was a Carnival weekend, its the biggest street party in Europe, 2nd biggest in the world after Rio, and its absolutely great.
The carnival started taking place in 1965 and even tho it hasn't been short of problems throughout the years, its an even that I highly recommend to def experience London in a unique manner.
For a little more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notting_Hill_Carnival

http://www.mynottinghill.co.uk/nottinghilltv/carnival1.htm

I didn't make it this year, but I have been 3 times before, and although security its a big issue it certaintly doesnt stop anyone to have a fantastic time.Londoners reservations is certainly forgotten about during these 3 days of partying.

Here are some pics I have taken in the past:













Enjoy,

Iz

Malta- beautiful, friendly, relaxing...

Spent 5 days in Malta with B back in July,really nice break from London life.
Malta is a small country in the med, made of 3 islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino, their currency is the lira and its actually stronger than the pound(dont see that much), its a gorgeous place filled with history and very friendly people
Here are some pics....

Popeyes Village
Elephants head
window to eternity
view of valletta
Blue Lagoon


Speak soon,

Iz

ps- apologies for the terrible stiching job with the panoramic pic!!!!

SONNET XVIII,Shakespeare

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed,
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,
Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st,
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Iz

ps-pic taken in Portugal in '05

Where is home??

I just came back from Portugal a couple of days ago, I spent a week there with B.
It was so fantastic taking B with me to Portugal.
It was good to catch up with a few people, it was good to be there, enjoy the fantastic weather, enjoy the great food, definitely great to see my brother.

And it was obviously sad to leave..

This trip was not short of little problems,the worst one being accommodation- we were meant to stay with a friend of mine, but her house was a building site, so that didnt really happen(story too long to explain), so I found myself in a situation where I felt like a tourist in my own country, after calling quite a lot of places we eventually found a guest house to stay for a few nights which just meant that most of supposed spending money was for accommodation.
At one point, I felt that once my brother is sorted out and comes over I wont really have any reason to go Portugal anymore.

Its home because I lived there all my life and I love the country,but there's nothing there for me any longer. When I get there, I find myself calling London home.

So.. where is home??? I guess London is home..although Portugal will always be "home" because its part of who I am, its runs in my blood - many a time people tell me I def have a temper of a Med/latino person - and I love the country, but at this point in time London is my home and B and all the friends I've made here(some still around and some already gone) are my family.

Iz
xx