Welcome to the start of another new week! In England today was supposed to be a big day (you can read about it in my London Lockdown post) but as that’s on hold lets talk about something a bit more positive. June 21st marks the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere meaning today is the longest day of the year in terms of daylight. It also means spring has come to an end and the start of summer.
Thus I have gone through my photos and made a list of my favorite moments from March 21st 2021 to June 21st. I was pleasantly surprised how many things I already shared with you including the COVID Wall, our trip to the tulip festival, our weekend in Derbyshire, the opening of Eataly London, the wisteria in bloom, the forest at Somerset House, the Biddulph Gardens, and even our long weekend in the Lake District. So many lovely things so today I wanted to 12 more most of which have not been seen on either the blog or Instagram. It was hard to decide how many to feature in today’s post so I decided on 12 highlights of the last 12 weeks:
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One of the highlights of Spring 2021 was a visit to the Barbican Conservatory. This magical indoor rainforest is in the heart of London and I was surprised how pretty this leafy sanctuary is, such a gorgeous tropical place even on a rainy and overcast day!
A few times this Spring I have ridden my bike the 8-miles to Greenwich Park, it is a gorgeous spot with an amazing view of London. I have biked their both for fun and for a work meet up as I am not allowed back in the office yet, such a pretty view for a meeting!
On May 26th I received the second dose of the COVID vaccine and practically shouted it from the rooftops! Here in the UK they are not different rules or benefits for those who are vaccinated but I hope things will start to happen soon!
At the end of the March we decided to take a day trip down to the South Coast and visited Dover Castle on our way to the Cliffs of Dover.
I have taken my love of wine to the next level and in May took the next level, literally. I took the WSET Level 1 Award in Wines course, a beginner level introduction to wine suitable for those starting a wine career or pursuing an interest in wine. I passed the final exam and am thrilled to start my Level 2 course this Summer!
Until the end of May most things were still closed so Mark and I continued our tradition of long walks (think 10+ miles). Our adventures have taken us to so many of our favorite spots in London including Tower Bridge and Shoreditch!
On our way up to the Lake District for the Bank Holiday weekend we stopped at The National Trust’s Little Moreton Hall. This is a spot Mark’s Mom had told us about and I will be featuring a whole post on this iconic 15th century Tudor manor house soon!
Mark has two nieces and a nephew who live only an hour away but we have not been able to see them much in the past year due to COVID. Thus I was thrilled we were able to see them twice this Spring – once in a large park and once for Isabella’s 6th birthday.
While the Queen is at Windsor Castle a few weeks ago Mark and I got tickets to see some her paintings called The Masterpieces at The Queen’s Gallery located near Buckingham Palace. And if that was not enough on Friday I was lucky enough to get a ticket to the Exclusive Guided Tour of the State Rooms which was incredible!
I got to spend Easter with my future in-laws at a beautiful stately home. It was a chilly day but it was so nice to meet them half way and have an afternoon exploring the gorgeous grounds!
My Spring 2021 could also be described as the season of the lululemon Ear Loop Face Mask. Over the past few months my collection is now up to half a dozen so I can make sure they can be washed frequently and because they are from a fitness brand they are very breathable!
And last but not least to round out this recap Mark and I went up to Cambridge this past weekend and this is what I caption the photo below on Instagram: I may not be on the straight and narrow but “we are what we believe we are” said one of the most famous graduates of this university, C.S. Lewis, and today I believed I could punt. True, Mark was the driver for 90% of our time on the river today but I’m proud to say I did not fall in or crash our boat and I will call that a win.
How was your Spring 2021?
My Royal Ascot Attire
Spinning at Home
Snapshots from a Sunny London Tourist Weekend
Canadian Showcase at London Fashion Week
TAMMY says
Wow you did a lot despite the UK lockdowns. I see you are working on a wine career too. Awesome. As for vaccine Boyfriend wants $100K (USD) from the US government upfront before he takes the vaccine. He just upped it from $50K. Next month if no takers its $250K. He is scared of needles. His logic is if there is a lottery to win $5 million just to get vaccinated, then he should get paid too. He wants to make sure if something happens to him that I am protected because you can’t sue if something goes wrong.. Great Boyfriend. I am doing the same for him. Our jobs are offering $100 gift cards to get the vaccine. He laughed at it. Also he is a biotech investor and he knows it takes a long time for a vaccine to go to market. I love the Cambridge boat photo. That is so awesome.