The big 100!

Today is a momentous day.

We discovered that Scotland as a whole wants to stay in the UK but with a substantial minority expressing discontent. The rhetoric is that everything will change, I've yet to be convinced...

This is also my 100th blog post.

Shankhill Road (Jan 2013)

It all began 3 and a bit years ago, during my MA when the interesting things I was discovering and thinking about wouldn't fit inside essays, so I wrote about them here. My first ever post here, was all about car gears and families. Perhaps I was an eccentric child.

Camino (June 2011)

Since then I'm on job number three, and living a mere 51.5 miles from where this story began. I've lived up to my adventurous moniker having visited 8 different countries and more than 14 cities across Europe - always returning to London with all that it has to offer.

St Paul's (Jan 2014)

I've mused on whether Santa is racist, if social media is bad for us, the masterful work of Luke Leighfield and Susan Abulhawa, and if we really need vision to experience the world around us.

Llanthony Castle (Sept 2012)

My most popular post to date is My Berlin Diaries II, with Offa's Dyke and a review of Skyfall coming in a close 2nd and 3rd illustrating that my travel diaries are your favourites.

Berlin (Sept 2013)

Predictably most of you are from the UK, but then the US and Russia follow next. Whilst I knew I had German readers I was surprised to find many page views from Eastern Europe, Ukraine, Latvia etc. So 'hi' if you are from those places, I hope you enjoy what you find here.

It turns out that 2014 has been a prolific year for me, completing a third of the content for this blog. I really am surprised by that fact. At least perhaps it has kept me in the habit of writing if nothing else!

I've no plans to stop just yet, the adventure is only just beginning!

Yours,

Adventurous Wilkinson

Venice, August 2014

Janvier

As ever I've been up to loads of stuff and not spending very long typing. I did so many things in December that I actually spent a whole week in my pjs not moving just to recover!

Exciting changes include: turning 25 (I went to a salsa bar and drank so many tequilas that my basic step was a sight to behold!), leaving one job (sob!sob!), but starting a new one (hurrah!) and all the wine and books I got for Christmas. I also attended a charming wedding and squeezed in time to visit Germany one last time this year (might tell you about that soon). Yeah I know! I'm obsessed!

(zumba parties, avignon, berlin and my 25th!)

Before moving on to a review of one of the many books I've come into contact with this season I thought I'd just pause and reflect on the last year. By my blog-posts alone I have been incredibly fortunate; look at all those holidays, books and plays. And they are only the experiences that have made the cut. That is to say nothing of the long-weekends, the weddings, the private views and the DMCs enveloped under a blanket of stars! 2013 has been pretty decent, here's to an equally solid 2014!

(Little Face by Sophie Hannah, oh wow!)

Little Face - Sophie Hannah
Little Face was one of the world book night titles of 2013 and was handed to me box-fresh by a friend in October. I have to say I remained unmoved by the cover for quite some time so didn't discover it until a wintery morning under the covers when I devoured the opening 50 pages in one sitting. This book is so gripping I stayed up to finish reading it last night, I admit I paused for Sherlock, but I am human! Its a sensational page-turner about a child abduction. Something terrible in the context of somewhere very luxurious. I liked the way she plays with time, unafraid to jump between weeks as the chapters progress. I was amazed at the way she sort of grabbed me by the jugular and kept me involved, the suspense was incredible. It would make a great two-parter BBC drama. Its a little bit dark and has so many last minute twists but I loved it! Plus she mentioned ASNAC for extra geek points!

Hoping to be back later in the week to talk you through my observations from Aachen but many other things to do first! So we'll see!