Recipe for a good week: pretty sights, good company and Christmas cheer!

The next couple of weeks are going to be crazy for me (and I am sure for everyone else, too- it is that time of year!) But as if Christmas and New Years Eve isn't always busy enough, I am also doing a lot of travelling as of this Friday. I was thinking about it this morning, and I realised that between now and the New Year, I will travel to Newcastle, then to London, then to France (a spontaneous trip that I booked last week and am VERY VERY excited about!), then back to London, then to Conway in Wales, then to Newcastle again...Wow. I am very excited but I am also very stressed this week! I have a lot to organise... but not to worry- nothing a good 'to-do-list' wont fix! 

I probably wont get a chance to blog during all that, but I will try! For now though, I wanted to post a few nice photos I took recently in Sunderland...

While on a 'hung-over walk' last week (something I often do with Sascha to make ourselves feel better after a big night out) we stumbled across this little area full of street art. I didn't have my camera with me at the time, so during the week I went for a run to the same place to take some photos.

There are some really beautiful pieces there! Street art is something I will always have a huge appreciation for... 

This one is the most impressive, I think... the photos don't really capture how intense this painting looks
in real life!

Another bunch of pretty photos from Sunderland! Last week I wanted to get up early and run to the beach to watch the sunrise. I was happy that Sascha wanted to join me, because most of the run was in the dark. Plus, we were so exhausted from running so far in the morning before breakfast, that we ended up walking back to Clanny house- so it was nice to have some company for the long walk home!

I was a little bit disappointed because there were so many clouds that the sunrise was mostly blocked from view. But we did get a few minutes of it bursting through the clouds, and it was beautiful- again, the photos do not do it justice!

It was so quiet out there so early in the morning! The sky was slightly pink and the water was clam...it was really pretty. I do want to do it again- hopefully next time there will be less clouds! 

This is the tiniest mobile home I have ever seen! It is parked on the footpath!
Sascha and I loved it so much- and then we saw that it was for sale- 2500pounds...
If only we both had some extra cash in our bank accounts! Still, it was fun to talk about what we could
do if we really could afford it! That would be the life for me!

Money is running low these days...especially after my last minute decision to book a trip to france! So I have had to be pretty cheap when it comes to grocery shopping. But I still refuse to eat like a typical poor student, haha!
Cucumbers and beans don't cost a fortune!

Another nice photo of my beloved Sunderland! This one was taken last week when I went for a run at
about 3pm...it gets dark so early here!!!!

A few weeks ago I received some Christmas presents in the mail- but I didn't open them because I wanted to save them for Christmas day. But after booking all my buses, trains and planes for over the Christmas and New Year period, I decided that I didn't want to cart all those presents around with me in my luggage! So last week, after Beth's Mum sent me a mini Christmas tree for a present (bless her! how sweet!) I scattered all my little presents out underneath it and had an early Christmas morning! I got some lovely things from my Mum and Dad, as well from my Grandy and Grumpy. So nice of them all to think of me- I know I will be thinking of them on my first Christmas away from home!

Saturday night was our last ever cocktail night! We have had to start saying goodbye to people lately- a lot of the Germans and Americans are going home this month, so we decided to have one last cocktail party in our flat! They have always been the best nights, and this one was probably the best of them all!

On Saturday morning I woke up at 6am to decorate the kitchen to surprise my housemates (as well as have the kitchen looking festive for the party that night!)

This was the end result- it looked really pretty...but they kept falling down on people's heads! Also, I found that there was no need for me to have done all this at 6am- no one even woke up or saw it until about midday! But oh well, I felt like a little Christmas elf doing all this early in the morning...in my onesie...with Christmas songs playing on my iPhone... I am such a Christmas nerd!!!!

As I said, the party was a big success. A few people dressed up in festive attire (me included, of course) and I think we fit about 40 people into our tiny kitchen! It was a very good night, and a good way to end the semester with all the friends we have made!

Then yesterday it was time for another 'family dinner' at our favourite Newcastle restaurant! It was about the 5th or 6th time I had been there, and I finally decided to branch out and not order my 'usual' meal! (can I also just quickly mention that the waitress actually said to me 'you look familiar, do you come here a lot?' Hahaha...embarrassing!) I ordered the Crab Linguine...which was not in any way a disappointment! BUT...I will say it was still not as good as the one my Grandy makes back home! 

I also enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine, which went really well with the meal. Once again, it was nice to have some good quality food surrounded by good friends. I found myself sitting back and looking around at the company I was in with both happy and sad feelings. I will truly miss these people, but I have to remember that the world is a small place these days, and I know I have made some lifelong friends that I will see again one day!