'Ello Guvna, London Part II

All tuckered out after one day in the big smoke, day 2 called for rest and relaxation. Not. In the morning we visited the Borough Markets, which are probably my favourite markets anywhere in the world.  Big call, I know.  After spending an eternity lusting over all the deliciousness that can be found there, I finally settled on having a juice, some fudge, buying a loaf of bread, AND some olives, all whilst Chewy had a cider.  Very, very worth every penny spent!

Next, we scooted across the Tower Bridge and past the Tower, on our way to catch up with an old school friend of mine who I hadn't seen in 10 years.  However, before this walk, and after a lot of food, a big stretch out in the sunshine had to happen first!

How great is catching up with old school friends? After a spot of vegan lunch in Soho, we went to this pub for a drink, and even managed to nab a table outside.  I'm not sure why, but we decided to change venues for drink number 2, and went to the Cafe Boheme down the road, and also in Soho, where many an Aperol Spritz was consumed and a good time was had by one and all!

 

Several hours later, Chewy and I were no longer living in our completely awful hostel (never stay at Smart Hyde Park Inn please), and were staying with our 'new found' friends.  And their gorgeous cats - Derek and Hansel. Donning his stylish new onesie, Chewy and Derek curled up and barely left me any room in the bed.  And this was before Hansel jumped in too.
 

 

Istanbul Take 1

I have so many pictures from Istanbul that I have to put them into a couple of posts.  Istanbul is an incredible city, one of my absolute favourites.  And anyone who knows me knows I'm a country gal and hate cities, so that's a big call!  We visited basically every tourist attraction in Istanbul within the week that we spent there, and still easily could have spent more time there.  The following photos were taken at the Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, various bazaars, and at Gezi Park.  This is/was the site of the political unrest in Turkey, and we had to visit it to see things for ourselves and experience the atmosphere of thousands upon thousands of people demonstrating for something they believed in.  The atmosphere was very moving, although wholly positive, and not once did I feel in danger or uneasy and I was there the night before it got cleared for the last and final time by the police.  The situation now seems to have quietened down a bit, but I thought I'd still share my pictures with you.  Oh and the last one was the cat that lived in our hostel, such a cuddly little guy!

Falafels & Street Musicians in Istanbul

I just have to tell you about the most amazing falafels I have ever tasted.  A little, unassuming shop in Istanbul called Kikero Falafel was the place.  It is in the Galata area of Istanbul, which in itself is just a delight to stroll around as it is the more artsy side of town.  We went there for lunch the first time we were in Istanbul, thanks to a lucky find on Happy Cow, my favourite vegetarian/vegan restaurant finder, and loved it so much that the first thing we did after we came back to Istanbul today was go there.

So we sat on the tiny grassed area outside, and our delicious falafel sandwiches were eyed up by one pretty kitty that came and sat next to us. 

After our amazingly delicious lunch we went for a stroll around the area, and came across these marvellous musicians doing their thang on the street for all to hear.  Such a beautiful day!

PETA Asia-Pacific Internship

I was lucky enough to be offered and internship at PETA Asia-Pacific's offices in Manila, the Philippines. It was such an incredible opportunity, and something I'd dreamt of for so long, that I couldn't wait to get on a plane and head to Manila for 2 months! Before you get worried I'm going to get all 'vegan' on you, I just wanted to share with you some of the adorable animals I met along the way.

Also, here is a link to my internship testimonial blog on PETA Asia-Pacific's website.

The last puppy in the photos is Blaize, he absolutely stole my heart. 

If you want to do something great for these dogs and cats, and help to improve their lives then have a browse through The Pasay Pack and watch the video. That is what I spent my Saturday mornings doing in Manila, and I loved every single second of it. 

Hope you enjoyed the cute doggies and cats!