out and about :: 24 hour holiday

Why is it that when you most need a holiday, you’re least able to take one? Without any money or time on my hands, and with London Design Festival looming large, I decided I needed a break – even if it was just a little one, even if it was just a 24 hours. So I packed my bags and boarded a train, a ferry and an old fashioned tube train to Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. I left my laptop behind and I switched off my phone – no emails, no twitter, not even a sneaky little instagram for 24 whole hours. And what a difference a day makes… I highly recommend it (even if I did feel compelled to turn it into a blog post when I got back!)

Images top to bottom, left to right…

• The Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth from the ferry as we left mainland England (well, it’s not a holiday without a boat!)
• The monolith that is the Cliff Lift was originally built as a hydraulic lift in 1891 and connects the seafront with the old town – otherwise only accessible by walking up a very big hill!
• I loved these colourful tables and chairs set against the wooden floor and painted grey walls – a little bit of Scandi style in Shanklin.
• The beach looked gorgeous in the morning light – so gorgeous in fact I was in the sea before breakfast – and very quickly out again, it was freezing!
• I loved the old fashioned deck chairs with the little sun hoods and was seriously tempted to pop a few in my suitcase!
• And finally, the Spinnaker Tower again signalling our journey home.

And the best bit? I came home feeling inspired and refreshed and my inbox was just as empty as I’d left it!

Further reading for the especially geeky:

• out and about :: helsinki architecture
• out and about :: rakennetaan puutarha (let’s build a garden)
• out and about :: helsinki design district
• out and about :: helsinki