Kinsale: Ireland's Cutest Village

This is the next stop I would like to share with you from my road trip in the autumn. Kinsale was one of your first stops along the Irish coast line. 

It is located in the south of Ireland, not far off Cork. 

What makes Kinsale particularly special is how colourful the town is. All houses are painted in different, bright colours, and you won't find one boring one. Ones that have less colour on the façade are then decorated with lots of flowers or embellishments. This whole meticulous appearance leaves the impression of a very neat and well-kept town.

Paired with the numerous cobblestone walls, the colours in Kinsale really accentuate the town and make it a joy to walk through these streets.

Kinsale was literally one of the cutest places we visited. It is a small village, but built in a way that you can always turn around one corner and discover something totally new. Still, it is easy to walk everywhere, and it won't take you much time.

We passed so many special and individual stores: cafés, bookshop, a café in a bookshop, art supplies, kids' wear, jewellery, and anything else you can imagine. Looking at the windows of all these local shops made walking through the town centre even more interesting.

For lunch we then frequented one of the nice cafés we saw during our stroll through the centre. The Lemon Leaf Café made for a great experience, and that's why I'd love to point it out especially.

It is such a cute café, decorated nicely and the staff was incredibly friendly and hospitable. We felt really comfortable there, and had a lovely lunch.

Their sandwiches are really a great choice! With both wholegrain and white bread, you can have lots of different kinds of sandwiches. The one I had was wholegrain with avocado, lettuce, cheese, home-made mayo and ham. It was served with a side of sweet potato and beetroot crisps.

In addition to the great sandwiches, the selection of cakes is also worth a try. Me and my friends all opted for different ones, and weren't able to decide which one was the best. In the picture shown is a walnut coffee cake, but I can also really recommend the carrot cake, banoffee pie and cheesecake.

I have to say that I can definitely recommend you go check out Kinsale should you ever find yourselves in the area. It's not big, but it makes for such a pleasant afternoon stay that you can't miss it!

Has anyone of you ever been there?
xx, Misch

A Budget Traveller's Guide to Amsterdam

Today's post is first of all my excuse for being so inactive recently. I went on a city trip to Amsterdam, and now I would like to share some travel tips with you guys.

Travelling on a budget isn't always easy, because there's so many factors that need to be paid for: accommodation, transport, activities, food, and the likes. But with a bit of research and the willingness to accept somewhat low standards, it's definitely possible.
Let me say straight ahead that when I travel, I don't have high expectations as I mostly go for the cheapest versions. That's a compromise I'm willing to make, because especially when you're young, it's well worth the money you're saving and therefore able to spend on something else. Just be warned that the level of comfort might be below what you usually go for.

Now, let's talk about Amsterdam!

First of all, how do you get there? You (pretty much) have 4 possibilities: with your own car, via bus, via train or via plane. What to choose depends on where you're coming from. Living overseas doesn't give you much of a choice, but when you're travelling within Europe, I can highly recommend going by bus, as it's the cheapest alternative. The one we took was from megabus.com, and it went all the way from Munich to Amsterdam, with stops in Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Cologne, Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Downside: many stops equals a long driving time, 16 hours in our case. Upside: incredibly cheap with 20€ to get there, and 25€ for the ride back, as it was on the weekend. Plus, it was surprisingly comfortable for the price, and we were able to get some sleep.

Amsterdam has plenty of hostels to stay at. Hostelworld.com helps you find them, and we picked the Central Station Hostel. Located perfectly within the city centre, everything is in walking distance. The rooms are fine with bunk beds and a bathroom ensuite. You have lockers and free wifi, and very helpful staff. We paid 9,99€ per night for a 10 bed mixed dorm, a price you really can't complain about. Be aware that weekend and holiday rates are quite a bit more pricey, so go during the week if you can!
One thing you need to know about this hostel is that they have very steep stairs that you have to climb to get inside, they're almost as steep as a ladder.

When thinking about what to do in Amsterdam, we first of all decided on which major tourists sights to see and what activities to do. Unfortunately, most of them are quite expensive. Also, since lots of people want to see these places, it's worth going rather early during the day. Here's what we saw and did. and how we liked it:

Van Gogh Museum: a must if you're a fan of the painter. It's a very nice museum, very well-structured and not overwhelming. Admission: 15€ if you're 18 or older. I liked it a lot and think it was worth spending the money, but you definitely have to be a fan of Van Gogh's work to enjoy it thoroughly.

Rijksmuseum: it's the national museum, and quite a big one. Contains various types of artwork, but not too much of modern things. Great exhibitions on the Dutch golden age in the 17th century. Lots of Rembrandt, Rubens and Vermeer. Admission is 17,50€ for adults, but if you're still 18, you can enter for free. That's why we did it, but I don't think I would pay the full price. If you like to have a look at the stunning interior, though, you can simply go in and look around without buying a ticket. There's also a café.

Anne Frank House: this is something you really shouldn't miss. Shows Anne Frank's hiding situation and lots of background information in the actual house they hid in. It's not made in a depressing way, but wholly honouring and thought-provoking. Admission: 9€ for 18 and older.

Coster Diamonds: Amsterdam is well-known for its diamond factories. Coster Diamonds is the oldest, and you can take a free tour through the building to see diamond cutting and learn different facts. The biggest part of the building is the shop where you can buy anything you wish for. The tour wasn't exactly long and somewhat rushed, but it was interesting nonetheless. And free!

Canal Cruise: a canal cruise is a great way to get an overview of the city's main places and sights, and be told some interesting facts by the guides. Also it makes for a different perspective to see everything from the water. At the Rederij Plas we paid 9€ for a cruise, and it was about 55 minutes long. With different places, prices can range between 9 and 16€.

Flower Market at the Singel: a great flower market that is partly built over the water of the canals. Lots of beautiful flowers to see, though at this time of the year they mainly had tulip bulbs there. Still, worth a visit, and it takes place every day.

Bicycle touring: Just like the whole of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is a great place for cycling. You can rent bikes at lots of places, and prices are something around 6€ for 3 hours and 9€ for a full day. Rent-a-bike is located directly next to the hostel I mentioned above, and the bikes are also equipped with 2 locks. There are bicycle paths throughout the whole city, but at the road management can be a little hard to understand at first. Don't go to fast and always check for pedestrians and cars to be save! Something that is also great fun is cycling in Vondelpark.

This concludes the main activities we did during our time in Amsterdam. Other than that, I can really recommend just to go out and walk around. You can see so many interesting things, and the houses along the Grachten are the best things. They always look great, whether it's day or night. What's especially great at night is that you can see inside many buildings because of the huge illuminated windows. Lots of fun, I promise! And you can always discover new spots, it doesn't get boring fast.

Next, let's talk about food.
The main Dutch supermarket chain is called Albert Heijn, and you can find some stores downtown. They have a great selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, baked goods and snacks. Something I can highly recommend is their selection of freshly squeezed juices, called Versgeperst, as well as the smoothies. Had some every day because they were so good! And also not too expensive, around 2€ for 500ml. Generally, food is not too expensive.

If you want to eat out, there are many cute cafés to choose from. We didn't go to any actual restaurant but rather did late lunches in those cafés.

The first one I'd like to recommend is called Toastable, and it's located in the souterrain at the Singel. A very cute place, very cosy and with lovely staff. To eat, they mainly have sandwiches and soup to choose from. Prices range from 5 to 8€. Warm drinks are about 2-3€. What you can see in the picture is a wholegrain sandwich with brie, tomatoes, bacon and a honey-mustard-mayonnaise.

Next up I have Vegabond to introduce to you guys. which is located at the Leliegracht. Totally vegan, and not only a café but also a place to buy all kinds of vegan groceries. Their wraps and sandwiches cost between 5 and 6€, and warm drinks are around 2-3€. What I had was a wrap filled with apple, cucumber, dates, spinach, tempeh and vegan mayonnaise.

The last café I have to show you is called Ree7, and located at number 7, Reestraat. Its selection of meals is a bit bigger, including not only sandwiches but also different salads and other small meals. Their prices are a bit higher, at 7-9€ for a sandwich, and 4-5€ for cakes and pies. It's at the upper limit, but we still enjoyed our lunch there. The interior is very cute. I had wholegrain sandwich (which was more of a roll) with avocado, rocket, tomatoes, parmesan, chicken and onions, as well as an apple pie.

Generally, the selection of cute and more alternative cafés is huge, and you can find many lovely places a bit off the main tourist areas. In those, you can find any type of fast food and take away place you can imagine, and also not too over-priced. Amsterdam is also famous for its fries, which you can order with many special dressings.

If you're looking for another obvious fact to go to Amsterdam, it's the fact that marijuana is legally sold here. I didn't try it, but you can smell it at every corner of the city, at any time of the day. It's not hard to come by and, should you be interested, easy to try in the various coffee shops.

I can highly recommend for you to travel to Amsterdam. It is a lovely city with many great things to see. The Dutch are incredibly friendly and helpful, and you're sure to have a good time. It's not hard to enjoy yourself even when travelling on a budget, because the possibilities are endless. It might not be your cheapest city trip ever, but it's more than affordable. And so worth it! I loved it there, and will most certainly go back.

Has anyone of you ever been to Amsterdam? And how do you manage to travel on a budget? Let me know!
xx, Misch

Review: Catrice Eyebrow Set

Today I'd like to talk about a product I've been trying for a couple of weeks now.

This is Catrice's Eyebrow Set.

It comes in a little black box. Once you open the lid, you have a mirror in the top part and two colours of eyeshadow for your eyebrows. You can then also pull out a little drawer on the bottom which contains a tiny double-ended tool with an angled brush and a spoolie on the other, as well as small tweezers.
The set is available as part of Catrice's permanent line, and retails for 3,95€. It contains 4g of product.

The eyeshadows are both of a matte brown shade, the top one lighter than the bottom one. At first they looked a little grey-ish to me, but that only comes from them being more ashen than red-toned. Which is actually a very good thing, because it will look very natural with any kind of brow.
The texture of the shadows is very smooth and silky, and they have a nice colour pay-off.

Both tools are actually quite useful. They are very small, and therefore not the best ones ever in terms of handling, but they work fine. Especially on travels, when you don't have the space to pack a lot of extra things, they can definitely do a sufficient job. On a daily basis, however, I prefer to use my specific tools.

I really enjoy doing my eyebrows with this set. What I especially love is that you can mix the colours according to your needs and wants, and are therefore not limited in the amount of different looks you can do.
I personally also prefer eyeshadow for my brows over eyebrow pencils, because they stay a lot longer for me and look more natural. And this set is everything I want and need! It has variety, tools for an emergency, is small and handy as well as inexpensive. What's not to love?

Has anyone of you tried this set? What do you think?

xx, Misch

Movie Review: The Imitation Game

Time for another movie review! This week, I saw The Imitation Game.

The Imitation Game is based on the real story of British mathematician Alan Turing, who is employed to decipher the code the Germans use for all major communication during the second world war.
It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, and, as the female lead, Keira Knightley as Joan Clarke.

The movie begins with a narration from Benedict Cumberbatch that appears to be addressing all viewers directly. He urges to listen and watch closely, and pay attention. At the same time, we learn that we are in 1951, and the police are inquiring about a robbery in Alan Turing's home. Alan dismisses them, and they suspect him of keeping a secret.
After a jump back in time, Alan is shown at his job interview in Bletchley Park in 1939. He behaves unintentionally funny and inappropriate, but soon convinces the Commander that his advanced skills as a mathematician are much needed for the classified task, which is to decipher the German Enigma code. Alan is accepted into the team of five others, who have to work against time in order to help the Allies win the war. The combination possibilities for this code are of such a huge number that deciphering it appears to be impossible.
After a unsuccessful start, Alan is put in charge of the group and finds a new valuable team member in Joan. At the same time he conducts that to solve a machine's code, he will have to build his own machine, which he lovingly calls Christopher. He is not believed to succeed, and has to experience a couple of heavy set backs. All the while we learn through flashbacks and flash-forwards what happened in Alan's past and shortly after the war. While still working to crack the code, Alan and Joan become close friends and eventually agree to marry out of convenience. In the meantime Alan's homosexuality is revealed.
It takes a long time, but eventually they figure out how to decipher the German code. In the overwhelming feeling of victory Alan remains rational and explains they cannot simply prevent every German attack in the future. That would obviously lead to the Germans learning that their code had been cracked, which they could not let happen. From then on, the cracking of the code is being kept a secret, and which attacks to prevent and which not is decided on the basis of statistics and probability.
Even after their glorious success, Alan's homosexuality is discovered and he is made to undergo hormonal treatment, a fate Alan accepts rather than prison, because it means he can still continue his work. The treatment slowly devastates and wrecks him, and Alan commits suicide about a year after the beginning of his treatment.
The viewers are then informed about how Alan was one of many who had to undergo such procedures when homosexuality was still considered a crime, and at the same time how valuable Alan's work was not only for the ending of World War II, but also modern science, as his machine was one of the first models of modern computers.

During the whole movie, jumps in time are used to give the viewer a more complex and varied way of learning about everything that happens. They are very comprehensible and make the story more detailed.
Especially learning about Alan's past makes one understand his character traits a lot better. Early bullying as well as the discovery that he was different shaped his personality. The death of his close friend during his youth, and how rational and repressing he reacts is shown in a great way, and evokes a lot of sympathy for his character.
In addition to that, scenes of actual war recordings are included in the movie to give a lot of authenticity. It is easy to forget what they are actually dealing with when simply being secluded at Bletchley Park, but those little scenes make it a lot more real and dreadful.

What definitely has to be kept in mind with this movie is that it dramatises historic events, and does not always stay true to the definite facts. Important parts of history are being omitted, which is very understandable with the in some ways limited possibilities of a movie and the criteria the story has to match. Nonetheless, it is based on very real events.
What I find shocking is that in all the ways World War II is being taught at school, Alan Turing is mentioned almost never. The tragic story that was his life is something that should not be neglected when talking about the events of the war in my opinion, as he influenced not only that, but many other areas as well.

Some critical voices find this movie to be too patriotic, but I definitely disagree with that. Of course, Alan working for his country during the war and the victory he achieves for them can't help but be patriotic in a way. But in the end, it is that same country that turns against him and ultimately forces him into suicide. This being shown definitely makes you reconsider the patriotic aspect.

I was incredibly touched by the movie, and it made me cry at several points. On the other hand, it also made me laugh quite often. The emotions varied all film long, and were not one-sided at all. A whole spectrum of feelings is shown and at the same time evoked in the audience.

The film captures your attention and makes you forget everything else around you. It would have taken a lot for me to take my eyes off the screen for even a moment, that's how captured I was. 

It's not only moving but also full of suspense. The race against the time, their need to figure out the code; it's very thrilling and exciting. 

The tragedy of Alan Turing's story is told in such a heart-wrenching way that it quite literally makes you rejoice as he does, and also ache as he does. It is very inspiring and makes you think. The whole audience was deeply impressed by the story and the portrayal, and at the end, everyone even clapped. It was the first time that I ever experienced something like this, the audience clapping after a movie, and I walked out of there, and felt ready to cry more. 

Benedict Cumberbatch plays Alan Turing as a very nuanced person, who is brilliant in his topic of expertise, but then lacks personal skills in other ways. A lot of scenes are full of comedy caused by his ignorance and oblivious behaviour towards other people. His arrogance doesn't make you like him any less, though. On the contrary, he is this extremely precious person whom you can't help but sympathise with. His life story is incredibly tragic, which is very well portrayed by the movie.
Joan, as depicted by Keira Knightley, is also a very interesting character. She is very strong and does not dumb herself down at all. In an all-male environment she proves herself to be worthy of the position, and does not let anyone tell her differently, even in a time when feminism was far from developed. Her character develops a lot during the movie, and leaves her being a person who knows what she wants and who is not afraid to put herself first.

Both actors have received an Oscar nomination for their work in this movie, in addition to six other categories the whole film is nominated for, including best picture, best directing and best screenplay. These nominations and in any case an actual win are highly deserved in my opinion. The movie had everything that a very good one needs. It's very moving and touching, is acted superbly and tells a inspiring and important story. People should know about his life and the way he was treated, it's a story to be spread, and luckily that's exactly what the movie does.

Has anyone of you seen The Imitation Game?

xx, Misch

Loch Shiel: the lake where the magic happens

When we were in Scotland, we of course had to visit a couple of the famous lochs located all over the western part of the country. One on the list was Loch Shiel, which is not far from Fort William.

On the northern end of the loch, where we went, you can have a nice view down the lake. You can walk all the way down to the water and along the shore.
Right by the loch there's the Glenfinnan Monument, a very popular monument depicting a highlander in a kilt on top of a tower.

Just a couple of metres away from the loch there's a visitor centre and a trail leads up a hill. After a walk of maybe five minutes, you reach the top of the hill and have a wonderful look down on the lake and the surrounding area.

What you can also see from the hilltop is the Glenfinnan Viaduct. It is a railway viaduct to which you can also walk. It is about another 10 minutes or so into the country, and you can walk right to the foots of the columns. You have a better overview, though, if you stand a little elevated.

On thing that makes Loch Shiel so special to us, and made it a must-see on our list, is that it's the place where Hogwarts is situated. The Great Lake in the movies is Loch Shiel! And the Glenfinnan Viaduct is the way the Hogwarts Express takes to get to the castle.
When we were standing there, it was so simple to imagine Hogwarts there on the side of the lake, or to see Buckbeak flying over the water. It is a very magical place!

Even if you're not a Harry Potter fan, Loch Shiel is definitely worth a visit. We saw the scenery in the autumn, around the middle of October, and it was breathtaking. The leaves in the woods that surround the top of the lake made everything so colourful, which makes for a stunning effect. It's incredibly beautiful and very calm and peaceful. I loved it there! Especially because we went in the late afternoon, which meant that pretty much nobody but us was around.

The loch has a fantastic mirror effect, which adds to the beauty of it. Seeing everything reflected in the water gives the whole scenery a symmetry that is very pleasing for the eye. And it makes it look so much more magical and inspiring.

I can highly recommend seeing Loch Shiel. It's such a pretty loch, and it has to be my favourite of those we saw. It being a Harry Potter filming location only is an added bonus!

Have any of you ever been there?
xx, Misch

NOTD: Essie - Cute As A Button

Today I'd like to show you Cute As A Button by Essie.

Cute As A Button is a coral-toned pink shade. It's bright enough not to be considered a pastel, and has a very glossy creme finish. In reality it is a little less pink than in the picture.
Its consistency is very jelly-like, making for a visible nail line when wearing it. It's patchy with the first coat, but looks great with the second. If you don't mind to have some nail line showing, you can definitely leave it at 2 coats.

Cute As A Button is one of my favourite shades because it's a lot of fun to wear, but still not obnoxiously bright. It is part of Essie's permanent line.
You can also see me wearing it here with a Paisley nail art design.

Does anyone of you own this nail polish?

xx, Misch

Movie Review: The Theory of Everything

Here's my review of the latest movie I've seen: The Theory of Everything.

The Theory of Everything is a dramatic biopic portraying the life of Stephen Hawking and his relationship with his first wife, Jane Wilde Hawking. It is based on the book "Travelling to Infinity - My Life With Stephen" which Jane has written.

It stars Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking and Felicity Jones as Jane Hawking. 

The movie begins with the first encounter of Stephen and Jane at Cambridge, and shows how their relationship evolves while Stephen is trying to find a topic for his doctoral study. Soon he learns about his illness ALS, or motor neurone disease, which gradually makes him lose his physical control over his body, and his ability to move and speak. In spite of Stephen trying to push her away, Jane stays with him, even though Stephen is predicted a life expectancy of no more than 2 more years. The couple gets closer and then marries. Stephen exceeds all expectations by living way longer than the predicted 2 years, but still his illness progresses and his condition worsens. All the while Jane supports him and gives up every personal freedom for him and later also their children. Even though she does not show it to Stephen, Jane slowly loses her spirit at this self-sacrificing duty. In the meantime Stephen continues his works as a physicist, and makes a name for himself in the world with his theories. Their relationship evolves further and they start to somewhat disunite, especially when Jonathan comes into their lives. He proves himself to be a great help for the family, but at the same time starts to develop feelings for Jane. Stephen gets help after a seizure that effectively made him lose his speech, and learns to communicate with the help of a computer-generated speech programme. The end of the movie shows how, even after their divorce, Jane and Stephen are still very fond of each other and are of huge importance in each others' lives.

The movie, being based on the true story of the Hawkings, is made in a wholly comprehensible way, which makes it simple for the viewers to relate to the characters and their tragic story. It is incredibly moving and makes you anticipate eagerly the continuation of the story.

It covers every possible feeling, from the joy of the young love and the triumph of success all the way to the desperation of failure and helplessness. Some parts are utterly sad, and can definitely make you cry. But it's not a sad movie, sadness is just one aspect shown in it. It's full of excitement and sorrow at the same time. And that is one factor that makes it such a special movie, because it does not portray this story in a one-sided way at all.

The cast of the film does a wonderful job at making this movie as relatable and intense as it is.

Eddie Redmayne is outstanding, his portrayal of Stephen Hawking is unprecedented and utterly brilliant. He manages to depict him in a very realistic way that never feels overdone or unnatural. He adapts the peculiarities of the motor neurone disease in such a manner that makes them understandable and evokes the empathy of the viewers.

Felicity Jones gives an equally stunning performance as Jane Hawking, and perfectly conveys the strength of her character. She expresses the feeling of wanting to help, but at the same time reaching her limits and possibilities, and the subtle variations between those two sides, in a wonderful way. 

Both leading roles have been nominated for an Oscar, which is very much deserved in my opinion.

In conclusion, The Theory of Everything is an extraordinary movie full of emotions of all kinds. It is very touching and definitely worth a view. Personally, I enjoyed it very much and at the same time it gave me lots of reasons to contemplate. It touched me, and made me reflect, which is exactly what a good movie should do.

Has anyone of you seen The Theory of Everything? Did you like it?

xx, Misch