I Glasgow…

My birthday was yesterday…I woke up to the most wonderfully sunny day I could only dream of. The sun was high in the sky since 8am and the day went on without one cloud in the sky for the rest of it. So hot that you would say summer had arrived in Scotland! Truly magnificent.

My fabulous husband bought me a gift I had been craving for ever, a collective Mark Nuell gold ring with a massive crystal clear aqua marine stone (my birth stone)! My mum bought me a Cacharel “Scarlett” perfume, that has a particular significance to me. We had a beautiful dinner, duck breasts with cherries and pak choi leaves, followed by a chocolate cake full of candles. I did not forget to make a special wish!!! The effect of that beautiful day has not worn off yet…

1. Spring is here!

Spring tries to come and this makes my day! I love waking up with the sun coming through my window, I have a big smile all day when this happens :-)

Photo by ©GreekGirlGlasgow, All rights reserved

2. Music

Upload my iPod with new, sweet, exciting music. My favourites are Athena, Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae, Ray La Montagne. But best of all the minute I open my eyes, I draw open my curtains, open the window while my absolute favourite “Feeling good” by Nina Simone plays over the singing of the birds…ohhh bliss!

Photo by ©GreekGirlGlasgow, All rights reserved

3. Cocktails

Now I don’t know about you but I have missed the warm nights out with my girlfriends wearing beautiful clothes, going out, and drinking cocktails while we laugh and enjoy life. My favourite places to do this here in Glasgow is the Champagne Bar at the Corinthian Club and the Gardens of Hotel De Vin.

4. Dressing down and staying in

Nothing makes you feel better than taking care of yourself. Sometimes being busy in our everyday life we forget to try to look gorgeous, prioritising unfortunately other things rather than ourselves. Looking great though, makes you feel great too! And this philosophy matches my moto: “If you are going to do anything, either do it in style or do not do it at all”!

Photo by ©GreekGirlGlasgow, All rights reserved

5. Spa day

Create your own calming environment with simple tricks that can really change your day! Put on some calming music and a face mask, light some candles and soak yourself in bathtub full of waterlilies! This is what I have done to create a spa atmosphere in my place so please feel free to be inspired! Waterlilies can be found in any garden centre that sells “accessories” for fish ponts. I got mine at Dobbies, Glasgow.

Photo by ©GreekGirlGlasgow, All rights reserved

Photo by ©GreekGirlGlasgow, All rights reserved

Photo by ©GreekGirlGlasgow, All rights reserved

6. Smelling wonderful

After you have indulged yourself in your spa bathtub make sure that you moisturize with the most inspiring beautiful body cream you can lay your fingers in. I love floral scents with a hint of tropical spices but I know that this is a very individualised area. Yet I highly recommend that you should try to sample the “Polynesia Monoi Body Balm“. From perfumes, I love the range of Kenzo perfumes, SJP Lovely, Armani Code and I used to not be able to go anywhere without the Roberto Cavalli “Her” however it is to my despair discontinued :-(((

So whatever you do, remember to put on your best attitude and mood, treat the day as it is the happiest, most positive, and most bright day in the world and spread that mood that comes from within to everyone and everything that you come in contact with! Have fun!

When I was young, my grandfather used to tell me stories of the most beautiful creations he would build one day. He once told me he had started building this flying machine which had a basket for two and that he would take me up to see the world. You cannot imagine the excitement of a 5 year old child hearing that she would be able to fly. A flying dream come true! Later, I was able to feel similar excitement from people that dedicated their lives to environmental activism. And following this, there were the artists…the photographers, the musicians, the painters, the actors, the writers and the poets. A significant amount of my free time was spent in studying them, trying to deeply understand the elements of their work and allow myself to grow through this process. At some point I was writing myself more consciously and shared my texts with people that were inspired in their turn by them.

Coming to Glasgow, I left this part of myself behind. Possibly because I focused in the more logical, rationale, scientific part of myself and spent my free time educating in this. This however never fulfilled me as much as being creative. I miss being creative…but although I realise that this is the case I do not know now where to start. I do not know if I should sing, write, take photos, start a business website, etc. I am confused and unispired…(poor me!). And what I think I lack most of all is the network of people that used to support my creativity in the past. I do not feel like doing all this without having a supportive group to grow with and work with. Is this vanity or mere lack of talent?

I feel like a jet-setter these days. A Greek Girl in Glasgow does not seem to be writing about Glasgow much! This post shows my last summer holidays of 2010. It was only 10 days but I managed to be in 3 different countries! We started with fig picking in Corfu….

Then we rented a boat from Agios Stefanos and went around the beautiful beaches like Kerasia, Kouloura and smaller ones with no road access, and swam in the tropical green waters…absolut heaven!!!

Then we flew to London and went to the Old Vic for the “Prisoner of the Second Avenue” play. It was excellent and although written many years ago, it was so interesting that it was talking about problems we face today. And then last bit was Verona and Bardolino on Lake Garda…

The above photo is of me at the opera Carmen at the Arena di Verona. It was absolutely fantastic production with around 150 musicians, live orchestra, horses and so on…The best production I have seen in my life. It was a warm evening and our friend Paul bought us summer fans or Ventalias. The next day I could not resist the shopping….a whole street full of winter fashion. I bought a winter coat from Max Mara!

I always feel so much better with a new pair of sunglasses. It is as if they give me a new outlook to the world. My new sunglasses are DITA and are made in Japan. I feel like  a girl of the 50s in them….now all I need is a cool vintage car!