Oliva.

I can't quite believe I've found time to blog tonight as I have so much to do. I've yet to finish my Italian homework, my German homework and finish drying my washing. I had an English assignment due in today which I didn't realise until I got into class. I'm an awful student and I really ought to utilise my homework planner. Instead I'm sitting at my desk, enjoying the drizzly weather (a welcome break from the stifling thirty degree heat we've been experiencing all week), drinking a latte macchiato and marvelling over how smooth my skin is.

Admittedly the heat has probably contributed to it too, but I've been using Oliva pure olive oil soap and even after two days of using it I can already tell that it is a welcome addition to my bathroom cabinet. My nan always had beautiful clear skin and swore by a skincare routine of just soap and water but I worried this might dry out my skin. The only time my skin has felt this smooth is after using a good facial scrub, but that obviously isn't an every day solution. I'll probably use it instead of my usual shower gel next time I'm in the shower too. I'll forever swear by Nivea moisturiser too, bringing my total skincare costs to around the £3 mark. Just goes to show that you don't have to spend lots of money to have lovely skin, but I'll continue to eye up various Burt's Bees gift sets...

Day Zero

It dawned on me yesterday that after almost nine months of living in Germany, I'll be home in the UK for good (or at least for another year) in just under eight weeks. The fact that I could have carried a baby to full-term during this time (I'm not sure why my mind works this way) and I've done nothing spectacular during this time and I'm not the fluent German speaker with lots of friends and a basic knowledge of Russian that I'd hoped to be (though I'm having lots of fun learning Italian with the few wonderful friends I have) and I want to be a better person as I enter my final year of university. So what better way to do this than to boast to the world about the inspired person I am and create a list on Day Zero?

You can find my (as yet unfinished) list here but I'll probably update on here with pictures, information and whatnot as soon as I'm up, running and completing goals. Here's to the future!

On a completely unrelated note, here are a few things things I've been lusting after this week:

1. Striped Fleece Backpack in Light Grey Stripes I'm hoping to make the most of being in the centre of Europe and travel a bit in the last two months of being here so this would be the perfect companion. The only problem is; which colour to choose?
2. Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation SPF10 I've actually been lusting after this in 'Wheat' for months - i got a free sample in Cosmopolitan and it was perfect. just can't justify parting with £24 at the moment...
3. F&F Spot print 50s prom dress I've been searching high and low for a pretty polka dot dress but so far I haven't found the perfect one. Ideally I'd like one in red but for £9 I can't argue with this one. Sadly there aren't any sizes left below a 14 and the reviews claim it's very short (I'm 5'8). Hopefully my mum will be able to search for one in store for me.
4. Wizard Of Oz Mug I've been meaning to buy a new mug for when I sleep over at my boyfriend's but I'm not going to pretend that I need an excuse for this. It's the Wizard of Oz! now just to persuade him that he loves me enough...

This is why I never have any money...

Sarah
xx

Because I Could Not Stop For Death - Emily Dickinson

Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.

We slowly drove, he knew no haste,
And I had put away
My labour, and my leisure too,
For his civility.

We passed the school where children played,
Their lessons scarcely done;
We passed the fields of gazing grain,
We passed the setting sun.

We paused before a house that seemed
A swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.

Since then 'tis centuries; but each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.

Wishlist Wednesday!

1. Renewal Red Levi's® Overdyed Denim Shorts 2. 1416 3-Eye Shoe 3. Leather Satchel 4. Gok Wan 13



After a futile search for a bottle green cardigan I settled for the Misfits jacket which I found on Tumblr. My sixteen year old self is pining for the jacket whereas my twenty one year old self is pining for the days when I'd have had the balls to wear something like this. I know I should be hating red denim with everything I have (especially red denim shorts!) but I can't help myself. The Doccers will probably have to wait until my next installment of student loan in September (boo!) and I'm not holding out much hope of coming across the bag (double boo!) as there were only a very limited number released and they're currently retailing for more $$$ than I have. It's a shame that I have to wait so long before getting my paws on all of this as I'm definitely feeling the lot as the perfect summer gig/BBQ outfit. Oh well, maybe Mr Erasmus Grant won't mind me having a mini-splurge when he finally shows his beautiful little face.

I'll definitely have to wait until I'm back in Britain before buying the glasses as I'm far too scared to get my eyes sorted out here in Germany. Plus Specsavers offer the 2 for 1 deal which will come in very useful as I live everyday in fear of breaking/losing my glasses and being too blind to leave the house... I haven't decided on a second pair yet, but the 'Try On' feature on specsavers.com has provided me with hours of entertainment. This is what the glasses will apparently look like on me. Trying to get a decent picture on my webcam without my glasses to aid my vision was an ordeal which I am in no rush to repeat.

Sarah

Una città bellisima!

Once upon a time (January) my boyfriend whisked me away to Milan for a weekend as part of my Christmas present and his birthday present. He is rather wonderful!

We stayed just outside of the city in Bergamo but sadly didn't get to experience much of it. Bergamo is famous for its Casoncelli dish and though we didn't find the time to try it, the manager of our hotel told us that it was an absolute must for those visiting the region. Instead we opted for the 'menu turistico' which was, at 20€ for three courses, coffee, water and a bottle of wine, significantly cheaper than the underwhelming food Milan had to offer peasants like us. The restaurant was called La Bruschetta the food alone was easily delicious enough to warrant a return.

Milan, I feel, needs no explanation. Two days in the city was definitely plenty of time to experience the major attractions that the city has to offer, and we learned the hard way that a cheap meal in the city is nigh on impossible to come by. We were lured in to a restaurant under the illusion that we'd be paying around 9€ for a bowl of pasta. Of course this was true, but at 6€ for a standard size glass of Coke, the cost begins to mount. The pasta wasn't awful, but I could have easily cooked up a dish of equal quality at home for a fraction of the price. Still, for a city like Milan, tourist traps are only to be expected.

Though it was very foggy during our stay, and the quality of my camera isn't the best, here are a few of the pictures we took during our stay:

This was taken at the very top of the Duomo. The views were really quite spectacular even on a day as foggy as that. I imagine that you could see for miles on a clear day.

It wouldn't be a trip to Italy without a visit to a Gelateria!

This is my boyfriend in the expensive restaurant I mentioned earlier. We felt ever so classy drinking our 8€ Prosecco.

Focaccia is delicious!

The Duomo in all its glory. It's so grand and imposing and I couldn't help but feel that its intricate architecture would look out of place and tacky in anywhere other than Milan. It suits the city perfectly though.

Prada!

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.

Another view from the top of the Duomo. I took around a hundred from the top, but I managed to refrain from posting them all.


One thing that really surprised me was the willingness of the Italians to speak English to us. Like so many other nations without English as an official language, the gratitude shown for taking just half an hour to learn some key phrases is enough to justify doing it. I can't understand why so many people are still choosing the ignorance option. Then again I am a languages student. I can't recommend Milan enough though, and I have a feeling that this is only the beginning of a life-long love affair with Italy.

Ciao,
Sarah