Posts in Travel
Journal Pages: Great Britain

One of the best things about living in a different country from your own is being able to learn about your new home country. In a way, you're getting the best of both worlds. You can learn all about a country and culture from directly from insiders, and experience them as a local would, but at the same time you're somewhat removed from it all and you kind of 'pick and choose' your experiences.

I can imagine if you move to countries very far away from your own that culture gap might be difficult to bridge (or if you've moved out of economic or social necessity, your perspective might be different - I realize we're quite privileged here), but the UK and The Netherlands are close enough yet plenty different from each other for it to be interesting and fun. 

 

© Anna Denise Floor

This past week has been all about exploring the UK, marked first by a weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland . The cloudy yet magical city was all it should be and I imagined. No, I did not eat haggis, but did try black pudding (for breakfast, no less) and fell completely in love with the tartan outfits, the dramatic history (knights! swords! ghosts!) and the castles. Aye! 

Speaking of outfits, the week after was very much focused on outfits (and royalty) as I wore my first (serious) hatted ensemble ever. The hat was really more of a fascinator, but I think it counts. I needed the hat, as well as a dress of modest length, as I was invited along to the first day of the Royal Ascot by my friend and colleague Hannah. Squee! 

© Anna Denise Floor

Hannah is probably the most British person I know - she lives on a dairy farm, bakes cakes for village fairs, and is an excellent clay pigeon shooter person. Her life is pretty magical, is all I'm saying. Hannah and her family were amazingly kind in taking me on for the day and they proved excellent guides into the world of royal processions, horse racing, and gambling. My father-in-law (who owned two race horses in his day) was on speed dial as well, and the whole day was just a fantastic experience. I can get into this British thing, I think. As long as it involves great outfits, some ceremony, and a Prince or two (alas, no Kate this time) - I'm game. 

Next up: traditional cream tea. Apparently the question on whether to put the cream or the jam on the scone first divides the nation

London: Doors

I've got this thing for doors. Especially brightly colored doors can just make my day. Fortunately for me (but unfortunately for anyone in my company trying to get somewhere quickly), I can't seem to turn a corner here in London without encountering another snap-worthy specimen. 

I seriously can't wait to one day own a house with an actual front door to lovingly scrub down and paint. A nice soft green, perhaps?

But London isn't the only city with great door action. Below are some doors from Brooklyn (US), Utrecht (The Netherlands), Safed (Israel), and Brussels (Belgium).

More doors coming to my Instagram feed, I'm sure. Let the obsession flourish. 

Happy London Times

Happy holidays, everyone! Or: Merry Christmas! Or: Happy whatever doesn't offend you (seen on a sign in a London store window)!

We made it. Miso made it. Our stuff made it. Even our bikes made it - just on time for a nervous bike ride down to St. Paul's on nearly empty roads this Christmas day. 

Internet is limited up here in our little tree house overlooking the city, so we read books and prepare lavish meals, and try to fit the contents of the 130 boxes the movers packed into the 50m2 at our disposal before the first guests arrive. 

Happy times, everyone. Hope you have a good time wrapping up this year and preparing for the next. It's going to be a good one, I think. 

Journal Pages: House Haunting

In exactly one month, a big truck will pull up to our house, and all of our belongings will be taken away by strong men with boxes. At least, that's how I picture it will go. Because, we found a house in London! 

We did a quick trip to London end of October to do some house hunting. Which was exactly as horrid as you would imagine - apartments in London are expensive, tiny, and ugly. At least the first 8 apartments we saw were like that, and some of the more promising ones were taken off the market right as our relocation officer drove us around town to get there. We went through the ghetto and back, to closet-sized apartments on shmansy streets, and waited around for real estate agents who in the end turned out not to have the key to apartments we were eager to look at. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

We were about to give up - talking of plans for another round of searching, possibly staying somewhere temporarily for a while, perhaps even looking at completely different neighborhoods, when we visited 'our' apartment.

Bright, not too tiny (still small), cute mixed neighborhood, right near a 'tube' station, perfect. We put a bid out almost immediately. Yes, a bid. I had never heard of it either, but apparently tenants can outbid each other until you put a crazy fee down (which we did).

Fortunately, the bid was accepted after much back and forth, and we spent the next day walking around our new home town and eating Turkish food near our future place. That was probably the last time we'll ever be able to go out to dinner as we'll be poor from the minute we arrive in London, so I'm glad to inform you it involved a very, ehm, motivated belly dancer. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

As soon as we got back to Utrecht, we started sorting out our belongings. The new place is about half of the size of our current apartment (and about 2 times as expensive, so it works out in a strange, messed-up way), so we can't bring all of our stuff along. It's a great way to get rid of the junk we've been collecting and haven't looked at for years (college notebooks anyone?), but there also won't be room for some of the good stuff, like my drawing table or any of my studio equipment.

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

Fortunately, there wasn't much time to mourn our earthly possessions, as we boarded another airplane on our way to Lisbon, Portugal! I'd booked this trip a while back as a surprise for Jochem. Totally irresponsible, of course, and looking at it in hindsight we should have saved our precious Euros, but it was a welcome distraction. Sunny, beautiful, delicious, and relaxing. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

The week after, I got a new tattoo! I had decided on the design a while ago and had booked my appointment a few weeks ago, but I was still nervous because that stuff hurts like a mother. I lived, though, and although the tattoo right now is looking scabby and itches badly, it turned out real nice. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

Last week, it was back to normal life. Taxes, bills, scary movies. The usual. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

But not before I took one more trip to London to attend a few meetings. I decided to fly in in the morning and fly out the same evening, which sounded like a good plan. Until I had to get up at 4 am to catch my 7 am flight. Fun times, but all the meetings went really well, and at least I won't have any trouble sleeping this week. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

And then it was today and I'm drinking coffee and reading John Steinbeck before I get started on my work for the day. So. Bye then! 

Journal Pages: Muricah

It's been a while since I've posted some journal pages, but rest assured it was with good reason.  I was hanging out in good ol' 'Muricah again with some amazing colleagues. But not before I got kind of sick and tired. Not of something. Just a little sick and mostly tired. And paranoid.

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

Fortunately, I had some great in-flight entertainment to cheer me up during my flight.

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

I had a day 'off' before work started, and I did some sketching outside in Central Park and the American Museum of Natural History. I also cried during the show on dark matter in the planetarium. Because everything's awesome and big an amazing and people are so smart and I'm a role model to all the 3 year olds who were also crying (probably because they were afraid of the dark). You can be 30 and cry in the planetarium and that's cool because when you're 30 you've got a credit card and you can buy awesome shit in the nerdy gift shop afterwards to make yourself feel better. I bought this hologram thing for Jochem and it's awesome. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

The day after, I met up with a colleague to catch a train to Hudson, in upstate New York for a very inspiring offsite event. The days were pretty busy and social, so I didn't do much drawing but I loved Hudson. It's a weird little town, with long streets of colorful wooden houses, great little coffeeshops, and weird backstreets. The train ride up was amazing, too. Upstate New York in the fall is famous for a reason.

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

The last few days of the week I spent working in the Brooklyn office, more hanging out with colleagues, and maaaaybe some shopping. Also: drawing, of course. I've been so obsessed with drawing houses, lately. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

And then I flew back home and slept for five years. Next up: our London house hunting trip! Eek!

Journal Pages: Up in the Clouds

I've been feeling better (my flu has a great work ethos and only grabs me on weekends and holidays) and I have been traveling for work quite a lot. It's been busy but good. There are a lot of moments in my life right now where I take a big breath in and feel insanely happy and blessed to be where I am at. My life is made out of pretty amazing stuff and I'm enjoying every bit of it. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge

Keeping a Travel Journal: Art Supplies & Tips

© Anna Denise Floor

Keeping an illustrated travel journal of your journey can be incredibly rewarding and romantic. It is an amazing souvenir and the process of creating will help you be more attentive to the little things and big sights you'll see on your trip. You'll remember and appreciate everything around you that much more.

It can also be hard and annoying. Why would you spend all this time drawing and sitting around when there's so much to do and see? Why carry around a notebook and paints and pens, when you can just bring your phone and take a quick snapshot?

Good point and this is why I believe in having a good travel-ready journal kit with you wherever you go. 

 © Anna Denise Floor

My Travel Journal Kit

The kit fitted comfortably in my small backpack and weighed next to nothing. 

© Anna Denise Floor

Top Travel Journal Tips

  • Draw a little every day - and don't forget to bring your kit! It'll help you to quickly get into a habit of observing the world around you more closely. 
  • Take your time and make sure your travel companion knows what he or she is in for! Nothing is worse than feeling rushed when you feel like drawing, so discuss this in advance. Jochem usually brings a book to read (or occasionally joins me by doing some drawing or writing of his own!), but you can also just agree to meet each other again in an hour or so. Finding a comfortable drawing spot on a terrace of a wine bar usually helps, too. 
  • Just pick something to draw, anything. In the picture above I'm drawing one small part of a gorgeous old Roman ruin. It had much better parts and the view of the ocean on the other side was no doubt better as well, but I picked this bit of wall because, well, there was a bench in front of it and there weren't a million tourists around taking selfies. Looking back at the postcard I drew there, I remember the whole place, not just the wall, so mission accomplished, I think. 
  •  Write down in your journal what you did that day if you really didn't have time to draw (or just didn't feel like it). It'll help you remember - plus it'll make your trip seem that much longer. 
  • Be flexible. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. And always bring along a headlamp when you go camping in a tiny dark little tent and you want to be artistic after sundown. You sexy thang!

© Anna Denise Floor

Need More?

I made a little zine about how to keep a journal on the road. It's not huge, but it's got some good tips and fun illustrations! You can buy it here, in my Etsy shop. 

Journal Pages: Italian Summer!

Buongiorno, folks!
How is everyone? I hope you're all magnificent! We just came back from our delicious Italian adventure (gelato! pasta! pesto! gelato!) and you'll be glad to know I spent a lot of time drawing this trip. 

The drive to Italy is quite long, so we decided to stop over in Annecy, France on our way there. The weather was terrible, but Annecy is a lovely little town and I definitely want to come back for a weekend and explore it further. Next day we set up camp in Tellaro, Italy, on the Gulf of Poets. Sounds so romantic right? I thought so too, until I read this story about Shelley drowning and being eaten by fish before his body was dug up from the sand and burned on the beach in a brain-fizzling fire. This detail was in our guidebook. Wtf, folks. Anyway, our campsite overlooked the Mediterranean and it in fact was quite idyllic. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click image to enlarge

Our first day in Tellaro, we spent on the 'beach' (mostly rocks) and thought about languages and they way they sound. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click image to enlarge

The Gulf of Poets is near the Cinque Terre, so we had planned to go there and do some hiking, but once we got to Lerici where we wanted to catch the boat there, the weather had turned dreadful. We turned back and drove to Genua instead. Pretty city, but a little dirty and very busy, so after visiting some palaces and having lunch, we decided to picknick in Portofino for dinner. Portofino is supposedly one of the most picturesque harbors in the world and is dominated by big yachts and tan people in white clothes and loafers. We watched the sun go down behind the multicolored houses while eating ciabatta bread with artichoke and pistache pesto. Heaven. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click image to enlarge

The sun was back on the 25th and we decided to grab the boat to the Cinque Terre and do some hiking. The Cinque Terre are five adorable little villages on the rugged Italian Riviera. The surrounding area is a Unesco-protected national park, and officially the villages are not reachable by car (although it doesn't seem like this is true any longer). You can tour the villages by boat or train, but you can also walk the journey. Or so we thought. Apparently a flash-flood took out half of the paths a couple years ago and instead of 5 hours, the new trail (which was much steeper and longer) would take almost twice as long. Because we depended on the boat to take us back home before dusk and because my knees were not loving all the steps, we did about 5 hours of the trail (3 out of 5 villages) and did the boat/train route for the rest. It was a sizzling hot day with some amazing views, rewarding mountain tops, and a glass of local wine at the end of it. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click image to enlarge

Camping just wouldn't be the same without the tent flooding, of course. During the night, our (borrowed) tent gave up the will to live and broke in the heavy rain. Everything was wet and in the morning we evacuated everything in garbage bags and fled to nearby Sarzana, where we walked around, had some coffee, enjoyed the sunshine, and eventually bought a new tent. It was a blessing in disguise, as the new tent was much bigger and so much more comfortable. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click image to enlarge

Venezia! Jochem had never been, so we had to make a stop here. The city was lovely as ever, but the camp site was terrible. Even though I had been there before and hadn't remembered the camp site as such, it was dirty and swampy and the mosquito's were killing me. I was quite miserable for a little bit, but Venice was worth it. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click image to enlarge

© Anna Denise Floor - Click image to enlarge

The camp site was so terrible that for some reason we left a day too early - by accident! We had the whole journey planned out and camp sites reserved everywhere, so our next stop actually wasn't available for the night and we decided to drive towards Verona and see what was available. We ended up staying at a farmhouse (or 'agriculturismo') called Alle Torricelle, which was just amazing. It was just the most gorgeous place, with an impressive 'certified' herb garden. All the snacks and food were home made by the matron of the house, and we were shown around the herb garden by her. Verona was also a pleasant surprise. Such a pretty place  and definitely worth a visit. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click image to enlarge

© Anna Denise Floor - Click image to enlarge

© Anna Denise Floor - Click image to enlarge

The last week was spent on Lake Garda where we took three days of windsurfing classes. It was much easier than we anticipated, and so much fun. We also visited some little towns and ancient ruins while there, as the area surrounding Lake Garda is just gorgeous. I didn't do much drawing because we were out on the water all day, and I was working on some watercolor post cards (more on those later).  

© Anna Denise Floor - Click image to enlarge

And then we got home. We did stop over in Strassbourg on our way back, but I didn't do any drawing then either, as I had to get back to work the morning after. 

© Anna Denise Floor - Click image to enlarge

I'm happy that I got to do quite a lot of drawing on this trip. I think usually my trips are a lot shorter and I feel like I would rather spend time doing things than drawing them, but this vacation had a nice mix. I'll write another post on my travel art kit and how to work outside, but in general let me say it was great to draw 'in the moment' more than usual.

Have you been drawing on your trip? Please share, I LOVE travel journals!