heymichelle

10 Favourite Places

01 Berlin, Germany – A great chunk of my early childhood was spent in Germany. We’d spend summers visiting other towns and cities in the country, but that was back when Germany was divided by the Wall. The first time I visited Berlin, in 2006, I felt really disappointed. I returned in 2008 with my sister and had an amazing time. So much so that in October of the same year, I went back with my boyfriend (above) and recreated the same trip. The Zoo is one of my favourite places in the world (let’s ignore the fact I’ve yet to leave Europe) because I can see Polar Bears and a Panda. The last visit was especially lovely; sitting on the grass at The Reichstag eating ApfelStrudel and drinking Vanilla Coke. I’d love to live in Berlin for a while, even if it were only for 3 months. Everything just works in Germany.

02 Moscow, Russia – The time I spent in Moscow was so short and rushed, which left me feeling like the trip never happened. Since the age of 11, I’d felt drawn to Moscow and I can’t explain why. Because I’d wanted to go for so long and had convinced myself I’d never get the opportunity – being there didn’t seem real. I remember stepping out of the taxi in Red Square and feeling, I don’t know, not nothing – maybe numb? When I think back to my time in Moscow, it’s like my memories are of watching someone else experience the city in a film. The last place I visited before I headed back to the airport, the All-Russia Exhibition Centre, felt like such a surreal place, too. There are rockets, a Tannoy system blasting “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” across the exhibition grounds and many, many miserable faces (don’t worry, people of Russia, be happy!) The hotel, Cosmos, and its view looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. Those three days are the strangest three days I’ve lived. I’d love to go back and make Moscow feel real.

03 Paris, France – I used to consider I had a love/hate relationship with Paris. Aside from a school trip in 1996, the first few times I visited Paris were by (the dreaded) coach to attend pop concerts and music festivals. It’s only in recent years I’ve actually taken the time out to do the tourist thing and pay a little extra to travel on the Eurostar. During my last and 8th visit to Paris, I went up the Eiffel Tower for the first time. I ate croissants for breakfast and planned out an itinerary in my first ever Guide to Paris. It may sound grim, but my favourite place in Paris is a cemetery which I’ve now visited four times. The first three visits were in determination to finally locate Jim Morrison’s grave. I also can’t get enough of clichéd things such as accordion players on the Métro. There’s still so much more to see (Louvre, for starters) and when I have the extra pennies, I’m going to take my mum to Paris.

04 Dubrovnik, Croatia – Dubrovnik has to be the most beautiful city I’ve ever visited. It’s hard to believe that it took such a battering during war, because I don’t understand how someone could attack such a place (before anyone gives me a history lesson on the Croatian War of Independence – I know!) I spent a good couple of hours walking the city’s walls: spotting cats and signs of war, admiring the rooftops and the sun glistening off the Adriatic Sea. It really is beautiful.

05 Manchester, UK – It’s home! I was born and raised, until the age of 10, in Manchester (well, Salford). Manchester is where I learnt to walk, talk and ride my bike in the rain. I enjoyed exploring my urban playground: derelict houses, building sites, car washes (seriously) and garages. However, a garden with soft grass and flowers would have been welcome when I fell off a wall into our concrete front yard and snapped my right arm in half. Manchester has improved so much since I left, thanks to the IRA and the Metrolink, but the Arndale Centre is still an ugly pile of crap; “the longest lavatory wall in Europe”. I don’t get to visit as often as I’d like to, which is a shame. The first time I took my boyfriend to Manchester (above), I said it was a shame that it rained. But, really, it wouldn’t be a true Manchester experience if it didn’t rain.

06 Kyiv, Ukraine – Before visiting Kyiv, I had no idea what to expect. To be honest, all I knew about Ukraine was what happened at Chernobyl and that Everything Is Illuminated is set there. I didn’t realise there were so many beautiful and colourful churches. The apartment we rented was amazing and I could definitely imagine myself living there. The people we met were all so friendly and.. well, I could go on and on, but you can read everything I had to say about Kyiv here!

07 Donegal, Ireland – Donegal Town is the kind of place I could imagine myself settling down and growing old in. There is no train station. No McDonalds, Starbucks, Subway etc – the only chain stores being SuperValu and Irish fast food restaurant Abrakebabra (love the name). The local shops are independent and full of handmade items. I like that. The idea of a simple life working in a craft shop and living in a cottage appeal to (the older) me. The above photograph was taken from the back of my boyfriend’s parents’ house – I envy their view over Donegal Bay. It looks especially beautiful when the sun sets. Donegal is also the kind of place I could satisfy my dream of being a goat farmer’s wife.

08 Vík í Mýrdal, Iceland – Despite spending less than an hour in Vík (stopping for supplies at a supermarket), I loved it. Vík is the southernmost village in Iceland with a population of only 300. I can imagine myself living somewhere like Vík and feeling content. I love the church on the hill. The quaint, little houses. The black beach and Icelandic folk tales about the basalt sea stacks/Reynisdranger (trolls caught outside at dawn). It’s just so nice.

09 Chesterfield, UK – Chesterfield is a market town in Derbyshire, famous for a church with a Crooked Spire. The above photograph was taken in Newbold, where my parents still live. After a house fire in 1995, we relocated to Chesterfield from Manchester. I lived there until I moved to London in 2005. I wasn’t one of those teenagers who complained about the town they grew up in because there wasn’t anything to do. The location of Chesterfield is ideal for travelling to other areas in the UK; nowhere is too far. I’d regularly attend gigs and shop in Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Derby or Nottingham; all of which are under or around an hour away by train (London is now only a two hour journey). The town itself is good for shopping and the Peak District National Park is only a stone’s throw away. I don’t go back as much as I’d like, but I enjoy having a place to escape to. Nipping to the local shop and seeing the same faces helps put everything into perspective. I hope to spend more time there this summer, so I can head up to Chatsworth House and dip my feet in the River Derwent

10 London, UK – However much I long to be somewhere more exciting, like one of the places listed above for example, I can’t deny that London is my favourite city. Whenever I’m in another city, I find myself comparing it to London. It’s easy to take living in London for granted, especially when you’re in a routine of ‘go to work, come home’ and can’t afford to take advantage of everything that’s on offer. All you need do is walk along the Southbank on a Sunday afternoon as the sun goes down and the lights come on. Spend an afternoon looking at maps in Stanfords, followed by waffles in Covent Garden. Go for a walk around Highgate and Hampstead. Visit the animals at Spitalfields City Farm. Then you remember why you love London and spend a fortune on rent. According to 1000 Things To Do In London, I can only tick off seven things. I love how there’s still so much to discover in the city I live in. There’s always something to do. And I need to do more!