HTMW Recaps: April 2019
I normally add a quote to the beginning of each post that sums up or enhances my writing. However, I’m going to use my monthly recaps as an opportunity to sum up the month – be it the mood, the weather, my feelings… Anything really. April was a bit of a bumpy ride. I’ve been feeling low for a little while now, and things came to a head over Easter. Thankfully, things are slotting into place now in terms of help and support. As always, my family and friends have been wonderful. I’m happier for sharing my thoughts and feelings already. This month’s quote reflects how sharing is always better than keeping things to yourself, and why you should never be afraid to ask for help.
‘It’s never overreacting to ask for what you want and need.’ – Amy Poehler
In January 2017, I announced I was going to start monthly recaps on my blog. If you missed last month’s recap, you can find it here.
April just flew by!
While my weeks were fairly quiet, I had two weekends away and planned activities on the remaining two weekends which meant that the month felt busy. Time spent in and around Munich had various highlights. I also loved being back in Wales for Easter, particularly as the weather was so gloriously sunny and warm! Add in some time well spent with various friends and family members and it all made for a pretty good April!
The Highlights
Visiting the Bavarian mountains with C.
I asked C if we could escape the city on my first day there. While Munich is much smaller than London, I felt the need to have some time in the countryside, away from cities altogether. So, we drove an hour south to Tegernsee and spent a happy, sunny day in the area. We started with coffee by the lakeside, taking in the beautiful scenery. Afterwards, we climbed up to a viewpoint that overlooked the Bavarian mountains, shining in the spring sunshine. Our day was rounded off nicely with a drive around the lake and a pit stop for Apfelschorle and the best cheese board I’ve had in a long time!
Eating all the food in Munich.
Besides that cheese board (that I’m still dreaming about!), we ate pretty well while I was in Munich. C made wonderful breakfasts each morning. The bread in Germany is divine and we ate it with eggs, cheese, tomato and avocado. Simple, but delicious. We also ate out at a Lebanese restaurant and a Greek restaurant, both of which served good food. On my final night, we ordered takeaway and the pizza and chips I ordered hit the spot – they were exactly what I wanted!
An interesting Third Reich walking tour.
I have a strong curiosity in the period of history from approximately 1930 to 1950. I find it interesting to learn about what caused World War Two, how Hitler was allowed to rise to power so successfully and how the continent suffered throughout these two decades. Wherever possible, I try to educate myself on this period of history, so took the opportunity while in Munich to take a Third Reich walking tour. It turned out to be a well executed tour, with some interesting points covered off I hadn’t previously considered or known about. I would highly recommend taking such a tour if you’re ever in Munich!
Drinking cocktails at the top of the Gherkin (and the burger afterwards…)
A and I planned this night weeks in advance and I was really excited, as it was my birthday treat from her! I did not plan the epic night of drinking the evening before our planned trip up the Gherkin. Nobody plans to drink seven bottles of Prosecco between two people, do they?! So yes, I was dying ever so slightly as we ascended to the 40th floor and stepped out into the bar. However, I managed one of the delicious cocktails and we enjoyed the views while catching up. As hunger struck us, we descended to street level once more and headed to Honest Burger for a Beyond Meat extravaganza… I don’t know if it was my hangover or just a really fucking good burger, but it was one of the best things I have ever eaten…
A ‘lad’s’ night out watching football.
I see Z about once every two months for a catch up over drinks and, usually, some food. This time, P joined us fresh from his new job and we spent a pleasant evening enjoying the obligatory few beverages and watching Man City vs. Spurs in the Champions League quarter final match. It was the best game of football I think I’ve ever seen. It was also really good to see Z and P. Sometimes, a night out with the lads is just exactly what is needed!
Spending Easter weekend in Wales.
A glorious sunny weekend. J and S joining us. Delicious food from start to finish (anyone else spotting a theme for April revolving around food?!). Family time. Time with the dogs. Relaxing. Chocolate. Easter eggs. Just… A really great weekend.
The Lowlights
Irritating, ongoing hay fever!
It’s that time of year. I’ve never experienced hay fever so bad in the past. Itchy eyes, runny nose… Even antihistamines didn’t seem to do much for it!
My creativity is at an all-time low.
It’s mainly to do with my emotions, anxiety and long-term mood. While I’ve worked on blog posts in the background, nothing has really been published. Even this April recap post is ridiculously late – so late it’s June when I’m posting it! I’m struggling to feel creative and, quite frankly, struggling to feel guilty or bad about not writing. Writing has been a constant in my life since I was twelve years old and first started hammering out stories on my Dad’s old work laptop. I know there’ll be a resurgence in my creativity at some point and I’ll want to write again. I’m just going with the flow for the time being.
Posts This Month
Unfortunately, there were no new posts in April.
What I Read This Month – April
The Choice by Edith Eger.
I read a lot about the Second World War and in particular, the Holocaust. Many books about the Holocaust, be they fiction based on real events or non-fictional, tend to follow a similar pattern. They’re set almost in their entirety within the concentration camp and follow the horrific and traumatising events that the main individual in the book endures while they are imprisoned. These books are excellent in their own right and tell important stories about a time in the 20th century that should never be forgotten.
The Choice, however, is different. It’s about the Holocaust and one woman’s terrible suffering while interned at Auschwitz, but it is also about so much more than that. It’s a book about hope, about dealing with trauma, about how our minds and bodies recover from a life-changing event. Eger writes her book beautifully, sparing no details. She shares everything about her time in Auschwitz and then the death marches she was forced to endure, almost to her death.
But she goes so far beyond that too. Yes, the Holocaust and her experiences during the war shape her life, in so many ways, but she also tells the story of her life after the war, when she is ‘free’ again. Or free in the sense that her body is. She emigrates to America and slowly, she learns to free her mind of the trauma she has suffered as well. She later becomes a psychologist and through her work helps so many others free their minds and bodies from suffering.
An Incredible Read
It’s an incredible read and Eger is a truly remarkable woman. To experience such violence and suffering against herself and her family, but then go on to live well into her later years and not only survive life, but also to thrive and grow in life as well. She knows joy again, knows happiness and she shares so much with others.
Read this if you want to know more about the Holocaust or if you’re curious to know what happened to some of the survivors. If, like me, you’re fascinated to know more about the human psyche and peep into the world of therapy and how it can help people, then this is also the book for you. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
The House by the River by Lena Manta.
For World Book Day 2019, Amazon gave away nine free books. I jumped at the chance for freebies and downloaded all nine onto my Kindle ASAP! All the titles are by authors whose first language is not English. This was the first of the nine books I read, written originally in Greek and set in Greece.
It isn’t the usual type of book I tend to read, but I got really into the story and finished it within four or five days. There are six main characters – the mother and her five daughters who live in a small village in Greece. One by one, the daughters leave the village looking for bigger, brighter and better things. The book separates out in seven parts – the mothers story at the beginning, the five sections telling each of the daughter’s tales and the final part where they’re ultimately and predictable reunited at the end.
Yes, it was predictable. However, this didn’t take away from the stories being told in the slightest and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I particularly liked the way it was told – from six different points of view. There are six very different tales to share as the mother and her daughters explore the world, meet men, marry, have children, and suffer love, loss and grief. Finally, they come full circle to see that sometimes the grass is not always greener.
This book, in my opinion, falls under the genre of ‘light summer holiday reading’. It’s not tough, it’s easy going on the most part and has a predictable, though still good, ending. Take it next time you are having a pool/beach break and want something that isn’t too taxing to read!
Instagram Pictures of the Month
My photos this month are from London, Wales and around Munich.
I choose these three images based on which got the most likes on Instagram and then tell the story behind the picture. Disclaimer: They are not necessarily my favourite photos!
The Bavarian Mountain View, Tegernsee, Germany.
We climb to the summit of the viewpoint and reach the top, out of breath and hot in the mid-morning sunshine. The view has opened up behind us. We can see the town hugging the lake and the mountains rising up behind. A dusting of snow still covers the higher slopes. It is one of C’s favourite places and we sit a while chatting and admiring the view. Afterwards, we take a different route back down and drive around the lake. I enjoy having a local guide and relish my time in the countryside, soaking up the beautiful scenery.
A Quiet Spot by the River, Dinas, Wales.
The track hugs the river banks for the first five hundred metres or so. We stroll, taking our time beneath the shady trees. The air is warm, the river looks cool and deceptively inviting. The track peters out and we clamber over rocks and up steep sided slopes as the walk progresses. A carpet of bluebells blankets the forest floor. It is Spring at its best – bright, cheerful, beautiful. The perfect day in Wales.
A City Sunrise, Blackfriars, London.
Taken a while back but only shared in April, this image garnered more likes than I’d imagined it would on Instagram. I was up early to get to work on time for a call with colleagues in Australia. At Blackfriars, I noticed the sun was just starting to turn the sky pink and rose gold. I decided I had time to walk the longer way into the office and snapped this image on route, stopping several times to try to capture the brilliant colours.
My Favourite Image: April 2019.
For 2019, I’ve introduced something new. I’m now adding my personal favourite image of the month in these recap posts. This means that you’ll now get to find out even more about my life in London or my travels!
Tulips Announcing Spring, Whitehall, London.
I walked aimlessly, wandering the streets without a thought as to my final destination. In the end, I wound up taking a path along South Bank before crossing the river at Embankment and cutting up through Whitehall to St James’ Park. I snapped this shot in Embankment Gardens. Later, I walked through Mayfair and found myself near Oxford Street, before I plunged into the maze of narrow streets beyond that make up Fitzrovia. Finally, as the evening progressed, I caught a bus home from Goodge Street, worn out and pleased with my many thousand more steps completed that day.
Coming Up in May
In May I’ll be spending the majority of the month in London, with a day trip out to Kent to go hiking with E one weekend. I’m also spending a night away in Birmingham with J, which I’m really looking forward to.
Towards the end of the month, I have Mum visiting for the long weekend before I head back to Wales with her for a week at home.
Be sure to follow my Instagram feed and stories for all the latest on my life!
