The Joint

I cannot thank my friend enough for suggesting that we returned from Italy on the friday because having an entire weekend to get back into the swing of things was sublime, particularly as we made it just in time for the UK heat wave. And how did I spend my heat wave weekend? Eating - holiday habits die hard apparently.

My parents and sister popped over to Brixton on the saturday to drop off Moriarty. He'd had a fabulous time at my parents' house which must have seemed like a mansion compared to the flat, and I'm pretty sure my fam really enjoyed having him to stay. After Moriarty was settled back in we all took a stroll down to Brixton Village where it quickly became clear that my intended choice for lunch was not going to happen. Heat wave + saturday + the village + lunchtime = MEGA BUSY. I should've known. As luck would have it we came to a standstill (completely overwhelmed by all the choice) right next to The Joint and upon reading their blackboard sign my mum was already heading for a table!

I know it's been open for a while now (since last autumn perhaps) but Mitch and I had never been before. Dear lord, we were seriously missing out. The menu is small but the food is absolutely delicious - my mouth is actually watering at the thought of it. So what do they do? Pure barbecued goodness, that's what they do.

We all ordered the pulled pork bun with coleslaw, bacon and salad which came in possibly the tastiest bun I've ever eaten. Made from sourdough and infused with vanilla and fig - they certainly give brioche buns a run for their money. Two words of warning: the buns are huge and it does get very messy :)

We also ordered a couple of sides - onion rings (which were good but I would've ordered the BBQ wings as they looked even better) and a portion of hush puppies. I had no idea what they were so our waitress informed us that they were kinda like savoury doughnuts with a bit of a spicy kick. They were guuud. A cute thing about the sides was that they all appear wrapped up in brown paper, complete with label. I am a sucker for good packaging, especially when it comes to food.

Despite only eating there on saturday I am trying to plan my next visit, you better believe it'll be sooner rather than later. It is a bit of a carnivor's haven but they do have a veggie main option and it's BYOB. Seriously, just go, you can thank me later.

picture credits: top, middle, bottom - I did not take any of these as I was too busy stuffing my face, lucky others have been more organised.

ITALY!

Last friday Mitch and I returned from one of the most chilled holidays I've ever had. Deep in the Umbrian countryside, near a small village called Collazzone, my v.good friend's parents built a beautiful villa on top of a hill and this summer she v.kindly invited us to stay.

Even with 11 of us there it never once felt over-crowded, the villa was huge: 6 double bedrooms (3 en suites), the master bedroom was about three times the size of my entire flat, a kitchen about 6 times the size of my parents', a basement complete with a second kitchen and a games room (home of the ping pong table), balconies, a terrace and of course the infinity pool. Oh and the views were spectacular.

Due to the amazingness of the villa, and the fact that all cooking was done by my friends' sister, brother and his girlfriend, we never really had cause to leave save for a little wander around their olive grove and vineyard (yeah, they make their own red wine and olive oil) and a drive to Assisi - as in St Francis of.

Assisi was a v.beautiful town full of windy narrow streets, where all the buildings seem to be built from the same stone. It was a rather holy place with numerous churches and plenty of shops for priests to buy their robes and the like. We took a look inside the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi - a vast structure build into the side of the hill, it's ceilings and walls are covered in frescos and patterned tiles (the tiles were a-mazing and I would've taken pictures if we were allowed). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Basilica is also home to the remains of St Francis - visitors are permitted into the crypt to see his coffin (which is tiny btw).

I also took a little trip to the wine shop near the villa where they dispense wine from what looks exactly like a petrol pump! As with almost everything around where we were staying it was super cheap but v.tasty - 5 litres for 6.5 euros? Dangerous.

Basically I spent the entire week eating (so much good food - the wild boar sausages were probably my favourite and the pink grapefruits were delicious), drinking, reading (I got through 3 books), sunbathing (as well as chilling out on the terrace) and swimming in the pool. Can you see why we were particularly reluctant to come home?

Bit of a picture overload but it was hard to pick just a few. *Sigh* Fingers crossed for an invite again next year!

June stuff

A little later than planned but here's a quick round-up of how June panned out in terms of my 4 things challenge.

De-clutter: Finally got around to putting some stuff on eBay but sadly there weren't many takers so most of it will need to go to charity or possibly the next frock swap event. I also did a rather big de-clutter of the shelves and put lots if winter clothes into boxes - perhaps a little optimistic but I have high hopes for this sunny weather.
Health: I actually started jogging again in June - twice a week - the real test is going to be whether I can now continue it after a week long holiday of essentially stuffing my face. We'll see.
Money: saving has had a bit of a set back and it doesn't look like I can properly start again until August. On a more positive note a plan is beginning to form in terms of saving for the long term future...
Do more new: I was racking my brain to think of what new thing I've done this month and then it hit me -  I met and hung out with a lot of new people in June! Sounds like I'm clutching at straws but, if you think about it, how often to do spend an evening (or a week) with a completely new bunch of people? I, as I think most people, tend to just maintain the friendships I've got. So, spending an evening down the pub with some of Mitch's work mates I'd not met before and then holidaying in Italy for a week with a group of 11 when half of them are totally new was really quite refreshing!

In other news it was also Mitch's birthday - a raucous friday night involving many many shots meant that the saturday, his actual birthday, was pretty quiet. We did manage a stroll in the park, dinner at Mama Lan in the village - they make delicious dumplings - and on sunday I made him his favourite cake, chocolate & guinness with a cream cheese frosting. Yum.

I'm looking forward to July - even though it's already the 8th(!) - there's birthdays, the lambeth country show, fingers crossed a BBQ and good few more sunny days/evenings in the park.

the blogger returneth

Please excuse the week long silence on here - yesterday Mitch and I got back from the most relaxing holiday I've had in years. This pic was basically my view for the past 8 days but more on that next week as now I'm off to enjoy the sun - it appears we brought the italian weather back with us! Happy saturday!

Did you get the memo?

In case you were unaware, Google Reader is about to kick the bucket. So, should you like to keep up-to-date with Beard Today, Gone Tomorrow you still can by following me on Bloglovin'!

Of course there are other alternatives but I've been using Bloglovin' for over a year now and I'd definitely recommend it. It's super simple to use AND they have a button you click which transfers all your Google Reader blogs onto your new Bloglovin' account. Neat huh?

If you're still on the fence about what replacement to use, remember: you've only got until Monday 1st July to make your switch.

the future...

image source

Over the weekend Mitch and I had a good old chat about The Future. And not in a science fiction type way. I'm not talking about the rise of the machines, a zombie apocalypse or even the polar ice caps melting. I'm talking about the rather immediate future which, depending on how you look at it, could be just as terrifying as facing an unknown opponent in the Thunderdome.

So who is the adversary in this 'Future'?

The answer is Time. Isn't it always?

I find myself at 26 in a good job that I mostly enjoy, living in a part of London that I love, surrounded by the best network of family and friends I could possible want and in a relationship with a bloody great man who I love more than anything. So what's the problem? It's very much a first world problem (perhaps I should've called this post that) and I am so so v.grateful for all those things listed above but! There's always a but. The chat at the weekend left me feeling rather overwhelmed. You see, there's going to come a time (not far off) that I'll be thinking about kids (yes, I want them) which is a pretty big deal - some might say the biggest deal there is - but there's also the fact that there is so much I haven't done and really really want to do before that time. It's crazy to think that 100 years ago (or probably less) that women weren't afforded the luxury of choice (and actually, thinking about, there's places in the world today where they still don't). But I, living in London in the 21st Century, do. And because I have this choice, I feel I really should get it right. It's a weird kind of pressure that I (perhaps with a little help from society) seem to have placed upon myself - along with the pressure to get on the property ladder, save enough money to get on said ladder, but also to save-up and travel - see some of the world whilst I'm young and in good health. And it all sounds amazing - but is there enough time? Or, am I just the girl who wants it all? Or, (and quite probably) am I just over thinking/over planning everything?

I love distant future planning with Mitch - we're both a couple of dreamers at heart, with sincere intentions to get stuff done - but suddenly the future doesn't seem so distant. What I've realised, and what I'm ultimately daunted by, is the fact that I'm going to have to disrupt the lovely balance that's currently in place. Because I can't save for anything whilst paying rent. Because I'm not really in a job where I would, when the time comes, be able to rely on maternity pay. Things are going to have to change in order for 'future Annie' to cash in on all the things I want to do. Worrying is one of my greatest faults and worrying about the future is both an arse and completely pointless. At least the reasonable part of me knows that but for the moment thinking ahead is tough and I was never any good at chess.

Does anyone else have future talks and freak out about time, or is it just me?