LIMF 2016

Liverpool International Music Festival 2016

Sefton Park - The Wombats

This weekend was Europe's biggest free music event LIMF - Liverpool International Music Festival. It's on a lot earlier than it usually is as the past couple of years it's been August bank holiday around my birthday. I didn't even realise it was on till this weekend! I don't think it was advertised that well, even though there was hundreds of people there this weekend I think there could've been a lot more. I think more people would have went if it was on the usual August bank holiday weekend.

I went today after work to see The Wombats who happen to be from Liverpool! I've been wanting to see them for years but never got the chance so of course I had to go see them in my home town for free! I wasn't going to miss this opportunity. I nearly ended up going to see them on my own but went with my mum. I could tell she wasn't enjoying it especially with people smoking around us but she said she wanted to come with me to experience it.

They were so good & could tell they were loving it as well being back home when they haven't performed here for a while. They were on 7:15-8pm played a 45 minute set with all the hits that everyone knows, Kill the Director (apparently this about my favourite film The Holiday. it's no Bridget Jones?), Tokyo, Greek Tragedy, Let's Dance to Joy Division etc & even a song from their new album called Emoticons. They really need to come back with some new music. They are so underrated!

Amazing atmosphere as always. The line up just gets better & better every year. They had Sigma last night.  Ms Dynamite, Wretch 32, WSTRN & loads of other big acts on yesterday as well as loads of great up & coming acts. I wanted to go for the day yesterday but had no-one to go with the weather was so nice as well! Today they had Lianne La Havas (on before The Wombats who I wanted to see), Anne-Marie, Kwabs etc. Looking forward to see who they have next year!

Real Leather Jacket - Zara

Necklace - New Look

Dress - Topshop

Leather Boots - Zara

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Photos taken with my Samsung Galaxy S5 phone.

Miyagi

Tonight we went to Miyagi's on Allerton Road for Danielle's pre-birthday meal. (Her birthday's tomorrow). A Japanese soul food restaurant.

Group selfie didn't really work

Good selfie Danielle!

No idea what was so funny..

Don't know how to get photos when I'm not on the left! 

I got the veggie bento box - Veg yakatori, mixed veg tempura, edamame beans, green tea soba noodle salad, inari-zushi, wasabi & nori rice, homemade pickles £11.95

Danielle got the chicken katsu curry with Mr M's special fried rice £10.50

Kelly got Laksa - Robabta grilled satay chicken, yellow noodles, grilled egg, coconut milk, candied peanuts, roasted pineapple £10.95

Hannah got chicken for the soul ramen £8.95

Mine was a lot bigger than what I was expecting, well the box was big the food wasn't. The rice didn't taste like it was cooked it was really hard but I did eat it all. I wouldn't get the veggie bento box again but it's something I really want to try if I ever get to visit Japan. It's good for people who don't know what they want as you get a bit of everything. 

Service was slow even though there was enough staff running around to serve. We waited 45-50 minutes before our food came. When our bill came they added an extra 2 drinks we didn't order onto it. Make sure you always check you bill before you pay!

I'd been wanting to try Miyagi's since they opened their first restaurant on Bold Street in town. Unfortunately I'm disappointed. The food wasn't that bad but it could've been better same with the service.

There seems to be a reoccurring pattern of going to Tesco to pick up bargains as it was down the road. Hannah got a load of reduced fruit & bread, I got 2 boxes of raspberries & poppy seed New York bagels, Kelly got some pan au chocolate & pancakes. Danielle got a box of iced ring doughnuts. People love a bargain people all huddled around the reduced bakery stuff. As Danielle described them as "a pack of vultures."
Deja vu of Hannah's birthday! Might just go to Tesco for my birthday cheaper & more fun!

Eventful evening as always & I even found some Pokemon around Tesco. Yes I've got Pokemon Go who hasn't?? But not having much luck though need to go out more! Was teaching Danielle about it & hopefully convinced her to get it since everyone else has it.

Dress - Zara

Cut Out Boots - Zara

Zara mannequin again head to toe & jacket!

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Spain

Costa Del Sol 

I'm back home in cold Liverpool after spending a week in 35°C on the Costa Del Sol Spain. You know you've arrived home as you're flying through the horrible grey clouds & land to realise it most definitely isn't bare legs weather no more! It was nice to have a week to be able to just relax. 

I flew from Liverpool airport last Tuesday evening to Málaga with my mum & dad. Our flight was delayed by 45 minutes due to the French air strikes. This 45 minutes was spent sat on the plane on the run way which was annoying as we didn't end up going to bed till 2:30am. My parents own 2 apartments on Los Arqueros golf course in Benahavís off the Ronda road. We rent a car & it's about an hour's drive from Málaga airport. 

The first day was spent in La Cañada shopping centre, which is a massive shopping centre with fashion stores, furniture stores, restaurants, a supermarket & a cinema. It's around a 15 minute drive from the apartment. The first store we went to of course was my favourite.. Zara! It was just like the one back home in Liverpool One, a mess & a really long queue mainly filled with Brits. I bought a striped dress in the sale I was going to get when it was full price.

A-line Dress 12,99€ which is around £10.

We had lunch at M.Wok buffet which is also a teppanyaki.

The sushi was the best part. It was 9,95€ per person which isn't bad as the food is nice. Was in a food coma afterwards though with the amount of sushi!

Foreign supermarkets are well better than Tesco or Morrison's. There's so much choice when it comes to fruit & veg, fish & even meats. (Forgot to take a photo of.)

The past week I lived off water melon & maccie's ice cream. Nothing better when it's hot!

I said before I left that I'd be doing morning runs as the apartment is on a mountain there's plenty of incline & declines. The apartment didn't have a tv & has no wifi. (The tv broke & the apartment is getting sold, so there's no point in getting a new one. I guess it's kinda a good thing to do anything to keep me off my phone but I feeling really lost!) I had to go to the other apartment's community office to be able to get wifi. Which was a good reason to run down there & back every morning.

5/7 runs while I was there that cancels out the 3 maccie's ice creams right?

San Pedro

On Thursday morning in San Pedro there's a market which sells the usual fake Gucci or LV bags, plenty of fruit & veg & the holiday braids. San Pedro is a 10 minute drive from the airport & where we tend to go, to go the supermarket.

We only bought some cherries & went back to the apartment to sunbathe & I watched Big Hero 6. Sunbathed for around 2hrs then there was a thunderstorm. I got back just in time before it started to rain really heavy. It only lasted a couple of minutes then it was clear again. 

Puerto Banús

After dinner we went to Puerto Banús which is a 15 minute drive with no traffic. It was Friday night & it was super busy with a lot of traffic getting around.

Shirt Dress - AX Paris from New Look

Puerto Banús has gotten so busy the past couple of years. When we first went to Spain around 11/12 years ago hardly anyone knew about Puerto Banús or Marbella. People just drive around & park their nice car there to show off. If I had a nice car I wouldn't want to park it there with people putting their sweaty hands & leaning all over my car to get a photo of it! There's so many more yachts now as well. A life goal would be to own a yacht there one day cos that's when you know you've really made it.

Marbella

   

Town Hall

Marbella is around a 20/25 minute drive. It's really pretty but I don't think many people see this side of it as most come to party & end up on the golden mile. As I've only ever been here with my parents I couldn't tell you where any of the good party destinations are!

Marbella Beach

We didn't go on the beach but it's a nice beach that we have been on in the past.

We stopped at a local restaurant for lunch.

Can't remember what these are called! 

Sardines

Prawn omelette

Baby squid

Anchovies

We went to La Cañada again as it's only a 5 minute drive from where we were. On the way back we were stuck in traffic for 2 hours!

Got a really nice sunset photo of the sun over Puerto Banús bullring.

San Pedro Beach

Sunday was beach day! As shops are closed, due to it being a religious country it's their rest day. We did find out the day after that the supermarket that we go to was actually open till 3pm just for July.

San Pedro beach is the local beach for us. It's nice & clean but had a lot of rocks by the sea. 

Every so often you just need some time to yourself to be able to breathe & appreciate what's around you. The beach is definitely one of the best places, lying there listening to the sounds of the waves. Forgetting about everything which is just what I needed. Trying to forget that once I'm back I need to sort my life out..

The last full day was spent sorting stuff out as the apartment is in the process of getting sold & we probably won't get the chance to stay in this one again. The next time we go we'll probably be staying in the other one which currently has someone renting it. In the evening we went to Puerto Banús again as I wanted to get some photos in the day light as you can tell my Nikon J2 takes photos well better in day light.

Puerto Banús

Love these shoes not sure who they're made by? But definitely out of price range.

I've found a new hobby.. chasing sunsets. How amazing do they look captured on camera? I wish I lived somewhere that I could take some magical sunsets. I guess it's a down side of living in a city. On the walk back to the car we went past La Sala which are doing dinner in the sky. Something to add to the bucket list.

View from the apartment balcony. You can see the Gibraltar rock from it but it was really hazy while we there & you could just about see it. It used to be super clear.

It's been 4 years since I last visited & not much has changed. When I was younger we went nearly every year & I was bored of going but as you get older you appreciate things more. You want to just be able to relax & sunbathe as well as doing touristy stuff. My dad actually knows here better than he knows Liverpool we've been that many times & done all the touristy stuff. He doesn't go out much back home. We were going to drive to Gibraltar as it isn't far but the queues to get in now are just crazy so we didn't want to waste time going. We usually make a visit to Estepona as that's around a 20/25 minute drive but just didn't get the chance to. Also one thing missing is paella! We said everyday we were going to have it but just didn't end up having it :(

Also new hobby; taking photos from the plane window.

I would recommend flying to Málaga & staying anywhere around there as we have been to most of the places. There's cable cars & a theme park Tivoli world in Málaga, we've been to Fuengirola, there's a zoo & water park. Flights if you book in advance are pretty cheap from Liverpool. I couldn't tell you hotel prices as we obviously don't stay in them but if you wanted to rent our apartment email me or want to know more 

wing27@hotmail.co.uk

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Some of the photos were taken on my Nikon 1 J2 camera while others were taken from my Samsung Galaxy S5 phone. Also snapchat Android.