ALL NEW AT COCOMATHILDE.COM

Haven't been able to post over the past weeks but I have a good excuse: I have been working on my NEW BLOG!!! Yay! After 6 ½ years on cocomathilde.blogspot.com I have moved my blog to 

www.cocomathilde.com

New blog design, new URL, new everything. I have decided to keep this blog (yes, very nostalgic, very impractical) but you'll still be able to find all the old and new posts (including a super recent HELSINKI TRAVEL JOURNAL) on the new blog. 

So head over to cocomathilde.com, I'm super excited to hear your feedback!! :)

TRAVEL DIARY | SAN SEBASTIÁN

Weeks later I finally get to show you the photos I've taken in Spain. After travelling through the south of France for some days I arrived in San Sebastián - and couldn't believe I have never before been to this beautiful city.

[CITY GUIDE] LONDON

It's been a while now but spending the last few weeks far away from my laptop, without any (well-working) Wifi and only limited mobile data I hadn't had the chance to post anything. Until now, I'm back home for a few days, with the post-travel depressions setting in and many new posts planned.

London is already a month ago (feels like 5 though), but I still managed to take some notes and show you some of my favourite places I have discovered while spending the weekend there. So here we go, a small city guide to a city, where probably half a million city guides already exist for.

RECIPE: GAZPACHO / REFRESHING SPANISH TOMATO SOUP

If there is something the Spanish definitely know how to do it's food. Think of tapas, paella, patatas bravas... But my absolute favourite Spanish (actually Andalusian) dish is Gazpacho, a refreshing cold vegan tomato soup which is so easy and quick to make you will not want to make anything else anymore for the rest of the summer.

OPEN SOURCE FESTIVAL 2016

Same festival, different year. Once again I spent a beautiful sunny Saturday at the Open Source Festival in Düsseldorf. So here we go, a few photos and a small review of this year's edition of Düsseldorf's very own festival. 

TRAVEL DIARY | LONDON | BOROUGH MARKET & BRICK LANE

One last exam and I was officially done with my second semester and off visiting friends in England (yes, the Brexit was the No.-1-topic of discussion and yes, everything was cheap). I had an amazing week in Brighton and the English countryside, going on long walks, napping and watching old movies, baking shortbread and generally not doing a lot due to our end-of-the-year-exhaustion. And then I took the train to London, walked 18 km three days in a row, explored approx. every street in the city and had the best time. 

AMFI ATELIER SHOW

A few weeks ago I had the incredible chance to photograph back- and frontstage at the ATELIER SHOW of the Amsterdam Fashion Institute. I cannot describe how much I enjoyed this, running around between the people, capturing these moments of excitement and fear, curiousness and tension, observing all the people rushing around getting ready for the show. I can finally show you my favourite photos, and yes, it's a lot. Photographing real models is super fun, and backstage even more.

SCOPOPHILIA ARTS FESTIVAL

Being part of the Art Committee at my uni we spent the last months organising Scopophilia, our arts festival, which took place in the beautiful garden of Tolhuistuin in Amsterdam Noord. Working on the event was an incredibly intense experience and even though there were quite a few ups and downs (and maybe more downs than ups), all the work definitely paid off in the end. 

[CITY GUIDE] LISBON

I think it's not necessary to tell you over and over again how much I liked Lisbon and what an amazing city it is and so on and so on. Just one thing: go go go, visit it, have a great time, safe a lot of money because it's cheap (I'm speaking of 10€ for a pretty good hostel bed and 9 for a perfect three-course-menu), it's laid-back, it's young and creative, and beautiful and busy and not too big but big enough. And so close to Europe's most beautiful beaches. And after booking your flights takes notes and follow this little guide around one of my favourite cities.

TRAVEL DIARY | LISBON

Portugal is already some weeks ago and every day I planned on posting about our journey and every day I just ended up not finding a single free minute in which I was still able to think straight. For the past days I basically moved into the library and the rare few hours I got at home could only be spent watching some (very, very undemanding) TV series. It took me 3 days to edit some few photos, 2 more to format the post and now the only thing left is writing. I figured since this is what I have been doing for the whole day already anyways a few more minutes won't be the problem anymore so here we go: a loong post about our time in Lisbon, to make up for all those post-free weeks.

HOTSPOT: THE EYE - AMSTERDAM NOORD

A few weeks ago Maja visited me and after cycling through the whole centre, eating stroopwafels and wandering around the 9 staatjes district we took the ferry to the other side of the Ij. 

LIFE RECENTLY PART 4

It's April and my last life update post was in January. What. How did this happen? I cannot believe how the past months have been rushing by: only two and a half more months and I am done with my first year at uni, a few more weeks until spring break and Portugal and definitely too little time until my statistics exam next week. Too little. But I've been planning to give a short life update for more than a week now and is there a better time to work something off your to do list when you really could use some time learning flashcards or trying to find out how to handle Excel? 

9 STRAATJES AT DUSK

One last post from the weekend Cosi was visiting me. The photos are actually all taken by her and I just love how they capture the wonderful atmosphere in the 9 Straatjes district right after sunset.

SATURDAYS

When Cosi was here we spent a wonderful sunny Saturday in the 9 Straatjes district, wandering around, having baguette and hummus sitting in the sun by a canal and taking far too many photos. The weather was so beautiful and the colours so nice that I'm getting more and more excited for summer to come.

RECIPE: [EASY AND VEGAN] BANANA BREAD

Ok I have a new obsession: banana bread. I bake it at least once if not twice a week and it's by far my favourite snack. Due to my extreme laziness when it comes to time spent in the kitchen it took me a while to simplify the recipe as much as possible without missing out on the fun and I guess after now spending not even 5 minutes on preparing it, it is worth to be spread out into the world.

AMSTERDAM MY LOVE

Cosi is here in Amsterdam for the weekend and the weather couldn't have been any better on Thursday. It's still quite cold but super sunny and we cycled along the canals and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon in the city centre.

RECIPE: [VEGAN] PANCAKES WITH WHIPPED CREAM

I don't think there is a better way to start a Saturday morning than with a pancake picnic on the floor, featuring a lot of sun, a lot of fresh orange juice and a bunch of friends. Once again Peppi had found an amazing recipe and even though I was quite sceptical considering it basically seemed like we were frying oatmeal I have to admit I cannot remember having any better pancakes.

ONE DAY IN ZANDVOORT

A while ago I we went to Zandvoort and after uploading the short video I made I totally forgot to post some photos I took that day as well. So here we go, a few weeks later, already missing the beach too much, I can't wait to be back as soon as possible.

RECIPE: [EASY & VEGAN] CINNAMON ROLLS

My life has just gained one more reason to be happy: vegan cinnamon rolls. Think of butter (the vegan one, not as bad as it sounds), sugar and cinnamon, rolled up in a fluffy bun. And yes, here is the recipe, in case you need a late night treat before starting into the new week (and oh wow, for me also the new semester..!). Or a reason to look forward to a Monday afternoon spent baking.

ALONG THE KEIZERSGRACHT

Okay yes, the houses along the canals are for sure the most photographed ones in Amsterdam but I just couldn't resist walking around like a crazy tourist with my camera, taking photos of every pretty corner we passed by. The light was beautiful and the temperatures suddenly so mild that it felt a little bit like we skipped February and March and went straight forward to April.