the venice of portugal

Aveiro, the Venice of Portugal, should be on your 'places to visit in Portugal' list a 100%. If you have that kind of  a list. I've never been to Venice, so I can't say how true the comparison is (you can have boat rides in canals in both - so pretty true, aye?) but I can say that Aveiro is lovely. After a day trip a few weeks ago, I'm already planning on going back to explore the beaches and possibly some cemeteries and parks, too!

A boat tour is basically a must and if you're lucky you might get a good guide like we did. We were entertained with both serenades and lots of facts about Aveiro. You can see most of the city through the tour and find out about some points of interest you might've missed otherwise. Most of the boats also have strange little, sometimes questionable, illustrations that I only noticed once going through my photos. For example, one of them in the pictures above says "I don't want anymore chorizo." (?)

Me being me, all the museums and churches were something I really wanted to see, and we managed to see most - if not all - of them. If you've only got time for one, go for the Monastery of Jesus/Museu de Santa Joana. It's got so much information on Princess/Santa Joana, pretty monastery architecture, cool Portuguese history, and beautiful and interesting collections. Apart from the museum (and boat tour), my other favourites were ovos moles, other traditional biscuits, and all the sun. I'm looking forward to going back as soon as possible!

Tomorrow I'm off to the south of Portugal (hooray!), but have actually scheduled posts (very organized and unlike me!), so I hope you'll enjoy those as well. And I also hope you're having a good Easter break/holiday - if you are on one!

thursday thoughts pt. 46

This quote is something I think about from time to time. I think about it when reading someone elses words and when I write something myself. I used to love writing and even wanted to be an author for a good portion of my pre-teens and teens. The idea of writing a best-selling novel, publishing some poetry or anything literature related still isn't appalling to me (who wouldn't want that), but somewhere along the way writing stopped being a priority to me. It's also one of the only things that made me self-doubt whether or not something I wrote could ever be that good. Now, this blog is probably my biggest writing outlet and by no means is it literature even if I put together more than a few sentences. So this quote is also something I sometimes think about in regards to blogging. Am I abusing everyone's time and literature - are we all abusing them? Because, really, how many people in the world truly have the ability to arrange their thoughts into words in a worthwhile way or have any charm of style? Ultimately, I want to do things I enjoy (and think everyone should do so) and I enjoy writing. Therefore instead of letting the - perceived or imagined - lack of these qualities make me dubious, I'm rather going to think of them as something anyone writing anything should strive for. What does Cicero know, anyway?

basic

Blazer - 2nd hand

Top&Necklace - Primark

Earrings - Gift from my godmother

Trousers - KappAhl

Shoes - Citymarket (?)

These are old pictures (see: hair length). But even though this was something I'd often wear to work, it's still something I wear quite often (just not to work anymore). I'm sure that at the time of buying these trousers (years ago!) I mentioned how I intended them for job interviews and then hopefully for work as "smarter" wear. I finally got to wear them for work last spring and summer, but as I was working in Finland (and not in the UK like I thought I would) there was no dress code for work anyway. Dress codes can feel restrictive for those who have them, but honestly I'd prefer them to some degree. This is still fairly casual with the top and necklace, but even so this would basically be as "smart" as anyone would look at my old work place. I.e. I was pretty much the only one dressing "smart" and more formal. Mostly I just find it practical: trousers and blazers like this have good pockets for carrying around your keys, phone, pens, and other bits&bobs. But it also makes me feel more professional and productive. Maybe I'd feel differently after working in an office for years or a decade. For now, I'm back at partaking in uni life and not having to think about what is work-appropriate to wear. Which I needn't have worried about in the first place. Work-appropriate or not, working or not, this is an outfit that may have been seen on me a few times after spring/summer 2016, because I am, evidently, a basic.

through the years: march

Time for another look into my past outfits of the 2010s:

2012:  I didn't have any posts, never mind outfit posts, from 2011, so here's two from the year after it. I really like the first picture and still wear this vintage dress - although not as often as I should! On the other hand, I only own the cardigan anymore from the second outfit. The cardi was made by my grandma so I don't think I'll ever throw it away. I used to wear lace tops like this all the time, and only recently sold/donated them (surprised I'm wearing an another top underneath, haha!). I kind of want to introduce a denim skirt back into my wardrobe and the shoes (that are part of both outfits) were a favourite that I would not mind owning again. I like March 2012 Laura!

2013: Outfits, cemeteries and Doctor Who references - has anything changed from this? Not noticeably, I think. Still wear my vintage leather jacket all the time, still wear the headband when it's cold, and still wear the wellies when it rains. Even though I don't have the bag and the heart-print skirt anymore, I find them cute. I don't even hate the white tights with this outfit! (Don't think I'd buy white tights again, though.)

2014: I love this outfit. So much so, that my sidebar picture is still from 2014.. I was really sad when I didn't fit into these shorts anymore and I was really sad when these shoes got holes in them. I do usually love and wear my clothes until there's nothing left of them, to be honest. I don't wear the top as much as I used to but my grandma's scarf is my go-to scarf and brings colour to a lot of my current outfits, and, again, this cardi made by my grandma is the prettiest and warmest thing in the world. I also really like my eyeliner and hair here. It's almost making me want to go short again, but am trying to stay determined to grow my hair.

2015: This is cute as well - all my March outfits I've chosen are quite cute. I don't think I've worn the braces since 2015, but they may make a comeback at some point. You never know. This top was one of my favourite crop tops and these were probably my all-time favourite jeans. (The hair I had for most of 2015 reminds me of how tedious it is to grow out a pixie and makes it easier to remember that it's not a good idea to go for the chop right now.)

2016: This one doesn't feel like it was a year ago. Time flies - whether or not you're having fun. I still like the colour combination and would possibly wear it again. I'm going on and on about my hair which isn't very interesting, but look at it! It's almost doubled in length since this was taken.

2017: Technically, this one's from February, but I posted it only a couple of days back so we shall count it as a March outfit! Do go and check out my previous post with lots of pictures of my new uni!

I feel like March has possibly been one of my best months for outftits so far. I only have autumn and winter months of these left to do, but I'll be back with these posts in September! These are always so much fun for me and it's also always lovely to hear you lot like these:-) Do you have a favourite or least favourite March Laura outfit?

And if you haven't yet, you can read my other "through the years" posts here: April | May | June | July & August | January | February |

university of coimbra

 Denim shirt&body - 2nd hand

Skirt - Bershka

Shoes - Vagabond

Sunglasses - Citymarket

I am so glad to be attending the University of Coimbra for this spring semester. It isn't on the UNESCO World Heritage List for nothing, because the buildings from the 12th century onwards are just so fantastic and so full of history. Traditional Portuguese things, Roman influences, and all the prettiness. Despite the fact that you can't take pictures inside most of the buildings, I have no lack of photos. As a student there's no entrance fee for me (hooray!), but it is totally worth paying for as well to see the whole university. I certainly would (but getting told it's free was a pleasant surprise as well). My favourite is the Biblioteca Joanina. Again; no pictures, but it is stunning. And most recently it has been used as inspiration for the library in the new Beauty and the Beast film, if that's something you're into. Other than that, I've also enjoyed learning a bit more about Portuguese history, which has not been and still isn't my area of expertise. For example, before getting here, I certainly did not know that Coimbra used to be the capital! Or that its university is the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world. All in all, it's such a cool place for anyone to see and visit. The only thing I'm struggling with is walking up the university hill pretty much on a daily basis, haha..

church and arson, a year later

This one's a bit of different one, and I feel like this is a bit of a sad post, but I wanted to share these photos anyway. Even if you don't fancy reading this since it's not something that most/all of you will feel, at least the photos turned out pretty great! It's taken me some time to get around to this too, and for once not merely because I tend to be a lazy blogger/person. I just wasn't sure what to write and whether I wanted to write anything or not. But I suppose I do. Mostly this was just a wee cathartic writing experience, without any answers or hidden epiphanies. I'd also just like to add that I wrote most of this a year ago, but still wanted to post it today. In the grand scheme of things this was something quite small, and worse things have definitely happened since. This is also a classic case of caring more about things that hit closer to home, which I wish I wasn't as guilty of as I am. But perhaps, I'll start talking about more pressing matters as well.

The end of April and beginning of May last year I visited Ylivieska (Finland) and for me a big part of the trip was visiting the remains of the church there. (And another part was the funeral I briefly mentioned a year ago as well, so what a fun trip!) The church was burnt down just before Easter, exactly a year ago today, and still in April/May (2016) it felt strange that it wasn't there. My mum and her family are from Ylivieska and while everyone in Finland was talking about the arson, it didn't feel as if it meant that much to most people. And, really, it doesn't, it was only a building. Yet, I felt so much more affected by it all than I ever thought I would. I wasn't home when I heard the news, so my first reaction was just disbelief, but as soon as I got home I literally felt like crying. And I say that as someone who doesn't cry all that much and definitely wouldn't admit to it even if I had cried (Spoiler alert, I did cry.).

I might say that I'm a church-going person (which I don't really talk about that much on the blog or in real life..), but that wasn't really why the events saddened me. As far as I've understood it wasn't even a hate crime in that way, although those happen far too often and are always sad/enraging no matter who they are committed against. I had only been to the church in Ylivieska a handful of times. But those times I'd been there with my grandparents (and mum). I knew the exact spot my grandpa used to sit at when he was a wee boy and literally everyone would feel obliged to attend church. And it was to this church we did one of our last outings with my grandma after grandpa died and before she was moved into a nursing home for the short period of time she lived there. Little things like that just made - and still make - it feel like links to the past and my memories have been taken away from me to some extent. Like there's less and less places to remind me of my grandparents and heritage, especially since my grandparents' house and farm aren't somewhere we ever go after they died. So to me it was closely linked to all those feelings. Not to mention how grieved and annoyed I am when any kind of building, monument or thing of historical value is destroyed.

I find it hard to express what the church and it burning meant to me and how I felt, not least because I felt a lot of emotions (and because it happened a few months back/a year from writing this). More than anything, I think I was tired. It definitely made me have one of those moments when I realize how hateful a place the world can be and how incredibly awful humans are towards each other, themselves and the environment around them. More than anything, it made me dislike and distrust everyone and everything a bit more. And even though the world is amazing and people can be too, it's sometimes just so tiring that things like this and worse things happen far too often for us to remember that the world is beautiful and that people can be good.

thursday thoughts pt. 45

When asked to pick a favourite season, I usually say summer, but it might actually be spring. I love spring. And it truly is a time for plans and projects - whether that be work, school or personal life related. It's a good time to reorganize your life a bit, maybe check up on those resolutions if you made any for the year, plan for the rest of the year, do a spring cleaning. Whatever suits you. Currently most of my plans a still travel related and most of my projects involve uni work. Usually spring would also be full of exciting plant planting plans and gardening projects, but as I'm not staying in one place for long enough at the moment, I'm not doing any of that this year. Instead I've tried to put some of that left over energy into planning this wee blog space a bit more. But still, travel plans and uni are defnitely my number one priorities right now.

Let me know if you've any exciting spring plans, I'd love to hear them!