Combining my two loves.

In my slightly younger years I was a bit of a “fangirl” when it comes to some bands and artists, so much so that I was able to combine my two loves in life. Which are of course music and travel.

I’m a sucker for a gig and when someone I like is playing I’ll travel to pretty much anywhere to see them.

Living in Glasgow, for gigs alone I have travelled to: Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leicester, London (many a time), Brighton, Dublin and Berlin. I love seeing artists anywhere I can, but honestly, nothing and nowhere beats the Scottish crowds. I’ve been to many a place but the atmosphere is just not the same (although the gigs are always still immense).

As well as just travelling to these places for gigs, I work with a company called barcode recruitment , so I work on the bars at festivals around the UK. I’ve worked at T in the Park, V festival and Leeds. Although there is many more to work at and not just festivals, sometimes just concerts that may be on as well as many other things, eg grand national, racecourses and boxing events. It’s always loads of fun and you meet so many great people. I’ve made some great festival friends, we’re a wee festival family.

Our Scottish festival family on the way to V festival last year.

Working at festivals is great. I get to travel somewhere, listen to and see some great bands/artists, spend a weekend with some great people and let’s not forget get drunk and have fun!

One of my best experiences has to be travelling to Berlin, Germany to see Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. It was a great gig, probably because it was heaving with many other Scots for a start. Not to mention it was in a beautiful country that I got to explore for a few days.

This is my favourite photo that I took in Berlin.

I absolutely love to travel and I love music. What are your loves? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Memories of Berlin

This time last year I had hopped on a plane from Glasgow and landed in Berlin for a whirlwind couple of days.

The reasoning behind going? I won’t lie, it was to see Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds (although I didn’t have a ticket, but managed to buy one there).

I had such an amazing time in Berlin. It was a great experience and it was amazing learning more about the city. For now all I have are the memories, the pictures and the occasional letter for my fine. Oops.

I thought I would share just a few of my favourite pictures from my time in Berlin.

And my absolute favourite happens to be this one. Mother with her dead son by Käthe Kollwitz.

This has to be one of the most powerful things ever.  Walking into the place and there being nothing else but this statue, standing itself in the middle of the room with a giant hole in the ceiling above it (apparently it looks breathtakingly beautiful with the rain pouring down over it). It really is an emotional place and somewhere that I would definitely suggest visiting if in Berlin.

Feel free to leave me a comment below. Tell me about your experiences in Berlin.

Looking back at 2015

My 2015 wasn’t filled with too much travelling, in fact the travelling I done was very few and far between but I made of it what I could. 

I visited 2 places within Europe I had always wanted to: Berlin, Germany and Amsterdam, Netherlands; along with camping in Scotland and a booze filled weekend in Newcastle I did have a great 2015.
 

Brandenburg gate, Berlin and scenic canal views just outside the red light district in Amsterdam

 

I visited Berlin in March (we went to see Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds) but I also got to spend my 22nd there, which turned out to be not too great of an experience so we’ll forget about that for now.. I feel like I didn’t properly get to enjoy Berlin and would love to go back (although the fine I got on the train might stop that). 
 

Amsterdam was great. It was one of the most relaxing times away I’ve ever had (and I don’t think that was just because of the weed)! Amsterdam wasn’t what I had expected of it, in a good way. I think we all assumed it would be a rather seedy place especially along the red light district but even that wasn’t what we expected. 

 

The Angel Of The North

 
Ah Newcastle! Venturing across the border into England we found ourselves in Newcastle for a weekend. Apart from the Angel of the North I don’t think we seen much more than the inside of a club, a booze filled glass and much more of each other than we originally wanted to (that’s a story for another time). Newcastle definitely became a favourite of mine very quickly.

   
   
Truthfully though, no matter how much I love getting on a plane and seeing the world. Sometimes it’s the places closest to home that are the best.

For me this includes a weekend camping with my best friends up Inverbeg. What more could we want than to pitch our tents beside the shores of Loch Lomand, make a fire pit and have a weekend full of laughter and fun (plus more alcohol than you should consume in your life).
Sometimes it’s the simple trips not far from home that can be the best.

I’m hoping my 2016 is filled with so many more adventures (I already know it will be), both with friends and by myself. I can’t wait to see what this year holds for me!

Yasmin x

Berlin: Banter and Fines…

What a time I had in the fine city of Berlin.

It really is an extremely beautiful and cultural city and I am so glad I went and experienced it with some friends. Everything started off quite well for us, we went on a lovely walking tour of Berlin and learned a little more about the city and it’s history. Seeing things like the Reichstag, the Berlin Wall and finding out where Hitlers bunker was which of course caused some controversy amongst the group of tourists we were with. Some believing there should be some sort of museum almost, displaying the bunker/how it would have looked, things that would have been in it etc. while others, such as myself believed everything was the way it should be. The bunker having been filled and now the only sign of it is someone telling you this is where it was as now it’s a car park beside some buildings. This isn’t exactly a part of their history that should be celebrated, and to me that’s what museums are for, celebrating and admiring things. They definitely don’t shy away from that part of their history which is great to see, it’s something that will never be forgotten after all.

There actually was a particular reason we were over in Berlin, which I have to say is definitely nowhere near as cultural as it could have been. We actually went over to see Noel Gallagher and boy was he amazing. I do have to admit, we were slightly disappointed with the German crowd but that’s possibly just because we’re used to the wildness of our Scottish home crowds. Met many lovely Germans and actually loads of fellow Scots too.

Being completely honest though, we were pretty bad tourists. We all got fines, this bloody underground over there. No-one explained anything to us and obviously back home you can buy tickets on the train.. You’d have thought the hostel could tell you simple things like, ‘You MUST buy a ticket before you get on the train, as if you don’t you are apparently cheating the system’ it also doesn’t help that the fine is in German.. Some of us aren’t fluent in your language so an English translation would be great, Thanks. Apart from that, we had a great time. It’s a beautiful city and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. Until next time Germany..

Berlin Bound 🌍

3 weeks time and I’ll be in this beautiful country for 5 days. Spending some of my 22nd birthday there.
I’m looking forward to it so much, going with 2 other girls as we’re going to see Noel Gallagher’s High Flying birds.

Obviously planning on visiting some beer gardens and such, but where are some of the must go places? Places that maybe aren’t obvious tourist places.

Also, how much do you reckon would be needed for 5 days here?!

Advice would be much appreciated guys!