Romance.

I can't believe its taken me 25 years to watch 'When Harry met Sally.' 

RAD! 

On my 3 days off knowing I was unable to go surfing, I decided to allocate one day for meeting up with my best friend, one day for an adventure (more on that later) and one dedicated to slobbing about at home watching movies. 

I recommend if you have the luxury of time off to do things in that order, see a dear friend, travel to somewhere unexpected and relax at home. 

The last three days have been full of romance not because I've being getting lucky (ahem)! But for the spirit of adventure, fascination and stories. Did you know romance has five different meanings? Check out what the Oxford Dictionary has to say on the matter: 

noun

• 1 [mass noun] a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love:I had a thirst for romance
•  love, especially when sentimental or idealized:he asked her for a date and romance blossomed
•  [count noun] a love affair, especially one that is not very serious or long-lasting:a holiday romance
•  [count noun] a book or film dealing with love in a sentimental or idealized way:light historical romances
•  a genre of fiction dealing with love in a sentimental or idealized way:wartime passion from the master of romance

• 2 [mass noun] a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life:the romance of the sea

• 3a medieval tale dealing with a hero of chivalry, of the kind common in the Romance languages:the Arthurian romances

• 4a work of fiction depicting a setting and events remote from everyday life, especially one of a kind popular in the 16th and 17th centuries:Elizabethan pastoral romances

• 5 Music a short informal piece:the romance from The Gadfly became a popular favourite

My favorite is meaning this one:

'a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life:

the romance of the sea' 

As the festive season approaches there will be many reminders of romance and in the dark winter nights it is easy for loneliness to be emphasized. I'm in fact having to work this Christmas but don't feel sorry for me, I won't feel bad, it is what it is. Much like many of the events in my life I'm seeing this period of being single as an opportunity to explore and learn some things. Don't be afraid to be alone, it is through solitude we are able to reflect and discover things about ourselves. 

So enough rambling, let me tell you about my adventure. 

I was supposed to go surfing back up to my beloved Saltburn but a less than favorable surf report illicted an almost petulant response in me. I was so geared up for a journey that I impulsively dared a friend to chance a coach journey to anywhere in Britain. And so to Bristol City! Here's pictures from our adventure! 

The customary 'we're on a coach' selfie. 

 Bristol is an insanely beautiful city on account of all its graffiti artwork, I was literally stopping every five minutes to take pictures or selfies!

My beautiful travel companion/intrepid explorer/land locked surfer Adelle!

 

 

 So Adelle and I decided to go to Bristol Zoo which was AMAZING! As a vegan zoos can sometimes be a contentious issue but as a wildlife conservationist I see their benefit. Whilst zoos were established for unscrupulous reasons zoos such as the one in Bristol nowadays are beacons for conservation and are safeguarding vulnerable species for the future. Until we maintain habitats and protect wild areas zoos are unfortunately a necessary evil. 

 

I can't tell you how magical it was seeing Lowland Gorillas up close, I've always had such a soft spot for the great apes so I literally was getting misty eyes seeing them in such a unique way. 

 

  

   




































I had a 'moment' with this variegated spider monkey, he looked me directly in the eyes which was magical until his mate swung down and flashed his testicles at me!

Well that's enough photos for one day! 

Wishing you much romance in your life, until next time

Stay strong and surf well 

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