¡Adios Lanzarote!

The final day of our trip was a relaxing one, especially after all of the running and walking we did on Ironman day!

Instead, it was time to relax and top up our tans before getting our flight back to London this morning.

Ironman Lanzarote

It's 5:30am, and outside it is as silent as can be, but behind the apartment doors are 2200 participants all getting ready for one of the most challenging days of their lives.

We are all about to meet by the swimming pool.

Casa Roja

We are back at the airport this morning with his and hers sombreros and maracas, and la Isla bonita playing from our small speaker. 

Steak and Sparklers

After those beach sprints and topping up the tan all day, it was time for another dinner.

A lot of restaurants along the sea front in any holiday resort have people outside begging you to come in with a 'ThisIsWhatWeHaveTonightAndIWillTalkAsFastAsICanIn10Seconds' monologue, and some of them are really nice places to eat too.

A few years ago, Mum and Dad found this local spanish restaurant one evening when wandering towards the old port. There wasn't a a huge open front with tables showing, just a door with a name above it. 

They took the plunge and went in to see what it had to offer.

The Rum Kitchen

I am going to let you in on a little secret of mine, whilst also hanging my head in shame.
Ready?
I am a little fussy with food.

Okay, little is probably the wrong word to use, and let's just say fussy. I'm not one of those people who won't try new foods, but at the same time a plate of salad is something I will not go near. Although ever since I have been in London, I have been purposely trying new foods as much as I can as there are so many places to go!

I love food (a little too much sometimes) although with my training I have to be careful about what I eat, but I can have the occasional cheat days, like eating this bad boy...

Sport Relief

Sport Relief has taken over the UK for the week.

From running events, to TV specials (Did you see the Davina programme - incredible!), thousands of people have been finding ways to raise money for people in the UK and overseas.

I was invited along on the final day of fundraising, so was up at the crack of dawn and headed over to the Olympic Park for the Sainsburys Sport Relief Games.

John Newman at Electric

Last night I grabbed Frankie from work, ate a quick dinner, and hopped on the underground down to Brixton.

Well, we got as far as Victoria before the line was closed, London transport is never friendly when you have to be somewhere fast is it?

A black cab ride later, we made it to Electric Brixton to see John Newman perform on his last night of his sold-out UK tour. His latest album has been on loop on my Spotify for a few weeks, and you can listen to it at the bottom of this too. 

  

 

I am always a little indecisive as to what to wear to some gigs, though last night I opted for a Bomber Jacket, I <3 NYC Tee, Topman Spray-On Skinny Jeans, and Nike Air Max 90 trainers.

You may have seen Topman mention the skinny jeans recently, as they have launched their ‘Spray On Jeans’ SS14 collection. Skinny jeans are back in the spotlight again, but this time even skinnier than before, and in a range of different colours. To be honest with, they may be tight, but they sure are comfortable!
You can find the range here, and then once you have your pair, put an outfit together and Instagram a pic with #TopmanSprayOnJeans to show off your style!

I rolled mine up two folds, and threw on my new Nike Air Max Trainers...

Which were not, in any way, going to get dirty tonight!

As the delayed crowd filtered in, we grabbed some drinks and made our way up to the box to get a good view as Mr Newman came on stage...

... and watched on as he belted out his songs from his album 'Tribute.'

My personal fav is 'Losing Sleep', which is going to be his next single! Check it out below.

Before we knew it, the confetti was shooting up into the ceiling as he closed the set with his single 'Love Me Again', which sent the crowd into a frenzy and chanting 'more' long after he had left the stage.

The only downside to the gig was the fact he didn't sing the Rudimental track he was featured on, but apart from that, it was a great gig with some brilliant music!
If you want to see who is lined up to play at Electric, then take a look here. They have some good artists being announced over the coming weeks, so keep you eyes open and check back!

In the mean time, plug your headphones in or turn your speakers up, and have a listen to 'Tribute' below!

The Palm - Dubai.

The Palm has always been on my list of places I have wanted to see when I visited Dubai. A huge, man made palm in the middle of the sea, housing some of the most expensive villas in the world, and the Atlantis hotel at the very tip.

So, for day 2 of our trip we did just that. Up early, slightly hungover from the night before, we packed our beach bags and hailed a taxi to head over to the Palm.

To say it is big is an understatement. At over 4 miles long, the Palm is absolutely huge. Villas and apartments fill the majority of it, with the most private of pools and personal beaches, whilst huge hotels fill the outer Crescent.

The Atlantis is as famous as the Burj or the Mall in Dubai, overlooking the Palm and its residents at the very end, and this is exactly where we were heading. for a day of sunbathing. Nasimi Beach Club is part of the Atlantis complex, with views looking back over the palm and Dubai shoreline. 

The perfect spot to chill out with a few frozen Daiquiri's, and pose for the holiday album!

I obviously haven't mastered that jumping shot just yet... will try again later!

As a quick snack at lunch (it is too hot to eat full on meals) we grabbed some sushi and pizza to share, and a few more bottles of water to stay hydrated.

Hannah was desperate to recreate an image she saw on Instagram, so we headed to the pool to cool down and perform the 'heart pose', with me as the designated photographer and arm-placer...

I think I did a good enough job there, didn't I?

We did it! A proper jump... with a small child in the background!

After a day of topping up the tan, me and Hannah were introduced to #ThirstyThursdays by Stacey and her Emirates team. Everyone gathered round her's for the traditional pre-drinking catch up.

The whole building houses the Emirates team, from all around the world, so Stacey got to introducing us to some of her friends over drinks...

Before I left the SLR at home, and headed to The Yacht Club for a night of drinking and dancing, Dubai style.

Drink prices in Dubai are about the same as you would find in London. The currency is in Dirham though, which you get about 5.50 to every £1, so don't be freaked out when you see drinks for 45AED!

Everything is a little different when you are clubbing in Dubai. You can smoke indoors, the air con actually works, and when you think you better go outside for some fresh air, it is like a sauna... Much like the inside of a busy UK club!

Shirt from River Island (Similar here) and jeans from Asos (found here)

From there onwards, the pictures stopped, the night became a drunken blur thanks to the vodka, and we stumbled back to the apartment in the early hours. 

Did I mention that everywhere delivers too?! From McDonalds, to Wahaca, everywhere delivers direct to your door.

Perfect when you are drunk and hungry...

Waking Up In Dubai

Autumn is always fun, but once the sunshine disappears and a blanket of cloud covers London, everyone is already missing summer. My birthday had just passed on the last day of September, and the next bank holiday isn't until Christmas, so a little bit of October sunshine away was exactly what was needed before winter sets in.

This time, I decided to venture out of Europe and head to Dubai for my escape, catch up with friends, see the sights, and pick up a bit of a tan in-between!

A few in-flight movies and drinks later, I woke up as we touched down at Dubai International in the early hours, and I made my way downtown to Stacey's apartment.

If you have never been before, then be prepared for the heat! Outside is like a sauna, even in the middle of the night when it was 35 degrees, and you are thankful for that little invention called Air-Con!

By the time we had woken up the temperature had hit 40 degrees and the humidity levels meant that everything I have from my camera, to mobile, to sunglasses, had steamed up.

Fortunately, Stacey has lived here for a couple of years so adapted into tour guide quite easily, planning where we were going to go and making sure we get to see as much of Dubai as we could in the 4 days we were there.

To start, a bit of sunbathing on the rooftop pool for the afternoon, taking in the skyline and pointing out the landmarks that makes Dubai what it is.

The views were absolutely amazing from the roof. With a 360 view of Dubai, you could see right across to the Palm...

 ...all the way down to the world-famous Dubai Golf Course.

That evening, we headed to the Emirates Mall for drinks, dinner, and a quick round of shopping.

One thing to remember if you visit Dubai, is that not all of the restaurants serve alcohol. Whilst every restaurant has to have a licence like in the UK, not all of them chose to due to the strict laws, so if you fancy a glass of wine with dinner then chose carefully!

We ended up eating at a restaurant called Apres, which is situated next to the indoor ski centre.
Yes, there is a ski centre, in a shopping mall, in the middle of the dessert. Surreal, I know. We grabbed a table next to the slope, kicked back, ate and enjoyed the wine.

Feeling slightly tipsy, a little bigger round the waist, and ready to get some shut eyes, we ventured back out into the heat and headed home.

If you happen to be in Dubai and fancy skiing, then Ski Dubai details can be found here.