Staples Center!

There is something you should know about me.. I'm a sport fanatic! My Grandad told me from a young age that I was a natural sportsman, eye-hand co-ordination came easy to me, which was good because I never really believed I was very academic. I thought my life would take a sporting route. Like any boy growing up in England, I wanted to be a Footballer... how cliche! I quickly realised that this was a dream I couldn't achieve. I accepted that thousands of boys my age all had the same dream, and that unfortunately, I just wasn't that good!

I continued to play football for a number of years. Moving into secondary school, I found a love for Basketball, it wasn't too popular at my school as not many people in my year group played, I saw this as a positive as it allowed me to mix with the older guys. It was at this point I found my love for Kobe Bryant, a true artist of the game. I remember sitting in my room after school watching videos on YouTube of his mixtapes. I was amazed at how easy he made the game look, the way he moved with the ball, and without it. It looked like instinct over skill, but I was being naive. I would go out and try to replicate the tapes in my back garden, as my parents brought my a hoop to practice on. I joined the Shropshire Warriors Basketball Programme in my early years at secondary school, I was part of a fantastic team and travelled around the country playing competitively in the national league, some of my best sporting memories were at this time of my life.

Now, let's fast forward slightly, I'm a New York Knicks fan... I know.... Not the most normal behaviour from a guy who loved Kobe Bryant and the Lakers for most of his life. This was because I also had a strong admiration for Carmelo Anthony, but that's a different story.

Anyway, I was looking around for presents. As the birthday girl is Canadian, she has a strong love for Ice Hockey..naturally. I started to hunt through StubHub for any preseason tickets and struck gold! A preseason game between LA Kings and Anaheim Ducks, a local derby as us Brits would say, similar to the relationship between Liverpool and Everton back home, just for some context. I didn't hesitate and booked the best seats I could find!

The day arrived, and we were excited! We parked the car and started walking towards the arena. This is a journey that I'd done numerous times in the car, but I never really got a sense of the size of the arena until I was stood in front of it.

As you enter the arena, you're greeted with just about every food and drink you can think of, and it isn't cheap! Two beers will set you back $25, but this is stadium food, which I'm sure all you Football fans from home can relate to!

As we stepped out into the main area, my jaw dropped... I'd dreamt of coming to this place since I started playing Basketball. The retired jersey numbers from the Lakers, Clippers, Kings and WNBA were hanging from the rafters, the fans, the noise... everything was exactly how I imagined it. We took our seats 8 rows from the ice and began to watch the game. LA won that game by 6 goals to 1 against Anaheim, a truly memorable experience.

Now I just need to watch the Lakers there!

I hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Regards, Dan

Why do you travel?

Probably the most common question I've seen travel bloggers answer. Why do you travel? Now, we all travel for different reasons. But, the most common reason that stands out when I read these blogs is that fact people seem to be scared. Scared at life behind a desk, scared to fall into routines, scared of commitment, scared at the lack of freedom. 

For me, I'm not running away from problems when I travel. I'm the type of person that strives to deal with problems head on, it's the only way you can learn from a situation, good or bad. How can you take your own life seriously if all you ever do is run? 

I'm young and in many aspects inexperienced in life. The two aspects of why I travel, in a strange way, kind of contradict each other, but hear me out... 

The first reason I travel is because I want to experience these wonderful places while I'm young enough to do it, without too many financial repercussions. Travelling has allowed me to meet so many people that have become so important in my life. It's helped me learn from other peoples upbringings and experiences, and I genuinely feel that I would not be the person I am today without those people, so thank you!

The second reason I travel is, and I said it would slightly contradict the first reason, is to help me along the journey towards self-reliance. The British Education System is extremely structured up to the point of leaving Secondary School. I remember arriving at college and being completely gobsmacked at all the freedom I had, what do you mean I can 'decide' if I want to go to class? I don't get told off if I don't go? it shocked me and if I'm honest, I didn't like it. I wasn't self-reliant, I relied on that constant structure from either my teachers or my parents - granted the structure from my parents was still there, but you get the picture. Back to the point! Travelling by yourself is a fantastic way to learn what you can cope with. I always tell my friends that "you learn the most about yourself when you feel uncomfortable", and it's a quote I pretty much live by. To start with, nothing scared me more than getting on a place by myself, but now it's second nature! After feeling intentionally uncomfortable, for me, there is nothing better now than taking a flight by yourself, headphones in, gazing out of the plane window, nothing but you and your thoughts, no one to rely on but yourself. Yes, it's scary, but life's scary!

If you don't feel like you're ready to travel by yourself, don't worry! I'm still learning, I have friends around the world which help me to take that journey towards self-reliance in baby steps. A flight by yourself is a good place to start, knowing you need to be somewhere for a certain time, and knowing that you need to get yourself there. It may not seem like much to you now, and you may feel uncomfortable doing it, but it's a damn good place to start..

Self-reliance isn't something that will happen overnight, it is something that is developed in stages as we get older, shaped by experiences you have and the goal of becoming more and more independent.

Travelling will help you shape the rest of your life, so don't be scared! DO IT!

Feel free to share your views and tell me, why do you travel? 

Regards, Dan.

Boat Trip!

In my life, I've canoed/kayaked the Ardeche in France, and took a trip on the Canal Du Midi, also in France. But, I'd never sailed. For almost a year, me and my friend Joe have wanted to go sailing since we discovered one of our colleagues had a boat, but we never really got round to planning it. Finally, after a couple of weeks of planning, we planned to head down for the first weekend of August.

We all finished work on Friday, and made the three to four hour drive to Brixham. We arrived to a wonderful English summer evening.. yes they do exist! We prepared the boat for Saturday morning, had a quick freshen up and headed into town to check out the local bars. After a couple of hours, and several alcoholic beverages, we decided to get a relatively early night ready for a day of sailing in the morning.

We woke up to a lovely sunny day in Torbay. After preparing breakfast, we were ready to set sail! I spent most of the morning reliving my scout days with all the various knots needed for fenders and sails. We left the harbour and headed out to sea. 

I'll leave you with some pictures from the two days we spent sailing. As you can see, the weather was very different over the two days. The trip was truly memorable and I'm extremely thankful to Simon for having us for the weekend!

We hope to head back soon!

Have a great week everybody!

Regards, Dan.

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art - Final Day!

Part of the reason we decided to go to Copenhagen was the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. I am very new to the world of Art - partly because I've always been sporty! However, I've always had an opinion on it. So that, coupled with that fact I was travelling with an art fanatic, we decided to make the thirty minute train journey to Humlebaek!

The train journey was really something. Scandinavian architecture is truly beautiful in it's simplistic form. As you leave the city and travel north up the coast, the style of buildings change from town to town - however the only common similarity is the 'glossy' roofs on the houses... Strange but kind of pretty! We stepped off the train into Humlebaek train station and wondered around temporarily like lost children. The Louisiana is a 20 minute walk from the train station, so I decided to grab an ice cream for the journey.. not the greatest of ideas considering the weather! Sticky hands!

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is one of the leading international museums of modern art. The museum itself has a unique balance of art, architecture and landscape, and houses over 3,500 works. The museum hosts up to ten special exhibitions are year but has some of the most impressive permanent fixtures that I've seen. Tickets for adults are DKK 115 (£13), Students are DKK 100 (£11) and children go free!

Illumination

Illumination is an exhibition of new contemporary art at Louisiana, it houses over 1,000 pieces of work ranging from paintings to sculptures. Illumination has been a permanent fixture in the Louisiana since 2012, with pieces of art from a number of familiar and unfamiliar artists from around the world. Now, as I stated before, I am not an art connoisseur in any form, so I'm going to talk about the piece of art that I found most interesting.

"Finding one's shadow in ruins and rubble - Tiffany Chung"

"Finding one's shadow in ruins and rubble" is a multi-media feature relating to three manmade and natural disasters from around the world. Each box features an image from either the Vietnam War, the 1995 earthquake disaster in Kobe, Japan, and finally the current conflict in Syria. All images are extremely moving and relates to first hand experiences from the artists life. Images from the Vietnam War were included because the artist's Father was a pilot in the South Vietnamese Air Force. Images from the 1995 earthquake in Kobe holds special meaning to the artist as she spent time there working. Images from Syria have been included in the exhibit to emphasise her view on the current crisis. The artist has done extensive research into the crisis and has included images of the urban destruction and refugees - it really is a very moving piece of art. The reason I found this piece of art so interesting is the fact that each box references a completely chaotic scene that people may ignore. Take the crisis in Syria for example, people who have the attitude of "it doesn't effect me so I'm not interested" really need to wake up and smell the coffee! This crisis is horrible, truly horrible. I cannot begin to imagine the shear panic of feeling that unsafe in your home that you have to run. These people are running scared and we, as humans should help, regardless of the implications. Why? Because it's the right thing to do. To summarise, "Finding one's shadow in ruins and rubble" is a truly beautiful piece of art which tells an extremely chaotic message. It's a real must see!

Kusama Installation

Gleaming Lights of the Souls by Yayoi Kusama has been a permanent fixture in the Louisiana since 2008. The installation is a small room consisting of mirrored walls and ceilings, the floor is a watered reflecting pool, and you stand in the middle of the water on a platform.

"Gleaming Lights of the Souls - Yayoi Kusama"

Well, what can I say about this exhibit. It's really unique! First of all, the room is tiny! You have to queue to go inside as it can only hold four people at once. As you enter, you are greeted with the above. Down from the ceiling hang a hundred lamps and a relay makes the light change colour in calm transitions. The small shining globes are reflected due to the mirrors/floor to create depth. The depth that this installation creates I can only compare to what space would be like. I felt like I was five years old again. When I was younger, I was obsessed with the Solar System. This installation made me feel like a giant floating around space. The exhibit was one of my favourites from my Louisiana experience and I'm really looking forward to visiting the Victoria Miro to see All the Eternal Love I have for Pumpkins soon!

The Louisiana is really one of a kind. It's not just the fantastic art work and beautiful sculptures. It's the building itself and it's surroundings. The museum sits on, what's known as, the Sound. As you step out of the cafe doors at the rear of the museum, you are greeted with the most amazing view of the Sound across to Sweden. The view, I can only describe as perfect. The building and it's surroundings personally remind me of the house from Ex-Machina, the wooded area is magnificent and I feel this area has the balance of everything just right. I took some time out of the museum to sit on the lawn and look out across the water. At this point, I felt extremely lucky to be there. I've had so many great opportunities to travel around the world and I've seen so many amazing places, but the view I was looking at was just breathtaking. Sometimes, as people, I feel we sit and watch the world go by in a complete passive state. I see this all the time and have also been a victim of it myself. But, as I sat on the lawn, I felt completely present and where I was meant to be at the moment in time. 

I wouldn't change any of my experiences on this trip. It's a trip I will never forget.

Regards, Dan.

Torvehallerne Market - Day Three!

I must have exhausted most markets in London, so naturally when I heard Copenhagen had a farmers market, I had to check it out! First, the location, Torvehallerne is located a stones throw away from Norreport station, easily accessible for cars, buses and metro. On the site where the old fruit and vegetable market closed almost 60 years ago, Torvehallerne opened in 2011 and has just over 80 stalls selling everything from meats and fish to chocolate and flowers. The market also offers places to grab a quick bite to eat!

I was expecting, due to the nature of this market, that we'd be queuing for pretty much anything and the noise would be insane. However, even though it was busy, the market was shockingly silent! As I mentioned, the market offers endless options for a quick bite to eat - spoilt for choice would be an understatement! However, we chose to try Smorrebrod (The Scandinavian open sandwich) from Hallernes, which offered a vast selection to choose from, they were delicious and 'relatively' cheap! 

What I find most annoying about markets in England is that there seems to always be a pressure to 'keep moving'. Maltby Market and Columbia Road Flower Market are prime examples of markets where you feel like you physically can't stand still for a second (They're still amazing markets in their own right, but you get where I'm coming from). Torvehallerne is different, the stalls are split into two symmetrical buildings with multiple entrances to allow people to move freely. The surrounding courtyard, also known as Israel Plads, is full of fresh fruits, veg and flowers, along with picnic benches and seating for customers to use. 



Torvehallerne is proud to bring locally sourced produce to the city, something that's also very common in England. Due to this, and the overall design of the buildings housing these stalls, the market has been compared to Borough Market - Although not nearly as busy as the Southbank tourist hotspot! What sets this market aside from others I've been to is the diversity in what it offers. It seems that the people who decided on what stalls to include did so with extreme care - it's for this reason that you're not overloaded with rows upon rows of carrots and parsnips! Of course, if you want those things, they're still obtainable from the outside stalls. 

Most would consider Torvehallerne an upmarket..market and I would have to agree. There are many stalls inside the buildings which are a tad bit pricer than others, for example, stalls selling Wine, Smoked fish, venison, gin and brandy. But, this is to be expected, as those items are expensive anywhere you go in the world! It wouldn't be a market that I could visit everyday if I wanted to have any money left for the rest of the month. Luckily, at the time we went, the exchange rate from GBP to Danish Krone was fantastic.. we'll see how long that lasts #Brexit!

Regards, Dan.

Freetown Christiania - Day Two!

Due to only being in Copenhagen for a short time, we decided to rent bikes so we could see more of the city. After waking up early and indulging in some Danish baked goodies for breakfast (we were on holiday ok!), we grabbed our bikes and started to explore.

Now, not many of you may know this, but Copenhagen has been voted best city for cycling two years running by US sustainability experts Treehugger. I was surprised that it wasn't Amsterdam, as it seems to be more known for it's cycling, although I've actually never been there! Copenhagen has invested huge amounts of money in making this city 'cycle safe' and because of this it is now covered by 350km of cycle paths and lanes. 

We began to explore the south of the city and crossed Knippelsbro bridge into Christianshavn. We decided that we wanted to spend the day exploring the south due to it's markets, canals and most importantly Freetown Christiania!

Christiania is a self-governing 'free town', established in 1971 on the site of a military barracks. After the military moved out, vast amounts of homeless people started to move into the abandoned buildings. It currently has 900 residents and covers 84 acres. Christiania has it's own flag (a red background with three yellow circles) and also it's own currency, Lon - even though Danish crowns are still accepted here.  Walking through this town and seeing the wonderful coloured buildings and residents, it's fantastic to see that this place has not lost its community feel - even though Christiania is visited by people from all over the world! As you hit Pusher Street, the feel of town changes. Pusher Street, locally known as the 'Green Light District' is a street made up of huts selling hash. Now, Marijuana is still illegal in Denmark. Therefore, Pusher Street has strict rules for anyone wishing to pass through. The rules are:

1. Don't run! It's causes panic (speaks for itself due to the nature of the street)

2. No cameras! As I said, the distribution of Marijuana is still illegal.

3. Have Fun!

As we started to pass through the street, the feel of the town changes. The street, as I said, is made up of small huts selling Marijuana. The idea around Christiania distribution of hash is to stop the use of 'Hard Drugs'. The 'No Hard Drugs' policy was first established in the town in 1972 and remains in effect today, although evidence on the ground suggests that this isn't always abided by...The dealers are dressed in army camouflage, with balaclavas over their heads to hide their identity. Although the appearance of the dealers are very intimidating, they're running a business at the end of the day, so when it comes to the sale of hash to tourist or locals, their general persona changes..again, as this street is where the majority of the income for the town is made. 

Once you pass through Pusher Street, you hit the lake which takes up about half of the 84 acres in Freetown Christiania. Here, you will find most of the residents and their unique houses. It's amazing to think that this place is in the centre of a bustling city, because walking round this tranquil part of this town really makes you forget that. Christiania is one of the most unique places I've ever been, the sense of community in this place is second to known, the town has been allowed to grow and change due to the amount of tourists that pass through. The centre of the town is now a food market and has regular events hosted on the stage - there really is more to this place than just...drugs!

As you approach the exit towards the north of the city, you are reminded that "You are now entering the EU", a statement or promise that the residents of Christiania still fight on a daily basis for their self-governed, free lives here.

Regards, Dan.

Copenhagen - Day One!

Anybody who knows me well will confirm that I am not a morning person. I will make every excuse possible to avoid waking up before the sun does. Fortunately, or should I say unfortunately, the world of work has forced me to become better at dealing with this. But, I'd warn you to approach with caution before 7am! That being said, the morning of the 2nd of June was a morning I had no problem waking up for. We had an early morning flight from Luton to Copenhagen to catch, so a 5am alarm was imperative!

We left dull and rainy England and were welcomed by glorious sun in Copenhagen. Passport control was a breeze and with no bags to collect, we made our way to the metro.

Now, normally, when you're in foreign country or infact anywhere for the first time, navigation can be a daunting task, even with the ever-growing number of navigation apps you can get for your mobile phone. Copenhagen is one of the few cities I've been to where navigation was not an issue. We managed to find a wonderful apartment on Pilestaede, 0.5km walk from Kongens Nytorv metro station. We found our Airbnb apartment with ease, ditched the bags and began exploring!

They say first impressions are key, so as we started to explore the city I was blown away by the cleanliness of the streets and it really showed a pride in the city that I feel our cities lack at home. London, for all it's glory, really lacks this and it was really refreshing to be somewhere where the people respected their city. "Happy People, Happy City!"

We decided to experience traditional Scandinavian food when we ate out on the first night. Aamanns Deli, located in the north of the city, was our choice. After studying the menu for sometime, We chose to have the Whole Lemon Sole, served with artichokes, new carrots, marjoram and beurre blanc, and a selection of three Smorrebrod (Scandinavian open sandwiches), the selection for that day were Potato Salad, Chicken Salad and Salmon. The food was artistically presented and made with extreme care and thought, it really made you appreciate the fantastic taste knowing how much time went into preparing these dishes, I could not recommend this restaurant enough!


Once we'd finished our meal, we decided to have a stroll around the north of the city. I've always been fascinated by Scandinavian architecture and it's simplistic form. Even though we were still technically in the "city centre", we came across a small neighbourhood of beautifully designed town houses. What made us fall in love with this city was the real sense of community that again, most of our cities at home lack. For example, we started to walk down the street to find communal picnic tables and sandpits for residents to use at their convenience. These communal facilities did not impede the road, you could tell that these streets were built to provide a sense of community to the residents. I was also surprised at how peaceful this part of the city was, these streets provided a blissful getaway from the bustling city centre. Taking in the sights of this part of the city was a perfect way to end a great first day in Copenhagen.

I have a few posts lined up about our trip to Copenhagen including, Freetown Christiania, Food Markets and the Louisiana Museum, so please stay tuned for those!

Regards, Dan.

Australia

Last November, I took a trip to visit my brother in Australia. It was the first time since he moved there that I could afford to fly out to stay with him. I was there for a month and can say that this trip really impacted my life. I took a lot of amazing trips while in Australia, but I'm going to focus on The Great Ocean Road, and the Twelve Apostles to be more specific!

The Great Ocean Road has to be one of the most amazing places I've been. Mile after mile of gorgeous rolling meadows, beautiful beaches and mesmerising waves - if the Australian coastline was a cake, this would certainly be the cherry on top! I was lucky enough to travel from Port Campbell seeing well over half of this fantastic coastline.

As we made our way down the what seemed like an endless road of perfect scenery, we hit the world famous Twelve Apostles. It's extremely hard to imagine when you're there that once upon a time, these monuments were connected to the mainland. A combination of waves and wind erode these limestone 45m tall structures at a rate of two centimeters a year, and because of this twelve have now become eight! (You can see the remains in the pictures above!)

As you can imagine, The GOR and Twelve Apostles attracts millions of tourists each year (7.2 million to be exact!) so I can say without a doubt, that there weren't just waves in the sea! Waves and waves of people were huddled up at each lookout trying to catch a glimpse of structures like London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge and The Grotto, some of which I managed to get pictures of that day!
Every bend of this beautiful road reveals another photo opportunity, I would love to share every picture I took that day. But, to be honest, I spent most of the day with my phone in my pocket and my camera in the bag. It's places like this that make you appreciate how beautiful nature is. I'm a small town guy who was looking/experiencing a place that was not the norm and for that reason I wanted to live in the moment, and not look at it through a phone/camera screen.

I feel very mixed emotions about this place. I am extremely blessed to have experienced this place with my brother (as it was his first time too!) and for that I will always be happy. But, I also feel sad knowing that this beautiful place will continue to be taken by the very thing that made it, nature.

Regards, Dan.