Life Travel

A weekend in the Alps

alps

Hi guys! Yayyy how exciting is it to be writing something other than knitting patterns for a change, I should do this more often! Although I do have a few patterns on my mind as well that need to be written down so keep your eyes peeled for those (we’re talking pillows and tassels here)! I’ve found that I’m not really that into summer knits and last summer I was really in a creative rut not knowing what to do with my needles and yarn, but this spring and summer I plan on really getting into home decor elements like throw pillows and why not even blankets! Anything with tassels should work. And shawls too, and maybe crochet tops… Okay so maybe I could get excited about summer projects this year anyway (if you have any tips or favorite designs please let me know)!

alps

But into today’s subject aka our trip to to the Alps! Benjamin had the best surprise when he told me he had booked a hotel in Annecy for our 3-year anniversary – I’ve been wanting to go back to the city ever since we visited it the first time in 2016 and ahhh was it just as wonderful as I remembered! We spent two days walking around the city, admiring the lake and the mountains, and drinking nice coffees. It was also our first holiday together in AGES so it all felt really special.

alps

And another thing, WE GOT ENGAGED! Believe me when I say my heart might just explode. I’m so happy and thankful for being able to share my life with the most amazing human on earth.

alps

Before leaving for the trip I went on a little google and tripadvisor hunt to find some nice places to stop by, and it turned out to be an excellent move (I actually often don’t do this). Annecy can be really tourist-y so I wanted to avoid the places that scream TOURIST TOURIST TOURIST, and as a coffee shop fan I obviously checked out what the city had to offer coffee-wise! We ended up going to this place called Brumes, which is located on a small street right next to the city center and ughhh it was simply amazing! The staff was extra friendly and helpful (they even gave us a list of nice dinner spots), the coffee was excellent and the interior design made me feel like I was back in Finland. Yes yes yes to this place!

alps

alps

So all in all, we had such a wonderful and unforgettable weekend and it was nice to get away from school and work, even if it was only for a few days. I’m currently working hard on writing my new throw pillow pattern and I also have another post in the making about how I take and edit my knitting flat lays – I’m super excited about it and can’t wait to share my tips and tricks with you! Happy Friday-eve to everyone!

xx, Katimaaria

Strasbourg Travel

Picture diary: Strasbourg

strasbourg

Hi guys! Phew I feel like it’s been a hundred years since I last sat down and actually had the time to update anything on the blog. But here I am now! We’ve had a few busy weeks as my boyfriend was on holiday and we even got to have my little sister from Finland stay at our place for a whole week. We drank a lot of wine, ate too many pains au chocolat and watched a bunch of movies so all in all, I’d say it was a very successful week!

Before our overnight trip to Strasbourg we visited the small city of Riquewihr which is located on the wine route in Alsace. The day was a little cloudy so I didn’t get many nice pics but the main street is very picturesque and full of these little wooden houses that are really typical for Alsace and Germany. And in Riquewihr, there are A LOT of all things wine (which makes sense as the city is literally in the middle of vines…). You can find everything from wine tastings to wine shops to cheap boxes of wine, so yeah, I definitely wish we would’ve had more time to spend than just an afternoon but at least we now know that it’s a city definitely worth re-visiting!

strasbourg

And then, well then we went to Strasbourg! I don’t know what it is about the city but I’m absolutely obsessed with it and I already thought about taking up German classes at the uni (as if French wasn’t already enough of a challenge hahaha) and moving to Strasbourg! But we’ll see about that… Well anyway, we mostly spent our time strolling aimlessly around the city, admiring the cathedral and sitting on different patios drinking… need I say it, wine.

strasbourg

strasbourg

And I mean isn’t the cathedral just SO IMPRESSIVE? It amazes me every time how something so massive has ever been built and how it’s still standing. Also we were quite lucky as we went to Strasbourg on a Monday so the city wasn’t too crowded and even the weather wasn’t too hot so we really got all the best things out of a little city vacation.

strasbourg

We also found this super cute coffee place, Café Bretelles, in the Petite France block (the pic on the right), and in my opinion having a gem like this in the otherwise extremely touristy area was like a breathe of fresh air! And the picture on the left is actually from Petite France, which is a small island in the city center full of old houses like these – charming and crowd-free as can be!

I have a few posts in the making at the moment so you’ll be hearing from me again soon! I’ve also been getting my autumn-mood on with a lot of tea, John Mayer and knitting, and I have at least two beanie patterns in mind so keep your eyes pealed for them too!

xx, Kati