Eiva Poppins: Brighton Blogger

coat and bag - Monki, trousers - Zara, dirty shoes - Timberlands

(I don't shop in Zara anymore, these are old)

I always get obsessed with something and that's it for me. At the moment it is pizza with nutella, Innocent smoothies, Friends and Monki!

I am new to having weekends off. In my previous job I chose to work every weekend so this is really new to me. I am getting used to it now and you know I was really worried there will be too many people everywhere during the weekends but unless you go to Kensington Gardens or near Churchill square you are safe. People don't even go to the beach much during the winter - I am glad they don't because I do and I love being there alone. There's only dog walkers who pass quickly and occasional swimmers (yes, mental!) and runners who lie down on the beach to absorb sun and feel super healthy and connected to the nature being sweaty and thirsty. So yeah beach is still safe. At least for the next few months before every resident in Brighton remember they 'do love to be beside the seaside' -oh my god I don't know what's more annoying is it this phrase or 'keep calm and...' please let's not say that.

The good thing about Saturdays is the market on Upper Garden St. where you can buy lots of different stuff and that's why I don't usually buy anything unless there's that guy who sells nice avocados. I am a dream of every stand-keeper what can I say. Hey, they sell cutlery which still has dinner on them. Come on. What's that about.

Another good thing about having weekends off is fairs and events and all the things I couldn't attend before when I worked. I also have Mondays off. I love Mondays. That's probably all what's good about weekends I figured out so far.

P.S.: You should really check out Monki. It is amazing and they've got sale on at the moment.

These photos were taken by my friend and photographer Vasil Dzhagalov. Thanks Vas! I really appreciate it. Have a look at his website.

I wonder how long does the holiday blues last. I know I need more travelling, more exploring and learning more about the world and I know a lot of you feel the same which makes me feel better because I know I'm not 'suffering' alone. I cannot wait for my next trip.
I went to Toronto and New York in November with my boyfriend and I decided to write two posts about this especially because there's a lot of photos I want to share with you! I took most of them on disposable camera as I always do but this time I decided to share some I took with my phone too.
People say that Toronto is the most multicultural city in the world with its 200 ethnic groups and over 140 languages spoken and thanks to that there are quite a few different neighbourhoods with lots of different people to taste and lots of different food to meet. Or the other way round. The best thing about being part of the multicultural society is the food. I like people but still.

Here is my map of Toronto for you. It includes all the places I am mentioning in this post (and not just that!).



 1. Go up CN Tower  to see the whole city from above and appreciate its size. Views for days! There's a thing called EdgeWalk you can try if you feel like walking at the edge of CN tower tied to it only with a rope basically. It will be a no from me thank you haha. Maybe in the next life. There's also a glass floor with a view of 342m down! I remember there was a sign saying the glass could hold a few elephants so unless you are one you should be fine (HAHA I am hilarious) ..but maybe have a light breakfast on the day just to be sure ;-).
Thanks to our trip being in November there was no queue but I imagine that during a high season you might want to book your tickets ahead.

2. Visit beautiful Allan Gardens - a place I fell in love with and maybe the first thing (after waffles with maple sirup) which comes to my mind when thinking of Toronto. These botanical gardens are really well kept and filled with amazing succulents, plants and flowers and even turquoises and squirrels! So beautiful.

3. Have a Caribbean feast at The Real Jerk. Yum I will forever remember delicious food we had in the restaurant not only famous for its great authentic cuisine but also for being featured in Drake and Rihanna's Work music video. Seriously I recommend the place for the tasty food, huge portions, and great prices.

4. See a free concert at Canadian Opera Company! This is a great opportunity to see a free concert as a part of the Free Concert Series in this beautiful venue. They hold them once or twice a week so just have a look at their calendar to see what's on. I saw a great jazz concert and loved every minute of it. It is first come first serve so get there at least 15 minutes before the start if you want to get a seat.


6. Try butter been in The Lockhart...if you are a true Harry Potter fan. I really enjoyed my Evanesco chocolate and not just because I was so excited to be there but because it was actually awesome. They make themed Harry Potter cocktails (and mocktails) as well as snacks and desserts and a muggle internet!
It is a popular bar within locals a little bit out of the city center but it is easy to walk there. I really enjoyed that about Toronto, there isn't really any hills and it is not that massive if you have time so you don't necessarily need to use public transport much.




7. Visit Art Gallery of Toronto on Wednesday night when the admission is free from 6-9pm. The gallery's permanent collection includes modern and contemporary art from Canada, Europe, Africa and Oceania. There are photography, prints, and drawings too. Find Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Sam Francis and many other artists! This gallery is massive so give yourself some time.


source: sosasha.com
source: theculturetrip.com
8. Explore various neighborhoods of Toronto such as China Town, Little Italy or Little Portugal! Food time yay! As true take-away addicts we had take-away even on a holiday haha and why not it was great. I had some lovely chinese and thai food.
9. NIAGARA FALLS! They are not too far from Toronto and you can get a coach there from Toronto city center. The journey takes about 2,5 hours and it is worth it. There is a themed park near the falls and also few casinos and restaurants but if you're not into it then one day trip is enough.
The best part was the boat trip when we got really close to the falls. Everybody on the boat was screaming because of the wind and all the water. It was really epic and when we were right under the falls we saw a rainbow and that must have been one of the most epic moments of my life. We were completely wet afterwards. Oh and that raincoat they give you is more of a souvenir than an actual protection ;-).
When you're on a boat at Niagara Falls but food is life.





Toronto beach

Overall it was lovely and I hope to see more of Canada in the future...and one day I will get that waffle maker they had in our hotel and my life will upgrade to a whole different level. Amen.