Monday 16 February 2009

What else does slowmoves embody for you? Film?

Pretty much all we have written to date has been about slowmoves and travel. slowmoves is however more than a travel choice. It's in the word, it's about a movement, as well as moves. Anouk looked at winter seasonal pleasures, and offered a recipe for mulled wine. And I credit a friend of slowmoves, Adam, for giving us this post.

Adam suggested some films he believes embody the slowmoves ethos:

We'd love to hear from you if there are there any films that slowmoves (enjoying the journey, as well as the destination) embody for you.

This all got me thinking of a film I saw in the ICA (a cultural oasis just off Piccadilly Circus) in London (also worth mentioning the offerings at the BFI (on the South Bank of the Thames)), Soy Cuba. Soy Cuba slowly tells the story (albeit with unapologetic propoganda) of the revolution in Cuba. Although made in 1964, I have yet to see a film with as inspressive cinematography and equal focus on every aspect of the story, right throughout what is an epic in length and delivery.

If slowmoves inspires something else in you aside travel, we'd love to share it on this blog.

[George]

Picture: http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g262/niekoolien/Article_Soy_Cuba.jpg

Sunday 15 February 2009

Unique places to lay our heads

At slowmoves, as we start thinking of our next escapade, we look for slightly unusual independent and personalised places to stay. They can be family-run bed & breakfasts or working farms or anywhere that has a large dose of charm. We take pleasure in finding a gem that we can later share with our friends and family (or write about on this blog).














What makes a place special?

  • Often a historical or period building that fits in with the local area
  • Set in beautiful surroundings: some of my favourites are set in the middle of the countryside or in a sleepy rural village. But it could be in a quirky part of a city or town
  • The owners are friendly and welcoming and real ‘locals’. They know the area inside out and can recommend the best local haunts
  • A non-commercial or manufactured feel to it. Every room has an individual personality. You feel like you’re staying at someone’s house rather than a chain hotel
  • It isn't everyone to their own. You integrate with the hosts and other guests at breakfast or tea time
  • Local, seasonal food where possible. I have great memories of seasonal fruits at breakfast and homemade jams and breads

Here are a few of the gems that I discovered in 2008 right here in the UK:

Bopeep Farmhouse, Alciston, East Sussex
Set at the foot of the south downs so perfect for walking. About half an hour walk from the gorgeous village Alfriston which has cozy pubs and cafes and one the best independent bookshops in England 'Much ado books'














Faerystone Bed & Breakfast, Carbis Bay, Cornwall
The highlight here was the amazing view from the balcony overlooking the sea. We had breakfast every morning on our balcony in our complementary robes. Perfect for a romantic getaway.

Fields Cottage, Bisley, Gloucestershire
The hosts were lovely and welcoming. They came to pick us up from the station, served tea and homemade cookies on arrival. In fact they made everything homemade which made the house smell amazing. So quiet and nothing to do but walk, walk, eat and sleep.


If you want a little help finding a special place to stay in the UK or anywhere in the world, a great resource is Sawday’s special places to stay website. He has a real knack for finding charming, unique and slightly odd places to stay.

We'd love to hear about the gems that you've found on your travels, so do get in touch and leave comments.

[Anouk]

Monday 9 February 2009

Picture of the Month

Here’s the first of picture of the month, for which we will be posting at the beginning of each month. There will be less bias from here but on occasions will post our own images.

We would be delighted to post any pictures you have that help say “slowmoves” or involve anything we blog about. And who knows we might have enough to do a calendar next year…

I took this shot of my friend skiing down from Pic Chaussy (2352m), during our most recent ski tour. We’d gone up for five hours, had dried fruit and a drink of tea on the top, looking all around and towards Mt. Blanc, before taking skins off and making the most of the down. It's a colour photo, black and white only because of what's in focus. You can make out other members of our tour group to the mid-left of the picture, below the tree and across the frozen water.

[George]

Sunday 8 February 2009

The story behind our logo

What the slowmoves logo stands for, through the eyes of our designer Julien...






Tuesday 3 February 2009

Discovering London by foot

London is vast. It covers 1, 700 square kilometres. It's comprised of 32 boroughs with their own sights, parks, squares and character. Living in London could seem hellish to some, but there is a lot of green space in London. There are 8 royal parks covering 5000 acres of land. There are a multitude of other open spaces and parks in London including my favourite, Hampstead Heath, the largest ancient parkland and one of the highest points in London which allows for the most breathtaking views of London from Parliament Hill.















In my opinion London is a great city for walking. When it's decent weather, I walk everywhere. I just start walking from my house without a map and if (when) I get lost I'll just ask for directions. I always get some funny looks when I say "yes I really am walking to Regent's park from Angel". We have 2 legs, why not use them.

TFL and the London Boroughs have teamed up to promote 6 major walking routes in London as part of Walk London. The website gives us details of numerous walks you can do and includes downloadable maps with clear instructions and nice places to explore along the way. They also offer a range of guided walks you can do with groups of people around different themes: nature, culture, heritage, health. One of the walks is the Green Chain Walk which involves walking through dozens of woodlands and open spaces that cover south east london. One of these is from the Thames Barrier to Oxteas Meadows. All the routes are also accessible by public transport so you can walk as little or as much as you want.












Whether you've been living in London for years or you're visiting for the first time, these walks or indeed walking generally, is a great way to discover the wonderful city that is London.

[Anouk]