I feel unique, not yet complete.

Petit Bateau marinière: €42.50. Vintage suede skirt: £8, via charity shop. Urban Outfitters panama hat: £26. Missguided boots. Rotary watch: gift. Initial necklace: gift. Topshop "really ruby" lipstick: £8.
Photos by Carmen.

Now, if there's something I like to wear, it's a stripy t-shirt. You may have noticed my Aubin and Wills number cropping up a fair few times, and I nabbed a cheap H+M one when they were on offer last year, so I think I've proved that I wear them enough to invest in another (or head to bretons anonymous). When it comes to stripes, Petit Bateau know what they're doing, and I'd always wanted one of their marinières (and yellow rain coats, but we'll save that for another day) to finish off my collection, but they're pretty pricey. When I saw they had a store in Munich, I made the mistake of heading in during the January sales, and ended up making a rather rash purchase upon seeing the 50% off signs, but I'd argue that it happens to the best of us. I'm generally a pretty thrifty shopper, and stick to googling for voucher codes when buying online, or, my personal favourite, rummaging through the shelves of charity shops, but every once in a while it's nice to treat yourself to something a little more luxe. This Petit Bateau marinière (posh word for stripy top) is certainly a lot thicker than the H+M one, and is so soft inside that you can tell they make a lot of clothes for children and babies. But enough of me trying to justify this purchase, we all know it's completely down to it having a pocket.

Read more

While you're thinking of a different world.

Vintage faux fur coat: borrowed from Sadie. Asos denim smock dress: £36. Cath Kidston foldaway weekend bag: gift. Topshop anna buckle boots: £76.50.

Photos by Sadie.

When travelling, I try to keep things as comfy as possible. I'm no Chung, who manages to skip off an eight hour flight with her fedora at the perfect angle, but think more along the lines of no make up and a roaring stomach - it ain't pretty. So imagine my absolute delight on hearing that I have a seven hour coach journey ahead of me, arriving at sunrise to a day of exploring a new city... Yep, there were a few grumbles that even the really cheap ticket couldn't quite quieten. On the promise of a walnut and apple muffin x caffeine mix, I managed to tidy myself up a little bit here for breakfast at Bullys Bakery (after the bulldog of its logo!), and with each sweep of my eyeliner things got a little better. Of course, a smock is the optimum travelling garb, even if it's a bit short, plus a faux fur coat is equivalent to wearing a pillow and, really, what more could you want?

Read more

I want you we can bring it on the floor.

Aubin and Wills breton top: £30. American Apparel corduroy skater skirt: £15, via ebay. Topshop buckle strap boots: £76.50. Urban Outfitters fedora hat: £26. Knitted scarf: borrowed from Sadie. Charity shop belt: 20p. Asos over knee socks: £3.60. STYLIGHT tote bag. Essie "lapiz of luxury".

Photos in front of Brandenberg Gate by Carmen.

I've never quite managed to take outfit photos in front of the Eiffel Tower, and definitely haven't bothered to fight the crowds on Southbank to score the perfect Houses of Parliament shot à la Jazmine and Cat (in fact, my only recognisable background was probably the Disneyland Paris castle, although I am pretty proud of that one), but at least we all took the opportunity to be Berlin tourists and take some photos in front of Brandenberg Gate.

On our last full day, we headed down to the site of the evening's festivities (more on that later!) and to do our best tourist act, albeit without those "look! I have this massive gate between my forefinger and thumb!!" photos - missed opportunity, I know. From my personal experience, Berlin may be better known for its graffiti and nightlife (and serving burgers from a converted public toilet, which is on my to-do list next time folks, next time) when visiting, but it's still home to all those things you learnt about in your History A Level. Much like Saint Paul's, I've got no idea how this beautiful piece of architecture survived the air raids, but I sure am glad Brandenberg Gate was preserved.

As I've now passed my halfway point in Munich, maybe it's about time I started sharing the touristy places I walk through on a daily basis on my blog too, because, even if they're cliché, there's no shame in being a tourist in your own city.

Read more