Half a bottle of pisco and a cactus
Lucinda Smith
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Assorted adventures from my travels. Frequent guest stars include: cocktails, food, photography, dancing and the occasional life lesson.
Blog posts
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![Barcelona]()
Half a bottle of pisco and a cactus - an introduction
Given that each end is supposed to be a new beginning, it seems fitting that I am beginning this blog with the end of my most recent journey. I am currently packing up the life I have accumulated over seven months working in Barcelona. Clothes I don’t want go into the...
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![Barcelona]()
In a twist about Tie-dye
Welcome back to vol. 3 of Half a Bottle of Pisco and a Cactus! To begin this story, it is necessary to make a confession: I am eternally struggling with the tug-of-war between a bohemian heart and a bourgeois brain. For example, the desire to travel and explore, but...
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![Barcelona]()
Encounters in Barcelona no. 1: The Danish Coke addict
Whilst living and working in Barcelona, one of my favourite weekend pastimes was to walk down to the beach after my Sunday morning run, find a seat at one of the beach bars, have a beer and watch the world go by. Barcelona is host to such a great variety of people, and...
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Dawns in Barcelona
A couple of weeks before moving back from Barcelona last month, I made a to-do list: everything I wanted to experience before leaving the city. Two of the things on this list were to see the dawn; once at the beach and once at the Carmel Bunkers, to watch the sun rise...
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Mostly fuelled by cocktails - a few recommendations
Welcome back! Now I am well and truly settled back in England (cat on lap, gin and tonic at my side), I can crack on with writing. Some of my posts will be experiences I have had during my travels, others might be recommendations for a few of the places I discovered...
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BAILAMOS – Dancing across the world
Dancing is one of my greatest passions. Wherever I go in the world, I always find dance classes to join – it is my way of getting comfortable, keeping stability in a new city or a new country. Which brings us to my latest blog post. Here I will talk about the dance...
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![Paris]()
Eating my way around Montmartre
French food is renowned for being delicious, rich and of very high quality. It is no surprise then that, as a self-confessed food-obsessive, one of my main pastimes whenever I pass through Paris is eating. One of my favourite districts to indulge in this hobby is...
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![Lima]()
My Favourite Peruvian Ingredients
I ate a lot of food whilst living in Lima. A lot. Ceviche, pollo a la brasa, lomo saltado, tres leches, arroz con leche, ají de gallina, anticuchos, alfajores … I could go on for a while. In fact, I normally do go on for a while, given the time and opportunity. But...
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Encounters part 2: Bananas, bibles and the metro
I have mentioned before that, being on my own abroad, I have tended to attract members of society which include the interesting, the lonely and the uninhibitedly creepy. A fact which may give you a clue as to the theme of this blog post. Between anecdotes, this post is...
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![Lima]()
Exploring Lima – Pueblo Libre
Hola! The next three posts on this blog are pretty much exactly what they sound like – an overview of the places to go and things to do in Lima, based on my experiences. Not that they will then be the end of me talking about Lima; I like to think of it as just putting...
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Exploring Lima - Miraflores
Miraflores is perhaps Lima’s most well-known, touristic district. Home to the Parque del Amor, Larcomar shopping centre, Parque Kennedy and countless bars and restaurants, it is a vibrant hub of activity. Since it is located on the seafront, one can partake in water...
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Exploring Lima - Barranco
One of the most notable aspects of the Barranco district has to be, in my book, its architecture. The Spanish influence is obvious, reminiscent of the buildings and tiling I came across in Seville. It is a beautiful area, with wide streets, trees and a tramline. Like...
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![Barcelona]()
Exploring: El Born
I was fortunate to live a stone’s throw away from El Born, otherwise known as La Ribera, during my last stint of living in Barcelona. El Born has to be one of my favourite districts in the city, for its winding alleyways, bohemian vibe and various squares in which you...
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![Canterbury]()
The best of Canterbury
And here we are, back on home turf. Canterbury is my university city, and where I will be moving back to in a few short weeks to pursue my MA. Now, when I say the best of Canterbury, I am mostly referring to the food and beverages the city has to offer; there are of...
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![London]()
Eating and drinking my way around: London
I grew up 35 minutes away from central London by train, so for years London has been my stomping ground. London is a city in which I can discover new tastes, go back to places I have known for years, meet old friends and make new ones. It’s a home away from home, with...
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![Amsterdam]()
Amsterdam: Pancakes, galleries and cocktails (of course)
Between my semesters in Lima and Barcelona, I embarked on a quick jaunt to the city of Amsterdam. It is arguably most famous for two things: its Red-Light District and its cafés in which one can legally buy and smoke marijuana. I visited neither. I have seen enough...
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![Autonomous University of Barcelona]()
My review of the UAB
Between February and June 2015, I studied at the UAB’s translation and interpretation department as part of my year abroad. During that period, I studied Spanish to English translation; Introduction to English to Spanish translation; French language for translators;...
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![Pontifical Catholic University of Peru]()
PUCP: My review
I studied at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú between August and December 2014 in the first half of my year abroad. During the semester, I studied Etnicidad y Población en Perú (Ethnicity and Population in Peru); La Literatura Contemporánea española...
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![University of Kent]()
University of Kent: my review
I studied my undergraduate degree at the University of Kent at Canterbury between 2012 and 2016. I was based in Canterbury for three out of those four years (spending my third year studying at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and the Universidad Autonoma...
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Mountains: Montserrat and San Cristobal
I love a good view, and the best places to find them is normally on the top of a large hill or mountain. In this post, I am going to talk about two of my favourite mountainous experiences: Montserrat in Barcelona and San Cristobal in Lima. They are two very different...
