Basically, students and members of the public post pictures that represent why they love Southampton on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag. I think it is a brilliant way to show the city from all its different sides!
I know myself that some of the pictures the University has been retweeting and ‘regramming’ are from places I yet haven’t seen, so it’s also a great way to get inspiration on what to see next around the city.
I decided to put my own little twist on it and share some of the reasons to why I love Southampton on this blog.
1. Southampton Sunsets
My list is in a completely random order, except for this one, which without doubt has to be my number one. Southampton has some of the most gorgeous sunsets I have ever seen and it is a pure joy walking home from the bus and seeing the sky looking like this:
Without being cheesy, I should probably add that there’s no filter on these pictures. Some of my friends from Norway live down in Ocean Village this year and the sunset from the docks is absolutely spectacular at times. Top tip: go down to Mayflower Park on a cloud-free day and see the sunset from there.
2. Southampton Docks and the waterfront
Speaking of the docks…
Since the docks and area close by (Ocean Village, Oxford Street etc.) are some of the places I like the best in Southampton, I can’t avoid mentioning them! Although the docks here are very industrial, it is still a cool place to visit or go for a walk around. As mentioned, Mayflower Park is great for sunset spotting, but also cruise ship spotting. You can also walk out on the pier where the ferry to Hythe goes from to get a good view over the Solent and any ships sailing in or out. During November there is a Bonfire Night event down by the docks at the Mayflower Park with fireworks, which was very enjoyable last year. Go if you can! It’s on Saturday 7th November this year.
3. The University’s campuses
I think I have expressed my love for Highfield Campus before in a blog post, but Highfield is not the only campus the University has which is worth a visit just because it is super nice there. Unfortunately, this semester I have no lectures at Avenue Campus, but Avenue is definitely one of the nicest places to be. Boldrewood Innovation Campus is the newest addition to the University and, although I probably never will have any lectures there, the buildings could be taken straight out of a picture in an architecture magazine, so if you (like me) enjoy architecture, then a visit around Boldrewood should be on your list.
Avenue Campus, home to the Humanities.
One of the Boldrewood Campus buildings, as seen from my bus journey.
4. The different events organised by the University and SUSU
A lot of students can probably relate to speed-reading some emails from the University and Students’ Union about different events, just because we get so many emails and notifications all the time.
Last week I went to one of the Distinguished Lectures the University organises and I almost got very cross with myself, asking why I haven’t gone to one of these before! I had the privilege of listening to Sir Mike Rake talking about Britain and the EU and it is was one of the most enlightening lectures ever. I loved every second of it and I learnt so many thingswhich were not only interesting for me on a personal level, but definitely will be very helpful for my course in the future.
It definitely made me more aware of all the unique possibilities we have through the University and motivated me to attend more of these events and lectures. SUSU also organises fun events around campus like this one which took place two weeks ago!
The Guide Dogs visited campus a few weeks ago with some Guide Dogs in training, thanks to SUSU.
5. The Saints!
It’s almost a bit ironic that I put Saints as one of my reasons to why I love Southampton, because three years ago I couldn’t even watch a full football match without getting bored. Moving to England made me appreciate the football culture a lot more and the Saints game we went to last year was such a great experience that when my bank account allows me I will be back at St. Mary’s Stadium watching another game. Until then, many of the pubs and bars in Portswood are good places to watch the games coming up and the 'Sofa Score' app has been keeping me posted about how the matches go when I'm not in England.
A Saints game at St. Mary's stadium
6. Bedford Place.
Last year for me, Bedford Place was synonymous with clubs like Orange Rooms and Buddha Bar…and not too much more than that. I never spent any time there during the day time and it’s not until very recently (like this week!) I have realised how nice it actually is there. Although I have nothing at all against major coffee-chains, I like finding local cafes with a bit of soul and exciting menus. I already knew you could find this in Oxford Street, but as it is far away from my flat it is not my go-to place during the weekdays.
At the moment, I actually think Bedford is better for a late Sunday breakfast than any other place in Southampton. Just look at what I had for breakfast last Sunday!
Apart from this you can find many other cafés and local clothing and shoe shops. Let’s not forget the most important place, the best sushi place in Southampton: Nara is located in Bedford Place.
I could go on with this list for a while - maybe I will write a 'Part Two' post to why I love Southampton later on this year! Either way, I hope this maybe inspired someone to go and see more of Southampton or grasp more of the opportunities we have through the University.
Remember to share your pictures on Instagram and Twitter with #LoveSouthampton!
Alexandra
No comments:
Post a Comment