Izzie Knolles Movies Blog

I went to my cousins wedding at the weekend, it was so amazing, it means so much more when it is someone you love getting married and seeing them so happy made me feel so happy! After a 12 hour day of drinking I had a rather sore head on Saturday but I had to go to work. BT are sponsoring the Isle of White Festival this year and they were looking for a new unsigned band to follow in the foot steps of rock legends with a coveted spot on the main stage. They took thousands of entrants online and whittled it down to 10. An expert panel of judges including James from Star Sailor, and some top record label dudes judged the competition at the top of the BT tower on Sat afternoon and I was presenting the event. It’s amazing what adrenalin can do, I managed to do a good job under pressure and ended up talking to the owner of the Isle of white festival about presenting at the event too.Bonus! Doing my personal training course over the next two weeks, i'm really excited.

As you can see from the pictures I have just got back from the San Diego Redbull Air Races. I am a real country bumpkin but I did love San Diego as a city, great weather, very fit healthy, Americans (I know a contradiction in terms, but seriously beautiful people out here!). They have a wonderful 'can do' attitude  that is contagious but unfortunately due to their insistent sycophantic dribble I could never live here, id miss the British  stoicism far too much but will visit again if not for the shopping when the pound is so strong against the dollar! Id love you to have a listen to my show that i recorded whilst out there...click on this and be prepared to be wowed!! :)

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/audio/2008/may/05/red.bull.air.race

 

I’ve just had the most amazing holiday abroad for minimal money too, in my opinion, to one of the most beautiful countries in Europe, especially if  beaches flick your switch as much as they do for me,. Recently cheapflights.com was having a sale so on a whim my boyfriend and I booked return flights to Faor Portugal for a week. We had no accommodation, just organized car rental. For me this is the best way to travel, just you and the open road, pleasing yourselves as to where your head will rest for the night and what adventures you will encounter. So day one we cruised from Faro (the airport in the Algarve) straight into the mountains to a restaurant called Paradise of the mountains (see pictures for Portuguese translation).  I forgot to mention, from the age of one up to the age of 15 we did family holidays to Portugal once a year, sometimes twice and this restaurant was one that we visited religiously and if you look at the views in the picture you’ll see why. The afternoon was spent on a beach just outside of Lagos. On day two we visited Harvey’s and my ‘best beach’ from the myriad we visited over the holiday; Beliche. Its just past Sargres on the way to Cabo de Vicente (the most south westerly point of Europe…another amazing view). You have to climb down a load of steps to get there, the water is freezing and it’s not that big, but by god is it beautiful. We walked round the first bay and had the second bay to ourselves. We ventured into the sea, be careful of the rips and 30ft wave! That night we drove to a picturesque fishing village of Salema where we spent the next two nights in some random old Portuguese  mans geet style shed. Beaches we visited from there on in that are vast deserted and beautiful are BORDEIRA and ARRIFANA, literally, with exception to a few surfers in the water and the odd nudist walking on by we were alone in 28degree Celsius sun, why more people don’t holiday in Portugal at this time I don’t know but I’m glad they don’t! They beaches vary from the small sheltered coves to broad endless stretches of sea washed sand. Equally the sea bed near to the beach can vary from a comfortable shallow shelve to a more sudden drop! In general, the rule is that as you travel from east to west along the coast, the beaches become more subject to seasonal currents. We drove up the west coast, and then inland along wonderful winding roads escalating up and down various mountain faces until we reached the secluded village of Monchique. If you get a chance visit the lake at Santa Clara, its stunning but the village is a bit like something out of ’The Hills have Eyes’!. The last two days we cruised over to Spain to stay with my cousin Abbie who lives in a little village called Conil. Surfing was fun and food was awesome ( Portuguese menu is pretty much the same wherever you go….grilled meat and fish) so was nice to have a change!

Abu Dhabi

 

The thing I love about travelling the world is that we are all so different and until you really experience another country you can’t begin to understand this. I think education is important but I think the kind of education you get from travelling is invaluable and no book or tutor can teach you life lessons…

As you can see from the pictures I have just got back from Abu Dhabi where I was covering the opening to the season of the Redbull air races 2008. If you click on this link you can hear my program, I would love to know what you think?

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/audio/2008/apr/14/red.bull.air.race

 

I am so much more confidant around the horses now, we have built up a trust and mutual respect and I am not scared of them anymore, its amazing, I was terrified this time last month, just goes to show what time and practise can do.

 

I have had some more excellent rated articles on the lifestyle pages, please click and have a read, I love getting your feedback emails, thanks especially to Connor ‘Liverpool Fan’ for his detailed analysis, was great to read.

 

http://style.uk.msn.com/getfit/asktheexpert/article.aspx?cp-documentid=7910221

http://style.uk.msn.com/wellbeing/mindbodysoul/article.aspx?cp-documentid=8045324

 

 

I am off to Portugal on another trip in a few days and then after that San Diego, which I am especially looking forward, as I have not been there, any tips or hints on where to go would be welcomed.

 

One other bit of news is that I have started a personal training course; I am doing all the theory from home and the practical at a gym in south London in June, hopefully by the end of June I will pass my exams and will be qualified to teach. I love fitness and feeling healthy and all I want to do is share that love with others, sounds cheesy but its true, if you look good you feel good hey…! Going to dash, more news soon J

I have landed a couple more presenting jobs too which I am dead chuffed about, especially as you couldn't get more opposite ends of the spectrum. One is for Setanta Sports, doing a live basketball show next Thursday and the other is a technology show for the BBC, I really do LOVE the variety of the jobs that I do. Will keep you posted of dates and times of when they are shown but in the mean time click on these links for my Life Style articles...

http://style.uk.msn.com/getfit/sportandexercise/article.aspx?cp-documentid=7728063

http://style.uk.msn.com/getfit/sportandexercise/article.aspx?cp-documentid=7478745

http://style.uk.msn.com/wellbeing/treatmentroom/article.aspx?cp-documentid=7703064

 

Saw Rambo at the cinema and loved it, was a bit violent but great viewing, not too long either. I also saw There Will Be Blood which I enjoyed too, a very random ending but compelling all the same, I walked out quite shocked...see it and you'll know what I mean. Can't wait for the clocks to change at the end of this month, bring on the light evenings where I can cycle and run with my buddy's after work. Thanks again for all your emails, I love to read them so keep them coming...x