We spent the last day of our holiday on the beach. As we’d stayed inland for the rest of the week, it was nice to take a drive (albeit quite a scary one on the wrong side of the road!) to the coast and soak up the sun, sand and spray.

Dress, Gap | Cardigan, Gap | Sandals, c/o Sarenza | Sunglasses, Orla Kiely

For our beach jaunt, I wore a maxi dress which is probably not the most practical attire for splashing about in water and then trailing through sand. But this Gap version is made with the most beautiful lightweight jersey – so easy to fling on, really quick to dry and doubles up as an excellent pillow when you’re lazing in the sand.

It was quite windy at the beach (hence the cardigan), so obviously I made that classic British-person-abroad mistake of thinking the sun wasn’t very strong and baring my shoulders to all and sundry. Which led to some lovely red sunburn. WILL WE EVER LEARN?

After a good few drinks in the beach bar and a couple of hours watching kite surfers brave the Atlantic, we dusted off our sandy feet and headed for the airport. Rob actually brought most of the beach back to Leeds with him after burying himself in the sand (lol, men). Such fun!

That was going to be the end of holiday week, but after sharing these photos a few of you have asked about the place we went and where we stayed, so I’ll be back on Sunday with another post about our location and the beautiful villa we stayed in. See you all then!

When I was about 15, my mum bought us matching Birkenstocks from TK Maxx. I had a pink pair, she had a yellow pair. We wore them all summer long, until the leather practically moulded to our feet and they became the most comfortable shoes ever.

I was really sad when Birkenstocks suddenly fell out of fashion favour and everyone started wearing bits of plastic strapped to their feet with nothing more than a bit of twine. Birkenstocks were reliable, sturdy and would never allow you to trip and fall on a cobbled street (damn you flip flops). So when they made a reappearance on the Celine catwalk and subsequently all over the high street, I was first in line for a new pair.

Dress, Topshop | Birkenstocks, c/o Sarenza | Bag, Gap | Hat, Gap | Sunglasses, Orla Kiely

I went for the ‘Sydney’ style in patent white and I absolutely love them. I will admit they gave me a nasty blister on the first wear, but that’s the thing with Birkenstocks – you’ve got to prove you’re serious before they reward you with everlasting comfort. Now I’ve worn them in they’re like lovely leather slippers.

I wore my Birkes with a simple white sundress from Topshop for a jaunt across the river to Portugal. We had use of a motorised dinghy while in Spain which was awesome for flitting to another country (and timezone!) and eating lunch with a view of the harbour. Bliss.

Usually, the words ‘crop’ and ‘top’ would strike fear into my size 12 heart. I’m not particularly fond of my middle section so flashing it about is not top of my fashion priorities. But, when faced with 30 degree heat I quickly realised that I don’t actually care that much about a bit of extra podge.

Crop top, H&M | Shorts, vintage Levi’s | Cardigan, Gap | Sandals, Kelly & Katie | Sunglasses, Orla Kiely 

H&M have a cracking range of crop tops at the moment – this seashell style isn’t quite as short as other belly-baring versions which makes it much easier to wear. Teamed with my trusty cut-offs and a lightweight cardigan to keep off an early morning chill, it was the perfect outfit for a day out on the river.

What are your thoughts on crop tops?