RENDEZVOUS#4
Georgie Hopkins, travel expert
Melbourne, Australia.
Georgie wears the Remi Magnolia Dress and the Claire Cord Jacke
How do you capture the city in one photo?
Oh what a good question! For me, I guess the essence of a city can be captured in a number of different ways - a local person’s face, a crumbling facade, the light, or maybe even a food shot, a delicious local dish of some kind.
You said you lived in Portugal, describe a typical day for you in Portugal.
Oh wow, the days there are always so dreamy. Lisbon is such a charming city. The light there is like no other. Bouncing off the Atlantic, it reflects so beautifully off the coloured facades of the faded, tile-covered buildings all over town. I would normally wake up, go for a walk along the river, grab a coffee at either The Mill (run by Aussies!) or Copenhagen Coffee Lab, and then do some work out of the most beautiful co-working space I have ever seen (LxCollective, housed in an old Palace building) in Principe Real - if it’s a midweek day, that is - otherwise I would visit my favorite little organic farmers market in Principe Real if it was a Saturday. I would then catch up with some friends at a local kiosk (of which there are many scattered all over the city), maybe check out a museum (I always loved the Tile Museum and the Gulbenkian Garden), and then make sure I was somewhere with a view by the time the sun went down. The Portuguese love their “vinho verde” (green wine) so I would often pick up a bottle of that (a good bottle might set you back a whole 5 euro!), some cheese and bread, and watch the sun go down over the river. For dinner, I would head to a cosy local taverna - Taberna da Rua das Flores in Chiado is a long-time favourite, or for something more modern, the new and very wonderful Prado restaurant.
What are your travel must-haves when packing?
I always, always take some Bodha incense with me, it has the perfect ability to calm and ground you wherever you are. I also love to have a face mist, some Go-To Transformazing masks, some peppermint oil for my pillow, a Ryder tee (always), and headphones - I can’t travel without music and a bunch of podcasts. I pop everything into an AWAY suitcase and off I go.
Your next dream destination?
Malawi (heading there in September!!!). I can’t wait!
When you are back home in Melbourne, what are your favourite things to do?
I always love being home in Melbourne, it’s just so nice being back with my family and friends (definitely the things I miss the most when I am away). I also miss Melbourne coffee, a lot, so I love getting straight back to all my favourite haunts. In the summertime, it’s all about biking around the streets, lazing about in the gardens, eating lots of delicious Melbourne food, hitting up my favourite markets, and then getting out of town on random adventures - the Grampians, Cape Schanck, Wye River, and Wilsons Prom are currently top of list - if I’m by the ocean or in nature, I’m happy. In winter, give me a roaring open fire and a cosy cabin somewhere and that’s all I need.
Who are your photography heroes?
My dear friend Lucy Laucht, another gypsy at heart. Lucy’s work is incredible, she has a beautiful eye. I also love Pia Riverola in LA, Lavinia Cernau in Transylvania, Robbie Lawrence in Berlin, and Saskia Wilson. For something more old-school, I like Saul Leiter.