A day trip to Cambridge

A day trip to Cambridge

Thursday, 21 July 2022

In an attempt to get out of London for the day, the girls and I jumped on a train headed to Cambridge. 

It was extremely hot so we didn't manage a whole lot but it was such a fun day, I wanted to share the photos. 

We hired a student to punt us around for an hour and share all his Cambridge knowledge. We quite liked little Henry by the time it'd finished, he was very entertaining! 

After that, we grabbed some take away drinks and found a shady spot by the river to drink them. 

There was just enough time for a little bit of shopping and rather a large ice cream before the heat got the better of us and we decided it was time to head home!

 

A wonderfully wholesome day.

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My UK staycation ideas

My UK staycation ideas

Monday, 21 June 2021

I haven't left the UK since 2019 and actually, I'm not sad about it. Of course I hope to be on a plane out of here as soon as I can but I am in no rush to do so before it's safe.

I have never really had much interest in travelling around the UK - I think this has a lot to do with my main motivation for travel - which is food. 

Nonetheless, if you'd have asked me a few years ago, I would have told you I hated London but having spent the past 2 years making the most of it, there is no place I would rather live so - maybe it's time to leave my passport at home give the rest of the UK a chance too. 

I have had a few thoughts about a little bit of internal travel and here's what spikes my interest:

Cornwall

This one does slightly appeal to my foodie nature because Cornwall has lots of iconic things to try. It'd be the perfect excuse to indulge in a decadent afternoon tea -  and of course where better to sample my first Cornish pasty.

Kent

I actually visited Kent last summer during COVID and had a wonderful time. We hired a car and stayed at a cute little air B&B which made it very easy for us to isolate from everyone else. Once we arrived, there was Dover castle and the white cliffs to explore.

I'd also highly recommend visiting Canterbury as it is very cute. 

Brighton

OK this is the one place that I know I do enjoy and in normal times, we visit every summer - something my mum and I have missed over the past couple of years.

After an early drive down, breakfast in the lanes and a morning of shopping, we love to grab a table by the water and eat seafood all afternoon.

Bath

I had a spare hour to wander around Bath once and all it did was leave me wanting more, we had just about enough time to look around the Baths but what I really wanted to do was explore the town, it looked lovely!

Manchester

I don't know why, but I've always wanted to visit Manchester. I guess that should be a pretty easy one to tick off. 

Isle of Wight

My boyfriend sailed from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight on a boys trip last week and the photos that were coming back were incredible so I'm making sure he takes me with next time!

In collaboration with Hotels.com, but all views are my own

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Things to consider for your first covid trip

Things to consider for your first covid trip

Monday, 13 July 2020

As someone who travels as much as I do, this virus has hit me hard. I have now been in the UK since the end of November last year and I am missing the sense of adventure big time. With no plans to leave the country any time soon, it's looking like my next few trips might be more of a staycation; although that's not a terrible thing; I actually think it will be a great excuse to make England more of a priority and see what else my home has to offer other than the hustle and bustle of London.

This past weekend, I took my first trip since everything went crazy and it was pretty great actually. I've got a separate post about what I got up to but it's definitely got me excited for more UK travel and just travel as a whole again, I guess I kinda just forgot about it with everything that's been happening. Now that I've got my first Covid trip under my belt, I'm hoping to see Manchester and Newcastle at some point this year, maybe a cute trip to a holiday cottages in Devon and also do some more coastal trips to the likes of Bournemouth and hopefully back to Brighton again as well!

Here are a few new things we needed to consider for our first post covid day trip!

Drive if possible
Trains have been okay from what I've experienced so far but for an actual trip, rather than just going into London for example, I'd always prefer to go in a car. We rented a hire car for 3 days at £70 which was pretty similar in price for both of us to get train tickets but driving means that you're in your own space and there's no stress with spreading germs, wearing face masks, being scared to touch anything etc.

Plan your accommodation
This is something I don't often do but it's not a smart idea right now. Hotels are now allowed to open from 4th July but just because they can, doesn't mean they all will so it may be harder and more expensive than usual to find somewhere to stay.

Stock up on snacks
Eating wasn't sure a problem as much as eating what I wanted to eat. Not many places were open and all that we could find were greasy spoons and Mcdonalds which was a shame because as you know, eating is a huge part of why I like to travel so much. I was pleased to have snacks on me (I'm always pleased to have snacks on me to be fair) because there were a couple of time where it took us a while to find places to eat. Sadly, it's not as easy as it used to be to pop to the shop or a restaurant to find some food so it's also good to research any particular restaurants you might want to visit beforehand as well.

Research your activities
Most things are not going to be running as usual, some might still not be open at all so make sure you have a look online before you leave to avoid disappointment. We wanted to visit a war memorial and almost had a panic when we arrived; turns out it was just the car park that was closed due to Covid so luckily we were still able to have a wander around once we found somewhere else to park.

Carry your PPE
We did have to get one taxi after our 11km hike and although the driver couldn't care less, I was very pleased to have my face mask in my bag and hand gel for once I got out.

I can't lie, travel isn't the same as it was before and there were a couple of times that I felt a little on edge, mainly because of other peoples attitude towards it but it won't be like this forever and I'm excited for whatever adventure is next!

Are your planning to travel any time soon?

*In collaboration with Hotels.com, but all views are my own.

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re-adjusting to reality

re-adjusting to reality

Tuesday, 19 November 2019

My Australian visa ran out in July and coming home was fun at first; I had weddings to go to, a family holiday to look forward to and lots of people to catch up with - plus the British summer had improved majorly since I left. But after a couple of months, the weather turned grey, reality of it all being over set in and these last few weeks have been an emotional roller coaster. No one ever talks about what it's like to come home; I am at a very odd stage of coming to terms with my new/old life.

So, as you might have noticed, the re-adjusting wasn't going too well and I decided to go back to Thailand. I should probably start working towards a future in the UK but I just wanted a couple of weeks to debrief first; to get my thoughts together and to start thinking about what I'm going to do when I get home. So here's my plan..

Wearing BMTH Band tee and sparkly wide leg trousers

Driving

I never bothered to drive much when I was at home but in Australia, I learned what it was like to have the freedom of my own transport and it's not something I want to give up. I don't need a car full time since I'd like to go back to work in London but I will be looking at the best temporary car insurance I can find so I have the option. 

Get Back To Blogging

Before I left in 2017, my blog was going from strength to strength. I was being invited on one press trip after another and in between those, I took days at home to sit down and concentrate on writing all about them. I had a routine and a bit more discipline in my life at that point but as soon as I left to go backpacking, that all went out of the window.

I've had three awesome trips since coming home this summer, plus the past three years of memories whizzing around in my head and I think I'm finally back in the mindset to start writing again!

Get Healthy 

I caught a horrible cold last month and it honestly knocked me out for weeks. Then I went away; although I've managed to squeeze in one workout whilst in Thailand so I'm looking forward to getting back to it at home - I think it'll probably also help with the keeping my mind busy as well which is something else I really need to focus on because as you can imagine with the boredom of unemployment, my head had been a bit of a mess. 

Talking of which, I was recently sent a bottle of 5% CBD oil from Mistatera and it seems to really help so that's something I think I will keep going with. I've never even so much as smoked a joint so I was a little bit scared at first but after doing a little research I decided to give it a go. The CBD resin is dissolved in coconut oil and just one drop a day, under the tongue where it can easily soak into your blood stream seems to have calmed my racing mind. I wont lie, I'm an over thinker (that's why it took my 3 weeks to decide to give it a go) and whilst a few things have been driving me crazy over the last few weeks, when I take the oil, I still over think but there isn't a panic about the outcome, just calm, rational thoughts. 

Job Hunt

So I do actually have a cute little part time job which I really enjoy but I need something proper, something to fill the my time and something that I need to use my brain for. 

Have Fun

I guess I kind of forgot that it is possible to have fun at home too - I just need to make a bit more of an effort. As much as I just want to stay in bed and watch Netflix with Matt when it's cold, I've been making a conscious effort to try and plan fun things to do together at the weekend so I don't feel sad when Monday rolls around and I've spent all weekend in bed.

 

I've got a similar thing with my friends. Coming home is weird; everyone is married, engaged or buying a house, plus Georgia is moving countries so I think I need to work on getting to know my friends again as well.

Make Plans 

This is a bit of a weird one because I hate making solid plans for the future but I know that when I don't have anything to look forward to, I get really sad; and apparently impulsive - which I why am now writing this post from a hammock in Thailand. 

So without booking anything, I'm starting to think about where and when I want to go next. 

*Sponsored Content

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MY first month back home

MY first month back home

Thursday, 22 August 2019

I've been home a couple of times over the past few years of non-stop travel but this, is the first time in a while I've come home with no immediate plans to leave again. When I initially booked my flight, I was worried that I was going to miss the daily adventures, exploring, discovering and learning something new every single day and come back to the boring world I left in 2017 but that doesn't seem to have been the case.

Turns out, coming home wasn't the end of my adventure, it was the start of a whole new, different one! This week marks my first month back and I have jammed a whole lot into it! Here's what Ive been up to:

Brighton

My mum and I both missed our annual trips to Brighton whilst I was away so it was the first thing we wanted to do when I got back. As usual, we got up early and drove down there for breakfast, spent the day shopping and wandering around the lanes before pitching up at a seaside cafe, sharing a seafood platter and drinking frozen cocktails on the beach. We spent hours sitting in the sunshine discussing life and looking at Walt Disney world tickets hopefully that'll be one of my next destinations! 

Cambridge

I'd never been to Cambridge before so when we had another couple of free days and some awesome weather, mum and I decided to venture down there. I've always wanted to go punting in Cambridge so we did that and it was great! Very pleased that I'm still ticking things off the bucket list, even at home!

Birmingham

I've had two weddings this month and they couldn't have been more different from one another. The first was a sunny afternoon at a cute country manor with all of my high school friends..

and the second involved Georgia buying me a ticket to Birmingham and not giving me much more information on the matter! Turned out, we were going an Indian wedding and it was one of the craziest events I've ever been to.


#JetMe2TheGreek With Jet2

Jet2 invited me to join them for a Greek cooking class to celebrate the launch of their new summer 2020 destinations; Lefkas and Parga.

It was awesome to have a blogging event in London to go to after being away for so long because it meant I got to catch up with all my London travel blogger friends and have some fun together!

Colchester

 Another little day trip with mum, although we weren't very impressed with this one since there didn't seem to be much going on in the town center.

We did find the cutest little tearoom for lunch and I picked up a few bits in Primark so it wasn't a wasted trip, we still had a good time! Plus I got to wear my brand new Converse. My collection of coloured high tops seems to be growing pretty quick and I loved these! I picked them up via, lovethesales.com trainer section with a £10 discount.

London

I seem to have seen quite a lot of new parts of London since I got home too! We drove to Peckham one afternoon to find a specialist shop, got the train to Greenwich to see what all the fuss was about (didn't like it), had my first Groupon afternoon tea at a Hilton and a birthday meal on the river by Canary wharf!

On top of that, I've joined up to my local gym, been to the zoo and even started thinking about giving my room a little spruce up with some cute decor ideas from furniture.com. I realise that my blogging has taken a little bit of a hit as of lately and I've worked out that it's because I actually dont have a proper desk to work at! But fear not, the desk hunt has begun, I've found a couple that I really like on Lionshome so watch this space. Hopefully I'll be back to my weekly posting in no time.

Cute new mesh top from Femme Luxe

It's been a busy old month but I'm definitely not complaining, if every month at home looked like this, I won't be in a rush to go anywhere else, any time soon! 

*Collaborative Content

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Birmingham Staycation Ideas

Birmingham Staycation Ideas

Sunday, 17 February 2019

After 24 hours in the air on our way home from Australia, Jonny and I landed back in London for a brief evening before our annual family trip to Birmingham commenced. My brothers both go to university there so it's been a road trip that I look forward to every year for a while now - plus this time, we had Molly with us.

My post about our recent visit seemed like the perfect opportunity to collaborate with Lease Car and their BMW contract hire! They created this infographic which discusses some of the best places to drive in the UK and hence, this blog post, about one of my favourite UK road trips, was born!


 We went just before Christmas so our first stop was the Christmas market for some lunch but since I'm a bit late getting this post up, I'm just going to share the things that you can do year round!

Checking In

Over the past few years, we've stayed in different hotels around the city but since there were a few more of us this year, we decided to try something different and went for an apartment.

Saco are a brand I've stayed with before in London so I knew the one my mum picked was going to be nice. With two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a kitchen, living area and a huge balcony looking over Birmingham, it was just what we wanted.


Brindley Place

Our apartment block was just down the road from Brindley place which is one of our favourite parts of the city. It's an area of bars and restaurants lining the canal and such a lovely place to spend the evening so of course it was our first choice when deciding where to spend my dads birthday.

We started with a round of cocktails at Pitcher and Piano then went further down to a restaurant called The Canal House for dinner.


Warwick Castle

The castle is about 30 minutes drive from Birmingham city and a fun way to spend a few hours if you have a car. We wandered around the grounds, watched the birds of prey show which was pretty cool and finished our visit with a guided tour of the rooms inside the castle.

Thomas Oken Tea Room

Just outside the castle is the cafe in a cute, little, crooked cottage and the perfect place for lunch! The owners told us that the place is haunted and the room that we were in once caught fire with no other explanation than paranormal activity; but that didn't put us off, it was super cute and very cosy after a cold morning.

With a whole shelf of board games and the table soon filling up with teapots, finger sandwiches and sweet treats, we had a lovely afternoon stuffing our faces and playing taboo.


Coming back in time for Christmas meant getting used to the weather and as per usual, I was freezing. Luckily, my feet weren't a problem because I took part in a Secret Santa with Jake Shoes and arrived home to the ultimate winter pair of Converse.

I love Converse and had been travelling in the same pair since I left in January; they were literally falling apart by the time I got back to England so Roxii (aka my secret Santa) did well with this pair! Black all over and perfectly amped up for winter with a leather outer, cleated soles and fur lining. I haven't taken them off since I've been back!

Escape Live 

My brother works at Escape Live in Birmingham and he wanted us to see their new room so we went along and spent the morning trying to escape from a time travel disaster. We managed it with 3 seconds to spare.. much more successful (and actually a much more enjoyable experience) than my last escape room experience!


 Cadbury World

Our last stop of the weekend was Cadbury World! We were actually a little bit disappointing with their service - they kinda rushed us through - but anything involving lots of chocolate is still lots of fun! Having gone a little bit mad in the shop at the end, we left with bags and bags of discount chocolate just before Christmas so it wasn't all bad.

And after that, our trip came to and end! Stopping to pick Molly up from my other brothers house, we made our way back home ready for our next adventure a few days later; December was a busy month!

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