Showing posts with label Europe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Europe. Show all posts
23 November 2017
Where To Stay In London | 10 of London's Best Located Hostels In The City
22 October 2017
Autumn In Dusseldorf's Konigsalle | The Best Food, Coffee, and Shopping Are All in This One Neighborhood
Fall is one of my favourite seasons for many reasons. I love that the weather is mild and the beautiful colours on the trees, to the falling leaves that fall off the trees like snowflakes from the sky. I love it all and its the only time my hair behaves itself when I straighten it compared to the joys of Summer humidity. That is one of few reasons that drew me to Dusseldorf's luxurious shopping Avenue that is Konigsalle. Its the dazzling colours of Autumn on this beautiful boulevard and the reflections across the canals and bridges. It extends from Hofgarten Park canal nearby. Konigsalle is divided by the Stradtgraden canal and lined with beautiful trees with cute bridges that connect the two sides of the canal. Of course, it's not just the beauty that draws' people to visits Konigsalle. The main attraction here is, of course, the shopping!
11 October 2017
Whale Watching In Iceland
I have written a couple of posts on my visit to Iceland. From locating and swimming the secret pool in the mountains to checking out glaciers lagoons, chasing waterfalls in Iceland. For those visiting the country checking out what Iceland tours are available is almost at the top of every traveler's list. An Iceland whale watching is somewhere at the top a list that no doubt includes Iceland guided tours tour Reykjavik or in and around the Golden Circle or the entire Ring Road. We pre-booked spots on Iceland whale watching tour before we left London. We were going to visit and explore Reykjavik for a few days before leaving to explore Iceland in a campervan. We rented an apartment right by the seafront in Laekir and a short walk to Harpa concert hall and the marina where the majority of Iceland whale watching tours leave from.
7 October 2017
Lisbon's Pink Street on Rua Nova do Carvalho | The Heart Of Lisbon's Night Life
One cannot go to Lisbon without sampling the nightlife in Lisbon. Lisbon's Pink Street on Rua Nova do Carvalho is one such place breaming with clubs, bars, and restaurants. Rua Nova do Carvalho turned "Pink Street" as part of a rehabilitation project in 2011 to turn Lisbon's former red light district into a trendy spot for nightlife. Lisbon's nightlife is not the only thing that draws people here. Pink Street now draws a much different crowd than it did in the past. In the days before Tinder 'dating' app red light districts were very much part of many urban areas where the was a small concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented business. Pink Street was very much that. This was where sailors came seeking a good time in the company of a woman of the night. The regeneration of the area around Rua Nova do Carvalho was very much to change the area well known for its seedy reputation.
21 September 2017
A Cheeky Monkey's Guide to Iceland | 12 Things To See And Do In Iceland
It took Bee a long time to take me out on a trip and even longer to convince her to let me do a guest post with a guide to Iceland and places you need to see when you visit. For you tea drinkers out there that know me, know I like to #keepittea, but might not have known that I also caught the travel bug by way of staring at Bee's fridge covered on magnets collecting from around the world. After many months had passed since the PG Tips tea I came with had been drunk and I was still sitting on a shelf since Bee's niece had gifted me to Bee, I knew the only way I could get a slice adventure was if I took matters into my own hands. After hearing Bee go on and about booking flights to Iceland, planned visits to the Blue Lagoon, booking a campervan in Iceland, reviewing guides to Iceland and hotels in Reykjavik, I knew I needed to find a way to get into her suitcase. Finally, an opportunity had arisen when she left he bag so close to a shelf where I had sat and listened to all the plans for an adventure in Iceland. And so a plan was born! I would sneak into Bee's handbag and see for myself what all the fuss is about in the land of fire and ice. She had gone one and one about renting a campervan and exploring the sights on Iceland's Ring Road. Would you pass up a free vacation to Iceland? Yeah, either would I! So having come back, I have managed to convince Bee on let me give you a tour of Iceland. So grab a cuppa and keep it tea, while I take you for a drive around Iceland stops we made.
23 July 2017
Fashion, Architecture and the Art Scene - Why Germany's Dusseldorf is a Must-Visit
With a crazy and hectic travel schedule work can some times bring, I am always grateful for the opportunities to meet people and build friendships with people I have met through work. A couple of years ago on a project far away from home and but with a diverse team covering many European countries, I made friends with a colleague from Germany. Months later I was due to get certification for an IT course for which training was going to be held in Germany's Kronberg. I knew it was the perfect timing to take up a colleague's invitation for a guided tour of Dusseldorf before I embarked on my trip to Kronberg for training. So I booked hotel and flights to Dusseldorf, for my very own personal guided tour of the city. This is how I got introduced to Dusseldorf. A beautiful German city ticket all the boxes for me; impressive architecture, great art scene, night life and city sights and plenty to offer on the fashion scene. I was sold! Dusseldorf is known for its fashion industry and art scene two things that usually get the blood pumping when planning a visit to a new city.
So when the opportunity to visit again came up I was super excited to visit. This time I was returning to see my colleague get married to his soul mate. I, on the other hand, was bringing fiancé and getting the chance to show him around the city. If you haven't heard or even been to Dusseldorf then here are a few reasons why you need to one of Germany's best-kept secrets.
17 July 2017
Visiting Florence | Piazza Santa Croce
Is there a city in Italy that isn't full of city gems? Florence is no different as it scored big on that lottery and is filled with so much history. Said to be one of Europe's great art cities and it not just a city with beautiful art but beautiful architecture at almost every turn. The city that has given birth to many luxury good companies, Salvatore Ferragamo to name a few of my favorite Italian brands was founded in Florence and is still headquartered here. Having searched high and low for where to stay in the shadows of Santa Maria del Fiore's Dome, with no luck we finally found something right by Piazza Santa Croce. Thinking that we were miles from everything, we couldn't have been more wrong.
Piazza Santa Croce is a little gem you need to add to your visit when you Florence. Our apartment in a street right next to Santa Croce church. Two streets over we had the Arno River and close by Ponte Vecchio and right across the river from us is Piazza Michaelangelo offering amazing views of the city vista. Needless to say, we had struck gold! Busy enough with Italian cafes, restaurants, shops, and galleries but quiet enough to enjoy surrounding without hordes of tourists clogging up the area too much. Santa Croce as well as offering a stunning focal point with its beautiful facade is also a place many Italian greats have been buried. Known as Temple of Italian Glorie, Santa Croce is where Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and many illustrious Italians are buried. The church overlooks a piazza. This is also where another Italian sport was born; Calcio Fiorentino
Piazza Santa Croce is a little gem you need to add to your visit when you Florence. Our apartment in a street right next to Santa Croce church. Two streets over we had the Arno River and close by Ponte Vecchio and right across the river from us is Piazza Michaelangelo offering amazing views of the city vista. Needless to say, we had struck gold! Busy enough with Italian cafes, restaurants, shops, and galleries but quiet enough to enjoy surrounding without hordes of tourists clogging up the area too much. Santa Croce as well as offering a stunning focal point with its beautiful facade is also a place many Italian greats have been buried. Known as Temple of Italian Glorie, Santa Croce is where Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and many illustrious Italians are buried. The church overlooks a piazza. This is also where another Italian sport was born; Calcio Fiorentino
2 May 2017
Ultimate Guide to Hiking Trolltunga - Your Questions Answered!
A few days ago I shared with you a post with many a shot from hiking to Trolltunga. Norway has so many beautiful landscapes that it is hard to imagine how a country could have such amazing scenery all to itself. Our drive from Bergen to Odda, which is the starting point to the little expedition that is the Trolltunga hike. All along the way, the road trip from Bergen to Trolltunga had us oohing and ahhing at waterfalls, lakes and beautiful mountains. A lot of people want to hike to Trolltunga, so I thought I would make my second post on a Guide to Hiking to Trolltunga a Q&A of what you might want to know when planning a trip for this hike.
What the heck is Trolltunga anyway?
26 April 2017
Adventures in Norway | Hiking To Trolltunga
Last week I shared with you a post on Bergen, a beautiful city in Norway that is surrounded by 7 mountains. Our trip to Norway late last year was a trip to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday. It was not going to be an easy trip by a long shot. This was going to be an adventure-filled weekend that included hiking to Trolltunga in Norway's Hordaland region. The previous year we had spent his birthday hiking in Snowdonia so I was determined to top the next one. I researched and toiled over how I was going to plan this trip as a surprise. In fact, he only knew we were going to be heading to Norway and hiking to Trolltunga about 2 weeks before our trip. What he also didn't know that I had Trolltunga on my bucket list for a while now, as he is into the outdoors as well it was a win-win.
We didn't really need to buy much equipment for this trip as we have done similar trips before. The only difficulty was finding out how we were going to get to Trolltunga having arrived in Norway Via Bergen. I had down tonnes of research and decided car rental gave us the freedom to move as and when we wanted. I have had quite a few road trips around the world now that I am starting to prefer this mode of transportation when I travel. For more on road trips, you can check out posts on Namibia, Zambia, Spain, Wales, Iceland and many parts of England via the destinations page.
16 April 2017
Venice on a Budget | 5 Travel Tips On Visiting Venice on a Budget
Venice, a city that has inspired many other cities around the world to create floating cities. From London's Little Venice to Venice of the North, a term that is now used to reference many cities around the globe including Russia's St Petersburg which I will be sharing soon. As I have visited to Venice a couple of times now I thought I would share tips on how to visit Venice on a budget. With all the luxury on offer in this floating city, one would think visiting Venice on a budget would be impossible. It isnt! You can enjoy your visit in Venice without expending an absolute fortune. There are so many ways to cut costs on your visit to Venice so that you can spend your money on things that matter most to you, what that is splurge on a luxury hotel in Venice or opting for fine dining experience in Venice. Whatever it it there is a way to save money on your trip. These include cruising the Grand Canal on budget-friendly Vaporattos(waterbus), walking the alleys on foot instead of using Venice taxis, although I do have a tip on how you can save money on Venice taxis here. Below are 5 insider tips on visiting Venice, an Italian gem on a budget.
14 April 2017
Norway | A Weekend In Bergen(+ What To See & Do)
I have heard so many people talk about how expensive Norway is. I was really bracing myself for the worst. To be honest I needn't have. It's not any more expensive than London, apart from maybe a beer, then again I don't drink beer, so that's that. Everything else was great, the views, the people, the mountains, even the weather was behaving itself for the majority of the trip.
The plan for Norway was to visit Bergen, explore for 2 days then head off on a road trip through the fjords, hopping on and off ferries, this plan would later bite us in the arse at the end of the road trip as we forgot that the last ferry leaves at 11 pm. I scoped out where to stay, what see and do in the city and where to get the best views too. Seven mountains surround the city center of Bergen so finding a spot for a good view is not that had.
5 April 2017
Discover Kiefernstrasse | A Colourful Side of Dusseldorf You Need To See
There is something that just brightens up your day with simply a splash of colour. Ever noticed how just wearing brightly coloured clothes will perk you up, even when the weather is dull and miserable? Yes, it’s that effect I get when I am exploring places with bright and evocative street art. Street Art today, I guess isn’t what is used to be. It's become more though provoking. It’s no longer just some street kids in dark hoodies that leave their tags all over the streets. I love the political side of it, focus on current affair as well as social aspects of it. Throw in a little colour and I fall absolutely in love with it all. When you div deep into it, it’s no longer just about the message the art is trying to convey, but the personal style each of the street artist use. I may not know a lot of the street artists' names but when I can recognise some of the street artist's pieces when I travel I get excited. Pieces by Stik, Vhil's use of small explosives to create distinctive portraits, Banksy's political art not to mention his new installation in a form of a hotel in Palestine call the Walled Off Hotel. Then there are big and rather ambitious murals. I think Kiefernstraße fits in the latter. Kiefernstraße is a street in the Flingern-Süd district of Düsseldorf that became notorious in the 1980s for squatting. Kiefernstraße has a rather colour past and I guess the street art somewhat represents that in a way.
31 March 2017
Magical Venice | Falling In Love With The Floating City
Venice, a city that needs little, if no introduction! The capital of Italy's Veneto region, and built on more than 100 little islands that have beautiful and amazing architecture. So, why oh why would I not visit, once, or maybe twice? The last time I was visiting the floating city was was a few years ago on a little summer weekend in Venice. Word of warning for anyone visiting in the summer, it is crowded! Everyone and their cousin, uncle, auntie are there, so you can just imagine how packed the vaporettos (water buses) and streets are. I don't think I intentionally chose to visit out of the busy season this time round when I went in the winter but it just turned that way as I was hoping to visit before the end of last year. Thank goodness it wasn't snowing. I was also a little apprehensive about going in the winter as winters in Venice are synonymous with Aqua Alta. Aqua Alta is the term used in Venice for the annual flooding that occurs in winter months. When this happens, most of San Marco square is covered in water together with many streets and alleys, actually. They put up little platforms for people to walk around. This was a worry up until a few weeks before the trip when the weather seemed to stabilise, although still cold.
10 March 2017
When Airbnb Comes Through - Paris Apartment Views Don't Get Any Better Than This!
My first post of 2017! I hope you are all doing fabulous. It's been a little quiet on the blog due to being busy with work and travelling between London and Oxford. Hopefully, this will now settle down as I now have an apartment in Oxford, which makes life a little easier with travel while I finish my Formula 1 project. In my last post, I shared a yearly review of travel and adventures from 2016. The travel adventures continue even though I had to cancel a trip to Milan and Lugano, this year still killed off with a trip to Lisbon in January and then February saw a trip to Florence. More pictures of those trips to come soon.
Paris apartment views don't get any better than this, that's for sure. I thought I would share pictures of the beautiful apartment I rented in my last visit to Paris. Paris is well known for its beautiful balconies and this little beauty I rented didn’t disappoint. I booked it via Airbnb and shared a couple of reasons to use Airbnb when you travel. During this visit, I travelled with a couple of photographer friends and one of them took the portraits of me below. The views were perfect, such a shame that my fiancé with on this trip but it was a treat to have Laku Davies create magic on the lens! I absolutely love these shots. We have since been Lisbon together so I can’t wait to share her pictures with you.
29 December 2016
2016 In Review | One Year - 10 Countries, 19 Cities + A Full-Time Job!
 |
Here we are again! Another year in review. It feels like 2016 has come and gone too fast. We are in that weird and scary part of the year where it feels as if iconic figures are dropping off like flies as fate cherry picks those that won't make it into the new year. Celebrity deaths of 2016; from the shocking death of Carrie Fisher from a heart attack, then her mother Debbie Reynolds the day after. Also, the death of Wham legend George Michael, then the likes of David Bowie, Ricky Harris, Prince, Gene Wilder. It’s always sad when you lose people that you have grown up listening to and watching from a young age. It’s also a lesson that we must all live the lives we were intended to live, not living according to anyone else’s forced dreams or expectations of us. Live a life that is fearless, where we take charge of our own happiness. Both in our professional and personal lives. "So many people make that mistake and allow others fears and insecurities to change the trajectory of their lives." If you need inspiration for pursuing your dreams and living a life without fear check out an interview with Natasha Rock on her move to live and teach in Saudi Arabia.
|
15 November 2016
The Land of Fire And Ice | A Colourful Side of Iceland You Need To Check Out
Iceland may draw millions of visitors with is geyser blowing off steam or its waterfalls hidden behind mysterious looking rock faces, glaciers with breaking ices that litter black sand beaches like diamonds on velvet. The land as been creative in coming up with out of this world sights to gaze at. While the land has been busy, so have its people. Hidden in the back streets of Reykjavik. You don't have to hunt too far from the main town center to see how the city comes alive with colour, even if the weather might not want to play along. See below some of the beautiful pieces we stumbled on while exploring the city aimlessly with no map or destination in mind.
Iceland may be known for its waterfalls, geysers and glaciers and a past full of natural disasters but one item most people tend to miss out on their Iceland adventures or itinerary is the colourful street scene. Below, I am taking you on a little walking tour of the some of Reykjavik's beautiful street art.
The cafe the draws you in with colour.
9 November 2016
Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Boat Tour | Visiting Iceland's Glacier Lagoon
Visiting Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon
There were so many things that I wanted to see in Iceland that it is actually had to pinpoint what my favourite part was after we had been skidded around the ring road. What I can say though, was that seeing Iceland's Diamond Beach was up there on the list of must sees! Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon is just a sight. I don't know about you but its not everyday you get to see such sights. Your eyes and your brain do a constant double takes as if to ask if they are experiencing what the eyes and brain as seeing and all the emotions that are entangled with what's before them. Taking in the sights may not be enough for some, you can also opt for the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon boat tour. If you are thinking of doing a drive from Reykjavik to Jokulsarlon then you may have to rethink that unless you are planning on ignoring all the sights on the way or spending a good day on the road.
29 October 2016
4 Reasons To Vacation In Off-Peak Season
1. Prices of Flights Are Cheaper In Low Season
I have found prices to be super cheap or reasonably inexpensive soon after the school holidays. So around November when University students have had their freshers week is usually a great time to fly. Also around mid-January but not too far into February because they pick up again people being flooded with valentines ideas. Mid-January, I guess because people are still traveling back from the Xmas holidays so I guess airline bookings dip after the first and second week of January hence why they reduce the prices to entice bookings.
22 October 2016
Snapshots From Warsaw | A city That Should Be On Your Radar
Warsaw, the capital and largest city in Poland. If you have not been, its one to put on your radar for future travels. Following the aftermath of the war, Poland has modernised its capital, moving from Stalinist Utilitarian era that dominated much of the capital. Although you still have reminders in the beautiful Palace and Culture that stands as the focal point of the city.
23 September 2016
Enter The Magical World of Iceland's Eldhraun Lava Field
I was going to wait until November to do a series on my trip to Iceland but each time I look at the pictures I get so excited and lose all patience with my planned schedule of posts so I thought I would get it out of my system and share the magical world Iceland's Eldraun Lava Field.
Eldhraun Lava Field
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)