2017 UK Travel Bits.

I may have spent more time than usual on a plane, but I also spent more time than usual outside of London, and discovering the beauties of Britain.

CLAPHAM COMMON

The year was full of many Saturday (and some Sunday) morning walks to, around and from Clapham Common. Known for its beautiful open green spaces, and home of numerous wildlife, I can see more walks here in the upcoming year.

RICHMOND PARK

The year started beautifully with this fun early morning trip to Ricmond Park to watch the sun rise. It was such a beautiful, breathtaking and freezing experience, and what made it all the more fun was spending it with two of my best friends that I’ve known since birth. The three of us also embarked on many fun trips in the year, all of which will you’ll be seeing later on in this post!

HARRY POTTER WORLD

Quite possibly one of the funniest and funnest days I had this year, our trip to the Harry Potter Studios (with my two aforementioned friends) was definitely one for the books. To say it was fun experiencing the films we had grown up watching, loving and memorising all the lines, is a big understatement. Following the fun day I was filled with such an ambitious and excited spirit, that I swear I’d never felt such an energy inside me before. I had never felt more motivated to do great things and to achieve and fulfil every single one of my wildest dreams in my whole entire life.

WINCHESTER

I returned to my old stomping ground during the summer and for some reason it had a totally different feel from when I was last here. It was lovely reuniting with my best friend from my uni days and exploring some of our old haunts together, while having a good old gossip, natch!

BOTANICAL GARDENS, BIRMINGHAM

At this rate I feel like I could easily move to Birmingham and not have much trouble there (I’m kidding, but you never know…). My sister and I visited the Botanical Gardens had a great time taking pictures, joking around and discovering a whole new side to Birmingham. As we’ve been there a few times together and enjoyed ourselves, I’m sure this trip won’t be our last one to the incredible city.

CHICHESTER

One of those trips where you wonder what planet you’re living on and what the hell runs through the mind of people, this was probably the only day trip I did not actively play a part in organising (or wanting to go on) but what can you do. Anyway, to make the most of the day, I explored around the cathedral a little bit and took in the clear sunny skies.

PETERSHAM NURSERIES, RICHMOND

The fun and boiling August bank holiday weekend was spent hanging out in Richmond with some of my old work friends. We wandered around Richmond Park, ate some good food, enjoyed great conversation, all whilst managing to survive the hot weather.

THE NEW FOREST

I’ve been to the New Forest once in my life. I was eight or nine and in primary when I visited and fell in love the place for the first time. Lucky for me, my best friend from uni just so happens to live there, so I went down and visited her in late September. It was just as lovely and beautiful as it had been when I was younger (if not more so), but only issue was that it had taken me about six years to actually get down to visit her in the first place. Bad friend, I know.

BOX HILL

Though the pictures would lead you to believe otherwise, this day was particularly warm and beautiful. The pictures would also lead you to believe that the day was a relaxing one, but oh no, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact the day was something of a workout. From climbing over one hundred steep steps, to trying not to slip on the stone slabs, to laughing so much I thought my stomach would tear, I’m pretty sure I burned over a billion calories this day.

And there we have it: my travels of 2017. Here’s to even more adventure and journeying in 2018. Happy New Year’s Eve!

alice

xo

Malta Pt III.

And finally we’re at the last part of my Malta holiday. In yesterday’s post I mentioned how the crazy winds and waves would impact the rest of the trip, and impact they did. On Monday, our last full day on the island, we had decided to travel to the nearby island of Comino to spend the day relaxing and exploring the island that is a major attraction and draws thousands of visitors each year. However, the weather had other ideas and unfortunately our cruise was cancelled and we were forced to stay put. Not feeling totally discouraged though, we opted to return back to our spot on the beach and spend the day memserised by the waves whilst trying not to feel too upset that 1) we wouldn’t be able to discover Comino or its famous Blue Lagoon and 2) that our dream holiday was coming to an end.

the most disappointing thing about not being able to visit Comino was that i had saved my favourite and unworn bikini for this day 😦

We had always planned to do something nice for our last night, so after a quick google search we decided on Chinese and found a great restaurant that was just around the corner from our apartment!

i am OBSESSED with my pop & suki camera bag (which i wore as a clutch)

contrary to the reviews, the food was really good!

After dinner we returned to our apartment for drinks on the balcony while we listened to music and reminicsed on the amazing holiday.

On Tuesday, our very last day, I managed to get up early enough to enjoy one last sunrise, and yes it was absolutely beautiful.

We dropped our bags off then discovered another coastline of the island quite close to where we were staying, before grabbing a tasty snack and settling down for one final sunbathing session on the beach.

beach walks

Just before we had to leave for the airport, we had our very last meal on the lovely island. I didn’t say in every post, but pretty much every meal I had, had some kind of rabbit in it. I mean, what can I say? When in Rome…

rabbit ravioli

walking on the tarmac about to board…

thank you for such a beautiful holiday Malta. see you again soon!

It’s really hard not to sound so repetitive, but Malta was absolutely incredible. If you haven’t already, this is a must-see island with lots to do (even if you’re like me and that just means lying on the beach all day every day and eating your weight in food). A great country to visit, you really won’t be disappointed. Tomorrow is the last day of the year and I’m winding down my sharing some of my domestic trips including those to Birmingham, the New Forest, Richmond Park and more, so make sure you check back!

alice

xo

Malta Pt II.

Being in Malta was akin to being in a dream land. From the blues of the sea, to the blues of the skies, it was so magical, and felt like the ultimate travel destination. Of all the days, Friday was by far the most fun and adventurous. Not only did we stray from our favourite local beach, but we ended up travelling twenty minutes by bus to the famous Golden Bay beach, and stayed for the whole day. The sandy beach more than lived up to its great name, and even though you can’t really tell from these pictures, it was very warm and the sun shone all day long.

we may or may not have came in matching bikinis…

The waves were absolutely insane and we got totally thrashed more than a few times he he 😀

If Friday was the funnest day, then Saturday was by far the most beautiful. Setting out much later than usual, we were able to experience one of the most incredible sunsets I’d ever seen (it would definitely tie with Rome’s magical offering!). And what seemed to make it even more incredible was the fact that it appeared to be happening in such slow motion, you really couldn’t help but drink every last second of it in.

by now it’s pretty obvious that the balcony was my favourite spot in the apartment

melanin magic: bronzed to perfection

Sunday was a really chill day spent on the beach (again), only this day was a little bit different as the temperature was considerably a lot cooler than the other days, and the wind was out in full force.

Because of the crazy winds, the waves were insane, crashing against the shore and making the beach look like a scene from the The Tempest. While we admired the mad frenzy of the sea, unbeknownst to us as the time, the crazy winds and insane waves would strongly impact the rest of our trip.

Come back tomorrow for the last Malta instalment!

alice

xo

Malta Pt I.

Okay, I’m going to start by saying that Malta should be on everyone’s bucket list because even though it’s small (and we didn’t exactly travel the whole country), this tiny island packs a mighty punch! Even though our arrival (and our return as we would soon come to find out) was a bit rocky and didn’t give a great first impression, the moment we arrived at our apartment we were completely blown away; especially when we woke up the next morning to find Malta in all its beauty and glory.

views from the master suite balcony… not too shabby

I think we definitely underestimated how tired we were from the previous day because after about half an hour outside, we returned to our apartment for a short nap, only to wake up several hours later when it was dark outside. Unperturbed, we settled for an evening of photo-taking and movies!

i fell in love with the second bathroom decor

we decided that our future apartment would have to look like this

The next morning I got up a little earlier and sat out on the balcony. Did I mention that our apartment had not one, but THREE balconies?

Venturing out a little later in the day, despite the sun having mostly gone in, it was still fairly warm!

After a fun afternoon relaxing on the beach, we went to a pub for a drink, before walking a few metres to another restaurant for dinner. If you didn’t know, Malta is best known for its rabbit dishes, so obviously I had to try it.

trying the first of many rabbit dishes on the holiday

Come back tomorrow for more Malta and bikinis!

alice

xo

Rome Pt II.

The rest of the weekend was spent waking up so late after that long night of dancing and drinking, it felt like we’d missed most of the day, only to spend the rest of the afternoon/ evening walking around and seeing more of the beautiful city.

We ended the weekend overlooking the whole of city (and peeking through the legendary keyhole) then settling down for the sunset in the Orange Garden – the location where I’ve decided to get married. Kind of cliché I know, but it feels like it’d be such a waste if I didn’t.

After witnessing probably one of the most beautiful and moving sunsets of my life (do you see why I’m getting married here?) we headed back down to the city for our last meal and our last taste of Rome before our early morning flight.

Oh my god, words cannot describe the feelings this trip brought to my heart. I felt so inspired to travel more and see the world in all its beauty, as well as come to really understand the saying: Travelling is the only thing you spend money on that makes you rich. Truer words have never been spoken. Tomorrow, it’s off to my third and final holiday abroad: MALTA!! You won’t want to miss it!

alice

xo

Rome Pt I.

Thanks to yet another drunken night in the pub after work, the end of March took me to a new place – only this time to a city a little bit warmer. Compared to my weekend in Norway, my weekend in Rome felt like a non-stop adventure, starting from the moment we got off the plane. A quick trip to drop our bags off in the Airbnb, and we were soon back out on the streets exploring the city by night.

After a few hours of sleep, it was back to the streets of Rome which were a lot busier…

breakfast of champions

my favourite kind of snack 😉

Obviously no trip to Rome is complete without visiting the Vatican City, which is honestly as beautiful, mesmerising and awe-inspiring as all the pictures would lead you to believe.

i’m sure it goes without saying that these pictures don’t do the Vatican justice at all…

Once the sun had set, nightfall came pretty quickly and we were off in search of a great recommended restaurant.

the food here was absolutely amazing!

The night (or should I say early morning hehe) ended in an American bar downing shots of tequila and drinking G&Ts – as you do. Check back tomorrow for the rest of my weekend in Rome.

alice

xo

Norway Pt II.

Fallen in love with Norway yet? Just looking back at these pictures is making me wish I was back there.

doesn’t it look like I belong out in the Norwegian mountains?

After the craziness and adrenaline of the first two days, the last two days were considerably chill. Thanks to one of the cars refusing to start, we were 1) able to take in the atmosphere of the area and explore a little bit and 2) able to save a great experience for the very last day (which I will definitely never forget).

Our last day was just as beautiful, spectacular and amazing as the previous days had been.

waking up to the last morning in snowy paradise

hitting the road again

stopping off for warm drinks and snacks

so breathtaking

Before our flight home, we headed back to Oslo to get a good look at the city. Though it was cold, imaging what it was like in the summer, was enough to make me want to return again soon (just little did I know what the summer months would have in store for me…)

Norway will always have a place in my heart, and even though I kept saying this for the majority of the weekend, it still holds true for me now, over six months later. I can’t wait to return in the future, and now one of my biggest goals is to have a cabin out in the mountains where I can visit with my family. Tomorrow it’s off to Italy for a Roman holiday, so make sure you check back.

alice

xo

Norway Pt I.

The blog may have been quiet this year, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy. In 2017 I travelled more than I’ve done in a few years, visiting Norway, Rome and Malta, as well as enjoyed several day trips around the country – all of which I’ll be sharing with you from now until the New Year. Shall we get started?

first impressions in the airport bathroom

What first began as drunken conversations in a bar after work one January night, ended with spending the beginning of March in the snowy land of Norway for three days. Freezing, out of this world, and an absolute dream, I fell in love with Norway right away.

waking up on the first morning!

I don’t ski, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the snowy slopes.

We ended the night getting warm (and very drunk) in the jacuzzi.

Literally such a dream! Make sure you check back tomorrow for more of my 2017 travel adventures.

alice

xo

Bye, Bye Vegas…

Waking up after our last night in Vegas was bittersweet. At same time as finding all of the previous night’s happenings hilarious, we were faced with the end of this American adventure, two daunting flights and a return to reality and work commitments. It felt ACTUALLY saying goodbye to a land and lifestyle we had grown so accustomed to living over the last two weeks. As soon as we were all packed up and ready, we drove back to the Vegas sign for one last group picture.

Then it was back to the rental service to return the vans. I wasn’t too keen on saying goodbye to the Fun Van that had served as not only our means of transportation, but as the root of many of our jokes.

As our flight was at 1.20pm, we loitered around the airport for a bit and grabbed a bite to eat before boarding.

Only in Vegas…

Once we had boarded, it was time to make the long journey home.

I’m sure it goes without saying that I had such an amazing time in America and that I’ve loved the opportunity of being able to relive it all again by sharing my adventure with you. It was nothing like I had expected it to be, and if I could, I would do it all over again (only I’d bring several pairs of shorts). Something tells me that this isn’t the last I’ll see of American land and I can’t wait! You can go back to the beginning of my American adventure here and see what I got up to over the two weeks.

alice

xo

Rock Houses and Returning to Vegas.

It seems strange to be saying goodbye to Marble Canyon, after two fun days spent in such an isolated area. At the same time as saying goodbye to Marble Canyon we’re also preparing to say goodbye to America and to this amazing experience. But anyway, before I dwell on that and get all depressed, I’ll move on. So, we started our long drive back to Vegas by stopping off at some really cool rock houses that ACTUAL people used to live in. now obviously because I’m (kind of) short I could live in there no problem, but what about the odd person that might have been (god forbid) 5”5?!

Then it was back on the road again for a couple of hours before we made a stop at Jacob Lake.

I can’t remember where, but we stopped for a quick group picture, and I have to say it had one of the best views that I’d seen all trip. Which says a lot because there were some amazing views!

By the time we stopped for food, I was gagging for some wifi and a burger of some kind, so it was pretty awesome there was a Burger King with BOTH! One thing that I’ll never be able to get over from my travels is the way Americans size their food. Is this actually a small?

We drove through a Mormon town, which I wasn’t able to get any pictures of, but believe me when I say that it felt like being thrown back in time. If you’ve ever seen The Village, it felt exactly like that! I’m also starting to think that in America, ‘towns’ are simply long roads with buildings coming off at the sides. One thing I was able to get many pictures of, was the scenery, which even though I’d seen a lot of over the past two weeks, it still felt like seeing it for the first time.

By the time we got back to Vegas, it was late afternoon, and after several hours of driving, it’s fair to say that we were all pretty tired. In some weird way, returning to the Travelodge felt like returning home, after all, we had spent our first few days here. And what better way to celebrate returning home? By going out and getting drunk hahahaha.

Georgia, Natalie and I hit up a bar called La Salsa Cantina, who had the yummiest cocktails and an even nicer waiter.

As you can see, we had a great time!

Tomorrow it’s off to the airport and back home to England. It’s going to be quite an emotional farewell.

alice

xo