Bimbling in Bath

My boyfriend was treated to a weekend in beautiful Bath by his parents for completing his Masters degree and luckily for me he couldn't really go alone.

We stayed at The County Hotel and I can't begin to explain how lovely it was. From the location to the view from our window, everything was perfect.

It was only a 5 minute stroll to the main part of town and there we were spoilt for choice on places to eat. Having said that we ate at Bill's which although now a trendy place to dine, neither of us had been before so we decided to give it a go! The burger (surprise, surprise) didn't disappoint and neither did the sneaky little glass of wine.

It was a beautiful evening and we saw Bath in all it's pretty glory. The next day it poured down so it's a good job we took photographs when we did.

The following morning we went to the famous baths. They were right in the centre of the town which isn't at all how I imagined them. They didn't disappoint though and we spent hours wondering around listening to the audio describing each section of the historical setting. It's crazy to think that they haven't yet discovered all of the baths and they could still be lying beneath the streets of the city. I'd like to go back in years to come and see what else has been excavated.

We couldn't go to Bath and not walk to see the Royal Crescent. I didn't realise it would be such a climb but it was worth it as the Red Arrows flew over in formation just as we collapsed on the green in the photo above. I didn't manage to get a photo of them but they seemed to arrive just in time as the sky took a turn for the worse.

That night we went for a dinner at a place called The Stable which had been recommended to us. They have a few restaurants that are mainly located on the South Coast. Heading downstairs into what felt like a cosy basement we were lucky enough to get the last table. Jonny was over the moon at the idea of getting 5 randomly selected ciders to taste while I was more interested in the crazy pizza toppings on offer. In the end I went with roast lamb with sweet potato and caramelised onions. Pretty much a roast dinner on a pizza, it doesn't get much better than that.

I would definitely recommend The Stable if you're visiting Bath, great location and even better grub.

All in all a beautiful city which I would recommend to everyone and I'm hoping for another visit next summer.

Vietnam #1

South East Asia was on my bucket list, as I think it is for a lot of people but I never imagined I would have the chance to visit quite so soon. My best friend is off travelling around the world for 15 months beginning in Asia so I couldn't ignore the idea of visiting her along the way. Vietnam was thrown into a conversation one evening and it was set, I would be flying out to see her for 2 weeks to explore the country from Hanoi all the way down to Ho Chi Minh City in the South.

On previous trips we have organised everything down to a T from transport to hotels to day trips. This time we decided to be more relaxed and we planned as we went, booking sleeper buses and hostels from recommendations we heard along the way. This meant that if we wanted to stay somewhere for longer because we loved the city or wanted to put off a long journey for lazy purposes then we could.

It was the most fun (and most humid) two weeks so I wanted to jot down a few pointers for people thinking of traveling to this side of the world. Things that I found helpful and things that I wish I had taken!

1. Injections
Arrgghh. Not what you want to be thinking of when you're planning an exciting holiday. Going to Vietnam I needed a Hepatitis A and Typhoid inoculation. These were done on the NHS free of charge and I was lucky enough not to need to splash out on Malaria tablets as we were sticking to the East coast. Make sure you read up on what you do and don't need, different nurses may give you different options.

2. Rucksack with a front opening
Ok, so this is more of a luxury than a necessity. Rummaging around in a 6 person dorm at 2 in the morning trying desperately trying to find your toothbrush and toothpaste is not the one. I invested in a rucksack which I could open from the front so I could see everything in the bag. I like to think I'm a patient person but not being able to locate something in my bag easily and quickly is something I like to avoid. I bought this lovely Lowe Alpine number. God bless you little huge bag.

3. A good camera
My biggest regret is not taking my Canon 500D D SLR. I decided to pack light and was worried that my camera would get damaged or stolen as we were staying in hostels and had numerous sleeper bus journeys. If I could go back I would definitely pack this camera - The quality absolutely outweighs the pain it would have been to carry around everywhere. If like me you love taking photographs and documenting your journeys then don't even hesitate to take the best camera you own!

4. Write down & listen to recommendations
Going without a plan is exciting and spontaneous. That is until you have to decide the next stop and have no idea where to go or stay. We chatted to a lot of people we met in our hostels who had already done the journey we were planning to do and this was a great opportunity to get recommendations of great places to stay and where to avoid! This is not only a sociable way of meeting people but it also saves time and attempting to find WiFi for researching purposes.

5. Money App
Getting money out for the first time in Vietnam there was slight confusion to say the least. The currency is so huge with 35,000 dong equating to £1 so paying 100,000 dong to get a bus to our hotel I felt like I was being robbed. To save time and embarrassment in restaurants and shops I used the XE currency app which meant I could work out how much I was spending with the click of a button.

A few handy hints and tips here to make your trip that little bit smoother!

L'Amour

Sweatshirt - H&M (similar)

Blouse - Pull & Bear

Jeans - Topshop

Vans - Schuh

Bag - Zara (old)

British Summer Time, you devious little thing. One minute there's blue sky and no breeze the next there's gale force winds and a weather warning. Ok, I joke - slightly - but the British weather is definitely something you have to get used to. 

Take this particular morning for example, I initially went for a skirt and blouse combo but stepping out of my front door I realised that bare legs just wouldn't cut it. It did however, give me a chance to debut this sweatshirt from H&M. Whistles have a number of these slogan sweatshirts on the go at the moment but the price tag of this H&M one was far more suited to me. I rarely wear white due to my 'Casper-like' complexion but paired with dark jeans and a collared blouse it works well. Perfect for a Summer evening layering piece too.

The chilly weather didn't stop us from eating al-fresco and devouring this amazing Meatball Focaccia from Strada. Not the best choice of meal given the colour of my jumper. Live and learn!

Iceland

WARNING: Long post!

At the beginning of the year I wrote about my impending trip to Iceland. I have now been back for over 2 months and am yet to write about it. Slap on wrist for me. It is definitely the most incredible place I have visited so far so I want to share some of the things we did and what I would recommend if you are visiting the beautiful country.

In the last two years I have been lucky enough to visit a fair few cities around Europe with my travelling chum, Ness and we were trying to think of somewhere different to tick off our list. Iceland initially came up as we both wanted to see the Northern Lights and heard that mid February would be an ideal opportunity to see them. We booked the flights, Northern Lights excursion, a diving trip (i'll explain later!) and we were on our way.

When we arrived at Keflavik airport the weather was dull, grey and colder than we had anticipated. Luckily for us the weather picked up and we had glorious sunshine for the rest of the trip, making for perfect scenic shots and ideal Northern Lights conditions. We had picked our hotel on a whim, not really sure what to go for but Fosshotel Baron exceeded our expectations. It was incredibly warm and the smell of waffles hit us as we walked in - what more could you want?

A view from Reykjavik highstreet looking into the harbour

On our first night we indulged in a Northern Lights excursion. A coach picked us up from our hotel and we drove to a remote golf course just outside of Reykjavik. I was so prepared with my DSLR ready on my tripod but we fully expected not to see anything - We had been told countless times not to get our hopes up as there is only a 1 in 10 chance of witnessing the lights. It was freezing cold and everyone's mood had dampened slightly having not seen anything but an hour in someone could see soft greens and pinks on the horizon. It was incredible to see and actually hard to take in. Our numb hands and the long wait were definitely worth it as the Aurora Borealis moved beautifully across the sky.

I did take a couple of shots that we were so happy and excited with (at the time) but now they look a little, for want of a better word, rubbish. The tripod I took wasn't sturdy enough for the strong gale but we still managed to capture some of the light nonetheless!

The (slightly blurred) Northern Lights

The following morning was the start of an adventure packed day. A company called Dive.is picked us up from our hotel at 9am to take us snorkeling in the Silfra Fissure and to explore the Golden Circle. I'm going to be honest I wasn't completely sold on this idea to start with, in fact I was scared. Having never snorkeled anywhere before combined with the thought of snorkeling in 2 degree water I thought we were crazy. Oh how wrong I was.

Firstly the drive to the Fissure was incredible. The scenery was breathtaking and luckily for us the sun was shining all day making the dive even more spectacular.

The view on the journey to the National Park

We arrived at Thingvellir National Park and were given our snorkeling equipment which included a very warm all in one body suit underneath a very watertight (and a little claustrophobic) dry suit. The location of the snorkeling, the Silfra Fissure is actually a gap between the North American and Eurasian continents so you are swimming between two Continental plates. Pretty cool.

After thorough instructions we put on our flippers, donned our snorkels and climbed down into the absolutely freezing water. The dry suit did keep most of the warmth in and we were told not to move our hands too much to conserve warmth and to use our feet to kick us along instead. Of course, I used my hands and they were numb within minutes! The water was crystal clear and we could see the divers below us exploring the Silfra Cathedral and Silfra Lagoon.

We took a waterproof camera with us to capture the views for ourselves and our fetching ensembles.

 Me looking a little nervous before the snorkeling experience

We were given the best mug of hot chocolate I've ever experienced and proceeded on with our tour of the Golden Circle. Our lovely tour guide took us to see Gullfoss, a powerful waterfall which is part of the Golden Circle. The noise it created and general size of it was staggering and we were so lucky with the weather conditions, walking down to take photos a rainbow had formed over the mist.

 Me and Ness at Gullfoss in the sunshine

Finally we visited the Geysir which contains two active geysirs. One of the geysirs erupts every 4-6 minutes which I didn't know, so to see boiling water shooting hundreds of feet into the air was pretty spectacular. The sulfuric smell took a little getting used to though!

Panoramic of the Geysirs

I can't even begin to explain how brilliant the experience was from start to finish. The tour guides were lovely and so professional - I'm surprised they didn't get annoyed at us constantly asking so many questions! I'm not one to push my limits but I would definitely recommend this whole trip. It's a little pricey but with so much included it's worth every penny.

Our final day consisted of a relaxing visit to the Blue Lagoon - a geothermal spa. Again we were picked up from our hotel which was so convenient and included the entry to the spa. We spent a little more than the standard day spa price and treated ourselves to some toweling robes - Highly recommended as getting out of the lovely warm water into the Icelandic air isn't a pleasant experience!

One thing I learnt is DON'T put your hair in the water. I had to wash my hair three times before a brush could actually glide through my hair again. Tie your hair up and you can avoid my silly mistake.

Again, the Blue Lagoon is something I would recommend doing, if only to say you've been there. The warm milky water, combined with the delicious sparkling wine which we may have indulged in, made it such a lovely relaxing day. This was definitely a luxurious treat for the end of a jam-packed weekend. 

I would love to go back one day at a different time of the year and explore some more. One thing we didn't do was see any of the wildlife so I'd like to go whale watching and puffin watching next time.

Time to start saving.

The Drift Bar | Review

For me, going out in 'the city' on a Friday night is a pretty novel experience. I only work in London on the occasional Friday so it's nice to make the most of being in that neck of the woods. When my colleagues Gemma and Clare suggested we venture to a nice restaurant for dinner and drinks as a belated birthday do for me I couldn't wait.

After a few ideas were thrown around by Gemma we decided on The Drift Bar in Heron Tower - A quirky bar and restaurant not far from Liverpool Street. I would definitely recommend booking a table in advance as it was jam packed with young city workers looking for a cocktail to ease themselves into the weekend.

After ordering a bottle of Prosecco, it was a special occasion afterall, we set about the difficult task of ordering mains. I say difficult but I'm a big fan of the burger, wherever I go I can never stray away from either a chicken or beef burger and it seems this day was no exception. I had initially set my sights on the Club Sandwhich because that's oh so different. But alas no I went for the classic beef burger and I'm sad to say I was disappointed. It was a bit greasy and soggy and the brioche bun collapsed in my hands. Thank heavens this wasn't a first date scenario.

Three out of four of us decided on a sandwich/ burger and for being so adventurous(!) we accompanied our order with a trio of delicious fries. These weren't just any fries, oh no, they were as fancy as they come. Roman Fries with parmesan, truffle and rosemary, Cowboy Fries with honey, chili and garlic and Katsu Fries with Japanese curry sauce. I soon shotgunned the Roman Fries and kept them close by during the soggy burger fiasco. They were truly delicious and I'd quite like these with every burger I ever have.

The atmosphere was brilliant although I definitely found myself shouting at points. The general buzz of the place made it the perfect place for cocktails which is exactly what we did next. I do enjoy a dessert and my guilty pleasure of Creme Brulee was on the menu but the Love Potion cocktail served in a sweet little jug was a pretty good alternative so I soon got over the lack of pud.

I would definitely recommend The Drift Bar for evening drinks and for food during the quieter periods so you can make conversation with the person across the table from you.

Top Tip - Avoid the burger and go for one of the other mains, someone should be adventurous!

Please excuse the quality of these photos, my iPhone was not a good substitute for my usual digital camera!

An Etsy Review

The online shop showcasing creative, handmade pieces is a big hit with a few of my friends and is a popular website in the blogging world. It's only recently that I have been really impressed with their service and what they have to offer. In the past I have been let down with un-realistic delivery times and poor quality products but I'm pleased to say this view has been turned around.

At the tail end of January with Valentine's Day on the horizon I started to rack my brain for a different kind of gift for the boyfriend. I set my mind on something personalised to make it more special and after scrolling through pages and pages of cuff links I found a brilliant seller with a shop full of custom made hip flasks.

I loved all of the handmade leather designs with the additional offering of personalisation for no extra fee. The prices ranged from £35 to £40 which I thought was great for the quality so I couldn't resist. I selected the design I wanted - after much deliberation - and in a note to the seller I picked the font and lettering to be etched onto the hip flask. Within 24 hours Gemma had replied and ran me through her timescale so I knew when I would receive the finished article.

Me being me, I had ordered the flask 14 days before Valentine's Day and Gemma's turnaround was roughly 2 weeks so it was pushing it to be delivered on time! I mentioned this in an email to her and she said she would try her best, keeping me updated on the progress. I had a nice surprise when I came home from work on 13th February to find it had been delivered. Amazing!

I am so impressed with the speedy, friendly service and attention to detail on the product I ordered. I would highly recommend a browse on Gemma's shop for a quirky well made gift. Just brilliant!

Click here for a browse - Gx2homegrown

Lovely packaging 

I loved the subtle personalisation

Are there any personalised gifts that you would recommend?

Birthday Wishlist: 23

My birthday is fast approaching and to sooth the pain of turning 23 I decided to put together a birthday wish list. I'm such a trooper.
It feels like Christmas has only just been and gone so there isn't a great deal I'm loving at the moment. Instead there are a few bits that I 'need'. Floral suitcases and nude heels are definitely needed at this time of year what are you talking about?

Gold Frame Pinboard

I'm forever wanting to stick things on my walls - tickets, Polaroid photographs, memos and keep sakes but as my bedroom is still only newly decorated I don't want to ruin the walls with blu tac. I'm still scarred from having to painstakingly peel off a whole wall's worth of blue tac from my uni room.
So hurrah! I have found this brilliant alternative. A cork board is ideal for pinning anything up but when I stumbled across this on the 'New In' section on ASOS I immediately added it to my 'I must have this' list in my mind. It's such a cool twist on a classic pin board and makes a cluster of West End and Harry Potter Studio Tour tickets far neater!

Floral Suitcases

Bare with me here. They may seem like a ridiculous request on a birthday list but to convince myself I need them I have come up with two uses for these pretty kitsch cases! For one I need a new memory box. The one I have had since I was about 14 is full to the brim so the mini suitcase would be ideal for that. And secondly, the larger two are perfect for storing hair and make up products. See told you they were a necessity...

Mom Jeans

I have been wanting these jeans for a while now but I am very much a skinny jeans kind of girl. I think they'll be great when the weather gets a bit warmer to wear with little flats and a cropped striped top.

Real Techniques Make Up Brushes

I'll be the first to admit that I know very little about make-up but I do know that the Real Techniques brushes are amazing plus the whole blogging world rave about them so they must be good. I already own the Powder Brush and can't get over how soft it is so I feel I need to experience the rest of the collection!

Office Jitter Bug Heels

These shoes have been calling me for a while now but I already had a pair of nude heels that I loved so I couldn't justify it. Now, however, my beloved heels have suffered death by mud and dirt so it's definitely time to replace them. I love the height of them but the platform will make them easy (ish) to stride along in and the ankle strap adds extra support.

So there are a few things on my wishlist, I also would like an electric toothbrush but that's a little less exciting for you all...

Roll on March!

The Year of the Traveler

I'm not one for branching out of my comfort zone, instead I like to stick to what I know for the most part. How boring, eh? Well hold the judgement! One thing I do enjoy is seeing the world. As of yet I haven't traveled that far afield - I'd absolutely love to see America and Australia but right now I can't help but spend what could be my traveling fund on the delights I find on ASOS, Topshop and the like. I have seen the sights in 10 European countries though, and before February I'll be seeing two more.

I'll be celebrating two years with my dearest in January and we'll be spending the weekend in the beautiful Paris. We have both been separately before but with the short, and very reasonably priced journey on the Eurostar it was hard to resist! January can be quite a depressing month with the jolliest time of the year very much in the past and the unavoidable snow and cold on the way I'm so excited to spend the weekend filling myself up on crepes and cheese.

The obvious destination when wanting to avoid the bitterly cold and miserable England is of course, Iceland (?!) February brings four days in the land of the Northern Lights and the Blue Lagoon. I can't wait for this adventure which will include snorkeling in the Silfra Fissure in the National Park in Iceland and a hike around the Golden Circle. Re-read the first sentence of this post and this really doesn't fit my character but I need to be braver and this certainly is a step in the right direction! 

I'm hoping Summer will take me somewhere warmer so I need to start saving my pennies. Until then I must go and build up my thermals and thick sock collection ready for my arctic climate adventure. I'll make sure to take many photos along the way...

 The Blue Lagoon 

Snorkeling in the Silfra Fissure