This is part two of my Malaysia travel diary. You can find part one from our time in Kuala Lumpur, here.
We took the four hour drive from Kuala Lumpur to Penang on Friday afternoon. Most people make the journey by plane which only takes an hour, but what can I say, we’re wild. Anyway, our friends who live in Kuala Lumpur had visited multiple times before and so they knew exactly where to take us, and so on the Friday night after arriving, we headed to Red Garden Food Paradise. It’s basically like a foodcourt frequented by the locals, selling cheap beer, every type of food you can imagine and cheesy live entertainment. I really enjoyed it. As like with the rest of Penang, the vibe there was super chilled. That’s what I enjoyed most about our little weekend in Penang, how incredibly relaxed it was.
I took a backpack as luggage for the weekend and basically ended up living in the same denim short and flip flops combination, with a change of top for the two and a half days we were there. Penang felt like the place where locals go on holiday. It was no frills and completely relaxed and that’s what I loved about it. We just got to have a fun weekend, hanging out with our friends, eating and drinking and chilling out.
Samio x
China House – I loved this quirky little spot. We went for brunch and Damien and I both went for the vegetarian nachos.
Sixth Sense – This clothing store was one of our favourite finds whilst wondering around the streets of Penang. There are actually two stores in Penang and over the two days we went into both, shopping for a lot longer than we’d expected whilst we left the guys outside.
Bora Bora Beach Bar – We headed here on the Saturday for lunch and then ended up staying in this very spot all evening.
I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to get round to putting together this blog post. It’s crazy how it’s already nearly been six weeks since we returned home from our holiday in Malaysia. I shared a little bit about it in a previous post where I talked about ‘The Proposal Story’. If you haven’t read that one yet, you may want to have a little re-cap. You can go and check that one out here if you fancy.
Our trip to Malaysia was purely a holiday and the first completely relaxed, work free vacation that Damien and I have had together in quite some time. I think part of the reason for me being so delayed in putting together this post is because for me it was quite a personal trip. I remember even after getting engaged I didn’t want to immediately announce it on social media because I was just enjoying being in the moment and having those days during and after just for us. I guess the same goes for the rest of the trip, it was nice to take time just for us, to relax and re-charge stress free with no obligation to share anything online. We got to spend quality time catching up with our friends who live over there and we had so much amazing food (seriously, I would go back to Malaysia just for the amount of good food they have on offer), we could have easily stayed for longer.
I wanted to share a bit of a photo diary from our trip. I’m going to be splitting this post into two parts as we also spent a weekend in Penang in the middle of our trip, but that post will be up not too long after this one. Anyway, here’s some from our time in Kuala Lumpur, one of my favourite holiday’s yet.
Samio x
I really should have known when walking into this hotel that Damien had something special planned. We stayed at the Banyan Tree in Kuala Lumpur and the views from the room and the bathroom were amazing.
Batu Caves – The reality is that although a stunning temple monument, Batu Caves is over-run with tourists. It’s to be expected but what’s not to be expected and quite upsetting to see, is the amount of litter that is left. We saw everything from monkeys chewing on bottle caps to plastic bags. When we saw a group of people gathered around to take pictures of a woman who had let lots of pigeons land on her, we knew it was time to leave.
Our friends took us to a super laid back, no thrills curry house called Kanna Curry House Bandar Menjalara. The food was served on sheets of banana leaf style paper and dished out in front of you and it all tasted amazing!
I didn’t take pictures of half of the amazing dishes we had whilst in Malaysia (mainly because I was tucking into them quicker than you can say ‘bon appétit’), but oh my was the food good. In fact I don’t think we had one bad or even mediocre dish in the whole time that we were there. One thing I will say though, is service in Malaysia is slooooowww. The concept of fast food does not exist and you’ll be lucky if your meal comes out at the same time as everyone else’s on your table, but once you get used to that, you’ll just be happy that you get to constantly tuck into tasty meals.
The night markets.
Chocha Foodstore – It’s a hard one to call but I think this may have been my favourite place that we ate whilst in Kuala Lumpur. Okay, I’m torn, it’s a toss up between here and Kanna Curry House Bandar Menjalara but it’s a close call. Loved the food at both but Chocha Foodstore wins on aesthetic and the curry house wins on affordability/great value for money.
We stayed at our friend’s apartment for the rest of our time whilst in Kuala Lumpur. Their pool area was amazing and we definitely made the most of it.
As we stepped out of the doors of Kuala Lumpur Airport, I felt the warm, sticky heat hit me and I knew I had finally arrived on our long awaited holiday.
I was somewhat inappropriately dressed for the weather. Having just stepped off the second flight in what had been around a 16 hour journey in total, I wore sweat pants and a cosy jumper, which felt less cosy and more suffocating in the morning heat.
We took an hour long taxi ride to the centre of Kuala Lumpur, where we finally arrived at our hotel for the night.
As we stepped into the foyer of our hotel and took the lift up to the reception, I immediately felt underdressed. I knew Damien had booked us into a nice hotel for the night but this place was quite a bit fancier than I had expected.
We had an early check in into our room (thank goodness!) and as we stepped inside I was instantly wowed by the views, not only from our room but also from the bathroom, as the bathtub was host to the most incredible views of the city.
I was impressed, to say the least…and yet I was still completely oblivious of what was yet to come. You see, we’d planned our trip to Malaysia to go and stay with Damien’s best friend who lives out there. It had initially been my idea for us to get a hotel one night to stay in the city, and so when Damien said he’d gone ahead and booked us somewhere, I had no suspicions whatsoever.
Damien had told me he’d booked us in at the restaurant on the top floor for dinner that evening, and I was more than happy to spend the night at the hotel as I wanted to make the most of it.
At dinner Damien mentioned wanting to go outside to take photos from the roof terrace after we’d eaten. Then after we’d finished our meal he brought up wanting to go outside again. I was nursing a large glass of red wine at this point and didn’t quite understand why he was being so persistent. I could see he was eager to go outside and supposedly get a shot of the view, so whilst I was slowly enjoying my wine, I suggested he go on without me. He was insistent that I go outside with him and he then said he wanted me to come out with him so that I could take a photo of him in front of the view. This was unusual for Damien as he never asks for photos but I didn’t think much of it (as the views were amazing), and so I gulped down the last of my wine and we headed outside onto the roof terrace.
The views of the city were even more incredible at night. We were completely alone outside and so it was nice to just take in the views together. I finally took that picture of Damien that he’d insisted we come outside for and then he offered to take a photo of me. We switched positions and as Damien began to take some photos of me he got down very low and at this point I was thinking ‘why is he taking a picture at such a ridiculously low angle when he’s meant to be getting the view in the background’. In that moment he put down the camera and produced a little box from his pocket, which he then opened and presented to me as he said the words ‘will you marry me’…
I was completely taken by surprise. And of course, my answer was yes. I think for the next hour or so I was in a daze. I kept looking down at the ring and couldn’t quite believe we had just got engaged. I’d never even looked at engagement rings before so it felt strange to now be wearing one. It couldn’t be more perfect though and I honestly mean it. Apparently he’d been planning it for months and I’d been completely unaware. I won’t go into every little detail but he had the ring custom made and every little thought that went into it made it perfect.
And now we’re engaged. It’s now one whole month since that magical night in Malaysia and I’m still getting my head around whether it’s best to say fiancé, boyfriend or partner. I’ve never been someone who’s longed for their wedding day or been eager to get a ring on their finger. I’d just always thought since meeting Damien that we’d be together and that was it, and that is how it’s been, thus far. Being with someone who’s company you never tire of and you have such fun with means the time really does fly. Some may say it’s long overdue but I say it’s worth the wait as it’s just another chapter in our ever growing story and I couldn’t be happier.
I’m writing this from bed on a very lazy Saturday afternoon/evening. I’m currently in Bruges and I’ve just awoken from a long nap. I don’t remember the last time I napped during the day but I’m currently treating this little weekend away as a holiday in more ways than one.
Yesterday we arrived in Bruges at around 3pm, after a very long journey from Manchester. We took a taxi, a plane, a coach and two trains, all in the aid to get here. We hadn’t quite anticipated the length of the travel but in the end, when stepping off the train in Brugge (as the locals call it), we wondered along the quaint cobbled streets and we realised it had all been worth it.
This is my first time in the city, and my second visit to Belgium after having visited Ypres a few years ago. I knew some of what to expect and had already presumed there would be a great amount of beer and waffle consumption, but it seems we have all already somewhat over indulged. By this afternoon, after returning to the Airbnb for the afternoon (the place where we are staying is perfect by the way), we found ourselves each retreating to the bedrooms, or the sofa, and for me, I wound up in bed having a nap, which has led me here.
This evening we hope to go out and explore more of the local bars and pubs, as our Airbnb host already recommended a couple to us when greeting us on our arrival yesterday.
So far, we’ve already had some great food at a local restaurant, which was recommended to us by our AirBnb host. We went to a local place called De Verloren Hoek, where I went for for the skate, which was served with salad and mash potatoes and oh my was it good.
Then today we wound up in another great little spot for called Sanseveria. The speciality there is bagels and if you’re a fan then I’d definitely recommend this place.
14.10.18 – 12:40
We’re currently on the train from Bruges heading to Belgium. Our flight home isn’t until the evening but as the journey back it quite long, we decided to split it up a little by leaving Bruges early to spend the afternoon in Brussels before heading home.
I’ve really enjoyed our little weekend away in Bruges though. Whilst we were only there for a short time, it’s also felt long, but in a good way.
The weather has been amazing this weekend, which has been lucky, as its October but its felt more like the middle of summer, with highs of 24 degrees. Yesterday we sat out in the sunshine sampling beer and ate alfresco at one of the oldest pubs in Bruges during the evening (it had been there since 1515).
I think one of the things I’ve been pleasantly surprised with on this trip has been the food. It’s not that I expected anything bad but let’s just say on my last visit to Belgium I purely survived on a diet of French fries and waffles. Whilst neither are to be sniffed at (I mean, who doesn’t love waffles and fries) I’m glad that we’ve also been able to enjoy a verity if of tasty food, including the onion soup and cheese on toast that we had at the pub last night – it was delicious.
Whilst we have overindulged in rich foods, I’ve enjoyed everything we’ve sampled during being in Bruges, including the beer, which is a surprise to say I’m not much of a beer drinker. I’m glad though that I’ve been able to get my favourite cherry beer on tap (which is the norm for here) and something I wish they did back home – although it’s probably for the best that they don’t, as I can drink that stuff like it’s juice.
Right now I’m looking forward to getting off this train and stretching my legs. Let’s just say I’m glad that we’ve decided to split up the journey and I’m looking forward to seeing a bit of Brussels too.
20:30
It’s much later on now and we’re currently sat in the airport waiting for our plan to arrive. I feel full to brim and we’re all so, so tired but we had a great time visiting Bruges. It was also nice to stop off in Brussels earlier for lunch, but after a lot of travelling and waiting around, I think now it’s got to the point where we’re now all just ready for our own beds. I forget how tiring weekend city breaks away can be, especially when lots of travelling is involved like with this one. However I don’t regret taking the trip as it was a delight visiting Bruges and it’s somewhere I’m sure I’ll be visiting again in the future. Bye for now.
As we stepped off the BART and lugged our heavy cases up the escalators, we were greeted by the sound of music, cheers, the most amount of rainbow flags you’ve ever seen in one procession…and a man with his penis out, stood with his hands on his hips, stark bollock naked. He wore nothing but glitter face paint, trainers, a pair of sunglasses and an expression that read ‘this is totally normal’. It was Pride, and we’d officially arrived in San Fransisco.
Aside from being slightly shocked by the sight of the naked man and the few others that followed (I’m no prude but it’s always a shock at 4:30pm in the afternoon amongst shoppers and kids walking about, but anyway…), I was excited to be in San Francisco. In that moment I wanted to dump our luggage and join in with the celebrations but we had a hotel to find and right then, that was the main priority.
We asked for directions and had some fire-women dubiously point us in the direction of our hotel. We weren’t sure why they hesitated at the time, but as we trudged up the street away from the procession, we started to notice that San Francisco wasn’t all rainbow flags and celebration.
STAYING IN THE WORST NEIGHBOURHOOD
There were a lot of homeless people and other people just sat out on the street, some just hanging around, others visibly on drugs and some just shouting for the sake of shouting. I wasn’t sure what to think and if I’m honest, in that moment I didn’t really want to be there.
I didn’t feel like we were in the safest area to stay in and we later found out, that we weren’t. We’d arrived in The Tenderloin and this place has a bad rep that goes way back.
Now when you search this area online (which we *cough, Damien* didn’t unfortunately do before our trip), you’ll see mixed reviews. Some articles describe The Tenderloin as the worst part of San Fran, with the highest crime rates and somewhere to avoid, whilst others try and show off its best bits with a ‘it ain’t that bad’ attitude…I’ll give my honest opinion as a tourist from overseas, and as someone who has spent a lot of money to go to somewhere like San Francisco on holiday and simply say, don’t stay there.
I’m all for submerging myself into the culture and staying somewhere that’s nothing like home but I’d rather not stay somewhere that makes me feel on edge when walking down the street, if it can be avoided. Now there are some alright parts of The Tenderloin, but it just so happens that we stayed just round the corner from the worst part of it, and so you can see why we were displeased with our location choice. Well why the heck did we stay there? You might ask…well quite simply (as mentioned), we did very little research and in a city of overpriced hotels, this one appeared somewhat less overpriced (plus Damien booked it, so again, I put the blame on him).
It was only on our second day, after walking down the worst street in the neighbourhood, that we realised we’d definitely made a bad choice with our location, and after debating whether to book a new hotel, we then decided to scrap that idea in favour of taking Ubers everywhere instead.
GETTING AROUND
Ubers became our mode of transport when travelling across the city and when exploring different areas, we simply walked. I’d advise taking comfortable shoes because what they say about San Fran being hilly is no joke and you’re bound to find yourself doing a lot of up and down hill walking.
The cost of Ubers also weren’t too bad at all (compared to at home in England) and we could usually get to where we wanted for less than $10.
When we arrived in San Francisco, we first got the Bart (short for the ‘Bay Area Rapid Transit’, or more simply put, the train), which took us from the airport to central San Francisco, not too far from where we were staying. This cost is $10 each for a single ticket but after learning how it wasn’t much more to take an Uber, we decided to take an Uber when later heading back to the airport.
THE TOURISTY STUFF
Of course, no San Fransisco trip is complete without a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge and as I recently spoke about in this blog post here, this was one of my favourite experiences during our time in San Fran. Lucky for us, we’d picked a clear day and the view up close of the Golden Gate Bridge was stunning. It’s now certainly been added to my list of favourite sights to see and if you do take a trip to San Francisco, I’d definitely recommend you hire a bike and take the bike ride over to Sausalito across the Golden Gate Bridge. There are lots of different places to hire bikes from but we used the company Blazing Saddles for our bike hire and it cost us around $35 to hire for the day (although I believe booking online may offer further discounts).
Another thing I marked off my tourist tick list, was a trip to Alcatraz. We were seriously lucky to get tickets though, as we hadn’t pre-booked and after checking online to find they were all sold out up until August, I actually thought we’d missed our chance. Not one to give up too easily though, after turning up one morning, to our surprise there were just two tickets available for that same day and of course, we snatched them up. Never have I been so excited for the prospect of going to a prison but I knew I had to visit this place. I wasn’t disappointed either, and whilst initially skeptical about the idea of it just being an audio tour, I quickly found myself becoming fully immersed in the experience and I loved it. I even went into full tourist mode and purchased a novelty Alcatraz keyring at the end.
THE AREAS & MAKING FRIENDS WITH THE LOCALS
There are so many different areas of San Francisco to explore and each neighbourhood feels so different. Two of my favourite areas were Cow Hollow and North Beach. Cow Hollow, had a great little community vibe with a cluster of nice restaurants, bars and little boutiques. It was probably one of the least touristy areas we visited too and I like how it gave a sense of real San Fran living.
North Beach is another area I loved and although a lot more touristy, there are still lots of spots away from the most obvious and popular places, which are also great to explore.
One night, after previously being suggested by a local (whilst in a wine bar in Cow Hollow actually), we found ourself heading into a little local jazz bar up in North Beach. It was a pretty unassuming place (I unfortunately forget the name), and likely a place we wouldn’t have ventured into if we hadn’t been prompted by the local we’d got chatting to the night previously. I always love getting suggestions from locals when exploring someplace new, because otherwise it can often be all too easy to wind up in the most touristy place ever. This place was definitely not touristy, it was a proper old dive bar…and we loved it!
Soon we got chatting to a local at the bar and she took us around her favourite spots in the neighbourhood. It was such a fun night and although it was followed by a terrible hangover, I’m so glad we got to experience a night with the locals in San Fran.
THE FOOD
I won’t go on too much about what we ate in San Francisco, or else I’m afraid that will take up a whole other blog post. But what I simply will say is that we ate, a lot. I feel like whenever someone from overseas visits the US on holiday, they go with the intention of super sizing everything and eating their bodyweight in carbs and sugar (please tell me I’m not alone here). San Francisco was no exception to my, when in America rule of, ‘go big or go home’…and that’s exactly what we did until it finally was indeed, time to go home.
So there we have it. A somewhat prolific blog post about my first ever trip to San Francisco, which I hope you could find someway informative, or if not that, then at the very least entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, as did Damien and I’d definitely be keen to go back again. From San Fran, we actually went on to visit Portland, where we stayed for several nights for our friends’ wedding, before flying back to San Fran for one more night, and then home. I vlogged quite a bit of all of our trip, so if you’d like to see more of what we got up to, you can scroll down to the bottom of this page and watch the vlog there.
Anyway, that’s all for now and I’ll leave a quick low down of everything below too!
Samio x
THE LOW DOWN
When We Visited: June to July 2018 How Long We Stayed: 4 nights, then flew to Portland for 4 nights, then back to San Fran for another night. Accommodation: Hotels Area We Stayed In: 1st The Tenderloin, 2nd Hotel The East Cut Favourite Areas: Cow Hollow and North Beach Would Recommend: Hiring a bike to cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge over to Sausalito and having some lunch whilst you’re there. Visiting Alcatraz (make sure you book in advance ahead of your trip to San Francisco). Food To Try: If you’re in the Cow Hollow Area and you’re a fellow pizza lover, try the margarita pizza with burrata, you won’t be disappointed! Also there’s lots of good seafood in San Francisco too. Would I Visit San Francisco Again: Yes
The sun is finally shining here in the UK and I am more than happy about it. It’s been long overdue after what felt like the longest Winter ever, and now that the weather has finally warmed up I’m fully making the most of it. My weekends have been spent going on day trips and spending as much time outdoors as possible.
This weather has quickly got me into summer mode and now I’m counting down the days until my beach holiday with the girls but not only that, I’ve finally started planning what to take with me too.
The Beach Bag
It’s no secret that I have ‘a thing’ for bags, so whether I’m getting ready for a day in the city or I’m heading to the beach during my Summer holiday, I usually already know what bag I’ll be using before I pick out my outfit. It’s been a good long while since I went on a proper beach holiday so I was ready for a new beach bag, and I instantly fell in love with this rainbow straw bag I found whilst browsing House of Fraser’s holiday shop.
Straw bags are everywhere at the moment and whilst I’m not usually one to jump on a trend, I have to say this is one trend I’m happy to get on board with. It doesn’t really get much more summery than a straw bag, not to mention a rainbow one! I’m more than pleased with this jazzy little beach bag and it’s the perfect size to fit in all the essentials for a day at the beach.
Swimwear
Of course swimwear is always a main priority when heading to the beach and this Summer I’m hoping to go for a selection of plain two pieces that are easy to mix and match. I don’t think I’ve ever gone for a black bikini before now. The idea of wearing black to the beach admittedly sounds somewhat boring, but when you’re able to jazz it up with colourful accessories, it still maintains that Summery vibe and I feel this Dorina two piece actually works great with the rainbow bag. The mesh bikini top is really flattering too and I’ll even be able to mix and match it with other coloured sets if I want to add an extra pop of colour.
Accessories
When it comes to beach accessories, I also like to keep these pretty simple (especially as the bag is the star of the show here). The must have beach accessory for me are flip flops, or any sort of easy slip on shoe that can get you from your place, to the beach and from the beach to the beach bar (priorities). I’ve gone for a black pair of Fit Flops, because comfort is priority and these babies have a cushioned sole…and with them being black they will of course go with just about any beach attire when I do decide to mix things up.
Footwear aside, I feel that no beach get up is fully complete without a sarong…Having said this, I actually don’t think I’ve had a sarong for a long while either. Somehow they are always the beach accessory that I forget to buy and then when I’m on holiday and heading to the beach, I end up pulling together a random outfit combination of some denim shorts, and the T-shirt I wore over on the plane (this actually happens every time). Well this time I’m full beach attire ready with this cool little Seafolly wrap to finish off the look, (which also makes an excellent prop for wafting around in pictures). I think this makes a great little coverup, which again, will go with anything and completes this beach look off just perfectly.
So there you have it, a full low down on my beach attire and the new pieces I’ll be taking on holiday with me this summer. Now I really can’t wait for my holiday but in the meantime I’m more than happy with way things are going here because this weather is making me so, so happy! The fact that even here we’ve been having proper beach appropriate weather is enough to put a big smile on my face and it’s also a great excuse to try out the new beach attire early. When Damien and I headed to the beach last weekend it was a scorcher, so may it continue! Are you off on any beach holiday’s this summer, or do you have any day trips planned to visit a beach near you?
When I look back through my photos from Copenhagen, it’s just a reminder of how beautiful a city it actually is. From all I’d heard about Copenhagen prior to going, I’d guessed I was bound to fall in love with the city but I hadn’t expected it to be quite so colourful and vibrant as it is. Somehow the postcard perfect images of Nyhavn had previously escaped me and so to find streets lined with miss-matched brightly painted buildings was quite the pleasant surprise. Copenhagen has definitely been one of my favourite trips of the year so far and so here’s a break down of my trip and a few things that may help if you plan on heading to Copenhagen too.
Where We Stayed
I took the trip to Copenhagen with my Mother at the start of September and we couldn’t have picked a better place to take our first trip abroad together in over six years. Whilst I have become quite well acquainted with Airbnb, it was my Mother’s first time staying in an Airbnb accommodation. I’m happy to say we picked an excellent place in the cool Meatpacking District of Vesterbro, where there were plenty of bars and restaurants on our doorstep and it was only a short walk from the city centre.
Things To Do
There is so much to see and do in Copenhagen, just wandering the streets and stopping in a coffee shop can be satisfying enough, as there are so many nice coffee shops and restaurants. We did however still managed to fit in quite a great deal of ‘touristy’ stuff too.
On the Friday we headed to Tivoli gardens, which is an old amusement park, which has been there since the late 1800’s and it’s the second oldest operating amusement park in the world (pretty cool huh)! We’d heard that on a Friday evening that they have concerts and there’s a good atmosphere making it a good time to go, although it does make the entrance to the park on Friday evenings slightly more. We decided to skip the rides and just pay the entrance fee and have a wander around. At first I was a little skeptical as to how worth it the visit would be but I’m glad to say that it turned out to be totally worth it and I’m glad we went on the Friday evening too. It’s such a picturesque place and at night it is so unbelievably pretty, it’s also conveniently slap bang in the middle of the city, so it’s really easy to get to as well.
Another favourite spot was the Botanical Garden. I’d had this place on my list of places to visit long before we’d set off on our trip and I loved the place just as much as I’d imagined. I’ve been to botanical gardens before but none quite like this one and I loved walking around and taking pictures. It’s free too which is an added bonus.
We only did one museum but I think we picked one of the best ones to visit as we went to the National Museum of Denmark, which is huge. There is so much to see in there and although we spent a good few hours in the museum I still don’t think we even saw all of it. It was ideal for one of the rainy days on our trip when we didn’t fancy wandering about outside too much.
Food
Before going to Copenhagen I’d been told by numerous people that the food there is really good. I’d reached out on Instagram and quite a few of you lovely lot gave me some suggestions of places to eat and by far one of my favourites that we tried from the bunch was Copenhagen Street Food on Papirøen, otherwise known as Paper Island. It’s an area filled with food trucked dedicated to street food from around the world and it’s also one of the more affordable places to eat too. We loved this place so much that we went twice and if you love food, it’s honestly hard to not walk around this place and find your eyes starting to feel bigger than your belly (hence us having to go back a second time to sample more dishes). There is something for everyone they have plenty of veggie and vegan option too. I had some of the best sushi I’ve ever had at this place and just thinking about it now makes me drool. There is seating both indoor and out and on the first occasion we went, outside was filled with deckchairs as people chilled out and basked in the sun. The second time it poured it down but luckily there is lots of indoor seating too.
Weather
Speaking of weather, the weather in Copenhagen isn’t too dissimilar to that here in Manchester – raining one minute, sunny the next. We felt right at home. I have to say on arrival we were quite worried that we’d picked the worst days for our trip as it did seem to rain non stop for a good 24 hours. Thankfully we had a five night trip in total, so could spare a couple to rain and then by the Saturday the sun was shining and at points we actually got some pretty glorious weather, so it didn’t turn out all bad after all!
The Low Down
When we visited: September 2017 Weather: Average 17 Degrees C (heavy rain one day, sunshine the next) How long we stayed: 5 nights. Where we stayed: Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Accommodation: Airbnb. Must Try: The street food at Paper Island! Recommendations:
-For great views of the city centre go up Rundetaarn.
-Visit Tivoli Gardens at night and see how magical it is.
-Check out Freetown Christiania, it’s interesting to see but it’s best to go during the day.
-Definitely check out Nyhavn for postcard perfect views.
-Visit the National Museum of Denmark on a rainy day, or even on any day if you like museums.
-Check out the cool bars in vesterbro for nightlife. Friday’s are pretty bustling.
-Go to the Botanical Garden. Would I go again: Yes most definitely.
Papirøen – Paper Island.
Food Trucks inside at Copenhagen Street Food, Paper Island.
At the end of August Damien and I decided to take a trip to Porto. I visited Portugal for the first time at the start of the year when I went to Lisbon (which you can read all about here) and it seems I’ve not been able to keep away since, as I then went for a second time for work to Vilamoura in May and then finally again for this trip last month. It’s fair to say that I’ve well and truly fallen for Portugal and Porto did not disappoint.
This has probably been my most relaxing trip of the year so far. I say relaxing, however we did managed to walk just over 94,000 steps within the 6 full days we were there. As you’ll be able to see from some of the pictures, Porto is incredibly hilly and we made it our mission most days to walk down the hill from the old part of town where we were staying, to walk along the river to then cross the bridge and do the same along the other side. We’d often do this twice per day as we did the same when we came out in the evenings too. Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side of course…all jokes aside though, although both sides of the river have their fair share of fun, we just personally preferred the opposite side for restaurants as it was slightly less touristy. Plus although both sides of the Douro river have rather impressive views of Porto, we both preferred the view looking out from the opposite side to where we were staying as it was slightly prettier, so there you go.
Where We Stayed
We stayed in Porto for 6 nights, which was a good amount of time but 5 nights would have probably been enough. Once again we opted for airBnb for our accommodation and stayed in the Baixa area which was close to lots of cool neighbourhood bars and restaurants frequented by the locals. I really liked the area we stayed in and would stay around that part again if I were to go back.
Food
We had some really good food whilst in Porto and of course there was lots of good seafood available. If you are into fish then the sardines are a good dish to try whilst dining out by the river – but like I mentioned I’d recommend heading to the restaurants on the side opposite to the old town part if you do. And if unlike me you do eat meat then you may want to try the Francesinha, which seems to be one of Porto’s most popular dishes.
Port
And finally, I of course cannot speak about Porto without speaking about Port – one of things which it is most famous for. I would definitely recommend taking a visit to one of the many Port cellars and of course doing a bit of Port tasting whilst you’re there too. We chose to visit Graham’s, which was one of the Port places situated furthest away from where we were staying (but as you probably guessed – we like to walk). I’d recommend the walk though because the views from the outside of the winery are quite beautiful (as you can see on the image below) and of course the Port is worth tasting too.
The Low Down
When we visited: August 2017 Weather: Average 28 – 32 Degrees C How long we stayed: 6 nights. Where we stayed: Baixa. Accommodation: Airbnb. Must Try: Port Tasting. Sardines and the cod. Recommendations:
-Chill out at the open air bar, Base.
-Check out the bars/restaurants in the Baixa area – and go to the Champanheria da Baixa and try the champagne sangria, it’s soooo good. The atmosphere is also great on the weekend evenings.
-Go to Galeria de Paris for a super cheap yet tasty buffet lunch in the most random restaurant ever!
-Visit the Igreja de Santa Clara church.
-Go up Clérigos Tower at night for great nighttime views of the city.
-Find Arc of Truth (wine bar) for a cosy intimate setting, great wine and window views of Douro River.
-Go to Graham’s Winery for great views and a tour of the wine cellars – and port tasting (obviously). Would I go again: Yes and would recommend a trip in August too.
I well and truly feel like I’ve burnt the candle at both ends. You know that friend that will say yes to social plans 95% of the time, even the super last minute ones, well that’s me. The problem is, not being one to say no means I’m like this even when I have a thousand other things on my plate and eventually it often leads me to grinding to a complete and utter halt. I say this, but obviously work still needs to carry on, previously made social plans are still in the diary and meanwhile my mind is ready to switch off, I’m left feeling unmotivated and the most appealing option is to go into hibernation.
I think a big part of this comes down to not wanting to disappoint and trying to always be there for the people around me. When I say no to something or have to cancel plans I’m always left feeling so guilty, when in reality I know my friends and loved ones would understand, but I just can’t help feeling bad. There’s also the occasional fear of missing out and for the most part I just love having fun, so will rarely pass up the opportunity.
And that’s the thing, I do have a lot of fun. I can think of so many memories from this year alone that will set me off giggling just thinking about them. I’ve been able to spend some quality time and make great memories with some of my favourite people and I’ve had a lot of pretty cool adventures.
Whilst I sometimes do well with juggling it all, I need to remember that I occasionally need to stop in order to prevent me from eventually dropping everything. Saying no and easing up my social calendar is something I’ve never been great at and I absolutely love making plans, but it’s vital I get better at it in order to allow myself to have some rest and recuperation.
They talk about the work/life balance but I feel like I need ‘time out’ thrown in there too. I don’t mean stopping everything altogether, I just mean giving myself periods where I take a step back from social engagements and focus on work and me time, instead of trying to fit everything in all at once and eventually burning out altogether. This is just a reminder to myself that it’s okay to say no, it’s okay to not be available for everything and it’s okay to have those days that you might not have other plans but that you keep free anyway, even just to have a day for yourself.
I can’t believe it’s almost been a month since Damien and I went on our long weekend away to Málaga. It was a somewhat impromptu trip, having only booked it all a couple of weeks prior going, but we decided that we both felt the need for a little break and to go somewhere warm where we could simply relax.
I’m pretty much a pro when it comes to planning short trips abroad now and with nowhere specific in mind on this occasion, I decided to go with southern Spain for our best chances of warm weather and affordable flights. Málaga came up best in my search and whilst I had been before a few years ago, it had been for a shoot and so I was excited to visit again, on a non work related trip this time
We arrived in Málaga on a Thursday for the last couple of days in March and then returned home on the Sunday, which was the second day of April. It was definitely a good idea picking Málaga, as the weather over that weekend was just splendid.
I found us the perfect little AirBnb only a very short walk from the centre and right by a few little convenience stores where we were able to buy our eggs for breakfast and wine to drink whilst sat out on the roof terrace. Yes we had our own private roof terrace which was exactly what we’d wanted, a nice open space to sit out and enjoy the sun.
The Sights
Although the main focus of the short holiday was to relax, never ones to sit still for too long, Damien and I of course couldn’t help ourselves from doing just a little bit of sight seeing whilst we were there.
Málaga is actually a lot more beautiful than it’s given credit for and away from the high rise hotels that are situated further down the coast line, the city centre is full of old buildings filled with cute little restaurants and bars.
Speaking of the beauty in Málaga from the top of Mount Gibralfaro we were able to see the most wonderful views of the city. It’s quite a walk in the blazing heat but it’s certainly worth it once you get to the top and also very scenic as you walk through beautiful gardens to get there. Of course once at the top we went in the Castillo Gibralfaro and wondered around the castle ruins before heading back down.
Eating Out
One of the restaurants we visited, as recommended by our Airbnb host, was tiny little traditional Spanish restaurant called El Tapeo de Cervantes. We were told to book beforehand, which was wise as we found it was full to the brim when we arrived and still had to wait for ten minutes or so outside before we could even get in to be seated at our table. But we were glad to find that it was certainly worth the wait.
I didn’t take any pictures in the restaurant as it’s so tiny that you are pretty close to the diners either side of you and behind you, all strategically fitted in on high slim wooden tables and chairs. Although this is something that would in most circumstances irritate the heck out of me, in this instance it only added to the character and charm of the place and I rather enjoyed the atmosphere. The staff were great and I had some of the best tapas I’ve ever had. Opting for fish and vegetarian dishes, each plate we had was delicious and if you do find yourself visiting Málaga I’d definitely recommend this place.
Another evening we decided to take an hour long walk along the beach to a few of the highly recommended local fish restaurants located in El Palo. We stopped off at a bar along the way and watched the sunset before continuing on.
Once we arrived we picked one of the restaurants, Restaurante Gabi. It was no thrills dining at its finest and we took a table outside across from the outdoor fire on the beach, where they cooked the fish. Although quite a long walk to get there it was worth it in the end and the fresh fish was excellent. It certainly seemed popular with the locals and we could see why, as its reasonably priced fresh seafood made the visit worth while.
A Drink With A View
There are of course also plenty of bars to chose from in the centre of Málaga, along with a few rooftop bars. One evening before dinner we went to the roof bar La Terraza de la Alcazaba which has excellent views of the town centre and Alcazaba of Málaga. It’s quite a busy spot but fine if you don’t mind potentially standing. It has quite a young vibe and although the drinks are (expectedly) a little pricer than some of the other bars, it’s worth visiting at least for one, just to see the view before sun down.
Well I think that’s almost everything. I’ll end things here before I run the risk of waffling on too much but we really did enjoy our little trip away to Málaga. Sometimes three nights away is all you need to unwind and relax whilst also having the fun of exploring a different location. Now I can’t believe it’s only two weeks until Damien and I jet off on our next little city break, I plan to be a lot swifter with my upload of that travel post once we return, so be sure to check back soon for more travel adventures. 😀
