Backpacking Adventures

I am very excitingly off on some backpacking adventures tomorrow, for a few weeks, and so am now doing all sorts of things I can think of to put off packing.

This is not as bad as it sounds - I have actually almost packed, I just need to wash a few last bits, and add in a few extra things I've just thought of to take.

I am however, trying to be very good, and not just keep adding things I think of!!

I got my trusty Lowe Alpine 55l rucksack back in 2002 and have taken it all over the world with me on various adventures, and it's been great. The only problem (apart from it now being very old and worn) is that it is surprisingly roomy, and so if I have space, I tend to fill it!

So as I now go on more weekend/long weekend trips (Can't wait for retirement!!) rather than month/year long trips, I have replaced my trusty old favourite with a new Lowe Alpine 45l carry on. It's lightweight, has the right amount of padding and pockets, and is surprisingly roomy, whilst still fitting into hand luggage size guidelines. 

I have so far taken it as hand luggage on a Ryanair and British Airways flight and there has been no question it's within the size allowed. 

Now as I really am one of those people who will pack stuff if there is space in my bag, and then get annoyed later, I decided that I can do 3 weeks backpacking in Central America with hand luggage only. It's going to be hot, so I can fit a lot of sundresses, bikinis and shorts in my hand luggage space. 

Slightly bulkier but definite essentials also include my snorkel & mask, hammock, mosquito net, and a big box of English Breakfast tea. 

Off to pack now.....photos to follow in a few weeks!!

A Sneaky Ski Weekend

Since I work in a school, and don't fancy going skiing amongst the half term craziness, we have to make do with skiing long weekends - which is actually plenty long enough to get into it and enjoy it.

As it was stupidly cheap to fly, and we thought it would be quiet after the New Year holiday, we went on Thursday for a sneaky ski long weekend. As in previous years, we flew to Geneva, and then got the hour and a bit transfer to Avoriaz, to take advantage of the Portes Du Soleil ski area.

Although this is the 3rd time we've skied in the Portes Du Soleil area, it's so massive that we discovered many new areas and runs this year, all with stunning mountain scenery.

Here are some photos:

From London (and I'm sure most other places in the UK) it's so easy. Flight = 1 hour 20 mins (+1 hour time difference on the way), transfer  = 1 hour 20 mins ish depending on the number of drop offs, lift up to Avoriaz = 5 mins and viola, you're in Avoriaz village. We always rent apartments from Air BnB right in the village, and the whole place is ski in ski out. Plus then you're right in the middle, so it's easy to get to the farthest edges of the ski area. 

I would highly recommend it for a weekend, or a week even!

A Mini Break to Newquay

In half term, I went for a much needed mini break to Newquay. I thought about taking some work with me, and in the end decided not to, and to just have a proper break from all work.

We rented a cute little house from Air BnB up on Pentire Head, at one end of Fistral beach and it was fabulous. The view was stunning and it was walking distance down to the beach.

I haven't surfed for years, but we hired boards and spent hours in the sea every day, perfecting our falling!! We had cake for breakfast on the beach, and came back to the house all tingly with cold, in time to go for a walk along the beautiful headland, and sampling a lot of the local cider.

All in all, it was a fabulous mini break, and Cornwall is just so stunning.

Here are some photos:

The view from the house - stunning

My new wetsuit that I bought this summer has been fabulous!! So so cosy!!

Mmmmm cider! Stable restaurant has the fabulous position of being actually on Fistral beach. The food and drinks are amazing, let alone the views!!

I love body boarding with my fabulous Mum (in the middle). She asked for her wetsuit for her 61st birthday present and has worn it so many times. Isn't she awesome??

Recreating our photos from Nicaragua last summer - only this time we're in wetsuits. It's harder to handstand in a wetsuit than it is in a bikini!!!

Look - I can stand up!! Haha, and then fall off straight away!!!

*New Mobile Idea* Hot Air Balloons

So the new mobile designs just keep coming this year!! I keep getting very excited and coming up with new ideas. This latest one - inspired in part by my visit to the Bristol Balloon Fiesta - for the first time in years - features lots of different coloured hot air balloons, some clouds, and a sunshine.

What do you think?

Malta Adventures

I managed to drag my boyfriend away from work for a week at the end of August, and we had a fabulous last minute holiday to Malta. Coincidentally, some very good friends also booked the exact same hotel, and were there for 5 days overlapping us which was great!!

We always try to go to at least one new country every year (although my boyfriend had already been sent to Finland and Barbados with work - grr I know!!) so Malta seemed like a fab new place to explore, and more importantly, so so hot and sunny!!

As it was so hot, we did mostly live in the sea and pool, but we did also manage a lot of sight seeing too. 

Here are some photos:

The pool at our fab hotel. We stayed at the Seashells at Suncrest Hotel in Qawra and it was gorgeous! The food choice was insane!!! Also there was an adults only pool....what's not to love!!

Visiting the beautiful old walled town of Medina. So nice and cool to wander the quiet, narrow streets.

On a boat trip to the Blue Grotto. Going in and out of caves around the rocky coastline was fab!!

And then jumping in for a swim afterwards!!! The sea was so lush and warm, it was dreamy to float around in there for hours!

Our view from our room. Such beautiful buildings. We were at the back, so didn't have a sea view, but got the evening sun on our balcony, after the pool had closed, which was lovely. 

Wandering round Valetta. Such windy, old streets, and very tall buildings. I hate to say it, but it was almost too hot in Valetta, so we escaped to the war museum, which was thankfully, mostly underground!!

The view from the old town in Victoria, on Gozo. So much fun to wander around. 

Swimming in the Blue Lagoon. Heaven! Just look at the colour of that sea!! We swam away from all the crowds and went over to the quieter side. 

I also went exploring and snorkelled into a cave!!

Beautiful fishing village of Marsaxlokk. So quiet and colourful. 

I would very much recommend a visit to Malta, and we will definitely be going back. There is so much more to see, and everyone was so friendly. Plus the sea was warm, the sun shone every day, and the food was delicious, so what's not to love?!?

Holiday Fabric

At one time, I would have bought a ridiculous amount of souvenirs when on holiday, but having lived in one of the smallest houses around for the last 4 years, I've got more into the mindset of thinking that I just don't have room for anything.

So instead, I try to buy fabric, as then I know it will be used, and also it's a chance to get a different selection of fabrics that I wouldn't find at home.

So this year, I was very excited to find many many fabric shops in San Jose, while we were waiting to fly home from Costa Rica, and especially to find one that sold remnants of fabric by weight!!!

Luckily, when I went on holiday, I took lots of supplies out for my friend who I was meeting, who had been away from the UK for a long time, which meant I had plenty of room in my rucksack to bring back lots of lovely fabric. Oh and rum. My boyfriend would never have forgiven me if I'd come home without rum!

So I went a little wild, thinking I'd treat myself, and got a lot of fabric, and even more amazingly, it only came to $7!!!

Here is my beautiful selection....

I've only made 2 cushions so far but I am too excited - I just LOVE these fabrics!!

A Weekend in Oslo - How To Travel On A Budget in Norway

We've just got back from a weekend in Oslo, which was an incredibly beautiful, but expensive city!!

I thought living in London made you think that everywhere else was fairly cheap, but Oslo is definitely an exception. It was madly expensive, think £3 for a can of Fanta in a supermarket!!! £10 for a cheap drink in a pub!!! Oh dear.

We knew it was going to be expensive, we guessed it would be slightly more than London, when in trying to find accommodation, it was £40 for a hostel room, and the Lonely Planet guidebook suggested 140 Euros per person per day as a BUDGET travel budget, but I don't think we were quite prepared for just how much everything would quite cost.

However, we did end up spending around £200 for 2 people for a weekend and had a great time!

Here are some recommendations....

Sleep
We stayed in the Anker Hostel: http://www.ankerhostel.no/en/ it looks like a hospital room, but is in a great location, has comfy beds, really good showers and friendly staff. We could easily cope with clinical looking rooms in exchange for all of this, and for around £40 per night.

Eat
We had breakfast in the convenience stores, where a coffee/tea and pastry was only 25NOK (£1.90). Lunch was hot dogs, for around 30NOK, and then for dinner, we found a local pub, where dinner and drinks was only £50!!! (Mad anywhere else for a pub but cheap for Oslo and tasty food!!)

See
We went on a free walking tour with http://freetouroslo.com/ which was really interesting, and then did just wander everywhere. Oslo is quite a small city so it is really easily covered entirely on foot. The only time we got the T-bane was when we went out to Holmenkollen to see the amazing ski jump, which is definitely worth a visit.

The big spend was on a fjord cruise which was 269NOK and well worth the money. The views out in the fjord are stunning and it's unlike anywhere else I've ever been.

All in all we really enjoyed our weekend in Oslo. It was a clean, peaceful, interesting city, and  everyone we spoke to was really friendly. I would definitely recommend it as a weekend break, but only when you're feeling fairly well off!!

Craving Sunshine

This is the time of year when I am seriously craving sunshine. I'm fed up of it being cold and grey and I just feel all bleurgh - like I'm also a bit grey looking and desperately in need of some vitamin D!

So I was very excited to book a last minute Easter holiday with a teacher friend, to get away somewhere warm for the weekend.We went to Majorca for a few days, staying just outside of Palma, which is a beautiful city.

The Cathedral - stunning!

Beautiful, narrow, windy backstreets

Lovely architechture

Amazing sunsets

It was crazy how many people in our hotel seemed scared of how 'foreign' Majorca was, and so wouldn't leave the grounds, but we had a great time wandering around, and testing out our Spanish, even if we only understood about a third of the response as they do tend to speak very very fast!!

Anyway, it was a great holiday and I now feel amazing to have got so much sun!!