Monday, 23 December 2013

Christmas in London!



The Christmas lights in London went on the weekend I arrived (9th of November) and the festive season proves the distraction that the locals and tourists need from the ever darkening days and plummeting temperatures. It is Christmas here and you can feel the cheerfulness everywhere as people don their Christmas jumpers and head to the many markets and festivities that abound in London. Or maybe that is just me!

MERRY CHRISTMAS     

My favourite Christmas Markets in London:
Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park - It is a Christmas carnival meets traditional markets. It has something for everyone including a giant ferris wheel, carnival rides, ice skating rink all set in picturesque Hyde Park.
Southbank Christmas Markets - set along the waterfront it is the perfect place to grab a mulled wine and explore.
Somerset House - This is THE place to go ice skating in London (but be warned, bookings sell out quickly!)

Streets to Visit for Christmas Lights:
Regent St
Oxford St
Carnaby St
Covent Garden
Trafalgar Square



Sunday, 15 December 2013

Lille!






On a whim we decided to head across the Channel into France and onwards to Lille.  It took us around 3.5 hrs to drive there including 30mins on the Channel crossing. I am all about weekends away when it is so easy to be in another country. This is a luxury that Britons take for granted!

Lille is a quaint city in the North of France and our main reason for visiting was the Christmas Markets. The whole city puts on an amazing display, which feels slightly more authentic than London, with a festive ferris wheel (which I managed to convince everyone to go on!), somewhat traditional german markets (full of useless trinkets and mulled wine) and lights on every corner. Feeling festive, I donned my Christmas jumper and pranced around the town.

Sunday, 20 October 2013

Sihanoukville!


The best thing to distract me from the blustery cold in London, and in the spirit of escapism, has been sorting through my photos and reliving my experiences in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. This was the last time I was at the beach and will probably be the last time until the European summer. It is making me desperately miss the warmth and feel of Sydney Spring, which I have always thought to be the best season. I digress...
Sihanoukville is an untouched paradise in South East Asia. Whilst it doesn't have the picturesque beaches of Thailand or Bali, it has a certain unique charm. Bars and sun loungers line the beach giving endless choice of where to spend the day relaxing. Our spot was perfect to while away the time by swimming, reading, drinking and endless musings on life. There was an endless stream of cocktails and beers from our amazing and gracious host, John. We never needed to leave our oasis, everything we needed (and lots of things we didn't) would appear! But the best buy of the day had to be the fireworks. All The Fireworks. So many fireworks that we built a firework fort and let them off at sunset. It was a pretty magical way to end an incredible day. We timed our visit to coincide with the full moon and the beach came alive in the evening and I can only imagine how incredible it would be during high season!
Two days spent by the beach with nothing to do was the perfect way to end my two weeks in Cambodia. I miss the warmth and I miss the sun but mostly I am missing my friends.

Saturday, 19 October 2013

Angkor Wat!



One of the most awe inspiring moments happens at sunrise when Angkor Wat is slowly revealed from the darkness. After experiencing it’s beauty first hand it is hard to describe something this breathtaking. The photos definitely do not do it justice but I hope it inspires you to visit. All I can say is that it worth it!

After witnessing this wondrous sight we spent the rest of the morning exploring Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples of Bayon and Banteay Srei. My favourite temple was Bayon, it was easy to get lost in temple (which we did) by exploring the 216 faces that are looking down on you! I still can't comprehend how they could build such incredible statues, monuments and buildings! Sadly I only had one day to really explore the area which definitely was not enough time. It just means that I will have to come back!