Let it snow!

This year has been ridiculously crazy and especially since I have been back at Uni life seems to be non stop. So this weekend was a pleasant break as me and the boyfriend flew out to Oslo in Norway for a little mini get away. With probably the best packing I have ever done (because we could only take hand luggage to get the cheap flights) and as many layers as it is possible to wear through security we set off on our little adventure hoping to understand our slightly 'crazy' Norwegian friend a little better when we returned.



My main concern was making sure my bag was light enough to fly with and that I had enough layers to avoid hypothermia while away. Getting to the security check I began placing my layers into those trays to go through the scanner. Pretty sure I held up the queue for a good few minutes while trying to take off the hat, gloves, scarf, coat, 5 layers of cardies, watch, ring, jewellery etc etc (Taking no chances of setting off the alarm much to the amusement of the security staff), then stepped through only to set off the alarm anyways and have to get frisked by the security staff anyways. This in itself was distressing as I am ridiculously ticklish and couldn't actually stop laughing and wriggling. Frisk over and shoes through the scanner I continued to redress and grab my bag before heading through to departures.

The flight out there was beautiful but landing was quite rough as the clouds we flew down through were very thick with snow. When we landed all the Norwegians on board gave as massive cheer and some fan fair music played and I began to wonder what the next few days would be like and if this was an explanation to the eccentric behaviour of our buddy.



Stepping off the plane it was sooo cold -5c and very windy. After a cold stint waiting for the bus and heading into Oslo centre we did our usual hostel hunt only with no street names to be found, we followed Christmas lights and a sense of direction that I seem to have developed and managed to find the way!! After checking in we headed out into the city at night with a map and some hope of some warm food, we actually just walked around for a few hours trying to find food and failing before heading back to the hostel and settling for some original Norwegian Pizza. It was actually very very nice and the leftovers made a wonderful breakfast the next day haha.




On Saturday we decided to be education boffs and head to some museums (secretly I was also Viking hunting but this unfortunately didn't happen). We started at the Viking Ship Museum which had excavated ships on display along with other viking artifacts. When they excavated the ships they found the skeletons of humans (thought to be wealthy and so buried in a ship) as well as horses and dogs (thought to protect the dead in after life)on board. The skeletons as well as lot of images were on display which actually made me a little queasy.




After enough boffing in one museum we had a snowy little walk to the Norwegian Folk Museum which is an outdoor museum exhibiting parts of Norwegian life which seems to be mainly wooden huts! The snow started falling fast and it was very cold but we spent hours walking around the woods (I was actually wearing a skirt with tights and long socks...cold!). This was followed by a ridiculously long hunt for food in Oslo city centre and then some street walking to take in the national theatre and other delights.



For dinner I attempted hostel cooking again and the travelling favourite of pasta re-emerged. After dinner we went out to experience Norwegian nightlife. It was very very odd. There are different restriction ages for drinking in Norway with beer and wine legal at 18 and spirits at 20. So you get some odd crowds depending on where you go. We went to a bar that was described as 'a little rough around the edges' which was OK but sitting in a relaxing bar that plays heavy rock music was weird. We attempted a trip to an Ice Bar afterwards but it didn't look so good so we called it quits and headed back.




Sunday was my favourite day! We started by taking a suggested walking route along a river. It was beautiful and the banks of the river were a creative centre with many converted warehouses taken over by artists and statues in trees. There was also a massive chandelier hanging between the buildings. You could hear lots of bands practicing their music and it was just such a lovely creative hive.



Next was a visit to the fortress in Oslo. My boyfriend is obsessed since we went to one in europe. This was no way near as impressive but still worth a visit.This was followed up with a trip to the top of a mountain to have hot chocolate in a little wooden restaurant. We had to get a metro and then jump on a bus which drove up a windy mountain road that was icy and snowy with no issues (England take note, as this was very impressive especially as they go every 10 minutes). Turns out this is actually where the ski jump and cross country ski areas are and many people were going up there for a ski while I was trotting about in a skirt and many many cardies (jokes). It was actually so beautiful though, this huge cabin type restaurant with big open fires and hot chocolate, yummy yummy! The views over Oslo were also pretty impressive.




After a drink with cake and a little slippy walk around we headed back down the mountain to a park where we heard there were a number of 'rude' statues. This turned out to be quite creepy in fact but the park was huge and very beautiful especially in the icy cold and all the snow. Following this we headed for a very expensive meal to end the trip. It was actually (unintentionally) very romantic, eating by candle light while the snow was falling outside. Perfect end to a lovely weekend.



Monday was a day of travelling and waiting but was made better by tax free chocolate in the airport, yummy!! If you ever get the chance to go to snowy Norway, do it!! Its very beautiful and the people are very interesting haha! Here are some more pics of the trip.











































-Rhianna.

Packing headache!

A few weeks ago I bought flights to Oslo for £5, the only catch being I can only take a hand luggage bag. At the time I thought it could be jokes but now I am actually rather concerned after seeing the size of my bag (check pictures below) and reading the November weather report (Average temperature -1c, Average low temperature -3c, Average snow fall days 9, Average sunshine hours 2) eekkk. I fly out on the 19th and fly back on the 22nd making me think the later you go the more likely it will be for snow! As well as booking flights to Oslo I got another flight for Stockholm in February where the weather is set to be more snowy, and a little colder....





... With limited packing space to say the least I am on the hunt for warm clothes that I can wear on the flight, and lots of layers to pack to keep my warm while away. This is actually going to be a challenge. I started today by trawling the shops all afternoon followed by a touch of online ogling and here are a few pieces I have on my shopping list!

Cable Over The Knee Socks £10 from TOPSHOP.



These will go perfectly over some opaque tights to add warmth with one of my wintry dresses. Plus they wont take much room in my little bag.


Knitted Chunky Stitch Cardigan £48 from TOPSHOP.



Not one for the case, this will be perfect for flying.


Waxed Duffle Coat With Quilted Lining £80 from ASOS.




I love this and not only will it keep my snugly warm but hopefully dry from any rain or snowfall.


Black Polar Bear Jumper £35 from Dorothy Perkins.



It may be too early to crack out my reindeer cardies but this polar bear jumper has got my in the wintry spirit, soo cute!


Black Super Skinny Jeans £25 from Dorothy Perkins.



These are the only jeans for me, they feel like leggings and fit perfectly plus they will look good with some chunky knitwear in the cold.


Leopard Print Earmuffs £2.99 from H&M.



These are such a bargain and will be easy to carry on my flights. Stylishly warm ears, yes please.


Flower Knit Headband £3.99 from New Look.



This is a cute alternative from a hat and will save the bad hat hair.


Pearl Trim Chunky Knit Beanie £5 from Matalan.



This is lovely and in case the head band is not enough will keep me nice a snug.


These essentials mixed with my current wardrobe will hopefully keep me snug in Oslo if I manage to wear and pack it all. Perhaps a little further shopping is in need. I'm pretty much envisioning a security alert as I look so dodgy with all my layers trundling through check in, or holding up airport security as I take my 8 layers off to go through the scanners. I have a feeling this could be one of my more interesting trips to date. Watch this space for a full report once I get back!

-Rhianna.

J'adore Paris and adventures beyond.

Since getting back from Europe I cant help but look at the pictures a begin planning a few little trips. We went from Brussels to Brussels in a loop visiting, Paris, Avignon, Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Bari, Athens, Hanioti, Istanbul, Sofia, Bucharest, Budapest, Salzberg, Vienna, Munich, Prague, Krakow, Berlin and Amsterdam along the way. I had such an incredible time and have some really great memories and stories to tell. I just wanted to share a few pictures and stories as I will forever be talking about this trip and so a little background info will not go a miss.

Sacre-Coeur



This was possibly the most ridiculous trip to Paris. We had just been to Brussels and were on our way to Avignon in the south of France but had about 6 or 7 hours between our trains as we had to change in Paris. So we decided to make the most of it and had a whistle stop tour of Paris. After a hours trek to put our bags in the other train station we headed for the Eiffel tower for a bit of tourist action. I decided that as it was Andy's first time in Paris the tower would not do and that we must go and climb the Sacre-Coeur and see the whole of Paris. Armed with a tube map and the general direction I was surprised to find the right place. Andy was in no mood to hike up a bunch of stairs in the heat but I made him and it was worth it. This is me taking in our 5 minutes at the top before our rush for the train to the south.

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul



No trip to Turkey is complete without a bit of haggling for 'Junk you don't need' as one man put it, in the bazaars. The grand bazaar was actually amazing we ended up spending all of our money on bits a bobs. It was so much fun bartering for random treasures and some of the lines they pulled were hilarious, 'Chicken and chips....I mean fish a chips' what an opening line. I bought a shesha pipe, a recorder, a Gypsy lamp, a bunch of t-shits, some scarfs and soo much more. Got a ridiculous amount of bargains but didn't actually think about the fact we would have to carry them the rest of the way around Europe. Also didn't think about the fact then when I got home my lamp would have a European adapter.

Lykavittos Hill and The Chapel of Agious Giorgious



Athens was one of my favourite places on the trip but it was by far the hottest. We had managed to get delayed on our ferry from Italy due to bad planning and a national holiday so to fit everything in we had to use all of our time effectively. This meant hiking up to the top of the acropolis in midday heat (and nearly dying in the process) and then racing up the Lykavittos Hill to try and catch the sunset and get an amazing view over Athens (in flip flops and with no drink because of our amazing organisational skills). This was the view when we did make it to the top and it was amazing. There is a beautiful white church on the top of the hill and at night it lights up and looks like heaven from the streets below. This was one of my favourite city views on the whole trip and definitely worth the thirsty flip flop hike!

Hanioti



After Athens we wanted to go a visit a friend who was working out in Hanioti at a resort. We got a train to Thessonaliki and then after about an hour of searching boarded a random bus and then a further bus and hoped for the best. Amazingly enough we managed to get off in the right town an hour later but with only our hotel name and our backpacks had to try and find out where to go. Luckily a lady we found spoke amazing English and pointed us in the right direction. When we got there, the hotel was really nice and there was lots of families on holiday (we must of looked a mess rocking up in travel clothes with massive backpacks) but it was a fun expedition. We met our friend later that night for a beach party which was really cool. This is me in my big backpack hiking in the Greece wilderness to our 'Hilltop' hotel. I genuinely hated this hill hike ha ha.

Lunch in Istanbul



How cute is this?! We wanted to grab a cheap bit of lunch in Istanbul and came across this cute little place. Carpets on the walls, seats on the floor and this wonderful Turkish woman making yummy crepes. Mine was filled with cheese and tasted soo good. I loved the culture of the places that we visited, and eating with the locals was all part of the experiences. Later this night we partied Turkish style!

Overnight trains...Nightmare!



So we took a number of overnight trains on this trip to save travelling the days but they always ended up to be a complete adventure/nightmare. The first one we took from Thessonaliki to Istanbul we got turfed off the train in our pyjamas at silly o'clock in the morning to clamber across train tracks and buy visas to enter while our passports were held ransom. We genuinely did not know what was going on as it was shack in the middle of nowhere with a little man wearing a stripey top selling the visas. It turned out to be genuine but it was a little freaky at the time (especially with all the stray dogs around agghh) The second one from Istanbul to Sofia wasn't so bad but again early morning boarder controls were jokes and Andy possibly experienced temporary brain damage as a bed fell down onto his head (It was pure comedy and one of many injuries he picked up along the way). The final one was probably the best though. We were going from Bucharest to Budapest and were put in a cabin with 4 Romanians and one had a child (a very big child). Only one of them could speak broken English. There was no air con and it was possibly one of the hottest days of the trip. We ended up spending most of the night in the cabin next door with an equally random group of people. There was a Greek man who was in his 70's, a Turkish/Iranian man in his 70's, a guy from Peru in his 30's an American girl in her 20's and me and my boyfriend. We drank beer, ate sandwiches and spoke all night. Random trip but sums up my travelling experience.

I have so many photos and so many stories that I could continue this post forever but I will stop now, and post more at another time. People in England seriously underestimate Europe and always dream about far away holidays, but I honestly can say its my favourite place ever. You don't have to go far to see soo many different cultures and the continent is just steeped in history. If you ever get the chance to go backpacking here, take it and love it, because it is the most amazing thing I have ever done.

-Rhianna.

new york new york!

Ok so I just landed back in the UK after the most amazing trip to New York City. It has been somewhere I have wanted to go for ages, and after this trip I definitely want to go back, not just for a trip but to live for a while. It is a city with so much character and I can imagine you going back time and time again and always finding something new to see or discover. It was definitely the best 21st birthday a girl could ask for, I was totally spoilt and fell in love with a beautiful city.

Here is a little diary of my time away.

Day one: After a long day travelling from home to New york via Montreal in Canada where we had a mini run in with U.S customs, we arrived in the city in the evening. We managed to find our way to our hotel using the public transport system which I was very impressed with ourselves for. We flew into LaGuardia which meant a bus ride and a subway ride followed by a mini trek with luggage in tow to get to our hotel which was by Madison Square Gardens. Once we had dropped off our bags we headed to times square for some food and tourist activities. The city that never sleeps really never does, we were up for so long and you sort of loose all sense of time. Days roll over into each other and its a weird little bubble that you live in.




Day two:

We headed downtown to the financial district to visit ground zero. There is a weird sense of stillness by the site where the twin towers stood which is weird because is is a bustling hive of activity with building work all around. As well as visiting the site, we went to the memorial museum. It had such an impact on me as some of the things in the museum show the true magnitude of what happened there. There was a plane window which was found in the rubble and a large piece of twisted iron as well as uniforms of firemen who died on 9/11 and torn clothing of people who had been there that day. Thinking of the human cost of 9/11 makes you realise the importance of the rebuilding of the world trade centre. By walking around the area you see the importance of this as the centre of a community.





After that we headed uptown to central park to take in the weather. It was such a beautiful afternoon to go for a walk in the city. Half way through Andy left me to it so he could go and watch football, typical man, but it was nice to have some time to myself to clarify my thoughts. The park itself is beautiful and changes constantly as you walk through it. Its a not to be missed part of new york! As i was walking I met some interesting characters, everyone was very friendly and it seemed like the happiest place in the city by far.



After this I met back up with Andy and we headed to the empire state building. We were hoping to be there at dusk so we could watch the sunset and the city light up but we were a little early. Still it was by far the most peaceful place in the city. To be in such a busy place and just feel calm and tranquil was such a weird sensation. The views were amazing, and you literally feel on top of the world. For anybody visiting the city for the first time this is definitely a place to go.




Following this and a little power nap we headed downtown again to little Italy to get some pizza. The restaurant we ate at was apparently where the first ever pizza parlour in new york was. The pizza was actually really good, and it was huge!! Great times.

Day Three:

My 21st birthday was going to be the best day of the trip, woken up with beautiful flowers and a birthday card telling me we were going on a shopping spree, but I got SO ill. I had the worst fever ever, and such a stiff neck/back/legs I spent the day in bed trying to sleep it off. Andy went out and would come back on check on me, it was horrible. But by the evening I was starting to feel a lot better, and was well enough to go to Broadway in the evening. Andy bought me tickets to see Mary Poppins for my birthday which was such a lovely gift and the show was really really good. After this we went for ice cream and met with a friend for drinks. It was so nice to see what the nightlife is like in different cities, and New york was definitely one of those places that has a warm evening feeling.




Day Four:

OK so we had to make up for missed time and headed straight to Soho for a spot of shopping. Its really nice to get away from the centre of the city and go to some smaller shops. Some of them are up and coming brands and some are well known but it is a nice mix of shops that give a lovely shopping experience. As well as this we went to the big department stores; Bloomingdale's, Bendles, Macy's, Bergdorf Goodman, Barnys etc. We also shopped our way along 5th avenue and hit some of the designer stores. Andy bought me a Micheal Kors gold watch which is absolutely beautiful. I also splashed some pennies and bought some Marc by Marc Jacob sunglasses. I also stocked up on summer dresses amongst other things. We literally shopped until we dropped and had to have a little nap before heading to the hard rock cafe for dinner. It was so nice to have a nice meal together. Afterwards we went for ice cream and then Andy took me on a horse a carriage ride of the city. We were planning on doing this on my birthday until I was ill so it was nice we still had time for it. Sometimes we forget that we need to take care of ourselves and this was one of those times that I got to treat myself and got spoilt too.





Day five:

On our last full day we made the most of being tourists y heading down town to go on a boat tour of the harbour and statue of liberty. It was suchhh a humid day so it was nice to be on the water and get a bit of breeze in our lives haha. It was really nice to be able to look at the city for a different view. The empire state building was amazing for this and made the city seam soo peaceful and I guess the boat tour did the same. Being put from the hustle and bustle it just looked like a bunch of still buildings, you couldn't see people or anything which was kind of creepy, kind of nice. After the tour we headed to the Chrysler building. Its supposed to have one of the best sky scraper lobbies in the city and we were not let down. It has a sort of Aztec feel to it, and was definitely worth a visit.





After a spot more shopping in Soho and a cheeky bit of gg spotting, we headed back downtown to walk across the Brooklyn bridge. Its supposed to be one of the most romantic places to watch the sunrise, but sunset was pretty amazing too. There was something so magical about that bridge that I can't quite get over. The structure of the bridge was so inspiring as were the views from it, especially with the sun going down on the city and I guess on our trip. If you go to New York, be sure to walk the bridge, it is amazing.







In our attempt to visit as much as the city as possible we headed to Chinatown for dinner. We ended up in a little Chinese restaurant which was very cute. The meals were massive and I had issues trying to identify what we were eating but it was very tasty and worth the munch. After a final trip to Times Square by evening we headed back to pack and sleep before our stupidly long trip home.

Day six:

We spent the last day shopping and trying to use up the last of our dollars. Shopping consisted mainly of Macy's. Bags, make up bags etc etc. Its kind of nice to just splash out on things and not have to think about the bills etc too. After 45 in the three story m and m shop, we had a final meal in an Irish pub in times square mainly so Andy could catch a bit more football.



Then began our log trip home. The trek to the airport followed by the worst flight of my life. An aircraft for 100 with just 15 passengers and one air hostess taking off as a massive NY storm rolled in. Worst turbulence ever, I literally screamed at one point where the plane went up and down fasten then a theme park ride. I put my head in Andy's lap and made him sing me silly songs. After an hour or so we landed in Ottawa in Canada to change flight. After dealing with customs and receiving a soaking wet suitcase we were ready to transfer to our flight home. A night flight complete with mid night dinner and morning muffin, nice. After landing back in heathrow and reporting bag damage done at Ottawa we were free to begin our trek home by train. Hours later and after watching an England world cup match we were finally home and able to relax after the best break away.



I will never forget my 21st birthday or my time in NYC. If you haven't been before you must put it on your list of trips to make. It is a place that will always mean something to me and has left me wondering, how can I top that next year?!

-Rhianna.