Returning to Paris

To say that my 22nd birthday in Paris will be memorable is probably putting in mildly. I'm not usually one to complain about heat and sun (because believe me, I love it!) but 40 degree heat in the middle of a busy city is pretty hard going. That, combined with a very ill mum and horrendous delays on the Eurostar to get back to England certainly made for an eventful trip!

Nevertheless, we did enjoy ourselves. I managed to go back to many of my favourite places and I enjoyed just being able to wander around Le Marais area again. 

Photo taken on my run as the sun was coming up. One of my most memorable runs!

It got up to 38 degrees on my birthday but I went out for a run at 6.30am before it got too hot. I was absolutely determined to go because I knew that running round Paris, past the Louvre, Hotel de Ville and Notre Dame on my birthday was kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I couldn't miss! Then we went to Le Pain Quotidien (I know, I know it's a chain but I just adore this place) and had their delicious Crunola with a bread basket. I'm hoping to recreate the base of the Crunola which was banana, coconut and cashew nut butter and totally creamy and scrummy - I'll keep you posted if I'm successful!

We spent the morning shopping for a little present I could take home for myself and actually didn't find anything! But that wasn't a great loss as I got to spend my birthday creating the most incredibly memories in Paris. In the afternoon, the heat began to get to mum and we needed to get out of the sun for a while. Mum took me to the patisserie in BHV in Le Marais where, after cheekily telling them it was my birthday, we chose two patisseries (mine was the most incredible vanilla layered mousse) and the waitress brought them over with a candle and chocolate birthday plaque - in French! It was such a thoughtful thing to do and really made my day special. 

We spent the evening in my favourite bar that I fell in love with on my year abroad - La Favorite. My favourite cocktails there used to be the French Kiss but since they had changed the menu I tried the Peach Margarita and my failsafe, Cosmo (they do a mean Cosmo!). I would definitely recommend the Margarita though! Strong, but really good. I'd recommend going in Happy Hour between 7pm and 9pm to benefit from half prices (otherwise it's a fairly pricey place). It was great to have the hotel so conveniently located across the road from my favourite haunt, find it here because I'd definitely recommend it!

The Peach Margarita at La Favorite

Unfortunately, getting home put a slight dampener on our time in Paris. Mum felt ill on the Wednesday we were meant to go back, and with our train in the evening, we felt it was better to get to Gare du Nord early so at least we were there and wouldn't have to worry about her being able to get there if she worsened. However, the station was absolutely sweltering and we were waiting for an hour and a half before we were supposedly meant to board. But the Eurostar was experiencing delays on a huge scale that day so by the time we actually go on the train, we were already delayed by at least an hour, and then the train ended up stopping about 20 minutes after setting off and didn't go again for almost 2 hours. As you can imagine, with the heat, a lack of water and delays, we were feeling a bit fed up. But it really could have been worse. Yes, we got stuck in London but dad had booked a lovely hotel for us which was amazing when we finally got in and slept for 4 hours before getting the train home. Like I said - certainly a memorable trip!

Has anyone else been affected by the Eurostar/Eurotunnel problems recently? How have you coped in the heat this week? Did you love it or hate it? Let me know!

Five Favourites: Paris

It's pretty much a Paris-themed week on the blog due to my recent return so I thought I'd continue with this week's Five Favourites dedicated to my favourite places/things to do in Paris. So if you're planning a trip, here's five ideas for you:

1. Have a cocktail in La Favorite
Absolutely my favourite bar in Le Marais. It's been my haunt for a while, throughout my placement year and when I returned this week. It's a little pricey but Happy Hour (7pm to 9pm) solves that, plus they really are seriously good cocktails. I can also vouch for the mocktails being incredible too, and are also included in Happy Hour. Find details on their website here.

2. Eat Ladurée macarons

When people say they are the best in Paris, they're not wrong. I reckon there are a few independent patisseries that equal them but they are worth their name and, if you're going to try macarons while in France (which you should!) then they may as well be Ladurée with their many enticing flavours. If you can drag your eyes away from the pastel coloured rainbow of macarons then they also do other patisseries and bakes, as pictured above. Find the nearest shop here.

3. Cycle around Le Marais
I was persuaded by a friend to do this on my year abroad and was so pleased I did! I love Le Marais anyway but if you're brave enough to jump on one of the Velibs (find one close to Le Marais by Saint Paul metro stop) it gives a totally different view of this pretty area. The streets are far quieter too so you can worry less about traffic! 

4. Sit on one of the bridges
It almost doesn't matter which one because they all give a different but gorgeous perspective of Paris. Watch the sun go down, or come up and it'll be magical. Watching the sun go down the night before my birthday was truly memorable!



5. Visit Shakespeare and Company bookshop
If you're a Literature student, or just love books, you'll love this little bookshop. It is a bit of a tourist trap and there are other equally cute bookshops in Paris but this is easy to find, and is next to Notre Dame to just pop in. Its history and charming nooks, along with its dedicated reading spaces make it a book-lover's dream. Make sure to go as soon as it opens for a quieter experience. Click here for their website.


Hope I've given you some ideas for your trip to Paris! Do you have any favourite haunts? I'd love to hear them!

City Break: Packing for a weekend in Paris

I think it'd be pretty hard to have missed how excited I am that I'm returning. But allow me to clarify that I am UNBELIEVABLY EXCITED. It actually feels like I'm going home. Ever since I left, pretty much this same time last year, I've wanted to return and this summer finally provided me with the opportunity. What better way to spend my 22nd birthday (eeek!) in my favourite city in the world? Naturally, with such excitement came an epic planning/organisation explosion. I'm pretty sure I've driven mum insane. My packing list has been slowly finalised over the last month or so. Considering I'm going for a total of two nights, I actually do understand how ridiculous this sounds but in case you hadn't gathered - I'm excited. It's also meant to be hot when we're there. And I mean hot. Like currently an estimated 38 degrees on Wednesday, whaaaat! Amazing, but I also remember how sticky the city can be so forward outfit planning is a good idea. So here's a second post for this week (crazy, I know) about what I'll be taking along with me on my Paris summer city break...

Basics
3x tops, one of them striped (of course!)
2x skater skirt, one black, one denim
1x pair loose jeans for travelling
Comfy shoes (don't be fooled though, even Clark's can be comfy and stylish)
(I hope I don't need to say underwear here, I feel like that's a given!)

Special
Dress for the evening
Exercise clothes (if you're like me and can't resist the opportunity to go for a run while you're there!)

Extras
Sunglasses - do not forget those sunnies
1x belt to accessorise (mainly with the skater skirt)
1x scarf, also to accessorise and as a good wrap in the evenings
Across the body bag (think having it slung around your front to keep an eye on it) or one with a decent zip, I still haven't decided on the one I'm taking!

And here's some outfit ideas that I've got in mind...

By watching all the Parisians and their impeccable style for a year, I've learnt that it's good to stick to fairly neutral colours. Think blacks, whites, navies - all classics that can be mixed and matched. Also, make sure you're comfortable... You don't see Parisians wiggling about in their short shorts because they keep riding up - they just wear longer, looser, comfier clothes and exude that incredibly chic je ne sais quoi we all know and love.

Having spent time in Paris, I feel so much better prepared and have a fairly good idea about not screaming 'tourist' with my clothes! I'd like to think I'm not a tourist, but of course, in the eyes of the Parisians, I'm sure I am! If you're planning a similar city break and are struggling with packing, I hope this has helped! I'd love to know any other ideas/tips you have, comment below! :)

The perfect West Country break

I'm fortunate to have some lovely family and friends over Bath/Bristol way who hosted me for my penultimate week before heading back to university. All I can say is that they both know me incredibly well. Tearooms and cute cafés made up the majority of my stays and I'm not complaining a bit.

I started in Bristol with my friend who showed me the more upmarket Clifton first of all. With its little boutiques and independent stores, this was an undoubtable hit with me. She also introduced me to an up-and-coming café chain Boston Tea Party, which was simply a delight. So much yumminess and not many pennies so it made brunch a total hit with me. Think freshly made, balanced portions, sustainable restaurant awards etc... It's pretty awesome. Boston Tea Party, you need to hurry up and open in Cambridge ASAP.

Scotch pancakes with compote and Greek yoghurt for brunch, courtesy of Boston Tea Party. 

Being a tourist at Bristol suspension bridge.

After spending a night in Bristol, I headed over to Bath to stay with family. I've always loved Bath, and in my little dreamworld I envisage myself with a property in the centre one day. Oh I'm just going to go ahead and say it - I want one on the Crescent. Yeah, I know I know but I've always been a dreamer. I'd be equally as happy on Great Pulteney Street. Life ambitions and all that. Anyway, the point is that as a country girl, this is one city (alongside Cambridge and Paris) that I adore. So when I was also taken out into more rural Wiltshire to visit the village of Lacock, I could not have been a happier girl. Combining my perfect city break with rural and historic cuteness? I couldn't imagine anything better.

I had no idea little Lacock existed if I'm honest but turns out it's been the movie set for some kind of major productions. Most notably parts of Harry Potter were filmed there, but the recent Wolf Hall was also shot in Lacock along with the BBC's Pride and Prejudice, and Cranford. We happened to go on a beautiful day when there wasn't a cloud in the sky which made the village and abbey look all the more special, especially the early blooms in the gardens. Considering we went on a Saturday it was also fairly quiet as well so looking around the abbey, we basically had the place to ourselves. 

I have to say though, the village itself was the highlight for me. Owned almost entirely by the National Trust, it is like being transported back in time, minus the cars. There was such a quirky array of shops, from soap and gift shops, to antiques and recycling shops. Even though it's owned by the National Trust, there was still such a lovely village-vibe, the one I know and love. I saw several homes with books or plants outside for sale, where people would simply 'post cash through letterbox' to buy. Slowly restoring faith in humanity one plant/book at a time. It was just the most friendly, beautiful place to wander around and I was totally taken with all the period buildings. 

A special mention must be made for the King John's Hunting Lodge. The oldest house in the village, it's home to the most gorgeous tea room and garden. Because it was such a lovely day, we sat in the garden both times (yes, we ended up going back again for afternoon tea later!) and each time didn't disappoint. They serve proper tea, none of this teabag stuff, and delicious fresh food, handmade by the team on the spot I was assured. I had a mediterranean style tart with a special slaw and incredible side salad, it was utterly yum. If you're visiting Lacock, I cannot recommend this place enough. The staff were lovely and attentive, the food and cake excellent, and the atmosphere was so absolutely English and cute that I actually came away feeling sad it was so far away from home and wouldn't be able to go again anytime soon.

 

Bath, Bristol, you exceeded expectations. I'm an Eastern girl at heart but clearly there's potential to be a Western convert!

City Break - Amsterdam

This week has verged on the crazy, as I've jumped from dissertation hand-in to a cocktail night, to an Easter trail ride, followed by a night out and, oh yeah, flying to Amsterdam. But boy has it it been worth it!

I'm finally home for Easter, and it's never felt more like a country retreat than it does now! After my mad running around, I was shattered. It was definitely one of those good exhaustions, but having survived on little sleep for the past five days and been constantly on-the-go, coming home has provided me the wind-down I needed!

It seems totally surreal that only three days ago I was with my two best friends on our final day in Amsterdam. It was such a total whirlwind but we managed to pack everything in, and actually I think three days was the perfect amount of time. The whole trip was honestly so brilliant, and I couldn't have spent it in better company. We had such a great time together, treating ourselves to a well-deserved break after an incredibly stressful few weeks of intense dissertation work.

The gorgeous flower markets are well worth a visit.

I have to say, I didn't really know what to expect from Amsterdam. With the infamous Red Light District and the drugs, it took some research to identify the interesting historical side of the city and other things we could do. Before we went, we booked the Heineken Experience which was absolutely worth the time and was incredible value! I don't like beer and unfortunately even Mr Heineken couldn't sway me, but the Heineken Experience was such a surprisingly fun afternoon! We turned up expecting to queue for a long time to get in, only to walk straight through which was such a relief given our numb fingers and toes. The tour took about one and a half hours, excluding the boat ride which was about another half hour. Included in the ticket price were two tokens that got you either two smaller beers, or one larger, colder one (or a pepsi, thank goodness!). Plus, another token could be exchanged for a free gift. We also got a small Heineken sample on the way round. Needless to say, my friend ended up drinking quite a bit what with me passing my beers straight to her! It was all really interactive too, and genuinely really interesting. I'd really recommend doing it if you're going to the city!

Photo credit: Sophie (thanks, girl!)

We also booked the Ice Bar. I've never been to the one in London, and I think it's probably quite different but with three drinks tokens, this also turned out to be great value and so much fun! Sounds ridiculous and I'm sorry to point on the obvious, but it was cold. It said -9 degrees and I just didn't realise that could feel so cold! The ice glasses were an awesome touch but I just felt that I needed thicker gloves that the ones supplied! We had one cocktail before entering, and then in the 20 minutes inside the ice bar, you can have another two drinks. Believe me when I say you'll need them!!

The Anne Frank museum was also brilliant. Having queued in the pouring rain for over 45 minutes with frozen fingers and soaked feet and with all of us having gone slightly hysterical, it definitely made for a memorable afternoon! When we finally got in (we couldn't book online, and no one else seemed to have booked in advance either) the museum was so well set-out and very informative. I've read the majority of Anne Frank's Diary, and intend to finish it after I graduate (one of a long list of books), and have always felt that her story is incredibly moving. Walking around the house I had read about was absolutely one of the greatest highlights of the trip and was well worth the money. I would particularly recommend staying to watch the video at the very end as well because it helps to express just what a poignant piece of history the diary is.

The city itself was beautiful, although it subverted my expectations of a city. Say capital city and I think noise, busy-ness, probably thousands of tourists, crime. Amsterdam had none of this. I don't want to betray Paris here (don't worry, I'll always love you), but I actually felt safer in Amsterdam than in Paris. Not once did I feel threatened or that I had to keep a constant eye out for pickpockets. Maybe I've trained myself to be automatically wary but there was never a sense of it being a tourist trap like Venice where there could always be a pickpocket waiting to take something. It was also so calm! We got out fairly early on Saturday morning but even by lunchtime, it had only just started to get busy! To be able to walk down streets and in and out of shops without negotiating hundreds of other people was such a serene feeling and made the trip so enjoyable.



Apparently while we'd been there the whole city had experienced a powercut, but considering we'd been out and about during this time and we were due to fly back the next day, we heard absolutely nothing. Good job everything was up and running the next day really, otherwise we wouldn't have known whether our flight was on time! It just showed how much we ended up being in our own little world while discovering the city.

They definitely know how to serve tea!

Food-wise, I found the prices and choice pretty great. I loved the variety of independent restaurants and some of them were really amazing value! The Pancake Bakery near the Anne Frank museum was a definite favourite and is worth a mention. They let us take our order back to our hotel, instead of eating in, and wrapped them all up with cutlery and plates - so lovely! My goats' cheese, sun-dried tomato, pine nuts and honey wasn't that cheap but was diviiine!

The Pancake Bakery, Amsterdam. Particularly recommend the goats' cheese pancake. Yum.

One final thing that I have to comment on is the people. I was so impressed by the generally high level of English spoken. To be honest, the whole city was fairly anglicised with a lot of shops with English names, even outside the main tourist hubs. But not once did I feel bad about not speaking the language, something that I've felt in France on numerous occasions despite the fact I can actually speak okay French. It was the total opposite! I've always been conscious of being the English person who can't be bothered to learn another language, but most people seemed to actually enjoy having the opportunity to talk to a native English speaker. Which brings me to my next point - the Dutch are so friendly!! Nothing was ever too much, and we were always greeted with smiles. What a lovely bunch.

Before we booked Amsterdam, we knew we wanted a city with culture, history, and somewhere where we could just have a bit of down time after the stress of dissertation. Amsterdam really did offer all of this and more. The architecture is so unusual but gorgeous (look up and you'll notice that most of the buildings are wonky!), the parks offered a snippet view of the daily Amsterdam life, the museums ticked our culture/history boxes and the cute cafés and people made our stay an extremely happy and relaxing one. So if you haven't been, or are thinking about going - don't hesitate! Get booking!

I had to include this photo but I feel like it's sort of been photobombed by the lady on the right... Authentic tourist right there.

10 Best Bits of 2014

Bonjour! Hello! It's me- I'm back! I understand if you no longer know who I am, it's been a long time. I have no excuses, other than life happened as it so often does. But while I sat here chipping away at another essay (yes, being back at university has hit harrrrd), I thought to myself: I really should do a blog post and not leave it to just be another new year's resolution (that I may or may not keep) because I miss it too much for that. There is understandably a recurring theme in the blogosphere at the moment, the '10 [insert appropriate somethings here] of 2014'. I have decided to jump on the bandwagon and instead of doing a generic catch-up post, thought I'd combine it with a few memories of an incredible year.

1. New Year in Paris

Kicking off 2014 in style with my bestest friend in the world, Sophie, in the best city in the world (I can't vouch for that admittedly, but Paris will always hold a special place in my heart). Even if it was a bit of a flop celebration-wise, we had a great time and it set the bar for the rest of the year. 

2. Mum and I in Paris

The most important lady in my life came to stay with me in Paris in March and I got to show her my new life. We had so much fun together and are even planning round two. Bring it on.

3. June in Paris

I spent my last weeks in Paris having an absolute ball, and my friend came to stay for my last weekend there. Sitting in my favourite cocktail bar, aptly named 'La Favorite', I felt that I was where I belonged and in that moment could see myself living permanently in Paris. Reality burst my bubble of course, but who knows what the future holds?

4. Summer in France

An amazing opportunity with a lovely family and a little girl who I really do miss. I got to see a part of France I never would have seen, and of course got to lounge in the sun too.

5. Lessons on Toffee

Photo of Your Horse Magazine 2014

Over summer I found a new instructor and have never looked back. In just a few lessons, she has made such a huge difference to my attitude and understanding of riding that I know I will make such great progress with her. To top off a great few jumping lessons, Toffee and I also made a name for ourselves in the monthly horse magazine Your Horse. I got to tell my story in their special confidence-centred issue and help other riders in similar situations. I even got a double page spread!

6. My 21st Birthday weekend

Turning 21 in styyyyle. Yes, I now feel old at uni, and yes, I probably need to start making life plans. But for now, I am enjoying my half-birthday as a 21-year-old who is generally having such a great time.

7. Venice

Even if I could have dreamt of the most perfect getaway for my 21st birthday, it wouldn't have topped the trip mum and I took to Venice in September. It was so so memorable and was the most amazing present my family could have given me.

8. Running 5k

Bearing in mind I only took up running properly last October as a huffing and puffing, could barely run 100 metres novice who really likes food, this has to be a huge landmark in my achievements this year. I ran my first 5k with the running club at uni in November in just over 25 minutes! I was aiming for around 30-35 minutes, so you can probably imagine how elated I was when I saw my result. I think I can class myself as a proper runner now!

9. Back with the Equestrian Club

Being back as Vice President of the Equestrian Club is a dreeeaaam. It's nice to still be a member of the committee without the pressure of Presidency and we have some great new members this year. The rosettes above were two of three I got on our Christmas fun day and our socials so far have been huge successes- it's great to be back with like minded horsey people and to see the club growing so much!

10. Christmas with my grandparents

For the first time since I can remember, my Nana and Grandad spent Christmas with us! My Grandad is 90 years old in May and my Nana is 82 and we thought it was high time we all spent the holiday season together. They live up north so transport has always been the problem but mum and I shared the drive so they could spend five days over Christmas with us, and it really was so special to have them there.

Thank you to everyone who has made this year so incredible... 

Here's to 2015!! Happy New Year!