You may have wondered about the photo from my first blog post. Where is it and why did I choose it? It is the calm clear water and sandy beach of Vasto Marina, Italy. It has a special place in my heart, partly due to its natural beauty, but mainly because of my wonderful friends that call it home. I met Paola when she was … Continue reading Vasto

I first visited Rome in 2013 for a whirlwind two days. One of which was spent on a day trip to Pompeii, which I highly recommend if you have the time and like me you’re into ancient history. During the other my friend and I attempted to see most of Rome’s major sites in a single day. James, if your reading this, I’m still not … Continue reading Rome

I wanted to visit Florence as David and the Ponte Vecchio were on my bucket list. I soon discovered they were on thousands of other people’s must-see lists too! The end of July-early August is guaranteed to be hot but this was next level! Daytime maximums hovered around 38 and the high humidity made it feel like 40+! Thankfully my hotel room had icy cold … Continue reading Florence, Pisa and Lucca

I’m going to open by saying Lake Como is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited and it is right up there on my ‘I want to go back to’ list. I caught the local train to Zurich HB and made it onto my Eurocity 7.09am train to Como with five minutes to spare. Anyone looking to travel by train in Europe should … Continue reading Lake Como and Milan

Switzerland is where all the good things come from – chocolate, watches, army knives, cheese fondue and of course Roger Federer! Zurich was not on my original itinerary either but my aunty and uncle where going to be there in between tours, so we decided to meet. A family reunion in Zurich? Was it possible? My first impressions of Zurich were that it is clean; … Continue reading Zurich

Scotland was the first destination on this trip I had visited before and after my second time I would still go back in a heartbeat. In 2013 I flew directly into Glasgow to see my friend Yvonne, who lives in Alexandria near Loch Lomond. There was no way I was going to be in the UK without visiting her again! I caught a direct train … Continue reading Scotland

My next rail journey from Whaley Bridge to Manchester should have been a short direct train ride. Instead it involved catching a bus to, and then a train from, neighbouring Stockport after numerous trains were cancelled due to ‘trespassing’ on the line. This blog isn’t intended to be a forum for my complaints, but this was the latest in a series of delays or cancellations … Continue reading Manchester and Liverpool

Ever heard of Whaley Bridge? Don’t worry, most English people I told I would be stopping there had no idea where it is either! It’s about an 45 minute train ride south east of Manchester near the Peak District National Park. When I was planning this journey I wanted to experience life as a local, as well as exploring big cities that are geared towards … Continue reading Whaley Bridge

Leaving London I was satisfied with the time I’d spent in what is an amazing city. I was also thinking about when my next visit would or could be. I wasn’t sad to leave though because I was excited about getting to my next destination! Making new friends is interesting but seeing old ones is special, especially seeing them overseas! My friend Laura was staying … Continue reading Kettering & Cambridge

The first thing I thought when I arrived at Gatwick airport was that everything felt familiar. It was easy to navigate with the announcements and signs in English. I was also excited to get to London town! I took the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station then hopped on a bus to my Air BnB in Knightsbridge. I saw street names from Monopoly, red double decker … Continue reading London