MADRID

September : the perfect time for a weekend getaway. The Summer is officially over and its the perfect pick-me-up. This year, I paid my first ever visit to Madrid for a long weekend. I wasn't sure what to expect but what a beautiful city! The perfect combination of culture and commerce - the architecture was steeped in history and the food as Spannish as you like. We walked, we shopped, we ate, we drank, we even watched a live game. The perfect antidote to autumn blues.

HOLIDAY TIME

Ultimate chill-out. This is my week of bliss.

Cardiff

 

I spent the day in Cardiff on Sunday traveling down to see my sister, Amy for the day. Its such a lovely city and was nice to do something a bit different (even if I was hideously hungover from the night before.) As is the norm, we spent a good 2 hours in Costa having a catch up before any city-exploring commenced. 

As its the festive season, log cabin Christmas markets were set up throughout the city lanes selling trinkets and warming mince pies and mulled wine to happy Christmas shoppers and uni students enjoying the weekend. One thing I have noticed about Cardiff on the few occasions I have visited is the amount of vintage clothing shops around... Plenty of opportunity to pick up an exceptionally traditional Christmas jumper. Somehow, I managed to resist.

We had dinner in a really sweet little vegetarian bar / cafe / restaurant called Milgis - somewhere Amy was really keen to take me and knew I would fall in love with. It had a really hippy vibe and it felt like Id stepped right back into a cafe in Byron Bay. The scent was of incense and the food organic. Cocktails were quirky and imaginative and the decor had a 'thrown together' sort of vibe. Definitely worth a visit.

Thailand : The Islands

 

Our next destination was Phuket. We stayed in a lovely hotel and from here had some of the best days of the trip. Riding an elephant is not something that I will forget in a hurry and the views from the top of the mountain were breathtaking. 

My most memorable day however, was the island-hopping tour round Phi Phi and its surrounding islands. Being a true city girl I am not one to ordinarily admire naturally beautiful locations. This has been my one exception to the rule. Absolute paradise. 

Pictures cannot capture quite how it looked but they give a rough idea. Bamboo island was my 

 favorite stop (as shown directly below) and swimming in the lagoon was a once in a lifetime experience. So peaceful and so tranquil. 

Bamboo Island

Monkey Island

Phi Phi Paradise

Maya Bay

Thailand : Pangang and Samui

Admittedly less cutlural, these islands were exactly what I imagined. Because of the calendar, we went to a Black Moon party as opposed to the famous Full Moon. But I am sure they are much the same. 

(PS. Baby coconuts are an amazing hangover cure!)

Thailand : Bangkok culture

Our Thailand adventure started in Bangkok for 2 nights. Having not heard great things about this city we weren't overly excited about this part of the trip but I have to say it didnt live up to its bad reputation for me. Yes, it was fairly dirty and noisy - but name me a city that isnt like that! We spent our day being cultural and its a wonder how many buddahs one place can be home to. The architecture was beautiful and the people friendly. As a result, tuk-tuk is my new favorite form of transport.

After a long day of being cultural it would have been rude not to have a few cocktails in Skybar in the style of Allan and the gang.

This is just an example of the electrical safety throghout the city.. Ive seen better.

French Jaunt : My weekend in the South of France

Last weekend was everything we needed. My friend and fellow March-baby Bex kindly organised for our group of uni friends to take a cheeky little trip to her family home (slash BLOODY GREAT CASTLE) in Rodez, the South of France. Catching us all on the same weekend and shepherding us into the same place was the first accomplished miracle. Granted, who would want to miss out on a 'relaxing' weekend in the French countryside, but for once, work commitments, family occasions and money issues didn't cause a problem. WINNER! 

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We left on Friday morning and arrived at the chateau where we ate, we drank, we played and we danced for the next 3 days in our own little version of rehab. Below are a few snaps from the weekend, documenting the catered for birthday dinner a la the lovely Nichola and his staff, the easter egg hunt, sports day, bowling and the beautiful town that was Rodez. Living up to our reputation of looking like a school trip (yes we got asked three times on one flight) we got fully involved in the activities and Bex even created an awards ceremony on the last night. A weekend to remember with a fantastic group of people.  

This was how we rolled.. 

..and this is where we rolled to

Rodez Town

Rodez Cathedral 

 

CHEESE!

Sports Day!

Inspired by...

Aquabumps : #BondiNostalgia ...

These images were taken and produced by Australian photographer Eugene Tan. I am obsessed. For anyone who is either visiting or residing in Sydney I urge you to take a trip to the Aquabumps gallery to see these beauties in person. A huge array of fantastically mesmerizing images can be viewed and although my preference in this particular post is very clear (because who isn't partial to a pink sunset?) the shots are diverse and varied. 


Capturing some of the most beautiful moments at a variety of beaches, in a variety of countrues, with a variety of features these images sum up my love for Bondi. Take me back... #nostalgia 

 Visit the Aquabumps website
151 Curlewis Street, Bondi Beach