Tag: See the world

Birthday Trip to Cambridge

by CharlRose, posted in Lifestyle, Places, Travel

This blog post is highly overdue, considering my birthday was in August. However, since our trip to Cambridge, a lot has happened. I went back to work, my partner and I decided to move in together, and then I caught COVID. So a very busy/hectic few months.

I am so happy to finally get the chance to sit down and write about our trip. It was a lovely surprise to find out that we were going to Cambridge because I have always wanted to go. Dan booked a room for us at Fellows House, which is part of the Curio Collection by The Hilton. The building itself was gorgeous and the interiors were very plush with stylish marbled floors and an exquisite bar and lounge area.

Punting

The highlight of the trip for me had to be our romantic punting along the River Cam. Dan used a company called Rutherford’s Punting which he booked in advance. We chose the ‘romantic experience’ which included a little bottle of champagne. It was such a relaxing experience, floating along the calm waters, taking in all of the beautiful architecture and history. It was a great opportunity to take in the cities heritage and monumental university buildings, I felt like a young Sylvia Plath (literacy/poetry nerd reference).

Food

On the first night, we went to a restaurant called The Old Bicycle Shop. It was a quirky little place with a lovely, relaxed dinner vibe. I have included a picture of the menu below for a sneak peek of what delicious food they have to offer.

The next day, we went to The Giggling Squid, which we didn’t realise at the time was part of a chain. The food they served was Asian cuisine but what was even more impressive was the building. I felt entranced by its fabulous glass dome and botanical interior.

On the last evening, after our punting on the river we went to a fantastic restaurant on the water called The River Bar Steakhouse. We had a stunning view of the river from our table and the service and staff were fantastic.

Exploring the city

I loved exploring the beautiful city of Cambridge, it was a little bit like stepping back in time as a student, although I can only wish I went to the University of Cambridge.

It was a wonderful trip, with lots to see and do. Hopefully this blog post encourages you to visit and experience the magic of Cambridge.

Little Trip To The Lakes

by CharlRose, posted in Travel

Well hello there, long time no speak. I know, I have been pretty non-existent in the past year. I can’t believe its been that long! However, I think we can all agree that it has been a very strange year. I went through a stage of feeling really uninspired and had little motivation to write about, well, anything to be quite honest. Despite lockdown being a really difficult and sad time for many, I managed to find some good to come out of it. I met someone pretty special (Dan), spent more quality time with my family and focussed a lot more on my health and fitness.

Lockdown was slowly coming to an end, so my boyfriend and I decided to take an impromptu trip to the Lake District. Given, he did most of the planning and driving but I supplied the music as the passenger DJ.

First, we stopped off in Grasmere for a walk and had some delicious gingerbread from Sarah Nelson’s Gingerbread bakery. Sadly, the bakery itself was closed but Dan had it sent to his house so we could enjoy it on the day. I have to say the atmosphere in Grasmere was a little eerie, it was a literal ghost town. It felt so strange because I can imagine before lockdown, it would have been bustling with locals and tourists.

After that, we drove a little further out to Seascale. The drive itself was an adventure – 30% inclines and declines, near enough the entire way. When we arrived, we found a small area of land close to the water to set up our camp chairs and table. The scenery was beautiful. It was a bitterly cold day so we made sure we were wrapped up and brought a soft throw to keep us warm.

Dan then went on to surprise me with a little picnic basket of goodies. Basically, all my favourite food and snacks. We even topped off our lunch with a little glass of prosecco.

It was so lovely to get out and do something a little bit different. We felt like we’d had a proper, full day out and it was great to travel again – even if it was only an hour or so away. Now that restrictions are starting to ease, it makes trips out like this possible again. All I can say is, get yourself wrapped up warm and start exploring again!

Dubrovnik | Croatia

by CharlRose, posted in Travel

Overview Croatia

 I’ve needed a little holiday for a while. A trip somewhere that i’d never visited. Croatia seemed to be the place to go this year, so me and my friend Naomi booked a last minute getaway to Dubrovnik for five days. We stayed at the Hilton Imperial Hotel, which seemed, when we arrived to be the only hotel in the old town. Without knowing we managed to book ourselves the best room in the  hotel, with the most amazing view of Dubrovnik old town.

Holiday

We strolled around the glorious Old Town of Dubrovnik. It was engulfed with tourists from all around the world, hoping to get a photograph that resembles the very setting of Game of Thrones, which was famously shot in Dubrovnik.

Old TownParrotOld Town 2

On out second day, we decided to walk the high walls of the Old Town which was incredibly exhausting in 25 degree heat, but somehow we managed to complete the entire perimeter of the old city before lunch.

Naomi and I both love Watersports, so when we found out there was an opportunity to kayak around the Croatian Island of Locrum and visit it’s caved beaches we jumped at the chance.

Kayak 2Kayak 3 jpg

On our last full day sadly the weather wasn’t as pleasant,  however we had an Island Cruise pre-booked which allowed us to explore the different Islands around Dubrovnik. So we packed day bag and boarded the boat for a day of sight seeing.

Islands 1

My personal favourite island was Koločep. There were cute little coffee shops and bakeries along the coast, locals were sitting along the shore licking ice creams and drinking wine (living the dream).
Whilst exploring we discovered a park that featured an enchanting botanical garden that appeared tropical and untouched.

 

I loved my trip to Croatia, It was everything I had hoped for and more!
Our hotel location and room itself couldn’t have been better and the staff were extremely friendly and polite. We were never stuck with what to do or see, if anything we only scratched the surface on what Dubrovnik had to offer.
I’m itching to go back already!

 

Road Trip to Lyme Park

by CharlRose, posted in Travel
I am personally not the most confident of girls to drive afar. I tend to stick to familiar routes or drive locally. However for a while now I have been plumping up the courage to drive out of my comfort zone.
My Australian friend Casey is over in the UK for two years and is determined to see all the beautiful places Britain has to offer. I suppose she somewhat gave me the push to jump in my car and take a little road trip. I had heard of  Lyme Park through my parents, they sold me on its beautiful gardens and enchanting forests that are usually roamed by wild deer. I thought for my first road trip it would be ideal as it would only take an hour to get there by car.
We picked the perfect day for it! It was the hottest day of the year so far! So we hopped in my little Aygo and we was on our way.
Car
We arrived safely, a few Satnav confusions along the way but we made it!
The first thing we wanted to do was go deer spotting, but there were ‘no entry’ signs surrounding the ‘Deer Sanctuary’. We respected the boundaries and decided to walk around the Sanctuary instead of going through it, but I don’t think either of us were prepared for what we was about to find!

Forestno entryCaseyDeer 2Deer

A whole heard of them! At first we both froze with fear, but after a few deep breaths we managed to creep a little closer to take a cheeky picture or two. They were just basking in the sunshine, enjoying the weather just like ourselves.
To get to the Deer Sanctuary we had to climb a huuuuuge hill, and on top of the hill was a building called ‘The Cage’. The views from The Cage were amazing, the wind from the top on the other hand was brutal!

 

The CageView

We then headed to the Lyme Mansion which over the centuries has been a popular setting for hunting parties, plotting and royal visits.  It was so beautiful, surrounded by stunning gardens and a picturesque lake.

Lyme

Overall our trip to Lyme Park was fabulous! I would recommend anyone to take a trip there! I have always admired the National Trust and all the work they do to look after our natural environment.
Visit Lyme Park – National Trust