Bruge, Belgium

Bruge, Belgium

I almost forgot to upload a post for this trip! In December 2017 myself, Billy and our friends Chris and Chloe did a day trip to Bruge, Belgium to see the Christmas Markets. 

It was such a long day, starting at around 4 in the morning! We chose a coach trip as it was cheap. We had to be at the depo for around 6 (if I remember correctly) and we didn't arrive back to the depo until about 8ish that night! 

The coach trip was pretty bleak but thanks to good friends we made it bearable. When we arrived in Bruge it was FREEZING! There was snow on the ground and there was Christmas lights everywhere (my fav). 

Me and Billy decided to grab something quick and small to eat so that we didn't waste any time. We had burgers from a burger van and went straight towards the market. The market isn't what we was expecting at all. It was really really small. We had a look around the market and bought some cute Christmas Tree decorations and ate LOADS. We had chocolate covered grapes, Belgium waffles and Bailey's hot chocolates. 

As the market was really small, we got round the whole thing in around 1.5 hours. The streets of Belgium are gorgeous though, all cobbled streets and small family run shops. We spent a good few hours looking in the shops and buying trinkets. We bought this chocolate liqueur which was 75%! It was so strong and we actually only finished the bottle at Christmas just gone (2018). 

After a few hours in the brisk weather, it was time to get back on the coach to head home. The journey home from Belgium was worse than the journey there. It seemed so much longer and we were all so tired. 

We did have plans to go for dinner but we were all so tired that we just went home and had a takeaway. 

Bali

Bali🌅

In June 2018 we went on the trip of a lifetime to Bali, Indonesia. We started the journey at London Gatwick Airport, flew 12 hours to Hong Kong, stopped over for 2 hours, then got a 5 hour flight to Denpasar Airport in Bali. We had a transfer of about 30 mins to our hotel.

We stayed at the Novotel Bali Benoa in Tanjung. The hotel was INCREDIBLE. The reception was all open-planned with a small man-made river running around the outside.

It had 3 pools - 1 that was for everyone, 2 that were adults only. The pool that was for everyone, was the main pool. It was right next to a private beach that is owned by the hotel and the nearest to our room. When I say room, it was pretty much a villa. It had a garden and a HUGE bathroom. One of the adult pools was narrow and long (and a complete sun trap) and the other was really deep and had a bar in it. 

When we arrived, we were given complimentary massages at the spa as we were staying for longer than a week! The spa smelt amazing and was so relaxing. 

The beach that was attached to the hotel, had a bar/restaurant and it was bed service. All we had to do was raise the flag that was provided on the table and the waiters would take our order and bring it to the bed. I felt like royalty haha! 

The staff at the hotel were so friendly and we have actually stayed in touch with one of the waiters, his name is Julie. He had his sister make me a basket bag by hand. 

We were in Bali for 2 weeks so decided to do 1 day relaxing, one day exploring and learning about the culture throughout the two weeks. On the relaxing days, we spent most of our time at either the sun trap adult pool or the beach. We tried to come back with wicked tans...but as I mentioned in my Majorca post, I have fair skin so although by normal standards I was still pale, I was the brownest I had ever been😄

On the other days, we had some excursions booked such as Sea Walking, visiting a Turtle Sanctuary, a Sunrise Hike of Mount Batur, a Boat Trip, a Temple Tour, a visit to a wood making village and a Gold/Silver making village. 

Sea Walking is where you have this scuba diving helmet on and it pumps oxygen into the mask whilst you are standing at the bottom of the sea. I hate the sea so I was terrified but I am really glad that Bill pushed me to do it. We saw so many different kinds of fish and the sea was so clear. 

The Turtle Sanctuary is run by volunteers and they receive no funding from the government. Their aim is to rehabilitate sick turtles and release them back into the ocean. Although their aim is pure, the sanctuary made me really sad as the turtles didn't look happy at all and it was almost inhumane. 

The Sunrise Hike of Mount Batur is the most challenging thing I have ever done. It is a 9km hike. We started at 3.15am and didn't reach the top until 5.15am. It was freezing as it was high in the clouds and also before the sunrise. Once we got to the top, we was given hot banana sandwiches and a boiled egg for breakfast (bit odd) and hot drinks. We waited for around 20 minutes before the sun began to rise. The views were breathtaking. Although I really struggled with the hike, the sunrise made it completely worth it. The hike down was so much fun. As it is really steep, we more or less ran down the entire volcano. It was around 30 degrees by this point so the heat was unbearable. When we reached the bottom, we was taken to a Wood Carving village. 

The Wood Carving village was super quiet and peaceful. Full of local craftsmen and women. We bought around 5kg of wood in the shape of Santa Clause, Buddahs and a small keepsake box. We then went to the Gold/Silver making village. In this village, the locals were finding and melting silver & gold to make jewellery. 

The Temple Tour was a whole day experience that took us to 3 different famous temples around Bali and to a Nature Reserve Park. It was amazing to learn about the culture and religion throughout Bali. 

On our last day, we went on a boat trip to Lombok Island. It was serine and beautiful. This was the island that was destroyed by the earthquake on the 5th August. We are so blessed to have visited before this happened. We went snorkelling, on a jeep trip around the island and was treated to a BBQ full of local cuisine. The boat was a Catamaran. On the way back to the mainland, the sea was so choppy. We was all sat at the front of the boat and was easily 15 foot in the air every time we hit a wave. 

Throughout the trip, we tried some traditional Indonesian cuisine and tried some meat with the most incredible flavours. 

This really was the trip of a lifetime and we are hoping to return in the future for a longer stint of 3 weeks - 1 month. 

One evening our hotel arranged for the guests to have dinner on the beach, under the stars. It was a 3-course meal of all local foods and wine. The scenery was gorgeous. 

I couldn't recommend this amazing country more.  

Bulgaria

Bulgaria - Skiing ☃

For my Christmas and Birthday present in 2017 (my birthday is New Years Eve) Billy had surprised me with a Holiday to Bulgaria for Skiing! Neither of us had been Skiing before and we had always said how much we wanted to go. I was completely shocked when I found out and was so grateful. Billy revealed that we would be flying out on the 8th January so I had no time to prepare. Before I had a chance to panic, I opened the rest of my presents and found that he had bought all of the clothes and protective equipment that we both needed and had already hired the skis and boots at the resort. 

So we flew out of Gatwick and landed at Sofia Airport. Billy had booked transfers however they failed to turn up! So we spent over an hour waiting for the transfer in case there had been any traffic and tried at no avail to contact the company. So we had no choice but to pay for a taxi and claim the money back later. Outside the airport, there's loads of taxis. One of the men who said he was a taxi told us he could take us to our hotel so he pulled the car round and it was just a regular car with no Taxi advertisement on it but we were stupid and STILL got into the car. Now when I say that it was the most TERRIFYING experience of my life, I mean it. He didn't speak much English, we had no idea where we was going he was a terrible driver and he was soooo creepy. We eventually got to the hotel (thank the Lord) and he ripped us off. He told us a price in Bulgarian Lev before we got into the cab, but when we arrived he made us pay in GBP which worked out to be more than double what we had agreed. This left us with hardly any cash for the entire week. Luckily, Billy had paid for all-inclusive so we didn't starve.

After a rocky start to the holiday, we spent 2 days learning how to Ski with an instructor and was having an amazing time. The food in the hotel was diabolical and the people in the hotel were awful. They were really rude and so disgustingly greedy during mealtimes, but the time on the slopes was incredible...until I fell over WHILST STOOD STILL and hurt my foot. It was so bad that we had to get a snow ambulance (if you don't know what this is, it looks like a ski jetski with sirens) to pick me up on the slope and take me all the way back up the mountain to catch the lift back to the bottom. No idea why he didn't just take me to the bottom but hey ho. I was mortified but Billy thought it was hilarious.

So we ended up in the medical room. I had to get X-ray but taking the boot off was traumatic. I was in so much pain. The medical staff told me that it was just a sprain and to rest it. When they were finished, they put a disposable overshoe on my foot (in the freezing cold snow may I add) and watched me HOP out. They were not sympathetic or helpful in the slightest. 

We spent the next day icing my foot in the hotel and sitting in the Jacuzzi. Poor Bill had spent god knows how much money on this holiday for the transfer not to turn up, the food to be terrible and for me to hurt myself. After a full day of rest, I decided to just get on with it and start skiing again. Although I was in pain, I still managed to enjoy the rest of the holiday.

Thankfully our return transfer arrived on our last day to take us back to the airport but we got stuck in traffic for 3 hours and almost missed our flight! 

Six weeks after we got home, I was still in pain with my foot so Bill took me to the Hospital for another X-ray and we found out I had fractured my foot!! So not only did we have to pay for the medical treatment in Bulgaria, they gave us the wrong results!!! I was in a boot for 3 weeks. 

But even after all of that bad luck, I would still go skiing again...just in a different country lol.

Peak District

The Peak District🌄

In August 2017, Billy and his family invited me to move into their house. Obviously I accepted the offer and kindly forced Billy to redecorate his bedroom so that it wasn't a smelly boys room anymore! The outcome of the refirb can be seen on the Interior Design Page😊

Once we started, we realised how much of a big job it was and decided to hire someone to complete the painting, fit the carpet and the blinds. Whilst all this was being done, we booked a short break in the Peak District so that we was out of the way. We booked a gorgeous little lodge through Hoseasons. We stayed at Charlesworth Lodges in the Old Barn Cottage. It was so quaint and cosy. We had a private hot tub surrounded by fields. 

We spent every evening in the hot tub for hours, chatting and listening to music. It was so relaxing and well needed after all the stress of decorating. 

Whilst in Derbyshire, we visited Chatsworth House, an Otter Farm and a lovely country park that I unfortunately can't remember the name of. Although it was raining the whole week due to the time of year, it was such a good break. There was a small village with a corner shop, fruit and veg shop and a pub within a 5 minute drive. If you drove around 10 minutes into town, there was an Asda and plenty more pubs and shops. 

I couldn't recommend this Lodge more! I have put the link for the lodge below in case anyone wants to visit:

https://www.hoseasons.co.uk/lodges/charlesworth-lodges-char

Majorca

Majorca🌞

Our second holiday was to Sunny Majorca, Spain. We went from the end of June to early July in 2017.  We stayed in a small town called Cala Vinas, which is about 5 minutes from Magaluf. We like to have quiet days and lively nights so this location was perfect for us!

Our hotel backed onto a private beach so we spent our first day or two relaxing by the pool and sea. We also booked an all-inclusive package so we drank Pina Coladas from the minute the bar opened until it was time to get ready for the evening. 

We spent the evenings with some friends that we made in the hotel. We drank, played cards and drinking games most nights. We went out into Magaluf strip a few times once the restaurant bar had closed.

Myself and Billy visited Western World Waterpark whilst there and the Katmandu Park. The Katmandu Park has rides, amusement attractions, shows and more. 

On one day, we spent around 3 hours snorkelling at the beach by our hotel. We captured some great videos on our underwater camera and got a lovely sun burn whilst doing it😳 One thing I haven't mentioned is that I burn so badly. I only have to look at the sun and I need some aftersun!

Although we have since gone to amazing places like Bali, this holiday will remain one of my absolute favourites. We had so many laughs on this holiday and had so much fun😀

Disneyland Paris

On this page I am going to focus on all of the amazing trips that I have been on, that I am planning on taking and any trips of my dreams! 

Although I have been on many trips with my family since I was very young, I am going to focus on trips that I have taken since becoming an "adult". I began taking trips without my family when I was 18 and the first trip that I took just so happened to be with my Billy. 

Our first trip was to my homeland...Disneyland Paris💓

On the 12th December 2016, we headed to Paris via the Eurostar. Before setting off to the station, Billy surprised me with a custom made hoodie for the trip! Although the hoodie says it was my first Disney trip, I had actually already been to Disneyworld Orlando back in 2009 with my family. 

Once we arrived in Paris, we went straight to the Disneyland Park. As we went in December, the parks were decorated for Christmas. I must mention that I am also obsessed with Christmas. I watch the films and listen to the songs all year round. I am a living, breathing Christmas Fairy. 

When I saw the castle for the first time, I was so emotional and cried on the spot. It was lit up so beautifully and as I mentioned before, it's my homeland. I had returned to the Mothership. 

We spent the next 3 days meeting our favourite characters, riding the rides, watching the shows and parades, eating themed snacks, drinking LOTS of hot drinks due to the freezing cold temperatures. 

We was both so sad to return back to London on the Friday but we were so excited to be coming home for our first Christmas together!