A Tale of Two Cities

"We need a break. We need a break desperately," my friends and I thought as 2016 came to a close. Determined to make the start to 2017 unforgettable, (and eat as many local delicacies as we could before our New Years resolutions started) we headed off on a whirlwind 3 day city break across two countries.

The first stop was Cologne in Germany, a beautiful city with spectacular views of the Rhine (the  picture above was taken on a chilly morning walk). An early rise at 4am to catch our flight made for a tiring start to the trip so as soon as we left the tram we headed for a very strong coffee before consulting the guidebook and planning our day and a half in Germany.

Megan on the Rhine bank

We went to the main square so we could explore the city centre and cathedral. 'Impressive' would be an understatement when describing the cathedral. Feeling a bit daring (and in my case overestimating my fitness) we climbed 100m to the viewing platform of the tower, which offered stunning views spanning the city.

Post climb we enjoyed a well deserved Kölsch, the local beer, in one of Cologne's beer halls (an absolute must) and tucked into a traditional schnitzel. We were fortunate enough to stumble upon the Christmas market on our way back and couldn't resist enjoying a gluhwein (mulled wine) while watching people ice skate round the rink at the market. It doesn't get more festive than that...

Cologne Christmas market

Apparently chocolate is a BIG deal in Cologne (not complaining tbh) and so naturally the chocolate museum was on our to do list. If I could recommend any culinary delight from the trip it would be the Baileys hot chocolate we sampled at the museum café. I took one sip and was in heaven, although a word of warning, it's so rich it's a meal in itself.

Next stop, Brussels, the capital city of Belgium. The first thing we did was make our way to the Atomium. It was an impressive structure but sadly it was an extremely foggy day and the queue was huge so we decided against actually going inside. Instead, we explored Brussels city centre, took in the sights of the Grand Place and spent a few hours in the square's museum.

The Grand Place

Group shot...I look like a giant here

Night time soon crept up on us so we stopped off for a carbonnade flamande (a Belgium beef stew) and a local beer before heading to the city's Christmas market to try a delicious waffle for dessert. When in Belgium...With a few hours to go before 2017 we headed back to the hotel to get ready and found ourselves in an Irish bar just in time for the countdown to midnight.

To put it simply, we ate a lot, we drank a bit and saw some beautiful sites. I can't think of a better way to have ended the year...

Hope you had a fantastic New Year!

NG <3

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The Chapel

Some of you may know that a week ago I was in Wales on holiday with some family. I shared some photos of my outfits on NG but I haven't shared any pictures from the main family camera yet but I really wanted to show you the uniquely beautiful place where we stayed, a converted chapel, and some photos of the stunning scenery of North Wales.

Hope you have had a great weekend!


NG <3

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Viva España

I love to travel and the wonders of the continent is just a quick hop over the English channel and so I'm amazed that I've never found myself on a beach raising a glass of sangria in Spain, especially seeing as many of my favourite foods are from there. But for an amazing anniversary surprise I managed to live my Spanish dream in the resort of Lloret de Mar in the Costa Brava region. It was such a relaxing time and I couldn't have asked for a more idyllic summer break after the exhaustion of exams and moving back home from my university halls.

The beautiful beach

Sipping a cocktail by the pool

The view of the hills surrounding the coastal town

A spot of golf

Enjoying a MASSIVE strawberry daiquiri!

As you can see I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Spain and I can confidently say that it will not be my last jaunt there.

I hope you all had a fabulous week too!


NG <3

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A day in York

York is such a beautiful, historically rich City in my home county Yorkshire. If you have never been to York before I strongly urge you to go; it's particularly magical on the approach to Christmas, if not bitterly cold.

I visited York this weekend for a spot of Christmas shopping and, quite frankly, a bit of boozing and dining! My York highlights? Rosie Muggles is my dream shop, all dazzling dresses, costume jewellery and cute little trinkets. Guy Fawkes Inn is an amazing old fashioned British pub, a great experience, especially for overseas visitors. We dined at Cafe Rouge, a chain that delivers a unique French atmosphere whilst serving classics such a beef bourginon, onion soup etc.

I found this ornate copy of my favourite novel, Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', in a York bookstore. Christmas wishlist? I think so.

York aside, it was a perfect weekend to be home from Uni-Christmas decorating!!
I instagrammed this pic of the Christmas tree (follow me @tashagr94); sorry it's not of better quality, I'm back at Uni now so didn't get a chance to take one on my camera.

I always find our Christmas tree so unique as my mum buys a few unique, handmade baubles from a Swedish stall at a Christmas market every year. Slowly, the collection has gradually built up so now our Christmas tree holds many happy memories. Said market is this coming weekend so doubt there will be a few new additions!


Enjoy the week.

NG <3

Sunset

Cayo Guillermo, Cuba


NG <3

Viva la revolucion

Let this be your inspiration for today.

Ciego de Avila, Cuba.

NG <3

Paradise

Hola!!

xx