Columbia Road Flower Market

Last weekend I was looking for something to do on Sunday and came across the Columbia Road flower market online. The reviews were good so it looked worth the journey.

We arrived at 10.30 and it had been open since 8 so it was already packed. The stalls were beautiful however and we walked up and down the market several times taking it all in.

There was everything from cut flowers to shrubs to exotic palms and the prices were surprisingly reasonable. 

I couldn't resist a beautiful box of 30 autumnal coloured gerberas which were just £5 and I was tempted by a bougainvillea tree so we went and had a cup of tea in a quaint cafe on the road before I went back to buy it. Handily most stores accept card payments which saved me a trip to an ATM. 

The gerberas brightened up the fireplace and gave it a cosy Autumn feel.

I would like to go back again, perhaps nearer to Christmas when the Christmas trees and wreaths are for sale, but I'd aim to get there earlier to try and avoid the crowds.

Menorca September 2018 - Part 2

The following morning we were up bright and early again, this time getting in a short stroll to the beach to admire it whilst it was completely empty. Fortunately the grey skies and rain clouds were gone today and it looked set to be a beautiful sunny day. 

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we returned to our rooms to get ready for the morning's activity - paddle boarding and kayaking! After lugging all the equipment down to the beach, which strangely seemed like it was much, much further away than it had been earlier that morning (a paddle board is much heavier than it looks!), we navigated through the crowds and got them into the sea. Initial apprehension quickly dissolved and once we were out a little and away from the crowds swimming we had so much fun. The kayak was apparently difficult to 'steer' and standing up on a paddle board on the rough sea was harder than I'd imagined; we laughed so much as the kayak went off in the wrong direction and each time a wave knocked us off the paddle boards just as we had got our balance. 

After a morning at sea we returned to the hotel for lunch and a rest on a beautiful Balinese bed by the pool with drinks in hand before the next adventure we had planned later that afternoon - a snorkel boat trip across the coast! This was the thing I was most looking forward to on the trip and I had been so disappointed when I arrived to be informed by several skippers that they were not taking bookings as the weather would not be good enough to go out. Fortunately the hotel's own boat was taking bookings and we were assured that the weather looked set to be perfect for Thursday - they were right! 

We set off early afternoon and started by visiting a few of the nearby beaches and our skipper gave us lots of interesting information about the local area and the history. We then zipped along the bays before arrived at our first snorkelling point. Our skipper threw in a handful of fish food to draw out the fish and we jumped in, snorkel masks and underwater camera in hand. It was amazing to see so many fish and the diverse life on the ocean floor. I had never been snorkelling before so it was breathtaking and felt a little surreal swimming in the crystal clear water. 

After about half an hour we got back on the boat and enjoyed more beautiful scenery and even went through a few caves, before mooring at our second snorkelling point. Here the skipper told us that you could swim through two of the dark caves to find tiny secluded beaches. I wasn't brave enough as the tunnels were dark and not much bigger than you, but my boyfriend did and liked it. I waited for him at the entrance and when he swam back out I spotted a little black and orange fish, hiding between the similar coloured seaweed in the rocks. I felt like the scuba diver from finding Nemo who takes photos of the fish - except my camera had run out of film so unfortunately I couldn't get a photo! When I got back I looked online and am fairly sure the fish was a type of Blenny. 

Eventually I was too cold to stay in the water any longer so we got out and enjoyed a light lunch on the boat before taking a super speed journey back to our hotel. It was such a nice afternoon and felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Unfortunately after I got back to the hotel and taken a shower, I began to feel 'land sickness' which is apparently something some experience after travelling, most commonly at sea. This meant our dinner plans were a little dashed and after a quick dinner I had to go straight back to my room for an early night.

The following morning we were due to depart at noon, so after breakfast we packed our cases and spent the last of our holiday relaxing by the pool. It was such a relaxing break and the hotel was lovely, but next time I would stay longer!

Menorca September 2018 - Part 1

This time last week I was in sunny Spain for a short break. It feels like much more than a week ago though as I've switched from summery dresses to jeans and a jacket and the weather has turned grey and rainy, I am longing to go back!

We flew out on Tuesday morning and arrived at our hotel, the Lago resort in Cala n Bosch, in the early evening. We checked in to the hotel and found our room, which was an apartment style suite with a view over the marina. The sun was just beginning to set and the journey had been long, so we just unpacked and took a walk around the marina next to the hotel to find somewhere for dinner. The marina was packed with plenty of restaurants and such a variety of cuisines that there would be something for everyone. As we had booked directly with the hotel, we were also given 10% off several of the restaurants around the marina and we ended up picking one with pretty string lights all around on the harbour front. The staff were friendly, the service was quick and the food was good so we ended up returning the following two nights!

After dinner we returned to the hotel to get some rest so we could be up early. The next morning we started our day with breakfast in the hotel restaurant, which had an impressive buffet of traditional breakfast foods with some Spanish specialities and menorcan delicacies. There was even prosecco for guests to enjoy - why not when you're on holiday! 

Unfortunately the beautiful clear and sunny skies of the previous day had disappeared, replaced by an unusual all day downpour. As we had planned a few activities that did not depend on the weather, we decided to go ahead with those and put off our other plans in the hope that tomorrow would bring better weather. 

So, after a quick trip to a convenience store to pick up an umbrella, we boarded a bus from outside our hotel to go to the nearby town of Ciutadella. The bus journey took about 20 minutes and only cost 1.95 euros per person each way. Ciutadella is a beautiful old town with stunning architecture and meandering streets a plenty. We first came across an exhibition in an old, ornate building which housed  a number of 'curiosities' - from paintings to silver whistles. Next, after a short stroll via several shoe shops (there were so many selling pretty shoes and traditional menorcan shoes that it would have been rude not have had a quick look!) we found the Catedral de Santa Maria de Ciutadella which had beautiful stained glass windows and close by was a pretty courtyard garden which I think was connected to the cathedral in some way. Before heading back we purchased some traditional menorcan cakes from a small bakery. They were like a soft and doughy iced bun, but seemed to be filled with custard or creme patissiere; very tasty! We then made our way back to the bus stop via the harbour and the pretty ballerinas store (which were started in Menorca).

Once we go back to the hotel, we made lunch with a delicious fresh baguette and local cheese we had picked up in Ciutadella and then got changed ready to head to the beach which was just a minute or two from the hotel. The beach was very clean with white sand and the sea was a real turquoise blue. It was still raining but nobody seemed to mind as the beach was still full and plenty of people were swimming in the sea. We braved the sea too and spent about an hour 'surfing' the waves and having fun before returning to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We got dressed up and took some photos in the hotel and by the harbour and after dinner we played cards in the hotel lounge until 11pm.

Yoga at the shard

For Christmas my boyfriend gifted me a voucher for a yoga class at the shard. I got in to yoga last year, albeit only using online videos, but I'd really found it beneficial. Having been to only one class quite a few years ago (my one and only prior attempt at yoga classes) I was a bit apprehensive, but it turned out to be quite fun. 

I got there early so I was able to get a spot at the front with amazing views of London, which made the experience even better, especially as it was daylight when the class started and dusk was beginning to fall and the city was lighting up as it ended.

Making Ice Creams at Magnum Pleasure Store

The annual Magnum Pleasure store pop up is currently open and in July I went with my boyfriend to see if it lived up to the hype. We weren't disappointed! 

On arrival at the store the first thing you notice is shop windows which are filled with three giant ice creams in their special designer creations. 

Once inside there is a "look book" of ice creams from which you can choose one of the special creations or for £5.50 you can design your own. We picked the latter option and first up you pick whether you want your ice cream coated in milk, white or dark chocolate. 

Next you pick your toppings. I went for chocolate coated biscuit balls, fudge pieces and chocolate curls, finished with a white chocolate drizzle. My boyfriend went for candied lemon, crushed nuts and fudge pieces, topped with a dark chocolate drizzle. It's all finished off with a chocolate disc and then, after a quick photo of your creation in the ice cream 'insta booth' you can enjoy! 

I would recommend going along and trying it out before they close in September, it was a fun experience and they tasted even better than they looked!

New Boots from Bicester Village

Last week my mum and I had a girls' shopping trip to Bicester Village. I had been hoping to find a new pair of boots ready for Autumn for months after my favourite pair broke earlier this year and I couldn't believe my eyes when I found a pair in Ralph Lauren almost identical to my last pair that I had loved AND they were on sale! 

The RRP was £245 and they were on sale for £39.99. As if this wasn't already a bargain, I had also been emailed a 30% off voucher which I was able to use, meaning the boots were only £27.99! 

To get discount vouchers you just need to provide your email address when you shop in the outlet and then you get sent vouchers and offers.

Summer Food Markets

Over the summer I've caught a few of the weekend food markets across London. The first one I went to at the South Bank Centre had quite a buzz and a good variety of stalls, my favourite being a fresh coconut stall where you could quench your thirst with the water from a freshly sliced coconut and after you could get the coconut chopped open to eat. 

The second food market I went to was at Alexandra Palace. I was looking forward to this as it was advertised as a large food market with entertainment, but I was ultimately a little disappointed as it was smaller than I expected with less variety and it was overcrowded. That said, I did enjoy the food I ordered a lot, I had a burrito for lunch and a chocolate banana waffle. Sitting on Muswell Hill eating lunch and taking in the sights of the city definitely made the trek across London worth it. 

Most recently I went to the Victoria Park market. Again this market was not that big, but I found the variety of different food and the mix of food to eat there and products to take home good. I enjoyed a cheese and onion jam toastie with a refreshing berry juice drink and I purchased a couple of sweet treats from a stand called a pie party to take home. There was also a lady selling garden plants and as she was going on holiday the following week they were only £1.50, so I picked up a pretty Busy Lizzie bush plant for the balcony which I'm hoping to be able to overwinter. 

I'm keeping an eye out for any more food markets I can explore before the summer months are over.