Tag: exploring

A weekend at Center Parcs…

On By louiseIn Lifestyle, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Last weekend, we were lucky enough to head over to Center Parcs with friends to celebrate four of our birthdays. I had never been to Center Parcs before, but had heard lots of good things so was very excited to go.

We don’t go away in the U.K. very often because we have already seen a fair bit of it (living here and all), and I just prefer to travel further afield for a holiday so that we can soak up different cultures.

Anyway, the convenience of holidaying in the U.K. was quite refreshing as I didn’t have to worry about luggage restrictions and could take as many liquids as I desired. Quite the novelty!

We opted for the Center Parcs located in Woburn because it’s just an hour out of London – perfect for an after work weekend getaway.

I had some preconceptions prior to arriving at Center Parcs, I knew that it would be an activity based break, but I didn’t realise how much of a little bubble you live in and that it really is an entire mini town located in the woods. You are encouraged to leave your car in the car park for the weekend, with the option of walking between areas or cycling. I quite liked this idea because I’m a fan of walking anyway and it just made the area really peaceful.

We arrived just after 8:30pm and our lovely friends had ordered Chinese take out to be delivered shortly after our arrival which was such a good idea. I like that you can order food to be delivered to your Lodge (they also deliver G&T’s which I thought was amazing) and it just adds to the convenience that Center Parcs offers.

Our Lodge was super nice and well planned out. We had a three bedroom lodge with maid service and a sauna. The sauna was especially lovely after running around in the snow for hours (more on that later). Each room had an en suite and the whole Lodge was contemporary and clean. Just how I like it!

On our first day, we went swimming over at the subtropical paradise area. It’s super fun with a few water slides, rides, a lazy river and a wave pool. I thought that it was great although it lacked a real swimming pool and a jacuzzi. It would have been nice to have somewhere to just sit and chill in the water and personally I think a jacuzzi would be a welcome addition. We still had lots of fun there before heading over to Starbucks for a quick lunch followed by badminton. Badminton was indoors on a nice and clean court. It was really fun although I’m not very good at racquet sports. Or any sports really if we are being honest!

There are over 200 activities to do at Center Parcs which is absolutely bonkers. Everything from riding a Segway to abseiling, they’ve got it covered. I do think that the activities can work out a bit pricey though and they’ve got you over a barrel once you are there. Anyway, after badminton, we hung out at the sports bar before my friend and I disappeared to the spa whilst the boys played more badminton and went aqua jetting.

The spa was amazing! We had a massage before heading into the spa itself. The massage was great and such a treat. We could spend all evening in the spa although I honestly thought that we would be bored after an hour or so. I was very wrong! We were in the spa from 5pm until 9pm, soaking up the saunas, steam rooms and all of the other delights. They had so many themed zones that were really well put together and the place was nice and clean. Although, once again, lacking a jacuzzi!

They do have a beautiful infinity pool although it was absolutely freezing and I decided it wasn’t worth the dip in temperature. My friend had a little swim in it though. We had a perfect girly evening chatting away and embracing the spa. I think it’s a must visit if you go to Center Parcs.

On Sunday, we again went over to the subtropical paradise where an incident took place on the powerful rapids. We were trying to form a human train, although when I reached back to grab Phil, the current forced a poor innocent woman into my path which resulted in an accidental boob grab. She was chill about it, I was mortified!

It had also been snowing, but we had already booked laser combat. I’m not very good at preparing for outdoorsy stuff unless it’s a warm summers’ day at the beach and I had to partake in the laser activity which was set amongst the woodland in heeled boots. It was freezing but super fun and I didn’t even fall over – result! I was actually surprised at how well thought out the laser combat activity was and would really recommend it.

After feeling the effects of the low temperatures, we retreated to our lodge for Indian take out and a warm up in our private sauna. It was a relaxing evening after a busy weekend.

I must say that I feel like I may have the CP bug and can’t wait to book another cheeky weekend away there.

Have you been to Center Parcs before?

L x

Barcelona part two, La Sagrada Familia and beach fun…

On By louiseIn Lifestyle, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

We were so lucky with the weather during our time in Barcelona. Travelling in Europe during January is always a risk in terms of weather but we lucked out and had sunshine with blue skies everyday during our time in Barcelona. Having good weather meant that we could make the most of being outside and were able to walk everywhere without resembling a soggy raccoon upon reaching our destination.

With the sunshine smothering us, we decided to walk to the beach from our hotel near Eixample. I’m at my happiest at the beach and I just feel so grounded and chilled out whenever I’m near the sea.

We meandered down to the marina which was such a lovely surprise. I didn’t realise that the marina would be so lovely, laced with palm trees and pretty views. There is also a shopping centre which is open 365 days a year and is home to a variety of shops and some great restaurants too.

I wasn’t expecting a particularly special beach in Barcelona. I’d been told that it wasn’t that great, so I was thrilled when we arrived at the beach and were greeted with golden sand and clear blue sea. In all honesty, the beach was much more desirable than many of the beaches here in the U.K., so I’m so glad that we weren’t put off and still popped along for some salty air and a stroll along the sea front.

I love gazing out at the ocean and seeing absolutely nothing connected to human life. Just the waves meeting the Earth, the ocean filled with life and the sky above. It makes me feel so chilled out and grounded. Exactly what you need on a birthday!

After we had embraced beach life, we decided to head on over to a cafe for coffee and cake. Unfortunately my Spanish is not so great and we actually found ourselves in a gluten free cafe where I had the weirdest crepe I’ve ever seen. It looked like a prawn cracker and had a spongy consistency. Anyway, I’ve decided I need to work on my Spanish before our next trip!

Following on from our gluten free cafe experience, we walked over to La Sagrada Familia because have you even been to Barcelona if you haven’t gawped at Gaudi’s masterpiece in the flesh?!

What a beauty! Such sumptuous architecture bathed In Mediterranean sunshine. Phil said that it was the most beautiful building he has ever seen and I am inclined to agree (although Italy has some real treasures).

We then walked back over to Eixample where we stumbled upon a traditional Spanish restaurant and had a glass of Sangria with our seafood paella. Not going to lie, the paella was a bit too fishy for my liking, but I was instantly hooked on the Sangria. It was divine!

Have you visited La Sagrada Familia?

L x

Budapest Day 3: Buda Castle, Gellért Spa and Pinball…

On By louiseIn Food, Lifestyle, TravelLeave a comment

We had a super jam packed Wednesday in Budapest following on from the Christmas break. The shops were finally open, the sun was shining and there was Life all over the city.

We started our day by having breakfast at Matthias Church. I’m such a sucker for Starbucks Pain Au Chocolats (or chocolate croissants as they like to call them Stateside!), so we decided to pop over to a Starbucks with a view for breakfast.

Unfortunately we had to walk up ten million stairs and Starbucks didn’t have any pains, so I had to settle for cake instead (certainly liveable!), but the views were incredible and it was such a treat to witness such a beautiful city smothered in golden sunshine.

It really was a glorious morning. I would highly recommend heading over to Matthias Church and walking along to Buda Castle. It was really lovely.

Budapest has so much history and culture sunken into its veins and each building has a story or a sight that it’s seen. Buda castle is no exception. There’s so much history there and it’s gorgeous too, so definitely worth a visit!

Following our visit to the castle, we made our way over to Gellért Spa. Gellért Spa resides in the most beautiful building and although it was smaller than Széchenyi, it was grander and felt cleaner. We had a relaxing afternoon there.

We then decided to walk to the Pinball museum. It took us over an hour as we stopped to breath in the sumptuous architecture that Budapest displays in abundance and although we were in need of a rest after our mammoth walking day (we had walked everywhere that day), I’m glad that we did because you simply miss out on the small things of you are whizzing by in a taxi.

We had lots of fun at the Pinball Museum, it was great to play on all of the different machines and they sell drinks there too, which is nice.

Soon it was time for us to stuff our faces, so we headed over to the Budapest BBQ for dinner and drinks. The food was great! We had a lovely evening.

I thoroughly enjoyed Budapest and I feel as though it’s a city that offers so much. I think we will definitely visit again one day.

Have you visited Budapest?

L x

Budapest Day One – Széchenyi Spa and a Christmas dinner cruise…

On By louiseIn Food, Lifestyle, TravelLeave a comment

For Christmas 2017 we decided to head on over to Budapest to experience Christmas abroad for the first time. We’ve never been away for Christmas and felt like it was a good time as we don’t have children nor do we have giant families where Christmas is a big deal. We chose to visit Budapest because some of our friends have travelled there and our wonderful neighbours are Hungarian and they recommended it. Anyway, fast forward to Christmas Eve and we were riding high in the sky with Rudolph on our way to a festive adventure.

I had made some loose plans of things to do and had decided that on Christmas Day we would head on over to Széchenyi Spa for a relaxing afternoon. We walked to the Spa from our hotel through a pretty park with incredible architecture and an ice rink. The sun was shining and it was so lovely.

We stopped off at Vajdahunyad Castle on our way to the Spa, it’s so, so gorgeous and definitely worth a visit. It was when we were wandering around by the castle that we spotted a little restaurant that served burgers. Scrumptious burgers that were rather sizeable. We stopped for lunch and grabbed a hot chocolate to go. I would definitely recommend the little restaurant with the big burgers!

The spa was really fun although in all honesty I did find it a little dirty feeling. I just felt that it was a bit grimy in places and that I needed a good scrub after. It was a really fun place though with so much to do from your own private hot tub with a beer tap, through to saunas and massages. It’s a great place.

In the evening we took a dinner river cruise that I booked through Viator. It was amazing, the cruise was beautiful with all of the gorgeous buildings that line the river all lit up. Super pretty. The boat was really lovely and festive too. There was a band playing and it was a wonderful evening. I ate too much and others drank too much (seriously there was a 14 year old boy on our table that knocked back two glasses of champers and two glasses of rose in forty minutes) and it was a lovely end to our first Christmas away. Sadly I didn’t take many photographs, but I can assure you that pictures wouldn’t have done the lush views justice anyway. I would highly recommend the dinner river cruise!

Have you visited Budapest?

L x

Back to LA, oh and Ed Sheeran…

On By louiseIn Lifestyle, TravelLeave a comment

Before we knew it (and definitely before we were ready), it was time to leave Vegas and drive back through the desert to Los Angeles. I quite enjoy a road trip and loved taking in the sights of the Mojave desert. It’s just gorgeous.

I was also rather excited because that evening we were seeing Ed Sheeran at the Staples Center. 

I quite enjoy Ed Sheeran’s music and was also really looking forward to watching him play at such an iconic venue. 

But before all of that, we arrived at our hotel to find ourselves literally in the middle of a building site. We were staying at The Mayfair Hotel, which I had chosen based on the fact it was a ten minute walk to the Staples Center and was a traditional 1930’s hotel much like the one featured in American Horror Story (I’m not sure why I thought that was a good idea). Anyway, after walking through the gigantic builders mess, we found ourselves back outside on the street and eventually in a part of the building which wasn’t under total renovation. I wouldn’t recommend staying there as we weren’t given a heads up about the building situation and also I just feel like it’s not quite up to the standard it should be. The location, however, was great as we could walk everywhere easily.

We headed over to a Greek restaurant for dinner before enjoying Ed Sheeran’s set. 

He put on a great show featuring all of his hits. I had never seen Ed play before (he sells out super fast!), and I loved how raw his performance was. It really is all about the music for him. I found it quite odd that I was sat in amongst thousands of people, thousands of miles from home watching a guy that knows a couple of people that I do and is also thousands of miles away. Anyway, it was a lovely evening.

We then did some late night shopping (yay for Target!) before heading back to our weird hotel.


Have you seen anyone play at the Staples Center?

L x

Exploring Vegas and the weirdest dining experience ever…

On By louiseIn Fashion, Food, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Dress: Asos Sunglasses: Michael Kors Tabitha 

I’ve been to Vegas three times now and each time I’ve fallen deeper in love with this colourful world hidden in the desert. I just love all that it has to offer. I’m not a gambler or even remotely seedy, which is the reputation that precedes Vegas. I love having fun, seeing different things, eating delicious food, shopping and seeing shows. Vegas has all of this in abundance.

I think that it’s that ease of convenience that helps me adore the place so much. Everywhere is open late, you can walk along the strip (I’m a big fan of walking!). Basically the place is your oyster. You can go out pretty much anytime and always find something to do. 

Anyway, on our first full day in Vegas, we took Phil’s Dad Steve (or P Diddy as I like to call him), for a tour of the strip, weaving in and out of various hotels that are devoured in detail. We also went to the Fashion Show Mall which is one of my favourite places to shop in Vegas (they have a Topshop!). 

It was great to feel the warmth on my skin, which is something I’m really missing now that autumn has set in. We took in the sights of the strip before heading Downtown.

I really like going Downtown because I find it a little bit raw. It’s not quite as glitzy and it just oozes retro charm. It’s more humble and less crowded and I just love the neon.

There’s a fair bit to do Downtown too, including zip lining, which I really wanted to do, however, I was inappropriately dressed for it! Next time though…

We ate dinner Downtown at the Heart Attack Grill, which I can only describe as the weirdest place I have ever eaten. I still can’t quite work out whether or not I enjoyed myself.

The hospital theme is really immersive, so we all sat there wearing hospital gowns awaiting our giant burgers and full calorie drinks (the waitress was unimpressed when I ordered a Diet Coke and announced that they don’t do diet there). 

They also have a policy where if you don’t finish your meal you get spanked. Hard. I couldn’t finish my burger and spent at least fifteen minutes freaking out about the spanking, coming up with irrational solutions such as hiding it in Phil’s rucksack or sneaking to the bin myself before realising that as it turns out, spanking isn’t compulsory. Who knew?

We then chilled out for a bit before heading back to New York, New York where we found a bar that had games (Beer Haus) so we spent the rest of the evening drinking and playing games such as Jenga.

Have you eaten at the Heart Attack Grill?

L x

USS Iowa and a tour of LA…

On By louiseIn Fashion, Lifestyle, TravelLeave a comment

We kicked off our Sunday in Redondo Beach before heading south to San Pedro to visit the USS Iowa. Phil’s Dad (Steve), had always wanted to see a warship in the flesh and that’s pretty much why he chose the West Coast for our holiday.

The USS Iowa is a huge ship oozing with history and character. It’s really fascinating to walk around and Steve loved it.

Once we had finished having a nose around, we headed over to Hollywood to visit the Griffith Observatory and that iconic sign.

It was mega busy over at Griffith Park, but we managed to get parked right outside the Observatory- result! 

I think that the observatory is fantastic for views of the city and the sign. The observatory itself is also great. Both times that we have been we watched a show in the planetarium. It’s so interesting and relaxing. I love how visiting the observatory reminds me of just how small I am – we are. It’s so easy to get swept up in modern day life and forget that in the grand scheme of things Earth is rather insignificant. 

My view on life is to enjoy what we have now. Think about the future, but don’t stress it. Don’t take anything for granted. Anyway, visiting the planetarium helps to keep me grounded!

Cap: Borrowed from Phil, made by Billabong Sunglasses: Kate Spade about 8 months ago, T Shirt: I picked up from Ocean Park when we were in Hong Kong, Shorts: I picked up in Target last year.

After our trip to the planetarium, we took a trip to Rodeo Drive. We wanted to make sure that Steve sees all of the iconic places whilst we were in Los Angeles, so Rodeo Drive was a must see.

We also took Steve to the Chinese Theatre which is honestly one of the most disappointing places I’ve ever been to. It’s not glamorous at all and it’s always rammed. It’s such a seedy area and a complete contrast to the glamorous, exciting image I had conjured up before my first visit. 

Anyway, although Phil and I despise that area, we felt that Steve needed to see it and took him along. We parked right nearby ($2.50 per 12 minutes!!!) and had a nose at the handprints, footprints and stars.

Another place that Steve had mentioned he would like to visit was the La Brea tar pits. Which are basically naturally occurring tar pits where asphalt has seeped through the ground. 

It was completely new to Phil and I and fascinating to see. They have been excavating fossils there for years and have found so many animals including a mammoth.

The animals would come close to the pits for drinking water without realising that they were filled with asphalt and get stuck in the tar. It’s really sad, but awesome that we can gather fossils. I would really recommend a visit. 

Have you visited any of these tourist hot spots?

L x

A day spent exploring West Wycombe…

On By louiseIn Lifestyle, UncategorizedLeave a comment


There’s something about National Trust sites that simply grip me. I’m not sure if it’s the opulent stately homes or the lush grounds, but either way I am always somewhat entranced by a trip exploring a National Trust site. I love how simple, yet complex each visit is from a casual stroll around woodland to a tour of the grandest of homes. I love using our time exploring to switch off from everyday life and escape the harshness of modern times. It’s like taking a step back into a simpler way of life. We always have a jolly good walk around and I love breathing in the fresh air, my toes skimming the grass. We always learn something new and find something different. On this occasion we visited West Wycombe, which has a house as well as grounds to explore. We learnt lots about the Dashwoods and found a giant fungus in a tree, which whilst I am quite aware this doesn’t sound exciting (and perhaps even repulsive), it’s just so lovely to take note of our surroundings, nature and none of us had seen anything like this fungi before. It was as though it had emerged from Wonderland.

I find that each visit to a National Trust site bares similar constitutions to that of a fairytale. Charming, enchanting and full of escapism. That’s why I was so excited to see what West Wycombe had to offer us as new place to explore.

Although the sky was coloured grey, it was still rather pleasant and we had a wonderful walk around the grounds.

The grounds are simply overflowing in natural beauty with the clearest waters. I’ve genuinely only seen waters as clear as these in Iceland and could barely believe that this kind of purity can be found lurking in Buckinghamshire.

The house that sits on the hill at West Wycombe is open to visitors and I would say it is very distinct. It has a lot of Italian influences and has been used for filming on many occasions (including the latest Bridget Jones instalment!) It’s brilliant that you can walk around and absorb the history of past inhabitants and there are loads of information sheets to hand too. 

Overall we had a great day and will definitely be returning!

Have you visited any National Trust sites?

L x