My Travel Bible: The Lonely Planet Obsession

Hello lovely people – time for your weekly travel ramblings from me!

This week I thought I might write about my travel bibles aka the huge collection of Lonely Planet guides that litter my book shelves and are only slightly getting out of control.

While it is not the most original travel item as usually everyone has them and you can’t wander round a city or trek Matchu Pitchu without seeing Lonely Planet guides stuck out the top of backpacks or being desperately clutched when lost, I still love to get one.

The most I usually use my guide is actually in the planning stages of my holiday. It is great to orientate yourself in an area, maybe see where you might want to stay, even take some of the suggestions as to accommodation from the book. I like to see what the guide suggests to do, and then compare it to online suggestions, followed by then ignoring these ideas completely and usually wandering around until I get lost.

For me, these travel guides are also a kind of souvenir in a way, they are often aspirational as I have loads from places I haven’t been yet, but they are also a reminder of where I have been. I know I sound very airy fairy, but it’s true.

I also find they are a great conversation starter both at home on my book shelf, and when you are out travelling, people are drawn to them and it is a great way to get talking to fellow travellers, even when you are on your own!

What is your favourite guide? Do you have any you would recommend?

Have a good week my loves!

Lots of Love, Kate xxx

72 hours in Stockholm

You might be pretty sick of me constantly writing about my holidays, but then again, this is a travel blog for the most part, so what do you expect really?!

Although this is the last overseas holiday post for a while because it was the last holiday I had booked! It feels weird not having something happening – although this is solely down to my supposed job hunt – damn money that I need to live.

Anyway, my FINAL trip of the year so far was to the sunny climbs of Stockholm, Sweden, just for a two-night city break.

While the weather in the UK has calmed down at the end of July, I promptly flew to Stockholm where it was over 30 degrees with 94% humidity. Great.

As Stockholm is in Scandinavia, it is super super expensive, especially at the moment (thanks Brexit), so if you really want to enjoy yourself, don’t try to do it on a budget – although I did and it wasn’t half bad.

Stay in an Airbnb, a classic, and most likely the cheapest option in Stockholm – I’d also advise picking one that is right in the centre of the city if possible so you don’t have to pay the mind-numbing price of £4 per one way journey for the Swedish public transport. Find the Airbnb I stayed here.

There are many airlines to choose from when flying to Sweden (or get the train from Copenhagen or Oslo) but make sure you fly to Stockholm Arlanda airport – the flights to here may be slightly more expensive but if you pick the Ryanair flights from Stanstead, although they cost nothing, they will fly you to an airport that is actually 4 hours outside Stockholm – not great for a city break! I flew with Norwegian which ticks all the boxes for a short haul 2h35m flight – slightly uncomfortable seats, but not too bad all in all.

What to do in Stockholm: Well there are many options, although all costing rather a lot, so choose your poison in advance. There are literally hundreds of museum littering the island archipelago that makes up the city, so take a wander round the postage museum, the ABBA museum (legendary) or the Nobel Prize Museum.

Sweden is known for being a wonderfully liberal country, with a brilliant concept that has recently taken the world by storm. With no English translation, fika, literally means to take a break and have a coffee and a chat with your friends, so feel free to do this in any number of beautiful parks or coffee shops in Stockholm.

For younger visitors, or just for big kids, on the island of Skansen there is a Tivoli theme park with an open air museum that has been reconstructed to show Stockholm through the ages with a large zoo too!

And classically, in true basic traveller style, two free options from insider tips is to visit the Medieval museum (although note it is closed on Monday) and take a free walking tour around the city. This lasts just over an hour as Stockholm really isn’t very big, but is great for orientating yourself and learning about Swedish history...and don't forget to try some Swedish meatballs! 

Where are you off on holiday to next?

Have a great week my loves!

Lots of Love, Kate xxx

Sarajevo: The Best Restaurant in the Balkans

Dveri.

In one way it means a Serbian right-wing political party.

In Bosnian and Russian it means 'doors'.

But in Sarajevo, it is easily THE best restaurant.

Walk into Dveri and you will instantly feel like you have been taken back to the Bosnian countryside before the war. Dveri is a Bosnian home, from the tiny kitchen churning out the most amazing home cooked food to the one waiter serving and welcoming you into his life.

Sit down on the rustic furniture decorated in red Bosnian style and you are welcomed into a home and a restaurant.

Choose from Bosnian traditional meals of fried sardines, Hungarian inspired goulash, roasted vegetables and heavy meat dishes, you will not be disappointed by any choice. And definitely remember to ask for the olives, bread and oil to share at the beginning of the meal. The homemade bread is so fluffy you could be forgiven for thinking it was a Yorkshire pudding and the 'homemade olives' simply fall off the pips.

Open what feels to be 24/7 Dveri serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks, you could stay there all day and feel at home.

Have a good week my loves!

Lots of Love, Kate xxx

Masters Sum Up Post

You knew it would be coming, it had to be coming at some point soon, and in an effort not to finish my dissertation I have had a moment of clarity in my blog-writer’s-blog-lack-of-things-to-write-thing that is going on at the moment. So if all goes to plan I will have at least a few more posts in the upcoming weeks rather than the silence like the first half of the summer.

I thought it might be worth doing a Masters sum up post and reflection on how my last (educational) year has been – this will also tie in with a big announcement post that I am hoping to release a couple of weeks from now, so stay tuned!

As all of you will know in great detail (and if you don’t where have you been the last year and a half?) I moved to Paris at the beginning of last September to do my masters in International Relations. If you cast your minds back, about June time of last year I was having a proper life crisis as I was leaving Royal Holloway, my home for the previous three years, and I had no idea what to do with my life. Flash forward to no, so much has changed, and I don’t regret any of it for a second, but what is the point in doing a masters, and is it really worth it?

Well, first of all, let me write a disclaimer that this is no way at all meant to disparage anyone’s choice to do a degree, masters or not – just what I think about it all for me. For some people doing a master’s my even be a necessary evil in this day and age – for example in psychology to achieve qualification in your specialism it helps to do a masters. But for me, an average 2:1 English and Classics graduate, what was the point?

Well, honestly, there really wasn’t one. I could have got a job, and for a while that is what I decided I was going to do, I even managed to get a few interviews. I could have taken a gap year once again to either earn some money or live at home or go travelling, whatever. I am lucky that all these options would have been open to me. For me, doing a masters was a chance to combine education and travel by going to Paris. 

Yes, it cost and arm and a leg (but working 5 jobs in 3^rd year I think qualified me to do this) and as uncool as it sounds, I have always loved learning and becoming more and more qualified – as much as I can be. I think it is part of my obsessive personality that I always need to have more and more certificates and qualifications, even in silly things like singing grading or karate belts when I was younger.

Also, for me, doing a masters was a chance to change subjects, from English and Classical Studies to International Relations was not a massive jump as they are both essay-based humanities subject, but there was still a bit of a learning curve – understanding how all the theories worked and were supposed to be used – to be able to analysis rather than just describe certain events. It was hard work, don’t get me wrong, but personally I didn’t think it was any harder than 3^rd year, except there was more of it.

Coming to the last 5 weeks or so of dissertation writing has made me realise how much I do really love learning, writing and asking questions, but I am honestly not going to miss this damn essay and the nagging feeling that there is always something else to do!

What about a PhD you say? Well, maybe one day when my rich and famous singing career is over!

Have a good week my loves!

Lots of Love, Kate xxx

Making the Most in Morocco

Here comes your (what seems like) monthly blog post – I had so much to write about while I was living in Paris as I was actually living somewhere that I had things to write about, but at the moment the most exciting thing that seems to happen to me is getting the train to London. Therefore, instead of boring you lovely people rigid with my tales of commuting, this summer is going to be sporadically filled with blogs about various short breaks I am taking. Look out for a post at the beginning of August for all things Swedish and Stockholm! I am also thinking about doing an overview of the summer post with info on my internship at The British Red Cross which I will be finishing in mid-August and just generally complaining about my dissertation (due in 6 weeks – scary as shit!).

Anyway, Morocco!

Last week I was lucky enough to take time off and head out to the West African country of Morocco, more specifically to Marrakesh. This trip had been in the works since about January/February time of this year – so it has been a long time coming! Although many people thought we were mad for going to Marrakesh in July, with the average temperature at about 42 degrees, it is a beautiful dry heat, unlike the horrible humidity heat of the UK at the moment, so it was a welcome change.

As there was 8 girls heading out there, I arranged for us to have an entire private Riad through Airbnb (check out the my Airbnb discount code on the links and promotions page), this meant that we had access to our own cold plunge pool which was most appreciated, along with a guide/manager and breakfast was even cooked for us! Staying in a Riad is a very popular means of accommodation in Marrakesh, they are old mini-palaces that have been turned into BnB style accommodation for tourists and travellers and are ideal for a short break as most are right in the centre of the city or the ‘Medina’ where the markets are. Check out our Riad here!

Although there was a lot of sleeping and lounging going on for the first couple of days, on day 3 most of us managed a hike up the Atlas Mountains to a waterfall. These mountains are considerably cooler than the city and are where most of the local go in the summer (or so I’ve been told!). On day 4 we also made it to a Moroccan cooking course for the day at Faim d’Epices – about 9 miles out of town. For 55 euros you will be picked up and taught how to make a meal of the day – we made Moroccan couscous with 7 vegetables (and beef for the others). It might seem pricey but you are piled with so much food and activities and for the brilliant personal service and beautiful surroundings it is worth every penny. Find it here!

Day 5 was our last day and as we had to be out of the Riad by 11 but our flight was late in the evening, we had the whole day to wander the streets of Marrakesh. While I attempted to navigate the streets to the Bahia Palace, it turned out to be closed. Looking slightly lost we were adopted by a Moroccan student wanting to practise his English and taken to a traditional Berber (the local people) pharmacy. From here I managed to find the way to another Palace – Palace El Badii (costing 10 dirhams – about 80p – to enter) it is an old palace in ruins which is currently being restored.

After suffering through the heat of the day, I arranged for lunch at Nomad back among the streets of the market, this restaurant has a beautiful terrace overlooking the rooftops of the city. Whilst their service is slow at best, the food is refined traditional Moroccan – I would highly recommend the fish ball tagine!

Catching our EasyJet flight back was painful, landing back into Gatwick at 2 am on Sunday morning – but with both flights and accommodation costing a meagre £219 pp (accommodation between 8 people) Marrakesh is certainly for those on a student budget.

While it is an Islamic country, and travelling for women can be interesting, we encountered very little problems as most people were very friendly and kind – just be prepared to be catcalled on the streets of Jemaa El-Fna – it’s the place to go if you want to find a husband, that’s for sure!

Have a good week my loves!

Lots of Love, Kate xxx