June 2014 - Amsterdam
I travelled here with my best friend, my other half, and my ultimate travel companion. The flight itself felt like a dream, we took off into a dusky pink sky at 3.00am and when I woke up - what felt like 5 minutes later, we were touching down at Schiphol (which, by the way is the biggest freaking airport ever - but don't let that put you off, it's also the most organised I've ever been to in my short 19 years.) We collected our apartment keys and jumped on the train underneath the airport, engaging in a chance meeting with a lone-traveller, a very mysterious American guy who we would strangely bump into again a couple of days later in the red light district. The train took us straight to centraal, which is where the chaos and my uncontrollable love for this city began.
Bicycle bells, more bicycle bells. Ringing abruptly and somewhat impatiently but with a cheerful tone. Trams, more trams, people crossing the street, canal barges, the occasional brave car driver amongst the rushing bodies, bikes and barges. The city was bathed in a warm summer smog and inevitably, the hypnotizing, nostalgic scent of weed. After working our way back to the apartment with ease (I am a dab hand with a map and the public transport - all those trams - is fantastic and easy to use) we dumped our stuff and headed back out.
Admittedly, Amsterdam is much of an intoxicated (read that how you want to) blur. The vibrance and scent of the flower market that we were lucky enough to stumble into, the relaxed vibe of the Vondelpark that united joggers, lovers, workaholics on lunch meetings, tourists and rastas singing for shrapnel and the mysterious streets that meet at the canal intersection, I was hopelessly in love with this city.
So - as for the practical side, if you're planning on going there, there are a few things I can recommend. If you're exploring the city for a few days, we bought a 48-hour tram ticket for 12 euros and it was definitely worth it, we hammered those things and the trams are pretty easy to navigate. Also, if you're travelling there during the summer months, please reserve a day for the Vondelpark, just go with a picnic and good company and watch the world go by. The Waterlooplein market is also a must, vintage jackets and denim galore - at very cheap prices. As for the big bike scene, we didn't hire bikes - it's a very walkable city if you're relatively fit, its all flat and the walk from the Vondelpark East back into the city centre is adorned with amazing vintage treasure chest shops.
March 2015 - Puy St.Vincent, French Alps
So after meeting my soulmate, he opened up my world to all sorts of things but I have to say the best thing yet has been snowboarding. At first, hell no, as a child I was fearless but then I became aware of that thing called gravity and was often crippled by my fear of heights. Kai, (the said soulmate) was having none of this. Slowly but surely he has helped (forced) me to conquer this fear and I owe a lot to him, snowboarding is now a huge part of my life and we plan to do a ski season together when I finish my law degree.
Okay so enough waffle about my fear of heights, earlier this year I had the amazing opportunity of visiting the alps with Kai, his family and some family friends. It changed my life. It was like a dream, flying over the mountains that looked like they had been dusted with icing to the point of perfection, against an amazing blue backdrop - it really was something straight out of a Toblerone or Evian advert. Then came the coach trip - and while my fear of heights has gone, the awareness of gravity still remains. This three-hour white knuckle, stomach turning coach trip almost had me on the floor with my eyes closed saying the lords prayer - anyone who has ever travelled along the road of a mountain range with lots of twists and turns will hopefully get my jist. However, we arrived (in one piece) and the coach trip was forgotten, I was instantly immersed in a world of blue skies and snow, and it felt like it was just me and my board, turning and flying amongst trees and along ridges, on top of the world, excited to be alive.
May 2015 - Paris/Disneyland
Okay so this one was just a little girly trip as a reward from me to me, for managing to keep my shit together in the face of the events that unfolded this year. I went with one of my closest friends who also deals with a lot of crap. We needed it. And where better to escape to than the happiest place on earth?
I was surprised by the city of Paris - we made a last minute decision to go from our disney hotel into the centre, we jumped on the RER at about 6pm in the crazy heat (black skinny jeans = big mistake) and disembarked at Gare Du Nord. After about 20 minutes of wandering and ending up back beneath the impressive facade of the train station (I didn't have a map this time) we grabbed a taxi and breathed a sigh of relief after changing into cooler clothes bought from H&M on the Champs Elysees - glamorous, I know. By this time we were lost, surrounded by beautiful people speaking the seductive eloquent language, our feet were tired and we were starving hungry. So naturally, we took a table in a beautiful little square at a restaurant called 'La Pepiniere' and chowed down on canard and prosecco. We left with full stomachs, renewed energy to explore this sexy city by night and admittedly, the number for a very friendly waiter apparently called 'Steeve' - if you're reading this Steeve I'm very sorry we didn't text you.
We then wandered the streets a little more and just like two Cinderella's, had to make it back for our train at midnight before our tickets expired. A very handsome, polite man who was admiring my friends good looks showed us back to the station (not quite the fairy godmother - but thankfully not quite 'Taken' either) and we made it back to La Marne Vallee Chessy just in time to get enough sleep before Disneyland the next day.
And to finish off is the place that I call my second home. Here in Wales, you wouldn't think there is much to marvel at - and I wouldn't blame you. However, nestled in the coastline of the Llyn Peninsula, branching out West from North Wales, is a hidden gem where the wind whispers to you as it plays with your hair with its salty fingers and the sea reaches up to kiss your bare feet - my parents have been bringing me here for long as I can remember, and now that I can drive and have my own car, I try to divide as much time between home and here as possible. It started up my passion for photography and my longing to be near the sea. It's also home to the 3rd Best Beach Bar in the world! (Apparently)
So - that's the extent of my travels thus far, before I complete a surfing road trip in my beautiful home country in August, Singapore & Thailand in September and Budapest in October. Feel free to join me on my journeys, I'll keep you updated!
All pics are my own.
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