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Tuscan Sunset, Italy

A trip to the Tuscan Mountains

We had the best time in Tuscany! This was the part of the trip I was least excited for and it wound up being my favourite part.

Where to stay

We stayed in Mulina, which was quite well located for the two hikes we ended up doing. The flat was really quite and spotlessly clean, with a nice area for eating outside as well. We’d definitely return here in the future.

Where to eat

(Just a note, that as this was during the COVID times, all of these places had outdoor and socially distanced seating.)

Lunch

We ate some of the best food of the trip in this area. On our way up we stopped at Osteria La Risvolta for lunch and ordered off the server’s recommendation. It was insanely good. Every day we planned to go back, but we kept finding new places to try and sadly never returned.

The second day we had a picnic lunch on top of Monte Forato – bread, meats, cheeses and wine of course. It was lovely 🙂

Dinner

The first night we had dinner close by at Trattoria Luciana Mulina. This was out of convenience, though our host did recommend it, and though it’s laid back looking, the food really surprised us. It was also totally delicious and a great local spot if you’re nearby.

After our epic day of hiking, we ate at Il Soggiorno. This place is kind of crazy to get to (you drive down a long windy road that isn’t totally convincing as a road), but the staff were so lovely and the food was so good and the portions were giant.

The one place we wanted to try but couldn’t was Osteria Candalla. If you’re going to be in the area (hiking or swimming most likely!), this place is popular enough that it’s necessary to book ahead.

What do to

Isola Santa

Isola Santa, Tuscany Isola Santa, Tuscany Isola Santa, Tuscany We did the best stuff! The day we arrived it was hot and we wanted to find somewhere to cool down, so we drove up to Isola Santa lake, which is nestled in this adorable village, and swam around. The water was so refreshing and you swim right over ruins of Medieval buildings.

Hiking

The next day we did two hikes because we couldn’t choose between them. If you plan to do this, I’d suggest breaking them up though I am not the fittest person in the world and survived doing both in one day.

We spent the morning hiking Monte Forato, mainly because we saw the peak on the way to Isola Santa the night before and decided it would be fun to climb – and it was!

Monte Forato, Tuscany, Italy

Then we spent the afternoon doing the magical Candalla waterfalls hike.

Candalla Waterfalls,Tuscany, ItalyYou can read the details here!

We only had two days in Tuscany, if we go back we’ll stay longer and explore more. I thought we’d lack for things to do but there is so much on in this area. I can’t wait to return!

Florence, Italy

A return to Florence

We had such a lovely time in Florence. Even though it’s so modern, the city centre is so unchanged it always feels a bit like stepping back in time. We stayed here, and can highly recommend it as it was charming, well placed, and even had an air con. There are a lot of steps up though, so only fit for those glad to climb a ton of stairs.

I’ve already written a full itinerary for Florence here. We mainly followed that, while trying out new food options.

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Tuscan Sunset, Italy

Italy Trip in the times of COVID

As you might have seen, we have some very exciting news! Our journey wasn’t the easiest, and after an early miscarriage in August we were desperate to get away from lockdown life for a bit. Luckily, there was a travel corridor open with Italy at the time and despite generally having an extremely low risk appetite for COVID exposure, we decided to take a trip to Italy to try to find some happiness. And we had the best trip!

COVID

Other than the flights, where we took precautions like sanitising our seats, not using the restrooms (or moving at all), not eating or drinking anything (thus never removing our masks) and where we didn’t have to sit with anyone else in our row, the trip felt completely safe. Italy is much, much stricter than the UK when it comes to COVID, so we were actually much safer there than back in London. All transport was socially distanced, train stations had people checking temperatures, and busy streets had police mandating masks at all times – even just walked about. No one in London wears masks just walking around outside, so it was a really nice change of pace!

Florence

The Duomo, Florence, Italy

We spent two days in Florence, eating the best food, drinking out in the sunshine, and just enjoying the gorgeous city. I have a full Florence itinerary here, and you can read about this trip here.

Tuscany

Isola Santa Lake, Tuscany

We then moved up into the mountains for a taste of the countryside. We ate the best meals here, went on two epic hikes, and swam in some really wonderful places!

Cinque Terre

Vernazza, Cinque Terre

I went to Cinque Terre a few years ago alone, and was so keen to return with a travel buddy. My hen do was actually going to be here in July, before COVID delayed the wedding. We stayed in Vernazza, my favourite of the five towns, and did nothing but eat, read and swim. It was heaven.

DIY Kitchen Parquet Floors

When we moved in we had a list of changes we wanted to make sooner rather than later. One that I really wanted to do was pull up the lino kitchen floors and put in herringbone parquet. The only way we’d be able to afford this would be to do it ourselves, and after some trial (and definitely some error) we are so pleased with how they turned out!

The Baseline

Not terrible, but none of it was really to our taste. And once we started on the floors things kind of ran away from us and we ended up completely redoing the entire kitchen! Lockdown gave us too much time so scheme. This post will only focus on the floors however, so read on for more details below!

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Reindeer, Helsinki, Finland

A Weekend in Helsinki at Christmas – with Reindeer!

During the Christmas of 2017, a year after going to Prague and Poland together, and after almost a year of living apart, I travelled to Helsinki to meet up with my roommates from when we lived in Spain. At that point Shaina had been living in Italy, getting Italian citizenship, and Vera was spending another year in Spain, this time in the Granada in the south.

Helsinki, Finland

I’ve heard Helsinki is boring and there’s not much to do in Finland. I can’t speak for other times of the year, but we did something awesome in Finland – we went to see the reindeer.

Reindeer, Helsinki, Finland

Reindeer, Helsinki, Finland

An easy half day trip from Helsinki, you can get to Nuuksio Reindeer Park. It’s about an hour on public transport, and so worth the trip. I’d never seen reindeer before, and the environment in Nuuksio feels so magical and Christmasy.

Getting there:

You can take commuter trains U, L, E from Helsinki Railway Station to Espoo (8 stops/25 min) and then bus no 245 from Espoo to Nuuksio. The bus stop at Espoo is right next to the train station. Ride the 245 bus until the Punjobsuo stop (27 stops/23 min). Walk a little bit forward and turn right after the crosswalk – you’ll see a sign advertising for the Reindeer park!

Reindeer, Helsinki, Finland

Getting back we had a bit more trouble as we had looked up the 245 bus schedule and obviously written it down wrong. The bus doesn’t run very often and we were waiting in the cold for about 45 minutes. I’d suggest asking the people working at the reindeer park to advise on the next bus, so you can avoid this.

Reindeer, Helsinki, Finland

The park itself is small but so lovely. When we went it was just the three of us and one other small group. You can feed the reindeer, pet them, and there’s a candlelit traditional Finnish tent with a fire pit where you can warm up and enjoy some warm cider or mulled wine. I recall being given some chocolate as well.

If you have more time (and money) than us, I would have LOVED to stay on site in one of the two iglu huts. These handcrafted huts are made from natural materials and look so cosy. You can feed the reindeer right from your window – there is a national park trail just around the corner that is meant to be a gorgeous walk as well. If I ever go back to Finland in the winter, I’ll definitely do this as a night in nature would be so wonderful.

Helsinki, Finland

The rest of our time in Helsinki was spent wandering around and taking in the city slowly. We went to MAJOR SHOPPING AREA, as it was quite festive and I bought a few decorations from SHOP that I look forward to putting out every year. We ate at Restaurant Savotta and spent an afternoon wandering around the stalls in the Helsinki market where there were tons of adorable handcrafted items.

Christmas Market, Helsinki, Finland

Where to eat:

We had dinner at Restaurant Savotta, which was delicious and the place was adorable. It was like having dinner in someone’s house – traditionally decorated with Finnish furniture and rya rugs and the table settings were perfect. I wouldn’t miss this place on a return trip!

We also had dinner at Café Engel, which had great food and was perfectly located just across from Senate Square – where the Christmas Market is.

For breakfast, going to Regatta Café is basically a requirement. Traditionally Finnish and is right on the water, full of decorations, a fireplace, candles and is possibly the cosiest café I have ever been to. Go here and get the cinnamon roll – you won’t be sorry!

Cafe Regatta, Helsinki, Finland

Cafe Regatta, Helsinki, Finland

Logistics:

We stayed at Eurohostel, which was a cheap and cheerful option with a free sauna in the mornings. It’s a five minute tram ride to the city centre, and the trams are so easy to use in Helsinki it made getting in and out super easy.

To/from the airport: This is really easy as well. It’s one train that takes about 30 minutes between the city centre and the airport. Two trains connect the two: Line “I” train: Runs via Huopalahti to Helsinki Central Station. Line “P” train: Runs to Helsinki Central Station via Tikkurila. See their schedule here.

Though we only had two days in the city, we packed in so much and had such a lovely time getting in the holiday spirit. One thing we didn’t have time to do but wished we had was visit the Winter Garden. It’s meant to be a bit of an oasis in the middle of the city and we were sad to miss it.

Reindeer, Helsinki, Finland

Devastatingly, I haven’t seen Shaina in person since then, PROBABLY TIME TO SORT THAT. Instead of Africa 2020 maybe London-for-my-wedding 2020?

Talinjoo, Fort Dauphin, Madagascar

MADAGASCAR – MONTH FOUR

Month Four has easily been my best month yet and started off with quite a bang! We spent the
weekend in Evatraha – my favourite place I’ve been in Madagascar thus far!

We met a bit outside of town before hopping in a few boats and riding for about an hour
through the lake and reeds to get to the coolest little camp on the water. It was fairly remote,
but with bungalows to sleep in, paddle boats to borrow, and a great dock to jump off of.
We pre-ordered all our meals so there was no hassle with food and brought quite a bit of beer
with us, and logistically it all worked really well. We played games, read, swam and just relaxed, and it ended up being my best weekend to date! I loved Evatraha!

Other big things to happen… I’ve started my health economics course for my masters, which is
the one I was most dreading of all my classes this year. And so far, I’ve really enjoyed it! I’m
pretty surprised by it, and nervous for the final, but the process of learning about it has actually proved to be quite engaging.

Wales beat England in 6 Nations, making Gareth and I quite the sports power couple. Some
other horrific sports stuff happened that has once again called into question the morality of my
love for the NFL, and what I would class as the only ACTUAL Patriots scandal that deserves
outrage. Why can’t we have nice things? Why do men in power consistently let us down?

BIGGEST NEWS, I’m finally (touch wood) healthy!! My stomach is the best it’s been since I arrived, which is honestly such a game changer. Also, during all of these medical visits I got to know the local doctor here and she is incredibly inspiring and passionate about family planning and contraception, which led to some really interesting  conversations.

ANYWAY. I’m riding a bit of a high at the moment because MY PROJECT IS NOW FULLY FUNDED! Honestly, the high of getting funded is like no other. I am into it.

We had a lovely dinner at my friend’s flat – we hung out with her new kitty, made DELICIOUS curry, and two different types of cookies. It was luxury.

It’s still hot.

Also, I head back for a visit to London in just about two weeks, and on the way I used my trusty
airline miles to build in a 1.5 day layover in Addis Ababa and 2.5 days in Nairobi. Now I just have to decide if I want to hang out in Nairobi the whole time or squeeze in a two day, one night safari to Masai Mara National Reserve. These are the decisions that keep me up at night.

Fjord tour, Bergen, Norway

A Weekend in Bergen, Norway

Last Autumn a friend came over to Europe from LA, and we decided to visit Bergen, because Norway is amazing, and tickets were shockingly cheap–an occurrence I’m finding less shocking the more often I look up flights out of London (lucky me!).

Getting There

Getting there was an adventure, because when does travel ever go smoothly?? An evening that began with Megan getting on an express train to the wrong destination and nearly missing the flight, ended with us huddled in the pouring rain at midnight, desperately trying to get one of our phones to turn on in the freezing air, 50 metres from our airbnb and completely lost. The plus side is getting to/from the airport is incredibly easy, regardless of when you arrive. Top tip: Buy a round trip ticket from the machine right next to the bus stop at the airport–it’s cheaper than buying on the bus (which is possible if you’re in a rush/would rather deal with a human).

The place we rented was the definition of hygge, to steal a Danish word. It was tiny, but so cosy and well decorated I honestly considered becoming a furniture thief/smuggler. After my flight out on Sunday, Megan was able to meet with the woman who lived there. She is studying for her Master of Philosophy at the University of Bergen, and I’m mildly obsessed with her life (and decorative skills).

Flat in Bergen, Norway

We only had around 36 hours there, as we had to leave after work on Friday, and my flight back was at noon on Sunday. While more time would have been nice, and I do want to return to experience everything in nicer weather, Bergen is a small, a gorgeous city surrounded by stunning natural beauty. Everything we wanted to see was within a 5 minute walking radius, and it was easy to fit everything in.

Itinerary

Food

Breakfast

Start with breakfast at Godt Brød, where you need to try the traditional cinnamon rolls and delicious tea/coffee. The Fløibanen funicular is right outside the cafe, as is the walking path (which I believe takes about 30 minutes if you choose to hike). The funicular was about 8 pounds round trip, and as a big funicular fan who was short on time, I opted for a round trip service.

Lunch

We stopped for what was meant to be a quick lunch at Kaf Kafe Bryggen. This place is super cute and is a lovely way to spend the afternoon – which we basically did, as our (delicious) soup took over 45 minutes to come! We ended up having to eat the soup in under a minute because our Fjord tour due to begin. Definitely not a place to go when you have a strict schedule, but an incredible cosy place to warm up and relax!

Fishmarket Dinner

To start, this isn’t a budget option. But, oh my god, if you find yourself in Bergen you have to eat at the fishmarket. It’s so lovely – set up with the cosy blankets and heaters G and I saw everywhere in Copenhagen last year and just so atmospheric. We had wine, and a meat and cheese platter (HIGHLY recommended, though consider asking them to not include whale), and salmon and mashed potatoes. It was a lot of food, all delicious, and an all-around great way to end the trip.

Things to do:

Mount Fløyen

Fløibanen Funicular, Fløyen Mountain, Bergen, Norway Fløibanen Funicular, Fløyen Mountain, Bergen, Norway

As the Fløibanen funicular is right outside of Godt Brød, I’d recommend a trip up right after breakfast. Mount Fløyen offers some incredible views of the city and harbour and has hiking trails throughout. It’s a great welcome to Bergen, as you can see everything from the top. We were luckily enough to get some blue skies while up there, and after taking in the views, we walked through the woods for a bit, which were well marked and felt quite magical. Try to find the “warning” signs hidden around the forest!

Fløyen Mountain, Bergen, Norway Fløyen Mountain, Bergen, Norway

Shopping

After the nature walk, take some time to explore the shops in Bryggen, which are filled with some incredible clothes and furniture and decor. I could have easily spent hundreds, thousands of pounds there, and it got to the point where I just had to stop going in, because the window shopping was hurting my heart.

Bryggen, Bergen, Norway Bryggen, Bergen, Norway

Though all the stores were incredible, my Christmas loving heart has to give a special shout out to Julehuset. We happened upon this Christmas themed heaven by mistake, and it was probably my second favourite part of the trip! Anyone who knows me knows that the holiday season is my absolute favourite time of the year. Thanksgiving, pumpkins, snow, Christmas music and movies. I am that obnoxious person who can’t get enough. Julehuset did not disappoint. It’s huge, four floors, filled with every Christmas decoration you can imagine. I almost bought a wooden truck that had little drawers that made it an advent calendar, and still regret not doing it on a near daily basis. Instead I settled for a few ornaments, and a pull string wooden toy that reminded me of one my grandparents used to have. If you are as obsessed with Christmas as I am, do not miss Julehuset!

Julehuset, Bergen, Norway Julehuset, Bergen, Norway Julehuset, Bergen, Norway

Fjord Tour

Also do not miss a Fjord Tour! It was the highlight of our trip. We booked one that lasted for 3 hours from Bergen to Mostraumen and it lived up to our high expectations, even in the pouring rain. In fact, I’d say the rain made it feel even more epic, like more of an adventure. We would alternate between going outside until we were soaked and freezing, going back inside to dry off/try to coax our phones/cameras into turning back on, and then doing it all over again.

Fjord tour, Bergen, Norway Fjord tour, Bergen, Norway Fjord tour, Bergen, Norway Fjord tour, Bergen, Norway The little villages we traveled through were incredible, and it felt a bit like we had gone back in time–the slightly eerie, foggy weather didn’t hurt either. Eventually we came to the end, went right up to a waterfall where they stuck out a bucket and we were all able to drink some waterfall water. I’m a bit neurotic about drinking water, but had decided as soon as I’d heard about this part of the tour that I’d try it, and it was super delicious. Sometimes water just tastes good, and this was some good water.

Norway was unexpectedly wonderful. Having now been to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland, I can confidently say I am a huge fan of Scandinavia. I want to go back to Bergen, but also go farther north – I’d love to get to Tromso and have a shot at seeing the Northern lights! But until then, my weekend in Bergen was a wonderful introduction to the country.

Talinjoo, Fort Dauphin, Madagascar

2019 GOALS

HAPPY 2019!!

I can’t believe it’s here! I can’t believe 2018 is over! Sometimes I think back to 1999/2000 New Year and remember how scared I was of Y2K. I was at my Aunty Gail’s house with my two best friends and moving into the 2000s seemed insane. Now it just seems crazy that was 19 years ago. Wow, wow, wow.

Anyway, looking back on my goals for 2018, I was semi-successful. I failed at refocusing on Spanish, I did not learn to drive a standard, and while I got back into Pilates for a while, the move to Mada really undid most/all of that effort.

I’m not totally caught up on this blog — one day I’ll write about Croatia, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Mzansi in Cape Town. BUT I kept up with it relatively well and got through a backlog of other things. So I’m going to mark this one down as a win.

Feeling content is a work in progress but I’m definitely doing better than I was this time last year, so again, a win.

A theme is that I suck at accomplishing any of my resolutions, which is well documented on this blog. So this year I’m setting “intentions.” Let’s see if that helps any.

2019 INTENTIONS

  • French. Would be SUCH a career boost if I could speak French, and I’m living in a country where French is commonly spoken and would hugely assist my ability to get by. I’m going to look into lessons and try to leave Mada with a solid grasp of the basics — something off of which I can continue to build. I think often with languages the hardest part is just getting started.
  • My masters. I want to take (and pass) the finals of at least three of my classes.
  • Surfing. Fort Dauphin is great for surfing and there are tons of people offering lessons. Learning to surf used to be on my 30 before 30 before I decided my fear of the ocean was stronger than my desire to surf. But when in Rome…

Very few intentions this year, and zero travel related! It’s not cheap getting to/from Mada, so I expect I’ll be here most of the year. When my contract is up, depending on finances, I could see myself moving to France for a bit and taking a month or two of intensive French lessons. We shall see.

The most important things left on my 30 before 30 are: masters, learn French, live in France, B2 level of Spanish, Bali, and Buenos Aires. I might be able to get the first three started, but the last three will be a bit of a push. We shall see! If I turned 30 tomorrow I’d be over the moon excited about how much I managed to do in the past five years. Anything further is just a bonus, really!

Paros, Greece

2018 WRAP UP

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Wow, another year nearly over! 2018 honestly went by so fast I’m struggling to write this post — my brain does not compute.

There were some pretty big things that happened this year though. For starters, the vast majority of my friends got married! I went to seven weddings this year and there was only one where either Gareth or I weren’t in the wedding party! It was such a wonderful, love filled year and I’m so grateful I was living in London (and able to get to Boston) for everything!

There were also some great trips —

I went to Paris in February to visit Faye and meet Ross, which was so lovely. FAYE I MISS YOU COME TO MADAGASCAR!

Ibiza for a hen do, where we stayed in the nicest villa and went proper clubbing. I haven’t done that since I was 21 and brand new to LA!

Egypt and South Africa, which were huge life highlights I’ll never forget.

Greece, easily one of my favourite places on earth.

Boston, to see my fam and watch some of my best friends get married.

Madagascar, where I’ve moved to work on HIV and WASH projects for the next year.

Regarding my 30 before 30, I crossed off four (and a half) items. Go to Egypt, South Africa, Greece, work in the field in Africa, and I’ve started my masters.

This year was big professionally and educationally, and moving to Mada has been pretty big personally as well. Being apart from G after having lived together is a new kind of hard, but it’s also teaching me so much about the world, myself (to be corny), and of how much I’m capable.

Also I’m quite enjoying looking back at wrap ups for 2016 and 2017 and seeing how much has/hasn’t changed. One more year to 30!

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik, Croatia

The last stop on my Semana Santa trip, which included trips to Florence, Venice, Slovenia, Zagrab and the road trip through Croatia and Bosnia, was Dubrovnik. We stayed just outside of Old Town and walked in and out each day, mostly because we still had the car and figuring out parking was easier staying outside the city walls. Dubrovnik was a gorgeous and wonderfully relaxed way to end weeks of constant travel. We didn’t do much beyond walk around and enjoy it, but it is exactly the city for that!

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik Highlights:

  • Dubrovnik’s Old Town is surrounded by defensive walls, constructed between the 12th – 17th centuries, considered to be some of the best from the Middle Ages as they have never been breached. We’re now able to walk across them, which offers incredible views of the entire town. It takes about two hours, maybe a bit longer if you’re like us and stop to have a drink with a nice view along the way, and costs €25 per person.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik, Croatia

  • We ate at Lady Pi Pi which is at the top of the Old Town – it’s a literal hike to get up to it, but oh man is it worth it. It’s SO delicious (mainly seafood and grill) and had lovely views and was such a pretty place covered in grape vines. They don’t do reservations so I’d recommend arriving early!

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik, CroatiaDubrovnik, Croatia

  • Walking through the town at night was so charming as well. Something it was a bit cold for but I’d love to do if we ever go back is a sunset kayak tour, like this one.  Dubrovnik, Croatia

And then the holiday was over and Gareth flew back to London and I flew back to Logrono to finish the last month of teaching during my year in Spain!