Travelling diaries: Lisbon

Back in September I went away on a long overdue girls holiday to Lisbon. It was lovely and just what I needed! We had the perfect mix of the beach, sun, sightseeing, eating great food, drinking too much wine and dancing away to Portuguese music and samba til the early hours.... thinking about it, I think I need another holiday already!

My first winter holiday: Sweden/Norway

Back in February I decided to go on my first 'winter holiday'. That's not to say that I hadn't been anywhere cold before when going away and visiting cities etc; but never this cold! The place I went to in Sweden, Åre, was a bit of a pain to get to but know for being one of the best Ski resorts in Sweden and also around -19°C

To get there, first we had to fly to Trondheim in Norway and stay there for a night before catching the train over to Sweden. I really liked Trondheim and had a bit more time to explore on my way home luckily.

Travel Destinations: Rome

I’ve been lucky enough to go to Rome three times, and I love it: the constant buzz of the city- especially in the summer; the mix of old and the new; the mopeds driving around the Colossuem; pizza; pasta… Parmagiano!!

There are 2 airports, Fiumicino and Ciampino, the latter is closer to the city. From there the main way of getting to the city is buses. Or if you decide to go via train, Termini is the main train station, located to the South East of the city, North of the Tiber. The language spoken is, of course, Italian and the currency is the Euro.

 The Colosseum is a must,the last time I was there it was around €15 for this and entry to the Forum. Its best to have a decent camera and go on a sunny day if possible. The buildings look beautiful in the sun and I find I could picture the fights and audiences clearer… I guess I've probably seen Gladiator too many times!

 The Forum, located between the Palatine Hill and the Capitoline Hill (there were seven ‘hills’ of Rome), used to be the centre of Roman life. And they have recently unearthed part of what was believed to be Emperor Augustus’ Villa, which had really old interesting paintwork that they'd recently uncovered.

One of my favourite places in Rome is the Trevi fountain (above). I think the sculptures are beautiful and love the atmosphere around, and the cute little shops- it also has an amazing Gelateria (to the left when you're looking at the fountain) which I go to every time! The 'legend' says that if you throw a coin in the fountain with your right hand and your back turned to it, that it will ensure a return to Rome.

Other 'must visit' places are Piazza Navonna, where there are artists selling their pictures, entertainers, cafes and restaurants all around (although if you eat in the square you're going to pay more).

For all the shoppers out there you can’t go wrong with all the designers near the ‘Spanish Steps’, so called triangular ‘square’, is named after the Embassy to the Holy See...

And lastly there is of course, The Vatican, a huge city or even county in it’s own right, in the heart of Rome (well, North West) and home to the famous St Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, numerous paintings, sculptures and even an Egyptian section with a mummy. Its best to leave a whole day for this, as whatever time of the year, it tends to be full of tourists. There is a dress code, no short sleeves, shorts etc. Best to check before you go.
A map was my best friend! Never eat near squares, the Colosseum, or major churches, Pantheon etc if you can help it as prices will normally double. Be prepared to haggle, and watch out for the odd pickpocket! But this really is a lovely city!

Thanks for reading, have any of you been to Rome? Or are planning on going?

Also I had a little play around with the blog design, what do you think? yay or nay?

Travel Destinations: Marrakech

Today's destination is Marrakech, one of the largest cities in Morocco.
It's a relatively cheap place to go and lovely and hot! When I went in October (last year) it was still a sweltering 31 C! Lots of UK airports fly there and the flights can be quite reasonable. The currency is Moroccan Dirham and last time I went, it was about £1 = 11 Dirham.

Travel Destinations: Barcelona

Two weeks ago I was lucky enough to be in Barcelona; what I wouldn't give to go back there now with this cold weather!
Barcelona is Spain's second largest city and the capital of Catalonia( and the largest city). They speak Catalan, a different language altogether to Spanish. And Barcelona has 3 airports serving it; El Prat, the city's airport, Gerona about 40 minutes from Barcelona and Reus- the same. It is very easy to get the train from El Prat to Barcelona central (which I did) and takes about 20 minutes. There is so much to see and do in the city, I just didn't have time to do it all, unfortunately.

Travel Destinations: Sydney

Sydney is probably the most famous city in Australia, often mistaken for the capital. It's on the east coast, in New South Wales, home to approx 4.6 million and the site of the first British colony. It's considered by other Australians as the hedonistic party city. The currency is Australian dollars.

Travel Destinations: Hong Kong

Hong Kong, known for its Sky scraper sky line, great food, shopping and mix of cultures. This Chinese city, sits alone as a state from China, but up until 1997 belonged to the UK as a colony. It has it's own currency, parliament, passports and legal system, but Beijing still appoints it's Chief Executive.