Sunday, July 8, 2018
Sundays
I'm back again because I have nothing else (that I want) to do right now, and the past month has been seriously hectic. Yet another Sunday evening, and I've hated Sundays ever since the 2nd weekend of my year abroad in France when I realised nothing is open and there is nothing to do. It's gotten better moving back to London, at least the shops are open until 6pm. But the summer days are long, sunsets are late and I'd rather be out and about instead of laying in bed at home. Recently it's been better as I've also developed this habit of watching a movie on Sunday evening (thanks Vitality for the free tickets), although I never pick the ones that show too late as I don't like getting home late. Today I watched Patrick, which is a British comedy about a pug. It's based in London, and some scenes reminded me of places I have been, which was pretty nice. After the movie I just came home and got myself a cold drink and an ice cream, then put in some laundry. I am being reminded of 6 weeks ago, the evening walk in Wapping, and various flashbacks from earlier this year. I miss those times very much.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Geneva: Days 2 and 3
Blogging about the rest of my Geneva trip on the flight back to London now as this flight is only an hour. I’m so sad the trip is over but so thankful for the amazing time especially to A and her family for their amazing hospitality and everything!
Yesterday was my second full day in Geneva, and we went to visit A’s Aunty M and Uncle L. A and I both woke up super late, alarm didn’t go off for some reason, ate a hasty breakfast, and then we took the bus to Nations where the UN Chair statue was as we were meeting her aunt there. Before that we also stopped halfway at a Coop near Avenue Louis Aubert and I swear I’d been there before!! The street looked very familiar and somehow my phone got automatically connected to someone’s WiFi named “Guest” and I think that was where my Airbnb was when I visited Geneva in 2014. I wasn’t the one who booked the Airbnb so I didn’t have the full address so couldn’t check but I think I will check when I get back but how coincidental was that! We went to the Coop and I bought about a kilo of Caillère chocolate as well as some snacks and drinks. When in Switzerland of course ...
We then caught the bus again and passed by downtown Geneva and saw the Jet d’Eau from the bus - I had already been a few years ago but weather was so much nicer yesterday as the last time I’d came in winter. We got off the bus at Nations, then walked for a bit and met Aunty M halfway. Aunty M drove us back to her place which was across the border in France as we were meant to be staying over in her chalet in the garden (super nice of them). On the way Aunty M showed us around the area where there were lots of old farmhouses as well as the woods. I love being back in the country side, and it also reminded me a lot of my Workaway experience at the farm in 2016.
Aunty M and Uncle L also have 4 dogs (!!!) - 2 white bichons and 2 golden retters who are absolutely the cutest and also have an abundance of energy. We’d already met the 2 white dogs at the barbecue on Sunday but was our first time meeting the 2 bigger dogs, and all 4 dogs rushed out to greet us once we arrived. We took the 4 dogs for a walk around the woods with Uncle L afterwards and had the opportunity to SIT IN THE BACK IN THE CAR TRUNK WITH 4 DOGS. In A’s words this was a life goal accomplished(!!!) and of course it was SUPER ROWDY but at the same time absolutely hilarious because all the dogs were so excited and chasing their tails and wagging their tails super hard and also sticking their heads out of the window (classic dog thing). We took a walk until the start of the circuit in the forest then we had to go back, but the dogs were literally just tearing around and one of the dogs kept running off but was so funny.
Went back to the house, where Aunty M cooked us a snack (pasta with this sauce made from wild plant which I forgot the name) and had some tea and chocolate, and then we went for a second walk with Aunty M but this time around the circuit. We took the two small dogs with us but they had to be kept on a leash sometimes to prevent them from running off, but of course Biggles ran off again halfway before we saw him in front. Got bitten by so many mosquitoes while in the woods as well but was such a nice walk, and everyone we passed by were really friendly and stopped to say hi.
When we got back to the house it was already past 7 (explains the numerous mosquitoes), then we helped Aunty M to cut some kale from the garden for dinner. We also had sangria, pane con tomate and other snacks while waiting for dinner. Aunty M made this amazing quinoa bowl for us - it has quinoa, brown rice, kimchee, kale, this homemade sauce, avocado, and a soft boiled egg for mine (as A is vegan). I want to put up a photo of it because it was SO GOOD but this mobile version of the site is really limited and can’t upload from phone.
Then we had some nougat for dessert and was too full to have the boiled fruits from the sangria (wish I had the space but I was absolutely stuffed). We sat outdoors in the garden (sheltered) and it rained a bit but was really cooling and refreshing to be so near the mountains with a view of the Jura. After that we went indoors and A had to work on her laptop and I went back to the chalet to wash up and sleep. Was such a good day!
This morning we woke up late again (the alarm didn’t work) and had a small breakfast as Uncle L was making choucroute for lunch. I hadn’t had choucroute since Strasbourg so had been looking forward to it and it was delicious and I had 2 servings!
After lunch I had to leave for the airport so we didn’t do much else except packing, then Uncle L drove us to the airport and A stayed with me at the airport for a bit. Everything else was rather uneventful (thankfully) and I guess my plane is about to land soon so will post this tonight when I get home!
Yesterday was my second full day in Geneva, and we went to visit A’s Aunty M and Uncle L. A and I both woke up super late, alarm didn’t go off for some reason, ate a hasty breakfast, and then we took the bus to Nations where the UN Chair statue was as we were meeting her aunt there. Before that we also stopped halfway at a Coop near Avenue Louis Aubert and I swear I’d been there before!! The street looked very familiar and somehow my phone got automatically connected to someone’s WiFi named “Guest” and I think that was where my Airbnb was when I visited Geneva in 2014. I wasn’t the one who booked the Airbnb so I didn’t have the full address so couldn’t check but I think I will check when I get back but how coincidental was that! We went to the Coop and I bought about a kilo of Caillère chocolate as well as some snacks and drinks. When in Switzerland of course ...
We then caught the bus again and passed by downtown Geneva and saw the Jet d’Eau from the bus - I had already been a few years ago but weather was so much nicer yesterday as the last time I’d came in winter. We got off the bus at Nations, then walked for a bit and met Aunty M halfway. Aunty M drove us back to her place which was across the border in France as we were meant to be staying over in her chalet in the garden (super nice of them). On the way Aunty M showed us around the area where there were lots of old farmhouses as well as the woods. I love being back in the country side, and it also reminded me a lot of my Workaway experience at the farm in 2016.
Aunty M and Uncle L also have 4 dogs (!!!) - 2 white bichons and 2 golden retters who are absolutely the cutest and also have an abundance of energy. We’d already met the 2 white dogs at the barbecue on Sunday but was our first time meeting the 2 bigger dogs, and all 4 dogs rushed out to greet us once we arrived. We took the 4 dogs for a walk around the woods with Uncle L afterwards and had the opportunity to SIT IN THE BACK IN THE CAR TRUNK WITH 4 DOGS. In A’s words this was a life goal accomplished(!!!) and of course it was SUPER ROWDY but at the same time absolutely hilarious because all the dogs were so excited and chasing their tails and wagging their tails super hard and also sticking their heads out of the window (classic dog thing). We took a walk until the start of the circuit in the forest then we had to go back, but the dogs were literally just tearing around and one of the dogs kept running off but was so funny.
Went back to the house, where Aunty M cooked us a snack (pasta with this sauce made from wild plant which I forgot the name) and had some tea and chocolate, and then we went for a second walk with Aunty M but this time around the circuit. We took the two small dogs with us but they had to be kept on a leash sometimes to prevent them from running off, but of course Biggles ran off again halfway before we saw him in front. Got bitten by so many mosquitoes while in the woods as well but was such a nice walk, and everyone we passed by were really friendly and stopped to say hi.
When we got back to the house it was already past 7 (explains the numerous mosquitoes), then we helped Aunty M to cut some kale from the garden for dinner. We also had sangria, pane con tomate and other snacks while waiting for dinner. Aunty M made this amazing quinoa bowl for us - it has quinoa, brown rice, kimchee, kale, this homemade sauce, avocado, and a soft boiled egg for mine (as A is vegan). I want to put up a photo of it because it was SO GOOD but this mobile version of the site is really limited and can’t upload from phone.
Then we had some nougat for dessert and was too full to have the boiled fruits from the sangria (wish I had the space but I was absolutely stuffed). We sat outdoors in the garden (sheltered) and it rained a bit but was really cooling and refreshing to be so near the mountains with a view of the Jura. After that we went indoors and A had to work on her laptop and I went back to the chalet to wash up and sleep. Was such a good day!
This morning we woke up late again (the alarm didn’t work) and had a small breakfast as Uncle L was making choucroute for lunch. I hadn’t had choucroute since Strasbourg so had been looking forward to it and it was delicious and I had 2 servings!
After lunch I had to leave for the airport so we didn’t do much else except packing, then Uncle L drove us to the airport and A stayed with me at the airport for a bit. Everything else was rather uneventful (thankfully) and I guess my plane is about to land soon so will post this tonight when I get home!
Monday, June 4, 2018
Geneva: Day 1
First proper day in Geneva, but thankfully this trip is going to be chill bc I honestly just need a break tbh. Had a really good sleep - A helped me to set up the sofa bed (which is a double) in the guest room, slept really well, woke up at 7am (body clock lol) but fell back asleep until about 10. Spent 2 hours in the pool until noon and got super tanned, but I think the tan has already faded. I did get sunburnt again, not too bad this time, but I really need to remember to apply sunblock.
We made sandwiches for lunch, then decided to go to the Téléphérique du Salève which is this viewpoint you can get to via cable car. It is really near A's place so we decided to walk there, but it is actually across the border in France so we took our passports just in case. We passed by a small town on the way, but as it is Monday most of the shops were closed. I also forgot how expensive things are in Switzerland - we passed by a convenience store on the way and a bag of crisps cost like 5 CHF. Got some snacks anyway so that we could have a picnic up the mountain.
It was also pretty empty when we got to the cable car station, probably as it's a weekday. There are 2 cable cars and there's one going up every 10 minutes, and a return ticket costs €8.70. The ride itself was only about 2 minutes and it goes up pretty quickly, then when we got to the top there is a restaurant up there as well as a small shop selling ice cream and postcards etc, but the panoramic view is absolutely amazing. We took lots of photos (as always), then went to sit on the grass on the hill. We also saw a sheep there! Its ears were tagged so it probably isn't a wild sheep, and it kept following us around because we had food. Took more photos (I haven't transferred them over from my phone and in general I am too lazy to actually post photos - maybe one day I will), ate the food then went to catch the cable car that was going down. We also saw people setting up for paragliding on the same spot we sat after we left, and one of the guys circled around a bit but then came back down shortly but still looks super cool. Idk if I will ever dare to try though.
After we descended via the cable car we heard thunder and the clouds above the mountains looked really dark and ominous so we walked back quickly. A had to send her dad to the airport and I just stayed in and it started to rain so I took a nap until the evening. Perfect weather for a nap though. After that she made dinner and we ate and watched 2 episodes of Friends and now just chilling. Will sleep soon though so will stop here!
We made sandwiches for lunch, then decided to go to the Téléphérique du Salève which is this viewpoint you can get to via cable car. It is really near A's place so we decided to walk there, but it is actually across the border in France so we took our passports just in case. We passed by a small town on the way, but as it is Monday most of the shops were closed. I also forgot how expensive things are in Switzerland - we passed by a convenience store on the way and a bag of crisps cost like 5 CHF. Got some snacks anyway so that we could have a picnic up the mountain.
It was also pretty empty when we got to the cable car station, probably as it's a weekday. There are 2 cable cars and there's one going up every 10 minutes, and a return ticket costs €8.70. The ride itself was only about 2 minutes and it goes up pretty quickly, then when we got to the top there is a restaurant up there as well as a small shop selling ice cream and postcards etc, but the panoramic view is absolutely amazing. We took lots of photos (as always), then went to sit on the grass on the hill. We also saw a sheep there! Its ears were tagged so it probably isn't a wild sheep, and it kept following us around because we had food. Took more photos (I haven't transferred them over from my phone and in general I am too lazy to actually post photos - maybe one day I will), ate the food then went to catch the cable car that was going down. We also saw people setting up for paragliding on the same spot we sat after we left, and one of the guys circled around a bit but then came back down shortly but still looks super cool. Idk if I will ever dare to try though.
After we descended via the cable car we heard thunder and the clouds above the mountains looked really dark and ominous so we walked back quickly. A had to send her dad to the airport and I just stayed in and it started to rain so I took a nap until the evening. Perfect weather for a nap though. After that she made dinner and we ate and watched 2 episodes of Friends and now just chilling. Will sleep soon though so will stop here!
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Back in Geneva
The rate at which I am going on these trips far exceed the rate at which I am blogging about them ... Naples day 2 is still sitting in my drafts and here I am, out of London again. I am currently in Geneva this time visiting A and staying with her super nice family! The journey here was rather uneventful, but I’m glad my flight was mid-day instead of some unearthly hour in the morning as I could wake up at a normal time today + flying from Gatwick means it only took me half an hour to get there. I rarely fly from Gatwick but can see why people prefer so. Anyway, after landing in Geneva I came straight to A’s house where her family was having a barbecue so had my second lunch. I also went on a trampoline for the first time in my life!!! And had a swim in the pool before it started to rain. Spent the evening chilling and playing games with A’s sister, then had dinner and A helped me to set up the sofa bed in the guest room. Hoping for good weather tomorrow as it was really warm today but very cloudy. Will hopefully work on finishing at least that Naples post soon ...
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Pompeii
Greetings from Naples!!
I’ve been really busy the past few weeks and I meant to finish up my post on Cinque Terre but literally have had no time at all + the draft is on my laptop ... but will write about my Naples trip on the go here so as to reduce my backlog. Seriously wish I’d blogged about all my trips in the past bc they are nice to look back on and also so many recommendations on places and all. But anyway I will eventually get to them - I think.
So, I am in Naples right now. YM and I landed this morning at 10am here, but we’d been out of the house since 3am. Regarding pre-trip preparations - YM did all the planning for the itinerary (lol serious not even kidding) - she booked the flights and the accoms, as well as the actual itinerary. What I did was to apply for days off on those days, hehe. We managed to get flights at a pretty good price (~£50 return), and Airbnb for £88 for 3 night’s (for the both of us). Our Airbnb is quite nice but simple - it’s in a central location and our host is really friendly and gave us great recommendations so far. I’ll rave about that later at the end of the trip as we’re still staying here now.
The journey to Naples was quite a close shave as we’d almost missed our flight. We saw the wrong gate number so went to the wrong section of the gates, then once we got off the terminal train there was no way of going back. We had to call for the help via the airport phones and the transport staff came to bring us to the correct gates ... pretty sure we were the last ones to get on but at least we barely made it!!! In all honesty nowadays with the amount of surprises I have had during my travels I wasn’t even panicking anymore LOL was just quite chill and was sure that we would be fine ... I mean the worst case scenario get the next flight to Naples (been there done that on the missing flight part sadly) but anyway we did make it in the end. Then both of us promptly knocked out and slept for the whole flight.
Getting to the Airbnb from the airport took quite a while - we had to get the Alibus which is an airport shuttle running between the airport, stazione centrale and port. It costs €5 and is valid for 90 minutes after the first validation. We got off at the central station Garibauldi, then YM wanted to stop by this famous bakery called Sforgliatelle Attanasio. So a Sforgliatella (still having issues pronouncing the “sf” consonants) is this croissant-shape-like pastry that has multiple layers and is apparently usually filled with ricotta cheese. The bakery is so popular it was super crowded and they have a specific queueing system in place where you have to go to the counter first to order, pay then get a ticket number, then they will call your number and prepare your order for you. I guess as they were mostly locals they are presumably familiar with the menu. However we were pretty clueless and ended up getting the ticket number first then ordering and paying but they saw we were evidently not locals and were fine with that. YM got both variations of the Sforgliatella - crispy and original, while I got a chocolate filled one as I don’t take cheese. She strongly recommends the crispy Sforgliatella, by the way. The chocolate one was pretty good too, the sauce had a thick and silky texture - I would like to compare it to Nutella except that they're not that similar in taste but anyway just amazing texture and had lots of filling AND the best part was it wasn’t liquid enough to drip which was amazing and defo made it less messy to eat. The pastry texture is exactly the same as the Sforgliatella with multiple layers so I guess it was just a different flavour. And they were only like €1.50 or €1.20 can’t remember. Side note the train station area is apparently quite dodgy, and we were warned to be wary of pick pockets.
Got the pastries, then took the metro to the stop near our Airbnb using the same Alibus pass as it was still within the first validation time. Checked into our Airbnb, got changed as it was really hot, and then we set off for Pompeii! To get to Pompeii from Naples we had to take this train called the Circumvesuviana, which literally translates to around the Mt Vesuvius. The ticket is €3.50 and you have to buy it from the ticketing offices so we just went to Toledo which is our closest metro and found one of those ticketing stands just right outside the office and bought 2 tickets from there. Had to catch the Circumvesuviana from Garibauldi, YM got a quick lunch as I had a wrap from Stansted, then boarded the train. Journey took around 40 min, I think the view must’ve been amazing but we were both super tired and slept again for the whole ride.
Arrived at Pompeii. Tickets are €15 each and you can join a tour guided group for ~€12 per person, but neither of us wanted to follow a group so we just got the normal tickets. Apparently people can spend up to 3 days there but of course that is probably if you are super into archaeology or ancient history.
We spent the afternoon walking around and spent almost about 5-6 hours in Pompeii. Weather was super hot (guess we got lucky) and really sunny so was great for photos. Unfortunately I have little knowledge of archaeology / history so found it hard to really understand in general and after a while all of the ruins started to look the same to me ... but we managed to cover more or less the entire city. Some of the main prominent attractions are: the Forum, the Temple of Apollo, the Basilica, a few of the rich houses that were well preserved, Villa of Mysteries, and of course the Amphitheatre which was unfortunately closed. Water fountains are everywhere in Pompeii, so no need to worry about running out of water and they also have quite a few toilets. We also saw some exhibitions of artefacts as we were exiting the site, so was a very productive afternoon.
We fell asleep on the train back to Naples again, but arrived in Garibauldi and went for dinner. As it was Sunday most of the restaurants that YM had bookmarked were closed, but we managed to find a Pizzeria Trianon which was very near the famous Pizzeria da Michele. Took us about 20 min to walk from Garibauldi to there, where we were actually the very first customers. YM ordered a Margherita and I got a Marinara con Prosciutto. The pizzas were huge but they were only about €4 each, not including the 15% service fee that is the standard for eating in. I don’t consider myself a food critic or connoisseur but YM said the pizza was too oily as the oil was literally dripping from the pizza. I thought the pizza was rather good for the price HAHA so was very satisfied.
Managed to finish 1 whole pizza each and we were absolutely stuffed. Came out and saw a gelato shop. I hadn’t had a drink with my pizza as the drink prices were quite expensive so ofc was craving a gelato I mean we are in Italy! Land of gelato! The gelateria is called Gelateria Al Polo
Nord, just opposite Pizzeria Trianon. Prices start from €2 but they had so many good flavours. We tried the mela annurca (Apple breed(?) local to Southern Italy) and melon and both were so good and blended in so well. Have photos but a bit difficult to post on mobile site so might add them later but 100% recommend!!! The gelato lasted us half of our 30 min walk back home which made the walk back less tiring of course.
That’s about all for day 1 I’m super late didn’t actually finish this post last night but setting the publish time to yesterday lol. Still trying my best tho will write about day 2 in Naples tomorrow!
I’ve been really busy the past few weeks and I meant to finish up my post on Cinque Terre but literally have had no time at all + the draft is on my laptop ... but will write about my Naples trip on the go here so as to reduce my backlog. Seriously wish I’d blogged about all my trips in the past bc they are nice to look back on and also so many recommendations on places and all. But anyway I will eventually get to them - I think.
So, I am in Naples right now. YM and I landed this morning at 10am here, but we’d been out of the house since 3am. Regarding pre-trip preparations - YM did all the planning for the itinerary (lol serious not even kidding) - she booked the flights and the accoms, as well as the actual itinerary. What I did was to apply for days off on those days, hehe. We managed to get flights at a pretty good price (~£50 return), and Airbnb for £88 for 3 night’s (for the both of us). Our Airbnb is quite nice but simple - it’s in a central location and our host is really friendly and gave us great recommendations so far. I’ll rave about that later at the end of the trip as we’re still staying here now.
The journey to Naples was quite a close shave as we’d almost missed our flight. We saw the wrong gate number so went to the wrong section of the gates, then once we got off the terminal train there was no way of going back. We had to call for the help via the airport phones and the transport staff came to bring us to the correct gates ... pretty sure we were the last ones to get on but at least we barely made it!!! In all honesty nowadays with the amount of surprises I have had during my travels I wasn’t even panicking anymore LOL was just quite chill and was sure that we would be fine ... I mean the worst case scenario get the next flight to Naples (been there done that on the missing flight part sadly) but anyway we did make it in the end. Then both of us promptly knocked out and slept for the whole flight.
Getting to the Airbnb from the airport took quite a while - we had to get the Alibus which is an airport shuttle running between the airport, stazione centrale and port. It costs €5 and is valid for 90 minutes after the first validation. We got off at the central station Garibauldi, then YM wanted to stop by this famous bakery called Sforgliatelle Attanasio. So a Sforgliatella (still having issues pronouncing the “sf” consonants) is this croissant-shape-like pastry that has multiple layers and is apparently usually filled with ricotta cheese. The bakery is so popular it was super crowded and they have a specific queueing system in place where you have to go to the counter first to order, pay then get a ticket number, then they will call your number and prepare your order for you. I guess as they were mostly locals they are presumably familiar with the menu. However we were pretty clueless and ended up getting the ticket number first then ordering and paying but they saw we were evidently not locals and were fine with that. YM got both variations of the Sforgliatella - crispy and original, while I got a chocolate filled one as I don’t take cheese. She strongly recommends the crispy Sforgliatella, by the way. The chocolate one was pretty good too, the sauce had a thick and silky texture - I would like to compare it to Nutella except that they're not that similar in taste but anyway just amazing texture and had lots of filling AND the best part was it wasn’t liquid enough to drip which was amazing and defo made it less messy to eat. The pastry texture is exactly the same as the Sforgliatella with multiple layers so I guess it was just a different flavour. And they were only like €1.50 or €1.20 can’t remember. Side note the train station area is apparently quite dodgy, and we were warned to be wary of pick pockets.
Got the pastries, then took the metro to the stop near our Airbnb using the same Alibus pass as it was still within the first validation time. Checked into our Airbnb, got changed as it was really hot, and then we set off for Pompeii! To get to Pompeii from Naples we had to take this train called the Circumvesuviana, which literally translates to around the Mt Vesuvius. The ticket is €3.50 and you have to buy it from the ticketing offices so we just went to Toledo which is our closest metro and found one of those ticketing stands just right outside the office and bought 2 tickets from there. Had to catch the Circumvesuviana from Garibauldi, YM got a quick lunch as I had a wrap from Stansted, then boarded the train. Journey took around 40 min, I think the view must’ve been amazing but we were both super tired and slept again for the whole ride.
Arrived at Pompeii. Tickets are €15 each and you can join a tour guided group for ~€12 per person, but neither of us wanted to follow a group so we just got the normal tickets. Apparently people can spend up to 3 days there but of course that is probably if you are super into archaeology or ancient history.
We spent the afternoon walking around and spent almost about 5-6 hours in Pompeii. Weather was super hot (guess we got lucky) and really sunny so was great for photos. Unfortunately I have little knowledge of archaeology / history so found it hard to really understand in general and after a while all of the ruins started to look the same to me ... but we managed to cover more or less the entire city. Some of the main prominent attractions are: the Forum, the Temple of Apollo, the Basilica, a few of the rich houses that were well preserved, Villa of Mysteries, and of course the Amphitheatre which was unfortunately closed. Water fountains are everywhere in Pompeii, so no need to worry about running out of water and they also have quite a few toilets. We also saw some exhibitions of artefacts as we were exiting the site, so was a very productive afternoon.
We fell asleep on the train back to Naples again, but arrived in Garibauldi and went for dinner. As it was Sunday most of the restaurants that YM had bookmarked were closed, but we managed to find a Pizzeria Trianon which was very near the famous Pizzeria da Michele. Took us about 20 min to walk from Garibauldi to there, where we were actually the very first customers. YM ordered a Margherita and I got a Marinara con Prosciutto. The pizzas were huge but they were only about €4 each, not including the 15% service fee that is the standard for eating in. I don’t consider myself a food critic or connoisseur but YM said the pizza was too oily as the oil was literally dripping from the pizza. I thought the pizza was rather good for the price HAHA so was very satisfied.
Managed to finish 1 whole pizza each and we were absolutely stuffed. Came out and saw a gelato shop. I hadn’t had a drink with my pizza as the drink prices were quite expensive so ofc was craving a gelato I mean we are in Italy! Land of gelato! The gelateria is called Gelateria Al Polo
Nord, just opposite Pizzeria Trianon. Prices start from €2 but they had so many good flavours. We tried the mela annurca (Apple breed(?) local to Southern Italy) and melon and both were so good and blended in so well. Have photos but a bit difficult to post on mobile site so might add them later but 100% recommend!!! The gelato lasted us half of our 30 min walk back home which made the walk back less tiring of course.
That’s about all for day 1 I’m super late didn’t actually finish this post last night but setting the publish time to yesterday lol. Still trying my best tho will write about day 2 in Naples tomorrow!
Friday, April 20, 2018
Arrival in Pisa
Got busy since my last post and forgot to post again but making it a point to blog about my current trip in Italy (as well as upcoming trips!!!). Been super busy with work the past few weeks but glad to have a break this weekend.
Took the evening flight from Stansted yesterday - went straight from work to the airport. Slept pretty late the night before as I had to pack and back up my photos from my phone to laptop which took ages and still didn’t even finish. Met YM at the airport and check-in and everything was pretty smooth and we each bought a meal deal for dinner. Slept almost the entire flight because I was so tired and only woke up when the plane landed.
We arrived in Pisa close to midnight and took the Pisa Mover, which is this train shuttle service between Pisa airport and Pisa Centrale train station. It was really nice and quick and was only €2.70 per person. I think we arrived at the train station in less than 5 minutes, but the area around the station was unsurprisingly super deserted at that hour. Our Airbnb was closer to the leaning Tower, so walked via the Main Street but took a while before we finally found our Airbnb. The host was really sweet to us and offered lots of tips and advice and the room was pretty nice but we were only staying for one night sadly!
Got up at 7 this morning to wash up + pack. Currently on the train to La Spezia, weather is meant to be really hot today and very looking forward!
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Money Diaries: Day 2
7:10AM
Took the bus to the DLR station instead of walking like I do usually bc it was -3 deg this morning - free bc I have a travel card. I was not ready to leave the house after 2 whole days ... but actually it didn’t feel that bad. The station was really crowded and even the train was more crowded than usual. Actually taking the bus proved to be a really good idea. I’m going to do it until the days get warmer.
7:35AM
Arrive at office. I get some breakfast from the pantry (free).
12:00PM
Lunchtime. Had to call Royal Opera House as T and I have decided on the date to switch the tickets to. Waited about 10 min before finally getting through. It’s £2 to change each ticket so £4.
Went out to buy lunch + had to go to the post office (£2.68). Got a chai soy latte from Starbucks on the way back (free from my health insurance woo!) and got a salad from Tossed as I had a discount code (£4.47).
19:53PM
Home and typing this on my phone (I actually hate using the laptop lol). Was so cold on the way back! And transport was free because of my travel card. The Vitamasques hydro face mask which I did yesterday turned out to be really good and I saw a girl selling one on Depop for less than half the price. £3. But Vitamasques also just sent me an email today with a 40% off code, so I’m quite tempted to order more ... nooooooo.
Also got an email that my VS return from a month ago has been received and processed! -£19.69 ahaha. Currently waiting for my housemate to return home as he offered to cook dinner (thankful for amazing housemates).
23:29PM
Pretty late now, but tonight I managed to video-call my parents for an hour, finished my leftovers from yesterday and K cooked ravioli and pasta so had some of that too. I also managed to sell my American Apparel jeans which I never wore and will never wear on Depop to a really nice girl and hoping it will fit her!! But okay not counting in those amounts like refunds etc bc I'm trying to track my spendings here. But I will have to make another trip to the post office tomorrow again.
On a side note, my Missguided order from yesterday as well as the ASOS order from Saturday have both arrived today, but I haven't had the time to try on anything yet ...
Day 2 total: £14.15
Breakdown
Food/Drink: £4.47
Entertainment: £4
Clothes/Beauty: £3
Travel: £0
Other: £2.68
Took the bus to the DLR station instead of walking like I do usually bc it was -3 deg this morning - free bc I have a travel card. I was not ready to leave the house after 2 whole days ... but actually it didn’t feel that bad. The station was really crowded and even the train was more crowded than usual. Actually taking the bus proved to be a really good idea. I’m going to do it until the days get warmer.
7:35AM
Arrive at office. I get some breakfast from the pantry (free).
12:00PM
Lunchtime. Had to call Royal Opera House as T and I have decided on the date to switch the tickets to. Waited about 10 min before finally getting through. It’s £2 to change each ticket so £4.
Went out to buy lunch + had to go to the post office (£2.68). Got a chai soy latte from Starbucks on the way back (free from my health insurance woo!) and got a salad from Tossed as I had a discount code (£4.47).
19:53PM
Home and typing this on my phone (I actually hate using the laptop lol). Was so cold on the way back! And transport was free because of my travel card. The Vitamasques hydro face mask which I did yesterday turned out to be really good and I saw a girl selling one on Depop for less than half the price. £3. But Vitamasques also just sent me an email today with a 40% off code, so I’m quite tempted to order more ... nooooooo.
Also got an email that my VS return from a month ago has been received and processed! -£19.69 ahaha. Currently waiting for my housemate to return home as he offered to cook dinner (thankful for amazing housemates).
23:29PM
Pretty late now, but tonight I managed to video-call my parents for an hour, finished my leftovers from yesterday and K cooked ravioli and pasta so had some of that too. I also managed to sell my American Apparel jeans which I never wore and will never wear on Depop to a really nice girl and hoping it will fit her!! But okay not counting in those amounts like refunds etc bc I'm trying to track my spendings here. But I will have to make another trip to the post office tomorrow again.
On a side note, my Missguided order from yesterday as well as the ASOS order from Saturday have both arrived today, but I haven't had the time to try on anything yet ...
Day 2 total: £14.15
Breakdown
Food/Drink: £4.47
Entertainment: £4
Clothes/Beauty: £3
Travel: £0
Other: £2.68
Monday, February 26, 2018
Money Diaries: Day 1
12:37PM
Woke up at 5am not feeling better at all so called in sick. Currently hiding under 3 duvets ... and had no idea it was snowing until I checked fb but that explains why it’s so cold I guess. The heating in the house is switched off at the moment and in all honesty, I have no idea how or even where to change the settings. Just ordered some takeaway from Just Eat as I have no food at home except for snacks and instant noodles ... £14.56.
That’s actually pretty expensive for a single meal compared to Meal Pal which I’ve just signed up for (but not yet activated my account will probably do so later in the week as not at work today anyway), but I did order enough food for 2 meals I think so that would include dinner. Really craving a smoothie as well but have no juice at home, might pop out later if I feel better but doubt it. Now I just need the food to come quick bc actually starving ... bless the people who do food deliveries on cold days T_T
16:12PM
Food came early. I ordered a chicken + mixed veg with rice, chicken noodle soup and a wonton soup. Was not worth the money, but well it was the cheapest Chinese takeaway in the region. Made some of the French tea from Maison Bourgeon that I bought in Toulouse last year, and I think the random yellow spot stain I found on my palm might have been from washing out the tea thing yesterday. I haven't opened the bowl of wonton soup yet so not sure whether it'll be good, but I only finished half the rice and the chicken noodle soup so saving the rest for dinner!
Agreed to do a swap on Depop with a girl - swapping my Topshop satin maxi skirt (which I will honestly never wear because it's too big and too long for me) for her Real Techniques Drape + Colour Brush set and YSL Black Opium Gift Set. Had to pay £0.33 in all for Depop + Paypal fees.
In the meantime also tried on stuff from my Missguided order from last week. I ordered a bikini set and a lilac crop top, everything was on sale. Didn't like the lilac top at all and contemplating whether or not to order another size for the bikini bottom (obviously I will return one of them) - and also they have free next day shipping now!!
16:54PM
I caved in. Terribly. Was meant to just order one bikini bottom, but then the stuff which I had in my bag were selling out in my size so obvs I had to get them first ... Also I would feel bad getting the delivery for just ONE item. Also the free UK next day delivery was ending in a few minutes, and they normally charge for delivery, so I might as well have bought them first - got a pair of lilac joggers, a pair of black culottes and a pair of black trousers. They are for work so that's fine. It's always fine if it's for work ... isn't it. £64
The first item was the Purple Double Side Stripe Jogger. They are 50% off now. I wasn't going to get them at first when I first saw them last week because they featured a blogger wearing it and the colour looked completely different. But today I went to take a closer look and realised the photo of the blogger they had was a completely different pair of trousers as the one in her photo is missing the front seams down the leg. I am hoping the actual pair will be true to the colours on the website:
The other stuff were the 2 pairs of black trousers for work: the Black Belted High Waist Cigarette Trouser and the Black Crepe Culottes. Both have quite good reviews, and anyway they are basic trousers. But it's still quite cold now so don't think I will be able to wear the culottes until summer. I currently only have 3 pairs of black trousers for work which isn't really sufficient. And they were half price!! I did order them in 2 sizes though, which means I can still get £26 back. So my net spendings should only be £38.
I am going to close the website now so that I stop looking at things to buy.
Total for now: £78.89 (omg). I don't think I have to spend anymore for today though as I already have dinner covered.
On a side note, I was organising my Pinterest and realised the stuff I put up for sale for the CNY flea last year - I actually managed to sell about 20 items as I had to delete them off the page.
19:26PM
Had the chicken noodle soup and wonton soup for dinner, still haven't finished my chicken and veg with rice yet. Did a face mask after dinner - Vitamasques Hydro Face gel mask is amazing. I got it from my February Glossybox last year and finally took the time to use it today. My skin has been really dry and flaky and the mask says up to 120 hours / 5 days of hydration ... well we shall see about that. But it was my first time using a hydro gel mask and it felt pretty good. Had to stop myself from ordering more of them until I actually see the results. They are also rather expensive for one-time masks as they cost £8 each usually.
I take back what I said about not spending anymore today. Had to book Stansted Express tickets for April. Good that I'm booking them in advance as they are cheaper. £21
Also, I made a really stupid mistake when I booked my flights because I forgot I booked tickets to see a ballet on the same night. Now I have to change the tickets for the ballet ... but waiting for T to tell me which other day she can make it. Bad planning on my part argh.
20:19PM
Just booked my return ticket for the trip in April because when we booked the outbound we hadn't decided on how many days to stay for the trip. Decided to come back on Monday instead bc travelling is tiring, and also can save on one extra day of accoms. £21.45
Now I don't think I'll be spending anymore for today since 1) I don't have anything to buy atm 2) Royal Opera House is closed and T hasn't replied me about the dates so can't change the ballet tickets yet 3) Going to sleep soon as have to go to work tomorrow 4) I have £3.83 left in my debit card. I hope the refunds for the stuff I returned on Saturday comes through tomorrow (please).
Day 1 total: £121.34
Breakdown
Food/Drink: £14.56
Entertainment: £0
Clothes/Beauty: £64
Travel: £42.45
Other: £0
Woke up at 5am not feeling better at all so called in sick. Currently hiding under 3 duvets ... and had no idea it was snowing until I checked fb but that explains why it’s so cold I guess. The heating in the house is switched off at the moment and in all honesty, I have no idea how or even where to change the settings. Just ordered some takeaway from Just Eat as I have no food at home except for snacks and instant noodles ... £14.56.
That’s actually pretty expensive for a single meal compared to Meal Pal which I’ve just signed up for (but not yet activated my account will probably do so later in the week as not at work today anyway), but I did order enough food for 2 meals I think so that would include dinner. Really craving a smoothie as well but have no juice at home, might pop out later if I feel better but doubt it. Now I just need the food to come quick bc actually starving ... bless the people who do food deliveries on cold days T_T
16:12PM
Food came early. I ordered a chicken + mixed veg with rice, chicken noodle soup and a wonton soup. Was not worth the money, but well it was the cheapest Chinese takeaway in the region. Made some of the French tea from Maison Bourgeon that I bought in Toulouse last year, and I think the random yellow spot stain I found on my palm might have been from washing out the tea thing yesterday. I haven't opened the bowl of wonton soup yet so not sure whether it'll be good, but I only finished half the rice and the chicken noodle soup so saving the rest for dinner!
Agreed to do a swap on Depop with a girl - swapping my Topshop satin maxi skirt (which I will honestly never wear because it's too big and too long for me) for her Real Techniques Drape + Colour Brush set and YSL Black Opium Gift Set. Had to pay £0.33 in all for Depop + Paypal fees.
In the meantime also tried on stuff from my Missguided order from last week. I ordered a bikini set and a lilac crop top, everything was on sale. Didn't like the lilac top at all and contemplating whether or not to order another size for the bikini bottom (obviously I will return one of them) - and also they have free next day shipping now!!
16:54PM
I caved in. Terribly. Was meant to just order one bikini bottom, but then the stuff which I had in my bag were selling out in my size so obvs I had to get them first ... Also I would feel bad getting the delivery for just ONE item. Also the free UK next day delivery was ending in a few minutes, and they normally charge for delivery, so I might as well have bought them first - got a pair of lilac joggers, a pair of black culottes and a pair of black trousers. They are for work so that's fine. It's always fine if it's for work ... isn't it. £64
The first item was the Purple Double Side Stripe Jogger. They are 50% off now. I wasn't going to get them at first when I first saw them last week because they featured a blogger wearing it and the colour looked completely different. But today I went to take a closer look and realised the photo of the blogger they had was a completely different pair of trousers as the one in her photo is missing the front seams down the leg. I am hoping the actual pair will be true to the colours on the website:
The other stuff were the 2 pairs of black trousers for work: the Black Belted High Waist Cigarette Trouser and the Black Crepe Culottes. Both have quite good reviews, and anyway they are basic trousers. But it's still quite cold now so don't think I will be able to wear the culottes until summer. I currently only have 3 pairs of black trousers for work which isn't really sufficient. And they were half price!! I did order them in 2 sizes though, which means I can still get £26 back. So my net spendings should only be £38.
I am going to close the website now so that I stop looking at things to buy.
Total for now: £78.89 (omg). I don't think I have to spend anymore for today though as I already have dinner covered.
On a side note, I was organising my Pinterest and realised the stuff I put up for sale for the CNY flea last year - I actually managed to sell about 20 items as I had to delete them off the page.
19:26PM
Had the chicken noodle soup and wonton soup for dinner, still haven't finished my chicken and veg with rice yet. Did a face mask after dinner - Vitamasques Hydro Face gel mask is amazing. I got it from my February Glossybox last year and finally took the time to use it today. My skin has been really dry and flaky and the mask says up to 120 hours / 5 days of hydration ... well we shall see about that. But it was my first time using a hydro gel mask and it felt pretty good. Had to stop myself from ordering more of them until I actually see the results. They are also rather expensive for one-time masks as they cost £8 each usually.
I take back what I said about not spending anymore today. Had to book Stansted Express tickets for April. Good that I'm booking them in advance as they are cheaper. £21
Also, I made a really stupid mistake when I booked my flights because I forgot I booked tickets to see a ballet on the same night. Now I have to change the tickets for the ballet ... but waiting for T to tell me which other day she can make it. Bad planning on my part argh.
20:19PM
Just booked my return ticket for the trip in April because when we booked the outbound we hadn't decided on how many days to stay for the trip. Decided to come back on Monday instead bc travelling is tiring, and also can save on one extra day of accoms. £21.45
Now I don't think I'll be spending anymore for today since 1) I don't have anything to buy atm 2) Royal Opera House is closed and T hasn't replied me about the dates so can't change the ballet tickets yet 3) Going to sleep soon as have to go to work tomorrow 4) I have £3.83 left in my debit card. I hope the refunds for the stuff I returned on Saturday comes through tomorrow (please).
Day 1 total: £121.34
Breakdown
Food/Drink: £14.56
Entertainment: £0
Clothes/Beauty: £64
Travel: £42.45
Other: £0
Sunday, February 25, 2018
First post of 2018
Hi again. It’s been more than a year since I last blogged omg. But last year was really busy with final year and exams and apps and all. I might resume blogging this year just because I’ve been travelling so much and I do want to be able to remember what happened HAHA.
I’m ill now and down with a really bad cold and lost my voice today. I also have an exam tomorrow as well as the remote cert which I’m not even sure if I can do at this point seeing as I can’t really speak. Also I’m pretty sure there used to be an app for Blogger, now it’s just annoying to blog on my phone ...
In other news I’ve been following the Money Diaries section on Refinery29. Pretty interesting and despite them not having invited me to contribute (obviously) I thought it might be fun to try it out for a week and see where is my money going. And it is the end of the month next week (hooray!) but I’ve spent so much since Christmas and I’ve also made a pact to myself to not buy anymore clothes ... the sheer amount of clothes I own at the moment is actually horrendous. I’ve put some stuff on Depop and eBay now so hopefully they’ll be able to find new homes! But yes, starting tomorrow I’m going to record my spendings and see how much I spend in a week.
I’m ill now and down with a really bad cold and lost my voice today. I also have an exam tomorrow as well as the remote cert which I’m not even sure if I can do at this point seeing as I can’t really speak. Also I’m pretty sure there used to be an app for Blogger, now it’s just annoying to blog on my phone ...
In other news I’ve been following the Money Diaries section on Refinery29. Pretty interesting and despite them not having invited me to contribute (obviously) I thought it might be fun to try it out for a week and see where is my money going. And it is the end of the month next week (hooray!) but I’ve spent so much since Christmas and I’ve also made a pact to myself to not buy anymore clothes ... the sheer amount of clothes I own at the moment is actually horrendous. I’ve put some stuff on Depop and eBay now so hopefully they’ll be able to find new homes! But yes, starting tomorrow I’m going to record my spendings and see how much I spend in a week.
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