NORWICH'S SECRET GARDEN | PHOTO DIARY

Hey everyone! 

Living in Norwich i'm lucky enough to have a whole array of different trips and sights to see, but i feel as though not many people know about the wonder that is Plantation Gardens. Nestled within walking distance from the city centre and surrounded by homes. This is what i'd describe as the equivalent to Botanical Gardens, which you find in most cities. In fact if you search for Norwich's Botanical Gardens this is what you'll find. 

To locals it's known as The Secret Garden, and that it is. It's a Grade II English Heritage site and includes beautiful lawns, flower beds, a bridge, fountain and many benches to sit and admire the scenery. Built and then abandoned for many years, it took a team of people to restore the gardens to how they once where. 

There is a small donation fee upon entering, and throughout the year there are different events that take place within the gardens. If you live in Norwich and haven't been yet, or are visiting and would like more information on where to find this magical place then please click here. 

 This time of year when all the flowers are in full bloom, it is wonderful to sit and relax. Read a book, or a catch up with friends. Or even just a quick walk around. Immediately next door is the St John The Baptist Cathdral which i have already written and done a photo diary of here. What i didn't mention is that there is a cafe called The Narthex, which does very reasonable priced food and drink, and therefore the perfect place to refresh before heading into the city centre for some good old shopping. 

 Thanks for reading, xo

*As with all pictures featured on my blog, they are all taken by me unless otherwise noted. I use a Canon S120 and iPhone 6S.

ARKADI MONASTERY | PHOTO DIARY

Hey everyone! 

You can't go to Crete without visiting the Arkadi Monastry, the islands treasure. There's many tours that offer day trips, but as we had our own cars we made a day of it. It just 27km from Rethmynon, inland.

There's many small villages surrounding Arkadi, and therefore you're never short on places to visit. One of which, was a little town called Margarites which in infamous for pottery. All of which are very good for souvenirs and very good prices. 

On site, at Arkadi Monastry, there is a little gift shop and cafe that serves typical Greek delights. 

The Monastry itself holds hundreds of years worth of history, and as you walk around you are able to see and discover the most prominent events that took place. There is a tree which has a hole created by a Turkish bullet, and the old wine cellar has never been restored from the 'holocaust' where many woman and children blew themselves up to get away from the Turks. 

There is a small fee to pay upon entrance, $3-$4, but with a museum and church inside it is well worth it. 

The picture below features the church, which is visible from the entrance to the monastry. Inside is magnificent and grand, clearly influenced by the renaissance period.

There are corridors which lead off to monk cells, which were also used as a hospital during the siege of 1866, where many lives were sadly lost.

For more information on this wonderful place, please visit there official website here.

Thanks for reading, xo

*As with all pictures featured on my blog, they are all taken by me unless otherwise noted. I use a Canon S120 and iPhone 6S.

CRETE | PHOTO DIARY

Hey everyone! 

A couple of days ago i landed home from a ten day holiday in Greece. Island of choice - Crete. Now i've visited before in the past, and i'm going to say that i was young and unappreciative, it just wan't my cup of tea. (It was still a lovely holiday, mind you). So this time i hadn't too high hopes. 

Boy, was i wrong. Being the largest island in Greece, it has plenty of activities to suit everyone's needs. I visited with family, nine of us in total. We rented out a villa in a small town called Roussospiti, in the Rethminon Region. Having hire cars was a necessity as we were up in the hills, although we didn't move too far around as our main focus was to relax, whether that be by the pool or by the sea. 

My favourite cuisine is Greek, and there's never too many traditional dishes available in the UK. So my taste buds where in heaven. I even cried when i was presented with my first bowl of homemade tzatziki of  the trip. There was a taverna in the village serving one of my favourite delights... gyros! The food was fabulous, the company was fabulous, the weather was fabulous, making these ten days absolute pure bliss. 

 One thing that i'm going to miss is the hospitality, meaning the free shots of Raki and free bowls of watermelon we got after every meal out. 

Thanks Greece, until next time! 

Thanks for reading, xo

*As with all pictures featured on my blog, they are all taken by me unless otherwise noted. I use a Canon S120 and iPhone 6S.