COLOGNE | A WEEKEND AWAY

Hey everyone! 

I usually start my blog posts by saying 'recently I visited...' but I'm not going to lie, I visited Cologne in April 2017, deciding this is were we wanted to spend out long Easter bank holiday weekend. So it's been a while, a full year in fact. Nevertheless, my memory is still as vivid as ever with the help from the many photos that were taken, and a previously half written blog entry that I've decided to re-write before sharing to the world! 

We stayed in a small hotel, Hotel Alt Deutz, which was across the river from the main city. Meaning we could take a lovely little stroll across one of the many bridges every day, including the infamous Hohenzollern Bridge (also known as the one with all the love locks!)

After a short flight, we landed in Cologne, and navigated the trains to reach our hotel. Luckily we could check in early, so went straight to our room to abandon our belongings so we could head straight out and grab some food. We found a restaurant that looked over to the river, and grabbed our first taste of sauerkraut and bratwurst! (In the traditional setting, I might add) And of course, a stein or two of beer. 

I always say that the best way to discover a new place is to walk around, so that's what we did for the next three days. Though, after some food and a few hours walking we decided to head back to our hotel for an early night, seeing as we had been awake since the early morning travelling...

The next day we visited the love lock bridge of Cologne, where everyone writes their name on a padlock, adds it to the bridge and throws the key into the river below as an act to show that their love will never end. There where thousands of them on every single part of the bridge, in all different colours and all shapes and sizes. Both with our cameras in hand, we spent a good few hours strolling up and down taking hundreds of photos and watching people at new ones.

After this we decided to visit the famous Cologne Cathedral, and Germanys most famous landmark (according to Wikipedia!)

It's a truly beautiful building, with incredible architecture. The cathedral itself is close to the central station, so it's very easy to get to. You could stand for hours looking at all the details on each spire, or the carvings around each door.

The rain then decided to come down, so we took shelter in the train station for a snack and much needed coffee. Soon enough we were back out exploring the Old Town with its many side streets, grabbing pretzels, spätzle and of course more beer! Finishing the wet and windy day off with some ice cream... of course!


The sunset on the walk back to our hotel that night was beautiful, with the cathedral and the river creating a beautiful scene.

On our final day we made a last minute decision to visit the schokoladenmuseum, basically a chocolate museum that has partnered with Lindt. Meaning lots of free samples! Better then we were expecting, and you also got the opportunity to create your own Lindt chocolate bar. After eating too many samples, we made the decision to visit the onsite chocolate cafe, to eat yet more chocolate. Slowly but surely we then made our way back to the airport to catch our evening flight home.

Cologne is a perfect city for a weekend exploring, and definitely one that I will be back to explore some more.

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.

SKIATHOS, GREECE | A PHOTO DIARY

Hey everyone!


After having not visited the tiny island of Skiathos for almost ten years, I finally managed to go back to one of my favourite places. Not much has changed in my absence, except the Mamma Mia overload. This tiny island, and surrounding islands where used as film locations for the movie and the  locals have taken this as a great business opportunity! There's even an outdoor cinema in the main town that offers weekly viewings of the movie, with their own added twist! Settle down with a glass of wine and watch the film under the stars, by the end everyone will be up on their feet dancing and singing along!

Skiathos is a small island in the Northwest Aegean sea, situated in the group of islands known as Sporades. It's about six miles long, and four miles wide, with Skiathos Town being the most populous place. For me it was like returning home, my family used to visit for our holidays and I knew where I was going. Everyone is friendly and you will never feel unsafe.

This year we stayed a five minute walk from the town centre, which meant we could take in the great nightlife that this tiny island has to offer. Plenty of bars and restaurants that line the harbour, and the main road of Papadiamanti. Most of the food is very traditional, with plenty of places to grab a Gyros!

From the town you can grab a short boat across to the unpopulated island of Tsougria, which is a protected natural habitat and a perfect place to spend the day relaxing. It doesn't get too busy, and the water is crystal clear. There's a small taverna on the beach, and remember to bring your snorkelling gear!

Jump on a boat tour around the island, or a tour that visits the nearby islands of Alonnisos and Skopelos. Or do both! Why not? Make sure you keep your eyes peeled for the dolphins that live in the waters below!

The airport in Skiathos is very small, so small that it stretches from one side of the island to the other and has become a popular destination on the island for both plane spotters and those who are looking for an adrenaline rush. You can stand at the end of the runway, and feel the power of the planes engine as it speeds down the runway.

If you're able too, rent out a car for a couple of days so you can drive around the island and explore. We managed to visit the monastery for the first time, which has glorious views from the mountains and you can learn about some of the islands history. There's a shop that sells wine and liquor produced from the monastery itself. 

Whilst we had the car we decided to drive to the Il Kastro, a place we had also never explored before. Read up on this ruined town before you go, as it has a lot of history. It used to be the capital of the island, and a walk through the narrow pathways makes it easy to imagine the old society come to life around you. It's not easy to get to, no busses and very steep roads if you are going to drive. Some boats stop here, but require a very steep hike to reach. The best way to visit is to either rent a 4x4 or book on to a tour that stops here. Just bring sensible shoes and a bottle of water! It's definitely a hidden gem on the island, and so secluded that it will never be busy.

 Skiathos is full of lots of different beaches, some family favourites include; Mandraki, Koukounaries, Troulos and Tsougria as previously mentioned. But if you're looking for a relaxing place to swim without the sand, then head over to the Tennis Club to use the pool for free.

I will always keep coming back to visit this wonderful place, it holds so many of my memories and it's just beautiful. I want to bring everyone I know so that they can experience the island for themselves.

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.