18 | Paris

Paris

This weekend was my birthday weekend and where better to go to for celebrations than Paris!! I was so excited – my best friend and I spending the weekend eating, walking and tanning in my old home. I went to university for three years here so I was super excited to go back and visit my old favourite areas, as well as trying out new places.

I got the Eurostar from London on Friday after work, arriving into Paris for 22:30, where I met my friend who had flown over. We went to our apartment to dump our bags, arriving there quite late, before going straight for nutella crepes at my old local. I love the evenings in Paris, when you’re in bed trying to sleep with the windows are open – there is always such a buzz, whether its the sound of scooters whizzing along, the distant sound of sirens, people laughing and talking at the corner bar, music playing… whatever it is, the sound is so thrilling and familiar to me.

Saturday, we got up and went off in search of pastries for breakfast, before paying a visit to & Other Stories (years ago we went in together and spent at least an hour trying clothes on and then spending too much, so we decided to relive that memory… and it panned out in much the same way!). Then we grabbed some chairs in Tuileries, one of  those places – despite the tourists – where  you can truly just sit back and think ‘wow, I’m in blimmin PARIS!’. For late lunch we went to Holybelly, an old favourite (and a very well known go-to in Paris now), before heading back to the flat for a nap.

That evening we went off in an attempt to go to Pink Mama, but we arrived too late (having spent too much time getting ready and drinking wine beforehand), so we ended up trying Buvette, somewhere which has been on my to go to list for years, but I’ve never been and it was amazing! At first, we had a bit of a panic, looking at the menu, and really wondering what on earth we would eat since the menu wasn’t the biggest, but then we ordered, along with a glass of wine and the food was just incredible, the service and the atmosphere were so perfect, we left on a high and not at all disappointed.

Next stop, we went to Terrass hotel by the Cemetière de Montmartre for their rooftop bar, where had more wine and watched the Eiffel Tower as it sparkled as the clock struck 12 (how romantic), before heading back down to the streets of Place de Clichy for a late night crepe.

Sunday we spent walking around Montmartre – my favourite spot in Paris. I recommend taking a turn down a quiet street and seeing where you end up and what you find, you can wander for hours! Then we got the metro to Trocadèro, and walked to the Palais de Tokyo which is a modern art gallery overlooking the Seine and of course the Eiffel Tower. The exhibitions in here are brilliant, but if you don’t fancy hours indoors, I always go to the gift shop and spend my extra change in the photo booth pulling funny faces.

And that was our weekend! A lovely weekend getaway to Paris, and so lovely for me to be back in my old city. It really is true we will always have Paris.

One weekend left of the challenge! I’ll see you then!

17 | Oxford

Oxford

Oxford is where one of my best pals lives, so having never paid her a visit, I decided it was well and truly time! Saturday, I arrived mid afternoon, so we had a wander around the high street and around Christ Church Meadows which was really pretty. Then we went for a drink at The Varsity Club on their rooftop, nestled among the chimneys, overlooking Oxford it was a really great place for an evening gin, before wandering around the college buildings at golden hour. There were a few student balls going on so there were loads of students walking around in gowns. It was hard not to get caught up in some of their excitement, peering around corners, hoping to catch a glimpse of their magical evenings! The old buildings and hidden courtyards make everything 100x more enchanting! Great pub is the Turf Tavern, the tiniest little pub I’ve ever seen.

Sunday we walked around Jericho, stopping for lunch at The Rickety Press for a brilliant burger. Then we carried on walking all the way around Port Meadow to The Trout Inn, which was really exciting for me as a Philip Pullman fan, since it is the location in his newest book. It was such a lovely pub with a great space outside right next to the Thames, a few friendly ducks too (and my friend tells me that they do a cracking Sunday roast!).

So that’s Oxford, in a nutshell! I think you could quite easily spend a whole weekend just walking around the alleyways and looking around, there’s so much to keep you occupied and so many coffee shops to stop in – definitely worth a little trip!

See you next weekend!

16 | Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight

This weekend was a day trip for me. After a few full weekends in a row, I needed my Sunday to catch up on life admin and tidying duties, and I decided to go to the Isle of Wight.

I got up nice and early, getting on the train with my bike from Clapham Junction to Southampton (read about my weekend there here), then cycled through to the ferry terminal to get on the 10am sailing to East Cowes. I loved getting on the ferry, and to be honest I think the ferry crossing was the reason for me choosing to go to the Isle of Wight. Getting on with my bike meant that I was first on, it was so exciting to have the whole lower deck to myself, before taking to the sun deck while the cars piled on.

Sailing on the ferry across waters that only a few weeks ago I had learnt to powerboat on was great fun. Having studied the water maps on the powerboat course, I knew where the channel was, what the buoys all meant, where the no-go zone was – it was nice to have the knowledge but to not be in charge of the boat!

After an hour, we arrived into East Cowes, and I cycled around to West Cowes to have a little explore. If I’m honest, I didn’t think there was a lot there, but I did enjoy my walk along the high street, stopping for a brownie in a lovely little bakery called Well Bread. After a bit of time in Cowes, I got back on my bike and cycled to see the Needles down on the south west of the island. From Cowes, it was a 18 mile cycle, on the way going through a lovely little village called Easton which was so pretty. The weather turned very grey and started to rain, but that didn’t stop me walking to the needles, then turning back on my bike and cycling to Cowes, stopping on the way in Calbourne for a cheeky drink!

Back in Cowes, I got on the 5pm ferry back to Southampton, feeling pretty tired but like I’d filled my day really well. A lot of people I spoke to were surprised that I would go to the Isle of Wight for the day, and not camp or turn it into a two day trip, but it was completely possible, in fact very easy! I think if it was sunny it would have been nicer, but I loved my ferry crossing so much, and I was proud of myself for turning the trip into a little day expedition. On the sail back into Southampton, a huge cruise ship passed by coming out from the port, which was pretty cool. You could hear the music on board, and it was so weird, such a fleeting few minutes to realise that all those passengers on board were just off on their own adventure, just as my day’s adventure was coming to an end. I enjoyed that idea.

See you next weekend!

15 | Woolacombe

Woolacombe

What another brilliant weekend. This one is definitely in the top 5 of my weekends away, maybe even in my top 3…

I was in two minds about where to go this weekend, part of me really wanted to take it easy and to have a weekend doing my washing and catching up on chores around the house, and having a lye in on Saturday morning in my own bed!… but then part of me could not get the idea of packing my tent up and going to Woolacombe out of my head… and so on Friday evening after work, I booked my bike onto the Saturday morning train so that I was committed… to a train, at least.

I left London at 9am, with my bike and my rucksack on the train to Exeter, where I spent a few hours here faffing about really – I needed some new brake pads on my bike, which ended up being a bigger job than I had bargained for, so while my bike was being sorted out, I walked out of town a bit to Uprising Bakehouse for my lunch. Years and years ago, I visited Lyme Regis with my mum and we went to Town Mill Bakery. After a bit of research, it turns out that Uprising Bakehouse is owned by the same people and so I thought it would be a nice spot to stop at! They had freshly baked bread in the window, and I enjoyed a really tasty sandwich which kept me going for the rest of the day.

I picked up my bike and caught the train to Barnstaple, before cycling along the Tarka Trail and out to Woolacombe. The roads were so easy and so quiet to cycle along, very hilly, but the view along the lanes at the top of the hill were just amazing, I had to stop a few times to soak it all up – the views over the hedges, across the fields, down to beaches and out to sea, just bliss.

The campsite that I was staying at was just out the other side of Woolacombe in a little village called Mortehoe and the campsite, I thought, was brilliant – I would really recommend. I pitched my tent overlooking the sea, tucked in by the hedge and there was so much space that there wasn’t anyone near me!

I dumped my ridiculously heavy bag, before cycling back into Woolacombe to get a cider (or two), and went to Barricane Beach – the real reason I wanted to come back to this part of the country – for their famous Sri Lankan curry. Quite a few years ago now, my mum and I came to this area for a holiday, and we stumbled across the Barricane Beach Cafe’s curry and it was AMAZING, and so I this was, if I’m honest, the real motivation for me to come this way to this particular town! From what I can remember – and don’t quote me on this – but the owner of the beach cafe goes to Sri Lanka for a few months every year, and they bring back with them a load of spices to make curry with. Then they serve curry for as long as their stocks last, and when they run out of spice, they shut up shop and wait to go back.

The beach was a bit busier than it had been all those years ago, but I placed my order, found my spot on the beach and waited patiently until my number was called out. Then, I sat watching the sun slowly falling in the sky, but all the while shining on my face.

Once the sun had set (about 3.5 hours after I arrived at the beach!) I pedalled my way back up the hill (ok – walked my bike up some of the hill), before getting into my tent for the night.

Sunday morning, I had a bit of a slow get up, but when I did get moving, I packed my stuff up, went and bought an ice cream for my breakfast, before sitting on Woolacombe beach. It was a glorious day, it was so hot, and it felt so nice to spend such a sunny day on a beach, rather than being cooped up in London, crammed onto a park alongside the rest of the city’s population. I stayed out for a bit too long, getting a little bit burnt, before getting a portion of chips and cycling back the way I had come the day before to Barnstaple station, and then back to London.

This weekend was brilliant. I loved every moment. I guess it gave me the same feeling as I got after my weekend in St Ives – I was super apprehensive again about going and staying overnight somewhere on my own (don’t get me wrong, I may have been a few places on my own on this challenge, but I still get moments of doubt), but then the pleasure and the pride I felt in doing what I wanted was amazing. This kind of weekend trip is the kind of thing that I would think of doing, but that I would wait for another person to come with me. But what I keep learning is that if I have a weekend idea, somewhere I want to revisit, or a beach I want to camp near, then you just have to do it. Because doing it on your own is so much more empowering than waiting for someone to come with you. In fact its probably more empowering.

2 things to take away from this (if you’ve managed to stay with me this far)

1. Sunsets will ground you and re-centre you
2. Don’t wait for someone to do things with you – you can do it on your own and it will be great.

See you next weekend!

14 | The Lake District

The Lake District

This weekend was another funny one for me, where initial plans didn’t happen and so Saturday morning I made a quick decision to go home and persuaded my mum to come with me on a day trip to the Lake District.

The Lakes are very special to us and we love nothing more than going for a visit, walking the hills and feeling in the middle of nowhere, and on top of the world surrounded by the most stunning scenery. This weekend we were blessed with amazing weather – stunning blue skies, the sun shining down, and a nice cooling breeze so we didn’t get too hot.

We climbed up Harrison Stickle, stopping at the tarn mid way for our packed lunch. It was a lovely peak to climb – it didn’t take us too long but from the top we felt so high, and we could see for ages, and with the wind blowing really hard, we felt so exhilarated and alive.

When we got back to the bottom, we had an ice cream before driving round to Coniston with our bags of BBQ goodies for a late afternoon, lakeside barbie – and what an evening it was for it. The wind had died down, the water was completely still and the sun was shining away. I love the weird silence that you get by the lakes, where you can hear people out in the middle of the lake, yet you’re so far from them. Its kind of like when it snows and there’s a weird noise blanket that falls with it. We watched the boats on the water – immediately I regretted not thinking to pack my swimming costume (funnily enough usually one of my packing necessities!) – before lighting our BBQ as the sun started to fall lower in the sky. I think if both of us could have bottled that moment up, we would have done. It really was a perfect day.

13 | Edinburgh

Edinburgh

This weekend was quite a busy one! I dashed to get the train to Glasgow on Friday straight after work, then changed on to a train to take me to my dad’s on the west coast, where I arrived just before midnight. I woke up super early, and went into Glasgow before catching the train to Edinburgh which is when the fun could really start! It was a beautiful morning and walking through Glasgow (to the sound of bagpipes and drums) I had a moment of feeling incredibly lucky to be able to travel so easily and got really excited about being up in Scotland again.

I arrived in Edinburgh for lunchtime and walked past the tourists on the Royal Mile out to the Meadows where my friend was doing a 5k obstacle run. I sat on the grass watching everyone run (walk) past, the sun was shining and I was just so happy, I felt so relaxed, so at ease and as though all my London stresses and troubles were so far away… which they were! We had the most delicious savoury crepe for lunch, which I can 100% recommend, from a little stall at the top of Middle Meadow Walk, where it meets Lauriston Place, before hopping in my friend’s car and leaving Edinburgh behind for the Scottish countryside of North Berwick.

We met my friend’s dad at a tiny airfield, as he had offered to take me out on his microlite, which was an offer I could not refuse! He kitted me out in flying gear, helmet and radio, before taking to the sky! It was so amazing, flying over the coastline, over Gannet Rock (a big white rock which is so white from all the bird poo!) and over all the huge country homes and their gardens. We spent an hour in the air before landing and heading back into North Berwick for a beautiful sunset and cocktails.

Sunday morning, my friend and I went back to Edinburgh. It was a beautiful hot and sunny day so we went to Restoration Yard, just outside of the city. We had lunch, went for a walk around the grounds and even had a little nap in the courtyard – it was just bliss. A bonus being as well that I was getting the sleeper train back to London that evening, so there was no rush for me to get on a train mid afternoon – I had the whole day to take it easy.

I got a train back to Glasgow about 7pm, before catching the train back to London. For anyone who has never got the sleeper before, I always compare it to the Hogwarts Express – you really feel like you’re off on an adventure! You board the train, get your little bunk bed room (luckily I’ve always been with family.. I don’t much fancy sharing such a small space with someone I don’t know!), and then you can sit back, read a book, have a glass of wine, whatever you like before climbing into bed and going to sleep, knowing that through the night, you are moving closer to London. When I step off at Euston, I always feel a silent camaraderie with everyone else who gets off, as though in that moment we are all united in our love for adventure and our desire to escape to Scotland. Then, as quickly as this union forms, it disappears as everyone scatters, going their separate ways and getting back into their daily routines.

Five trains taken and a great weekend had.

Until next week…

12 | Southampton

Southampton

Bank Holiday Weekend (weekend 12) saw me getting up nice and early on Saturday morning, and joining my dad and brother on a train from Clapham Junction to Southampton, where we arrived just before 9am for our two day power boating course at Ocean Sports. The weather was promising a roasting 29 degrees – what a weekend for it!

We climbed into the rib – our training boat for the weekend – and headed down the River Itchen to learn manoeuvring techniques, man over board, reversing, the whole works. We even managed to get through the morning without any family feuds, me being the only one to get a bit snappy while reversing the boat in front of an audience in Ocean Village Marina. In the afternoon, we ventured further out into Southampton Water, sharing the channel with cargo shippers, ferries and plenty of sailing boats. We whizzed around at 20 knots, surfing the waves from the ferries which was brilliant fun! I was also fascinated by the cargo ferries, which were absolutely huge, but also painted to nicely with brilliant colour and typography. It loved to think about where they were travelling to and what they would encounter on their way.

Sunday, we did some theory and then planned our bearings to the Isle of Wight, where we then went to for lunch, anchoring just off shore for a little picnic. As we were sitting and enjoying the sun, chatting away, we spotted a little yellow fishing boat in the distnace, and as it got closer, we spotted an ice cream on the top of it – an ice cream boat!! We flagged it down, got some ice creams and then watched as he trundled off to the other boats all waving for ice cream. What a job!

We made our way back to the marina, stopping for fuel along the way, all a bit rosy cheeked, wind swept, and all with jelly legs on land, but what a lot of fun we had. I am a huge water lover so for me, a beautifully sunny weekend could not be spent any better way than on the water. And even better, to have completed a course and now feeling confident in power boating. Though I wouldn’t rate Southampton as much of a weekend destination in itself, I would definitely recommend it as an adventure starting point.

Where’s your next adventure?

Until next weekend…

 

11 | Newquay

Newquay

About my third week of this challenge, I had a bit of a moment where I realised that although I’m happy to do these weekends on my own, that it would be nice to do one with others, and so after a lot of deliberating, I decided to book myself last minute to join the Where’s Mollie Global Travellers on the 4th weekend adventure to Cornwall. Mollie Bylett is an influencer who has created an online community, where young travellers can share stories and tips on a facebook page, as well as getting together every so often for weekends of adventure, with a vision of creating better connection than phones ever can. The 4th Global Travellers weekend promised 50 likeminded individuals a chance to get outside and enjoy what the Cornish coastline had to offer. After my amazing time in St Ives I was really excited that I’d be coming back to Cornwall again so soon and for such a fun event.

I left London Paddington on my favourite 7:30am train to Par, where I changed onto the Newquay train, arriving just before 13:00. I had been told that to get a taxi from Newquay to the youth hostel where were staying, in Treyarnon Bay would cost me £20, so in classic me style, I decided to save that money and instead, I bought a pasty, some twirls and walked 10 miles to Treyarnon Bay along the coastal path, obviously heavily kitted out with waterproof everything, in case of a heavy shower. I was a bit apprehensive about setting off with my heavy rucksack on my own, with the black clouds blowing around overhead, but after half an hour or so, the sun came out and it was BEAUTIFUL, with spectacular views on my way past Watergate Bay, through Mawgan Point and past the amazing Bedruthan Steps.

Finally, 3 hours and 45 minutes later I arrived at the YHA Treyarnon Bay. I was super nervous about walking in and introducing myself to a group of strangers, but I took a deep breath and as you might expect, it was all ok – everyone was great. That evening was spent on the beach outside the youth hostel, gathered around a campfire sharing stories and getting to know eachother, before retreating inside for a few drinks and more chat.

We woke up on the Saturday with a bit of time to explore, and then mid-morning we drove (thank goodness I didn’t have to walk again) to Newquay’s Fistral Beach where we all gave coasteering a go! The sun was shining and it was a perfect day, we could not have been happier! The guides at Bare Feet Coasteering were ace and led us safely around the rugged coastline, leading us to jump off progressively higher rocks, before we retreated to the Fistral Beach Bar for a much deserved pizza and cider in the sun.

That evening, we were graced with the most amazing sunset. We all gathered in the bay, as the sun set in the distance, before gathering to roast marshmallows once again on the beach bonfire, the sun glowing pink (like our faces) in the evening light.

What. A. Day.

Photo credit: Lydia Collins

Sunday, we got up, and a few of us walked further around the coastline to the Trevose Head Lighthouse, crossing on our way just the most beautifully long white sandy beaches. We then all drove to Tintagel, where we had a pasty (obviously), and explored the coastal path before saying our goodbyes and making our ways back to our homes all across the UK.

The weekend was brilliant. Although I have really enjoyed my solo trips away on this challenge, it was so lovely to have people to do all these things with and to not be the decision maker on what to do and where to go. Coasteering is something that I would never sign up to on my own, but we blimmin did it! Being thrown into a group of 49 complete strangers as well, for me was really nerve-racking, but I met some great people and I genuinely arrived back in London with my cheeks pink and my heart brimming with love.

Writing this blog post 2 weeks later and I’m still riding the wave from this weekend.

Until next time…

10 | Hampton Court

Hampton Court

Weekend number 10 was a busy weekend for me, with my mum visiting and my brother running the London Marathon on the Sunday, so I needed a really quick few hours out of London. I know Hampton Court is hardly far away, but its somewhere that has been on my to do list for a while, having cycled through there a few times I thought this was the perfect opportunity to check it out!

I got the train to Teddington, and walked through Bushy Park (which is huge) with the sun shining, and watched the model boats on the pond for a bit before going to look at the Palace. I was a bit put out at the price of entry for the palace, but I was super happy to find out that you can still sit in the external gardens for free, and so I had a lovely time looking at the flowers and walking around the rose garden, before sitting on a bench and reading my book in the sun.

I then wandered down the Thames, and did a loop back on myself, walking past Molesey Lock and through the town which is very small but quaint, before going back to Bushy Park to set up picnic in the sun.

Earlier in the week as well, I cycled from work to Hampton Pool, a heated outdoor pool, which was AMAZING. We went on a Wednesday so it was open until 9pm, and it was a gorgeous summer’s evening – it was idyllic to swim in the open air pool while the sun set to the West, and while the odd plane flew overhead to Heathrow. They also do midnight swims in summer, where the pool is open from 10pm to midnight – keep your eyes on the website for when these are, the next one is 22nd June.

That was my very quick weekend number 10, but it was probably worth my while having a little rest since I’ve got some exciting weekends lined up… Can’t wait to share!

9 | Cambridge

Cambridge

Weekend number 9 of my adventures saw me going to Cambridge, a place that has always been on my radar but despite it being only an hour from London, I’ve never been! I love this every weekend away challenge because it gives me the perfect excuse to tick places like this off my list!

I was so surprised with how big Cambridge is, there is so much to space to wander! My friend and I had a lovely time exploring the streets, and nosying around the colleges. I love how quiet and secluded they feel, like a secret garden just seconds away from the bustling high street. And not to mention the stunning architecture making you feel as though you’ve walked through a time machine. And, as if Cambridge doesn’t seem to have it all already, there are so many huge green spaces, with the river flowing past. It really was a very idyllic place and I would urge anyone who has not visited, to do so. The pace of life is slower and everything is beautiful.

Here are four places we stumbled across – I’ll definitely be coming back on a warmer, sunnier day to explore more!

The Tamburlaine, 27-29 Station Road

A beautiful hotel to stay in, with the most delightful interiors. Also very functional as a cocktail or coffee shop pre-train back to London.

The Old Bicycle Shop, 104 Regent Street

Anything with ‘bicycle’ in its name is going to be a winner, surely? A lovely cosy bustling bar/restaurant.

NOVI, 12 Regent Street

Serving cocktails, burgers, brunch… Oh and a little roof terrace. Need I say any more?

Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street

Newly refurbished, Kettle’s Yard is a great hotspot for exhibitions – keep your eye on what’s on!

The Tamburlaine

What a delight it was visiting Cambridge! I cannot wait to go back and get lost in all the secret passages in Summer. Just a short one from me this week, I’m afraid, but I’ll update you with my next adventure very soon! Until then, have a great week.