Dorset weekend

In May I'm marrying a Dorset man (so he says...he's actually from Portsmouth but he denies it). So what better way to spend a weekend but to get to know his County a little better. Thanks to Emily who organised the amazing farmhouse accommodation for all 11 of us, we spent last weekend cozied up in a huge farmhouse eating, drinking, watching the rugby and then feeling guilty so going to long walks!

Saturday morning (after a long lie-in) we decided to go on a walk which was supposed to be an hour long. Easy right? Well we went the wrong way...but 2 hours later we ended up on the South Coast Path along the Jurassic Coast. The views were stunning!

All of the mud, the slips and falls, the windy hair issues were worth it to walk along the coastline with friends and my man. 

Sunday we had an immense pub lunch and headed out to explore Swanage and Corfe Castle. Not much was in either really but I'm glad that we visited even just to walk around and relax. 

Found a giant teddy bear...

This is Corfe Castle...not much left to look at

So I've seen more of Dorset now. It's kind of a nice place so you should probably do some exploring of your own. Highly recommended. 

The weekend I almost made it to Cardiff

It was all planned. Friends organised, bags packed, tickets bought, lift to the train station sorted. I was going to Cardiff for the weekend to visit a friend and shop and eat and kayak and doallthethings!

I started to feel ill in the car. I knew it wasn't travel sickness, the sickness was coming on too fast. I took a pill and hoped it would kick in and it would all be okay. It wasn't. By the time I was dropped off at the train station, you know, not the one near my house but the one 20 minutes away, I felt like I was just holding on.

I wanted to go. I haven't seen Sophie in months and we had so much planned. I called my mum and she made me tell her everything I'd eaten that morning. You know that moment when you start saying something like "well I ate this melon that had been in my hot car for a day, it tasted weird but I didn't want to waste it" that you've found your culprit.

My mum rescued me from the station and I spent the rest of the day in bed. Sunday wasn't much better.

The girls had a great time in Cardiff together. They shopped, got free buritos and went kayaking in the sun.

Weekend, you were pants and I don't want a repeat of you. 

Glamping...almost

Have you heard of Glamping? It's the new trend to go camping but in luxury. Camping in a glamourous manner I guess. Well, in the absence of money growing on trees in my current situation, the man and I decided to take a camping trip to Devon. I had planned the Barcelona trip in October last year so this trip was his planning domain and boy was I nervous!

I only asked for three things: hot showers, no drunken louts and next to a beach. He did good!

Pictures below of our amazing holiday to Woolacombe Bay in North Devon, full of surfing, sunbathing, coast walking and delicious food.

Norway: the final chapter

Easter Sunday marked our last full day in Norway and what better way to relax from our Fjords excursion than to go on a hike!

Bergen city is in a valley between multiple mountain peaks. Mount Floyen was the closest to our hostel and had a cool funicular to ride to the top, so naturally we decided to hike that one. We took the funicular to the top which in itself was an experience, then hiked about at the top of the mountain, finally walking down at the end of the day.

I wasn't up for the mega peak walk so the man and I broke off from the group and relied on my awesome map reading skills. This involved lots of roundabout path walking, chasing waterfalls to find a lake, getting lost in woodland when we had thought the sign pointed that way and finding ourselves in a housing estate half way down the mountain. We started our hiking expedition (this terminology makes it sound grander than it was and I love that) at 11am and didn't return to the hostel until 5pm. That's a whole lot of walking time whilst wearing Toms which have, as I found out, little foot support. There was also the embarrassment of an argument and tears at the top of the mountain which made my trusty partner seem like a horrible boyfriend.

On our final morning we explored the famous Bergen Fish Market which actually turned out to be little more than a market stall just a little bigger than Tesco's fishmongers. We sat by the wharf and enjoyed the sun on our faces one last time before returning to Britain where, surprise, it was grey.

Norway, I loved you for a weekend but I don't think i'll be moving anytime soon. You're too expensive!

High Five for Friday

1. I found troll figures all over Norway thought it would be a wasted opportunity if I didn't embarrassingly pose with one.

2. These shoes were my friend and foe during my Norway trip. They were comfortable, warm, waterproof and went with everything, yet really hurt my feet by the last day. I haven't worn them since coming home because I can't bring myself to put them on again. Okay, feet aren't exciting, moving on...

3. This yacht was one of the poshest in the marina. While eating lunch this tiny dog strutted up on deck wearing his life vest. Classy dog. 

4. My new cookbook will teach me how to be a complete Asian cookery hero! I watched their series on TV this Spring and really looking forward to trying out some of these delicious recipes.

5. We had such a great Easter weekend away in Bergen with friends. We're not really a photo crazy couple so it's a pretty great day when we manage to get a good shot together! 

Travels

This week i've been trying my hardest to stick to my budget which will hopefully make my bank balance look a little healthier and help me save to move out. I've been praying about friendships too and 2 opportunities have sprung up...both of which cost a fair bit.

The first is to fulfill a promise i made to a best friend 18 months ago when we said goodbye at Gangnam Station and I left my home and life in Seoul. I told her I would visit her in Texas when she returned to the States and she's been back for a year already. However, she's also looking at returning to Korea this Autumn so my time window to visit has suddenly shrunk! After scanning the internet for flight prices we've settled on March for my visit to Texas and i'm so excited to see her again and all the state has to offer!

The second is to go with new friends at Church to Bergen in Norway over the Easter weekend. I'd never really thought about visiting Norway before, I mean it's not that I didn't want to, it just never jumped out at me as a place to go to. After checking the weather averages I can't say i'm ecstatic about the thought of a cold, snowy city break but I want to go with those people, so to Norway I will go!

This is a little scary but i'm going to be tracking my weekly weight and exercise goals this year:

Weight: 80kg
Exercise: Managed 3 gym trips,3 swim trips and a climbing evening this week. 
Using the MyFitnessPal app is really helping with logging diet and exercise, plus it's motivational as friends can see how much you're eating vs. the calories you burn! 

2013 In Review

 

Being my first Google Blogger year (a Tumblr graduate I like to think) I thought it would be fun if I did as some of my (more successful/grown up) counterparts do and write about my year in review. 2013 was a tough year and i sure do hope 2014 is better on almost all accounts. However, I still have a lot to be thankful for so in bullet-point form, here I go:

1. I finished graduate school and became a teacher

2. I met this fantastic man who I can be silly and real with

3. Lots of friends got married so many chances to celebrate

4. I finally visited a best friend in Berlin

5. There were days spent sailing with loved ones

6. Long dog walks and bike rides in the New Forest National Park

7. I went to Barcelona...finally!

8. I saw my first West End show 

9. I did some charity work with teenagers

10. I went on great nights out with friends 

While creating this post I found pictures I'd long forgotten about! I'm glad I did this - give it a try! So from me to you, Happy New Year! May 2014 be filled with God's love and promises, with joy and laughter, all year through. 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you all! To us today a saviour is born, so Happy Birthday Jesus!

Christmas 2013 has been a quiet one with close family, the 25th being the 2nd of 3 family celebrations. Today we break the mould by eating Spanish chicken and tomorrow we will feast on Cheese raclette Swiss style (at the Swiss family residence). Gifts are all beautiful and gorgeous; I'm such a blessed girl. 

Hoping you have a lovely Christmas Day and are maybe even decked out in your Christmas sweaters too..?