I chose Milan as my first trip abroad, solo. It wasn’t intentional. I simply found some flight tickets that coincided with my days off work and I couldn’t find anyone else who wanted to go with me so last minute. Usually I would rely on my sister, Rebecca, for this, but after I supposedly “broke her ankle” in Barcelona a few weeks before, she wasn’t having any of it. Besides, I had gotten so used to being alone at this point, I took the risk and booked the flights. Continue Reading…
I’m one of those people who happen to be good at art, naturally. My paintings always look somewhat like the real thing and I always used to get A*s in GCSE and A level. Unfortunately I’m extremely lazy and don’t get much enjoyment from painting. It’s one of those things isn’t it? If there was a talent factory I’d trade my artistic ability for a better vocabulary any day but there’s no such thing as a talent swap and shop. Continue Reading…
When I told my Dad I’d be travelling alone in Milan for a weekend break, he was worried I’d get kidnapped, chopped up and sold for parts on the black market, become a victim of human trafficking, die in a terrorist attack, or worse, get a taste for the place and decide to live there permanently. Me? I was afraid of dining alone at a restaurant. Continue Reading…
There’s some controversy in the vegan community about cat cafes and I get it. It’s the whole idea of animals being used as a form of entertainment like zoos and circuses. Animals are not ours to be gawked at for trivial pleasures and shouldn’t be thought of like an object to profit from. That concept is totally reasonable but it’s important to take into consideration the cat cafe in question before jumping to conclusions. Continue Reading…
You’ll be hard pressed to find a viewpoint in Rome that isn’t crowded with tourists. From St Peter’s Basilica to the Colosseum, there’s always someone you don’t want walking in front of your camera. The Garden of Oranges is as tranquil as you can find in Europe’s most visited city. Continue Reading…
Looking back at last year’s wrap up is telling what kind of person I am. 1. I am incredibly indecisive. 2. I relied heavily on where friends wanted to go and 3. I honestly have no idea what I want. Continue Reading…
One of the most talked about and visited buildings in Rome is the Altare della Patria, otherwise known as the Alter of the Fatherland. It’s particularly loved by tourists as it is possible to ride a glass lift up to the top and get magnificent views of Rome, particularly the Colosseum, from a close-range. Continue Reading…
Toss a coin over your right shoulder and you shall return to Rome, toss two, you will find love and throw three, you will get married. Now, no offence Rome, but none of these things seem typically desirable especially when you’re standing in front of the busiest tourist attraction in the world. Okay, over exaggeration, but it has to make the top ten. Wait, it doesn’t even make the top twenty? I beg to differ with whoever conducted that study, because you have to see it to believe that the Trevi Fountain is ridiculously overhyped. Continue Reading…
Rome could never be described as “off the beaten track”, it’s up there with Paris as one of the most visited cities in the world by tourists. With the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain, it’s almost impossible to avoid the long lines of tourists all taking the same picture of the landmark that millions have seen before. Continue Reading…
I have never been mugged, despite having that ‘mug me’ look about me. Now don’t get me wrong, nobody is ever asking to be mugged, but when you’re wearing your camera around your neck, speaking in English and your bag is wide open, you’re not exactly making it difficult for muggers. Sorry, but you’re kind of asking for it. Continue Reading…