Travel and Lifestyle Blog
Of all the things I could have bought in Cuba, I didn’t think a beach bar would end up on the shopping list!! Its interesting to look back at some of those forgotten holiday souvenirs, many of which I treasure all the more now!!
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There’s more to Jamaican patois than ‘irie’ and ‘yeah man’. If you want to get a better grip on Jamaican patois, this funny little book gives you some common words and phrases written with a Jamaican dialect and pronunciation.
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Heathrow bound? Fancy more than a mere 40 winks before or after your flight? The Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel gets a thumbs up from me. Here’s a quick look!
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Push the guide books aside, here’s my first hand round up of thoughts and observations after a first and very worthwhile trip to India.
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Snapshots from the iconic Indian Pink City, loved for it’s royally dressed elephants, pink palaces, chamber of mirrors, and endless shopping bazaars.
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Well it’s undisputedly a fantastic work of art, one of the world’s seven wonders and perhaps the selfie capital of India, however….
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The other two Indian hotels were just as lovely, delicious food, a good nights sleep and welcoming staff.
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There’s far less exciting things you could do than stalk tigers on a jeep safari through India’s Ranthambore national park, taking in an array of wildlife and beautiful scenery while you’re at it. Just saying!!
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I felt an almost unbelievable sense of being in an entirely new world, a world with ‘ways’ that are not to be labelled or ridiculed, but simply accepted as ‘the way’ for where we were – a different way to what I was used to seeing or experiencing.
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A quick glance at a couple of Indian Hotels, The Vivanta by Taj Dwarka in Delhi and The Clarks Shiraz Hotel in Agra, near the Taj Mahal.
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Traffic in India is not for the faint hearted – its a bikers paradise, a barrage of beeps, the rush hour seems ceaseless, and chaos might just be the new calm.
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Are you curious about India? India and colour go hand in hand, vibrant and flamboyant, cheerfully extrovert. Dull and dismal doesn’t seem to feature. The people, buildings, flowers, the food. When the sun’s out and everything twinkles and gleams, the colours are dazzling and India will certainly give your camera a run for its money!!
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Taking a solo trip to India was a welcome escape from the UK’s winter weather and long month of February (even though it’s technically the shortest month, lol). India had been sky high on my bucket list for a very long time and I can honestly say it was everything I’d hoped for and more […]
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An autobiography by Sir Trevor McDonald, with detailed insights into his journalistic escapades, world politics, childhood memories and reflections on his media career.
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One night at the Courtyard Luton Airport Hotel was very pleasant indeed, with a few ‘little things’ that made it a particularly comfortable stay. It’s the first time I’ve stayed here and I’d definitely recommend it. I arrived quite late in the night to very friendly and helpful reception staff. The next morning I had […]
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Calm and quiet, untouched by mass modernisation and tourism – Malta’s sister island of Gozo is proudly held as something of a national treasure, and here’s a little snapshot….
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Before heading off on your Malta holiday, here’s a few observations, tips and bits of info that might interest you or prove useful to know if you’re curious about Malta, since the guide books don’t tell you everything!!
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More of Malta’s nooks and crannies!! Bugibba vs Paceville, they couldn’t be more different. One attracts a very lively, club/pub crowd whilst the other appeals more to those seeking a quieter life.
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Looking for some peace and quiet? Soak up the rugged costal views of Malta’s Blue Grotto. It’s busy with boat trips in the summer, and featured in the Hollywood blockbuster, Troy.
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The old is being quickly replaced with the new in Sliema Malta, so wander it’s inner streets to capture what’s left of it’s original charm before the high-rise hotels and apartments take over completely. Malta is evolving, with Sliema leading as the modern tourist hub of Malta.
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There was a storm brewing in Malta, cooking itself up since the night before, growling with thunder, pouting grey mist and bringing back Sliema’s floods.
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Malta’s biggest fishing village sports its most colourful boats, and turns into a mega market every Sunday, with a secret beach tucked away around it’s little corner!!
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Shopperholics listen up! Sliema has the giant shopping mall, Valletta’s brand names will pass some time and Marsaxlokk is the mother of all Maltese markets.
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Sliema and Valletta, the siblings that couldn’t be more different, staring each other out across the harbour. Valletta could well be the Vatican’s little brother, while Sliema seems more like the Manhattan of Malta.
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Interesting pies, unusual doughnuts, pastries, rabbits and octopus, with plenty of Turkish kebabs thrown in for good measure. Welcome to Malta!!
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Forget taxis, and drive if you dare. The easiest and cheapest way to get around Malta is by bus.
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A Valletta show that leaves you staggering out of the cinema, a church with enough gold to go head to head with Buckingham Palace (no doubt) and those iconic streets of Valletta that seem to come alive at night – interested? Then read on.
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It used to be the capital of Malta, and has the mood of a bygone era, or a film set. The Silent City of Mdina feels like a hidden world, and a must if visiting Malta for the first time.
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The miracle bomb and Mosta Rotunda church is a popular tourist attraction when visiting Malta.
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Are you due for some time out? I’m talking about taking a break, getting away, an escape from the daily grind – a much needed mental and perhaps a physical rest. Maybe some time alone to flop around with no demands on your attention. The freedom to think, read, write, daydream and explore creative ideas. […]
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Morocco and sardines – not something I would ever have thought of as having anything significant in common, but they do!! Morocco is a global sardine giant, and clearly very modest about it because they never seem to mention it.
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Want to win a tripod to improve your travel photography? Share your funniest travel moments to enter the prize draw and you could be a winner!!
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Cuban photography by Andrew Moore is a little different to your typical cuban tourist photographs of vintage cars, Varadero beaches and people smoking cigars. Moore’s cuban photography goes beneath the surface Moore captures scenes that the average tourist probably wouldn’t see unless they ventured away from the predictable tourist traps – this is what drew […]
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Apparently, a red sky at night really is a shepherds delight because it means the weather will be good the next day. The photographs below capture a sunset one evening on the west coast of Barbados. Without a camera, these sights would have so easily been forgotten – it doesn’t bare thinking about. I love […]
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The guy in the picture above doesn’t look very comfortable, one false move and he might tear! Let’s sink into that nice deep soft sofa, feet up and relax while we have another natter about nothing in particular – just crazy clocks, newspapers and a message about germs!! Tell it like it is: The News […]
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Even if you’re not going for a hike, the misty mountains of Snowdonia will certainly take you mind for a walk – away from the stresses of the day to day rigmarole. Snowdonia in North Wales is a very popular national park in the UK, with its mountainous, scenic views, pretty woods, waterfalls and the […]
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A rainy night in Tobago, up in the thick green tropics of Mount St George, wasn’t quite the soothing experience I imagined it would be. There’s a noticeable trend for metal roofs in Tobago, roofs that have that crinkle corrugated effect – so when the rain pelts down at night, you know about it. A […]
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I learned a few things at a recent Gary Younge Guardian Masterclass, Gary’s a popular columnist and broadcaster, amongst other things. I’m curious about writing and writers, their quirks and creativity – so this kind of offering was hard to resist. The session was three insightful hours long, entitled ‘How to Find Your Voice as […]
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On the north easterly side of Tobago, the higher up Mount St George you go, the thicker, greener and more lush the forests become, and with that there are plenty of mosquitos, I came home with plenty of bites to prove it, and I remember hearing the mosquitos buzzing around my ears at night, making […]
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If you’re off to Morocco for the first time you might want to note a few things, including the weather, cats, haggling and ‘Morocco belly’
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On a quiet night in Tobago, I sit out on the upstairs veranda and look heavenwards into the ink black abyss above. The sky offers a sparkly shelter, with stars shimmering like jewels in the light, it’s the kind of sky that hypnotises, and locks you in a ‘starry eyed’ trance. I see a shooting […]
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The mysterious business of sleeping and dreaming is full of unanswered questions, like the meaning of dreams, and how we can be deeply asleep when the brain is wide awake!
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So what are the most expensive mistakes you’ve ever made? Some mistakes cost us physically – like stepping on an upturned plug or chewing raw chillies. Other mistakes may take an emotional toll, but today we’re talking about the mistakes that hit us hard in the purse and wallet, like a nuclear torpedo. The expensive […]
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Pigeon point is the beach that seems to gets all the attention on the Caribbean island of Tobago.
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Eleuthera is a charming island in The Bahamas, with beaches that will leave you speechless and a peacefulness that makes it hard to leave.
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Window shopping, and more conversations with strangers Sometimes I wonder where these conversations come from! This time I found myself talking to a sales assistant in a department store – I’ll call her Belinda. Belinda is a great sales person I might add, not pushy at all – she convinced me to buy something I […]
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Another one of the UK’s great city centres, Liverpool oozes history, diversity, shopping and breezy air!
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Fancy a trip to Vietnam, Cambodia, and China? Sue Perkins will take you there in this book, sharing her wit and charm as she leads us through South East Asia to film a documentary.
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Let’s head up North and go for a wander around Leeds City Centre, admiring the majestic town hall and red brick buildings.
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Covent Garden and street performers go hand in hand – they always have and probably always will. Covent Garden sits in the heart of London’s theatre district, and just a stones’s throw from the Royal Opera House. Performance and theatrics float through the air, and have settled into Covent Garden Square.
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An early start That morning, I had breakfast with a stranger, not something that tends to happen often; maybe it happened because I was in the ‘friendlier north’ of the UK, where speaking to a stranger isn’t seen as being quite so weird. “Sorry, I nearly sat in your seat” she said. We were both […]
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I’ll start with a huge thank you to fellow blogger Image Earth Travel for nominating me for a Sunshine Blogger Award, it’s a huge compliment and quite an honour. Thank you very much indeed!! 🔆💛 I must also offer an equally huge apology for only just getting around to properly accepting it. Honestly, it means […]
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Trying to overcome writer’s block is a bit like keeping a car engine running smoothly before it starts to seize up – it regularly requires a good run, good oil and good fuel. Similarly, a writer’s mind runs on a similar principle – it needs feeding with ‘things’ that help pump the creative engine and […]
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Windswept raindrops sweep across the passenger window as we drive past a wet and soggy Hyde Park. The sky compliments the concrete in hues of grey and the pavements gleam with wet reflections throughout the rainy morning drive. The outdoor seats of cafes are abandoned, lacking any hint of life. Looking up, the high rise […]
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British summer time goes hand in hand with a trip to the seaside – and this time I found myself pottering around Margate beach in Kent. When I think of Margate, I instantly think of All 4’s ‘Location Location Location’ since ‘Kirstie and Phil’ always seem to be filming the programme in this popular home […]
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This month marks the fourth birthday of Cherryl’s Blog, and I thought it was about time I said a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read any of my posts, leave comments, give me a like or even done me the huge honour of following the blog 🙏😊 […]
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The Bahamas has a lot more to it than just beaches – including pineapple festivals, pirates, wine cellars, and snow.
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A few ideas to help you plan your Bahamas list of things to do; such as mingling with flamingos at the Adastra Gardens and Zoo, shopping in Bay Street, and wandering through the aquarium at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.
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Calm, relaxed and at peace, that’s how I feel when I’m near the sea, hearing the waves, feasting on an infinite ocean view, my mind is clearer and thoughts come to me more easily. The sea seems charged with emotion, sometimes it’s still, unassuming and beckoning, then within hours, minutes even, it develops an almighty […]
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The Modern way is the ‘logged on way’, social media seems to have gripped society into a tight vice. We’re living in an era of ‘cyber kids’, who hang out with cyber friends, talk cyber talk and travel for free throughout a never ending cyber world. Social media marketing is leaving TV and radio behind […]
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Do you ever feel trapped by your doubts and fears – like you just can’t move past them? Are you stuck in a psychological rut? Get out of your prison….the metal bars are your own anxieties, your own thoughts. Give yourself a ‘get out of jail free card’ by shifting the way you think.
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So where in the world have you been that turned out to be completely overrated? Share your views and help us avoid wasting our time – maybe!
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Like the tide, life’s moments come and go Sometimes fast, sometimes slow Sometimes gently, sometimes with intensity Like the infinite horizon, life’s possibilities are endless The choices we can make, and actions we choose to take Like the grains of sand, we are many, spread far and wide, the human race Like the creatures beneath […]
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Sometimes you struggle to recognise that when someone lets you down, it’s not necessarily about you. It’s not ‘because’ of you or anything you did or didn’t/should or shouldn’t have done. Very often, it’s about them – their baggage, their mentality and their maturity level. In effect, they have let themselves down, you just happened […]
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Get the kettle on then, grab those biscuits and get comfy, it’s time for another random chat. Tea The tea I’m drinking is from a decorative box of Sri Lankan tea that someone brought back for me as a gift from their holiday there, before the Easter massacre in Sri Lanka, thankfully. There have been […]
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Farewell Morocco, I’ll always have fond memories from our time together, from the Sahara to the souks, High Atlas Mountains, snake charmers, belly dancers and generous tagine!
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What you need to know about Morocco before your first trip – lets examine the hype. I found most of these 22 rumours to be true!!
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More Moroccan snapshots to inspire your next visit to Morocco; it’s such an interesting country, with something interesting to see or experience wherever you go.
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Loved by movie makers and tourists alike; take a walk through the narrow clay community. Ait Benhaddou is home to a small number of Moroccan families and was used as the setting for a long list of big screen films.
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A complete contrast from Marrakech and its crazy souks, the High Atlas Mountains take you a world away with breath taking views and a community of berber families living a different way of life.
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If you’re visiting Marrakech, curious about African history and berber life with a soft spot for cosy museums crammed with lots of interesting things, you’re going to really like Maison Tiskiwin.
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A pretty palace in Marrakech decorated with impressive mosaics , imposing doors, high arches and artistic ceilings.
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Women busy crushing nuts all day, a spot of wine tasting and some hand made ceramic souvenirs.
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Dinner in a riad will leave your belly bursting with the endless servings of food, and the goats looking down at you from Argan trees will leave you wondering how they get up and down again!
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One of the most fantastical dining experiences you’ll have in Marrakech., dark, glamorous and intense!
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Extreme haggling is highly likely in Marrakech, it wore me flat out – and I think the souks should come with warning signs for getting lost and suffering from haggle exhaustion.
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So you want to go camping with Moroccan nomads in the sand dunes of the Sahara Desert, ride camels for transport with a camp fire warm you up and the stars to keep you entertained at night. Well you can in Zagora, Morocco.
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Essaouira is quite literally a breath of Moroccan fresh sea air, known for its hippy vibe and grecian looking buildings.
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You might just need a break if you lose your keys in the morning and eventually end up finding them in the fridge. You wake up on Saturday morning and for a split second, you question what day it is as you look at the time (seemingly, you forgot it was the weekend). 1. You’ve […]
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Why the heck would you want to exasperate your wife, and read a book that teaches you how. It the author serious? ‘How to Exasperate Your Wife” No Way! That’s the title of the book I saw a man reading on the train a few weeks ago, he knew very well that we could all […]
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The other day I spotted one of those charity fundraising reps whilst walking through a shopping mall, they were all in uniform, they had a stand set up and there were about four of them; (I’d had a long day and just wanted to grab something quickly from the supermarket and get home – there […]
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Over packers united!! This book is for all the travellers out there who do not travel light. It’s a quick and entertaining read from someone who does not ‘underpack’
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The notion of a fourth age, what an interesting and very relevant topic!! I’m probably not the only one noticing the not so subtle increase in self service machines and reduction in humanly manned check out tills in shops/banks/post offices these days, or the general creeping momentum around all things ‘smart’ and the ushering in […]
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A few more snapshots. Mont Choisy Beach A more low key version of Flic en Flac beach. Views from the highest point on the island… Just around the corner – a craft and specialist cashmere outlet.
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Let’s talk trains, bugs, migrants, rain and tea while we have a natter about Mauritius.
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La Vanilla Nature Park in Mauritius, is home to all sorts of animals including crocodiles, racoons, monkeys, bats, giant tortoises and a range of tropical plant life.
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The Mauritius ebony rainforest sits in he south of the island, home to the protected ebony tree, the forests are in the Chamarel region. It’s incredible to think that almost all the island used to be covered with ebony trees, before the Dutch exploited it in the 17th century. It was a cloudy, rainy day, […]
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Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius is a bustling world away from the idyllic white beaches and turquoise waters we know and love. Tall office blocks, locals out shopping and working in the city is more the Port Louis scene.
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The Coin De Mire Attitude is a boutique hotel set in garden style plot, just a stones throw away from a beach that offers views of Coin De Mire Island. On arrival you’ll receive a very warm and personal welcome, which extends throughout the stay as it seems the staff can’t do enough to make […]
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Next, a quick visit to one of the best sugar factories I’ve see on my travels so far, (well actually it wasn’t quick, it was a pretty long visit given the size of the factory and outside grounds) an interesting tour at the L’Aventure du Sucre (Sugar Adventure), in Pamplemousse Mauritius. You’ll learn some of the history behind […]
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All this sightseeing works up quite an appetite, so it’s time for some lunch, followed by a bit of rum and jam tasting in Chamarel. The jam was more my thing, I couldn’t resist coming home with a few jars – the guava jam was really really good!
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More sightseeing in the south western region of Mauritius, enjoying the views from the popular Black River Gorges National Park, with it’s vast expanse of rainforest before taking in the wonder of the seven coloured earth, at Chamarel. Seven Coloured Earth, Chamarel. Black River Gorges National Park
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What a beautifully written story, a true story. The author of ‘The Amazing Story of the Man who Cycled from India to Europe for Love’ by Per J Andersson and uses such rich and vivid description that I felt like ‘I was there’ with the characters right from the opening chapter, absorbing the sounds, their […]
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Photographs from a visit to the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Pamplemousse, north of the island, and a rare glimpse of hindu worshipers in the south, by the sacred river in Grand Bassin in the south west. Hindu worshipers at the sacred river, in Grand Bassin. Ganga Asnan is the colourful hindu festival that runs through […]
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Well all the guide books, blogs, reviews and word of mouth echo the same thing really – ‘when in Mauritius, Flic en Flac beach is the beach of choice’, it’s on the west coast and rated as one of the best beaches in Mauritius and a must on your list of places to go whilst […]
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First stop, first impressions – beautiful, and a welcome sight after an 18 hour haul. The Veranda Grand Baie in Mauritius is set amongst lush green surroundings and giant palm trees. Rooms look like little cottages (reminiscent of the Veranda Resort & Spa in Antigua). A huge selling point with this hotel is it’s proximity […]
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This small fish market on the mauritian sea front of Grand Baie caught my eye with the dazzling rainbow of colours laid out beautifully for sale, local fishermen gather here most afternoons to display and sell their day’s catch.
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So you’re thinking about a holiday to Mauritius? Who can blame you, it’s a little slice of irresistible paradise. Lets start with Grand Baie, probably one of the most talked about shopping hubs for tourists. Grand Baie is very touristy, yes that much is true but it still feels very down to earth with plenty […]
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Just sharing a few of tonight’s random thoughts. Writing it down and reading it back really got me thinking and re-affirming a few things I want to do more. You persist Because it’s worth it You invest Because the harvest will be plentiful You try Because otherwise you’ll never know ‘if’ You don’t feel guilty […]
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The city is alive with jazz Once again, London’s Jazz Festival has been in full swing throughout the month of November and I was fortunate enough to experience some of it. The London Jazz Festival has been going since 1992 – thanks to the London Borough of Camden starting it off locally back in the […]
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Amazing Isn’t it amazing that we live in an age where we can just hop on a plane and go more or less anywhere on the planet in matter of hours, or pick up and leave one country and choose to start a new life in another…. Our ability to move around the world is […]
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Confession time!! If you’re a bookworm you’ll probably understand. Read on for the truth, the whole truth and nothing ‘book’ the truth.
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Sometimes we need time to simply be, without doing. Time to give our mind and body a rest, soak up a moment of nothing.
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Pick a side, team heels or team flats, show us where your shoe loyalty lies? I was surprised and amused to learn a few interesting things about high heels recently, and it got me thinking about the attitudes people have toward high heels today. My scales are tipped heavily toward team heels, always have and […]
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It comes, it goes Sometimes it flows Why we don’t abolish it, nobody knows It fuels emotions and creates many woes Invest it wisely and sometimes it grows Share if you care, share if you can Think about your future and start making a plan Money changes lives, creates competition, stresses and strife Money can […]
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Home made lip balm is the healthiest thing you can put on your lips. Here’s the thing Rumour has it, our lips are 100 times more sensitive than our finger tips and they tend to dry out quickly due to the lack of sweat glands on the area. If this is true (which I don’t […]
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After a day at the Cake and Bake Show, a few interesting cake facts came to my attention: 1. There exists, a Coco Cola cake recipe – in case you don’t think your cake will be sweet enough with sugar…just when I thought I’d heard it all! 2. Someone somewhere even made a tomato soup cake. […]
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Cake artistry, sweet tooth treats and cake inspiration are all waiting for you at the UK annual Cake and Bake Show. The cake gallery will leave you bemused, wondering how some of them can possibly be edible cakes. I think we need to see them sliced at the end of the show next time around!
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If your DSLR camera is weighing you down and you’re looking for a smaller, lighter alternative, the Nikon Coolpix A900 might be worth a look, with its generous zoom lens and compact design.
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As with earthly seasons, life also has it’s seasons. We reach points in life where we instinctively know that something needs to change. It’s time for this, that or the other. Autumn is probably the season that gives me this feeling the most, particularly September; maybe it’s because of the drastic mind shift from looking […]
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A roast dinner with all the trimmings? Nope. Maybe next Sunday. Last Sunday I opted for a meat and tofu mixed Korean take away from the London’s Southbank street food market, followed by some vegetarian Indian crepes and a gooey dessert of vegan chocolate cake. I’m not vegan – but I do keep dairy products […]
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When I stop and think of how much of our lives we spend ‘waiting’ ‘anticipating’ and ‘enduring’ until….. it hit home just how much weight we carry because of this. The scales are tipped heavily toward the ‘until’ rather than the ‘now’. Until Friday Until payday Until that holiday Until Christmas Until the sales Until […]
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Picture this… You fly off from London’s Heathrow and land in Peru with your crew and cameraman, heaps of luggage and technical equipment. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to trek the best part of the Amazon rainforest, via mountains and forest, using the river as your guide. You will meet and […]
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Castle Combe has been labeled the prettiest village in England, it’s a typically picturesque Cotswolds village in Wiltshire. Walking around this place really did feel like walking through the set of a film, with it’s cute post office, beautiful stream, and Hansel & Gretel style cottages. The village gained it’s wealth from the wool trade […]
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On my last leg of exploring Wales, I paused to remember the fact that although Wales is part of the United Kingdom, Wales is still a separate country and not part of Great Britain, despite welsh land being joined to mainland Britain. Wales has a language of its own, along with a unique flag and […]
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Apparently, Wales consumes more oven chips than any other part of the UK, and Mount Everest was named after a welshman – interesting facts!! Here’s more from my welsh galavants this summer……. The UK’s smallest city – St David’s St David’s is more like a village but technically it’s a city because of it’s catherdral. […]
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Tenby (also known as ‘little town of fishes’) is small medieval seaside resort in Pembrokeshire that just oozes candy coloured charm alongside rustic castle walls around the main town. This was the favourite stay throughout my summer Welsh galavants, and I now see precisely why people flock there for the summer holidays. Blue sea, white […]
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Another Welsh must see is the grand and historic Newton House. Today Newton House and grounds are used for TV, exhibitions and weddings as well as offering scenic walks and a museum piece for admiration. The deer create a dreamy scene from the back of the house and the gardens and farmland seem to stretch […]
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