Mini Break to Budapest | Day 3

Day 3 of our Budapest adventure was possibly my favourite! Read on to find out why...

We'd seen on the same episode of Travelman - which btw is back with new episodes, so go check it out! - that Richard and Aisling had been on a chairlift which overlooked the entire city. 

Situated high up in the Buda hills it's such a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. I'm quite a nature person at heart so it was really nice to be surrounded by trees again for a little while! 

Getting to the chairlift proved a little more difficult than we realised... for some reason my Google maps suggested getting a few trams across the city, then catching the Cogwheel Railway - a really steep railway route which gradually climbs the Buda Hills peacefully. What it didn't tell us, is that once we'd got off the trains, after about an hour, we were still a 50 minute walk from the chairlift, and boy what a walk it was! Now, I'd class myself as someone that enjoys a walk, but I was NOT prepared for this. 

Google maps took us down the steepest, cobbled alleyways which snaked through a random residential area for about 40 minutes, before we finally had to walk down a steep main road which eventually ended right outside the chairlift station. Phew.

To say I was relieved to finally get there was an understatement, and although I was more than a little bit unimpressed by the walk - sorry, Lewis - it was 100% worth it for the incredible views we got on the chairlift. I mean just... 

Possibly not one for those scared of heights, as you're literally precariously hanging from a length of wire. Going on these sort of attractions abroad always makes you realise how OTT we are with health and safety in our country, the approach is SO much more relaxed in Europe. We weren't really secured in at all... adds to the thrill though, I guess?

After a very outdoorsy morning spent up in the beautiful Buda hills, we headed back into the city centre in search of something sweet! 

Self-described as 'The Most Beautiful Café in the World', the New York Café certainly lives up to that. The interior is absolutely incredible, you feel as if you've stepped foot into the Ritz and been transported back to London. As we arrived there was quite a long queue, but don't let that put you off. The queue snaked all the way to the front door, but we only ended up waiting about 10/15 minutes for our table.

As we sat down, I soon realised the music I could hear playing was coming from a live piano, and glanced upwards to see a man playing on one of the balconies. At one point he played 'Beauty and The Beast' and it was so perfect I could've cried - yes, i'm an emotional wreck most of the time.

We decided to go all out and ordered three desserts between us to share - if you can't when you're on holiday, then when can you? Naturally, I couldn't resist the pink prosecco.

It was honestly such a special experience and one to remember. It was probably one of the highlights of the trip for me, so if you're going to Budapest you HAVE to go. 

High on sugar we popped back to our apartment to sleep off all the cake with a cheeky nap, before heading out to explore again in the evening.

We actually ate at the most incredible mexican restaurant this evening, but sadly I was so over-excited and hungry - mexican food is my thing and i've made it my personal goal to try a mexican restaurant everywhere I travel - that I forgot to take any photos! 

It's called Iguana though if you want to check it out, and the food is delicious.

After eating our weight in Mexican food, we headed across 'Pest to visit the famous Ruin Bars. Ruin Bars have popped up all over Budapest, occupying old abandoned buildings and are basically very run-down warehouses full of random decorations with seating scattered around. It kind of felt like a huge, slightly odd and twisted playground for adults.

We went to Szimpla Kert which is one of the most famous and largest Ruin Bars in Budapest. Wandering around the bar, exploring the different rooms and seating areas was really interesting and definitely something to experience.

Up to this point we'd explored most of what 'Pest has to offer, so in my next post I'll be sharing the main attractions in Buda which we explored on the very last day of our trip. Let me know in the comments if you've ever been to Budapest, I'd love to read your posts too!

10 Years in Remission | My story with cancer

Today marks a huge day for me, it's something incredibly personal for me to write about, but I'm writing about it in hope that someone who might be in the same position as me may see this and it may give them some kind of comfort and hope. If that someone happens to be you, please don't hesitate to email me or reach out to me on social media - talking through these things is so, so important.

So ten years ago, not only was this around the time that I launched my first blog, I was also going through something very traumatic. At just sixteen years old I was diagnosed with cancer. Something you truly hope and pray, and don't expect will ever happen to you, especially at just sixteen - it really was the last thing on my mind. I was diagnosed with juvenile granulosa cell tumour - which is a very rare form of cancer.

I am incredibly lucky in that my doctors caught my cancer at such an early stage, which meant after two major operations I didn't have to go through anymore treatment and have been in remission ever since. When I talk about this - and I've noticed I'm doing it right now - I always feel like I play down the seriousness of my cancer experience. Because of how lucky I was, I feel like my experience isn't quite the typical cancer experience you imagine when someone mentions the C word. But I have to remind myself that this doesn't make it any less of an emotional and physical ordeal. My recovery was still tough, and mentally I've suffered for years afterwards with anxiety. It's effects still lingering occasionally now and again, every time I start feeling unwell or not quite myself. Once you've had cancer, which is the ultimate 'what if?' you can't help but wonder - if the worst has already happened, why couldn't it happen again?

Today I had my final check up at Ipswich Hospital, the specialist cancer ward which treated and cured me ten years ago. When I was told at sixteen I'd have to come back for check ups for the next ten years, it sounded like a lifetime away. But ten years have gone by surprisingly quickly, and it makes me stop and realise all the things that have happened in those ten years that I might not have got to experience at all. University, graduation, new friendships, holidays, moving out of home, first jobs, a career, and love.

Here's to the next 10 years whatever they may hold, and the biggest of thankyous to my Doctor, Dr Rufford for essentially saving my life. There are not enough words or actions that can possibly thank someone for that. ♥︎

Mini Break to Budapest | Day 2

We had so much planned that we wanted to do in Budapest, it was tough to decide where to start! So we decided on one of the most traditional Budapest activities - their thermal baths. I did a little bit of research before our trip, to decide which bath to visit as the city has as a fair few, each with different qualities. We decided on Szechenyi Thermal Bath, which is one of the largest baths in Europe, and as we approached the building it certainly lived up to that title! The architecture was seriously impressive.

You have the option at Szechenyi baths to pay a little bit extra for your own cabin to get changed in, which I would highly recommend, as we'd heard from friends that the shared changing rooms aren't very nice - though don't be fooled by the word 'cabin', it's still a very tiny changing room!

We only stayed at the baths for about an hour and a half in total, spending some time in the sauna and outdoor baths, it wasn't completely our cup of tea - but was still an amazing experience and well worth a visit. Walking through the indoors baths was a slightly eerie experience for me after watching the film 'A Cure for Wellness' - if you've ever watched it, you'll know exactly what I mean!

In the afternoon we headed out to Margit Island, the tiny island situated in the middle of the river Danube, right between Buda & Pest. I'd heard that the island was basically a huge park and the perfect escape from the bustling city, so naturally I was keen to visit! As soon as we stepped off the tram and walked onto the Island we spied these hilarious looking tandem bikes - Lewis named them Chucklevision bikes - and we knew we HAD to give them a go.

Cycling around the island took roughly an hour and was the best way to see all the beautiful gardens, and of course do a little bit of dog spotting. We laughed at how ridiculous this tandem bike was the whole way round, and we definitely got some funny looks from the locals who probably thought we looked a little bit insane!

Near the entrance to the island is an amazing musical fountain which does several shows a day. I know what you're thinking.. 'Shows?! It's a fountain?' But honestly, it's incredible! The fountain lights up and the water jets are timed to music. It's actually really impressive and we enjoyed the show just as the sun started setting.

We walked back through the city at dusk - my favourite time to explore, as everything looks kind of magical - in search of somewhere for dinner. All that tandem cycling had seriously worked us up an appetite, so we found a family-run traditional Italian restaurant for dinner. Pomo D'Oro serves up delicious, traditional Italian food that is really quite special. But as with everything in Budapest, it is SO affordable.

Now I'm officially halfway through reliving our Budapest adventure, and there's still so much to come. It's crazy how much you end up fitting into city breaks. Keep your eyes peeled for my next post, featuring THE most beautiful café in the world - their words, not mine!

Mini break to Budapest | Day 1

Just one week ago now I flew home from the beautiful city of Budapest! To be completely honest, up until a few months ago Budapest wouldn't have even been on my list of places I wanted to visit, but after seeing the city in an episode of Travel Man with Richard Ayoade, my boyfriend and I were dying to visit! (Btw if you love travel and have never watched Travel Man before, I'd highly recommend it, not only is it hilarious it'll also give you all of the travel goals - you can catch up on All 4 here!)

We set about to find the perfect Airbnb and booked our flights. As Budapest is just starting to become a popular destination for us Brits, the prices are still super cheap for flights and accommodation - making it even more appealing and a much more affordable option than traditional city breaks, such as Paris.

When searching for an apartment to stay in, something kept bringing me back to the same one. It was a little bit quirky, but spacious, light and airy - perfect. It certainly didn't disappoint in real life either!

Our apartment was based in the 'Pest' side of the city, which is definitely the best side of the river to stay. The majority of the city attractions lie in Pest, whereas Buda is more historical and traditional. Located in walking distance from all the main attractions, and just a 2 minute walk to a main tram line, it really was the perfect base to stay in. (If you're curious I've linked the apartment here.)

After landing quite late in the afternoon, we were both really excited to get out and explore. I'd tracked down a cool Pizza bar on TripAdvisor before we left, which was literally two streets away from our apartment. So we set off there, both full of holiday excitement and very hungry!

As soon as we walked in we had our first - of many - dog spot of the trip, such a little cutie. Budapest is SO dog friendly - another reason that makes it a great city!

Pizzica is a really cool concept, they let you choose your pizza by slice, so you can try as many different toppings as you fancy. They then pop it into a stone pizza oven and serve it on the classic hipster wooden board. Will plates in restaurants soon be 'vintage' - who knows!

High on carbs and cheese, we were dying to explore! I suggested to Lewis it'd be nice to see the river by night, as I'd seen some stunning photos of the Danube River at night and couldn't wait to see it for myself. We dropped a pin randomly on Google maps and ended up stood directly opposite the stunning Chain Bridge.

The view along the river Danube at night is definitely one to add to the bucket list, it looks like something out of a fairytale. It was the perfect way to spend our first night, and made me so excited to explore the city over the next few days.

I'll be posting the rest of our Budapest adventure over the next week or so, so keep your eyes peeled to see what else we got up to! If you have any questions about planning a Budapest trip, leave them in the comments :)

The ultimate #ThrowbackThursday

It only seems right to start up my blog again on a Thursday; the ultimate #ThrowbackThursday!

I originally started blogging when I was just 16 - a whole 10 years ago! - launching 'Because Wearing Black Looks Mysterious' (yes, a bloody mouthful - but it was a Kate Nash reference) as a platform for me to talk all things fashion and beauty. I ended up unexpectedly getting some really cool opportunities through my blog, meeting some lovely people and genuinely enjoyed every single minute of it.

Since then, I've gone on to study Fashion Promotion, intern then work in the fashion industry and end up doing this blogging thing full time with a career in social media. 

I stopped blogging around my second year of University. I was interning full-time alongside studying, I had a part-time job and was trying/failing to maintain a social life. All of which sadly left me with absolutely no free time. But I've still remained in the blogging bubble for the past 4 years, always reading blogs, scrolling through Instagram and Twitter liking other bloggers tweets, but the whole time feeling like I was missing out by no longer having my own little space on the internet. 

So, after a fair few years debating the idea, I've finally decided to relaunch my blog. It feels like the right time to jump back into it and I'm really excited for what's to come. I'm going to be posting about travel, fashion, and all things in-between! There's so much I can't wait to write about, and I hope you'll join me on my little online journey.

Until next time....