End of November, mum and I met up in Paris for our (almost) annual mother-daughter weekend. I mean, a Christmas weekend in Paris? What could be better? We were both looking forward to it. Making travel plans in the current climate is a bit risky, so when booking, I ensured that all could be cancelled until the week before. Just to be safe. But, against all odds (with Covid cases on the up again, we were a little worried until the last minute) we made it to Paris. And it does seem it was last minute, as travel restrictions were tightened again in the UK whilst we were on our Christmas weekend in Paris.
What to expect flying out of London City Airport
London has not one or two, but an impressive six international airports. And London City Airport is the smallest of them all. But it does have some very unique features which make it actually one of the best airports for London. Intrigued? Well, let me tell you what to expect when flying out of London City Airport.
Christmas in Paris – What to Do & See
Paris is lovely all year round. But it becomes extra magical in the run up to Christmas. I’ve been fortunate to spend some time in Paris before Christmas in 2019 and I am beyond excited to announce that I will be having another Christmas weekend in Paris this year. But what is there to do in Paris before Christmas? Well, don’t despair. In case you are planning a trip to Paris this Christmas, I’ve got you covered. Read on for my Christmas in Paris recommendations.
What to expect flying Luxair
Hand on heart, have you ever heard of Luxair? And if so, have you ever flown Luxair? If you are based outside Europe, the answer is probably no. As Luxair isn’t necessarily the biggest European airline there is. But it has actually been around for quite some while (Luxair was founded in 1962, if Wikipedia is to be believed). And they are the flag carrier airline for Luxembourg. Ok, that might be more to do with the fact that they are the only airline Luxembourg has, but hey, let’s not be picky. A day trip to Luxembourg a while back gave me the chance to experience my first ever flight with Luxair and more recently I flew with them again (for another day trip from London to Luxembourg). Which obviously gave me the perfect excuse to tell you all about flying Luxair. If you are considering a trip to Luxembourg, let me share with you my experience of what to expect flying Luxair.
My first flight in a very long time
591 days. This is how long it has been since I last boarded an aircraft. Little did I know, when waiting in the British Airways lounge at JFK that the flight back from New York would be my last flight in a very long time.
Five hundred and ninety-one days! As someone, who would average 80 to 90 flights a year and who’s record still stands at six flights in seven days, this is almost beyond belief.
Travelling to Germany and back – Brexit, Covid & a Dog
We finally made it. After a very long 15 months, we managed to travel to Germany and see the family. Hooray. But quite a few things had changed since we last went over in summer 2020. Travel restrictions due to the ongoing pandemic, Brexit coming into full effect, as well as taking a dog over to mainland Europe for the first time. Even as a seasoned traveller, I found it super confusing to work out what paperwork we would need. So, I thought I’d give you a little run down of everything we needed to travel to Germany and back to the UK at these uncertain times. But please don’t take this as a check list for your own travels. If you are planning on travelling, I would urge you to check the respective government websites yourself. Travel restrictions and requirements change all the time, and I wouldn’t want you to get stuck somewhere along the way because you had the wrong documents (or were missing a test).
Dog Friendly Beaches in England
With the arrival of our puppy Frank back in 2020, planning a trip has become a little more complicated. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. On the few occasions we went away, Frank had been good as gold and did not moan (well, initial car sickness aside, but fingers crossed, we seem to have overcome that by now). And Frank loves the water. Be it a lake, a muddy puddle, or the bathtub. So, as soon as the weather started to warm up last spring (and we were finally allowed to leave the house again), we decided to treat the pup and head to the seaside for the day. And gosh, did that go wrong… we were so naïve to think we could just show up and take doggy to the beach. But no, that would have been far too easy.
So, to save you the same embarrassment (and disappointed look from your pup) I’ve compiled a list of dog friendly beaches in England, tried and tested by our little dachshund.
Cycling Avenue Verte in England
Back in 2019, Mr T embarked on his first ever cycle touring adventure. A three-day tour from Cambridge to Norfolk. And since he enjoyed it, he vowed this wouldn’t have been the last time he’d do a cycle tour. Two years on and he finally got to do it all again. Not quite as long this time, instead he would cycle the Avenue Verte in one day. Or at least the English part of it, from London to the coast, not crossing over to France (as if that was an option at the moment… sadly not).
Notting Hill Movie Locations Tour
I love a good rom com (so does Mr T occasionally, but he’ll never admit it, so don’t tell him I told you). You already know that one of our all-time favourite movies is ‘You’ve got Mail’. Last time we visited New York we took the opportunity to do our ‘You’ve got Mail movie locations tour’. Another favourite of ours is the 1999 movie ‘Notting Hill’ with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. As the title already suggests, it is set in London’s Notting Hill district. An area famous for Portobello Market, colourful houses, and Notting Hill carnival. And something that should not be missed on any London itinerary. So, next time you are heading to London, why not spend an hour or two on a self-guided Notting Hill movie locations tour.
Weekend on the Isle of Wight aka Frankie’s first Holiday
Last weekend, we went down to the Isle of Wight for a long weekend. And you know what? This was the first time, we had been anywhere since our short trip up North, back in September. And it was actually the first time our puppy Frank spent a night away from home.
It has been well over two years since we had last been down to the island. And as some of you might remember, it didn’t quite go to plan for me. My weekend on the Isle of Wight was cut a little short, thanks to getting stuck in Paris for an extra day (something Mr T frequently keeps reminding me of).