Traveling with Becky- Athens

Today I thought I would share with you what I thought of my latest travel destination, Athens. I went at the beginning of this month which I think is a perfect time to visit as it is warm, but not too hot. This destination is good for if you want a short break or a longer holiday. If you are planning to have a short break then you can fit in all the must sees. While if you have a longer 1 week holiday then you can take things at a slower pace, and you will never get bored. So, lets get started.

Must Sees 

• The Acropolis 
• The Acropolis Museum ( which I recommend seeing before the actual Acropolis ) 
• The Benaki Museum ( free entrance on Thursday) 
• The National Gardens 
• Lykavittos ( the higher point in Athens) 
• Plaka

Things to see if your having a longer holiday 

• Hydra, Poros and Aegina - on a one day boat cruise. 
• The Museum of Cycladic Art
• Bema ( for an amazing view of the Acropolis and a nice walk) 
• Temple of Olympian Zeus 
• Byzantine Museum 
• Marathon Lake 

Those are a few things I recommend visiting. Now for the food or things to try: 

• Oikeio Restaurant 
• Chez Michel 
• Efcharis
• Try their Fresh Orange Juice 
• Greek Coffee 

Other useful information: 

They have a very good underground which is very easy to use, taxies are also cheap to use. 

I highly recommend Athens, I loved it. So, enjoy yourself if you are planning to go. 

For any beauty lovers then you have to check out Korres, they have their products in most pharmacies and they also have a store. I will definitely be going back. 

I hope this was helpful for you guys. I hope you consider going and if you do, enjoy. 

Becky xoxo

Skiing 101

The skiing season is in full swing now, so I thought I would share a few tips for new skiers, to have a fab experience skiing. I hope these tips help some more advanced skiers as well. Let's get started:

Before your trip. 

Things to prepare before you leave. Make sure you have all your ski gear ready and by that I mean:

• ski coat
• trousers
• fleeces
• thermal
• sport bras
• ski socks 
• goggles 
• gloves 
• balaclava 
• ski head band 
• sunglasses 
• helmet ( you can rent these at the ski resort, but I prefer to have my own) 
• ski boots ( These are not necessary to buy unless you know you will regularly go skiing)
• suncream 
• make up ( check out my post here all about what to take skiing) 
• wellies ( work great as they are waterproof) or snow boots
• hand and feet warmers

Some of my favourite brands brands are: Sweaty Betty do some really good ski gear. Snow and Rock are great, so is Decathlon. I love Falke thermals they are really great, but I recently bought some heat tech stuff from Unqlo which I will be putting to the test soon. Another tip, if you need to buy a coat then make sure it has a pocket on the arm for the ski pass. 

On your ski trip 

Once you have rented all your gear then make sure you alway have your ski pass in your coat arm. I also like to carry in my coat, lip balm, tissues, phone, cash and my sunglasses. These are all the things I take with me on the slopes. Also if you have a card for your room key don't put it in the same pocket as your ski pass as you may loose one when you take it out. I recommend if you are a beginner, going to ski school or having a private instructor. Don't just go by yourself on the slopes if you have never skied before, it can be very dangerous. I would also recommend always wearing suncream even if the weather is not great. Don't be scared if you fall over, it happens to everyone, it's part of learning. Practice. If you have a lesson in the morning practise what you learned in the afternoon. Being able to ski well takes time. DON'T GIVE UP, YOU CAN DO THIS. 

Those are my tips for you guys, I hope you have a fab trip if you are going skiing, stay safe and enjoy. I can't really give any advice about snowboarding as I am not a snowboarder myself. I hope this helps some of you out. If you want some more in detail then check out Lily Pebbles blog for more tips. 

Becky xoxo

London - 5 Things to at Christmas

Today I  thought I would share with you some of my favourite things to do in London over the festive period. I love London during this time of the year, there are lots of fun things to do. I picked a few of my favourites. So, lets get started.

1. Winter Wonderland

I think this is one of the most popular attractions at this time of year. Situated in Hyde Park it is a temporary Christmas theme park. It is so much fun, I would highly recommend it as a day out with friends. It is also suitable for children as it has some rides which are aimed for them. 

2. Ice Skating 

London is filled with ice rinks this time of the year. However, one of my favourite is the one at Somerset House. But there are some very nice ones at Winter Wonderland and the Natural History Museum. 

3. Christmas Market

There are loads of Christmas markets throughout London, although the one I prefer is the one on Southbank. Its got a mixture of food, drink and gifts. 

4. Elf The Musical

For all the Christmas film fans out their, they have just been taken to another level. Christmas musicals. With Elf the Musical, only out until the 2nd January, so go check it out. 

5. The Nutcracker  

This ballet really gets you in the Christmas spirit, with the wonderful production from the Royal Opera House, it's always looks amazing. Highly recommend seeing it. 

Well there you go guys, 5 of my favourite things to do in the festive period. I hope this helped you. Let me know what post you would like in the comments, and I will see you all next time. 

Becky xoxo

Travelling with Becky- Amsterdam

I recently went on a trip to Amsterdam and I thought I would share my thought with you guys. It was the second time I had visitied the city and after my first visit I was not very impressed with it, however after my recent trip I really warmed up to the city and now I can say I actually like it .

I thought I would mention some of the things I enjoyed doing. One think I really liked and would recommend to anyone going to Amsterdam is the Canal tour. There are loads of different companies that offer them and this is a great way to see the city. Next must see is the Anne Frank House. I went early morning and ended up waiting for about 1h30 before getting in. So, the best way is to buy tickets online before travelling. You can do quite good shopping in Amsterdam, there are some really unique boutiques to be discovered. Another thing which I enjoyed visiting was the Royal Palace which was open.
Something for the diamond lovers out there is the Diamond Museum. Of course, there are also the famous museums such as the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum if you are into art. If not, I found it very enjoyable just to walk around. There are many things to discover, just by wondering through the streets. Also the great think about Amsterdam is that there is Wifi everywhere, making it very easy to go around without turning on your data roaming.

Now on to food, one of my favourite things. I must admit I did have some very tasty meals to eat while in Amsterdam. I was impressed how good their coffee is. One place I would recommend going to get some nice coffee is the Coffee Company which I saw quite frequently. A place where they make amazing sandwiches, coffee and food in general is a cafe called Baton. Also if you are looking for some good pancakes you can find they at a place called Hansel and Gretel just opposite the Rijksmuseum. If you see Chicken Satay on the menu I would recommend trying it, as I have had the best ones in Amsterdam, they are really tasty.

Few things to watch out in Amsterdam, there are A LOT of bikes. They are coming from every direction, very fast, so watch out.
Otherwise it's a great place and everybody speaks English which is great because I find Dutch quite difficult to understand.

If you are thinking of going I highly recommend visiting it. However if you stay more that 4 days you may start getting a bit bored as it's not a massive city. 

I hope this post was useful for you guys. See you all next week for a new post Wednesday 5pm GMT. 

Becky xoxo 

Things to do in London.

If it's your first time in London then you will probably want to see all the tourist sites. I have a blog post all about that which you can check out here . But if you have already done all touristy things or if you live in London, and you want something to do I have a few suggestion.

1. The Park 

London is full of green spaces for you to hang out in. One thing I would recommend doing is rent a Santander Cycle. They are really affordable costing £2 for 24 hours, but make sure you dock them every 30 minutes if you don't want to pay extra. Then you can go and eat at one of the places mentioned in last weeks post. This is a super fun day out to do any time of the year as long as it's not too cold or raining.

2. Exhibitions 

This may sound very boring but there can be some very good exhibitions. One of my favourite places is the V&A where you can always find good exhibitions, but be warned if you don't book in advance you may be stuck in a very long line to buy tickets. Also National Portrait Gallery is currently having an exhibition on Audrey Hepburn until October. So, look around and you can find some really good things to go to.

3. Shows 

London is famous for it's musicals, so they are a must see even if you live in London. Also there are some beautiful ballets at the Royal Opera House, you could see. They can be great fun.

4. Shopping

There are some great places to shop in London and few of my favourite are Oxford Street, Regent Street, Bond Street, Covent Garden, Kings Road and Westfield. If you go to all or just one of these places you can definitely find what you are looking for.

5. Winter Wonderland 

If you are in London from November to January then Winter Wonderland is a must see attraction, a winter only theme park with a lovely Christmas market. So, even if you aren't a fan of rides then there is still something for you to do, it's an amazing day out.

So, here you have it 5 things to do in London. Even just walking around is great fun as you can always discover new places.

I hope that I gave you some ideas of what you could do in London. Hope you are all having a great week. See you all next week, same place, same time Wednesday 5pm (GMT)

Becky xoxo

Traveling with Becky: Istanbul First Impression

I am back with another travel post, where I will be sharing my thoughts and experiences with you.

I spent four days in Istanbul and managed to do most of the touristy things. My first tip would be to buy a travel guide. I had the Lonely Planet one, which showed all the must see attractions. If it is your first time I would recommend staying in the Old Town. I stayed at a very nice and central hotel called Pierre Loti Hotel which was within walking distance to all the main attractions. I would recommend it to people visiting for the first time. If it's your second or third time, I would recommend staying in a suburb, such as Besiktas area. As I found the public transport to be very good and not very expensive, I would recommend using it rather than taxis. Some taxi drivers have very crazy driving styles and it's more expensive.

A few highlights from my trip I wanted to mention.

• If you get the chance definitely go on a boat trip on the Bosphorus. I went in the evening and you could see the whole city lit up. It was beautiful. 
• The Grand Bazaar was very different and unique to what I had seen before. 
• Now I have to mention the food, which was amazing. Everything I tried, I loved but the thing that stood out for me was Iskender kebab.  If you go to any part of Turkey you need to try it, it's so good. Also the baklava and turkish delight are out of this world, they are so tasty. 

Now the dress code situation. Lots of people told me I had to wear long skirts and you have to be covered. Which is true if your are entering the mosques, but otherwise you can show a bit of leg, no problem and you can even get away with longer shorts. You may get some looks in non touristic areas, but otherwise you will be fine ladies. Gents can wear shorts with no problem. Don't make the same mistake I did, take shorter clothes as in the summer it's very hot and you will bake in maxi skirts and dresses. 

Overall I really enjoyed my trip to Istanbul. I was lucky enough to go out and explore another part of Turkey, so if you do get the chance to explore not only Istanbul, but other parts as well you will find amazing places. I highly recommend visiting Istanbul and Turkey and I am sure I will be going again very soon. 

I hope this post was helpful if you are planning a trip to Turkey. 

Sorry my post was a bit late this week, I will be back on track next week. 

See you all next week for another post. Same place. Same Time. Wednesday 5pm( GMT)

Becky xoxo

Becky's Travel Post - London Travel Guide

I am super exited to start this new theme on my blog. One of my favourite hobbies is traveling, and I really wanted to incorporate it in my blog. So, today I thought I would start it all of with a travel guide for what to do if you are going to visit London. This is the first blog in a trilogy of posts, so keep your eye out for the next two coming in the next two weeks. Ok, let's get cracking.

There are a few things London is known for that everyone wants to see. I am going to structure this post in days. I this way you can see what you can do in a day depending on the area. Also if you are not staying for a week and just for a few days, I am going to put the must do things first. Also you can mix up what you do and when depending on the weather.
Lets get started. If you are straying a week or more then you may be interested in getting a London Pass which will let you gain access to many attractions, at a cheaper price.

Day 1- Westminster.

Take a stroll down Southbank, and admire the view, in the summer there is also a snog bus which has amazing frozen yogurt. Then if you organise your trip ahead (6 months or so) you could visit the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. If not, then it is worth visiting Westminster Abbey  with an audio guide as it has a fascinating history. Then, why not go and visit the Supreme Court Of Justice which is just opposite the Abbey. Then you can find something to eat around Embankment or on Southbank. Take a stroll down Whitehall where you can see Downing Street, and the other Departments of the Government. You will also come across Horse Guard Parade which you can visit. Whitehall will lead you directly to Trafalgar Square. From there you have three choices: the first one is to go to St James Park, or head to Covent Garden, via Leicester Square or you could visit the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery.

Day 2- Palace Day

First at 11:15 am its the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. If you want a good view then I would recommend coming at around 10:30am or earlier. It lasts about an hour. Then if visiting in the summer months it is worth going and visiting the Palace itself. Then take a stroll though Green Park all the way to Hyde Park corner where you can hire bikes  from inside Hyde Park. Cycle down to Kensington Palace passing The Royal Albert Memorial and The Royal Albert Hall. Then dock your bikes and visit Kensington Palace .

Day 3- City Of London

Start your day by visiting St Paul's Cathedral, then take the tube or walk to Tower Of London, where I would recommend going on a free tour they offer there to find out more about the history of the tower. Then after you have explored the tower head over Tower Bridge close by, where you get a great view of London. If there is still time you could go explore Tate Modern Or The Globe Or HMS Belfast .

Day 4- Museum Day

 Start your day in South Kensington by visiting the three museums situated there: Natural History Museum,  Science Museum and The V&A . Then walk to Harrods and Knighsbridge. I would recommend this route on a rainy day.

Day 5-  The British Museum 

This can take you up to a whole day as it is very big. So, I have dedicated a day to it. If you finish in there early enough then you could go visit the British Library which is close by.

Day 6- Option Day

If you went on day one to Covent Garden then you could visit Notting Hill and Portobello Market. If not then you could go to Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Covent Garden. If booked in advance, you may be able to book a tour to visit the Royal Opera House.

Day 7- Your Choice

There are a few things left to do in London, so I have left it free for you to decide. Here are a few things you could do:

Go shopping on Oxford Street/Regents Street.

Go to Baker Street to the Sherlock Holmes Museum and Madame Tussauds 

Go to Hampton Court

Apart from the things mentioned I would recommend going to any West End Show. Here are a few of my favourites:

Billy Eliot
Matilda
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Book Of Mormon

Well, I hope this post was helpful. Keep your eyes out for the next two London posts. If you are going to London then I hope you enjoy your trip.

If you have any questions about London then leave them in the comments below and I will get back to you.

I will see you all next week for a new London post. Same time, same place, Wednesday 5pm (GMT)

Becky xoxo