Category: destinations

Day Trip To Margate

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Need a day away from London? How about going to the seaside? Yes, I mean in winter months too.
It takes just over an hour to get to London and it’s such a charming town, full of small boutique shops, art galleries, restaurants and cafes.

Have you been to Margate? It has excellent weather and even in winter, if the sun is shining, you can sit and have a pint on a pier whilst watching a killer sunset.

Before the sunset, there is plenty of things to do and see too!

Once in Margate, I would head straight to get some fresh seafood, oysters, prawns, crabs and much more to choose from at @manningsseafoodmargate

It’s located just in front of @TurnerContemporary where you can now see Sonia Boyce’s exhibition Feeling Her Way, which won the Golden Lion for Best National Participation at the 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia 2022. It’s there until the beginning of May.

Next, head for a stroll around visiting small antique shops, galleries and local producers’ pop-ups (for example @haeckels are from Margate and use seaweed picked there by hand as the base for all of their products. Their store is truly an interesting experience and well worth checking out)

Margate also has a very unique place, Shell Grotto!


Its ornate shell-lined passages and mosaic chamber almost feel magical. Strong energies for sure and if it was my guess, it was built for Pagan/Norse gods worship but no one really knows so your guess is as good as mine😄
@shellgrotto

Hope you left some time to go and for a true seaside tradition- fish and chips! For probably the absolute best around, head to @nazarfishandchips or, if you are a little pressed by time and want to stay closer to the port, to Peter’s Fish Factory Margate (12 The Parade, Margate CT9 1EZ) – both places served amazing fish and chips! I tried them both and would go to both again any day! Btw Peter’s has a lovely seating area with beautiful views.

Right, time for sunset watching and a pint at the end of the pier. Any of the harbour arm places will do but we went to the one at the very end, the lighthouse bar.

Feeling like having another drink, @xylobrew is the spot! This microbrewery also had sunset views, and is the perfect place to spend a chilly evening. They are favourited by locals and always have a dog or two visit with their hoomans.

Hope you try out Margate and enjoy your time there!

I am planning my next trip there in a couple of months, maybe I will discover some new great spots to share with you!

Travel Hack – Comfort Accessories

Posted in destinations, Holidays, Tips, Travel, UncategorizedTagged , , Leave a comment

Happy New Year, everyone!
If there’s one thing I wish for you this year is to travel more, to travel better and more comfortably. So I thought I’m going to share with you one of my favourite travel hack I can’t imagine travelling without. Inflatable travel accessories.

I wanted to see about upgrading my inflatable travel pillow since I plan to spend a lot of time on the go this year. When I bought mine, it was one of a very few available options. Now, you can choose from so many and at very affordable prices. Perhaps you fancy upgrading yours to a better one too?

Have you heard of inflatable travel accessories before? I am yet to see people using them and often get curious looks when I take mine out.

(Please note these links are affiliate.)

This is the one I’ve been using and can highly recommend:

CHECK IT OUT HERE
(Image from Amazon listing)

Since I compiled a list, I thought why not share it with you and perhaps help you with your future travels too! These are especially handy for longer trips when you are sure to have a nap or want to get as much sleep as possible to arrive at your destination fresh. Not just for red-eye flights, it’s great for road trips, train travel, camping and any other situation where a bit of convenience can make a world of difference. Especially if you’re travelling on a budget.

Some of these pillows look really interesting as an option for a comfortable sleep. Let me know what you think about them if you try any of them out. I wonder if should I get one of these for myself?

CHECK IT OUT HERE
(Image from Amazon listing)
CHECK IT OUT HERE
(Image from Amazon listing)
CHECK IT OUT HERE
(Image from Amazon listing)

Some of the pillows are similar to mine. I highly recommend one of these instead of foam neck pillows because it just makes so much sense. It takes little space to store in your bag and you can quickly inflate it once you settle in your seat. Most of them also have the option to remove the cover, wash it and use it again. It is more hygienic and can help protect your skin from getting spots during travel.

CHECK IT OUT HERE
(Image from Amazon listing)
CHECK IT OUT HERE
(Image from Amazon listing)

There are also a few beautiful options. I would choose comfort over aesthetics in the case of travel, even though it doesn’t hurt when the item can win at both! However, if aesthetics are more important to you – that’s okay, especially for shorter trips. My favourite I this one:

CHECK IT OUT HERE
(Image from Amazon listing)

While I was looking into inflatable neck pillows, I noticed some of these inflatable footstools. Wow, what an idea, especially for long-haul trips. Take a look at these, they can be a great option to add to your carry-on bag to ensure that your trip is more comfortable. I’ve never seen anyone using one of these or have heard of it before this research, perhaps I should try. What do you think?

CHECK IT OUT HERE
(Image from Amazon listing)
CHECK IT OUT HERE
(Image from Amazon listing)
CHECK IT OUT HERE
(Image from Amazon listing)

If you have kids, or if you know a family that loves to travel and has kids, and you’re looking for a creative gift idea, I think one of these would be a winning pick.

CHECK IT OUT HERE
(Image from Amazon listing)
CHECK IT OUT HERE
(Image from Amazon listing)

You know how sometimes you expected just to go on a shopping website and get something you are already using? But once you start, you go into a deep dive research of all the options out there. I shared some of the findings with you here. I hope at least one will be useful for you and you will give it a shot.

If you get one of the upgraded versions, please do let me know how that works for you!

If you have any travel hacks that you love using, why not share them? Please comment below or send a message by the contact page. I would love to hear and discover something new to try out!

All the best,
Justina

10 Reasons Why Travelling is Good for You

Posted in destinations, Food For Thought, Holidays, Lifestyle Design, TravelTagged , , , , , , 2 Comments

In the cover picture, I am in front of the Met in New York, a place I wish to return one day to explore it more! It has always been my dream to travel the world. Why Travelling is Good for You? Here are 10 reasons:

  1. You Learn About Yourself
    💭 “A long stretch of road can teach you more about yourself than a hundred years of quiet .” Patrick Rothfuss
  2. You Improve Your Mind
    💭 “If you allow it, travel has the ability to expand your mind in a way you never realized was possible,” Trusted Travel Girl, Valerie Wilson.
  3.  It Strengthens Relationships 
    💭“The shared experience of travel brings people together. A family getaway, a romantic trip, or long weekend with the girls or guys can strengthen important bonds.” Betsy Goldberg

  4. Boosts happiness and satisfaction
    💭 “According to a Cornell University study, the anticipation of a trip can increase your happiness substantially, even more than the anticipation of acquiring something tangible, like a new car.” Riyaz Babu Shaik from Medium.com

  5. It Puts Life in Perspective
    💭 “Traveling to other countries, particularly those in the developing world, can be a big wake up call and put your own life in perspective. Things that you may take for granted, like having running hot water, modern appliances and the opportunity to study and get a well-paid job at the end of it are not available to everyone, purely because of where they were born. You’ll probably come away with a new appreciation for everything you have and the opportunities that life throws your way.”  buildabroad.org10-Reasons-Why-Travelling
  6. You Get More Social
    💭 “It’s sink or swim on the road. You either get better at making friends or you end up alone, crying each night into a pillow. You learn to make friends out of strangers and get more comfortable talking to new people.” Nomadic Matt
  7. You Won’t Regret You Didn’t Do Something or Never Visited a You Always Dreamed to See
     💭 “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” Mark Twain
  8.  It’s an Investment in Yourself
    💭 “The money you spend on travel, is an investment in yourself. Travel doesn’t make you feel as bad for spending money.”
  9. It Increases Your Mental Wellbeing
    💭 “Travelling more is likely to have a tremendous impact on your mental well-being, especially if you’re no used to going out of your comfort zone.” The Claimcompass Blog
  10.  You’ll Have Incredible Adventures (and Stories to Tell)
    💭 “Whatever your initial expectations and travel plans are, it’s more than likely that you’ll have incredible adventures along the way that not even J.K. Rowling could write the script for. Sometimes it’s everyday encounters that dish up unimaginable experiences, or wild side trips that you take on a whim, but chances are you’ll be going home with a few tales to tell.” buildabroad.org

Which one is your favourite?

This year I made a promise to myself to go away as much as possible. And I did so – visitng Denmark, USA, France, Romania, Germany, Netherlands and Lithuania (a few times as my family lives there) this year. Might not seem like a lot to some but it felt to me like I’m always going somewhere! I loved it and I hope the next year will be just as eventful. Please visit my Instagram to see the visual diary of my travels. And my recent post about where to go for a great cocktail in Amsterdam.

What are your dream places to visit?

Love,
Justina

18 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire Your Wanderlust

Posted in destinations, Food For Thought, Holidays, Inspiration, TravelTagged , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Travel. Inspiration. Adventure.

Who doesn’t love travel quotes?! I don’t know about you, but I love them. The other thing that I love is photography. This post is a collection of 18 of my favourite inspirational travel quotes as well as a few pictures I’ve taken on my adventures.

Ready for a little wanderlust-inspiring pick me up?

#1   “Please be a traveller, not a tourist. Try new things, meet new people, and look beyond what’s right in front of you. Those are the keys to understanding this amazing world we live in.” -Andrew Zimmern

#2    “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” -Miriam Beard

#3    “Everything I was I carry with me. Everything I will be lies waiting on the road ahead.” -Ma Jian

#4     “Not all those who wander are lost.” -J.R.R. Tolkien

best-travel-quotes-3

#5    “We travel for romance, we travel for architecture, and we travel to be lost.” -Ray Bradbury

#6    “The only thing that you can carry with you on your travels is your heart. Fill your heart with good things and good things will follow you for the rest of your life.” -Unknown

#7    “All you need to know is that it’s possible.” -Wolf, an Appalachian Trail Hiker

#8    “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain

#9    “I’ll look back on this and smile because it was life and I decided to live it.”

best-travel-quotes

#10    “Jobs fill your pockets, but adventures fill your soul.” -Jaime Lyn

#11    “If happiness is the goal – and it should be, then adventures should be top priority.” -Richard Branson

#12    “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” -Jawaharial Nehru

#13    “Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell not stuff to show.”

#14    “Go, fly, roam, travel, voyage, explore, journey, discover, adventure.”

best-travel-quotes-4

#15    “You can shake the sand from your shoes, but it will never leave your soul.”

#16    “The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.”

#17    “You don’t have to be rich to travel well.” -Eugene Fodor

#18    “People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.” -Edmund Hillary

What are your favourite quotes? Let me know in the comments below!

Love,
Hewnly

 

London’s best cafés: My Place, Soho

Posted in destinations, favorites, Out In London, ReviewTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

Sharing a wonderful review on one of my absolute favourite spots in London.

Dear Anna Bonet (the author of the thamesideliving.com), I could not agree more!

 

Thameside Living's avatar

If my world revolves around anything, it’s probably coffee. So not only do I take assessing the cafés of London very seriously, but it’s also something that’s very safe in my hands.

Of all those I’ve been to so far (new ones pop up faster than I can say macchiato), My Place, on Berwick St in Soho, comes out very near the top.

When a colleague recommended it to me a few months ago on the basis that it’s where she goes to write her novel, I knew it must be good. It did not disappoint, and, since my first visit I’ve been back so many times that the staff are starting to greet me by name – something I haven’t experienced since living in a village in Wales.

Note that although the vibe is 100% cute coffee shop, they also serve lunch and dinner. However, while the food is…

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Travel Bucket List

Posted in destinations, Holidays, Inspiration, Lifestyle Design, TravelTagged , , , , , , 1 Comment

Happy Travel Tuesdays!

I could go on and on about how much I love to travel and even it is not so often I get to do it at the moment as my work keeps me in London (which I do love!) for most of the year and the rare occasion to travel is usually spent on trips to see family in Lithuania and Slovakia. I do not complain, oh no! However, one day I dream (and keep working on getting it) of having a digital nomad lifestyle.

There are so many places I would like to visit, and here are but a few of them:

  1.  Santorini, Greece
  2. Maldives

  3. British Columbia, Canada

  4. Vietnam
  5. Chile
  6. Iceland
  7. South Africa
  8. Nepal & Bhutan
  9. Rome, Italy
  10. New Zealand

I could put many more places on this list but these are my top obsessions at the moment.

Where would you like to travel to?

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you back soon!
~ H