Climbing the Elizabeth Tower and seeing Big Ben

In August this year,  Hamish and I did something we rarely do. We took a weekday off work and played tourist in London. It also happened to be Hamish's birthday and London certainly came to the party and brought magnificent weather for our little day out.  The main reason for the random day off was actually to climb the Elizabeth Tower and see Big Ben up close and personal, we were lucky that the list of dates we had to choose from included Hamish's birthday - win win. 

I honestly cannot recommend this short tour more. First off..it is 100% free. Also, it is only open to residents of the UK which makes the groups small and personal. Our group consisted of about 5 other couples and we had a brilliant tour guide who clearly loved the history of Big Ben and this tower and was truly passionate about it.  She was able to answer all our questions and somehow, managed to make what could come across as crusty old boring history, really interesting and intriguing.  

To say I loved every single split second would be an understatement. The fact that this tower and world famous clock is such a massive icon in London and England was not forgotten and when we were able to walk behind each face of the clock and actually peek out between the cracks in the white (and one pink) window panes I honestly felt a little thrill that I was up there and  right at that very moment, so many tourists were looking at the clock I was privileged to be standing, literally, right behind.  Hello secret photobomb. 

We were shown the actual mechanism of the clock and even got to watch it all tick over at quarter to the hour which was pretty cool (the geek inside me LOVED it!). The clock is an antique and requires a lot of love and care to keep it working so smoothly and accurately. In fact, the pendulum which keeps the time, is monitored frequently and if the clock is running too fast or too slow, old penny coins are added or taken off of the top of the pendulum. Seriously, this clock is kept so accurate by a little pile of pennies. I never would have guessed. 

I won't give away any more tidbits from this tour, just take my word for it, you want to make the time to do this yourself if you ever get the chance.  The entire trip takes about 90 minutes from top to bottom and you need to be fit enough to walk up a few flights of stairs. Don't worry too much about the stairs though, the guide makes sure the pace is nice and slow and there is also a rest point halfway up where you learn about the history of the tower and the bell.  The peak of the trip is standing in the bell tower when the bells chime - ear plugs are a requirement, but these are provided free of charge. Unfortunately, as you will be able to tell from this post, for security reasons, photo's are prohibited on the entire tour. 

If anyone wants more information on the tour or how to go about booking it, feel free to drop me an email :) 

A room with a view: Grindelwald, Switzerland

This post was mostly written over the weekend, all it needed were a few final proof reads and some extra pictures (because you can never post too many pictures of this beauty of a place) before hitting the publish button and sending it into the world wide interwebs. Then, instead of being productive and getting straight to it, I plonked my butt down and started catching up on my bloglovin feed and came across Kaelene's post on her "Room with a view" which was linking up with Emma's September link up. Seeing as I have literally just returned from a long weekend which happened to have a room with the best view ever, I decided to bite the bullet and join in on my first ever link up.  Below are a few little bits and pieces we did during our short stay in Grindelwald, our room certainly had a view (hello Eiger?!) and the views from the car, train and every other aspect of our holiday were just about as spectacular.  So without further ado, a brief, by the numbers, recap on our time in  a mountain paradise.

1 Beautiful Chalet overlooking the Eiger and the Lower Grindelwald Glacier.

4 Breakfasts eaten on our little deck overlooking the most tranquil setting (we certainly won on the accommodation front). Below is what I woke up to for four days straight.... I know! 

4 Cable car rides on death-defying cable cars that are too steep and too high…hello sweaty palms.

1 Flying Fox ride down a steep stretch of a mountain at speeds of up to 84km per hour. I may have shed a tear of nerves as I was being harnessed in, Hamish may have laughed at this.

3 Avalanches seen firsthand – two in the Upper Grindelwald glacier and one on the train down from Jungfraujoch - these beasts grumble and roar like its nobodies business!

2 Trains taken to get to the top of Europe, aka Jungfraujoch.

1 Walk along the Jungfraujoch col at approx. 3400m resulting in a minor case of altitude sickness.

2 circuits walked around the Ice palace at Jungfraujoch (yes we liked this attraction, especially the slippery, slidey, smooth floor).

1 Cheese Fondue devoured in approx. 90 seconds. (You would of thought I would have learnt my lesson after the last time in Geneva!) 

4 Breakfasts eaten on our little deck overlooking the most tranquil setting (we certainly won on the accommodation front).

1 Game of chess played with Lake Brienz in the background.

3 Hikes up to stunning waterfalls, one of these walks also was not up an actual path but rather the steep (read sheer) debris of a rock fall. We discovered this at the top, but it’s okay, we lived.

1 Ride down the mountain on a Trottibike. No pedals are needed (hence the bike has no such thing). I think my hand was on the break 99.9% of the time and I was still going faster than I would have liked but I suppose that’s what happens when you scooter down a mountain.

1 Lunch eaten at a picturesque skiing town (Kleine Scheidigg) with the North Face of the Eiger as it’s backdrop.

1 Bazillion bells heard, just gently ringing from the necks of all the cows and goats, as they do in the Alps.

2 Times down the super slide with flashing lights at the Grindelwald leisure centre – this thing was like being in a euro-trash disco for 20 seconds a pop. (There are no pics of this, so you will have to use your imagination...)

1 Swim in the near empty indoor pool – with the glass windows and the view of the mountains behind us.

1 too many slices of Swiss cheese consumed (my name rhymes with the darn thing, I have no hope).

Cheese does this to me.

1 Unforgettable holiday to be repeated every single year. 

I heart Buenos Aires

In 2012, I fell in love with Buenos Aires. It wasn't a planned love, in fact it was the opposite. After the beauty and breathtaking scenery of Rio, when we  arrived in Argentina, (exhausted from partying it up at the Carnival) the grey city landscape of Buenos Aires did nothing to inspire me.  I felt that strange pang of "homesickness" I sometimes feel when moving on to the next stage of a holiday,  for the part of a holiday that had ended, and I really wanted to go back to Rio.

Boy, was I wrong in my quick judgement of this city. I honestly have no idea when the transition happened. It must have been a gradual happening, because I don't remember suddenly thinking "wow, this place is amazing". But when we left, after just three days there, I felt heartbroken.

Something about Buenos Aires is unobtrusively magical. It isn't the architecture, which, while nice, doesn't hold a flame to some of the buildings in Europe. It isn't the city layout, which felt more practical than beautiful. It isn't the parks or beaches - bar one or two parks we didn't see too many and we didn't even make it down to the beaches. It is everything you can't explain. It is the culture, the friendly people, the atmosphere, the shabby-chicness, the vibe, the unassuming beauty that you have to look for to see.  Unfortunately, I only had my point and shoot at this stage of my travels, but hopefully some of the below pictures will help to portray more of my love for this city. Words seem inadequate and if I am honest, I don't remember the names of the neighbourhoods we visited, or the restaurants we ate at, I don't remember the advice I was given and the advice I swore to remember to give to others, it has all just merged into this beautiful, rose-tinted memory of a brief, but perfect romance.

After eating Argentinian steak, I can now say for certain, South African steak wins. Taste-wise they are just as good, but value for money and side dishes goes to South Africa....(wahey South Africa!!)

These guys agreed with me about the Steak...

Sunday Stories - 3 weeks in 1 (!!)

We-eell, hello there strangers! Life has gotten the best of me lately (not complaining) and I have not had a single second to sit down and blog. That may not be entirely true, I had seconds, I just chose to use them on sleeping. So in lieu of missing two Sunday Stories (and countless other travel posts I had planned) I am going to squish the past three weeks into one Sunday Stories post.   Without further ado:


Doing:  The past three weeks have been non stop crazy, but I can honestly say I have loved every second! We spent some time in Les Sables d'Olonne on the West coast of France and it was magnificent. We squeezed in beach days, bike rides, scenic road trips and just enjoyed the mini break and time spent with Hamish's parents.  Since returning from France it has been pretty jam packed - something on just about every night, I am in need of another break! The highlights include a girls night at Bubbledog, watching the most amazing circus(ey) show, Limbo, at the London Wonderground, catching up with a special family friend who actually suggested Limbo (hi Rhys), the Big Bus London blogger event where I got to meet some of my favourite bloggers in real life and was also introduced to some new awesome ones. And of course, the weather of late been pretty enjoyable too which has led to an impromptu  BBQ/chicken-dance night with some friends, a much needed breakfast date in central London with the beautiful Margs and Gaelin, a lovely picnic in Canary Wharf after work with good wine and good company and a great night out for the most scrumptious dinner at Sam and Elly's followed by some putt putt (mini-golf) in the dark (it got messy).  Needless to say, I am exhausted.

Exercising: The week we were in France, this was non-existent, but since then I have been pretty committed to burning off all the cheese, bread and wine I consumed across the channel. I have managed to fit in a few spinning classes, swims, weights circuits, 6km runs and of course, my beloved Body Pump classes. How I wish I had a healthy shoulder and could fully get into some of these exercises, kicking 40 lengths in the pool is nowhere near as fun as real swimming, not to mention skipping all the Body Pump and circuit weights aimed at shoulders and STILL being in pain. Sigh :( 

Eating: I Finally managed to visit Bubbledogs and try one of their famous hot dogs, it did not disappoint! I have found my new favourite snack EVER...Greek Yoghurt with honey, but it has to be the brand in the picture at the end of the post. France was pretty harsh on the waistline, we lived on fresh bread, all the cheese's (personal favourite is Comte...mmm), creme brulee and of course French wine (hence the need to throw myself into the gym as soon as we returned!). The picnic in the park consisting of the same diet I lived on in France, the delicious taco(s) eaten at Sam and Elly's and the two impromptu Bbq/Braai's, were a slight deviation from the healthy-gym-going lifestyle I was hoping to follow post France.  BUT....no regrets from this girl!

Reading: Finished the Goldfinch - I was slightly disappointed with the ending, but still really enjoyed the book as a whole. I also read the first two books of the Divergent Trilogy, (I loved the movie and the book was just as good), I have now started the the third one, Allegiance. I also managed to fit in a bit of mindless chick lit, Here's Looking at You, which I shamelessly loved.

Wanting: Sleep and to have summer working hours  and/or some extra days of leave magically sent my way. With Hong Kong, the Philippines and Switzerland booked in for the coming months, I am running rather low on leave for the year :(

Capturing: Bits and pieces of all the above:

Capturing Cape Town

In March this year, Hamish and I took a two week trip back to my home country, South Africa. You can read more about it on past posts here, here and here. I have been trying to sit down and write this post on Cape Town for approximately 3 months now. While it was a great few days, for various reasons it was also a sad and sometimes difficult few days. It ended up being a bittersweet ending to a crazy, eye-opening, but still wonderful holiday.  The strangest thing happens when you move away from home, it changes. The scenery stays the same, but the people change and their lives carry on without you and sometimes, home  feels like where you will be returning to, rather than where you set out to visit (does that make any sense?! It does in my head). The pictures-turned-movie below capture it all. There may be some blotchy faces, some blurry backgrounds and some random shots, but throughout them all, the beauty of Cape Town shines through. Which really, is all I wanted to share and be able to look back on one day, the beauty and the bright sunshiny days.   I love Cape Town, I always have and I always will - it really is one of the greatest cities in the world and I hope all of you reading this (hi mom!) are able to visit many times in your life.

**This video has music...a great song that adequately describes this part of the holiday. 

Sunday Stories

Doing:  Everything.  Seriously, every single thing has been done this week.  We: cleaned, tidied, fetched parents (Hamish's) from airports, turned living rooms into bedrooms, cooked dinners, walked in parks at sunset, went up the Shard, went down the Shard,  walked along the Thames at sunset, went to work, came home from work (multiple times I might add), drove for 5 hours to get somewhere which is only 2.5 hours away, toured the un-stately National Trust  Calke Abbey, visited three churches, saw two weddings, took photos of all the things, chiselled concrete and paved concrete, walked one dog, shopped at one country village market,  ate roast meals, pub meals, home cooked meals, picnic meals,  Indian meals, coffee meals, ice cream meals and all things edible. I am sure I have forgotten half of the stuff we did. There was also a fair amount of Porcupine Ridge wine consumed. It was delightful.

Exercising: Aside from being one of the busiest people in the England  the world, I managed to make one spinning class and one Body Pump class.  I have to say the post- Body Pump death was slightly better this week, even though I was unable to move my arms, walking was a breeze - maybe after next weeks class both my arms AND legs will function normally, imagine that?! I think I can probably add concrete chiselling to the exercise list - it was hardcore.

Eating: All I can say on this is.... TOO MUCH. Seriously,  we spent the weekend up at my moms in the Midlands (in fact, I am still here, in the Midlands that is...probably about to eat something else soon) and she went all out on the catering. I will need to up the exercise this next week.

Reading: Still reading the Goldfinch, over half way through and still addicted...the storyline just got REAL (don't worry, I won't post spoilers here). I think I will likely finish it on the train back to London tonight :(

Wanting: To redo this weekend, but perhaps only eat half the amount of food.

Capturing: See Doing above for a more comprehensive list. Below are a few of these moments:

From top left to right and then down: Sunset along the Thames, I think I went to work on a ghost train - never have I ever seen a South West train carriage empty at 7:15am on  a weekday, another sunset shot, this little lady entered the world - well done Jen and Paul she is a beauty and I can't wait to meet her, my little rat-dog Sophie (she is much prettier when she has long hair), our new deck furniture for the summah!, paving project complete, paving project in progress with Hamish chiselling away - good work!

 

Sunday Stories

Doing:  This week has been pretty jam packed! Highlights included our monthly girls night in Clapham Junction, four of us have been getting together once a month for the past 8 or 9 months now and it's always good to have a lil catch up with a lot of wine.  I also loved babysitting the sweetest little girl, Poppy, for most of yesterday - seriously, I love spending time with this little cherub - she always makes me smile AND she was a big help spring cleaning the kitchen cupboards (even if I had to wash everything after she tried to eat just about every single Tupperware and lid).  We ended off the weekend today by preparing for Hamish's parents arrival this week and then had a lovely dinner at Giraffe on the Southbank before heading over to Aldwych to watch the amazing Rock the Ballet show with some friends - go watch these guys sweat if you get the chance, totally worth it!

Exercising: Two words - Body.Pump.   ----> This KILLED me on Wednesday, so I spent the rest of the week recovering and learning how to walk again. No joke. Thankfully, I managed to fit in a spinning class on Tuesday, so all was not lost. Here's hoping I recover quicker next time.

Eating: My new recipe of the week was homemade chicken noodle soup. I doubled the portion thinking the quantities sounded too small. Now we will be eating chicken soup for the rest of the month - good thing it was tasty!

Reading: The Goldfinch - I am really enjoying this book, nearly half way through and absolutely addicted. Starting to feel the "nearly-finished-sadness" creeping up on me. Nothing worse than finishing a good book and feeling like you have lost dear friends.

Wanting: To find out HOW I CASH IN MY WINNING LOTTERY TICKET! I won the lottery this week, really, I did. A whole £8.90. However, the lottery system clearly hates me and my winnings and will not allow me to cash it in. I have been to two separate shops and both have told me their machines won't read my ticket and kicked me out  - well, they may have been nicer than that, but still, it hurt. To make it worse, after the second rejection, in my frustration  I accidentally tore off a corner with the bar code on. I don't see this one working out for me. Oh well, next time.

Capturing: Food, flowers, sleeping babies and the loveliness that is London evenings in the Summertime.

Left to right: Poppy sleeping (I had to walk for 1hr30 to keep her asleep);  Poppy was eager to take my bike for a spin, safety first- always; London this evening after the show; tourists in our own town; Wimbledon Park last night at 9:30pm; Chicken Noodle Soup; and again; flowers in bloom in Wimbledon Park

World Cup Fever - Brazil, Florianópolis {Throwback Thursday}

In light of it being the 2014 FIFA World Cup Opening ceremony and match tonight, I thought it would only be fair for me to share a bit more about our UUH-MAY-ZING holiday to Brazil back in 2012.  I have already touched on Rio here, so today's post will be all about possibly one of the best little beach cities I have ever been to: Florianópolis.  

This is actually the home town of the two Brazilian friends  we went on holiday with and they certainly showed us what a great place it is, Hamish and I loved it! We stayed with their families, which was a refreshing change from the hotels and backpackers we generally stay in when on holiday and it was great getting to know their parents and families..AND their pet animals!! I may have fallen in love with a little cat called "Yellow Cat" and the cutest Lab you ever did see "Kimmi" who just so happened to be the very best of friends.

Our Wonderful hosts on the left and Kimmi and Yello Cat on the right

Florianopolis, or “Floripa”, as the locals call it is a massive beach destination which is not surprising considering it has around FORTY TWO beaches, yup 42….not too shabby for an ol’ beach lover like me!  The number of magnificent beaches is largely due to the fact that Floripa is actually an island and is connected to the mainland via a bridge, which means it is literally surrounded by beautiful white sand and turquoise water on all sides – take me back please?!

Due to the different currents and winds on the different sides of the island, the beaches can be totally different depending on where you go – but I promise you, they ALL have something to offer.  We enjoyed a week on this little piece of paradise. We toured the island, visiting what our hosts recommended as the “best beaches” and sampling all the local and delicious foods. We ventured out to the most beautiful little part of the city called Santo Antônio de Lisboa for lunch one day. Sadly, I am not a seafood eater, but the rest of the group said the seafood was to-die-for, and my Portuguese style chicken was pretty good too! What I liked most about this part of the city was the feel of it – the little fishing boats dotting the shoreline and lazily pulled up onto the beach, the multi-coloured houses lining the streets, the lack of tourists which made you feel like you were onto something special, the beautiful old church and of course, the great shops full of bright colourful goods.  

In addition to being beach bums we also took a pirate ship out to the Santa Cruz de Anhatomiri fort. This beautiful old fort was built between 1739 and 1744 and was built to serve as a defence station – sadly, it didn’t fare too well in the Spanish Invasion of 1977, but that’s a whole other story. Aside from the interesting history, this is an absolute must-see simply because of the stunning views you are treated too.   I highly recommend the touristy pirate ship, not only because, hello,  its a pirate ship, but because on the way back you get to walk the plank and go for a swim in the clear blue water.  If you are lucky, which we were, you also get a private little Capoeira show  - seriously impressive how these guys just bounce around like they are on a trampoline. 

I loved our holiday to South America (Argentina coming up soon) and I really cannot wait to go back to that magical continent and visit more of its countries and famous destinations.  Although I love writing these blog posts and I know for certain that in 40 years’ time, I will more than appreciate having them to read and cherish, the one big downside is that they really make me miss the places I write about and the people we travel with. I guess it is better to have happy memories of things I have done than sad regrets of those I have not.  As Hans Christian Anderson famously said “To travel is to live” - I do believe I best carry on living then!