My 10 Favourite destinations: number 3

I haven't had much time to post on my blog this week and I have really missed sitting down thinking about my travels and what little nuggets of information to share. For those who have followed for a while, that's us at number 3 already.  I'll give you a few hints:

- It's warm in summer and very cold in winter
- It is very expensive
- It has an Ice bar
- It has a modern Opera House

Yep you guessed it, it's Oslo!

Why Oslo?

I absolutely loved Oslo, there aren't even enough words to describe why but I'll give it a try. The first impression you get when you arrive is one of efficiency. Transport runs smoothly, streets are clean and people are friendly and helpful. Next, you pick up on the happy vibes all around you. As soon as my friends and I stepped foot in a bar, people began chatting to us (probably having easily spotted we weren't scandinavian). The one thing I found bizarre is that there is no sense of personal space or privacy. People will come up to you mid conversation, sit on the couch next to you without asking and steal chips off your McDonalds tray. All these things happened the first night we were there! But you come to realise that Norwegians are quite an open people and there is nothing more appealing than that. As you will see below, you will not be bored in Oslo and it caters for all tastes.

What to do in Oslo

- Take a boat trip. There are several you can get from Radhusbrygge. They typically take one hour and take you on a loop around different islands. Norwegians sure do love their swimming and on a sunny day you will see them out on their boats around the islands. Also a sense of peace engulfs you as you pass by typical holiday houses and see families frolicking around. Check out these cute bathing houses with steps leading to the water. We got told that these are for the mansions situated all over the islands.

 

- Visit the Nobel Peace Center and read inspiring stories about people who change the world for the better. I doubt anyone leaves without thinking what mark they have left upon the world.

- Oslo is the city of museums. It has a wide variety of them dotted all around the city. Despite not being a museum lover I found myself in 4 during my short stay there: the Viking Museum, the Fram, the Munch museum and the Norwegian Folk Museum. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed them all and would recommend seeing them. We had an Oslo Pass so got free entry into all, it was very worthwhile. The photo above is of the views from the Fram and Viking museums. The only disadvantage is you have to get a boat there.

- A trip to Vigelandsparken Park is definitely an eye-opener and worthwhile experience! See below for yourself:



- A visit to the ultra-modern and swanky Opera House is a must. You can walk up to the top of it and see wonderful views of Oslo.

 

- Take a day trip to Holmenkollen which is situated about 30 minutes from Oslo. You will be amazed when you see the ski jump and you can take a lift to the top of it to see what it is like standing at the edge. The day we went was a lovely summers day in Oslo. By the time we arrived there we thought we were back in Scotland as it was really misty and you could hardly see in front of you!

There are so many wonderful things to do in Oslo, you really need to spend a few days there to be able to experience it all. Summer is definitely the time to go as there are good festivals and events on such as Skeive Dager. We had a quick look around Skeive Dager and it had an electric atmosphere. A couple of days after we went the Oslo tragedy happened and it was heart-breaking to think that it could happen in such a wonderful peaceful place. If you visit Oslo I hope you will love it as much as I did, I definitely recommend it!


Nikki

My 10 favourite destinations: Number 4

Hello from rainy, windy Scotland! On days like this, I dream of being on holiday somewhere warm. What a perfect day for me to stay inside all cosy and update my blog. My number 4 destination is quite close to home, is a very busy city full of tourists with many things to see and do and has a famous nursery rhyme about it. The picture below might give you a little hint........

Tower Bridge

Why I like London:

- It is multi-cultural and walking round it's streets you can hear many different languages. It's said that there are 300 languages spoken in this city.

- There are endless things to do here. This is why I've been a few times but not even scratched the surface of it. No many if you have seen Big Ben once or 10 times, you still always want to capture a picture of it (maybe that's just me)

- It usually has better weather than Scotland, especially in the summer. I have been in the winter too and it is just as pretty.

- It is very accessible once you are in the city centre.


Tips:

1. If possible, fly to Heathrow. Stansted is a good 2 hour long bus journey away, and it's even worse if the traffic is bad. You can get the Stansted Express which is quicker but can be quite pricey. I know I'd rather save my money for exciting things rather than spending it on transport.

2. Travel by tube. It's quick and you get a real sense of what it's like living there and having to commute. Make sure you buy an Oyster card - I think you pay £5 for the card and it's easy to top up. You get the £5 back once you return it.

3. Have a plan of what you want to see before you go. Are you more interested in seeing the sights, visiting museums or experiencing the culture? Tailor your plan to suit you and bear in mind you might not get to see everything in one visit.

4. Make sure you have a map on you, the city is huge and it can be easy to get lost! I'd also recommend getting a tube map so you know which stations are nearest.


Attractions:

- Big Ben and Houses of Parliament: you can book tours to visit. Behind the Houses of Parliament is this park which is nice to walk around on a nice day:

Park at Houses of Parliament

- London Eye: although tickets are pricey it is entirely worth paying to see the panoramic views of London. If you want a fast track ticket it becomes even more pricey.

View from the London Eye

- Buckingham Palace: there's a reason why it's always swamped with tourists. It's the place people most want to visit in London. Great for seeing the change of the guard and hanging around to see if you get to see a Prince or the Queen! To get here, I recommend taking a walk up the Mall. I love the crowns at the top of the poles as seen below:

- West End: great for doing some shopping, going for a lovely meal and then seeing a musical.

- Portobello road and Market: a huge flea market where you can find weird and wonderful things. It's nice to talk a walk down there if you are not in a hurry. Best not to go on a Saturday (like I did!) as you can hardly move.

Portobello market

- A multitude of museums including the Science Museum, National Gallery, Madame Tussauds and Tate Modern. Some of these are free to visit, can't recommend any as I hate museums!

- The Cenotaph: where wreaths are laid on Remembrance day.

- Oxford Street: make sure you take your purse with you as you will probably not leave empty-handed. There is so much choice, you could easily get lost in Primark it's that big! Remember you do need to get all your stuff home though.

There are so many other things to do in London that I simply can't mention it all here. If you are a first time visitor to London, the above is what I recommend. If you want further information, this blog provides a lot more detail as the blogger lives in London and points out good places to eat and drink:

http://www.tattytravels.co.uk/2015/02/the-london-list-drinking_24.html

I will most certainly be back in London in the near future and will update my blog if there's anything noteworthy.

Hope you enjoyed reading my blog,

Nikki

Travel and tolerance

I recently had someone ask me if I thought people who were well-travelled were less likely to be racist. It's not an easy question to answer without sounding critical but I do believe travel can make you think twice about treating people the same no matter their race and showing them respect. Here is why I think travelling can make you become more accepting:

•  Travel opens your mind to new ways of life and you learn to become tolerant. In fact, not only do you become tolerant but you embrace differences. You begin to consider what it might be like to live there and you become more understanding of the difficulties citizens of the country might come across.

• Before going abroad, most people would research how to conduct themselves in that country. For example are there any laws that need to be respected that we don't have in our own countries? Am I supposed to give tips? How should I dress for going to a religious place? This shows an acceptance for different religions, customs and legal systems.

• You will meet new people who think in different ways to you. You may have discussions with them about their values and become more understanding towards them. In this way, you see life through their eyes and can see why they think differently about it to you.

• Stereotypes and misconceptions vanish and you realise you can't group together an entire nationality. 

• You often see misrepresentations about countries in the media, and whether you like it or not, it affects the way you see the world (unless you know just how biased they are). Getting out of your own country gives you clarity of mind. It is unlikely you can be persuaded about anything by the media if you don't understand the language. Therefore you are experiencing exactly what you are seeing.

I hope my post won't be taken in the wrong way. Under no circumstances am I saying that people who don't travel are racist, nor do I think that racism can easily be solved simply by travelling. Racism is obviously a much more complex problem than that and I wouldn't have any idea how to solve it. However, I recognise the benefits of travelling of broadening horizons and challenging your thoughts on different matters. 

My 10 favourite destinations number 5

It's getting harder to choose my top destinations but after some deliberation I have chosen Bruges as my number 5 destination. I only actually spent one day there as part of a WW1 Battlefields trip but I certainly made the most of it. The bad news is I recently got my phone stolen which had all my Bruges photos so I only have a select few that I had uploaded to Facebook.

 Canal in Bruges

What I loved about Bruges

- it's pretty
- it's historic

- it's clean

- the people are friendly

- it has a relaxed atmosphere even though it is bustling

- lots of chocolate shops (always a bonus in my eyes)

What to do there

1. Go on the boat trip down the canal. This is the easiest way to see Bruges and you get a lot of interesting facts about the city. I thoroughly recommend this, I think it costs about €8 and it was so worth it. Along the way you see the St Salvators Cathedral, the Old St John's Hospital and the De Halve Mann distillery. It feels like you could be in Venice as you go under all the numerous bridges, partly ducking as you think you're not going to make it under.

The only downside for me was not getting the chance to visit all those wonderful places but if you were going for a couple of days I would recommend the boat trip and visiting the monuments.

2. Go to the Markt and see the beautiful and historic Belfry. You could take the stairs to the top to get a lovely view of the square. Personally I didn't but would have loved to. Soak up the atmosphere in one of the cafés or restaurants. They are pretty expensive here but the food is delicious.

3. Take a walk down all the old quaint streets and a walk through the Koningin Astrid park.

4. Eat a Belgian waffle, it's an absolute must! We found the waffles in the Markt square were so expensive. We refused to pay €8 for a waffle so had a look around for cheaper places. Only a couple of streets away we got these delicious ones for €4.

Yummmmmmmmy

5. Take a daytrip to the WW1 Battlefields nearby, such a worthwhile and humbling experience. We went to Newfoundland Park, Tyne Cot cemetery and Vimy Ridge. If you can only go to one, I recommend Vimy Ridge as you can get 30 minute tours and it's actually a part of Canada! It was awarded to the Canadians to thank them for their involvement in the War. And it's run by all Canadian people.

6. Go to Ypres for the day. Ypres is a beautiful small city which is a couple of hours from Bruges. In Ypres go to the Menin Gate and hear the Last Post being played. You need to get here early though as it is packed every single night and you need a good viewing spot. If you eat there, I recommend Brasserie Central from where this picture was taken:

 The main square in Ypres

In Flanders Field museum ( Ypres)

 

If you have never been to Bruges before or even any part of Belgium, I definitely recommend it. I loved it so much I would happily move there. Bruges isn't really the type of place that you can spend a lot of time in, I would say maximum 4/5 days.

Thanks if you read this far!

 

Nikki