Independent bookshop crawl

As you may know, I'm a huge bookworm! I love books , holding and smelling them! They are my babies. I always wanted to do a bookshop crawl but with work and kids, I never found the right time. But towards the end of autumn, I had a great opportunity and planned b crawl.

I looked for independent well-known bookshop. As you may expect, there were too many of them so I wanted to pick bookshops which are quite easy to get to and came up with an itinary which will cover most of these bookshops within a 4hour period (I was on school run duty that day unfortunately). I mapped out my route very carefully and pleased that out of the 10 bookshops I wanted to visit, I only had to cut 2 out of my route! Map in hand, I bought a one day travelcard (there was going to be a lot of me going and out of zone 1! Then, out of my 400+ books on my TBR (to be read list), I picked books which I couldn't get from the libraries and were uncommon. That took me 2 hours for me to score through my borough's online libraries to see which ones weren't available in the libraries!  I also set a 'budget' but as you'll see, that went straight out of the window!

Here was my route:

1. Libreria - got off Liverpool Street and was a 15minutes walk from the station. It was such a nice cozy bookshop and the staff were so welcoming and knowledgeable. I manged to get 3 of the books that was on my list. If they didn't have the book, they were able to order them from their supplier!

2. Word on the Water - on the canal, off King's Cross Station. This opens at 12. The bookshop is on a narrowboat and I loved this unusual setting. It had 3 compartments, even a children's section. I managed to find another 3 books from there! I think I spent more time taking pictures of the quotes and items then looking for books in their small collection.

3. Leicester Square - this place is filled with independent specialist bookshops! I first headed over to Cecil Court. These bookshops were highly specialised. Some just about Alice in Wonderland, some covered first edition books only, etc... Then on the main road, there were more bookshops. I managed to find a few more books from my lists from. Don't forget there's also a massive Foyles too that I used to visit quite often when they were hosting family events but I didn't venture in this time. In total, I have no idea how many bookshops I visited at Leicester Square but it was at least 5!

4. Hatchard's - Picadilly Circus. Right next to Fortnum & Mason, this bookshop was magical. It is a bookshop straight out of a movie. It is now my favourite bookshop! It has 5 floors and this is where I blew about £100 in books and threw away my book lists and just went absolutely crazy! I literally had no control! 5 floors of books!!!!! How was I supposed to control myself. Thankfully, it was affiliated with Waterstones so I was to collect many loyalty points! You have to visit this shop. I went another day with my kids and they loved it too!  You must visit this place even if you are not a bookworm!

I was then meant to visit Daunt books in Marylebone but didn't have the time so I will need to fit it in on another day! I did go to their Notting Hill Bookshop over the summer which was a beauty so I can't wait to visit the main one on Marylebone! I just need to leave my bank card at home!

Halloween Special - Canterbury

 What better way to spend Halloween but in a gothic city like Canterbury! Our arrival in Cantebrury was like none other with lots of free chocolates at the station. This set our moods in high spirits. As everything that we wanted to do was within the town centre, we had plenty of time to stroll around too.

We first headed to the Roman Museum and the history of of Canterbury under the Roman Empire. It was quite good with kid-friendly exhibits and activities. They had some great artefacts too. There's an entrance fee but it wasn't too much! The gift shop was very tiny though. Just by the museum was the Canterbury Cathedral which was breathtaking! They gad some works going on but you can still see most of the cathedral from the outside. We didn't go inside as we weren't too keen about it. 

The town centre had some very interesting shops such as the Harry Potter shop, Goth shop, American sweet shop and the Japanese shop.

Next on our stop was the Westgate Towers! The Westgate Towers was previously a prison.  It now hosts a restaurant, bar and 3 different escape rooms!  We pre-booked one of the escape room (crime and punishment) which was hosted in actual prison cells. You can still see names of  prisoners and other interesting engravings on the walls of the prison! Anyway, the escape room was fantastic! It was our first time doing an escape room and it was stressful but exhilarating! We were totally mentally drained by the end of the hour! We couldn't escape the room but we were quite close! I will highly recommend if you are heading to Canterbury. The towers also hosted halloween games which even my 12 year old really enjoyed with lots of treats at the end of each games. You can also go to the top of the Towers to see the view of the city and an amazing view of the Cathedral.

I desperately wanted to see the Abbey Ruin (which was free for us because of our English Heritage membership)  but couldn't make it on time before it closed so that will be for another time. We then walked to the old ruins of the Canterbury Castle.We couldn't go inside as it was dangerous but walked around the perimeter of the castle.

As it was getting darker, we pre-booked a chilling punting ride on the local river. The kids found it quite spooky. With spooky tales of Canterbury, dark waters and 1 scary person jumping on us unexpectedly, it was fantastic!  

Overall, we had a fabulous time in Canterbury. This is where, according to my youngest, he will settle when he's older!!

Matlock Bath

 As the leaves change colour and the air gets crisper, we ventured out to Matlock Bath. What a picturesque little village to welcome the arrival of autumn! We saw saw old mills and limestone cliffs  on our way. We booked everything online as it was cheaper and with NHS discount, it was reasonable.

As this was a day trip, we headed straight to our point of interest with was The Heights of Abraham. Please note that this is closed during the winter season.  The heights are named after a supposed resemblance to the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Heights of Abraham, in Quebec where James Wolfe , a British Army official who won over the French in Quebec, died in battle. The Heights are located on top of a hillside. The access to the hill was either through cable car or there's walking pathways. We used the cable car obviously. It was great! My eldest is scared of heights but she managed to suppress her fear. The cable car lasts about 5-10 minutes and stops for a few minutes in between for us to enjoy the view. The view is truly glorious. We went at the right season as we saw the different colour of the leaves from a height and it was beautiful.

Once we got to the top, we went to the 'bottom' of the heights to visit the first cavern, Rutland Cavern. The Heights have 2 caves. It was used for lead mining extensively. As we went during Halloween season, we had the Witch Grotto in the Rutland Cavern. Although it was a very short tour, the main chamber had been beautifully illuminated.

Then we slowly (and painfully) walked our way through to the top. On our way, we saw old disused mineshafts, 2 different play areas, the viewing point and scenic views. The climb was a bit steep, if you are using the stairs but there's plenty of places to rest. Once we got to the top of the hill, there's a tower where you can see the whole of Matlock Bath! Again, I can't recommend enough to visit Matlock Bath during Autumn. The scenery is indescribable.

Next, we went to the second cave, The Masson Cavern. This was a proper cave tour with an excellent tour guide who explained the history of the tour. We all love cave systems and this didn't disappoint. The tour lasted between 30-45minutes.  The main chamber had beautiful illuminations and you could also see some gems in the walls of the cave!

When we came out we headed to the fossil shop. As I birthed a future palaeontologist, this was a place of great excitement for him where we saw dinosaur fossils. Underneath the fossil shop was the museum which told us the history of Matlock Bath. What interested me was the literary connections, Matlock Bath had with authors like  Jane Austen and Mary Shelley!

The Heights has an excellent restaurant, 1 cafe and 3 average gifts shops. However, if you are into your gems, then the gift shop located in the Fossil Museum is for you.

Once we finished the Heights, we just walked around the town. We went to a nearby park to relax. There was also a waterfall nearby (Lumsdale Waterfall just on the border of the Peak District National Park) however, by the time we got there, it got dark and so couldn't actually see the waterfall. But we did see some ruins of mills which spooked us off a bit with the night setting in!

In Matlock Bath, there's also Gulliver's Kingdom, the mining museum and an aquarium. Not too far from the there is the Crich Tramway Village. We couldn't fit everything into our Day so we'll be returning to the Peak District soon!

PS: We have now been to Crich Tramway Village in the village of Whatstandwell which is literally surrounded by green and houses sporadically located! This would have been better for younger kids when they are  amazed by everything! My 13 and 10year old were more entertained in walking and playing in the woods rather than the play area and climbing on the different tramway. The tickets are valid for 1 year so you can visit as many times as possible. There’s also cafes and places to eat too. During school holidays, they are plenty of kids arts and crafts too! I loved climbing and experiencing the different trams even though it was the same route we used. 

A week in Denmark

Couple of summers ago, we spent a week in Denmark. My son is a big Lego fan and when reading around, I saw so many reviews to say it was a very kid-friendly country! Coincendentally, my daughter was learning about Vikings so bingo! Booked our flights, booked our Airbnbs, did out itinerary so we can cover the whole country and off we went.

We landed in Copenhagen and were planning to stay around the capital for a few days before we headed north. Our Airbnb was a couple stops from Copenhagen in a town called Gentofte. The train was a bit confusing but the Danish people are so friendly that people guided us through the station and the way. As we arrived late in the afternoon, we just wanted to settle down and explore the local area. The flat we were staying in was so cozy and nice however it had a communal shower in the basement! Apparently, old buildings have communal showers due to plumbing issues but it is slowly getting better! Our first shopping trip was exciting! Here's the 3 of us with barely any Danish between us trying to lead a Danish life. We were adamant to try and use the little phrases we used but the shop assistants and cashier were so nice about it! Denmark is however extremely expensive! I easily spent £50 in Netto for a 3 day shop! Oh well! The rest of the evening was spent strolling the streets and getting ready for the next day. 

The next day, I invested in a Copenhagen card (there's an app where you can download the card and you have the option to choose for how many days you need it for). This was the easiest and cheapest way to travel and see places in and around Copenhagen. It around and wanted to save as much money as I can. Here's what we did while while we close to Copenhagen (mostly using the Copenhagen card):

• København V - Tivoli Gardens - the 3rd oldest theme park in the world! It was charming with a mix of new and old rides, beautiful gardens and great atmosphere. It is situated right outside the station.
• Roskilde - famous for its cathedral where many kings and queens are buried but also for the Viking Ship Museum. We spent hours in this museum as there was so much to do and see. We did a couple of activities such as painting with paints used by Vikings, we tried to build a model Viking ship, played Viking games. The museum with actual Viking ships was immense. The play area was great for role-play. However, the highlight was the boat ride on a replica of a Viking ship. Laksha was made captain of the boat while all of the other sailors had to row! It was such a beautiful memory.
• København  - Rosenberg Castle. A small but charming castle where the crown jewels are. We didn't visit the museum as the kids weren't interested so we just pretended to be king and queen and enjoyed the gardens and the play areas.
• Nørreport - The Workers Museum was a fantastic museum especially for kids as they had so much to play with and learn about the danish working class.  Not too far away was the Botanical Gardens which also housed the National History Museum of Denmark and The Geologisk Museum.
• København Ø - Zoologican Museum. Where have we ever gone and not visited a couple of dinosaurs? They even had skeletons for us to handle.
• Lyngby - Open Air Museum, Frilandsmuseet. There's no better way to learn a country's history but an open air museum. Rather than the usual museum, we find open-air museums more informative and kid-friendly. We saw how houses and way of living from different Danish eras was. It was wonderful! The big green space was so inviting!

Then we travelled out of Copenhagen and visited the following places while staying out in a family-friendly camping site in Grinstead:

• Odense - how can we not go to the birthplace of Hans Christian Anderson. There was a festival going on which was our added bonus with Anderson's tales being played out. We also visited the museum where we learnt so much about his life. We also visited his childhood house near the museum and loved the coloured houses. Just around the museum, was another great placed called Tinderbox. This was such a great place for kids to be kids with so many different rooms to do role-play and basically be a child. It was like entering a mythical world where you can be anything. I even turned into a child and played.
• Billund - Lego City! Legoland was Legoland. We spent the entire day there. The campsite that we stayed at, provided us with discounted tickets and we made the most of it. Lego House was huge and on each floor there was more legos and opportunities to play around.

If you have kids under 10, Denmark is the place for you. It cannot emphasise how family-friendly this country is. Yes, it is expensive hence why we got Airbnbs throughout our stay. However, even on a budget, we were able to enjoy all that Denmark offered for our family!

Shakespeare's Land - Stratford-Upon-Avon

There was a phase where my daughter was mad about Shakespeare. So after we exhausted all the books and did  multiple home-made recreations of different plays, what else was I to do but take her to Shakespeare hometown? I booked an Airbnb in a little village not far from the town centre for 2 nights and off we went! Before you head out, it is vital to pre-book and there's great combination tickets which saves a bit of money. You can find ticket details here: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/visit/ 

Before we went to Stratford-Upon-Avon, we made a quick stop to  Wilmcote to visit Shakespeare's mother's house, Mary Arden Farm. This was such a great place to visit with kids as they had people in character and reenactment of how life was on the far. It had a playground, animal farm. We took part in a reenactment of how meal time was back in those times where the kids were picked to help out with the play. They is so much history so take time and enjoy! A wonderful place for kids little and big. We then headed to Stratford-Upon-Avon and explored the vibrant town centre and its quirky shops like the Christmas shop, Peter rabbit shop and a shop dedicated to just teddy bears! 

The next day, we headed back to the town centre to visit 2 houses. Shakespeare's birthplace and Anne Hathaway's House! As it was a school holiday, there was a lot of kid activities including plays everywhere. Maybe the houses were a bit too much for my son who was 5 who just wanted to move along fast while my 8 year old was transported to Shakespeare's time! Once we were done with the houses, we headed down the high street to MAD Museum (Mechanical Art and Design Museum). This was such a gem of a museum with so much to explore and lots of hands on exhibits. Anyone will have a blast here! I thought the price didn't do justice to what the museum had to offer. It was quite cheap. Next we headed to the back streets to go to Tudor World. As you know, we are a family that loves history and need to absorb as much history as we can. Tudor World was great. Lots of different areas to cover the Tudor time including the plague and witches. It can get quit spooky due to the light effect so if your child is afraid of the dark, then beware. The museum also had a trail going with a prize at the end of it.

On our last day, we headed to the Royal Shakespeare company where we had booked for a free theatre workshop. It was a family event so we all had to get involved and show off our wonderful acting skills! We then also had a tour of the theatre and had a chance to try out costumes, look at set designs, etc... Wonderful gift shop too. Lucky took such a long time to pick what she wanted! Before our train was due, we had a picnic and played by the River Avon.

I love historic town and the rich history. Even if you are not into Shakespeare, I will highly recommend you visit this beautiful town!

South Devon

 After Lake District, this has become one of my favourite places in the UK. It is absolutely stunning and the weather was splendid too!

We stayed in Totnes in a guesthouse 5mins away from the town centre. Upon our arrival, we visited the historic local town centre. It is such a cute town with cobbled streets and a river running through. The high street also had so many bookshops which were calling for me to come and buy books, like I don't have enough books to read. There were also lots of cafes where we had to have cream tea and scones. We also visited Devon's oldest sweet shop. As soon as we entered, it smelled of liquorice. I cans till smell it. We then visited Totnes Castle. It is part of the English Heritage and since we have membership, it was free for us to visit. We loved going up the castle and admiring the views of Totnes and beyond. It was a quick visit as they wasn't much to see or do.

The next day, we packed our beach bags and went to the beaches in Salcombe without having a clue that this will become my favourite beach town. I couldn't believe the colour of water which was aquamarine! Who would have thought? With the setting of hills, boats/yachts and the water, I felt like I was in Sardinia. From Salcombe town centre, we walked to the South Sands beach which was a good 45minutes. We stopped by North Sands to eat in a cafe overlooking the beach. Once our energy was restored, we walked another 15minutes, to the South Sands which was more quieter and nicer. The water was cold but that didn't stop us from playing in the water. We also did lots of rock climbing and cave explorations! Cave exploration is a hobby that both me and my daughter didn't know we would love. My son is afraid of the dark so he was more than happy to guard the cave from outside should something happen to us. There was this particular  hidden cave which was so exciting to explore. We went as far in as possible but it got too dark to see so went we couldn't go all the way. The beach also had lots of little coves which meant us going around the beach, hopping from rock to rock, to explore the beaches. I cannot comment on how stunning Salcombe is. It is a town that you need to visit.

Another beautiful day, another gorgeous town to visit. What was on our itenary this time?? Dartmouth!! However, on our way there, we quickly stopped at Devon's biggest theme park,  Woodlands Family Park. The park had several areas and quite a few rides but don't expect Thorpe Park. The highlight where the water rides! It also had a huge indoor play area. It was a nice couple of hours before we headed down to Dartmouth. Dartmouth is the biggest town that we've been. The scenery was as amazing as Salcombe. I cannot describe it. It had a party atmosphere. There was a funfair and street food stalls. We walked by the harbour to go to Dartmouth Castle which was about 40mins walk from the town centre. On our walk there, we  came across the Bayards Cove Fort. Dartmouth was defence town couple of centuries ago and this fort was used for as an artillery defence. It is free to visit and a nice piece of history. Next stop was Dartmouth Castle located right on the edge of a cliff. It's one of the most beautiful castle setting I saw. The views across Dartmouth Castle, we also saw Kingswear Castle across the estuary. The castle had had a dark underground passage and weapons in the basement. On top of the castle, you were again faced with amazing views. Behind the castle, there were multiple coves, all unique in their own way. We could only do one cove as the tide was coming in and therefore blocking the access to the other coves. It was deserted and an ideal place to have a picnic and a little swim. To head back to the town centre, we took the ferry back and said bye to another beautiful town.

On our last day, we went to a corner of Dartmouth National Park. We went to Becky Falls. I picked this area as it had waterfalls which we lie, great hiking paths and family-friendly. It even had a little zoo, pig and horse enclosures. This is suitable for any ages. It had 3 different paths all with different difficulty levels. The red path took us to the waterfalls. It was beautiful. We can climb the boulders to be close to the waterfall. It was so refreshing to be sprayed with fresh, cold water from the waterfall. We then followed, the water down the path where there were many opportunities to dip your toes and paddle around so bring a change of clothes. There's something about water running between trees that gives me enormous peace and calm to my soul. It is such a peaceful place and extremely child friendly. 

Unfortunately, our time in South Devon came to an end too quickly but it was exactly what I needed to reset my body. South Devon was a complete surprise to me. I didn't expect it to be so beautiful!

The Jurassic Coast, UK

 We tried to fit in another quick holiday the week before school starts so off we went to the Jurassic Coast. This was a bit different from the other holidays as not only did it involved the husband coming but also some friends and their kids!

Off we headed to Weymouth all 8 of us. It was a sunny and warm day, thankfully! We got there after 2 after a slight delay en-route. Once we settled in our respective hotel rooms (no AirBnb 😑😑😑😑😑!!!), we went to Weymouth SeaLife. It was a nice walk by the Weymouth beach. All the kids and the husband in particular were excited about this as they are all fish mad. What caught my attention were the teeny penguins. So cute! The playground was amazing. Theres not much to say about SeaLife. It des what it says on the tin. 

Right opposite it was Sandworld. This is an attraction with sculptures made of sand. It was amazing to see the sculptures and the talent it took. The sculptures vary every time and is worth a visit. Theres also a sand art area where the kids wanted to create their own sand magic. It was at an extra cost but worth it.

The following day we headed to the Jurassic Coast which i was dying to go for a year now. My aim was Durdle Door, Man O'War and Lulworth Cove. We were lucked out with really nice weather! First stop, Durdle Door. It's stunning. The photos don't translate the beauty of it. We headed down the stairs which wasn't pushchair friendly at all and a bit steep. It wasn't as busy as we would have thought and found a space quite close the the arch. As soon as we set up, the kids got to their swimming suits and jumped i the water. The water was clear aquamarine water. I didn't know you could get aquamarine water in the UK!!!! The water was cold but it didn't stop the kids or me. I braved the cold water and jumped in there too. I even swam all the way to the other side of the arch and touched it. Apparently if you touch it, you need to make a wish. The water was a bit rough so I would recommend swimming that far only if you are water-confident. We spent a good portion of the morning there before we headed to the other beaches. That walk back was hard! We had to stop a few times to get back to our starting point and head back to the other beaches. We saw Man O'War but didn't get down as the kids were tired so missed it but took plenty of photos. There were no places to eat here. Next, we walked to Lulworth Cove which took us about 20mins. The views, oh the views, were indescribable. This is the place where there was lots of places to eat, visitor centre, boat rides and gift shops. the cove itself was beautiful. Again beautiful water and more places to discover. I recommend hiking shoes or solid trainers to do all kind of climbing! I discovered a new nook everywhere I turned. I wished I packed another set of swimsuit because the setting looked so inviting. It's absolutely stunning and you can fit it all in 1 days. Just pack a few bathing suits and good slippers as everything was shingles.

The next day was our final day there. We headed to Dorchester to do a few museums. The first one was the Dinosaur Museum for my paleontologist. It was a small museum but kept the kids busy. Next we went to my and Lucky's kind of museum, the Tuthankamun museum. It was all replicas but mind-blowing. There also had mummies which we we had to pay extra to see but we couldn't miss out on the mummies. The kids were totally creeped out! Next, we had a stroll around the market stalls in the town centre and relaxed before heading back to Weymouth. We had fish and chips while the kids played in the sand and water. Once we finished lunch, we went crabbing. We went to the old harbour and took us a while to catch our first crabs. 2 were caught by the husband and 1 by Mahi. The other kids and adults were very patient and tried very hard but couldn't catch anything unfortunately. On our way back, we watched how they made ice cream rolls and it was mesmerising. We bought  a few and you have to eat them quickly as it melted quickly. But delicious!

Another action-packed holiday but more beautiful memories made! Will definitely recommend even as day trips!

Our first ski holiday - Bulgaria

 Every year, I try to introduce my kids to something new whether it’s activities, places, food, etc... So last year, before the pandemic hit the world, I wanted the kids to experience something they never tried before but always intrigued them... skiing. I've done skiing back in France but its been 2 decades since then so I was beginning again too! I was very nervous as I hated ski lifts!but I have to be brave!

 Next which country? As you know I love going to countries which aren't too touristy so I can still experience the people and culture! One of my close friends recommended Sofia so upon reading around the capital and the country, I decided that this is where we will go for our half-term!

Next, to decide how many days, where to stay, what to see and how to get around: 

• Accommodation - We found a 2 bed-flat airbnb right in the capital about 15mins walk away from the centre of the capital with mountain views! I love airbnbs as they are considerably cheaper and you get to live and shop like locals. I love going to local grocery shops with the kids and play with the money, read the signs and learn some words that way too! You'll only find us in a hotel if absolutely desperate!
• Ski - Next a ski resort quite close to Sofia. Vitosha mountain range was literally on our doorstep and they offered skiing lessons too. Through several emails and what exactly I was looking for me and my kids, we were assigned a ski instructor, Yasen (who looked like Gino D’Campo) who will be transporting us there and back for the whole weekend! It was such a fuss-free process! Ski equipments were to be provided too so we only needed the appropriate clothing.
•  Travelling around the country -  I was told that the transport system was a bit dodgy and to get a car if possible. I don't drive, which was never an issue anywhere, and I wasn't going to let this be an issue either. As I planned my itinary and where exactly I wanted to go, I contacted the tourism office on Facebook and asked them for reliable chauffeurs. They have given me a list and after reading reviews, I zoned on 1 taxi firm who again were so nice and professional. They gave me exactly what I needed and very patient with my back and forth as I was amending my itinerary. The chauffeuring service was again very cheap.
• Activities - on top of skiing, we also wanted to experience some other activities. Airbnb was my saviour who listed me a range of activities. We found a couple of things we really wanted to do and so contacted the different hosts and arranged a few things.
• Preparing for the trip - we have 0 ski clothes so off we went to Trespass for some clothes and boots. It was so fun! I had a colleague who goes skiing every year so she gave me a list of what I need but also gave me some of the stuff that her kids outgrew which saved me quite a bit of money!

The trip:

We arrived in Sofia on Friday before lunch and hit the ground running. We were picked up by our chauffeur and off we went to our first destination in Bulgaria which was Bayona church in Sofia. This is a church known for its medieval art! It was absolutely stunning. With snow and the sun hitting, the art was beautiful and one-of-a-kind. The kids, due to their ages, couldn't appreciate the art so they were just snow fighting outside the church. Next, we headed 2 hours away from Sofia to the Rila Monastery. It is 'known as one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments.' It is located in a part of Rila Mountains and so this monastery was in the middle of the mountains and covered in snow. There are no words to describe the place. The church inside the monastery had such vivid coloured paintings. We couldn't make any noise in the church which gave me so much peace. Definitely needs to be on your list to visit. Next we headed back to Sofia. It was evening time by the time we came back so unpacked (yes, I wasn't joking when I said we hit the ground running) and went to do some shopping and also see the centre of the Capital city. In the night, with the lights, it had such a majestic aura! The  Cathedral Saint Aleksander Nevski, which is another must-see in Bulgaria was breathtaking! As a woman of colour with 2 kids, walking around at night, I wasn't scared at all (I don’t do holidays with the husband. It’s too stressful!) The people were very friendly if I needed to find my way again.The interesting bit for me was one of the subways had some preserved ruins of the old Roman city. It had information in English so it was easy to follow what they were.

The weekend was here so our skiing lessons started. Our instructor, Yasen, meet us at our doorstep and took us to the ski resort in Vitosha. He gave us a running commentary of the monuments and places we saw en route!  The weather was great! It was snowing on Saturday but Sunday was sunny and beautiful. Yasen was very patient with us. Mahi loved it more than Lucky. Lucky completely gave it up on Sunday! Skiing wasn't her thing. Me and Mahi got the hang of it and loved it despite falling several times! After we wrapped up our skiing weekend, that evening, we wanted to cook traditional dishes. So Yasen kindly dropped us there. Our host for the night welcomed us with music, warm tea and Banista, a pastry made of cheese, which was absolutely divine and needed after a whole of skiing. We then make Bulgarian meatballs which the kids loved getting their hands stuck in. We loved how our host explained the meaning of each food, spices and the Bulgarian  culture. We finished off the meal with some delicious Baklava. As a parting gift, our host gifted us homemade Bulgarian spices! How nice?! To this day, Mahi still remembers the meatballs and reminds me if I miss a step when we make it!

The next day, we went ski mobiling in Rila Mountains. The organisers picked us up from our flat and took us to where the activity was taking place. The instructors were great and taught us exactly how to do it. The kids jumped with each instructor whereas I had a snow mobile of for myself. I was petrified but acted brave. I thought I was going to be driven around!!! And to make things a bit more challenging, the route we were going to use wasn't smooth apparently as overnight some big vehicles left deep tracks in the snow therefore there’ll be holes to avoid. So off we went. It was scary but i did it without losing control and in 1 piece. I remember there was this particular rough spot and I thought I was going to lose control but thankfully, I still have some grey cells remaining which helped me manoeuvre the ski mobile! Everyone was so impressed and me the most. It was such a thrilling experience! My kids each had turns of their own too in a safe place and Mahi wouldn't let go of the snowmobile. We spent half a day there and we have no idea how the time went. Next stop, after some food, we headed down the mountains to Bansko where we jumped  in natural thermal mineral springs! Unfortunately, i didn't take my phone but with the mountains in the background and us swimming in the hot springs, wow, I couldn't actually believe it! It had several springs and our body needed it after so many days of sporting! The kids loved it and wouldn't come out. 

On our departure day, our chauffeur from our first day, picked us up again for another heavy day. We were heading to Plovdiv, an ancient city built between hills! It is the oldest city in Europe. You can see the Greek influence from the ampitheatre to the ruins. With its cobbled streets and charming houses and workshops, we enjoyed it thoroughly. We visited different museums as part of the same tickets too!  Please visit this city. It has so much to offer! After lunch, we headed to another must-see place, Asen's Fortress. It was built in the medieval times and an important place in the Bulgarian history. The climb was scenic with some amazing views! I cannot comment more on the views as you had to be there to see it.

Unfortunately, this was our last destination before we headed to the airport!

Bulgaria will be a country which we will visit again as we need to do the other side of it as the kids call it! It wasn’t crowded with tourists meaning you can experience the local culture! This country is so rich in history so do visit! 

Whitby

 I first heard of Whitby through my work colleagues and just 1 word attracted me to the place. Dracula! Me and kids love anything paranormal, blood and gore so off we backed our bags again to explore another part of England. We've never been to Yorkshire so I was  very excited. However, the weather wasn't on our side but that didn't stop us!

As we do, we literally dropped our bags and off we went to walk around the town. We were right by the beach so that's where we headed. We didn't swim because it was cold and windy  but had a nice stroll by the beach. We then headed to the arcade games to loosen up a bit before the Ghost Walk that I booked. The kids never got to play in the arcades as they are usually quite expensive but these games were just £1! We had so much fun! After dinner, we went on a  Ghost Walk around Whitby. The leader was great and was very kid friendly and walk was quite easy. . We heard lots of ghost stories! It took 1h30 but we learnt so much about Whitby. 

The next day, we did all the touristy things. We climbed up the 199steps and did a bit of grave hunting on top of the hill. We were especially looking for Humpty Dumpty's grave which funnily enough was there in an egg-shaped grave.

We then headed to the Dracula Experience. It was alright, more for the kids. My youngest was a bit scared but a good way to learn about Dracula.

We did couple a couple of museums too which didn't take us long. The Captain Cook museum was alright. We especially like the Hand of glory in the Whitby Museum. However, I enjoyed the Whitby Jet Museum which had some beautiful jewellery made out of jet.

We wanted to do some crab catching but it started to rain so much that we had to miss it.

We had dinner on the Endeveaour Experience which is the replica of the boat that Captain Cook went on to his voyages. The food was good and the portions were huge. It was an experience nonethless.

We also did a few hikes too but literally had to drag the kids. We took the steam train to Goathland which appeared in the Harry Potter movies. The journey there was beautiful with some picturesque views. We did another hike to a waterfall called the Mallyan Spout Waterfall which was absolutely stunning. The kids loved the moderate climb up the rocks to see the waterfall. 

Finally, we visited Whitby Abbey which was exquisite. Part of the English Heirtage so free for members. What enhanced the visit was the kid-friendly Dracula show. It was so good that even my pre-teen and I enjoyed it. It was not a sit-down performance but took us through and around the Abbey.

One thing about Whitby was it was very cheap. From the food to attraction, everything was cheap! Another great place to visit with kids!

Lake District

 I never knew that the train journey to Lancaster to Windemere was going to be as beautiful as it was. It was so much green and instantly felt calm and relaxed. I also underestimated how stunning Lake District was going to be. I am going to apologise in advance for repeating how stunning the views were! 

 Despite the long train journey, me and the kids were buzzing. The weather was great and we didn't want to waste any time.  Our B&B  was close to Windermere station so we dropped our suitcases and off we went to our first activity which was the Beatrix Potter museum. The walk to it was idylllic and close to  Winderere Lake.

The Museum was so cute and my Peter Rabbit fan was over the moon, explaining everything he saw (eventhough I watched the movies a million times with him!) I particularly enjoyed the bit about the life of Mrs Potter. If you got little ones, I will highly recommend it. Prices were reasonable and can be done under 1 hour. 

We then took a stroll around Windermere Lake. Again, you have to see it to understand the beauty of what we saw. The beautiful waters against the green surrounding you... It was just stunning. There were numerous paths to walk around. After dinner by the lake, we decided to watch the sunset from a high point so off we went to Orrest Head. The clim up was only 20-30mins with lots of beautiful views. When we reached the top, the sun was setting and the colours it threw was so pretty!! Its places like that where you appreciate nature so much. No matter how many photos I took, it doesn't quite capture the actual beauty of what we saw!

Windermere is such a cute town with lots of places to eat from. We were spoilt for choices.

After some good rest, the next day we spent the day in Brockhole further up Windermere lake. This is an adventure park. There was so much to do for kids. There was a Go-Ape inspired activity. I had a great time chasing the kids up on The Treetops Nets. What a workout we got! The kids had a go at Krazy Karts which looked so fun that I wanted to join in but it was kids only. There was archery and clay shooting. You can also do lots of water sports but kids weren't keen on it so they just swam in the lake. We also walked around the grounds to enjoy the views.

Rydal Water was another beautiful place. I loved the climb up. The highlight of the Rydal water was a cave. The way to get into the cave was by stepping stones through water which was filled with fishes. The walk up was longer than Orrest Head. We stopped so many times to admire the views and take photos that I don't actually know how long it should have taken us.  Another beautiful hike that I would highly recommend.

Keswick is another place we went to before we headed home. The weather suddenly turned a bit chilly so it's a good thing I had a museum booked. The Puzzling Place was so intriguing. It had such cool things to see and experiment! It was dead cheap too. We then headed to Derwent Water for another hike and a picnic near another lake. Again, absolutely stunning. 

We will go back and visit Lake District for more hikes and stunning view. This has now become my favourite place in the whole of Britain!!!

Hastings

 We were looking for  a place to stay near the seaside, not busy  and little so easy to get around. Hastings popped up and off we went on the train journey there.

Didn't take long from London and we thought we will also fit in another town before we got there. Looking at the route, Rye stood out. I heard that Rye was beautiful and had a nice beach so we did a quick stop. Rye was such a cute town with cobblestones. We didn't stay long in the town. We went to the Camber Sands where we spent our afternoon. This was during the heatwave so we coudn't wait to get into the water and it was so refreshing. We don't know how long we stayed in the water but we stayed for a very long until early evening. It was a pebble beach which was the downside off it and there wasn't may cafes to get any ice cream or snacks! 

We then got back into the train to go to Hastings. When we came, it was the beginning of dusk. I always wanted to go to the beach at dusk and so we literally dropped our bags and went to Hastings beach. It was another pebbled beach much to our chagrin. We didn't  swim but we did do some rock hopping and the scenery was stunning. 

The next day, we went for a walk around Hastings Town. We went to Hastings castle. The road to the castle was very steep so if you are on feet, take care of kids. The backdrop of Hastings against the sea was stunning. They also had musicians playing and made the atmosphere very merry. The history was great as the kids learnt about the Hastings battle at primary school so for them it was great to see the place where they've read about it in books only. It's part of the English Heritage so free if you are members.

Next stop, behind the castle was the Smugglers adventure. The walk to it again was very scenic. This was very exciting as it was underground and we learnt a lot about the smuggling history. It was very intereactive and even had games inside it. Some areas were dark so beware. Entry prices were reasonable and it had a great gift shop.

For lunch, we headed to the pier. We took the cliff lift to take us down. It didn't have big rides  but suitable for younger kids. We then spent the rest of the afternoon, swimming in the sea before we headed back home.

Hastings could easily be done in a weekend and has something for everyone!

Reading on a budget

 I'm a bookworm. Reading is my happy place where I can escape for a few hours in another world, another life. I read during my commute and before I go to sleep. However, I can't afford to buy books all the time. So how do I still read without having to spend a fortune on books?

Libraries - We don't appreciate libraries enough. Library for me was also one of my favourite places since I was a child. It's free to sign up and every town has a library. If your library doesn't have the book you want, you can always request it. What's not to love about libraries?

Charity shops - I love to find hidden gems in charity shops. Yes, it's time consuming but when you find a good copy of a book you've been looking for everywhere, the feeling is something else.

Community mini-library - These are popping up everywhere now. I'm in the process of setting up one too. These are mini libraries (built out of shed or just books in a plastic box) where people give away their books and you can just take them home. Some mini libraries request you to swap books i.e you have to give some books to take some books. It's also a great way to bring people in the community together and get to know each other.

Book swaps - There's an annual London Children's bookshop which happens. We usually take a bag load of books to swap for other ones, Sometimes you can take adult books too but it depends on the place where you are swapping. 

Markets - my favourite book market is on the Southbank under the bridge. It's one of my favourite place. i cannot come empty-handed if I go past it. Some great gems to be found at a reduced price.

Abebooks - this is a second-book selling website associated with Amazon. The price is so reasonable with free postage on most books. You can find some hard-to-find-books on this website. 

Do you know of any other cheaper ways to get books?

'The Happiness Project' book

I never written a blog post about a book or it's effect on me but I will make an exception for this one because this book has made me a better person and made me more aware of myself.

How I came across this book? As you know, I have a reading list and this book was part of the must read books before you die. I don't like self-help books or books with lots of advice about how to live our lives but I made an exception for this one to see what the fuss was about. I'm so glad i bought it. 

The Happiness Project book was written by Gretchen Rubin who's mission is to be more happier over a year and how she introduces or changes things in her life. I had to have a notebook next to me to write down all the tips and fabulous quotes that I came across.

So I'm going to try and summarise what I changed for the better.

1) Understanding myself

This is a big issue for me. How can I explain myself when I can't understand myself? Till I had children, I was always compared to others which made me think that i was never good enough. My parents and husband always have high expectations of me and I always feel that I fall short of it. Being myself meant nothing to me. Since I was small, I always tried to be someone else. I based the way I dressed, spoke, behave, etc.... from girls which my parents were praising and comparing me too. It took me becoming a mother that i found out that I finally found myself i.e that I am as good as i am and there's only one of me!I can't please everyone and that is ok. How awesome is that?! It took me 21years to realise that! It doesn't mean that i don't  have those moments were I wished I was like someone else and doubting myself. My parents and husband are very good at reminding me that too. But I've developed such a good deaf ear for the past 11 years that I'm able to filter out their comments.. I also asked my best critics to describe me and the good things overshadowed the negative things. It gave me the confidence that I was good enough! i carry that list in my diary just in case i need a boost. Reading this book, reinforced that i was unique and if people don't want to accept me (my bad and goods), it is their loss!

2) Happiness to me

I've written a blog all about it here back in 2017 and looking back on it nothing much changed:

https://www.blogger.com/u/2/blog/post/edit/4124083420943040106/8167431094138906474

Reading this book made me also realise how hobbies are quite important and self-care. I've been investing more in taking care of myself over the last year. The hours after the kids have gone to bed are MY time. My commuting is strictly for reading or listening to song.  It has done wonders to my mood. If I wanted to learn something, I do it. I wanted to start making my own jewellery and lat year, I bought the tools and I have never looked back since! It also saved a lot of money. 

I loved creating memories but never had the time to document in a great way however after this book, I began scrapbooking and started making notebooks for everything off my interests. I have a reading book listing all the books I've read, a crafts book where I document all the crafts I've done with kids, a recipe book, a travel book, a notebook with topics that I want to learn about i.e. politics, inspirational women, the Eelam struggle, mythology, etc... since the kids 1st birthdays, i've been writing letters for the kids and emailing them frequently about things that i wanted to share with them here and there. I also want to start a photo album highlighting each their year and since this book, the daunting task of going through and organising my iCloud, usbs and mycloud has become a real joy! I've come across videos and photos that I've forgotten about and this is all thanks to this book. Imagine, the expressions on my kids' faces when they get to open all of these and see their memories being documented in such a manner! Lucky has already told me that if I die before I visit all the countries in my travel list that she'll carry my ashes with her and she'll make it a mission. Mahi has already claimed my recipe book to use when he's older! This gives me so much joy!

Not sure if this is because of kids but my artistic side has been flourishing. However, after reading the book, I thought I could become more braver with it. This year for Christmas I made my own personal gifts where I handprinted boxes and the kids loved that! They own mini keepsake boxes.

Traditions

The book emphasised on every family having their own quirky traditions as that's what makes us a family right?! It made me appreciate our family as a unit more. I love when my kids say for example "We don't do pancake day because every Sunday, it's our pancake day". Heres more of our traditions.

https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4124083420943040106/3257637408432528859

Living in the moment/making it count

I didn't need this book to tell me this as my job in cancer is a constant reminder that life is precious. However, sometime you forget and this book made sure that i remembered that life is fragile I don't like to think too much of the future as I don't know if I'll be alive or not. I enjoy everyday and make it count. I've come to a habit of praising a random person either on social media or in real-lie. For example, there's this lady on my commute who wears some beautiful skirt and I just went upto her and praised her on her skirt. The lady was so happy and that made my day. the feeling of making someone's day brings so much happiness. I have been doing that lately on social media too. On one of the FB groups, there's this lady repurposing old furniture and it is stunning. I just messaged her how stunning her work is and she replied with saying how it meant the world to her. That made me happy. Whether it's signing a petition a retweeting a charity/business, everyday I try to do something that will mean something to someone. I've become more conscious of using my phone around the house. I put my phone in my room and spend the evening fully focused on my kids. I started to hide all technologies over the weekend so we are not distracted. Little changes like this mades a huge difference.

Secure a future

Although living in the moment, some kind of planning the future is vital. When I talk of future, I talk of my kids futures especially. I try to make their adult life as smooth as I can. I've had life insurance for the past 8 years and savings for the kids.  The book reminded me to write a will although I have nothing in my possession and saving for myself too!!!! Thinking about others mean I forget about myself!

I've rambled on enough. Read the book! I assure you, you will learn something new in every chapter! We make our own happiness!