With a break in the winter weather and an urge to get outdoors, we prepared ourselves for a small hike up Conic Hill one Saturday afternoon. Conic Hill is a sharp summit located in Balmaha in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. It’s about 350m high, so about 2.5 miles in total distance. It also incorporates part of the West Highland Way, but breaks off near the tip where you can get spectacular views over Loch Lomond and the surrounding hills.
Loch Lomond. It’s literally an hours drive away from my house in Glasgow yet I’ve never really made an effort to explore it to its capacity. Probably because it’s so accessible, I know it will always be there for me. But this winter, when looking for a quick little weekend away, we found a great little place that would allows us to wander Loch Lomond for a few days.
After visiting Golspie last winter, I knew that I wanted to spend more time visiting new places in Scotland. And with the idea that we weren’t doing a big trip this year in order to save for a big one in 2017, we decided a few days up in Loch Lomond would quench my thirst for more natural Scottish goodness.
2016 was officially my first full year of blogging. Officially I started in December 2015 so to keep a project going this long is just amazing. 2016 is also the year that I got to tick a few more things off my bucket list, including road tripping up to Glencoe, visiting Auschwitz in Poland and getting to see the Berlin Wall in person.
The Glasgow Christmas market is almost always overlooked for their friendly neighbours on the east coast – Edinburgh. With not only one market but two, Glasgow has a lot to offer for locals and visitors. The two markets are located in St Enoch Square and George Square, and offer an array of European hot foods, sweets, handmade trinkets and alcohol (think hot ciders and mulled wine!).
Nothing says Thailand more like a spectacular, jaw-dropping temple. Thailand was a country that had always been on my bucket list. I remember watching documentaries and history shows on television with my dad when I was younger and being in total awe at how different the country was to mines. One of the main elements that caught my eye was the history and grandeur of temples and Buddha statues.
Living in a big city can feel claustrophobic sometimes, and most of the time you don’t notice it until you get out away from it and smell the fresh air. Whether you live in Glasgow or Edinburgh, there are plenty of alternative destinations to the two big cities within only an hour or two drive, train or bus.
When I first booked up to visit Krakow, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. But I’m glad I did. Walking from the Glowny train station and through into the cobbled streets of the old town, it was easy to see that the streets were thriving with entertainment. Rows upon rows of shops lined the streets, as well as restaurants, bars and food vendors. I have no doubt that there is something to do here for everyone. Here a few of the main highlights that I recommend for first time and returning visitors to Krakow.
I just want to clear one thing up before I start, I don’t want to use this post as a means to teach you everything about Auschwitz and the Holocaust because I don’t claim to be an expert. I want to use it is a way to portray my thoughts and feelings walking through a place of such suffering, violence and emancipation; and also explain why it is so important that you visit in person yourself. After all, this is the point of this blog: to spread the word.
I travelled over to Poland as part of my birthday week. I had always wanted to visit Auschwitz but was quite unaware of Krakow and its surrounding landscape. After a little research, I found a hotel overlooking the Vistula river but when I went to book it was full. But fear not, we found Hotel Jan and it was an absolute gem. More people need to know about it.