Sharing some of my favorite photos today from touring the Tower of London. These are from my sister’s trip to visit and see London for the first time back in January – loved the chance to take in some sightseeing together.
We started our Tower of London visit with the Yeoman Warder tour (free with admission ticket). So cool to walk around and get an overview of a thousand years of history all around the Tower.
And of course, we saw the guards while we were walking around….
After the tour, we spent a couple hours exploring further on our own.
We saw tons of armor in the Line of Kings exhibit, a display that was originally opened to visitors in the 1600s! It has changed a lot over the years, but one thing you could always count on seeing there: so much armor.
After our visit, we crossed the Tower Bridge as the sun set. We took this photo across the river from the Tower of London. Love those views of the city lights….
Then caught the tube home….
You can find tickets to the Tower of London online here.
Crossed off a big thing on my sightseeing wishlist recently! We did a Stonehenge day trip in December and it was just as fascinating as I was hoping. We visited as a day trip from Bristol, but a Stonehenge day trip is also doable from London.
We drove from Bristol and after we parked, we had to choose whether to take the shuttle the rest of the way out to the site or walk – we chose the walk! It took us about 35 minutes at a leisurely pace. You can see Stonehenge in the distance in this photo…
I really enjoyed the walk as a chance to take in the landscape and scenery…
…and we passed some sheep along the way….
So peaceful.
We caught the sunset at Stonehenge a few days after the winter solstice. The stone circle was built to frame the midwinter sunset as well as the sunrise at the summer solstice. The circle marks the passage of time each year.
Walking around the stone circle at this time of year – when the days are shortest and the air is chilled – left me feeling like part of a bigger cycle. Like I’d reached the middle of winter and was now ready to start planning for spring again.
The coolest thing to us was seeing that sunset line up with the Heel Stone. It lines up perfectly on the solstice itself, but it still seemed almost synced and special to us a few days after. Here is a photo with the Heel Stone in the foreground and the stone circle + sunset lined up behind it….
How cool is that view? I am so amazed by the engineering and understanding of the solar cycle that went into the planning and construction of this place.
Most of the site is organized to help remove modern visuals (for example, the parking lot and main road to the site were moved further away in 2013). It really helped me get a sense of how the stone circle might have looked in the wider Stonehenge landscape through the ages.
Even so, I still totally love how this photo turned out – juxtaposing the ancient monoliths with the modern motorway and car lights juuust visible in the background:
Awesome.
You can plan your visit and find tickets online here at the English Heritage website. We decided to go for the yearly membership with English Heritage in order to explore more of the sites, castles, monuments etc they care for – I’ve just started reading through their guidebook and I can’t wait. While I’m learning about all the sites to see, I’d love more suggestions of places to see in England – leave a comment! 🙂
A warm weekend getaway to Lanzarote was just the thing to brighten up my February.
Lanzarote is just off the coast of Africa, west of Morocco, and it’s one of the Canary Islands – an autonomous community administered by Spain. The island is known for its volcanic landscapes, year-round sun, and active holidays for athletes. This vacation was all about the warm winter weather for us.
We stayed in the Sands Beach Resort in Costa Teguise which was perfect for us to be right by the ocean but still surrounded by restaurants, outdoor pools, and resort amenities like the grocery store. Exactly the kind of relaxed vacation I wanted for a chance to rest and recharge.
Here are some photos from the resort…
I love those tiles and architectural details.
Lanzarote is home to a lot of marathon, triathlon, and other events throughout the year – so there were quite a few triathletes and training groups in our hotel over the weekend. The resort had a great heated lap pool and I was glad to get a swim in while I was there….
After a morning swim, we’d head out for brunch. I like to stay protected from the sun but I don’t love head-to-toe sunscreen, so I let a UPF 50+ dress from Coolibar and a hat do the heavy lifting for me. I totally love Coolibar lately for sun protection clothing and have been really happy with this dress and some running shirts/sleeves from them.
We had brunch a couple of times at the on-site Mai Tai Pool Restaurant which was uncrowded and quiet this time of year. Perfect place to read in the sunshine and take in the sea air!
We also tried a few restaurants in Costa Teguise, and our favorite was La Bohemia. The Iberian pork was a highlight – the perfect Spanish thing to try! Comes with lots of different salts like paprika, mustard, sea salt, wasabi, red wine, and herbs…
Yum.
There’s a history of art and architecture on the island (artist César Manrique’s home is open for tours here) and we definitely enjoyed the art installations that populate the place. We saw lots of interesting architecture and installations as we walked around in the evenings…
Love it.
I also love taking in the sea air on those evening walks. So does my husband….
There are tons more things to explore in Lanzarote like camel rides, underwater museums, and the volcanic landscapes of Timanfaya National Park. Our weekend was all about relaxing – but I’d totally love to come back and check out more of the things Lanzarote has to offer.
It has been a whirlwind of changes that happened crazy fast. So now we are based in Bristol while my husband works here & in London, and meanwhile I’m traveling for a new corporate job I’ve taken in the Netherlands.
Moving to the UK…. Lots of change! Exciting! Overwhelming! In the middle of it all, I’m trying to make an effort to slow down some and get to know this city.
Here is a pic snapped one morning while crossing one of the bridges downtown….
What makes a new place start to feel familiar for you? Any tips for settling in? So far we are trying to find new favorite restaurants, coffee shops, a local grocery…. you know the drill.
Exploring Bristol is so fun to do. Every side street has something new to find….
Love it.
My husband catches the train to London every other week. He loves traveling by train – they run frequently and (bonus!) no need to measure out your liquids like when taking a flight.
As for me, I travel every other week to the Netherlands with a quick flight to Amsterdam and a 2-hour train north to Groningen. Here’s where I walk into work at the hospital in Groningen….
We synced our work schedules to travel the same weeks and then hang out together in Bristol on our weeks in town. So far, so good! We think we can keep this schedule up for the rest of year.
Moving to the UK has been such an adventure so far. Can’t wait to settle into this new season of life.
This is a post from my “Photo Rescue” project where I’m rediscovering all my pictures from New Zealand. Read all posts about New Zealand here!
The Hobbiton set tour was a must-do day trip for us from Raglan while we were staying on the North Island in New Zealand. I am huge Lord of the Rings fan, and this was something I’d been wanting to do for years!
We decided to arrive plenty early for our tour to avoid any last minute time stress. Hobbiton New Zealand is somewhat remote so there aren’t lots of choices for lunch, but luckily there’s a cafe right by the parking area. Perfect for early comers like us or for a quick bite after the tour!
We had a couple pastries and some coffee as we waited for our tour time….
Here is a picture from one of the gardens in the Shire. All the food in the gardens is real! All the trees on set are real, too, with one exception – the famous one at the top of the hill over Bag End.
Here is a picture of me in the middle of the open field used for Bilbo’s birthday party scene in the first movie. That’s the famous Party Tree in the background! Is this making anyone else want to rewatch the films? 🙂
So cool to see all the hobbit hole doors nestled into the hillside…
The hobbit doors come in all different sizes as part of the practical effects used while filming. Standing next to a small Hobbit door makes you seem as big as a wizard….
…. while standing next to a normal size door makes you seem perfectly Hobbit-sized! So cool to see that in person.
And last but not least… party decorations, Hobbiton style:
This is a post from my “Photo Rescue” project where I’m rediscovering all my pictures from New Zealand. Read all posts about New Zealand here!
Our AirBnb in Raglan, New Zealand was too cute not to get its own post. I was enamored with every bit of it – the interior design, the views, the record player. This place had it all!
We decided to stay in Raglan almost by accident. We flew from Christchurch to Auckland with a plan to book a place in the city, but we changed our minds at the last second. Instead, we booked a place in Raglan – a small town by the ocean with great spots for surfing, kayaking, and enjoying the water.
We spent most of our time in this sun-filled room with a view of the bay….
The perfect spot for me to keep re-reading The Hobbit 🙂
I loved all the midcentury style furniture and the overall color scheme of this room. Plus, the light fixtures! Love the look of these and the wide light they cast at night.
Here, see the fireplace in the background with the mantle styling? Love how the colors there pick up on the colors of the seating in the foreground.
And then, this nook just off the kitchen was perfect for a morning coffee…
Let’s see a beauty shot of that floor. The color story, the intricate tile-inspired designs – I love all this, too!
And speaking of the kitchen, here is a peak at it. I love the juxtaposition of that yellow light with the aqua cabinet doors. Gives it some real pop, y’know?
And last but not least, the bedroom with this amazing dresser + mirror.
Raglan, New Zealand was a great place to stay as our central hub on the North Island. From here we were able to head out on day trips like Waitomo and Hobbiton. But my favorite part might have been this cozy home away from home!
This is a post from my “Photo Rescue” project where I’m rediscovering all my pictures from New Zealand. Read all posts about New Zealand here!
I have been waiting for this post! I couldn’t wait to share the photos from our experience swimming with dolphins in Akaroa, New Zealand. Everything about this was a once-in-a-lifetime amazing experience for me. Let’s dig in!
We did Akaroa as a day trip from Christchurch on the South Island. In November, it was a very doable and scenic 1.5 hour drive.
There are a few choices of tour guides for Akaroa experiences like this one, and we went with EcoSeaker. We chose them because we liked their longer tours, commitment to education, and history of conservation/habitat protection.
Only 12 people go out once a day to minimize any potential impacts on the environment or wildlife. Here we are on the boat…
Everyone is provided with wetsuits to help you float in the ocean. They are fully buoyant and keep you warm!
At the time, I was not the strongest swimmer (I could tread water and swim around slowly) – but once I was accustomed to the sensation of the wetsuit keeping me afloat, I had no trouble at all!
My husband, who is a very strong swimmer (he grew up with lots of #lakelife in the Midwest!) thought the wetsuits were good quality and moved well with him through the water.
Everything about Akaroa harbour and the ocean water is beautiful and vividly colorful, like stepping into a painting.I just love that turquoisewater.
And we saw some dolphins! These Hectors Dolphins are a small, inland type of dolphin and very rare in the world. We felt so lucky to see not just a group of 5 or 6, but many more!
This is a post from my “Photo Rescue” project where I’m rediscovering all my pictures from New Zealand. Read all posts about New Zealand here!
A couple of days after our wedding, we drove out to Glenorchy for a horseback riding tour. It was an easy, beautiful 1 hour drive from Queenstown out to the meet up point. We did our tour with High Country Horses and loved our experience.
First things first, the views in Glenorchy are unreal! That definitely makes it a unique and perfect place for something like a horseback riding trek where you can cover a lot of ground, take in a lot of the terrain and scenery, and get a feel for the land in the area.
The tour we chose was “Isengard” – a half-day trek that was suitable for all experience levels. It included just a bit of trotting and a few river crossings! Here I made friends with my tour buddy….
About halfway through our ride we stopped for photos. You might recognize the backdrop here as the setting for Isengard in the Lord of the Rings trilogy!
Here are some shots from the actual trek. First up, a river crossing:
The horses were totally pro and accustomed to these trails….
All in all, we had a great experience with our horseback riding trek. If you are visiting Queenstown or exploring the South Island, I’d definitely recommend checking out High Country Horses and their different treks to find one that suits you! Some others we thought sounded cool were the multi-day trek around the mountain for more experienced riders and the Rees River Trail, another half day trek good for all experience levels. No matter your background with horses, there’s a chance for everyone to make great memories here.
So, I decided to undertake a mini “Photo Rescue” project with my New Zealand pictures. I have so many good photos from our wedding trip there in 2017 that I never shared, and I really want them to have a home here on the blog. In the spirit of bringing these photos and stories back out to enjoy again – here we go, starting with Queenstown!
My husband and I were married in November 2017 next to Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown. This was maybe the most scenic place I’ve ever been! Love it so much.And so happy to have made great memories there.
The day before our wedding, we had lunch at the Stratosphere Restaurant up high over Queenstown with amazing views of the area. To get up there, you take the Skyline Gondola to the the peak. The bottom terminal is within walking distance of the city center of Queenstown, so it’s an easy walk to make over.
views from the Gondola to Bob’s Peak
Having lunch by a window overlooking this? Totally amazing.
The Stratosphere Restaurant was one of our favorite experiences in Queenstown. But there was plenty of other great food! I loved getting ice cream….
And Fergbaker/Fergburger is a New Zealand staple that is definitely worth the wait….
Side note: I love this joking pizza sign…
And here are some more shots of Lake Wakatipu…
Just look at the crystal clear water! So serene.
Around the harbor is a great place to relax, walk around, and explore the shops and restaurants in the heart of Queenstown. I especially loved going there in the evening as the sun set and finding a spot right by the water….
That’s all for the first post of my New Zealand Photo Rescue (ha!). Can’t wait to share some more from our wedding/honeymoon trip there!
Hi from Beirut, Lebanon! I am here for a few weeks exploring this city on the Mediterranean. I have lots of photos, and wanted to start by sharing some from the Corniche – Beirut’s wide walkway along the coast.
The blues are beautiful…
… and you can walk right alongside the water and rocky shores….
The Corniche is such an interesting walk with the cityscape and tall buildings on one side, while the Mediterranean waters stretch seemingly endless and flat into the distance on the other side. I just love visual juxtapositions like that.
I also love all the palm trees lined up by the walkway. They are a refreshing sight of greenery in the city and bonus: they remind me of California.
There’s not much shade along the walkway, but there are lots of people out for a walk to enjoy the uninterrupted sunshine! You can also see people jogging, biking, skating, and just taking in the sights.
But the Corniche is also lively at nighttime! It wraps around to the Raouché Rocks – a great place to watch the sunset over the rock formations in the water and grab some dinner with a view.
If you are visiting Beirut, I definitely recommend this seaside walk! It’s a great place to people-watch, enjoy the sun, and take in the views of the Mediterreanean with the Lebanese landscape and cities hugging the coast.
Have you been to Lebanon? Let me know in the comments!
