Exploring Poland: Auschwitz-Birkenau, Auschwitz, Poland

I was really torn about writing this post. Auschwitz-Birkenau is such an emotional place and I felt such rage about how people behaved there. I felt really uneasy about people taking selfies, people filming videos of the exhibition rooms and saying crude things as they walked around. I snapped a few photos of the outside and then felt an feeling of guilt. But I honestly believe that everyone should make the trek to the camps at least once as it's so incredibly important to see it with your own eyes. This is why I decided to blog about it.

Everyone knows the background of Auschwitz-Birkenau. It's something we learn about all throughout School and from family members. Personally as well as my Secondary education, I also studied the rise of Nazism for A Level history. It's terrifying to see the signs today, it seems as if people have forgotten what happened in the 1930's. Forgotten how someone like Hitler rose to power. Being European, it's a place that's ingrained in our conscious. You know the horrors and the sheer brutality but I don't think you can truly quite understand what happened until you see it for yourself. Until you see those gas chambers. Until you see that execution wall. Until you see those mugshots on the wall of the people who passed through those gates. Until you see the tiny brick huts where prisoners slept. Until you see the endless pile of human hair piled up behind a glass wall taken from prisoners.

I left with such a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and filled with anger. It was terrifying to see just how close Hitler was to achieving his ultimate goal. But I was also so glad that I finally was able to visit. We did a guided tour with Escape 2 Poland and I learnt so much. I honestly thought I knew all about it but our guide was so knowledgeable that I found myself in awe. He really did make the trip.

If you find yourself visiting Krakow, then please do schedule in a trip to see the camps. Despite it being so difficult to visit, it's also so important to visit. It's so important to make sure history never repeats itself as sometimes, history can be forgotten.

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Exploring Europe: Malbork Castle, Malbork, Poland

If you've been following this blog for a while then you'll know I love castles. Literally love them so much. Blame the fact I was a slightly strange child who was obsessed with The Tudors who happened to live in lots of castles in England. Disney princesses? Nah give me Henry VIII. Anyway when I found out we were a short train ride away from the biggest castle in the world measured by land mass, it was immediately put into the itinerary. Pronto.

Around an hour by train from Gdansk, you start to grasp the sheer size of the castle as you pull into the station. It is absolutely huge. One word of warning, do check train times before you go as we came unstuck and it ended up being a bit of a nightmare journey back to Gdansk. So come prepared. It's also best to book you tickets online as you will have to queue to get tickets.

Pick up an audio guide - one of the best ones I've listened too - and start walking. Dating back to the 13th century, the castle was built by the Teutonic Order and is now one of Poland's official national Historic Monument. Heavily damaged during the Second World War, it undertook extensive restoration, finished in 2016, and the work completed in the main castle church is incredible.

I'd recommend to set aside half a day to really take it in. Go early in the morning as it does get very busy and try to visit on a weekday if it fits in with your plans. There's some medieval-esque huts to grab a bite to eat and a drink if you get peckish. After all, who doesn't want to have a hotdog and some mead in the grounds of a castle?

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A catch up: November 2017

Booking city breaks
We had planned to opt for a city break in the UK to celebrate our anniversary in January with Manchester and Liverpool being top of our list. But when I started looking into it, train prices were terrifying. Seriously what is up with the trains in this country? I decided to have a browse to see what Ryanair was offering and after scrolling past about 5 different Polish cities (I won't be back for at least five years), I stumbled across Bordeaux. The rest is history and now we're proud owners of £20 flights to France. We're looking forward to three days of stuffing our face with cheese, gorging on fresh seafood, eating too many croissants and drinking the delicious local wine. It's not a massive city and I have a few things on my list that I definitely want to see. But I am always on the look out for any recommendations - has anyone ever visited?

House gossip
The house is going full steam ahead right now and really starting to come together. The kitchen is looking lush and I couldn't be more in love with it. It's slowly becoming the kitchen of my dreams and I never realised just how excited I would be over a butler sink and a range cooker. We've got the worktops being cut at the weekend and hopefully the electrician coming in to finish off the electric then we can start tiling the walls. I already know that it's going to be my favourite room in the house.

Feeling festive
Blame it on working ten years in retail and hospitality but I'm not that much of a Christmas fan and only really start to get excited about a week before at the prospect of eating cheese and drinking too much gin. But this year it hit November 1st and suddenly I couldn't contain my excitement. Now I have my own house to decorate, my excitment is in overdrive. I'm feeling the most festive I've ever been and am LOVING it. Although my Christmas bauble habit is slightly getting out of control...

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Five things I've learnt about myself whilst renovating a house

1. I am very impatient
I don't like waiting for things and get frustrated when things don't happened immediately. I'm impulsive and quite demanding if I'm honest. This has not been a straight forward process at all. It's a long seven months and it's probably going to be a long next couple of years.

2. My dad is my hero
I always knew I'd lucked out in the dad department but I don't think I fully appreciated just how amazing he is until we got this house. My dad is a roofer who works six days a week doing a pretty manual job, yet he still finds the time to come round every single day and do something to help. Even if it's just to fit a lightbulb. We really couldn't have done this without his knowledge, guidance and help. He's fitting our kitchen as we speak! He's been putting his heart and soul into our house to make sure it's everything we've dreamed of.

3. Compromise is extremely hard
Only child over here! I don't think I realised just how much I want to have my own way. If I'm honest, Connor is pretty easy going and usually just says yes because he'll do anything for an easy life. But the little rascal has not just said yes to this house. He's been putting his foot down quite often when I tell him of yet another wild idea, namely that knocking an entire wall down is a ridiculously expensive idea. And spending £800 on Farrow & Ball paint for the downstairs is insane. And refusing to pay tens of thousands of pounds so we can have a log burner. But I did get my butler sink, my range cooker, oak worktops and real wood flooring so I suppose he's not all bad!

4. I am absolutely ready to move out
If I'm honest I only really started saving for a house because I felt like it was time for me to start doing it. I've always liked the idea of moving out but I've never been in any rush. I have a pretty cushy lifestyle at home. I pay minimal housekeeping so my disposable income is pretty generous in letting me have multiple holidays a year, fill my wardrobe with ASOS and enjoy going on a new adventure each weekend. But now? I am so ready to move out and make a home on my own. I'm looking forward to having my own space and have the option of sitting on my sofa in my pants, surrounded by Dominos and watching repeats of Peaky Blinders with no one telling me I can't do that. It looks like I've finally grown up!

5. Resentment is very real
I never wanted to buy a house at home in Essex. I have a there hour round trip commute into work each day. While I'm just 30 minutes away from Liverpool Street on the train, it just so happens that I work in Notting Hill which is probably one of the further away points of London from my home. It really is just one of those things but it doesn't make the commute any easier to deal with. It's hard. Really hard. I leave the house at 7.15 and tend to get home between 7.30-8pm. Connor works in Cambridge which is 30 minutes straight down the M11 and he's usually home about 5pm - on a good day. Moving to London just wouldn't make much sense and his job means he moves locations about every three years and could be literally anywhere in the country. And it's silly to pay London prices when you're not working in the city. I know all of this and I understand all of this. But it doesn't mean that I didn't really resent buying a house in Essex. I found the perfect flat in Mile End on the Roman Road that I was desperate to view and it would cut my commute down to just 20 minutes. All I ever wanted is to live in the city. But it's just never materialised. In fact, it's only the last couple of weeks as I've seen the house become more like a home that the feeling has subsided.

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An Italian bucket list

Italy is one of those countries that I can't believe has eluded me. Despite it being very high on my countries to visit, I still haven't made it over. I've got so many regions, cities and towns on my list but here are my top five.

Picture taken from Paris and Around

1. Naples
As a pizza obsessive the birthplace of my favourite dish is naturally on my list of places I want to visit. I've heard Naples is a bit of a rough diamond but this only makes it more appealing to me. I love places that are a little rough around the edges. Squeezing in a trip to Pompeii will be on the list when I visit too.

Picture taken from Fat Frocks

2. Florence
Every year since I was 18 I've vowed to make it over to Florence. And every year I never quite make it. I seem to have this thought in my head that it's ridiculously expensive so I've always ticked off the cheaper places on my wishlist - despite the fact everyone telling me it's really not that much of a money suck. My ideal trip would be two weeks in Tuscany with five days in Florence before spending time in Pisa, Siena and Lucca.

Image taken from Intrepid Travel 

3. Sicily
I have such a romantic view of Sicily. I imagine such a slow pace of life with nothing more important than gobbling down some pasta and basking in the sunshine. I'd love to get some type of late villa deals like these and just spend a few weeks really switching off. Sometimes I feel like I cram too much in a holiday so it would be great to have a relaxing one for a change!

Picture taken from My Life Long Holiday

4. Lake Como
Lake Como just looks dreamy and every time I see a picture, I want to visit even more. I think it'd be the perfect place to spending a week relaxing and switching off. I'd love to wander around the little towns, eat too much pasta and get water taxis everywhere. It wouldn't hurt if I accidentally bumped into George Clooney either...

 Picture taken from The Traveller World Guide

5. Rome
I sell myself as someone who adores travelling and it's slightly embarrassing to admit that I haven't visited Rome yet. It seems to be a place that EVERYONE has been too. Except me! I'm desperate to see the Colosseum, throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, marvel at the famous Sistine Chapel, stand on the Spanish Steps and see the fuss about the Vatican, I'd love to spend an entire week soaking up the city and getting a feel of it like a local.

Have you ever been to Italy? Where do you recommend?

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OOTD: Statement ankle boots

Outfit:
Grey tailored coat: New Look (similar)
Black ruffled shirt: Zara (similar)
Black skinny jeans: Matalan (similar)
Brown leather rucksack: Gift from Marrakesh (similar)
Buckled black ankle boots: LOTD.co.uk* (similar)

Boy am I glad its boots weather again - I'm a sucker for a pair of ankle boots if my collection is anything to go by. So I was glad to be able to add these beauties to my stash from LOTD.co.uk. The pointed toe and the buckles really caught my eye. I think a statement pair of boots make all the difference when jazzing up an outfit.

A weekend over already. I've had such a lovely weekend mooching around, getting my life admin in order while my boyfriend has been away in Glasgow on a stag do. As out move in date looms,  I'm beginning to realise just how much 'stuff' I own. I've always known I'm a bit of a hoarder but now it's all been laid bare! I went to the garden centre with my mum to try and find some plants to fill my bedroom. I want a little bit of a 'jungle' theme so picked up three mini cacti and one snake plant to pop in a freestanding metal planter. I just hope I don't kill them off! I'm now after a cheese plant, a couple of succulents and an ivy plant to fill up the plant pots I seem to have accumulated over the last six months...

Special thanks to Sarah for snapping this OOTD!

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Restaurant review: Curious Yellow Kafe, Hoxton, east London

Last weekend I went into town to help celebrate Hannah's birthday early. It was no surprised that the self-confessed scandipile chose to go somewhere Scandi-themed for her birthday lunch so we ended up in Hoxton. You'll find the Curious Yellow Kafe in Hoxton, about a ten minute walk from Old Street Station. Offering a Swedish inspired menu, the little eatery has a great neighbourhood cafe feel. It was full of locals and has a lovely chilled vibe.

I went for the Swedish meatballs served on a bed of creamy mash and lashings of gravy. Topped with chives and dill, it was like a hug in a bowl and exactly what was needed for a slightly chilly autumn day. Our waitress noticed us handing out gifts and very kindly gave us two brownies on the house to help celebrate Hannah's birthday. If that isn't good customer service than I don't know what is! Michelle opted for a delicious looking brioche bun stuffed to the brim with halloumi, roasted peppers and smashed avocado. Served with sweet potato chips, I wish I'd ordered it too!

The Curious Yellow Kafe is a great little find and well worth a wander over if you find your self around Old Street. I'll definitely be back!

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Why do I keep blogging when I'm never going to make a 'success' out of it?

Blogs are full of posts about how to make money, increase your follower count and turn blogging into your full time job. I have no desire - or even the ability - to turn my blog into my job nor do I make much money. As for my followers? They steadily go up but I'm no where near in line with the big guns considering I've been blogging for the past seven years. Sometimes it seems like fun has been taken out of the blogging community as people get obsessed with numbers and making dollars. That it's only worth keeping up a blog if you're going to make it into a business.

So where do I keep plugging away, updating this little space on the internet? The simple fact is I enjoy it and I'm not quite sure what I would do if it no longer existed. It's been part of basically my entire adult life from the tender age of 21. I've documented my university degree, my first job in journalism, my first house and endless trips all over the world. 

We all measure success in different ways. Obviously compared to the blogging greats, this blog is a mere minion. But to me? Every new follower, every page view and every comment is a success. I often think the blogging boat I originally clambered on to has long sailed as the industry evolves into something I barely recognise. I keep blogging because it's something to look back on. It gives me the excuse to try new things and see new places. I wouldn't have done half of the things in my life if I didn't have this blog. It's all too easy to get caught up in mundane details of life and enter your very own groundhog day. Sleep, work, repeat. Simply this blog encourages me to make the most out of life, to push me into doing things and get out of my comfort zone as cheesy as that may sound. That is what encourages me to keep blogging even though I'm never going to become 'internet-famous'. But I'm internet famous for my mum so that's what counts eh?!

Why do you keep blogging? 

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Photo diary: a return trip to Warsaw

I always have plans to re-visit a city I've loved  with Berlin and Copenhagen springing to mind, but somehow never seem to do it. But with Warsaw I did. We added in Warsaw to our Poland trip because one of my friend's grandparents has a flat in the city, just a short bus ride from the Old Town. As we had visited five years prior, we took the opportunity to really relax and have a chilled three days without any strict itinerary. We made the effort to venture out of the Old Town and try to see the city more like a local. I loved Warsaw even more the second time around. There's something quite charming about it and I much prefer the Old Town to Krakow. I still can't believe that the city has been more or less completely rebuilt after being over 80% destroyed during the war - something you will never guess when you visit.

Whilst the Old Town is by far my favourite place to mooch, the new town also offers some sights that  shouldn't be missed. The Palace of City and Culture and the fascinating war museum offer an interesting insight into the city's history. If you have time to venture even further afield, the neon museum in the rough diamond district of Praga is worth a visit - make the most of the day and spend it bar hopping.  An easy 25 minute bus journey away is Wilanov Palace. The vibrant yellow palace is now an art gallery but we chose instead to soak up the beautiful gardens. Take advantage of the gorgeous lake and hire a rowing boat. 

Warsaw is unfairly left behind when visitors choose to visit Poland as Krakow is very often the first port of call. But don't give it a miss. I find it less touristy than Krakow and it feels a little bit more 'authentically' Polish. It's a great place to visit if you're a bit short on pennies as budget airline offers very reasonable flights and the cost of food and drink is quite cheap. I've been saying this since I last visit Poland five years ago, this country is one of my favourites and is vastly underrated by people here in the UK. 

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OOTD: Striped maxi dress

Outfit

White and red striped maxi dress: ASOS (similar)

Pink sunglasses: Phase Eight* (similar)

Black sandals: Birkenstocks via ASOS

Red canvas backpack: Fjallraven Kanken via ASOS

I was debating whether I should post this outfit given how sweaty and flustered I felt that day. But looking back, they're not actually that bad and this was one of my favourite dresses of the summer. Although look at the frizz in that hair! Not very seasonal but that's what you get when you're not a consistent blogger anymore... I don't think I've ever experience heat like I did this day and if I'm honest, it's put me off forever from visiting hot countries in the future. It was absolutely relentless and sightseeing was a little dramatic in 36 degree heat. But we soldiered on through and managed to enjoy Krakow. Just.

This was an ASOS sale buy in spring and proved to be a very savvy buy. The thin material is breathable, the two slits up the side help to keep your legs free and the little poms poms around the waist keep it interesting. Paired with my favourite backpack that's seen better days and my trusty Birkenstocks that never leave my feet on holiday, it was a great outfit to try and keep me cool. RIP these Birkenstocks though as they well and truly gave up in Poland and never made it home. Next I want a classy silver pair. Oh and a patent black pair please.

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A catch up: October 2017

House news
I hope you're not bored of hearing about that house because I still have so much to talk about. It's now been nearly eight months since we had the keys and we're at the stage of being about to have sleepovers at the weekend. Can I get a hell yeah? HELL YEAH! The bedroom is done bar the floor which can't be done until we can afford to buy a new boiler next summer. Why are those darn things so expensive?! The kitchen is painted and the tiles are laid on the floor. Next the cupboards and the worktops are due to be fitted. Then we can order the fridge so we can actually keep food in the house. Revolutionary! I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to have my very own Belfast sink. It will be glorious! Yes, I've now reached the age where I get excited over a sink. Is this what your late twenties are all about?

Learning to say no
This house business has been tough on my finances. In fact it's been something I have really struggled - and am still struggling - with. I like to go out with friends, stuff my fat face and update my wardrobe frequently. But my disposable income had dropped dramatically. I know it's all for a good cause but sometimes I can't help but feel a bit bitter and resentful towards the house. But then I visit and realise just how silly I'm being and how incredible it is to say that I'm a homeowner. I've been making a really conscious decision to scale things back. I'm only saying yes to doing things a couple of times a month, starting to clear through the sheer amount of junk I own to make some extra money and trying to spend more time locally rather than running off to London every chance I get. It's still very much a work in process. And very hard work.

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OOTD: floral heels

Outfit:
Black cold shoulder ruffle dress: ASOS (similar)
Black and white pattern clutch: Primark (similar)
Floral embroidered heels: LOTD.com*

So here we are, in October again. I have to admit this really is my favourite time of year as cliché as it may sound. I'm not one for the heat and winter brings with it too much rain for my liking. But this season the weather is still pleasant, fresh with a slight bite in the air. It's warm enough to only have to wear a thin mac and the skies are still blue.

LOTD.com got in touch to see if I wanted to update my wardrobe and among the things they kindly gifted were these pretty heeled sandals. I love the detailing on the heels and they really help to jazz up a simple outfit. One of my favourite things about the colder weather is dipping back into my winter wardrobe. I last wore this dress to a wedding in Glasgow over the festive period last year and am glad to be giving it another outing.

This week is going to be taken pretty easy. I'm finally off to my friend's new baby tonight who has to be the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen. As someone who is a self-confessed baby hater (slightly OTT), I never thought I would be this excited over a newborn. But I suppose it's different one they're one of your squad. I can't wait to give her a big cuddle and teach her lots of bad habits. I'll also be helping Hannah celebrate her birthday with the rest of the crew. An evening of giggles and good food is just what is needed after feeling a bit under the weather.

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