Exploring Europe: Bratislava, Slovakia

Bratislava was just a stop over. A city that broke up the journey between Austria and Hungary. Yet it ended up being my favourite city of the trip and I feel head over heels. I'd expected endless gangs of English lads on a stag do, a grimy place I'd come to associate with drunken louts and quite frankly, nothing special. But it was beautiful, charming and absolutely stunning. A place I urge everyone to visit immediately for a weekend break.

With a population of only 450,000, it felt almost like we had the city to ourselves. To be honest, you could probably see all the sights within 3 hours but the beauty in the place are the winding lanes where you can get lost. It's such a fantastic place to sit back, order a drink and simply watch the world go by. The Old Town is gorgeous. A bustling hub of wine bars, shabby chic interior shops and cute little cafes. It felt authentic and a world away from home. Which is exactly what I look for when I leave the green and pleasant land behind.

Steeped in history, the city offers a sobering reminder of the communist era. From the soviet style buildings in the new town to the Russian war memorial high up on a hill. It's so hard to imagine Slovakia only became its own country in 1993 after it spilt from Czechoslovakia. It feels like the city has always been so thriving and so full of life. I honestly can't rave about the city enough.

It's already on my list to return and I'm hoping that it will be very soon. The Christmas markets in the old town sound like the perfect time to visit. Look out for a food and city guide coming soon plus the most fantastic hotel!

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How to travel Europe on a budget

It's no secret that I love going on holiday. I often have people telling me I must be made of money, it's not normal to go on holiday more than once a year or that I should really save the money. But to be honest I don't ever spend that much money going away. Well if you forget last New Years Eve when I had my annual holiday friends come round and we got extremely drunk and thought it was a good idea to book ourselves into five star hotels for our two week Eastern European trip this August... I had a whale of a time but I'm still paying dearly for it now! We are so lucky to live in such a diverse and cultural rich continent so here are my top tips for seeing Europe on the cheap - yet without having to slum it.

Don't be fussy

I have such an urge to see every city and town in the world so I plan one holiday a year to tick something off my bucket list. Then for mini trips I simply book whatever is the cheapest flight. If you don't have a city in mind, I tend to go on Ryanair Farefinder. This way I've managed to bag trips to Cologne and Derry both for under £20 return! Simply select your nearest airport, click to go anywhere and set the budget to under £20 to see what comes up. You do have to be quite spontaneous but you can book quite far in advance too. I booked my trip to Derry in January last week! Be adventurous and go somewhere you never thought you would!

Go out of season

For our big holiday I have to go during school holidays as my best friend is a teacher. So selfish eh? But I try to go early spring or in the winter for my mini breaks. You'll find cheaper flights and accommodation as well as beating those pesky tourist crowds.

Rent an apartment

I am a huge fan of Air BnB, having used it numerous amounts of time. I just love staying in someone's house in a local neighbourhood and feeling like it's my city for a few days. The hosts have always been charming and so helpful. You can find some great deals and it really does help to keep accommodation costs to a minimum. Make sure you have a proper scroll through the apartments to ensure you get the best deal - don't just look at the first couple of pages. If you really want to save some cash, have a browse of the rooms in someone's house as they are even cheaper still.

Go midweek 

I know some people want to maximise their holiday and go Friday to Monday for a weekend break but this is often when flights are expensive. Obviously if you book far enough in advance they can be cheap but that involves serious organisation. At the minute I'm favouring a break from Wednesday till Saturday. That way you have the rest of the weekend to recover as there's nothing I hate more than going into work the day after a holiday. I need time to readjust to my surroundings! We always take a three night/four day city break. I like to have a couple of days hardcore sightseeing then a day just mooching around without any plans - that way you get a real feel for the city and see how the locals live. My favourite times in London have been spent aimlessly wandering around!

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Restaurant review: Snaps & Rye, Ladbrooke Grove, west London

Three months later and I'm still going on about my trip to Copenhagen so when Hannah suggested we try out the Danish restaurant Snaps & Rye, I was more than game. Based in Ladbrooke Grove, the restaurant specialises in brunch and lunch but does a set dinner tasting menu from Thursday to Sunday. Priced at £35, it included four courses and changes weekly with a choice of meat or fish. Nice and intimate, the restaurant is full of Scandic-chic interiors. Hairpin chairs, maps of Copenhagen and a sleek neutral colour scheme. The perfect place to whittle away a few hours enjoying good food and company.

This time we started with a bite-size treat of what I believe to be smoked haddock on a piece of rye bread. Not pictured because it was soon wolfed down! Rich and flavoursome, a great introduction to what was to come. The first course was deep fried egg on a bed of green beans and pickled mushrooms, topped with parmesan cheese shavings and a sprinkle of watercress. With a perfectly cooked yoke, the dish was simplicity at its best. It was so well put together and was a joy to eat.

Next up was smoked duck paired with artichoke, apple, red cabbage and rye. Delightfully fatty, the duck was tender and intensely flavoured. The crunchy red cabbage salad seemed to be the perfect accompaniment. For the main, I opted for the flash-fried smoked eel in cider, mustard, kartoffel and a ham crisp. The spicy mustard sauce was delicious and the eel was deliciously juicy. Such a great dish, one I would never have put together but one that I couldn't get enough of. Finally for dessert it was a divine rich, gooey chocolate brownie topped with yogurt and berry compote.

Snaps & Rye was one of the best places I've eaten at in months - I can't sing its praises enough. The food was incredible, the portions were generous and the staff were very friendly. I couldn't fault the food and it was such great value. I love the fact they change their menu weekly so I can't wait to go back and try some other dishes. The brunch menu is calling my name!

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