2019: A year in travel

I said I wanted to have a big year for my 30th and it certainly happened. At the risk of sounding overdramatic, it's been one of the best years of my life. I've seen and been places I have always dreamed off and I'm not quite sure how next year is going to beat it. What a year!

Malaysia
Our first holiday of the year was two weeks in Malaysia back in February. We booked flights the day after my 30th birthday party, not the wisest idea we've had, and flew out to see our friends who were living out there as teachers. South-east Asia is a part of the world I had been dreaming about visiting since I was 17. I wasn't somewhere I thought I would be lucky enough to tick off so when I did it was absolutely incredible. It still feels like a dream! For the first week we did an epic 7 days road trip visiting Malacca, Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highlands and Fraser's Hill. After our friends went back to school we took things a little easier for the second week and visited Georgetown and Langkawi. I can't wait to explore more of south-east Asia now and hopefully will be able to go back to that region soon.

Las Vegas
A mere two months later I headed to the bright lights of Las Vegas with five other friends to help celebrate our 30th birthday year. We had this trip planned since we were 21 so it was slightly shocking to realise we were finally old enough! Vegas was an absolute whirlwind and I've never experienced anything like it. It was bold, brash and intense. It's not a city I can see myself visiting again but I had the absolute best week. My highlight was an overnight stay at the Grand Canyon. It was the first I have ever been rendered speechless in my life. Words really can't do it justice.

Dublin
I booked Dublin as 30th birthday treat for my boyfriend originally as a surprise. But, as usual I got far too excited and spilled the beans. Sadly we had some sad news a few days before we were going to fly so we had to do a detour to Derry. But we made it to Dublin a day later than planned and spent the next few days eating and drinking around the city. The Irish capital is just as expensive as people say but I really fell in love with it. There isn't an awful lot of sightseeing to do but it's a fantastic place to just chill. We pub hopped and stuffed ourselves silly on some good food. Ireland really is the best country in the world.

Birmingham
My best friend and I decided we needed a few days away bonding with each other but didn't want to spend much money. So we headed to the Travel Lodge website and had a search of hotels to find the cheapest one two hours or less away from home. Our search concluded with Birmingham and we paid a mere £35 each for two nights over the August Bank Holiday. Despite being the only adults in the attraction without children, the detour to Cadbury's world was a highlight. We spent the three days gossiping about everything and everyone whilst eating all the best food Brum had to offer. We had such glorious weather so it was a real treat. A kinda last hurrah to the summer.

Rhodes
September saw me head to Rhodes for the first time for a work colleagues wedding. The whole team jetted out to Lindos on a wild adventure. I have never laughed or partied so hard as I did for those four days. Certainly a trip I won't forget in a hurry! It look me a good week at home to feel normal again.

Paris
I was lucky enough to go on a press trip with Made.com to Paris through work. A whirlwind of a trip, it was lovely to spend a couple of days exploring new places in the French capital. the girls at Made put on a fab itinerary and it was nice to get to know new people.

Northern Ireland
The last trip of the year was to Northern Ireland in October. A place very dear to my heart. This trip was made even more special as it was where we got engaged! It still feels really weird to say that out loud... We took two of our friends over for the weekend and showed them all our favourite places. There is just something about the Emerald Isle, especially this part, that makes my heart sing. We had such great weather with lots of blue skies so really lucked out.

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Exploring the U.K: Torr Head scenic route, Ballycastle, Northern Ireland

We've been over to Northern Ireland so many times over the last decade yet it still surprises me when we stumble across somewhere new. It only increases my love for this part of the world. There's still so much I need to explore! On our last trip back to Northern Ireland back in October, something special happened which I'll take about more in the next post, we decided on a whim to follow the Torr Head scenic route.

The route is very well signposted but I recommend popping Torr Head in your satnav if you have one. Just to be on the safe side. Although getting lost isn't too bad in a beautiful place like as the Causeway Coast. The scenic route takes along the coast up winding and sometimes hair-raising roads to the top of a huge hill. It isn't for the lighthearted and I had to refrain looking out of the window. It didn't do my nerves very good! Keep in mind it's a narrow road and you'll have to move over to let other cars come through.

Once you make it to the top of the hill, park your car on the side of the road and start climbing! It's still a fairly undiscovered place so you'll more of less have the whole place to yourself. At the very top of the hill there is an abandoned house which isn't really that nice. But once you've given that the quick once over, start exploring some more. Don't be afraid to climb over a few fences. Just don't go to close to the edge on a windy day. You'll be able to see Scotland in the distance on a clear day. It'\s such a beautiful place to take in the sheer beauty of the Emerald Isle.

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Restaurant review: Palatino, Old Street, east London

A couple of weeks ago my favourite internet pals and I popped along to Palatino for Hannah's birthday. The reason she picked that place? The £25 deal for unlimited pasta for two hours on a Saturday. She didn't have to ask us twice to attend!

Within walking distance from the Barbican and not as close to Old Street station as it says on the website, the restaurant is in a rather obscure location in the city. It's not hard to find but it's not really surrounded by much so it feels like you have to to hunt it down. You can have the option of choosing to add unlimited prosecco for £14 per person for 90 minutes. We decided to give this a miss this time.

So what pasta can you choose from? Anything from the Primo section of the menu. This includes cacio e pepe, ravioli di zucca, bombolotti romanesco, anchovy and breadcrumbs, spaghetti alla vongole, veal rigatoni and a pasta of the day. They are more than willing to veganise any dish. My favourites included the carbonara which was the special and the delicious rigatoni. The portions looked small but in reality were great sizes for sharing. We all tucked in quite happily!

Service was a bit slow and they wasn't too forthcoming in offering you the chance to order more pasta dishes. It took quite a while before someone even took our drinks order. Luckily we were starting to get a bit full so we didn't mind the waiting. But I can imagine it will get annoying really  quick if you're still hungry. I loved the vibe of the restaurant, it had a great mix of people and lovely floor to ceiling windows, letting the winter sun in. I'm not sure I'd go back but I do think it's a great deal for £25 and I felt like I completely got my money's worth. There are just so many other different places to try in London!

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