A weekend with the bluebells

Day one of the bluebell weekend..

And day two! Not as many photos but just as beautiful. 

A couple of months ago there was a long weekend here in the UK and it coincided with the end of the bluebell season! It just so happened that I had organised to go on a couple of walks with some friends - on the Sunday Debs, Vivi and I were booked in to have afternoon tea at a very fancy hotel so we went for a walk just before.

We happened across a couple of fields of bluebells - oh they are so pretty! And very magical.. I could stare at them for hours. The photos do not do them justice.

We also came across a very cute doggie friend mid way through our walk. We could have walked for hours but we had our afternoon tea to get to - which included bottomless tea (yes!) and scones. 

On the Monday I had organised with the girls to do something and after the success of the bluebells on Sunday we headed to Alfriston to check out the bluebell walk there. Oh wow.. I thought Sunday was good and then this! An entire woodland covered in bluebells. It was so special that I think I have convinced my parents to visit in May next year so they can see them. I already can't wait!

Exploring the New Forest

When my friends and I went away for NYE, there were three of us that really wanted to go on longer walks. So we decided to try and do a few during the year and have it as an excuse to get together and explore areas that we haven't been before in the UK.

We had our first weekend away a few weeks ago in a little fishing village near Southampton called Lymington. We chose Lymington so that we could go walking / cycling in The New Forest. I have always wanted to go there because I had hear there are ponies wandering around! 

The New Forest is a national park consisting of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest. There are lots of cute little villages - and of course the ponies that can wander around different sections of the Forest.

We decided to walk from Lymington to Brockenhurst, which should have been an easy stroll. It ended up being a very muddy walk - almost like a Tough Mudder course! We had a good laugh but I think we were all very happy when we finally made it to Brockenhurst.

We then hired bikes so we could see more of the Forest - it was such a good decision. We cycled for about three hours - stopping (or being stopped by) near the ponies. Apparently they are owned by locals who breed them and sell them. At the beginning of our ride we thought they were wild so I was so excited when one came up to me and let me pat it! We found out later they are semi-tame - although that didn't stop me from still being excited :-) 

It was a lovely relaxed weekend away, especially as there was a bath in the flat we were in - we were all able to have a soak with a glass of prosecco while watching TV (yes, there was a TV in the bathroom - proper fancy!). It was the perfect girls weekend away - I can't wait till our next one!

The many faces of one eyed Ted

This is a very indulgent post. About a cat. A cat called Ted. He belongs to my lovely flatmate Rose, and he is the best kitty ever! 

It's no secret that I love animals...I don't have a preference for dogs or cats, I love them all! Teddy has been living in the house for almost a year and I just love him being here. 

As you can see he only has one eye, which means he sometimes runs into things. He is not as light footed as most kitties - he lands with a thump whenever he jumps down from a ledge which always makes me giggle.

Ted is a handsome chap who loves a scratch behind the ears, and tuna. I think tuna more than a scratch. 

He meows at nothing, tries to jump up on things and fails and purrs only when he really loves you. I don't think anyone has met Ted and not loved him back. I especially love the last photo of him curled up on my pillows. He has recently taken to sleeping on my bed which (hopefully) means he loves me as much as I love him. 

A weekend in the Cotswolds

Yay Debs, you are now officially in the blog!!

Why are these Christmas trees suspended from the walls?? I saw this in a couple of places!

The Cotswolds is one of the areas of the UK that I've wanted to see since I arrived. There are lots of districts that I would still like to see, including Devon and Cornwall, The Peak District and the Lake District just to name a few! So it was great to tick the Cotswolds off the list with a weekend trip to a market town in the southern Cotswolds called Cirencester with two of my best friends Debs and Vivi. 

We wanted to go somewhere for Christmas markets and we read that the ones in Cirencester were some of the best in the UK. Unfortunately the markets weren't great, nor was the weather! But it didn't matter - we had a good giggle watching youtube clips and Bridget Jones while drinking loads of wine and eating cheese in the cottage we were in for the weekend. The best!