travel

i suppose i should start this `blog` with what i enjoy most in the world: travel.


now, before i start, i must stress that i am not `a traveller` by definition - i am an aspiring traveller, and believe that i have travelled to many places that i didn`t think i would get to go to. granted, i have only ever `travelled` on holiday - but when else am i suppose to `travel` in between going to uni full-time and working in a bar very casually?!




let`s take it waaay back to 2006 - the year that i turned 18. i was sent to New York City for my Birthday!!!! and it was the first time that i had ever been on a plane! the plane was petrifying - the sheer size of it made me nervous, but i soon leaned how boring a seven hour flight could be - especially waiting to arrive in one of the most exciting cities in the world!


this is a pic from the top of The Empire State Building:

and this is a cupcake that i ate in Grand Central Station:

other highlights of New York City included: The Statue of Liberty (which i had to zoom in on my camera because it was so small - genuinely disappointed)

Bloomingdales aka "Bloomies"

the Guggenheim Museum / Art Gallery (this is a pic from where i sat in the foyer - it was a very lovely foyer! - because i refused to pay the $18 dollars to wonder round the spiral-ed building - i was a philistine at 18, i`m positive i`m less so now - however, i`m still no mug!) 

the New York City Public Library aka the almost-wedding venue of Carrie and Big from Sex and the City (yes, i know it`s a fictional series!!)

and these are the obligatory pics that one must take when in America in general ...: 

"cop car"

Ronald McDonald at McDonald`s!

and so, later on in 2006, i travelled to the south of France for the Cannes Film Festival - you know, where Marie Antoinette got booed? yeah, it was a slow year that year for films ... despite the booing, i rather enjoyed the film :)

red carpet:

Sofia Coppola and Kirsten Dunst on the red carpet:

the Carlton hotel on Cannes` Croisette Avenue (it`s huge and gorgeous - think old Hollywood glamour) 

and this is a final pic from Cannes: 

The Albert Dock in Liverpool (my home city) isn`t somewhere that i would particularly consider a holiday destination - because i don`t holiday in Liverpool, i live in Liverpool. however, Liverpool is a city that many people consider a tourist attraction - and so, i have some photos ...

next on my travels was a year later - 2007 - to Spain - somewhere i had never been to, but had always fancied. i dreaded the `chavviness` of it, but it`s really, really, really not like the Benidorm t.v. series - it`s all very ... well ... Spanish!

here a few `Spanish` pics:

a `fiesta`!:

Bull Fighting:

cinema (i love going the cinema on holiday!):

Puerto Banus:

my next destination, in 2008, was to Turkey. now, i literally had no idea what to expect from the country - i barely knew where it was on a map, let alone what sort of culture it had! (come to think of it, i still don`t think i could confidently point out where it was on a map ...) and despite how many anecdotes you hear from people who had visited the country, you can`t ever fully understand until you have been. 


now, i must stress - because i heard, and still hear, bad reviews - that i did not go to Marmaris, which, i believe, is the English capital. i did, however, go to a lovely, quiet, beachy area, where there were still English tourists, but nowhere near as many as Marmaris, or Bodrum, etc ...


the sky was blue:

the sand was yellow:

the moon eclipsed:

there were mountains:

there were ruins from ancient amphitheaters: 

there were islands galore!:

there was one very amazing camel (he ran as opposed to steadily trot):

a year later, for our 21st Birthday, me and a friend travelled to Mexico for a fortnight - which is, definitely, one of my favourite destinations, and one of my favourite holidays - packed with such amazing sights, hilarious anecdotes, and ... TEQUILLA!

firstly, i`m convinced that this is Cuba (it probably isn`t, and i`ll be pretty amazed if i`m proved right!):

we went clubbing:

we "survived Swine Flu" - anyone remember that epidemic ...?!:

we danced in confetti:

we were `forced` tequilla by teeny-tiny Mexican man wearing a huge sombrero:

we danced on a bar:

we met real-life pirates ...:

we ate lobster (first time for me - kinda tasted like chicken, no?):

we went snorkeling (well, i say snorkeling ... i didn`t - i just drove the boat into the middle of the sea!): 

we found this crocodile on the side of the road, just chillin` ...:

we ate and drank a lot of chocolate!:

we found huge bottles of champagne - which is always a win!: 

we ate burritos = :) : 

we saw poor parts of Isla Mujeres:

we spent the day with these two Mexicans!:

we saw the media hunt down the Mexican football team - so we joined them!:

we saw a Mexican Wrestling Ring just chillin` in the street ...!:

we went the cinema - i love going the cinema on holiday! (bonus: we watched Ryan Reynolds in a comedy that was actually funny!):

and, finally, (even though i have a billion pics from that trip!) we thought that this was the most hilarious meal we had while we were there ...!!!!:

after Mexico, i was pretty skint - so days out to Southport were about as much as i could afford! here are a few pics from Churchtown:

in 2010, i went back to Turkey with my boyfriend - it was our first holiday together, just us two :) we were there while the World Cup was on, which was an added bonus - being able to watch a game on the beach in the evening with a cocktail in hand was unbeatable!!!

paragliding!!!:

i went on a few holidays in 2010 - my student loan really worked over-time! during August, i went to London for a few days - somewhere i had begged my boyfriend to take me for so long!!! luckily, it was the hottest week of the year while we were there - amazing :)

i went to London, again, in December 2010 as a Christmas present for my Mum. it was a slightly backhanded gift, because i got as much enjoyment out of the trip as i know she did :)

and my final holiday of 2010 was spent in Barcelona over Christmas with my boyfriend. it was, by far and wide, the most amazing Christmas i have ever celebrated :)