Lake Vyrnwy

Lake Vyrnwy

Now that we are out of lockdown I have been slowly ticking off my UK destination bucket list. One of these destinations that I have heard a lot about but have never seen in person is Lake Vyrnwy. The lake is a reservoir in Powys and has become an important nature reserve for habitats and wildlife, with the total walk around the lake equalling 12 miles.

We arrived on a sunny Saturday and decided to walk around the lake to get views of both the dam and the gothic tower stretching out into the middle of the lake.

Wollerton Old Hall Garden

Wollerton Old Hall Garden 

On a sunny Sunday last weekend I had the fortune of getting to visit Wollerton Old Hall Garden based in Market Drayton in Shropshire. I hadn't heard of the gardens before and like many of us I am sure I have been searching around my local area for new ideas for day trips or days out. 

We were fortunate to be able to visit at such short notice as the gardens are private but open to the public on select days throughout the year, see their website for more information on this. The gardens are set around a 16th Century hall and feature a variety of plant combinations including David Austin Roses.

Ghetto Golf Birmingham

The other weekend me and my boyfriend headed to Birmingham for a day out, while there we went to Ghetto Golf.

Mini Golf, cocktails and graffiti art? Yes please!

Located at the Custard Factory entry is £10 per person and there are 18 different mini golf holes.

We did not book in advance so had to wait for the next available session. In the meantime we admired the graffiti and had a cocktail each. The drinks were reasonably priced and tasted great. You also had the option to order drinks as you made your way around the course.

Sintra: Castle of the Moors

After Pena Palace we then visited the Castle of the Moors. This was included in our ticket with the palace and the two were a short walk from each other. It was a beautiful sunny day in Sintra making for some beautiful views from the castle.

The castle itself was very grand and steeped in history. There were loads of high turrets and steep steps, the walk around it was a really good workout. 

Lisbon: Belem: Jeronimos Monastery

Next up on the Lisbon tour we had a trip to Belem to visit Jeronimos Monastery. Construction of the building began in 1501 and was completed 100 years later, it is the former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome. The monastery is a beautiful example of late Gothic architecture and the building has since been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Biddulph Grange Gardens

I have recently invested in a National Trust Card, if you are under 25 the price for the year is a bargain! It's half the price of the adult membership and you get free access to hundreds of magical places! The first place that I visited using my membership was Biddulph Grange Gardens located in Stoke.

The picture of this place in the booklet instantly caught my attention showing a Chinese inspired temple. The site is a Victorian garden with plants from all around the world, a visit takes you on a journey from Italy to Egypt to the Himalayas and finally to China.

My Happy Place

This weekend just gone on the sunniest day of the year so far I visited my happy place which is Barmouth.

I have so many memories relating to holidays in Barmouth with family and trips there with friends. It is by far one of my favourite places with nostalgia everywhere I look.

I thought I would share with you some of my favourite traditions and things about Barmouth.

Hoo Farm Animal Experience

Last Sunday I had a fantastic day at Hoo Farm. I'd bought my step mom an animal experience off of wowcher and we had finally got around to using it. 

We got to meet Duma the Serval, Specsavers the owl, the two red foxes and a boa constrictor.

It was a wonderful day the guide was very knowledgeable and good with the animals and it was amazing how close we got to these wonderful creatures.

Travel: Italy: Ventimiglia Friday Market

As Nice is so close to the boarder between France and Italy we decided to hope over for the day and visit the Friday Market in Ventimiglia. This was probably the closest tourist attraction we could find that would mean it was a day trip only.

Nice: Day Out in Monaco

Another of our many day trips out was to Monaco, this was something we had booked in advance as part of a guided tour.

They took us to Monaco ville and Monte Carlo, no sights were included but we had time in the tour to go visit them.

A Day in Cannes

While in Nice we took a day trip out to Cannes known for the glitzy film festival and stunning scenery.

We lucked out and the weather was sunny and incredibly warm. We were hoping to have a tour of the Palais des Festivals but happened to visit while there was a business conference on.

Lifestyle: The Colour Run

Last weekend in Birmingham was The Color Run. If you know me well you would no I'm not usually one for exercise and I only run when I have no choice. 

The most I do is go to a padfit class weekly which does not exercise your body the way running does.

The Color Run however caught my eye, having paint thrown at you while running seemed far more enjoyable than running in general, plus you could raise money for charity whilst doing so.

We booked to take part quite late so I opted not to raise any money, next time when we book earlier I will definitely choose a charity and raise some money.

Birmingham Trip: Grand Central

The weekend before last I went on a trip up to Birmingham to see the new ironically named Grand Central. (Why would you call it that?)

Name aside I was looking forward to going round all of the shops and having a look around the John Lewis as I had never been in one before. Naturally I took my camera with me and took a few pictures: