24 HOURS IN....VANCOUVER!!

Hello everyone! May has been a crazy month of flights for me and I’ve barely had a second to catch my breath let alone power up my laptop but now that I’ve got a moment to myself I can get on with the latest blog and this time I’m headed to the Great White North- Vancouver!

Both sides of my family have roots in Canada (my grandmother has two sisters that live in Canada and she goes fairly frequently to visit) and although I had never been until now, I always felt a sense of camaraderie and connection with the Canadians. The reality did not disappoint. From the moment I caught a glimpse of the Rockies as we were coming into land I knew I was going to love Canada. Sadly my little glimpse of the country was not much more than that but I still managed to squeeze a lot in (heavily fuelled by the god’s at Tim Hortons!) and now I’m ready to share how to do Vancouver in 24 hours!

Start your day by fuelling up right on De Dutch breakfast (my favourite one is down at the waterfront, sit outside and get a great view of the seaplanes taking off and landing). I’ve had many a ‘big’ breakfast on my travels but nothing matches up to De Dutch-pancakes, hash browns and maple syrup in excess- what’s not to love? Get caffeine hit from the Nutella mocha, you won’t be disappointed. After breakfast, take a walk around the waterfront, on a clear day the view is amazing you can see right across to West Vancouver and all the way over to Stanley Park. My favourite quirky little part of the waterfront is the digital-Orca made of Lego!Here you can get seaplane tickets to Whistler and other islands around Vancouver for reasonable prices but if you only have a day to enjoy the city then I recommend staying put. There’s always lots of hustle and bustle going on in this area from the convention centre to the Olympic flame pit and city wide events so you don’t want to miss it on your city adventure.

From here head over to West Hastings Street to the Vancouver Lookout. It truly wouldn’t be one of my blogs unless it featured a tall building to scale for views of the city. As tall buildings go, the Vancouver Lookout requires a lot less effort than some of the others I’ve mentioned in previous blogs however the way up to the viewpoint features a glass lift that is not at all restrictive in its views of both the city and the lift shaft! For around 15 dollars, you can get to the top of the tower and get a great panoramic view of the many areas of Vancouver, from the water to the stadiums, high rise buildings to lush forests it’s amazing to take in how one place can have so much diversity. In some ways it’s like looking at the city version of a patchwork quilt, things that look like they shouldn’t work well together sewn together seamlessly to create a beautiful metropolis. Up here you can also take the time to grab your souvenirs in a little gift shop that (miraculously) won’t break the bank.

When you’ve taken in all the views and read up on your Vancity trivia, head back down the lift (it is no less scary going down than coming up) and make your way over to the Hyatt hotel.  Don’t worry I’m not including a tour of the cities hotels in my itinerary, this is just the location for getting the free bus to the next stop on the tour- Stanley Park.

Stanley Park is hands down not only my favourite place in Vancouver but also my favourite place in any of the new cities I’ve visited lately. The free bus takes around 20 minutes and takes you on a crazy journey from the heart of the city centre out into a lush green park with lakes and animals. The bus will take you to the entry point of the world famous Capilano Suspension Bridge. This is definitely an activity that is NOT for the faint of heart. Entrance to the bridge and the surrounding areas costs around 20 dollars (free if you’re cabin crew!) and it is worth every penny. 

Start at the entrance and collect a ticket stamp book and follow it round, remember to collect a stamp at each point so you can get a cool certificate at the end! The trail to reach the bridge is full of really interesting mementos and statuettes to the past, from the totem poles representing the ancient Indian roots to the remnants of the industrial process that lead to the creation of the bridge. Each little station has plaques with stories to help you learn the history of the bridge, those who built it and those who have lived in the area since before its construction. When you finally arrive at the bridge, the first thing you notice is how long the bridge is and how high up you are, it is actually a little dizzying!

When you step on the bridge, it can be a little leg-wobbling at first, seeing the whole river beneath you and feeling the bridge move from all other tourists walking along it. The view from the bridge is amazing, it’s pure nature all around and feels like a million miles away from the city you woke up in that morning. Maybe it’s just because I’m a city girl at heart but it is so crazy to be able to take a 15 minute bus ride from the heart of the busy metropolis and be in the centre of a huge lush forest surrounded by nature!

At the end of the bridge, head over to the Tree Top Trail for a little in the trees adventure. If you’re travelling with kids or someone with a kid-like personality, this is a fun little activity, with swinging wooden bridges to walk over and animals to spot. Also there’s another stamp to collect to add to your passport, taking you a little closer to your certificate. When you cross back over the bridge, there’s one last test of your nerves in the form of the glass bottomed cliff walk, with views underfoot of the rocks and melting glaciers. Head away from the exit of the cliff walk towards the exit station to collect your certificate for finishing! Maybe it’s because of all the heights or because I’m  secretly still an 8 year old inside but getting that certificate was definitely the most exciting part of my trip.

  

 

Grab the 'inside park' bus out now to Prospect Point for more gorgeous views of the city from above. At this point (weather permitting) sit down on the grass and have a little picnic while you soak in the views. In spring/summer, when the flowers are in full bloom it’s really beautiful to walk amongst them out to the furthest point overlooking the sea and the bridge leading back into the city. The whole park is really beautiful and you could so easily spend days and days exploring it but I would definitely say that Prospect Point is my favourite spot. 

 

Heading back into the city, get off the bus a few stops early on Robson St. and take a stroll around. If the weather up at Prospect Point wasn’t great, grab lunch at one of the little cafes or restaurants. One of the amazing things Vancouver has to offer is its wealth of different cuisines, from Italian to all over Asia, and for surprisingly low prices, there’s something for whatever mood you happen to be in! My top recommendations are the Banh Mi’s in any of the Vietnamese places or sushi from Blue.

After lunch, take a bus over to China Town and have a stroll through all the

little shops and stalls. Head into the gardens if you have time although be wary as they close early! The china town area of Vancouver is one of the biggest I’ve visited and well worth a look.

When you’ve got all of your souvenirs and had a nice long walk through the city, head back to your hotel and change for dinner. As mentioned earlier, Vancouver has abundance of amazing food places but for a really great night out head into Gastown. With all of the restaurants, the cute old fashioned streets and the great relaxed vibe, there’s really no contest for where you should spend your evening. Each different eatery has something different to offer and there’s no wrong choice.

So there you go, a whole 24 hours in the home of Ryan Reynolds and the most beautiful views!

Hope you enjoy!

24 HOURS IN.....CHICAGO!!

Hi everyone! I’ve just come home from the most amazing layover in Chicago so I’ve decided to share with you my ‘must-see’ and ‘must do’ list for 24 hours in the Windy City.

Chicago- home to the Cubs, the Bulls, the Sears (Willis) Tower, Ferris Buellers day off and possibly most importantly of all, the Deep Dish Pizza (I’m capitalising because it’s THAT good). If you’ve never tried deep dish before, imagine a hybrid of like a pie-lasagne-pizza, it’s basically heaven. But before you overdose on deep dish here’s what to do in your 24 hours in Chi-Town. Start on East Bellevue Place and begin your day with a huge breakfast at The Original Pancake House- sweet, savoury, these guys have it all. If pancakes aren’t your thing they also have all sorts of omelettes, eggs, hash browns and skillets. Breakfast at the pancake house is the perfect way to begin your day because not only are the breakfasts delicious but they are super filling so you’ll be ready to rock and roll and sightsee all day!

After you have filled up on food, head on down the Magnificent Mile. This is the main street for shopping and hustle and bustle in Chicago and takes you right across the city. You can see everything here from high end shops like Gucci and Prada to Forever 21, it’s a shopaholics dream come true. Keep going on past the shops and skyscrapers (it’s so hard to keep from craning your neck to see everything in the sky!) and head towards to bridge over the Chicago River. Don’t forget to take a moment while crossing the bridge to admire the view of the river and the lake on one side and then to turn and boo at Trump Tower on the other. 

Just passed the bridge its only 5 more minute’s walk before you arrive at Millennium Park, home of the Bean! Inside the park , its lovely to walk around and explore the monuments and view of lake Michigan or if you are lucky enough to be there in winter you can go open air ice skating down beside the bean for around 10 dollars. I have to admit, the bean itself confuses me, I’m not entirely sure why it’s there but I do love it. If you can fight your way through the crowds and get right up to it, it’s a little bit amazing. Much bigger than it looks in the photos, you can see reflections of yourself and all of the buildings around and if you face it on the side of the Magnificent mile, you get an amazing up-close panorama of the Chicago skyline and it’s so surreal, as if you can actually touch the buildings by touching the bean! 

Once you’ve finished wandering around the park and reading all of the facts about the city posted around the bean, head down East Adams Street towards the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower). Just a word of warning, there is very rarely NOT a queue for this so brace yourself for 20/30 minutes standing around both inside and outside the building (or less if you are a savvy tourist and pre book your tickets online beforehand) but I promise you it’s worth it. If you are a regular reader of this blog or know me at all as a person you can pretty much guess what’s coming next; a tall building with amazing views of the city. The Willis Tower Sky deck is an amazing interactive way of discovering the Chicago skyline. Once you buy your tickets you head through a maze of informative and fun wall displays, a short film on the history of the tower and then a little chart that shows how many of you the tower is tall.  If you’re curious, its 346 of me tall! 

103 stories up in the lift, sorry elevator, and you reach the sky deck. Despite having been a flight attendant for 6 months, my ears popped TWICE on the way up! The sky deck is AMAZING! Walking all the way around you can see the whole of Chicago as well as the borders of Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. For fans of Ferris Buellers Day off, which EVERYONE should be, will recognise the famous and terrifying ledge. You can step out onto the little glass ledge and see straight down into the streets of Chicago under your feet. NOT an activity for the faint hearted but completely exhilarating none the less. When you are selfie-d out and fully content that you have seen all that the sky deck has to offer, head back down the ear popping lift. 

  At this point you have two options, if the weather is not nice head into Panera, get some French onion soup in a bread bowl and chill out for a while. If the weather is nice, head into Walgreens, grab some food for a picnic and make your way towards the lake. The bank of Lake Michigan is gorgeous; the walk around the edge is full of all sorts: fitness fans jogging, bookworms reading and day drinkers doing their thing. Grab a little section of ground beside the water, but not too close, the crystal blue can be mesmerising and you don’t want to go for an accidental swim! It’s so easy to see why people love Chicago so much sitting by the water and not being able to distinguish where lake ends and sky begins, there’s something so peaceful about it all! When lunch is done and you’ve finished staring at the waves, head over to Navy Pier.

The walk along the water’s edge to navy pier is so lovely and when you reach the pier, look behind you for another pretty panorama of the water, beach and buildings. At navy pier, take a walk through the park that borders the water and enjoy the stark contrasts between the big city concrete jungle and the calm water and greenery. Inside Navy Pier is the perfect place to stock up on souvenirs, for you, your family and there’s even a store of Chicago themed dog clothes! From May 24^th, the Ferris wheel will be opened so thrill seekers can enjoy a moving view of the city but for now you can walk all around the pier, stopping for a mid-walk beer in the beer gardens facing out onto the lake. If you have time, take one of the lake cruises that departs from the right hand side of the pier. 

It should now be getting on towards sunset, so walk alllll the way back along the banks of the lake towards the little beach and head to your hotel to get changed into something a little classier and then head towards the Hancock Tower.  Like the Willis/Sears Tower, the Hancock tower has great views of the city and you have 2 ways of seeing them. Either you can pay to enter and do the 360 leaning experience or (my preferred option) you can go to the Signature Room on the 96^th floor and enjoy them for free with a cocktail (the cocktail you have to pay for). I recommend doing this at sunset because the views and atmosphere are amazing.

 I have to be honest, the cocktails in the Signature Room don’t really fit in with my usual ‘trips on a budget’ style but hey when in Chicago, right?

 After enjoying the music, views and cocktails of the Signature Room, it’s FINALLY time for the Deep Dish that I mentioned at the start.

Leaving the tower, head towards North Rush Street and the famous Giordano’s Pizzeria (this is the flagship store by the way, so although there are chains all over the city, this is the best). Once you get into Giordano’s and smell the pizza and see the flocks of people queuing for a slice, you will understand why I’ve sent you there. Like the Willis Tower, there will be a wait but also like the tower it will be worth it. Order at the counter, get a beer at the bar and wait for your table. This process is slightly unorthodox but the pizzas take 45 minutes to cook so it means that by the time you are seated at your table, you don’t have long to wait for food! For the Deep Dish, there are loads of options for toppings (fillings really, if we’re being accurate) but in my experience you really can’t go wrong with straight up cheese. Take note from my mistake though, just because you can finish a small Dominoes on your own does not mean you’re equipped to do the same here, Deep Dish is a whole other ball game and a small between two is more than enough to fill you up. Plus if you are still hungry afterwards, the cannoli there are a dream come true!

Chicago is a city wealthy with bars, clubs and music venues so if that’s what you’re in the mood for after dinner, from Giordano’s you’re not more than a stone’s throw from somewhere you can continue the party. If pizza has ended you then pat yourself on the back, you just completed a jam-packed whirlwind tour of the Windy City in 24 hours!

24 HOURS IN....VIENNA!!

From a very young age I was obsessed with the sound of music, I used to first want to be the littlest girl, then as I got older Liesel (and have a romantic kiss in the rain with my older boyfriend who hopefully wouldn't turn out to be a Nazi informant) and then Maria (without having to actually be a nun). My favourite parts of the film were the soundtrack (duh!) and the setting, so it's no surprise at all that I LOVED Vienna. 

We went in January when around 5-10 inches of snow was falling, adding to my picturesque Sound of Music image of the country and really making the experience all the more perfect. 

For a capital city, Vienna is the absolute perfect blend of hustle and bustle and quaint and cute. Stand in the centre of Hofburg palace and you'll feel like you're in the 1800s but walk 5 minutes down the road and you're on a street of Haute Couture shops that wouldn't be out of place in New York. 

In a different strand to my usual blog style I'm not going to list out an actual itinerary but rather things that you can mix and match to make up your perfect 24 hour period in Vienna. 

My favourite activity in Vienna involves taking the train out to Schonbrunn Palace grounds. From the centre, the train takes about 25 minutes and doesnt cost much. The grounds themselves, once the imperial palace, are very impressive both inside and out. The main house is huge and ornate and beautiful and there are guided tours of the palace instead but if you are tight for time, wander around the grounds. The back of the palace looks on to a not so steep hill leading to the gloriette, make your way up it to reach the gloriette (equipped with a cafe to treat yourself to something sweet for your troubles) and a breathtaking view of the city. Surrounded by the trees and greenery of the Schonbrunn grounds it's hard to believe you're standing in a Euopean capital city- it's any Maria fan's dream come true. Walking along from the hill you arrive past the maze ( a hilarious activity only in the summer time when the trees are lush; if you're visiting in winter you can spot the exit through the trees, not exactly a challenge!) and arrive at another one of my favourite Viennese hotspots- Tiergarten Zoo. 

I know, I know, as a vegetarian and someone who is famously anti pet, by all intents and purposes I shouldn't like zoos but I love them (probably because they involve no actual animal interaction). Tiergarten is the oldest zoo in the world and it does not disappoint, from Giraffes and Polar bears to lazy free roaming sloths (true story) there's a little bit of everything. You can even go pet some farmyard animals in a farm like setting and take a tree top walk over the zoo and see all the animals from the heights. Normally a zoo visit as part of your trip would break the bank but not here, you can even buy combo tickets and double up on sights- like the Ferris Wheel! I would reccomend spending 2-3 hours in the zoo, with all the animals and the treetop walkway, thats more than enough time!

Speaking of the Combo ticket, I would more than reccomend buying the combo with the ferris wheel and heading over to there. Get the line to Praterstern, in the Leopoldstadt distrcit and walk over to the wheel. The wheel itself is located in the wierdest little, pseudo-Disney type area, with Madame Tussauds, indoor rollercoasters, funhouse and other carnival type things. If those types of thing are your jam then definitely spend the rest of your day, but in my opinion, there's stuff like there everywhere and if you're on a short trip then stick to strictly Viennese activities. The Ferris Wheel or Reisenrad, is one of the oldest in the world and you can definitely tell. The carriages, fitting 8 people in, are wooden and the whole thing looks ecaxtly like it's straight out of a postcard from the 1900s. I would reccomend following suit from our trip and heading for a spin around sunset. Not only can you actually hire out a 'dinner' carriage for a romantic meal for two but during the 15 minute rotation, you can watch the sun set over all the different parts of Vienna which is somehting really magical. It is from the Reisenrad that you will really understand what I mean about the perfect blend of quaint and modern, from the very shaky top (not for those with a nervous stomach or afrad of heights!) you can spot tiny wooden houses slotted in between tall skyscrapers. 
Although the ride only takes less than half an hour, I'd reccomend an hour for the whole experience and to let yourself get educated in the little museum at the base of the wheel. 




Heading back into the centre of Vienna, there is the Belvedere palace, home of Gustav Klimt's 'The Kiss'. I will warn you that unlike many muesums in cities throughout Europe, those in Vienna are not free and also not very cheap. For students, those who purchase the Vienna card (definitely reccomend if you plan on using the public transport-and trust me, you will!) and those over 60, there are a number of deals going but generally they are not budget-friendly. Despite all of this, the Belvedere is worth a visit. The grounds are absolutely stunning, filled with beautiful statues and sculptures (a running theme throughout Vienna!) and even without going into the museums, the gardens and botanical gardens that border the grounds are very easy to get lost in (in a good way not in a panic way!). We were lucky enough to be there when the snow was freshly fallen and it was gorgeous!

From the Belvedere it is very easy to get into the town centre and visit many of the other museums, such as the Natural History Museum, Kunsthistoriche and the Jewish Museum. There is something for everyone but if you are tight for time I would pick two maximum in order to do them well. The Kunsthistoriche alone took us 2 hours to walk around and I STILL think there are parts we didn't see! The Jewish museum on the other hand, is pretty small but very very interesting. The Holocaust memorial outside is easily identified as it is in the shape of stacks of books, representing all the books burnt in the war. The museum is split into two buildings about a 10 minute walk apart and are a must see in my opinion for anyone who is interested in WW2, poignant and sad but fascinating. 

 
In the very centre of the city is St. Stephans Cathedral , which is definitely more ornate outside than inside but worth taking a walk around, though be careful of your timing as entrance is very limited during hours of mass/service. A noticable trait of the cathedral is its magestic tower whichh you can climb for 5 euro. All 420 steps. I don't think I was fully aware of how unfit I was until I climbed up but from the top looking down it's so worth it! You can peek out over the city from between the gargoyles and pretend you're in an Austrian version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and stand in the spot where the old bell was rung every day for mass. In typical ancient church fashion, the steps are very very old and worn and there's only a tiny passageway for both incoming and outgoing foot traffic so if you're in Vienna when its very rainy, maybe give it a miss! Depending on how fit you are/ how long you are enraptured by the views, I would say no more than 2 hours for this sight. 

Coming into maybe the biggest (both in reputation and size) sight in the city: The Hofburg. Personally, I don't think you can even really class this as ONE thing becuase you could easily spend 24 hours exploring all the different parts. From the gardens to the chapel, the library and the treasury, there are hundreds of things to do within the complex. One thing though, that you can't miss is the Spanish Riding School. I have to confess, despite what I said earlier about not liking pets I LOVE horses and the ones at the Spanish Riding School are absolutely fantastic. With the Vienna card you get a discount on both the morning performance and the tour and though both are great, the morning performance is what you need to see. The level of training of both the horses and riders is incredible and even the venue will wow you. It's so crazy to think the commitment these men and women put into becoming riders in show for the stallions, they need to start at maximum 16 as a groomsmen and only can ride in show after 10 years of training minimum!!! The horses themselves don't have it much easier, they are all selected and bred very very carefully and have to have a certain look and most importantly, only the best behaved stallions make it into the ring. Though not necessarily a budget activity, the Spanish Riding School is a Viennese institution and you would be a fool to go to Vienna and not at least check it out.

Food and drink wise: Schnitzel and austrian sausage are everwhere but the best ones are usually in little cafes or in the stalls on the street. Buy 10000 pastries for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Anker shops dotted about the city or in Aida. Anker is famous for its savoury treats whereas Aida is 100% the place for a a slice of Apfelstrudel or two. Beside Belvedere palace, there is an amazing (albeit slightly expensive) coffee shop which has amaretto coffee to warm you up after a cold mornings sightseeing and delicious ginger biscuits to dunk in.
Night time in Vienna can get quite expensive but we discovered a really cool little venue called Tunnel, not for from Rathausplatz which has a mix of traditional Austrian food mixed with other types, cheap beer and live music. It's definitely not touristy though, noone speaks English! There are also lots of amazing places for pizza and pasta throughout the city, evidently cuisine that's been brought back from when Italy was under Austrian rule and let me say, they do it well.

So there you go, enough spots to visit to keep you occupied in 24 hours. It was so hard for me to choose specific things for an itinerary but im sure I'll be back to my usual format for the next blog. Aufwiedersein!