The Bucket List

The Bucket List. Everyone should have one. I for one love making lists, and then I love ticking off my lists. And I love making plans - overall I am a very organised person. I made my to-do-before-I-die list many years ago, and thought it was about time that I looked back on it and ticked off what I have achieved so far.

 

You can see my full bucket list here or scroll down to see the completed list so far...

 

 

 

1. Get a Degree

 

So it was in Media Studies, I haven't really done anything with it since, or even looked at the scroll/certificate thing, but I have a degree and can put the letters BA (Hons) after my name if I so wish.

De Montfort Hall, Leicester, 2009

 

2. Run a Marathon

I am proud to say that I slow jogged/walked the 26.2 miles around the streets of London and am now a London Marathon Medal holder. The training was horrible, it hurt, bodyparts still hurt now, and it wasn't easy, yet I am desperate to do it again to achieve a decent time. The highlights of the run for me were running over Tower Bridge, and then ending with the run past Big Ben and up to Buckingham Palace. The crowds were amazing, I even had a priest throw holy water over me. And I also managed to raise over £3k for Phabkids Charity. Definitely proud of ticking this one off.

Virgin London Marathon, 2010

3. Work Camp America

I survived a summer full of candy, songs and camp fires at a children's camp in New York. It was my free ticket to the states, getting paid to 'have fun', and I met some great people from all around the world. Although, getting checked to see if I had caught the camp epidemic of "Butt Rash" was not on my list of things to do.

Camp Chipinaw, New York, 2010

4. Live in another country for a year

I did it. And I picked Canada. An English speaking country was a wise choice I think, and I 100% fell in love with the natural beauty that is Canada, and their chilled out way of living. I lived in the mountains of Whistler to see the amazing ski resort at winter, and the astounding lakes and beaches at summer. And I randomly trained to be a make-up artist with lots of free cosmetics, bonus!

Whistler, British Columbia, 2011

 

 

 

5. Learn to Ski

 

Killing two birds with one stone with the whole living in another country for a year. I had a free ski pass from my place of work, paid for a couple of lessons, and hey presto, I can now ski. I would love to try snowboarding one day, but learning to ski was a big enough accomplishment for me.

TOP TIP:

Don't have a drink when you stop for lunch at the top pf the mountain and expect to make your way down safely. Pole lost. Being carried on someone's back whilst they ski down. Not so fun.

 

Whistler Blackcomb Mountain, BC, 2011

 

 

 

 

6. See the Grand Canyon

 

I saw the Grand Canyon, but if I'm totally honest, I'm still not quite sure what it is, but it's large and peacful, I'll give it that. We arrived pretty late (after being hungover from Vegas, and then getting lost) which meant we were just in time for watching the sunset at the Grand Canyon - I don't know many that can say that. It meant there were less tourists around, we found a quiet ledge, sat down and sang a bit of 'Come By Are My Lord' (not even joking, maybe I was still in summer camp mode) and then watched the pretty pink and orange sky fill the canyon. Be careful if you choose to do this though, finding your way out of a National Park in the pitch black didn't prove to be easy.

 

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 2011

7. See Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls was a lot of fun, Niagara the town was not so fun. Basically a tacky Blackpool style town - why they built that next to a natural wonder - not sure what the Canadians were thinking. But the Maids of the Mist boat tour was a thrill - prepare to get very wet! We did a day trip that also takes you to Niagara-on-the-Lake which was a much prettier town, and also for a wine tasting through the Ontario wineries. Overall it was a fun packed day and I can now say that I have washed my face (or patted it dry) with Niagara waterfalls.

 

Niagara Falls, Ontario, 2010

8. Visit Stonehenge

I had a lot of places on my list to see, and then I suddenly realised that I hadn't actually seen a lot in little old England right on my door step. I eventually made the journey down to see those big mysterious rocks plonked on top of each other last year. So many theories, still none the wiser.

Stonehenge Monument, Wiltshire, 2013

9. Rollerblade by the beach in LA

I wanted to look cool and all American hipster type. I put my roller blade on wrong, it dug deep into my leg and gauged a big bleeding chunk out. I stumbled along the length of muscle beach in my roller blades clinging on to any available wall. Not what I'd dreamed of.

Muscle Beach, LA, 2011

 

 

 

10. Place a bet in Vegas

 

I don't have a clue about gambling, I wouldn't stand a chance in Vegas. But luckily we found those tables to play Blackjack where the dealer isn't out to get you, but will actually give you a guided hand at the Paris Casino. I won like $100 and quit whilst I was ahead. I then spent my winnings on a Celine Dion concert ticket, and went to watch her at Casear's theatre, alone. Worth every penny.

Paris Las Vegas casino, Nevada, 2011

11. Attend a large sporting event

Still other sporting events I wish to see, but I'm proud to say that I worked for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and got to see quite a few of the events. The velodrome events were some of my favourite, but pictured below is me at the Olympic Stadium, just a few hours before Usain Bolt ran his victory.

London Olympic Stadium, 2012

12. Get a tattoo

This was obviously something I added to my list when I was young and impressionable. I'm 18 years old, what can I do? I know, I'll run out and get a tattoo of the first thing I see in the book. I still have that on my foot, won't be forgetting that I ticked off this one.

Tattooed foot, 2007

13. Interail through Europe

Getting trains from country to country, still amazes me, even now. And still a lot more of Europe for me to cover. But the picture below shows me getting off a train which actually boarded a ferry. Who knew that trains could board ferries?? I clearly didn't. I wondered how the hell the train was going to cross the water.

Train aboard a ferry, from Hamburg to Copenhagen, 2014

14. Drink Guinness in Dublin

I'd been holding off trying Guinness for years, as I wanted to have my first the proper way, in Ireland. We went to the Guinness Storehouse factory and even learned to pour our own. I came away from Dublin being more a fan of Whiskey than Guinness though.

The Guinness Storehouse, Dublin, 2013

Fotografiska: Elliott Erwitt

Fotografiska in Stockholm; the brilliant art space representing contemporary photography, is currently boasting an exhibition that has truly inspired me. Now I've already mentioned that I enjoy taking photographs, but I don't enjoy looking at other 'contemporary' artsy fartsy photographs so much... I enjoy photographs with a story, a memory and an emotion. Not saying that the norm of contemporary art doesn't possess these values, but maybe I'm a bit shallow and find it hard to dig a bit deeper. 

However, I have just found my new favourite photographer that has changed my view on contemporary photography: Elliott Erwitt, and his personal best collection.

The exhibition is only until the 4th March, so if you are planning on going to Stockholm in the next month, hurry on down to Fotografiska. His photographs sincerely amazed me; he has travelled everywhere, taking photographs dating back to the twenties. Then, for his own personal pleasure, now, to be admired by the public.

Elliott Erwitt, 1955

Elliott Erwitt

Not only were his photos intriguing, but he himself comes across as a funny, intelligent man; (the exhibit also showcases a documentary about Erwitt and handouts of his interviews and words). So on top of taking attractive photos, he has a few good one liner quotes that I have taken away with me.

Asides from his quote to the right, Erwitt mentions that he only works in black and white:

"Color is for work, my life is already too complicated."

Thanks to Erwitt, I have tried out some of my pictures in black and white. I think it's funny how a dull unfocussed picture can suddenly become more interesting with the added simplicity of black and white. Here are my attempts, starting with my New York pictures to compare with one of his most famous, iconic pictures of the Empire State Building:

 (Still have a long way to go)

Me at the Top of The Rock, New York City, 2010

Top of the Rock New York City, 2010

Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles, 2011

Muscle Beach, Los Angeles, 2011

Fika, Gothenburg, 2014

Standard Karaoke Pic, The Bulldog Cafe, Amsterdam, 2014

Muscle Beach, Los Angeles, 2011

Muscle Beach, Los Angeles, 2011

World Map Pin Board, and how I made my own

Step by step, World Map Pin Board

I have been envious of the expensive map journals that have been knocking around for a while now, but being penniless, as of yet have been unable to stretch to purchase one. I've seen cork ones, scratch ones, super fancy magnetic ones, and now even whole wall stickers. All brilliant, and most quite pricey.

I decided to give it a go and make my own, and I am surprisingly impressed with myself and happy with the final outcome.

All you need:

A frame

A World Map

Self Adhesive Cork

Map Pins

And then hey presto, you are ready to start pinning and tracking your journey. Now I'm just eager to visit more places to use more pins.

World Map Pin Board

World Map Pin Board

SWEDEN: The land of Ikea and H&M

Prancer and Dancer, Stockholm Skansen Open Air Museum

I am back home from my Euro trip, and acclimatising from -11 degrees celsius, back to the positive 7 degrees that we complain about heavily in Britain.

Despite the bitter cold, I can confidently say that Stockholm was my favourite place to visit, and now I'm desperate to go back.

One of the things on my top of the list for others to do, and for me to hopefully go back and do (in warmer weather next time) is to visit the Skansen Open Air Museum.

Skansen is on the Djuregarden island in the centre of Stockholm, but feels very far from city life. The whole island is a haven of views, parks and peaceful life. It boasts many of the great museums (including the Abba Museum, needed to give it a mention) but for me the best museum was Skansen.

Inside Skansen, there are more beautiful parks and gardens to stroll through with a great view of the Stockholm skyline. And along the cobbles are 18th century Swedish houses, farmsteads and workshops, moved to Skansen and now being used as a living museum with working actors to show the life way back when.

Unfortunately, visiting in winter means that not all of the town is open, but you still get a real feel for the village and houses, pretty, snowy views, and really, we had the whole place to ourselves! 

I came to Sweden desperate to see a moose, (or elk, dependant on where you are from). And now I have seen one. Along with reindeer, wolves and even wolverines, typical wild nordic animals; Skansen has them all, as well as a children's zoo for all your other regular animals.

This place has bags of history, learning to do, spectacular views and can also be simply just a place to relax and eat. In the summer people take picnics, or the park has many restaurants, serving the classic swedish meatballs and lingon berries of course.

Skansen is also one of the cheaper activities to do in Stockholm, as you may have heard, Sweden is expensive, yet Skansen is only 100 kroner (around 10 quid) for a lovely day out. Top of my list. Not to be missed.

Skansen Djurgårdsslätten 49-51, 115 21 Stockholm, Sweden ‎ +46 8 442 80 00 ‎ · skansen.se Click for Map

Skansen, Rose Garden

Is there a moose, loose, around this hoose?

Viking Runestone, Skansen

Snowing!

Village houses, Skansen

DENMARK : Where the Vengaboys are from

Wow. Copenhagen. Wow. 

I have lost count of the amount of times that we have been told that we have visited Copenhagen at the worst time of year. 

"It's rainy and miserable."

"This is the first ice winter cold day of the year."

"Everyone stays indoors like cave men because it is so cold."

But if I loved Copenhagen at it's worst, I can't even begin to imagine how I'd feel about the odd little place in the summer. 

Besides the fact that I adore the architecture and individuality here, I absolutely love the array of quaint cafés, restaurants and bars, and the best part is that they aren't chains! And there's a breakfast brunch place on every single corner. Brunch is so big here. A place where people have a lie in, is my kind of place. 

It has been fairly quiet during our stay; I think this is due to a mix between the cold weather, tourist down time, and not many people live here for a city. We found out that Denmark only has 5 million residents compared to the 63 million we have in the UK. No wonder there were so many free seats on the train. Because of this you can see the stars twinkling in the sky clearly; as in they don't even have air pollution. I know I'm starting to sound mumsy but there were bicycles everywhere that weren't even locked up. Oh to bring up your children in a place where the crime rate is so low. Or at least that's what I imagine mothers in less safe countries think. 

There is a lot to do and see here, which I will maybe write about in separate posts in the future to really go into detail. But I will mention briefly that the changing of the guards at Amalienborg Palace is quite the show, and really something special to go and see:

Everyday at 11:30 the guards march from Rosenborg Castle to the palace, and at midday, circle the palace grounds with the brass band honking away. 

Quick Tip

Don't stand in the guard's red boxes and pretend to halt for 

attention for a photo. They will shout at you in Danish. 

Right now we are en route to Stockholm and can see from the train window some rather lovely multi-coloured Swedish log cabins. I have a feeling that I will love the architecture here too. And ikea. 

HAMBURG : A big port

I've just spent nearly 24 hours in Hamburg, and no offence to Hamburg, but that's enough. 

I suppose it's a nice, normal city, but it's not very big, with not too much to see, and it didn't go off to a great start for us...

As soon as we arrived we headed for the Reeperbahn in St Pauli - a long street known as the 'sexy mile' where The Beatles first launched their international career. It sounds good on paper, but really it was just another red light district that was quite scary with no people around, unlike the tourist crowds of Amsterdam. 

We then walked for what seemed like miles and couldn't find anywhere homely to settle (it was dark with dim street lamps which made it all look a lot spookier). We stumbled across the area of Sternschanze which turned out to be one of those cool, hipster-type areas unknown to tourists. The streets are lined with quirky bars, coffee shops and cafés. Everyone spoke German, I felt like I didn't fit in. 

That was last night, today we walked along the port and saw, well just a big port really. They are currently re-inventing Hamburg with the construction of HafenCity; creating new living apartments (skyscraper building areas) and a university, however it won't be finished until 2025 so I'm guessing it's going to be pretty spectacular. 

Walking through the 'centrum' of Hamburg, it is just your average city. Although, I thoroughly enjoyed the large Lego store, England needs to get one of those. 

I ended my time in Hamburg with a much enjoyed visit to Edelcurry, also known as the best currywurst restaurant in Germany!!! Food always cheers me up, and so Hamburg ended on a high. 

Oh and Edelcurry was actually a tasty find, and really cheap too. 

AMSTERDAM : Not enough bicycles

Having a 3 day visit to Amsterdam really does take it out of you; I have never needed a bed more than I do right now. 

Less of the cultural intake in the last few days, unless you count sex as a culture, as then I think I have taken in quite a lot. Too many shows and red lights are scarring my mind right now, and if ever I have to look at a banana again anytime soon... a story that I don't want to go in to but let you leave to your imagination.

The one good thing about the red light district (depends on who you are obviously) was the bar crawl that we went on; they organise them every night and it is a cool way to see the delights Dam has to offer. To quote the bar crawl leader: 

"Don't take photos of the girls or else they will get their pimp on you or throw urine at you."

We never made it onto an actual bicycle (having spent most of the trip hungover) but have dodged and nearly been hit by so many that I got over the whole bike thing pretty fast. Apparently 15,000 bikes a year fall into the canals of Amsterdam; if I'd have rented one I'm pretty sure it would have been 15,001, especially considering that most of the bikes don't have brakes.  

Didn't see many tulips, windmills, or people walking around in clogs. 

Oh and go to Bulldog Cafe, it's good fun and even has karaoke. 

Top Tip:

Don't sing stupid karaoke songs at a bar where everyone is a regular karaoke-er, knows everyone in there, and can actually sing. Like sing really good and power ballad tunes. If you get up and sing 'I'm too sexy for my shirt' you will hear boos.