Rivington Pike castle and the Japanese Garden

Hi everybody!

The weather in England today was hot and sunny complimented by blue sky… absolutely gorgeous however quite rare. The weather was so nice that we could not help ourselves but go exploring! We decided to explore a nearby castle called Rivington Pike which displayed reminisce of the Japanese gardens alongside. Here are just a few of the pictures taken from our adventure! 🙂

View from the side of the road before walking up to the castle.

You can just see the castle at the top of the hill to your right.

Jamie pointing out the views!

Selfie

Walking up the hill!

Made it to the top! Yay!

I look quite tiny compared to the castle!

Off we go to the Pigeons tower!

Exploring!

Brick walls…

Heading back to the car after a long day…

Getting an ice cream before we go home from a town nearby!

Just one drink before we headed over to visit one of Jamie’s good friends.

That concludes our adventures for today. Exploring the place was wonderful and very green! I enjoyed the small waterfalls we walked by and the small ponds featured within the area! It was a lovely day and would be an awesome place to go for a picnic if the weather was as beautiful as it was today!

Thanks for reading and keep an eye out as there is more to come!
♥- Talk soon- Ed xx

Road Trip -First stop= Wales!

Hi everyone!

So it’s about time that I updated you guys on what we’ve actually been doing!
We have honestly just been so busy this first week going out to dinner, meeting up with family members and road tripping! We have now been here for 10 days and so much has honestly happened during these past days (and I’ve got some good news to tell you about!)

So where do I even begin….

Lets start on Monday 15th August!
Jamie and I decided to take a road trip to see one of Jamie’s close friends called Damien who lives in Wales. It was supposed to be a 4 and a half hour drive from Bolton to where Damien lives but because of all the traffic and road works it actually took us about 7 hours instead… (however we did stop over once for lunch) but we made it there eventually!

Here is a picture of Jamie and the nice green hills in the background on our way to Wales. The weather was actually so beautiful! Which was a nice treat for us.

Here I am in the same beautiful green background!

After finally arriving in Wales Jamie’s friend Damien then took us to a place in Swansea to check out the views! This is a picture of a lighthouse over looking one of the beaches there!
It honestly was beautiful!

Jamie pulling a silly face while I’m trying to take a nice picture of us in front of the lighthouse at the beach.

A picture of Jamie and Damien in front of the lighthouse in Swansea. It was nice to see Jamie catch up with an old friend!

Just a bit more of the view!

Look at the detail in these stone seats! Cool!

Such a gorgeous evening with my darling!

 

The night was still young.. This picture (above) was taken quite late in the evening but you can still see that the sky looks really light. In England in summer it doesn’t go dark until about 10:00 – 11:00 pm which coming from Australia feels a little bizarre because your mind thinks the time is telling me I should be in bed by now but the sky is still light.

After looking at the beach that Wales had to offer Damien then took us to a nice place to have something to eat and drink. I have forgotten the name of the place now… however it was beautiful and offered a buffet with so many different options to choose from! I was impressed. We then ended up ordering a Woo woo jug to share between us three..which we didn’t end up finishing but was quite delicious. After the meal we went back to the hotel and off to bed. In the morning we continued our journey to Newquay!

A picture of Jamie and I in the hotel room the next morning before we left to go to Newquay!

Next stop> Swansea to Newquay!

Wales was quite a lovely place and I enjoyed visiting! I really wish we could have stayed longer and saw a few more things but we just didn’t have the time so off we set to our next destination> Newquay!

Keep an eye out for more posts of my road trip as I will be doing them in sections!
I will mention the good news in the next couple of posts to come so keep an eye out for those!

Adios for now ♥
Having such a great time so far!
– xo Ed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24 Hour Flight- We’re Here!

Hi lovely people! I’m sorry I didn’t post on the day that we left! I was honestly just so busy trying to finish packing everything as well as trying to sort out a few last minute items before we left! So I thought I’d fill you in on a few things!

We left Brisbane, Australia on Wednesday the 10th of August and arrived at the Manchester airport, UK on Friday the 11th of August. If you have read through some of my other posts you will know that we had a stop over at Dubai and then from Dubai it was a flight straight to Manchester. The flight in total was approximately 24 hours (give and take a few minutes). The flight was quite good however some hours dragged on trying to fall asleep… but I managed a couple of hours. It was quite crazy actually talking about going to England and then actually on the other hand being in England. I am so excited to be here.

Jamie’s mum then picked us up at the airport. It was so nice to see them reunited again after a year of Jamie being away in Australia. We then drove to visit Jamie’s dad and auntie then ended up going to their home and unpacking our luggage. At this point we were starting to feel quite tired! After we unpacked… Jamie, his mum, his dad and I all went to a dinner to surprise his brothers family as it was a night before his  brothers birthday. It went to plan and it was so nice to be able to surprise his brother and to be in England for his birthday!

After having dinner Jamie and I were incredibly tired that we just couldn’t stay up anymore and had to go to sleep! As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out like a log and the same thing for Jamie. It was so nice though to get a proper sleep in a comfy bed after trying to sleep on the airplane. I woke up at 4am the next morning because of the difference in the time zones (Australia being 9 hours ahead of England)  and was wide awake so I played on my phone for about an hour till I became sleepy again and then went back to bed… I found it quite difficult to sleep in as after that I woke back up at about 6:30am and ended staying up.

On Friday (yesterday) Jamie and I woke up and realized that we were actually so hungry. It was early in the morning (before 7) so we decided that we would go to a grocery shop and buy some things to make for breakfast. We ended up going to a place called Asda and did some grocery shopping there. We had a bit of trouble using our travel cards as we went through the self-serve check out as it ended up crashing one of their  computers which we had no idea would do but the ladies at Asda were super nice and really helped us out which I thought was really lovely! After we got home we made breakfast then had a nice visitor in the morning (one of Jamie’s mums friends) come visit. We then ended up going into town with Jamie’s gorgeous niece and did a little bit of window shopping, went to the pet shop and Jamie bought a cat tower for his cat and had a look at the town centers new downstairs building. After that we went home chilled out made the cat house and then as it was his Brothers actual birthday we went over to his house for some nibbles and drinks. I felt like a bit of a party pooper because I left at 9pm but I was just so tired…. if I had stayed any longer I would have ended up falling asleep at the table or on their couch. Which leads to right now Saturday Morning, I’m wide awake writing this post and everyone else is fast asleep…Today though we will be picking up our rental car.. so I am excited for that which now means we can now go to places whenever we want to!

So…. as you can see we have been both quite busy sorting our stuff out here and visiting people and I (more so than Jamie) have been battling serious jet lag that I haven’t had much time to post anything! I think I will have jet lag for a few more days but soon enough my body clock will synchronize to the time here… I will try my best to update you guys and am hoping soon to post a video of our trip here!

♥ Adios for now! Much more to come so keep watching this space!
-Ed

Countdown – 2 Days

♦ Hi everyone!

I can’t believe how fast the time has gone by…like really…. wow…..
In just TWO days Jamie and I will be leaving to go to England for trip no. 2 (WOOOOOO!!)

I can confidently say that I am extremely excited and cannot wait to go… but to be completely honest I am a little bit nervous and slightly anxious at the same time about flying over.  I think it is because there are just so many things Jamie and I both have to do before Wednesday (the day we leave) that in my mind I’m stressing over stressing about things that I shouldn’t be stressing about… (if that makes any sense at all). I guess what I’m trying to say here is I am a little overwhelmed about what needs to be done before Wednesday that I am anxious that everything won’t be done on time ….
Deep down however I know that everything will be fine but I guess I’m just a bit of a worry wart and stress over silly things! It’s something I’ve got to work on!

On a positive note I can not wait to be able to get time off to relax with Jamie and his family and spend 5 consecutive weeks with him by my side in the UK! Jamie and I have been working very hard over the last couple of months that I feel as though it’s time for a well deserved break! UK get ready…. we are coming for you!

I honestly just feel so lucky and grateful that I get to travel with someone that means the absolute world to me (I know that sounds a bit cheesy, but it’s true!).

So keep checking in to see what we get up to!

This is our journey and I’m taking you along with us… I can’t wait to catch up 🙂
Adios for now! ♥ Ed

My Top 10 Travel song/remix playlist

Hi lovely people!

Just a quick update for you all, but there is ONLY 15 Days left until Jamie and I get on that plane and leave from Australia and head all the way over to England  for round 2! (yeeeew!)
I am so excited and cannot wait to see what our journey will hold!
I am even more curious now about the ‘surprise’ place that we will be visiting during our trip sometime while over there and can’t wait to find out!

So while encapsulated by my thoughts of excitement for travelling in the upcoming weeks I decided that I would create a playlist of the top 10 songs/remixes that I have found that are good to listen to while travelling whether that be on a plane or in a car. This is just my personal list of the type of music I like (everyone is different) so I’m sorry if it’s not really what you’re into but this list to me is feel good music that I feel really gets me in the mood and excited for travelling! Check it out!

No	Song title	YouTube channel	Link
1	Shirazee – Different (Dan E Remix)	Chill Nation	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGeR8BA91rg
2	Bondax – Gold (Snakehips Bootleg)	Majestic Casual	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFnqEo9367s
3	James Bay – Let It Go (Bearson Remix)	Wanderlust	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bSAPFkxJKg
4	Matt Simons – Catch & Release (Deepend Remix)	Mr Revillz	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gbImG50oIc
5	The Him – Don’t Leave Without Me (ft. Gia Koka)	House Nation	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsw7ouqSjsc
6	Kygo – Stay (feat. Maty Noyes)	Chill Nation	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhyxqiUNaas&index=64&list=PL3EfCK9aCbkptFjtgWYJ8wiXgJQw5k3M3
7	JAHKOY – Hold Your Hand	High on Tracks	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1REuCHycj4
8	Paul Cook – Wherever You Are (Embody Remix)	Mr Revillz	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRiCsRc0XBk
9	Nico & Vinz – Am I Wrong (Gryffin Remix)	Chill city	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJEGDiinBU0
10	Billie Eilish – ocean eyes (blackbear remix)	EscapeTracks	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIH8uY9ykCM

So that is my top 10 Travel song/remix playlist that I have found that I love the sound of!
If you like any of these or have songs you suggest listening to let me know in a comment!

Thanks for reading lovelies~
♥ Adios for now, I will catch up with you soon! – Ed

My Trip Details

Hi lovely people!

Welcome to my blog if you are a new reader OR welcome back if you have been following along thus far! I have decided that I would write this very quick post to update you guys and fill you in on my flight details as I have not gone into much of those details as of yet.

Here we go:
Flying with:  Qantas and Emirates airlines.
Flights were booked through Escape Travel. 

AUSTRALIA > UNITED KINGDOM   (Trip there)

Date	Location	Arriving	Time	Departing	Time
10/8/16	Fly to Brisbane	Arrive in Brisbane	6:40pm	Depart Brisbane	9:00pm
11/8/16	Dubai	Arrive in Dubai	5:20am	Depart Dubai	7:25am
11/8/16	Manchester	Arrive in Manchester	12:05 pm	Just in time for lunch!

UNITED KINGDOM> AUSTRALIA  (Trip back)

Date	Location	Arriving	Time	Departing	Time
14/9/16	Manchester			Depart Manchester	9:15pm
15/9/16	Dubai	Arrive in Dubai	7:25am	Depart Dubai	10:40am
16/9/16	Brisbane	Arrive in Brisbane	6:25 am	From Brisbane> Home

ON OUR WAY THERE:

We will depart Brisbane at 9:00pm at night to head over to Dubai.

We will arrive at Dubai at 5:20am in the morning and will then leave Dubai at 7:25 am.
(Approx 2 hour wait).

After we have departed Dubai we will then arrive in Manchester at 12:05pm (lunch-time).
Yay! So quite a long flight but will be worth it when we arrive!

This is just a very quick post of my travel details to show you a brief summary of  what will be involved in my flights from AUS to the UK. Images I got off google maps!

Adios for now ♥  See you again soon!
-Ed

My first YouTube channel!

Hi lovely people!

So I have finally filmed my first travel video for my new YouTube page! 🙂

I’m excited to share this with you guys as I go through and show you what exactly I will be bringing with me on my trip to England in my carry on luggage. I’m sorry if I’m a little awkward in some parts as I am still getting used to talking to a camera haha but hopefully you get what I am trying to say. I find it interesting to watch others on YouTube as to what they like to bring on a flight so I thought it would be a good idea to be able to create my own video showing you what I like to bring and connect with you guys through this platform alongside my blog as maybe someone out there might find it interesting or helpful!

I’m completely new to the YouTube scene but I hope to post a variety of different things on there including vlogs of my upcoming trip to England (stay tuned for that), travel videos, beauty related things, tags, challenges and maybe some tips and tricks or reviews of certain items or products. So if you find any of those things interesting, I would love for you to subscribe to my channel. I have only JUST started but I really hope to get better and grow both my channel and my blog as well as to get to know you guys!

I would love for you guys to catch up with me on my new YouTube channel:
Catch ups with Ed
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzM7HFyBh7mL10k6pxaV6ZA

Click the link above to check out my new channel! ^

Adios for now~ Ed ♥

Things to bring with you when flying internationally

Hi adventurers! 🙂 🙂  ♥

After reflecting back on my very first international flight to England (last year) I remembered that my first time around packing for this type of event I was filled with thoughts of uncertainty of what to bring.  Many times I thought ‘hmmm…. Should I pack this?’ ‘Will I need this?’ ‘Am I even allowed to take this?’ and so on…

I was unsure of what I needed to bring with me and what I actually could take on-board with me…

So in thought of this and as I know how daunting and frustrating it can be trying to think of all the things you might need to bring with you I will attempt to break it down for you guys by showing you what I will be bringing with me this time around and sectioning them into categories for easier organisation!

Without further ado…here is my list of:
Things to bring with you when flying internationally!

(ED’S CARRY-ON PACKING GUIDE)

(Note: scroll to the end of this post to see a simplified checklist of all the things mentioned in this table!)

TRAVEL    DOCUMENTS	Valid Passport Quite vital to bring otherwise you will not be going anywhere. TIP: Make sure to check your passports expiry date as some countries will not allow you to travel if you have less than 6 months left until it expires. Renew it ahead of time! ID (Photo identification) Licence, proof of age card etc. Flight Tickets Print off of your tickets. I sometimes like to keep these in a small see through plastic pencil case or zip lock bag with my passport and place them in my plastic travel folder for safe keeping and easier access to show at the airport terminals! Itinerary Include if you have a certain plan of places you want to visit or things you will need for particular times. Accommodation paperwork Hotel/motel receipts/ booking confirmations. Insurance papers  Include paperwork to what your covered for and a number to contact in-case your luggage gets lost! Emergency contact numbers Include a sheet of emergency contact numbers just in case your phone happens to get lost or stolen! This way you are still able to let someone know where you are and that you’re safe. Important addresses  Include a list of addresses for specific places that you will be visiting,  it helps to have the address written or printed down  so that if you need to catch a taxi you know where you are going to! Plastic folder (Document keeper) This is essential to have a folder of some sort (I prefer plastic ones that clip up) to keep all your travel documents in so they do not get crumpled or lost! Makes it so much easier to access and manage! Wallet/ Credit or travel cards/ Cash  It is important that you make sure you bring your wallet with your credit or travel cards with a bit of cash on you in the currency  of the destination you are going to and the one you have just left from. NOTE: Keep your travel documents all in one place (Plastic folder) safe in your hand bag or carry on.
COMFORT	Reversible head pillow or plain neck pillow These are super important if you want to get sleep! The first time flying I did not bring one of these and I totally regretted it. I kept tossing and turning trying to use my partner and the side of my chair as a pillow to get comfortable on the plane and it was a nightmare… I then got one on my flight back from England last year and it made my trip so much more comfortable for sleeping. It is hard enough to sleep on a plane but so much harder if you do not have a head pillow! TRUST ME- Bring one of these! This is a MUST!  Jumper or cardigan Doesn’t matter where you are going whether it be a hot or a cold destination always bring something you can cover up with just in case! Important to bring also because at night on the plane it can get super cold! Comfy socks It is always nice to bring a pair of socks you can wear on the plane to put on (especially if your travelling at night) because your feet can sometimes get really cold! Keep them warm by bringing a pair of socks in your carry on! Eye-masks  Sometimes depending on who you are flying with they will give you eye-masks. This was the case when we flew with Emirates last year. I am not certain if they will do the same thing again this year however if you are the type of person who can not sleep without complete darkness bringing your own eye-mask can really help! I personally can fall asleep whether it is light or dark so I don’t really need one however I thought I would include this on the list because I know many people who have to have these when flying! It can really help for when people also turn their reading light on and you just want to sleep! Having one of these means you can sleep and the person next to you can still read! It’s a win-win situation! Ear- plugs  I personally am not the type of person to wear ear plugs… however I added them on this list because if you are wanting a bit of piece and quiet when sleeping or just in general to block out other noises then these are a good investment to get some silence while on the plane!
ELECTRONICS	Mobile phone  This is a given in this day and age, you need a phone to keep in contact with people and to manage other important things! TIP: When going over to another country keep your phone on airplane mode so it doesn’t connect to the internet otherwise you may be charged a hefty amount for using your phone overseas. Try connecting onto free WiFi servers or home connections (if you’re visiting family) to use your phone! Otherwise look into deals your service provider may have for going overseas… Laptop Bring your laptop in your carry on for ease of access and so that it isn’t in your main suitcase rumbling around! Also good to bring your laptop just in case there is nothing you want to watch on the plane while you are flying! Bring your favourite TV shows, movies or music! Headphones  Bringing your own headphones are great because you can plug it into your phone or laptop and listen to music or watch movies! Camera Don’t forget this! If you have a camera then you will definitely want to bring this with you to take shots of your travels! How else will you show your friends and family what you got up to! Keep this in your carry on somewhere safe. Travel Adapter  THIS is important! Make sure you have got an adapter to use for whatever country you are visiting! It is handy to have because eventually you will need to charge up something like your laptop or phone and without having an adapter for that country it just wont be possible until you get one! (INVEST in one!) USB or external hard-drive  Definitely optional but it is always good to have a USB or portable/external hard-drive handy just in case you want to use it for transferring photos over from one computer to another or if you are wanting to print off hard copies of pictures or even to just store things on your USB so your computer isn’t full. Portable phone battery charger These little things are super handy especially if you have an iPhone and it consumes battery quite quickly! Bring one of these with you and when your phone is on low battery just plug it in and it will charge it right back up without you even having to connect it into a wall socket! Portable, easy and super handy to have! Just make sure you charge the battery charger before you leave!
HYGIENE	Make-up/ anti-bacterial wipes Bring make-up wipes to take off your makeup before you go to bed or simply just to freshen up your face or underarms while travelling on the plane! I like to bring anti-bacterial wipes with me also just in case I need to wipe anything down such as the pull out desks that you put your food onto! Hand sanitiser This doesn’t need much of an explanation. Airplane= lots of  germs. Bring a mini bottle of hand sanitiser to freshen up and kill those germs on your hands before eating or just when they are feeling a little gross! Toothbrush and mini toothpaste  I personally like to brush my teeth in the airplane toilets before I go to sleep because I can’t handle that furry feeling you get if you don’t brush your teeth before bed-time!  TIP: Make sure to bring a toothpaste that is UNDER 100 grams otherwise you will not be able to bring it with you! Mouthwash (Optional) Alongside my toothpaste I like to bring my mouthwash (under 100 mls) with me to keep my breath minty fresh! Floss (Optional) I personally will be bringing floss because you just don’t know when you might be eating something on the plane that decides to get stuck in your teeth! It is such an annoying feeling so to avoid trying to push out whatever is stuck in my teeth with my tongue I’ll just save myself the hassle and bring floss! Mints or chewing gum Having mints or chewing gum with you is such an easy way to keep your mouth and breath feeling and smelling fresh! Especially if you decide to have a conversation with the person next to you! The last thing you want to do is knock them out with bad breath! Deodorant (under 100mls for carry-on) This doesn’t need too much explanation. Sitting on a plane high up in the sky over a prolonged period of time can make you feel sweaty and sticky! To combat this bring a can of spray or roll on deodorant to freshen up your underarms so you aren’t smelling like bad B.O! Tissues (Optional) Having tissues in your carry-on can be very helpful in some cases. If you find that you need to blow your nose or wipe something up that you might have split by accident having pocket tissues can definitely come in handy! Zip-lock bags When going through customs they will ask you to put your make-up and anything liquid form in a clear zip-lock bag. To save yourself some time searching for all your items that have liquid in them put them in a zip-lock bag to start off with so you can just pull them out when need be! Spare set of clothes  Keeping an extra set of clothes on you is a good idea because if you arrive to your destination and your luggage somehow doesn’t turn up there you at least have a spare change of clothes to change into until you can sort out what to do. It is also handy to have just in case you want to change clothes on the plane if you accidentally spill something on yourself or are just feeling icky from staying in the same clothes for so long.
BEAUTY	Sunglasses If you are the type of person to either not wear make-up onto the plane or do but like to take it off when you get on the plane but by the time you get off the flight are feeling and looking a little worse for wear bringing a pair of sunglasses can help cover up those tired eyes! Bringing sunglasses is also great for when you are going somewhere hot or sunny so that when you get off the plane your eyes aren’t hurting from the harsh bright sun! Make-up  I try to only bring my ”must-have” makeup items. You do not want to bring your whole make-up bag in your carry on as you will go through lots of hassle trying to sort it out through customs.. leave the bulk of your makeup in your big suitcase! Just bring minimal items that you can’t live without on board the flight! This might include: concealer, eyeliner, mascara, foundation and a brow product, blush or bronzer and that’s it. Place these items in a zip-lock bag as well to save time going through customs and to keep them organised. Moisturiser Bring a little bottle or jar of moisturiser (under 100 ml) as on a flight your skin can get extremely dry! This will moisturise and hydrate your skin so your face is not feeling tight. Apply to your skin when needed. Lip Balm  Similar to our skin our lips can also get incredibly dry and flaky so to avoid that keep your lip balm handy to moisturize those lips!It’s so not worth having crackly lips! Just bring your lip-balm/chap stick! Hairbrush / detangling comb So you have been sleeping on the plane for a couple of hours and finally wake up and your hair looks like a tumble weed. Girls out there (or guys with long hair) bring a hairbrush or detangling comb with you! That is all.
MISCELLANEOUS	Magazine, book or art journal (optional) If you are like me and like to read magazines of what celebs are getting up to these days on a flight purchase a magazine to kill some time (especially while setting off or landing as you can’t use your phone or laptop) If however  you are currently reading a great book bring that with you for extra entertainment, if you are more the arty or writing type and like to draw or write stories bring a little journal with you to express your creativity! Notebook Keeping a small little notebook with you can be handy for when you need or want to write something down that you need to remember or just to jot down ideas, numbers of people you meet or any other general note-book use. Pens/ pencils Bringing a pen is recommended as during certain times during your travel you will be asked to fill out particular paperwork/ forms. Having your own pen makes it more convenient as you won’t have to ask to borrow one! Medication  If you suffer from headaches, aches and pains or travel sickness it would be advisable that you bring your own medication to suit those purposes. Birth control If you are on the pill it is important that you bring it in your carry on luggage just in case your main luggage goes missing. You will have to take it on the plane at some stage and it is important that you take it with you and you have enough to last you the time you are spending at your destination. Travel snacks If you are the type of person who likes to bring little snacks with you along the way when you fly then don’t forget to pack some snacks that you can munch on whenever you feel like during the flight!

 

To make things a little bit easier for packing I have also created an international flight checklist of all the things that I will be taking or mentioned in the table above!
(pictured below)

Feel free to save the image and use it to give you ideas or as a checklist of what to pack on your next international flight! Thanks so much for reading, I hope this helped you a little in deciding what you may need for your next adventure! 🙂

Adios for now ♥ Ed

Click the link below if you would like to download this image as a PDF! 🙂
pdf international travel checklist