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Hiking the Korea Friendship Walk – The Cotswolds, England

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One of the things I love most about living in the UK is the closeness to so many different places and experiences.

You can drive for less an hour from Bristol and be in Wales, for example, or just over two hours to London.

There are so many possibilities for day trips, and Dan and I have made it our mission to take advantage of this fact whilst we can.

One activity we’ve decided to do more regularly is to go on day trips to walk different hiking trails nearby Bristol, and – on longer trips – further afield across the United Kingdom.

We both enjoy hiking, and although Dan is more experienced at it than I am, I’m keen to step up to his level.

Hiking is great for many reasons, but two of my favourite are:

  • The exercise factor –  It’s great for both your physical and mental wellbeing
  • The nature factor – I love getting out into nature, and I know it’s probably related to the fact that being outdoors has been proven to enhance mental wellbeing as well.

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My First British Christmas

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My family-in-laws beautiful Christmas tree

My first Christmas in the UK was exactly how I imagined it to be:

Filled with love, lots of smiles with my family in law, and, of course, more layers of clothing than needed in Australia.

I’ve been dreaming of a winter Christmas for a long time.

Even before I was in a long distance relationship with Dan, I’d always imagined spending at least one Christmas in the northern hemisphere, just to experience a cold (or, if I was lucky, a White) Christmas.

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Winter Wonderland in Birmingham

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Part of the group at the Birmingham Christmas Markets

Dan and I recently headed to Birmingham for the weekend for a friend’s birthday celebrations, including Christmas markets, seeing Kasabian live in concert, and a whole lot of snow!

It was a fabulous weekend filled good company, good drinks, good music and good food.

I didn’t photograph and vlog it as I normally would, but I did link together a “through my eyes” video on my iPhone for your enjoyment:

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Getting into the Christmas spirit

Sorry for my largely absent appearance on social media of late, and my complete lack of blog posts and videos for the last month or so, but I’ve been pretty busy (life has been getting in the way!).

But here you are: Here’s a short glimpse at part of my life here in the UK – a short video of my first ever Christmas Markets experience!

Christmas Markets are a huge part of the special season across Europe – in fact some of the large Christmas markets in places like Germany, Budapest and London for some examples, are often destinations in themselves for travellers who love Christmastime.

What better way is there to spend an afternoon than sipping mulled wine and snacking on market foods while browsing through the goods on sale – everything from trinkets and candles, to coffee beans and unique liqueurs here at Bristol.

If you haven’t been to a Christmas Market, make sure you check one out before the silly season is over – if you weren’t feeling in the Christmas spirit before your visit, you sure will be afterwards!

Merry Christmas everybody!

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A castle, a surprise vegan lunch, and more hot tubbing – Lake District, UK

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Rolling green hills and pastures, cobbled streets and dry stone walls transported me back a few centuries in my mind to imagine what life would have been like to live in this gorgeous country town in those old days.

Kendal, in the Lake District of England, has such a charm about it. I’m not sure whether that’s due to the abundance of tea rooms, the streets lined with heritage-conserved buildings, or the ruins of the old 13th century Kendal Castle I can spot on the hill overlooking us.

I could have happily walked the streets, stopping here and there for a cup of tea at one of the many teahouses manned by lovely and bubbly middle aged women, or for a pint at one of the many historic pubs with welcoming signs and charmingly dingy decor.

But there is much more to Kendal than just it’s beverage options and architecture appreciation.

It’s also the home of the Kendal Mint Cake, a delicious, tongue tingling sweet treat.

But I digress, it is also much more than that too.

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My first steam train experience at Lake Windermere, the Lake District, UK

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Sometimes the smallest of experiences can make a strong mark on your soul, create the greatest of memories, and give you such a sense of satisfaction – for lack of a better word.

On a day where we didn’t do much in terms of adventure – in fact, we took it quite easy and had a bit of a ‘lazy day’ – it was interesting to note that our day trip to Lake Windermere gave me so many “travel” feels.

I felt such a strong sense of Wanderlust, but also of completion in terms of travel and adventure.

I just can’t quite put my finger on why exactly, but it’s a nice feeling to have regardless.

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A day in the home of The Beatles – Liverpool, UK

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I’m just going to start out by saying that before my visit, I didn’t know much else about Liverpool other than the fact that it was the home of The Beatles.

And I’m going to continue by saying that even now, following my visit, that’s still pretty much all I know.

Oh, and it has a really pretty waterfront area where there’s lots of food and entertainment happening.

So, there’s that too, I guess.

#ReallyGoodTravelBlogger #IKnowRight

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