Thursday 10 September 2015

Dunkery Beacon, Exmoor


On the last day of our stunning week in Exmoor National Park we headed out for a walk to Dunkery Beacon. Dunkery Beacon is the highest point in Exmoor and in Somerset and so offered amazing panoramic views of the surrounding moorland and coastline.

But before we reached it we had a long walk up through the open and beautiful landscape, the route we took was a little off the beaten track, so we didn't see any other people until we reached the top!



Thursday 3 September 2015

The Exmoor Coatsline: A Photo Diary


Just a quick little post today! During my holiday in Exmoor we went on a absolutely stunning walk along the dramatic cliffs of the Exmoor Coastal Path. I didn't take masses of pictures that day but I wanted to share the few I did take in a little photo diary as the views were so stunning! Hope you enjoy!

Monday 31 August 2015

Italy Update!


So I'm one week in to my 16 day trip in Italy and I'm loving every second. So far I have explored Venice, taken a night time gondola ride with new friends, spent a morning on Murano, explored Verona, arrived in a apartment in Naples to views over the city and Mount Vesuvius, taken a day trip to Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius,  and spent a day on the beautiful island of Capri. While I've got some decent wifi I though I'd upload a few of my favourite pictures from these adventures,  enjoy!

Venice

St Mark's Square, Venice

Thursday 27 August 2015

Walking the West Somerset Coast Path


During the middle of of holiday in Somerset we decided to venture away from Exmoor National Park for a day. We met up with my aunt and uncle near to where they leave and walked part of the West Somerset Coast Path.

Before we started walking we obviously needed some cream tea to start off our day! We visited the idyllic Chantry Tea Gardens for some tasty tea and scones in the sunshine.

Monday 24 August 2015

Hello Italy!

(source)

So today is the day I have been looking forward to for ages! Today is the day I fly to Italy!

I'm going interrailing around Italy for 16 days visiting Venice, Verona, Naples, Pompeii, Capri, Sorrento and Rome! So many months of planning and preparation have gone into this trip and I'm so excited it's finally here. I'm going to be writing a lot of blog posts about my time in Italy when I get home in September but if you fancy seeing pictures from my Italian adventures as they're happening then make sure to click here and follow me on Instagram!

Thanks for reading!

Chloe xox

Thursday 20 August 2015

A Morning with the Exmoor Ponies



As I am a huge animal, nature and wildlife lover, the beautiful herds of wild Exmoor ponies were definitely what I was looking forward to the most on our holiday in the National Park. The ponies are an iconic part of Exmoor's landscape and we came just at the right time of year to see all of the foals as well, adorable!



Thursday 30 July 2015

Skydiving onto a beach in Australia!


So today is my 21st birthday! I'm really excited and I am planning on writing a blog post next week about some of the exciting things I'm doing to celebrate. But for now I wanted to share one of the most unforgettable experiences of my 21 years; skydiving!

Looking back on the past 21 years I've had so many amazing memories but the one that will always stand out for me is my skydive. It was unlike anything I had done before, it was exhilarating, breath-taking and completely surreal. If anyone reading this is considering doing a one, go for it! It may seem scary at first, but when the adrenaline kicks in and you're free falling through the sky, the air rushing past your face, it literally feels like you are flying. I never would have considered doing something like a skydive before I went travelling, it really pushed me out of my comfort zone and I'm so proud of myself for doing it! So today I wanted to share some of my favourite photos from my skydive on here.



Monday 27 July 2015

Walking The Valley of the Rocks


On the Monday morning of our family holiday in Exmoor we headed off on a walk through The Valley of the Rocks. The Valley of the Rocks is a dry valley with stunning rock formations along the Devon coastline. It was one of the most touristy places we visited on our holiday as it's a very popular walk, and for good reason. The route we took was fairly easy-going and didn't take too long to walk but still boasted amazing views over the sea. It's such a stunning area that many writers, poets and musicians have taken inspiration from it. The valley has featured in the works of William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and R. D. Blackmore. The poet Robert Southey described the valley as:
"the very bones and skeletons of the earth; rock reeling upon rock, stone piled upon stone, a huge terrific mass"

Monday 20 July 2015

Visiting the Smallest Church in England


On the Monday of our holiday in Exmoor we set off on a walk down to Culbone Church, also called St. Beuno's Church, which is located in the tiny settlement of Culbone. As our holiday cottage was situated right at the top of Porlock Hill, we made our way down the steep, winding woodland paths towards the church. The walk there was really pleasant, the walk back up however, was slightly more challenging... (i.e. I literally though I was going to die...)

The church is thought to be the smallest one in England and can only fit 30 people inside! It is a grade 1 listed building with some parts of the church dating back to the 13th century. This absolutely beautiful and peaceful church was a delight to explore and I discovered nearly all the graves in the church yard belonged to the same two families. It is nestled among the steep woodland and there is no road excess to it, despite this the church still holds regular services



Saturday 18 July 2015

One Week in Exmoor National Park


Last week I headed off on holiday with my parents and our gorgeous border collie, Cassie. It was our first family holiday in years so I was really looking forward to it. We'd decided to go to an area of the UK we'd never visited before, Exmoor National Park!

For anyone who doesn't know Exmoor is a stunning area of moorland, woodland and coastline which is located in South West England. The National Park spans across areas of both Somerset and Devon and is well known for its breathtaking and dramatic views. It is also famous for its amazing wildlife including deer and wild Exmoor ponies (I will be doing a whole post about the ponies shortly!)

Tuesday 23 June 2015

Finishing my second year of University.

So, as of 6:35am this morning I sent in my last Level 5 essay and I have officially finished my second year of uni! I could not be more relieved. I'm not going to lie, it wasn't my best work. The rest of my end of year essays and presentations were the result of a lot of hard work, dedication and passion for the subject and I was really proud of what I produced. This last one however, was more the product of rushed, late night work. The module it was for wasn't really my favourite and as the essay was the last in a long list of assessments, I'd completely lost all motivation. I'd like to say I'm disappointed in myself for handing in shabby work, but to be perfectly honest I'm just so god damn happy it's over and that I managed to type something up, send it in and get it out of the way!

It still hasn't quite sunk in that next time I go to uni it will be to start my final year of my degree. Scary! Second year has definitely been a tough one, with the work load significantly increasing from the year before. I've also had the troube of moving back home with the aim of saving money to deal with, as I found it a lot harder than expected. During first year I lived in halls where I literally had to crawl out of my bed, walk fifty steps out of my flat door and I was in my university's main building. Going from this to a forty minute car drive away was a huge adjustment. However, I'm hopefully looking at few flats up in Leeds overr the next week. So moving back there for my final year will be exciting and will make life a lot easier for me.

Although I was desperate for this year to finish,  I'm already excited to start back in September (sounds weird, I know!) But one of the worst feelings is losing motivation for something you're passionate about, and so I'm really looking forward to going back after some time to rejuvenate so I can get back to having that drive and enthusiasm for my course. I've also got some really interesting modules to look forward to next year, which I think I'll enjoy a lot more than some of the ones I studied this year...

There have been many stressful moments this year, and a couple of modules that I found extremely dull and made me lose the will to live (ie Renaissance...) but overall I've really enjoyed it  because I love studying English. When I do a module I find interesting with books that are enjoyable to read it really makes all the difference. I've found that in my Magical Realism module, so doing a subject like that which I really loved and was passionate about has definitely been one of my highlights in second year. I've also got to know some really lovely people on my course who I hope I'll stay friends with next year!

Anyway, this was quite a random post about my reflections and musings about the last year of university life... I'm just so happy that after the last few weeks of being cooped up in my room working, I'm finally free to enjoy summer! I'm got a lot of exciting plans and travels coming up and I also hope to work on this blog a lot more.

Thanks for reading. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Wednesday 3 June 2015

Sailing the Whitsunday Islands: A Photo Diary

The Whitsunday Islands has to be the most incredibly beautiful place I have ever visited in my life. With the gorgeous islands, picturesque beaches, bright blue waters and colourful marine life you will literally think you have died and gone to heaven. 74 stunning tropical islands make up the Whitsundays, located in the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Some of the most well known islands include Hamilton Island, Daydream Island and of course Whitsunday Island which is home to the absolutely breath-taking Whitehaven Beach.


Saturday 30 May 2015

10 Reasons to Visit York

I may be a little bit biased, as York is my home town, but I think this is one of the best cities in England. It's a beautiful place and its full of history, so here are my ten reasons why you need to visit York asap.

1.The York Minster

The York  Minster is one of the most impressive and iconic sights in the city, so it's only right this should be number one on my list! It's one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe and its architecture, both inside and out, is absolutely jaw-dropping.

Tuesday 26 May 2015

5 Places I Want to Revisit

I love the idea of travelling to new places and seeing new things. But there are also a few locations I've visited that I've fallen in love with so much that I'm desperate to go back there again! So here are my top five places that I can't wait to visit again in the near future.

1.Brisbane, Australia.


Monday 25 May 2015

Local Adventures #2: The Yorkshire Sculpture Park




During the Easter holidays I visited the Yorkshire Sculpture Park for the day with my family. It is a huge open-air gallery featuring sculptures for artists such as Henry Moore, among many others. Despite living fairly close to the park this was my first visit and it really took my breath away! As well as all the amazing and inspiring outdoor sculptures the park is also a vast area of gorgeous Yorkshire countryside with an abundance of gorgeous farm animals and wildlife. Needless to say I went a little bit crazy with my camera here and took far too many photo's!

Saturday 23 May 2015

Flying over Fraser Island




I stayed Fraser Island for three days while I was in Australia and it soon become my favourite place I had visited during my time there...

Sunday 5 April 2015

4 Fun Days Out in Tenerife


Tenerife is the perfect location for fun holiday jammed packed with activities without the stress of planning or organising anything yourself! One of my favourite things about our stay here was the ease of booking so many amazing trips and tours. Don't get me wrong, I love planning out some adventures and exploring places off the beaten track, but I also love having a relaxing holiday with any activity you want to do right at your fingertips. You can book trips and buy tickets to the main attractions from hotels and from booking agent shops that are everywhere on the sea front. All the tours will usually pick you up from your hotel and there are free buses running to the major attractions so it's just so easy to do whatever you fancy doing! You can go jet skiing, surfing, paragliding, scuba diving, dolphin watching, on boat rides, jeep safaris, horse safaris, to water parks and day trips to see a volcano or the beautiful coastline. Fancy seeing some animals? Tenerife has the Jungle Park, Loro Park, Monkey Park and a Camel Park! There centainly is plenty of choice and something to suit everyone.

So without further ado, here are my four favourite days out I had when I was in Tenerife!


Thursday 2 April 2015

Singapore: A Photo Diary


I visited Singapore for three days back in July 2013 and instantly fell in love with its unusual and beautiful architecture and food. It was truly unlike any place I had ever visited before. I stayed at a hotel in the Little India district and was happy to find all the locals were so friendly and welcoming towards me. One shop owner even ran out to lend me his umbrella during a thunderstorm!

Saturday 21 March 2015

Brimham Rocks: Local Adventures #1



One of my New Years Resolutions was to get out and about more and start walking and exploring some of the amazing places that are near me. I spend so much time daydreaming and fantasising about all the countries I want to explore and places abroad I want to visit. But there are so many places full of natural beauty right on my doorstep that I don't spend enough time exploring. I'm lucky enough to live in the Yorkshire countryside and only have to look out of my bedroom window to see views of fields, woodland, sheep, cows ect. So I'm making an effort to spend my weekends and days off embracing all that Yorkshire has to offer; from the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors to beaches and seaside towns.

So first up, Danny and I headed off to the National Trust site of Brimham Rocks.

Sunday 8 March 2015

10 Things to do in Sydney, Australia.


So I have a little bit of an obsessive love for Sydney. It's just such a beautiful, diverse city. It has awe inspiring architecture, amazing views, peaceful parks and gardens, and some of the most famous beaches on the planet. I'm lucky enough to have spent a couple of weeks in Sydney on two separate occasions, and can't wait to get over there again. So here are my top ten things everyone should do when they visit this beautiful Australian city!

Saturday 7 March 2015

You Me At Six and All Time Low concert!


This was a gig I'd been waiting for for sooooo long. Two of my favourite bands in one concert! They certainly did not disappoint, the music was loud and energetic and the atmosphere in the crowd was amazing. The night was definitely up there in my top three gigs (and I've been to a lot of gigs so that's saying something!)

I've seen both of these bands before. This was my 7th time seeing You Me at Six and 5th time seeing All Time Low. But this time was different and very exciting because it was my first time seeing them in an arena. I've watched these bands play bigger and bigger venues over the years so to see them play in a huge arena with more than 10,000 people all jumping and singing along was an extraordinary experience!

Sunday 15 February 2015

January Favourites



(This is going up a bit later than I intended, with in now being nearly halfway through February! But oh well, here are my January Favourites.)

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water.



There has been so much hype about the product for a while, but I've been a bit behind the times and only tried it for the first time at the end of December. But now I can honestly say I cannot live without it! I could go on and on about how much I love it and how amazing it is but that would just get boring! SO here's my four reasons why I think this product is fabulous.

Saturday 7 February 2015

Feeling Lucky

This is the time of year when I start to get a huge sense of wanderlust. The festive period is over, the new year has begun and novelty of frost and snow is wearing off. I'm now well and truly ready for long lazy summer days, sunshine and some travelling adventures!

So this is always the time of year when I start planning holidays and trips and looking into all the places I want to visit in the future. I also always end up procrastinating by looking through all my old pictures from holidays and travels and reminiscing the good times! As I've been browsing through snaps of all my amazing adventures I've realised how truly lucky I am. I've visited some beautiful places, had amazing experiences and made lasting memories with friends and family.

While I was feeling all grateful and reminiscent I thought I'd share some of my favourite photos from my trips and holidays over the years.

Jet-Skiing around the caves and cliffs in Los Gigantes, Tenerife.We were also lucky enough to have some dolphins come right up to us and when we cut our engine they started diving and swimming underneath us, amazing! (2014)

Sky Diving from 14,000ft onto a beach near Cairns in Australia. (2013)

Friday 30 January 2015

Book Haul







I've gathered this collection of books over the last few months, either bought by myself or as presents from other people, and have not yet had chance to read them. So I thought I'd do a little book haul of books I'm planning to read over the next couple of months.

Wednesday 21 January 2015

Winter Walks


There's something so refreshing about exploring the countryside. Especially when you've spent the majority of 2015 cooped up at your desk doing uni work!

Frosty puddles, snow falling and wildlife galore! Winter is one of the most magical and enjoyable times of the year to go walking and exploring (providing you wrap up warmly!) Some of the fondest memories of my childhood have been walks with my parents in the remote areas of Scotland, Wales, The Lake District and the North York Moors. However, I've been slacking and it's been a long time since I walked anywhere further than the fields where I take my dog. So I've decided it's time for a change! I'm planning to spend 2015 exploring more of the beautiful countryside I'm lucky to live near to. (This also helps with my New Years Resolution to get fitter. Two birds with one stone!)

Monday 12 January 2015

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/13456013/?claim=n2p2cbd8xv3">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>