Brač, Croatia

Brač is known for it's beaches such as "The Golden Cone", Zlatni Rat in Bol, and for it's forrests. Brač is full of Cypress trees, beautiful pastures and vineyard-covered hills.

I travelled to Brač in 2019 with my family during the 

summer. We flew directly to Splitska and then took a ferry to Brač island.  We stayed in a little port village called Sumartin. It is the youngest village in Brač and has a population of around 500. 

 

 Switzerland 

 Barbados: The Land of the Flying Fish

  Barbados is known for a number of things from the tropical beaches to the variety of wildlife and nature. 
  Barbados is the birthplace of rum and is also the place where Rihanna grew up.

 
  It's a typically hot country with the hottest months being around December. 

There is so much to see and do on this island, even though it is small and only takes about an hour to drive from one end to the other. 

I first travelled to Barbados during the summer of 2018, and travelled back to the same place in 2019. We arrived in the afternoon and got a taxi from the airport to Speightstown. We stayed in Port St. Charles which was right on the beach. It was a beautiful place with spectacular views of the ocean and the sunsets were breathtaking. 

The first morning we ran straight down to the beach in our pyjamas to test out the water. The time difference caused us to be wide awake at 6am! The water was beautiful and stunningly clear.  We spent most of our days on the beach for the morning, then either going back to the apartment or going out to the yacht club for lunch, before going back to the beach for the remainder of the day until it was time for dinner. 

We were within 15 minutes walking distance of the town and the supermarket. The town is small but filled with little shops and some restaurants and a cafe. 

 My favourite was the Little Bristol Beach Bar in Speighstown. It was a beautiful outdoor bar that was situated right on the sea. We spent most of the evenings there for drinks and sometimes went there for lunch. The food there was very good and it is such a beautiful place that became quite popular in the late evenings with live music. 

While we were in Barbados, we met a man who offered to take us out on his boat to go fishing, snorkelling and hopefully with the sea turtles. We went out early in the morning and it was a beautiful day for going out on the ocean. He took us around the island and showed us different places such as Simon Cowell's house and 'Little Ben' (the clock tower of the Parliament building). Swimming was so much fun and the water was perfect. 

We also got to explore two shipwrecks, see a coral reef and witness a swimmer feed a very friendly sea turtle. 

We also took a day trip to the Barbados Wildlife Reserve in the parish of St. Peter. This is a trip that is definitely worth the while. We walked around the reserve and got to experience being up close with animals in their natural habitat such as the Barbados green monkey, tortoises, turtles and other reptiles, parrots, macaws and love birds, agouti, brocket deer, and more.

One of our last trips we did was to Harrison's Cave in the Saint Thomas Parish. Harrison's Cave is an underground cavern and tourists can enter the cavern by tramway. It features many caverns, stalactites and stalagmites, and underground waterfalls and pools. There are also chances to walk around and take photographs. It is a beautiful experience and is perfect for the whole family. 

London : City of Dreams 

 In February of 2017 I spent my half-term break in London, England. It was my first trip to England since i moved to Ireland after i was born. It was still winter and so the air was crisp and everyone had to wear coats, hats, and gloves, but it was the perfect weather for a week in "The Big Smoke". 

There is so much to see and do in London as it is massive and full of historic sites and buildings. London is known for its magnificent buildings and architechture, but also for its history and vibrant culture, some might also say it is the real "City of Love". 

My family and i stayed in The DoubleTree hotel in Angel King's Cross. The location was perfect as it was only a short walk around the corner to the London Underground station, meaning we had the whole city right outside our door. 

We spent the week sightseeing and visited many attractions including the London Eye, Big Ben and the London Dungeons. I personally really enjoyed the Dungeon tour as it was very interesting and it made learning about history exciting. It is a scare attraction including 2 underground rides, cutting-edge storytelling and teaching of 1000 years of british history. It is a very enjoyable experience and included a free drink at the end. Its the perfect attraction for a rainy day for all the family. 

Of course we also had to take a trip to the Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden. The studio tour is the perfect attraction for all the die-hard Harry Potter fans. The studio tour includes a look into the making of the films such as costumes, set designs, and two soundstages and a backlot full of props. It also gives visitors a look at how the magical creatures of the wizarding world were brought to life, the special and visual effects used in the films, and the art department with tons of technical drawings and scale models which created all of our favourite sets. You can even board the Hogwarts Express, try a Butterbeer, and buy all the sweets off the trolly at the giftshop! 

 Paris: City of Love

Back in 2018, i got to spend the most romantic day of the year (Valentine's) in one of the most romantic cities in the world; Paris. 

Paris is the most visited capital in the world, known for it's beauty and elegance, pastries, fashion, the Louvre, and of course the Eiffel Tower. 

While i was there, i got to experience many different aspects of french culture and take part in many activities such as visiting the famous Notre Dame Cathedral, seeing the famous Mona Lisa in the Louvre Art Museum, and using the underground system (the Paris metro). 

Even just walking through the city streets is an experience in itself. 

I stayed in an Airbnb apartment with my family for a week. It was around the corner of a local supermarket and a couple of resturaunts, and was a two-minute walk to the nearest underground station. 

In the mornings we would get fresh pastries from the supermarket for breakfast before hopping on the metro to explore the city. 

Paris is full of interesting places to visit and is an absolute must for those passionate about architechure, history, and the arts, especially photographers and sketch artists.

We travelled to many differents places of interest including museums, shopping districts and main attractions; stopping for yummy crêpes along the way. 

The Eiffel Tower was an overall amazing experience; from walking up the tower and admiring the views, to witnessing proposals and couples celebrating their engagements. 

We also made the necessary trip to Disneyland on our last day taking the train early in the morning. It was an excellent day trip and would be especially great for young children. 

Overall, Paris was an amazing experience and is a great holiday destination for anyone and everyone from solo travellers to families of all ages and sizes.