Top 10 Things Off The Beaten Track in London

Unfortunately I was unable to leave the UK this month (unlike the UK with the EU, amirite?), mainly due to the fact that I had a bunch of exams to take and no one else could make it either. So instead I invested my time and money into exploring the parts of England that are often overlooked in travel blogs and sites, which resulted in a pretty cool month filled with having super awesome experiences with super awesome people. And so, if you're in London or plan on visiting, here's my top ten favourite low-budget, low-tourist, things to do around the city.

Top 5 Things to See and Do in The Lake District

Last month I went to the north of England with a guy who would turn out to be a massive douche, and his family (who were all sweethearts), and I had a pretty good time. For someone who loves travel, experiencing new things, staying in a new house, and getting free food, the mini-break was perfect for me, especially as there were so many interesting things to see and do.

We stayed in Windermere in the Lake District, which is known for being an area filled with such vast natural beauty, that it's even a favourite place of my boss to travel to. We set off from Watford, a place relatively near to central London, so you can imagine what it was like spending a six/ seven hour journey in a tiny car with four other people and a dog. The outside scenery slowly changed from tarmac to tumps (no, not the US presidency candidate that we all thought entered as a joke), and made me feel more and more like I was embarking on my way to the Shire. From there, we went to Buttermere and Glenridding and Kendal, and spent a lovely eight days scouring cliffs and towns - my favourite five of which are categorised here. Warning: I took way too many photographs.

How to: take a trip to Dusseldorf, Germany on less than £150

A couple of weeks back, I was feeling very restless because I hadn't flown cross-country in a while, and so I went onto my #1 flight search engine site, Skyscanner, to book some cheap flights out to, well, literally anywhere. And weirdly enough, a little German town called Dusseldorf came up, offering flights for only £15 each each way, and I just couldn't refuse (despite not knowing a single thing about the town). Honestly, I thought it'd just be full of museums and art galleries - but it turned out to be so much more. Due to the fact that I'm still only 17, and this is the first international trip I'd taken without a family member, I had a strict budget to stick to - £150. Now I knew that this budget could be pretty difficult to stick to, with hotel rooms and food out, but I managed to do so, simply by asking around and figuring out how I could save the pennies. As it turns out, it's easy to get a 5* German experience.. if you know where to look.

amy goes to rome, italy

So I'm guessing that some of y'all remember that around this time last year I went to Barcelona, Spain to celebrate my father's birthday. For this year, we decided to do the same kind of thing, but instead go to Rome, Italy (and not just because we've been watching a lot of Roman Holiday lately, promise). I've always wanted to go to Rome, and like most bucket-list-enthusiasts out there, the Colosseum has been on my top ten list of things to do before I die for a while. So you can imagine my joy at being told that I could finally tick that one off, as well as dining on authentic Italian cuisine, getting to try out a new language, and just exploring a new city for a while. Also, the euphoria of getting to stay in a hotel is still pretty darn strong. Also related, my last post gave y'all a mini guide on how to navigate this gorgeous city, so feel free to stalk.

How to make the most out of your trip in Rome, Italy

As y'all know, this month I went to Rome, Italy, and was kind of shocked at how insanely beautiful everything was. So naturally, I thought that for this month's post, I would talk about all the best parts, my recommendations, what to avoid, etc, and then next month I'd do a full-detail description of my experience. Enjoy!

~ Cobbled grounds, back-street ruins, warm winds and stunning buildings, everywhere ~

amy goes to swansea; wales, + bath; england

First things first - I've been in this little space of the internet for four years now! That is so insane, I can't even. Four years... wow. It'd just finished being 2011 when Awkward Donkey started up, and now it's 2016 and I'm 17, not 12/13. Holy crap, guys. I just want to say thank you for everyone who's supported me over the (freakin' four!) years, your encouragement has led to this blog not dying in flames just a couple of months down the line. I've made some good blog friends, and I'm glad that this space has been kept positive and awesome by all 80,000 of you. I hope y'all continue to check out this little space and stay here for as long as you can c:

So, on a completely different topic, we adhere to what this post is actually about. 

To celebrate it being 17 years since I clambered into this world, my family and I went down to my hometown in Swansea, Wales. It was pretty awesome for the most part, and I got to see sights and people that I've been missing since my last visit. Naturally, I thought y'all would appreciate a spam.

amy goes to crete, greece; part two

Have y'all had a good month?

As I'm hoping you remember, a handful of months back I went to Crete, Greece, and took way too many photos than is probably considered healthy. And so, what could possibly be a better way to spam them on people than on this here blog? 

If you want to read more about me peeing in a hole in the ground, punching a guy in the face and watching the most badass pensioner ever overtake me on a black moped, then I think it's best for both of us if you stay tuned.

For part one, click here!

amy goes to crete, greece: part one

I promise I haven't died.

I want to say that I've been busy, but really I've just been procrastinating by doing exams and the like. You know its bad when you procrastinate by actually doing work - in my case, writing 1,500 word essays. I've tried to write this post a couple of times, but lost momentum halfway in. That was until today, when I was just innocently reading The Book Thief and overdosing on chocolate when a girl from my old school messaged me. "Omg", it said "I love your blog. I so wished I'd spoken to you whilst I went to school with you". And pfft, that didn't make me die inside at all, what. So basically, I now have an insane amount of pressure to write a half-decent post, so sorry if I don't deliver, all you Emily's out there*.