I’m going to let you into a secret. Come close. Come Closer. One of the loveliest things about being my own boss is leisurely lunches. *shifty eyes* Especially last-minute ones that just kinda happen, like this one at the Landmark Hotel.
London seems to be a city that’s either planned 3 months in advance or at the very last minute – and this lunch was most definitely the former.
I’m not quite ready to leave behind Christmas, the [self-proclaimed] most wonderful time of the year. So I’ve decided I’m not going to, and share my favourite 12 Christmas trees in London instead. Most of these will be up until the New Year, if not the 12th Day of Christmas, which is technically Sunday the 5th January. Disclaimer: For some reason every single one of my photos seems to be blurry. I don’t know why. I blame the mince pies indulgence…
The Liberty Tree was almost my favourite of the festive season – with a distinct Alice in Wonderland
I absolutely adore my Travel Hack suitcase. After 12 months of rolling around the UK & Europe, I love that it’s still in incredibly good nick, flexible, handy and so very pretty – the perfect piece of women’s hand luggage. (Though Mr Kiwi is happy to be seen in public with it as well, the rose gold zips are quite subtle.) Disclosure: The Travel Hack kindly gifted me the Cabin Max Case (affiliate link*).
Bloggers cop a lot of flack (and in some cases rightly so) for declaring every new item ‘their favourite xxx ever’ so I wanted to really thoroughly test my Travel Hack Suitcase – and test it I have.
My friend and I have explored Christmas markets around the UK, solved innumerable escape rooms together, and have a joint love of festive afternoon teas. So I knew exactly who I wanted to hang out with whilst trying this year’s Christmas afternoon tea with a London view – up on the 31st floor of The Shard. Disclosure: We were guests of Aqua Shard but all festive puns and wayward musings are always my own.
We met over the internet after she moved from Sydney to the land of almost endless drizzle – and we bonded in only the way that two expats, adrift from their home continent can.
Over a dozen years ago, my Mum and I visited Reims as a day trip from Paris – our first sip of the fabled Champagne region. I can’t tell you how excited I was to visit Reims again as a guest of the Régionale du Tourisme Grand-Est but all thoughts are very much my own.
With train trips as quick as 45 minutes from Paris, Reims (or Rheims as the city is also known) is the perfect gateway to the rest of the Champagne region – and you don’t really need a car to explore the best of the city. As both my lovely friend and I are foodies, our plans consisted mostly of exploring the gastronomic offerings, with the occasional foray into the beautiful cultural history.