Exploring Oxford

The second feature in my list of day trips to take in the summer would have to include Oxford which was perfectly described by one of my friends as the "city of bikes and yellow brick." I can not express how perfect this tag line of Oxford is, making it a city to add to your summer plans. Like most places, Oxford is accessible via the train (or you can drive). An average train ticket will cost you around £30 return however this isn't so bad if you have a railcard; making it a little bit cheaper.

1. Go have breakfast at the Organic Deli

If you arrive in Oxford on an empty stomach without having any breakfast head to the Organic Deli where it has the most beautiful settings to have breakfast (although I have to admit that my breakfast only consisted of a brownie *facepalm*).

2. Visit the Radcliffe Camera

Radcliffe Camera without any doubt has to be one of the most impressive buildings in Oxford therefore making it on top of your Oxford to do list. This building can be easily found whilst wandering the streets.

3. Take a walk around Oxford

Yes, go for a walk without any sense of direction or a destination in mind and it is literally one of the best things you can possibly do. It's the feeling of being surprised and having no expectations of what your going to see. You'll find yourself completely mesmerised at the antique beauty that Oxford holds all the way to its stunning backgrounds for pictures.

4. Go to Observatory Street

Observatory Street is a phenomenal place of different coloured houses although this one picture does not do the entire street justice thereby concluding that you'll have to go and see what its truly like. For any of those who used to watch Balamory in their childhood (or was it only just me?) this really reminded me of the show...but just a more pastel version of it. 

5. Go to friends fest

Now you must be thinking how on earth has friends fest got any relevance with Oxford well let me tell you OXFORD IS ONE OF THE DESTINATIONS THAT HOSTS FRIENDS FEST. How exciting right? If you are a die hard friends fest fan then this is an event for you. I suggest keeping an eye out on tickets and destinations as my preferred destination had sold out thereby enabling me to attend the one in Oxford. To be specific friends fest was held on the grounds of Blenheim Palace (which is another beautiful place). From central Oxford to Blenheim Palace only requires you to take a direct bus making it very accessible to get to.

Summers day in Bridge North

Summer is fast approaching and I'm coming at you guys with a series of a number of different day trips to take in the summer. I guess you can say I have been inspired with the wonderful bank holiday heat wave we've been fortunate with. Personally I like to be prepared, planning or getting a rough idea of what I would like to do in my months off. Without further ado I present you Bridge North a little magical town situated in Shropshire. To get to Bridge North you either have the option of driving or getting public transport. The easiest public transport route would require you catching a number 9 Arriva bus from Wolverhampton bus station. The ticket you would need would be the all day ticket which costs £6.

This town is divided into two halves known as Low town and High town. Low town consists of a vibrant blue river that runs across the entire length of the town. The river provides a stunning location to take a stroll by. 

To get to High town yes it does require you walking uphill but all assured the views are worth it. To start your ascend upwards you have to keep a close look out for a hidden entry/stair way that leads to your walk upwards. However if you are totally lost I recommend asking a local or you could get the cable car to the top but whats the fun in that?

I would have to say that the best part of Bridge North is that it's not too populated with 'tourists' or with people generally due to not many people typically knowing about this location so you can really take your time and soak in what this little town has to offer.

Another tip I would suggest would be getting here relatively early on in the day that way you really get to have the whole town to yourself to explore.

See...did I or did I not say the views were totally worth it.

Afer all that hard work why not treat yourself to an ice cream, after all that's what summer is all about. X

Afternoon tea at the Ritz, London

It was for my 19th birthday that I had decided that I well and truly wanted to mark the occasion therefore I decided to have an afternoon tea at the Ritz hotel, London with my two best friends. I never gave it a second thought to have an afternoon tea anywhere else but the Ritz itself. To have afternoon tea at the Ritz came with the price tag of £54 per person (however this has now gone up to £57) which I was more than happy to pay as I heard so many grand reviews about the Ritz. And what a better way to spend your birthday right. The booking process was very sleek where you could book online or over the phone. I opted for the phone option as I had dietary requirements of being a vegetarian that does not consume eggs or gelatine. When I booked over the phone the procedure that I had encountered was that they take your card details as lets say a 'deposit.' So if you do not attend your scheduled slot and don't cancel you afternoon tea beforehand your card gets charged the total amount. However this is nothing to be alarmed by.

I was completely stunned with the elegant interior of the Ritz and did not really know what to expect but this blew any expectations that I did have out of the waters. And may I add how picturesque this corridor is! (As you can tell I really have a thing for 'picturesque' places.)

Now for the most anticipated part yet...the review. I was overwhelmed with the vast range of tea's that was available (in a good way.) After great deliberation I ended up with a simple yet light camomile tea as I didn't want to feel too full up. The service was AMAZING and that's something important to highlight as it made my experience even highly enjoyable. The waiter pours out your tea for you because let me tell you ladies those metal tea pots are not exactly the lightest things. And yes it gets better. Not only do they pour your tea out once for you but they continuously top it up. You literally do not have to lift a finger.

In terms of the sandwiches they were unlimited which was great because you really do get your moneys worth (yes I'm the biggest cheap skate but who isn't?!) However, I personally was not the biggest fan of the sandwiches and maybe that was partly because my options were very limited being someone who doesn't eat egg. Although it was a little disheartening enjoying one sandwich out of four, the sweet treats greatly made up for it and I was so pleased with the eggless selection. Bearing in mind I had no idea what the menu consisted of beforehand everything was an utter surprise to me.

For me, my afternoon tea experience was heightened when the waiter brought out a birthday cake and my birthday was very much authentically celebrated and I believe I was not the only one. Immediately straight after the whole room came together to sing happy birthday. It was really something special.

Overall I exceptionally enjoyed my first high end afternoon tea experience at the Ritz and didn't let the sandwiches put me off. This is another great recommendation to come to with your loved ones to celebrate an occasion or simply when you fancy a cup of tea and cake!

A weekend in Edinburgh

I never thought that I would end up falling in love with Edinburgh as much as I did to the point where I was uttering 'I love it here' at the end of every sentence. Edinburgh is the most incredible place to get away to for the weekend with your friends or family. Sometimes you just want a city getaway but then your torn with wanting to go away and be at the beach, but then you might want to be surrounded by the beauty of the mountains. But for the life of you can not seem to decide where you would like to go. Well ladies and gents...EDINBURGH is the answer your looking for. I was completely mesmerised at the possibility of the city, the beach and the mountains all being in close proximity of each other.

First things first go book your train tickets. I have heard so many people say that one thing that puts them off from going to Edinburgh is the expense of getting there. Let me tell you it's all a myth. The secret behind is booking your trip in advance therefore booking your train tickets in the Virgin train sale. Not only will you be saving your self shed loads of money by getting a £20 return ticket to Waverley station but you also get to take in the beautiful views of the Highlands, something you can't really do when driving up to Scotland. We decided to get the 6am train and we had no regrets. Yes we had to be up at 4am (and part of that was excitement) but there's nothing like seizing the day and maximising it with activities. The train journey takes 4 hours to get there which gives you ample time to fit in that all important nap.

I would highly recommend visiting the iconic Edinburgh Castle although the castle does not offer any student discount your entry ticket will only cost you £18.50. This will allow you to absorb all the history it has to offer and not to forget the beautiful views that overlooks the city.

The best thing to do to get a proper feel for the city is to take a night walk where the city literally and figuratively comes alive. You can also take this opportunity to see the how Edinburgh Castle is stunningly lit up against the pitch black in comparison to how it looks like in the day.

Edinburgh is full to the brim of architecture that possess character and St Giles cathedral fits that criteria exceptionally well. With free entry inside you are able to spend as long as you want admiring the building for what it's truly worth.

From what I was told Edinburgh is situated on seven hills and if you are not prepared to pay to get views from Edinburgh Castle due to being on a budget theres always a plan B. With Carlton Hill being a very short walk away, I promise that you will not be disappointed with what this view has to offer. You literally get panoramic outlines of the entire city. The best time to come and get that all important picture would be at the time of sunset however be prepared that a LOT of people do tend to come at this time so my advice would be to take that into consideration. 

To end the day take a little walk to Dean village (although I can appreciate how much walking you have already done) this place is truly a hidden gem as it genuinely looks and feels magical as it does when portrayed in pictures. 

Your all probably thinking please no more walking. I assure you the views at the end will definitely be worthwhile. If your staying very central then to get to Arthurs seat you will most likely need to catch the bus. If this is the case I advise getting an all day ticket for £4 and you will be there in no time.

Arthurs seat is a hike that unquestionably needs to be ticked off the Edinburgh itinerary. You may be thinking that your not a hike person at all or it's going to be too hard because you may have never hiked before. Well let me tell you I was that very person that I just described back there and I can hand on heart say that I had no regrets. Arthurs seat was my very first hike and after that I never looked back. This hike is beyond any doubt suitable for beginners and encourage taking this hike first thing in the morning where it would be less crowded at the peak.

Holyrood Palace is a graceful yet overflowing with rich royal history surrounding Edinburgh. Entry prices for students is £12.70 so don't forget to take a form of identification with you. I was completely in awe with this building and how picture perfect it came across. If you enjoy a museum setting then Holyrood Palace is a place you have to visit. 

If you do have some free time on your hands whilst in Edinburgh then you have to visit the botanical gardens which is free of charge. Situated on the outside of central Edinburgh your £4 bus day ticket comes in handy. I would suggest visiting on a relatively warm day where you could spend your time engrossed in the gardens and the fresh air.

Last but not least you have to take a little detour to the beach which again is really accessible to get to. The beach is my all time favourite place, I love the feeling of sand between my toes and listening to the crashing waves (as you can tell from my very cheesy grin). 

Well there you have it guys, a few ideas of what to do when in Edinburgh. Although there is so much more to do this was just a rough little guide:)

Indian street food in Birmingham

Now the first question you must all be thinking is do I not get enough Indian food at home? And the answer is, ironically I do but nothing beats going out for an Indian to feast on some okra fries and some gol gappeh (which are the very things that I am desperately deprived of at home.) I'll be sharing with you my three favourite restaurants, location and of course the most important part the price, especially when you are on a budget...or in other words a student.

Lets start off with Zindiya Streatery and Bar which is located the furthest pinpointed in Mosley. This was the first ever place where I was able to experience Indian street food and boy was I amazed. I was completely taken away with it's interior and was one of the predominant factors that lead me here. Lets just say the interior is very 'instagramable' and leave it right at that. Although situated the furthest, hand on heart it is definitely worth the trip there.

They even had Limca on their menu which made me feel like I was transported back on the streets of India that tiny bit more. *Lets cheers to that*

The food was deeeelicous and is a perfect place to try a bit of everything as all dishes are perfect for sharing and are extremely filling. However some of the food was on the spicy side but that's personally me who has zero tolerance to spice and find black pepper a kick to the throat. (Yes as rare as it sounds there are Indian's that can not hack spice that exist.) And to top it all off the food was reasonably priced and doesn't amount to much when sharing portions with your friends.

The next popular place that had been on my food list for a very loooong time was the Indian Brewery located in the heart of Birmingham, Snow Hill. With this place being more accessible than Zindiya there is no excuse but to come and see what the fuss is all about.

 There is no doubt that Indian food is very colourful and most significantly flavoursome and this is exactly what Indian Brewery was all about. The food was aesthetically pleasing to a point where I did  not want to ruin the presentation but that didn't stop me. The way the seating works at the Indian Brewery is that you take a seat wherever you fancy on a bench (exactly the same concept as Wagamamas) and you order at the till as opposed to being placed at a table where a waiter/waitress takes your order from you. In terms of the price it does not vary from Zindiya's, making it reasonably priced; again perfect for sharing allowing you to dabble in a range of dishes.

Last but not least Chaii Wala, which is dotted all around the country but the closest one to me was Soho road making it a fantastic get away place when you need to take a break from all that suit shopping.

Service was incredibly fast and the food although lacking those prominent flavours that were seen in Zindiya's and the Indian Brewery the food was still appetising. Famously known for its karak chaii, I was reluctant to try it as I am sadly not the biggest fan of Indian tea. (Yes, yes I know what your all thinking.) But to my very surprise I enjoyed my little cup of chaii...after filling it up with 7 brown sugars.
In comparison for all you money savvy individuals Chaii Wala was the cheapest out of the three. Now that's what I call a bargain.

Impromptu hike at Malvern Hills

I have recently got into the habit of checking the weather every morning in the hopes of getting some sun this spring. We all have to agree on the fact that the weather has been a little dull the past few months to a point where we had snow in March, as crazy as it sounds! It was on a Friday where we decided to ditch the books (when we really should be revising) and spontaneously take a hike in a little town of Malvern, Worcestershire.

From Birmingham New Street our train journey took no more than an hour and before you knew it we was climbing the hills.

Malvern Hills is a pretty easy route with guided pathways perfect for hiking with your family and friends and even your children as we saw so many children at the peak! I was pretty baffled at how young these children were and there I was out of breath and legs feeling pretty battered.

 Further on in the distance the hills continue to go on, however we only reached the peak and decided to descend back down to catch the earlier train back home. I think at this point the guilt of abandoning revision had well and truly kicked in.