NYC Diaries; Bikes & Bagels In Central Park

With Central Park being right on our doorstep at the Park Lane Hotel, we decided to spend our Sunday afternoon exploring the park on bikes before enjoying some classic American bagels overlooking the lake.

We hired push bikes from a kiosk just outside of the park and cycled up the east side on the dedicated bike lanes they have all around the park.

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon in late September and the weather was still warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt, so I wore my Tommy Hilfigure boyfriend style shorts, a stripy low back top, my Stradivarius cage toe mules, my Coach handbag worn across body and MiuMiu sunnies to complete the look.

We took a short detour out of the park to the Upper East Side where I wanted to go for the famous Tompkins Square Bagels.

The choice of bagel flavours and different fillings was incredible, so the server kindly let us try some different cream cheeses to help make our decision.

With the bagels secured, we packed them in the bike basket and cycled back to Central Park.

We made our way around to the west side of the park where we found the big lake looking glorious in the afternoon sun.

After finding a bench with a nice view, we unwrapped our bagels and savoured every last bite as we soaked up the wonderful views of Central Park.

For our bagels we ordered one savoury and one sweet.

Our savoury choice was the everything seasoning bagel lightly toasted with a scallion and red onion cream cheese filling.

The sweet bagel was blueberry flavoured with a nutella and peanut butter cream cheese filling which was divine!

I couldn’t wait to try my first Poppi drink which I’ve seen lots of American influencers rave about and we were not disappointed, the orange flavour was delish.

Bagels devoured and tummies full, we hopped back on the bikes and made our way to the South end of the park to return the bikes.

This was the perfect way to spend a glorious Sunday afternoon in New York and I’d highly recommend renting bikes to explore Central Park as it is so big! I would say it was one of my favourite parts of New York ❤

Monaco Diaries; A Millionaires Playground

As a haven for the super rich and a playground for tourists, Monaco is a truly unique country located on the picturesque Cote d’Azur.

Visiting in late September, the weather was mild but still warm making it the perfect temperature for walking around and exploring the city on foot.

We stayed in an Air BnB on the boarder in Beausoleil, just a 10 minute walk to the central square of Monte Carlo and equally close to Monaco Beach.

On our first evening we strolled to the famous Monte Carlo Casino Square where there was a line-up of supercars including a Rolls Royce and a classic red Ferrari.

We then made our way down to the harbour to spot those mega yachts as the sunset over the mountains.

My all white fit with a touch of blue stripes was giving nautical vibes, very fitting for our first evening in Monaco harbour.

On our second day we took an open top bus tour to explore the entire country and see the most iconic tourist attractions.

Whenever we visit a new city we always try to take a hop-on hop-off tour, as they are the best way to discover the best spots and helps get our bearings.

It was amazing to see Monte Carlo from above when walking around the palace grounds.

We wandered around the Prince’s palace and surrounding area where we also stumbled upon the Cathedral and Monaco Museum.

Continuing on the bus tour, we saw the second harbour with yet more incredible super yachts and epic boats.

We completed the tour back towards the centre of Monte Carlo where we found the famed hair pin corner on the route of the F1 track.

People gather on this corner to spot the many supercars casually driving around Monaco; I’ve never seen so many Lamborghinis and Ferraris in one place!

Despite it being a built up city, Monaco has many stunning gardens providing a peaceful oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds.

There is even a beautiful Japanese Garden complete with serene seating areas overlooking the ponds and waterfalls.

I felt very European, French Riviera in my striped shorts, white babydoll crop top, silk neck scarf and basket bag.

The streets of Monaco are so clean and pristine, there’s not an inch out of place.

On the Saturday night we went down to the beach front for golden hour drinks and date night dinner.

I wore this figure hugging floor length floral dress paired with my Senso heeled mules, By Alona pearl necklace, oversized floral earrings and crochet clutch bag.

Feeling very sophisticated, very demure ❤

We were told that the French village of Eze was a must to visit during our time in Monaco too.

Just a 15 minute bus ride out of Monaco, Eze was easy to get to and a lovely day trip out of the city.

We walked around the historic streets of the small village built upon a hill above Monaco and visited Le Jardin Exotique with sweeping views of the South coast.

We concluded our day trip to Eze with lunch at a traditional brasserie complete with gorgeous wine and sunshine of course.

There’s no denying it, Monaco is literally an adult’s playground for the rich and wealthy.

Everywhere you turn there’s another supercar and the price to eat and drink out certainly matched the calibre of guests!

On our final night we browsed the car dealership windows lusting after the awesome new models gleaming back at us.

I wore my C’est Normal forever pants paired with a backless halter neck top, my Abbott Lyon gold chain necklace, square toe nude mule heels and Sandro green velvet handbag.

We had to take a final stroll to Monte Carlo Casino Square on our last night and see what supercars were in the lineup.

And with that I strutted out of Monte Carlo Square in style marking the end to an amazing long weekend in Monaco.

We loved our short but sweet time in the unique principality of Monaco. Perhaps next time we’ll drive from the UK to the South of France in our very own supercar… that would be the dream ❤