Tag: weekendaway

A Mini Staycation; Newquay Cornwall

July 14, 2025

With the weather in the UK looking absolutely glorious this weekend, we decided to go on a mini staycation down to the iconic surfer town of Newquay in Cornwall. Leaving on Friday morning from Hampshire, the journey took just over 4 hours and we arrived to checkin at The Headland Hotel by 2pm.

We spent our afternoon at the newly renovated Aqua Club spa with lots of indoor and outdoor pools overlooking the deep blue ocean sparkling in the sunshine.

It was a perfect Friday arvo enjoying the spa pools, sunbathing whilst reading my book and indulging in a glass of bubbly paired with some olives of course, my absolute bliss.

After a freshen up and change for the evening, we went for a stroll along Fistral Beach and had sundowner drinks at Boardmasters Bar.

It was just a 15 minute walk from our hotel into the centre of town where we had dinner at a bistro on the front called Saltsheds.

I had a twist on a traditional Greek salad whilst my boyfriend had a chicken bacon burger with chips which we said was really good. Classic food done well with a nice coastal view, you can’t go wrong with that.

Later that evening there was the most incredible sunset which we got back to the headland just in time to see the final few minutes before the sun dipped below the horizon.

Nothing beats the natural beauty and romance of a breathtaking sunset.

Saturday morning after breakfast at the hotel, we went down to Fistral Beach where I rented a board to do some surfing.

Obviously it was very different to surfing in Bali and unfortunately the waves were fairly flat this day, so I only caught a few small ones and then called it a day. Not to mention the water was freezing even with a wetsuit on!

I’m glad I gave it a good go though as Newquay was where I first learnt to surf at the age of 8, so it was a nostalgic moment coming back over 22 years later. We even tried to recreate this photo my mum took of me on a film camera all those years ago, but I’m not sure it has the same effect taken with a modern iPhone.

That afternoon we went to the Newquay Food Festival which happened to be taking place this weekend in the middle of town on Killacourt overlooking the cove.

My boyfriend enjoyed his favourite Greek chicken Souvlaki wrap, whilst I couldn’t resist the fabulous looking spicy Bloody Mary cocktail with all the accompaniments.

I also caught up with an old friend who moved down to Newquay years ago and it was a joy to see her thriving in her new home.

Saturday evening we had 8pm dinner reservations at Dune Restaurant within the Fistral Beach Hotel, so we had a gorgeous sunset stroll along the top of Fistral Beach over to our dinner spot.

We were spoilt with another picturesque golden hour with sweeping views of Fistral as surfers continued to catch waves until dusk.

Our experience at Dune Restaurant was very positive as we savoured a delicious dinner complete with sundown views and wonderful service from our friendly waiter.

We shared the padron peppers and a bread board to start, followed by the chicken dish for my boyfriend and the roasted Monkfish for me.

The flavours of the smoked tomato lentil dahl, coriander yoghurt and carrot purée to accompany the Monkfish were divine, and the fennel bhaji added a lovely crunch to the dish.

A post dinner walk back along the beach at dusk with those pastel peachy pink skies, was the most beautiful way to end our evening.

So that was our very short but sweet stay in Newquay this weekend and although we are not usually ones for a UK staycation, the weather in particular made it almost feel like we were abroad.

Thanks for having us Newquay ❤

A Night Glamping In Devon

September 8, 2024

This weekend me and my girl friends took a road trip down to Devon to celebrate with our friends who eloped in lockdown. Given the small, intimate ceremony they had a few years ago due to the social distancing laws at the time, they invited their friends and family for a big party at Farway Countryside Park in Devon.

Leaving early on Saturday morning, me and my two best friends packed the car ready to ‘glamp’ in a teepee for the night. We hit the road and didn’t come across too much traffic, so we stopped at a picturesque farm cafe called Otter Valley for a spot of lunch and coffee.

Arriving early afternoon, we got ourselves setup in the teepee we had booked for the night. Unfortunately the rain was relentless all weekend so it wasn’t the most ideal conditions for camping, but certainly made for a funny experience!

Safe to say the teepee was very basic with just the three beds together in the middle, so we had to improvise in making a nice space for getting ready with pre-drinks and snacks. Thankfully we had our camping chairs to use inside then we used the plastic bin upside down as a small table…

I came prepared with plastic wine glasses and inflatable flamingo drinks holders which I actually used as bowls for the snacks! With the mini speaker playing some tunes and the prosecco popped, we had fun getting glammed up and ready together for the party.

I wore this chocolate brown low back mini dress with long flared sleeves from ASOS, paired with these super platform flower detail H&M sliders, and my oversized gold pearl flower earrings also from ASOS.

The girls looked gorgeous too and I think we nailed the dress code which was ‘dress to impress’, however we were in a field with gravel and grass so we had to keep this in mind particularly for footwear.

It was a fabulous afternoon and evening celebrating the marriage of our friends and a great opportunity to catchup with so many old acquaintances from school too. My friend even made her handbag into a prosecco bottle holder for handsfree pouring, genius 😉

There was a hearty Thai Green Curry for dinner which was served at 6pm, then later in the evening they brought out some delicious desserts and cakes.

After lots of dancing and celebrating with friends, the party wrapped up at 11pm and we made our way back to our teepee to get cosy for the night as the rain continued to pour. Despite the rain ,we were snuggled up in our layers and got a good nights sleep. It might have not been ‘glamping’ as I’d envisioned it, but having a proper bed to sleep in made all the difference.

Cheers to a fun weekend away in Devon full of many hilarious moments with my besties as we celebrated the marriage of our wonderful friends ❤

Parisian Style; My Weekend in Outfits

May 29, 2022

Parisian street fashion is famous for its simple yet chic approach to dressing. Sleek silhouettes and effortless basics paired with one or two statement pieces, is the fuss-free formula for that timeless French style.

For our first day strolling the streets of Paris, I wore a pair of classic white skinny jeans from Topshop, a puff sleeve floral red blouse from Abercrombie & Fitch and plaited jackfruit ASOS sliders, accessorised with a subtle pearl anklet and a white beret of course.

Saturday evening we headed to the Moulin Rouge so I dressed for the occasion in my over the knee boots, white Zara skirt-shorts, black Zara ruffle strap square-neck crop and gingham baker boy. So cliche but such a vibe for the Moulin Rouge, c’est bon!

For another day exploring Paris, I opted for comfort with my Grenson boots, camel flare smart trousers from H&M, striped bandeau and statement tortoiseshell cat eye sunnies. Blue and white stripes are such a French classic and paired perfectly with that polished camel tone, il est parfait!

Sundown drinks before dinner we headed down to our hotel courtyard for a charcuterie and vino. I wore my H&M camel flare trousers again, white bone corset bandeau and vintage Prada heels, complete with a cute silk neck scarf to finish that feminine French look.

On our final night in Paris we had to experience the Eiffel Tower lit up by night, so we headed into the centre of the city for dinner. I felt tres chic in my oversized vintage Jaeger green blazer to keep off that evening breeze.

I just love dressing up and embracing the style of the city I am visiting by taking inspiration from the locals themselves. Paris still stands to this day as one of the most classy, chicest fashion capitals of the world…tres tres chic ❤

48 Hours in P A R I S

May 23, 2022

Paris; A beautiful city full of charm, elegance, history, art, architecture, fashion, food, nightlife and of course, LOVE. This weekend me and my boyfriend spent two days exploring this magnificent European city for ourselves. With only 48 hours in town, we didn’t waste a minute and managed to cover most of the most famous hotspots whilst sampling the best of French cuisine and soaking up the glorious early summer sunshine.

Taking the Eurostar from St Pancras on Friday evening, we found ourselves in the centre of Paris within a matter of a few hours. Having booked through the Eurostar with hotel combo deal, we checked into our lovely 4* boutique Hotel Mademoiselle, only a 5 minute walk from Gare du Norde train station.

Waking up fresh from a good nights sleep following our journey, Saturday morning we strolled the streets of the local area and grabbed a quick breakfast at a cute corner cafe.

We then headed straight for the Eiffel Tower where we found this famous side street Rue de l’Universite for that picture perfect photo.

A quick whip around the supermarche and we had ourselves a throw together French style picnic by the river overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

From there, we walked to the Champs-Elysees for an afternoon browsing the shops before we reached the Arc de Triomphe.

Following the madness of the tourist spots on a Saturday afternoon, we stopped by Cafe De Paris for an early evening drink in the sunshine and much needed rest from our feet.

A quick stop back at the hotel to freshen up and we were ready for a night out in Paris. Destination Moulin Rouge, an iconic landmark I had to visit during our stay and only a 10 minute Uber from our hotel.

This area was buzzing on a Saturday night, so we found a local brasserie where we could sit out on the street with our dinner and soak up the those Parisian nightlife vibes. Our night continued into the early hours with cocktails and a traditional Nutella crepe for desert at 2am!

Sunday late morning, we made our way over to Le Recrutement Cafe for brunch with a view of the Eiffel Tower.

We then decided to spend the afternoon on a hop-on and hop-off bus tour around the city, a super easy way to navigate all of the tourist spots in one day.

The Louvre was a highlight with its stunning modern architecture juxtapose to the grandeur of the surrounding historic buildings.

Back at our hotel that evening, we enjoyed sundown drinks with an exquisite charcuterie board amongst the gorgeous French aesthetic of their courtyard at Hotel Mademoiselle.

We had to see the Eiffel Tower by night, so for dinner we went back to the river for a delicious Italian at Firmine.

The light show is on the hour every hour until midnight, so we had cocktails at the nearby Frame Brasserie from where we had views of the Eiffel Tower.

For the final light display at midnight, we had front row seats in the park for undisrupted views of this incredible spectacle. It felt like a dream seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle by night, showering the city in golden hues; simply divine and tres romantique.

Before we new it, Monday morning rolled around and it was time to hop back on the Eurostar to London. This was a whistle stop tour but we certainly made the most of our time here and emersed ourselves within the Parisian culture. I have fallen in love with the vibe of this exciting city with its chic style and vibrant charm; we will be seeing you again soon Paris, merci beaucoup ❤