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London By Day

December 31, 2014

London is one of the most vibrant cities in the entire world, and for those of you who have been lucky enough to travel there or even live in the city; you’ll know how overwhelming it can be for newbie travellers. That’s why researching this bustling urban jungle before you leave for your journey is essential, so you’ll know what to expect and can prepare for London as best as possible.

But this isn’t going to be your average list of things to check out while on holiday in England’s capital city. We are going to cover some of the more quirky aspects of the city for our readers.

Museums

London has a plethora of museums that provide its patrons with a wealth of knowledge, and the best part about it, is that the majority are free to enter. Take the British Museum for instance, which has a myriad of exhibitions on throughout the year, including the BP exhibition Ming: 50 Years that Changed China which is currently on show until January 5. The museum is open 7 days a week and attracts thousands daily.

One of the World’s Oldest Pubs

The Lamb & Flag in Covent Garden is said to be one of the world’s oldest pubs having first opened its doors to the public in 1623. The pub now attracts many visitors due to its history and its prime location. With the pub or inn as it was referred to in the Tudor times, being very much steeped in tradition, its décor is reminiscent of yesteryear in this quaint drinking establishment in the middle of London’s West End.

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

As far as theatres go in London, few are more famous than the legendary Theatre Royal on Drury Lane. Currently the theatre is showing their adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory over the Christmas period.

The Theatre Royal is the oldest theatre in England that is still open to the public. Redesigned by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London in 1672, the theatre has consistently put some of the biggest productions on in the whole of Europe.

Heston’s New Venture

If you have any downtime at London’s Heathrow airport while waiting for your flight, revel in some of Heston Blumenthal’s “quintessential British food” that his new venture will be serving. Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal launched his Perfectionists’ Café this year at Heathrow Airport as reported by Parking4Less. The restaurant will showcase his culinary flair while adopting a wholly British menu – serving fish and chips and other notable British dishes.

Blumenthal joins fellow celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey in launching a restaurant in the airport with the Scotsmen opening his Plane Food restaurant recently, too. So, if you’re travelling to the airport on your way back home, you need not worry about the standard of food that you’re going to be served if you don’t mind spending a little bit extra with the Perfectionists’ Café and Plane Food just two of the newly opened restaurants that the airport boasts.

*This post was written and contributed by supporters of True Colours.

Christmas Festivities in Leavenworth

December 24, 2014

Happy Christmas Eve! We spent our weekend this past week taking in all the Christmas festivities in the little town of Leavenworth, Washington. This little town is straight out of Bavaria, with wood beamed architecture, German street names and German food. It’s been on my list to visit for a while and I’m so glad we got the chance to make the trek up there. Normally it’s only about 1.5-2 hours drive from Seattle but this weekend, the day we visited it was snowing heavily in the area and it took us about 2.5 hours to make the drive from Seattle to Leavenworth. The roads were pretty slick and it ended up being a pretty long day with the weather conditions to drive there and back to Seattle in one day. But alas, we enjoyed a few hours in Leavenworth with snow falling, Christmas carolers singing, and wandering the little town in the winter wonderland it was!

Have a wonderful Christmas and here’s some festive pictures to get the festivities started!

All photos by Nick Nieto Photography

5 Spots for an Exotic Winter Escape

December 18, 2014

It’s getting to be those winter months where the cold is getting colder and as we approach that time of year where we’re in the tunnel of Winter for a few more months in most parts of the world, many people start dreaming of warmer locations to escape to. The nice thing about many of the warmer spots around the world this time of year is that they also tend to be more exotic locations as well which makes them perfect destination spots to warm up and spend some time exploring. So while the temperatures drop here at home, here’s 5 of my favorite spots to escape to for an exotic adventure and that also boast warmer temperatures as well!

If you’re looking for an adventure, to wander through temples and night markets, Cambodia is the escape for you. Warm weather almost year round, lush jungles, ancient temples and bustling cities make Cambodia a perfectly exotic adventure.

If you’re searching for something a little closer to home and you live in the US, Hawaii is a quick 5 hours flight from the West Coast. For warm temperatures and a beach, Hawaii is a pretty worthy escape. Add in the local Asian and Hawaiian cultures, venture away from the tourist spots and you’ll experience the true Island experience.

Most of India (excluding some of the Northern parts) has fairly good weather most of the year and for an exotic spot, you can’t really beat this lovely country. You’ll get your fill of incredible food, a unique culture and color everywhere you look. We visited in February and the weather was wonderful!

A country with warm weather most of the year, beaches and cities alike, incredible food and a gorgeous culture, Thailand is a great place to escape to in SE Asis to beat the cold weather at home. Grab a tuk tuk to fly down the streets of Bangkok or grab street food and a Thai iced tea and wander on your own, either way, you won’t regret this escape!

The Middle East and Africa have lots of amazing places to escape to year round since temperatures in that region of the world tend to stay higher year round but one of my favorites is Morocco. Wander the spice markets, indulge in delicious chicken bastilla and sleep in the gorgeous guest houses called Riads. Morocco is indeed an exotic escape year round.

5 Totally Underrated Spots in Europe

November 20, 2014

Before we get into today’s post, just a little note to let all you lovely readers know that I made the switch from Blogger to WordPress this week, so if you notice any glitches or little formatting issues, please excuse them as I get to know WordPress and the new layout. So thank you for your patience! And now on to today’s post…

Europe is full of tourist spots, cities that everyone knows of and are the places that most people head to. But the continent is also full of places that are still relatively unknown, or at least not bogged down by tourists like some of their counterparts. There are lots of spots that are totally underrated in Europe but here are five of my favorites!

The Scottish city is one that often gets overlooked for busier and more well known London. Edinburgh though is a gem not to be missed, from stone buildings that look straight out of Harry Potter to an old world feel that feels unique to Scotland, from the heavy Scottish accents to amazing countryside that surrounds the city. The city is becoming more and more of a tourist destination but in the off season you can still wander the streets alongside the locals.

Perhaps because of its fraught history or because most tourists block to Dublin and the Irish countrysides of County Kerry, but Northern Ireland is still a relatively unknown spot for tourists. Home of the Giant’s Causeway and the tiny town of Bushmills famous for its whiskey, Northern Ireland is gorgeous and quiet. Rent a car and drive the countryside, through tiny towns and green fields full of sheep. The North also boasts incredible cliffsides above the ocean and incredible food.

Often overlooked for its famous neighbor, Cannes, Nice in the South of France is still fairly quiet in the off seasons. While the Summers stay busy with tourists, an escape here in the early Spring is the perfect time to wander the Riviera city without being overwhelmed. The mixture of a laid back lifestyle and French food and culture makes Nice a fantastically underrated spot.

While Iceland is becoming more and more popular, there are still a ton of people who say, “why would I go to Iceland?” An untouched world of beauty and superstitions, Iceland is one of those places that you’ll leave saying “why haven’t I been to Iceland sooner?”

The Scandinavian city is often overlooked by tourists who tend to stick to mid to Southern Europe, Denmark’s capital is a great spot to experience Scandinavia and Northern Europe. With a definite charm and super walkable streets, Copenhagen is a great escape from the typical European cities like London and Rome.

5 Times When It’s Worth the Extra Money

November 17, 2014

Travel is expensive, it really isn’t worth in saying it isn’t. Even if you employ techniques to save money and even when you get deals, it’s still expensive. And while I do my best to cut back where I can while traveling and use as many miles and points as I can, there are also time when it’s worth the extra money to splurge on your trip.

It’s important to know though when it’s worth the extra money and when it’s not. For Nick and I, we like to splurge in certain areas of our trips but over the years we’ve realized when we can handle cutting cost and when we really should spend a little extra. Here are the areas I would suggest splurging on and when it’s really worth the extra money.

Plane trips over 10 hours.

The majority of the time, we’re just like everyone else and smashed into economy seats on airplanes with bad food, no leg room and the person next to us taking up half our seat. Isn’t that always the case?! However, there is a limit to what we’re willing to endure aboard an airplane. When we’re traveling somewhere on a plane for over 10 hours, that’s sort of my limit. Over 10 hours is worth upgrading, even if it’s just to Premium Economy which is becoming more and more affordable.

A good night’s rest.

One thing I’m not willing to skimp on when we travel is a good hotel or apartment. My sleep is really important to me and I’m always willing to pay more for good accommodation. Especially towards the beginning of your trip and at the end when you’re tired from traveling or feeling ready to head home, it’s important to get good rest and spend the money on a decent place.

Train rides over 4 hours.

I love traveling by train and particularly in Europe, the trains are pretty good and comfortable for quick trips. Though when you’re spending 4+ hours on a train, it’s often worth paying not much more for a first class ticket. We did this on the 5 hour journey from Milan to Nice a couple years ago and got our own first class cabin. It was by far worth it for not that much more money.

Special occasions.

I’m a big fan of celebrating special occasions and trips can be a great way to commemorate birthdays or anniversaries. But don’t skimp on these trips, these trips are the ones that everyone will remember for years to come and it’s worth spending a little extra for a special memory.

Amazing Views.

My one major weakness when we travel are hotels that have amazing views. There is something about waking up and opening up your windows to see Notre Dame across the street or panoramic views over Brussels or seeing your private infinity pool overflowing down the hill into Lake Pichola in Udaipur or watching a lightening storm behind the Taj Mahal from the privacy of your hotel room. A fantastic view from a hotel room is always worth the extra money and will often make your whole trip.

London By Day

Christmas Festivities in Leavenworth

5 Spots for an Exotic Winter Escape

5 Totally Underrated Spots in Europe

5 Times When It’s Worth the Extra Money

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