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Tokyo 2018, I miss it. In the future, I'd love to go back to Japan to explore Osaka, Kyoto, and Hokkaido.

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Seoul 2018, before I got my camera.

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2023 End of the year thoughts...

Here are some of my favourite photos taken in each of the places I visited last year. It's still unbelievable to me that I pulled off visiting 14 countries in one year: Italy (Rome, Venice, Verona, and Lake Garda), Vatican City, Germany (Berlin), Portugal (Lisbon), Luxembourg, Greece (Athens, Santorini, Chania, and Heraklion), Cyprus (Paphos), Jordan (Amman, Petra, and Wadi Rum), Wales, Norway (Oslo), Austria (Vienna), France (Marseille), Northern Ireland (Belfast) and ending the year visiting Czechia (Prague) for my 28th birthday.

My favourite places I visited were Jordan (nothing will beat seeing one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Petra, and the stunning red sands of Wadi Rum), Italy (especially Lake Garda and the gondola ride in Venice was a dream come true), Wales because climbing Snowdon is a great achievement for me, and finally Prague. I dreamt of visiting it ever since reading the description of the city in one of my favourite childhood books.

I did go into debt which I am currently paying off till March (two more payments, freedom tastes so sweet) which I regret. I definitely got the travel bug ripped out of me and I will never do this again. I am taking things a lot easier this year. I am also thankful to have been to so many beautiful places, for being able to share these memories with my friends and family and to be able to take my mum with me to a lot of these, making her dreams of traveling come true as well.

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Staithes Biodiversity 2024, Oil paint on recycled wood

Based on the photographs I took whilst visiting Staithes, North Yorkshire.

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Greenwich, London

I find it fitting that my last trip of the year was to the Prime Meridian at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. It's a nice end to a year of travel. We also visited the Cutty Sark, Greenwich Pier, took a boat on the Thames to Embankment, where the London Eye is, and Covent Garden for their annual Christmas display.

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Mousehold Heath - Norwich, Norfolk

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Prague and my 28th birthday

My dream was to visit Prague and for my 28th birthday, it came true! When I was 11 I read a Polish book called Pan Samochodzik. On one of his adventures, he visits Prague, and ever since I read the description of the city I fell in love. I finally had the opportunity to visit and it is even more stunning than the book depicts it. I took that book with me to re-read it on the trip making this possibly one of my favorite birthday celebrations. You can truly get lost in Prague's beauty and history. This is one of the places that I feel I need to revisit. I only ever felt drawn to a city in such a way with Seville and Edinburgh before, Prague is now added to the list.

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Prague Itinerary

Day 1: 

Old Town Square - FREE

St Nicholas Church - FREE

Astronomical Clock - FREE

Church of Our Lady - FREE

The house at the black Madonna - FREE

Prajna Brama - FREE

Basilica of St James (mummified hand) - FREE

Day 2:

Man Hanging Out statue - FREE

Charles Bridge - FREE

Lennon’s Wall - FREE

Kafka Museum - £10

Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague - £8

Klementinum Library and Astronomical Tower Tour - £10

Absintherie Jilská Bar

Vegan’s Prague - Dinner

Day 3:

Prague Castle - £9

St. Vitus Cathedral - FREE

St George’s Basilica - FREE

Zlota Uliczka - FREE 

Strahov Monastery - £5

Kafka’s Head - FREE

Mucha Museum - £12

Dancing House - FREE

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Marseille

The trip ended with 2 days in France before going back to the UK. We took a boat trip to the nearby Château d'If which served as the backdrop to the famous book The Count of Monte Cristo.

We allowed ourselves a little bit of luxury after all the traveling over the month. We were pretty exhausted at this point but as we sat there in the hotel courtyard we asked each other if we could keep going and we both said yes. It is amazing how quickly people adapt to their situations.

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Amman

Jordan was my favorite country I visited during my one-month summer trip. It was also my first time in the Middle East. As a female traveling with another female, we felt safe and quite relaxed. I am heavily tattooed and no one seemed to care, after a while, I got more comfortable just showing them off. I think so long as you are respectful and dress appropriately you're all good. As with wherever you travel to, just be respectful of the people and the culture you are entering and you will probably have a good time.

It is heartbreaking to hear about what is happening in Gaza. I met quite a few Palestinians in Jordan escaping the Ethnic Cleansing because that is what it is. It's infuriating, but not surprising, that the UK gov is just following whatever the USA is doing. We should be condemning Israel's actions, not supplying them with more weapons. No civilians should be suffering or be used as political props on either side.

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Petra, Jordan - One of the 7 Wonders of the World

Entry to Petra is included in the Jordan Pass. There are many hiking trails to explore Petra of varying times and difficulties. We did a combination of the Siq (the Treasury) trail, followed by Jabal Haroun trail, and then the climb up 900 steps Ad-Dier Monastery Hike. To explore most of Petra and its beauty I'd recommend a full day. We had a lovely opportunity to have tea with a couple of Bedouin ladies. We had two Bedouin women, one Brit and me, an Easter European, and it was such a great conversation about our families and tattoos over tea.

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Wadi Rum

Welcome to Mars! Wadi Rum was the highlight of my trip to Jordan. People are lovely, and speak a mindblowing amount of languages, the tea is amazing and the views breathtaking. The Bedouin people are very hospitable and we had a great time just chatting and exchanging stories. I was floored when one man spoke to me in my native language, Polish. They explained that historically the desert was a transit place for a lot of cultures for trade so the Bedouin hospitality became famous and as people passed they picked up a lot of languages. I would highly recommend staying in one of the desert camps even just for one night to experience sleeping in the desert or star gaze. Camps offer traditional dinner for around 13 JOD which is not to be missed. The food is cooked in a hole in the ground for the whole day and is cooked by the heat from the insulation, saving on energy. Wadi Rum also served as the setting for many famous movies including Star Wars and The Martian.

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Prater, a vintage amusement park in Vienna, Austria. The oldest ride is from 1897 and the entry is free! The rides are about €5 - €7 each.

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Schmetterlinghaus, palm house in Art Nouveau style, Vienna, Austria. The tropical rainforest setting is home to hundreds of giant butterflies.

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Vienna

A quick stop-over in Vienna on our way from Chania to Paphos. In the future, I'd love to come back to explore more and see an opera or one of the advertised Mozart concerts. A few hours is not enough to explore this beautiful city, although we tried our best.

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Greek Islands, Cyprus, Jordan & France - Full Itinerary

This summer I made one of my life goals come true and travelled for 3 weeks to 5 countries (the 4 I was meant to visit originally + an accidental stopover in Austria) including Greek mainland and island hopping as well as visiting one of the 7 Wonders of the World, Petra in Jordan.

ATHENS - GREECE

Official gov tourism website https://www.visitgreece.gr/mainland/attica/athens/ 

Day 1

Take a 40 min bus from the airport

Temple of Olympian Zeus - Acropolis & Slopes Pass

Hadrian’s Arch - FREE

Theatre of Dionysus - Pass

Ruins of Asklepieion and Stoa of Eumenes - Pass

Odeon of Herodes Atticus - Pass

Acropolis of Athens - Pass

Erechtheoin - Pass

Temple of Athene Nike - Pass

Parthenon - Pass

Acropolis Museum - €15

Coming down the hill Areios Lagos (ancient law court) - FREE

Ancient Agora of Athens  - Pass

Temple of Hephaestus (at the ancient agora) - Pass

Monastiraki Square - FREE

Hadrian’s Library - Pass

Day 2

Plaka - FREE

Zappeion Garden - FREE

Ethnikos Kipos (Athens national garden) - FREE

Kalamaki Beach - FREE

Day 3

The Prison of Socrates - FREE

Church of Saint Demetrios Loumbardiaris - FREE

Pnyx - FREE

Philopappou Hill - FREE

Flight from Athens to Santorini

SANTORINI - GREECE

Day 1

Thera (Fira) day out - 30 min bus (€2)

Three Bells of Fira - FREE

Black sand beach - FREE

Day 2

Day trip to Oia

Day 3

Ancient Fira - £5

Ferry to Heraklion

HERAKLION - GREECE

Day 1

Beach day - FREE

Day 2

Venetian port Heraklion - FREE

Old Town - FREE

Day 3

Knossos Palace - £15

Heraklion Archaeological Museum - Included in the ticket

Day 4

Take the bus to Chania, 2 hours 30 min https://www.allincrete.com/buses-timetables/ around £15

CHANIA - GREECE

Day 1

Old Venetian Port of Chania - FREE

Lighthouse of Chania - FREE

Boat Trip - many depart daily from the port for £25

Day 2

Chania International Airport flight to Paphos

PAPHOS - CYPRUS

Day 1

Take a 25 min taxi to the hotel

Explore Paphos Old Town - FREE

Day 2

- Venus Beach - FREE

Day 3

Archaeological Site of the Tombs of the Kings - £2

Day 4

Archaeological Site of Nea Paphos - £4

Paphos Castle - FREE

Forty Columns Fortress - PAID

Paphos Mosaics - PAID

House of Dionysus - PAID

Villa of Theseus - PAID

House of Orpheus - PAID

Agora - PAID

Lighthouse - FREE

Day 5

Flight to Amman Queen Alia International Airport

AMMAN - JORDAN

Day 1

Take a bus from the airport (departs every 30 min) 

Roman Theatre - JORDAN PASS

Folklore Museum - JORDAN PASS

Amman Citadel: Open Cistern, Palace - JORDAN PASS

King Abdullah I Mosque - FREE

Rainbow Street - FREE

JORDAN PASS (includes visa) https://jordanpass.jo/Contents/Prices.aspx 

Day 2

Take a bus from Amman to Petra 6:30 am takes 3 hours arrival 9:30 am https://www.jett.com.jo/en 

PETRA - JORDAN

Day 2

Petra Tourist Office - FREE

Petra Museum - included in the JORDAN PASS

Siq (the Treasury) trail, then Jabal Haroun trail, then the climb up 900 steps Ad-Dier Monastery Hike - JORDAN PASS

Take a 40 JOD taxi to Wadi Rum Visitor Centre

WADI RUM - JORDAN

Day 2 Continued

Pick up from Wadi Rum Visitor Centre for 5 JOD organised by the camp (let them know arrival time one day prior to the stay)

Check-in at Desert Magic Camp & Resort Ad Disah Road 1, 77110 Wadi Rum, Jordan

Traditional dinner - 13 JOD

Day 3

Jeep tour of the desert (regular 4 hours) - 22 JOD

5 JOD jeep ride back to Wadi Rum Visitor Centre

Take a bus back to Amman

AMMAN - JORDAN

Day 3 Continued

Dinner at Hashem Restaurant

Day 4

Swim in the Dead Sea - Amman Beach - Dead Sea - FREE or ask your hotel for a private driver around 80 JOD for two people with access to a private beach at one of the resorts

The Baptism Site of Jesus Christ https://www.baptismsite.com/operating-hours-a-entrance-fees/ - 12 JOD

Flight to Paphos then flight to France Marseille Provence Airport 

MARSEILLE - FRANCE

Day 1

Chateau d’If via boat - €6 transport not included 

Day 2

Palais Longchamp - FREE

Cathedral La Major - FREE

Basilica of Notre-Dame of la Garde - FREE

Flight from Marseille Provence Airport back to the UK