Christmas Jingles in Gothenberg, Sweden

Back at the start of September I was browsing flights to anywhere, trying to choose somewhere to go on holiday when I came across some cheap flights to Gothenburg in Sweden.

A quick Google search revealed that they held a huge Christmas market at the Liseberg theme park each year and it would be the opening weekend. Its safe to say our family is big on Christmas. In fact we have been known to play Christmas songs to help us cool down in the middle of August when its hot outside. So when I messaged my mum and sister about a Christmassy girl’s weekend away and instantly they replied, yes!

With all of us working week days, the flight times were excellent as they meant that we could arrive in Gothenburg early Saturday morning and leave Sunday afternoon. With no baggage to check in and being able to check in online meant we didn’t really have to get to the airport the full 2 hours before the flight and effectively give us 2 days to explore Gothenburg.

Next was accommodation. I chose a hotel with good reviews just outside of the city centre; it was basically the Swedish equivalent of a Premier Inn. I was a little nervous that it would be too far away from everything at first but once we got there it was in a perfect location, equal distance between the city centre and the theme park.

When we arrived, it was cold but there was no snow, I know it was too early for snow being the beginning of November but all the pictures I had seen were full of snow and it looked so beautiful that I had hoped that it might have snowed just a little bit. 

We were unable to check in to the hotel until after 1pm but we were allowed to use the common areas and check our rucksacks into the hotel bag store which save us from lugging them around the park the whole day. After a quick bathroom break, breakfast and a check of the map we set out to explore.

Our first and main stop was the Liseberg park. It was FANTASTIC! and certainly exceeded everything I had ever imagined!
the park was fantastic, it was divided in to different sections which included a kids area and a medieval village. One thing we noticed though was that the whole park was super clean.
Here are a few pictures: 

 Some fake snow which had been sprayed in most areas of the park

 A HUGE christmas tree which could be seen pretty much all over the city.

 There were fire pits all over the park. something which would never happen in England.

There were thousands of fairy lights everywhere, it was so beautiful. These pictures really don't do justice

This park is 110% worth visiting, its so pretty and very Christmassy. 

The City its self is lovely too and at Christmas they have 'The Lane of Light' in the main shopping areas which is very pretty too.

I cannot speak highly enough about taking a short break in Sweden, in fact I would really like to visit in the summer to compare. My only advice would be that things are expensive to buy when you are there so this is definitely not a shopping destination!

Exploring Palma

Part of my work involves an Annual Conference where all key people in the industry get together to make decisions and discuss the future. Each year the entire office moves to a hotel somewhere in the world for a week-long event. This year’s event was Palma, Mallorca.

We are very fortunate that, if you want, you are able to take holiday after the conference to explore the local area. I’ve been to Palma before so wasn’t too fussed about spending a long break after conference there, especially as it isn't overly warm in November. However, my brother quite often works out there so I decided I would take a later flight and pay him a visit But in an interesting turn of events, my brother had to go to the USA while I was there so I found myself with some free time.

Friday I moved hotels, the one we were staying in for conference was a little over my budget! Instead found a perfect little hotel/hostel nearby. I cannot recommend this place highly enough. It was in a great location close to the old town but tucked away from the main road so was nice and quiet. The whole place was pretty basic but spotless, although a little rough around the edges all rooms have en suite bathrooms and free wifi, the bed that I had had a memory foam mattress ( I seriously need one of those at home!) and it even had a swimming pool! I paid €35 for one night and it was worth every penny! 

My room for the night

After a quick power nap I headed out to explore. As I had been there before I had a rough idea on the places to go so I set about walking to the old town to have a look at the shops.

It is safe to say that I smashed my 10 thousand step target for the day!

I'd say that if you are planning a visit to Mallorca then definitely pay a visit to the Old Town if you can, its quite charming and it makes such a change from the tourist resorts which are all too common in Europe. If you have a spare evening you HAVE to visit Abaco. Its the coolest bar, drinks are a little pricey so you may want to stay for just one drink but trust me it is SO worth it. From the outside its quite hard to spot but inside its a bar in a 17th century mansion and they fill the place with fresh flowers and fruit. you can find out more about it here.

 The Menu in Abaco

 Our drinks, pricey, but worth every penny.

 Inside the bar

 Palma Old Town

 Palma Old Town

The view on my walk 

The first blog entry

I've tried and failed so many times a keeping diaries that I have lost count. This time however I am not going to make plans, set deadlines or make goals except one... To use this blog as a way of keeping note of things in my life. Things I like, trips I make and food I eat.



Today I am a painfully single 26 year old who, has lived a pretty great life so far, i've travelled quite a bit, lived abroad, met lots of interesting people and have the best family I could ever ask for. However, things have slowed down lately because I now work full time and spend most of my time being a sensible grown up. I am starting to get complacent and a bit bored with the way things are, so i've decided to make some changes.



In August I started weight watchers. I did this for a few reasons; to loose weight, to feel better, to build confidence, to wear clothes from fashionable shops and find a man...but most of all to be happy being me.



One of the biggest thing about being single in your mid twenties is that although you have friends a lot of them are in couples, married, have children and those that do happen to still be single have careers which mean that they can't always take time off (myself included) this means that going on adventures with friends isn't really possible. I've decided that if I want to do something then I should just go ahead and do it. 

 Life is too short to miss out on stuff because you are worried about going it alone.




Time to make changes, you only get one chance of life so you have to make it count.