Food and Travel

Two of my favourite things are food and travel, so whenever I get to combine the two, you can guarantee a happy Sophie!

Europe is the best place I've been for food (so far!), and I still can't decide if I prefer France (wine, cheese, bread and pastries) or Italy (wine, cheese, pizza, pasta, ice cream!)

Food, for me, captures the essence of the place you're in, and is one of the best ways to experience the different countries, cultures and ways of life. I love how many different things are eaten around the world, and I think it's a key part of travel! My housemate loves to travel (she's been to far more places than I have) and yet the food doesn't really interest her. Our other friend, however, has just been to China and posted so many pictures of food - I loved it! From scorpion to Sicheuan Hot Pot, I wanted to be in China experiencing it with her, and to me it's one of the best bits about travel. I think you're either a foodie or you're not, and I definitely am!

Africa has not been the most exciting place for food (although parts do have some pretty good recipes!), with the exception of Zanzibar, which had some pretty amazing seafood! I was quite a picky eater as a child, and I still don't eat much meat, but I've tried to broaden my tastes as an adult, and I'm glad I have. 

I'd never eaten seafood before I went to Zanzibar, apart from trying it a couple of times as a kid and declaring my disgust. My parents once tricked my brother and I into eating calamari at a tapas restaurant by claiming they were onion rings, and that was enough to put anyone off!

I played it quite safe in the rest of Tanzania, but in Zanzibar I went on a boat tour around the archipelago. I was sat on a mound of sand, literally in the middle of nowhere, and the guides were BBQing fresh fish right in front of us, so I decided not to be such a wuss and try whatever was put in front of me. I went from no seafood to eating octopus, prawns, crab, lobster and a meaty fish which I think was barracuda, although I could be wrong. 

I wasn't (and still am not) a big fan of shellfish, and I found the octopus quite tough with very little taste, but I was surprised to find that I LOVED the lobster and the barracuda! They had a whole lobster for each of us (they're so fresh and abundant out there, it's not an extravagance) and they'd cooked the barracuda with some amazing spices, and it was quite honestly the best meal I've ever tasted.

Since then, I've been determined to try everything once, including goat and pigeon in Mali (although if I ever go to SE Asia, I might have to draw a line at scorpion...), although nothing else has become a firm favourite. I haven't really travelled anywhere particularly foody yet, however, so there's still time!

Mali definitely wasn't great for food. It's one of the poorest countries in the world, and apart from an ex-pat community of missionaries and volunteers, it has little to no tourism. Most of the food out there was rice, meat and sauce, as well as a touch of the French influence with fresh bread every morning, and an attempt at patisseries. 

I was there for three months, and I survived mainly on eggs and bread. The only food really safe to eat was bananas, and they went off incredibly quickly in the heat. Watermelons were safe too (anything with a skin on basically) but they were harder to come by. I gave myself food poisoning on my first day there (I still have no idea what with, I didn't eat anything exciting!) and a couple of other volunteers had a literal bug in their stomachs, so we all had to be very careful what we ate. The first meal I had when I came home was vegetable chilli as I was craving vitamins!

(Actually, one of the best foods out there was aloco (fried plantain). I did have a go at replicating it when I was back in the UK, but with little success unfortunately!)

I love food like chickpeas, pulses and spices, so I'd love to go to north Africa (Morocco etc) to try the food there. Here in the UK, there's a show called the Great British Bake Off that I'm a bit obsessed with (very clever people having bakes judged weekly to find the star baker! #quicksynopsis) and I've always wanted to try my hand at some of the recipes.

I love cooking - I'm not amazing at it, but I can usually follow a recipe, so when bread week appeared on GBBO, I really wanted to try them all! It was a toss up between Martha's bread (a sunflower with a whole cheese baked inside the bread, and chutney in each of the petals) and Iain's (moroccan plaited loaf with a bessara dip) but as Iain's was more something I'd eat normally, I decided to give it a go! (Recipe available here).

Apart from being so worried about the plaiting that I forgot to include the goat's cheese, I think it turned out alright! Will definitely be trying my hand at other bakes in the future!

I love trying recipes from all around the world - it's another way of being an armchair explorer until I actually get to go there - so if you have any recipes to share, please share them in the comments!

Capri

When I was about 15, my friend Ellie and I read a book by Belinda Jones that was one of the main reasons I chose to travel to Sorrento this summer - 'I Love Capri.' It's a typical girly book, with the main focus on romance, but set in a location that Belinda describes so vividly, I was transported there with every page. I literally couldn't put it down (and have read it many times since) and I knew I had to visit someday.

When my friend Mel and I were looking for a European holiday this summer, Sorrento seemed pretty perfect. Not only was it near Pompeii and Vesuvius to satisfy the history geek in me, it was close enough to Capri that I could finally visit (10 years later!) SOLD!

You can catch a ferry or a hydrofoil to Capri from both Sorrento and Naples - we went for a ferry as it was cheaper, and there didn't seem to be much difference otherwise. One thing that I will mention about Capri is that it's expensive. We knew this before we went, and budgeted accordingly, but I think I spent around 100 euros just in one day. Definitely worth it, but just something to keep in mind.

We took the ferry from Sorrento at around 9am, arriving in Capri just before 10am. The last ferry was at 6.45pm, giving us the whole day. You arrive into the Marina Grande, and can either get the bus or funicular up to Capri Town. Wanting to experience everything, we decided on the funicular on the way there, and the bus on the way back because, why not?! It only takes a few minutes, but like everything else in the area, Capri is very rocky and hilly, so it beat walking up there in 35C!

It would be pretty impossible to do everything in Capri in one day, even though it's tiny, so we narrowed it down to two definites - the Grotta Azzura and Monte Solaro. Everything else would be a bonus! We wandered around Capri Town for a while, getting our bearings, then decided to head onto Anacapri to get the chairlift up to Monte Solaro. Capri is known for being the home of the rich and famous, and many travel there to do a bit of celebrity spotting, but we were more interested in the scenery, so Capri Town held little appeal. If we'd had more time, we would have explored a little more. It's worth wandering around the maze of streets, spotting the five star luxury dotted on every corner!

You can buy a day ticket for buses on Capri for under 10 euros, and I'd definitely recommend it. You can get a bus to pretty much anywhere on the island, and although they're tiny and rammed full of people, it doesn't take very long to get anywhere and they're very frequent. We headed on the bus to Anacapri, then headed up the chairlift to the top of Monte Solaro. I assume you can walk to the top of here, but I didn't see anyone doing so. It's 10 euros for a return trip on the chairlift, which takes around 12 minutes each way. I was a little nervous at first, but you follow the gradient of the hillside, so you're never more than around 10 feet off the ground (though I don't imagine it would be a pleasant landing) and the views are just stunning!

We spent around 45 minutes on top, taking in the views, and sitting in the shade with a granita (sweet lemon juice over crushed ice - SO refreshing!). You could see for miles, and I could even re-enact the cover of Belinda Jones' book! We then headed back down the chairlift to to Anacapri to find the bus to the Grotto Azzura.

In her book, Belinda made the Grotto Azzura (Blue Lagoon) sound magical, so it was here that I was most excited to visit! It's around 13 euros for a ticket if you go directly there, or you can take a boat round from the Marina Grande for an extra 5 euros. If I could do it again, I'd do this, as I imagine the boat trip would be stunning! We got the bus there from Anacapri however, and managed to find the steps down to the grotto.

We were very confused for a while as to where to buy tickets from. There seemed to be nowhere to go at the bottom of the steps, but we knew we needed tickets. We asked a couple of Italians, who all seemed to say "On the bus!" so we trekked back up to the top of the cliff to the bus stop, to no avail.

We finally managed to find some Americans, who told us that you actually buy tickets on the boats at the bottom of the steps, so we trudged back down again to the platform at the bottom. To enter the Grotto Azzura, you have to go in a rowing boat with a singing(!) guide. You get on the boat, and are rowed to another boat to buy a ticket (presumably so you don't back out?), then back round and into the Grotta Azzura itself.

In the book, the main character enters the grotto when the sea is rough, and is soaked from head to toe (you have to lie down to enter the cave, as it's very low and if the waves are high, they don't let you in as you'd be dashed on the rocks!) Fortunately, the same didn't happen to us, and we we made it into the grotto safely.

The Grotta Azzura gets its name, because something in the rocks (some kind of composite or chemical, I forget what exactly) reflects the light and the water, making it appear the most brilliant blue! It was just as it was described in the book, and was definitely the highlight of the trip for me. I could have done without the singing from the guide however - I think he was trying to ensure a tip, but it just made it seem a bit naff and touristy. It was also spoilt when, as we reached land again on our return, the guide wouldn't pull up to the platform until we'd given him a tip. It felt like I was being blackmailed, and I wasn't too happy about it.

After this, we were hot and tired, so we headed back to the Marina Grande to have recover. We'd planned to swim in the sea and relax until it was time for the ferry, but we'd managed to visit in a heatwave, and we'd barely been in the shade all day. The bus back to the Marina Grande was horrendous - hot and packed - and I felt incredibly sick on the way back down. I think we spent most of the trip trying to avoid heatstroke!

We'd originally said that we weren't going to sit in the main squares in Capri (they're extortionately expensive) but desperate times call for desperate measures, and I paid 5 euros for a Diet Coke that was the best thing I've ever tasted! People watching in the square was highly entertaining, and there was just time for a dip in the sea (although I scarpered pretty quickly when I saw a jellyfish!) before catching the ferry back to Sorrento in time for dinner.

Now I've built Capri up in my imagination for 10 years, and it pretty much met my expectations, which is saying something! There are things we didn't manage to do (such as visiting the lighthouse), but Capri is absolutely stunning, so even if you only visit for the scenery it's worth it. It's not something to do on a budget, and the fact that it was quite touristy dampened the experience of the Grotta Azzura, but it was still the highlight of my trip, and I'd recommend a visit to anyone!

Sorrento

This year, I went on my first 'proper' holiday in 3 years! Apart from a trip to Rome in 2012 and Krakow earlier this year, the last time I actually went away was to Spain in 2011.

I've always promised my friend Mel that we'd go away but I've never been able to afford it, so as soon as I got some semblance of money together we started looking for places to go. We're both quite different; I like an active holiday, and am not very good at lying on the beach for a week, whereas Mel loves being by the sea, so we had to make some compromises.

One place I've always wanted to go is Pompeii, and Mel agreed, so we started looking for places on the Amalfi coast that had some kind of beach (it tends to be rocky, rather then sandy around there). There were a few places we considered, but Sorrento seemed the most appealing, so we went ahead and booked it!

We stayed in a nice hotel called 'Settimo Cielo' (Seventh Heaven) up in the hills, around a 15 minute walk outside of the main town centre. It was basic and comfortable, and the staff were lovely (even when Italy beat us in the first match of the World Cup!); the one thing that really made it was the view over the Bay of Naples, with Vesuvius right in front!

 We spent the first few days wandering around and getting our bearings. There were three things that we really wanted to do while we were there; Pompeii and Vesuvius, Capri and Naples. Other than that, we were happy to explore and see what we could find.

Sorrento's main street is called the Corsa Italia, and although it's the road that leads to everywhere, it's also a place to avoid. The few shops and restaurants on here are overpriced, tourist tat, aimed at those too lazy to look elsewhere. Turn left off the street however, and you find yourself in a maze of backstreets with amazing restaurants, cute souvenir shops and lemons as big as your head! Of course there are places to avoid here as well, but you soon learn to spot them and find the gems amid the madness.

The street directly parallel with the Corsa Italia is the main souvenir street, and the streets perpendicular are the ones with the restaurants. We aimed to go somewhere different each night (although if you're on a little bit of a budget and aim to avoid the tat, your choice becomes somewhat limited) and I think I ate pizza six nights out of seven! My favourite restaurant was called La Basilica, tucked away on a side street close to the train station, and we ate there a couple of times. Great pizza, wine and dessert - what more do you need in Italy?!

There are three main marinas in Sorrento; Marina Grande, Marina San Francesco and Marina Piccolo. The Marina Piccolo is the largest (of course, because that makes sense(!)) and is where the ferries and hydrofoils to Naples and the islands leave from. The Marina San Francesco is the one in the middle, with a small beach area, and the Marina Grande a small, rocky area close to our hotel. We never actually visited the Marina Grande (although we could see it clearly from our room), but there are jetties there where you can rent a sunbed and umbrella for a day so you can swim in the sea).


Sorrento is built into the cliffs, so descending to sea level involves a fair amount of steep steps; not too bad on the way down, but it would have been a killer on the way back up (we're talking hundreds of steps in around 35C heat). Fortunately, Sorrento is a tourist town and someone has had the bright idea of building a lift into the cliff. For just 1 Euro (or 1.80 for a return) you can save yourself the climb back up, and I can safely say it's one of the best Euros I have ever spent!

One of my favourite things about the area, is that it's famous for its citrus fruit - specifically, lemons! I first heard about Limoncello in Belinda Jones' 'I Love Capri' (more about that later), and my friend Ellie made it when we were in Sixth Form. I've had it previous times I've been in Italy, but I was really looking forward to it here. Everywhere you walked, there were stalls with lemons as big as your head, and everything had lemon in it. What I didn't realise about Limoncello in Italy however, is that rather than Vodka it's made with 80% ethanol! It took me around an hour to finish my first shot - tasty but any more and I'd have been drunk on the spot.

If you ever go to Sorrento, I'd definitely recommend staying outside of the centre, if only for the views. We were fortunate enough to be walking distance from town, so we had best of both worlds (although we did get drenched in the frequent evening thunderstorms), but even if you're higher up in the hills there are regular shuttle buses into town.

The train station was around 30 minutes' walk from our hotel, with regular trains running to Naples, Pompeii and Ercolano (for Vesuvius). The Marina Piccolo was around the same distance, and it was from here that we got the ferry over to Capri. We never actually made it to Naples (we happened to visit during a heatwave, and after two days of sweating and avoiding heat stroke, we decided that it just wasn't worth it. I will definitely be returning to the Amalfi Coast, so I can always go back in the future). It's so easy to visit other places from here, and there's bits and pieces to do in Sorrento itself, even if only to sit amongst the lemon trees with a gelato!

Controversially, Sorrento is currently one of my favourite places in Italy, even beating Rome (although that could be explained by the fact that I'm a countryside girl rather than city, even if I am a major history geek!) Amazing food, amazing location, amazing views and lovely people - there's not much more you can ask from an Italian town, and I shall certainly be going back. Not for a while though - there's more to explore first!

How do you travel the world if you're scared of flying?

Hi, my name's Sophie, I work in travel and I'm terrified of flying.

I know, sounds like the beginning of an AA meeting, right? I mean, lots of people are scared of flying, it's hardly unusual. But what if it's an intrinsic part of what you do?

In my job, I reassure people all the time. Of course Thailand is safe, you'll be absolutely fine. No, you're highly unlikely to get Ebola in South Africa, you're actually closer to the outbreak here in London... It's part and parcel of what I do, and I enjoy it. One thing I struggle with however, is reassuring nervous flyers.

I didn't set foot onto a plane until I was 13 years old, heading to the Canary Islands with my dad and brother. I'd heard stories of people being scared of flying, but that first time, I don't actually think I was too bad. My dad might remember differently, but I don't think flying bothered me too much. It was as I grew older, and became aware of my own mortality, that flying became more and more scary.

I think the first time I was properly petrified was the first time I went on holiday with my friends when I was 18. A couple of my friends were nervous flyers as well, and I don't think we helped each other much. In fact, the joint fear only justified our own individual nervousness, and so I was the most scared I have ever been. I started listening to every noise, and became aware of every movement, watching the eyes of the cabin crew to see whether it was normal.

My brother and I used to watch a lot of Air Crash Investigation on TV (a programme that analyses plane crashes, why they happened and what could have been done to avoid it), and rather than it reassure me, it made me aware of how many things could actually go wrong. There's one episode in which one of the windows in the cockpit blows out, and the pilot is sucked outside of the plane, only saved by the quick thinking of his co-pilot, who grabbed onto his leg. Somehow, miraculously, they managed to land the plane AND the pilot survived, but what caused the problem? Somebody had fitted the wrong kind of nut or bolt onto somewhere. One tiny thing and a massive problem occurred.

I think that's my issue with flying. I know all the statistics of it being the safest form of transport, but if you crash a car, you've got a relatively high chance of survival, or at least that paramedics will get there quickly enough to save you. If something goes wrong in the air, it's not the problem itself that will kill you, but the uncontrolled descent, loss of pressure and potentially exploding into a ball of flames. Chances of surviving a plane crash are very slim, and you'll potentially know about it for a while before you actually die. That's what scares me.

Channel 4 did a programme a couple of years ago called 'The Plane Crash.' (I know, I know, why do I do this to myself?) In it, they intentionally crash a plane into the desert to try and analyse what increases your chance of survival in the case of a crash? Should you brace? Yes, probably. Where should you sit? Well, that depends on how the plane crashes. Nose first, then clearly the back. Tail first, the front is your best bet.

Oh but, by the way, this is only going to help you if the plane crashes in a very specific way. If it doesn't skim the ground right, then you'll probably ignite the fuel tank and you'll die anyway.

The point of this is that, the older I've got, the worse my fear has got. It's now developing into a full-blown phobia. Take off is the worst; once the captain switches off the seatbelt sign I'm usually ok, but all the way through check-in and boarding, I'm an absolute nightmare. I have scars on my wrist from digging my nails into myself during take off; an attempt to distract myself from what I'm actually doing, and ward off a panic attack.

The worst I've ever been was on the way back from Kenya in 2010. I was sat right at the back of the plane, in the middle of the middle row, and couldn't see a thing of what was going on outside. I was to be trapped on the plane for another 8 hours, and I had a really, really bad feeling (something I've learned to ignore as it usually means nothing!) I'd just conquered Kilimanjaro and spent three weeks leading a group of 22 volunteers around Tanzania, but this was too much and I burst into tears and had a panic attack all the way through take off, much to the disconcertion of everyone around me (not that any of the cabin crew noticed).

Since then, I've tried to control myself. I've learned to sit near the window, usually over the wing, so that when I hear a noise I can usually look out and attribute it to something. I tell whoever I'm travelling with to ignore me being an idiot, as I'll sort myself out as soon as I'm at cruising altitude, and pandering to my fear will probably only justify it in my head in the long run.

I take deep breaths during take off, squeeze my eyes tight shut, and occupy my hands so I don't add to my collection of scars! One of the main things that's helped is telling myself that, there's no going back now. Even if something does go wrong, my panic at the beginning won't actually affect anything, so it's best just to stay calm!

When I came back from Sorrento this summer, this was severely tested when we had to set off into a thunderstorm. I had to stand by the window and watch lots of other planes take off safely before I'd even consider going to the gate, and had to force myself to board the plane. Of course we were absolutely fine, and didn't even experience any turbulence, but my brain just wouldn't listen

Recently, with the losses of MH370 and MH17, as well as crashes in Taiwan and Mali, all within a few weeks of each other, plane travel has once again come into the spotlight. Again, I know the statistics, and I know it's the safest form of transport. But it's not 100% safe, and I have to face up to that. My heart goes out to anyone affected by either Malaysian disaster, or any plane crash really, as I can't imagine anything worse. For some reason, MH17 scared me more than most. For a civilian jet to be blown out of the sky; that's something that I hadn't even considered could happen, and it really shook me up.

Travel is my life, however, and flying is something I have to do to facilitate that. I haven't let it stop me in the past, and I don't plan to let it do so in the future. My biggest test will probably be in Nepal in May; I'm finally hoping to do Everest Base Camp (if I can actually get the money together for the flights) so not only do I have to fly to Kathmandu, I have to take a flight in a tiny Twin Otter plane to the most dangerous airport in the world.

Lukla is a tiny airfield. set into the side of the Himalayas, and the start point of most treks in that area. To get there, you have to fly on a tiny plane in which you can feel every movement, and see directly into the cockpit from your seat. In recent years, there have been several crashes here, mainly because of the weather (although Nepali airlines don't have the greatest safety standard either). The most recent was when clouds descended suddenly, causing the pilot to miss the runway and clip a fence on the edge of the airport, killing everyone on board.

Everest has been my dream for a while now, and I've already put it off a couple of times because of lack of funds. I have to do it, and the only other alternative is to add a 6 day trek in from Jiri (which I would do if I could, but I can't get the time off work!) I could do this with every trip; I could take buses and cars and trains, but the trips would take three times as long and it just wouldn't work in the long term. It's just not sustainable, and it would be silly to even consider it.

I've already started having nightmares about the flight, and nothing I've read on it has been reassuring (seasoned flyers have been terrified by it, so there's no hope for me!) The worst bit is that it's not an irrational fear, so I can't tell myself that I'm just being silly, as it is a possibility that the worst could happen.

I know I'm not as bad as some people; I've always been able to get onto the plane, and I've never had to take valium or any medication before doing so. This doesn't make my fear any less real though, and it still affects me more than I'd like.

I can't let this fear take over however, otherwise what's next? My dream of being a travel writer would be over, and I'd never be able to see the world like I've always hoped I would. I've overcome it before, and I will overcome it again. Sometimes you have to accept the risks in life, as the end goal is worth it, and I have to remember that (just don't tell my Mum!).

Krakow

One of the best things about my job now, is actually having the time and (almost) the money to be able to do the things I've always wanted to do! Back in March, my housemate and I both had a week off at the same time, and wanted to go somewhere we'd never been before!

We narrowed it down to Europe to reduce the flight costs, and spent a few evenings trawling through all the obscure places we could go to (Transylvania anyone) then comparing the flight prices. One place that kept cropping up was Poland - I'd wanted to visit Auschwitz ever since high school (it's the history geek in me), and the prices were coming out ok so we bit the bullet and booked it! 

We went for around 4 days, arriving early on the Tuesday and leaving at lunch time on Friday, giving us around 3 days to explore! The main reason we'd decided on Krakow was for Auschwitz, so I spent the next couple of weeks researching the rest of the city to find the best places to go. We found a hostel (Atlantis Hostel - highly recommended) based on its awesome reviews on HostelWorld (we weren't disappointed) and were ready to go! 

When you land in Krakow, it's very easy to find your way to the city centre, and lots of people speak English. We'd got directions from our hostel beforehand, but even if we hadn't I'm sure we would have been fine. There is a bus outside the airport directly to the city centre, then there are trams to take you where you need to go.

We stayed in Kazimierz (the Jewish Quarter), although Krakow is small and it was still walking distance to the Old Town. On the first day, we went straight to the hostel around lunch time, then went for a walk around Kazimierz, loaded with a map that the hostel had provided. We also booked our trip to Auschwitz (around £20 with transfers to and from the hostel, entrance fee and a guide - a good price that you'll find in most hostels) for the following day. 

Kazmierz is really pretty, and full of history! We walked for around an hour, just exploring, and ended up at the river. There are free walking tours around this area, and although we joined in for around 5 minutes, we decided to do the rest on our own. We then headed over the river, towards Schindler's Factory, just to see what was over there. When we arrived, we decided to actually head in and have a look around, as the entrance fee was pretty cheap and there was still enough time. I'd definitely recommend it; it takes you through Poland's journey from invasion by the Nazis to the consequent 'liberation' by the Soviets, right through World War Two. For someone who's studied this aspect of history a lot, it was still interesting, and definitely worth a visit! 

Food in Poland isn't the greatest (I'm not a big meat fan), so we stuck to what we knew (pizza anyone), then headed back to the hostel for the night. 

The next day, we headed over to Auschwitz bright and early, so to make the most out of the day. I've described how Auschwitz made me feel here (summary: harrowing!) but I'd definitely recommend it, and it was well worth the visit. We were picked up from the hostel, and taken with around 8 other tourists to Auschwitz One. Here, we were handed over to an English speaking guide, who gave us all a headset that she spoke into, allowing the atmosphere to stay quiet and solemn, rather than people shouting over everyone else.

Auschwitz One is where Auschwitz first started, before it became the hub of the Holocaust. It looks just like you envisage it, and how it's portrayed in all the films, complete with the gates - Arbeit Macht Frei (Work makes you free). The blocks each have different exhibits in them, and the guide takes you on a journey around Auschwitz; both the journey of Poland in World War Two, and the journey of all the victims of the Holocaust. 

The first part of the tour takes around 2-3 hours, walking around, reading the exhibits and taking everything in. Some you just can't (such as the possessions of the victims that literally fill some of the rooms), and it's often a relief to get back out into daylight before moving onto the next exhibit. In a way, that's something that I'm glad about - it wasn't supposed to be a fun day out, but I wasn't sure how it was supposed to make me feel. (More about that here). 

We then moved onto Birkenau (the second part of the camp, when Auschwitz became the focal point of the Holocaust) which is full of wide open spaces, with plenty of time to collect your thoughts. 

We headed back to the hostel mid-afternoon, completely wiped out and ready for a quick dinner before we headed to bed. Some people in our hostel went straight out drinking after visiting Auschwitz; each to their own, but I honestly don't think I could have done that. It felt a little wrong to me to be taking pictures, and I definitely felt I needed time to think about the day before doing anything else.

The next day was our last full day in Poland, and we'd done everything we definitely wanted to do, so we took the opportunity to explore the Old Town. We started with the castle, which offers amazing views over the whole of Krakow and sat in the sun, soaking up the sights, before moving onto the Town Square, around which there are lots of bars and restaurants. We spent a lot of time here, people watching and talking to lots of people (one Polish guy asked me to tell David Cameron to stay in the EU. I'll pass that one on next time I'm in Downing Street ;)) and basically just having a nice relaxing day!

I'd say three days is definitely enough to stay here; the only thing we missed out on is the Salt Mines (Danielle is a bit claustrophobic, so we thought it might not be the best idea), but we could easily have done that on the Thursday. I loved Krakow, but there's not a huge amount to do once you've done the main attractions (not a great word to describe Auschwitz, but it's so difficult to describe).

It's a fantastic place to go for a cheap trip away! Not including flights, I spent £80 which covered accommodation, food, Auschwitz and Schindler's Factory, as well as transport within the city, which I thought was amazing! Full of history, culture, amazing people and dirt cheap - what more could you want?! 

Life, the Universe and everything!

Ok, so I haven't posted again for a while, but the good news is that's it's because I've been busy actually living life! After years of just existing, I'm working in a job that I love, earning enough money (not a lot), but enough so that I can actually have a social life outside of work!

The best news? I've just come back from my first holiday in two years! Result!

I've moved house again since I last wrote, into a beautiful flat less than a minute from the beach. My last house was fine, but my housemate was a complete nightmare! (Who doesn't allow you to have the hot water switched on because it's too expensive?!) Fortunately, one of my friends from work was looking for someone to live with, so she rescued me!

We were very lucky to find a very pretty, quirky little flat 10 minutes walk from work in the middle of Kemptown, and we absolutely love it. We have lots in common (we've both climbed Kilimanjaro, we're both OBSESSED with Africa) and generally life is pretty sweet at the moment!

I'm still pretty skint, catching up from the days when I was poor and unemployed, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now! Relocating was pretty expensive (cost me around £2000), and living costs down here are high, but I still have a small disposable income, and I'm doing a job that I love!

I do love working in travel. Everyday, I get to talk to people about travelling to Thailand, South Africa, Ghana, India and so many more exotic places! I'm learning so much (not just about sales and about our trips, but about the world!) and I'm gaining friends in unusual places! It's not many jobs in which you can say you email Nepal, Thailand and Malawi on a regular basis!

While I'm not exactly where I want to be in the long run (working in charity challenges), I'm definitely going in the right direction! It beats working 50-60 hours per week in a crappy cafe job! I'm so much less stressed, I've met loads of amazing people and best of all, I can start planning some travels!

I do miss my friends and family up north, of course I do (come down and visit guys), and I feel for anyone still in the situation I was in. I've met very few people down here that struggled as much as me and my friends did up north, and it's quite sad really that to find work people have to relocate hundreds of miles, but it's the best thing I've ever done.

The main thing now is to continue loving my job, save up some money and get some more travel experience. Next stop, Sorrento then Everest Base Camp!

Being a Northerner down south.

There has been a lot of  stuff on the internet this week about the north, and how northern you are, and it made me think of our perception of each other. It's true that southerners think northerners are a bit grubby and common and unsophisticated, whilst northerners think southerners are a bit rude and unfriendly! A lot of this is just banter, but is it actually true?

I have been linked to this post a couple of times this week, and so thought I'd analyse it in more detail: http://usvsth3m.com/post/65623530326/18-things-only-northerners-living-down-south-will

1. You thought your accent was barely discernible, but to people down south you're basically Peter Kay.
True. My accent is nowhere near as strong as some of my friends and family, but I still get laughed at for certain words!

3. You're mortified when you go back home and your friends tell you you're starting to sound like a southerner. True to some extent. My Mum and Stepdad came down this weekend and said my accent was softer, but I've always spoken better than some of my friends (pronounced my vowels etc) to the point where they call me posh. In truth, I had to modify my accent more when I went to University in York than I do down here, and I only do down here because I speak on the phone a lot at work.

5. Down here if you call a woman 'duck' or 'love' she might accuse you of being sexist. True. I have been called 'darlin' a few times though, which I detest and view in the same way, especially when it's someone younger than me.

6. People are just friendlier back home. Not true - Brighton is very friendly, although this is likely to change the closer to London you get.

7. In the South, everyone wears a coat when they go out at night. Not true, but they are more susceptible to the cold than me. It's definitely not coat weather yet, but I have seen people in scarves and gloves!

8. Chips and gravy doesn't seem to have bridged the north/south divide. True :( In the words of Peter Kay - "Has tha nowt moist?!"

14. Sometimes you have met people who have never been up north at all, who think it all looks like this:

                                 

True. It's also quite funny not to dissuade them. If you can persuade them you worked 'dawn't' pit' as well, it's even funnier.

15. And you have to explain to them that time is still moving on north of the Watford Gap. True.

16. Northern countryside is the most beautiful in the world, no two ways about it. True, but the south is prettier than I thought it would be. The hills are just not quite high enough.

17. Northern seaside resorts are just better, and not just because they remind you of your childhood. Not true. In Brighton, you're unlikely to find human waste within wading distance, and far less drunk middle aged, tangoed women with their bits out. (Yes Blackpool I'm talking about you). Brighton is nice, although a sandy beach would be nicer. Think I prefer Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay, but it's nice to see the sea eveyday!

18. No matter where you are, you'll always be proud of your Northern roots. TRUE.

Before I moved down to Brighton, I swore that I'd never move down South. In my head, the south was expensive, and lacked the hills and pretty scenery that I love so much about where my family lives. In truth, whilst some of the south is like that, Brighton just isn't.  I still haven't gotten over the novelty of seeing the sea everyday (even if it is cold, wet and grey!), and the South Downs are so close that I have the best of all the worlds; the sea, the countryside and a city is pretty much on my doorstep!

I also thought I'd stand out a lot more than I do. I don't have the strongest accent, and I'm quite good at subconsciously adapting it to my surroundings. My Mum has always been quite fastidious about me not sounding too much like I'm from Rochdale, so my friends have always called me posh because I pronounce my 'O's more than they do and things like that. I do have an accent however, and whilst that's thicker when I'm talking to my friends at home, it is discernible, especially to the southern ear. The truth is, however, that there are so many different people living in Brighton, that you wouldn't even notice! It's great :)

You also always read about how people in the south are really unfriendly and don't talk to each other on the street - this is so not the case in Brighton! It's so full of weirdos that everyone chats to you as much as you find up north! It's also not as expensive as I thought it would be either - if you go to the right places!! I paid £7 for a glass of wine on my first day down here. That is not happening again!

There are some things about the north that I will miss however. Winter is a good example. They've had the first frost and even a bit of snow up north, yet here it's barely cold enough to wear a coat! Alright, the wind off the sea gets a bit nippy, but it's nothing compared to being in Yorkshire! Winter is my favourite season, so I'll be sad if it doesn't get properly cold.

Seasonal food is another one. Bonfire night is one of my favourite nights of the year; I love snuggling up in my hat and coat and eating jacket potatoes whilst watching the fireworks, then going home to a bit of parkin or some treacle toffee. Black peas are also my favourite to eat around this time of year - I understand that no-one's heard of them, because they are very specific to Rochdale, so that's fine. For the uneducated, they're little black peas that you soak for 24 hours, before cooking until they're really soft, then eat with loads of vinegar and they're amazing). I couldn't believe that no-one had heard of Parkin, however. I assumed it was one of those things like Eccles Cakes or Double Gloucester cheese; regional, but everyone eats it.

I soon rectified that however. My amazing Grandma sent me a package 'for the northerner stranded in southern parts' that consisted of parkin, black peas and treacle toffee and a toffee apple! (I know you can get the latter two down here, but it's all part of the bonfire night experience!) That was too good to share, but last weekend I was bored, and so made Parkin and treacle toffee for the office. It was all gone within a couple of days, so I assume it was a hit! Slowly but surely I'll convert them to the ways of the north!

 

If you want to try it out for yourself, Parkin is like ginger cake, but made with treacle and spices as well. It's really sticky and so yummy!

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1751649/yorkshire-parkin


 

I'm so glad that Brighton challenged my perception of the south (a lot of it exacerbated by the fact that  I love taking the mick out of people, and southerners are easy targets ;)) - whilst there might be a lot of banter in the office between myself and my fellow northerner, and the rest of my colleagues, I have fallen in love with Brighton, and love the whole accessibility of the south! When living up north, I always used to lament the fact that everything that I wanted to do (comedy, live tv shows, gigs etc) were down in London, that is now just 50 minutes away by train! I am also close enough to France that I can go there for a day trip!

I will always be a northerner at heart, but I'm finding living in the south a lot of fun. (Ssh, don't tell anyone up north!) It's alright though, I still scored 99% on the 'How Northern are you?'quiz!