Wednesday 27 May 2015

Photo Diary: 2 Nights in Brussels, Belgium

All photos are mine

I travel a lot, but most of the time it's not for a holiday as such. In the last few weeks I've had a real urge to explore somewhere new, and I found myself researching places to visit in the UK and Europe. It was a toss up between Loch Ness and somewhere on the Eurostar, and when I came across an amazing deal on lastminute.com for two nights in Brussels including the train and hotel, I thought why the heck not travel for just two hours to a whole new country instead of 10 hours to Inverness?!

I thought it would be fun to share the photos I took with a disposable camera while I was there, with a few bits of advice and info about our trip thrown in for good measure. Hope you enjoy!


My first taste of fruit beer. Needless to say I am now obsessed. I hate beer, like really hate it, but now I feel quite pleased that I can actually enjoy a cold beer on a hot day (as long as it's fruity, obvs). There are loads of different flavours to choose from - my favourite was peach, mmmmm!

My boyfriend and I didn't really have a plan, which had it's good points and it's bad, but one of the good points was happening upon this lovely green park in the middle of busy roads, with a magnificent church looming up in front of us.

The impressive church peeking out above the park.

Grand Place, oh Grand Place, you darling! It reminded me of Leicester Square in London but waaaaay prettier. Just a shame that it's so touristy - at least in London you can get away from Leicester Square into other lovely impressive areas. But anyway, I didn't mind too much because PRETTY!

After the obligatory supper of moules frites, we saw what we thought was a magnificent sunset, until...

... we got back to our room and this happened...

... and then this!

Our hotel was right next to one of Brussels' many cartoon... I want to say walls? Anyway, whatever they're called, they're superb, and you can actually plan your own little tour round the city taking in every single one! The Tin Tin one was my fave.

We trekked all the way to The Atomium, which by the way is absolutely incredible and ridiculous at the same time, to find a HUUUUGE queue to go inside and up to the top, provided you bought an 11 euro ticket each. Continuing with the theme of not planning, we did not have 22 euros...

... so we bought an enormous sausage in an enormous baguette and ate it in the park, where we saw a crow, a rabbit and a woodpecker. Win!



Brussels, and Belgium in general, really knows how to do flowers. One of the reasons I wanted to go to Brussels was because I'd heard about this daily flower market. I like flowers. It wasn't as big as I'd imagined, but it was still great fun and oh so pretty.


I miss waffles.

Don't get run over by a horse!

Gobble gobble!

A lovely green wall that I fell backwards into just as my boyfriend took the photo, oops!

 We also trekked all the way to the flea market, which was another thing top of my list of things to do, only to find that while the stalls were there, that was it. Completely empty. Fail! But hey, there was this lovely park thing which the disposable camera dealt soooo well with....!

And lucky for us the church next to the flea market that was just a load of empty stalls had some stunning stained glass windows.

We then trekked all the way to the Cinquantenaire because I'd read you could climb to the top via the free-entry military museum and get a great view over Brussels. Yeah that failed too because most of the museum is closed until July I think while they prepare for a new exhibition. FAIL! 

It was fine though because we then walked to the Natural History Museum and went to the dinosaur exhibition (OMG AMAZING), via a picnic lunch on a sunny park bench surrounded by ducks, swans and Marley from the movie Marley & Me terrorising the ducks and swans.

Homeward bound.

It was a wonderful trip, and I'd definitely recommend it. If you'd like any info about how we got there, where we stayed or anything else, just leave a comment below.

Find more photos on instagram!

Much love, Bemsy x

   

Monday 18 May 2015

Blogger Spotlight: Pepa Mack


Name: Petra AKA Pepa Mack

Instagram: @pepamack

Signature Style: denim, knitwear, layering and grunge chic











Get Petra's Style:
I can't get enough of Petra's style - what about you?

Bemsy x

   

Monday 11 May 2015

How to: Pack light


I travel a lot. A lot a lot. Usually, I'm of the opinion that I should just pack what I want, and therefore as much as I want, especially if I have a checked bag. In the last two years, thanks to flying to see my boyfriend every few weeks, I've become a packing light guru. Call me stingey, but paying extra for checked luggage for a weekend away just feels like a waste of money. Part of it is about adapting and working out ways to minimise luggage (Law textbooks? So many of them, but HELLO iPad! Genius!), but part of it is also being really strict with yourself and planning ahead for (almost) every eventuality. 

This week, I'm popping over to Brussels for two nights and I'm just taking a small backpack that will double as my handbag for two days of wandering around eating moules frites and waffles, gobble gobble! So, here are my tips for packing light, which also doubles as a 'What I'm taking to Brussels' post - look at me go!

Downsize your washbag. Pretty washbags are, well, pretty! But they aren't practical if packing light is the aim. I use a ziplock bag instead. Be strict with yourself - will you really be plucking your eyebrows on the trip? Do you really need a facemask? Is it really necessary to bring that massive bottle of perfume just because it's your favourite? Mini products are IDEAL in situations like this. Go and have a proper nosey in your local drugstore, but don't forget the little travel empties either. They're perfect when you just HAVE to bring your favourite micellar water but it's in a massive bottle. Just a warning though: Wrap the lid of the bottles with tape to avoid leaks - the bottles I have from boots have been known to leak argh!


This is where all those beauty testers come in handy!

Makeup essentials only - emphasis on 'essentials'. I don't wear much makeup as it is, but I find it really difficult to not bring loads of makeup with me 'just in case'. Just in case what, though? Exactly. Chances are, you're going to be so busy having the time of your life, your choice of mascara is not going to be something that bothers you a whole lot. And as for that bright red lipstick you've had for ages but never worn - put it back. Just put it back, trust me!


Products that have their own brush or applicator are perfect! Or of course that mini brush set you've had stashed away.

Plan your outfits like a pro. I love love LOVE bringing loads of clothes with me when I travel. It makes me feel more comfortable, but the trouble is I end up not wearing even half of what I thought I couldn't live without. So when I don't have the luxury of having a checked bag, I am much stricter with myself. Think realistically about what you're going to wear, based on likely weather and what you'll be getting up to. Layering is perfect, especially if the weather is unpredictable wherever you're going, and you'll thank yourself for packing a compact umbrella. Nothing worse than being soggy in an unknown place. And always pack your most travelling-light-friendly bikini. That's the one exception to the rule here.


Day 1 aaaannnddd....

....Day 2! See what I did there??


No, you don't need all your chargers, cables and 4 different cameras. Unless you're a pro photographer, obvs. Be realistic - kindles have reallyyyyyy long battery lives. Real books have endless battery life, even better! A lot of cables and plugs are separate these days, so you can get away with bringing one plug and just the cables you need. Only bring your laptop if you absolutely have to. Short trips are for immersing yourself in a new place and leaving the interwebs behind. If something comes up and you have to use a computer, internet cafes still exist, believe it or not!

I really hope this post has been helpful! If you have any questions just leave a comment and I'll get back to you. And don't forget to check back next Monday to hear all about my trip!
Bemsy x