travelling – sarah fynn

Croatia Travel: Split

It’s my first official trip of 2019! I say official because my day trip to Brussels doesn’t count lol. I am on a strict financial diet this year but I had to slot in a birthday getaway so when EasyJet had their New Year’s sale I took advantage and got really cheap tickets. I will be sharing my Croatia itinerary and some of the resources I used to plan everything. I have divided this into 4 posts so I can add as much detail without the post been too long

Split

Split is a small town in the south of Croatia and it’s mostly known for its beaches and historic sites. I chose this as a base for the two national parks I went hiking in (more in coming posts). It is also a good base for day trips to the islands and Dubrovnik (GOT fans you should check this out!). Split is about 30 mins drive from the airport and you can easily get there via the airport shuttle bus (from arrivals turn left). The bus station is a 5 mins walk to the Riva!

Firstly I should mention the strong sulphur scent which will hit you once you get to the Riva. This is the main street where all the restaurants are located. A walk on the promenade obviously recommended and on a nice day (we had amazing weather!) it’s nice to sit and watch boats roll in and out of the port. We walked to the viewpoint (belvedere) which is an easy 10 min walk from the Riva, it’s not high but the views are beautiful. Diocletian’s Palace and the cathedral are hot spots to visit.

Eating

We had amazing drinks & food at Terminal F at the end of the Riva, I definitely recommend. We also had dinner at one of the restaurants on the Riva (I can’t remember the name!) Fabrique bar also have great drinks. The best steak & biggest ever I have ever had abroad was from Chops Grill. It’s a really nice restaurant, with amazing steaks, drinks and efficient service (I would like to thank my waiter for cheering me on to finish my meal lol). The best ice cream and cheesecake is Luka ice-cream & cakes which is about 10 mins from Riva or 2 mins from Captain’s Guest House.

We stayed in Captain’s Guest House which is 5 mins from the Riva. Check in was a breeze and the room was spacious and clean! No issues with the room. The bathroom was spotless and toiletries were provided. The only thing is the hot water tends to run out quickly but it does heat up again quickly! There were convenient stores very close by and a beauty parlour downstairs. There is no lift so that’ something to consider if you are travelling with heavy luggage.

Split is a beautiful town and I am definitely going back next summer. It is a good base for exploring Croatia’s beautiful islands and that’s what I plan on doing next time. We didn’t stay long ( I had a jam-packed itinerary) so we didn’t have a lot of time to do much but once you hit the palace and Riva you’re good to go!

We did get a few stares from the locals as two black girls in Split but nothing that was too obvious or threatening and I didn’t feel uncomfortable( that would come later) but I am pretty used to this from travelling so I paid it no attention. It still wouldn’t stop me from visiting again.

In my next posts, I will be talking about how I planned travel from Split to the National parks and Zagreb! Stay tuned!

Tips

Have cash handy- airport shuttle is cash only

There are lots and lots of cash machines in Split

Tips are not included in the bills

Check network coverage before you go. I’m on 02 and had no issues but my friend was on EE and could not connect to a network

I used my Revolt card and I wasn’t charged for withdrawals or using it abroad. I will do an in-depth post on Revolt soon.

Catch you soon.

PS- travel & lifestyle posts are back! I’m frugal but creative and I will be doing a tour of London’s activities soon!

London Food markets

Bristol

Paris

Post birthday celebration post!

I actually never realised it’s been 5 years since I started talking about going to Paris! I just don’t know why I left it that long. So this year I made it my prerogative to go there and what better time than my birthday?!

Paris is hella expensive lol but it’s a beautiful city, it’s not called the most romantic place for nothing, I mean did they really have to have seats in pairs in the park? Lol

The food! The baguettes! The croissants and that hot chocolate with loads of cream! Lool! It’s also the only country I have been to where they prioritise wine over water lol, how can wine be the 1^st thing I saw when I went into the convenient store and water was downstairs lol. It’s also the only place that has a whole building dedicated to women shopping lol and the thing is every floor was busy.

Paris is that European city you just have to visit and it’s also worth mentioning it will probably be better to speak a bit of French if you do. I am so lucky my girl was French lol. I took LOADS of pictures, too many maybe but hell my Galaxy S7 camera is the BOMB! I finally shopped in Sephora! I went to one in Madrid but the hype wasn’t real back then lol.

But anyway I am super happy I finally went and I don’t mind going back! (I don’t like to go back to places I have been to before because I feel I can use that money to discover a new place( my goal is to visit every country so if you want to sponsor just holla at me lol however Paris and Thailand are places I will definitely go back to). I stayed in the Mercure Gare Du Nord which made transport SO easy. I went to most of the usual touristy places, two thing I really wanted to do was river tour and go to Disney but that can be done another time!

For now this 23^rd year can start probably!

MOUNTAIN WAREHOUSE 40L BACKPACK REVIEW

Hey guys, happy new month and hello summer! I hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine and having a good time. For me, June marks the end of my time in SPAIN! 10 months have gone by too quick! Anyway, more on that later

This post is long overdue but better late than never. I promised the review of the backpack I used for my Spain travel and so here is i

I purchased the Mountain Warehouse Ventura 40L Litre Medium Walking Hiking Sport Rucksack Backpack Back Pack Bag Lime One Sizefrom Amazon for £39.99. I remember the shipping was fairly ok (standard if you ask me).

Details

I love the colour. A basic lime green and grey combination. Nothing special but I really like it. I had doubts the backpack would be enough for a 2-week trip as I tend to overpack, nevertheless, the 40L was adequate for everything! When it comes to compartmentalisation, this backpack does it for me! I love the shoe compartment at the bottom. Handy so that your clothes are not dirty from your shoes. There is also a ‘sleeve’ inside the main compartment which was handy for travel docs., t was easy to reach when I need to take out a document!

There are also pockets on the sides where I kept small sized clothes e.g. bikinis, underwear, socks etc.

Extra pockets on the top cover, both inside and out. handy for smaller items or travel plugs/accessories.

Compression- The placement of the straps worked for me. After packing and strapping, my pack was very compact and not too bulky!

I love the hip belt and the location is perfect- right on the hips. The mesh back allowed my back to breathe whilst carrying the bag in that heat!

Two water bottle holders on each side.

space inside- handy for your travel documents

Verdict

I love this bag! It also comes with a waterproof rain cover which can be used to cover the whole bag. I haven’t used this yet as I didn’t encounter any rain whilst travelling

Its worth it!

UPDATE- 9/3/2018- The bag is in excellent condition which no signs of wear. I have used it quite a few times since travelling in Spain and I still love it the same. definitely recommend this bag.