I'm currently back home in Tickenham in Somerset, for Easter. My family and I went out for a pub lunch today and I used that as an excuse to take some beautiful photos of the villages in Somerset where I've grown up.
I've always been proud of my West country roots. Cider, farms, cheddar cheese and festivals are what we are famous for, and that's why I never really wanted to travel too far away from home for uni.
Here are some pictures that I took today, in the dark rainy and beautiful Somerset countryside.
Day 1 // Saturday.
we arrived at our hotel, the three corners Bristol hotel ( coincidence of a name there!) dropped off our bags and headed out. It was pretty late when we arrived so we wanted to head out and get drunk straight away. We went to Szimpla Kert, an amazing ruin bar with a really cool boho vibe that my housemates recommended. The drinks are litterally like 70p everywhere. After Szimpla we met some locals that took us to another ruin bar/club place called Fogasház that played some really good techno music.
Day 2 // Sunday.
We woke up and enjoyed an all you can eat breakfast at our hotel, then got ready and set out for the day. We took a tram to Buda, where we walked along the Yellow bridge and admired the views.
We walked around Buda, admired the parliament building and then headed up to Fishermans Bastian. The views were insane. Then we walked around the top of the castle, around the church and then headed down to walk across the chain bridge.
We then decided to head to the icebar, it was freezing, naturally, but was fun and fairly cheap. The cocktails were all made with Hungarian liquor which I thought was ok, but Oli hated.
After this we decided to go out for some food and headed to a restuarant called Galleria, went for some more drinks at Szimpla, then headed out to a Club called Instant with a couple we bumped into who we had shared a taxi with from the airport.
Day 3 // Monday
We tucked into Breakfast again then took the tram and metro to the Thermal spa at Szechenyi, which was amazing and so relaxing and pretty! We then explored the surrounding buildings. We then stopped nearby for some food at a restuarant, then headed back on the tram and visited the Budapest train station. We had super cheap drinks near our hotel in a traditional Hungarian bar, then finished the night once again in Szimpla, but not before stopping off a a tea bar called "The cave of the green turtle."
Day 4// Tuesday
Breakfast and home flights. sad times :((
For five weeks each summer the beautiful city of Vienna is packed with plenty to keep you entertained from contemporary performances to research projects and workshops, all brought to you by the ImPulsTanz International Dance festival.
The festival, started by Karl Regensburger in 1984 was originally set up to give contemporary dance a voice in Austria. With plenty more to do over the summer months Vienna is perfect to explore.
The Naschmarkt Market open daily is the most popular in the city and the intoxicating aroma of the spices, fruits and vegetables is enough to inspire the culinary genius in all of us. The Naschmarkt Deli is a cool place to hang out with satisfying food, tasty drinks and live DJS playing during the weekend. Spend an evening by the Danube canal and enjoy a beer or cocktail from one of the vending stands nearby or for the money-savvy backpacker bring your own drinks. If you feel like carrying on the party, hit Flex, often called one of the best electronic clubs in Europe, located right next to the canal. A half an hour walk from Flex you’ll also find Praterdome, Vienna’s largest nightclub which is also well worth checking out.
With baroque architecture, civil reform and a classical music revolution, the 18th century marked a golden age for Vienna. Known synonymously with baroque and rococo styles, the city is greatly lacking in any renaissance architecture mainly due to two Turkish sieges during the height of renaissance influence, leaving the beautiful baroque style to dominate the city. What you may not know about Vienna is that the city is the birthplace of the snow globe. Created accidentally by Erwin Perzy in the 1900’s, the factory/museum still remains to this day open Monday through Thursday creating made-to-order snow globe collectables.
A five minute walk from the Kettenbrükckengasse underground station you’ll find the trendy area of Margaretenstraße, one of the coolest streets in Vienna dotted with lots of indie stores, cute cafes and bars. Visit one of the traditional Viennese coffee houses along the street such as Cuadro and go with the local tradition of people-watching whilst lazily enjoying a cup of traditional Austrian coffee.
To satisfy your intellectual and social appetites, explore what the Museum Quarter has to offer. Home of the Museum of Modern Art and the Wiener Festwochen, one of the world's leading cultural festivals, the MQ in the 7th district of Vienna is the eighth largest cultural areas in the world.
Vibrant with culture, breathtaking architecture and plenty of opportunities to socialise, Vienna is sure to leave you wanting more.
