Blog Reads, a cool job and my next trip to Slovenia

It’s been a while since I’ve written a Blog Reads post with some of my favourite posts, videos and competitions I’ve stumbled across in the blogosphere. Like always, life gets busy and once you’re out of a habit it’s hard to get back into it. These little updates on what I’m reading have somehow turned into little life updates too with trip announcement and quick summaries so I try to do them as often as I can.

My last Blog Reads update was 1 month ago and since then I’ve been to Dominica, Bruges and Cyprus (wow, sounds kind of crazy when I write it down like that). I had an incredible time in each destination and they were all so amazingly different. I had lots of outdoor adventures in Dominica, a beautiful city break in Bruges and a relaxing healthy week in Cyprus. Keep reading to find out about my next trip…

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You’re invited to an otherworldly dinner party {Messyness Chic}

I’m a huge fan of dinner parties with a difference (such as this gastrotheatre show in Copenhagen) and Messyness Chic has found the ultimate dinner party. This restaurant without walls is a travelling feast that brings together people with culinary adventures.

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 If that’s what a plastic bag did to my bike {Vicky Flip Flop Travels}

There are some sad pictures here but they need to be seen. This is what plastic bags do to wildlife and it’s such a senseless, easy to solve problem. Why are we still using plastic bags? I live on the boarder of Wales where you now need to pay for plastic bags. Admittedly, it took a few months for everyone to get used to it but now that we are it seems crazy to give out plastic bags. Everyone has learned to carry re-usable bags and feels terrible when you forget. It’s a little like the smoking ban. At first it felt strange but now the thought of smoking indoors seems ridiculous and people can’t believe that it was ever legal. Ban the plastic bag I say.

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My five favourite places to eat and drink in London {Coco Chic}

I’m always looking for new places to eat and drink in London but with so many options I often get totally overwhelmed and end up in my favourite haunts. Here are some new ones on my London Eating Wish List.

 

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How millennials are changing international travel {The Atlantic}

“In the case of American millennials, many of us also feel like there’s little reason to wait until our golden years to see the world.”

 If there’s one good thing to come out of the recession it’s uncertainty. In this case I mean uncertainty in a good way. We don’t know what the future will hold so let’s just embrace what we have. Live for the moment and worry too much about the future.

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 Weekly noms

Frozen coconut limeade {Smitten Kitchen}

These look delicious and so simple to make.

 

 

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 Just for giggles

Deatheaters Forever {ScarlettWonderland}

If you haven’t read Scarlett Wonderland yet, you really must. She has the perfect mixture of being the friendly girl next door who you want to chat to all day whilst also being so batshit crazy that each of her blog posts take you by surprise. They say that crazy attracts crazy (I don’t think they do, I may have just made that up) and she obviously attracts some crazy readers…. Like ones that fancy Lord Voldermort.

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Video of the week

If you love food and travel, you have to watch this.

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What I’m reading

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

I downloaded The Goldfinch onto my Kindle a few months ago and forgot about it completely until I ran out of things to read during my flight to Dominica. I don’t know if this was a good thing or a bad thing because I was hooked and spent many lazy evenings swinging in a hammock with my Kindle glued to my hands.

This is a story about love and loss, the vulnerability of children and the emotional value of a precious piece of art.

This is one of the best books I’ve read in months but beware, only start reading if your schedule is clear!

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Competition/job of the week

This week’s competition isn’t just a competition, it’s a real job and quite possibly the coolest job you could possibly wish for. Expedia Pioneer are looking to recruit someone to travel around the UK for an entire year and explore everything our gorgeous country has. Sounds good, right? Well it gets even better because the job comes with a six-figure salary too! Find out more here. 

Expedia Pioneers EN Official from TravellerNotes on Vimeo.

My next adventure

And finally it’s time to reveal my next trip.

I’d said to myself that I was going to have a few weeks off from travelling. I felt like I needed some time to be at home, to recharge my batteries and spend time with my friends and family. And then almost as soon as I’d unpacked my bags and my freshly washed clothes were neatly tucked away in my wardrobe (something that never happens in my house!) I started to feel the familiar longing to explore.

Just as my eyes began to wander to the huge world map pinned above my desk I got a call asking if I’d like to go to Ljubljana in Slovenia for a week!

Within seconds I was online checking the flight itinerary and Googling what the weather would be like (mostly sunny with highs of 28c!) while mentally creating a check-list of everything I need to pack.

I’ll be flying out on Monday to join a group of bloggers for #tasteLjubljana. Can you guess what our focus is going to be? Yes, this is a foodie adventure so expect plenty of food porn showing up on your Instagram feed!

I visited Ljubljana last year during a cruise stopover. I fell in love with the city but didn’t get the chance to see as much as I would have liked so I’m really looking forward to exploring more.

If you have any recommendations for things to do/see/eat in Ljubljana please let me know!