libver

For my last bank holiday in the UK, I headed to the weird and wonderful Iceland, joined by Alison and Kiwi friends Sarah and Glen (pronounced "Glin"). We based ourselves in Reykjavik (staying at a really cool place called Home Luxury Apartments - if anyone is looking for a hotel tip) and headed off in the 4WD each day to explore the sprouting geysers, lava fields, ice-capped mountains, and thundering waterfalls that make up Iceland's breathtaking landscape. We didn't see any of the elves or trolls that lurk in the moutains according to Icelandic folklore, but we did get a chance to do some traditional dogsledding which was fantastic fun (the dogs were so cute - although apparently deadly), and we made the most of the near 24 hour sunlight. I hope everyone is well back ... read more

The celebrations just keep flowing for this girl turning the big 3-0! Last night I was treated like an absolute princess... champagnes on arrival, chariot collection and drop off by black cab, paparazzi, dinner of lobster and more champagne followed by a dessert of cheese, red wine and the odd macaroon all while showing off my new Kenneth Cole clutch ahhhh Thanks so much Ver and Alison for a wonderful night full of a million laughs, good food, quality champagne and of course, some cheeky gossip x... read more

Curious to see what all the fuss over New York was about, I headed off for a (admittedly very environmentally-unfriendly) long weekend in the Big Apple. And now I understand the fuss. What a city! The sykscrapers crowd out the clouds, everywhere billboards flash and steam bursts through the pavement grates as yellow cabs whizz by- it really does feel like you're on a film set. My friend Michelle and I threw ourselves into the New Yorker lifestyle, lazing away mornings at The Cupcake Cafe and Amy's Bread (both on Ninth Avenue - definitely worth a visit) with melt-in-your-mouth muffins and cupcakes. We maxed out our credit cards at swanky Saks on Fifth and a shop called Desire in the Meatpacking District. We marvelled at the view from the top of the Rockefeller Tower (the one ... read more

We were in for quite a cold shock...it was zero degrees in Krakow and snowing and neither Alison nor I were prepared... we are getting quite complacent about these overseas trips now so much so we had not bothered checking out the all important weather forceast! After wearing every item in our cases we set off to Auschwitz on Saturday morning and the chills we felt because of the weather were nothing in comparison to how it was visiting that camp...walking along those paths, seeing the areas where so many lost their lives, the mounds their hair, discarded shoes, prosthetics...and standing on the famous railway tracks that led so many to this horrible place made for a solemn trip. Someone said it was one of those things you need to see in your lifetime...well, I'm not ... read more

On 15 September Alison, Julie and I arrived in the famously pretty city of St Petersburg to meet with our On the Go tour group, led by the beautiful Nataliya (Russian women are generally gorgeous, although they seem to be stuck in the 80s in their fashion sense. The men are less fortunate, and favour mullets). With palaces and cathedrals designed by Dutch, Italian and French architects in the 1700s-1800s, the grey concrete blocks we had expected were a rarity - instead we saw hundreds of ornamental bridges and ornate facades in bright blues, yellows, pinks and gold (hence its nickname, "the Venice of the North"). Not a lot of money has been spent on preserving St Petersburg- giving rise to a general impression of faded glory, but with Putin being a Petersburger, more funds are ... read more