100,000 White Balloons

If you live in London or are travelling here, be sure to catch the "Heartbeat" exhibition!

According to the official website, this is the first exhibition outside of France by the French artist Charles Pétillon.

It's located at the heart of the Covent Garden's Market Building.

[Greece] The Island of Corfu

In Greek, Corfu Island is called Kerkyra.

It is located at the Northwest of Greece, while Mykonos and Santorini are at the Southeast.

Because it is so close to the heel of Italy, you could see much Italian influences on the Island.

There are many English, Russian and Italian tourists.

For once, I could count the amount of Asian tourists I saw on this trip with my 10 fingers.

The direct flight from London to Corfu is approximately two hours and 50 minutes.

I departed from Gatwick with my medium-sized backpack for a three-day and three-night trip.

Thanks to it being the summer, I managed to fit four outfits, two bikinis and all my toiletries in that backpack!

Truly travelling light!

[Greece] Foods of Corfu

Once again, I have skipped my June holiday blog and came straight to writing about Corfu.

First thing's first, I have to write about the food!

When I go on beach holidays, I usually don't gain weight because of all the walking and (some) swimming.

The first morning, we had breakfast in this beautiful hotel restaurant that cannot look any more like a painting!

Up the O2!

The O2 is an arena in London, pretty much similar to Vancouver's Roger's Arena.

 

One of the major differences is that you cannot climb the Roger's, but you can definitely climb the O2!

 

So on a gloomy (and almost rainy) day when the tube strike is on, I've decided to climb it!

(The weather and tube strike really are just coincidences...)

 

[France] The Little City of Colmar

Welcome to my post on Colmar!

After my insistence on visiting this city, my two friends have agreed to come with me.  I think one of them just don't really care or know where she is going lol.

Once again, I must confess the pick of Colmar is because of some photos I've seen online couple years ago.  What could be a better way to pick your vacation spot right?

(Seriously, just look at how gorgeous this place is!)

A Beautiful Encounter: Hitchin Lavender Farm

I've always wanted to see a lavender field - an actual grand field with rows and rows of lavenders!

This year I won't make it to Southern France, so I found Mayfield, Cotswold and Hitchin lavender farms.

After some Googling, I settled with Hitchin because of proximity and some photos online.

Hitchin station is just 30 minutes away from London King's Cross.  The lavender farm is an £8 taxi ride from the station.

[France] Strasbourg - Part 2

One of the best part about being on vacation in a foreign city is that nobody knows you.

(Except your travel companions obviously.)

 

You can sing freely while walking down the streets, laugh loudly, take constant selfies and pose as tourist-like as you want!

 

The second half of my day at Strasbourg was like that.

[France] Strasbourg - Part 1

Once again, I took the National Express bus to Stansted Airport.

My destination this time: Strasbourg in Eastern France.

It was 9pm in Strasbourg when I arrived. For some reason (I'm sure there was a legit reason), the train no longer ran so I had to take the bus.

Quite a lot of others and myself waited for 45 minutes for the bus to arrive.

No matter though, as we all saw this beautiful sunset.

Afternoon Tea at The InterContinental

My first afternoon tea since moving to London is at the Wellington Lounge of The InterContinental Park Lane.

The hotel decor is my favourite kind: not old-fashioned nor contemporary, but somewhere in between.

The Screen on the Green

It was almost like watching a movie at home on our own couch!

The Screen on the Green is located near the Angel tube station and only has one screen.

When I was first told we will be watching a movie here, I immediately googled to make sure it's not really "on the green."  You know, outdoor with the mosquitoes.

Nitro Ice Cream What?

Liquid nitrogen ice cream is ice cream that has been frozen using liquid nitrogen. The process takes less time than traditional ice cream manufacture.
(Source: Wikipedia)

 

I was Googling for the best ice cream in London (to replace my love: Earnest Ice Cream from Vancouver) and found Chin Chin Labs, which sells the liquid nitrogen ice cream!

Valrhona Chocolate flavour from their website totally attracted my undivided attention.

Just look at how content I looked (minus the tiredness).

A Drink at the Sky Garden

One of the newer attractions of London, the Sky Garden,  will take your breathe away!

 

After work, I took my tourist friend up to the Sky Pod Bar, which is on the 35th floor of 20 Fenchurch.

 

A panoramic view of the "garden."

My New Favourite: Duck & Waffle!

Even before my move to London, I've been wanting to try Duck & Waffle.

I find it to be one of the hardest restaurants to book in London for a full-time working Londoner!

Finally I called them up in late May and made this reservation for three weeks after.

It was truly worth my every effort.

Plus, my friend who's been staying with me this week got to try this too!

Jamie Oliver's Fifteen

One of my bestest friends is currently visiting me in London, so I've decided to take her to a nice rooftop bar.

 

Boundary Rooftop is a chic place I've found from Googling (Oh Google, what would I do without you?).

A Look Inside Kenwood House

Located a 20-minute walk from the Hampstead tube station, the Kenwood House is a stunning estate with breathtaking garden and grounds.

I love walking down nature "tunnels" like this.

It's when I can sort of feel like a princess yoif you know what I mean.

Hampstead Heath Beyond My Imagination

Hampstead was one of the top places on my London to-go list.

It's about an hour transit from home.

On a Saturday morning, I woke up at 8am, full of energy but nowhere to burn.

It was a perfect sign I should stroll around London before my evening plans.

You know, to burn some of my excessive energy off.

 

(I miss Artizia!  They really should consider expanding to London.)

A Tate Modern Dining Experience

The highest level of Tate Modern is home to the Level 6 Restaurant.

Every time I come up here for the cafe or restaurant, it is usually packed.

Today we managed to wait about 30 minutes (they give you a buzzer) at the cafe area and got a pretty good table at the restaurant for late lunch.

An Evening at Neverland

By far the BEST play I have seen!

Seeing this version of "Peter Pan" made me noticed the sad truth behind the character.  It definitely isn't as jolly as the Disney version.

Peter Pan was a character created based on the author's older brother, David, who passed away from an ice-skating accident.  The author, J.M. Barrie, and his mother both thought of David as "the boy who wouldn't grow up."

(Source: Wikipedia)

(Photo source: https://openairtheatre.com/production/jm-barries-peter-pan)

Happily Museum Overload

I know it's the weekend and sleeping in is totally acceptable.

But, I just can't, knowing there are so much to do in London!

9:45am - Met up with a friend on hunt for delicious doughnuts together.

Check St. John Bakery out! 

[Germany] Courtyard Marriott

I am very picky when it comes to accommodations, especially when travelling solo.

Safety is my number one priority.  Then comes cleanliness.

In some European cities, a decent hotel room isn't that much more expensive than a private room in a hostel.

This time in Cologne, I stayed at the Courtyard Marriott.