tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45223455507217380562024-03-12T16:25:47.966-07:00To blog would be an awfully big adventureMeaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-30589636098354662722020-01-02T13:27:00.001-08:002020-01-02T13:29:37.010-08:00I've Moved!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, guys, as I write this it's 2020 and the start of a new decade. Quite fitting that it coincides with the end of the MB Blog as we know it. Unfortunately the glitch on my main page forced me off the platform - not just because I couldn't fix it - but also because I realised that I've outgrown the Blogspot limits. But it doesn't have to be goodbye... join me over at WordPress and watch what I can do with a new platform!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.megbeth.travel.blog/" target="_blank">www.megbeth.travel.blog</a></div>
<br />Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-54219296508169435392019-10-10T09:00:00.000-07:002019-10-10T09:00:02.248-07:00How to become a Shutterstock Contributor on your first attempt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Shutterstock is the place bloggers, independent businesses, large companies and advertisers go for high-quality, inspected stock photos. It's a bit like Flickr if every photo was under Creative Commons licence. In the same way that Displate or Etsy helps independent artists, Shutterstock helps photographers or videographers to make a buck from their best content. To become a Contributor, you must first be approved. I got through on my first try, so I want to help others do the same!<br />
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Once you've made a Contributor account, you must send over ten to fifteen of your best images for review by their team, using the Dashboard. <b>All ten to fifteen must be approved to pass</b>, or you will be required to wait a month to submit again. I was aware that many people were falling at the last hurdle (getting nine approved out of ten) and that I would really need to take my time on choosing perfect photos for my submissions and do my research.<br />
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It's worth saying that your submissions, if approved, will go live after the review process; so unless you delete them, they will be immediately available for download. (Don't worry though, you'll retain Copyright of your images).<br />
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Some possible reasons for rejection are FILE SIZE, FOCUS, EXPOSURE, PIXELATION/NOISE, COMPOSITION, DUPLICATION or VISIBLE BRANDING.<br />
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To start, make sure your short-listed photos are JPEGs over 4 Megapixels in size. If you're not sure, right-click the image > look on Photo 'Properties' > scroll down to 'Image' > multiply the Pixel numbers in the Width and Height columns. If the answer is over 4 million pixels, you're good.<br />
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The reviewers will test the quality of your photos when zoomed in so another thing you need to check for is adequate FOCUS. It is better to make sure that the image is sharp overall, although if there is intentional blurring, be sure the main focus is on the subject and not somewhere in the background.<br />
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It's a good idea to zoom in on your chosen photos yourself and see what's visible. If there is a lot of NOISE or PIXELATION, it's worth trying to edit it out or select another photo. Remember if you edit that the final product should be over 4 million pixels. I kept it simple and tried to choose photos that didn't need any editing, and I didn't compress any in order to avoid pixelation.<br />
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Especially for your initial submissions, it's a good idea to consider COMPOSITION. Make sure that the horizon, in a sea-scape for example, is straight and that the image is symmetrical. Try not to have anything blocking the main subject of the photo - while having a branch framing an image is a common trick in photography, try to refrain from sending one like this for your submission. If you're sending across flat-lays, remove any objects in the photo that may be distracting and spend time arranging the items.<br />
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An image can be rejected for SIMILAR CONTENT, although a photo of mine from Dubrovnik was accepted despite being one of the most photographed regions in the world. Basically, try to be original and do not directly copy anybody else's work.<br />
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VISIBLE BRANDING is perhaps the easiest one to avoid and one us bloggers may be used to. You can get creative with this.<br />
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I sent off ten initial images that I thought would (hopefully) pass the guidelines, and that I'd captured to the best of my ability. I was accepted less than 24 hours later. Here are my photos to inspire your own submissions, and if you like any of them, my Shutterstock link for download will be available below!<br />
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<b>MY SHUTTERSTOCK CREATOR LINK: </b><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/meaghanbethany">https://www.shutterstock.com/g/meaghanbethany</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Title image by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@builtbymath" target="_blank">Math on Unsplash</a> via Pixlr</span></div>
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<br />Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-60256179110582235512019-10-07T13:55:00.000-07:002019-10-08T05:49:43.463-07:00Travel A-Z: 26 Places I Can't Wait To Visit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You've heard a lot about the places I have visited, but what about the places I haven't? The best thing about travel is that you have your whole life to to do it, and so you don't have to compare your progress with someone else's. I like to think that I've travelled quite a bit for a twenty-two year old who's been holding down full-time jobs, but of course, there's a million places I haven't been. I thought it would be quite fun if I could show you the places I aspire to go, from A to Z. I'm definitely not the first one to attempt this, so I take no credit!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KwLetyiZjtQ/XZZHtgZkY0I/AAAAAAAABjw/qNjWTo60YtI9Yec6hN0GSGLhyBYi53LbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/A.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="156" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KwLetyiZjtQ/XZZHtgZkY0I/AAAAAAAABjw/qNjWTo60YtI9Yec6hN0GSGLhyBYi53LbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/A.png" /></a>- <i>Assisi, Italy.</i><br />
Assisi is a small town in Italy that, surprisingly, kick-started my love of travel despite the fact that I've never been there. It all started when I read about an Italian romance in my teens, and I've idolised the town ever since. It's quite fitting that it's ended up at the top of the list!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WtdWkBgJwG4/XZuUbnCDLeI/AAAAAAAABng/SvkDu-06QaImq4XDt5H6IwfTxWscHgQWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/B.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="156" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WtdWkBgJwG4/XZuUbnCDLeI/AAAAAAAABng/SvkDu-06QaImq4XDt5H6IwfTxWscHgQWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/B.png" /></a>- <i>Brasov, Transylvania, Romania.</i><br />
Brasov is a recent discovery for me after reading about it on <a href="http://www.travelingness.com/ultimate-things-to-do-in-brasov-romania/">travelingness.com</a>. It looks like an amazing town in a country I've never visited before, and it gives me major spooky vibes which I <i>love</i>. This would definitely be an incredible place to go in Autumn or Winter when the snow's on the ground.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uqANqIJxZM0/XZuUr4l7LAI/AAAAAAAABno/C-KD0Pu-1W4nELYxBssRJW_Vf12EvP1hwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/C.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="156" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uqANqIJxZM0/XZuUr4l7LAI/AAAAAAAABno/C-KD0Pu-1W4nELYxBssRJW_Vf12EvP1hwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/C.png" /></a><i>- Cappadocia, Göreme, Turkey.</i><br />
Cappadocia has become all the rage (especially on Instagram) at the moment for its gorgeous hot air balloon flights. I learned recently that the balloons you see in photos are often tests, but who knows, one day I might be in one!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMU917DRFNI/XZuicOs2aEI/AAAAAAAABn0/YY2iPtu2J08Xkm_V_iMKiVK4LPc9vpw7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="156" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMU917DRFNI/XZuicOs2aEI/AAAAAAAABn0/YY2iPtu2J08Xkm_V_iMKiVK4LPc9vpw7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/D.png" /></a>- <i>Dominican Republic, the Caribbean.</i><br />
From where I live, the Dominican Republic and St. Lucia are probably the most accessible Caribbean Islands, with the former being most affordable. It is also frequently overlooked by travel bloggers, I'd say, who are probably further West in Mexico.<br />
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- <i>Edinburgh, Scotland.</i><br />
Have you ever noticed how few countries there are that begin with 'E'??<br />
Seriously though, while I could have chosen Egypt or Ecuador for this<br />
letter I'd much rather return to Edinburgh first, and that's why it's number<br />
one. I've visited once when I was a <i>lot </i>younger and I'd really love to<br />
experience it again now that I'm an adult & can take it all in.<br />
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- <i>(Mount) Fuji, Japan.</i><br />
Okay so this might be a little bit of a cheat one, but there are so<br />
many 'M's I want to use and not enough 'F's! Fuji simply has to be<br />
mentioned as it's probably the most beautiful volcano in the world<br />
and even inspired one of my tattoos. If I'm going to play by the rules though, I'd love to visit the closest town, Fujikawaguchiko, while I'm there.<br />
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- <i>Grindelwald, Switzerland.</i><br />
I do love a town situated between mountains and Grindelwald most<br />
definitely fits that description. Wedged between the Swiss Alps,<br />
Grindelwald has the most picturesque views and is a brilliant place<br />
to go hiking in the summer. I do wonder if it inspired J. K. Rowling's<br />
wizard.<br />
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- <i>Hierapolis, Turkey.</i><br />
Hierapolis "was" an ancient city situated on hot-springs in modern-day Turkey, right night to the town of Pamukkale which is in itself a tourist attraction. Today Hierapolis exists as a museum on the old town's ruins and is a protected UNESCO Heritage Site.<br />
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<i>- Iceland.</i><br />
There are plenty of places closer to home in Ireland that I'm sure I'd love to explore, but until I've crossed off Reykjavík in Iceland and seen the sights, I think that Ireland will have to wait. Who doesn't want to take a dip in the Blue Lagoon or discover the town's apparently 'wild' night-life??<br />
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<i>- Jordan</i>.<br />
I think Petra is on most people's bucket lists, and that's mostly why I chose Jordan over other places such as Jamaica and Jerusalem. I'd love to visit Jerusalem in particular one day, but maybe when there is more peace in the region and the dispute is over.<br />
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- <i>Kyoto, Japan.</i><br />
At the centre of my love for Japanese culture, nature and scenery is beautiful Kyoto. It is a well-known tourist destination, but not quite as much as Japan's capital, Tokyo. There is so much to do in Kyoto and I feel like I could definitely spend a good few days here (or maybe my life 😉).<br />
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<i>- La Gomera, the Canary Islands.</i><br />
On one recent trip to Tenerife, I unfortunately became ill and couldn't go on our VIP trip to La Gomera, which was going to be the highlight of our holiday. La Gomera feeds much of Tenerife with its clean water, and nature there thrives, relatively untouched. I imagine it to have a very similar vibe to <a href="https://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/09/why-you-should-visit-lokrum-island.html">Lokrum Island</a> in Croatia.<br />
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<i>- Malta.</i><br />
There are so many 'M's in world culture, but for me it has to be somewhere like Malta. It lies in the Mediterranean Sea between Tunisia and Sicily, meaning that it has a heavy Italian vibe, and hence, it's a lot like Croatia, too! You can find amazing Roman ruins here and beautiful towns.<br />
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<i>- New York, U.S.A.</i><br />
America is not a place that I'm dying to go to - sounds silly as a travel blogger but it never really took my fancy! I'm a bit of a city girl at heart so probably the first place I would go is New York. I think I'd feel at home here (but petrified by the skyscrapers). Catch me here one Christmas for definite!<br />
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<i>- Outer Hebrides, Scotland.</i><br />
For the second time, Scotland makes the list! When I was researching my O's I came across this lovely portion of Scotland and... just google 'Outer Hebrides' and you'll see what I mean. With water this blue and beaches this white within 200 miles of me, why wouldn't I make it a mission to explore the UK first?<br />
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<i>- Pula, Croatia.</i><br />
There are many 'P's in the world, but for me this was an easy choice. I've wanted to go to Pula for years, in order to visit the world's most complete Roman Colosseum. That's right, more complete than <u style="font-style: italic;">the</u> Colosseum. Of course, there's always the Theatre of Epidavros in the Peloponnese that could've easily made this letter, too.<br />
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- <i>Queensland, Australia.</i><br />
If I was ever to go Down-Under I believe it would be somewhere in the State of Queensland. Housing great resorts like Brisbane, Cairns, Port Douglas and even the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland is definitely my first port of call if I ever decide to travel Australia.<br />
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<i>- Rabat, Morocco.</i><br />
Now that Rome is firmly ticked off my list, the next 'R' might be Rabat, Morocco's capital city. Morocco has always intrigued me, and it is fairly accessible from nearby airports. It looks like there are some amazing things to see in Rabat, especially architecture, but I'd also love to visit smaller, more colourful cities like Chefchaouen.<br />
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<i>- Singapore.</i><br />
I think a trip to Singapore would be fascinating and a complete shock to the system (in a good way). I love the combination of modern architecture and nature that they do so well in Singapore. Its tourism industry is thriving at the moment and was used in the finale of one of mine & Josh's favourite travel programs: <i>Race Across The World (BBC).</i><br />
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- <i>Tuscany, Italy.</i><br />
I would never turn down a road trip through one of Italy's most prolific and infamous wine-making regions, though if I did it would probably be to wander on foot to some of the regions many UNESCO World Heritage sites. Seriously, there's a few!<br />
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<i>- Ukraine.</i><br />
Ukraine tempts me daily with beautiful cities like Odessa and Kiev, but we also cannot forget about the insanely important historical landmark that is Chernobyl. I always said I wouldn't go because the radiation slightly freaks me out a bit, but I'm slowly changing my mind.<br />
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- <i>Venice, Italy.</i><br />
I know, I know, a travel blogger that's never been to Venice! It's like finding a needle in a haystack! We did have plans to go this year during our <a href="https://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-three-best-attractions-in.html">trip to Rome</a>, but eventually we decided we were too worn out to brave the rail system.<br />
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- <i>Warsaw, Poland.</i><br />
I won't lie, when I read my first travel blog on Warsaw I was shocked. It looks like a writer's absolute dream. The streets are pastel and everything looks like an antique, the streets are narrow but you might find a skyscraper at the end of it. I think I'd surprise myself with how much I would like Warsaw.<br />
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- <i>Xi'an, China. </i><br />
Of course, there's tonnes to do in China, but I think seeing the Terracotta Army near Xi'an and the architecture that the ruling dynasties left behind would top the lot.<br />
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<i>- Yosemite National Park, CA, U.S.A.</i><br />
'Y' made for some quite difficult research! Eventually it came down to either Yellowstone or Yosemite National Park, and I chose Yosemite simply because I really think this is somewhere I would just stand and gawk out with my mouth in a 'wow'.<br />
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<i>- Zagreb.</i><br />
Zagreb is the capital city of Croatia, and somewhere I am keen to explore. I am definitely interested to see whether I will love the North of the country as much as the South, or whether there is a massive culture shock.<br />
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Where on this list would you travel first if you had the chance?<br />
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<br />Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-4471663020321859782019-10-02T12:47:00.000-07:002019-10-03T14:27:20.994-07:00Photo Diary: One Day in Cavtat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sl3TY7rTxX4/XZT1kBHNt7I/AAAAAAAABfI/SJJ5FDD0UBIweRcvdYrifRNwNwzcBhe6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/One%2BDay%2Bin%2BCavtat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sl3TY7rTxX4/XZT1kBHNt7I/AAAAAAAABfI/SJJ5FDD0UBIweRcvdYrifRNwNwzcBhe6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/One%2BDay%2Bin%2BCavtat.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Welcome to the first ever 'Photo Diary' on my blog. As much as I love writing lengthy posts, I have always had a flair for photography - I hope I have displayed this recently with blog posts such as <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/09/why-you-should-visit-lokrum-island.html">Why You Should Visit Lokrum Island</a>, <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-best-of-montenegro-tour-my-thoughts.html">The Best of Montenegro Tour</a>, and <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/09/finding-game-of-thrones-locations-in.html">Finding Game of Thrones Locations in Dubrovnik</a>, which all include photos taken solely by myself or Josh on our new Canon EOS M50. Rather than let all the stunning holiday photos go to waste, I wanted to upload them for your enjoyment here, and hopefully convince you that Cavtat is a great base if you're looking to explore Dubrovnik, Croatia or bordering Montenegro.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wbtcdAxjIPE/XZT5CoEBigI/AAAAAAAABfs/Y0JZWj7otOstljYOpM7nNzyt-LSV3oc8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Cavtat%2Blittle%2Bboat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wbtcdAxjIPE/XZT5CoEBigI/AAAAAAAABfs/Y0JZWj7otOstljYOpM7nNzyt-LSV3oc8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Cavtat%2Blittle%2Bboat.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking over the water, with Dubrovnik and Lokrum in the distance</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yXbjv8sk49c/XZT5x7Ef6kI/AAAAAAAABf4/HS-IU59YHVwcD9z8pdLj3fZ56vtqie1XACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Meg%2Blooking%2Bout%2BCavtat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yXbjv8sk49c/XZT5x7Ef6kI/AAAAAAAABf4/HS-IU59YHVwcD9z8pdLj3fZ56vtqie1XACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Meg%2Blooking%2Bout%2BCavtat.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking in the direction of Cavtat Port & Town</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gardens adjacent to the Hotel restaurant</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Flower fountain' behind the gardens</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water's edge, Hotel Epidaurus</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behind the camera as sunset begins</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iconic golden-blue sunsets with crystal blue seas</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountains frame the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kxFt9fYv6pk/XZT8aDI8uWI/AAAAAAAABgk/6QuiM8QMxQ0KIOQtA9OBUsJPhCCdViWzACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Meg%2Bsunset.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kxFt9fYv6pk/XZT8aDI8uWI/AAAAAAAABgk/6QuiM8QMxQ0KIOQtA9OBUsJPhCCdViWzACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Meg%2Bsunset.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oranges come into play as the sun sets lower</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red rays bounce off the sea</td></tr>
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Please do consider Cavtat as your next Croatian travel base, it was magical! Our only regret is that we weren't able to take many photos of Cavtat port town and all the beautiful restaurants as we just didn't factor in the time with everything else we were up to. I hope you will visit this magnificent town.<br />
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<br />Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-77907704877895162602019-09-30T08:56:00.000-07:002019-10-02T11:10:23.802-07:0072 Hours in York City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Whether you visit York for its incredible attractions, the friendly custom, the history or just an epic pub crawl, I can almost guarantee that you'll fall in love with it. Josh and I can reach York City Centre in just over 1 hour 30 minutes by train, and have explored it for 72 hours in total over the course of two trips. You know those compulsory “what to do if you’ve only got 48 hours” books provided in hotels... well we completed ours, plus more! Now we want to tell you what worked for us and hopefully inspire your next trip to York.<br />
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However you travel into the city, you're more than likely to come across the old CITY WALLS. They are free to walk and <a href="https://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/09/finding-game-of-thrones-locations-in.html" target="_blank">less arduous than Dubrovnik Old Town</a>, however you don't get quite the same view. Be sure to do it if it's on your bucket list, but if it's not, don't worry! Go through the city gates and a few streets further you'll find ST MARY'S CHURCH. Currently it is the host of the VAN GOGH: IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE which for me is something that I just could not miss, especially as it moves on after a few months. Entry slots are every hour but you have to <a href="https://www.vangoghexpo.co.uk/" target="_blank">book in advance</a>, I did this online half an hour before we arrived for £13 each.<br />
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As I am such a fan of Van Gogh and his heart-wrenching story, I loved to be surrounded by his work and see it brought to life in animation. If you leave wanting to know more about him I would definitely recommend the graphic novel 'Vincent' by Barbara Stok - it's incredible. There is an opportunity to do some VR there marketed as 'A Day in the Life' but I can't attest to how good it was due to the fact that the price wasn't included in the ticket. The £3 per person fee goes to a homelessness charity so it goes to a good cause and I've <b>heard </b>it's the best thing about the exhibition.<br />
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After that we headed to THE OLD WHITE SWAN Pub & Restaurant, which serves warm pub grub in a cosy and romantic Tudor setting. We didn't think we would get a seat on a Saturday afternoon with so many people already in the beer garden outside, but luckily we got a place so don't let that fool you. <span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The ‘Nicholson’s’ pub chain is very prevalent in York, and we’ve found that you
can’t go wrong with them. On our first day we went to the supposedly haunted
THE PUNCH BOWL, but that’s closed for renovations as of
today. Keep an eye out for its return though!</span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">One place we made a priority this time was THE SHAMBLES. </span><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">I
was very excited to pop into some Potter-inspired shops here and buy the
essential 'Dobby has no master' mug from THE SHOP THAT MUST NOT BE NAMED. Down
here you will find a number of cosy, eccentric shops like THE POTIONS CAULDRON;
if you pop in there and ask about discounted admissions you can even buy
cheaper tickets to some local attractions like YORK DUNGEON, which is well
worth doing. Also down the street you’ll probably find at least one host
handing out Ghost Walk leaflets – take one! You will see a few advertised and
you’ll need it to help you decide/differentiate between them later.</span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Now it's time to drop your bags off at your lodgings. We were based towards Tadcaster near the Racecourse, so a
little bit further out from the city. This is because, having done so many
trips this month I was able to get us an Executive Suite at
Holiday Inn using my last remaining IHG points. The staff here were lovely and
very helpful however the exterior of the hotel does need some work if it wants
to match its more upmarket surroundings! </span><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></div>
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<!--[endif]--><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4522345550721738056" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> After scouting the hotel area on Google Maps, we fancied going to <a href="https://www.vintageinn.co.uk/restaurants/yorkshire/thefoxandromanyork?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb">THE FOX AND ROMAN</a> for dinner as the interior looked fantastic however the menu was a little bit too seafood-y for me, so we ended up at the local favourite next door, THE CROSS KEYS. Here we shared some nachos and I had a child’s main. If you’re staying a bit further out like we were, I would recommend having some cash on your person at all times just in case you need a taxi. Getting back into the city centre after dinner was a <i>little</i> bit stressful as one bus didn’t turn up so we nearly missed our Ghost Walk.</div>
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After viewing <a href="http://www.theoriginalghostwalkofyork.co.uk/">their website</a> a few days in advance and watching a snippet of this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiMxq3n7N-o">Unilad YouTube video</a>, we decided the ORIGINAL GHOST WALK OF YORK was for us. The walks run every night without fail, you don’t have to book at all, and the prices are very fair being £5 for adults and £4 for children, students with valid cards and concessions. You will meet outside the KINGS ARMS pub at 8pm beside the River Ouse, which is rather beautiful at night. If you are wanting a drink beforehand, please bear in mind that the pub isn't technology-friendly so you will have to put away your phones and they only accept cash.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The
Ghost Walk was great, our Tour Guide being very charismatic and knowledgeable.
Most things looked better in the dark, including the York Minster which is
terrifyingly large. Once it’s over, you have over 365 pubs to choose
where to finish your night! We began in a pub called THE GOLDEN FLEECE (which
was touched upon in the Ghost Walk) but we wanted somewhere that served food
late so we ended up in a Wetherspoon’s for the remainder.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"> In the morning ou</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">r
taxi driver must have thought we were mad when we asked to go to CLIFFORD’S
TOWER in the pouring rain, but that’s exactly what we did. If you’re thinking
about doing this, bear in mind there’s no roof! </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">We
then walked over to YORK MINSTER to see it by day and it was just as striking.
Unfortunately with it being a Sunday it didn’t look open, so I wasn’t able to
explore and light a candle for a loved one, but at least we didn’t leave
without seeing the exterior in all its glory.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Close
by was THE YORK ROAST CO. which is another establishment you might have seen
featured in the UniLad video or in the press. They have invented delicious
Yorkshire Pudding wraps with your choice of filling (you can ask to remove
anything you don’t like which is always a plus for me). This is a good choice
for your bellies but also for your wallet; it was probably the most affordable
meal we had in the whole trip!</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4522345550721738056" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"> Then
we headed to THE HOUSE OF TREMBLING MADNESS, which is very possibly our
favourite shop in the whole of York so far. We discovered it on our first trip
and fell immediately in love when we learned that they stocked our beloved but elusive <a href="https://www.thistlycrosscider.co.uk/shop/traditional-ciders/">Thistly Cross Whiskey</a></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><a href="https://www.thistlycrosscider.co.uk/shop/traditional-ciders/"> Cask Cider</a> (and others in the range). They have just
about any alcohol you can think of here, and you can even drink it upstairs,
which we love. THE EVIL EYE down the road is another good choice if you’re into
the alternative scene.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">After
that we went with our discounted tickets to YORK DUNGEON. Don’t do this in a
rush as it does take over an hour to complete. It’s hosted by actors whose job
it is to scare and educate you on some history. I won’t give the game away but
I definitely couldn’t look at times. You do get photos taken at the beginning
but if you want to keep or share them on social media keep in mind that you
will have to pay £15 plus. Ours were incredible so I couldn’t help myself.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"> </span>We had one more hour to kill before our train home, so we stopped nearby at the DAUGHTER CAFÉ, where they do some excellent English Breakfast tea and some light refreshments. I liked it here, it was very peaceful and you could have a good natter without having to shout over anyone.</div>
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<ul>
<li>YORK CASTLE MUSEUM</li>
<ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><ul></ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>THE JORVIK CENTRE</li>
<li>MINSTER TOUR</li>
<li>YORK'S CHOCOLATE/SWEET STORY</li>
<li>POP IN SOME INDEPENDENT BOOK SHOPS</li>
<li>PLENTY OF SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS!</li>
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Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-54367048269747092812019-09-25T11:25:00.000-07:002019-10-03T15:08:20.441-07:00Finding Game of Thrones Locations In Dubrovnik Old Town<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NZ8eiL49ab4/XYuu-XhbFRI/AAAAAAAABW4/JuFL_f_tYrU3S47J3MSCWqYsXIEsD2MqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Game%2Bof%2BThrones%2BLocation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NZ8eiL49ab4/XYuu-XhbFRI/AAAAAAAABW4/JuFL_f_tYrU3S47J3MSCWqYsXIEsD2MqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Game%2Bof%2BThrones%2BLocation.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I started watching Game of Thrones late, around 17 years old when they were just nearing the end of Season Three. After that I watched it back to front, then over and over again with different friends and family members. It became, to my surprise, something that genuinely made me happy and that I was incredibly passionate about. I watched endless YouTube videos on all the theories and even wrote about some on the blog way back when. If you told me back then that I'd be in Dubrovnik (aka King's Landing) a few months after the final season ended, I would have been ecstatic.<br />
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And so it was this September that Josh and I booked a taxi from our hotel in Cavtat to the Old Town (costing 270kn - 300kn depending on the driver) and finally walked through Ploče Gate, also known as the Red Keep. I called it "Game of Thrones day". I demanded only happiness out of this day and plenty of photos. I had my Sansa-like hair, my Daenerys-inspired dress from <a href="https://www.lucyinthesky.com/shop/monroe-ruffle-set-in-pastel-blue" target="_blank">Lucy in the Sky</a>, and I was ready to go.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LPiZ4GQDhB0/XYuKJPVQj2I/AAAAAAAABU8/C7WnznKd6X88HaqoOSV85TZbfMKm6wIjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Meg%2BDubrovnik%2Bpier.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LPiZ4GQDhB0/XYuKJPVQj2I/AAAAAAAABU8/C7WnznKd6X88HaqoOSV85TZbfMKm6wIjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Meg%2BDubrovnik%2Bpier.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Before we started looking for filming locations we were drawn to the pier, to the sun and the sea.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We didn't arrive with a set plan. We heard on <a href="https://www.croatiatraveller.com/" target="_blank">Croatia Traveller</a> that taxis are more expensive on Sundays and shops can be shut most of the day, so we came on a weekday to ensure the full experience. We didn't book a Game of Thrones tour as we heard that there were loads available to purchase near the gates, so we decided if we fancied one we'd just book it then and there. We had considered a Tui excursion similar to <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/08/exploring-sorrento-day-in-pompeii.html" target="_blank">Pompeii</a> or <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-best-of-montenegro-tour-my-thoughts.html" target="_blank">Montenegro</a>, but the one available to us was over £100 each! While researching for this post though, I did find <a href="https://gotui.com/en/croatia/dubrovnik-south-dalmatia/game-of-thrones-kings-landing-filming-locations-tour/info/X-RE0-HRDBVGAME" target="_blank">this GOT tour</a> around £80 that includes entry to not just the Old Town but other locations, too.<br />
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We didn't use a map to find any of the GOT locations - they were all happy accidents - but we did have one downloaded just in case. The first happy accident was finding the scene of the protest in King's Landing. In real life the steps are situated on St. Dominic's Street, right across the road from a lovely little art/print shop where we brought back a gorgeous illustration of Dubrovnik Old Town. We highly recommend that you pop in!<br />
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Because we didn't use the map we had on our phones, we got wonderfully lost. We walked <i>way </i>too far out; but if it weren't for that, there wouldn't have been more happy accidents. Here we are wandering down the beautiful narrow streets and bumping into the archway that leads to Littlefinger's Brothel. Today, it leads to a Museum (of which there are no end in Dubrovnik!)<br />
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At this point we were determined to make it back to the main square and find the entrance to the City Walls. We passed more cathedrals, restaurants and merchandise shops along the way. The 'Sept of Baelor' filming location is apparently in Girona, Spain, but I did get major Baelor vibes from this cathedral in particular.<br />
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Eventually we found Luza (the Main Square we were looking for), and where we could purchase our City Wall tickets. They were 200kn each, including free entry to Fort Lovrijenac later on in the day. The views from on high were incredible - walking the wall is definitely something that has to be done and completed in your lifetime. There are many times that I wanted to get off as my legs were shaking something rotten, but I'm glad I didn't because we discovered the House of the Undying entrance right on the last stretch. We accidentally even took the photo at the correct angle with the same window as the popular screenshot!<br />
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After our incredibly long walk (Josh's Samsung Health app said that we walked over 18,000 steps that day, which is a lot for my tiny legs!) we finally stopped for some dinner near the Stradun. To my dismay I can't remember the name of this place but my burger was beautiful so I really wish I could! It was an unassuming restaurant with outside space near the Tourist Information. If you're looking for something a bit more fancy, I recommend taking a look on <a href="https://www.croatiagems.com/croatia-info/restaurants/dubrovnik-restaurants/dubrovnik-old-town-restaurants-2/" target="_blank">Croatia Gems</a> for some options. After dinner we left the City Gates to go explore Fort Lovrijenac. On the way we stumbled across the dock where Sansa ponders after speaking to Shae, and I got my Sansa pic.</div>
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A little further on there are <i>more steps </i>to enter the Fort. We entered for free with our City Walls ticket and found that it was worth the struggle. Josh and I are absolutely certain that this is where they filmed <i>that </i>map scene where Cersei is doing her battle planning - but it is known to be the place they filmed King Joffrey's name-day celebrations.<br />
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We took 215 photos on this day so you can imagine how hard it was to narrow them down for this post! In addition to those, we took even more snaps of GOT locations on <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/09/why-you-should-visit-lokrum-island.html" target="_blank">Lokrum the next day</a>. In conclusion: if you're a big enough Game of Thrones fan, I really don't believe you need a tour to find these locations; we bumped into ours with only a vague idea of where we were going and no support whatsoever. I would definitely recommend that you use the money on something else, as the tours aren't cheap and Dubrovnik is an expensive city!<br />
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<br />Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-69266939355199780042019-09-22T14:39:00.000-07:002019-10-03T12:30:40.502-07:00'The Best of Montenegro Tour': My Thoughts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tui is our holiday provider/airline of choice when it comes to package holidays - and one of the reasons we consistently choose them is the ease at which we can book reliable excursions. In Sorrento, Italy, we did the <a href="https://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/08/exploring-sorrento-day-in-pompeii.html" target="_blank">Pompeii tour</a> with them, and also a trip to Capri island. This time, we chose to see two countries in one by getting a trip to Montenegro from Croatia; this was possible because we were based near Dubrovnik close to the border.<br />
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It was the second cheapest Tui trip we have ever booked - it cost around £50 each with a small admin fee because we booked in branch before our holiday. They were a bit shady about whether we'd need a visa, which was a bit confusing because surely they would want us to be prepared. Luckily we spoke to a newer employee who was nice enough to tell us that she didn't think we would need one. So, we hoped she was right, and only purchased travel insurance.<br />
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A month later - finally the day! - were picked up at 7.45am sharp outside our hotel in Cavtat, and it can't have taken more than 15 minutes to reach the Croatian border. They rightfully had very strict procedures so it took a while to get through with so many tourists on one bus. We started near the front of the queue but still it took us around an hour to pass through. Later we were told that it can take up to <b>3 HOURS </b>at peak times. After that, we got to the Montenegran border who were a little more relaxed due to the earlier check. Then, it was onto Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had a short pit-stop near the border to buy snacks for the journey (remember to take your Euros!)</td></tr>
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Perast was a lovely little village but we didn't have much time to ourselves there. Our guide got us all on a small boat across the sea to the church on the island - Our Lady of the Rocks. Honestly me and Josh were just along for the ride on this one - the church was pretty but we were really waiting for Kotor. However it is always nice to learn a little history and see new sights. The mountains in the area were so breathtaking.<br />
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It was a little bit of a hassle getting back to Perast mainland. A couple of tourists in our group got lost or just decided to stay having a look around, so we were held up getting back to the coach. The tour guide had to go find them while about 20 of us waited on the boat, which to me was a bit anxiety-inducing but then again anything sets me off nowadays! Everything was OK in the end and we continued our bus journey to Kotor.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Far-off view of Our Lady of The Rocks (mid-right)</td></tr>
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I have to say this really was the main event. Kotor is <i>stunning</i>. But again, we had some qualms about the group tour. Our guide swapped with another guide outside the Kotor Old Town gates, and I'm not too sure why this had to happen. I'm pretty sure he was told where to take us, which was to see five or six small churches in the town. I would say that this part was catered more towards the elderly (who, to be fair, did make up a large portion of our group). Josh and I were so thirsty in the heat by this point that we decided we'd had enough by the fourth church and took our free time early. This was definitely a good call as it turned out we would have had to walk by all those churches anyway.<br />
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Josh found a lovely little restaurant within the town gates called <i>Cesare's </i>- definitely no complaints from me here. We enjoyed our pizza/pasta lunch and felt revitalised after a cold drink in the sweltering heat. I also loved that they gave one receipt per person so that no-one feels obliged to pay for the whole thing. Very progressive Montenegro, I like it! After dinner I was very excited to find the Cat Museum as <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cats-museum" target="_blank">I read about it on Atlas Obscura</a>, but sadly we couldn't find it. This is when we wished the tour guide had told us about something other than churches. We did find many cats and a very aesthetically-pleasing clock in the main square though, so we stopped for some gelato.<br />
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We met back up with our original tour guide at the car park around 3.15pm but the coach didn't arrive til gone 3.45pm. In the Balkans it gets <i>super hot </i>around 3-4 o'clock so this was the <i>worst </i>time to be standing around with our warm water. However there is only one main road in Montenegro so we understand any traffic couldn't have been helped. I'll go quickly through our journey back - we stopped at a small port town to cross the sea and cut out a long portion of the road, then the bus crossed the sea by ferry. Later of course we had to wait to cross both borders again so this was maybe another 40mins - 1 hr wait.<br />
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<li>Euros. Although Montenegro isn't in the EU yet it has already adopted the Euro. This is very important to remember if you're crossing from Croatia like us, where the national currency is Kuna.</li>
<li>Water. Bring your own water bottle - preferably a "keep cool" one!</li>
<li>Sun-cream - you'll more than likely need a top-up.</li>
<li>Possibly a visa depending on your nationality (that's all Tui would say).</li>
<li>A plan. Montenegro isn't on many "Go Roam" mobile network schemes so if you accidentally leave it on here it could be expensive! This means no Google maps, unless you bring a print-out from home or download an offline map.</li>
<li>A passport. Make sure you don't forget it - the coach won't make exceptions and you'll definitely be asked to leave the bus.</li>
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Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-66675718908330134112019-09-20T08:38:00.000-07:002019-09-25T13:26:26.823-07:00Why You Should Visit Lokrum Island, Croatia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was convinced before I left Croatia that I had to visit Lokrum Island, for the peacocks if nothing else, but it was so much more than I bargained for that I think I genuinely fell in love with it. It was on our last full day that we caught a "sea taxi" from the hotel next to ours, journeyed to the Port of Cavtat to pick up others, and then finally onto the island. All in all the journey took 45 minutes, so only slightly longer than getting a taxi from Cavtat to Dubrovnik Old Town. It cost 100kn each for the boat, and 120kn each to be permitted onto the secluded island. Regular boats to the island also leave directly from Dubrovnik port if you would prefer to do it this way - but we wanted to explore the areas on different days to really take everything in without the rush to get around.<br />
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I had read plenty of blogs on Lokrum before we turned up, so I knew that it was fairly peaceful and that I should expect plenty of peacocks. But despite having a view of it the previous day on the <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/09/finding-game-of-thrones-locations-in.html" target="_blank">Dubrovnik City Walls</a>, I hadn't quite prepared myself for how lush and green it would be. The sun was shining but there were plenty of places to find shade and respite, there were far less tourists than the city <i>by far</i>, and the bugs weren't interested in us at all. All big pluses when you're on an epic romantic adventure for two, and even more pluses for an anxious person who likes their space. I couldn't help thinking that this would be a great place to practice mindfulness and be one with nature.<br />
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Of course, we also have to talk about the Game of Thrones attractions. Parts of the old Monastery has been turned into a museum of sorts (no entrance fee needed) where there is a replica Iron Throne and house banners round every corner. Keep on exploring around the area and you'll find actual Game of Thrones filming locations, such as this 'Qarth' garden where there was an attempted assassination attempt of Daenerys in Season One. Sadly we didn't make it inside Fort Royal as my legs were too destroyed from <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/09/finding-game-of-thrones-locations-in.html" target="_blank">Dubrovnik the day before</a>!<br />
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To the left there are some old ruins, and to the right up some stairs a lovely little restaurant called Rajski Vrt. Surrounded by trees and greenery, this was probably the most picturesque place we ate in the whole of Croatia and it made us feel so special, like we were in a jungle. I can't imagine any of the other eateries on the island were any better or more beautiful. Unfortunately our cameras were away while we were eating but you are welcome to Google this glorious restaurant. The server there was really enthusiastic and polite, too, whereas in our hotel the bartenders were a bit more abrupt. This seemed to be the Croatian way, so it didn't phase us. The dinner was a little more expensive than in Dubrovnik, but we didn't mind paying for the exclusivity. After dinner if the sun is still shining, you should explore 'The Rocks' - they look like salt plains you might find in America.<br />
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We spent three hours in total on the island, after deciding it was the perfect time to go back to the hotel around 2pm. You don't have to leave so early - I believe the last boat is around 7pm so why not stay for some cocktails? 🍹 What would you most like to do on Lokrum?<br />
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<br />Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-82103517494541766732019-09-19T14:56:00.000-07:002019-09-22T10:33:33.349-07:00Blogger Progress Report: One Month On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So here we are again for my second Blogger Progress Report, we made it! But <i>how was it</i>? Now before you start getting curious about any numbers, I have to remind you that my blog is only a hobby, so only expenditure will be disclosed as there are no incomings. We started off my <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/08/blogger-progress-report-one-week-of.html" target="_blank">first Blogger Progress report</a> by talking about aesthetics, so we'll jump back in there.<br />
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Last month I set myself a goal that by the end of September I would have everything on my blog looking exactly how I wanted it to. This mainly involved either deleting old posts or creating new and improved title images for them. To be honest, I have not finished yet because I'm a perfectionist, but also because I have actually had less time than I thought I would, even in between a full-time job and a month packed full of trips. Realistically, if I want to complete this goal, I will have to make it a priority soon. So, what have I been spending my time on?<br />
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On the 9th September I came up with an idea for a collaborative blog page where other bloggers/readers can send me their travel recommendations and get credited for it if I end up there. It's called <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/p/recommend-location.html" target="_blank">Recommend A Location</a> and it's active on the blog - but it hasn't seen much action even though it is getting views. I completely understand that I have to gain some sort of reputation before people start thinking of me to come to with their ideas, so I am going to keep going with it and try to earn that. If you are interested, please take a look at the page and see if there's anything you could add 😊. I also added an <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/p/meet-author.html" target="_blank">interactive map on my Meet The Author page</a> which displays everywhere I've been and plan to go, so I'm super proud of that!<br />
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It's no secret that <a href="http://twitter.com/meaghanbethany" target="_blank">Twitter</a> is my favourite blogging tool when it comes to promotion, far more than Pinterest or Instagram or any other social media. Twitter is always where I've had my biggest following, and as I don't have an e-mail list yet (I'm not sure if I ever will), Twitter is the place I really need to reign those views in and engage with other bloggers. Although 'follow for follows' have been tempting to me in the past, now that I am older I don't feel ashamed of only following the blogs or accounts that I actually want to follow. Sure, I have to put in more graft to get more followers or retweets, but that's the way it is! As long as I have a steady stream of people reading my blog, I am honestly not too concerned about follower numbers. By participating in Twitter comment threads, I find that I am keeping my daily read count between 50-80 views a day, which is well over my first month target of 50.<br />
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If you read my last Blogger Progress Report you will know that I was not too impressed by the fact that you have to tell Blogger to not count your own page views <i>every single time you visit your own site</i>. This got so annoying that I did eventually get Google Analytics up and running, but now I'm more confused than ever. For example: on the 9th September, Google Analytics tells me I got 178 page views from 6 users??? Blogger Stats tells me I got 80 page views, which sounds more realistic to me. Getting reliable stats is proving to be a problem but I don't really know how to solve it! Do you guys trust Google Analytics with your stats?<br />
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Although it is hard to discuss achievements without reliable stats, if Blogger is to be trusted then I will hit 10k all-time views next week. I really wanted to do a giveaway, but there wasn't much of a demand on Twitter when I posted. Still though I am so excited to hit this milestone and do some kind of personal celebration. Another achievement is that I did my first full blog post with only images from the new Canon, called <a href="https://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/09/visiting-heart-of-steel-in-sheffield.html" target="_blank">Visiting the Heart of Steel</a>. My two best performing blog posts have been <a href="https://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/08/10-amazing-places-my-dna-links-me-to.html" target="_blank">10 Amazing Places My DNA Links Me To</a> and <a href="https://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/09/my-favourite-travel-planning-apps-so-far.html" target="_blank">My Favourite Travel Planning Apps (So Far)</a>.<br />
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Things with the camera are going very well & Josh and I can't wait for you to see what we create in Croatia and Montenegro. We do find that our Canon EOS M50 runs out of life fast, so we may have to invest in a second battery. It gets used almost every other day between my photography and Josh doing the face-cam for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyiYWXt8EeoA5eiDlOmJZvQ" target="_blank">his YouTube videos</a>, so it will be worth the money undoubtedly. When that's sorted, I'd love to start doing fun little vlogs to embed into my travel posts! Since we bought our camera we haven't invested in anything else blogging-wise, which still keeps my expenditure at £0!<br />
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What would you like to see next from MB Blog?<br />
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<br />Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-11731388293982808942019-09-12T16:10:00.000-07:002019-09-13T09:15:57.061-07:00Why I'll Always Choose 2000Trees Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Although I'm not yet a veteran of 2000Trees, somehow I know that I will go year upon year where my schedule allows it. In the past the only things that have stopped me from buying a ticket are money, time, or Josh not being able to get the time off. Luckily, he landed the whole weekend off this year so we were able to go together for the first time. I have been twice all in all, so I can say that while no festival is perfect, 2000Trees comes pretty darn close. So, what's so great about 2000Trees?<br />
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<li><b style="font-weight: bold;">LOCATION. </b>The festival takes place in Upcote Farm in Cheltenham, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. From the Midlands, it's not too difficult to get to - either by car or train - but it feels like more of a 'trip' than heading to Castle Donington for Download Festival. It's pretty isolated, but you do get some mobile reception in places (should you want to find it).</li>
<li><b>THE WEATHER. </b>The weather and the beautiful rural location combined makes for a very Instagrammable and aesthetically pleasing festival. Both times I've been the weather has been absolutely glorious and makes for brilliant...</li>
<li><b>SILENT DISCOS. </b>The silent discos take place after the headliners finish their set, and they are an absolute <i>must</i>. Whether you choose the silent disco taking place at the main stage under the stars, or in 'The Cave' tent where the music is heavier, the atmosphere is completely brilliant. There's a real sense of happiness being able to hear everyone at the festival singing along to the tunes even under your headphones.</li>
<li><b>THE CAPACITY. </b>Unlike some larger festivals, 2000Trees is an award-winning Medium-sized festival. This is so much better for people like me who suffer with anxiety, as there is space to move around even during the main sets. Josh and I turned up on the second day this year, and there was still place for us to 'park' our tent.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><b>PLAYPASS PAYMENT. </b>Rather than keep too much cash on your person, 2000Trees now endorse a Playpass method at the festival. You 'top-up' your account before you leave home, and your money goes onto your corresponding ticket when you arrive. You can also choose an 'auto top-up' option in case you go over your predicted fund limit. This is great if you want a stress-free experience, but also great if you're on a budget because you can essentially pay for everything months before you arrive.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">STUDENT TICKETS. </b><span style="text-align: center;">If you're a student, you can get about 10% off your ticket! I don't </span>know of any other larger festivals that do this, so it's a great added extra. Don't worry though, the place isn't rammed with students - each time I've been I saw plenty of families with their little ones so it's definitely family-friendly.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">THE STAGES. </b><span style="text-align: center;">'The Forest' stage is particularly beautiful and along with the </span>silent discos, is one of my highlights of 2000Trees that always stands out and makes me want to come back. 2000Trees has about 4 stages and because it's Medium-sized, it couldn't be easier to walk to and from campuses. Plus, you get this view when the sun goes down:</li>
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<li><b>THE VENDORS. </b>2000Trees has an <i>incredible </i>selection of food and drink. Whether you are a meat person, a vegan person, a gluten-free person; there is something there for you. I'm a notoriously picky eater so I basically lived off a diet of apple and pork sausages and fries, but Josh ate just about anything under the sun! The prices can be a little expensive, but you'll never be disappointed with the quality.</li>
<li><b>CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. </b>Basically everything at 2000Trees is reusable, so there was very little waste. I've seen pictures of Reading & Leeds festival and Y-not Festival at the end after everyone left, and I can proudly say that 2000Trees looked nothing like those pictures on departure. Everyone was encouraged to either recycle their tent or take it home, and they even had schemes where they would pay you to pick rubbish up.</li>
<li><b>THE MUSIC. </b>It seems silly not to mention the music. The line-up is not always as important as the experience here at 2000Trees. They have bigger bands like You Me At Six and Deaf Havana, but an awful lot of bands on the line-up are lesser-known. And that's great! One of my favourite things about coming here is that I always discover something new, or I get to see one of my favourite smaller bands that I otherwise may not have had the chance to. This year, it was <i>Normandie.</i></li>
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What is your favourite festival and why?</div>
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Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-43529375411510144982019-09-11T12:59:00.000-07:002019-09-11T12:59:24.331-07:00How to Promote Wellness Before a Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you are lucky enough, like myself, to have multiple trips left for the end of the year, you surely will have done a number of things to make sure everything runs smoothly. But have you thought about your own health? I assume a great number of you reading this post will be 16-30 years of age, where we tend to just assume that our health will take care of itself. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. I have suffered since the age of 16 with a re-occurring illness that cannot be cured - just pops up when it wants to - so I have had to work harder than most people my age to make sure I still have access to my much needed, well-earned holidays! Now I want to share some tips I have learned to keep you healthy for your hols:<br />
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<li>Take vitamins. Even if you don't have a re-occurring illness like me, 1 in 5 UK readers will suffer from low Vitamin D, or even a deficiency as a direct result of the lack of sunlight in the country. I take Basset's Multivitamins for Adults once per day to ensure that my body gets the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.</li>
<li>In your spare time, go outside and make use of the sunlight that is there, even if it's just to your local park. Your skin will thank you for it!</li>
<li>Get some exercise. If you're feeling low, the <i>last </i>thing you're going to want to do is exercise. But it's vital! My last job was close enough to cycle to, and yes in the beginning I really struggled with muscle pain, but your body overcomes it in no time. In fact, now I've had a bit of time off, I'm longing to get back on my bike again!</li>
<li>Make good choices. Whilst you may be about to fill your body with 'rubbish' food on holiday (what the heck, you've earned it), there's no excuse for not eating healthy food beforehand. Maintain a balanced diet and be sure to drink lots of water and fruit juice.</li>
<li>Stay busy and stop thinking about what can go wrong! Stress is a massive problem when it comes to my own physical health, but this can be easily overcome if you find a way to distract yourself.</li>
<li>Have a pamper evening - do whatever you need to do to make yourself feel great. Consider having a bath instead of a shower - this may seem like a weird comment but trust me the amount of times that doctors have recommended this to me is unbelievable. It's such a simple change that makes all the difference.</li>
<li>Stock up on medication/equipment you may need. Of course don't stock<i>pile, </i>but just make sure that you have everything you do need in case something does go wrong before holiday. If you can recognise it quickly enough, there may still be time to sort it! I always make sure I have one set of antibiotics, painkillers and my ice pack at least. Another tip is to start packing for your trip early - your future self will thank you for it especially if you feel a bit under the weather on your day of departure.</li>
<li>See your doctor and talk it out. If you are having any symptoms that are worrying you - make an appointment before you leave. Prevention is better than cure.</li>
<li>Laugh! It sounds cheesy but laughter really is the best medicine. Surround yourself with people you love, you'll feel far less stressed and ready to take on the world.</li>
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Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-90606896752290255802019-09-07T11:42:00.000-07:002019-09-30T05:05:11.490-07:00Visiting the Heart of Steel in Sheffield<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I met up with my sister for the first time in a little while for a trip to Sheffield Meadowhall, to visit the Heart of Steel. We first heard of the British Heart Foundation's initiative for the Heart of Steel project after our Grandma's passing from heart disease last November, and we decided that together we would pay the fee to get her name engraved onto it. We came to this decision last Mother's Day, as we wanted to buy one last present for her - and I know that this would be something she never would have shut up about! Myself and my sister were very excited to see it for the first time, and to take lots of pictures for our mum who sadly couldn't come with us.<br />
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My sister and I took the direct train from Alfreton, as this meant we could meet up on the way and would be less hassle than Derby as Derby requires a change-over. Everything went swimmingly on the journey, and so we set off to find the Heart of Steel within the shopping centre. I felt quite shifty for having my camera out and often felt like I was going to be asked to "stop filming" in shops, but really I only had it out in preparation for the artwork.<br />
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It turned out that the Heart had been moved recently, up to Park Lane at the top of the centre near Debenhams, but it didn't take too long to find after referring to the interactive maps. On the way we saw the reference to the Man of Steel, which is an upcoming project linked to the Heart of Steel. Once the Heart is complete with engravings, sculptor Steve Mehdi plans to insert the heart into a steel man that will overlook Sheffield's skyline and motorway. This will not only be in memory of all the people whose names are engraved onto the heart, but also in memory of Sheffield's steel-workers.</div>
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After around three months of waiting for your engraving to take place, you get an email providing you with information of where to find it on the Heart as all the names are absolutely tiny! I anticipated that there might not be much phone signal in Meadowhall (although it actually seemed to be okay in the end) so I had saved all this information to my phone notes. The weird thing was that it turned out we had stood right next to the correct panel!</div>
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We genuinely loved coming to visit something that meant so much to us and our family. To others it may just be a steel man sat above the motorway, but we will know what it means to us, and that we helped BHF along the way. I used to volunteer for the BHF when I was at college and have supported them ever since, so I think it's great that they are continually finding new and inventive ways to fundraise. If you would like a name and date engraved onto the Heart of Steel, please <a href="https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/fundraise/heartofsteel/engraving" target="_blank">donate here</a>. It is a great way to honour and remember a loved one.<br />
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<br />Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-88908395432856844092019-09-06T10:21:00.001-07:002019-09-21T07:19:27.060-07:00My Favourite Travel Planning Apps (So Far)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever wanted to travel or take a trip but don't know where to start? It doesn't have to be a lengthy road trip through America or Europe - maybe you're planning your first big trip around your home country and you just need some handy applications to help you with transport or organisation. I have by no means perfected my planning process, but I definitely do have some trips for you to try! As I discover new ones, I will be sure to update this post for you, or maybe even create a new page for Travel Resources.<br />
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<u>Trainline.com / Trainline.eu</u></div>
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Trainline, in my opinion, is one of the handiest apps on the market. Ever since I was little I have loved travelling by rail, as I suffered a lot with car sickness/queasiness around that time. Rail journeys always had great views and it meant that I could read a good book on the way without having to stare out of the window to avoid feeling ill. My love for rail travel has continued on into my adult years and I can safely say this is my favourite way to travel my home country, the UK. For at least three or four years now I have consistently used the Trainline app to book my train journeys, as it allows you to see the times of the trains, compare prices of tickets, and get your Railcard discount all in one place.<br />
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<u>Booking.com</u></div>
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Although I use the website far more often than I use the app (just because I prefer a larger screen), Booking.com is my most commonly used application when it comes to accommodation. I mostly use it in the UK for booking hotels in big cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle, but I have been known to use it for booking in Europe aswell. When Josh and I stayed in Rome, we booked four days at the Hotel Palace Star via Booking.com using my Genius discount. I have found Genius status to be quite easily attainable, even if you use Booking.com just a few times a year, and it usually provides 10-15% off selected hotels. BOOKING.YEAH!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh & I on top of the world at Radisson Blu Cardiff (booked via Booking.com)</td></tr>
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<u>IHG.com</u> (or any Hotel Rewards app, really!)<br />
While we are on the subject of hotels, I have to mention the IHG Rewards Club. I used to work in the Travel & Tourism industry under the IHG umbrella, and I got to understand the ins and outs of it quite well. When I worked at this particular hotel I received points on my IHG Rewards account in return for signing customers up to the scheme. This allowed Josh and I to stay two nights in Dublin City Centre for completely free, and it will account for a large chunk of our payment when we stay at the Holiday Inn in York later this month. If you don't have an IHG account, it is worth signing up on their website as you will normally receive a 10% members rate straight away at any one of their hotels. I am also a member with Radisson, although I find that they usually don't have availability on the dates I want to go away! (This is not to take away from Radisson at all as they are one of my favourite hotel brands).<br />
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<u>Pitchup.com</u><br />
Pitchup is an app that I was recently introduced to by Josh's mum. Earlier this year we booked a (very damp) excursion to a campsite in Pomeroy in Buxton to test out mine and Josh's tent before we headed to <a href="https://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/09/why-ill-always-choose-2000trees-festival.html" target="_blank">2000Trees festival</a>. It is a super easy way to book a campsite and pay for your space. It also tells you what facilities there are and what time you can check in, so kind of like IHG or Booking.com but for campers! An app like this would probably be one of the handiest for you if you wanted to go on a particular walk or hiking trail.<br />
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<u>LaLaLab</u></div>
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LaLaLab is the only app on this list that isn't used for booking accommodation or travelling per se, but I do find it one of my travel essentials. I was introduced to LaLaLab a number of years ago by my younger sister, who uses it to print pretty cool polaroids to put up with her fairy lights. Nowadays, I also use it for scrapbooking my travel pictures, but most importantly, I use it to write back to my family when I'm away. A few clicks, and you can edit one of your photos on the app, turn it into a postcard, and they will send it off for you to your chosen address. This is a complete lifesaver if you don't like to use the run of the mill postcards in shops, and prefer a more personal touch. When I next holiday abroad, I intend to send one to the residents of a Ward in Derby Hospital (who have been collecting such postcards for their wall to bring back memories) and to my mum, of course, so it really makes people's day.<br />
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I will let you know as soon as I find anything more useful! What are your favourite travel planning apps?<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">DISCLAIMER: This post is not sponsored - all views are my own.</span></div>
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Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-62212065362644758532019-08-31T14:12:00.000-07:002019-10-03T15:31:24.442-07:00Things to do in Dublin: the Jameson Distillery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When you arrive in Dublin, Ireland, you will be faced with an ultimatum: to visit either the Guinness or the Jameson's Distillery on Bow Street. Of course, you can visit both during your time here but it does usually come down to whether you are more of a stout or a whiskey fan. Whilst Josh's parents opted for the former, Josh and I decided to head to Jameson's after a lovely trip to the Leprechaun Museum. By this point we were pretty high on life despite Storm Gazza trying to thwart our spirits, and eventually found our way there.<br />
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Immediately, we could see that no expense was spared in terms of the design of the place. The forum/atrium area was one of the most inviting and convivial bar spaces I have ever been in. And whiskey <i>all around. </i>We had looked online beforehand at all the tours available and decided that we wanted to actually <i>do s</i>omething, rather than just be shown around. So, we queued up, booked our slot in the Secret Whiskey-Tasting Tour for two, and sat down with a Jameson's and Ginger Ale until it was our time.<br />
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It wasn't long before we were ushered in to a quiet little room in the back that was designed to mirror Jameson's original office and his own personal bar. All the photos we took here back in April are a little bit dark, but the low lighting gives it a speak-easy look that I love. Our tour guide was very personable and knowledgeable about the company (of course, but you have to give credit where it's due) and other than myself and Josh there were only two other guests. So if you are looking for a quiet, intimate tasting then the Secret Tour is the way to go about it.<br />
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I'm sure you are all wondering now about the alcohol. Well, it was a <i>treat</i>. You <u>each</u> get four different types of Jamesons Whiskey to taste, one of which is only available at the Distillery itself, so potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I won't give too much away about what was said - after all it is secret, but I will show you a cheeky pic of our view as the drinks were slowly starting to go down. It goes without saying that you are encouraged to drink slowly and add water where needed, as these drinks are a very high percentage (and neat).<br />
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The fun didn't stop after the tour ended. We stayed for a while in the atrium, printed our Jameson's tour certificates and paid a visit to the gift shop, where Josh bought his own whiskey glass to remember the experience. It's been months now since we did this and still I would do it all over again. We were very impressed by the tour and the building itself, and now we recommend that all you whiskey lovers give it a go! They also offer a Whiskey-blending experience and a Cocktail Masterclass. Stay tuned for more Dublin posts 👀<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://flic.kr/p/nGGUY3">Image adapted</a> from Neil Turner on Flickr</td></tr>
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<br />Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-36895653751082437182019-08-27T14:26:00.000-07:002019-09-02T12:20:29.687-07:00Dining out in Derbyshire: for couples<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Do you ever feel as though you've seen and done everything there is to do in your area? Derby is my local city, and being such a small (and new) city, it often can feel like there's nowhere left to explore. However over the last few months my partner and I have been trying our hardest in our free time to discover new places on our own doorstep, and make Derbyshire feel exciting again.<br />
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Here in the East Midlands we are 100% land-locked, with no sea for miles around. I love the water, which is one reason why the <b>Ragley Boat Stop</b> is so appealing to me. Less than a 20-minute drive from the centre of town, in Barrow-on-Trent, it's hard to believe you're still in Derby and not a cute little village in the Cotswolds! Ragley boasts an indoor restaurant, an outdoor area and beer garden - with access to the docks further down - making it the perfect place to bring your other half for a romantic day-time meal and a drink. Prices are affordable too - dinner and drinks for two came to £22, which is comparable to your local Wetherspoons.<br />
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Whilst Ragley is great for the day-time, if you're after somewhere perfect for later afternoon or evening then we would recommend the <b>House of Darwin</b>. This lovely establishment is only two years old, so the interior is brand spanking new. For this reason, the menu is not as large as you would find in other restaurants - but we can definitely attest to the quality of the food. The first time I saw a photo on Google I wondered why I had never heard of it before, as this place has the potential to be something massive in the Derby area. Possibly the only thing holding it back from the masses is that it's placed around 15-20 minutes outside of the city centre, in the small village of Shelton Lock, just beyond Allenton and Alvaston.<br />
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The decor and lighting inside is utterly beautiful, and I have just discovered the news that they do themed menus and events at Halloween, so it definitely won't be long until I am back! Even better news is that they welcome and encourage bloggers and freelancers to eat/drink/do their work here and be merry, if you are a creative couple like Josh and I.<br />
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Third and finally on our list today is <b>The Joiners Arms </b>in Quarndon. The Joiners Arms is part of a small chain, and the vibe inside is not too dissimilar to the House of Darwin. Most people come here for the food I would say, and its close proximity to the University of Derby. Depending on what you eat it can be a little bit expensive, but it is completely worth it for a romantic meal or special occasion, or even just a sunny day. If you don't want to spend too much - just go for a few drinks and enjoy the cosiness! For those of you who have furry friends, it would be a perfect place to munch after walking the dog as pets are allowed here.<br />
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Can you add to our list of places to eat in Derbyshire? Recommend your favourites below, or pin this post for later!</div>
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<br />Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-41855938497953697582019-08-22T14:37:00.000-07:002019-10-02T11:26:28.042-07:00Where to Drink in Rome: Exclusive & Personalised Cocktails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Google '<i>where to drink in Rome</i>' or '<i>the best cocktail bars in Rome</i>' and you will be presented with a myriad of delightful places to spend your time. But don't worry, we tried quite a few for you! On the blog today are three of our top picks that all offer something different.</div>
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<b>Caffe Propaganda </b>is a lovely bar and restaurant not too far from the Colosseum, but away from the tourist-y areas. We heard online that they did some of the best personalised cocktails in the city, and found that they were very close to our hotel - so there was no excuse not to try. We absolutely loved what we found, and with no entrance fee to be paid, we would definitely have become holiday regulars if we hadn't discovered it at the very last minute. </div>
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I regret that I do not remember the gentleman's name who served us, however he turned out to be one of the most pleasant and eager to please bartenders that we met. When we visited in April of this year, he informed us that they were in the middle of re-working their cocktail menu, but that he would make us something personalised based on a few of our favourite ingredients (or would even base it from one of our long-standing cocktail faves). I honestly loved everything he put in front of us, and would have stayed there longer. We didn't try the food though as it was too late and we didn't fancy a snack or dessert, but if you are here for a few days you should definitely try it, as it's a lovely place to sit and chat for a while and be around other families/couples.</div>
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On your way to <b>The Race Club Roma, </b>you will find some great graffiti lining the street. We had heard about the "artsy" side of Rome, but this was our first time seeing it in person. Someone really captured that Banksy-esque style!</div>
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Entry to the <b>Race Club </b>you might find difficult on all accounts. It is a little bit further out than the Colosseum, down a long street that you might not have had the chance to explore yet. But to make it there will be worthwhile because it is a <i>hidden speakeasy. </i>And I can say this is the only one I've ever been to. Once you have located the entrance, you will be asked to pay a <i>membership </i>fee (rather than a one-time entrance fee) which is a bit of a downside but if you're looking for some luxury and exclusivity in your night then this is really the place to be.</div>
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<b>Race Club </b>is ran by two brothers and they are there most nights to take your orders. I ordered one drink that he wasn't sure I'd be fond of, and as they are quite expensive he insisted that if I didn't like it, he would make me another without charging. It didn't matter anyway as I loved it. The drink and the atmosphere were perfect, and combined, made one of the most romantic nights I ever had.<br />
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My last paragraph will be an ode to <b>Scholar's Lounge Irish Pub. </b>Can you get exclusive membership? No. Will they make you personalised cocktails? Possibly not. As Josh describes it, it was a bit of 'home away from home' and we were definitely on a bit of a Jameson's and Ginger Ale stint at the time. They do also have some fantastic booths that would be great for anyone who needs to pull a map out and do some day-planning, or a convenient place to live it up whilst you edit some photos.<br />
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For now, this concludes our drinks recommendations for Rome, but I'm sure it won't be long until we're back for more. Being there for four nights, you really get a feel for the place and I'm sure I know it like the back of my hand! What are some of your favourite hide-aways in the capital?</div>
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Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-28731467850879617782019-08-19T14:01:00.000-07:002019-10-02T07:07:37.418-07:0010 Amazing Places My DNA Links Me To<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I think it must have been one year ago now when I purchased my first DNA testing kit from 23andMe. I had no other reason for doing this except out of curiosity: my grandparents come from all around the UK, and I really wondered where we all came from in the first place. Now that I know, I am really excited to travel! The first two amazing places are going to be ones that I knew my connection to before I took the DNA test.<br />
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1. <b>Banff, Scotland</b>. My maternal grandmother is from Banff in Scotland (not to be confused with the frozen mountainous Banff of Canada). Banff is a quaint little sea-side town in North-East Scotland, above Aberdeen. I have visited once in my life - it's a long drive from me but I would love to go back when I can. This would also allow me to have the Scottish road trip I've always dreamed of!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duff House, Banffshire, by Jyll & Tom Skinner on Flickr</td></tr>
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2. <b>Mousehole, Cornwall, England</b>. On the opposite side of the spectrum, my paternal grandfather has links to another quaint town - pronounced "<i>Mow-zoll</i>". I have driven past Mousehole once, but couldn't stop to see it. It's one of my dreams to finally stand in the village here, visit a pub, and if there is extra time... go on a country walk. To stand in the church where my ancestors got married would just be incredible.<br />
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As of October 2019 these were my top results:<br />
<b>72.6% British, </b>with the most heritage in Greater London and Lancashire.<br />
<b>14.7% French, </b>with the most heritage in:<br />
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3. <b>Brittany, France.</b><br />
4.<b> The Auvergne Rhône Alpes region</b>, <b>France</b>. Including 5. <b>Lyon </b>and 6. <b>Saint-Étienne. </b><br />
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Surprisingly, I have never visited France despite its close location to England, and it has been my intention to use my first time there on (of course) Disneyland Paris. However, know that I know that at some point I had quite a few ancestors here, I will strongly consider swapping my Disney tourist trip to see the cities. I am wholly unfamiliar with this part of the world so if anyone has any recommendations at all as to what I can discover here... please don't hesitate to let me know in the comments.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chateau de la Bretesche, Brittany, France by Zoltán Vörös on Flickr</td></tr>
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The cherry on top of the cake was that I am 7. <b>Scandinavian</b>. This is something I expected due to the fact that Banff is a fishing village that could easily have had links with the North. I am very excited to go ahead and visit some Scandinavian cities (unfortunately 23andMe could not draw down on which country I am from as the percentage is quite low at 2.5%). However, I am looking forward to visiting 8. <b>Stockholm, Sweden </b>- where I will quite literally be living my best life in the ABBA Museum and finding all the best rock gigs the country has to offer. Normandie, my favourite band, are Swedish, so maybe this calls for seeing them play in their own country! I would also love to see the Northern Lights either in my native Scotland or Reykjavik, Norway.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stockholm by Pedro Szekely on Flickr</td></tr>
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Perhaps the biggest surprise was my 0.2% North African trace DNA. It's not big enough to be tracked down of course, but is likely to mean I have a small amount of lineage from 9. <b>Morocco </b>or 10. <b>Algeria </b>(or surrounding countries!). I have seen tonnes of bloggers travelling to this part of the world recently, so it may inspire me!<br />
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If you do decide to do some DNA testing of your own, I would recommend waiting until a special occasion like mother's day or father's day until the prices drop. Have you any exciting ancestry that has influenced your travels?<br />
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<br />Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-20249018151235396272019-08-17T13:58:00.000-07:002019-08-25T11:47:46.117-07:00Blogger Progress Report: One Week of Activity <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After only one week of activity, it may not seem like the best time to start a Blogger Progress Report, but I would disagree. There is the fact that I am excited to write one; to tell you guys what I have been up to and how I have been feeling since I <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-return-of-blog.html" target="_blank">re-opened the MB Blog</a>; and that I welcome any scrutiny or tips that may follow from it, as the first stage is all about learning. Or re-learning, in my case!<br />
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First off, you should know, if you don't already, that I am not blogging for profit at the moment. I am what you would class as a part-time blogger - so I blog either when inspiration comes to me or I make use of my time after work to write posts that I plan on posting later. For this reason, I will <b>grow more slowly </b>than full-time bloggers in terms of readership, and I know that I shouldn't, if possible, compare myself to them on design either. That said, I have been doing some research and adding to my 'reading list'. I have been reading some of the top ten travel blogs <i>in the world, </i>and yet I found at least a couple of them had very simple blog design, and this is where I would like to stand out and be different.<br />
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<i><u>Aesthetics</u></i><br />
My first step, after customising my theme and layout, was to have a look around at some logos. I knew I wanted something simplistic, brassy, and circular. I found a few that I liked, then made my own based from elements that I liked of all three. I am not saying that it is perfect or is here to stay forever, but at the moment I am working on the ethos of improving at least one thing each time I visit my blog (which at the moment is at least once per day). For instance, my new logo may have been up for a week, but it has taken until today to work out how to make it truly transparent. Re-learning Photoshop after so many years is <i>hard</i>, even with the online tutorial I read, and eventually I found transparency was easier to master on the alternative photo editing software I have been using. Who needs Photoshop anyway!<br />
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Another thing that I have found difficult to replicate is continuity when it comes to blog title images. I am finding that I have a bit of a mish-mash of fonts at the moment because I get too excited to use different ones, but this will easily be fixed when I have time to focus on it. Good continuity on images is something that all of my favourite blogs do well, so I really want to live up to this.<br />
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<i><u>Pages</u></i><br />
Just today I have added a <a href="https://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/p/meet-author.html" target="_blank">Meet the Author page</a>, something that was really Josh's idea to fill some of the page space at the top of my blog. I thought it was only fair for him to have his own section on there, as he contributes so much to it. We go on most of our adventures together, and I felt like he needed introducing, especially since most of my travel blogs are "we did this" and "we did that"!<br />
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<i><u>Statistics</u></i><br />
Hopefully soon I will be able to speak to you about stats. This one is going to be a little bit complicated for me as technically this blog has been on the net for several years, and so my all-time page views will not be in line with when I re-opened in August 19. I also found that my own visits to my blog were being tracked, as I had not turned the cookie blocker off on several devices (rookie mistake). As far as I am aware, there is no way to rectify this on the Blogspot Analytics, so I may be able to talk about Stats more next month. After reviewing them today, all I really noticed was that I have had at least one view come from Pinterest, which I only started linking to my blog yesterday, so that's a good sign!<br />
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<i><u>Technology & Expenditure</u></i><br />
You will be glad to know that our new Canon EOS M50 has ARRIVED! We took it for its first proper trip out to Elvaston Castle today, and I am pleased to be able to start tinkering around with it. The Wi-Fi/Smartphone feature will be something that is super useful when we are in Croatia, so I can't wait to see how it goes. Aside from this one-off purchase, the day-to-day running of my blog currently costs me nothing. The excellent image-editing software I use is free, and I have no plans to switch from it anytime soon.<br />
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<i><u>Future</u></i><br />
What do I see myself changing in the near-<i>ish </i>future? Well, at the moment I am all on board with Blogspot because I am very familiar with the software after years of using it. However, now that I am back to blogging I have been reading tonnes more blogs, for ideas, for inspiration, for recommendations and tips. One of the main things they all recommend is to begin your blog on Wordpress, as you will have more blog design options and better SEO. I tend to agree that at some point this is the way my blog will have to go, but I really want to prove to myself that I can and will keep this hobby going alongside my full-time job, before I pay for the Wordpress personal. My expectation is that - if I can keep regular content coming and growing an audience - I will begin to trial Wordpress at the beginning of 2020.<br />
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In the meantime, expect a few small things to change as I continue to tinker with how the blog looks and reads. Of course, as new content is posted, I will be going back and deleting some old content so that the blog does not become too bare all at once. Oh, and look out for my next Blogger Report which I hope will be one month from now!<br />
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<br />Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-17182537192721132382019-08-15T12:19:00.000-07:002019-09-26T11:36:51.765-07:00Exploring Sorrento: A Day in Pompeii<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sorrento is one of our favourite regions in Italy so far; it holds a particularly special place in our hearts because it is where Josh and I first holidayed together as a couple. We were based in Piano di Sorrento, and found the food nearby to be the best we have tasted in the whole country. Specifically, the hospitality at our <a href="http://www.nastroazzurroresort.com/en/" target="_blank">Hotel Nastro Azzurro</a> was second to none; beyond anything you could ever expect in England. We only had four nights there, so we made sure that we made the most of every day. On our second full day we got to visit Pompeii, one of the very reasons we chose to come to Sorrento in the first place.<br />
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We'd booked the Tui excursion at our Welcome Meeting, and went to Pompeii by coach the very next day for just under €40 each. By the time we reached the outskirts of the ancient city it had turned out to be the most beautiful day, probably the sunniest day that we had. This was lucky as with so many tourists it did seem like a bit of a battle to get in. We were part of quite a large group, so the guide gave out audio sets so we could hear her over all the other tourists. Once in we explored old houses, like my favourite, Casa del Menandro. I simply can't fathom that it could have laid hidden forever. I wish all houses and gardens were built like Menandro's.<br />
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On the tour you will also pass by - or through - old brothels, traders shops, an amphitheatre, the main plaza, and of course, the casts. A large number are undergoing restoration processes or are too delicate to be around the public, so I was a bit shocked at how few there were. Still though, Pompeii is hugely worthwhile, and we only wish we got the chance to see Herculaneum, which is supposedly even better preserved. Maybe another day!</div>
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Pompeii is somewhere I wouldn't hesitate to return to, as it is a place you would definitely learn more about or from each time. I would say that it is <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-three-best-attractions-in.html" target="_blank">as busy as the Colosseum</a>, but as you are walking around an entire town, it is not nearly as claustrophobic. Saying that, down narrower streets, it is usual for tour groups to get backed up - so there may be a wait in places. After all, the Italians are known for <i>piano, piano</i> not quickly, quickly. 😉</div>
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Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-32071250254918256922019-08-13T14:45:00.002-07:002019-09-26T10:13:59.203-07:00The Three Best Attractions In Metropolitan Rome<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We begin our <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-return-of-blog.html" target="_blank">re-opening of the MB Blog</a> with some Roman nostalgia. Ahead of our trip to Croatia in just over a month's time, I wanted to do some looking back at other European city travels, and start to fill in some of that three-year gap!<br />
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Josh and I took our first trip to Rome in April of this year, which wasn't a bad time to go, but was still busy with some of the bad weather you might expect from what could be called their 'winter-time'. We didn't use a holiday provider for our city break, but instead travelled via Jet2 and booked our lodgings (right by the Colosseum) with Booking.com. All-inclusive obviously wasn't on offer with so many other places to eat in the vicinity, so we headed out quite often, not just to explore, but also to <a href="http://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/08/where-to-drink-in-rome-exclusive.html" target="_blank">eat and drink</a>. Here I have compiled a short post to help you on your way if you too would like to discover Rome.<br />
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The Colosseo is going to be first on everybody's lips when thinking of Rome. However, of course you cannot enter alone, and so if you suffer from claustrophobia or anxiety it isn't going to be a walk in the park with all the other hundreds of tourists around. This was something I had dreamt about for years, but found that I had to grin and bear it. Almost everyone is reaching for their camera or selfie stick looking for their golden photo opportunity - but I found that you can take some real gems down the side streets, where you are less likely to be interrupted by fellow travellers and holiday-makers.<br />
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Overall we found what many have probably discovered before us; the Colosseum is a must-see, but can be daunting with an unclear booking process/pick-up, and we wouldn't recommend the audio tour either. The best way to do it is at your own (leisurely) pace and soak it all up at your own speed. Also, come prepared to say 'No' many times to the sellers outside.</div>
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We spent four full nights in the capital, and took to exploring Castel Sant'Angelo after the Vatican on the third day. It was planned fully by Josh, who found it on a list of local attractions. It was not somewhere we had our eyes on before we flew out to Italy, but ended up being one of the most valuable experiences we had there. A fortress, castle, and intended mausoleum of the Emperor Hadrian, you pay a small amount for admission as you would any other attraction or museum within the city. We had our Roma Passes, but as EU Citizens (😢) it worked out better value to pay a couple of Euros and save our Roma Pass for a more expensive ticket. We found that you will walk <i>a lot </i>around the building if you want to make it to the top, but once you've made it, the rooftop offers exclusive and beautiful views of the entire Vatican area - and a quaint restaurant.</div>
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You may not have heard of Villa Doria Pamphili, but it is Rome's answer to Wollaton Hall or Chatsworth House. To get there, I would recommend a walk to those of you who aren't easily tired, although the way is up-hill and quite long. The largest public park in Rome offers breathing space from the tourists below in Metropolitan Rome, and feels more like somewhere the locals would spend their time. We certainly saw a fair few going for their daily jogs. If you are travelling in Summer, this would be the perfect place to go and get your photo ops. Definitely return via taxi if you can, as we ended up getting quite lost and asking a hotel receptionist for help. </div>
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While we are on the subject of taxis, we have a couple more tips to make your trip as stress-free as possible. If you are arriving at Leonardo Da Vinci airport, beware of scammers who wait by the official taxi rank, take your bags and lead you out into the main car park, where an unlicensed driver will take you home but charge you double the fee. </div>
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We found taxis in general quite hard to ring in Rome, as the only number we were provided in our accommodation had an opening message in Italian but then hung up. I know a decent amount of Italian, but not enough to establish what they were saying. So, we had a number, but no taxi service. However, if you are there for an extended period of time, the good news is that we did slowly begin to learn where the ranks were (and they were often not as far away as portrayed on Google Maps).</div>
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What are your favourite spots in Rome? If you'd like to hear about my experience with the night-life, <a href="https://meaghan-bethany.blogspot.com/2019/08/where-to-drink-in-rome-exclusive.html" target="_blank">click here</a> for more!</div>
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Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-39017299282831718022019-08-10T12:31:00.000-07:002019-08-31T14:59:24.333-07:00The Return of the Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Looking at the posts below, you would be forgiven for thinking that it is still late 2016, rather than mid-2019. I have had <i>quite</i> the hiatus. But I am not some big YouTube celebrity with many expectant fans to keep happy, so I do hope you'll excuse me for the wait. I'm sure some of you reading now (hello!) will be interested to know what I got up to in the three years I was gone, and we will get to that in time as I explain my reasons for returning.<br />
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Firstly, I am a big believer that having a full-time job just about <b>kills </b>creativity. I have had my fair share of different jobs at the ripe old age of 22, but I have yet to find more than one that gave me time enough to scratch this particular itch.<br />
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Secondly, I have so much more life experience. Three years is a <i>looong </i>time. So many things, both good and bad have occurred. Whether it is losing jobs, family members, starting university, leaving university, driving tests or selling a car, there is so much more that I actually feel I have some authority to write about now.<br />
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Thirdly, inspiration. My uncle Alex runs a blog called Career Gappers, a small business which is just now making profit for the first time. Seeing him do what he does and telling other people how to achieve it really sparked my love for blogging again. Since studying Creative & Professional Writing at University, I have really missed the written word, and rather than doing it for a profit at the moment, I would really just like to get back into my old hobby.<br />
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Fourthly and finally, improvements. As well as the experience I now have, there are now much better tools at my disposal. As you can imagine, looking back over my posts from 3+ years ago, I have been shocked at some of the blurry or grainy imagery I uploaded onto this site. Myself and my lovely partner Josh are expecting the delivery of our brand new Canon EOS M50 any time soon; just before our short holiday to Croatia & Montenegro; and can't wait to upload some of the first brand new images onto To Blog Would Be An Awfully Big Adventure. I'm sure you'll agree that, with the changes to my theme, the blog looks a lot sleeker, though I have tried for nostalgia's sake to stay true to all the old colours.<br />
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So, I hope you'll bear with me as I get back onto my feet, and watch this space!<br />
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Meaghan xMeaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-69509681175234331052016-10-14T02:32:00.002-07:002016-10-14T02:32:54.105-07:00You Me At Six // Rock City, Nottingham 13.10.16 // Review<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yesterday was the second time I've had the pleasure of attending a You Me At Six gig. Now I can say with confidence that their performances are always consistently excellent and never disappointing. They know exactly which songs their fans want to hear. On top of that, Josh is a brilliant vocalist - unlike those bands that sound completely different live, his vocals are always as if they've been taken straight from the track and there's noone singing live at all. In fact, the first time I saw YMAS with ATL at Birmingham, Josh had a (broken? or fractured?) ankle, and he still killed it, jumping around as much as he could. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rock City was full to the brim - they even opened the balconies up which is something I haven't seen them do that often. I'm not sure if this is so press can get the best photos from the top of the venue, or because in the past, at particularly heavy gigs I've been to such as Asking Alexandria, they closed the balcony off as they knew there might be a risk that fans could fall or jump at those sorts of gigs. Either way, on the main floor, you could barely move - even when Vant were still warming the crowd. I missed most of their performance as my friends & I arrived late, although I did hear one song I recognised. According to the set-list, Vant had an hour and a half performance - which is just as long as YMAS themselves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was an especially exciting gig as YMAS are, obviously and expectedly a HUGE DEAL in England. Therefore, during the interval, there were a few fans feeling a bit aggressive in terms of getting to the front. But I love it when a band comes on stage and that lairy atmosphere just subsides - you forget about everything that's annoyed you before and sink into the performance. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Josh encouraged making friends at the concert, as most bands do nowadays, and suggested lifting a friend or a stranger up onto your shoulders at one point. Of course, not everyone is comfortable with that but it was nice to see some people give that a go. He looked at me while I was giving him a cheeky wave and I swear it made my life, we giggled like schoolgirls.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">'Stay With Me' was an especially good performance, and one I'd been eager to hear live again for a while. 'Fresh Start Fever,' 'Underdog,' 'Loverboy,' 'Bite My Tongue,' 'Room To Breathe' and 'Lived A Lie' were also played, just to name a few favourites. It was awesome to hear 'Night People' live for the first time too. I'm a bit disappointed I didn't get to hear 'Cold Night' again but how can I complain when the night was that awesome. The only thing I will point out is that the gig did finish rather early - YMAS came on at 8.30pm and only stayed 'til 10pm. My friends were happy enough with that but I don't know I just would have liked them to have stayed for a bit longer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">All in all if I had to rate the gig I'd give it a 4/5, and would definitely recommend You Me At Six to anyone who is longing to see a band that is just as good live as they are on their albums. (They also called out Donald Trump for being a d*ckhead - so what more can you want). Would definitely see them again, about 500 times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Meaghan x</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com1Derbyshire, UK53.1046782 -1.562388499999997351.8847942 -4.1441754999999976 54.3245622 1.0193985000000025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-7222667273478001112016-07-21T02:53:00.002-07:002019-08-14T12:43:05.050-07:00July Music Recommendations // Alternative & Rock<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As some of you may be aware, I was lucky enough to experience my first <i>2000Trees</i> festival recently, and, as a result, my music taste has been undergoing a bit of an evolution (no <i>Pokemon GO</i> jokes today, I promise). Without further ado, these are the songs I have loved & discovered this month - I hope you find some you like!</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alternative/Rock/Punk Rock:</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Chasing Lions</i> // <b>Natives</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Honey</i> // <b>Moose Blood</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Gums</i> // <b>Moose Blood</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Hunny Please </i>// <b>Episodes</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>No Sleep</i> // <b>Twin Atlantic</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Bury It</i> // <b>CHVRCHES</b> & <b>Hayley Williams</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Misery</i> // <b>Creeper</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Somebody Else</i> // <b>The 1975</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>San Diego</i> // <b>blink-182</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Los Angeles</i> //<b> blink-182</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>She's Out Of Her Mind</i> // <b>blink-182</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Sober</i> // <b>blink-182</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Home Is Such A Lonely Place</i> // <b>blink-182</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Makeshift Love</i> // <b>Good Charlotte</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Leave A Trace </i>// <b>CHVRCHES</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>And here are a few little extras!</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Perfect Strangers</i> // <b>Jonas Blue </b>& <b>JP Cooper</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Work From Home</i> //<b> Fifth Harmony</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Send My Love (To Your New Lover)</i> // <b>Adele</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Alarm</i> // <b>Anne-Marie</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Tilted </i>// <b>Christine & The Queens</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>She Sets The City On Fire </i>// <b>Gavin DeGraw</b></span></div>
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Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com0Derbyshire, UK53.1046782 -1.562388499999997351.8847942 -4.1441754999999976 54.3245622 1.0193985000000025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-38935133199997347002016-03-23T06:26:00.000-07:002019-09-10T11:38:48.036-07:00My Race for Life: in Memory of Harry Jones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hey everybody'. I'm sorry it's been so long! It's been a while since I've written anything except pen pal letters, but here goes...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A few days ago, I was asked by my workmate Becca to join her and her mum in running a Race for Life in the name of <i>Cancer Research UK</i>. I have wanted to run the race for such a long time, so it was a complete pleasure when she asked me! In previous years, I haven't had the money to pay for the signing up fee and transport; but now that I'm working, the sign up fee was no problem and Becca is kindly providing transport. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While Becca and her mum have their own reasons for joining the cause, I personally am running in memory of my Gt Grandad, Harry Jones, who passed away in 2013. When told he had cancer, his words were "I knew it would get me in the end" - having a mother and father who both died of the disease, and two brothers. My hope is that people will keep fundraising until cancer can't 'get' anybody anymore.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After signing up for the race on the 22nd May in Chesterfield, I was prompted to make a JustGiving page to help me raise money - the link to which can be found here: <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/meaghanhunt">http://www.justgiving.com/meaghanhunt</a>. My target is £150, and I have about two months to reach it! Every penny goes to Cancer Research.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Please spare what you can by clicking the link to my JustGiving page, and help me do my Grandad proud! Let's beat cancer sooner.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">MB</span></span>Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com0Derbyshire, UK53.1046782 -1.562388499999997353.1046782 -1.5623884999999973 53.1046782 -1.5623884999999973tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522345550721738056.post-69508510338997352812016-01-21T08:21:00.001-08:002019-08-18T10:37:09.374-07:00Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit // Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Anna and the Swallow Man</i><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> by Gavriel Savit was one of the best books I have ever read. Now let me attempt to tell you why. </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">The Great Gatsby </i><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">by the great F. Scott Fitzgerald and </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">The Bloody Chamber </i><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">by the legendary Angela Carter are two of my favourite books to date - largely because of the impeccable writing style that flows through both. </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Anna and the Swallow Man</i><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> was one such book. I feel like I'm giving compliments without explaining or justifying them like I normally do, and I probably am. But my God, the writing. I haven't read anything so beautiful in a long time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I haven't read a wartime story since childhood</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, so </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">this is not a book I would read if I hadn't won it -</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I used to read a lot of Michael Morpurgo and I distinctly remember <i>How I Live Now</i> by Meg Rosoff, but in the recent past books like </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Book Thief </i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">just haven't seemed up my street. I am glad I won this in a Goodreads giveaway, because it definitely was up my street. It broke my heart, but in a good way. I didn't understand the ending, and I didn't care. It was beautiful, extraordinary even, and I recommend it to anyone who likes fiction. Or non-fiction. So basically, everybody.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It follows Anna and 'the Swallow Man' as they walk. Just walk. Just a heads up - you don't know where they're walking and you don't know why, but that's not the point. The one mystery you may wonder about is <b>who the Swallow Man is</b>. He never reveals his name to Anna, but you get the impression that he is <i>very </i>important to the war. I for one, would love to know who he is based on, if anybody. Sadly, unless there is a sequel (please, God, let there be a sequel), I may never find out. Even then I may never find out! Gavriel Savit, why do you do this to me?!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I loved this book, a lot. Rating: 4.75 stars/5.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; text-align: justify;">*Although this was sent to me in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, all opinions are 100% honest and 100% mine.*</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: #f1c232; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; line-height: 27px;">Are you an author or publisher looking for book bloggers to review your book(s)? Look no further! My <a href="http://www.meaghan-bethany.blogspot.co.uk/p/book-reviews.html" style="color: #993322; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">book reviews page</a> tells you everything you need to know.</i></div>
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Meaghan Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12378312074169883664noreply@blogger.com0