Youtube: A Trip To Boston Vlog

Izzie x
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How To Spend 36 Hours In Boston

Last weekend, Lewis and I rented a car and drove down through beautiful New England to Boston. Our main motivation for going was for a long-awaited opportunity to see one of favourite musicians play who we kept missing in Europe due to our constant relocating this year. Of course, I also could not wait to get back to Boston, a beautiful city with lots of history and European feel that we had visited almost exactly four years ago. After a long (but worth it) drive, we arrived in Boston on Friday evening and we spent a whirlwind 36 hours in Boston before heading back at midday on Sunday. It is totally worth taking quick weekend trips because you can get a lot done in a short space of time so here's how to spend 36 hours in Boston.

EAT PIZZA AND CANNOLI IN THE NORTH END

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After a 7 hour drive with just car snacks and a stop off at the Ben & Jerry's factory (more on that another time), we headed straight to The North End, which is like the Little Italy area of Boston, for pizza, of course! We stumbled across a rather large queue for a pizzeria off the main strip and after checking out other options on Salem Street, I persuaded Lewis that we should go back to the first one - a queue is always a good sign right?! And right we were! We waited about half an hour for a table at Regina before we were seated in a cute wooden booth right next to the kitchen. We ordered a 16 inch margarita with extra ricotta to share for 20 bucks, which we enjoyed amongst the bustle and noise of this charming Italian restaurant. The queue was definitely worth the wait and it was the perfect start to our weekend in Boston.

From Regina, we strolled though the lively North End to Mike's Pastry on Hanover Street - the best place to get cannoli in town. If you don't know what a cannoli is, it's crispy tube of pastry stuffed with a creamy filling of which there are many flavours. We chose a plain cream filling with chocolate chips and went to heaven while eating these watching the Boston skyline at night. We also picked up another cannoli each on Saturday afternoon because if you can't indulge on holiday, when can you?!

TAKE A STROLL THROUGH BEACON HILL

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Located just west of the centre of Boston, Beacon Hill is an affluent, residential and beautiful area of town that is great for a calm weekend stroll admiring the gorgeous red brick buildings so this is exactly where we headed on Saturday morning. We were particularly taken by Louisberg Square and while taking some photos, an American couple pointed out John Kerry's house. As well as being home to important men of power, Beacon Hill also has lots of cute independent shops and cafes along Charles Street and although they can be pricy, it is always nice to have a little look.

VISIT BOSTON COMMON

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From Beacon Hill, just cross over Beacon Street and you are in Boston Common, a vast and diverse park smack bang in the middle of the city. The weather was stunning for our whole weekend in Boston so we took the opportunity to wander through this lovely park, taking some time to reflect whilst sitting on the bench that features in the film Good Will Hunting. The bench has a great view of the lagoon and is just perfect for people watching.

SAMPLE CULINARY DELIGHTS AT QUINCY MARKET

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Last time we were in Boston, we spent a lot of time around Quincy Market (and taking full advantage of the free Mac n Cheese samples) so we knew this was the place to head to to fill our stomachs before the gig. Quincy Market is in a beautiful old building that sits next to the equally stunning Faneuil Hall (where the Freedom Trail starts, which I highly recommend too) and is a lovely bustling retreat from the skyscrapers that surround it. Quincy Market offers lots of hot and cold meals including seafood, pizza and asian but we were there for one thing only - the cheesiest and most moorish Mac n Cheese. We certainly did not feel too healthy eating it and we definitely ate too much but it was the perfect way to get energised for the evening entertainment.

GO TO A GIG

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I often plan city breaks around going to a particular event and although your dates might not always match up with your favourite artist, going to a gig, musical or show is great way to make a trip extra special. I had been dying to see Brian Fallon (lead singer of the Gaslight Anthem) play all year so this has to be the highlight of my weekend. He played at the gorgeous Royale venue on Tremont Street, right in the heart of theatre district, and he was amazing! We had such a magical night and we even managed to meet him afterwards by hanging around the tour bus after the show - I'm a fan girl and proud ok?! 

GET AN ALL AMERICAN BREAKFAST

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On Sunday morning, having rinsed our money on cannoli and other deliciously unhealthy food, we wanted to stock up on a hearty American breakfast before hitting the road. Our Bostonian friend Bella, recommended the Trident Booksellers Cafe in the Back Bay area, which was great as we got to see another lovely area of town and the breakfast was just insane! We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table in this cafe located within a bookshop but it was so worth it. I went all out and chose the lemon ricotta stuffed French toast topped with blueberry coulis and maple syrup - and trust me it was a much as a mouthful to eat as it is to say! The portion was absolutely enormous - probably double the amount that I really needed - but Lewis was happy to help me out once he had finished his scrambled eggs and home fries. Great recommendation Bella!

So there you have it - how to spend 36 hours in Boston! If you have the time or it is your first visit to the city, it is worth spending a good four or five days there, which is what we did when we went four years ago. Thankfully we managed to squeeze in our top favourite things to do in Boston in just 36 hours - of course the only other must-do is see the Red Sox at Fenway Park but they were unfortunately playing away last weekend.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and watch out for the vlog coming on Sunday. I will certainly be doing more of these posts as I explore Canada and the USA so let me know if you have any recommendations. Next stop...New York in December!

Izzie x
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A Weekend Break In Paris

Bonjour! So as you'll know if you have read some of last week's posts, including my HOW TO PACK FOR A WEEKEND CITY BREAK, or follow my on INSTAGRAM, is that I was in my beloved city of PARIS at the weekend. 

Lewis and I booked a last minute 'fuck it let's just do it' trip to Paris just a few weeks ago so we could catch up with some friends and get into the festive mood ready for Christmas. And we had a blast. Can I please go back and live there already? It's soooo pretty and everyone I know there is just awesome. Anyway, whilst we all ponder over that question, here is a little photo diary from the short but very sweet weekend. 

So Saturday consisted of A LOT of eating. And drinking. After a 6am flight (urghh) we headed straight to our favourite boulangerie on boulevard Beaumarchais to start the trip the way Parisians do - with lots of pastries. This was followed the best - and one of the cheapest - lunches in Paris, falafel from CHEZ HANNA, which features on my tips to BEST EATS IN LE MARAIS, PARIS post. 

LE VOLTIGEUR - 35 rue des Francs Bourgeois, 75004, Paris 

 After eating falafel in a nearby park, we (read: Stuart) were pretty cold so we decided to find somewhere for a hot chocolate. We headed for this cute cafe in Le Marais called Le Voltigeur that I used to walk past everyday on my way to work. I had only ever had wine there so boy were we pleasantly surprised when they brought out this DIY hot chocolate spread. It was delicious. 

LA CERISE SUR LA PIZZA - 8 rue du Faubourg Poisonniere, 75010, Paris

We spent the afternoon wandering around Le Marais and then headed to a little event at LE POP-UP DE LABEL where the wine drinking commenced. We carried on the night at La Cerise Sur La Pizza - an awesome pizza place with a great friendly atmosphere.

Sunday started with a good old brunch chez Hannah (my mate's where I was staying) and then we headed out for a stroll along the river and around Ile Saint Louis. We also took some pretty awesome outfit photos here so look out for that post coming later on this week. 

CHEZ SUZETTE CREPERIE - 12 rue de la Harpe, 75005, Paris

After more strolling by the river and Christmas shopping in Le Marais (where I only actually managed to buy things for myself, fail) we went across to rive gauche to have a crepe at Chez Suzette Creperie in the Latin Quarter. I had a lovely three cheese one accompanied, as is tradition, by a bol de cidre. Just yum. 

As night fell, we followed the river up past the beautifully lit Louvre and through the Tuileries gardens where we eventually had to say goodbye to our wonderful friends who we had spent the weekend with. But I just wanted to stay. What a bladdy good weekend. 

Remember, Paris is always a good idea.

Izzie

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How To Pack For A Weekend City Break

I am off to Paris at the weekend for a catch up with friends and hopefully enough mulled wine and pretty lights to come back feeling all warm and festive. For the fashion conscious among us, packing for such a weekend city break can be challenging. Even if it's just for two or three days, you want to look fabulous - especially in Paris! - but hand luggage restrictions and critical looks from boyfriends/girlfriends mean that we must pack sensibly! So here are some of my top tips of how to pack for a weekend city break.

Burberry trench coat - KILO SHOP, Trainers - Converse via ASOS, Bag - CATH KIDSTON (old)

PLANNING
I always like to find out a bit about the general style of a city when planning what to take on a city break. This may sound silly because your style in your style but it's always nice to not stand out like a sour thumb tourist. Take Paris, for example, I know that the style is quite minimal there which is actually perfect for city break packing as I'll explain below, and people actually do wear a lot of stripes there so don't be shy - throw your favourite mariniere in your bag.

Denim Skirt - URBAN OUTFITTERS, Jeans - MONKI, Striped polo neck - second hand, Black polo neck - H&M, Backpack - FJALLRAVEN KANKEN

THE BASICS
The trick to weekend packing is flexibility. You need to have a few basic items in your case that you can mix and match and also jazz up with accessories - more on that below. I would suggest taking a trusty pair of black skinnies and a button down denim skirt, my recent Black Friday purchase. Neutral colours are perfect for mix/match dressing so in true keeping with my current polo neck obsession, I have chosen this black cropped one from H&M that goes with everything and a striped one to get that French look. A pair of comfy shoes or trainers are a must for city break exploring and my choice is almost always my high top black Converse. They are comfy for during the day but classic enough to wear with a smart-ish outfit for dinner or drinks. It's all about flexibility.

White blouse - KILO SHOP (similar via ASOS), Suede waistcoat - second hand, Suede boots - River Island via ASOS, Hat - KILO SHOP, Gold necklace - second hand, Choker - ASOS (sold out), Scarf - KILO SHOP

THE EXTRAS
On top of basic pieces you will need some extra bits to really personalise your outfits. The most space saving way to do this when travelling is with accessories. A hat, whether it be this baker boy hat or large fedora, instantly adds oomph to a look and it doesn't even need to take up valuable suitcase space! Just wear it travelling, which is also a solution for bed hair if your flight is too early to sort out your mop. Otherwise statement chokers or patterned scarves are great accessories for the neutral palate of your basics. And make sure you bring a more dressed up piece like this gorgeous white blouse or a nice dress. Then you just need to save space in your suitcase for shopping, especially if, like me, Paris is your destination!


I hope you find this little guide useful! I am certainly going to be following some of my own pointers when packing for Paris this weekend. I have a post scheduled for while I'm away but make sure to follow me on INSTAGRAM for travel updates and look out for a kind of Paris photo diary/weekend in Paris post next week!

Izzie x

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A weekend in Berlin

A couple of weeks ago, Lewis and I went to Berlin for a little weekend break. Even though I love Paris, it was lovely to have a change of scenery and explore a new capital city. We had both been to Berlin before but the last time Lewis was ill and we ended up in a hospital speaking very little German! Luckily this time everything went smoothly and here is a little diary from our trip!

We stayed in the beautifully calm area of Prenzlauerberg, a former punk area which has since been gentrified. We always opt for Airbnb apartments when we go away and this one came with two bikes! So, after a very early flight we set off on our Airbnb bikes to explore Berlin and get our bearings. We did the usual tourist stuff on our first day including going to the top of the Reichstag. Normally you have to queue to pre-book in advance (or you can do it online) but lucky for us, while we were in the queue we had the chance to go up straight away! I am a history nut so I loved learning about it and the views are pretty good too!

Unusual me, I didn't get round to hitting the city's vintage shops but we did come across this huge second hand store near Alexanderplatz called Humana. There are a few around the city and they have a huge selection of women's, men's, children's clothes plus shoes and material. I found this gorgeous cream wool scarf/shawl for just 6€, which I have been wearing constantly ever since! In the evening we went to see The Gaslight Anthem (the main purpose for our trip) at Columbiahalle and once again, Brian and the gang did not disappoint!

On Saturday, we explored the city by foot taking a (rather long) stroll from Alexanderplatz along the river down to the East Side Gallery, an international memorial for freedom where stands a 1.3km long section of the Berlin Wall covered in political, historical and moving art. I am absolutely fascinated by Berlin's history and even though it's the third time I have visited the Wall, I am still horrified but at the same time in awe that the people of Berlin had to face such control, which only ended just before I was born.

From the East Side Gallery we jumped on a U-Bahn to Tempelhof Park, an abandoned airport which, since its closure in 2008, has become a hang out for young people and families. It is absolutely incredible and should be on your 'must-not-miss' list if you visit Berlin. The terminal building, runways and signs are all preserved and that is one of the things I love about Berlin, there is so much history visible. I thought it was a perfect place to take some blog photos, which you can check out here. Once the sun had set we wandered through the beautiful neighbourhood of Tempelhof and stumbled upon a great crêpe place called Manouche. I know, you can take the girl out of Paris but you can't take Paris out of the girl! The food was cheap, tasty and there was a lovely cosy, friendly atmosphere.

We set off on the bikes again on Sunday morning, heading to Mauerpark Flea Market via the beautifully quiet streets of Prenzlauerberg. I love rummaging at flea markets and this is the most famous one in the city with such a range of stalls from vintage clothes and antique knickknacks to new jewellery and CDs. We picked up a couple of random old black and white photographs with the purpose of hiding one for my friend Nina who was arriving in Berlin just half an hour after we were leaving that night! Unfortunately, someone got to the photo before she managed to but it was fun to do a little treasure hunt anyway! There are also some amazing food stands at Mauerpark market and we opted for a vegan chickpea curry, which was delicious! From the market we headed to another Berlin Wall memorial, strolled through the central area of Mitte and then headed back to the apartment ready for our flight. 

I completely fell in love with Berlin, I cannot recommend it enough for a little city break and I can't wait to go back!

Izzie x