Berlin Travel Diary | Let Me Take Your Bags

berlin-germany-travel-diary-mani-hotel-amano-bloomzy-1Mani Hotel, Torstraße 136, 10119 Berlin, Germany

Let’s start from the beginning. Having never travelled to Germany I had always wanted to visit Berlin. So when V.A suggested a holiday in the capital – with her as my tour guide – I could hardly say no…could I? They say good friends should never travel together, but we were confident that we wouldn’t be screeching at each other by the end of the holiday. So we packed our bags and hopped on a plane to the home of curry wurst.

The Mani Hotel had kindly offered to put us up for our first night in the city, and after a relatively short train journey from the airport, we dropped off our bags and freshened up. The hotel is located in Rosenthaler Platz, Mitte, which just so happened to be the area we had marked down for its variety of restaurants and shops. We explored the area a little (something I’ll go into more detail on in the next post), and it did not let us down. Later we caught up with a friend (and a heavy rain shower) before rushing back to the hotel for dinner.

I don’t usually “do” food at hotels. I prefer to explore the restaurants nearby, but we could hardly say no when the Mani so graciously offered us a dinner and breakfast package. After a 2am startwe were running on only 3 hours sleep, and the idea of only having to take a lift back to our cozy bed was glorious. Luckily for us the food at the Mani hotel is not an afterthought to a room, instead it elegantly compliments your stay. The sharing plates for dinner were a modern fusion of French and Arabic cuisines. However it was the breakfast buffet (which non hotel guests can have for only €15) that excited me most. It was like letting a child loose in a sweet store. The food here is prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients, and presented beautifully. If I were to visit Berlin again I would definitely visit the Mani hotel and restaurant. In fact I’m considering catching another flight back asap just for those breakfast meatballs!

You can check out the rest of my Berlin Travel Diary series here.

berlin-germany-travel-diary-mani-hotel-amano-bloomzy-3 berlin-germany-travel-diary-mani-hotel-amano-bloomzy-rent-a-bike berlin-germany-travel-diary-mani-hotel-amano-bloomzy-4 berlin-germany-travel-diary-mani-hotel-amano-bloomzy-2 berlin-germany-travel-diary-mani-hotel-amano-bloomzy-6 berlin-germany-travel-diary-mani-hotel-amano-bloomzy berlin-germany-travel-diary-mani-hotel-amano-bloomzy-5

Travel: Hay-on-Wye – The Town of Books

bloomzy-wales-travel-photo-diary-photography-hay-on-wye-town-of-books-4 bloomzy-wales-travel-photo-diary-photography-hay-on-wye-town-of-books-2 bloomzy-wales-travel-photo-diary-photography-hay-on-wye-town-of-books-9 bloomzy-wales-travel-photo-diary-photography-hay-on-wye-town-of-books-5 bloomzy-wales-travel-photo-diary-photography-hay-on-wye-town-of-books-3 bloomzy-wales-travel-photo-diary-photography-hay-on-wye-town-of-books-6 bloomzy-wales-travel-photo-diary-photography-hay-on-wye-town-of-books-7 bloomzy-wales-travel-photo-diary-photography-hay-on-wye-town-of-books-8 bloomzy-wales-travel-photo-diary-photography-hay-on-wye-town-of-books-1

Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales

Remember all the fairytales you read as a child? The ones of magical villages whose alleyways were lined with bookstores, and curiosity shops filled with trinkets and oddities. What if I told you all of that was real, and you could re-discover it as an adult? All you have to do is go to Wales. Yes, this town really does exist, and it’s called Hay-on-Wye – The Town of Books.

You would think that such a fantastical introduction would make for a pretty boring visit. That certainly wasn’t the case when I headed to this lively town last weekend. I found myself running away from everyone, eager to get lost in the small alleys. Ducking my head into antiques stores and galleries. Rummaging through dusty books and maps in a bookstore straight out of Harry Potter. It’s not everyday that you reclaim that special wonderment you felt as a child. That’s why my trip to Hay-on-Wye felt so wonderful. I actually can’t stop talking about it to people. I know that my photos and words can’t do it justice, so I can only hope that you will be inspired and visit the town for yourself. Your inner child will thank you.

You can find out more at Visit Wales.

Travel Photo Diary: A Belated Slice of Heaven

A few days ago I realised that I never finished my Chamonix travel diary which made me equal parts nostalgic and annoyed (with myself; because I should have done it 4 months ago). So I decided to dust off the photos and finally put them up. If anything they’ll offer a sweet reminder of what’s to come when Britain finally decides to end it’s childish fight with the sun – flowers, clear skies and light, glorious light!

Travel Diary: A Weekend in Norfolk

travel-diary-photo-photography-blog-blogger-norfolk-west-runton-beach-norwich-bloomzy-4 travel-diary-photo-photography-blog-blogger-norfolk-west-runton-beach-norwich-bloomzy-6 travel-diary-photo-photography-blog-blogger-norfolk-west-runton-beach-norwich-bloomzy-2 travel-diary-photo-photography-blog-blogger-norfolk-west-runton-beach-norwich-bloomzy-3 travel-diary-photo-photography-blog-blogger-norfolk-west-runton-beach-norwich-bloomzy-5 travel-diary-photo-photography-blog-blogger-norfolk-west-runton-beach-norwich-bloomzy-1

Being from Norwich, I never quite understood why Londoners would take long weekends in Norfolk, or retire to my home county. However after moving to London myself, it has become somewhat of a getaway. I find myself enjoying long walks along the coast/through woodlands with my family and our dog. Being able to enjoy life’s little gifts is something I’m beginning to cherish more and more. Maybe this is what growing up is like? Whatever the reason I am so grateful that I have somewhere that means so much to me.

Chamonix Travel Diary: Part 7

chamonix-france-travel-photo-diary-blog-blogger-la-flegere-bloomzy-4 chamonix-france-travel-photo-diary-blog-blogger-la-flegere-bloomzy-2 chamonix-france-travel-photo-diary-blog-blogger-la-flegere-bloomzy-1 Chamonix-Travel-Diary-Part-65 chamonix-france-travel-photo-diary-blog-blogger-la-flegere-bloomzy-3

As a little treat Ben took my up La Flégère, one of his old snowboarding haunts. I’d been reading about how picturesque it was, and I was sad that I’d missed a photo tour by a local photographer, so he decided we’d recreate our own photo walk. During ski season this is a well frequented spot, however in Summer it becomes a haven for wildlife and flowers. Walking around the mountain lakes and looking out into the distance at Mer de Glace was spectacular. I didn’t put my camera down once. A lot of the flowers were beginning to wither, but we got some pretty lovely photos anyway. Although it was the lake with a mountain view that really took my breath away. It reminded me of just how beautiful Chamonix really is, and how lucky I am to have experienced it.

Chamonix Travel Diary: Part 6

chamonix-france-travel-diary-lifestyle-blog-blogger-photo-diary-fashion-style-topshop-cat-print chamonix-france-travel-diary-lifestyle-blog-blogger-photo-diary-the-alps-mountains chamonix-france-travel-diary-lifestyle-blog-blogger-photo-diary-saint-gervais-vallorcine-train-station chamonix-france-travel-diary-lifestyle-blog-blogger-photo-diary-la-regina-architecture chamonix-france-travel-diary-lifestyle-blog-blogger-photo-diary-train-line-station-stop chamonix-france-travel-diary-lifestyle-blog-blogger-photo-diary-omelette-foodie chamonix-france-travel-diary-lifestyle-blog-blogger-photo-diary-mont-blanc-marron-dessert-pudding-sweet-foodie

It’s been just over two weeks since we returned from Chamonix, and already I’m craving French food and long walks in the mountains. My nostalgia got me thinking; what better way to remedy my withdrawal symptoms than with a blog post? I have yet to publish the photo diaries from my last few days in France, so now seemed as good a time as any.

A walk alongside the river to La Praz is perfect for a mild day in Chamonix. We headed back via train and wound up in our favourite omelette restaurant…yes an entire restaurant dedicated to omelettes. Afterwards we went for another walk around the outskirts of town, and to the mountainerring/crystal museum. Unfortunately it seemed as though we chose the worst time to leave as we were greeted with torrential rain. So we ran through town, ducking and hiding under canopies before deciding that cake and hot chocolate were in store. After only a few minutes of nibbling on a Mont Blanc we had already forgotten about our wet clothes and the impending walk back to the apartment.

Chamonix Travel Diary: The Foodie Factor

One day in particular I found myself taking more than my usual share of food photos, so I thought I’d round them all up in one post. Whether it’s a sweet snack, or a regional speciality I always have time for French food.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day (although I beg to differ) but it’s not always easy to choose what to eat. The typical French breakfast is simple; croissant, maybe a pain au chocolate, bread, butter and jam. It’s a carb overload, but boy is it satisfying. Fresh French bread can not be beaten, and even though I’m not a convert to croissants, I don’t mind this particular offering.

Bread does leave me slightly full though, so instead of a ‘proper’ lunch I opted for an English take on a French favourite – macarons with tea. The French supermarkets may carry a wide selection of teas, but I can never find a particularly decent one, usually having to settle for imported British tea. How English is that? I can’t even last a week without a cup of tea. Anyway, I do enjoy pairing teas with sweet snacks such as cake or chocolate, but macarons have to be one of my all time favourites. Can you believe I originally discovered this amazing treat in Japan, not France? I don’t know how I’d managed to miss them for all those years, but it was the Japanese who wowed me with their own unique versions. True, matcha and sakura are not your typical flavours in France, but I can always go for pistache, cafe, or chocolat.

Now as for dinner…

The overuse of cheese to some, is complete heaven to me. I’ve always loved cheese and would gladly give up all other foods for it. So of course a fondue was on the cards whilst we were in Chamonix. In fact fondue is always on the cards in this particular region. It’s a speciality, and you’ll find it in almost every restaurant. Some do it better than others (I speak from experience), and it doesn’t just come with bread (I always recommend potatoes and ham). You’ll probably want to share with someone, although I’ve tackled one by myself and come out alive on the other side. Speaking of the other side… after all that cheese you may want something a bit sweeter, and my personal favourite is Coupe Mont Blanc – an almost sickeningly sweet ice cream dessert topped with pureed chestnut and cream. It’s safe to say I’ve been hunting it down in London since I first had it several years ago. Alas I have had no luck so I knew I had to have it during our trip. Our waiter winked at me as he place the dessert in front of me. It was as if he knew I’d waited a whole year for this…so he’d given me a whole years worth to eat. Everyone around me laughed (with me), but little did they know I’d easily demolish it…and demolish it I did.