Archive for June, 2012

A weekend in Rome - In Photos
Posted on 29. Jun, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
Rome is quite an amazing city. A bit like other capitals around the world, it’s the kind of place you never actually do. There’s no such thing as having done Rome, because there simply is too many things to do to fill one lifetime! Rome also happens to be very photogenic… This is probably what [...]
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Leeds Castle, the prettiest castle in England?
Posted on 27. Jun, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
If you stop thinking for a minute, and try to picture an English castle, what does it look like? A noble property, surrounded by a moat and only accessible by a drawbridge, with imposing stone towers and lavish gardens, perhaps? Because that’s exactly what the Leeds Castle looks like. A picture perfect portrait! I was [...]
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Review of Palmers Lodge Hillspring in London
Posted on 26. Jun, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
The promise of a boutique hostel in London is always appealing. When Palmers Lodge Hillspring offered me a night at their latest property, I was really curious to try it out, considering that I am normally not a hostel person. Palmers Lodge Hillspring The hostel reminded me a bit of the Camden student hall I [...]
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So, you want to be a travel blogger?
Posted on 25. Jun, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
It took me a while to write this post. Not only because it’s an incredibly complicated subject, but also because it made me wonder if I was a good enough blogger to write a post about being a travel blogger. Am I credible? Am I knowledgeable? When somebody as talented and professional like Kate McCulley [...]
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Who knew Ireland was so… Irish?
Posted on 22. Jun, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
It seems like Ireland’s reputation follows her everywhere, and even precedes her most of the time. As they say, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire”, and that applies to Ireland as well. Let’s see what are the most commons Ireland clichés, and what I have noticed about them. After spending a week in the country with Shamrocker [...]
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I Hate Ryanair - Or Why I Will Never Ever Fly With Them Again
Posted on 20. Jun, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
I hate Ryanair. Completely, irreversibly, utterly, wholly hate them. There is traveling on a budget. And there is having just a little bit of self-respect. And Ryanair just hit rock bottom. I have decided that regardless of how much of a budget I am on, I will never give a penny to this company ever again. [...]
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Rainy St. Paul’s, London - In Photos
Posted on 18. Jun, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
To continue in the same tone of my most recent, and quite personal post, I decided to kick this week off by posting a shot from a late-night ride in a London double decker. And why, but of course it was raining! It is London in the summer that we are talking about. What else [...]
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Living Like a Londoner with Citybase Apartments
Posted on 17. Jun, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
I couldn’t believe my luck when I opened the door to my Citybase Apartments flat. Or should I say most-luxurious-apartment-I-have-ever-dreamed-of. Here’s a review of my stay at Citybase Apartments in London. Citybase Apartments location Citybase Apartments has tons of properties scattered around London, but I was lucky enough to be booked at 10 Pembridge Gardens in [...]
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Living Like a Londoner with base2stay Kensington
Posted on 16. Jun, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
To say I was excited to try out base2stay Kensington is a bit of an understatement. I’m a big fan of comfort, affordable luxury and hotel rooms with a kitchenette, and that’s exactly what I got at base2stay. I have to be honest and say that things started off extremely well when I opened the door and [...]
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Tears for London
Posted on 15. Jun, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
September 11th, 2008. Despite emotional goodbyes, a rather turbulent flight across the Atlantic and a costly phone call home to tell my mom I was still alive, it only took a few seconds for the feeling to set in. I hadn’t even left Heathrow and I already felt at home. Cue May 30th, 2009. I [...]
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A walk down Portobello Road Market, a photo essay
Posted on 14. Jun, 2012 by Marie.
Popular with the tourists and locals alike, Portobello Road Market is a bit of an institution in London. Held every Saturday, rain or shine, it holds everything from vintage jewelry to quirky memorabilia and cheesy London souvenirs. No matter what you are looking for, you are guaranteed to find it at Portobello Road Market. Once [...]
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A Weekend in London on a Budget
Posted on 13. Jun, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
As a city filled with some of the most exorbitant properties of the world, just like Paris, it doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone. London is, normally, a very expensive city to live and travel in. But there is hope for you, my frugal friends, and those who do not care to throw money [...]
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The Funky Gaudi House in Barcelona
Posted on 11. Jun, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
Often regarded as one of the funkiest yet amazingly well-designed properties in the world, the Dali House in Barcelona never fails to impress. If you must pay a tribute to Gaudi, the Casa Batlo is the absolute best choice, if you ask me - La Pedrera isn’t as elaborate, the Parc Guell is constantly filled [...]
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A Lucky Golden Hour in Gibraltar
Posted on 08. Jun, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
Gibraltar is a pretty special place, for so many reasons. First of all, it’s only a few hundred meters from Andalusian Spain, but it’s a British territory. Second of all, the border is actually on the airport’s tarmac. And third of all, and perhaps most importantly, security is very, very loose. We drove into the [...]
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The Colors of Granada, a Photo Essay
Posted on 06. Jun, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
After a few months under the permanent British grey cloud, the thing that you need the most is definitely color. Warm, earth colors. Vitamin D. A tan! And what better than southern Spain to provide that? It doesn’t get more colorful and sunny than Andalusia, I thought. And I was right! One of the things [...]