Gorgeous Gdansk.

Gdansk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast. It is another city that we will be visiting that is seaped in history, and yet another city that we had never heard of prior to this trip. The incredible thing about this city is the fact that during the Second World War the whole core of the city was practically destroyed. What you see today is actually one of the most amazing pieces of architecture restoration to date. 

Gdansk is said to be one of Poland's principal seaports and we are so excited to explore this beautiful city! Of course, it being a port, means that it is by the sea, meaning there is a beach, and seafood and that amazing salty sea air! Abby is from a seaside town, so for her it is a reminder of her childhood. For Shanice, well, it is what she wanted at least once on this holiday. 

We would love to do real tourist-y things here. Going on the Gdansk City Tour and visiting St Mary's church. There is something important about knowing even just a little about the city that you are staying in. Learning about the history, and the events that made it what it is today. A tour is one of the best ways to do this. You are not relying on sketching internet data, or simply suspicions. You are hearing pure facts from the people who know the place the best. 

St Mary's is a Roman Catholic church in gdansk. St Mary's is currently one of the largest European Brick Gothic churches, and is currently the largest brick church in the world. Its construction began in 1379.I (shanice) am fascinated by the architecture of this building. Both the interior and the exterior. It is a must see on my list and will be very disappointed if I don't get to visit this beautiful place.

 When it comes to architecture, Golden House is probably the richest facade that the city has to offer. It is decorated with busts of famous historical figures, including two of Polands Kings. The four figures that you can see waving from the top of the building are Cleopatra, Oedipus, Achilles, and Antigone.

When it comes to this city, however, one of the things we are most looking forward to is walking around it at dusk, walking around the port and the little streets at dusk. Seeing the sunset, the sky turn a spectrum of colours all behind the ancient skyline. 

It really does look stunning. 

Have you ever been to Poland? What food should we try?

-Shabs

Picture Perfect Poznan

Now for the second stop of our European city adventure...

Poznan. We're going to guess that ninety percent of you don't know where it is, and to be honest until we started planning this trip neither did we. It is a city that was recommended to us by a friend of Abby, who is Polish.

Truth be told out attraction to this city is purely based on it's looks. Tiny winding streets where you can go walking and find hidden coffee shops and little boutiques. Of course, we won't be rich, so we most likely won't buy much. But I don't think we will mind too much. 

When it comes to Poznan, however, our excitement is mainly centred around the stunning hostel we will be staying it. Honestly, it is by far the nicest accommodation we will have on this whole trip, and when the majority of our stays will be in plain dingy rooms you have to understand that this is incredibly exciting! It's a converted old building, and all the rooms are painted in white, pink and purple, the beds are white... 

Can you feel our excitement yet?!

The whole point of this trip is discovering places that we would never think to visit at any other point in our lives. So none of us want a rigid timetable of places we will go but we do want to sit and plan the places we would like the chance to visit, but at this moment in time, none of us mind. Even if we end up just wandering around and taking photos, it will be perfect. 

When it comes to Poznan, I think we will be mostly enjoying taking in all of the beautiful sights and culture that Poznan has to offer. 

Beckoned to Berlin

Hello!

We are aware it has been a while since we last posted, between work, family and planning for Europe time seems to have walked away from us. College is around the corner and with that in mind we thought we'd begin a series of posts talking about just what we plan on doing when we visit these inspiring cities next year. 

So, as a little escapism from college it is about time we wrapped ourselves up in the history of these places and got on with some serious planning. Now the hostels are reserved and the ferry is booked, so just where are we going to visit?

First up is Berlin. 

This is a city which has seen an awful lot of pain, and destruction over the years. but it is also a city which plays host to some of the most stunning architecture. With large domes, old buildings, and pavements which could transport you into another time, it really does look stunning. 

When most of us think of Berlin, however, we think of the Berlin wall. It is iconic. So, we have decided that we cannot visit the city without taking a walk to go and see it. In particular a walk along the East Side Gallery. It is the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin wall and it sits along the Spree River. After the wall was declassified well over 100 artists from everywhere around the world made their mark on it. It is now an open air gallery which features declarations of peace, politically minded murals and graffiti. 

We are staying in Berlin for two nights, and so want to make sure we walk around the city. One piece of architecture we definitely want to see it Museum Island. It is at the top of Spree Island and is home to five museums. Whether we get to go in or not, it would be a fantastic place to see!

Other than that? Well, as long as we visit a few coffee shops, eat some local food and get to walk around the winding city streets I think we will be happy. Then we will be heading on a train to Poznan I think!

Where do you recommend in Berlin?

Shabs x

Dedicated friends.

Now this post is a little out of our ordinary (and a wordy one at that, I do apologise.), but I (Shanice) feel that it needs to be said, and read, to remind us that friends are incredibly important and can make our lives so much happier.

I recently went through a breakup of a relationship, I was and still am totally in love with the boy but I accept we're young and I'm not what he wants anymore. That being said it doesn't make it any less painful or upsetting.

Abby, the other half of Shabs, has made it her mission to keep me smiling and make me feel better. She is talking to me constantly, offering me support and her wise words and sending me little pictures or quotes to make me feel better about myself and smile. I can not thank her enough as I can't imagine how I would be feeling right now without her.

I love the quote 'Friends are the family we choose for ourselves'.  I believe wholeheartedly in this as my family aren't the best but my friends are incredible. 

People often take their friends for granted as they see them as easily 'replaceable'. If one of your friends treats you badly constantly for a long period of time and there is nothing you can do to salvage any sort of friendship then cut that person loose without a second thought!
but, and it's a big but if your friend is just having a bad day, or week allow them that. We are all only human and we need compassion and patience from each other.

The basis of any friendship is understanding, and thats not something that always comes easy. A friendship also takes dedication and effort and I feel that a lot of people forget this sometimes. Myself included!

So really the point of all that was make sure you appreciate the people in your life. Abby's kindness has reminded me that I should be doing more to remind the people around me how much I love and care for them and it's something I intend to do!

Shanice x

On our travels.

Sunny summer - or at least, that's what it's supposed to be!

Seaming as the summer holidays are well and truly underway here in England, it's the time of year that most people pack their suitcases and head off to some place else for a week or two. Shabs are no different. The end of July and the beginning of August saw Shanice pack up and head to the Isle of Wight for a week, and Abby pack up and catch the ferry to Normandy. 

So, seaming as we have been out of the country and supposedly sunning ourselves, we decided to give you a little insight into just what we did for the week, and what we saw. So, whilst you reading this, we are dealing with the aftermath of AS Level results day!! ARG! 

Abby:

So, my holiday.

Destination: Normandy, France. 

In typical Sod's law fashion, we arrived on Saturday in a complete and utter downpour. I wish I was joking, but whilst it was sunny for most of the journey, half an hour before we arrived the heavens opened to the degree that you could barely even see the road in front of you. But, my family is from Yorkshire, and a little bit of rain never hurt anyone. 

Our Gîte was in the grounds of a stunning, Classic, French manor house just outside of Saint-Saëns. We even had a little turret! It was so cute! Thankfully - the weather even spared us a little and gave us the sun for a few afternoons and evenings. This meant I was free to read in the shade - I burn at a stupidly easy rate.

See! A turret!

Cheese. I ate so much damned cheese it was unbelievable; but it was very nice cheese! Neufchâtel, Brie and Goats Cheese. I'm fact, if I'm honest I spent the majority of my holiday eating; pain au chocolat, croissants, pain au raisin, chocolate twists, cakes, Madeleine's . . . It was so good! But the aftermath is that I need to diet!

We did, however, also did a bit of culture too! (We ate crepes in Rouen!) The cathedrals in the city were stunning, there must have been about 5 of them in a mile radius, each one had a different style, some were highly gothic whilst others were more simplistic. For me, however, the most incredible building was the 'Palais de Justice' which is essentially the court house. It houses all of the courts for that area, from the Magistrate's all the way up to the Court of Appeal. When you look at the architecture - intricate decoration and perfect arches - you would never believe it was almost destroyed in the Second World War! In fact it was almost completely destroyed because of the bombings.

One of the Cathedrals that we sat, this was
actually one of the smaller ones in the city
of  Rouen.

This is one side of the Palias de Justice,
unfortunately I couldn't get one of the front.

This is in Rouen, and it think it sums up
just how much of a beautiful city it is. 

Typical of my family, we also hit the cider and cheese shops! But we also took just over a 2 hour drive past Caen to go to Omaha Beach which was one the five beaches that the allied forces landed on, on D-Day.Omaha, Utah, Juno, Gold and Sword. It was such a humbling experience, especially as my great grandfather landed on Gold beach as a medic on D-Day, and was later asked to help out the American troops on Omaha because of the number of casualties. Seeing the place where he fought, and going around the museum was such an emotional experience. It's hard to believe when you see the place that just 70 years ago it was a place nicknamed 'bloody Omaha', where so much death and destruction occurred. It's especially moving when you find out just how close D-Day came to being a complete failure. It made me even more proud of my great grandad. 

Omaha Beach

Docs on the beach

Me and my family also had the honour of eating a traditional Normandy meal with a lovely family we met over there. The conversation was a little out of the ordinary as everything was translated from English to French and vice versa so that everyone present could understand. It was an incredible experience in the fact that there were two women - sister in laws - present who had lived in Normandy when the Germans had invaded. They told us stories that were almost unbelievable. 

I told you it wasn't all food!

So there we are, we got the channel tunnel back (i hated it) and now i'm on home turf!

Shanice:

I was a lot less exotic than Abby and stayed much closer to home. I visited the beautiful island, the Isle of Wight.

The gorgeous view while walking down to ventnor beach!

 I visited the little town of Ventnor. I went to the island to visit family as I hadn't seen them in well over 6 years, it was so nice to see everyone and catch up!
The island is so cute, and everyone there is so friendly. For example there is an arcade on ventnor beach  that my cousins and sister were at all the time, the owner of this place gave them over 300 tickets (nope I have no idea either) for absolutely nothing! When I asked him about it he said the best part of his job was seeing the kids and their families happy. I melted from his pure kindness and wanted to refuse to ever come back home.

The view from outside the arcade.

 The photo was supposed to show the beach, but I didn't realise until I left the island that the beach huts obscured the entire thing! I still think it's beautiful though.
 This trip couldn't have come at a better time for me. It reminded me of what is important in my life and helped me get my priorities straight before I started the next educational year. Being on the island gave me tons of inspiration and I think it was the first time I'd felt truly relaxed in years.

I highly recommend a visit to the island, any of it, but for me I love ventnor most. it's great for a long weekend, or even a few weeks. With sea front restaurants, arcades, walking trails and even mini golf it's just idyllic. 

I can't end this post without some family business promotion can I?! So, If you are interested in staying in ventnor I know a great little family run B&B that is perfectly located. MANSER B&B!
You walk out of the back garden gate and down a hill and you are in steep cove, AND it has a hot tub! What more can you ask for? 

That was us, but what did you do this summer? Go anywhere exotic?

-Shabs

P.S. Bucket List Update - Abby achieved the first thing - she got a job!

Baking Powder, Buttercream and Brownies!

Hello to all of you reading this, wherever and whenever you are in the world. So, on this awfully warm day in England, when Thunder Bugs are literally everywhere and driving me insane, I have decided to snatch back the blog for a post. So-

Hey it's Abby! I am still alive!!

As you may have figured out from the title, this post is going to be food orientated - or more specifically baking orientated. Both Shanice and I love food, and especially baking, but it plays a slightly bigger part in my life. Baking is something I enjoy immensely, and have ever since I was a little girl, stood on a chair in the kitchen, wearing a tiger apron and baking gingerbread men with my mum. Now I am a 17 year old girl, and although my lion apron has been replaced by a slightly larger teddy bear one, and I don't need the chair, I still will often be found in the kitchen.  

And if I'm not baking then my mum is. In fact it is well known amongst my friends that Wednesday, in my house, is baking day - so you come on that day and scavenge food!
 (As one of her friends, I can confirm that is we go to Abby's house it will always be on a wednesday or thursday! She's just so darn good.)

Anyway, I'm rambling. For today's post I decided to post a few of my favourite recipes that I have found online. Don't get me wrong, I love an old worn cookery book, but that is more my mums forte.
I prefer to experiment with new recipes as I have the time to do so. 

So, here goes nothing...

studentrecipes.com - This is a site that was recommended to me by one of my close friends who also loves baking. The URL gives it all away really, they're just cheap, easy and quick recipes. The ingredients are generally things you have in your cupboard, and the best thing about it is that the website is so easy to navigate. You can write reviews and tell people how they turned out, or you can post your own recipes. That - if I'm honest - is one of the most important things for me. I believe that recipes should be shared, adapted, twisted and personalised. They should be passed down through generations of children until the recipe is completely perfected. 

My favourite recipe: Brownies (the recipe by 'Tim'), gooey, chocolate-y, yummy perfection 

bakingmad.com - This is probably one of the most well known baking blogs. They are well run, always providing new recipes which are really reliable, and their blog is well designed and easy to use. That is really important to me as I have spent a lot of my life looking at design. This website is one I found whilst hiking through the mass of baking blogs on the internet. 

My favourite recipes (because I couldn't choose!): Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes, a peanut butter flavoured cake filled with 'Jelly' (or Jam to us Brits) and covered in butter cream!
Sticky Toffee Cupcakes, these taste like mini sticky toffee pudding, they are gorgeous. I didn't, however, put the of toffee sauce on the top as I didn't have any. So please try them and tell me what they are like with it!

bakerella.com - First may we all take a moment to just admire the beauty of this URL? I love it, and in actual fact it was the reason I clicked on the link to her blog in the first place. Now this blog doesn't quite have the substantial content that the other two I have mentioned do. She has a decent amount on there, and is slowly increasing the amount, but the variety of what she has by far makes up for it. 

My favourite recipe - Mom Approved Lemony Lemonies, or in other words lemon brownies topped with lemon icing; tangy, sweet and simply special. 

Finally, this is my favourite cookie recipe. I haven't yet tried any of her other recipes, so I can't vouch for them. 

laureneasmith.blogspot.com - Just a simple baking blog!

My favourite recipe - Millies Cookie Recipe, I find cookies can often be a little time consuming and faffy to make, but these are so quick and easy - plus the mixture actually tastes like the cookie dough in Ben and Jerry's!! 

There are tonnes of other recipes that I love, Chocolate Slab Cake, Dried Fruit Loaf, Triple Chocolate Cookies, Bakewell Cake, Bakewell Buns... But these are some of my online favourite - and I am sure that Shanice will vouch for any she has tried ('Shanice' I do). I am now, however, about to find her on my doorstep forcing me to bake them all so she can try them...

What are your favourite recipes? I'm always on the lookout for some new ones to bake and Shanice to try, so drop us a comment and let us know.

-Shabs 

 

Travelling Europe.

Beautiful Budapest. 

As you gorgeous people know shabs are no longer going stateside. We decided to stay closer to home and travel Europe instead! As we promised will keep you updated on any major advances in our plans. I'd say a completed travel plan in a pretty big advance? So here's as far as we've got!

Where:
Places we're visiting: Hook Of Holland (NL), Berlin (DK), Poznan (PL), Gdansk (PL), Warsaw (PL), Prague (CZ), Vienna (AT), Budapest (HU), Zagreb (HR), Munich (DK), Brussels (BE), Amsterdam (NL)and back to the Hook of Holland for our ferry home.
Sound like fun to you? It definitely does to us!

When:
We are hoping to go next July because by then all our exams will be over, and we will have enough time to travel before needing to be back for the dreaded results day. The weather then should hopefully be great too! Which means we can all get a great tan. Apart from Abby.. HA. Because Abby is an English Rose :)

With:
Well obviously Shabs are going, otherwise there wouldn't be a blog post about it! A friend of ours from school Zac is also definitely coming and possibly a few others. I (shanice) believe that friendships formed in school are very strong, because if you can stay friends with someone after spending 5 days a week with them for years and not hate each other you're on to something strong!

How:
We're going to be travelling for 22 days, and travelling Europe by train, we are doing this because its the cheapest form of transport and it allows us to cover the maximum area of Europe.

Price:
We currently have a rough idea of how much this will cost overall excluding food, £495! If that doesn't wow you then nothing ever will. A normal 2 week holiday in one place will cost that much, and we get to go to 12 different places! Lots of people put off travelling because of the price but at this price I don't think you can fault it!

Have any of you been travelling? If you have any tips will be great!