The Challenge.

Before heading off to Croatia, a few of Traveller's friends gave her a specific challenge:

To eat at least one ice-cream a day.

Traveller thinks she can strum up the courage!

She has already made it through her first cone (Jaffa) and it was so good: so creamy, so delicious and so cheap!

Having been here less than 24 hours, T is already in love with Croatia.

Now, time to go eat another ice-cream, before she heads off on her sailing adventure!

(image)

Living up to the name.

Traveller recently teased you with a hint that she might be travelling soon...
and the thing is...

she is leaving in two sleeps!

She is off to seek the sun, the sea and an adventure on the beautiful Dalmation coast in Croatia!

It's a holiday of firsts for Traveller.

It will be the first time she's stayed in a hostel.

{can you believe it?}

The first time she's taken part in a tour.

And the first time she's bathed in the Adriatic Sea...

She.cannot.wait.

The tour travels for eight nights around the islands of the Dalmation Coast (on a sailing boat) and

visits a new island everyday along with the beautiful cities of Split and Dubrovnik.

The thing Traveller is most looking forward to is swimming in the sea everyday. If there is one tangible thing that T misses from OZ, it's the beach. That feeling of diving under beautiful cold water is one that Traveller loves.

So, T is going to try and post a couple of times while she's away, but the reality is that she mightn't have access to a computer for over a week. So, this isn't a dedicated blogging break, but a travel break!

T can't wait to share stories when she's back.

Until then, enjoy your summer!

{and for those Antipodeans out there - enjoy the lovely cold winter!

T apologises for the teeny amount of glee she feels when she writes that!}

image found here, here, here and here

One.

It's hard to believe that the new addition is already one!
We celebrated her birthday last weekend and it was quite possibly one of Traveller's favourite children's birthday parties and T narrowed this down to two reasons: free flowing bubbly and lovely company.

The fact that I have family around me while I am 'travelling' might be confusing to you - the thing is, my lovely brother moved here first. He's been here for years and has since married a lovely English lass. They live very close to Traveller and it's lovely having them on this side of the hemisphere...
Anyway, T was asked if she would bake the birthday cake for the party and she was really excited. And a trifle nervous.
Luckily, both T and her sis-in-law are very partial to chocolate cake and they both agreed on this recipe
{which, by the way, is amazing}
English lass came up with the decorating ideas and they decorated it together, whilst trying to fend off T's brother, who kept on eating all the chocolate sticks! Cute, huh?



The cling film was to keep it together overnight as we decorated it the night before...

Unfortunately, there are no photos of anyone actually eating the cake but T promises you it was good.
The proof? Whilst demolishing her slice of cake, T was asked by another mum to make her child's birthday cake in a couple of weeks...
Success!

Please grow.

At a mere 5'4", perhaps Traveller should be saying those words to herself...

Instead, they are to her little Kitchen Garden!

So cute and handy, it sits upon the windowsill and promises to grow Traveller herbs, salad and even little chillies if she so desires.. {which she does, T loves chillies!}
Now, if any of you have been reading this blog for a while... you may remember a brief mention of a similar green thumb experience about a year back? Well, let's not talk about it. Let's just say, it didn't go to plan!
But this time will be different!
My basil, mixed leaves and rocket will grow.












Right?

Shakespeare in the Park.

One of Traveller's most favourite things to do is to watch Shakespeare.

{T guesses it's part of being a geeky English teacher.

She gets goosebumps every time}

Luckily, there is no shortage of the bard's greatest works on stage here in London.

In her time here, she has seen A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, As you like it, Hamlet and just recently she watched A Comedy of Errors, which was quite possibly her favourite so far.

Although, Jude Law in Hamlet was pretty hard to beat...

{read about it here and here}

T digresses.

A Comedy of Errors is currently showing at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and they couldn't have found a more beautiful setting. London really comes alive in the summer and the parks are the most beautiful place to be, so Shakespeare in the Park is like a little slice of heaven for Traveller.

The most delightful part about the production {aside from being funny - and we're not talking chuckles here - there was some definite guffawing happening in the audience) was that it was set in 1940's Casablanca and a live swing band were featured as part of the performance.

Traveller and flattie made the most of the lovely British weather and had a picnic in the park beforehand, consisting of all their favourite things - prosecco, strawberries, camembert and chocolate eclairs!

Well, T is excited to be properly back from her blogging break and she has lots to share with you!

The most exciting part involves an upcoming travelling adventure to somewhere sunny and beautiful...