Travelling Starfish

2009 was a great year of travel for me – I was living in Jersey at the time and I got an urge to visit a lot of Europe I didn’t have a chance to see when I first arrived.

In Buda - overlooking the city

Since I started living in Europe, I always was interested in visiting Budapest.  This desire wasn’t solely for tourist purposes but personal ones too. My father is originally from Hungary – he grew up in a small village miles away from the city but spent most of his younger years living in Budapest.  As a child, I always heard stories about Hungary and was intrigued to visit.

So when I was thinking about my holidays for that year, I found a cheap flight and booked a long weekend in Budapest.

A good friend of mine recommended I stay at a hostel called Buda Base – it is on the Buda side (more about that in a minute) and the owner, Gabor, is really lovely.  It definitely isn’t a typical hostel.  This is essentially a house with a number of rooms and beds.  Gabor’s hospitality is superb and I highly recommend a stay here.

An interesting art display by The Danube

Budapest is actually a combination of two towns – Buda and Pest.  What separates the city is The Danube River (totally beautiful).  The Buda side is very picturesque, with mountainous views, lots of parks and also spas – this is my favourite side. Pest is where the action happens – here you’ll find the shopping, tourist spots and nightlife.  My dad, funny enough, lived on the Pest side.

Unlike the other Eastern European city I’ve visited, Prague, I found Budapest much more genuine and reasonably priced.  I visited Prague back in 2007 and really loved it but there are a lot more tourists there due to it being a hot spot for stags.  Budapest is getting there but it isn’t as far gone as Prague that’s for sure.

Wine & Cheese

I saw most of the sites and did a lot of varied activities from visiting a number of parks, indulging in a spa experience in the Roman baths and even stumbling on a Hungarian Rock Festival.  However, the highlight of my trip was my visit to the Jewish Quarter.  I went here at night with a girl I met from the hostel.  This area of Budapest is in the Pest side and it has turned into a lovely area for a meal, a few drinks and some amazing atmosphere.  Since I visited in May, it was still a bit chilly in the evening.  If you like to eat outside (like I do) all of the restaurants offer you thick blankets to wrap around yourself while you eat.  It was really nice – ah, only to go when its a romantic meal for 2:).

One day I hope to go back with my father so we can visit the village he was born in but also so I can watch him remember all of the memories from when he was a child.  It would be a trip I know that I’d never forget.

Bye for now, Miriam x

Amboise

A couple of years ago I was still living in Jersey, Channel Islands.  For the Easter weekend, we decided to cut across the water and head to the Continent.

This was one of my favourite trips to France as we had a bit of adventure, hired a car and headed south to the Loire Valley. We spent the first night in St Malo at an incredible hotel (the Oceania) and then spent the remaining nights just on the outskirts of Amboise, France.

As a lover of wine, I was instantly excited and intrigued about venturing out to this part of the country.  The Loire Valley is known for its crisp white wines and quaint atmosphere.

While in Amboise, we stayed at a B&B just outside the main town.  We found this B&B online and were extremely pleased with our stay.  Le Buisson is right on the Loire River and is in an area called Montlouis sur Loire.  Our host, Jean-Pierre Chalons, spoke English so that helped make things a bit easier…him and his wife Nicole were so hospitable and the property is absolutely unbelievable (tennis courts and beautiful grounds).

The actual town of Amboise is small and by the riverside with beautiful architecture.  There are markets open on the weekends and we indulged in some wine tasting in the caves in the main castle.  Entry to the tasting was minimal – no more than €5 – and you get to taste wines from local producers that I doubt we would have managed to get anywhere else.  I even bought some local rosé sparkling wine (a poor man’s Champagne…lol) at €7.50 for a full 3 bottles.  It was absolutely delicious and a great deal!

Mmmm...Moules

Our host recommended we see Amboise’s most famous site – the house of Leonardo de Vinci.  Painter, inventor, engineer, scientist, humanist and philosopher Leonardo da Vinci actually spent the last years of his life in Amboise at the Château du Clos Lucé.

We found out that although Leonardo spent most of his life in Italy creating various masterpieces for royalty, he resided in the Château from 1515-1519.  When da Vinci arrived at the Château he brought with him his infamous Mona Lisa painting.  In 1519, he died at the Clos Lucé estate at the age of 67.

The grounds here are absolutely beautiful and there is so much history to take in.  Having been to Italy before, we both had seen many of da Vinci’s creations in various museums around the world but being in this part of France that is relatively quiet and relaxed, was an amazing experience.  It was an element of surprise we both welcomed and adored.

I would love to take another trip back to Amboise – even though its quiet and remote, there is a lot to see and do in the area.  It must be amazing in the summertime.

Words from a Genius

This part of France is a place I know I will go back to one day.  The hospitality and the serene beauty really made me fall in love.  For everyone who’s visited France, I’m sure you will agree that it is a special country but Amboise and the Loire Valley are ones that will always hold a place in my heart.

There is only one thing left to say – Vive la France!

Roman Bath

Splish splash I was taking a bath – lol – sorry just had to add that in here!

Casting my mind back a couple of years, a good friend of mine came to visit me when I was living in Jersey.  At this time, I had just started a new job, was on the verge of moving to a new flat and was desperate to get off the rock (as they say in Jersey) for a bit of a break!

My friend was coming over for business to attend a conference in Bath, England so she decided to pop over to Jersey first to see where I lived and then we took a few days out just the 2 of us around the beautiful city of Bath.

From Jersey, we flew to Heathrow (now that flight has been discontinued unfortunately).  From Heathrow, we took a bus to Bath – a couple of hours later and we had arrived.

As we drove over, I got taken away with the English countryside – something I do often.  Even in March, it was so green, lush and lovely.  So many Brits complain about the rain (and it can get depressing I admit) but when the sun shines in the UK, I always think it is so beautiful.  I can only imagine that Ireland may be more green – from its reputation and the fact that they get even more rain.

A penny (or pence) for some good luck...

Luckily, my friend & I had a couple of days to see the sites and see what Bath had to offer.

We organized a hotel stay at the local Travelodge through Hotels Combined, finding a decent deal at the Waterside property.  I find that UK hotels are like most European ones – you never know what you are going to get.  However, here, I was quite pleased.  The room was quite small but the bed was a good size, it had all the amenities and we had a nice view of the water.  The hotel was walking distance from the town centre too – which is really the main thing we wanted.

Arriving late on the first day, we just grabbed a pub meal and then had an early night.  We woke up bright and early to take advantage of the free walking tour.  On a sidenote, there quite a few free walking tours in the UK and it’s really worth it to investigate before you go.  The one in Bath was really interesting and gave us a nice overview of the town.  Another thing I find with these tours is that you always seem to get a dose of clever British humour – the guides must go to comedy school or something…hehe.  The tour in Bath is run Sunday-Friday at 10:30am and 2:00pm and on Saturday at 10:30am.  In the summer (May-Sept) they also offer extra tours Tuesday and Friday at 7:00pm.  The meeting point is at the Abbey Chuchyard entrance next to the Pump Room.  If you can’t find it, just ask – it is a central focal point of the town.  For a free tour, it’s quite lengthy – allow 2 hours! Well worth the time.

After our tour, we roamed around some of the areas and headed straight for the Roman baths.  The Roman baths (go figure) are what give Bath its name.  There is so much history behind these baths, that I am going to have to write another blog about them.  For now, just know that it is well worth the time and the GBP 12 entry fee.  There is a full museum with an automated tour so you can go at your own pace and do as the Romans did – so to speak.

Entrance to a spa fit for the Royals

For our final day in Bath, we took in a bit of culture.  We hit the shops, went to the spa and grabbed some tea (lol – I’m serious).  The shopping in Bath is quite good.  Although there is no Primark there, there are all the popular High Street shops and lots of places to burn your hard-earned money, that’s for sure.

We couldn’t possibly visit Bath without hitting the spa.  One, we were 2 single girls who enjoy (and deserve) a bit of pampering and two, how can you resist soaking in warm, natural mineral waters that are said to have positive health properties?  Well, it sounded good to us.

The Thermae Bath Spa was opened in 2006 and has a wide range of facilities.  We elected to get a massage and then relax in some of the pools.  Entrance to the mineral pools is GBP 15 for 1.5 hours.  It includes use of all the pools – including one on the rooftop looking over to the actual Roman Baths – as well as multiple steam rooms and wellness pools.  It was really lovely.

Our final stop on the Bath tour, was afternoon tea (of course)!  For this, we actually ate in the restaurant attached to the Roman Baths – a bit pricey but we’re worth it.  I love having lunch with good friends and even though it was hard to say farewell on this last day, it was so special to share this experience with her.

It’s 2 years later, our friendship has only grown & I’ll always have our memories of our few days away in Bath!

Bye for now, Miriam x

Chag Sameach - Happy holidays!

It’s February 2010 and I’m in Israel and staying on a kibbutz as a volunteer.  I’ve mentioned my time in the kibbutz before – such good memories.  I can’t honestly believe that it was a year ago.  It feels like I was partying it up only a few weeks ago with all my kibbutz friends.

A year ago we were also celebrating the festive holiday of Purim.  I have 2 favourite holidays in Israel – Chanukah (which typically happens in Dec) and the other has to be Purim.

In a way, I always think of Purim as Israel’s Halloween – time to dress up and have a bit of a boogie.  Purim is a time of costumes, prizes and treats.

The story behind the Festival of Purim is in commemoration of a major victory over oppression of the Jews.  Every year this story is told at synagogues around the world by the reading of the Megillah.  This is the story of Esther and celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people living throughout the ancient Persian Empire from a plot by Haman the Agagite to annihilate them.

During this festival, we now (centuries later) eat cookies called Hamantashen that look like mini-ears.  These ears are supposed to represent the ears of Haman.  They are made of sweet dough and filled with various jams and chocolate:).  They are one of my favourite deserts to be honest.  Yummm!

When we were at the kibbutz, I worked in the kitchen so we were lucky enough to bake some yummy cookies of our own.  The volunteer baking session did make a bit of a mess but it was a really good laugh.  They also turned out to be pretty tasty – especially the ones with the yummy choco filling.

We were told at the kibbutz that during Purim no outsiders are allowed into the kibbutz and in true Vegas style, “whatever happens on Ketura, stays on Ketura”.  The kibbutz also has an open bar that night to all members and volunteers – making it for a very interesting night indeed.

A bit risque, I know!

A couple of good girlfriends and I decided to get dressed up a bit racy – well a lot racier than usual.  We made a decision to dress up like ladies from the Moulin Rouge.  The funniest part of the evening for me was getting ready – all of us I think were so gung ho (yes, I just used the words gung ho) but when we started to get dressed in our lingere our nerve started to dwindle.  All I remember was having quite a few glasses of red wine to calm those nerves.  Once they went down, I looked in the mirror and only had one conclusion – I looked fantastic…lol.

When we got to the pub (where the festivities were being held) there was a play put on by the kibbutz members.  Although I couldn’t speak Hebrew, I could make out some of what was going on.  It was definitely entertaining and I remember thinking that it was so lovely to have all of the members and volunteers together.

As the night progressed and the open bar took on a personality of itself, my memories start to dwindle.  All I know was that it was one CRAZY night and I have the pictures to prove it…don’t think I will be sharing those on here though (haha).

From now on, I’ll always look back on that night and Purim as a time to party & have a bit of fun.  Maybe this year though I’ll calm it down slightly:).

If you are in Israel for Purim this year (it falls on 19th March) make sure to put on your favourite costume and go a bit wild.

Cheers, Miriam

Wow – 2011 – I honestly can’t believe it sometimes when I type or write it – CAN YOU!?!!

A sunny but windy day

A couple of years ago my life was very different, that’s for sure.

It’s Jan 2009 – I’m living in Jersey (UK) and living just outside of the town centre near an area called Havre des Pas. I also just started a new job – one I absolutely LOVED!!!  I never realized back then, that 2009 would be a crazy year of change for me.  When I say crazy, I mean CRAZY!

Havre des Pas

Since then, I’ve moved countries (a couple of times), started my own company and had a lot of (let’s just say) interesting events in my personal life.

I also started this fantastic blog that we all know and love now! A pretty incredible journey – don’t you think?

As most of my close friends & family know, Jersey will always have a special place in my heart but it’s somewhere I’m not sure when I’ll be back to next.  So, in honour of one of the loves of my life, I thought I’d dedicate this month’s “a year or two ago” blog to Jersey.

So, why do I love Jersey and what makes it so special?

I realize after a lot of reflecting on a lot of memories – the good and the bad – that I spent a lot of successful years there.  The successes were of both the professional and personal kind – business and pleasure.

On the business side…

I grew my career in Jersey – after starting the first 5 years of my Marketing career in Canada, my experience flourished in this offshore island.  I learned so much about the financial services industry here that I would likely have found hard to do in a big city like Toronto or London. It was a great opportunity for me and I took full advantage of it at this stage of my life.

Jersey is a great place to work if you have a business background.  When I got to Jersey, I was lucky as there are a lot of office jobs and, as a marketer, I was a rare breed.  In Jersey, I found you got the best of both worlds as a business person – interesting jobs in the the finance sector and a good work/life balance.  People work hard in Jersey, no doubt, but there is a minimal commute and most people aren’t burning the midnight oil like they do in most cities – especially in comparison to North America.

Even after the financial crisis hit in 2008, Jersey wasn’t impacted as much as most of the UK.  It has seen more of the impact in recent years but luckily has managed to stabilize itself compared to the rest.  Temporary and contract jobs are still available, salaries are fairly decent and with taxes being lower than mainland UK I think there is a lot of benefit of building your career here.

Out for a night on the town

On the personal side…

I also grew a number of relationships – lots of friends and also romantic ones.  I won’t go into the latter but I will say I learnt a lot about life, love and my values while I was living there. I came out of my time there as a better person – in my opinion – and one that has grown significantly in mind, body & soul.

Living in Jersey was so different to where I grew up.  It was small, intimate and operated at a slower pace.  I found after a few years there, so did I – something I definitely benefited from after leaving.  When I returned to Toronto to visit friends, the fast paced impatient Miriam was a lot less programmed and a lot more relaxed.  This is something I have committed to maintain wherever I end up settling.  It is who I am now – thankfully.

With all the bonuses of living & working in Jersey, there are some challenges too.  For newcomers to the island, there is something called “quallies” that you will likely become acquainted with quite quickly.  Jersey has its own rules and if you aren’t from Jersey, you lose out when it comes to cheaper accommodation and the right to buy property.  When I got to Jersey, I was living with a “local” so benefited from some of the nicer rental properties.  In order to get qualifications you have to live in Jersey for over 11 years (it may come down to 10 this year – yes, it’s a bit old school). Once you hit that threshold, you can buy a property or rent properties that are in the A-H category.  All of this is a bit confusing but you get used to it over time.

My advice?  Jersey is a great place to go to when you are in your early 20s.  Why?  Most people at that age aren’t really thinking too much about settling down or buying property.  So by the time they are, they will have their qualifications and be in a position to do so.  If you leave it to a bit later in life, it becomes a bit tougher.

So, looking back at Jan 2009 I now realize what a pivotal point of my life it was.  2009 was a crazy year for me – one of change, development and strength.  But now I can say that Jan 2009 in particular was a time where life started heading down a specific path.  Now in Jan 2011, 2 years later, I look back and realize that when they say “everything happens for a reason” it’s true – it does.

Thank you Jersey for the memories, the laughs & everything else,

Lots of love, Miriam