Travel Tuesday: Borough Market

Last week my mum and I went down to London for four days so you can expect a stream of London related posts over the next couple of weeks! Some of my favourite bloggers live in London and I often read their posts and think, ooh I want to go there! (Surely I can't be the only one who thinks that when reading blogs?!)

 

One of the places that popped up a few times was Borough Market which I read about it in Miho's post here and Amanda's post here. On our final night in London we were staying in Southwark so Borough Market was right around the corner, I decided it would be the perfect place to get breakfast the next day!  

 

Wow. Just so much mouth wateringly delicious looking food! There were loads of cooked meals such as paella but I focused more on the breads and cakes! I bought a delicious almond croissant and shared a piece of tiramisu cheesecake with my mum. Yes you read that right. Tiramisu cheesecake.

Me buying my breakfast. Just look at all those pastries...

 



See if you can spot the tiramisu cheesecake!

 

Linking up with Travel Tuesday and the Let's be Friends Blog Hop

 

Where is your favourite food market?

One Year of Blogging and Liebster Award!

Last week I was nominated for a Liebster award by the lovely Mia who blogs at Lavender Sunshine. As I knew my Blog Birthday was coming up I thought I would combine the two into one post. If you haven't heard of it before then the Liebster award is basically an award passed on from blogger to blogger!

Here are the rules:

You must answer all the questions you are given 

Must link back to the person that nominated you 

Nominate 11 bloggers who have less than 200 followers

Cannot nominate the person who nominated you

Must inform nominees of your nomination

Provide nominees with a link to your post for more info

 

Here are the questions I was asked and my answers:

1. When did you start your blog?
A year and one day ago! Friday 9th August 2013.

2. What is your favourite fragrance?
 Daisy by Marc Jacobs, although it's nearly all run out.

3. What is your favourite make up brand?
 Maybe Rimmel London? Not sure.

4. Your favourite film?
 Breakfast at Tiffany's. LOVE!

5. Do you prefer summer or winter?
 Definitely summer! Although it's summer right now and pouring down with rain. Typical England...

6. Do you prefer pastels or brights for your nails?
 Brights, not sure I even own any pastels.

7. Do you have any piercings?
 None.

8. What is your favourite high street fashion shop?
 Uniqlo. It's a Japanese shop great for basics. In winter I constantly live in their heat tech tops!

9. If you could sum yourself up in 3 words, what would they be?
 Queen of scrapbooking...

10. Do you prefer a red, nude or pink lip?
 I guess I would have to say red since I only own one lipstick. And it's red.

11. What's your favourite way to remove your make up?
 Make up wipes.

 

Most of the blogs I read have over 200 followers so I'm just nominating these 4 ladies: Jamie from Gunters Abroad, Claire from Somewhere beyond the sea, Holly from English Girl Canadian Man and Van from Snow in Tromso. Here are my questions:

 

1. Favourite place you have visited?

2. What inspired you to start blogging?

3. Where are the top three places on your travel wish list?

4. What's the best book you have read?

5. What's the most read post on your blog?

6. First place you travelled to alone?

7. The view from your bedroom window?

8. Your five favourite things in life?

9. The movie you could watch over and over again?

10. If you could choose a second nationality what would you choose?

11. The next trip you have planned?

 

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Now back to my blog birthday/ blogiversary, or whatever you want to call it. I can't believe one year has passed since I started this blog and wrote my first post! I had just moved to Japan and was taking so many photos of amazing festivals and temples but they were just sitting in my laptop where no-one could see them. So I started this blog as a way for me to document my adventures and experiences in Japan. Through blogging I have discovered loads of lovely bloggers from all around the world and my travel wish list keeps getting longer!

 

I have really enjoyed my first year of blogging and hope you have enjoyed reading!

 

Hiroshima Peace Memorial: 69th anniversary of atomic bombing

This morning in Hiroshima about 45,000 people stood for a minute of silence at a ceremony marking the 69th anniversary of the atomic bombing. The ceremony was in Hiroshima's peace park near the epicenter of the bombing that killed up to 140,000 people. The bombing of Nagasaki three days later killed another 70,000.

Four years ago I visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum which tells the history of Hiroshima and the atomic bomb. The use of personal stories and artefacts make this a very sad but important museum to visit. The Genbaku Dome, also known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, was one of the few few buildings to remain standing after the bomb. The UNESCO World Heritage Site has been left as a reminder of the tragic event of August 6th.

The photo below is a wall covered in letters of protest writen by the mayors of Hiroshima since 1968 to the leaders of countries everytime they conduct a nuclear test. This was just one wall of many....

 

Between the Museum and the Genbaku Dome is the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims. The Cenotaph is an arched tomb for those who died because of the bomb, either because of the initial blast or exposure to radiation. Below the arch is a stone chest holding a register of these names, of which there are over 220,000.

Within the Peace Park is also the Children's Peace Monument to commemorate Sadako Sasaki and the thousands of child victims. Sadako Sasaki was two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped. She had no injuries and grew into a strong and healthy girl. However, ten years later she was suddenly diagnosed with leukemia. She believed that folding origami paper cranes would help her recover but on October 25, 1955 she passed away. This story spread to the world and approximately 10 million cranes are offered each year to the Children's Peace Monument.

Travel Tuesday: Newby Hall and Gardens

 

A couple of weeks ago we met up with some friends and went to Newby Hall. Newby Hall is an 18th century house in North Yorkshire with 25 acres of award winning gardens. The house has featured in many television dramas and movies. ITVs adaptation of Jane Austen's 'Mansfield Park' was filmed entirely on location here.

 

According to this article it was even considered as a place to film Downton Abbey! This would have been very appropriate considering Newby Hall was home to a real Lord Grantham, from 1792, who passed the hall to his daughter, Lady Mary, and later became beset by complicated inheritances (sound familiar?!)

 

Within the gardens is a miniature railway and an excellent adventure playground with banana boat swings, pedalos and a zipwire! Basically this is a perfect place to come during the summer holidays as it has something for all the family!

 

For more information on opening times and prices visit their website here.

Linking up with Bonnie Rose for Travel Tuesday

 

Have you ever been anywhere which has been in a movie?