Street Food Cartel Glasgow


Walking along the industrial street which was peppered with street art we weren't quite sure what we were letting ourselves in for. It was an unusual venue for dinner to say the least. But Read more

One Year as a Full Time Travel Blogger and Writer


As I write this from my bedroom office it's a year to the day I put down my pen at the end of my last exam of my university career. A month and a Read more

Where to Stay in Brighton, Vine Street Studios


I've written previously about my penchant for finding an amazing apartment or house instead of a hotel in certain destinations, and sometimes that can be as tough as searching for a proverbial needle in Read more

Brighton Street Art


Colourful, quirky, mysterious, creative, friendly, bright, eclectic. These are just a few words which immediately spring to mind when attempting to describe the city of Brighton, on England's southern coastline. Blinding sunshine and a sharp, Read more

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Cruising Misconceptions

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Emma Gray in Cruising | Leave a comment

If you’re a regular reader then you’ll know that I absolutely love cruise holidays. As this is published, I’m on my thirteenth cruise, sailing somewhere in the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean towards the south of France. So, I thought what better time than now to try to cut through any misconceptions you might have about cruise holidays.

Gone are the days when cruises were just for middle-aged couples; as are the stuffy images of class confinement which emerged from the days of the Titanic. Today, cruises can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of age or social class.

The beauty of a cruise is that you simply have to unpack once, and the ship transports you to a number of exciting destinations with minimal effort from you. Whilst you enjoy a sumptuous dinner on board and sleep in your stateroom, the ship is smoothly sailing towards your next port of call. It’s an amazing feeling to wake up almost every morning (depending on your ship’s itinerary, of course) in a different place. It’s one of my favourite things about cruising.

Grandeur of the Seas Kotor Read more

Where I’m Off to Next…

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Emma Gray in Travel Tales | 4 Comments

This Sunday the 9th September, I’m flying out from Glasgow to Barcelona with my mum to embark upon a cruise with Holland America. I’m so lucky that this will be my thirteenth cruise, but my first one with Holland America. I’ve heard some great things about them from a number of different people, and with a tagline of ‘A Signature of Excellence’ I figure what’s not to love?!

So where will I be going?

I fly to Barcelona, one of my favourite cities in the world, and embark the ship there. From there it’s onto Monte Carlo, Monaco and France’s beautiful Côte d’Azur. I plan to get the train to Villefranche-sur-Mer, one of my favourite little towns in the world. The scenery is dramatic and the atmosphere is so relaxed. We’re lucky that the cruise ship doesn’t set sail until midnight so my mum and I are already planning to have dinner with a bottle of our favourite French wine and enjoy the gorgeous views.

Villefranche-sur-Mer Read more

Colourful Camden Markets

Posted on September 3, 2012 by Emma Gray in England | 3 Comments

I know my last post ‘London, It’s Not You, It’s Me,‘ put across my feelings on the UK’s capital pretty clearly, but there are some parts of London that I do really like. The Camden Markets are definitely one of the aspects of London that I really enjoyed on my latest trip there.

Camden Markets are filled with an unbelievable range of different products. Cute girlie shops and stalls with pretty dresses, shoes and adorable trinkets (these were my favourites!); kitsch stalls offering quirky products like carved wooden phone covers; and some delicious food are just a few of the things you can find here.

Camden Lock Village Read more

London, It’s Not You, It’s Me

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Emma Gray in England | 6 Comments

London. Great Britain’s capital city of more than 8 million people. The home of multiculturalism, a place where dreams come true and where people fall in love. Sounds amazing, right?

It was Samuel Johnson who famously stated that ‘when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford’. But I’m not so sure if I agree with him.

When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life. Samuel Johnson Read more

Bondi or Manly?

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Emma Gray in Australia | 4 Comments

Before I left for Australia I spoke to loads of people who’d been before. I asked for advice on where to go and what to see in Sydney, and was recommended both Bondi beach and Manly beach by numerous people. I had time to visit both, but if you’re on a quick visit to the area and only have time to check out one beach location, which one should you go for?

Manly

I took the ferry there from Darling Harbour and it was one of the prettiest ferry rides I’ve been on. I got a perfect view of the city skyline as we left the harbour and enjoyed watching sea planes fly overhead (I’ve always wanted to go on a sea plane!) and different suburbs of the city on the way.

Sydney Skyline

Stunning Sydney Skyline

Strolling through the streets I came across a great outdoor market, selling everything from fresh food to handmade jewellery, art, clothes and everything in between. I love rummaging through markets when I’m in different countries so I was in my element.

There’s also some nice cafes and restaurants with beautiful views over the beach. I chose to stop for lunch and watch the world go by- it was delightfully peaceful.

Manly Beach, Australia

Manly’s beautiful beach

The actual beach itself in Manly is lovely. Clean, golden sands and turquoise waters with plenty of surfers waiting for that all important wave. It was the beginning of winter when I visited Australia so the beach was pretty quiet, just the way I like my beaches!

Bondi

Bondi is surely one of the most well-known beaches in Australia – the scene of many different TV programmes and popular with surfers. Arriving in Bondi I was immediately struck by the gorgeous white sand that stretches for 1 kilometre.

Bondi Beach, Australia

Bondi Beach

The town itself was full of surfers who were either heading towards the water to catch some waves, or walking away looking refreshed and energised after a surf session. There was no market on in Bondi like there had been in Manly, and the shops, cafes and restaurants didn’t appeal to me as much. Manly had the perfect mix of surfer shops and hang outs and unique little cafes and shops for the non-surfers. I’m just not cool enough to hang out with surfers!

Overall, Manly was definitely my favourite of the two. Bondi has a stunning beach and would be perfect for people who do surf, but as I don’t, the beach at Manly and the quirky shops and open air market appealed to me far more.

Have you been to Bondi or Manly? Been to both? Which is your favourite?

In Defense of Monaco

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Emma Gray in Monaco | 1 Comment

Monaco.

When you read that what do you think of? Shiny red Ferrari’s driven by billionaire business men with their frozen faced girlfriends in the passenger seat? Luxury super yachts moored in the harbour? Ladies dripping in sparkling jewellery and wrapped in designer clothes costing thousands of pounds?

All of the above?

Just hearing the word Monaco prompts connotations of the vacuous, shallow, self obsessed world that this tiny tax-free nation is so famous for. And it is all of these things, and more.

But I have a confession.

I kind of love Monaco.

But before you dismiss me as having all of the negative qualities I’ve just listed above, hear me out.

Monaco is beautiful

VIEW OF MONACO

Killer view of Monaco and the Cote d’Azur

You only have to look at the picture above to see the undeniable beauty of the place. The whole of the Cote d’Azur is absolutely stunning, and indeed one of my favourite areas in the world.

The cars are aaaamazing

I’m a self-confessed car lover, with an incredible penchant for Ferrari. Being in a place where I can see numerous Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s, Rolls Royce’s, Maserati’s and many more is so much fun. For a car lover then there really is no better place than Monaco.

FERRARI MONACO

Gorgeous F430

The last time I stayed in the south of France and visited Monaco for a day, my rather awesome parents surprised me with a Ferrari experience in this very car. Driving up into the hills, round tight bends and hearing the engine roar as we sped through black tunnels was one of my favourite experiences ever.

FERRARI MONACO

Best. Parents. EVER.

Being dropped off in front of the grand Casino in the Casino square next to the Cafe de Paris at the end of the experience was totally surreal. Everyone stared at me because I’d just got out of a Ferrari. They were probably wondering who I was, a celebrity? Girlfriend of a rich businessman? Spoiled hedge fund kid? I turned bright red and was so embarrassed. I hate being centre of attention like that! If that’s what it is like to be super rich or a celebrity then count me out. I’ll take the car, but not the awkward stares and attention.

Don’t Take Monaco Too Seriously

This is my ultimate piece of advice if you’re visiting Monaco.

Don’t get caught up in arguing about how it’s unfair that these people live tax-free and seemingly without a care in the world. Enjoy it for what it is. It’s a fascinating place to visit and see ‘how the other half live’ (cliché or what!). It’s certainly not a place I’d want to spend a lot of time in – there’s much nicer places in the south of France - but it’s definitely fun to visit and imagine what life would be like if you were super rich.

Have you visited Monaco? What did you think of it? Love it or hate it? 

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