Quad Biking in Turkey 2

After spending a few days relaxing in the sun we decided it was time for something a little more adventurous. Turkey had lots to offer so we opted for a morning of quad biking. 

Up early and ready to go, we set off at 7am to try and beat the blazing morning sun.

 After our short safety demonstration and a quick lesson in how to use the bikes....we were off.

We raced down roads and through country lanes, into a traditional Turkish village where we passed the local gentlemen selling their fruit on the side of the road. 

 We sailed past, giving them a nod and a wave.

 Before being let loose on the dirt tracks.

I love how you can see the dust settling in this picture. Trust me, it was pretty hard to see where you were going at times.

But it wasn't long before we were treated to this amazing view.

Once we had turned the engines off, the peace and tranquility that surrounded us was amazing. There wasn't a soul to be seen on the roads. For a short while you felt like you were awake before the rest of the world.

With the sun pouring down on us we soaked up the view.

And a few cheeky photos too. 

On the ride home we stopped at a traditional looking cafe for a cold coffee. I say 'cafe' but it was more like a shed with little sections of comfy sofas and cushions, helping you to cool down from the heat.

We paused to take a photo and suddenly realised how dirty our faces were.

All in all, a great morning and a new activity to tick off our list. 

Turkey Day 1

At the end of July, I flew to Turkey for a week in the sun.
Longing for a relaxing week where I could dip my toes in the sand, swim to my hearts content but also have a bit of adventure on the way, we decided to go to Olu Deniz. 

Famous for it's Blue Lagoon, probably the country's most photographed tourist attraction, it regularly tops the polls for one of the worlds best beaches. 
If that doesn't sell it to you, perhaps the fact that Olu Deniz is home to one of the world best paragliding spots. Here you can do a tandem flight, 1,960 metre from Babadag Mountain and float down with views of the Blue Lagoon, Butterfly Valley and apparently on a clear day you can see Rhodes Island. 

We stayed at the Blue Lagoon Hotel and managed to get a rather nice view from our balcony......

You could sit for hours and watch the paragliders float above you and come in to land on the beach. I found it quite a peaceful place to be and exactly what I needed. 

On our first evening we explored the town and wandered down to the beach to see the views and bask in the last bit of sunshine of the day.

Here are a few pictures of what we got up to in the first few days.

This was a little restaurant that we found overlooking the sea front.

It really was beautiful and the food was just amazing but I think that

deserves another post of it's own.  

So until next time

My Week on Instagram

Well August has been a very busy month and even though this isn't quite 'a week' on Instagram, I thought I would share with you a few random pictures of what I've been up to recently.
I'll do another 'My Week on Instagram' post next week with the rest of the pictures.

I hope you enjoy seeing what I've been up to recently anyway.

You've probably seen my blog post on this 'A Hen Do To Remember' but this is a little shot from my day of Clay Pigeon Shooting. It was such a good experience and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone.

Cocktails at Steam and Rye

Not sure I have ever tried a cocktail with a fab ice lolly in it but it was amazing. A bit sickly towards the end but their choice of cocktails will keep you busy for many an hour. 

 Can you tell I like Cocktails? This was in Olu Deniz in Turkey at the end of July. 

Another picture from Turkey. I know this has been instagramed but the water was the clearest I think I have ever seen. Taken just by the island of St Nicholas on our boat trip. 

Turkey: The most amazing Caprese Salad.

After a morning of quad biking we stopped at this little traditional place for a quick drink. I just loved the little seating area. 

Getting ready for our last night in Turkey. Dress is from TFNC at Topshop. 

First day back from my holiday and yet more alcohol seems to have been consumed. Well, it is summer after all. 

Lights out. Lighting a candle in memory of all those who fought and lost their lives for us in World War One . May they never be forgotten. 

 Free ice cream did I hear you say? Yes, Ben and Jerry's ice cream vans have been popping up over London the last couple of weeks, giving away free Frozen Yoghurt flavored ice cream.

We ran like children through Soho Square to enjoy one of these.

The best bit......? The spoon changes colour when it's cold.

Until next time......

A Day at The Tennis

Firstly, let me apologise that this post is late but I felt that is still deserved to go up.

Anyway, back to the blog.

Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. It is the only major tournament that is still played on grass, the game’s original surface, which gave the game its original name of “lawn tennis”.

I’ve been to Wimbledon once before but I managed to get tickets this year and obviously had to go.

We were blessed with glorious sunshine and so leisurely made our way to Wimbledon with a picnic and a chilled bottle of something fizzy. 

We began with a wander round the grounds, soaking up the sun and admiring the beautiful flowers that surround Centre Court. 

We watched a few of the Junior games on the outdoor courts. 

and admired the Men's Singles Board.

Unfortunately I couldn't get tickets for Centre Court but we did watch some great games on Court 1.

Wimbledon is set amongst beautiful grounds and on such a lovely day, Henman Hill was full to bursting. 

On the day that we went, we were lucky enough to watch Djokovic vs Dimitrov and then Federer vs Raonic from our spot on the hill. 

Trying my luck at a bit of umpiring. Career change maybe?

I cannot recommended at day at Wimbledon enough. 

You can buy tickets nearer the time but they are pretty expensive. And by 'pretty expensive' what I really mean is, they are a lot of money.

However.....you can enter the ballot. You won't know what you're going to get until nearer the time and you only have to pay for the tickets that you want. 

Even if you get a day pass, I promise you won't be disappointed. Just remember to get a glass of Pimms and some strawberries and cream....A day at Wimbledon is not complete without that.

Oscar Wilde Afternoon Tea

Tea consumption increased quite dramatically during the early nineteenth century when Anna, the 7^th Duchess of Bedford is said to have complained of ‘having that sinking feeling’ during the late afternoon.

  The solution was for the Duchess to have a pot of tea and a light snack in her boudoir during the afternoon.
After returning to London the Duchess would invite her friends round for “tea and a walking the fields”. It wasn’t long before other social hostesses quickly picked up on the idea and all of the fashionable society were sipping tea and nibbling sandwiches.

Many people who visit the UK still image that we are a nation where ‘at half-past three, everything stops for tea’. Sadly Afternoon Tea in London is quite expensive and is usually reserved as an occasional luxury, a Birthday Treat and so on. 

However my Mum and I feel that Afternoon Tea is our treat to one another.
We love deciding where we will go next, which hotel’s tea we haven’t tried and even though it can be expensive; The Ritz charges £58 per person for traditional afternoon tea (not including champagne) There are still offers to be had and other hotels that are worth trying.

   So with that in mind, Mum and I decided to visit ‘The Café Royal’ for an Oscar Wilde themed tea. 

Inspired by The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and in celebration of it’s return to the West End, Café Royal have created a witty and rather interesting menu. 

The sandwiches were very different to anything I've had before.
They included:
Smoked Wild Boar, Crackling, pickled apple and English Mustard Bun
Gold Puff Goats Cheese and wine jelly engagement
Onion and Chorizo Wellington
Smoked Salmon, quail's egg and cress Prism
Original 'Cucumber' sandwiches

Followed by my absolute favourite....scones

Nothing beats a delicious warm scone with clotted cream and jam. These ones even came with lemon curd.

Shortly afterwards, this arrived.......

Again, what tea is complete without an entire tier of cakes and pastries.
I won't bore you by explaining what each and every one was. Instead, you'll have to go and find out for yourself.

You can find them Here

I do recommend that you book to avoid disappointment. 

If you are thinking of booking an afternoon tea, I always try to look at the offers on the Afternoon Tea website, which you can find Here

You can often find 2 for 1 offers or Champagne deals and the website also tells you which hotel has won the prestigious ‘Tea of the Year’ Awards. 

I hope you've enjoyed my little post about Tea. I'll try and do another post soon about a different hotel. 

Where have you been for Afternoon Tea? Have you been to the Cafe Royal?

Let me know in the comments.