Chasing a white Christmas

It’s been a VERY long time since I last blogged. That’s not because I haven’t travelled – I have – but life and work have simply taken over my time. About two years ago I started a new business called Legal Writers and it’s really taken off. This has been fantastic but in between managing the business, family and friends, I haven’t been left with much time to blog. In terms of trips, I’ve been to Cairns in Australia’s top end, Tasmania down south, Hawaii and most recently chased a white Christmas in Europe. We landed in London on Christmas Eve and were disappointed to discover that they were experiencing a rather balmy 5 degrees. There was no snow in sight, in fact I was surprised how “warm” it felt. I had planned to freeze and instead experienced something akin to a winter’s day in Melbourne. Despite the lack of snow, London still turned on the festive charm with plenty of lights and spirit. The highlights for me were seeing Carnaby St pay homage to Queen and checking out this magnificent deer made of PET bottles.

From London, we headed to Budapest where some dear friends lived. Being further inland, we held our breath with the hope of at least having a white new year’s eve. Sadly, we were disappointed by the lack of snow, but not by that spectacular city. It had been 22 years since I last visited Budapest and there was so much that I had seem to forgotten. It struck me as a cosmopolitan and vibrant city. While it’s history and beauty is evident everywhere, what I loved the most was walking through the town and discovering quirky little neighbourhoods. Like Melbourne, there was some interesting graffiti, artist pockets and a relaxed vibe. Travelling with Ms 6 meant that discovering the nightlife was out, but I did manage to visit one of the famous ruin bars that holds a local farmers brunch every Sunday and it didn’t disappoint.

From Budapest we headed to Zagreb for a weekend. This was my first time in Croatia and I was surprised by how small and quaint it was. I guess I expected a bigger place, but it’s size added to its charm. It was here that we got our first glimpse of snow which fitted perfectly with the Advent Christmas markets. But the real highlight of Croatia for me was the Plitvice Lakes. It looked like we wouldn’t make it there given how difficult it was to find anyone heading that way in winter time, but I’m glad that we persisted. While the lakes weren’t quite frozen enough for Princess Ana and Queen Elsa to make an appearance, photos don’t do justice to their beauty. And even better, there was no one there!

While the trip was short it was such a lovely break. Winter in Europe is magical, I hope I get back there again soon to explore some more. Whilst I was there, the kind folks at GoSim helped me stay in touch with people back home by giving me a sim card. Thanks, I appreciated it!