Tag: Photography

Venice

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If there’s been one place I’ve visited that has exceeded my expectations, it’s Venice. It is even more beautiful in real life than in pictures, so I really hope this blog post does it justice!

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There aren’t many words to describe how beautiful it is, so I’ll let the photos do (most of) the talking. We stayed in the elegant Hotel Palazzo Giovanelli, located by the San Stae vaporetto stop which was a slightly quieter area of Venice that was still only a short walk to St Mark’s Square. A long weekend in May was a great time to go as it was around 25℃ every day – perfect to walk around and explore without getting too hot.

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On our first day, we strolled over to St Mark’s Square for a tour of the Doge’s Palace with Turive Tours. It was a great morning and we learnt so much about Venice’s history. After lunch, we couldn’t resist a gondola ride! When in Venice…

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Murano, Burano and Torcello

My favourite day of our holiday had to be our day trip to the Lagoon Islands. We took the water taxi to Murano first, the island famous for glass blowing. It was so pretty and peaceful, but we were mainly looking forward to the colourful island of Burano, also known for lace-making. A tip: when we got off the water taxi, we went left into the village instead of straight ahead to the centre of the island and it was so quiet! After hours spent wandering the vibrant streets, we headed to Torcello before taking the water taxi back to Venice and having dinner down the widest street in the city.

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My favourite spots

San Giorgio Maggiore
The perfect place to enjoy an amazing view of Venice. San Giorgio Maggiore is a 16th-century church filled with magnificent religious paintings, sitting on an island of the same name that’s just a short vaporetto ride away from St Mark’s. Get the elevator (phew!) to the top of the bell tower for a beautiful view that’s much quieter than elsewhere.

Gelateria Il Doge, Dorsoduro
The best ice cream we found in Venice! I couldn’t get enough of the Stracciatella flavour – it’s a ‘milk-based gelato’ with chocolate chips and was created in Italy, so you know you’re getting the best.

Muro San Stae
This restaurant was recommended to me by a friend and it was fantastic. The service was great and the food was epic – pasta in a PARMESAN SHELL, anyone?! Another must-try is the homemade tiramisu!

Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Peggy Guggenheim herself lived in the unfinished 18th century Grand Canal palace which is now a museum of her impressive art collection. Including works by Picasso and Salvador Dalí, it was an inspiring, calming escape from the busy streets.

 

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Ciao for now, Venice, I’ll definitely be back soon!

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Disney Diary

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This time last year I was walking into Animal Kingdom with my family for the first time in 8 years. Walt Disney World Orlando has always held a special place in my heart – I’ve been lucky enough to visit a few times with family and those trips are some of my favourite memories of my childhood.

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There’s something so magical about walking down Main Street for the first time and seeing the castle sneak into view. It may sound odd to some, but there’s a sense of escapism at Disney that you just don’t feel on other holidays. Where else can you jump off a 50mph rollercoaster and grab a Mickey-shaped ice cream sandwich before bumping into Olaf for a warm hug? Not forgetting the magic of the Universal parks.

I won’t bore you with all the details of my trip, but here are some of my highlights with a mix of iPhone and camera photos! We spent the first few days of our trip to Florida in Clearwater Beach, which was stunning. Perhaps we should’ve saved this part for the end of our trip, though, as it was so relaxing and peaceful. The calm before the Disney storm!

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We stayed in a Windsor Hills villa and it was perfect – a 10 minute drive from the parks with comfy beds and a lovely pool! The blue circle in the app picture above is how close we were to the parks. There is a shuttle bus, but it wasn’t as frequent as we thought so we mainly used our rental cars.

Animal Kingdom was as beautiful as ever, and the new addition of Pandora takes it up a level. My top ride (probably of the whole trip) has to be the Avatar Flight of Passage – the technology is epic! Pandora is great to wander around – make sure to try the refreshing, super-sweet Night Blossom drink. A few of my other top spots are Expedition Everest (of course), the wonderful Lion King Show and the Kali River Rapids to cool off in the Florida heat!

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Magic Kingdom has always been my favourite of the parks. On our first day back there we managed to fit in 13 rides (thank you FastPass)! This trip to Disney was our first time dining inside the park restaurants, and the first we visited was Be Our Guest at the Beauty and the Beast Castle where I got to try the ‘grey stuff’ – yes, it’s delicious!

More of my favourite moments in Magic Kingdom were the three mountains (Space, Splash and Thunder), Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in Tomorrowland and the classic Peter Pan ride. The point before the big drop on Splash Mountain, with the great view of the castle, is my favourite MK moment, as well as the Festival of Fantasy parade.

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While we were in Florida, it was my cousin Amy’s 23rd birthday and we celebrated in Epcot. We had a great experience at the Nine Dragons Chinese, where they treated Amy to a slice of cake and cocktails! Epcot is a great place to wander in the sun, especially around the Epcot World Showcase. Soarin’ and Test Track are our old family favourites, too!

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Hollywood Studios has another two of the best rides – the Tower of Terror and the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. We got chatting to the loveliest cast member, Edward, who gave us Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster fast passes after hearing that we didn’t have enough time to wait in the queue! The fireworks show Fantasmic was as magnificent as I remembered.

I can’t forget about the Disney waterparks and Disney Springs. Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are great to cool off in the sun in the mornings and there are so many fun rides – the 6ft tidal wave is such a rush! Disney Springs is the new ‘Downtown Disney’, with restaurants, shows and shops, including the World of Disney, the biggest Disney store!

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Another highlight of my trip which was surprisingly non-theme park related was my skydive! Amy wanted to do one for her birthday and, honestly, it was one of the best experiences of my life. I’d highly recommend Florida Skydiving Lake Wales!

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I hope you enjoyed my Disney Diary. Look out for more Florida posts coming soon!

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Falling in love with Lisbon

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Portugal’s capital made the perfect September city break (I know I’m running a bit late, let’s just call this post a throwback). The city is made for those who like to explore on foot – the quiet streets climbing up the hills are great for wandering, but bring good shoes!

The views are wonderful, the September sun is just right, and the famously colourful tiles and gorgeous light make for great pictures. Our 3-day trip was short and sweet, and left me wanting more! We strolled through the cobbled streets and ate our way through ice cream and pastries – the best way to spend a long weekend, right?

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Hot spots

H10 Duque de Loulé
A beautiful hotel with a great rooftop bar which is open to visitors. We visited on a Saturday night and it wasn’t busy at all. Cosy up in the cool evening breeze and take in the spectacular view of the city.

Open Brasserie Mediterrânica
Some of our party had food allergies so we were eager to find a restaurant that could accommodate all of us. The Open Brasserie Mediterrânica had knowledgable, friendly staff and a great choice of meals for everybody, including vegan and gluten free. I recommend the pumpkin gnocchi!

Belém
Belém, a charming district just a tram ride away from the centre, fast became my favourite part of the city. There was a photogenic door or wall at every turn through the peaceful, colourful streets and the Tropical Botanical Garden was perfect for chilling out in the sun.

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Brief is life but love is long

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That quote, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, was spotted on the table settings of Bethany and Michael’s wedding in September 2017. Bethany is my best friend’s sister, and I couldn’t have asked for a lovelier couple to work with as I captured my first full wedding. From getting ready to the ceremony to the first dance, this wedding was full of love. You’ll see what I mean when you scroll down and see the way he looks at her (oh, my heart…). Enjoy!

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All photos copyright Alannah Lucy Messett. Do not repost without permission.

 

Waiting for summer: Barcelona on film

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I fell in love with Barcelona two summers ago so I jumped at the chance to visit again in July. This time, we stayed in an airbnb apartment in a lovely residential area which was a twenty minute walk from Sagrada Familia. Our time was spent wandering the side streets of La Rambla and sipping sangria. I will never tire of Barcelona – it’s the perfect blend of city break and beach holiday.

We hired a boat in Parc de la Ciutadella, explored Park Güell and drank cocktails in the sun. I can’t wait for this summer already!

All photos were taken with Kodak Portra 400.

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New York Take 3

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This time last year, snow was still on the ground and I was lucky enough to visit New York with university for my third visit. As I had been before, this trip was spent wandering and exploring new areas, including Soho and Chelsea. Here are some of my favourite holiday snaps, including the classic tourist spots. New York will always be one of those places I could visit over and over again. Now if only I could have the exact apartment Dakota Johnson has in How to be Single…!

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My favourite places/tips:

  • Iris Cafe – Store #9 in Brooklyn – the best breakfast, and we discovered a drawer under the table with cute little inspirational notes!
  • Go to the top of the Rockefeller at sunset – it’s the best view. Also, we went ice skating at about 8/9pm and had the rink to ourselves!
  • The 9/11 Memorial museum was free to enter after 5.30pm.
  • Save lots of time for Chelsea Market – we were in there for hours but I still need to go back for more!
  • We stayed in the Row NYC Hotel on 8th Ave; it was great value for money, round the corner from Times Square and we had the amazing view from our balcony (above)!

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Dreamy Cornwall

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It was over a year ago that I paid my first visit to the pretty coastal village of Coverack in Cornwall. We chose the perfect weekend to go in July – I couldn’t get enough of the deep blue sea and sky, and the little shops, cafés and pubs. Every corner of the village was picture-perfect; here are some of my favourites.

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Summer Daze

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I can’t believe it’s been quite so long since I last posted. My third year at university was just a whirlwind of library sessions and savouring my last few months in Nottingham. I had an amazing summer, graduating from university and spending time with my friends. I’ve been finishing projects that I started so long ago, including scrapbooks of the past few years. Starting my digital marketing internship in early September meant that the last few weeks have gone by so quickly, but I’ve finally managed to sit down and update my blog and I’m determined to catch up on posts – I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since my last one?!

I wanted to share some of my favourite 35mm snaps, documenting my life with my amazing friends over spring/summer. These were all taken with Kodak Portra 400. Look out for more summer catch up posts over the next few weeks.

Great Yarmouth with Sheng back in April: the caterpillar rollercoaster, fish and chips and ice cream on the beach.

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Hitchin Lavender Fields with Meg: the sweetest day in the sun spent picking lavender and eating cake:

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Boat daze: thank goodness for the sun, the radio and friends with boats.

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A weekend in drizzly but lovely Wales visiting my great aunt and uncle.

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Postcards From Prague

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I’ve been lucky enough to visit many European cities in the past year. In September, I fell in love with the City of 100 Spires! We stayed in the Old Prague Hostel, which was a two minute walk from the main square. The staff were so friendly and it was a great place to meet people – I’d highly recommend it!

Our first afternoon was spent checking out the area (and dodging the rain!). Over the next few days, we did the walking tour of the city, as well as of the castle. This was a great way to get to know the city a bit more, and the fascinating history. We climbed to the top of the ‘Powder Tower’ for an amazing view, but there are many places to get a great view (the above photograph is from the castle area).

Other than the rain on our first day, we were blessed with the sun and boiling heat for the remainder of our stay! As always in cities, the small streets were filled with boutiques and sweet cafes, perfect for a drink and people watching session! The architecture is incredible – on one corner by the Powder Tower, you can see six different architecture styles including gothic, cubist and art nouveau.

I will be visiting again as soon as possible, as there’s so much more to explore.

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