Mirjamest
London

I felt I wanted a change (after months of coronavirus restrictions) so I went to the hairdresser to cut my hair the shortest it's been in my adult life. I loved the outcome, I must say :)

I had wanted to do the Coast to Coast trail in Northern England for some time. While I'm glad I did it, it was a mixed experience overall. The first days in the Lake District were wonderful (albeit tough), but for most of the 12 days I h...

I hiked in the Lake District as part of the Coast to Coast hike (from St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay) in August 2020. Lake District was my favourite part and the views were simply amazing. Parts of it were also rather hard, but the views ma...

The National 3 peaks challenge - summitting Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mt Snowdon within 24 hours including the time it takes to travel between the peaks - was on my radar and goal list since I'd heard about it a year earlier. Having do...

July 4, 2019 by the Brooklyn Bridge. Wonderful sight although the bridge did obstruct part of the view :)

Prague was a lovely city and truly lived up to all the glowing recommendations I'd heard before. The architecture is lovely, there is a lot to see and the city is very walkable. Definitely recommend! :)

One of the best and most feel-good musicals I have ever seen, I recommend this very highly! After the first visit I've seen this time and time again, and it never grows old - the laughs, the message, the cuteness and the feel-good factor...

My first opera was Akhnaten, by the English National Opera at the Coliseum. This opera and in particular this staging was very different from what I expected, as all the characters moved incredibly slowly (taking upwards of 10 minutes to...

Late autumn hike in the Jurassic Coast - lovely sights (the ones we could see despite the mist) but rainy, windy and misty weather. Worth a try if you like hiking and can go to the area!

Autumn 2018 vacation. Madeira was fantastic to visit - beaches, palm trees, warm weather, hills, parts of the island where the nature was very ancient, hiking, whale watching and more :) 

This particular 5-star hotel gets 5 stars from me :D This hotel (in Madeira, Portugal) had excellent food, lovely rooms, several infinity pools and great service 

I went on a whale watching catamaran ride in Madeira. The ride itself was very pleasant and excellent way to relax in the sun - however, they of course cannot guarantee any sightings and in reality if the guides hadn't pointed at somethi...

 A fantastic weekend hike in the Peak District with some amazing views (while not too hard physically) - including the sights you can see in the Pride and Prejudice movie :) 

My first Edinburgh Fringe in August 2018, taking a long weekend off work to travel up to Edinburgh. Some amazing performances, some average performances, some questionable performances, but very entertaining and there is something for ev...

Saw it for the first time in August 2018, after months of wait due to sold out tickets. It quickly became my favourite musical and i've seen it various times since. Love it just the same each time :)

Marc Cohn is one of my favourite artists and I jumped at the chance when he announced his first concert in London in many years. I loved the concert - and turns out that my favourite song of his was also the favourite song of many attend...

My first hike that was longer than 2 days (I did the WHW in 7 days) and I absolutely loved the scenery. It got me into long-distance hiking :)

I used to watch football regularly years ago and seeing Real Madrid play live was one of my goals. Even though by the time of this match in May 2018 I had not watched club football for years, I still jumped at the opportunity to see them...

My favourite comedy group :) The show was excellent, fast-paced and very entertaining!  The photo here is from their show I saw at Ed Fringe in August 2018 (turns out I couldn't find any photos from the show in London in May 2018)

The Isle of Skye is one of my absolute favourite places I've ever been to!! The nature is amazingly beautiful and there are plenty of hiking trails that let you see it even better at your own pace. I will definitely be returning many ti...

I did the firewalk as part of Tony Robbins' Unleash the Power Within seminar. I was very nervous leading up to it (wondering if it really wouldn't burn my feet) and up until the last minute I was doubting whether I'd attempt it or not. W...

Loved the silent disco concept and atmosphere! It was at the Shard and a lot of fun - great view, always some music choice that I liked (from among the 3 channels) and enough space to actually dance :)

Feels like the movies :)

Nutcracker, the Christmas classic ballet in Coliseum in London :) It was very beautiful and a great experience but I did not know the story ahead of time so it wasn't easy to understand what was happening just from the dance alone. Proba...

Excellent Christmas entertainment, but a little hard to follow if you are not familiar with the story (which I was not at the time)

The Giant's Causeway is impressive and does leave you wondering whether the columns are truly natural or is there a man-made element there :D

In Estonia there are a couple of towns that are now considered ghost towns - they used to be centred around mining but as the mines closed decades ago and people lost their jobs, they had to go and create new lives elsewhere. There are v...

Must-go for any current or former Harry Potter fan who cherishes the magic :) you can see many parts of the set and leave eager to re-read the books and/or watch the movies. 

I spent the New Year's period in Athens in 2016 and also used the chance to visit the well-known sights. To me, Acropolis is very impressive if you think about the history, how long it's been there and the importance it has held; the act...

I had expected Japan to be mostly large cities with a lot of bright lights, but it ended up being so much more varied than I thought it would be. The culture, the cities, the mountains, the forests, and much more. I warmly recommend!

We visited the Arashiyama bamboo forest near Kyoto as part of a 2-week trip to Japan. There were plenty of tourists but the forest itself was pretty, quite peaceful, and definitely different from any other forest I've been to :)

I liked Kyoto - while it is a rather big city, the city and its surroundings have many temples, shrines, gardens, a bamboo forest and a lot more, so there is a lot to see both from the modern Japan as well as the old Japan and its tradit...

I tried butterbeer while visiting the Universal Studios in Japan and their Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It is worth trying once for the experience, but not a drink I'd ever want again - it is extremely sweet.

Excellent experience for any fan - they've recreated Hogsmead (including shops that actually sell wizarding items) and even parts of the castle, offer butterbeer and food, and have one exciting ride (it is amusement park after all!) wher...

I visited the Universal Studios in Japan as part of a longer trip to Japan. They had many amazing rides and a large Harry Potter World and it ended up being an utterly enjoyable day. Be mindful of the big crowds though - it is worth gett...

I drank sake during a trip to Japan; it is quite strong and the taste took some getting used to for me. The picture attached is of a sparkling sake which is not the regular type, but the photo looked nicer :)

This was my first trip to Asia and with such a distinct culture, every day in Japan was full of exploration and many new experiences - from food, sights, shopping and more :)

Weekend trip to Cinque Terre. The villages were lovely with some amazing views and I enjoyed the experience, but it was much more packed with tourists than ever expected.

Interesting experience but different from what I expected (at least the pub I visited), with much more of a party atmosphere.

Visiting Tel Aviv in 2015 and 2016; it was quite warm (even in the winter) and it was very exciting to explore

I had wanted to visit Mexico for a long time and in 2015 I had a chance to go there for work as well as spend some vacation time there. Very different experience but definitely worth a visit! The picture shows a visit to the pyramids at ...

2-week safari (part of an organised group trip) in Kenya and Tanzania. We managed to see the big 5 and overall had a very memorable experience; but I felt that 2 weeks was a bit too long for me, closer to a week would have kept the excit...

Walking on Mt Etna in Sicily :)  (the date is approximate, I remember it was a weekend in June 2014)

I absolutely love, love, love musical theatre, and visiting Broadway was a milestone I was super happy to complete, with the excellent Phantom of the Opera. Since then I've been back at least 10 times during different visits and the pict...

I visited New York City for the first time in March 2014 when I had a work project in New Jersey and chose to spend weekends in New York. Visiting NYC for the first time, the city was spectacular, and it was so exciting to go to all the ...

After having seen the Times Square in so many movies and series, I had wanted to visit it for some time and had a chance during a work trip in 2014. All the big screens, the hustle and bustle (full of tourists like me) definitely left an...

Business class flight from Sweden to USA. Impressive experience the first time around, with extra space and service and fully reclining seats / beds :)

My first & only American football game, a pre-season Bears game in Chicago. My US colleagues had to explain the rules and what was happening, but I loved the experience as it was something new and different :)

In 2013 I went on a tour to Brazil, and there was a stretch of a couple of days in Pantanal where we slept in hammocks (the hammocks were set up inside the room, though). Interesting experience although it took a little getting used to b...

I visited Iguazu falls as part of a longer trip around Brazil in July 2013. The waterfalls are very long and picturesque and you can take a casual stroll for quite a long time :) There are plenty of tourists - understandably - but it did...

In 2013 en route to Brazil I had a 10-hour layover in Washington DC and I used the chance to walk around and visit some sights. White House, tick!

Warm, lively, great atmosphere and many sights to see - from beaches, Pao de Azucar, Christ the Redeemer, different areas of town etc. I loved it and will likely go back some day

Robbie Williams was my favourite singer at the time and seeing him in concert was a must-have in my bucket list. I had a chance to see him in the O2 in London in 2012, and he is an amazing entertainer. Even though I've listened to his m...

One of my favourite singers, Juanes, was performing in London and I couldn't miss a chance to see him (the day after arriving from France). Absolutely loved the show and sang along to every song :D

In November 2012 when my friend was living in Paris for an internship. In my mind, Eiffel tower is a must-go if you're in Paris for the first time - and if you have a chance to climb it, even better :) 

I've had many great tapas while in Spain in 2010 and 2012. This picture is of the tapas we made with friends in Barcelona.

Wonderful city to visit as a tourist, with lots of beautiful architecture, good food and walkable. The photo is of Park Guell, a must-visit if you're there.

This particular paella was made in the finca (farm) where we worked as volunteers.

The Ice Bar experience is great when you do it once. I believe all slots are for 45 minutes (and the price also includes a drink), and while it might sound like a short time, it is actually rather long when you're feeling cold (even with...

I'd wanted to see the change of guards since learning about it in my English class at the elementary school, and I had a chance to see it during my first visit to the UK in 2010. However, the actual experience itself was a little underwh...

Keukenhof tulip fields in the Netherlands :)