EASYHOTEL - LIVERPOOL

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I had recently been invited to try out an overnight stay at easyHotel in a location of my choice. With so many different easyHotel locations to choose from such as:

• Belfast

• Birmingham

• Edinburgh

• Glasgow

• Ipswich

• Leeds

• Liverpool

• London

• Manchester

• Milton Keynes

• Newcastle

• Reading

• Sheffield

I was spoilt for choice! In the end, I opted for their Liverpool location as I hadn’t been back to Liverpool in over 7 years and I felt that it was a good opportunity for me to visit Liverpool again and to go exploring.

Prior to my visit, I had explained that I am deaf and one of the things that worries me whenever I visit somewhere new, especially in a hotel overnight, is what if there’s an emergency and I am unable to hear what is going on? (For those that might be confused by this, I take my hearing aids out to sleep due to comfort and plus, who wants to hear whistling sounds all through the night!?) I was reassured that the staff at the hotel would be made aware of this and was pleasantly surprised when I arrived…

I began my journey from Leeds to Liverpool and took the train and was in Liverpool Lime Street station in around 90 or so minutes? Not too bad! One thing that I remembered from my previous visit to Liverpool was that it was cold. Very cold. This visit was no exception! I made my way from Liverpool Lime Street station and followed my maps app and decided to walk to easyHotel so that I could take in the sights and get familiar with my surroundings. I arrived at the hotel roughly 15 minutes later so in terms of the distance from the station, the location is perfect! easyHotel is set in the heart of Liverpool with many iconic features such as The Royal Liver Building, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool ONE and the Cavern Club which is a historic piece in Liverpool’s history and is famed for kickstarting The Beatles career! Also, the Cavern Club is just 1 block away from easyHotel so no excuse not to go visit!

I arrived at easyHotel a little after 3pm which is their check-in time and was shown up to my room where I had been given a ‘DeafGard’. Now, this was the first time I had ever come across a device like this but the lovely host explained what it was and how these devices are linked up to the fire alarm so that if a fire ever did occur, the DeafGard would make a very loud siren and would also flash very brightly. She also mentioned that my room was the first on the list to evacuate should a fire occur or any emergencies happen and this was incredibly reassuring. I am lucky to be able to travel around for my blog but this was the first time that I had ever had a device like this and the reassurance to know that they would come to me first. It might not be a big deal to some, but for a deaf person like myself and many others out there, this is absolutely what is needed to make an overnight stay completely relaxing!

My room itself was small but cosy, minimal but functional, basic but fuss-free but most importantly, the bed was comfortable. The rooms at easyHotel also come with a TV at an additional cost, an en-suite shower room, and fitted with air-conditioning/heating.

Once I had unpacked I then explored a slice of what Liverpool had to offer and made my way over to Liverpool ONE (this is a shopping centre for those of you who aren’t familiar and was about 2 minutes down the road from the hotel!), took a stroll over to Albert Dock and then walked along the River Mersey. I will be honest, it was absolutely throwing it down so I wasn’t able to explore as much as I had hoped given that it was so dull and dark! However, with that being said, it was refreshing and exciting to be in a place where I hadn’t been before in so long and made me question why I had left it so long to go back…

The following morning, I checked out at around 9.30am with their check-out time being 10am, however, can be extended to 1pm in some locations at an additional cost, to head back home to work. The checking in and checking out process was incredibly easy and quick and overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay! A big thank you to easyHotel for my gifted stay and for also accommodating to my deaf needs, I really appreciated it!

If you’re thinking of visiting a location mentioned earlier, why not book with easyHotel? Click here for more!

Have you stayed with easyHotel before? If so, which location? Do you have any overnight stays or trips coming up? Let me know as I would love to hear from you and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button below!

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INSTAGRAM CAFES IN PRAGUE

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I am still riding high on that Prague hype and to be quite honest, I have no plans to come down anytime soon! Following my recent trip to the beautiful city, I came across five gorgeous little cafes and eateries that were both as aesthetically pleasing as they were tasty! I wanted to put together this little blog post as a guide and inspiration in case you were looking for those ‘Instagram Cafes’ in Prague, somewhere worthy of being on your Instagram feeds (whilst being delicious, of course.)

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CAFE CAFE

Situated on Rytířská 10, Café Café was the first stop on my cafe/restaurant list that I made whilst in Prague. I liked how stylish the decor was and particularly liked the Vogue Czech covers blown up on the wall as you walked in which instantly made the place feel chic! Perfect for that Instagram shot. I opted for their avocado and ham sandwich which was so, so tasty and wolfed it down with a rum and coke! You can find Café Café just 2 minutes away from Old Town Square, ideal if you’re wanting to stay within that area, and if you like industrial decor with a twist of glamour, then I would advise you to check it out!

CAFEFIN

Cafefin was a real hidden gem that I had no idea about until somebody recommended it to me on my first night! A cute, cosy, warm, little cafe found at Nám. Jiřího z Poděbrad 4, 120 00, Praha 2. This cafe in terms of logistics and to get a better idea of where to find it - if you were at Charles Bridge or Old Town Square then it is a good 40 minute walk away. Yes that’s right, 4-0 minutes. Of course, there is the tram service which would get you there a lot quicker, however, if you want to really soak in the atmosphere and get away from the busy, touristy, hustle and bustle, then the 40 minute walk isn’t so bad! I actually enjoyed walking around and got a real authentic feel to Prague whilst looking up at the stunning architecture of the buildings along the way. Once I arrived, I opted for the ‘big breakfast’ which came with sausages, eggs, toast, avocado, beans, salad and bacon. A real feast with a very Instagrammable ‘Pink Latte’ to wash it down with!

BAR COBRA

Now, Bar Cobra was right up my street. Slick, understated with a real chilled out vibe! On the outside, you could easily walk right past it without knowing what it was, but once inside, the decor had an industrial feel to it and the rounded ceiling gave an impression that was reminiscent to a bunker? I didn’t get food from here as I found it was more of a bar than a cafe/restaurant and I opted for Kraken Rum - neat, and similar to Cafefin, Bar Cobra was around a 30 minute walk from Old Town Square but in the opposite direction, just behind the National Technical Museum. Bar Cobra can be found at Milady Horákové 8, Praha 7 and there you will find many Instagram opportunities!

EMA ESPRESSO BAR

I visited EMA Espresso Bar on my last morning arriving there at 10am and looking back, I wish I had got there a little earlier… It was rather busy when I went (but with good reason!) I went for a latte which was probably the nicest latte I had had during my trip to Prague, and I’ll admit, I panicked slightly when deciding what to eat as I didn’t understand what each items were, so out of panic I pointed to this pizza shaped looking treat with berries on top. You’re probably thinking ‘ew’, but honestly, it was SO tasty! Plus, it was covered in berries so I classed that as my ‘5 a day’… Despite being busy, I managed to grab a seat by the window and it was nice to just pass a little time, people watching and hearing the different languages that people spoke around me. The interior was clean, minimalistic and very modern. Instagram heaven! EMA (the one at Masaryk Railway Station) - Na Florenci 3, Praha 1.

GOOD FOOD

Prior to arriving in Prague, no matter which Instagram account I looked on for Prague inspiration, I kept seeing these ice cream treats everywhere! I did a little investigating and found that although you can get these ice cream treats pretty much anywhere (and everywhere) in Prague, Good Food do them the best. I think what sets Good Food apart from the others is that they base their designs solely for the purpose of Instagram, and well, just look at what me and my friend had! I had the ‘Strawberry Kiss’ and my friend opted for the ‘Devils Chimney’. A definite must if you’re visiting Prague! You can find Good Food 30 yards away from Charles Bridge on the Klementinium side.

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I hope this guide has helped you for any future trips to Prague that you may have coming up, and to add some inspiration to your Instagram feeds! These were definitely my favourite spots whilst I was there, and I will most certainly be returning to these again on my next trip. Let me know what you think down below, possibly any new cafes/bars I should check out next time?

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PRAGUE

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Following my recent blog on my struggles with mental health, I had stated that prior to feeling low, my trip to Prague had already been booked, and thank God it was! Prague was the perfect escape and a trip of many firsts for me;

• My first solo trip abroad

• My first time visiting the Czech Republic

• My first time hearing the Czech language

• My first time being away from the TV for more than 24 hours… (Thank God for record.)

I have a friend who rents out holiday apartments in Prague, and I had been told that I would be able to fly out and stay over whenever possible and naturally I jumped at the chance and in my head I was already booking time off work… Now, I want to be clear that this trip was not in exchange for a blog post/review, nor was it to promote their apartments! I wanted to mention the accommodation in this blog post regardless as it was genuinely a beautiful place to stay so I guess this is classed as an #AD but not an #AD? Anyway! I also have been lucky enough to be able to share a discount code for you all, should you choose to visit and stay in Prague, so keep reading until the end!

I flew out to Prague on Sunday 31st March and came back on Thursday 4th April. I was rather nervous about this trip as I felt spending 5 days alone, abroad, in a foreign city was rather daunting and my biggest worry was ‘What if I get bored after the first day or two?’ If only I knew how wrong I would have been for thinking this! I flew from Leeds/Bradford Airport and after a brief 2 hour flight, I landed into Prague at 8.30pm.

Once I arrived in Prague, my transfer had been arranged and off we set to the accommodation. I couldn’t see much due to it being pitch black outside, but as we were driving through the hills, I was in complete amazement by the sheer size of the houses. I would even go as far as to say they were mansions? As we left the hills behind, we drove past the ‘Dancing House’ and I knew I wasn’t too far away at this point. We pulled up to the apartments - Escape to Prague, and I had been given a quick tour around the building and shown into my apartment. My first thought? ‘WOWOWOW this is huge for little old me!’ My apartment sprawled across 4 rooms which had its own bathroom, kitchen/diner, a lounge and then a rather large bedroom with two double beds. Bliss!

On the first night, I made the decision of staying in and catching an early night, mainly because I wanted to wake up extra early the following morning to really maximise my time whilst in Prague and I knew if I had a lie in, I’d have been fuming. The first night was a strange one I’ll admit. Despite the building feeling incredibly safe and secure with many doors being locked etc, I still felt slightly on edge as for those of you who don’t know, I am deaf, and for those of you who also don’t know, when I go to bed to sleep, I take my hearing aids out. I will talk more about this in a separate blog post as I feel I have some tips on how to tackle this if you’re deaf yourself and are unsure about travelling and feeling safe alone!

My first morning in Prague began at 8am and as I began to get ready, I remember thinking ‘Crikey, is the heating on?’ only to realise that actually, it was 16 degrees outside! I had arrived in Prague at the most perfect time weather-wise and off I set for the day. The Head of Franz Kafka was situated just 2 streets away from where I was staying and was my first destination on my ‘tourist checklist.’ As I made my way through the streets of Prague, I kept looking around in awe of the beautiful detailing of the architecture, and the whole city had a very clean feel to it as a whole. I then arrived at Old Town Square which has the iconic Astronomical Clock with the U bílého jednorožce taking centre stage. I completely fell in love with the whole area and came to realise that everywhere in Prague is near enough centred around this area!

I then ventured over to Charles Bridge where I climbed up the steps to get a better ‘Instagram’ view of the bridge from above inside one of their towers, and it is definitely worth visiting! Once I had taken in the view, I then stayed over on that particular side of the bridge and came across:

• Lennon Wall - Brightly coloured wall found hidden away just a few metres from Charles Bridge, expect to find many tributes to John Lennon with many Beatles lyrics and graffiti. Please note, this area gets incredibly busy with tourists so if you were to visit, I’d recommend getting there early morning or on an evening!

• Petrin Gardens - Prague’s beauty spot, Petrin Gardens overlooks all of the main iconic features and I found this area of Prague simply beautiful and very peaceful! If you visit in Spring, then expect to find many Blossom trees dotted around!

• St. Nicholas Church - I couldn’t resist stepping inside this particular church, and I am so glad I did! The architecture is absolutely breathtaking and at just 100CZK for entry, it’s absolutely worth it.

• Prague Castle View Point - No matter which direction you’re coming from, please bear in mind that it is all uphill! Trust me, I tried 2 different approaches before deciding to just power on through. Once I was up there, again, I was in awe. Similar to Petrin Gardens, this viewpoint gives a panoramic view of many of the Prague attractions and a little tip for you! There is a Starbucks cafe at the top with the most gorgeous cherry blossom tree too.

I then retreated to Café Café for a late lunch where the vibe inside was incredibly chic and stylish with many Vogue covers adorning the walls before heading back to my apartment to recharge my phone and camera - the downside of trying to capture everything! After a quick change, I headed back out at around 8pm before finding a bite to eat and I climbed the other side of Charles Bridge tower to have a different viewpoint lit up at night, and again - beautiful!

The following morning came, and after having seen how busy the Old Town Square the day before, I got there for 7:30am only to find a wedding photoshoot was taking place and I actually thought the photos were rather sweet which is why I have included it here! I then walked over to the Dancing House and had been recommended a cafe for brunch; Cafefin! (I do have another blog coming out this week with the chic cafes/restaurants I visited whilst there hence the reason for being vague about them in this particular blog.)

After brunch, I made the mistake of walking back over to the other side of Charles Bridge and the reason I say mistake is due to not realising that the walk from Cafefin to Charles Bridge was near enough 45 minutes! Having said that however, I am glad I did walk it rather than take a tram as it meant I got to soak in the atmosphere and take in all of the surroundings. Once I had arrived at my destination, I knew I had to travel back up to Prague Castle View Point in order for me to get to St. Vitus Cathedral, and I know this is becoming a little repetitive and boring hearing me ramble on about how beautiful Prague was, but honestly, it was BREATHTAKING! St. Vitus Cathedral is also the huge building that dominates the Prague skyline when looking at it from afar which is something I only realised once inside.

I then took to the streets of Prague once again and this time came across Jewish Quarter situated just a street away from the Old Town Square, my idea of heaven! Celine, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Burberry and many more designer luxury stores can be found here. For the evening I then met up with my friends who coincidentally were in Prague at the same time as me, and even more of a coincidence, we were all on the same street!

My last full day came and it felt bittersweet for me as this was the day I finally felt like I’d settled in so to speak. I had done all of the tourist attractions, visited those Instagram/photography hotspots, worked out which shortcuts to take and I felt as though I could take it easy and not have to worry about rushing to an area to say that I’d been and whatnot! I took a stroll around the city streets and stumbled across a secret garden tucked away out of the busy hustle and bustle of the tourists; Vojanovy Sady. I came across the biggest cherry blossom tree I think I have ever seen in my life, I could even go as far to say it was the size of a small house!? Inside the tree were peacocks, hidden away making various noises that could be heard from across the gardens. If you ever get the chance to visit Prague, make this secret garden a priority, you won’t regret it!

The final night came and I caught up with my friends and we treated ourselves to Prague’s iconic snack, an ice cream with a waffle/dough based cone! Yummy. As I began packing for departure the following day, I took a moment to reflect and my time in Prague felt as though it had all taken place in one day. The time just seemed to have vanished and I actually felt rather sad about leaving as I mentioned earlier, I felt more adjusted to the city and completely fell in love with it all! If you have never been to Prague and have always wondered what it was like, then just go. You won’t regret it!

*For my trip I stayed at Escape To Prague Apartments and stayed in the King Wenceslas 6 apartment. I have also been lucky enough to share a discount code with you all which will knock 10% off your stay! DISCOUNT CODE: LUKE10 Valid until early December 2020 but excludes both Christmas and New Year 2019.

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NEPTUNE LONDON

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During my stay at Kimpton Fitzroy in London, I had been gifted not only a stay, but breakfast too! It was only by chance that I came across Neptune by waking up early the next morning to go on a little hunt around the hotel, that after asking a member of staff where to have breakfast, he recommended either Burr & Co. or Neptune. I was told both restaurants were on either side of the hotel and with very little decision making, I just decided to go to the right hand side of the building because it was closer to me and I’m a little lazy…

I followed the long corridor and was taking in the sights of the grand decor on my way and I had a sneaky peek at the Palm Court which at the time was currently closed as it doesn’t open until 12pm! I then stumbled across Neptune and was shown to a table.

WOW! The decor inside had a warm, cosy feeling to it that felt relaxed yet contradicted itself by feeling modern, current and of course ‘Instagrammable’ at the same time. Soft pinks and peaches were the colours that you could find on the ceiling and fabrics with the graphic wooden floor being the main focus point within the room. I was lucky enough to have been placed in a bay window which had a gorgeous pink seating area that seemed to turn a different shade of pink in different lights!

Neptune is a restaurant that predominantly serves seafood with a variety of oysters and shellfish which have all been selected from independent growers throughout the UK. Browsing through the menu, (bearing in mind this was around 7.30am so fish was not something I was particularly in the mood for) I opted for pancakes, the sweet version which came with berries and yoghurt and came accompanied with a latte. The staff were incredibly friendly and warm, asking how I was and how my stay was so far!

Due to the restaurant being virtually empty upon my arrival at 7.30am, I took this as an opportunity to take as many photographs of the interiors as I could, and I think you’ll agree with me that it looks beautiful right!? Again, thank you to Kimpton Fitzroy for hosting me for the night and to Neptune for my wonderful breakfast! For more details on Neptune, click here and for more details on Kimpton Fitzroy, click here! Hopefully I will be able to return to Neptune at a later date to try out their seafood from their evening menu!

Have you visited Neptune before? If so, what did you have? What did you think to the interior? Are you a fan of seafood? Will you be heading there anytime soon? Do let me know your thoughts as I would love to hear from you, and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button below!

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KIMPTON FITZROY; LONDON

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Late last year I was unable to attend an event at the Kimpton Fitzroy hotel in London, but luckily enough for me, I had been gifted an overnight stay at the hotel instead, and wow - I wasn’t sure what to expect beforehand, but the hotel exceeded all expectations and is truly one of the most beautiful hotels I have ever had the pleasure of staying in!

Kimpton Fitzroy is situated on Russell Square - Bloomsbury in London, and was previously known as the ‘Russell Hotel’ which then renamed itself to ‘The Principal London’, before eventually becoming the hotel as we know it to be today; Kimpton Fitzroy, which was renamed in October 2018. A landmark building which is Grade II listed, it is a little hard to walk by without being in awe of the sheer size and detailing of its intricate architecture from the original design back in 1898!

I hopped on the tube from King’s Cross and got off at Russell Square which was just yards away from the hotel, and made my way up the stairs and was greeted by a doorman, staff and a receptionist. The foyer itself was breathtaking with all of the original features still prominently displayed, the marble within the pillars and walls and the stunning details of the mosaic on the ground as you walk in. I was made to feel at ease and welcomed into the hotel immediately, and was told that they were just finishing off my room and that it would be ready within 30 minutes.

Whilst I waited for my room to be ready, the lovely receptionist took me through to one of the bars within the hotel; Fitz’s for a complimentary drink. As we were walking through, I told the receptionist that I loved the whole vibe and ambience from the dark lighting to the stunning decor which gave off a rather moody yet dare I say it, sexy vibe! Walking to Fitz’s, in the distance I spotted some rather large, grand feathers with an enormous disco ball hanging just above it and I knew I was going to be in for a treat… Fitz’s carries that dark, moody vibe from the hotel into the bar with its own grand, opulent features and lighting, my favourite kind of bar! I opted for the ‘Word Of God’ drink which was Whiskey based and it’s safe to say after a few sips, I felt a slight effect…

I then met up with photographer Zoe Griffin where we were then shown the lift up to my room and as I walked in, my jaw dropped. Quite literally. The room was HUGE, in fact, I couldn’t even call it a room it was that spacious! (I have since found out that the ‘room’ was indeed their Junior Suite which overlooked onto Russell Square with magnificent views!) From the moment I walked in I was absorbing it all, from the sofa and lounge area, to the large wardrobe, to the four poster bed and then to the bathroom and well, that bathroom was something else entirely!

As we like to say on Instagram and Pinterest, ‘pure bathroom goals’ is the best way to describe it! A cubicle for the toilet and a separate cubicle for the shower/wet room. Once I had unpacked and began to relax, myself and Zoe took a few shots in and around the hotel, and just outside in Russell Square. We also filmed a short ‘Get Ready With Me’ styled video for my YouTube channel which will be coming very soon, so do keep an eye out for that!

Zoe then left me to unwind in my room and I had a moment where it felt a little surreal to be staying in such a beautiful hotel. After all of the travelling and excitement for one day, I went to bed and as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was fast asleep. The bed was so comfortable and the mattress was firm, yet not too hard that it was uncomfortable to sleep on. I usually struggle to fall asleep in hotels and new surroundings, mainly because when I take my hearing aids out, I can’t hear a thing. So for me, security and knowing I’ll be safe in a dark room alone, is paramount. With that being said, I felt secure within Kimpton Fitzroy and knew I wouldn’t have had any trouble with regards to taking my hearing aids out for the night!

I woke up bright and early the next morning, mainly to take as many photographs as I could without being disturbed by any other guests and I am so glad I did! I was able to walk around the hotel at my own leisure and see things differently that I hadn’t seen upon arrival. I asked a member of staff where to go for my breakfast as the restaurant I had planned to visit; Palm Court, was closed and didn’t open until 12pm! I was advised to go to either Neptune or Burr & Co. and by chance I just headed to the nearest one which happened to be Neptune… I had planned to add in a brief description about Neptune in this blog post, but because it was so magical, I have decided to review this in a separate blog post within the next week so keep your eyes peeled for that!

After the delicious breakfast I had at Neptune, I then took a shower which I could have stayed in for an hour or so given the chance, it felt like heaven! I then packed up my belongings and began to check out. Wherever I went within the hotel, the staff would always smile and say hello and ask if I was okay, which I found incredibly friendly and it made my stay feel more personal rather than just ‘feeling like a guest’. The whole experience of staying in Kimpton Fitzroy was magical from start to finish and epitomised the feel of a luxury hotel, but the friendly staff took away the notion and stereotype of luxury hotels being ‘stuffy’ and ‘miserable’!

If you ever get a chance to stay in London and you’re looking for somewhere that has that magic touch, then I strongly recommend checking out Kimpton Fitzroy. For more details, click here!

Thank you to Kimpton Fitzroy for this opportunity and I hope to pop by again very soon…

Have you ever visited Kimpton Fitzroy before? If so, how was your experience? Will you be checking this out for a future stay whilst in London? Let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button below!

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LAPLAND WITH HUAWEI

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An email came through to my inbox with the subject line of ‘Hi Luke - Invite to Lapland’ and before I had chance to read the details in full, I had already RSVP’d with YES!! The trip was to join the technology giant - Huawei, on a magical 3 day trip to Lapland to get an exclusive look ahead of their latest release. In this blog post, I will be talking about my experience of Lapland in full, and in Wednesdays blog post I will be able to reveal more details as to what Huawei’s newest release is all about, which will give you a better insight as to why I had been invited along!

From receiving the invitation on a Tuesday, to landing in Lapland the following Sunday, the build up to the trip was a bit of a whirlwind, and was a trip that had many firsts for me. I had never flown abroad by myself before, I had never been to a country covered in snow with sub zero temperatures before, nor had I ever participated in any ‘snow activities’ other than attempting to ski down the dry, fake grass ski slopes - I say attempting as I recall face-planting the floor several times much to the amusement of my old school friends! Panic started to set in with regards to clothing, as I was completely unsure on what to wear and what would be deemed as appropriate outdoor clothing to take with me. If it was up to me, I would have dressed head to toe in faux fur, but this suggestion didn’t go down too well with my family… Luckily, this was all around the time of Black Friday. Thank God for those 75% off deals!

On the morning of departure, I woke up feeling excited yet a little apprehensive about checking in and the whole airport procedure as I wasn’t really sure what I was doing. With that being said, I just followed the signs and I decided to attempt each part of the check-in process in stages, so it felt less overwhelming. There were two main things that struck me about Heathrow. Firstly, the sheer size of the airport, it was huge. Secondly, how deaf it made me feel! I know that may sound confusing and a little strange, but it was just so noisy! The noises of luggage being dragged around, the many different tannoys that seemed to be mumbled and jumbled, the general hubbub of crowds and distorted background noise. Once I had checked in and I had made my way through to the boarding gate, the feeling of nerves and confusion soon subsided to excitement for the upcoming days ahead!

The flight to Lapland was split in two, the first to Helsinki which we then had a private chartered flight from Helsinki to Lapland itself. I was unaware that the private flight was indeed private, until I began to notice the Huawei branding everywhere and we had all been given a pack which outlined the itinerary of our trip. We were also incredibly fortunate enough to have received our very own Huawei Mate20 Pro, so we could take many photographs and videos to document the duration of our stay!

I then got introduced to 5 other members in our UK team and off we set to our hotel and as we drove to our destination in the darkness, it struck me how isolated and remote Lapland was as we seemed to pass a car every 10 to 15 minutes. As we pulled up to the hotel, I was in complete awe. The hotel we stayed at was: Star Arctic which was situated on the very top of a hill overlooking the nearby town; Saariselkä which was all lit up, dazzling the night’s skyline.

Our UK team sat down for dinner and having had a glance over at the menu, I had to do a double take as I saw that our main course contained Reindeer… I ate Rudolph! (Sorry guys.) It was great to immerse myself in local Finnish culture by eating their food, which I would never have done otherwise! After a glass of wine (or 4), I then retired to my cabin and conked out straight away after a long day of travelling. The following morning we all gathered at reception and we were then shown their latest release which I will reveal all on Wednesday… Once we had been given our snowsuits ready for the days ‘snow activities’, we then began our hike up into the snow!

Prior to our hike, I had layered myself up in about 8 layers of clothing which proved to be very useful as it was -7º outside and I didn’t feel the cold at all! Further into our hike, I could see in the far distance a man covered head to toe in fur (faux I think!) and my initial thought was ‘What on earth is going on here?’ As we got closer and closer, it soon became apparent that this was part of our experience and he began to talk a little about the history of Lapland in his deep, bellowing voice. He then came around each and every one of us and gave us his ‘blessing’ with his good luck charm which involved him stroking an faux animals paw across our faces… It was a very surreal yet special moment, and one that will remain a fond memory of mine from the overall trip! We then came across some miniature bottles of Brandy and after downing 2 bottles, it sure did the good ol’ job of warming me right up again!

The sun rose at around 10am, a good hour before setting off on our hike and it then began to set at around 2.30pm which felt incredibly surreal! Once we had eaten as much bread and soup to our hearts content, we then set off in a bus to our next ‘snow activity’ which included tobogganing down a ski slope. Now, I will admit, I am a huge wuss when it comes to rides of any kind, so I opted out and instead took many photographs of the surroundings which completely took my breath away. Everything felt so serene and calm, it was a different world I had never experienced before! Once the activities were over, we then headed back to base to get ready for dinner at a traditional Finnish restaurant where for our main course this time, we had ‘Air Dried Bear’. I didn’t even know this was a thing!? I can only describe it as crackling and I hate to say it, but it was rather tasty…

The following morning arrived for our departure and it felt that it had ended as quickly as it had begun. At the time of being in Lapland we were kept so busy that for me, I didn’t have the time to soak it all in and it was only on the flight home that it dawned on me what an incredible experience and opportunity it was for me to have. Lapland was truly one of the most magical experiences and from start to finish it flowed seamlessly. Thank you Huawei for inviting me along, I am truly grateful!

As stated earlier, on Wednesday I will be sharing with you my blog post on Huawei’s latest release and the reason I had been invited, so do check back for that blog post very shortly! Also, all the photographs seen within this blog post were all taken on my new Huawei Mate20 Pro phone!

Have you visited Lapland before? Will you be going anytime soon? Have you used any of Huawei’s products before? Used the latest Mate20 Pro? What do you think? Let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button!

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PACCIONI - AL CAPONE LAUNCH IN MANCHESTER

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I recently had the absolute pleasure of attending the launch of the latest watch collection by Paccioni; Al Capone.

Held at The Grand Pacific in Manchester, the venue was the perfect backdrop for such a stunning design! I had arrived at my hotel; Hotel Ibis Styles situated in the city centre and I began to get ready. The theme of the night was 1920's and there was a formal dress code in place so I chose to wear my Wine/Burgundy Velvet blazer and teamed it with some skinny black trousers, a simple black shirt and I topped off the look with my Jeffery West Chelsea boots. A chauffeur had been arranged to take me to my venue and I brought along my blogger friend Peter with me. (I have to say, being chauffeured to the venue certainly kicked off the night in style!)

As we entered The Grand Pacific, we were taken over to a glass cabinet where all of the watches from the latest Al Capone collection were showcased and we were given a brief insight by the founder and designer of Bellagio Europe; Mike Cohen, into the design and inspiration for the collection. Inspired by Al Capone's infamous pocket watch, the special edition watch collection is available in two sizes, medium or large and is also presented in a violin shaped 'tommy gun' leatherette snake skin style case.

My eyes were immediately drawn to the watch with the gold face and black straps, in the largest size of course, and to my surprise, I was very kindly gifted this! As the watch came with interchangeable straps to allow you to mix up the style, I chose the navy straps to accompany the watch. Despite the watch coming in the largest size, I was relatively surprised at how light it felt upon my wrist and it didn't feel too clunky or heavy. Peter and I then found a table to sit at and we kept admiring the watches on our wrists and after a prosecco (or 6) Mike Cohen then gave us all a speech and we had all been treated to a show stopping performance by the flapper girls!

A magician had then made his way to our table and I swear to God, he was AMAZING! Perhaps it might have been the copious amounts of alcohol that got us slightly animated and excited by each trick but nevertheless, he was still incredible! The night overall was a fabulous celebration of the 1920's and to mark the special launch of the Al Capone Watch Collection! Available to purchase soon, click here to be notified of its release. 

What do you think to the design of the watch? Are you a fan of it? Do you like the 1920's theme? Have you ever visited The Grand Pacific in Manchester? Do let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you and don't forget to click the 'like' button! 

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