Best of 2018

Twenty-eighteen.

Another rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. January 2018 feels like a lifetime ago yet it also feels like the last twelve months have flown by. The year has revolved around working hard, facing my fears, being a little impulsive, taking fun trips with friends and finally exploring Asia.

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The Best Views In London

I'm on a mission to take better advantage of living in London. Less Netflix, more exploring. Especially when the weather is on side. Last weekend I revisited one of my favourite places that I haven't been to in years - the Great Fire of London Monumnet. There are so many other good places scattered around the city with views just as impressive.

The Monument

The monument to the great fire of London was built back in the 1670s to commemorate the Great Fire of London, which swept through the city in 1666. Christopher Wren & Robert Hooke collaborated on the fluted doric column design. The viewing platform at the top is £5 and 311 steps away.

The View From The Shard

The 95 storey skyscraper designed by Renzo Piano hosts London's highest observation deck with breathtaking 360 degree views over the city. There's an indoor viewing platform, outdoor 'skydeck' and a champagne bar. It's definitely worth doing at least once. Note, tickets are cheaper when booked in advance.

The Sky Garden

The walkie-talkie, famous for melting cars and frying eggs, is another tall building with impressive city views. The glass domed roof encloses a landscaped garden, restaurant, brasserie, bar and an open-air terrace. And the best part? It's completely free, you just need to book in advance.

One New Change Roof Terrace

I discovered this one via Instagram. The shopping destination has a sixth floor roof terrace open to the public, seven days a week. As well as a rooftop restaurant and bar, it's got the best views of St. Paul's Cathedral.

The London Eye

A tourist favourite. This giant Ferris wheel is a serious feat of engineering, offering some of the best views of London. I bought tickets to do this a couple of years ago with a friend. But she got lost on the underground. Oops.

Climb The o2

This was on my London list for so long. I had heard that it's overrated, but personally it was one of my favourite London experiences. We were ridiculously lucky with the timing, the sunset was stunning. The first part of the climb is relatively steep but manageable. For the descent, I suggest doing it backwards. Trust me.

Parliament Hill

The London skyline is visible in the distance from this corner of Hampstead Heath. I used to live nearby in Kentish Town and went here for weekend walks. Which reminds me, I haven't been back in five years.

There are a number of places on my London bucket list that allegedly combine two of my favourite things: food and views.

Searcy's At The Gerkin

My friend went here earlier this year and his photos were unbelievable (to the point where they looked photoshopped). Located in the top levels of the Gerkin, the Helix restaurant serves contemporary food, while the Iris bar has an extensive cocktail menu.

Duck & Waffle

Located on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower, this restaurant covers all the bases - brunch, lunch, dinner and late night feasts. Open 24/7 literally, it is best known for it's eponymous duck and waffle dish.

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La Biennale di Venezia

Every year the company I work for take everyone on a study trip. This time Venice was the chosen destination. Eighty-four of us assembled in the Italian city for a weekend of architecture and Aperol Spritzes.

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A Day Trip to Chamonix-Mont Blanc

While in Geneva last summer, my sister and I took a day out to venture further afield. She booked the day trip through Trip Advisor, and I couldn't recommend it enough. Scroll down to read more about what we got up to.




Located at the meeting point of France, Italy and Switzerland. Chamonix is a ski village at the base of Mont Blanc - the highest summit in the Alps.

Two cable cars (not for the faint-hearted) transported us to the Aiguille du Midi, with an elevator taking us further up to the summit terrace at an elevation of 3,842m. The panoramic views of the surroundings peaks are breathtaking. Needless to say I took far too many photos. It was a stunning day with clear skies and a cool temperature of 5 degrees. A whole 30 degrees lower than the temperature down in Chamonix. We did momentarily regret our choice of wearing shorts, although the scenery was worth freezing our legs off for.

When we descended to the base, we strolled through the town and grabbed lunch and pastries at Aux Petits Gourmands. Followed by gelato, of course.

We reconvened with our tour group and hopped on a red train on the Montenvers railway for the picturesque journey to the Mer de Glace glacier. A small Gondola took us part-way to the Grotte de Glace and the rest of the journey down involved almost 500 steps. The ice-caves were a welcome relief from the heat after the long descent. The glacier is 7.5 km long, and according to Wikipedia, it moves a considerable 90 m per year in that region.

After ascending back up to the railway line, we took the train back to Chamonix to get the return coach to Geneva.

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