Month Off ● by Jess

Hello again world!

A month ago I decided to take a much needed break from social media and blogging. Its officially been one full month and I'm now in reflection mode. I feel like I've just taken a ride on that proverbial roller-coaster of emotions... and now I'm stumbling off and feeling like I'm about to hurl on an unsuspecting carnie (I suppose that would be you, the reader). 

On the one hand, we've had some incredible adventures-- we traveled to Brighton, Bath, (posts to follow) and were even gifted last minute tickets to see Wicked. The future looks bright and happy and I'm just really happy to be living in this wonderful world. 

On the other hand, this month has brought some troughs... including a full-blown quarter-life crisis, a miscarriage, and I'm pretty sure I saw ghost in my room (and let's get real, the ghost definitely caused the most lasting damage). 

All said, I needed a break from the needless stream of babble, the self-promotion, and the passive aggressive posting (both from myself and others). And golly, did it feel good to step away for a bit!

But now I'm back, so get ready world! I whole stream of photos and video is about to enter the blogosphere. Stay tuned!

The Feast of St. George ● by Jess

 Most of us grew up hearing the story of St. George slaying the dragon-- but I never knew there were places in the world where people celebrated it with a feast!

Today Jon and I spent the afternoon at Trafalgar Square at the Feast of St. George. It. Was. AWESOME! From the live music, to the amazing food and performers, we had so much fun.

Our favorite part was watching the kids along the knight's quest. The kids went to different stations to get jewels on their shield-- doing everything from the bravery test (putting their finger inside the dragon puppet's mouth) to the chivalry test (learning to "ride a horse" Monty Python style and bow with a flourish). In the end, they were rewarded by being knighted by the king with his very large sword. 

It was the most adorable things ever and desperately made me want to have a five year old so I could take them to get knighted too!

Paris ● by Jon & Jess

Folks, we didn't think it was possible, but we actually underestimated how completely awesome Paris is. 

We've been wanting to go to Paris for some time now and, after a failed attempt at Jessica's birthday, our two year anniversary seemed like the perfect time. Now, despite being VERY excited about it, we both previously thought Paris was a bit overrated (after all, very few things in life should warrant the kind of Pinterest real estate that the Eiffel Towel takes up).  But, after spending the weekend exploring and soaking up all that this city has to offer, we are officially in love. It more than lives up to the hype. 

We were a bit better about video then actual photos on this trip... but here are a few of our favorites:

The things that surprised us most about Paris: 1) It's super clean, 2) Everything along the Seine (from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower) feels super open and spacious and 3) How friendly everyone was (except when you have to use the restroom, when they all turn in to miserly toilet hoarders). There is so much to see and experience-- its amazing!

Jess purchased a vintage brass lock (circa 1950s) and had it engraved so we we could lock it to the bridge Pont des Arts bridge near the Louvre. Tradition has it that you lock your love to the bridge and throw away the key, symbolizing that your heart is locked. 

We spent the Sunday of our trip touring three of Paris' (and really the world's) most beautiful cathedrals: Sainte Chapelle, Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur. Luckily we arrived on Palm Sunday so there was quite a lot to see-- plus the bonus of free admission for both Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur, which will holding services in both churches when we arrived. 

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Best Kept British Seaside Secrets ● by Jess

So, Jon and I now have all this free travel credit after one of our trips was cancelled. We decided that we wanted to use it for a low-key, maybe beachy weekend trip in May. That seems like it shouldn't be too hard, given that England is an island. It has been surprisingly tricky....

Each of my plans has managed to crumble for one reason or another, though they were all epic holidays! I definitely researched my little buns off.

Someday I hope we can take these trips. Although this post is mostly for my own reference (so I have all the info somewhere), I imagine there is someone out there that would appreciate all the research :)

1) Tintagel: Legendary Ruins

Sources: Red Bubble & Flowerona

Sources: Flickr

This beautiful set of seaside ruins, down in Cornwall, is-- as tradition holds-- the location of Camelot and King Arthur's castle. The town of Tintagel is this adorable little village right next to the castle ruins. A short distance away is St. Nectar's Glen with its beautiful waterfall (pictured above). 

2) Llandudno & Conwy: Victorian Welsh Coast

Llandudno is a seaside resort in Wales with these a beautiful Victorian beachfront stretch. After walking along the beach, many vistors enjoy scaling the limestone headland (which is pretty easily done with Great Orme Tramway, which takes tourists to the top). 

The area has a long beautiful pier and during the bank holiday weekend in May, the town has a three day Victorian Street Carnival. 

Conwy castle is just a short train ride away as well. The ride there is apparently really scenic and pleasant. 

Source: VisitWales 

Source: StaticFlickr

Source: DPPhotographer

3) Scarborough: The Original 

Scarborough is actually the very first british seaside resort-- people have been going there for over 360 years! It has clean, picturesque beaches and a castle. For those not content with that, just outside the town are moorlands and an ancient woodland to discover. 

Nearby is Whitby, which is another lovely historic town, that has the remains of Whitby Abbey. 

Also, quick tip, Groupon is currently running a deal for a two night stay for 2 with breakfast for only £109!! The deal is for one of the highest rated hotels in town (plus it has a pretty fab pool). Get it while its hot!

Source: Wikipedia

Source: Imgur

Source: BritianExpress

So, hopefully that inspires someone out there! Jon and I will instead be heading to Bath for a much less beachy (but much more Spa-like!) trip in May. 'Twill be lots of fun :)


Also, a quick shout out to The Duchess of Plumwood, a new sponsor for Young Rubbish. Follow both her and us on Bloglovin'!