Things I Like - 3 - Travel

In case you have just tuned in, today I present item 3 of "Things I Like". I'm trying to blog seven days in a row about things I enjoy and feel the need to share or ramble on about. I might miss out Sunday cause I'm off to a Joe Bonamassa gig in Newcastle, but for now I hope you enjoy!

*edit* A technical error (i.e. I got blocked from work internet cause I was abusing it looking for pictures for this blog) means I am a day late posting this. Failed my mission already!

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Last Friday I got a credit card delivered. Last Saturday I maxed it out. On a holiday! Eeek! Although really it's not as bad as it sounds, I got the card purposefully to pay for the holiday so it wasn't exactly an impulse buy ^_^

Original Image Here

Me and my mother are jetting off to the sunny (hopefully) Greek island of Rhodes in a few short weeks. Rhodes is the one with the green arrow in the picture above, right near the coast of Turkey. I've been there before with my friend and housemate Kate and we had a really good time. It was out of season so many of the attractions were closed but the local buses were running and the Old Town area of Rhodes was open for business. The Old Town is spectacular. I'm really looking forward to exploring it some more and introducing it to my mum who has never been. I'll probably write a review or something on Trip Advisor in May when we get back.

I must admit I feel a little responsible for us having a successful trip, mainly because I've chosen not to book airport transfers, (£50 for a coach to the hotel? It's less than 5 Euro on the local bus service!) but the pressure is on because I now have the job of making sure we actually find our hotel. Hopefully some forward planning, printed out Rhodes bus timetables and my iPhone will help!

Whilst booking I was thinking about where I've been and where I'd like to go. If you know me you will know I'd love to visit Japan for a month or so. I'd visit the Ghibli Museum and a hot spring and the Ginza shopping district. I'd also love to return to New York. When I went in 2006-7 (I went for New Year) I was a little younger and I don't think I experienced it like I could now. I did see the Statue of Liberty, which was incredible, I didn't imagine her to be quite so tall, and went to a cool museum on Native American history. However, I didn't see Central Park, didn't go inside the Empire State Building and didn't flounce around pretending to be Serena Van Der Woodsen from Gossip Girl, It's definitely worth a return trip.

Times Square, New York , NY. Original Image Here

Closer to home I travel around a lot on buses and trains. My typical journeys are between Barrow-in-Furness, Nottingham, Sutton Bonington and York but I'm pretty comfortable travelling anywhere in the UK by public transport. I love getting on a train for a long journey and knowing I'll be sat for a good hour or two with nothing to do but read a book or listen to music. It's like time stops for a little while and I can forget about the general stresses of life!

(Yeah, I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna start a sentence with...) BUT, there is something which can easily spoil my journey (and I hold Apple firmly responsible): having to listen to other people's music. How hard is it to chuck away those crap earphones they give you with iPods/iPhones and buy some in-ear noise cancelling phones? If I can manage it, then so can you Mr Businessman on the seat in front listening to Nicki Minaj (?!).

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I got better earphones because I'm just super considerate. (Actually I did this swanky personality test recently and that was one of the words which came up to describe me. I guess I think it's accurate but please do tell me if you find things I do really annoying and are struggling with a daily desire to flush my head down the toilet. I'm so considerate I'd probably stop doing it right away!)

Anyway I think the world would be a better place if people would keep their choons in their own ears and stop forcing them on me. Thanks!