What makes us unique?

The small city of Amsterdam has long had a reputation for being a big party destination, famous for its Red Light District and its many “coffee shops” where you can legally buy and smoke marijuana. In fact, my only memories from my first visit to Amsterdam as a child is being somewhat shocked when we stumbled into the notorious ‘De Wallen’ neighbourhood!  Today, however, the Dutch city is shrugging off its good time persona and reminding travellers that there is a lot to do here. We recently spent three days in Amsterdam and quickly fell in love with the city. In addition to its leafy boulevards, crooked canal houses and cycle culture, there are excellent museums, delicious restaurants and some seriously tasty baked goods.  If you are considering visiting Amsterdam then the following is our three-day itinerary, which covers all the main sights including the Anne Frank House Museum and the Rijksmuseum, as well as important things such as the best place to enjoy apple pie. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I have been or could be if you click on a link in this post compensated via a cash payment, gift or something else of value for writing

There’s no denying that we love London but we also love to explore beyond the capital. Fortunately, it’s easy to leave the city and there are lots of easy day trips from London by train. Not only is train travel easy, it’s a far greener way to travel. Just make sure to book your train tickets in advance to ensure you get the best deals. From seaside towns and cultural centres to famous cities and historical sites, these are some of our favourite day trips from London. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate and commercial links. For more information see our disclosure policy. Take a day trip out of London by train Best day trips from London There are 10 main train stations in central London offering services across the country. The main stations are: Waterloo Station Paddington King’s Cross St Pancras London Euston Charing Cross Victoria Station London Bridge Fenchurch Street Liverpool Street These train stations all have luggage storage options and all have direct Tube links except for Fenchurch Street, which is close to Tower Hill and Aldgate Tube stations. When travel planning do look at the Trainline website. You can buy tickets in advance, reserve a seat and save money. The National Rail website has

You might well think that stationery shops are only needed when you are looking to upgrade your desk space or are in need of a new pencil case at the start of the school year but the reality is that London’s best stationery shops sell so much more than simply the perfect pen. One of the best – and most beautiful – stationery shops in London These largely independent stores are a joy to discover, with shelves stocked full of beautiful fountain pens and elegant notebooks, alongside hand marbled paper, hand-painted greetings cards, decorative papers, stylish weekly planners and much more.  So, if you are looking to upgrade your desk space, are looking for an original gift or simply have a love of stationery, we’ve rounded up some of the best stationery shops in London to serve your every stationery need.  Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I have been or could be if you click on a link in this post compensated via a cash payment, gift or something else of value for writing this post. See our full disclosure policy for more details. The best stationery shops in London Choosing Keeping has a wonderful range of stationery