June Favourites 2017 – TRAVEL EDITION!

Hi all!

I’M BACK!!! Words cannot even express how epic and wonderful our adventures were. We are still on such a high. I will be posting all of my vegan travel blogs soon (both here and on Vegan Travel) but for now I wanted to share with you my favourites in June whilst on vacation. I really hope you enjoy this special travel edition. We saw so many breathtaking places, made unforgettable memories, ate the most delicious plant-based meals and took hundreds upon hundreds of gorgeous pictures. It truly was the best trip we have ever been on. I also read a fair few books whilst on planes and trains which I will list below. Let’s do this!

THE BEST OF JUNE:

1.) Luggage Accessory – Harry Potter (Platform 9 3/4) Luggage Tag

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Before you travel anywhere, make sure you invest in a unique luggage tag. When you’re waiting at an airport carousel, a lot of the suitcases can begin to look the same as they move round and round. An easily identifiable tag can save you a lot of time and anxiety. I received mine in a subscription box but I’ve linked where you can find it above on Amazon. It was really fitting that this was my tag for our Europe trip as 1.) I love Harry Potter and 2.) we went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in the UK and 3.) we stopped at King’s Cross Station to visit the infamous Platform 9 3/4 itself. Amazing by the way!

2.) Travel Accessory – Kanken Backpack by Fjallraven

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In the last year or so, I’ve had pretty bad shoulder problems so I wanted to invest in a good quality backpack to use overseas. I had seen Kanken’s advertised everywhere but thought them too expensive so I didn’t bother. I changed my mind when I realised it was better to pay more for something that wouldn’t injure me day after day on a very active holiday. I’m so glad I did because it was completely worth it. You can get them in so many colours but I bought the 16L Frost Green/Peach Pink. It held all of my essentials comfortably and sat nice and high on my shoulders so the weight didn’t bear down. It’s a quality investment that I can use for years to come and the design is gorgeous. If you travel often and are prone to neck/shoulder issues – I would highly recommend one.

3.) Electronic Device – Kindle Paperwhite E-Reader

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For my birthday, my love bought me a Kindle Paperwhite E-Reader in white. It was perfect timing as I didn’t want to fill my suitcase with loads of heavy books. This particular model has a battery that once charged, can last for weeks. It was so handy on long flights and trains. I love how it holds thousands upon thousands of relatively cheap books. A Kindle E-Reader is definitely a solid investment for those that love to travel and do so frequently. Before the Paperwhite, I had the Kindle app on my phone but it drained my battery and the screen was too small. This was a much better option as I could save power on my phone to take lots of pictures along the way. Francis also bought me a really beautiful vegan Kindle case from Etsy. The store is linked here and is situated in Melbourne.

The books I loaded on before my trip were:

• Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare
• The Next Together Series (The Next Together, Another Together (short story free on Kindle), The Last Beginning) by Lauren James
• The Mara Dyer Trilogy (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Evolution of Mara Dyer & The Retribution of Mara Dyer) by Michelle Hodkin
• Carry On & Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

I read most of these (see list below)!

4.) Packing Accessories – Suitcase Organisers

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My mum bought me these packing cases for Christmas and I’m so glad she did. I’m a super organised person so this gift was perfect for me. I was able to keep all my toiletries, cosmetics, socks, underwear, cable cords/chargers, socks and jewellery in separate compartments. I put my dirty clothes in the laundry bags which also minimised the space in my suitcase so I was able to fit more in and save room for gifts/souvenirs. I cannot imagine travelling without them now!

5.) Place – Oxford University 

It was really hard to pick my favourite place. I saw so many new cities but also fell in love again with ones I had visited as a child. The one place I felt the biggest connection to however was Oxford University in England. It was the most beautiful, charming campus full of rich history and old buildings. I loved walking the streets that Oscar Wilde did when he was a student. We did a 90 minute tour of the Bodleian Library which was everything! Unfortunately you weren’t allowed to take photos inside but see above for a picture of the Radcliffe Camera Library that we also got to explore. Being there felt like a dream come true…

6.) Holiday Clothing – Sunflower Jumpsuit from Sportsgirl

We went to Europe at the beginning of summer so it was ridiculously hot and sunny in most of the places we visited. I got so much wear out of my Sunflower Jumpsuit I found in one of the bargain racks a few weeks before departing at Sportsgirl. It was light, comfortable, pretty and made me feel like I was really embracing the season. It’s hands down one of my favourite wardrobe pieces and I cannot wait to wear it again when our winter is over. 

7.) European Vegan Restaurant – ‘Le Fate’ in Florence 

There were endless amounts of delicious vegan options all over Europe which was so wonderful. I will be posting proper vegan travel blogs for England, Italy & Greece later this month but my all time favourite meal/restaurant was at ‘Le Fate’ in Florence. In my personal opinion, Florence had the best vegan food overall. This particular restaurant however was special because Francis had been planning on taking me there as a surprise before we left. Basically, ‘Le Fate’ is a 100% vegan and astrological themed restaurant. It used to feature zodiac specific menus but unfortunately the new chef discontinued it. That aside, the place was absolutely beautiful. It was decked out in all blue with astrological paintings on the wall and the found was divine. I loved the raspberry ‘cheesecake’ for dessert! 

8.) Memory – Best Moment of June 2017

Like I mentioned, nearly every single day was a best moment on this holiday but I’ll never forget staying with my family in Palermo, Sicily. I hadn’t seen them since I was a little girl and the reunion was truly emotional. We spent 3 incredible nights at my cousin’s gorgeous home right on the hills laughing, conversing in Italian, hugging and exploring. They cooked delicious vegan meals for us, took us out sightseeing every single day and made us feel so welcome. One of my favourite moments was swimming in their beautiful pool then spending the morning picking cherries with my auntie and uncle whilst overlooking views of the entire city. It meant so much to introduce them to my husband and have them see me all grown up as a married woman. It was so hard saying goodbye but I’ll treasure those memories forever…

TOTAL BOOKS I READ IN JUNE 2017: 9

– Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz – 5/5 STARS

– Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare (Book #2 in the Dark Artifices Series) – 5/5 STARS 

– A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (I also watched the movie on the plane and it broke me!) – 5/5 STARS 

– The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (Book #1 in the Mara Dyer Trilogy) – 4/5 STARS

– The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (Book #2 in the Mara Dyer Trilogy) – 4/5 STARS

– The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (Book #3 in the Mara Dyer Trilogy) – 4/5 STARS 

– The Next Together by Lauren James (Book #1 in The Next Together Series) – 3/5 STARS 

– Another Together (Short Story in the Next Together Series) by Lauren James – 5/5 STARS 

– A Long Conversation (A Shadowhunter Novella) by Cassandra Clare – 4/5 STARS 

I hope you enjoyed my June favourites – as mentioned earlier the Vegan Travel blogs will be up soon! Peace & Love xoxo

Disclaimer: This post contains links to my Amazon & Book Depository Affiliate which helps fund my blog, I am not being paid or sponsored for this post/products – all my thoughts/opinions are my own