firststreet denisse

At just 8 years old I discovered that Walt Disney's castle was inspired by Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. 18 years later I found myself climbing the road to this magnificent, dream-like castle. My fairytale was right in front of me. Located in the very southern region of Germany, Neuschwanstein is truly a sight to behold yet despite its grand romanticist exterior, the castle is only a third complete on the inside. Constructed over 17 years, it was King Ludwig's castle, a man fascinated with the fantastical and dream-like. Yet his untimely death aged just 42 caused all construction to cease in 1886. The castle would never be finished. It has fascinated me to no end over all these years that such a beautiful and iconic building holds mainly ghostly rooms and empty halls. It's beautiful yet sad, as the best romantic tales often are. Nestled in the mountains, Neuswanstein looms over the valley above the town of Schwangau. I'd driven from Tegernsee to reach it and as I first rou...

I take great pleasure from visiting destinations that are a little more under the radar. Sure big capitals like Paris and Barcelona have their drawcards, but there's something majestic and quaint about visiting a smaller town for a few days. Living a local way of life.    Tegernsee is a storybook little town in the Bavarian region of Germany. It's somewhere I've long wanted to visit - my mum was here in the '80s and has often spoken of its magic and charm. Last week, I arrived. I checked into my jaw-dropping home for the next few days - Das Tegernsee and set up camp in my beautiful suite overlooking the lake; complete with balcony, shower large enough to host a party and bath tub with lookout. Whilst spring had arrived there was certainly still plenty of evidence of winter with bare trees, brisk air and snow-covered ground. I stood in wonder on the balcony of my chic alpine chalet, marvelling at the lake and giggling as a trickle of falling snowflakes landed on my nose...

You all know how much I love to travel. But with my international explorations comes a lot of wait time. Airports. Planes. Trains. Stations. That's why when an opportunity to getaway at home came up I jumped at the chance. Jumped right over to the Hilton London Syon Park , just a hop and a skip away from Fulham. How's that for travel with no wait time? Coat (similar) / Gilet / Boots Tucked away in a corner of London you wouldn't think to explore, the Hilton Syon Park is a true hidden gem. The rooms are so chic, furnished with modern Victorian designs, and their plush chairs just lure you in where you could easily lose an afternoon with the paper. Our balcony overlooked the grounds so after a quick change of clothes we set off to explore Syon Park itself before the light faded. The grounds here are truly magical. I felt like I had stepped into an Enid Blyton book, expecting to spot the Magic Faraway Tree at any moment. The park isn't all neat and manicured but its over...