A Weekend Break in Helsinki

Slowly, this blog has been becoming more and more of a travel blog, and I can't say I'm too gutted about that! The Erasmus student scheme has just turned 30 years old, and it got me thinking how grateful I am to have been able to study in Oslo as part of it. It's opened up places, people, ways of thinking and travel opportunities I would never have had- this weekend I'm going on a free (yes, FREE!) trip to Copenhagen with the café I volunteer with, and if that's not excellent payment for a few shifts I don't know what is... 

But enough about Denmark, this post is all about Finland, with a little bit of Estonia thrown in for good measure! I went on a lil mini-break last week with a friend, as it was a part of Scandinavia we'd both wanted to visit for a while. I wasn't really sure what to expect, Helsinki is a bit like Oslo in the sense that it's often overlooked by it's cooler Scandi neighbours, Copenhagen and Stockholm, but I would have to say it's a hidden gem!

What To Do On A Weekend Break In Bologna

Bologna probably isn't somewhere that's particularly high on your list of must-see places, but after having spent a weekend there, I completely fell for this quaint, charming little city. On a spontaneous whim, my mum and I booked a girls weekend there last week, and were immediately hooked when we got there. It's not as well known as Florence, or iconic as Rome, but it's stunningly beautiful, interesting and so unspoilt and untoursity.

It has three nicknames- the 'fat', the 'learned', and the 'red'. The first for its delectable range of restaurants, trattorias and food markets; the second for the oldest university in the world located there; and the last for the beautiful terracotta buildings stretching across the city. Amazing food, fascinating culture and history, and stunning surroundings- what more could you want in a holiday destination?