What Kate Did... Went to Prague

In August I went to the Czech Republic with 3 friends to drink pivo and take our minds off results day.

We spent the week lazing in the sunshine in parks across Prague and laughing lots.





We stayed in Arpacay Hostel, which was cheap and cheerful and came with a free breakfast each morning and transfers to the airport. There was a metro and tram station nearby. It looks like it has been renovated since we went in 2010.







Make sure you give yourself an afternoon to wander around the Old Town Square. It is beautiful and there is always something going on. Mostly of the restaurants and bars around here cater for tourists, so the staff speak English.



The weather was wonderful and we engjoyed a picnic in the Rose Gardens.





Karlův Most










Josefov is the Jewish Quarter. We bought a ticket that allowed us to visit the museum as well as the Old-New Synagogue. Visiting this part of Prague was a highlight of our trip.






Another must visit place is the castle, we took a bus to the top of the hill where it is located and then walked back down admiring the view. I recall the entry ticket being fairly expensive but we all enjoyed it.

Overall, Prague is a really cheap city. Everything was good value. It's so beautiful and there are plenty of things to see and do. We managed to avoid rowdy stag dos the whole time we were there. Eating out as a vegetarian in Prague can be tricky. We had one awkward moment where the 'vegetarian pasta dish' I ordered came up with chunks of bacon in it, and then trying to explain why this was a problem in our rubbish German as the waitress spoke no English was interesting! For the most part though you will be able to eat, although perhaps not very inspiring dishes. The best place we visited (and my 3 meat eating companions agreed) was a vegetarian restaurant in Prague called Lehka Hlava. Public transport in Prague is really cheap and fairly easy to use. You can buy tickets for the tram, buses and metro at newsagents and then 'check in' by getting them stamped in a machine when you start your journey. We got stopped by ticket inspectors who checked we had done this, so make sure you remember to avoid a fine! 

What Kate Did... Went to New York City

New York is the home to pretty much everything I have ever loved: Andy Warhol's factory, Blonde on Blonde, Breakfast at Tiffanys, Bright Eyes 2005 and Snapple to name a few. This was my first visit, and I went with my mum to celebrate my 18th and her 50th birthday.

Day one:

We landed on the morning of 4th July 2010, giving us plenty of time to get settled in and enjoy the Independence Day celebrations. The fireworks over the Hudson River were spectacular and although it's really hot there in July I would recommend arranging your trip so you are in New York for 4th July if you are going in the summer.



After we checked into our hotel (we started at the Holiday Inn near Times Square, we got a great deal and it included a hot buffet breakfast which so it was good value too) we headed to the Museum of Modern Art. It was everything I hoped it would be and it has taken its place as my favourite museum in the world. It is so light and bright, with plenty of outside space. The photo below is of an interactive piece by Yoko Ono, you wrote down your wish and added it to the tree. There's also a pretty amazing rooftop bar.

Day two:

We woke up bright and early the next day and caught the subway to Battery Park to catch the ferry to Liberty Island. If you do one thing before you go it should be to prebook your tickets for this! Especially if you want to climb the Statue of Liberty (a fun experience, but not essential!). There are lots of dodgy websites around so make sure you book using the official Statue Cruises website.

On the way back the boat stops off at Ellis Island and I don't know why but so many people didn't bother to get off. It's definitely worth it though! The Immigration Museum is beautiful and really interesting. There are great views of Manhattan from there too.


Next we headed over the 9/11 memorial which was very moving.

After a quick snoop around Century 21 (a bit like an American TK Maxx, full of bargains!) we wandered over to South Seaport. We had dinner here overlooking the East River and my mum quickly learnt that American measures are bigger than British ones when she nearly fell over after one cocktail!

We walked off our dinner by crossing the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge and then it was so pretty to walk back towards Manhattan at 10PM with all the city lights coming on. I think this is a must do for any trip to NY. It was unforgettable.

Day three:

We spent the morning doing the 'Top of the Rock'. I'd recommend this over the Empire State as it's cheaper, you can see Central Park and you get the great view of the ESB!

We then went for a walk to see some of the sights. It's not far to walk to the Chrysler building, New York Public Library, Grand Central and the UN HQ.

After an iced tea break we explored the Guggenheim, which is such an interesting building. After having a wander through Central Park we escaped the midday sun in the lovely air conditioned museums including the Natural History Museum (go and see the blue whale!). All the museums in NY have a suggested donation of about $23, but the minimum donation is one cent. So don't be put off by the price on the sign, just pay what you can afford.

That night we went to see She & Him and Zooey Deschnnel gave me her setlist!



The next day we swapped hotels. We had both really wanted to stay in The Chelsea Hotel after that Leonard Cohen song but it was too expensive to spend the whole holiday there so we went for our last two nights. It was absolutely amazing and worth every penny. The maids even let me snoop around Bob Dylan's old room!



Day four:

We escaped the buzz of downtown Manhattan for a morning at The Cloisters. We emerged from the subway and it was like we were in another world. If you have time I would really recommend spending the day here.





On the way back to Chelsea we bought some fresh fruit from a market and ate it in the cinema. Everything is bigger on this side of the Atlantic, even the cinemas!

Day five:

We spent our final day close to the hotel before heading to the airport. The nearby Chelsea Market is brilliant, and there are lots of amazing independent shops and galleries to explore nearby.

Washington Square Park is wonderful and so full of history. There were brilliant musicians playing there every time we passed through. It was one of my favourite spots in the city.

It was such a brilliant trip. I can't wait to go back! If we had time I would have liked to explored Brooklyn and visited Coney Island.

Top tips:

- Check the menu for vegetarian options before you enter a restaurant, we had to walk out more than once from places that had literally no choices!
- Prebook the boat trip to the Statue of Liberty.
- Visit the Rockerfeller Centre, and try and prebook if you can.

What Kate Did... Became an Old Girl

My head teacher wrote in my farewell card-

"Remember this place and what it stands for.
Remember these buildings which have seen you grow into adults, which have resonated with your laughter and been stilled by the silence of your study; with the passing of time they have seen you change.
Remember this school, which has cherished you as members of its family; it has known you and will not forget you.
Remember the friends you have made, the joy and happiness you have shared with them.
Remember us, with whom you have shared this precious time.
Keep us in your hearts as we keep you in ours, and wherever you are, whatever you do and for as long as you live, remember that you will always be a part of this school.
And when you are old remember this place, for here, in your memories, you will be forever young."

What Kate Did... Went to Iceland

I went to Iceland in April 2010 with a group of school friends when I was 17, and I was lucky enough to celebrate my 18th birthday there. It really was the most beautiful place. If you get a chance to visit, even as part of a stopover on the way to America, then I would most definitely recommend it. It might not be cheap but you will see some of the best things and have an unforgettable experience.

Day 1

We started our trip by going on the Golden Circle tour, which is provided by several companies so make sure you search around for the best deal. We paid about £25 but we were all students at the time, I think an adult ticket now can be the best part of £50 (but it's well worth it and cheaper than hiring a car!). This was great as we could travel around the island on a coach and not worry about public transport or driving on the other side of the road. We also had a tour guide who spoke Icelandic which was invaluable, as well as providing local anecdotes and plenty of information about Iceland.

We started with a walk around Gullfoss waterfall, to the little bit of brown you can see jutting out on the left in the picture below. It was so spectacular and my photos really don't do it justice. I saw it over five years ago now and I still think about it all the time.

As part of the tour we also stopped off at Reynisfjara beach which unusually has black sand. Just off the shore you can see two stacks which according to folklore are two trolls who were turned to stone when they attempted to drag a ship onto the beach.

We also visited Thingvellir National Park where the American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet (top photos, which were taken on my birthday). This was so amazing as you can actually stand with one foot on each plate and be in both places at the same time! In April is was still really snowy in Thingvellir so wrap up warm!

Another of the great sights on the Golden Circle tour is the Geysir geothermal area. You are taken to see several geysers, including Strokkur which shoots water about 30 metres into the air every five minutes. It was so wonderful to witness this, something you usually only hear about in geography lessons.

Day two

The next day we took the coach to the Blue Lagoon, which is rightfully most people's number one destination in Iceland. It was amazing, and again my photos really don't do it justice. Try and get there early in the morning before the crowds arrive. Like all of the geothermal pools we went to in Iceland, the Blue Lagoon has communal changing rooms and you are expected to shower fully naked in them before you enter the water. This was a bit of a shock to a group of English teenage girls but we soon got over it. Make sure you put loads of conditioner on your hair when you leave. The cheapest package is great, I wouldn't worry about splashing out of anything more expensive. If you don't have time to visit, or it's unaffordable, there are plenty of other pools which are naturally warm from the geothermal energy right in the centre of Reykjavik. We visited two geothermal pools, and one of them was brilliant as it had a row of small pools which gradually got hotter as you moved along the line. Your entry into these also included a free salad buffet, great for filling up in expensive Iceland and always full of vegetarian options.


The photo below has been the wallpaper on my laptop ever since I got back from Iceland in 2010. I took it when our coach stopped on the way to the Blue Lagoon. Iceland is so spectacular, you won't be bored driving around with views like this to look at!

Day three

Although we went for 5 days, this was our last full day. We spent most of the day wandering around Reykjavik.  A highlight was visiting The Pear, a huge water tower with a restaurant at the top where you can see amazing views of the city. You can also pay to visit the top of the Hallgrimskirkja, a beautiful and unusual church that is definitely worth a visit.  We visited Höfði House and ate lots of Skyr! That night we ate at Ruby Tuesday, which had a few veggie options which were fairly priced. 

Last day

We spent our final morning visiting the Sulfataras, a knitting museum and walking on Gígjökullglacier. The same glacier that covers the volcano which erupted about a week later. Oops. 

Top tips for Iceland:
- Fill up on the salad buffets you can get in many restaurants, they are great value and brilliant for vegetarians and vegans.
- Prebook both the Blue Lagoon and the Golden Circle tour.
- Take lots of money and snacks - Iceland is really, really expensive!
- Make sure you taste Skyr, a naturally thick Icelandic yoghurt.

Kurt Cobain would have turned 43 this week

"It's better to burn out than to fade away"

Fevers and Mirrors

A couple of people asked what Pitseleh means, it's a a yiddish word that translates as 'little one'.