Hello...Again...

It is definitely no longer summer thats for sure so I'm probably going to need a  new title. It has been a while since I have posted on here and the reason for that is I have officially started University! Whoop!

It has been one hell of a ride getting organised, settling in, socialising and making friends and trying to get on board with the course, hopefully I can start blogging a little more now that I am a little more organised.

That's it really for this post, I will try and get one of the sister blogs updated also today.

Marwa :)

What to do on a long coach ride

Recently I embarked, for the first time to Paris by coach. Previously I've been both by Eurostar and Aeroplane, and I actually found the coach journey to be the most fun while being cheap and comfortable.

The biggest issue is finding something to do for that long journey (around 8 hours). Here are some of the ways I did that.

1. Read. I spent a fair few hours reading ' The Hobbit '

I suggest a light friendly book which doesn't require too much brain power.

2. Snacks

Okay, perhaps not the best idea. But I had a little something to eat at least every hour, for those on a diet, try vegetable sticks and hummous, healthy sandwhiches, fruit, and yogurt snacks.

3. Art

As an artist, I did some drawings. Unfortunately not being a landscape artist I couldn't make great use of the three hour ride through the french countryside but for those who are, this is a great drawing opportunity. 

4. Embroidery

This is just something I decided to quickly pick up before I left for France to have a go at it. It takes a very long time so is good for the journey and produces amazing results when done right. All you need is thick thread, some fabric, a needle with a large head and an embroidery ring, you can get al these from your local craftstore for under £5 if you shop right) Have a go with these tutorials. . . .

5. Cards

If you are travelling with someone, a pack of cards is a great way to pass some time. Play Go Fish, Blackjack, Snap, and learn to play loads of other games here.

6. Surf the Internet for Free

Thats right, Megabus, Nationalexpress and a bunch of other coach companies provide free wifi. I travelled by megabus, the wifi there only worked in England, but it was better then nothing. Taking a small tablet, or laptop or even smartphone will help pass sometime. There is also a charging socket if your battery gets low.

7. Games

Nintendos, Android/Iphone games and other technology which provide games are easy to carry but can provide hours of entertainment time.

8. Travel and word Games

Travel bingo, crosswords, word searches, sudoku, colouring in pages, travel chess, travel checkers etc are all great time passers, some of which you don't even need someone to play with!!

From London to Paris and back on a Megabus Coach...continued...

We stopped somewhere in the middle of nowhere at a coach stop which doubled up as a mini shopping centre equipped with toilets, a bureau de exchange and plenty of cafès including starbucks. The driver ensured we all heard that we had to be back in 10 minutes yet someone still managed to be late, outting us behind schedule.

Surprisingly we ended up on the eurostar instead of the ferry. The boarding onto the eurostar was interesting and the eurostar journey inside the coach inside the train wasn't bad although might be a bit nerving for the claustrophobic ones. We arrived in Bologne not long after and there was a change of drivers. Although the first driver was also french, this one was much more difficult to understand which got a bit irritating as a lot of the passengers did not know what was happening.

The other disadvantage of being in France,  was, that there was no wifi. This was slightly annoying since I had another three hours to kill before we got to France and the boring french countryside seemed to stretch out for miles and miles, for around two and a half hours before we finally arrived in Paris. The exit off the coach was easy and ordered as was collecting our luggage from the coach.

10 days later. . . . .

Our return journey to England was very similar, only we had to go through two passport checks just before the eurostar which was a nuisance.

I really enjoyed taking the coach from london to paris and back. Obviously at times, your legs will feel numb or you will find you've run out of M&Ms and you definitly have to pack plenty of food and things to do. All in all, going by coach is not only cheap but comfortable and worth it.

From London to Paris, on a Megabus Coach

Sorry for not writing in any of my blogs. I've been so busy with Ramadan, court cases (don't worry, I'm not in any sort of trouble :p), shopping, and packing.... That's right... packing! :) France here I come.

I'm visiting Paris mainly to visit family and to have a much needed holiday. In order to keep things within budget we decided to go by coach, in total for the three of us, it came to a grand total of £130 there and back. Which, considering it is peak holiday time, and we booked late is a brilliant deal. Going by plane coz around 20% more and I'm not a fan of flying and the eurostar was more then double, so price wise this was definitely the better option.

Comparing rates, we found Megabus to be the cheapest. National Express looked a lot less dodgy and their site was a lot more accesible and had tons of information whereas megabus had nothing.

After dragging our luggage through the london underground, which wasn't ideal we arrived at Victoria Station which is both on the district line and circle line.

After leaving the station, we were very unsure as to where to go, there were no signs telling us the way to Victoria Coach Station but thankfully,  a man at the BigSiteSeeing Tour stand directed us in the right direction. Upon arrival, because of the lack of information given to us by the Megabus website, we were very unsure as to where to go, luckily there was an information desk and after a long wait in the queue, we found our way.

After checking in, we sat down and waited for our bus at the gate. The staff were all very friendly and helpful and gave out constant reminders as to what to do next. There were plenty of seats, the only issue was that there were a lot of people, especially as at our gate number, as coaches both to Paris and Amsterdam were leaving from the same place.

After the scramble out of the doors, we easily found our coach. And the bus driver gave us our instructions before we boarded. At first the seats were slightly dissapointing. Not enough leg space as I thought there would be and the seats were in pairs. Although after we sat down, I realised that the seats were actually fairly comfortable and as I have small legs and am not the tallest person, the little leg room did not bother me.

The bus driver then informed us of our stops and double checked that everyone had their seatbelts. And then set off. And thats when I started writing this :p because yes....THERE IS FREE WIFI :')

here is a list of tips and information which may be helpful.

1) Coach is cheaper then eurostar and aeroplane.

2) There is a single cubicle at the back of the coach (I dont suggest sitting near it though)

3) There is A.C

4) There is free wifi with good connection although I read that it stops when you leave Paris.

5) Strictly speaking, you can't get out of your seat unless you want to use the toilet.

6) You have to wear a seatbelt

7) Check in an hour before departure

8) Without pushing in, try and get in the front of the queue to be able to pick your seat, it helps if you are early

9) Dont forget your passport and tickets.

10) After you check in, you get a boarding pass, dont loose it and show it to the driver.

I think thats everything, if I think of anything else, I'll update :):)

What's New! 30/06/13

Wow, I can't believe its only been a little over a week since the end of my exams and high school/sixth form life. It feels like so much shorter with all the things I've been up to!!

Friday: This Blog and its sister blogs sprung to life!! :)
Friday/Saturday: Stayed in bed with the flu, a painful growing wisdom tooth and a bad case of hay fever.
                          Watched The Voice Final UK (see the review here and my clearly negative view of a certain character... http://film-tv-books.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/the-voice-final.html )

Sunday: Went to my favourite place of all time, CAMDEN MARKET to shop for my goth inspired prom dress!! Have a look at a photo here.... http://my-summer-photography.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/camden-market.html Photos of my outfit and hair will be uploaded soon!

Monday: Went out and about, and watched Brave, see the review I wrote here, http://film-tv-books.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/brave.html

Tuesday/Wednesday: Re-learnt some Spanish, click here to learn what I learnt! I also painted a large oil painting for my chemistry teacher, read all about that here, unfortunately it is still not finished and so still continues to call me to finish it. And I learnt some guitar, mainly the chords for Hall Of Fame, Hotel California and Little Talks.

Thursday: Boating in Hyde Park for a friend's birthday. View some beautiful photo's of Hyde park here! http://my-summer-photography.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/hyde-park.html

Friday: Went to Walthamstow market to buy some lace and a gorgeous pair of party boots for prom. Then rushed home to welcome my cousin and aunty who are staying with us for a while all the way from France.

Saturday: I had a lovely picnic in Valentines Park, and then took a long bus journey to Westfield's shopping centre in Stratford, where we roamed around, window shopping. Take a look at what I drew on the bus! http://myart-blog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/birds-without-feathers.html

Sunday: Mainly a lazy day at home, but I did go to work for three hours, tutoring GCSE students maths and science and earnt a nice £60 which I shall use later to buy some gifts for my ex-teachers.


Marwa

Welcome!!

Welcome to Summer of 2013!!!! 

DAY 1

This is the versatile blog shadowing my summer holidays which have officially started today, after my last exam this morning. I am now a free woman, free of high school and free of work until I start university.

My short term aspirations for this summer consist of many varied activities, such as re-learning Spanish, doing some DIY crafts, creating some painting masterpieces, learning sign language and Arabic and learning about mythology. Not only will this blog consist of how I get along, but It will also consist of many how-tos with step-by-step instructions of arts and crafts, inspirational ideas, links to external sources and more. During this time-period I will also try and kick start my art career. Follow me through this journey, your support will be much appreciated.

Thank you

Marwa