Blood by Thierry Alet, 2011.  This piece of modern art lies in Luxembourg Gardens Paris. Definitely not your typical piece of art among the neoclassical statues and fountains!

Richmond is a quaint village on the outskirts of Central London – well known for the huge Richmond Park home to wild deer! Visiting Richmond makes you feel like you’ve completely left London for a quiet riverside town – even though its only a 30 minutes on the underground from London city.

There are many free things to do in Richmond, London in winter – such as having a leisurely walk along the River Thames and exploring the park. There’s a fascinating history behind Richmond Park itself – Richmond Palace was the home of Charles I who brought his court to Richmond to escape the plague in 1627!

For some reason, being in Richmond reminded me of Melbourne’s South Yarra river. The River Thames is a serene backdrop to cafes and restaurants, hotels and even houseboats. Late in the afternoon, the setting winter sun soon brings impending cold, but much like exploring Hampstead Heath in winter, Richmond is still a fun and beautiful place to visit in London during winter.

When snow first falls in London the city becomes really peaceful. On Saturday evening, the snow was heavy and quickly layered London with a white blanket. London streets become slightly deserted and eerily very quiet for a Saturday night. The next morning it was all business – snow shovelling, travel disruptions and walking through sludgy, wet pavements.

However in Kensington Gardens the snow remained fun. Children took out their sleds and wore away the snow on the mini hill near Kensington Palace. Snowmen of all shapes and rather dubious sizes turned Kensington Gardens into a snow sculpture exhibition. Most of all, everyone – young and old, locals and tourists alike had plenty of fun playing in the snow!

As an Aussie, I’ll never get over the joy of playing in the now. Last winter I was caught up in the Boxing Day blizzard in New York City and I unsuccessfully sledded in Prospect Park in Brooklyn. This winter, I kept my snowboots on and stuck to throwing snowballs instead!

There are over a hundred thousand Aussies in London. That doesn’t mean that moving to London is easy, regardless of whether you’re an Aussie or from a non-English speaking country.

When I moved to London all I had was a backpack that weighed 15 kilograms. I travelled in style on a budget around Europe for 6 weeks before arriving in London. I went island hopping in the Greek Islands, strolled around Paris, ate lots of gelato on the Amalfi Coast and tried not to get lost on the back streets of Rome. After all this travelling I was exhausted, but was I ready to become a Londoner?

On my first day in London I survived getting grilled by the UK Border Agency and getting to my hostel without getting lost. Reality soon sets in though when you realise you’ve just moved to a big city with no job and you don’t know a soul. There are a lot of things I learned when I moved to London the hard way.

So how do you move to London with nothing but a backpack?

Set a daily living budget in London
After travelling around Europe I was a little bit broke after glampacking in expensive cities like Paris and Rome. So when I moved to London I had to survive on a tight budget. It’s possible to live on 20 pounds a day or less in London, not including accommodation expenses, if you’re particularly frugal on food by scouting for 2 for 1 discounts and stocking up your hostel fridge.

Save money in London with a travel card
The first thing to buy when you move to London is an ‘Oystercard’ or travelcard. You’re lost in London without it! You can buy a weekly or ‘pay as you go’ is a better option if you’re travelling intermittently but if you’re travelling regularly get a weekly and it will save you more pounds!

Research the job market before you move to London
The UK job market is in a bad state at present. This doesn’t mean that it should be the one reason that keeps you from leaving the comfort and security of your life back home. My tip for getting work quickly when you move to London is to line up meetings with recruitment agencies. Set the meetings up before you leave home, make sure your CV is only one or two pages long and get yourself a job interview proof outfit. Think positive!

Find a London flatshare fast
There are a lot of flatshare websites in London and there are even flatshare speed dating parties. The process of finding a flat share is vigorous and it soon becomes as similar to finding a job. When you visit a flat prepare to be interviewed by the tenants but also feel free to interview your potential flatsharers. Aside from the basic getting to know you questions ask more detailed questions like what are their schedules? Will there be bathroom clashes in the morning? What are their rules about having houseguests? Is there a cleaning rota?

If you’re new to flatsharing it can be overwhelming but always do your homework before signing a lease and paying any deposits. Don’t be shy in telling everyone you meet that you’re looking for a flatshare, finding a flat by word of mouth is often a lot easier than spending hours online scouring London flatshare websites – with dubious photos! And never pay any money before viewing a flat, there are a lot of scams out there so always use common sense.

How to make new friends in London
Making new friends is pretty easy when you live in a hostel. I ended up living in a hostel run by nuns and it turned out to be the place where I made life-long friends. Living in the hostel helped me to make friends from all over the world. Meetup also has some great groups for people new to the city of London.

Just say ‘Yes’!
When I first moved to London I made it my mission to just say yes. Yes to invitations, to visiting museums and galleries, going on walking tours. The only way to truly get to know your new home is by experiencing it, walking the streets rather than always travelling on the underground, embracing the weather (even if it’s hardly ever sunny) meeting locals and having fun.

The golden sunflower fields in Spain. You can see the sunflower fields in Spain when you’re travelling on a train from Madrid to Bilbao. The five hour train ride somehow doesn’t seem so long when you see field after field of sunflowers outside your window.

Salisbury Cathedral is a medieval cathedral in the heart of the town of Salisbury, England. On my budget roadtrip to the Isle of Wight, Salisbury was a quick stop for Sunday lunch.

You can’t visit Salisbury or even drive by without seeing Salisbury Cathedral and its towering spire. Built in the English Gothic style in the 11th century, you can enter to marvel at the interior of Salisbury cathedral for a small donation.

On a particularly rainy day, images of the Salisbury Cathedral took on a rather sombre mood. Whilst walking inside the Cathedral, I marvelled at the historical tombs of great men and women and the contrast of preserved interiors and modern art with the Cathedral hosting regular art exhibitions.

Highlights of Salisbury Cathedral

• An original copy of the Magna Carta
• The tombs of member’s of Henry VII court including
• The oldest clock in England dating back to AD
• The tallest spire in Britain at 123 metres
• The largest Cathedral cloisters or ‘courtyard’ with an immaculate garden
• A rather surprising coloured statue outside the main entrance

On my recent winter visit to the Isle of Wight I stayed at Gothic View Bed and Breakfast. As a glampacker, there’s a reason why I like staying at bed and breakfasts. They are usually independently owned and operated, offer reasonable costs for a budget traveller and always have a unique style.

Gothic View B&B is situated in the town of Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. It’s comprised of an old chapel and whilst the rooms aren’t huge they are very comfortable and homely. A friendly cat also roams the premises and will greet you with curiousity!

It’s the small touches in a bed and breakfast that make all the difference. Before my stay at Gothic View B&B, the owner phoned to confirm the reservation, the time of arrival and any dietary requirements. When we arrived, we were greeted right at the door and offered a cup of tea.

After a long day of driving, particularly on a road trip which can sometimes be challenging with GPS and rainy weather, I certainly felt right at home at this bed and breakfast on the Isle of Wight!

I stayed overnight in a charming twin room which even had cute little teddy bears in the corner. I was ecstatic after my big meal to discover green tea and a selection of chick flick movies all on video cassette tapes. It was like I had entered a different decade on the Isle of Wight! My room not only had impeccable style, it had everything I needed to relax and unwind.

After a well rested sleep I awoke to a stunning sunny morning, knowing it was going to be a perfect day for exploring the Isle of Wight. The best thing about staying at a bed and breakfast is of course enjoying a cooked breakfast in the morning! Gothic View B&B offers a full English breakfast with eggs cooked to your wishes, I chose scrambled, bacon, mushrooms, potatoes and sausages. There’s also a variety of cereals, yoghurt and fruit compote and, more importantly, endless cups of tea or coffee. All this is presented in the dining room which is decorated in typical romantic English style – with a collection of teapots on display!

The hosts at Gothic View B&B are a friendly couple who will help you with finding restaurants to suit all budgets and planning where to visit on the Isle of Wight. They even speak French and Italian.

All views and opinions are those of Glampacker.com

What to do on the Isle of Wight in winter? Get out of your hotel/hostel/bed and breakfast, breathe in the fresh winter air and explore the island by car.

I visited the Isle of Wight on a rather mild new year’s day. However when you visit the Isle of Wight on a bank holiday, I learnt the hard way that a lot of places are closed. Carisbrooke Castle, where King Charles I was imprisoned for 14 months before his execution, only opens on weekends. Osborne House, the summer residence of Queen Victoria and botanical gardens, was also shut. When you’re travelling on a long weekend or are simply short on time, even the best laid plans may have to change rapidly.

The Isle of Wight has become a big tourist destination during its infamous summer festival which attracts thousands of people from mainland England including celebrities. In winter many of the major attractions of the Isle of Wight remain closed until summertime.

I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. The beauty of the Isle of Wight is in the rolling hillsides and wide open fields, its narrow roads framed by bracken and charming villages with square cottages with thatched rooves. On a clear sunny day, the weather was perfect for exploring the seaside towns on the Isle of Wight.

The best way to travel in style in a budget around the Isle of Wight is by car. The Isle of Wight makes a great weekend road trip and is only three hours drive from London including the short ferry crossing. It’s also much easier to explore the Isle of Wight with a car and to stop to see cows at panoramic photograph spots!

On the Isle of Wight, life occurs at a more relaxed pace. There are horse-riders along the many island trails and light air planes circling above you. Cozy pubs sell hearty seafood meals like my gigantic fish pie from the Spyglass Inn.

The Garlic Farm on the Isle of Wight is a fun place to visit, simply because it celebrates the magical vegetable that is garlic! It is a real working farm which you can wander around and even see Roman ruins. The garlic shop sells garlic bulbs, garlic beer, garlic chocolate and lots of different chutneys. The café can be really busy so it’s best to book ahead.

The cold blustery wind at the lookout point in Needles Park made me retreat back to the hire car, however you can get much closer to the Needles by walking along the 15-mile Tennyson Trail from Carisbrooke Castle. The Needles are three stacks of chalk which sharply rise like needle points near Alum Bay on the most western side of the island.

There is one thing to do on the Isle of Wight in winter before leaving. Enjoy cream tea! Warm up your hands with a cup of tea and savour scones with lashings of clotted cream and dollops of jam. A perfect way to end a road trip to the Isle of Wight in winter.

Bormio is an Italian mountain ski town about three hours drive north of Milan. It’s a quaint city full of ski chalets and resorts and surrounded by mountains. During Christmas, the town is full of lights and decorations and full of visitors on ski breaks. On this occasion I wasn’t visiting Bormio to ski or snowboard. There wasn’t much snow on the ground, just enough to gather up in a miniature snowman. That didn’t matter, I was only visiting Bormio for one reason – to go to the spa.

Going to a spa whilst travelling always seems like a glamorous and expensive treat. It’s not a thing to do on a budget in Italy, but every once in awhile a glampacker does need a bit of rest and relaxation – especially after three full days of eating and sightseeing around Turin and Lake Como. I wanted to find out – was Bormio the best spa town in Northern Italy? Having only been to one spa in Italy, this theory needs more investigation – which gives me more excuses to visit other spas in Italy this year!

Bagni Vecchi is a three star hotel which contains a thermal spa complex with natural water from the mountains. It’s 48 euro to enter the spa for an entire day. Unlike the thermal spa in Bath, there’s no time limit and you can spend as much time as you like there. The spa will also provide you with a locker, bathrobe, towels and slippers included in the entry fee.

There are many pools and rest areas in Bagni Vecchi including:

• An underground cave pool
• A very muddy, mud bath
• Outdoor bath overlooking the town and mountains
• Pools which have music played underwater
• Scorching hot sauna rooms
• Moderate sauna rooms scented with lavendar and citrus
• Relaxation rooms for having a nap

When you’re famished from all the pools and saunas, the hotel restaurant serves an amazing buffet with local foods for only 16 Euro. However you may feel a bit bloated when heading back to the spa afterwords!

Bormio is one the best spa towns to visit in Northern Italy and a great way to forget everything and escape.

Turin is a northern Italian city famous for hosting the winter Olympics. The city is surrounded by the Italian alps, lying quietly at the base of snow covered mountains with the river Po running through the city.

There wasn’t much snow on the streets of Turin when I visited after spending Christmas in Civate, however there are still many things to do on in Turin on a day trip. It’s very easy to walk around the main streets of Turin although there’s also a tram network that you can easily hop on and off. My top things to do in Turin in style on a budget are…

See Mole Antonelliana

Mole Antonelliana is a recognisable landmark of the city, standing 167 metres in height. It was built in 1888 as a synagogue and now houses the National  Museum of Cinema, there are even photos of famous films and actors lining the street outside Mole Antonelliana.

Visit the Duomo di San Giovanni – Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist

Turin’s Catholic cathedral features the Holy Shroud of Jesus Christ. The shroud covered Christ’s body when he was buried in a tomb and bears the imprint of his face. The shroud was traced historically to the site of his burial. It’s only on display by papal decree however it’s free to enter the cathedral and see the Chapel of the Holy Shroud.

Stroll on Turin’s High Street – Via Garibaldi

One of the most stylish things to do in Turin on a day trip is to stroll down Via Garibaldi. Big Italian brand name shops lie on the main street of Turin so if you’re looking for quality Italian goods you can find anything your heart desires! Even if you’re only window shopping, people-watching on Via Garibaldi is lots of fun. The pedestrian only street is also a great place to find Italian patisseries for a café (coffee) and a sweet treat.

Palazzo Madama

The Palazzo Madama was used by the House of Savoy – the royal family which ruled Italy from 1861 until Italy became a republic after World War II. The palace was built on a site of an ancient Roman gate that was constructed in the first century. Interestingly Palazzo Madama bears two completely different architectural styles  – the front of the palace is a Baroque style built in the 17^th Century but was never fully completed, whilst the rear of the palace features a medieval style reminiscent of the 15^th Century. Palazzo Madama now houses an art museum.

The Royal Palace of Turin or Palazzo Real

The Royal Palace of Turin was home to the Italian royal family or House of Savoy. It was modernised in the 17^th Century ‘renovated’ with the baroque façade you see today. You can enter the palace to see its rooms for a small fee. Apparently one of the descendants of the House of Savoy, Prince Lorzenzo, is now a reality television star famous starring in American show like the Batchelor!

Do you have any other recommendations for things to do in Turin on a day trip?