Valencia 2015

Last week, I spent a few days away in Valencia. Aside from going to visit my sister, it was just really nice to have a break from the never-ending pile of work and just enjoy the sunshine. I'll start off by saying that the weather was amazing in Valencia, averaging 29C during the day. There's something about Valencia that makes you relax. It might be the sunshine, or the local people strolling along (no London rush here!) or even just the lack of sirens that makes you want to sit back and simply enjoy the moment. It's easy to spend a few hours just sitting on the beachfront doing absolutely nothing (which is something we did!).

Of course, I couldn't leave Valencia without any shopping, but I'm glad to say that I didn't pick up a crazy amount from Sephora (haul post will be up soon). Other than a few rings and postcards, the rest of my money was spent on food, (which isn't really a surprise) and I got to enjoy Mojito Bubble Tea, Churros, Macarons and Gelato.

Anyway, here are a few of the photos I took. Enjoy =)

 Relaxing on the beachfront with this view

 

Bull ring near the train station

Some of the buildings and sights we saw while on the bus tour. Those pretty purple flowers were everywhere!

 

Gelato!

Valencia Nord Station - The main rail station (think King's Cross)

 

Watching the sunrise at the beach

 

I'd definitely recommend visiting Valencia if you're looking for a mini break away =)



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An Evening in Barcelona [OOTD]

I only managed to get one decent OOTD picture whilst on holiday! As it was pretty hot in Barcelona, I didn't want to layer up too much so I paired a maxi dress with a lightweight blazer and a thin hijab (wrapped around once and without an underscarf). I didn't take any jewellery with me (totally forgot) and only had my sunglasses as an accessory (which were in my bag).

This was taken at the top of the Arenas de Barcelona Shopping Centre =)

 

 Maxi Dress - New Look

Drop Pocket Blazer -  New Look

Bag (Nica) - TK Maxx

Hijab - Green Street

 

What do you think? Any tips/ideas for outfits in warmer climates (than the UK)? =)



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Chocoholic Hijabi in - Barcelona!

[note: picture heavy post]

If you follow me on Instagram or on Twitter, you would have seen a few pictures of my mini break in Barcelona last week. I went with my family and we stayed for 3 nights for a little break away from home).  I took over 500 pictures on my camera, but a lot less on my phone. Although we were only there for a few days, we managed to pack in quite a lot including a two-day bus tour, visit(s) to the local mall, watching the magic fountain and having a general wander around near the port. As it was lovely and warm (26C to 30C during the day), I also ate a fair bit of ice cream and had plenty of cold drinks. I would definitely recommend Barcelona as a place to visit, whether it's for a short break or for a longer holiday as there is so much to see and do.

I've had to cut down with the pictures below as there were so many! But nothing beats seeing the city in person (pictures don't really do justice to a lot of the sights). There were also some amazing views from the hotel rooftop as well as the top of the Arenas de Barcelona Shopping Centre and of course from Park Guell. You could practically see all of Barcelona!

Take a look at what I did/saw last week in Barcelona (click on the images to make them bigger) =)

Bus Tour Map - We did the Orange (west) tour on Wednesday and the Green (East) tour on Thursday =)

Outside the Barcelona Olympic Stadium

Arenas De Barcelona Shopping Centre - It used to be a bullring!

One of the (many) fountains in the city

I love how nearly all the roads are straight and in perfect blocks (spot the Starbucks in the corner =P)

View from the top of the shopping mall with the Palau Nacional in the background (the Magic fountain is located in front of the Palau Nacional)

 

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia - The Façade of the Nativity. It's still under construction.

Parc Guell - Designed by Antoni Gaudi

Inside Parc Guell

From the Parc Guell viewing platform - You can see all the way to the coast. The two tall buildings in far distance are the tallest buildings in Barcelona.

View from the hotel rooftop. Can you spot the Sagrada Familia in the distance?

Magic fountain of Montjuic (Font Magica)

Magic fountain of Montjuic (Font Magica)

What did you think? I'll be uploading a few more blog posts about my Barcelona trip, so keep a look out for those =)

If you don't already, follow me on instagram (asmaa17) and on twitter (@asmaamangera) =)



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