Category: Holiday destinations

Holiday destinations: Betws-y-Coed, Snowdonia National Park

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I have recently traveled to beautiful Snowdonian village of Betws-y-Coed with my husband. Although we needed to cut our stay short due to family emergency, we had a very relaxing and enjoyable time.


Location:
Betws-y-Coed is a very lively and popular village in the Conwy valley in Northern Wales. It is one of the most visited villages in Snowdonia due to it’s great location that’s perfect for any gateways to the Snowdonia National Park.


Things to do:
Firstly, you must walk around the village and discover what it has to offer. The Pont-y-Pair bridge should be added to your list of places to see whilst in here as it’s stunning. The village itself is vibrant and full of shops and eateries ranging from cafés and bars to bistros and restaurants. Due to COVID you might want to pre-book otherwise you might not be able to dine in one of its lovely restaurants.
There are plenty of walks and hikes to choose from so whether you are looking for an easy walk or you are in for a difficult hike – I guarantee that you will find something that you will enjoy. We took a few short walks that started in Betws-y-Coed. In the morning we experienced Llyn Elsi train located just behind St.Mary’s Church. It was absolutely faboulous – breathtaking views and the scenery. The first 30 minutes were quite steep but afterwards it was an easy walk. It took us around 2 hours but we were not rushing and I stopped quite a few times to take some photos.

After our lunch we were all recharged and decided to take another walk from Betws-Y-Coed to Swallow Falls. I would probably advise to drive there rather than walk – there are a lot of parking spaces in Ty’n Llwyn car park in Gwydir Forest. If you decide to walk then, please be careful as there is no pedestrian path from Betws-y-Coed so you will need to walk on a busy road until you reach Ty’n Llwyn car park. Once you get there, Swallow Falls can be summarised as an area of outstanding natural beauty with a spectacular waterfall amongst a background of stunning colorful plants.


How to get there?
We drove as we live in Colchester however if you would rather relax and admire the nature you can take a train that will take you to Betws-y-Coed train station located in the middle of the village.

Final thoughts:

I really enjoyed our short break in the Snowdonia National Park and hope we’ll be able to come back here soon.

P.S. I was wearing my Maier Sports hiking gear from their Urban collection.

Holiday destinations: Jersey, UK

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I recently visited Jersey-the largest of the Channel Islands.

The island of Jersey is absolutely stunning. It was my second visit to Jersey and I loved it even more than before.

It is a great place for a short break and if you are flying from London you can get there in around 40minutes. From the airport, you can either take a taxi or a bus that will take you to St Helier in 30 minutes.

There are a few must see places on the island:

Elizabeth Castle – Jersey

The castle is located 20 minutes’ walk from the Jersey city center. We took the Castle Ferry to get to the castle from across the bay as the tide was high and came back to Jersey by foot when the tide was low. Elizabeth Castle is a beautiful castle and the perfect place to spend an afternoon. You can climb the battlement and visit various exhibitions whilst in there.

Mont Orgueil Castle

The Mount Orgueil Castle overlooks the harbor of Gorey. The interesting fact to know is that the castle is depicted on the 2010 issue Jersey 50-pound note. Castle provides lots of attractions to its visitors and most importantly once you reach the top you can admire some stunning views of the coast. During the sunny days you can even see the French coast from the top of the castle.

Jersey War Tunnels

The Jersey War Tunnels Museum was established on the grounds of the German Underground Hospital. Nowadays, the attraction is definitely worth seeing for anyone who is interested in the history. By walking the various rooms all visitors will get a good understanding of what the Channel Islanders had to endure during the German occupation-their challenges and worries. It took us around 2 hours to see all the exhibits but it was unquestionably worth it.

Durrell Wildlife Park

Durrell Wildlife Park was established a while ago in 1959 by naturalist Gerald Durrell (1925–1995). It is around 20 minutes’ drive from St Helier so it is easily accessible by anyone staying on the Island. It is a relatively small wildlife park but you can see several mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. Most importantly for me, you can see that the animals that are based in there are happy. Looking at the gentle gorilla family and meerkat sanitarium, I was glad to see that they had a lot of space to run freely-not like in some Zoos where animals are kept in the cramped cages / enclosures.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

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Paulina

Holiday destinations: Hamburg, Germany

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As it was a Bank Holiday weekend last week, we travelled to Hamburg in Germany. I’ve never there before so I was looking forward to discovering this second largest German city with the largest port. Hamburg has became one of the major centres for international trade due to its location and it continues to be one of the wealthiest cities build on maritime stories. Locals have mastered how to live well and if (like me) you like to indulge in diverse cuisine then you would enjoy your stay here as there are a plenty of great restaurants, bars and breweries to visit.

If you like sightseeing then you can take one of the sightseeing walking tours showing you the city’s highlights or grab a map and discover the major sites by yourself.

Here is a short list of my suggestions of places worth visiting:

  • Speicherstadt – the largest warehouse district in the world located in the port of Hamburg with some signature red-brick warehouses, canals & museums.

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  • Elbphilharmonie Hamburg – a newly constructed concert hall in the HafenCity on the Grasbrook peninsula of the Elbe River. It is one of the largest and acoustically most advanced concert halls in the world which cost 8 times more to build than the Sydney Opera House.

  • Townhall and Alster – the seat of local government which is one of Germany’s 16 state parliaments. Located next to Hamburg’s most popular river – Alster leading to many shopping malls and boutiques.

  • Planten un Blomen – a large city park with a size of 47 hectares featuring themed gardens, a lake & Japanese tea house

How to get there?

If you live in the UK then you can easily get to Hamburg from most of major cities. We’ve flown from London Stanstead and it took us slightly over 1 hour to get there. Perfect for a short weekend break.

Other tips:

Hamburg has a very good transport network and you should definitely get a Hamburg Card when you visit – it will cover all your travel in addition to some discounts i.e. to some of the top attractions, restaurants, river cruises etc.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Porto, Portugal

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Last week, I traveled with my husband to Porto in Portugal. Porto is Portugal’s second largest city after Lisbon set on the northern bank of the Douro River.

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The city is located inland from the Atlantic and the visitors can visit one of its popular beaches which I just a short train ride away.

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Although, Porto is not known as a city-break / weekend break destination, it is quickly becoming one of Western Europe’s most respected tourist destinations. In 1996, the historical center of Porto was classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This year, the city was nominated by WTA (World Travel Awards) in these 2 categories:

  • Europe’s Leading City Break Destination 2017
  • Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2017

The city boasts an extensive history, interesting tourist attractions and a buzzing nightlife.

If you like sightseeing then there is a lot to see and the city will appeal to a wide range of different visitors. As we arrived quite early on Saturday morning, we decided to take one of the sightseeing bus tours to quickly see all the main sites prior to exploring this colorful city on foot. There were lots of opportunities to admire the viewpoint of the terracotta rooftops and the city’s dreamy architecture.

Here is a short list of my suggestions of places worth visiting:

  • The Ribeira district – the oldest district of the city which is filled with ancient houses, narrow cobbled streets and numerous family owned restaurants, cafes and bars.

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  • São Bento train station – a 19th-century railway station located in the centre of Porto that features some beautiful tiles.
  • A mini-cruise down the Douro rivers admiring the architecture of the city and its beautiful bridges.

  • Dom Luís I Bridge – a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the River Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal.
  • Palácio da Bolsa –  a historical building built in the 19th century by the city’s Commercial Association in Neoclassical style.

  • Casa da Música – a modern design, 12-floor concert hall & top floor restaurant  completed in 2005.

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How to get there?

It’s never been easier to get there and Monarch, the scheduled leisure airline, operates year round flights and holidays to Porto from Birmingham, London Luton and Manchester airports with fares, including taxes, from £42 one way (£77 return).

For further information or to book Monarch flights, Monarch Holidays or Monarch Hotels, please visit www.monarch.co.uk

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I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

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Pauline

Holiday ideas: Norwegian cruise from New York to Bahamas & Florida

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As some of you know, I have just returned from my trip to The USA. I had a great time discovering New York and its surroundings. In addition, I also went on a cruise from New York to Bahamas & Florida and I really enjoyed it.

The common misconception on holidaying at sea is that cruises are only for pensioners. Until a few years ago, that was exactly what I thought. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. This was my third cruise and I am sure that there will be many more to come. This year, I went with my husband on a 7-day cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) on their ship the ‘Norwegian Breakaway’ from New York to Bahamas and Florida and I  would recommend it to anyone who is travelling to the Big Apple. You are probably thinking why? If you are intrigued then read on…

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Itinerary

The itinerary of this NCL cruise from New York combines the best of two great destinations – Orlando and Bahamas.

Our first stop was in (Port Canaveral). There were many excursions to choose from including a visit nearby Kennedy Space Centre, Daytona International (NASCAR) Speedway Tour, soaking up the sun on one of Florida’s beaches, going shopping or having fun at one of the theme parks. We decided to take a transfer (organised by NCL) to Universal Studios and we had a wonderful day.

Our second stop was in Great Stirrup Cay in Bahamas. Unfortunately, due to strong winds we were unable to tender to the island but I had a relaxing day sunbathing on top deck of the ship whilst sipping some cocktails.

Our final stop was in Nassau- the capital of Bahamas. This beautiful island is known for beaches and offshore coral reefs that are popular for diving and snorkeling. Once again NCL’s excursion team had many places and activities to choose from including a visit to  Atlantis Aquaventure park or Balmoral Island Beach.

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We decided to have a beach day at Blue Lagoon Island. Our excursion started with a 40-minute scenic boat ride through historic Nassau Harbour towards Blue Lagoon Island. We then discovered that many celebrities including Beyonce, Michael Jordan and Serena Williams love spending their spare time on the island and have bought some impressive properties there.

Once we arrived at Blue Lagoon Island we went to a private beach and enjoyed sunbathing whilst admiring its clear, blue waters.

The food & drink

As some of you know, I am a massive foodie. What I love about cruising is that you can always go and grab something to eat at one of many tasty eateries and you can dine on your time not on a schedule. As with other ships in Norwegian’s fleet, the Breakaway practices Freestyle dining, meaning there’s no early or late assigned seating and reservations are not allowed in the complimentary dining rooms. There are 28 restaurants on The Norwegian Breakaway ship with a mixture of complimentary and specialty dinning restaurants that range from the buffets to A la carte restaurants. Each day gives guests a chance to wet their appetite with something new. We bought the ultimate dinning package for 3 days and it gave us an opportunity to experience some amazing cooked to perfection meals in:

  • Cagney’s – a classic steakhouse serving cooked to perfection meals;

  • Le Bistro – a superb French restaurant that is perfect for a romantic meal onboard your cruise ship,

  • Teppanyaki – Japanese cuisine in which food is grilled live in front of guests and served to them in a restaurant.

During the remaining 4 nights we dined in the complimentary restaurants – Savor, Taste, Manhattan Room (with a dance floor and live music) and in O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill offering the best chicken wings starter ever! All our meals were enjoyable and the waiters were extremely friendly and attentive.

What about drinks? There are many bars throughout the ship. We bought an all inclusive package that included most alcoholic drinks, cocktails and soft drinks. I loved the ‘mudslide’ cocktail so when you decide to travel with NCL then you should definitely try it!

Cabin

We stayed in a Spa Mini-Suite with Balcony. Our room had a private balcony, large double bed and sofa, TV, minibar and coffee making facilities.

Our bathroom had an oversized waterfall shower-complete with body spray jets and complimentary toiletries from Givenchy were provided.

Relaxing

When it’s time for relaxing, there are several ways to let your hair down. Norwegian Breakaway ship has a Mandara Spa which offers a steam room, sauna, Salt room and therapy pools. Passengers can also enjoy one of many treatments such as massages or facials for an extra charge. The access to Mandara Spa was included with our Spa Mini-Suite room which was perfect as I spent quite a bit of time in there relaxing whilst we were at sea. There was also a hair salons and a gym located just next door to the spa.

Entertainment

There are plenty of activities to do and it’s impossible to get bored on a cruise. Norwegian Breakaway ship has swimming pools, running track, gym, climbing wall and a video games arcade. There are also many dazzling shows on offer including ‘Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy’, ‘Burn the Floor’ or Rock of Ages’. If you love art then you can attend one of the lectures and learn more from the on-board’s Arts Gallery staff.  In addition, you can have a drink in an Ice Bar, attend one of the wine tastings, play bingo or ‘Deal or No Deal’, enter a karaoke competition, or splash some cash in the casinos. Kids can be left under supervision a the Splash Academy (3-12 years old) or Entourage (13-17 years old) so you can enjoy many of the activities available on board.

Final thoughts: 

Cruises are like floating cities- there is plenty to do, discover and enjoy whist on-board. Nothing can beat the thrill of being transported to an exciting new destinations whilst you sleep. In addition, as there are almost 4000 others traveling with you, you can meet interesting people from all over the world and make some friends. I had a great time on my Norwegian cruise and I cannot wait to enjoy some more holidaying at sea.

You can book your cruise on:

https://www.ncl.com/uk/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Universal Orlando Resort, Florida, USA

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I have recently visited Universal Orlando Resort with my husband. It is based in Orlando in Florida (USA).

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Universal Orlando consists of three theme parks:

  1. Universal Studios Florida,
  2. Universal’s Islands of Adventure,
  3. Universal’s Volcano Bay water theme park.

If you like theme parks then you will love Universal resorts as it brings yours and your children stories, myths, cartoons and tales to life. As we were in the resort only for a day we decided to visit only 2 out of 3 parks.

Firstly, we made our way to Universal’s Islands of Adventure. This park consists of lots of theme specific attractions such as:

  • ‘Skull Island: Reign of Kong’ – multi-dimensional, interactive ride on a mysterious island.

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  • ‘Marvel Super Hero Island’ – where you can find attraction such as The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (3D thrill ride) , The Incredible Hulk Coaster (high-speed roller coaster) or a Doctor Doom’s Fearfall.

  • ‘Toon Lagoon’ with a range of water rides.
  • ‘Jurassic Park’ where dinosaurs have been brought back to life.

  • ‘The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade’ where you can walk around the Hogwarts castle, visit the shops of Hogsmeade and enjoy some more exciting rides.

As we had a Park-to-Park admission ticket, we were able ride the Hogwarts Express train from Universal Islands of Adventure to jump in to the 9 and 3/4 platform at Kings Cross in London. As I love the Harry Potter movies, it was a great experience as I was able see characters and creatures from the movies whilst commuting between the parks.

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Once we disembarked the train, we were at the  Universal Studios Florida. This second amusement park consists of many picture and television studios where guests can experience films and TV shows at the variety of locations. There were many attractions to enjoy and these were my favourite ones:

  • ‘Production Central’ where you can experience TRANSFORMERS: The Ride-3D, Shrek 4-D or Despicable Me Minion Mayhem.
  • ‘New York’ where you can experience a thrilling Revenge of the Mummy the Ride or party with the The Blues Brothers.
  • World Expo where you can take the rides with the characters from The Simpsons or shoot some aliens on a MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack ride.

To sum up, we had an unforgettable day full of adventure experiencing many cutting edge and interactive rides. If you are looking for spectacular entertainment for the whole family then you should definitely visit Orlando Resort. In addition, there are many on-site hotels and eateries for an endless fun. I would definitely recommend to visit for a few days though. Although we had an amazing day, our visit felt rushed as we were running from one attraction to another. I will definitely visit this resort again however next time I will stay for a few days to enjoy it fully.

For more information visit:

https://www.universalorlando.co.uk/

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Bristol, UK

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Last month my mum visited me in London and as I wanted to spend some quality mother-daughter time with her I booked us a weekend trip to Bristol. I was there last year after we got engaged so I have many happy memories in that city. We left London at 11a.m. and after a couple of hours on a train, we arrived in the centre of Bristol.

Bristol is a city in South West England with a population of almost half a million inhabitants. The Bristol metropolitan area is the 12th largest in the United Kingdom. The city buzzes with lively students and it is built on the creative media, electronics and aerospace industries. Bristol is one of the UK’s most popular tourist destinations, and The Sunday Times named it as the best city in Britain in which to live in 2014 and 2017. The city has also recently won the EU’s European Green Capital Award.

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My mum was super excited about our trip and discovering the city.

The city is steeped in history and there is something spectacular everywhere you turn. Here is a short list of my suggestions of places worth visiting whilst in Bristol:

  • Bristol Museum & Art Gallery – located a short 10 min walk from the city centre this museum exhibits some outstanding collections of art, archaeology, Egyptology and natural history in a magnificent building.
  • Bristol Cathedral – England’s only hall church Cathedral
  • Clifton Suspension Bridge –  a suspension bridge spanning the Avon Gorge and the River Avon, linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset
  • Cabot Tower & Brandon Hill – set in the parkland and provides priceless views of the city.
  • Pero’s Bridge – pedestrian footbridge in honour of Pedro Jones.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review 🙂

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Heurich House, Washington D.C., USA

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As some of you might know, I traveled to Washington D.C. a few weeks ago. During my stay, I decided to visit some historic homes and gardens. Today, I would like to tell you about the Heurich House Museum known also as the Brewmaster’s House.

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The Heurich House Museum is a well-preserved Victorian mansion previously owned by Christian Heurich, a German immigrant that left his country to start a new life in Washington, DC. It is located near the trendy Dupont Circle.

 

The Heurich House Museum.as built from 1892-94 by German immigrant, local brewer Christian Heurich (1842-1945). He lived with his family in Dupont Circle from its 1894 until 1956. He was terrified of fires and the mansion is notable for its fireproof construction. It has original interiors that still look amazing due to the shade and lower temperature of the house.

The Heurich House Museum offers guided tours that last approximately 1 hour on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. I’ve joined a tour on Saturday and it was great to learn about the history of the house, its owner and what currently happens there. We walked through the rooms with a knowledgeable guide and admired lots of beautiful antics inspired by French style.

What I found interesting was that the Heurich House Museum, runs a monthly History & Hops event every third Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30pm. During that events the museum partners with a local beer insider for house tours and beer tastings so if you enjoy trying some local beers then you should definitely book yourself in on one of these evenings.

I loved the quotes that were displayed in a drinking room of the owner where he would meet up with a group of friends to try his locally-brewed beer.

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Address:

Heurich House Museum

1307 New Hampshire Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20036

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

 

Holiday destinations: Washington D.C., USA

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A few weeks ago, I traveled to Washington D.C., the capital of the United States. Washington, D.C. is formally known as the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as “Washington”, “the District”, or simply “D.C.”.

Statistics from last year show that Washington had an estimated population of 681,170 however commuters from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the city’s population to more than one million during the workweek. Washington, D.C., is located in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. East Coast.

There are many places worth visiting in Washington. Please find a quick summary listed below:

  • Learn more by visiting free Smithsonian museums so you can absorb culture the way it was meant to be experienced — in short encounters in the midst of everyday life.
  • Take flight at the National Air & Space Museum.

  • Learn about the freedom of the press and take some cool photos at the Newseum.

IMG_2019You should also visit the Pulitzer Prize photographs gallery which features all the winning photographs.

  • Go and take some photos of the White House. Unfortunately, it is difficult to get the access to the building but there are quite a few good places where you can view it from.

  • Visit United States Capitol. You can still access it and the tickets are available from a kiosk just outside the building.

  • Stroll down The National Mall. It is definitely the best way to see most of Washington’s monuments starting from the Capitol all the way to the Lincoln Memorial.

  • Visit Washington National Cathedral. This beautiful Gothic cathedral has been used for state funerals for three presidents and many other important burials and memorials.
  • Go shopping at Tanger Outlet. It is located 20 min drive from central Washington and if you like a bargain then you should definitely go there and check it out.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Tudor Place, Washington D.C., USA

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As some of you might know, I traveled to Washington D.C. a few weeks ago. During my stay, I decided to visit some historic homes and gardens. Today, I would like to tell you about the Tudor Place. The name of this place is a bit deceiving as it doesn’t have anything in common with a Tudor era but even though it is definitely worth visiting.

Tudor Place House and Garden is an elegant neoclassical house dating back to 1816. To start with it was a home of Martha Custis (a granddaughter of Martha Washington) who built her estate with her husband Thomas Peter.

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The house was extended and through six generations (until 1983), the Peter family celebrated their heritage here while also embracing contemporary art and fashion.

Today, visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the estate, giving them an opportunity to admire displays of family artifacts. I enjoyed walking through the drawing room, dinning room and kitchen while admiring the antics and listening to the stories of each of these rooms.

After the tour, as I love the gardens, I really enjoyed relaxing at the expansive, quiet historic gardens that are located in front of the property. Perfect to unwind when you are busy and fancy a bit of peace and relaxation.

Tudor Place

Location:

Tudor Place is located in Georgetown Heights at 1644 31st Street, Northwest.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline