A Surprise Hen At the Daylesford Organic Farm

Three years ago,

I would think that the title of this post

would guarantee a story of a chicken

would be about to unfold.

But guess what...

it's not!

A "hen" (or "hen-do" or "hen party")

is what ye olde Brits call bachelorette parties.

So surprise!

This isn't a blog post about chickens...

it's about a girls weekend away

celebrating my friend, Amber, 

and her upcoming wedding.

We surprised Amber with a weekend away

to a undisclosed location.

I came over an hour before we were leaving,

helped her pack a suitcase

with weird, vague scenarios she might encounter.

(Example: Pretend you are going to be in the "It's All Good" cookbook photoshoot.)

Amber thought I was crazy...

which makes her very intuitive.

We hopped the bus,

arrived at Paddington

and- surprise- all of her ladies

were waiting for her at the Paddington Bear statue.

We hopped a train,

gave her a box of clues,

and before we were out of the city-

our destination was revealed:

a ladies weekend at the famous
Daylesford Organic Farm
in the Cotswolds.

We had such an amazing time.

I really can't think of a prettier and more relaxing weekend.

We stayed in the Wild Rabbit Inn,

had a group yoga class,

got a visit to the spa for massages,

and took a four hour cooking class.

Now, I can hear your thoughts:

Lauren, you're supposed to be cheap.

This place looks fannnnncy.

Who do you think you are, Nora Ephron?

It was, but going as a group helped out the pricing so much!

We paid for our hotel separately, 

but for the yoga, 45 minute massages + cooking class

it was only around £160 per person.

That's not terrible for two days of activities...

especially of this caliber.

(And this group of girls was a pretty awesome one to share it with.)

Personally, I have to say,

it far trumps my bachelorette party,

which was so much of a disaster

I'm not even going to talk about here.

*    *   *

What do you think?

Is this your type of girls weekend

or would you spend that £160 on a flight to Ibiza?

(Personally, this girly weekend was my Gwyneth-y cup of tea.)

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Been {to} Dover?

Ah... 

nothing like a 7th grade style joke

to kick off another travel post.

In fact, I think it's the best way.

One of the day trips I never get tired of taking

is to the coast of England to visit Dover.

You may know it for it's famous white cliffs...

but if you are looking for a good day out of London

you'll find that this little town has SO much more to offer 

than just gorgeous white cliffs.

When you come,

you can come via train from London.

It's about an hour and some change out there 

on the high speed train from St. Pancras

and about 2 if you leave from Victoria.

When you get to the station ("Dover Priory"),

I'd call for a taxi.

I mean, you can walk,

and I know some people do...

but the taxis are cheap.

{Editor's Note: I use Dover Taxi,  No. 898 222}

Last time it was around £6 for a car to take 4 of us

across town and up the cliff to the castle entrance. 

IMO, totally worth it.

So you get to Dover Castle,

you buy your tickets at the gate

and then you cruise on in.

The castle itself is VERY cool.

It's got a bunch of facilities 

and has been restored to feel like 

a working castle of the medieval era.

But beyond just the castle,

there is one of my favorite sites:

the war time tunnels.

As you may know, 

Dover is the closest part of England to France.

In fact, on a clear day you can see the coast...

which in England is super often.

{Editor's Note: I've probably been 5 times and seen it 1.5 times.}

So throughout France/England's history,

it's been a strategic point for the two countries.

During the Napoleonic war, 

they carved tunnels into the cliffs

to spy on France and observe the channel.

During WWI, they dug another layer and added more.

Than in WWII they added a third tunnel level

and it became a full working hospital & military office.

Today, they have restored the tunnels to replicate the hospital of WWII

and to show how the workings of Operation Dynamo 

rescuing 300,000 stranded troops from the Germans.

It's super cool.

Then go into the adorable town below,

grab lunch somewhere cozy... and probably some tea & cakes, too.

You should also probably head 

to the beach to stick your toes in the English Channel.

And then, hop the train back to London.

It's that easy!

Have you been to Dover?

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Di-Namic Duo: Naomi & Diana

So you remember my friend, Holly, that tried on jeans

next to Kate Middleton the other day?

Well, in my excitement over her GAP encounter,

I didn't even mention the fact that 

the night before she posted a picture

of the new Naomi Watts movie

being filmed outside her house.

Typically this would be top priority...

but the Duchess trumps film crews.

It's a fact.

Anyway, they were literally outside her window

shooting a scene for the new movie.

You know, the one where Naomi Watts 

is attempting to relive the tragic last two years

of Princess Diana's life.

Those are some dyed-satin pumps I would not want to try to fill.

But have you seen the pictures of Watts in character?

It's pretty amazing.

Hopefully, the directors and writers are paying as much attention to detail

as wardrobe is at accurately recreating Lady Di's last few years.

I can't wait.

And in the meantime,

since the movie won't be released until 2013 ,

I'll be stalking my friend Holly 

just in case she bumps into anymore amazing situations.

*images via

Pack Your Bags: Bath, England

I get to head out to Bath a few times a year 

and every single time I go, 

I fall more in love with this little city.

The city is a great mix of Roman history and Georgian architecture.

It offers amazing historical treasures in the Roman Baths & Jane Austen Museum

and a good blend of high-street shopping and quirky market shops.

Ok, so you want to go to Bath?

Good decision.

Here's what you should know:

It's a direct train ride from London to Bath

that will take you an hour and a half.

Leave from London's Paddington station and arrive in Bath Spa.

Once you arrive in Bath, grab a map

or just follow the signs into the city centre, it's easy.

Head to the Roman Baths.

The admission price is £12.25 and includes an audio guide

that will tell you everything you need to know.

{I opt for Bill Bryson's tour or the kid's tour... it's kinda awesome.}

The baths are amazing. 

Honestly, it's one of my favorite places to visit in Europe.

And no, you can't get in the water...

just in case you wondered, if you're anything like me. 

Afterwards, head to the Raven Pub for a pie.

When you've finished your pie & mash, you can head to the Jane Austen Museum

or the Fashion Museum to see period clothing like corsets & hoop-skirts.

Before you leave,

you may want to head back to the baths 

and have tea in the famous Pump Room.

It's gorgeous... 

complete with chandeliers and a string quartet.

Even if you aren't up for splurging on the price of a proper tea,

you should go to the small bar along the side of the room

in front of this little fountain.

There you can get a glass of water from the baths to drink.

It's..... interesting. :)

Even though I've only ever day-tripped to Bath, 

I have high hopes of staying there overnight

and partaking in the glorious sunset-spa experience.

Someday!

Have you been to Bath?

What did you love?

*all images original to Aspiring Kenendy

Lake it or Leave It: The Lakes District

When you hear the Lakes District 

what do you think of?

Most people say Jane Austen.

If that's what you think, you're in good company...

because I would, too!

Even though Jane & me aren't as close as I would like,

seeing how she is kinda, well, dead and all,

I can only assume that we would be kindred spirits 

in our shared appreciation of this amazing area.

While I will never know {for sure} that Jane & me 

would see eye-to-eye on the beauty of the Lakes District...

I can ask you, my friend,

Is this place not gorgeous?

If you want to travel to the Lakes District,

here is what I would recommend.

I love staying in the town of Ambleside

at the Ambleside Central Hotel. 

Great location in the Lakes District

with cozy {& affordable} rooms...

Eat breakfast at Ambleside's Apple Pie Bakery...

and don't feel guilty about having it's namesake {with ice cream} for breakfast.

Visit Wordsworth's house in Grasmere, Dove Cottage...

find yourself inspired like one of the Lakes Poets by the stunning views.

and while you're in Grasmere, 

 try a bite of gingerbread from 

it's birthplace-

Sarah Nelson's.

It is an afternoon (teatime) delight!

Spend half a day exploring the waterside town of Windemere...

I love the small bakeries, tea rooms... 

and it's endless supply of charity shops!

Renting a boat on the Lake will fulfill all your stereotypes 

of a visit to the Lakes.

While you are in the Lakes District,

make a stop by Beatrix Potter's preserved home, Hilltop Farm...

and make it a priority to have lunch at the wonderfully delicious pub next door, 

The Tower Bank Arms.

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy