Item 77: Somerset House Ice Skating

Location: Somerset House, London

Maybe it's because of its corporate sponsor, bit I Iike to think its due to the very nicely decorated Christmas tree that welcomes you into the courtyard of Somerset House which makes it the prettiest place to go ice skating during the festive season.

Many thanks to my friend to organised our tickets a month in advance, as the weekend sessions are now sold out.

One hour on the ice followed by a hot cup of mulled wine in the bar, this is what it's all about. The festive cheer will definitely be be topped off if the weather forecasters have got it right... here's to dreaming of a white Christmas.

Item 77: Somerset House? CHECK!

Item 76: Leeds Christkindelmarkt

Location: Leeds, England

We arrived in Leeds 2.5 hours later than expected, due to train cancellations resulting from "adverse weather conditions," (snow)!

With a short walk to Millennium Square from the station, we located the reason for our visit to the north this weekend - Christkindelmarkt German Christmas Market, just in time for lunch.

Disappointingly the snow from the week before had begun to melt and other than a singing moose-head, we found ourselves looking around for the festive spirit. Luckily, after a bratwurst with a Roasted Apple mulled wine chaser the mood started to pick up. We were introduced to traditional hot German Honey Mead which we cuddled and sipped whilst wandering amongst the 30 chalets housing food stalls and kitchy yule tide decorations. To finish off the festival food menu we enjoyed giant Christmas marshmallow goodness - chocolate royale style, for dessert.

After lunch we walked our full tummies to the Victoria Quarter. This area consists of historic arcades which maintain their traditional architecture from the era. More importantly there're shops and brands that will help you tick off the items on the Christmas shopping list. We didn't buy any souvenirs at the market, but we didn't have to go far to find something to take home from this pretty shopping area.

Item 76: Leeds? CHECK!

Item 75: Hong Kong For a Day

Location: Hong Kong

On the way back to London during a recent visit to Melbourne, I booked myself a one day stop-over in Hong Kong.

I arrived while the city was still sleeping at 5:50am. I collected my luggage at the baggage carousel, bought a return ticket for the Airport Express train and hopped on board to Hong Kong station. As my flight back to London was at 8am the next day, I made use of the in-city check-in service which allows Airport Express ticket holders to check-in at Hong Kong or Kowloon stations 24 hours before the flight, saving me from taking my suitcase to through the city to my hotel. Handy or what?

Luggage-free, I loaded up my Octopus Card (aka Hong Kong's Oyster) and found the MTR (metro) line that would take me to Wan Chai.

Slowly the city began to wake, shops started to open their doors and people began to over-crowd the streets. Thanks to the city's strong British history (ownership until 1997), navigating my way around was made very easy. Hong Kong is indeed bilingual. The signs are in English and Chinese, while announcements on the trains are made in Cantonese, English and Mandarin.

I was caught up in the big city, there seemed to be little reprieve from all the people. But at lunch, I was lucky enough to meet up with my friend who lives in town and there I had my own personal tour guide for the rest of the day.

We walked to the expatriate area of Wan Chai. Hidden away we discovered the 'blue house', one of the last remaining low-rise buildings in the city, recreated as an old tea house amongst the new high-rise developments in the concrete jungle.

Next, we hopped on the MTR and made our way to the Hong Kong Museum of History to get a better understanding of how this busy city around me came about. At a bargain entrance price of $10HKD, the visit took me to the East providing an accessible history of the city. There were life-size exhibits from ships, homes, British banks, schools and shops. It was all captured inside and the museum is worth a good couple of hours of your day. If you're as fortunate as me to have a local take you around, you will get an even more realistic understanding of the traditions and culture that make up the East-Meets-West that is Hong Kong.

A very worthwhile stop-over, and possibly a longer stay will be needed the next time I take a long-haul flight past Asia.

Item 75: Hong Kong? CHECK!

Item 74: Mimco - The Failed Ambassador

Location: London, United Kingdom

Dear Managing Director of Mimco,

As one of the thousands of Australians living in the UK, I always feel privileged to be able to represent home and "buy Australian made".

I was very excited to be the recipient of the Mimco 'Viking Day Pouch' handbag in April, purchased from the House of Fraser in London's busy Oxford Street. Not only was it a funky bag, but I was supporting home-grown talent and helping to keep Australian jobs.

Disappointingly, I had to return the bag after a month as the leather ribbing on the edges began to wear. I exchanged the bag to the 'upgraded' design of the same style, thinking that surely the earlier defects would have been addressed before a new version was released. I was ever so careful with my new accessory but again, the ribbing began to wear after a month. Being in love with my new-new bag, as many girls are, I made the conscience decision to live with the known deficiency.

My heart sank today as I discovered an extreme point of structural weakness in the bag that is unable to be overlooked. The perforations in the texture of the leather are at a point of major strain and a hole has broken through.

What's a girl to do with a five-month-old "designer Australian" handbag that's falling to pieces? Moreover, how can she promote Aussie talent abroad when the goods just don't make the grade?

It's not that I'm asking for Mulberry quality, I just want something that I can hold up proudly on the global platform. With two handbangs tarnished in less than a year, I'm sorry Mimco, the Aussies are all out for a duck on this one.

Kind regards,

Jane

Item 74: Mimco? CHECK!

Item 73: Neuschwanstein and the Bavaria Ticket

Location: Neuschwanstein Castle, Schwangau

Oraganising a day trip from Munich to visit the famous Neuschwanstein Castle was proof that the Germany's defining word is 'efficiency'.

Firstly, the DB Bahn website translated into perfect English, as I investigated the best train connections from München Hbf to Füssen. Then discovering the Bayern (Bavaria) train ticket, that allows for groups of up to five adults travel through the region for 28 Euros, it was the best bargain around. Completely user-friendly and intuitive, the machines at the central staion allowed us buy our ticket hassle-free. They also offered a print out of train times and connections for the journey. (Happily, this also confirmed what I'd seen on the website during my research).

Arriving at Füssen, TWO buses were ready and waiting, anticipating the extra numbers of tourists during our Sunday visit. Extra points once again to the Bayern ticket which covered the 10 minute bus ride to the town of Schwangau, the village at the base of the castle.

Having our online reservation for the castle tour in hand, we breezed past the queue, paid for our tickets and headed for an uphill walk.

Our knowledgeable tour guide led us through the rooms designed by King Ludwig II, dedicated to Wagner's operas. A magical tale as we walked through one of the nicest interiors that I've seen in my travels. The castle was left unfinished upon the King's death. However all the rooms that we viewed were so bold and well articulated, you wonder how long it would have really taken to complete the masterpiece.

It's well worth the day trip from Munich to visit this inspirational piece of artistic architecture and with the beauty of the Bayern ticket, it makes for a happy weekend.

Item 73: Neuschwanstein Castle? CHECK!

Item 72: Proms... with Rodgers and Hammerstein

Location: Royal Albert Hall, London

On Sunday afternoon, we joined the queue at Royal Albert Hall for tickets to "Prom 49: A Celebration of Rodgers and Hammerstein".

In the tradition of the event, 500 tickets are released on the day of the performance at an accessible price - £5. And with the familiar tunes from Oklahoma!, The King and I and The Sound of Music, what better way would there have been to finish the weekend? We opted to join the queue for tickets to the top floor Gallery, over the Area - ground level in front of the stage, to save craning our necks and to avoid the stickiness of fellow "prommers" on the humid London day. Arriving just after 2pm we received a queue ticket, Wimbledon style and waited eagerly for 3.15pm when the ticket window opened and allowed us into the magnificent arena.

After the cash was handed over it was straight up the steps to grab prime viewing spots at the balcony. Two hours of amazing orchestral and vocal performances were enjoyed by all. What better way to spend an English afternoon?

Item 72: Proms? CHECK

Item 71: Cappadocia

Location: Cappadocia, Turkey

Cappadoica did not make it on to our Turkish itinerary until two weeks before our departure when the guidebook arrived in the post. But pictures of the amazing landscapes and reviews from friends encouraged me to find the flights on Turkey's budget airline - Pegasus - and booked two days in Goreme. We arrived at Keysari airport hopped in the pre-booked shuttle for our one hour drive to town.

The town is very early frontier, having maintained the traditions of when the valley was first inhabited. We even booked ourselves into a lovely cave hotel overlooking the fairy chimneys for the night. Day one we visited Goreme Open Air museum for its collection of painted cave-churches.. and the excitement of crawling amongst the carved rock-faces.

On day two we woke up at 4.30am ready for our pick-up for our early morning balloon flight. But with ominous clouds, as we cuddled our cups of tea, at 6am the balloon pilots called it a no-flight day.

But, getting up early only means there's more to make of the day ahead. We joined the 'Green-tour' which is a similar journey offered by most travel agents in town. We were taken to the underground city of Kaymakli, descending 8 levels where the Christians hid during invasions of the town. Ducking and crawling in some areas, we saw stone doors that were used to block off passages in cases of attack, ventilation and wells used for survival and it was amazing to imagine people would live underground for up to months at a time.

Another highlight was the Selime Monastery. Climbing up the hills to the largest rock-cut monastery in the region, it was a little scary walking through the large cave cathedrals trying to bypass major craters but it was well worth it for breathtaking views over the area.

I've been unable to compare the landscapes and valleys of Cappadocia to anywhere else I've travelled thus far, and will definitely be using my missed balloon flight as an excuse to return back to the region to explore further.

Item 71: Cappadocia? CHECK!

Item 70: Istanbul

Location: Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul was at the top of my travel list for 2010. Having spent a lot of my travels in the European Union I wanted a little more adventure, something to stimulate the senses. The call to daily prayer echoing from the minarets through the city on our first morning was the sign that I was definitely in the right place.

We stayed around the Sultanahemt area, within walking distance of numerous sites to check off this list:

1. Blue Mosque. One of the most famous sites of the city. With free entry we visited this first, taking our shoes off and donning the pashmina I'd packed to cover the shoulders so I wouldn't have to 'borrow' one of the spares on offer in the 30 degree heat.

2. Hagia Sofia. This was the next stop to uncover further history of the city in the former cathedral turned mosque. Now a museum, the tour groups crowd the corners where the preserved Christian mosaics still remain.

3. Topkapi Palace. Ottoman opulence was contained within the grounds and buildings of the palace. Entry to the Harem was an extra 15 TKL but well worth it if you eves dropped on the tours around

4. Grand Bazaar, this is where my travel instincts from visiting the markets of Bangkok kicked in. "Let me help me you spend your money" was the pickup line of choice from the shop keepers. It was slightly tiresome to walk around the same tat at each store, but an interesting antiques section and some people watching from a cafe within calmed us down allowed us to plan the rest of the itinerary for the city.

With the headline attractions off the list, we spent another day at Eminonu around the Spice Market, and located the fish sandwiches served off the boats along the port. We were almost duped as the restaurants under the Galata Bridge also sold the sandwiches, but crossing to the other side of the bridge we found a hawker-style setup with temporary chairs offering freshly cooked fish encased in giant bread rolls. Finishing these off for lunch, we hoped on a Cruise down the Bosphorus for a bit of serenity, landscapes of mansions along the river and views of Istanbul away from the hustle of a city that has so much to offer.

Item 70: Istanbul? CHECK!

Item 69: Powderfinger

Location: Brixton Academy, London

I haven't bought a Powderfinger CD since Vulture Street was released in 2003. I was offered a second chance to see them on their Farewell tour when their April shows were postponed to June.

So off I went to the sticky floors of the Brixton Academy on June 4, Powderfinger played to their London-based Aussie crowd for about an hour. It seems that they haven't broken through to the real 'local' market in all the years but have had a loyal antipodean fan base. Go Aussie!

Though the opening songs were too new to me, the band warmed up and played some more familiar tunes off the Internationalist and Odyssey No 5 albums. Finishing with Bernie on the keyboard with their 1999 Triple J hottest 100 single These Days, reliving the music that got me through high school.

Item 69: Powderfinger? CHECK!

Item 68: Oxford

Location: Oxford, UK

The last bank holiday of May was another experience of old England.

Oxford this time around, starting just outside the university town at Blenheim Palace. The birthplace of Winston Churchill has lovely summertime grounds so we were lucky to have scheduled our visit on a day of sun. Inside the building is a 50 minute animatronic tour recalling the palace's history and also a 'Churchill Exhibition' through the state rooms. But with perfect ice-cream-consumption weather outside, it was a quick walk though and then off to the art and craft fair in the grounds.

In the evening, we took the coach back to Oxford and waited in fast moving queue outside Jamie's Italian. Deceivingly however, when we entered there was a further 20 minute wait at the bar before we got to our table. The menu is based on wholesome traditional Italian cuisine. We ordered the "fish in a bag" and "chicken cooked under a brick". Unfortunately, the food wasn't much to write home about fish was bland, chicken too salty, although the service was very friendly.

For our overnight stay, I was treated to a night at the Malmaison. The former prison to Oxford Castle has been renovated to a high quality reducing the fears of ghosts of ghouls past. For me, it was a more relaxing and novel night's sleep compared to a stay in a more 'genuine' prison-concept hotel. The cocktail and breakfast deal for two was a winner, with a yummy continental buffet and freshly cooked selection on offer. Disappointingly, (excuse me Mr/Ms Manager listen up), the checkout process on the Bank Holiday took over 30 minutes as two receptionists worked to clear out the fully booked hotel with a growing queue of guests.

On the final day we got to the tourist information centre disappointingly late and missed out on places in the walking tours of the collages. But, there's plenty to see in Oxford and we headed down the road to the Bodleian Library and booked a tour for the afternoon. Rich in history our guide explained the development of the town before we entered into the low-lit room amongst the rich array of readers.

Independent of the tours, the university's collages have opened their doors to the tourists - for a fee. We made it to Christ Church College, the biggest of the bunch. Walking around the old buildings and and manicured lawns, it was pretty but it would be best to have a guide. And a tip, plan your trip outside of lunchtime hours so you can view the dining hall of Harry Potter fame.

Luckily Oxford is only an hour out of London. When the sun comes out again, a day out punting along the river will only show that Oxford has more to offer than it's scholarly fame.

Item 68: Oxford? CHECK!

Item 67: Greenwich.. in the Meantime

Location: Greenwich, UK

So I saved this visit for a day when the sun was shining and the DLR to Greenwich was free of any weekend engineering works.

Disembarking the train at Cutty Sark we ventured uphill for a 10 minute walk to the Royal Observatory to find Greenwich Mean Time. It's the line whereby we measure our time for daylight savings, and thank God we're into that over here in the UK!

Technically, it's known as the Prime Meridian of the World, invisibly connecting the North and South Poles. Just ask the iPhone. Longitude 0º.

The observatory itself has a few items of interest including a Camera Obscurer and impressive Astronomy Galleries. But with the good weather and European school kids running riot on their excursions inside, it's best to get there early, take a packed picnic and head out to Greenwich Park to enjoy GMT +1:00.

Item 67: Greenwich? CHECK!

Item 66: Versailles.... thanks Eurostar

Location: Versailles Palace, France

As mayhem would have it, a giant Icelandic-induced ash cloud is causing chaos to flight schedules and holiday plans throughout Europe, the same weekend as I had booked Eurostar tickets to Paris.

So Friday night, after dinner a the Champagne Bar at Kings Cross St Pancras International, I hopped on the fully booked last train to Paris, arriving at Gare du Nord at 00:15 Saturday morning.

After a breakfast and a connection from the metro to the RER station of Versailles Rive Gauche station we arrived at noon to find a crowd of people exiting the train station, think Stamford Bridge, or MCG on game day. They were all heading to the Palace of Versailles to join the queue for entrance tickets.

Again, as the Volcanic Gods and a little planning ahead would have it, an Internet pre-purchased ticket allowed us to bypass the queue and enter the extravagant abode of King Louis XIV with little hassle.

Overwhelmed by the rooms of the palace and tempted by the sunshine in the manicured gardens outside, we made way for a quick lunch and then pranced into the gardens which had music beaming out of hidden speakers as we waited for the 3.30pm Grandes Eaux musicales show. Yes, we waited for the 1.5 hour show that involved the fountains spitting out water. C'est tres impressive! Non?

Although our all-inclusive ticket involved access to the Grand and Petite Trianon, residences of Marie Antoinette, I'd recommend a tour of the palace, picnic in the gardens and then a row on the lake outside for a lovely summer afternoon. Also, catch the Eurostar if you're travelling from London.

Item 66: Versailles Palace? CHECK!

Item 65: Cornwall - Easter Road Trip

Location: Cornwall, United Kingdom

Easter long weekend came around faster than I expected but thankfully there were spare seats in a friend’s hire car and I hopped on the bandwagon as we headed on my first long weekend road trip down to the south west coast of the UK to Cornwall.

Good Friday and Easter Saturday were filled by day with scones with jam and Cornish clotted cream, fish and chips, a Cornish pasty and Cornish ice cream. The nights saw the threat of flying drink trays thrown by the renowned bucks and hens' weekends of Newquay. Searching the streets we discovered £2 Jagerbombs at the Belushi's backpacker bar, which turned out to be a winner. Its sticky floors proved to be a rather nice atmosphere to be spending our vacation.

Our trip continued through to the coast of St Ives, as we sought cover from the rains in the town's amusement parlour on the two penny machines. Again it was perfect weather for a Cornish ice cream or two.

Next stop was Penzance on Sunday, for the pirates. Slightly disappointing but the town was a good base to get to St Michael's Mount which we approached during low tide across the beach.

We also sought out a local craft and food market. Arriving an hour before closing time were excused of the exorbitant £3 entry fare. Afterwards, we went for a drive down to Land's End - the most western point of the UK, just so we could check that one off the list too.

On our drive home on Easter Monday, in free-flowing traffic towards London, we balanced off our tour with a visit to the giant biomes of the Eden Project. With 'Mediterranean' and 'Rainforest' environments in the giant greenhouses, a bit of cover from the weather in the artificial climates completed a most successful road trip!

Item 65: Cornwall? CHECK!

Item 64: Kensington Palace... Enchanted

Location: London, United Kingdom

After visiting many a 'historic' site during my stay in the UK, Kensington Palace was one at the bottom of the list on account that it is right next to Hyde Park and a possible side excursion to a summer picnic when the weather turned bad.

My weekend surprise, however, found me visiting just the place. Unlike the traditional ‘please stick to the walkway’ visit, the ‘Enchanted Palace’ encourages you inner child to explore the magnificence of living like royalty. Amidst the renovations there has been a surprising amount of freedom given to its curators. As you enter the palace, following your map to the 'Room of Beginnings' in search of seven cryptically hidden princesses the amazing interiors with contemporary artefacts by collaborating designers, including Vivienne Westward, contrast the traditional frescos and tapestries on the walls.

Everything inside Kensington feels highly accessible to guests. The wardens do more than just keep eye on the exhibits. They are a fountain of knowledge when asked about the former residents of the palace and they tell their stories as any good fairytale. And the performers rushing around to find 'Your Majesty', keep you on your toes as you wander around not knowing what to expect around the next corner.

Exiting the adventure into the gardens, I left with warm fuzzy feeling that I'd visited something more than just "another" palace.

Item 64: Kensington Palace? CHECK!

Item 63: York

Location: York, United Kingdom

The return of sunshine to the UK has given us good reason to get outside. This time York was the destination.

It’s a medieval walled city with cobblestone streets, windy narrow paths of the Shambles shopping area and Devonshire tea rooms, York is the picture of old England. Why, the Saturday market even had the wife-beating Punch and Judy Puppet Show on for the kids.

After catching the train into town, we stopped for lunch at J-Baker’s Bistro Moderne. As a sucker for the restaurant’s claim of having a one-time Michelin-starred chef in the kitchen, I couldn’t resist but to see what they had on offer. Although we were one of the first tables to be seated we found out that it was good foresight to have made a lunchtime reservation as impromptu parties were turned away at the door. Passing up the three course grazing menu at the bargain price of £12, we opted for the day’s special of pig’s cheeks and squid on a bed of seaweed. And it was tasty. Even better, we received the celeriac whip as a complimentary entree anyway.

I came up trumps with my order of the Lemon Pop dessert. It came light and fluffy, with subtle pop-rock mousse on layers of strawberries, jelly and ice-cream.... Luckily the sun was out so I could walk it off in the afternoon. After grabbing our own coats from the cloak room – the staff were apparently too busy for the job - we headed out into the perfect weather.

A completely walkable town, it’s hard not to miss York Minster during the visit. After the indulgent lunch and with clear skies there was no excuse not to pay the five quid to climb the 275 steps to the top of the Minster’s Central Tower to get views of the city from above.

Item 63: York? CHECK!

Item 62: Jorvik Viking Centre

Location: York, United Kingdom

York has a Viking museum! “That one has to be added to the list”, so my inner child screamed.

Reopening after a big refurbishment, I had high expectations for our visit to the Jorvik Viking Centre. Adding to the excitement was being able to ‘Gift-aid’ our £8.95 entrance fee which meant donating our ticket price to the centre instead of buying an actual ticket, giving us unlimited access to the centre for a whole year.

The discovery of the village of Jorvik (the Viking name for York), nine meters below where the current city stands, has allowed for the centre to recreate the historical experience to an amazing degree of accuracy. The artefacts collected from archaeological digs piece together Viking life, as visitors are transported in the centre’s ‘ride’ through the ancient village to meet the locals, into houses and to the local markets.

Animatronic Vikings are impressive enough, blinking and speaking as you pass by. But most confronting was the way the centre attempts to capture all your senses. There’s a distinct whiff in the air, right from the entrance at ticket desk which follows you through the exhibition and on the ride, varying only slightly when you pass the exhibit of meat and food. This was all a little overwhelming for one little boy the day of our visit. I assume it was the pure smell of it all that made the poor kid’s stomach churn. His tummy turned, blocking off entrance to the ride, holding up the rest of the queue in the stinky little Viking Village of Jorvik.

Item 62: Jorvik Viking Centre? CHECK!

Item 61: Jet lag

Location: London, United Kingdom

Flight Details: Melbourne to London

Total Travel Time : 23:30 hrs

Jet lag - Can't be avoided.

At least the Tim Tam Crush Mint Crisp biscuits I packed makes up for it (almost).

Item 61: Jet lag? CHECK!

Item 60: Darwin - More Sunshine!

Location: Darwin, Australia

The coldest winter in the UK for 31 years! I’m getting as much warmth as I can before I head back – Darwin here I come!

In the 33 degree heat, the humidity didn’t hit me as hard as I’d expected when I exited Darwin Airport just after midnight on my four-hour Jetstar flight direct from Melbourne.

It’s the wet season in the Northern Territory. The houses are built to withstand the cyclones and today they appear torrential rain-proof too. The folks ‘down South’ apparently just don’t know what a real storm is! The short down-pour in the morning has decreased the temperature a few degrees, and I’m enjoying being outside by the pool just chillin’ with the geckos in the yard.

This city reminds me of a little country town, homes with corrugated iron roofing; people hanging about in shorts and t-shirts, enjoying life; a local shopping mall that’s been left behind in the 80’s and it’s all viewed with a tinge of red-desert coloured glasses.

This visit is my summer holiday, (except I’ve been warned about visiting the beach because of the crocs and jellyfish). But hey, it's the temperature's in double digit territory and today sunshine is my friend.

Item 60: Darwin? CHECK!

Item 59: Melbourne - Bring on the sunshine (and drinks)!

Location: Melbourne, Australia

A welcome relief from the longest winter of my life in the UK, Melbourne has welcomed me back with days of sunshine!

Whipping out the summer clothes and slip-slop-slapping on the sunscreen before heading out to catch-up with some of my favorite people, there's definitely no place like home.

Degraves Street amongst the office-worker crowds was a reminder of decent lunchtime eating. No mash and fries from the canteen for these locals! A lunchtime walk, some take-away sushi or an eat-in panini is all they need.

The city has also introduced me to some new bars that have popped up since my last visit. The Aviary in Victoria Street had a funky Richmond feel; Siglo Bar with balmy views from the rooftop terrace of Parliament House and St Patricks Catherdral on a Summer's night was Melbourne in a nutshell; and the Riverland (underneath Transport Bar in Federation Square), for an after work drink while watching the rowers along the Yarra, was a reminder of why this is one of my favourite cities in the world.

Melbourne may be renowed as a food capital in the country, but it's selection of bars are well up there as the perfect place to catch up for a drink with old and dear friends.

Item 59: Melbourne? CHECK!

Item 58: 1001 Inventions @ Science Museum

Location: Science Museum, South Kensington, London, UK

In today's national security climate - recently the threat level was upgraded to Severe in the UK - the Science Museum has opened a free exhibition 1001 Inventions, which details the history of science from the Muslim world. The high-calibre showcases demonstrate the Muslim civilisation's ability to share knowledge and inventions during the dark ages, many of which lead to the future achievements in areas including the advances in health care, industrial tools and engineering.

The entrance of the exhibition is magical, with a replica of the “Elephant Clock”, encompassing dragons, a phoenix and of course an elephant. In-fact, everything on display throughout the room captures your attention and makes you want to be sure that you don't miss a thing.

Staying true to the Science Museum standards, there's a bit of interactivity with each show piece and in some cases the technology even bypasses that of the Ninetndo Wii. There's also a short Hollywood-standard film which absorbs the attention of many visitors, as adults sit amongst the children on the seats and the floor watching the inventors from the exhibition recreated on the big screen.

Unfortunately I find myself at times, a product of the news and the many public announcements telling me to "report any suspicious items or behaviour to a member of staff," at public venues. Thankfully, this exhibition takes you back to a time when being different and sharing ideas only brought about more opportunities that would benefit everyone.

Item 58: 1001 Inventions? CHECK!

Item 57: Decode @ V&A

Location: V&A, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL

Thanks TimeOut! I only had to pay £2.50 to see "Decode: Digital Design Sensations exhibition", a gallery with digital art (not dissimilar to my laptop screen saver), and flat screen monitors displaying examples of online social networking.

Amazing stuff! It's no wonder everyone goes back to the 'exhibit' replaying two girls kissing, the artist's representation of the 70% gender-to-gender ratio of kissing videos that are on the Internet.

Item 57: Decode? CHECK!

Item 56: Snow in Yorkshire

Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Back in my day, when I was my age and living in Southern Yorkshire, we saw the endless days of sub-zero temperatures during the winter. In the mornings, as I'd open the curtains to my bedroom, views of snow covered roads and footpaths instantly reminded me of the warmth of my own bed. However, they also validated my impulsive Wellington boot purchase, clearly a worthwhile investment.

Out the door and off through ankle deep powder all the way to work, with my trousers tucked into my rainbow Wellies.

And that was just the start of 2010....

Item 56: Snow in Yorkshire? CHECK!

Item 55: Edinburgh - Happy Hogmanay

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Favourable Hogmanay Edinburgh reviews and a weak Pound Sterling was as good an excuse as any to have a 'stay-cation' and welcome in the new year in the UK. With maximum temperatures of 0 and negative 2 degrees, I packed the ski jacket and ignored my traveller's vanity, (although more appropriate footwear for the icy streets of Edinburgh will be noted down for next time as double-layering the socks in my trainers just didn't cut it).

Number of falls: 1

Number of prevented falls: Plenty

With a week based in and around the Scottish city, time was easily wiled away. After visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Holyrood Palace, I was surprisingly not 'castled-out' after the tours. The time spent at these historical attractions was balanced with a tourist-oriented tour at the Scotch Whisky Experience and a visit to the Camera Obscurer which on a clear day provided us with excellent views of the whole snow-covered city. Many of our nights were topped off with some free public entertainment on the Royal Mile for Hogmanay Celebrations including the Scotsman newspaper’s 31 December headline act, "Revellers evacuated after weather wreaks havoc at Royal Mile Hogmanay event and blows burning embers into crowd"!

The New Years Eve 'Street Party' that was well marketed was a mile of Prince's Street, the city’s main shopping street, sectioned off for ticket holders. We were only able to identify one stage with performers, although three were advertised. Perhaps the Dj's fingers had caught frostbite earlier in the day?

At the stroke of midnight on 31 December 2009, everyone cuddled together and watched Edinburgh Castle high above the city light up with fireworks... Short and sweet lasting only a few minutes still pretty nonetheless. Scottish men and Scottish-wannabes were out for the night, posing in their kilts for photos, flashing their bare butts and then God No! I saw my first Scottish haggis for the year (as did the rest of the street, and may I add it did not seem affected by the sub-zero temperatures!!)

After rolling, falling, skating, dancing and laughing through 2009, I look forward to more fun and happy times that the coming year has to offer us all. Happy 2010 everyone xo

Item 55: Edinburgh? CHECK!