BEYONCE - THE RENAISSANCE TOUR

Friday

Everybody say "hey Mrs Carter!"


I was lucky enough to secure tickets to Beyonce's Renaissance Tour in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and when I tell you I ugly cried ...


Our seats were actually in the very back row in our section. We were in section 525 which had a side view of the stage and row 29, which was the furthest row there was. Because we had a side view, it meant that we were closer to the stage than those who were straight on.


I quite enjoy getting seated tickets at concerts because you can turn up without queuing and I just find it all round more comfortable. Doors opened at 5pm but we knew that Beyonce wasn't going to start performing until after 7:30pm so we arrived at 6:45pm which gave us time for a toilet and drink break before finding our seats.



The Show


Beyonce came up onto the stage from below at around 7:50pm and I have to admit I may have shed a tear or two when she opened with Dangerously in Love.

The rest of her set list at night 4 of the London shows is later on in the article. There were many clips of other songs in the intermissions. 

The whole show lasted for about 2 hours and 45 minutes and Beyonce managed to fit so many iconic songs in that time, with amazing dancing and visuals.

I found myself being shook the whole time with the props and visuals on the stage for most of the show. There were robot arms on stage making a faux mirror around her while she was singing. I don't know how they worked but they were SERVING.

Similarly, she came out on a tank at one point and of course finished the show by flying out on a glittery disco horse. Why wouldn't you? It was so over the top in the best way.

When I talk about the Renaissance tour, I have to mention the outfits. There was an outfit change every 4-5 songs and they were all insane. She started off the show with some slower songs in a long black dress, then when she got to the more upbeat songs she changed her outfits to match, as did the dancers.

When My Power started playing, Beyonce's daughter Blue Ivy came out and danced with her and she was amazing! (I did let out another couple of tears at this point). I couldn't believe that Blue is only 11 she was so professional. 

Everything was just 10/10 and I was so so grateful to be able to see Beyonce live. It was the best concert I have been to and if anyone needs me I will just be watching all the videos I took over and over again.


The Setlist 


1. Dangerously in Love
2. Flaws and All
3. 1+1
4. I Care
5. River Deep Mountain High (Tina Turner)
6. I'M THAT GIRL
7. COZY
8. ALIEN SUPERSTAR (remixed with Sweet Dreams)
9. Lift Off
10. 7/11
11. CUFF IT
12. ENERGY
13. BREAK MY SOUL
14. Formation
15. Diva
16. Run the World (Girls)
17. MY POWER
18. Alright (Kendrick Lamar)
19. BLACK PARADE
20. Savage Remix
21. Partition
22. CHURCH GIRL
23. Get Me Bodied
24. Before I Let Go
25. Rather Die Young
26. Love on Top
27. Crazy in Love
28. Green Light
29. Virgo's Groove
30. MOVE
31. HEATED
32. ALREADY
33. AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM
34. PURE/HONEY (with Blow in the mix)
35. SUMMER RENAISSANCE
Who was the best musician you've seen live?
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A WEEK IN CROATIA

Wednesday

I think Split and Hvar in Croatia are two of my new favourite places. I feel like I say this every time I get back from travelling somewhere but it's happened yet again! I'm writing this with severe holiday blues.


I recently went on a week-long holiday to Split in Croatia with five of my friends and we had such an amazing time. We stayed in an Airbnb villa a short taxi ride away from Split with a pool.


We flew from Gatwick to Split and the flight was only around two and a half hours which went really quickly.



What we got up to


Instead of writing the details day by day like I usually do, I thought I'd just write the highlights of what we got up to under one heading and food under another. Spoiler alert: the food was so amazing it deserves its own spot in this post.


Exploring Split



So aside from chilling by the pool in the villa, our first activity was exploring the town of Split. Split is a very historical place with beauty around each corner. Cars and taxis can only reach certain areas of Split, because when you go into the city centre, it is walking only which is one of the things that made it so unique. 

The centre of Split is a bit like a maze and I would still find it difficult to find my way around without maps even after staying there for a week.

For me, our holiday was a perfect mix of everything because we stayed in a villa with a pool, but you could actually travel to Split as a city break as well. It has great nightlife and lots of amazing restaurants.

Krka National Park



Before travelling to Split, we had pre-booked a trip to Krka National Park which is about 1 hour - 1:30 hours drive away. The park is known for its waterfalls and it was like nothing I'd ever seen before. I'd definitely recommend visiting. There was a lot of walking up and down steep hills which I wasn't totally aware of before the trip so wear comfy shoes and pack lots of water!

On our trip, we got to visit the waterfalls, go to a nearby town for a dip in the lakes and finish off the day with wine tasting at a local, family-run winery. All of this cost just short of £35 which I think was definitely worth it.


Unfortunately, the usual part of Krka that you go to on the tour was closed due to flooding so we had to go to another part of the park. But it was still just as beautiful and didn't ruin the trip at all.

Hvar for the day




Hvar is an island about 1 hour away from Split by boat. For a return ferry, it was a little expensive - around the £40-£45 mark, but it was so worth it.

I feel like Hvar is quite a luxury place. One, because they go there on Made in Chelsea, and two, because there are lots of exclusive beach clubs where you have to pay for entry. You could easily spend a lot here but there are still lots of bars and restaurants that are a similar price to Split and there are areas of the beach where it is free to go and sit.

Hvar is one of the most stunning places I've ever been to and I would 100% recommend visiting there if you travel to Split. You can, of course, stay in Hvar too but it would cost you a pretty penny. Also, I felt like there was less to do there than in Split.

Boat Party Split



Around Split, there were lots of people selling tickets to boat parties and in principle, it sounded like a lot of fun so we went. It cost around 40 euros and you are pretty much out all day. The ticket also gets you free entry to a club later on.

Now I did have fun, but the weather turned really bad while we were on the boat and it got quite choppy which wasn't as enjoyable. Especially with drunk people slipping around and drinks flying everywhere. I never thought I got seasick until going on this boat.

I'm sure it's usually fine when the weather is good but I'd recommend checking the weather and booking it for a sunny calm day. Other than that, it was quite fun and we made friends with other people who had travelled to Split. This is probably the activity I'd recommend the least but if it's your thing and a clear day, you will probably enjoy it.

Talent Show


One good thing about staying in a villa with friends is that you can be as weird as you want because it's just you. In light of that, we decided to do a talent show one night before dinner which went down a treat. If you are planning on going away to a villa with friends or family I'd definitely recommend organising one, I've never laughed so much.

My talent was a roast and we had a good range of others like the recorder and a magic mike number.

The Food


Now for the bit you've been waiting for ... I didn't realise that Split was going to be such a foodie destination but every meal we had was 10/10. Usually, when you go away you get at least one kind of below-average meal but each meal we had was stunning, it was just so easy to find amazing restaurants.

Here are some of the amazing meals I had and where to find them




... but not your ordinary burger and chips. I don't know how they did it but it was just so elevated and the location was amazing. The owner was very chatty and enthusiastic about the restaurant and he told us about the history of the building. It's mainly Mexican food and I'm fussy so of course, I ordered the burger but we all equally enjoyed our meals. The burger cost me 15 euros.

The Second Best Sandwich of my Life


The first best sandwich I've had was in Milan, but this proscuitto, mozzarella and tomato masterpiece was a close second. Annoyingly, I can't remember the name of the place where we got it but it was along the front of the harbour where the palm trees are and it cost around 10 euros. Go along that row and look for a place that does both pizza slices and sandwiches. Perfect for lunch.




Cuttlefish Risotto is something I saw on quite a few menus while we were in Split so it must be a pretty popular dish and the one I had at this restaurant was stunning. I was a little put off at first by the ink making it black but it was so delicious.

The restaurant is really cute too, you go through a little cove to get to it (great for pictures if you are a little early to dinner). They also had lots of other nice dishes on the menu. I'd recommend it here if you want food that you can't really get anywhere else.



I am a big pizza lover and this was one of the best pizzas I've ever had. Perfect Italian base and the fact that we were on a rooftop just made the whole thing even more special. They also had blankets for if it was cold. Comfort food at its finest.

Fritto Misto in Hvar


Once again I can't remember the name of the restaurant (I'm a terrible blogger when I go on holiday and I was too hungry to think when I arrived here) but it was on the main square by the ferry port in Hvar. We were enticed in by being offered 15% discount because we were in a group, RESULT!

Due to the area we were eating in, this could have easily been a tourist trap but we ended up having a lovely meal and we were given free Limoncello shots and a free bottle of wine to share. Also, I loved my squid and prawns. All of the chips I had in Croatia were unreal too, they just know how to do dining over there.



Once again, another amazing dish in Split. By this point, I was comfortable knowing that everything I had was going to be delicious and my proscuitto gnocchi was no exception.






I would come to this restaurant just for the views, honestly someone could propose there it was so nice, especially if you go when the sun is setting. The food being stunning was just a plus. It was right on the seafront and you can watch boats going by.

Maddie and I couldn't decide whether to get the Adriatic steak dish or the monkfish so we had half of each which was the best decision ever. We also got complimentary bread before our meal and we Brits love free stuff.

It was the perfect restaurant for our final night and because I hadn't actually spent all my euros (don't know how) I got a pudding - Snickers Bomb, which was amazing but so so sweet.

Would I recommend travelling to Croatia?


Yes yes yes! I can only comment on Split, Hvar and Krka and I would definitely recommend visiting all three. As soon as I left I wanted to go back and I don't get that with every place that I go to (albeit most). It's also made me want to explore more of Croatia like Dubrovnik and Zadar. 

We all had the best time and it was amazing to go away with my friends and just have so much fun together.
Have you ever been to Croatia?
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THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL REVIEW

Thursday

A few weeks ago my friend Ellie and I went to watch The Spongebob Musical at The Mayflower Theatre in Southampton.


We honestly had such a good time, so I must tell you about it. I grew up watching Spongebob Squarepants and have always enjoyed it since. Yes, 24-year-olds can still enjoy Spongebob into adulthood.


I saw The Spongebob Musical being advertised on Instagram and it was quite a reasonable price so getting tickets was a no-brainer.


It was made even more exciting because Divina De Campo, a drag queen who featured on RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 1, played Plankton. Everyone who knows me knows about my obsession with Drag Race. 


Also, the person who played Plankton's wife, Karen, was Hannah Lowther. Hannah is a TikToker I have followed since she was working in Tesco during the pandemic when theatre shows weren't on, so it was great to see her perform live as Karen.

Related: 9 to 5 The Musical Review

The show


The spongebob musical mayflower southampton

Before the show, we weren't too sure what to expect. Spongebob is a family show so we weren't sure whether it was going to be mainly aimed at children, but it definitely exceeded expectations and had something for everyone to enjoy.

The plot of the show was that there was going to be a volcanic eruption that was going to wipe out Bikini Bottom and the citizens of Bikini Bottom had to work together to stop that from happening.

Spongebob and Sandy set out to save the day, while Plankton was conspiring an evil plan. Alongside that, the main characters all had individual musical numbers.

The singing and dancing were 10/10 but our favourite thing about the show is that it was SO funny and cleverly so.

We were so impressed by the attention to detail which made the show that much better and gave it a special edge. Things like someone playing the maracas while Mr. Krabs walked side to side, and Squidward having another set of legs sewn onto the back of his.

The show was just so much fun that I think people would have no choice but to enjoy it. Before going to watch Spongebob, I had a lot of people laughing about it because they were saying it was for children. It's funny because who's the one who had a great Saturday and saw what was probably one of my favourite shows? Me!

Spongebob decorations at the mayflower theatre

If you get a chance to watch The Spongebob Musical I'd definitely recommend it. Whether you are planning to go as a family, or not, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
What's your favourite musical?
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3 DAYS IN LISBON

Earlier this year I had a fabulous city break in Lisbon, Portugal's capital so I had to write about it and tell you what we got up to. I went with Joe and our friends Maddie and Cormac and this is how it went ... SPOILER ALERT: we had an amazing time.


Tram 28 lisbon


Day 1


Day 1 consisted of traveling early in the morning from Luton to Lisbon Airport and we arrived at around 11am. The flight lasted around 2 hours and 45 minutes which would have gone quite quickly had we not sat on the plane for an hour before taking off.


Upon arrival at Lisbon, we checked out the location of our Airbnb and realised we could go there on the metro from the airport, so we bought our travel cards at the airport metro station and went on our way.


The travel cards are quite good as you can put as much money as you want on them and use them on most of the types of transport around Lisbon such as buses, trams, and metro.


We then checked into our Airbnb which was in the perfect location. Lisbon is known for being quite hilly and steep but we managed to stay in a relatively flat area right by the sea and we were within walking distance of the main tourist attractions.


After checking in and a quick change, we headed out for some lunch and ended up picking somewhere by the sea, in the sun, and shared a few jugs of sangria. It was actually the first time I'd seen the sun in ages as we went in March and the UK had been freezing for months, so it was just perfect.


Sangria jug and glass


After a few drinks and a wander around our area of Lisbon, we went back to our Airbnb for some chill time as we had a VERY early start and chilled out for a bit before dinner.


For dinner, we went to a restaurant quite near to our Airbnb called Lugar Marcado where we were greeted with great service and enjoyed some lovely wine and seafood. I had the cod which was unlike any cod I'd had before. I enjoyed the taste but just couldn't eat a lot of it, I think because I was so tired from getting up early and traveling.



Cod at lugar marcada


Day 2


After a good night's sleep in our Airbnb, we went for an alfresco breakfast ready for a day of exploring.


We got the train to Belem, where you can find the Belem Tower (Torre de Belem) and the famous home of the Pastel de Nata at Pasteis de Belem. This is a foodie must for Lisbon!


Pastel de natas at pasteis de belem


After that, we took the train again further away from Lisbon and went to the beautiful seaside town of Cascais. I'd really recommend giving yourself a day to explore this town if you are planning to visit Lisbon as it was so beautiful and had much more of a quiet vibe than Lisbon, so you get the best of the city and somewhere quieter.

Related: 3 nights in Barcelona

Cascais also has beaches where you can swim in the sea, whereas there isn't really a beach in the centre of Lisbon although it is on the sea.





When we arrived at Cascais we found a nice outdoor bar right by the beach and of course, had a couple of glasses of sangria. The sun was shining and it was one of those moments where you think "ah, life is good."


We then had a wander around Cascais, followed by some Portuguese sparkling wine and some tapas at a wine bar. The name of the bar escapes me now which is a shame because it was amazing and you need to go there! It was on a road called Rua Frederico Arouca and the tapas was 10/10. Foodie pictures below if you don't believe me...




We then headed back to Lisbon and went out for the evening in the Bairro Alto area. There were a lot of stag and hen parties around there and seemed to be where the main clubs and bars were, so head there if you want a piece of the Lisbon nightlife.


My advice to you would be if you are a heel-wearer, forget them in Lisbon, don't even pack them. There are so many hills and everywhere you walked was cobbled. The cobbles are also quite slippy too so comfortable shoes only. I was wearing my comfiest trainers and nearly stacked it a couple of times in the rain.


Day 3


On our final day in Lisbon, we headed for another alfresco breakfast (great way to start a day, especially if it includes a pastel de nata).


The main thing we wanted to do on the last day was to go to Timeout market, a world-famous food market in the centre of Lisbon. It was too close after having breakfast though when we went there, so we decided to go on the iconic 28 tram to see the city that way.


We traveled a little bit to ensure we got on the tram at the start of the line instead of getting on somewhere central which would have been super busy. I'd recommend doing this because it means you'll definitely get a seat.


After seeing the city by tram, it made me so thankful I wasn't walking up and down all those hills and that we were staying in a flat area!


We got off the tram back at the Timeout market for some lunch and I was overwhelmed by choice. I tend to go into sensory overload at foodie markets like this as there are so many people, and there's so much choice of food so I quite often end up making rash decisions so I can get it over and done with.



I had a surf and turf ciabatta sandwich with steak and prawns which was good but a little small for the price. One thing I will say about the Timeout market is that you have to go but be prepared to spend a lot. I don't think it was a bad thing that the portions were a little small because it meant I could try a few things, but you have to be prepared for the cost.


My steak sandwich was 12 Euros so not too bad but it is quite a lot for a small sandwich. When in Rome...


I then had some fried squid and an Aperol Spritz; they had a whole stand dedicated to it so it would have been rude not to! Then, I had a pastel de nata and I have to say, I actually preferred the one at the Timeout Market to the one I had as Pasteis de Belem which is controversial.


We then had a bit of a chill before heading out again in the evening for some drinks. As we had quite a late lunch, we got ready and had a few drinks first before dinner.


For dinner, we went to a tapas restaurant we'd been eyeing up the whole time called Tapas n' Friends. It was fitting because we were indeed wanting to eat tapas with friends. There are a few of these restaurants in Lisbon but the one we went to was kind of like a rooftop bar, although it wasn't on a roof, you did have to go up some stairs to sit there.

 

We ordered quite a lot of different tapas dishes to try and everything was amazing. It was giving me a kind of last supper vibe because we had such a lovely couple of days and it was being finished off with great food, drinks, and of course company. Both my heart and belly were full once we'd left there.



Do you need to add Lisbon to your travel list?


Absolutely. There's no doubt about it. You can quite often bag cheap flights to Lisbon and the weather is beautiful for most of the year, starting in March. We paid around £220 for flights and our AirBnB all in which is an absolute bargain.


I also think it's up there in my top 3 favourite European cities that I've traveled to so far. There's so much to do and although we did a lot, I feel like we could go again and still have more to see and do.

Related: 4 nights in Milan

Have you visited Lisbon before? If not, are you adding it to your travel list?

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