Travel Lightbulb

This week you get three photos instead of the usual one, because when I got back from my trip to Rome a few months ago, and started looking through some of my photos, here seemed to be a bit of a theme going on....bikes! On every street here seemed to be one chained up, ready to be ridden home from work, or even used as part of a pretty display outside a clothing shop with flowers in the basket.  It didn't seem right to choose one and leave the others out, so I decided to extend my post this week to feature them all!  I remember a few years ago after coming back from Sicily, I had taken a huge amount of photos of the cute little Fiat 500's, and framed them all together in my house...I might have to do the same this time with the Roman bikes!

If you're into your history, and are looking for somewhere decadent to stay, then The Witchery in Edinburgh is a great choice. This boutique Gothic hotel is at the top of Edinburgh's Royal Mile, and is a fabulous place to stay for a special occasion. I featured The Witchery on my blog after spending a night here and absolutely loving it, so I can't recommend it highly enough. If you want to see my original post on one of the best places to stay in Edinburgh, click  here.

If you're going to be in New York in the next few days, get yourself along to the Rockefeller Center quick smart! There's a large-scale public art installation but it's only there until the 5th of July. Seated ballerina, by Jeff Koons, is an inflatable nylon sculpture which is hugely eye-catching - no surprise given it's 45 feet high! One of the things I love about New York is the amount of things you just happen to come across when walking around the city, and there were crowds of people, locals and tourists alike, taking photos when I was there. So if you're in the city, pop along and take a look - and bear in mind that during inclement weather she has to be deflated for safety reasons, so check the Rockefeller Center's official twitter account here  for the latest update before going. 

I decided to feature Mérida because it's the American Capital of Culture in 2017, and while there are a series of large scale events taking place throughout the year, I didn't know too much about it, so decided to do some research! While it's not one of those undiscovered places, it's certainly not a tourist trap, so if you want to escape the crowds in places like Cancun, then this might be a part of Mexico you'll love. Mérida is the cultural capital of the Yucatán Peninsula, and ranks among the safest places in Mexico. The town is steeped in colonial history, and is a great place to start an adventure around the rest of the state. As well as taking in plenty of culture, the bonus is that the cost of food and hotels are very reasonable too.  Once you've had your fill of culture, then a day trip to the caves of the Yucatán is not to be missed. This peninsula is made of porous limestone, so there are no rivers or lakes above ground...instead they...

One of the highlights of a trip to Rome is the view from the top of St Peter's Basilica. Now if any of you are going to skip reading further because you suffer from vertigo, then don't.....I do too! You do have to be reasonably fit to do this - there are 551 steps to get to the top, although my top tip is to take the elevator to roof level, which saves you 320 steps! When you come out of the elevator you're inside the dome, designed by Michelangelo, looking down on the basilica - and this was the one bit where my vertigo did kick in a bit! The climb to the top is done by narrow sloping stairs, and if you are claustrophobic then this could be the difficult bit for you. The stairs are so narrow that you end up leaning to the right over the dome as you near the very top! Stick in there though, because this is your reward at the end...... It's a real iconic view, but nothing beats seeing it for yourself. One thing to note - there is a strict dress code - no...

While my photos usually feature a fabulous scene that I've captured on my travels, today's photo is a little message that suits me down to the ground. I'm a very positive person, who tries to see the good in everyone, and when I saw this sign in a shop window, I knew I had to feature it on here! So whatever your plans are for the weekend, try to be optimistic and see the glass as half full! 

The city of Västerås is the sixth largest city in Sweden, and is also one of the county's oldest. There are many good reasons to visit in 2017, as this year the city will mark it's Jubilee. The city has a vibrant nightlife, and an exciting history, but one of the main reasons I featured it on my blog is that this is a place where you can spend a night underwater.  I love featuring unique places on my blog, and I certainly found one that's not to be missed in this great city. So if you'd like to read my original post on Staying under the water in Sweden, click  here .

This is the time of year when I get very excited! I'm lucky enough to be able to take a few months off each summer and travel the world....and it all starts next week with a trip to New York City. This will be my third trip to the Big Apple, and having done most of the major sights, I'm determined to seek out some new cool places to feature on my blog. I'm not only going to New York this year though, so there will be plenty of awesome tips for you on Travel Lightbulb in the weeks and months to come. For those of you not travelling this year, I'll attempt to cheer you up with some lovely pics of my jaunts across the world!