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I think New Yorkers would forgive me for saying they don't mess with their words - I mean that in the nicest possible way, and it's sometimes a refreshing attitude that they say what they mean rather than skirting around things as many British people do! This attitude even extends to their street signs.  In the UK, it would probably say "No Parking"....but in New York, it's "Don't even think of parking here"! I love it!

It was perhaps inevitable that the UK's Brexit negotiations would have an impact on the way British people would change the way they travel. With so much uncertainty over how the talks will play out, and with the pound still weak, a new poll has revealed that more than half of Brits are looking to travel long-haul, rather than to European destinations. A poll of 2000 Brits carried out by Holiday Hypermarket suggests that Brexit is encouraging Brits to be more adventurous in their choice of holiday destinations. Searches to destinations such as Goa and Phuket are up, while bookings to the Dominican Republic and Mexico have also seen an increase. I am totally against Brexit and love being part of the EU, but perhaps the uncertain future is encouraging people to get out there and explore a little more when they go on their travels. Maybe it's one positive to take from a situation many Brits I know feel is a very depressing one!

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!