Krakow (Poland) December 2013

Hotel: Galycia, Krakow

Having loved Krakow, although it was so cold, on our last visit, we had gathered the troops again for another visit.  With Clare, Terry, Debbie, my Ma and myself already for the temperatures again, suitcases full of fluff and enough zlotties to feed an army we ventured off.

We had chosen December time as the Christmas Markets were in full swing on the Rynek Glowny, if you want to feel a little Christmassy then I insist you visit somewhere like this.  It was magical.  Similar to the Christmas Markets that have now become very trendy all over the UK, the market on the Rynek Glowny is something else, and the price is a major difference too.  Only a few weeks before, Clare and I were in Edinburgh paying £4-5 for a Mulled wine, here we were paying just over 80p and it tasted better, probably due to it being cold and Christmassy.

We also ventured to the Castle Warwel, a huge structure that is visible from most of the city.  On our previous trip we had not fancied the high altitudes due to the freezing weather, but this time, although still frosty, we took in the sights

With the temperatures being about 20 degrees celcius hotter than the last time, only 1 and 2 degrees now, we were able to see more of the city as we could stand to be out longer in it.  We were amazed to how much more there was to see and how many little bars and restaurants there were on offer.

One little place we came across very early on was the "Vodka Shoppe".  For 4 Zlotte (about 70 pence) you could choose from Vodka, Beer, Wine, Coffee or Tea, everything was just 4 Zlotte.  The same went for food, Soup, Sausage, Cold Beef, all 4 Zlotte.  This little bar became our local and as Debbie quite rightly put it, we would go in there for our afternoon "Session".

We also found a few extra coffee shops for those afternoons were the thought of more Vodka was a little too much.  The Polish really know how to do hot drinks.  After a couple of days, Clare and I thought we would try somewhere different, a coffee shop that looked a little mainstream.  We happily stayed in there for most of the morning and dragged our parents in for more.  Hot mead, mulled wines, hot ciders, the tastes were to die for.

Every night we returned to the hotel, the cards were out in force.  After the success of Nomination Whist in Italy, this was our holiday card game and the vodka's flowed easily whilst playing.

On or last night in Krakow we had decided to flash a little cash (as we were really struggling to spend it) and have a meal in a posh bohemian restaurant with live Polish Polka Music.  The entertainment was fantastic, and I can say the meal was superb, but unfortunately it was too cheap again, and we had to go and spend more money on the Christmas Markets.

Krakow remains one of my favourite cities I have been to, and I urge people to experience what it has to offer

Edinburgh - November 2013

Edinburgh

Clare had never been to Scotland before, and as our 1st Wedding Anniversary was coming up, I thought it would be a nice surprise to take her for a weekend to see this fantastic city.

My hiding skills were not up to scratch 1 year into our marriage and Clare found all my booking details a couple of weeks before we were about to embark on our 3 hour journey.  I was slightly happy with this as Clare could then pack her own bag.  I would have definitely packed the wrong things and Clare would have been wearing ball gowns all weekend.


I had booked a hotel a little out of Edinburgh as I remember having parking issues there in the past. The hotel offered free parking and an awesome breakfast, so it had me sold.

Clare and I got married on the 30th November, St Andrews Day, so the streets of Edinburgh were bustling with Scottish pride, and places like Edinburgh Castle were free to enter, so we took advantage of this.  Everywhere in Edinburgh is within walking distance, so we were ready to tackle the hills and marched off.  The Castle overlooks the whole city and the views are just incredible.  We also ventured inside the museums on offer and then decided to grab a little lunch.

The Christmas Markets had taken the position along Princes Street, so the city also had a little magical feel to it as well.  On our first day here we had pretty much covered the Grass Market, a few of the special pubs, the Castle and up and down Princes Street and the Christmas Markets, we were ready for a little quiet night.  At 4am we were woken by the fire alarm, grabbing my clothes and rushing towards the door, Clare was still asking what was going on.  Beautifully presented in her onesie, trying to explain to a Japanese tourist that we had to evacuate, Clare was still half asleep.

Luckily the fire alarm was caused by a drunk landlady and we all returned to bed for another few hours.

On the Sunday we packed our things and had another mooch around Princes Street before heading home to our lovely bed.  Clare loved her Edinburgh experience, although short, we packed as much in as possible

Gadgrith (Scotland) September 2013

Hotel: Gadgrith Lodges, Annbank, Ayr

Having recently suffered the loss of our son Spud at 20 weeks, Clare and I desperately needed time to ourselves, but also time for healing.  We had already booked the lodges in Gadgrith a few months ago and instead of cancelling and hiding away, we ventured up to Annbank to our wooden log cabin.

Our cabin in the woods was superb, a real hideaway from everything with log burner, steam room and relaxing environment.


Clare had planned a few trips to see the area and our first destination was Dean Castle.  A nature park

with a stately home in the centre.  A whole host of animals and birds could be found on the grounds and the walk did us good.

Clare had also booked to visit the Sky Dark Observatory near Loch Doon as it was the Summer Solstice and the celebration of the Moon.  Although it took us over an hour to travel 8 mile, we arrived at the Observatory and had a fantastic evening using all the telescopes and equipment on hand.  Then we had to venture back down the rocky terrain back to the lodge.

Near to Annbank are the coastal towns of Ayr and Troon.  Beautiful seaside towns with a quaint feel to them.  Hosting many restaurants, tea rooms and bars we partook in several scones and haggis.
Also close by is the birthplace of Robert Burns, the famous Scottish poet.  O'er the Brig O Doon, the Robbie Burns Cottage and Poets Corner, Ayr is a lovely place to visit.



We also took a long trip to Loch Lomond and jumped aboard a boat trip round the massive Loch.

 The mist was coming in from the hills around and it gave the Loch a real eerie feel.

Our log retreat was ideal and just what we needed.  We came back from our holiday still hurting from our loss but feeling stronger as a couple

St Angello (Italy) May 2013

Hotel: Majestic Palace

Based on our previous holiday to The Majestic Palace being such a great hit, we decided to come back to the beautiful place but this time for two weeks and also joined by Clare's Dad and Step Mum

We had raved about the food in the hotel, location and places to see.  We were also there for Clare's birthday which we had planned a trip for a couple of days to Rome, and then returning to Sorrento for Clare's Step Mum's birthday, there was a lot planned.

Vicenzo had been promoted to the Restaurant Manager and recognised us straight away as we went for dinner, he was joined by Nello who was our waiter for the two weeks we were there.  Again, I cannot praise these two enough, they are fantastic.  Also, it seemed that they still employed my Nanna in the kitchen, because the food was exquisite for the full holiday.

After our evening meals, we always ventured out to the two local bars, one called Bar Jolly for a few birra and amarro or the Tent Bar, here we played Nomination Whist.  Debbie (Clare's step-mum) told us that she was not a big card player, but soon got addicted to the game and it has now become a staple card game for all holidays

After a couple of days of taking in the sights and surroundings of Sorrento, we decided to venture off to Amalfi for the morning.  The bus was packed solid en-route, but we still got to see the amazing vistas on the decent down the coastline.  Amalfi is still, for me, one of the most picturesque towns in Italy, simply stunning.

Then on to our main destination, Roma.

Hotel: Casa Tra Noi, Rome

I had only been to Rome as a little nipper, I think I was less than 1 year old, so obviously I had no memories of the place and it has always been a place I wanted to visit.  When Clare mentioned about coming here as a treat for her birthday, I jumped at the chance.  I had put a task of visiting the Colloseum on my 40 before 40, this was just an excuse to get to the Eternal City

Our hotel was hidden away in the hills behind The Vatican City, and using the map given to us by the travel bus, it was a difficult one to find.  Eventually we found the religious venue and moved in for a couple of nights.  Clare has a special ability for finding hotels within budget in awesome places, and this was definitely a great find.

As we arrived in Rome, we had decided to jump on a 24 hour tour bus, pay for the day after and then utilise the bus to get around the city.  What we didn't plan for was waiting at the bus stop the morning after to find out that the company had gone on strike.  We opted to walk to the Termini, via the Colloseo, Vittori, and other sites along the way, try to sort something out with the company and then enjoy the rest of the day.  What we didn't plan for was the distance.  We covered most of Rome getting to Termini that morning but we were determined.  My Italian language skills are based around the family in Salerno, not business arguments, but I made my case and the company happily transferred us to another tour and we hopped on and off we went to take in more of the city.

The Trevvi Fountains, Spanish Steps, Panthenon, Piazza Nuovo, Vittori (again) and back to The Vatican to name the main focal points.  What Rome has, is something on every street corner that makes you say WOW! You turn a corner and there is a column with intricate detail, or a huge white building with ornate features.  Rome is just a stunning, mesmerising city.

We celebrated Clare's birthday in a restaurant near the hotel that had "Mamma" in the kitchen.  I think this was definitely a birthday to remember.

Hotel: The Majestic Palace, Sorrento

As we returned to our hotel in San Agnello, we were all tired and drained.  The walking around Rome and busy life had taken it's toll.  We were ready for a few days of relaxing by the pool, a few beers and a lot of cards.  We were soon recharged and ready to take in more sights though.

Our first port of call was to see the Family.  From Sorrento we needed to take a train to Pompeii, change terminals and the take a train from Pompeii to Salerno where Tonino would meet us.  As we arrived at the second terminal in Pompeii, the ticket master decided that he was going for lunch and just shut the desk and left.  Confused by this and how else to get to Salerno, we tried to get information from the locals, but they were all slightly confused too.  Luckily the ticket master returned and we were on our way.  Unfortunately,, at the back end of 2012 one of my Zia Nina had passed away, so what is usually a jolly and jovial home, Mario's was a solemn place and my wonderful cousin Sabi was a little less chatty than usual.  Again, Toni made a fantastic meal and we laughed and giggled all the way through the meal.  Being the translator between so many people was highly confusing and I actually think I started talking to Clare in Italian at one point.

Sadly, we had to leave again, with fear of ticket masters closing for tea, so back to Pompeii and then to Sorrento.

Another of our trips was over to Capri.  The sea was a little choppy, and a few boats had decided not to brave the waves, so we could only go across on the large ferry.  We thought we would be ok, but the waves took many prisoners, one of them being Clare.  When we arrived on the island of Capri, we made a beeline for the fenicula to go up to the Cappo.  The views from up here are amazing, and Capri is so beautiful, but Clare did not seem to be in the mood for it, after the trip across and something upsetting her stomach, Clare was not a fan of Capri.

Again, our time in Sorrento had come to an end.  Terry and Debbie had loved their experience and vowed to return to Italy again, and I knew Clare and I would be coming back, but may be not to Sorrento as there is so much more to see.

Skanes (Tunisia) February 2013

Hotel: Rosa Beach, Skanes

We always like a little break away in the early months of the year, and after last years freezing cold trip to Krakow, we thought we would head somewhere a little warmer.

Our hotel was another all inclusive, but with just two Al a Carte restaurants and a Buffet, the selection wasn't as vast as our Dom Rep trip.

Our first night there we joined a game of cards that was happening with some of the "long-term" residents and a few of the new Entertainment Team.  The game was one card chase the ace, which as a family we had played for years.  This is were we met Peirre, a Tunisian member of the Entertainment Team who spoke 7 languages!

The weather we had hoped for was there, just a little windy to boot.  Always being a Star Wars fan, we had decided on Tunisia for the fact that the set was still in tact at Tattooine and could be worth a visit.  So early we booked onto the two night excursion 

A couple of days before our trip, we thought of a trek to the local town for a spot of local shopping.  We heard a little kerfuffle starting, but thought nothing of it.  A few minutes later, a full scale riot was happening outside the shops and we were scuttled into a local supermarket to hide.

Luckily our taxi driver was around and whisked us back to the hotel.  The residents of the hotel were under house arrest for their safety.  The trips and excursions were cancelled.

I decided to utilise this down time and had a couple of awesome shiatsu massages in the hotel, feeling relaxed whilst carnage was going on outside.

Clare, gutted about not being able to take me to Tattooine, had done some inquiring about hiring a taxi driver to take us on the 300 mile trip and had haggled a good price.  So at 5am we woke up and was greeted by an infected Tunisian to take us on this journey.

We arrived in Matmata (Tattooine) in the early morning and was shown round by a local boy, who after the tour demanded more of a tip.  I told him that I left my wallet at the hotel and he would have to come back with us to get the extra £5 he wanted.  This put him off knowing it would have been a 600 mile trip.

On our journey back we called at El Jem, the second largest (standing) ampitheatre in the world.  El Jem was fantastic, and really topped the day off well for me.  I think Clare was feeling a little tired and I was unsure on the health of our driver, so we returned back to the hotel.

We booked in for a Tunisian Meal at the Al a Carte restaurant that evening, and Clare had opted for the lighter option of Cous Cous.  We were all amazed when a tagine of cous cous turned up that could have fed everyone in the hotel, stacked with chicken and lamb.  As lovely as it looked, she could not eat it all, and we were all too stuffed to even contemplate helping.

We enjoyed Tunisia as much as we could, but with the house arrest, long journey to a galaxy far far away and the prevailing winds, I don't think it is somewhere we would rush back to.