Sorrento (Italy) May 2012

Hotel: Majestic Palace, San Agnello 

Having been to Italy a few times before with my Nanna visiting family in Salerno, I always wanted to go with Clare to show her the beauty and taste the flavours the area had to offer.  We decided to stay in the city of Sorrento, just far enough away from the family so we could experience something different, but also close enough that we could pay them a visit

Having never been too far away from Salerno and family whilst visiting Italy before, this was something completely new, I was out of my comfort zone with my language skills and would be put to the test.

The journey from Naples airport to Sorrento is full of amazing vista's, the views coming down into Sorrento are that from a postcard, and then into Sorrento itself, the smell of lemons and the buzz of the city grabs you straight away.

We were staying a mile out of the main city, in a little suburb called San Angello, our Hotel was half board and looked very classy.  The Majestic Palace exceeded out initial thoughts, it was spectacular.

After we had unpacked our bags, we decided to venture toward Sorrento and take in the sights.  With the arms-width galleys and Limoncello in every shop, it is a beautiful place to be.  My Italian was put straight to the test when pounced on by a waiter trying to sell his restaurant to us.  Thinking I was a typical English man with little language knowledge he started chatting to me in Italian, to which I replied and he seemed a little shocked.  We found a little quaint restaurant, ordered one pizza too many and relaxed into the environment.

We found an Ice Cream shop down one of the main galleys, Davide's, Wow, simply wow! The ice cream flavours on offer exceeded 50, the options of milkshakes made it even better.

All our evening meals were Ala Carte choice from a menu at the hotel, I was thinking that we would not get real authentic Italian meals at the hotel and may have to venture out for the experience.  How wrong I was, it could have been my wonderful Nanna in the kitchen cooking all our meals if I hadn't have known.  The food was fantastic every night and the service from our waiter Vincenzo could not have been better, what a wonderful guy!

Sorernto is a great place to stay as the Circum Vesuviana (Train System) and buses visit a whole host of various locales, such as Pompeii, Vesuvius, Amalfi, Positano and everywhere in between, so we had decided to take advantage of this.  One of our first stops was Pompeii, the ruins still standing from when Mount Vesuvius engulfed the metropolis.  This is a major tourist hot spot and the ticket touts were out as soon as any train arrived.  The basillica in the centre of Pompeii may have been ignored by a few people just interested in the Scavi, but it is simply breathtaking.

Amalfi was our second destination, and the option of travelling there by bus is a must.  Sitting on the right side of the bus as it descends down the Amalfi Coastline should be on everyone's bucket list, it is spectacular.  When we arrived in Amalfi is it customary to grab an ice cream and enjoy the perfect little town for everything it has to offer, so we did.

Once we had become familiar with the transport system, it was off to family in Salerno.  Meeting Toni at the Salerno station we we off to see Zio Matteo and Zia Angelina, then on to Mario e Nina with my amazing cousin Sabi, down to Zio Ugo's fantastic house and then back to Toni's famiglia home for an exquisite meal.  We laughed so much that day and it was great to see Clare enjoying it as much as I had hoped, if not even more so.  Showing Clare where my Nanna had got married and the street she lived on, with all the memories of the many years I was with my Nanna and family in Salerno, it was a truly emotional day.  I swore to Clare that we would come back to Salerno so she could see more.

After a long day we returned to the hotel with a couple of bottles of wine that my Zio Ugo had made and passed one on to our friends Sue and Brian, warning them that it was a special brew.

After a jam packed week, we bade farewell to this amazing city and fantastic hotel  and journeyed back to Naples.  Clare knew she had found somewhere she loved and wanted to plan our return visit asap.

Ciao

Krakow (Poland) February 2012

Hotel: Galycia, Krakow

Clare and I were looking through the EasyJet flights for somewhere a little different and cheap for a break in February, it was a choice between Krakow and Nice.  With Nice being in the Euro, we opted for Krakow.

Hosting the largest market square in Europe, being close to Auschwitz and looking very interesting we decided that Krakow was the place for us.  Also the price sold it to us as well.

When we showed Clare's Dad and Step-Mum what we had booked, they decided to join us as well, and then a couple of weeks later my Aunty and Partner decided that they were long overdue a treat as well.  However, they would be joining us later in the week and staying for a few extra days.

A couple of weeks before we were boarding the flight I checked the weather forecast and was a little shocked.  There was a wind coming from Russia and Siberia that was making the temperatures drop in Eastern Europe, the current temperature was -17 degrees Celsius.  I had never been in temperatures like this, and so the suitcases were emptied of all shorts and tshirts and big thick woollies and thermals shoved in as replacements.

When we arrived, the air hostess opened the plane doors, took a short breath and shut the door again saying, "Are you lot seriously going to get off?"  It was a bitter, freezing, -19, and yes we were getting off the plane.

We arrived at our hotel early, so the room was not ready for another couple of hours, so we all decided to jump on the tram into the main square and go and get lunch.  The main square (Rynek Glowny) in Krakow is simply stunning, with St Mary's Basillica over looking and shops and restaurants around the perimeter I can imagine it bustling and buzzing during summer, in the current temperature, we were not hanging round to find out.

Our hotel was very basic with mainly just a bed, radiator and shower (just what we needed).  The radiator was on full whack and the shower nice and hot.  Anna, the hotel reception clerk was awesome, so full of information and guides we basically relied on her for all her knowledge.

The morning after, the temperature had dropped further and we sent a little message to my auntie over-emphasising the importance of extra layers.  We had become a massive fan of the hot mead and hot chocolate and become experts at wearing all our clothes at once.

The food in Krakow cannot be missed, from Pork Hocks to amazing goulash and not forgetting the Soup In Bread.  Every meal we had was a delight, and only cost us a couple of pounds each, food and drink is so cheap in Krakow

We had a couple of trips booked, the first being Auschwitz (Birkenau I & II), Clare, her Dad and I went to the camps not really knowing what to expect.  This is probably one of the most eariest and solemn places I have been to.  It was an emotionally draining day that I would insist all visitors to Poland must see.  The first camp is more of a museum tour showing the early stages of arrival and work carried out till the inevitable chambers, Birkenau II, was so moving.  We walked the full stretch of the train line with the tour guide and then he told us to return to the main station and he would meet us there.  With the wind chill and minus temperatures, when we reached the designated spot our faces were frostbitten, it was measuring -25.  The tour guide reminded us that we were all there in thermals and multiple layers, yet the residents of Birkenau II wore nothing more than cotton pyjama's


Our second trip was to the Salt Mines, venturing miles underground and seeing structures that we could not comprehend this deep down.  Terry (Clare's Dad) was always inspecting the supporting joists by giving them a little tap as we went past.  This gave us all a sense of how deep we were.  The only way out of the Salt Mines was via a cramped elevator shaft, we were packed in and launch up the shaft to the fresh air, which we were all glad to see.  Although, deep in the mines we had taken off coats, hats, gloves, jumpers etc, they quickly were replaced.


My Auntie and Partner had turned up in full fluff and warmth and were straight into the flow of the city, Polish beers, vodka shops and gorgeous food, what more could we ask for.

I fell in love with Krakow, the food is amazing, the city is simply stunning and the atmosphere (although very cold) was a joy to be in.  I knew I would be returning to Krakow, although, maybe when it was a little warmer

An American Road Trip: Part 5: Vegas

Day 10 - 14 Las Vegas
Hotel: MGM Grand

The Road Trip so far had brought some of the most memorable experiences of my life, and as I woke on the morning of my birthday I knew that the day would bring another.  How many times could a guy from Manchester drive to Las Vegas on his birthday.  This was a birthday I will never forget.

When we arrived at the MGM Grande, my family back at home had sent us a voucher to congratulate us on our engagement, to be spent on either food or a show.  My brother also requested that when we get to our room we should drop him a text so he could ring us.

The MGM Grand is huge, absolutely massive! It took us at least 30 minutes to get from the lobby to our room.  The size and scale of this hotel was a little daunting, even though we had been to Vegas just a week earlier.  When we checked into our room, we had a little chat with the family, checked up on Baby Lisa and then out onto the strip we went.  On the first week in Vegas, we had tried to stay at the top end of the strip so that once we returned we could see the hotel nearer to the MGM.  Our first stop, because it was my birthday request, was for Hot Wings and Key Lime Pie in Hooters.

We then went off to see the newly refurbished Tropicana, The New York New York and a new group of hotels that when I came to Vegas in 2009 were still just metal structures with no fascia.    The Aria, Cosmopolitan, Crystal and YSL are phenomenal.  Both beautiful inside and out.

Clare had bought me a Grand Canyon trip for my birthday, but we got a phone call in the morning to let us know the President Obama was coming to town and all flights were grounded.  So we decided a little walk to the Vegas Sign would be a lovely treat.  It looks a lot closer than it actually is.

On our way to the airport that evening,we passed Limo-One, the Presidential Limousine and gave Mr Obama a little wave.  The flight over the Grand Canyon was something I had always wanted to do and was as breathtaking as I thought it would be.  In our little tiny but very noisy plane, we flew over Vegas, out to the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead and then on to the Canyon itself.  The pictures do not really give it justice, it mainly looks like huge rocky caverns and crevices, but it is an amazing sight.  On our return flight to Vegas, as we had taken the later journey we saw the sun set over Sin City.

After an amazing day, there was only one way we could end it. Still wearing jeans and Tshirt from our trip we were sat at our table in Wolfgang Puck's restaurant surrounded by suits, ball gowns and high rollers.  The waiter looked a little cranky as we refused the Wine List and just asked for two beers.  When he came to take our order though his demeanor changed.  Two of the most expensive steaks please and serve them bloody.  The Kobe steak I had was THE BEST steak I have ever, and will ever, have!  Clare had a blue cheese sauce on hers which I could have had on it's own.  My mouth is watering now as I type

Clare had really wanted to go and see M&M world, and all three floors of it, since we had arrived in Vegas, so me being the perfect fiancee willing took her to see this delight.  M&M brand on everything you can imagine and some things you can't.

Our amazing holiday was coming to a close and we had seen and done so much.  We were both looking forward to coming home knowing that the next twelve months were going to be pretty hectic with wedding planning.  At the start of our holiday (before Clare knew about the proposal) Clare had decided that the winner of the two week game of Uno should choose the next holiday destination. This meant, as the winner, I could choose and it was going to be our honeymoon.  

As the plane started it's pre-flight checks and made it's way towards the runway, I bade farewell to this great city and promised I would be back, but this fell onto deaf ears as Clare was already asleep.

An American Road Trip: Part 4: Palm Springs

Day 8 - 10 Palm Springs
Hotel: Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Hotel

The closer we got to the hotel, the further up the Fahrenheit chart the temperature went, and not being able to find the hotel was also raising the heat in the car.  We stopped off at a little diner to see if they could offer directions but struggled to put our feet on the floor.  The time was approaching 12:00 and the temperature was 108 degrees.

When we eventually found the hotel I needed a shower,  the shower in the room was so powerful it pinned me to the back wall and took off the top layer of skin.  It was awesome. So awesome in fact that as soon as I came out of the shower, I told Clare how amazing it was, and then went straight back in the shower.

The Desert Springs was an idyllic oasis in the middle of nowhere, the views from our room was palm tree, palm tree, palm tree, huge dune, palm tree, palm tree.  You really got the feeling of isolation from everywhere, it was so relaxing, but really hot.

Palm Springs for us was a total relaxation in the middle of a hectic holiday and it was a welcome break.  The pools were beautiful, the grounds of the hotel very picturesque and the lobby full of tweeting parrots and birds.

On our first night we ventured towards the local restaurants and decided to go for a City Wok meal, this was probably the worst meal of the holiday but we were not expecting much and I was too hot to care.  Back to the hotel and a few cocktails later, I really didn't care, but I was still hot, time for a shower.

The second day was pretty much the same, relaxing by the pool, few cocktails and a buffet meal in the hotel and a shower, our relax time was coming to an end.  In the morning we were to return to Las Vegas.

An American Road Trip; Part 3: San Diego

Day 6 - 8
Hotel: Grand Hyatt Manchester

Once we had left the hustle and bustle of the LA roads, the tension seemed to ease and life seemed much more relaxed.  San Diego was seemingly a chilled out place.

As we walked into the Grand Hyatt Manchester we were stunned into silence.  An awesome building with a spectacular lobby and being upgraded to a corner room with a view on the 20th floor was just an added bonus.

When Clare and I entered our room for the next few days we were just dumbstruck.  Each window brought us a new vista, something amazing, and something to say Wow at.  From the Harbour to Disney's Port to Down Town San Diego we knew the next few days were going to be interesting.

We unpacked our things and then went off for a mooch around to get our bearings.  My first point of call, being a geek, was the San Diego Convention Centre were the ComicCon takes place every year.  We the wondered down to one of the ports of SD which we later found out was designed by Mr Disney himself.  All of this small tour was done with our room towering above us.  The Hyatt Manchester is not a building you can miss.

There is a hop-on, hop-off bus service in San Diego that takes in most of the sights and a driver that is knowledgeable on everything San Diegan.  From the Gasworks around Balboa Park, Little Italy and across to Coronado Island.  San Diego is a fantastic city with something for everyone.  That night, we decided to venture to Little Italy for a pizza and back to the hotel for an early night.

The morning after we had booked to go on the SEAL, an aquatic bus tour of the island.  Again, we had a little tour of the main city with more information about buildings and filming locations, but then the fun started.  Our tour bus was also a boat and into the water we went.  The local seals were straight at our side whilst the huge sea lions just hooted and hollered from the jetties. 

Back to Disney Port for a coffee and then the Hyatt for a catch up nap we switched on the TV and this is where Clare got hooked on two TV shows.  The first we have since started to watch in the UK was Storage Wars, auctions of abandoned storage units and the money that can be made from it and The hunt for Baby Lisa.  Whilst we were in America a tiny baby girl, Lisa, had been "pinched" from her home at 10pm and no one knew were she was.  Immediately the finger was pointed at the parents, but as the story went on more suspects came into the spotlight.

We decided for an evening meal we would venture into the Old Town via the tram, this was like walking back in time and into a Sergio Leone movie.  The roads in old town are just like you would expect from the Wild West, the old church, the Mexican feel to the shops and restaurants, we loved it. The Fajita's and beer I had that night will possibly rank as the best Fajita's I have had.

In the morning we were due to leave for our next destination, Palm Springs, but we really did not want to leave this fantastic city, so we ventured up to Balboa Park again and then over to Old Town for breakfast.




Our time had to come to and end eventually, and off we set towards the desert.

An American Road Trip: Part 2: Los Angeles

Day 4 - 6
Hotel: Angeleno, Los Angeles

As we left Vegas behind for our 300 mile journey through the desert we had to keep our eyes open just in case we found a specific diner my dad had asked us to call in to.  He had told us that there is a 50's style diner somewhere between Vegas and LA that sells route 66 memorabilia.  He was unsure of the name, location, and if it actually existed.  It did, and it was pretty much the only diner we saw, and it had the largest sign saying "Peggy Sue's 50's Diner"....we assumed that this would be the place.

The closer we got to the City of Angels, the heavier the traffic got, and so did the road rage.  Honking horns, busy freeways and drivers who refused to let you into their lane.  Driving was not fun.  As we arrived at the hotel, we noticed serious roadworks had begun on the adjoining bridge.  After an hour of very stressful driving we made it and I needed to relax.

On our first night we braved the freeway again and stressed our way to Hollywood boulevard. Bill Clinton was in town so the traffic near the Hollywood Bowl was carnage, and not good for this first timer.  Catching the Hollywood sign, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Star Walk, the Kodak Theatre and a brisk encounter with 'the hood'.





In the morning we decided to go to universal studios early to avoid another stressful journey and grab a drink in Starbucks on Universal City Walk.

We then ventured into Universal Studios, our first stop was the Star Tours bus ride which took us round various sets from the Universal Backlot, including Amity Island, Hill Valley and Skull Island. The King Kong 3d section was fantastic.  Clare loved the Simpson;s ride after panicking all the time in the queue that she would be scared, she absolutely loved it.



The Jurassic Park ride was Clare's limit and after going on this there was a collective decision for now more big rides.  Universal Studios is a brilliantly entertaining place, fun of thrills, laughs and memorabilia, great for movie buffs like myself or those engaged to them.  We decided to grab our evening meal here to avoid rush hour traffic (or any traffic) and ate at Tony Roma's which was one of Clare's favourite meals of the holiday.

We had bought a 2 day pass to Universal Studios so decided to avoid the traffic again and do the same thing, so off we tottered early morning back to city walk.  The tour took a different route, we saw more things that we had missed the day earlier and we grabbed an evening meal at Bubba Gump Shrimp, Go Forrest!

The morning we were due to leave LA we set off into thick fog, with the let down of the Hollywood sign, the star walk being filthy and the general traffic of LA, we were happy to leave, but didn't know what to expect in San Diego.

An American Road Trip: Part 1: Vegas

Day 1 to 4: Las Vegas

Having spent my 30th Birthday in Vegas, I really wanted to take Clare to see that bright lights city and have some fun.

As Clare had never been to America, we decided that a road trip would be one of the best ways to take in Nevada and California and see the sights.

Hotel: The Mirage

We arrived in McCarren airport a little tired after one long flight.  I had pretty much watched films all the way there, whilst Clare decided to chip her tooth on a Curly-Wurly.  We collected our bags and our transport for the holiday and set off to the Vegas Strip.

Having never driven in a foreign country before, joining the 8 lanes of traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard was a vast learning curve, to which I made a couple of wrong turns into the wrong hotels, but on the whole I think I did pretty well.
When we arrived at the Mirage,we were upgraded to a Strip facing room and we settled in...until Clare realised that she didn't have her purse.  I remembered seeing it on the back seat of the new car so off I ran to the car park.  If you haven't been to Vegas then the size and scale of the hotels will be a little lost on you, but to say I ran for 30 mins would be a good guess.  Just before I entered the Car Park I noticed someone I recognised, "Morning Ray", I said, to which Mr Ray Liotta replied, "Morning".  With not much more than a nod and a wink and carried on to my destination to retrieve the elusive purse.

Feeling pretty out of it due to the massive time difference, we ventured onto the Strip to take in the sites around The Mirage.  The Venetian, Caesars, Bellaggio and Paris were our main points of visit, and I think Clare was in shock for most of the morning and afternoon as she didn't say much more than Wow or Woah.  After a big slot machine win for Clare and a burger we decided to call it a night and retire.

Morning two and we felt very refreshed and took in the sites of The Mirage Secret Garden, Bellagio Fountains and a few more of the hotels, only to decide to have a little siesta in the afternoon as the time difference was still haunting us.  We set our alarms, but they were useless.  We awoke to the sounds of a volcanic eruption of an epic magnitude, the show at The Mirage.  We quickly got up, realising that we had been asleep for hours and went to the Paris for a superb meal.

When we returned to our room that night, with the emotion of the Vegas Strip, the romantic meal we had just had and the fact that Clare was enjoying herself so much, I invited her to the window to take in how lucky we actually were.  This was when I got down on one knee and proposed to Clare asking her to be mine forever.  She said yes!


The day after we were on a high, so went to the highest place in Vegas, The Stratosphere, which involved walking past quite a few "walk through wedding chapels", we were very tempted but knew our family would love to be part of the big day.  Breakfast in the Circus Circus (I knew how to spoil my fiancee!), and Mexican in the Treasure Island for our evening meal, our first few days were over and in the morning we needed to head off to our next destination.