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.

Punta Cana (Domincan Republic) December 2012

Hotel: Ocean Blue and Sand, Punta Cana

After winning the 2 week game of Uno and being able to decide the next holiday, I was happy to choose the destination for our honeymoon.

The two options were Cuba or The Dominican Republic.  After the hectic year of wedding planning, I opted for a more relaxed holiday rather than a sight seeing one and Dominican was decided.

Still buzzing from our wedding and loving the fact we were now Mr and Mrs Davies we arrived at the Ocean Blue and Sand, an idyllic resort hotel and spa, all inclusive with 7 Al a Carte Restaurants. A Steak House, Italian, American Diner, Dominican, Seafood, Mexican, and Buffet, the choice for food every night was delightful.

Days consisted of waking and going for breakfast buffet, sitting by the pool all day drinking Coco Loco's and other cocktails, having a little bite to eat for lunch, returning to our room to freshen up and then out for our evening meal followed by cabaret entertainment, it was heaven.

On our second morning, we rose slightly early and went to the beach to watch the sun rise.  As I sat there with my wife, looking out into the ocean waiting for the big red ball of light to rise from the depths, I was in awe, life was perfect.

After a couple of days in the glorious sunshine, Clare retired for an afternoon siesta, but a few moment later returned as white as a sheet.  I rushed back to the room with her to see what had caused the initial shock.  A packet of cigarettes lay on the bathroom counter, however the contents were not tobacco.  After trying to explain to hotel security that the drugs were not ours we were quickly moved to another room within the complex.

We partook in a couple of excursions whilst here to break up the long relaxing days of doing nothing much at all.  Our first trip was a swimming lesson with Sharks and Stingrays, a booze cruise and then a Seal Show.  The Sharks were quite subdued as they may have eaten the previous group, however the Stingrays that effortlessly passed underneath you casting a huge black shadow were frightening enough.  Once one of these behemoth creatures had passed beneath Clare she was slightly reluctant about being in the water with them and started to panic a little.  I wouldn't admit it at the time, but I think I was feeling a little the same.

Our second trip was Dune Buggies and a relax on a beautiful white sand beach before venturing to a cave lagoon, again with a few Cuba Libre's on hand.  Whilst we were at the lagoon, I was getting ready for a little dip and realised someone was already in the pool swimming around, that person was Clare.  The water must have looked that inviting that she just jumped right in.

Our final trip was a booze cruise with a difference, like no other.  Our destination was an Island off the Dominican called Isla Sona.  For those "non-geeks" out there, Isla Sona is the second site used in Jurassic Park: The Lost World.  We were joined on this cruise by Papa & Mama Venezuela and their lovely children, a couple from Sweden who had moved to live about 5 miles away from us (small world), a couple from Portugal and the "happiest" couple on the planet who had come along from our hotel.  It was like a world summit on one boat with Cuba Libre.  At the start of the journey each country stuck together due to language issues, on the return journey it did not matter, the power of Cuba Libre had resolved all language barriers and the dancing ensued.


It was whilst in the Dominican Republic and chatting with Clare that the 40 before 40 was born.  I had seen the sunrise, cuddled a monkey, swam with sharks, been married for over two weeks and life was just full of great things to come.

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