Sorrento - Italy

With our last few excursions devoid of sunshine it was time to top up the tan, head for sunnier climates and bring out the shorts and t shirts instead of woolly jumpers.

Our original intentions were to head over to the North of Italy as it is a place that Clare is vastly eager to get to and having visited to South of Italy for family commitments, a definite desired destination for myself.  The Lakes would have to wait a little longer though, because I would be treading on dodgy ground if I took Baby I to Italy for her first visit without going to see family.

We know Sorrento like the back of our hand and the transport (local trains) are so easy to navigate you can get pretty much anywhere in the Campania region.  After 2 previous visits to The Majestic Palace we could not stay at any other hotel and be given the same quality of food or service, so going against all our plans of seeing new places, we booked in.

A lot has changed since our last holiday in the world of Baby I, she has now found her feet, voice and understanding.  Restraints are the worst thing in the world, prams, high chairs and cuddles stop her from exploration (and mischief) but with her new love of her back pack and reigns and the freedom around the hotel we tried to accommodate this passion.

Arriving at the Majestic Palace was like coming back home, we were greeted at the check in desk like old friends and walking into the restaurant to see Vicenzo still in charge, who recognised us instantly, showed us how valued we were as guests.  Bringing along my Mum, Dad, Aunties and Uncles for the holiday meant that our party was just a little more special.


Our first day was planned to be relaxed and to get our bearings.  Walking the familiar streets back to Piazzo Tasso (the main square), ambling down the gulleys and taking in local delicacies (gelato at Davide's).  We ate in the park whilst chasing pigeons, dipped our feet in the hotel pool (the water was freezing) and started our love of Italian food at the evening meal.

As part of a birthday treat/holiday treat, we had booked in for an Italian Cooking course at a genuine Italian Restaurant.  Preparing 5 courses from scratch to finally enjoy our handy work with local wine and limoncello.  We started with making egg pasta which needed at least 2 hours to settle.  With the dough divided between all the students we pressed, pushed and kneaded the gluton to the right consistency.  Next on the list was the Bolognese sauce; this was cooked by the head chef himself whilst we wrote down the ingredients and method.  Hearing the garlic and onions should never be in the same pan surprised me no end. Whilst the sauce was then left to stew for another couple of hours, we proceeded onto another course, the desert.  Not being a fan of Tiramasu, I was a little sparing with the amount of coffee I put in, Clare on the other hand....I must admit, when we had completed our masterpieces, they did look rather tempting.  But, they needed refrigerating for later, so onto the next course.  Chicken Scalopina are thin slices of chicken cooked in flour with mozerella, sauce and tomato.  Once cooked, they could be put to one side and then reheated when necessary, for our meal.  Before bringing out the egg pasta for the grand reveal, we had bruschetta with tomato, olives, oil, garlic, and cheese.  With a tot of wine, the taste was divine.  This only wet my taste buds for the meal ahead of us.

When the egg pasta dough was brought out of the cooling zone, it stood as a proud mess.  Far from the final result of Tagliatelle, there was a lot of work to do, and Clare was one of the delegates who were chosen to feed the dough through the pasta machine time and time again.  This was great entertainment watching the feeding team grow and grow with each pass.  What started with 1 soon progressed to 4 and continued until students were running out of room in the kitchen.  William (Head Chef) kept the frivolities going through the whole process but also made sure that rules were followed to make sure the pasta retained its consistency.

Once the pasta was at the right thickness it was down to slicing, hanging and then cooking.

The spare parts of egg pasta remaining were portioned into ravioli with 3 cheese fillings.

The whole meal came together with little hiccups, we sat outside and enjoyed every course knowing that it was all freshly prepared, full of flavour and perfectly finalised with limonchello.
I would recommend this course to anyone who is in the Sorrento Area.

The next few days were busy times

Firstly we headed to Pompeii, to which Baby I decided to flash a group of passing tourists and nuns outside the Basilica! We lit a candle for her brother and our son, Spud who will be with us on ever journey we make.

Our main reason to head to the South of Italy again was to let baby I meet the family.  Our journey to the famiglia, altough only 30km away is never easy.  First from Sorrento to Pompeii, across pompeii to another train station, from Pompeii to Salerno and then the metro over to family.  A 3 and a half hour journey, in Italian heat, with a little baby....not the easiest.

 Thankfully, there were grandparents, uncles and aunties on hand for support. Firstly we visited Zia Angelina and Zio Matteo, joined by cousin Tonino and Rosaria.  Baby I was on form, but must have been confused with all the language change.  Next was on to Zio Mario, my cousin Sabrina had decided to top up her tan, so unfortunately we missed her on this visit.  We then nipped down to pay our respects to Zio Vincenzo who had sadly passed away to the vineyard in the sky.  His botch area, to which I hold great and fond memories had grown over.  This was heartbreaking to see, but as I said, we still had the memories of playing botch whilst being bitten numerous times by mosquito's.

Finally, we knew the only way to mark our visit back home was to nip into Giardino Degli Dei. The family restaurant with the greatest Pizza and Mozzerella on the planet (in my opinion).  This place will always have great memories for myself and I hope that in years to come Isabella will venture back there for further pizza (and maybe take her dear old Dad).

The journey back to Sorrento was again, long and arduous, but we had done what we intended, taken Isabella back to her roots.  It was just unfortunate that some family members had other plans.  As we decide to see the rest of the world, it may be a few more years until we venture back.

After our long day of trapsing across the coastline, we all needed a little rest so hired a boat and captain to take us on a coastal tour of Sorrento.  With Capri on one side and the stunning Sorrentine peninsula on the other, doused in glorious sunshine, we were truly blessed. We had the chance to have a little splash in the sea in a little alcove, taste some more Limoncello and relax to take in the views.




I am happy to tick Sorrento of the visiting list now and see what the rest of Italy has to offer.  The Lemons of Sorrento will always hold a special place in our hearts, but it is time to venture further North.

Riga, Latvia

We arrived at Riga Airport and for the second time that day I was asked, "Why are you bringing a baby to Riga?", my response was the same each time.  " I am showing my daughter the world"

After the successful little trip to a familiar city, Krakow, we had now entered unknown territory, The Baltics.  Riga had cropped up on the cheap flights suggestions and we are always up for venturing to new shores.  One thing we had learnt though, was hotel rooms are difficult with a tiny, little monster so this time round we had opted for an apartment.  This is the future!

As we arrived at Riga Apartment Sonada, we quickly realised the benefits of booking a larger space. With a vast dining/living area, Baby I was able to scoot around and have a much freedom as we deemed safe.  With us having this living space instead of a hotel room, it gave us an area for Baby I to play in, but also cooking facilities, a place to eat, and a kitchen to prepare food for baby.  There was a separate bunk bed bedroom and 2 pull out sofa beds in the living room.

We decided to venture out towards Old Town as this is where Trip Advisor had recommended.  All wrapped up we started our long walk down Gertudes, but it seemed longer than planned.  Once we arrived at Hero's Monument, we headed into the cobbled streets and narrow alleyways of the Old Town.  Within minutes, we felt lost, confused and underwhelmed.  This city centre hosted a warren of streets, squares, passages, buildings that looked like they had been randomly placed and square upon square.  We both decided that after a long day we should head back, grab some food along the way and then settle in for the night, gain our bearings and then head off fresh in the morning.

Riga city is true to it's origins with the buildings and feel, but it seems to have been a little over run with the "standard" food eateries.  When abroad, I like to eat as the locals do, drink as the locals do and experience true experiences.  Most of the restaurants were American steak houses, TFI Fridays, Italian, Greek, nothing from Latvia.  This is obviously prevalent of  a Capital City and I knew we would have to search for the true Latvian cuisine.

One group of restaurants that had been recommended were the Lido's.  A buffet style, grab a tray, choose your food and take it to your table establishment, but more traditional food could be sampled. I opted for some stuffed chicken, which was a little too heavy for me, but Clare's "meat wrapped in cabbage" was lovely.  Baby I had a few nibbles of veg, but was ready for home.




In the morning, after a hearty breakfast for all, we decided to head over to Central Market.  Quoted as
the largest Market in Europe, I cannot argue with this statement.  Housed in multiple old Zeppelin Hangers, each one hosting a different produce, this was vast.  Outside each hanger are more stalls, fruit vendors, clothes, cakes, and Latvian mittens.  We first entered the "Meat" hanger.  Every single cut of meat, offal, and mystery meat was on display, there was not a single ounce animal wasted, every morsel was available to purchase.  As we wondered round, I started to play a game of "Name the meat!", I failed miserably.

Once we had found the beer hanger and I had purchased some local ale, it was time to head towards the Old Town again.  Maybe this time, in the light, we would find ourselves easier.  Entering from a different direction did not help, within minutes we were ambling round with little purpose.  I am always up for an exploration, but the twists and turns were hard to manage.  We headed back to our apartment for a quick play break and then out to a local Lido for our evening meal.  Maybe tomorrow we would have better bearings.

I always enjoy a holiday run, and Latvia was no exception.  I had done my research and around the old town were a few scattered parks.  As it was Saturday morning I was happy to take part in a solo ParkRun.  On my return I found myself closer to the Apartment than I had thought, I had found a little shortcut home, Riga was starting to make sense.

Clare and I, the night before, had decided to conquer the Old Town and had downloaded a city walking tour guide (https://www.inyourpocket.com/riga/Old-Riga-walking-tour_71284f), and we had a plan.  It all began to make much more sense.  We navigated the streets, alleyways and cobbled pathways like professionals following our step by step, highlight by highlight guide.  Bastion Hill, The Powder House, Swedish Gate, Castle, Palace, House of the Blackheads, all ticked off in style without ever feeling lost.  We had claimed the city.  Once we had our bearings, Riga seemed to take on a whole new perspective, it is a stunning city, colourful, vibrant and still very random with it's building choices.  With only the lack of real Latvian cuisine still missing, we opted to eat at the Harley Davidson Riga Chapter house, I did have Latvian Black Pudding, but it lacked that authenticity.

Based on the success of the Walking Tour of Old Town, we obtained a Art Nouveau tour (https://www.inyourpocket.com/riga/Art-Nouveau-in-Riga_71844f) to see the wonderful, misplaced, random, gothic, buildings scattered on the outskirts of the city.  With buildings that looked like they would fit perfectly in a Grimm Fairytale, others that were so colourful on a plain coloured street, even buildings with Egyptian Sphinx on the exterior.  No street was the same, this was fascinating.  Again, Riga had taken on more in our minds, instead of looking down we were now looking up at all the buildings around.  Whilst on our little tour, we found a little authentic cuisine restaurant that looked appealing.  Right at the bottom of our street, although the street was a good mile long, it was still somewhere for our evening meal.

Clare opted for a chicken dish, covered in chicken broth and a large carrot cake to finish, whilst I had some pork delight after a delicious beetroot soup.  I was feeling satisfied with my meal so instead of dessert, I opted for the local Black Balsam liqueur as an aperitif, there was a little swaying on the way home.  An excellent meal, a little too nouvelle cuisine for our standards, but very tasty, we were both happy to have eaten here.

As we awoke on our final day in Riga, we started to wonder if someone had decided to turn the heating off during the night.  Somehow the last few days it had been -1 to -4 degrees celcius, but this morning it had dropped to -14. MINUS 14? Where did that come from?

We decided to head towards the local shopping galleries to stay in the warmth, but with both Clare and I having little interest in shopping, we were soon back outside and walking through the parks back to the familiar Old Town.  Today, it was too cold to be out and about mooching around the squares and streets so it was in and out of souvenir shops, liqueur shops (I had to get some Balsam to bring home) and chocolate shops, a quick bite to eat and then head back to the warmth of our apartment.

As the temperature failed to rise throughout the rest of the day, we decided to finalise our holiday with an all out meal at our local Lido.  3 course meal, chips for Baby I, drinks for both Clare and I and still change out of 20 euro, not bad at all.

What started as a little too daunting and seemingly void of personality became a stunning location full of character and charm.  Riga is a delight and a very interesting place to visit, one I am glad to have ticked off the list.

As we waited in the departure lounge, Baby I and Daddy had a little walk to burn some energy, one gentleman asked, "Why did you bring a baby to Riga at this time of year?", my reply was exactly the same....

"I want to show her the world!"

Krakow (December 2016) Poland

With 2017's destinations planned, we knew it was only right to get Baby I used to flying, holidays, hotels and different cuisines.  At only 10 months old, this was daunting for us as well as her.  We decided to return to a familiar location, one that we knew the hotel, knew the food and knew the city well enough to navigate round, Krakow.

An early morning get up interfered with all our sleep, and security at the Airport was not the quickest especially getting Baby I in and out of snow suits and collapsing the pram time and time again, not taking into account that I had been knocked off my bicycle only a couple of weeks before, so struggled to carry luggage or even help out.  Once we had cleared the final stages before we were due to relax, we noticed that there was no time for that as boarding had already commenced!

We boarded our flight in a fluster, disturbed a seated passenger to squeeze into our window seats and prepared for the horror that all other new parents had warned us of.  As we approached the runway, the plane engines revved and our little angel closed her eyes.  She fell asleep for pretty much the entire flight only to wake 15 minutes before landing.

Back to the Hotel Galicya, little had changed since our last visit, but that was what we wanted.  We donned our woollies and headed of toward the Rynek Glowny and the Christmas Markets.  Baby I has an aversion to hats and gloves in the UK, but we had hoped that the fresh cold air in Poland would give her incentive to keep warm.  How wrong we were! Within minutes of leaving the hotel, she was hatless and her little fingers exposed. An amble round the Christmas Markets, and a little hot drink for Clare, a piwo for me a couple of sandwiches for lunch and it was time to head back to the room. Baby I had not really eaten much, so we decided to chill out at the hotel after a long day and try to get some food down her.  Clare, whilst a rep in multiple holiday resorts, had advised parents on holiday with young children who were suffering with the change in climate and food to venture to a McDonald's "Restaurant".  Having not really ventured into this global franchise for a long time, I reluctantly ordered a Polish Happy Meal for my ailing princess.  Inside the Happy Meal was a 3D book for animals, all in Polish, and this was perfect for Baby I who loves books, it was reading it to her that was the problem.

We tried to incorporate new experiences in the already familiar location instead of continually treading old ground.  We had seen varying dragon designs on all the Christmas Markets and the Cloth Market on each time we had come to visit, but never really understood why.  So finding Smok the fire breathing dragon near Warwel Castle gave us a little insight, but why this is a staple character in the Krakowian fable lore, but, I am sure Google will help with that.  Our other new destination was Oskar Schindler's Faktory in the old part of the Jewish Quarter.  Looking at his life, Krakow and Poland through World War II and how the Jewish community was treated and how the Factory worked.  This was all vastly interesting, but also a little over powering.  One group of English Tourists complained about us taking Baby I there as it was "not a place to bring children".  First of all, was I supposed to leave her in a box outside for collection at a later time? Secondly, why should children be hidden from the past? This is something that never should be seen in her life and exposing her to harder times in life give her the strength to make positive decisions in life, plus she is 9 months old, so hardly at the life changing stage, she was happy to look at the lights!

Isabella started to eat fully again by the end of the week indulging on the Christmas Market delights and treats.  We had put her rosy cheeks down to the cold weather and her loss of appetite down to the country difference, but it turns out that she was teething and her 7th tooth was breaking through.  This also made us think that taking everything into account, she was a pretty good travel baby and we are looking forward to our next venture, our new country for the year.

Anglesey, Wales

Cottage: Tregynrig Bach

Our week long holiday on the Anglesey shores marked a new journey as a family.  Clare and I have been slowly marking off countries of the world but now we have a new addition to our globe trotting family.  We would love to instill the passion of travel and seeing the world into our daughter (Baby I), but thought we should take tiny steps to start with and leave the passports at home.

As we crossed the Menai Bridge into the quaint and laid back settings of the island we thought a stop off to stretch our legs was in order.  Our first destination was Llanfairpwlgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwilliantysiligogogoch, the longest town name in the UK and somewhere I will never be able to pronounce.  A quick chat with some Americans whilst Clare was doing a little shopping with Baby I and realised that our 2 hour journey paled into insignificance compared to the adventure that these intrepid Anglican Aficionado's had endured. They had just come from Scotland (Edinburgh), doing a whistle stop tour of Wales and then off to Ireland for a few days before returning and heading down to the Big Smoke to fly back to the Land of Hope and Glory. Baby I was happy for the break, but not so impressed with the town name, it was time to go and meet Grandad and Grandma..

Our second leg stretch was the coastal town of Beaumaris, pretty much every town in Anglesey is a coastal town, but Beaumaris is one of the larger and a good meeting point.  It was feeding time for all and when Baby I needs food, she needs food!  My policy has always been that whilst on holiday I eat as the locals eat and enjoy my time.  We are generally a healthy family but we work hard for our holidays and I do not like to restrict myself from delicacies....that saying, a few minutes later I was stuck in the longest queue in Wales at a local chippy (well, the fish was freshly caught!).

Clare was reminded of crab fishing off the pier whist on holiday with her grandparents, memories of dropping bacon into the sea waiting for the nip of a crawling critter.  These are always places of great memories and although a little tear came to her eye, she was happy to make new memories with Baby I and her adventures.

We finally arrived, early evening, at our abode for the next week.  A cosy cottage just outside of Cemaes Bay.  Tregynrig Bach.  As we entered the cottage the warm, friendly, yet lived in feel was great.  Nothing too grand that you would feel awkward to touch anything, but homely.  A sign above the log burning fireplace said Croeso, Welsh for welcome, and that was how we felt.

After a hearty chicken dinner, bath for baby I and our inaugural game of Nomination Whist, it was time for us to call this day to a close

Up early to watch the sunrise, both Baby I and myself crept around the house until the other residents arose.  Clare was feeling a little worst for wear (not relating to alcohol, but actually ill) so opted to sleep it off whilst I went to collect provisions for the week with my little helper.  The nearest large supermarket was around 20 miles away in Holyhead, so I thought I would make the most of it. Chewie had gone for a walk with Grandad, Grandma and their dog Pippa, so I had no pup to worry about. Unfortunately, Holyhead did not have much to offer in terms of sights, but we stopped off for dinner and a little amble round the retail park before returning to the fold.

Again, an ample feast, bath for Baby I and Nomination Whist ensued.

We headed over to the South Stacks area near Holyhead on Monday, firstly to a RSPB national park with scenic coastal walks. We opted for the South Stack walk originally, but with Baby I in her harness, when the terrain got a little rocky we decide to alter our route.  Tranquil, relaxing and lovely weather made our time here just what was needed.  Clare was a big fan of the South Stack area and fully intended to return, unfortunately, our time in Anglesey did not bring us back this way again.


We decided to drive across to South Stack Lighthouse and with high cliffs, RSPB bird watching centre, sheep hanging on for dear life and some adrenaline junkies abseiling.  The wind was a little blustery here, and although the sun shone, little Baby I's ears were getting cold.  She needed a hat, and not the summer hat we had brought with us.



The fresh air, sea breeze and long walk carrying Baby I had zapped our energy so it was time to return to the cottage for an ample feast, bath time and Whist, but not before one of the most impressive games of Jenga.  As each plank was removed and replaced the tower refused to fall.  Baby I was soon being passed around from parent to parent, grandparent to grandparent, no one wanted to be the one who toppled this Babelic Tower. The game went on for a good hour with toilet breaks called for to help with the tension and anxiety that was occurring.

Tuesday we headed towards Menai to see the bridge connecting to the Main Land.  There was not much to offer in regards to solice catering for dogs and babies so we decided to head to Beaumaris for lunch, this was after Baby I was fed on the car park, as I mentioned, when that girl wants food, she needs food! Clare fed her some green gloop whilst I acted as a chair.  Not the most glamorous of settings, but needs must. Over in Beaumaris, we found the nearest cafe with outside seating and I tucked into a little bara brith (when in Wales).  We then headed over to Puffin Island (or at least the view of the island), with the white stone shore and fresh air, Chewie was loving chasing each stone as if it was his favourite.  Our little puppy Chewie was beginning to suffer from all this excitement and really needed to sleep.  It must be time for an ample feast, a bath and some form of card game.

The next day, we made plans to go inland to start with, so headed to The Dingle (Nant Y Pandy).  A Woodland walk where the Red Squirrels roam free, unfortunately too freely as we didn't see any. They were probably scared off by the roaring sounds of flyby's from the local RAF base.  Tornado's were performing low level flights of the area, whooshing and swooping over our heads. Chewie was our focus today as he needed a little freedom and escape from Baby I's torment.  Clare chose the 1.5 mile route towards the reservoir and then headed back along the boardwalk towards the little village that sat on the perimetre.  When we returned to the car park, our little puppy had truly had enough.  Whilst Clare fed Baby I, he slept peacefully in one of the empty bays of the car park!

After lunch we headed to Rhosneiger on the opposite side of the island based on recommendations from a couple we met.  There was nothing much extra to see here, so we crossed the island once more to head towards home.

Whilst in Llanfair... Clare had bought a postcard of the island and very crudely it depicted a monolithic structure called "Ty Newydd".  Filled full of excitement and intrigue hoping for a Stonehenge replica we scoured the land with our very untrustworthy map.  Moments later I saw the sign, "Ancient Monument" and pulled the car over into a safe lay by.  After trekking through mounds of cow pats I arrived and was deeply let down.  A pile of bricks, nothing more, nothing less, and it hardly looked ancient.

The day earlier I had been for a run and stumbled across a little church built in 440AD hanging on a cliff edge.  Being only minutes away from our abode, I took the family for a little visit.  A stunning little hideaway was only made more surreal by a school of dolphins swimming by below in the sea solely for us to see.

After an eventful day it was time to return to our council but unfortunately our back door key failed to work and with the grandparents out at Red Wharf Bay we decided that an impromptu picnic was in order.  The crisp, drink and a block of bara brith were opened.  Thankfully we were only homeless for about an hour and were soon back in the warmth of our abode partaking in an ample feast, bath and a little game of cards. Nomination Whist anyone?

The morning after we decided to take in the local town of Cemaes Bay and then venture towards Holyhead again, possibly for the South Stacks walk taking in a couple of the bay's enroute.  Stopping at Church Bay we suddenly found ourselves stuck on a dirt track road having to turn round and head back to civilisation. Stopping off for lunch at a local cafe, we planned our next location.  Using Clare's trusty postcard map we decided to head towards Moelfre for a little dip in the Irish Sea.

Once Baby I had splashed her toes in the refreshing waves, I tempted Chewie to do the same.  I think the initial shock was something he could not contemplate as he had never been swimming before and especially in such frosty water, but moment later he was back in loving every minute. Clare had heard that there was a coastal walk towards a RNLI centre just up the road, so we thought an investigation would be worthwhile.  With Baby I just learning her new skill of waving, the residents were blessed with royal waves as we made our way up the path. Only a few minutes later we were making our way back to the main road and more waves for the locals.

We headed back to Tregynrig Bach early in the evening ready for another full night, what had we got planned? Bath, Feast and Whist?

Our final full day and it seemed that the weather gods knew it.  The winds had picked up and the temperature had dropped.  Our first port of call was Red Wharf Bay, but with Baby I struggling to breath in the hurricane head winds and Chewie being used as a kite, it was suggested to head to a more built up area for solace.  Again, the regular feel of Beaumaris called and we sat on the main square feeding dogs, baby and ourselves.  Finally we returned to Moelfre for another splash in the sea for Chewie and Pippa.  With intentions of packing and preparing for our journey home in the morning we decided to call it in early and head back to the cottage.  A final ample feast, deciding game of cards and big bath for Baby I.

With a week of walks, fresh air, tranquil surrounds, family days out and warm nights in, it was definitely what our little family needed.  Both our lives are chaotic at the moment looking after Baby I and even though we would not change a single thing, during the week we very rarely get to actually spend time together.  Normally one of us is either entertaining Baby or making tea or just recovering from a hectic day.  Our family week brought us all together and focused the time solely on us.


On the way home we decided to break the journey up and call in to see Granny Sue and Grandad Kev over in North Wales at their weekend retreat.  I think they would have been pretty upset if we hadn't called by with Baby I.  With a treat of Scouse and more toys than she could ever wish for, Baby I was tired out and ready for home.

Baby I truly loved her time away with new foods, dance lessons every night from Grandad, and obviously time with Mummy, Daddy and Chewie Dog.  We are now fully ready to test out her passport and take her to see the world

Sliema, Malta

Sliema, Malta February 2016

Whilst looking for countries to run my marathon in, Clare found the Malta Marathon was around the date I was looking, reasonable temperature and a decent location to spend a week holiday as well…and we found it for a great price.  Booked and ready to go, there was pretty much nothing stopping us from going.  Then we had some great news, Clare was pregnant, and was due the day of the Marathon.

Malta was put on the back burner but not cancelled.  Our past history with pregnancy had been tumultuous at best, but as the months went by things were looking more promising to our family being blessed.  On the 17^th February 2016, Isabella was born.

Knowing how much training I had put in for this and the fact that I wanted to tick the marathon box complete and move on from the ridiculous distance, Clare pushed me to the airport.  I was off, without my family to spend a week in Sliema.

For the full details of the marathon please see my blog relating to that, this is about the holiday itself and what we did around the big day.

I had read that the temperature was going to be around 14 degrees, but the country had seen a unprecedented lack of rain and increasing heat, we were not complaining.  Checking into the basic but perfectly situated Carlton Hotel, I settled in for the night.

 Located in Balluta Bay, the Carlton Hotel was nothing too fancy, but exactly where we wanted to be.  Sea front views, ideal transport options and close to the start/finish line for the big run.  One of the first things I noticed was the amount of runners plodding up and down the coast.  The pavement was covered in healthy people!

Heading into Sliema around the coast we headed to check out the start/finish line so I knew where I would be heading in the early hours of the morning, grabbing a bite to eat on the way back and then into St Julians bay in the evening for a recommended meal at The Band Club.  Each district in Malta has a Band Club which organises local events and is a general meeting place for town folks, it had been recommended to us by local legend Big Eddie, a dear family friend who moved out to the small island a couple of years ago…but more on him later.

Sunday was Marathon day and was pretty much taken up by a 26.2 mile run meeting great people and struggling in the heat.  You can read more on this on my marathon posts, but rest assured once we had finished the run I quaffed a pint of Guinness in the Black Gold bar (again recommended by Big Eddie) and went back to the hotel to freshen up.  The showers at the Carlton hotel were incredible in the morning, however, in the afternoon the water pressure and temperature is something questionable.  This was not what I wanted after feeling as terrible as a did, but a cold trickle was all that could be mustered and endured.  Feeling a little under the weather, I ventured towards St Julians again (which because of all the Bays looping in and out, is a fair walk) where I met run friend John and his wonderful Mrs.  They live near one of our favourite destinations, Gadgrith, and I would love to meet up with them when we venture back oop North, even if John is a lot quicker than me with his run legs he is always up for a jaunt.  That night, still struggling from the fete tackled in the morning I ate my body weight in burger.  Known as the Double Big Daddy Burger, I sat looking at the behemoth burger unsure of how to tackle it.  My brain was not at full capacity so I just pushed it over and use a knife and fork…

The next morning we had decided to take in some of the sights and head to Valetta.   This fabulous city is on the crest of a hill and once you are in the centre, everything is up and down.  My legs were not having a great time but I struggled on.  I was not too happy though when my dad got lost on the outskirts of the city and we walked the full circumference.  A little sense of humour failure.  Valetta followed the same style that was evident throughout Malta, it is a lovely place but not yet finished.  I would love to own a scaffolding or crane hire company in Malta, it would be an absolute gold mine.  The main cathedral is recommended by Trip Advisor as one of the main points to see, but we struggled to take in its grandeur behind the steel tubes that adorned it.

We ate at another Big Eddie recommended restaurant that evening, and possibly the largest steak I had ever seen.  My folks had the ribs which struggled to fit on a serving plate.  These recommendations were far exceeding expectations.  Andrew’s Bar was the host restaurant for the Italian Big Brother housemates, but apparently they had caused a few too many arguments last season so will not be welcome back last time.  They are definitely missing on out some quality food there!

Tuesday saw us heading to the start line of the Malta Marathon, Mdina, the silent city.  Situated on the top of Malta there is a 360 view of the island.  An absolutely stunning place with far less scaffolding than elsewhere.  We ate in the neighbouring town of Rabat, rushed back to Mdina for a whistle stop tour before catching the hourly bus back to St Julians.  We had planned to stay longer, but with a meal booked at the Band Club we were pressed for time and needed to get back and freshen up.  A great meal with Eddie and Debs, and their half marathon running friends Karle and Vicki, but I was really struggling with legs and energy.

Wednesday my legs were feeling a little better, so I joined Vicki and Karle for a run around the bays.  I say run, it was definitely a quick hobble, but it was still great to be back out there.  Running around the bays seemed so much easier than the views I have at home, it seemed so much more refreshing.  I had opted for a nice relaxing day and let my folks venture off on their own.  The days of circumnavigating the country had taken its toll and I was happy to chill in the bay.  We opted for an Italian meal to close out the night at Sardinella.

On our final day, and I met up with John for a final run of the holiday.  Again, looping the bays but this time at a quicker pace.  Not by my choice, but with the intention of keeping up with a  far better runner than myself.

Big Eddie opted to be our tour guide with a difference for the afternoon whilst his wonderful wife Debs was working he took us on magical mystery tour of the little island.  There is a saying on the island that everywhere is 15 minutes away.  We pretty much covered the south of Malta with ease and venturing only minutes away from our starting point.  Our first port of call was …. Were we met a fantastic character that was f-ing and jeffing to my parents within minutes whilst explaining her experience of the UK (especially the Liverpool area).  This story was fantastic, and listening to it with a Maltese twist only made it more entertaining.  We sat down for a little drink and was adorned with tasty nibbles from our flowery language host.

Another 15 minute drive took us to …., a fantastic, quaint, laid-back, tourist free zone.  Stunning marina views and tranquil surroundings.  Again, the host of the bar we entered knew our tour guide as it seems so does everyone in Malta, he is big character that cannot hide in the background.  Chatting about the Maltese way, we whittled away the afternoon with a beer and a sandwich. 

That evening we were treated to dinner with Eddie and Debbie at their sea view apartment, chatting about future plans, family and adventures that Eddie had been on, this was a fantastic close to an enjoyable break. 

As enjoyable as the holiday was, full of adventure, new friends and challenges, I knew where I had to be.  Two people were looking forward to my return, two princesses needed me to come back and take on the greatest role in life.

Maiori & Salerno (Italy) June 2015

Hotel - La Dolce Vita, Maiori

We had been invited to my cousin Toni and Rosaria's 25th Wedding Anniversary party which originally had been planned for Tuesday 23rd June, but due to planning issues and his son not being around on that day, the party was moved to the Thursday.  Unfortunately, this change happened after we had booked our flights to Italy, returning home on the morning of the party.

So we decided to have a little tour of the Salerno/Amalfi coast and make the most of a holiday, whilst also seeing family.  Best of both worlds.

About 15 years earlier, I had gone on a little bike ride with a friend from Salerno to Amalfi along the infamous coastline, and I always remember a few stops we made en route.  One of these was a little town called Maiori.  With very little English tourists, it is a real Italian holiday destination. I suggested this location to Clare and she worked her magic and found us a great little self-catering hotel, La Dolce Vita.

Our initial plan was to catch a bus from the airport to Sorrento, have lunch there and an ice cream at Davide's, then jump on a bus to Amalfi and possibly grab another Ice Cream (when in Italy!) and then get another bus to Salerno dropping off in Maiori.  Due to us arriving on a Saturday morning with 5 other flights this idea was quickly altered.  We opted for a train to Salerno, a little light lunch (pizza) and then a bus to our hotel.

Maiori is simply stunning, there is no way I could describe the place and do it justice. Quaint little seaside town, very Italian, with a long market street running through the middle.  Just beautiful.  Our hotel was a little ten minute hike out of Maiori centre along the Amalfi Coastline, when we arrived the cleaner had not been to our room, and didn't realise that we were arriving today.  Whilst she was startled to begin with, our laid back attitude seemed to calm her down.  We would be happy to leave our bags in the room and have a little wonder around the town to give her time to sort.

La Dolce Vita is a small Ikea based hotel with studio apartments and full self catering facilities.  The bed and kitchen are both hidden away during the day in cupboards, making the room look larger.  On the top floor of the hotel was a sun deck including a hot tub Jacuzzi looking out into it's own private bay.  Again, simply stunning views.

We opted for takeway pizza on our first night as it had been a long day (up at 3am), but takeaway pizza is far different from the pizzas we get at home, these actually taste delicious and not greasy.  Clare stated whilst eating our meatball and spicy Parma ham pizza that this was "the best pizza I have ever had, ever!" 

In the morning we packed away our bed, had a quick bite to eat and set off towards the neighbouring town of Minori.  Just a mile away from the town centre of Maiori, the walk took us on along the coast again for a few minutes.  Minori is a smaller town and even less commercial than it's neighbour.  It didn't take us too long to cover most of what the town had to offer so we headed for a little coffee break at one of the restaurants.  Bar 52 in Minori is a small family run establishment which made us feel welcome right away.  Again, it was Italian for Italians, and looking at the menu I told the owner that we would be back.

Clare spotted her dream house (apartment block) in Minori and is convinced that when we win the lottery that this will be her first purchase.  After a nice relax on the shore front we walked back to Maiori for Ice Cream at Geljada's which for me, is probably the nicest Ice Cream I have ever had!

For our last evening, we opted for a meal at Mario and Maria's restaurant after the co-owner told me that his wife is the best cook in Maiori.  Not having tasted all the cuisines in this little town I cannot confirm his statement, but it would take an outstanding effort to beat what we had.  Clare's Salmon Farfalle was divine and I had the homemade Lasagna, which was just how mamma makes.

After a few too many local wines we decided that we should return back to the Dolce Vita ready for the next stop on our holiday, home.

Hotel - Albergo Fiorenzi, Salerno

We arrived at Salerno Station earlier than expected, so I suggested to Clare instead of catching a bus to our next hotel, we should walk the Lungo Mare.  This is a long pedestrianised pathway that stretches the full length of Salerno into Marcetello (where our hotel is based).  

Salerno is a large commercial city, similar to Manchester with multiple shops, businesses and restaurants which also has an increased population.  Compared to our secluded, quaint retreat, Salerno is a completely different world. 

 Most of the family from England had arrived in Salerno on the Monday as well as my cousins from Australia ready for the anniversary party.  With it being Simon's (Australia Cuz) birthday, my uncle had invited us all to a pizzeria in the home village for a celebration, and what a celebration it was.  Mozzerella's, more pizzas than you could imagine, parma ham, proscuttio, fresh tomato, all the food was exquisite and I had explained to Clare that the "most amazing" pizza from the night before was going to have some serious competition.  Marco's confirmed that for me, amazing food.  It was great to see family from Italy, Australia and England all in one place for a celebration, and a great time was had by everyone.   For more on this restaurant, and why it is dear to my heart, please read the blog post from my 40 before 40 here: Buy Clare a Pizza from Degli Dei

In the morning we met up with my ma 'n' pa, Auntie Hiniz and Uncle Dave and T'lind and Bazza ready for a little trip to Minori and Maiori.  We had talked so highly of our two night stay, that we had convinced them that this should be a place they see. We were soon back on the bus along the Amalfi Coast line to the smallest town first.  When we arrived in Minori, a little stop off for something to eat and drinking before exploring was suggested, and Clare had remembered our promise to Bar 52.  When we approached the restaurant, the owner recognised me straightaway.  I told her we would be back, but I didn't think she expected us bringing 6 more people with us.  On our first visit, the bruchetta's had been recommended so this was our first choice, however, as we were in Italy we also ordered a platter of meats, cheeses, tomato and olives (even though these were not on the menu), the owner told us that she would sort something out, and she certainly did.  Fresh basil, tomatoes and olives from her garden, meat and cheese from local butchers and cheese shops we had a platter fit for kings and queens.  This was followed with the home made Limoncello and lemon granite.  Bar 52 was so accommodating and friendly to boot.  I do know that T'lind and Bazza came back here a few days after we had left, so it definitely had an impact.

As we were not able to attend Toni and Rosaria's anniversary party, we had been invited to visit on the Tuesday night.  Toni makes the most amazing fragoline, a liquor based frozen strawberry delight and he had promised me the night earlier that he would make some.  It was fantastic!  Toni is really busy working at the moment and based on the current employment levels in Italy, we are happy that he is so busy.  Leaving him to his work, Clare and I accompanied Rosaria to pick up their daughter from work.  Angela had sent me some pictures from her work via Facebook, she had started working for a Yoghurteria in Salerno with a difference.  Frozen yoghurt to which you choose your own toppings, sauces and delights.  Honey, Oreo Cookies, Cereals, biscuits, cakes, sponges, sweets, you name it, you can put it on top.  Italian food is amazing, and their desserts are as fantastic, Yoself Yoguteria rivals the most amazing Italian Ice Cream, this was delicious.

After returning to Toni's, we grabbed a takeaway pizza from Marco's and headed to my cousin Sabrina's house.  Sabrina had prepared a little bite to eat for us as well, without us knowing, so the night continued with chat, wine, food and perfect company. Sabi will always hold a special place in my heart as we always spent a lot of time together on my visits with Nanna.  Her husband Giovanni is superb, such a great guy and full of joy.  Clare absolutely loved spending time with them, even though she cannot speak a word of Italian.

Our last full day in Italy, we walked to the borgo that my ma 'n' pa were staying at for a chill out.  It had been a busy couple of days and we needed a rest.  We decided collectively that a final meal in Marco's (Degli Dei) was called for, but it would just be the Minori 8.  As my great uncles all live in close proximity to the restaurant, we decided to visit Zio Vincenzo first.  Clare had never been to Vincenzo's but his house was always the first place we visited for a meal when I came out with Nanna.  Picking apricots from trees, drinking homemade wine and all done in such amazing surroundings with such great company, this was the life.

Again, another awesome meal in Marco's to which Clare and I opted for a Lasagna Pizza, after we had eaten the largest and most beatuiful buffalo mozzarella ball ever.  I cannot praise the food enough here, and believe me, the mozzarella you buy from Tesco or Asda is nothing like true buffallo mozzarella.

Our time was over, home was calling and we left our family to enjoy the rest of their holiday.  Passing on our love to Toni and Rosaria celebrating their 25th Wedding Anniversary and asking Sabi & Giovani to one day come to us in England, we hopped on the train back to Naples.

That's Amore!