Tag Archives: backpacking

A Touch of Norway

After years of wanting to visit the Scandinavian nation of Norway, but my plans always being scrapped last minute, last year, I finally made it to this luscious land. As I expected this country was a green heaven of rolling grasses and waterfalls, that I would be happy to get lost in.

My journey took me along the coastline to some key port towns and inland to some beautiful scenic locations, which wasn’t hard as it seemed everywhere I turned, there was heavenly landscapes to see. I felt like I had walked into a movie with little wooden houses, and waterfalls everywhere you turned, it just needed a viking or two and the dream would be complete!

Waterfalls

I really am not exaggerating when I say I was seeing waterfalls everywhere, this was really the scenario. From little trickles, to huge falls, there was simply one waterfall after another. Norway is actually nicknamed the ‘land of a thousand waterfalls’ and has some of the tallest waterfalls in the world.

Whilst I didn’t actually have to go any distance to see a waterfall, I did make the effort to visit a few big ones. I visited Kjosfossen, Tvindefossen, Manafossen, and Langfossen. So here is a clue I worked out… anytime you see ‘foss’ in the name, it means waterfall. Before you start thinking that is where we get the word ‘faucet’ tap from; I already thought of that and the evidence is not there to support it I am afraid, but it would make a lot of sense…

All the waterfalls had their own charm but Langfossen was particularly impressive. A road bridge has been built over half the fall and so you can get pretty close for photos from there, but even closer by boat! After viewing it from the road, I jumped on a tour boat that literally mounted the waterfall as it entered the fjord, (so much so that I was concerned), and the tour guide picked up a bucket and scooped up some falling water for me to taste. The guide said that there was a legend that if you drink from the falls you would become more fertile, particularly the men, so of course, the men on the boat were taking extra servings.

Reflections

I know that ‘reflections’ is a strange subheading but I feel that it is something special about Norway that I can not describe another way. I have never been to a destination that has provided me with so many mirror or kaleidoscope like views. I saw these trippy images whilst sailing on the fjords, which are Norway’s famous sea inlets, that are characterised as long,narrow and deep, and formed from glaciers, that left behind beautiful valleys.

At multiple times during the trip, I would get up early to look out at the water, and it just messed with my head to see the crystal clear reflections that these fjords created. The water is so still and glimmered and it is really hard to tell where land and water meet as everything is just mirrored endlessly. It’s really magical and I loved it, next time I go, I want to do some kayaking so that I can get closer to the water and get even more amazing photos.

Wide spaces

Of course, not only are the waters spectacular, but the huge green landscapes are a great match to them. I was struck by how much of the area was perfectly trimmed rolling grasses, miles of picture perfect lawns, and its no suprise that there is a big tradition of insulating houses with turf covered roofs.

Beyond the grass, there are many smallholdings, vast pine forests, and brilliant ridges and mountains to hike. Some of the most popular are Pulpit Rock, a huge mountain plateau for the perfect Instagram shot, or another similar one is Trolltunga (troll’s tongue)! I would love the opportunity to return to Norway and spend more time exploring the big landscapes here, on foot.

Scenic Railway

In the beautiful little town of Flam, I had the opportunity to travel on one of the world’s most beautiful railway journeys. I boarded the Flam railway train from Flam and took a round trip via Myrdal, with a stop to see a huge ‘foss’ with classical music in the air, and a dancing actor jumping out to welcome me and the other passengers. There to portray another waterfall legend of a lady of the falls, the guide later told me that the ‘lady’ dancing around was actually two different local men dressed up as the same lady, to fool the tourists by quickly jumping out in different locations.

The journey was pretty pleasant and the views were great, but it was crowded, which makes it hard to enjoy when everyone has their cameras pressed against the windows!

Overall, I just loved Norway. As a nature lover, and someone that is keen to go for long walks in the fresh air, I could almost see myself relocating to Norway. The only thing keeping me away is the cold winters, but there is no question that I will be visiting again. Next time for longer, and hopefully with my someone special to enjoy it with.

Vietnam: North to South – Part One

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Booked only a week before, after my trip to Israel was cancelled last minute, I decided to have my first go at Asia this month. Vietnam was on offer so I went for it and discovered a crazy and unique way of life with amazing food and very friendly people.

Getting there

The travel to Vietnam was very very long, whilst the flight duration may say 16hrs by the time we had travelled to Heathrow, and waited around in Bangkok and then traveled to the hotel we had stacked up over 24 hrs of travel. I had thought I’d planned out to miss my jetlag but it actually took 3 days of waking up at 3am to get over it.

We flew with Thai Airways which had tight seating but plenty of hospitality from the crew and the aeroplane food was some of the best I have had. On arrival to Hanoi airport, our taxi driver was waiting for us and we got to our hotel in about half an hour, after seeing some of the cityscape lit up at night.

Hanoi

We stayed in a hotel for our first few nights in Hanoi city. The hotel was immediately a relief with a welcome drink on arrival, a porter to carry our bags and a free upgrade to a very nice room. It was all going well, until my 3am visit to the bathroom…

That is when I discovered scuttling across the floor, the biggest cockroach I have ever seen. When you are already sat on the toilet half way through a wee too, the only choice is to throw your legs in the air! I found myself doing toilet balances at 3am to avoid it. Unsure what to do I spent the rest of the night with a light on unsure what to do and worried if I fell asleep I would wake up with a cockroach on my face. It took me a few days to get past this fear and just accept the potential for creepy crawlies around me.

Venturing out of the hotel into the city was another experience of taking your life in your hands. The traffic is some of the craziest I have ever seen. There is no pavement due to mopeds being parked all over it and to cross the road you must do what the locals do and just walk slowly and confidently over (like you’re sleepwalking) and hope nothing hits you! The roads here are so congested that they even have a street that is famous for a train that comes through as well as all the pedestrians and bikes and ends up about an inch from your face!

We cautiously took the steps from our hotel down to the famous lake which thankfully is pedestrianised around the edge and began to explore our first attractions.

First on the agenda was a few impressive buddhist temples, and also the St Joseph Cathedral. This gothic cathedral looks so strange with all the little asian shacks around it and motorbikes everywhere. I couldn’t go in unfortunately but I imagined it was similar to other catholic ones I have seen. A little bit of Europe in the middle of this crazy South East Asia whirlwind. I later found out from my guide that the french actually governed Vietnam for centuries and is the reason for some catholism here and that they now use alphabetic letters instead of chinese characters. Something to be grateful for as a tourist!

Another day in Hanoi took us on our four hour bus ride to Halong Bay, the famous world wonder that is an absolutely huge bay and once a very important port full of huge bouldering islands. We had a relaxing overnight boat cruise here where the service was amazing and we enjoyed an impressive selection of seafood and bar service on a boat all to ourselves in our small group of nine.

There are many local caves on the islands to explore and we ventured into one, and then towards dusk I had the pleasure of exploring an empty and calm section of the bay by kayak. The only thing that was man made around me was a small floating pearl farm where oysters were floating below growing pearls for fine jewellrey.

At night all the boats have to gather in one part of the bay so you can enjoy the sounds of distant karaokes and good times from your neighbours all around you.

We also got the opportunity to see some amazing charitable organisations on our route from Halong Bay. Two groups of crafters that were helping their community by making things to sell, one was doing it for the environment and the other for the disabled. I will touch more on this in a later blog.

Back in Hanoi, we had one more opportunity to look around. We tried for a third time to see the train on train street, but this time at night. The train schedules on the internet were all wrong, so we got there badly timed and when we tried to wait the police made us leave, even though we were half way through a paid meal. Overall, I would say only go to train street if you are happy to waste a lot of time and maybe only see the tracks.

Something that was well worth it for only about £6 and 1 hour was the Thang Long water puppet show by the lake. This show was a traditional artform telling folk stories of Vietnam in their language and with singing, using puppets within a big pool of water.

I wasn’t sure if it would be entertaining enough, but it was actually very funny at times and the show somehow managed to use smoke and fireworks on the water aswell which I dont even understand how. The best part may have been the music though. There was an orchestra of local folk musicians playing traditional and strange instruments and all in vietnamese formal wear. Overall it was super impressive!

Hue

Writing this section of the blog at 4am from a twelve hour sleeper train from Hanoi to Hue. Sharing a bunkbed in a room with three other travellers, I feel quite at home and I am enjoying the bumpy swaying of the carriage more than expected.

At night I can see the reflections of the train in nearby waters and marshlands and the odd distant light of a farmer or two working in the fields and by day the scenery becomes many small villages and plenty of rain!

The train has different classes, we are in a 4 berth, but there are 6 berth and then soft reclining seats and hard seats (for those true hardasses – literally). My room is quite good with a little mattress, space under the bed and a table with a selection of sweets.

The only thing that has been a horror is as expected, the bathroom situation. There is either a squat room for guess what.. squatting, or there is a western style toilet. The toilet started off okay but now I can tell you that by 4am it is not okay. Its a horror show. I am trying to figure out how I can not pee now until 11am. Note to self, must purchase a she-wee for travels!

Once we got to Hue and freshened up at our hotel, with an umbrella in hand, we were guided to the ancient citadel. Hue was historically the imperial capital and home of the kings of Vietnam. It still has the 21 metre thick walls surrounding it and many of the original buildings either still exist or have been rebuilt or are in the process of being rebuilt after collapsing from weather or war bomb damage.

The site is very pretty and a bit of a maze to walk around if you do not have a guide. It is mostly an outside visit except for a few locations where you can visit inside after slipping off your travelling shoes. I Particularly enjoyed the king’s gardens with many bonsai trees and bright green foliage. Obviously, due to all the rain, but green is my favourite colour so I’m okay with that!

The stories about the kings were interesting too. Kings were seen as Gods by the people, but for many centuries the kings were actually puppets for the french to put their influence over Vietnam. The kings ranged from 7 year old boys to a man that went from being a king to a french pilot. So random!

Later in the evening I had dinner with a local family that had been there for generations and the lady’s grandfather had been a direct servant of the king. The family now are well off in the area but still cannot afford to travel much and still work very hard. It is becoming apparent how hard people in Vietnam work to make a minimal living.

The next day in Hue, we ventured around the surrounding countryside and the town centre by motorbike. This thrilling experience was one I will never forget I imagine, it was an adreline rush full of beauty and culture. As I rode pillion to a Vietnamese man named (‘kern’) I explored a king’s final resting place, a local fresh market (where it is so fresh that the animals are still alive), and a local monk community. What a thrill!

Next day we move on to the South to Hoi An… in my part 2 blog.

An introduction to the Azores: Sao Miguel and Terceira

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An archipelago of Portuguese islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, I visited two of the nine islands in the Azores, and explored beautiful villages and towns, natural landscapes and learnt about an authentic culture of people.

I had wanted to visit the Azores for over a decade, and hoped that one day I would be able to go for my honeymoon, because it looked so beautiful in all the images I had seen… Well, many years later, and no ring on my hand, I decided I could wait no longer, and I booked myself a trip from Lisbon to Sao Miguel, and a group of tours to enjoy across two of the main islands.

Sao Miguel

The main island of Sao Miguel is the largest of the group of nine islands, and has the main gateway airport to the other islands. It is also the busiest. The island’s capital, Ponta Delgada, has a vibrant feel with many shops, restaurants and a few hotels. I stayed away from Ponta Delgada in a 5* hotel near a beach, but it was fairly remote. Thankfully, I had two tours booked to see the island, as well as being able to access a local walking trail nearby.

The walk that I decided to do near the hotel was following the river nearby uphill and leading to a set of abandoned hydro-electrical stations in the forest. The Azores islands are known for their efforts in alternative renewable energy, especially hydro electricity and wind farms.

These old stations, combined with a dip in a gorgeous little waterfall, made for an interesting walk with a lot of interest in photo opportunities. I felt like I was in scenery that I remember from the TV series ‘Lost’, with abandoned stations locked between the trees and pipes running through the ground. Like at any moment, I will discover a secret hatch!

On the tours I’d booked, I was able to visit a variety of lookout points, and some beautiful villages/towns, such as Ribeira Grande (Big Stream) which had lovely scenery. We visited an active volcano area where our lunch (a traditional portuguese recipe) was buried and slow cooked by the warm ground.

We also visited a geothermal spa, and the well known patchwork viewpoint where you can see thousands of smallholding farms stitched together from above.

Terceira

A few days later, and with a 45 minute flight, I was in the second island of Terceira. This lovely round island, has a lot to offer and is not yet as built up as Sao Miguel. I was in a lovely hotel in a secondary town away from the capital of Angra do Heroismo.

The villages and towns in Terceira are very traditional, and still have many unique customs that they uphold. For example they have a program of events where they have a ‘running of the bulls’ in the streets. This is not to copy the ones in Spain though, it is a unique memorial event to celebrate the farmer and bull heroes that drove the Spanish out of Terceira during a big battle, where the bulls were let loose on the army! Led by a woman villager too! Very cool. You will also find beautiful chapels in every village that are purely for the devotion to the holy spirit, and used at only one time of the year.

Angra do Heroismo is a beautiful little city with colourful buildings and a pleasant marina area. The colours of the buildings are apparently routed originally in the island’s link to trades with India and the spices and materials that were brought. The island also has been home to an American airfield and base since WW2 and so is rich in an international community. The city is actually a UNESCO Heritage Site due to its historic importance as a transatlantic crossing point, it is head of the diocese of the Azores, and it was actually capital of Portugal twice, replacing Lisbon!

The city also has an active military base for Portugal on their Monte Brazil connected to the main city, it is actually an extinct volcano and now a nature reserve for walkers and family picnics. I spent a morning walking around this mountain where I found there to be a lot of stops to enjoy on the trail, including fort ruins, an old whale watching tower, a viewpoint of the city, and a set of aviaries. When you visit the cross statue viewpoint, you will also find a set of military guns pointing towards the city. I thought this was quite strange, until I discovered that the military base was actually built by the Spanish when they temporarily took over the island, and pointed the guns back on to the city as a way of warning off the very unhappy Portuguese people below!

This mountain is just one of many volcanos on the island, the entire Azores group is a collection of volcano eruptions, and have plenty of collapsed, active and also extinct volcanoes. One volcano in Terceira is very special because you can visit the lava canal directly via a tunnel. and walk around over the top of the solidified lava from the last eruption around 2000 years ago. Algar do Cavao is very special and one of the more unique attractions I have been to. It was discovered only in the last century, when a farmer’s cows kept going missing… it turned out that they were falling through the huge crater hole!

Finally, speaking of cows, there are about 2 cows for every inhabitant on these islands. The biggest industry for these islands is dairy produce, and the amazing thing is that it is all made up of smallholdings and many family ran farms pulling together their resources with other farms across the area to make cheeses, milk, ice cream and more. You are never short of a cow, and someone that knows a lot about them!

Overall, I loved visiting the Azores, and now feel determined to visit all of the nine islands and find my favourite. It is an easy place to visit from Lisbon and I am in Portugal often, so I don’t think it will be long before I am back!

Lisbon: The City of Seven Hills

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I have visited Lisbon several times for short day trips, but this Spring, I stayed over for a two night break between destinations. This city with what feels like many more than just seven hills, is full of life and culture throughout.

Travelling to Lisbon

I travelled to Lisbon by Train on this occasion from the Algarve’s Lagos, in the South. This was about a four hour journey with one change, and then once in Lisbon there are several main stations you can arrive in. From there, buses, trams and metro are possible.

Neighbourhoods: Alfama and Barrio Alta

I stayed in the neighbourhood of Alfama which is one of the oldest parts of the city near to the river. I selected this area of the city because it is rich in culture, close to tram 28 which is the main tram to run through the touristic areas, and its an area with many fado houses.

I chose to stay in Convento de Salvador, which is a beautifully refurbished convent on the hill. It was very clean and minimal and still had the old layout and foundations of the convent. Our view of the river and downhill street was wonderful aswell.

It is easy to follow the river from Alfama along the promenade towards the Belem tower, or you can jump on the tram to head either towards the castle in one direction or towards Barrio Alto.

Barrio Alto is a bustling area full of shops, restaurants and squares with street performances at night. Wondering the squares to listen to music, enjoying a pastel de Nata and venturing to some of the local gardens can all be enjoyed within walking distance from here. There are also some wonderful churches, I visited two churches from the italian community that were very beautiful.

The must see monuments / attractions

Belem Tower – A monument to remember the power and colonisation by Portugal, it sits at the riverside and you can also see the bridge and christ statue from here.
Jeronimos Monastery – A huge monastery facing large public squares and standing to the front of the botanical gardens and presidential palaces.
Botanical Gardens – A beatiful setting to spend some hours in the afternoon seeing a variety of interesting trees and flowers, an oriental garden, old buildings, african sculptures and many peacocks.
Commercial Plaza – The location of a huge statue, the tourist information offices and a great gathering place for events.

Fado

Near my hotel were several Fado houses. These are traditional houses which have evening shows (normally with dinner) of traditional portuguese fado music. This is deep, very sad singing and guitar, supposedly derived from the soul.

The music is very relaxing to listen to, and when visiting the fado house, it was of the utmost importance that guests did not talk and food was not served out by staff during the music out of respect. So, several breaks were needed to dish out food and for conversation. This was good for me as it meant I actually slowed down and savored my food.

There is also a Fado museum downhill in Alfama. It has a lot of information about Fado but it is difficult to navigate and understand the information at hand, and I felt a lot more could be done to improve its guest experience.

To conclude…

I like Lisbon a lot, it is one of my favourite cities. It is vibrant and proud of its heritage. Next stop is another portuguese area, the Azores…

Easter in bonny Scotland

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This Easter weekend, I threw my bag over my shoulder and took a six hour train ride to Edinburgh! The capital of Scotland became my base to explore my neighbouring country with friends.

The journey from Norwich was much faster than I expected, and a lot easier than I think driving would be. On arrival in Edinburgh’s train station, we were already surrounded in shopping and restaurant opportunities as well as the gorgeous Prince Street Gardens. A great introduction to the city. We made our way to our AirBnB on the edge of the city centre, and got ready for a night on the town!

Exploring Edinburgh

As a capital city, there is of course a lot of areas to explore during the day and at night. We found the most buzzing area was just down the hill from the castle, where the market takes place and there are lines of restaurants and bars with outdoor seating to enjoy the living city atmosphere. I would say that the city can be expensive for an evening out, especially if you want to enjoy a cocktail… or two… or three! That may have a small part to do with the high number of stag and hen do groups we saw stumbling around town dressed in kilts and veils!

On our first full day we ticked off a bunch of the main attractions and had a fab time doing it, in one of the most rare sunny days that Scotland has mustered!

One of the most popular attractions that we saw was Edinburgh Castle. Once I recovered from climbing the steps, I was able to appreciate the awe of the castle that was surrounded by tourists. From the entrance of the castle you can see an amazing view of the city, and as you enter into the castle complex, the views continue from different angles, including far away landmarks, and up close ones; like the soldier’s dog cemetery…

From inside the castle, you can visit the old chapel, prisons, crown jewels, staterooms and much more. The information provided was really good and I particularly enjoyed learning more about the Scottish Monarchy and particularly Mary, Queen of Scots, who is an extremely interesting woman in history. She spent her life fighting for her rights as Queen and being sought out by her enemies, and she was very unlucky in love repeatedly. She still managed though to bring life to the first King of both Scotland and England.

Two very different images of Mary, Queen of Scots

If you only had a few hours to in Edinburgh and wanted to learn about the history and see the whole city at once, the castle is definitely, the ‘must see’ place.

After leaving the castle we wondered down the ‘mile’ which is the long tourist filled street where you are never short of hearing a bagpipe or being able to find yourself your own brand of Tartan. Not far along, I came to the St Giles Cathedral, which was a nice place to just take a seat and enjoy the ambience, and the cool escape from the hectic busy centre outside the doors.

After a little break, I delved into more inspiring arts and information by visiting both the National Gallery and the Museum of Scotland. Both had great information and exhibits, but the gallery was definitely less daunting than the very large museum.

The Scottish Highlands within easy reach…

On our last full day which also happened to be Easter Sunday, we decided to go on a full day tour of the highlands. The tour was on a coach with many other visitors from around the world, and was led by a very good looking Scot in a kilt, who kept insisting he did not feel the cold when he blasted the air conditioning on full and me and my friends were going blue…

The tour visited some key locations like Glen Coe, and local castles and villages, but the big one was Loch Ness. We visited in by road, and then took a cruise on the lake, which in hindsight was very crowded with tourists, and this was during the beginning of Spring, so not the busiest time of the year. The lake itself though is incredibly large! It apparently is so deep and wide that you could fit the whole population of the world inside several times over. I don’t know why, but I was expecting something a bit smaller, so I was impressed. It is just a shame that this was the day that the Scottish weather came to visit and we were all stuck in the wind and cold, but we did avoid the rain!

Farewell to Edinburgh

Before leaving the city on our final morning, we did a little exploring of the local cemetery and were able to see and secure photos of the grave of the infamous Thomas Riddle. That’s right, the dark lord himself. Well… actually, it is the grave of someone with the same name, apparently J K Rowling took the names of many of the Harry Potter characters from this very same graveyard. Spooky!

Finally, it was time to jump back on the train and bid farewell to the capital of Scotland. I pondered on it, and decided that I would be happy to return to Edinburgh and see more of the highlands and Isles too, but for now it was just time to take a long nap all the way home…

A step into the North East

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Whilst the world began to prepare for the Christmas season, I decided to jump on the train (in the middle of a train strike) and take a solo adventure to the North East of England, ticking more cathedrals off my list.

York

I set up a base in York for my week in the North, at a hostel nearby to the center. York has a lot to offer, being good for shopping, historic walks and interesting attractions. I spent my afternoons there wondering the streets that were used for Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley, which now have wand shops, and novelty potion brewers. As well as a great shopping offer throughout the historic city, you can also walk the entire length of the historic roman walls, this walk takes less than a few hours but it does give you spectacular views of the city and the splendid York Minster.

York Minster is the cathedral for the area and the largest gothic cathedral in North Europe. It is dated from 1200s onwards and is a very important venue to the church of England and the English monarchy. The space inside is huge and features a huge rose window with significant symbols of white and red roses relating to the symbols of past monarchs.

York’s castle and museum is also well worth a visit. The museum has very visual exhibitions, split between the old prison, a sixties exhibit, and a unique victorian street that looks straight out of Oliver Twist! Definitely a fun place to visit!

Going further North

One of the days in the week, I headed further North to Newcastle with a stop in Durham on the way back.

Newcastle was a whistle stop tour with a historic cathedral, the actually castle that the town is named after, which is today in some ruins, and I even found a beautiful historic gallery and library close to the train station on my way back. The library is still open to the public but is a great photo stop!

On the return journey, I stopped in Durham, which is a beautiful university city, to see what is thought of by many, as one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the UK. I can see why!

The windows and stonework are beautiful, and the cathedral even has a gorgeous medieval clock. It is next to university buildings and so you cannot help but be jealous of the students that get to live and study in the amazing surroundings.

Finally, I took a half day stop in Bradford in order to visit the small cathedral there, which turned out to be a pretty building to see, and was smack in the middle of a thriving town center and Christmas light display.

I am slowly getting there with my quest to see all the Cathedrals of England! A bit more than a few still to go though!

A trip through the midlands, UK

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On my quest to visit all the cathedrals in England, I headed to the center of the country to tour around the cities that offer interesting histories and charming atmosphere.

Nottingham

Making Nottingham my base for the week, I stayed at my sister’s place in the centre of town where I could enjoy all that this historic city has to offer. Nottingham is probably best known for the legend of Robin Hood, where the tales of a hero from Nottingham that steals from the rich to give to the poor and hides out in Sherwood Forest, brings many tourists to the city. Whilst this romantic tale, provides a fairytale backdrop for the city, its current offering also has a lot to be proud of.

Nottingham offers historical charm in old pubs and underground city networks that can be explored, but also a vibrant shopping and entertainment experience. I stayed in the main high street areas, and each night there were the sounds of live music from varying pubs and a lot of activity to be heard. I wouldn’t doubt that some of this is because of the two thriving universities in the city. The city council seem to be very committed to creating free entertainment and events in the city, and I have seen festivities frequently within the main town squares.

My top picks of things to do in and near Nottingham city would be:

City of Caves – entering from the shopping centre, you can pop on a hard hat and explore the ancient city under the streets of the city.
Wollaton Hall – this historic estate and deer park is a beautiful location for taking a walk, and enjoying a picnic. It also hosts many free events to enjoy.
Lunch in ‘Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem’: The oldest Inn in England – This pretty little pub is a lovely place for a bit of food amongst traditional decor.

Leicester

A short trip from Nottingham, is the city of Leicester. I was not sure what to expect of this little city but in an afternoon I explored the city and had a tasty dinner here. The claim to fame for Leicester is King Richard III.

This famous English King was long debated in history as either a deformed monster of a man, or a brilliantly talented soldier. He had been portrayed by Shakespeare and in many other writings. He had died in battle and his body was lost for centuries. Up until 2012, he was lost and debated, but then the news broke, that his remains had been discovered in a carpark in Leicester! His body was recovered and tested, and his story could finally have some evidence to coincide with it.

The car park, is now a visitor centre, and I spent several hours here, learning about his story. It was a really brilliant museum, and he is certainly an interesting character. He now lies to rest in the cathedral, which was unfortunately closed for restoration during my visit. That is okay though, as it gives me more reason to return!

Derby

I have visited Derby briefly a few times over the years, normally when I am between trains and travelling as it is such a central location in the UK, and often I have visited just the shopping area for a little retail therapy and food. This time round I made a choice to spend the morning doing a proper visit to the city, and I found a gem within the city.

As well as visiting the sweet and simplistic cathedral that Derby has to offer, I wondered along the river and came to a wonderful new attraction called the ‘Museum of Making’. Situated inside a building which is widely regarded as the world’s first modern factory, Derby’s old silk mill. This building draws you in as a curious visitor, and as I am also a keen crafter in my free time!

The museum is a very open space and has a restaurant, conference area, workshop space and exhibitions. It is all about learning about different materials and the manufacturing of goods over history, and links very well with the importance that the midlands had,in England’s industrial history.

There are huge examples like aeroplane and car parts taken apart to show the inner workings, but then also an entire section devoted to wood works for example. There is also a large space devoted to the regional train networks that were so important, and a large model train to admire, worked on by volunteers. The museum is a really lovely space to visit and does really well to demonstrate the history of the area and the pride people have in their trades here.

Birmingham

The last stop of the week was a visit to Birmingham. I’ve visited this huge city before for conferences with work, as they have a big meeting and conference offering for businesses in this modern city. On this occasion, I only visited the Cathedral.

The cathedral is full of colourful stained glass and is in the centre of a bustling city square.

Outside the cathedral, Birmingham offers plenty of museums, galleries as well as family experiences like the Sea Life Centre and Cadbury World.

Now the cathedrals around the midlands area have been taken in, I take my travels North East, as I head to the city of York, in the weeks leading up to Christmas!

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Paris of the Americas (Part Two)

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Following my first trip to Buenos Aires, I returned to the capital city at the end of my three month trip around Argentina to have a final week there, enjoying some attractions I had not been able to visit in my first visit. This time I was joined by a travel companion and was staying in a luxury hotel.

A focus on Evita

Following my first visit to Buenos Aires, and visiting the grave of Evita, a famous Argentine first lady, this time round, I visited the Evita museum. I was keen to learn more about her life and work for the state. The museum is housed in a previous home for the poor that was set up through a foundation that Evita begun. The museum has several rooms with projections of Evita’s film clips as an actress, her speeches as an activist and also a viewing gallery for her red carpet gowns.

I found the museum to be really interesting but unfortunately photos were not allowed. The information was really good about her early life, career, relationship with president Peron, and her death. I learnt that she had a lot more involvement in charity work than I had realised. She also won the vice presidency but turned it down, which I was not aware of. After finishing our look around the museum, we had a tasty lunch in the museum’s restaurant which has a very nice courtyard.

A walk around the parks

I was able to visit a few more of the park’s in Buenos Aires this time, although not all of them, as the rosalade (rose garden) was closed for upkeep.. very annoying. I did manage to visit both the Botanical Garden and the Eco Parque which are next door to each other. This took a full morning, and both parks were worth a look, and free to enter.

The botanical garden has many exotic plants and large trees as expected, and had attempted to theme different sections by different garden styles, for example french or italian.

The Eco Parque is a very different experience. This pretty park used to be a zoo with many large exotic animals, and elegant victorian styled animal houses. In recent decades, most of the animals have been moved to other locations, or sent back to their natural habitat.

There are a few that still roam through the park though, because they are either too old or unwell to move, or do not need to be relocated. The park still has an old camel, plenty of capybaras, strange half rabbit half deer things, and even some monkeys. It is a pleasant place to take a walk in the middle of this huge city, as you never know what new animal will be around the corner.

Nightlife

In the evening, I was lucky enough to be rejoined by my German traveller friends again as they also finished their journey in BA. We headed out to Palermo Hollywood for a night of clubbing and mischief. After a night that lasted until around 6am, I was glad for my full hotel continental breakfast the next day!

La Plata

For a day out, we decided to visit the capital of the Province, the city called La Plata. The city was easy to get to, only 90 minutes on the train, and the main attraction there is a beautiful cathedral.

The cathedral is gorgeous on the inside, and as well as the main church, the attraction offers exploration of the crypt with a museum about its construction and original pieces, the opportunity to be lifted up the tower, and a sweet restaurant. A lovely morning out.

Horse riding in the Pampas

The province of Buenos Aires is part of the ‘Pampas’ region, and this is where the gauchos (Argentine cowboys) farm cattle the most. So, I decided to book us a day of horse riding in the area.

The four hour riding experience included a traditional asado lunch at the house of a local which was pretty special, and the horse riding itself was an unforgettable experience. For good and bad reasons…

The horse I was given, was a little young and barely broken in. This was coupled by the style of gaucho riding which is very different compared to english riding. The saddles and riding kit on the horse is very different and there is no front to the saddles. You are also expected to ride one handed and without a riding hat.

Whilst a little nervous about my horse’s behaviour, I took on the challenge. We rode through long grasses, roads, ditches, and woodlands and after trotting, cantering and a little bucking by my horse, I did manage to stay on the horse! Even though I was a little banged up. The experience was good fun, but the major downer was the extreme amount of mosquito bites I endured all over my legs i was rubbing toothpaste on my legs for days after! (Fun fact: it takes out the itch).

Lunch in Uruguay

We became aware that you could visit Uruguay easily from Buenos Aires’ port by crossing in the river ferry for around an hour. It’s always tempting to cross another country off the list if the opportunity arises, so we booked our ferry tickets and took the pleasant ride across to a town called Colonia del Sacramento. From here you can also take a bus to Montevideo (Uruguay’s capital) but we decided to save that for another trip. Colonia del Sacramento is a picturesque town with a very portuguese style to it, from when it was colonised by Portugal.

There are a couple of small museums and a church in the town to enjoy, and we had a long and luscious lunch of a traditional Uruguay dish called ‘chivito’. This is like a giant inside out meaty sandwich. Like Argentina, Uruguay also does not skimp on food portions.

Before we knew it, it was time to take the ferry back across the river. We had a good laugh about how we left the country just fot lunch though! 🤣

Tango

You can’t visit Buenos Aires and not watch a little Tango, as the traditional dance of the city. Not only can you see people dance this in the streets of Caminito in Boca, there are also plenty of theatres offering shows and classes. I wanted to do a class but they were multiple hours and I felt too lazy about it, plus I only had walking boots to dance with.

I did decide to book a show and after a little research, I booked a show at Teatro Porteno. You had an option of paying for the show on its own or with dinner included. I chose to purchase just the show which was about £23 but then on arrival, we were also provided with another menu to pick and choose food. We went for some empanadas and a delicious ham and cheeses board.

The show itself was amazing! Focused on locations around Buenos Aires, there was a variety of styles of Tango on display. They also had an act that used drums and cattle whips to create impressive rhythms with the music. I was really glad I visited.

Another location where tango can be viewed and learnt is Cafe Tortoni. This is one of the oldest and most fabulous cafes in Buenos Aires. The decor is very traditional italian/ bohemian and many famous faces have eaten here. We decided to visit for a merienda (afternoon snack) and really enjoyed our visit with some great sandwiches and cake.

There were plenty of other bits and pieces I experienced in this bustling capital, but these were definitely the highlights. My return to the UK following Buenos Aires was a very long journey, but also gave me time to reflect on my amazing journey around this beautiful country.

After my return to the UK, I will soon be embarking on my next journey, working on board a cruise ship around the Mediterranean…

10 Interesting Facts about Argentina

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Argentina has a unique identity amongst the countries of South America and whilst I have been exploring the country, I have discovered these 10 interesting facts about this wonderful country.

1. A lot of things are free

A surprising amount of services in the country are free to the general public, this includes healthcare, education (including higher education), and many cultural attractions and events such as music festivals and museums. I found this to be a pleasant idea, as the country is quite poor, but it still prioritises funding to these essential public services.
2. They are football crazy

The Argentines, especially Portenos (people from Buenos Aires), seem to be mad for football. It seems that if you did decide to go out in the city with your football club shirt on, you may well get stopped by someone to ‘discuss’ this. I was quite shocked that some people even knew where I was from (Norwich city) just because of our rubbish football team that goes in and out of the premier league regularly.

Boca photoshoot opportunity with a footballer

3. They have their own unique pronunciations

Spanish isn’t an easy language, as there is a lot of variety in the grammar, accents, words and pronunciations. Throughout Latin America, the pronunciation of the sounds for ‘c’, ‘ll’ and ‘y’ are different to most of Spain, but in Argentina there is an even more defined difference. Instead of sounding ‘ll’ as (ya) or (ja), they turn it into (sh). Multiple times, I was convinced my spanish was correct, only to realise the people of Argentina didn’t understand me because of this subtle change in sound.
4. They are mad for Mate

Mate pronounced ‘matay’ is a type of herbal tea that is served in one special cup with a metal straw and shared between a group of friends and family. The people of Argentina are seriously committed to their mate sessions. Most people seem to drink mate throughout the day, and I was offered several mate sessions in my time in Argentina. It was very clear how important this drink was to the locals when I saw people trekking with a kettle and mate cup attached to their backpacks, ready for action.

5. The country’s history is really complicated and includes lots of dates

So it seems that the country has had a lot of politics and conflict since its founding. The culture is clearly very influenced by European heritage here, especially french, spanish and italian. Argentina had a lot of heartache to sever their political ties with Europe though, and become an independent republic. It is definitely worth learning about the history as it is very interesting, and the country is clearly very keen to memorialise their historic events. All the main streets are named after either important historical dates or people. It seems like every town’s main street is named after San Martin, who helped Argentina and other latin american countries become independent.
6. They have a whole community of welsh people

Super surprising to me. Within a part of Argentina’s Patagonia, near Puerto Madryn, there is an entire heritage based on settlers from Wales. These settlers wanted to settle in the area when it was still fairly new, so they could keep their culture alive within their own community. Every year, in July, the welsh community celebrate their culture with a schedule of welsh traditional activities. Throughout the year, visitors can enjoy Welsh tea and visit the historic chapels that the settlers built first on arrival.

7. Drugstores do not sell any drugs

Shops are a bit confusing in Argentina, and drugstores are a good example of this. There are a number of stores labeled as drug stores in Buenos Aires, but when you visit you will find it to actually be a convenience store of snacks and drinks. If you go to the supermarket, you will not be able to access any drugs either, I have yet to even see paracetamol sold there. The only place to find any meds is unfortunately a pharmacy, which is normally very pricey.
8. They insult each other and swear quite a lot

Whilst in Argentina, I decided that I wanted to learn a little of the local slang that is specific to this country. I met a girl from Argentina that taught me some words, but I also found a well known book in a gift shop, ‘che boludo’. This book is devoted to the Argentine slang, and to my suprise, there are a serious number of ways to insult someone, or describe sex, and if they are literally translated, then they are super weird. For example… cerrado como una cola de la muneca… literally meaning closed like a dolls ass… actually they mean someone is narrow minded. Confusing right?

9. Most people live in Buenos Aires province

Maybe you won’t think this is interesting, but I felt it was strange. Considering that Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world, it seems odd that most people I met all lived in the same place. In fact 13 million of the population lives in the Buenos Aires area, where the capital resides. This provides some racional to why there is so little road infrastructure elsewhere in the country, most of it is just wilderness.
10. They love a kiss or a fist pump

So… if you are meeting a bunch of Argentine people at a party or gathering of friends, there is a pretty good chance that you are going to be kissed on both cheeks by every person there. I felt very strange about this as the reserved English lady that I am. My preference was the other national greeting which is much more casual, the traditional fist bump. Made me feel like part of a crew! haha

There are so many more interesting things about Argentina, but these are just a flavour of unique and unexpected customs and facts that I discovered when visiting. I would love to hear if you know of anymore?

Iguazu Falls, Argentina; World Wonder of Nature

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The Iguazu Falls meaning ‘big water’ in the native Guarani language, is a huge set of waterfalls set within the Misiones Jungle, at the Iguazu National Park. This world wonder provides a border between Argentina and Brazil, and a unique habitat for plants, trees, birds and other rare wild animals. I visited Iguazu for two days of exploring in the jungle and relaxing with good food and company.

Arriving in Puerto Iguazu

After a fifteen hour bus journey from Corrientes, I finally arrived at Puerto Iguazu. This town is the nearest settlement to the Argentina side of the Iguazu National Park. The town has several hotels and plenty of restaurants for relaxing evenings after exploring the jungle. I met up with a travel companion at this point, and we stayed in a hotel that was surrounded in jungle plants and had a very nice pool!

The jungle by day

During my two days in Iguazu, I visited the national park on both days. The national park is under 30 minutes from the town, and on arrival there is a large visitor centre, cafe, and ticket offices. The park also has paved pathways to lead you through specific parts of the jungle, and various refreshment points. The most surprising piece of infrastructure was the park’s jungle train. It runs on a 3km track to take visitors to the largest fall that is furthest away, and is included in the admission for the park. It is also worth knowing that your second day in the park gets a discount if you show your previous ticket.

Whilst there was some human structures, the park in no way looked ‘well kept’. It is a very wild area and I was amazed at the amount of animals that I was able to see roaming around. In my short time there I was able to see monkeys, capybaras, coatis, toucans, parrots and condors. There were also beautiful insects to see such as colourful butterflies, and huge ant hills with ants carrying leaves back and forth. There were also pumas and jaguars in the park, but they kept to themselves!

The jungle path led us through overlapping canopies of huge and unusual trees, until we reached the huge Iguazu river that flows through the park. To cross, there is a number of metal bridges to lead visitors to the largest fall ‘Giganta Del Diablo‘ (Devil’s throat). From here you can view the huge fall from a platform. There are several other paths to the other falls and other features of the park too. It seemed that everywhere you turned, there was a new wonder to behold! We only chose to walk around but other experiences are also offered, such as a river cruise, 4×4 drives, and repel experiences.

The jungle by night

Once a month, during a full moon cycle, there are a few days when you can visit Iguazu Jungle during the night, for a moonlight walk. I was excited to book this, and emailed the national park administration in advance to arrange my moonlight walk, followed by a traditional Argentine buffet.

There were at least twenty people in my group walk, and a guide that gave us a little information, but mostly warned us to not stray from the group, as the Jaguars would be out hunting! Slightly terrifying!

The tour used no lighting at all, not even a flashlight, we were entirely guided by moonlight. This made it quite special, as we could mainly just rely on the sounds of the jungle. We made our way through to the Devil’s Throat, over the many bridges, with the moon reflecting over the river water. The humidity in the jungle during the day had now dropped down to the ground, causing the bridges to be wet and slippery, which really added to the fear factor.

When we finally arrived at the waterfall, it was absolutely beautiful to see by moonlight. It shimmered in white and silver as it fell to the depth below, and the noise of it was deafening amongst the silence.

After the moonlight walk, we wondered to the national park’s restaurant for our traditional buffet. The restaurant was quite fancy, and had a huge parilla barbeque cooking meat of all kinds. I must have had at least three plates of food at that restaurant, as well as a dessert. I was stuffed, but it was also absolutely delicious!

After my weekend in the jungle, I set off to return to Buenos Aires for my final two weeks in Argentina. Iguazu certainly earns its title as a natural world wonder, it is an astonishing place with an abundance of wildlife, and I would be happy to revisit!