Tag Archives: heritage

A colourful dip into the Baltic

With a few weeks sailing the Baltic sea, I managed to experience an Autumnal viewpoint of a collection of European cities; Helsinki, Tallinn, Visby, Copenhagen and Hamburg. With some glimpses of sunshine and lots of rain, I was able to wonder the highlights of these important places and you will quickly figure out which were my favourite.

Helsinki, Finland

My two day visit to Helsinki was absolutely full of rain, and was very chilly but I still managed to venture out and see some of what was on offer. Just racing around in the back of a Tuk Tuk, I could see that the city was keen on design. There were so many striking buildings of brick and cement, and a clear futuristic feel.

During the day, there seemed to be a reasonable amount of activity, especially in the public saunas where I could see people steaming up and then jumping in the cold waterways that surrounded the city. Sauna culture is huge in Finland, and many people even have saunas in their homes. The Finns are very keen on wellness, which I know first hand from the lovely yoga mad vegan Finnish roommate I once had. She was all about health for the mind, body and soul.

My Finnish friend also loved to be asleep early but now I think she is not uncommon because when I tried to go for dinner out on a Friday night in Helsinki.. there was not a soul to be seen. There were so little restaurants open, I ended up only going to a Kebab house! And having the wierdest kebab ever, might I add. According to the locals I asked, this is not unusual here. It is definitely the quietest capital city I have ever seen.

One of the most interesting things about Finland to me, was the history. I learnt a lot more about this country’s past when taking a rib ride to another island in Finland’s huge archipelago of more than 75,818 islands.

I visited Suomenlinna Island which was once a military base for Sweden, during its rule over Finland.

Finland has had a long history of being conquered, with lots of fighting here between Sweden and Russia for territory over Finland. This is one of the reasons why the Finns are now quite multilingual.

The guided walk I took around this island was very enjoyable and had great views although it was bracingly cold!

Overall, chilly but calm Finland was a good introduction to my Baltics adventure.

Onwards to Tallinn, Estonia...

Tallinn’s old medieval town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is a beautiful little place to explore.

I felt like I had been transported back in time, and into a fairytale book in Tallinn. The city has a beautiful stone gateway with pretty turrets as you enter and then I continued to see more of these Rapunzel type turrets as well as picturesque church steeples and sweet little town squares. There were traditional markets and shops and I found myself a very tasty bakery.

As I walked my way up to a viewpoint on what was becoming a very rainy day, I could also see their Russian built church which whilst beautiful, told the instant story of their conquered history too.

Next stop Visby, Sweden…

Now ordinarily, I think Visby must be a very sleepy place. I was lucky enough though to visit when they were having a food festival!

Visby is actually a heritage city on one of Sweden’s islands, named Gotland. This is again a fairytale location but here you get that traditional Viking feel from the design of the place.

The old walls, houses and cathedral are all impressive, but as I mentioned, it was a food festival, so I was taken in by a very tasty and unusual Bison Stroganoff and an amazing selection of cheeses!

After some delicious food and music, I had a wonder around before rejoining my ship to go onwards to Copenhagen.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen was certainly very colourful in their city vibes and friendly people. The city is full of hustle and bustle, mainly around their famous harbour and in the form of the speedy cyclists that zoom around the city.

On foot, I explored the impressive palace squares with their palace guards and procession that could easily compete with London’s own. I also ventured further to the gardens of the pretty Rosenborg Castle and tried some very odd plant food from the public food hall which wasn’t half bad. Later, it was time for a relaxing dinner at one of the harbour’s many restaurants where heaters and blankets were much appreciated in the night air.

I found myself talking to a guy from Argentina that had moved to Denmark. It seems to be the place for many people wanting to run away to a new country and has a lot of easy visa rules for this. On a visit to a sleepy harbour town outside the city, my guide was also telling me about his move from UK to Denmark, after meeting his danish girlfriend. The girls across all of Scandinavia are known for their beauty.

One girl is well known in the city, and that is the little mermaid. A true lurer of men in mythology. The statue sits on the outskirts of the city and is a world famous symbol of Denmark. Whilst well known, for me she was very underwhelming. Sitting alone on the waterside, (except for all the tourists), she didn’t actually look like a mermaid. Apparently, she was actually based on the sculptor’s wife. She was probably the part of the city that was least interesting.

Finally, after all these other places, I can’t forget to mention my afternoon in Hamburg.

Hamburg, Germany

I have been to other parts of Germany and had never thought much about visiting Hamburg. Once there, I was captured by it’s charm.

This red brick city has a famous port and historic district called Spiekerstadt, which is full of converted warehouses and factories that gives a post industrial redesign vibe.

Apparently the city has actually grown on land that has been man made over the original marsh areas that were here. Tons of sand is actually brought into the newest HafenCity to raise its level higher, for construction to be done on a more stable foundation. I went to a part of the city that was still being built and could just see masses of sand there. You can get the sense for the different heights of the city just driving around though.

Walking around the city, there is a lot of life in the streets as well as an intricate network of canals and a gorgeous town hall. I really enjoyed my short time here and would love to revisit. I hear that the nightlife is also well worth it!

So overall, my little dip into the Baltic was a great introduction and even though these places are all in the same part of the world, they all definitely had their own unique identity.

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.

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…

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?

Argentina: Central Patagonia (Santa Cruz Province)

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Following my visit to Argentina’s Lake District, I continued my journey South into the center of the Patagonian region and one step closer towards the bottom of the world. This area is full of mountains, and glaciers, and many national parks!

Perito Moreno

After a 13 hour bus journey from El Bolson, I made it to the small town of Perito Moreno. I was the only person to exit the bus at 1am and make my way to my little wooden cabin in the town centre. I had come here for only one reason, to see the Cueva de las Manos, only accessible by car or tour.

Cueva de las Manos (Cave of Hands)

I joined a tour group of Argentine people, and we made our way across some very bumpy roads and past wildlife and huge canyons, before finally arriving at the UNESCO site of Cueva de las Manos. This world famous spot has an amazing collection of ancient cave paintings and hand prints, not inside the cave but across the front of it, along a huge rock face. The guide on the site escorted our group through a long boardwalk running across the side of the paintings and with views of a canyon on the other side.

These amazing paintings crowd the walls and include handprints of adults and children from possibly three different times. You can also see illustrations of animals that they would hunt, geometric shapes, that are suspected to represent a map, and there is even a suspected paw print of a puma! The whole collection is made up of different colours, including yellows and bright blues, and are made from different natural materials. I imagine that the person that discovered this must have been completely astonished by all the haunting raised hands.

Patagonia Park

The tour also included visits to other interesting locations nearby such as the Patagonia Park, which had huge salt flats to see.

The locals prepared a lunch for our group of traditional and locally produced food. It was delicious and in true Argentine style, the portions were huge. I tried to tell the people in the group that I was full, but the little old ladies in the group said they wanted to fatten me up and they are like my ‘abuela’ (grandma) and want to look after me! haha

Coloured mountains

The last stop was an hour hike over some amazing hilltops/mountains that were brightly coloured in oranges, red and yellows. This is due to the properties in the rocks and all the minerals being brought out by rainfall. It was pretty awesome, and the short walk to the top gives you an amazing view!

El Chalten & Fitz Roy

Next stop on my trip was to the little town of El Chalten. Getting there was a struggle. It had been raining the night before, and so they rerouted the bus to the only other motorway that took us to the bottom of the country then we turned back around and went back up… A 10 hour journey took 18 hours… craziness.

On finally arriving, I headed straight out for a short hike to a nearby waterfall. It was great to get some fresh air and put my head under the flowing glacier water. I also got great views of the landscape and the town. El chalten is a part of this natural landscape and is an absolute haven for hikers and climbers.

Laguna de los tres

The next day, I started the strenuous hike of Laguna de los tres to Fitz Roy mountain. This hike is only 20 km but it took me about 9 hours. The final km took about two hours as the climb was a directly up ascent on difficult terrain. Normally I walk 4-5 km per hour.

The trail passes through forests, rivers, lakes and grasslands, as well as going through two campsites. It was a very warm and busy day on the trail, but this gave me the opportunity to meet many people. During my day of trekking, I befriended two different groups from Argentina and a girl from Spain. Making conversation with strangers is one of my favourite parts of solo trekking, as I meet so many interesting people from all around the world.

On reaching the top, I collapsed in a pile for a few minutes, then made my way to the lake that was formed by the melting glacier, and took an icy drink, before taking a dip. I spent a few hours here, relaxing and enjoying the sights of the Fitz Roy mountain and the falling water to the drop below.

El Calafate

Next day, I was off to Calafate, on the other side of the National Glacier Park from El Chalten. This town is bustling with tourist shops and restaurants. I have a dwindling budget so I cooked whilst I was there, but still managed to admire the Patagonian Lambs being roasted over the fire through the restaurant windows.

Perito Moreno Glacier

The main excursion to take from El Calafate is to see the huge Perito Moreno Glacier. You have to take a tour which costs about £35 to get to the glacier which is a few hours away. There is then a small charge for the entrance to the park. We were given four hours in the park. I was given a choice to pay extra for a one hour boat ride that takes you closer to the glacier, but I chose not to take this option, and just enjoyed the various boardwalk routes around the front of the glacier.

This huge glacier is very unique and larger than the entire city of Buenos Aires (which blew my mind)! The glacier is apparently in balance,meaning that it loses the same amount of ice each day as is returned to it, due to how the water flows around it. There are three different routes you can take around the glacier’s boardwalk, and they vary by height and length. I did all three, and found the boardwalk system to be very efficient and plentiful in relaxing balconies where you could eat your lunch and watch pieces of the glacier fall into the water below. This phenomenon was amazing. I saw not only the ice fall and splash against the lake, but also the lower layer of ice boil up to the surface and spin around in circles. Very cool.

Rio Gallegos

My last stop in Argentina for a while, was Rio Gallegos. I came here to the bottom of mainland Argentina, to cross the border into Chile. There is not much to see here but it is a good supply stop, and there are some sculptures along a promenade walk and a small house that you can visit as a free museum.

For now, I am off to Chile, for some more trekking and to see the other side of Patagonia, before I return to Argentina, to visit the bottom of the world…

Argentina’s Lake District

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After a few days of bus journeys via Bahia Blanca and Neuquen, meeting a group of hippies and enjoying a local music festival, I finally made it to Patagonia and the Argentine Lake District. A ‘postcard perfect’ landscape.

Argentina’s Lake District sits within the Northwest of Patagonia, near the border of Chile. Patagonia is the Southern region of Argentina, world famous for its scenery, and trekking, climbing, and general adventure sport opportunities. The climate and landscape varies throughout the region and within the lake district are obviously several lakes and rivers dotted around the Andes mountains.

I visited three spots within the lake district, as these were major points on the coach route. They were: San Martin de los Andes, San Carlos de Bariloche, and El Bolson. I stayed in each for 1-2 nights.

San Martin de Los Andes

San Martin de Los Andes sits in the Lanin National Park, named after the local volcano. It is the gateway town to Patagonia for many people, and it is very touristy as a result. It is full of cabin style buildings that make you feel that you have somehow arrived in the Swiss Alps. The town is small but has plenty of bars and restaurants, a few rose gardens to sit in, and San Martin sits on a huge lake named Lacar. You can enjoy swimming in the lake or take a boat out to different places along the shoreline.

I decided to do a short hike of about 10km (about 3 hours) to a viewpoint and then onto a small beach with a little island. I enjoyed a swim here and basked in the sun, although the beach is very rocky, crocs are advised! I looked like a fool sliding around on the rocks. The water was really lovely and clear though, and everyone was respectful of the environment.

San Carlos de Bariloche

Bariloche is a working city that is less tourist heavy, but it’s scenery is absolutely postcard perfect. The town is surrounded by a huge lake and endless mountain scenes. There are not many attractions in the town, and I really just used this for a rest day and to save a little money by cooking from the supermarket. I did manage to visit the local cathedral though. This was a very pleasant building with lots of stonework. You can also walk right up to the lake and sit on the stony beach if you want to.

El Bolson

On the bus to my third stop in this region, El Bolson, I continued to travel along the famous route 40. This very long highway, connects all of these beautiful locations from the North to South of the country. It has now become well known for its gorgeous scenery, and thankfully, the buses use this road too!

Along the way, I saw the damage of the forest fires in the national park the day before. This was quite shocking to see, It seems that it is a common occurrence here though. It created a foggy atmosphere among the mountain scenes.

On arrival to El Bolson, I stumbled upon a huge feria (market/fair) with lots of artisan stalls and food vendors, besides a lovely river scene where people were enjoying pedal boats.

I think El Bolson is my favourite stop of the three, as it had a lovely mix of authenticity and fun for tourists. It was clean, and had lots of facilities. A lot of people that stop here do the 1-2 day hike to Cerro Piltriquitrón but I only had a day here and so not enough time. If I could do it again I would stay up to 4 days here. I did manage to make use of some other nearby hikes though.

I took a cheap local bus out to a natural site that is part of the aboriginal Mapuche territory called La Pasarela. On arrival, I had no idea where I was. I approached a local aboriginal girl, in my best spanish, and she led me there, explaining that it is hard to find on a map. When I found the right spot there was a river with people swimming, and a little information point. The site is completely free to visit, and has many trails and things to see. I visited a waterfall, and then took a second hike to sit by the River Blanco. It was really refreshing on such a hot day.

After visiting La Pasarela I hopped back on the bus for another 15 minutes down the road to Lake Puelo and enjoyed the views of this huge lake among the sunset.

Overall, the Lake District in Argentina is absolutely stunning. There is plenty to see as a nature lover. If I had the chance to travel in my own car, then I would definitely visit more smaller communities, and I would perhaps do more camping, as many people were spending long periods of time in each place whilst camping. For now, I travel further South!

Barcelona & Girona: From a theme park to a quiet space

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My final stay in Spain of 2021 was two nights in the popular city of Barcelona. Whilst there, I hopped on a train to Girona to explore the cathedral for a few hours. This was my third visit to Barcelona, and the city continues to baffle me!

I arrived in Barcelona by train and made my way across the underground network to my hostel ‘Yeah – Barcelona Hostel’. Whilst very busy, the subway system there is a great way to move around the city, you can pay for single journeys or multi day trips, and it is very affordable. I would also say that it has some of the cleanest underground stations and trains, that I have ever experienced, especially when you compare it with grimy subways like NYC’s network.

I didn’t realise until I arrived, that the hostel I had booked is actually a sister luxury hostel to the one I stayed in within Madrid. The hostel is very trendy and only 15 minutes walk to very big attractions. There is a comfortable lounge with access to Netflix and games etc, a rooftop terrace with a pool (though it was too cold for me to use), and the rooms are very comfortable. I also decided to have the breakfast, which can be very ‘hit and miss’ in hostels, but I was impressed with this breakfast, for five euros, I accessed an all you can eat continental buffet, which had a ‘make your own’ pancakes table with all the syrups! Delicious!

It had been a decade since I last visited Barcelona, and I recalled that the last time, I had found the city quite stressful. I wanted to give it another chance, but I knew that I would be avoiding the tacky tourist spot of La Rambla. This is the longest street, with living statues, novelty shops, and lots of pickpockets. I wanted to try to understand more of the Gaudi vibe in the city. Barcelona is famous for the architect and artist, Guadi. His works are very unique with lots of busy shapes and colours, and a vast amount of tile mosaic use. There are several buildings in the city that were designed by him, including Casa Batlló, and Casa Mila.

I left the hostel in the morning to explore and find these locations, and hopefully visit. I don’t know how, but I managed to get lost a couple of times. It seems strange to me that one can get lost in this city, because the entire centre is designed as a grid, with no alleys or shortcuts. This is frustrating though, because it takes ages to walk everywhere, you cannot cut across diagonally to get to your destination faster, you must walk along very long wide streets until you eventually get to the side street you want. The city is so busy and has so many buildings and wide roads, it can be quite overwhelming, especially when you are struggling to find any fingerpost signs to point you the right way!

After some irritation I found my way to Casa Batlló, and the outside of the building is very striking. It is definitely worth a photo. I wanted more information, and began to queue to visit inside. When I realised the cost of admission though, I quickly exited… I am a budget traveller right now, and running low on cash. Most attractions I have visited in Spain, have been less than ten euros to visit. The Casa Batlló wanted 35 euros for admission, which would have been blowing my budget on the first place, for an experience that would probably be less than an hour. It was the same situation when I wondered down to the next Casa Mila, so I just enjoyed the views from the outside and decided to use my imagination for the inside!

I knew I wanted to make a visit to the Sagrada Familia, which is Barcelona’s world famous basilica, designed by Gaudi. It is well known as a complex example of architecture, that 135 years from being started, is still not complete, and construction is ongoing.

I found my way to the building and wanted to visit a ticket office to buy my ticket, as I had no internet data left on my phone to go on their website. I wondered around the perimeter of the building, struggling to find the ticket office. When I decided to ask one of the security officers, I found out that the attraction does not have an office. You must buy tickets online… very unhelpful to me. Alternatively, you can buy a ticket from the tourist information centre, so I then had to get my paper map out, and begin the search for the TIC. When I eventually found it, I had to wait in a long queue, and was given my self guided admission ticket. I also asked the vendor about my intention to visit a park attraction later in the day, assuming this would be no problem as it is a park. She told me that this must also be booked in advance, for an allocated time, and she only had one slot left, so I grabbed that to.

When entering the Sagrada Familia, there is an audio guide available, but you must download their app to use it. Thankfully, the attraction has free WiFi that you can sign up for. I got the app, and began to make way from point to point around the outside and then inside of the church.

There is no question that the design of the building is remarkable and unique, I especially liked the turtles holding up the columns at the front entrance. The inside columns are also designed to make you feel as if you are in a forest space, which I think provides the space with an unusual feel. There are many sculptures of the holy family (which the church is named after), and they are especially prominent over the main doorways. The stained glass in the building provides a multitude of colours in the space, and generally, there is so much intricate design going on inside the building it is hard to know where to look.

According to the information provided, Guadi made a special effort to make sure that the building’s height did not exceed the nearby mountain, because he said that no work of man should surpass a work of god. It seems that Gaudi did intend for the space to honour god, but for me, the space did not fulfil this purpose.

I have visited many holy spaces over the years, and in the past few months, I have been to countless churches within Spain. Sagrada Familia is the only one of all of them where I would not feel at peace, or have the comfort and security I needed to worship God.

The space feels very hectic. Whilst the design is beautiful, the crowds of tourists, the noise, and even the security ropes strung across the pews just made me feel as if it was more of a theme park attraction than a church. I loved the sculptures and the colours, but I did not feel a holy connection here, and the atmosphere was actually very stressful.

Later in the day, I made my way to Park Güell for sunset. This park has a collection of buildings and spaces inspired by Gaudi, and it is also at the top of a large hill, so is a viewpoint of the city skyline. I enjoyed seeing some of the views and there were many people gathered here to watch the sunset.

It did not take me long to realise though, that we were not facing West. The sun was on the other side of the mountain, and it wasn’t going to be as good of a sunset as I hoped. It was still pretty but nothing like some of the other sunsets I have seen on my travels. This is the problem, I have been spoilt rotten!

After this, I walked back down the hill, and joined a friend living locally for some well deserved dinner. This was very relaxing, and the best part of the day for me.

Before flying home, I wanted to take the opportunity to visit nearby city of Girona. I had heard it was pretty, and I also knew that the cathedral was the filming location for some scenes in King’s Landing in Game of Thrones. So, of course, I had to go!

The train journey was a comfortable 90 minute journey on high speed railway. The train station is then only a 20 minute walk from the cathedral. I only had about two hours to enjoy Girona, in the mid morning. On arrival, I could tell that the city had more of a traditional spanish feel, that I am now accustomed to. There is a river running through the centre of the city, and a set of old bridges to cross, before you come to a quaint high street, and pleasant plazas. As I continued to walk closer to the cathedral, I began to ascend up various alleys and steps, to this special church that could just slightly be seen from the bottom of the hill.

On arrival to the cathedral, one can stand in the shadow of the striking building, that towers over hundreds of steps. The steep stairs could easily rival the ‘rocky’ steps in Philadelphia, in terms of my ‘puffed out’ factor. The steps and front facade at the entrance was the view that was used within Game of Thrones for many notable scenes, such as the ‘walk of shame’ and many grand arrivals to the ‘King’s Landing’ location.

The cathedral admission was very reasonable, and also included entrance to the basilica next door. The cathedral has a very wide nave that is quite unique in architecture, and provides the space with more sunlight. There were also some chapels, and a room with a unique sculpture of the sleeping Virgin Mary. I have never seen anything similar to this before.

The basilica is just across the road from the cathedral, and is a smaller space. It still benefits from beautiful designs and art in its chapel, and a lovely altarpiece as well.

After this quick walk around Girona, I headed back to Barcelona, for my flight home to the UK.

Barcelona, and Girona are so close to each other, but have such different vibes. I really liked Girona, because it has a fairytale look to it within the old town, and had a very traditional vibe. It felt authentic. Barcelona also has a fairytale look in many locations, thanks to Gaudi, but instead of feeling relaxed, I find the city very stressful to be in, due to its popularity and ‘overtourism’. It actually feels more like a bustling theme park, with overpriced product, crowds, queueing and a confusing layout. The city is so large and important though, I know that I will likely visit again. Next time, I will try to see more of the neighbourhood areas of the city, as I am sure somewhere in this city, I will find my fit!

Salamanca: The Golden City

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After completing my journey to Santiago de Compostela, I hit the road again, and made my way to the beautiful city of Salamanca for an overnight stay.

Salamanca is a small city in the North West of Spain. Whilst it is not dramatically far from Santiago de Compostela, it was not the simplest to get to. I had to take a train to another town, and then a local bus to Salamanca. After this long journey, I was too early for check in, and decided to start on the sightseeing straight away.

I knew nothing about Salamanca before visiting. Only that it was a city that looked nice in pictures, and had a name that I enjoyed saying out loud… SAL – A – MANCA 😄

It turns out that Salamanca is also known as the ‘Golden City’ because of the golden orange colour of the buildings throughout the old town. The colour definitely does make you feel as if you were in an arabian paradise, but Northern Spain really doesn’t fit that profile! 😄 The city’s old town has a mix of palaces, religious buildings, and university buildings.

It seems that the University of Salamanca is very well renowned in Spain, as the first university that existed in the country. Many of the oldest buildings in the city are under use of the students still today. The public library can be visited for free, and is particularly unique as a building completely covered in the image of shells, giving it the name ‘Casa de las Conchas’. This was interesting to me, as shells are the symbol of the Camino de Santiago that I have just completed. On this occasion, they are related to the marriage between two noble families.

I also paid for the guided tour of the Pontificia university building, which is a separately owned catholic part of the university for theology and law schools, and has an adjoining church. This tour was in Spanish so there was a lot of me trying to follow what was being said, but the general jist of it consisted of a very fancy staircase, cloister and some sort of debate room.

The building was very fancy, and there were many references to important figures from Christianity, the history of the university, and the monarchy. I think you would be very lucky to study in these surroundings.

You can also climb the towers of the buildings and walk around the outside of them. The views of the city are great here, and I enjoyed seeing the bells. The only downside was that it was a foggy day!

Of course, I also visited Salamanca’s Cathedral. You actually get two for the price of one when you visit, as the old cathedral resides inside the new cathedral. When the new one was built, the city decided not to tear the old one down but instead incorporate it. They are very different and make it a very large space to visit. A useful audio guide is included in the visit and pilgrims receive a discount.

The new cathedral has many chapels and lots of detail, as well as two beautiful organs that can be admired from the front and back. The choir carvings are also exquisite. It is a brilliant place to take photographs. Later, on the self guided tour, I entered the old cathedral, which has a much more plain and simple feel to it. Though the architecture is simple, it does still have many chapels as well, and many more ancient wall paintings to admire. The cathedral also has a small museum space to enjoy.

In the evening, Salamanca’s golden stonework, lights up the streets and the shopping areas and main plaza is bustling after 8pm. I happened to be here after the christmas decorations were up, so I was able to dine outside in the plaza with a lovely meal and a heater, and watch the christmas display with hundreds of local people.

The next morning, I wondered along the riverside, took a look at the roman bridge and visited an art nouveau and art déco museum, within a beautiful building called ‘Casa Lis’. The building has gorgeous stained glass windows and a stained glass roof. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed except for in the cafe, so there is only a photo of my hot chocolate! This was delicious 😉

Finally, I made my way to the train station for my next stop. I was delightfully surprised by the train station in Salamanca. It is huge and has many restaurants and a cinema attached within the building.

Overall, Salamanca was a pretty little city, with a good few things to see that are all very close together. I would be happy to return and visit more of the university, noble houses and palaces next time.

Camino del Norte: Top 10 best places to stay

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During my two months following the Camino del Norte from Irun to Santiago de Compostela, I have stayed in all sorts of places. Some were absolute luxuries and some were absolute horror stories. I have now narrowed down my top ten.

On the Camino de Santiago’s many routes there are lots of accommodation types on offer:

Albergue / Hostel

Very similar to each other, many are pilgrim only. The main differences to remember are that in an albergue you generally have one main hall for everyone, lights out and lock up at 10pm and have to be out by 8am. Many have no heating, and you have to keep your fingers crossed for a bottom bunk, as after a week of walking, you won’t want to be climbing a ladder each time you need to wee.

Pension

This is normally a guesthouse but sometimes a pension might have a bunk room, and extra services. Normally it is owned by a husband and wife team, and they will have a bar/restaurant next door.

Pasada / Country Lodge

These are like luxurious pensions and tend to be in a rural scenic location, in a small village, and possibly the only place to stay.

Hotel

I would say that a hotel is obvious, but it is not. There are many different standards and many hotels have no services at all, and are really pensions. For me, a hotel needs to have a manned reception, this was only common in hotels above three stars.

Top 10

To make it to the top, the accommodation has to have the big three; great location, great price, and a great bed.

1. Blai Blai Hostel, Zarautz

I had a really comfy stay at the Blai Blai. The hostel is in a popular location for not only pilgrims but also lots of surfers. The woman on reception was very nice and helpful. There is a supermarket above and to the side of the hostel, so very convenient. The rooms are very clean and modern, with all the outlets you need in your own little bunk. The only cons were that there was no oven (not uncommon), and no in house washing machine, I had to go to the laundarette down the street.

2. Albergue Bide-Ona, Portugalete

Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of this one. The guy managing the albergue is really friendly, and helped a lot with information and route planning. The albergue is clean and organised, and has a really chilled vibe to it. There is also a really reasonably priced cafe down the road where I got a giant bowl of cesar salad that was delicious.

3. Pasada Villa Rural, Guemas

Again, another one with no photo. This is pretty much the only place to stay in Guemas, as it is a tiny village. The lodge is really nice quality though, and the owners have a restaurant next door which is handy. The views from the rooms are really nice and you can enjoy sitting on the terrace too.

4. Canal Hotel, Unquera

I think the photo below is enough to earn the Canal Hotel a place on the list! In general though, it was a pleasant hotel, with clean rooms, friendly staff, and a free breakfast.

5. Casa de la trinidad (San Francisco Convent), Laredo

This convent had no heating but otherwise it was great! The nuns sign you in, and then buzz you in and out when you go for dinner. The rooms are very clean, and there is a kitchen available. It felt very special to sleep in the convent, and I had the room to myself (there are only two beds to a room).

6. Casa Espana, Villaviciosa

I really thought I had a photo of this hotel but apparently I don’t, and that is very annoying! It is a very pretty hotel! It is a historic building and has a gorgeous appearance outside and inside. In my room was lots of hard wood antique furniture. Everything was very clean. The staff were also very helpful.

7. Boogalow Hostel, Gijon

The Boogalow hostel is still fairly new and it is a really comfy stay. A great location, facing the beach and with sea views. There is fun decor including games and best of all, a swing chair! The hostel offer lots of free muffins and snacks etc, the only downside was they needed a few more bits of kitchen equipment, in case there are lots of guests wanting to cook at once.

8. Hotel Palacio de la Magdalena, Soto del Barco

This former palace is beautiful and very luxurious! I had so much time in the bathtub, and laying on the comfy bed. They even gave you your own dressing gown. I realised later that there was also a spa! Unfortunately, I was only there one night and did not have any swim gear so could not take advantage. I did use the hotel restaurant which was very fancy and still reasonable at only €16 for the menu of the day. Plus, they gave me complementary leek cake!

9. Casa de Manas, Grove

Beautifully finished country lodge, surrounded by a river and cows. The bed was very ‘princess and the pea’ style, the radiators looked like marble, and the bath was a jacuzzi. Very nice! The owners were also very helpful and provided a free breakfast at the restaurant a little up the hill.

10. Hotel San Marcus, Sobrado dos Monxes

Comfy room, and nice bathroom. Very cosy, with a balcony to sit on and views of the monastery. The lady running the hotel also made free drinks and snacks available 24/7 and breakfast was included.

Doing the camino off season, did leave me with less options to choose from this year, but I am so glad I managed to get a bed at these locations. I would recommend to anyone doing the walk, to mix it up and sprinkle some different types of stay into your trip. You deserve a little luxury after walking for 40km in one day, and the baths really help!