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Zaragoza: hidden gem of Aragon

Last week, I made it into Aragon, (which until now, I had thought was a made up place…), and into the pretty city of Zaragoza!

I left Madrid with a full blown hangover, and met up with a local, Alejandro, who was driving to Zaragoza for work. I used the rideshare app ‘Bla Bla Car’ to link up with him, and this saved me over a hundred euros in train fare. It also made his car journey more efficient!

I had hoped that it would be a good opportunity for me to practice my spanish… Unfortunately, I had been having too much fun the night before in Madrid, and had to make my entire focus of the journey, not being ill…

Anyway… back to Zaragoza! I had been told by a man in Madrid ‘why are you going to Zaragoza, its really small, and nothing there’. This worried me, as I already had my stay booked. I am happy to report that he was quite wrong though!

Zaragoza is actually the fifth largest city in Spain. As someone, that personally walked 22km around the centre exploring, I can confirm that there is a fair bit there..

As soon as I ventured into the ‘old town’, I was greeted with beautiful architecture and a pleasant and huge plaza to enjoy.

Seo Cathedral & Pilar

There are two cathedrals to see, and helpfully, they are next door to each other! That is the Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pila and the La Seo: Catedral del Salvador. They also share one joint ticket (although you don’t need a ticket for the Pilar, but this way you are supporting them). It also gives you access to other attractions in the city, and for one euro more you can access the top of the tower for a panoramic view. I did opt for this, and was pleased to see an elevator. 😍

The views are quite pleasant and for only a euro it is worth it!

Both the Pilar and the Seo Cathedral are beautiful, but the weird thing I found was that both looked one way on the outside and was the opposite on the inside. For example, the Seo Cathedral looked fairly ordinary from the outside, but inside, it was stunning. Sadly, they do not allow photos, so I only have my memories… I can tell you that the ceilings and alters were beautifully designed though.

The only frustrating limitation to these two sites, and in general with religious buildings in Spain, is that they all shut during midday. I had a train at 5pm, so I had to squeeze both buildings into the morning. The receptionist told me that I should spend an hour in the Cathedral. I only had 20 minutes… I managed it though! Even managed to sit on a pew for a minute. I am very church efficient!

With the Pilar, it was impressive outside, but generally traditional inside. I think I am just spoilt at this point to be honest! The special thing in El Pilar and why it is called this, is because this is supposed to be the location that Santiago (St James- Patron Saint of Spain) was approached by the Virgin Mary when he was feeling discouraged. Mary gave him a jasper pillar and told him to build a temple to her in that place. James did this, and supposedly it became the first church dedicated to Mary. There is a huge chapel dedicated to it inside, and many people make pilgrimage to see the spot where the pilar is thought to be.

Courts of Aragon / Palace of Alajaferia

I made a special effort to reserve a visit to the former palace (now courts building) whilst I was visiting. This was very cheap (€5), and you just needed about an hour. The palace still retains lots of muslim designed decor, which I thought was unique to see outside of Andalucia.

The really great thing about the visit was that the tickets are limited to small numbers of visitors. So this is a great opportunity for taking photos and looking at the detail in this sort of architecture, without crowds. Once you go through security, you can make your way round the one way route of the site, unsupervised, very special.

Parque Grande José Antonio Labordeta

After a long walk across the city, whilst everyone was taking their siesta, I managed to make it to the park that I wanted to explore. The city’s biggest green space, Parque Grande Jose Antonio Labordeta.

Public parks in Spain are generally gorgeous, with sculptures, fountains, and roses. This one in particular has one very good first impression. On entering the park, you are greeted with a line of fountains in a row, and overshadowed by a grand white staircase with a waterfall. Very fancy!

It was quite a big walk to get to the park, and in hindsight, it would have been better if I was there for more than one day, as I was rushing through it too much. It deserved a good lounge around with a sketch book in hand.

So overall, Zaragoza definitely has some great things to shout about. Most of all, I just thought it was a very relaxing place to be.

Next stop… Irun, for the beginning of my Camino!

City of Culture 2021: Coventry

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Coventry has been declared the city of culture in the UK this year, and it is not hard to see why. On a weekend away in Coventry, a few weeks ago, I discovered that the city is bursting with culture, art and life!

I always like to visit new places, and Coventry was a great choice when deciding on a weekend away this year, as it is smack bang in the middle of the country, and so was easy for me to meet a friend there, who lives across the other side of the UK.

We stayed in a gorgeous AirBnB only ten minutes from the city centre. Within our accommodation, we enjoyed a full entertainment system, a garden and barbecue, a hot tub and even a lovely welcome pack of snacks. We enjoyed some late night cocktails in the tub and even saw a fox in the garden, at the ‘Foxes den‘, I would definitely recommend a stay.

I thought it would be a good idea to use the nearby park and ride to travel into the city, and better for the environment, but this ended up being a moral about never assuming you already know what is best! The park & ride ended up costing us about £8 and we still had to wait 30 minutes for a bus. I believe that just simply using the bus service from our accommodation would have been cheaper. Equally, we discovered on the second day, that there are actually some ridiculously cheap car parks in Coventry city centre, so never assume! It is always worth checking out Just Park or Parkopedia to be sure!

Visual arts

I was aware that Coventry had been declared the City of Culture this year, but I wasn’t sure how much culture was on offer. My previous experiences of the city had been rushed conferences and a university open day many years ago. From the first day of wondering the city though, I could see the reasons it had achieved this accolade.

There are thought invoking sculptures and visual art pieces throughout the city, as well as various performances and events. There were lots of colours around through walkways, decorations and painted buildings. I especially enjoyed a rolling fountain instalment in front of one of the main shopping centres.

Lady Godiva

There is quite a lot of references to Lady Godiva around Coventry. Including a large statue in the centre of a vibrant square full of restaurants. According to legend, Lady Godiva was a woman who rode through the city of Coventry, completely naked in protest against her husband’s high taxes of the poor people of the city. The story says that she asked all the town people to close their window shutters and not look upon her, but one man looked and was immediately blinded as a result. This was ‘peeping Tom’. Obviously, this story is very debatable, but it is nice to have folk stories like this and Lady Godiva, as a key figure, is clearly well celebrated by the city.

History

The city of Coventry has been around since before the Norman invasion of 1066, and dotted around the city are small remnants of the old walled city that once stood here. You can wonder through the old priory gardens, a medieval almshouse that is known as one of the finest examples of a timber work building in England, and of course the old cathedral ruins. The original cathedral was a priory dedicated to St Mary, and was founded as a Benedictine community by Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and his wife, Lady Godiva in 1043. This fell into neglect following the dissolution of the monasteries, under Henry VIII. Later, the parish church of St Michael was consecrated as the cathedral of Coventry in 1918. This cathedral did not stand for long though, as it was unfortunately the victim of bombing during the second world war, and was burnt down a long side many other buildings in the city. Shortly after, the community decided to rebuild the new and current cathedral as an act of faith, trust and rebirth. The building was consecrated in 1962 and still stands today next to the ruins of the old cathedral.

The old cathedral still has fragments of original stained glass hanging in place, easy for passersby to see. It is also a useful open space now, which can be used for events and exhibitions. There was even a classic car show inside the space when I visited. The space also has a number of sculptures that are captivating to the eye, especially the reconciliation statue. This symbolises the reconciliation and reunion of neighbours, loved ones, and countries following the second world war.

The new cathedral

The current cathedral is a work of art in itself, it is a large cement based building, but has huge stained glass windows, and wide open spaces. It is a great example of a modern cathedral that has still mastered being a place of peace and reflection. We did have a booked time slot for the cathedral, but this wasn’t actually checked when we arrived, and we were able to just walk straight in.

Nightlife

Whilst I was visiting, the city centre was holding a cultural festival in the assembly garden grounds, which seemed to be a pop up seating area with bars, mobile catering, stages and performance tents. Something that we booked for only £20 each was the Circolumbia show, which was brilliant value for money, and a great start to the evening. This was a circus, acrobatics, singing and dancing performance, that was done entirely by Columbian artists and themed on Columbian culture and music. This was so brilliant, and i spent a lot of the time during the show, gripping my seat, as the performers were doing things like standing on top of each other’s heads!

I also had a brilliant night at a bar/club called ‘The Yard’, which is known as the best and biggest LGBTQ+ venue in the city. The venue offered such an amazing time, we were there on a Saturday night, and they run a drag / cabaret show every weekend, so we were able to enjoy this. There was seating inside and outside, and we spent the evening dancing away with cocktails in hand, and managed to get an Uber back very cheaply at the end of the night.

In conclusion, I think Coventry is certainly full of culture, and a great place to let your hair down and just have a relaxing time, with lots of entertainment and engaging arts to be engrossed in. I would definitely revisit. It is also worth mentioning that it is in close proximity to Leicester, Nottingham & Birmingham, if you wanted to make multi centre tour out of the trip!

Budapest – “Paris of the East”

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Budapest also known as “Paris of the East”, “Pearl of the Danube” or “City of Spas” is one of Europe’s best hot spots for culture, nightlife and relaxation. Everything you need for a few summer days away… This summer I explored the city and was pleasantly surprised.

Budapest View

Arriving in Budapest

Flying from Stansted to Budapest was simple and cheap although we were a little bit disappointed with the infamous Ryanair service as with it being a late flight we hoped to just quickly get away with our cabin bags but when we got to the gate we had our bags taken away and put in hold meaning we would have to wait extra time at the airport to collect… a little bit frustrating.

Transport from the airport can be done in two ways; either a bus then metro train or a taxi, we went with the later. At such a late time it seemed easier to get a taxi this time round even though i would normally always travel like the locals on public transport. The taxi rank had a stand where you could get a ticket with the accurate cost of your journey on so there was no chance of getting scammed which is common with many Budapest taxi services. The drive was only 30 minutes and took us through Pest and over the Chain Bridge to beautiful Buda where our fabulous apartment awaited.

View from Margaret Bridge

This was my first stay in an AirBnB apartment and I was pleasantly surprised, we had great views and were situated in the Castle Hill District very close to the well known Chain Bridge and Buda Castle (not really a castle anymore but a palace). From the apartment and view points on the Buda side such as the palace and Gellert Hill you could see the historic river Danube and several luxury river cruise ships, many of which i remembered learning about and promoting in my previous agency work.

Getting around

There were many ways to see the city including river boat trips, buses, bicycles, trams, metro trains, suburban trains (HEV) and of course by foot!

I tried several of these methods and found them all to be really easy, frequent and punctual. A single ticket is only 350 HUF which is roughly £1 and you can go as far as you want with this on one line on any of the on land transportation. After buying your ticket simply validate it in one of the station machines and then hop on board! Walking around the city is also an option as there are many pedestrian routes and squares to explore. Budapest is one of many European cities that offer free walking tours, these last between 2-3 hours and give you plenty of information on local culture and history, and tips for places to go during your stay.

History of Budapest

The history of Hungary and Budapest in particular is very interesting having been heavily involved in both WW1 & WW2 on the side of the Central & Axis Powers and having also had history with the Roman empire and the Turkish.

Parliament view

Parliament Budapest

Parliament

Buildings such as Parliament & the Royal Palace look stunning and are full of stories too. Parliament hold regular tours but they are extremely popular so it is wise to book ahead. There is also a memorial exhibition outside the building and underground which tells the story of one of the worse massacres in European history, which happened outside the capital building in 1956, known as Bloody Thursday.

This was during the Hungarian revolution where tensions had been boiling between the citizens of Hungary and the Soviet Union rule. During a peaceful protest that day 800 civilians were shot down. Details, footage and witness accounts of the day are present at the underground memorial. This is a very sad but interesting memorial which helps to really build a picture of the oppression that might have been felt throughout the city back then.

The Royal Palace sits within Buda Castle (now only bordering walls remain) on Castle Hill and is home to the Budapest National Gallery and History Museum. Within the walls you will also find the beautiful Matthius Church and Fisherman’s Bastion where you can get great views of the city whilst enjoying a lovely meal on the balcony. This is a very popular area and so getting there early in the day is best for avoiding queues.

Follow the signs and take an elevator and you will come to the Hospital in the Rock. This museum was used as a hospital in WW2 as well as later becoming a top secret nuclear bunker. The very informative tour in here will walk you up to 17 metres underground through rooms that would have been used then and talk you through the difficult conditions for patients and staff. It is very interesting and peculiar and I would definitely recommend this! It costs 4000 HUF (roughly £10) and tours last an hour.

This wasn’t the only thing in the rock! Further a long the Buda side you will find the Cave Church that was sealed with cement in the war to stop people from worshiping but later reopened again for the people. You can wonder around the church for a very good price at only 500 HUF (£1.35) and listen to the interesting history though the self guided audio tour. It is also a nice cool escape from the heat outside in the summer.

In general there are vast amounts of historical buildings to see in Budapest which is surprising when you see the photos of how the city was left following air raids and riots in the various conflicts. There are also many memorials around the city, several of which are still being contested today by many locals. Some of the most interesting include: Gellert Hill, Heroes Square and the Shoes on the Promenade.

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Budapest Gellert Hill

There are also several interesting religious buildings including churches, St Stephen’s Basilica and of course the Jewish Donahy Street Synagogue which centerpiece’s the Jewish quarter that exists today. The synagogue is also home to the striking Holocaust Memorial Park which holds memory to the 400,000 Hungarian Jews that were murdered by Nazis.

Matthias Church

Cave Church

Synagogue

Matthias Church

Matthias Church in distance

St Stephen’s Basilica

Whilst much focus is given in Budapest to the suffering and war over the past century, there is also a strong Roman history in the city and if you take the suburban (HEV) train a little out past the pretty Margaret Island you can visit Aquincum which is home to a large roman conservation area. We had a brilliant morning in this attraction which made you feel like you suddenly were in Rome! We got in for free as on the last Saturday of every month under 26 yr olds are free of charge but we would have been happy to pay for this place… The site had several remains including; Roman public and private baths, forum buildings, fountains, homes and shops. The site also has what they believe to be the painter’s house with a typical roman lifestyle set up, a cafe and a brilliant museum with interactive games.

Aquincum

FOOD!

Hungarian food was delicious and cheap, a great combination! We were fairly adventurous over the week and tried several stews and also the mysterious Langos which is Budapest’s favourite snack. I was a little on the fence with this snack as it was very strong on the grease factor! …But my friends and the rest of the city seemed to like it so perhaps it’s just me!

For my fellow traveller’s birthday we enjoyed a special lunch at the beautiful New York Cafe which was inspired by Italian renaissance and is a very classy place for a lunchtime meal. Also the prices aren’t too bad!

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New York Cafe

City of Spas

It is clear to see why Budapest is nicknamed the ‘City of Spas’. We visited two very different bath houses in Budapest and enjoyed the minerals and 40’c heat of the water, as well as some jacuzzi jets and luxury treatments. It was a very nice way to relax and soak our sore feet after days of walking around the city. We visited Széchenyi Thermal Bath, the most popular bath in the city in the evening when it was all lit up, and this was definitely much more of a family site with several outside pools, jets and a whirlpool.

In contrast we also spent an afternoon at Veli Bej Bath which is one of the oldest baths in the city, much smaller and much more relaxed. This traditional Turkish bath has waters rich in calcium, magnesium, hydrogen-carbonate, sulfate and sodium to help ease joint pain and post-injury healing. A deep back massage was the perfect way to end the holiday and the spa and treatments were extremely good value at only £10 for a massage! I felt they were really too low in price as the service was professional and quality…

Széchenyi Thermal Bath

Veli Bej Bath

Overall, Budapest was definitely more than I was expecting… A vibrant culture, interesting history, great food and brilliant value, what more could you want! I would definitely visit again and next time I plan to try out more of the nightlife and work my way through more of the Hungarian cuisine.

Me in Budapest

Staying with AirBnB

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I had my first stay in an AirBnB apartment this summer in beautiful Budapest…

Whilst AirBnB had been mentioned to me before I was a little unsure of how well it would go, my mind pictured a dirty room where a strange host would come in whenever they like. BUT… when I actually took a good look I realised that there were some brilliant places to stay at very low prices!

Booking the apartment was simple and hassle free with plenty of information you just select your dates and request your stay. From that moment you can then talk directly with your host to get to know them and to make your travel arrangements.

My host was very helpful allowing us to arrive at 11pm and providing useful information and tips on where to go. I really enjoyed the freedom of having an apartment as well as you could come and go as you please, use a washing machine and not have to worry about when the maid is turning up! The best part was that our view was amazing and you wouldn’t get the same one in a hotel unless it was very expensive!

Our apartment slept four and was an absolute delight and a bargain at £360 for 4 nights.

My next AirBnB stay will be in… Brooklyn, New York and will be another bargain at £180 per night between 10 people making it a measly £90 for 5 nights. I can’t wait!

Iceland and all its wonders…

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Iceland and all its wonders…

Considering a break with gorgeous natural typography, a unique culture and opportunities for exceptional relaxation by traditional methods. Take a trip to Iceland…

Iceland

I took a short break to Iceland last year and was blown away by the scenery, culture and relaxation factor. In this blog I will take you through the best things to do in Iceland and how to make the most of those few days away.

A break for 3-5 days can allow you to visit iconic sites such as the Blue Lagoon, the Hallgrímskirkja Church, and the amazing Gullfoss Waterfall. It is also not too difficult to get to with flights from Manchester going directly to Keflavik International Airport up to four times a week and lasting under 3 hours.

Once arrived in Keflavik, the journey to Reykjavik is under an hour by car/taxi or you can also get one of the many bus services into the city. This is best booked in advance to make sure you have a place on the transfer service.

There are several hotels in Reykjavik ranging from 2 – 5*. Reykjavik Residence Hotel is one of the most desirable however; the Best Western Reykjavik hotel remains to be one of our most popular choices with an ideal location close to the main shopping area, clean and comfortable rooms, and a tasty breakfast available.

Bed and breakfast is the most common option for board basis in Iceland which is all you really need in this destination as you will spend most of your time out exploring the amazing scenery and trying local delicacies which normally consist of seafood and traditional stews. Beware that you will struggle to find any proper cheese in this country; as much as I tried I could only get hold of some big slices of mozzarella.

Reykjavik itself is quite small for a capital city but has a great dining culture in terms of food and drink. Dinners are consumed quite early there and bear in mind that drinks can be very expensive, with a glass of vodka and lemonade equalling around £12. Some of the best sites in Reykjavik include the Hallgrímskirkja Church and the Saga Museum.

The church is a huge concrete fortress of perfect symmetry in the centre of the city and has a very modern exterior. The inside of the church is very simplistic with plain walls and clear windows moving away from the traditional stained glass windows, crafted sculptures and detailed tapestries. Although, this plain interior may seem dull at a first look, if you pull up a pew and sit for a few minutes it allows for much clearer thinking without the distraction of different idols and art pieces.

The Perlan Saga Museum is a great attraction to give you an overview of the country and also offers great views of the capital. Sitting on the outskirts of the centre it is easiest to get a bus to this attraction which is easy to purchase from the tourist information office. Alternatively, it can be reached on foot in under an hour from the city centre. The price for the museum is 2000 Krona per Adult. The exhibit shows Iceland’s history and heritage as a timeline of the country and includes models and displays to show the key players in the creation of Iceland and the building of the earliest settlements. Audio guides are also available which are helpful in piecing the displays together. The museum also has a brilliant viewing area to give you a great view of the capital unseen elsewhere, which you can enjoy with a light lunch or a few cakes from their lovely café.

Outside of the city, Iceland offers endless natural wonders to explore and enjoy. Among these attractions, the most popular remain to be whale watching, the northern lights and the golden circle.

If travelling to Iceland at the right time of the year you could see up to 20 species of whales as well as other majestic creatures such as the famous puffins. The most popular whales to see are Minke and Humpback whales but if you are lucky you might even see a Killer whale making its way through. Make sure you time this tour right though… these tours are weather dependent and can be postponed or cancelled if the environment at sea is unsafe.

Iceland is a great place to bundle in a night with the Northern Lights. This natural phenomenon formally known as the Aurora Borealis can be hunted for by evening cruise or even a jeep ride off the beaten track. The best time to see this amazing light show is at the beginning of the year January through to March but again this can be weather dependant as a cloudy night will stop you from seeing the lights.

The Golden Circle is a must do tour when visiting Iceland for a weekend and runs regularly in a loop around South Iceland. This tour includes a visit to the Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir, and Pingvellir National Park.

Gullfoss Waterfall

The Gullfoss waterfall which means ‘Golden Falls’ is a spectacular sight with three plunges down to the river Hvita. This mass of water could easily compete with the Niagra Falls in magnitude and the experience on offer to tourists. The attraction has three levels of height that it can be viewed from with a long walkway bringing you down close to the final last drop in the fall. Get ready to get sprayed if you decide to wonder down this far though, as the power of the water hits the rocks below.

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Visiting Geysir you can again see water being thrown into the air. This hot spring bursts from the ground every 15 minutes; the boiling water can be thrown up to 70 metres high. Around this large geyser you will also find several other smaller hot springs and eruptions of steam. This site is almost like a strange minefield as you walk through with sudden bursts of water blowing up around you.

National Park

The Pingvellir National Park is a great place to stop and take in the scenery with the largest lake in Iceland among its surroundings and a beautiful landscape that is untouched by the modern world. Interestingly, you can also walk through the rift valley which is significant in geography as it is the continental rift between the North American and Eurasian plates and has formed an impressive canyon to explore.

On the way out of Reykjavik back towards the airport the final must do place in Iceland to visit is the iconic Blue Lagoon. This geothermal spa derives from a lava field and is rich with natural minerals and bright blue water. You can relax in this glorious oasis with a cocktail from the bar and also enjoy the silica facial solutions available among the rocks around the edge of the waters. This formula and additionally the warm mineral water are said to have rejuvenating, anti-ageing properties whether this is true it is hard to say but it is certainly a relaxing experience with the waters being steaming hot and refreshing.

Iceland

This is probably the most popular attraction in Iceland however which can make it very busy in peak season; this is something to be aware of when choosing which dates to go. There are also several different packages available at the Blue Lagoon, which can include your robe, slippers, a drink and potentially a meal. As well as all the free facial solutions and warm waters you can additionally book other treatments from this retreat including full body massages and full facials. I would certainly recommend this sanctuary to relax in for about half a day, and with regular bus services and storage areas for your luggage and other items it makes a great stop for your way in or out to the airport. This can however be an expensive retreat if not planned carefully, there are a lot of added extras to pay for on arrival if not paid for as part of a package and not planned in advance. Booking in advance is highly recommended to avoid disappointment, as this is such a popular attraction.

This blog has only covered the basics of what Iceland can offer holidaymakers, there is much more to see from great glaciers, to Icelandic horses. There are also many different ways to see this amazing country from short city break to escorted tour.