Category: Travel

The road to Sligo 🇮🇪

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We both really wanted to visit Galway, but the long drive from Doolin, and then the long drive to Rosses Point, meant we had only a few hours to explore. Unfortunately, due to how busy Galway was, we spent a lot of time trying to find somewhere to park. However, we did manage to find a parking space at the tightest car park at Spanish Arch. I was desperate for a wee, and decided to relieve myself in the museum toilets. I never understand why women don’t lock the door, and then have a massive strop at you for opening the door on them when they are mid flow. To make things worse, she was also bent forward, so not only did I disturb her, I also gave her concussion. After getting away from the angry toilet lady, we got straight into the hustle and bustle of the Latin Quarter. Picture vibrant, colourful buildings, cobbled streets, buskers, boutique shops and quirky bars. If we had time, I would have loved to just sit here all day and people watch. 

I had a job of deciding how to spend just a few hours here because there is so much to do. But not being able to see everything gives us a good reason to come back. Mark was obviously thrilled when I suggested that we explore the cathedral. Originally the grounds of the old city jail, it’s now a striking part of the city’s skyline and is the newest of Europe’s great stone cathedrals. It’s modern yet charming inside and is definitely worth
a visit to see the stained glass and mosaics. Feeling peckish after our visit, we stumbled upon a deli that sold the most delicious sandwiches. We decided to sit in their restaurant upstairs to enjoy our meal, but unfortunately, a few rouge wasps were buzzing around which made the experience less enjoyable for Mark. We were eager to have a drink in one of the traditional pubs, and after listening to some street buskers, we found the pub recommended by Nicola Coughlan (Penelope in Bridgerton). It was bustling with a cool vibe, featuring lots of quirky artwork, and both locals and tourists were enjoying the drinks the pub had to offer.

After leaving Galway, we headed to Rosses Point, where we would be staying for the next two nights. The campsite was much larger than the one we had just left, and since we booked late, we ended up with a pitch that had no shelter from the wind. Fortunately, it was a beautiful evening, and we erected the tent quickly. This left us with plenty of time to take a leisurely stroll to the beach with a drink and watch the sunset, as well as observe some brave souls taking a swim at Deadman’s Point (the name alone was enough to keep us on the shore!). Just as we were preparing for bed, I received an alert on my phone informing me that the Aurora was going to be visible that night. I’ve been fortunate enough to see it a few times before, but I figured one more time wouldn’t hurt. So, we grabbed the camera and tripod and made our way through the grass to find a good spot to set up. It turned out that others had also received the same alert, and we all waited with anticipation for something to happen. Unfortunately, hunting for the Aurora doesn’t always lead to success, but the sky was filled with stars, and it was still a lovely evening, with the sound of waves in the distance. We got into bed and I was peacefully sleeping, enjoying the rare calm night with hardly any wind or rain. Just when everything seemed perfect, at 4am I was rudely awakened by the sensation of sinking onto the cold, hard ground. Turns out, our airbed had completely deflated! Ah, the joys of camping!

We had a busy day ahead of us, and thanks to the dry, sunny morning, we were able to have breakfast outside. One of the highly recommended things to do when staying in Sligo is to drive the Gleniff Horseshoe loop, which offers spectacular views of the Dartry Mountains. Ireland is full of hidden treasures, and this is definitely one of them. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, it was raining.. Obviously.. But this added to the dramatic landscape, and the fast racing clouds created an atmospheric setting. We then headed to Mullaghmore beach to take a coastal walk. We always strive to support local businesses, especially when it comes to coffee, and we found a charming coffee van selling the most delicious cakes. A big shout out to Ahoy. The rain had passed, and we were able to explore the rugged coastline, and the great visibility meant we could see Donegal Bay and Benbulben standing tall. You can also see Classiebawn Castle, which is another dominant landmark, and looks like something straight out of Disney! The final stop for the day was to get a closer view of Benbulben and the forest walk that surrounds it. After coming face to face with some sheep who didn’t look too impressed that we were on their path, we were able to admire the mountain in all its rugged glory. Speaking of sheep, there are so many of them perched at the very top on what looks like a vertical surface. Again, thanks to the great visibility, we were able to have stunning views of Classiebawn Castle and Slieve League across Donegal Bay. The trail continues through the forest and back to the car park, and it was a lovely walk to finish off the day.

The great weather we enjoyed earlier took a turn for the worse when we returned to our tent. The classic Irish weather was back in full force – howling wind and lashing rain. We had two choices – Sit in the tent and not relax whilst the wind battered it, or head to the pub and forget about it. We took the 2nd option, and walked to Harry’s Bar. There, we had a blast listening to a traditional music session and Mark indulged in plenty of pints of Guinness. The bar was filled with all sorts of fascinating nautical artifacts, from a piece of the Cutty Sark’s rope to a hammerhead shark skull. It even housed several fish tanks scattered throughout the place. Walking back in the rain, we wondered if our tent had been blown off into the Atlantic, but thankfully, it was still standing! Mark had an lovely time cleaning his teeth while the other blokes at the campsite were dealing with the aftermath of their Guinness intake.

We woke up to more rain, so dismantling the tent and packing everything away was a massive challenge. The tent had also had enough and was now dripping into the ‘living’ area. Of course, as soon as we had everything packed in the car (which took ages), the rain stopped. Camping has certainly been an experience, but we were excited because we knew we would be getting a warm, comfortable bed and a shower that lasted longer than 5 minutes at an Airbnb that evening. We left Rosses Point and headed over to Lovely Leitrim, where we would stay for the next 4 nights.

The road to Doolin 🇮🇪

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After receiving recommendations from our Irish experts Becky and Sheena, we packed up our car with all our camping gear and embarked on our trip to Ireland. We are very new to camping, so a massive shout out to Rachel and Sallyanne for lending us the gear, and to my Mum for coming on the many trips to B&M and Home Bargains to help us find affordable utensils (thank god for ‘starting uni’ prices). To avoid an early start and a long drive, we stayed at a Travelodge in Holyhead the night before sailing. After a good night’s rest, we began our day with a McDonald’s breakfast before boarding the Irish Ferry. Surprisingly, we had booked the fast ferry, so we reached Dublin in just over 2 hours. From there, we drove to Doolin, one of Co. Clare’s most popular villages, where we stayed for the next 2 nights. After navigating through the busiest service station we’d ever been to, some incredibly narrow roads, a man with a big beard telling us to fuck off, and what felt like a thousand tolls, we finally arrived at the campsite.

It turns out trying to get a tent up in the wind is incredibly difficult! And as soon as we had it erected, the heavens opened, and so came the next challenge of trying to get everything from the car into the tent. Thank god for the cheap full length waterproof from Shein! It was Mark’s turn to be chef tonight, and I was treated to the driest carbonara I have ever had (unfortunately I didn’t get a photo of this glorious feast) whilst watching the Olympic closing ceremony. After a quick drink at the local pub, we settled into the tent for our first night of sleep.. and what a noisy night it was! The weather was wild, with wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. At 3am I found myself on booking.com and Airbnb trying to find any sort of alternative accommodation for the following night. We were concerned we would wake up with a floppy tent on top of us, but to our surprise, it held up well, and we woke up dry and surprisingly warm.

We had breakfast outside, and I provided Mark with an equally questionable meal of fried egg sarnie (tried to flip it.. cheap spatula = botched yolk). The weather looked promising, so we decided to visit the Cliffs of Moher. The website recommends booking for people monitoring purposes, but judging by the crowded car park, it seems they want as much money as possible! Finding a parking spot was a nightmare, with cars abandoned everywhere because there was literally nowhere to park. Thankfully, we managed to squeeze in behind a campervan and joined the crowds over at the cliffs. 

Car park queue…

The visitors centre was rammed, and so was the start of the cliff walk. The path is quite narrow (with plenty of people who don’t say thank you for letting them past – this absolutely boils my piss!) however, the crowds soon thinned out and we were able to fully appreciate the beauty of the cliffs. 

Here’s some trivia about the cliffs – they reach up to 214 meters in height at their highest point and stretch on for 5 miles. They have been featured in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Leap Year, and that terrible film Irish Wish. It is also a hot spot for flora and fauna, with as many as 20 different species of birds. We enjoyed the rugged and dramatic landscape and the jaw-dropping cliffs. We are glad we visited. However, it is far too busy, with the giant visitors complex, and the continuous 4.5-foot flagstone slabs set 15 feet from the cliff edge to stop silly people from getting too close somewhat ruins the experience. It’s ironic – a tourist complaining about tourists – but it’s true. A place that was once just like any other coastal walk is now being commercialized to the extent that its magic is being stripped away.

As the weather was still glorious, we decided to go to the beach. Lahinch’s crescent-shaped sandy beach attracts people from around the world due to its watersports and surf centre. Since neither of us can surf, we opted for a pizza and sat on the rocks to watch the pros in action. Then we continued along the coast to Spanish Point and grabbed some drinks while listening to a local musician playing the guitar. As the adults weren’t giving him much attention, he asked a group of children what they would like to hear instead.. so we were treated to the wheels on the bus! After refreshing ourselves, we went for a walk to watch the waves crashing along the cliffs. We ended the day with a BBQ, and just as the meat was ready, it started to rain! Fortunately, it was only a brief shower, so we were still able to enjoy the famous Irish beef.

It was another windy night (not just from Mark!), and we knew it must have been bad for the campsite owner to walk past the tent and say, “You survived!” Now came the task of packing away the tent and making everything fit back in the car. Luckily, it wasn’t as long and painful as we thought, so we treated ourselves to a quick look around Doolin and a coffee before the long drive to Galway.

Day 3 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

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I came downstairs this morning to Santa asking Momma, ‘Is this wood too big?’.. luckily, he was referring to the driftwood he got from his morning beach walk to go in the garden.

Inner Farne As we’re so close to Northumberland, it would be rude not to take a boat trip over to Inner Farne. We booked with Serenity and paid £30pp, with the additional landing fee being free as we’re National Trust members (13pp for non-members). The tour sails around all of the Farne Islands, then lands on the breeding seabird heaven that is Inner Farne. Momma was buzzing to be snapping away, especially after the camera incident whilst in Antarctica 😬 David Attenborough says this is one of his favourite places in the UK to see magnificent nature, and he’s certainly got that right! On our way to the islands, we were surrounded by many different species of birds bobbing on the sea and swooping in the skies above.

We sailed passed Staple Island which was overtaken by guillemots and kittiwakes, and then headed off to see the seals who were either lazing on the rocks or bobbing inquisitively in the sea. There are an estimated 3,000-4,000 Grey Seals in the Farne Islands!

Next was Longstone Lighthouse, where Grace Darling lived. At the age of 22, she gained national notoriety for her bravery for the part she played in the rescue of survivors from a wrecked merchant ship in 1838. Along with her father, they saved nine people from the wreck of the ‘Forfarshire’ that ran into a horrendous storm on its way to Dundee.

The landing on Inner Farne is 1 hour treat of seabirds.. but first you have to get past the Arctic Tern’s! Luckily, it was raining, which meant our heads were protected by our hoods.. they are incredibly territorial and are only trying to protect their young, but having them swoop, peck, and attack is absolutely terrifying at first! I don’t think any of us have ever walked to the toilet so fast!

Puffins are the star of the show here, and they are absolutely everywhere! Seeing them running around with their bill full of sand eels is an absolute joy to watch. Every year, they return to the Farne Islands for a short window of breeding and raising their young. This is usually between April to late July with the peak time being between May and June.

Other birds we saw inclide razorbills, black headed gulls, and my personal favourite – a shag.

Twizel Before heading back to Eyemouth, we consulted the Alltrails and found a circular that included a castle, a viaduct and a bridge. Twizel Castle is Grade II listed, but all that remains now is a shell of a folly that has been overtaken by nature. Unfortunately it’s too dangerous to explore inside and is completely fenced off, but you can still get close enough to imagine what it would have been like back in 1415 when it was held by Sir John Heron.

The walk continues along the River Tweed, before turning to following the River Till. It’s a very peaceful walk, with just the sound of the river and singing birds. The next highlight is the viaduct, which saw its last train in March 1965, and the track has since been removed. Unfortunately it’s very overgrown so difficult to appreciate it in all its glory.

At the end of the walk we were treated to the Twizel Bridge – completed in 1511, this bridge was the largest single span arch in Britain (90 feet) and remained so until 1727. The bridge carried the main A698 road from Hawick to Berwick-upon-Tweed until 1983, when a modern bridge was completed immediately to the south.

We finished off another fabulous day with a walk around Eyemouth and a big, dirty Chinese feast!

Day 2 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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This morning, I woke up to my car absolutely caked in bird poo… the joys of the seaside! At least the gulls are in the right place though, and not trying to get a maccies out of the bin by the Guildhall in Worcester. We knew the weather wouldn’t be on our side today, so planned a day with easy access to cafes and bars should we need to take shelter.

Cove harbour A hidden gem and an absolute treat! There are signs up saying please don’t post this place on social media.. but I’m assuming that’s more for someone who is an actual influencer 🤣 Cove has been a haven for fisherman since the 17th century, and is still in use today by a couple of small boats. There are no facilities here, and that includes no toilets. Luckily Santa was able to hold his bladder on this occasion… but the complete lack of anything means it’s the perfect place to just sit and admire the scenery and listen to the lapping of the waters. On one side are the pier houses, which are no longer lived in and only used to house fishing equipment. On the other side, once you’ve braved the pitch black tunnel, is a small beach. It’s such a stunning area, and the small car park perched on the cliff top means only a few groups of people can be there at any one time.

Oldhamstocks This was a special visit for Momma to find the final resting place of her great great aunt, who had a farm in the area. Luckily, one of the residents has put together a graveyard map, meaning we were able to find it relatively quickly. It’s a small hidden village full of history and an unusually high proportion of buildings listed for their architectural merit.

Dunbar According to ‘Visit Scotland’ website, Dunbar is “The town is renowned for its high sunshine record.” Obviously, for the entire time we were there, it rained 🤣 so we took shelter in a cafe, and I ordered a cream tea. The waitress came back a few minutes later to let us know they had run out of cream, and they were popping to the shop to get some more. What arrived was actually whipping cream and not clotted cream! So I did the English thing, had a little moan, but then told her everything was lovely. One of Dunbar’s attractions is its ruined castle perched at the entrance to the harbour. Once one of the strongest fortresses in Scotland, it is now a collapsed heap with only a small part remaining. It also has a battery, which offers great views out over the Forth of Firth, and an RNLI shop where Santa got elbow deep in a bucket of balls, and got 12 for £1.50!! If you enjoy a ‘live laugh love’ type quote, there’s the John Muir birthplace museum (free!) which is another great rain dodger to learn about the OG nature man.

Tantallon Castle We spotted this ruin from the road and decided to pull in for a closer look. We very nearly didn’t go in, because the weather was still shite and it was £7.50pp.. however it turns out English Heritage members get in for free, so we were straight through the gate! Tantallon is said to be the last truly great castle built in Scotland. It was besieged by Oliver Cromwell in 1651, and the army caused such destruction that the medieval fortress was abandoned after this last attack. There’s also great views of Bass Rock and lighthouse – home to the largest gannet colony in the world, earning it Sir David Attenborough’s claim to be one of the ‘wildlife wonders of the world’. There is a large part of the ruins still open to explore, so was definitely worth the entrance fee that we didn’t have to pay 🤣

North Berwick Boasting lovely beaches, coastal scenery, colourful buildings and the Scottish Seabird Centre, we really loved North Berwick. They are very rubbish conscious, and everywhere you look, they’ve made art out of all litter found on the beach. It also has plenty of cute shops, but unfortunately, with it being late on Sunday, most of these were closed. We did find an open charity shop, where Santa purchased more balls. The lack of open shops meant one thing.. the pub! We found a fabulous watering hole with plenty of taps and enjoyed the relaxation after a busy day exploring.

We finished the day by watching England win their first game in the Euros in a very local pub and a spot of seal spotting in Eyemouth harbour.

The road to Eyemouth 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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The 3 of us are back! And this time, we’ve decided to base ourselves in Eyemouth, in the Scottish Borders. As the drive there from home would (potentially) take nearly 6 hours, we decided to have a stop-over in Knaresborough. The drive was a long and boring one, thanks to the many 50mph sections on the (not so) smart motorways. Knaresborough is a cute little market town in North Yorkshire, with pretty waterside views and an impressive viaduct. It’s also home to the Chapel of Our Lady in the Crag. However, despite the sign saying visitors welcome, there was a huge padlock on the gate, suggesting Our Lady was not up for company!

After a cheeky downpour and a stop off in a coffee shop to keep us dry, we were able to carry on seeing what Knaresborough has to offer. We sacked off Mother Shipton’s Cave (a tenner each was just a bit too steep) and opted for a different viewpoint of the viaduct from the castle grounds. You can’t beat a free attraction! Not only can you see picture postcard views from here, but there’s also a large green space to relax, play bowls, or visit the ruins of the castle.

I made sure I did my research to ensure Santa had a fabulous evening of booze. We started in So!Bar, where I have to say, the food was absolutely delicious! Of course, Santa lost half of it down his top.. Next was Blind Jack’s – a cosy local pub which is consistently listed in the Good Beer guide, and boasts eight keg craft beer lines and six cask hand pulled real Ales. All the decisions.. The final stop of the night was Six Poor Folk – set in one of Knaresborough’s oldest buildings, and luckily, I had a TV to watch the football. An absolute sesh of an evening! Unfortunately, as we were leaving Six, the heavens opened, and it poured with rain. With no wet gear at all, we got back to the hotel looking like drowned rats.

Following a full English breakfast, we hit the road again for another epic drive along the scenic A1 to the borders. As the weather looked promising for today, we decided to head to St Abb’s Head – a breathtaking coastal headland with dramatic cliffs and a ridiculous amount of sea birds. After a small parking issue with an American, I managed to squeeze into a space further up the road (which was free, and his wasn’t!) and we set off to explore this quaint Scottish village and harbour. Some trivia for you – the village served as the location for the fictional town of New Asgard in the 2019 movie – Avengers: Endgame. This now all makes sense as we were confused as to why groups of people were carrying around Thor’s hammer.

The circular coastal walk through the national nature reserve is the real star of the show here, with the jagged rock formations taking centre stage. There are also thousands of incredibly noisy sea birds taking shelter on the off shore stacks, carpets of wildflowers, and, of course, a lighthouse. The views really are stunning, and that meant Momma was going wild with all her photos. We were so incredibly lucky with the weather that I ended the day with sunburn!

We arrived at our Airbnb and dragged our cases and multiple bags of snacks into the gaff. We weren’t really sure what to expect from Eyemouth.. it certainly isn’t quaint, but it definitely has its own charm. It has one of the biggest harbours in the region, and plenty of restaurants and bakeries to keep us going for the rest of our time here. We had originally planned to have a chippy tea on the beach with a bottle of wine,but as always, the weather had other ideas. As the coastal fog descended, and the temperature dropped, we decided to have it outside the chippy, on a bench, by the harbour.

Èze & Villefranche-sur-Mer 🇫🇷

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This morning, we decided to have one last whip around Nice before getting the bus to Èze. We walked past our favourite bus stop, down the promenade, and back up to the viewpoint, as we stupidly forgot to see the waterfall on arrival day. It was built in the late 19th century, where the medieval keep once stood. It can also be seen from the promenade below. When back on ground level, we had a stroll through the fruit and veg and flower market. In 1897, Nice opened the first wholesale cut flower market in the world, and the market today is still full of hustle and bustle, bright colours, and glorious smells.

After our obligatory visit to Maccies for our World Tour series, we checked on Google Maps for the bus route to Èze. After getting on the wrong bus (despite the driver telling us it was the right one) and him not letting us get off again, we ended up paying €30 for an Uber, as buses are unfortunately, few and far between. He drove like a bat out of hell, but it meant we got there in super quick time.. every cloud! When we got dropped off, our initial thought were, is this it 😬 it wasn’t quaint, and there were just a few perfume shops and a few bars. We decided to follow the crowd who had just got off the bus we should have been on, and luckily we did, because it was here where we found what gives Èze its charm. Winding cobblestone streets through fairytale architecture. The narrow streets are full of independent shops, vibrant flower, and tiny expensive boutique hotels. Wrought-iron street lamps hang on every building, and colourful shutters around each window. It was a total maze of dreamy alleyways to find the entrance to the exotic garden, which was totally worth the €8 entrance fee.

The gardens boast a stunning view of the Cote d’Azur, although as always, we were blessed with intermittent large clouds and fog. There are wooden sun loungers dotted around for relaxing, but we just enjoyed getting lost (a theme in Èze!) in the ridiculous amount of pathways through the garden. Another attraction is Our Lady of the Assumption Church, but unfortunately, this is undergoing a large renovation project, so the majority of the inside is covered with scaffolding.

After a quick drink in a cafe, we joined the huge group of people waiting for the bus back. Our plan was to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening in Villefranche-sur-Mer – an idyllic little town just under 10 minutes by train from Nice. Luckily, we managed to get on the bus, and we set off the coastal road, all packed in like sardines. We fought our way off the bus at our stop and headed down (thank god not up, as we passed quite a few incredibly sweaty people) the 100s of steps to sea level. Just like all the other towns we had visited, we were greeted by pastel buildings and winding cobblestone streets. It was incredibly quiet with hardly anybody else about. We found a cute little cafe run by an Italian family and stopped for a latte and pastry selection before heading to Plage des Marinières for a spot of sunbathing.

The water was such a gorgeous colour, and we thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the beach, listening to the waves and taking the weight off our feet. It was much needed after our 30k a day.. our trotters were in bits! As we were just 7 minutes on the train from Nice, we decided to have some food in Villefranche as there are loads of waterfront restaurants to choose from. Unfortunately with that comes a rather cheeky price tag, so we chose the cheapest (and busiest) restaurant, and enjoyed a very tasty meal – apart from Mark’s Tiramisu, which was just pure cream, and my mousse which looked like a turd (fortunately it didn’t taste like turd).

We would have loved more days here to explore the other way, places such as Cannes and Antibes. That can only mean one thing, though – a return trip is most definitely on the cards! If you have a few days off though and are at a loss as to what to do, we would throughly recommend coming to Nice and exploring the stunning French Riveria.

Menton & Monaco 🇫🇷🇲🇨

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After a lovely hotel breakfast, we headed for Nice Ville train station to fathom out the trains to Menton. The queue for the ticket machine was quite long, so we decided to buy them on the Trainline, as we had no issues when in Germany. However, when we tried to go through the gate, they wouldn’t open.. we asked one of the staff, and they said we needed to press the yellow SOS button. This seemed a bit extreme, but after telling the gentleman on the other end that our tickets didn’t scan, he just opened the barrier. No further questions asked! We got onto the platform, and it was absolutely rammed, as this is also the train to Monaco. Despite the boards and trainline app suggesting our train was going to be delayed, a train did pull onto platform 2 at the correct and original time. After a bit of confusion, and everyone in their various languages checking this was, in fact, the right train that was now on time, we all piled on. The train was clean and spacious, and everyone managed to get a seat.

The journey to Menton was full of stunning coastal views, and is the last stop before the train heads into Italy (I tried to persuade Mark to let me have an hour in Italy, but I lost that battle..) As we headed out of the station, we were greeted by lots of construction and clay tennis courts and not the cute lemon coloured building I had seen on TikTok. A quick check on Google Maps showed we had a 20-minute walk to the old town, which oozed charm and history. Lots of cobbled streets later, and we arrived at the iconic Basilique Saint-Michel Archange de Menton. Not only is this a beautiful baroque building, but there are stunning views down to the beach. It’s also the place for the obligatory photo of the lemon coloured geometric stairs – Les Rampes Saint-Michel. It’s absolutely fascinating watching everyone getting that perfectly posed photo for Instagram, as well as how totally oblivious some people are when others are getting the perfect shot.

We walked down to the newer part Menton, ready for a beverage in one of the many cafés that line the beach. As it was 5 pm somewhere, we opted for a glass of wine and a pint and enjoyed the relaxation and people watching. We had spotted a group of people on some rocks in the sea and decided that that would be a great place to view Menton in all its pastel glory. We soaked up the sun and enjoyed the views of the Pearl of France. Dreamy buildings, colourful shutters and terracotta roofs – is really is the most glorious little town.

On the walk back to the train station, we decided to buy some of the lemony goods that Menton is famous for, and came away with lemon beer, lemon biscuits and lemon meringue ice cream 😋 essentially, everything under the sun has lemon in it!

Our next stop for today was Monaco – the second smallest country in the world, and the land of James Bond, F1 and wealth! The dream would be to land here in a private helicopter or bikini clad at the front of a super yacht. Unfortunately, as our wages don’t quite stretch that far, we settled for the train instead. I was excited to see all the big, lavish boats.. but was actually left a little underwhelmed! Where were the huge luxury yachts you see in pictures 😭 Getting around was slightly difficult at times as well due to path closures, as they were taking all the F1 construction down.

We hadn’t got a what to see and do plan in Monaco, so we ended up missing the ‘The Rock’ and the views from up there. We did, however, go to the most iconic building – the Monte Carlo Casino. We came from around the back of the casino so we could really appreciate the lavish and ornate building, which was designed by Charles Garnier, the architect of the Paris Opéra. It was swarmed with tourists trying to capture the best photos and, of course, plenty of expensive cars. Mark wasn’t allowed in due to his bag of beer bottles, so we had to take it in turns to check out the grand decor. The marble columned entrance hall is beautiful, but a lot smaller than I had expected! If we had more time, we would have loved to sit in Café de Paris and watch the wealthy arrive in their cars and head in for a flutter, but it was getting late and were keen to get back to Nice. So we walked past all the wealthy shops instead back to the train station and piled on with the 100s of other people.

Back in Nice and we decided to have dinner in the bustling old town. We found an Italian down one of the side streets and settled down for the al fresco feast. The menu at the restaurant next door then caught my eye.. roasted quail stuffed asshole! What an absolute treat. We finished off the evening with drinks in a few bars and some super expensive macaron.

Nice 🇫🇷

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What do we do when you have a few days off? Book a trip of course! We did toy with the idea of booking a cheap all inclusive and just sitting around a pool doing absolutely nothing.. but we both know that that’s just not us, and after very little time to do any planning, we decided to book a trip to Nice. Parking at Luton Airport is ridiculously expensive, but thanks to Mark’s parents living close by, we were able to get a reasonably priced taxi.. at 4am 😪 There is so much building work being done at Luton, meaning getting dropped off anywhere near the entrance is beyond impossible. So along with everyone else, dragged out suitcases for what seemed like miles to the terminal entrance. Although busy, we got through bag drop and security very quickly, meaning we had ample time for breakfast. Luton now has an obscene amount of eateries, so choosing was a challenging.. but we opted for somewhere that sold our usual ‘breakfast out’ staple of smashed avo.

The flight time to Nice is less than 2hrs, so perfect for a few days away. We got to passport control and I always like to say hello in the language of the country we are in. The man however continued talking to me in French, and as he wasn’t asking me what sort of house I live in and who it is with (thanks secondary school level French) I had absolutely no idea what he was saying. He then said he would try something basic, and asked me how I was. Luckily that was something I was able to answer. Internet searches suggested heading to the centre of Nice from the airport is very easy. The ticket system for the tram however, is not, and we were surrounded by a large group of confused tourists who had no idea how to buy a single ticket. With our arrival day being a Sunday, that meant a reduced service, and with a tram arriving, we did what everyone else did and jumped on without getting a ticket 😬 luckily we were able to work out the Lignes d’Azure app and buy one before we reached our destination (because nobody wants a fine on their first day!)

As we had an early flight, we arrived at the hotel around midday. We left out bags in the luggage room and headed out to explore. As always with our trips, the sky was covered in dark clouds.. but thankfully, the rain held off! We strolled along the promenade and just couldn’t believe how beautiful and blue the sea was. It’s a busy area, with runners, cycling, roller blading, and volleyball, and there are plenty of areas to sit and watch all the activity. Or you could sit on the pebble beach and watch the calming blue waves.

We were feeling peckish, so decided to have a walk around the old town to find somewhere to eat. The traditional French Riviera coloured alleyways are endless, and full of cute shops and cafés. There are also a number of squares, full of life, laughter and musicians. It is so difficult to decide where to eat, but we settled for the highly rated Hobo café, and luckily there wasn’t much of a wait. We had a glorious croque lunch, washed down with iced coffee, and enjoyed watching the incredibly skilled bin men navigate their lorry around the very narrow streets and corners.

After refuelling and more mooching around the old town, we went for a first look at the wealth in the area, and headed to the Port of Nice where some the posh boats are kept. There was also loads of brightly coloured fishing boats bobbing in the water, and along with the brightly coloured buildings gave the area a vibrant vibe. Although a perfect stop for a wine and a beer to admire the surroundings, there wasn’t actually much activity going on here.

It was now getting late, but as we like to cram everything possible in to our day, we decided to catch one of the last lifts up to Castle Hill for breathtaking panoramic views of Nice and the Bay of Angels. There are a few cafés, and parks where the locals do their exercise classes. There is the option to take the steps up to the top, but looking at the sweaty and out of breath people making the ascent, I’m glad we took the old and rickety lift. It’s also free!

The French Riveria is known for being expensive, so before we left, we packed wine glasses and a picnic blanket, and tonight we had pizza and wine on the beach. This seemed to be a popular option as there were loads of couples and friendship groups doing the same. It’s also perfect for a bit of plane spotting as they fly right by the beach and playing guess the plane tail logo! Mark was less interested in this ‘game’.. As we are unable to stay in one place, we headed back to the room for an early night, ready to tackle the French trains the following morning.

Mauritius – The North 🇲🇺

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The drive to our next hotel was a soggy one, and the rain continued right up until we were a few miles away. I think our taxi driver felt bad about getting us late (that or he was finished for the day and wanted to get home) and spent the drive weaving in and out of traffic and pushing the speed limit. It’s safe to say we both felt quite nauseas 🤣 Our next hotel is part of the Lux group, and that meant 7 days of 5* luxury. We were greeted with a lovely refreshing drink, had an explanation of the huge complex, and got shown to our room. The bed was enormous, we got fluffy robes and slippers, and a large balcony with a view over the beach. We headed to the bar to get some drinks, where the conversation with the waiter soon turned to football. This however meant Mark bagged himself a free beer (we couldn’t afford all inclusive 🤣)

We spent the next two days on the sunbeds with a book in the adults only section of the hotel (because who wants screaming children ruining the ambiance 🤣). The sun was shining and we finally had 2 whole days without rain. We also played some pentaque and tennis, before heading to the enormous buffet restaurant in the evening. It had live cooking stations, foods from all cuisines, and a walk in cheese fridge. Heaven! We also got dressed up for the posh restaurant in the hotel, and the food here was absolutely divine, and totally worth the extra cost.

We were really keen to explore the capital whilst in Mauritius, so we booked a food walking tour with a company called Taste Buddies. The waiter in the previous hotel had also organised his friend to be our chauffeur for the day, to take us to the capital, and anywhere else we fancied. Unfortunately, not long after we got in the car, the sliding door flew open. He tried to quickly fix it but wasn’t able to, so between me and the driver, we held it shut for the journey for to Port Louis. We met our guide Rudi and set off to try lots of local treats. We started off with Dholl Puri – similar to a tortilla but made using yellow split peas. The queue at this vendor was huge, which is always a good sign. The wrap itself had quite a sandy texture, but the filling was spicy and delicious. We then had roti, again with a tasty filling, and lots of other treats along the way. We walked through Chinatown (which isn’t allowed outside food vendors) and saw all of its graffiti, which is interactive with an app! We finished up at the central market and had Alouda to drink. We walked through the fruit and veg, and then decided to brave the meat. This was a decision we quickly regretted, as a man was hacking away at a cows head, and the smell in the poultry section was beyond revolting. It was absolute heaven to be back outside in the fresh air. After the tour we tried to continued to explore Port Louis, but the heavens opened again and the rain was now torrential, and without an umbrella meant one thing – a local bar.

We met our driver with his newly fixed car door, and he took us to the citadel which has great views over the capital. There was even some horse racing, which we were able to watch. We then went to the Botanical Gardens, and luckily, Sunjay had an umbrella in his car we could borrow. They are the oldest botanical garden in the Southern Hemisphere and are famous for its long pond of giant water lilies. The site is huge and you could easily spend all day here. We then visited 2 local beaches before finishing our trip at the famous Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice de Cap Malheureux, or just simply, the red church.

We were meant to have eaten at the hotels Creole restaurant tonight. However, due to the weather (as its an outside restaurant), they had to close. All was good, because Newcastle were playing and the hotel has a huge cinema that plays PL games. Unfortunately, the storm meant that the connection was terrible, the WiFi went down and we were unable to watch the game, or even keep up with the score!

Our lovely friend John (1/4 of the Sweden Survivors) has friends all over the world, and at the start of our trip, linked me up with his Mauritian friend, Pliny. Today, we took a taxi to the next town, Grand Baie, to meet Pliny and his partner Jay. We had a fabulous time, trying more local food and finding out more about the country and their culture. Jay’s mum had even made us some treats because today was Diwali. As the weather was beautiful again, we explored the beaches of Grand Baie and watched the hustle and bustle within the village. We then headed over to McDonald’s 🤣 and it was here that I got an email from Air Mauritius – your flight home on Tuesday has been cancelled and rebooked for Wednesday. All the thoughts were going through our heads… we now needed to organise an extra night at the hotel, we needed to rearrange the transfer, etc. Luckily, it was all quite easy in the end! And it meant an extra night in paradise.

We had been told by various people that the best thing to do during Diwali is to get a taxi to a town half hr away called Triolet. They have a large community who celebrate and therefore decorate their houses with lots of pretty lights. We contacted the driver who had taken us to Grand Baie that morning, and he drove us through lots of little villages (who also celebrate) on the way to Triolet. Unfortunately, this seemed to be an incredibly popular thing to do, and the traffic was beyond awful. We decided to get out of the taxi and arranged to meet him further down the road so we could take in the atmosphere. The houses were so colourful, full of twinkling lights and candles. One family even invited us over and gave us a large box of Indian sweets. All the locals had the gates open to their houses and encouraged you to go and admire their lights, and everyone was wishing each other a Happy Diwali.

We had been debating whether to do a boat trip, and research suggested that taking a trip to Ile Aux Cerfs would be a good option. It was another glorious day, so we got an early taxi and drove through part of the country we had not yet seen, to the place where we would be catching our speedboat. We got to the island, and it was stunning! White sandy beaches and crystal clear water. We decided to do parasailing, and the views we got were incredible. After a couple of hours paddling and lazing around, we got back on the speedboat and headed to a waterfall via lots of monkeys! We then headed to another island, where we had a delicious BBQ lunch and unlimited drinks 🍷🍺 It was a really lovely day, and although we hadn’t done anything strenuous, we were both exhausted and fell asleep in the car on the way back to the hotel.

It was now our last day, the day we should have been flying home. Air Mauritius paid for us to keep the room we were in for all our drinks and our evening meal that day. What a winner! Of course, the last day was spent dodging the rain 🤣 but we managed to have a float about on a pedalo and a few hours with a book. Mark made good use of the weather and went to get his beard tidied up ready to go back to work 😭 We made good work at the buffet and literally ate everything in sight, before settling down in the bar to play Scrabble, because we are cool 👍🏻

Despite the awful weather we have had, Mauritius has still been an absolute dream, and just the (sort of) relaxing trip we both needed. If you are planning on putting it on your bucket list, I’d 100% visit both the North and South as they are so, so different. I perhaps wouldn’t stay in Grand Gaube (North) however, as you are quite far out from the main shopping areas and bars, and the sea here isn’t the crystal clear waters you expect from Mauritius. I’d also consider hiring a car as it’s actually quite reasonable. Just don’t drive in Port Louis unless you’re a very confident driver!

Mauritius – The South 🇲🇺

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The drive to Gatwick wasn’t its usual hellish self, meaning we arrived before check-in had even opened! However, so had the rest of the plane, so the queue for check-in was huge already. We hadn’t realised you needed to fill out an incredibly lengthy health form before check in (turns out most of the plane didn’t realise either) so we were able to get that completed in the queue. After dropping our bags, we whipped through security, meaning we had plenty of time to eat. We chose burritos, then did a couple of (unsuccessful) laps of the shops to try and find some chub rub shorts that I’d forgotten to pack. The airline we flew with was Air Mauritius, meaning momma gets a new sick bag to add to her collection! The next 11.5hrs were… interesting. Including the child behind projectile vomiting everywhere about 20 mins after we had taken off, the child to our right running around, banging the chairs and wailing for most of the flight, meaning there was a colourful arguement between his Dad and the bloke in front, and the driest sausage and egg for breakfast.

We landed early in the morning, collected our bags, and met our driver to take us to our first hotel in the south. He was very keen to show us lots of places on our way to the hotel, including some beautiful viewpoints and a waterfall. Whilst we were very grateful to him for doing this, neither of us had slept due to the noisy child and constant wafts of vomit, and we just wanted to get to the hotel. We arrived at Chalet Chamarel, and wow. The views were absolutely incredible over the Le Morne mountain. Due to arrival time, we weren’t able to get into our rooms, so we sat and chatted with the 3 other couples who had also arrived that morning. The chalet we were given was beautiful. It had an egg chair outside the front overlooking the incredible views, a balcony out the back to look over the forest, and a massive half outdoors shower. It really was stunning. That night, we were treated to a gorgeous sunset, a lovely dinner, and a much needed early night.

The next day, we had a lazy one planned. Just sit by the pool, read, and take in the views. November in Mauritius is, of course, one of the best months to visit due to little rainfall. However, when we woke up, we were met with thick fog and drizzle. We remained optimistic that it would pass, but unfortunately, the heavens continued to open, and by 1pm, it was still pouring with rain. So there was only one thing for it – head to the rum distillery! We organised a taxi through reception and initially got quoted £45. Bearing in mind, the distillery was only 15 mins away, we decided this was way too expensive and managed to get them down to £36. The taxi driver arrived and drove us down the roads that now resembled a river to the distillery. He said how unusual this amount of rain was, that the amount that had fallen that day so far was usually the amount for the whole of November. He was confident, however, that the next day would be better. We joined the quick distillery tour, but obviously, we were all here for one thing – rum tasting! The first one we had was actually quite nice, but they soon went downhill after that. But if rum is your thing, you get 8 tastings! We then explored the grounds and headed to the café for a mojito, which was delicious. We hopped back in the taxi and made our way back to the chalet to get ready for dinner. Luckily, our chalet was right next to the restaurant, but some unlucky couples had to wade through the mud to get there. After dinner we joined the others 3 couples we had chatted to the day before for drinks, and we chatted for hours about our past travels and experiences.

The following morning we woke up to glorious sunshine and gorgeous views once again over Le Morne and the Indian Ocean. Sounds like our taxi driver was right! Wrong… by 10am, the heavens had opened again, the fog was back, and it was way worse than the previous day. So we settled in the egg chair for another day of reading. By around 2pm it was just drizzle, so we decided to put on our hiking boots (which we had originally packed as we had planned to either hike Tamarind Falls or part of Le Morne, but the weather meant either was now far too dangerous) and walk to 7 Coloured Earth Geopark – an area of sand dunes comprising of seven distinct colours. The paths were getting flooded, but it was still nice to be able to get out and about. The taxi driver from the previous day had told us that because we were staying in the Chalet Chamarel, we would get in for free. This, however, wasn’t the case. After explaining what we had been told, explaining we had no cash and no data to buy tickets online, the lady eventually gave up and let us in for free. Due to the weather, the 7 colours you can usually see weren’t as vivid, but we were still glad we had done it, as it’s one of the must do attractions in the area. We then decided to walk to the waterfall that we had seen on arrival day, and what a difference the rain had made. The falls were now full and thunderous, and between the thick fog patches, it was spectacular to see. The walk back was soggy and uphill, but we saw loads of interesting birds and plants, and as we were one of the few people out and about, it was really peaceful as well. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to pack the Jungle Formula, so we both got absolutely eaten alive.

That evening, the weather had kindly cleared up again, and arrangements were made for us and the other 3 couples to eat together. So we got dressed up, and made the most of the clear evening to get some content 🤣 we had lots of lovely food and lovely wine, the company was great, and we all had such a nice time. It was the perfect end to our last night in the South.

The following morning was glorious again, so we decided to have a boujee breakfast and have champagne. We went back to pack, but as if by clockwork, the rain came again, this time, however accompanied by thunder and lightning. We were meant to be getting picked up at 1pm to be taken to the North. However, the no-show and frantic phone calls from the staff suggested that this probably wouldn’t be happening and time soon. Luckily, our driver did eventually arrive – due to the weather, the roads were flooded, and trees had come down, so he had to go an alternative and much longer way round to get to us.

We were so looking forward to exploring the South, as there are so many different things to see and do, but we were just so unfortunate with the weather. Every local we spoke to couldn’t believe it, and said that even in the wet season, it wasn’t this bad! We were lucky to be staying in such a lovely place, although slightly isolated, and feel blessed that mother nature still let us have some gorgeous views. Hopefully, the North would bring us some solid sunshine…..