Tag: Beach

Kent Day 3

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We decided this morning to spend a bit more time exploring Whitstable, and hunting down the street art by ‘Catman’, whose work can be found dotted around on buildings all around the town. When you think of Whitstable, you think of a working harbour and oysters. There is absolutely no way you would ever get me eating an oyster.. So we decided to check out the fishermens boats. It was still low tide however so incredibly minimal boating activity, but Santa did get an idea for another trip to Whitstable – join a boat tour to the Maunsell Forts. These can be seen on a clear day, along with all the wind turbines! 

For the rest of the day, we decided to explore the Thanet district, starting in Margate, then heading to Broadstairs, and finishing in Ramsgate. Naturally, it rained for most of the day. 

Margate is the largest of the three towns and has undergone significant regeneration, featuring independent and vintage shops, coffee shops, and artistic hubs. However, there is still noticeable neglect in some areas. We went for some shelter in The Old Kent Market, the site of the old Parade Cinema. It houses a range of stalls selling food and crafts, but unfortunately, most of the businesses were closed. We also mooched around the old town, which is where you will find a lot of the independent shops and cafes. 

I don’t think the weather helped, as the place felt almost deserted, with only a few people loitering in the streets with their tinnies. I imagine that during dry summer days and weekends, the town is vibrant and lively, but unfortunately, it just didn’t do it for us today. Despite the weather, we still appreciated its general seaside charm, the people in the shops were super friendly, and I bet that Dreamland would be a joy to visit in better weather!

For the drive to Broadstairs, Santa requested Chas and Dave – Down to Margate. Turns out Mum thought they were singing Downham Market 👍 Once we arrived, the rain gave us a brief reprieve, and we made our way to the sandy Viking Bay. It was completely deserted, a stark contrast to how it would have looked a few weeks ago during the school holidays. Nevertheless, we truly believe Broadstairs is the jewel in Thanet’s crown.

After enjoying a lunch at the Charles Dickens pub, we strolled along the promenade to our next destination, Stone Bay. The wind picked up, allowing Mum to take plenty of photos of the crashing waves! Stone Bay is a stunning and tranquil spot, surrounded by chalk cliffs and colorful beach huts. We spent a lot of time here, simply taking in the calmness and beauty of this blue flag beach.

 Before heading off to Ramsgate, I made sure we had a quick sesh in the arcade, and Santa made sure he had a drink in The Royston – East Kent Pub of the Year 2024.

By the time we arrived in Ramsgate, it was pouring rain, so we took shelter in the UK’s largest Wetherspoons, which can accommodate up to 1,500 customers! We were eager to explore, so while the rain lightened up, we stepped out for a walk along the UK’s only royal harbor and admired the boats bobbing around in the water.

Another interesting fact about Ramsgate is that it has its own Meridian Line and “mean time,” which is 5 minutes and 41 seconds ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Unfortunately, the clock tower is currently undergoing renovation, and it’s unclear when it will reopen. There’s so much to see and do in Ramsgate that, in hindsight, we wish we had visited here first and saved Margate for later.

Since we still had a bit of daylight and we love cramming everything in, we decided to take a walk to Kingsgate Bay and Botany Bay. These locations feature stunning sections of the coastline, known for their chalk cliffs, chalk stacks, and several caves. Given the time of day and the weather, we practically had the beach to ourselves, except for a photoshoot that was taking place. Once again, we found ourselves wishing we had more time to fully explore the caves and rock pools.

As it was super late when we arrived back to Whitstable, there was only one thing left to do – small plates at Spoons! Set in an old cinema, it’s also full of film memorabilia, and obviously perfect for people watching. 

Kent Day 1 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

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It’s Mum’s birthday week, and she has chosen to base ourselves in Whitstable to explore the delights of Kent. We loaded the car with all our bags (you’d think Mum & Dad were going away for a month by the amount they’ve got) and began our journey to our first stop—Hever Castle. Unfortunately, after a brief stop at the services, I noticed a strange ‘clonking’ noise coming from the wheel. This meant we had to pull over to the bright yellow refuge area on the side of the M4. Thankfully, Nick from the AA came to our rescue, and got us back on the road, although this did involve closing the inside lane to get us back on the motorway.. Awks.

This slight hiccup meant that we wouldn’t have time to go to Hever Castle, so headed to Scotney Castle instead – a medieval ruin on an island in a small lake. We obviously needed to stop by the café first, but the wasps quickly took a liking to Santa’s Tango, meaning we needed to dash inside for shelter. We then got a stamp for the National Trust passport. Unfortunately, the lady stamped it right on top of another stamp, and then wrote the wrong date! Obviously Mum was fuming 😂 

Walking around the site feels like being transported back in time. The castle was built in the late 14th century and has undergone several changes over the centuries. Eventually, it was partly dismantled and became a garden feature. In addition to the castle, there is also a mansion known as Scotney New Castle, which offers stunning views of the surrounding area from the lake.

We arrived at our Airbnb and were delighted to find Prosecco and cakes left as a welcome treat. We unloaded the 1001 bags and headed out to explore Whitstable. It was unusually quiet, but this meant there was nobody about to get in Mum’s photos! We walked down to Tankerton bay, where unfortunately there was a school trip, getting in all of Mum’s photos 😂 Tankerton is known for its charming, painted beach huts and the gently sloping grassy banks that lead down to a shingle beach. A quick Google search shows that some of the huts can sell for as much as £60,000! But who wouldn’t want to sit on the veranda of one with a glass of wine and watch the world go by. 

We strolled back to Whitstable and found a lovely spot to sit and watch the sunset – luckily for Santa it was a watering hole selling Whitstable Oyster Brewing, and he enjoyed an Oyster Country Stout. 

Gower 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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What to do when I have 2 days off? Have a 24hr adventure obviously! After finishing nights and having a few hours sleep, we packed up the car and headed to Swansea for a night in a cheap Travelodge. We dumped our bags and headed out for some food and a pint at Sessions by Mumbles Brewery. Unfortunately, the chef decided he fancied the day off, which meant no pizza. Luckily, the friendly staff offered to whip up a couple of delicious paninis for us instead. Santa was especially thrilled to hear it was Happy Hour, and got his second pint for free! We then returned to the car, ready to catch the sunset at Three Cliffs Bay.

We parked at the Southgate National Trust car park and embarked on a scenic cliff top walk toward Three Cliffs Bay. The natural light was beautiful, and after about 40 minutes walking, the peaks emerged before us. The seclusion of the area, thanks to the relatively lengthy walk, added to its charm, and there were very few people around. 

I took Momma and Santa down a steep and rocky path leading to the beach, which of course they were thrilled about! The golden sands and blue waters, complete with rock pools and steep cliff edges, created a perfect natural setting, untouched by cafes or shops. 
As we strolled across the beach and ventured through the triangular gap in the rock, we remained mindful of the tide gradually coming in.

After some exploration, we returned to the cliff walk to catch the sunset. It was stunning, with the colours changing every moment. Leaving was difficult, as we wished to linger and fully soak in the atmosphere and picturesque views.

The following morning, after a breakfast at Spoons, we headed back to Three Cliffs Bay, but this time parking at Gower Heritage Centre. Here you can stock up on coffee, cake, ice cream, cider and all sorts of other treats – much needed to fuel a walk to the beach. Starting the walk from this point not only provided a fresh perspective of the beach but also allowed us to take in stunning views of Pennard Castle, and a go on the stepping stones along the way.

We then headed to Rhossili Bay – a consistent favorite in Wales’ Top 10 Beaches. 
It’s backed by dunes and overlooked by 200-metre-high hills and jagged sea cliffs. There’s a large National Trust car park on the clifftop, which of course is free for NT members. As we strolled along the coastal cliffs towards the old coastguards station and Worms Head, we encountered wild horses and their foals grazing peacefully. For those who can plan their visit carefully, it’s possible to cross the causeway to the Worm, but this requires timing it within the two and a half hours surrounding low tide. Since we weren’t able to time our visit for that crossing, we took the opportunity to relax a bit and enjoy the stunning scenery in the sunshine.

Walking back along the cliff, we continued to admire the expansive three-mile beach before stopping by The View for lunch. We were fortunate to secure a bench with, as the café’s name suggests, an incredible view. The
food was absolutely delicious. Momma is already thinking about planning a trip to The Worms Head Hotel to capture the sunrise and sunset—ideal moments for photography!

We had initially planned to visit The Mumbles, but in our quest for adventure, we decided to seek out Whiteford Lighthouse, the only wave-swept cast-iron lighthouse in Britain. Measuring 13 meters tall, this decommissioned lighthouse was constructed in 1865 and is situated at the northern tip of the beach. Whilst we knew reaching the lighthouse would be a challenge, we didn’t anticipate just how much of an effort it would require. We parked in Cwm Ivy and set off through the woods, alongside the salt marsh. This area was reclaimed from the sea in the 17th century for farmland and has been protected by a sea defense that has evolved in size and strength over the years. However, in 2014, the sea wall breached, allowing the waters to reclaim the land and transforming Cwm Ivy from a freshwater marsh into a salt marsh.

We knew we would eventually need to traverse the sand dunes, and we spotted a stile that led into them, which seemed like the logical route. However, we encountered several barbed wire fences along the way. Fortunately, many had been flattened in spots by previous walkers, allowing us to navigate through. We made our way through the spiky Marram grass and finally reached the beach, which was completely deserted. Unfortunately, the lighthouse was still some distance away, and access varied depending on the tide, so we decided to take advantage of Momma’s super zoom for a closer look before we searched for a better route back to the woods. After tackling a few more fences, we ultimately found our way back to a proper path.

Once we made it back to the car, we decided that it would be ambitious to try to fit anything else into our day, so we decided to head home, reflecting on a wonderful 48 hours spent exploring Gower.

Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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It’s Santa’s birthday week, and he’s chosen to celebrate by spending a few days in Wales. We packed up the car and set out on the 3 and half hour drive to our Airbnb base. To break up the journey, we stopped for a stretch and a breath of fresh air at Penllergare Valley Woods, a hidden gem that lies just off the M4. This peaceful spot was once the estate of John Dillwyn Llewelyn. We walked through the winding woodland trails, surrounded by towering trees (unfortunately some of which didn’t survive Darragh) and the rushing sound of the waterfall. There’s also quaint bridges, chirping birds and scampering squirrels. The various paths and routes however weren’t well marked, making us especially grateful for our trusty Alltrails app to guide the way. 

As we arrived at our destination, we were pleased to discover that we’d found yet another quirky Airbnb. Nestled in the picturesque village of St Dogmaels, located on the scenic estuary of the River Teifi, our cozy cottage oozed charm and character. We were pleased to to find a welcome gift left by our host – a bottle of Prosecco, and some KitKats, which Santa eagerly scoffed.

St Dogmeals – we kicked off our adventure by exploring the village, and what luck it was that our first day landed on a Tuesday, because that meant diving straight into the award winning local food market! Although not as big as I had hoped, it was still bustling and sold goods such as fruit, veg, cheese and cakes. Santa tried his luck at the tombola and hit the jackpot with a bottle of delicious Welsh cider—what a delightful surprise! Just a stone’s throw away from the market are the ruins of the abbey, which was built in 1113 and upgraded to abbey status in 1120. It met its fate in 1536 when, along with hundreds of other houses throughout England and Wales with an annual income of less than £200, was suppressed by King Henry VIII. Next to the ruins lies Y Felin, a traditional working water mill that’s one of the last of its kind in Wales! There’s plenty of fresh bread and various types of flour to purchase.

Aberaeron – one of the many colourful seaside towns in Wales. It is thought that this acted as an architectural waymarker to help weary fishermen find their home long after the sun had set. Unfortunately there is a lot of construction work, meaning the views of these rainbow house are currently obscured by cranes. Instead we hopped around many of the independent shops, and enjoyed a coffee and mince pies from one of the local bakeries.

Borth – this sandy beach is the longest in Ceredigion, but the reason we were here was to try and catch the sunken forest. We carefully timed our visit to coincide with low tide, eager to witness the Pine, Oak, Birch, and Willow stumps. The scene was both eerie, reminiscent of something out of a disaster movie, and magical, filled with legend and mystery. There are so many ways to describe this place. It was an experience to walk amongst the remains of this ancient forest, which is estimated to extend twenty miles out into Cardigan Bay. The trees have been carbon-dated and are believed to have died between 4,000 and 6,500 years ago. During our visit, we encountered only a handful of other people. We ended up spending much longer here than we had anticipated because it was all so fascinating. As the tide receded further, more stumps were revealed. We concluded our day with a brief exploration of the sand dunes at Ynyslas before the rain set in. Momma’s camera was put to good use today! 

As it was Santa’s birthday, we made sure we found a restaurant with a suitable beer selection, and he was delighted to try every single one of their own ‘Dai’ craft beers. 

New Quay – the forecast for today was a gloomy one, but luckily our time in this small town was a dry one. The harbour beach is backed by steep limestone cliffs and colourful houses. We met a volunteer who counts the local wildlife, and he helped us spot Bottlenose dolphins swimming and diving as they followed shoals of mackerel into the bay. We also saw seals and a variety of seabirds. We finished our visit by enjoying a teacake that was the size of my head.

Cmwtydu – a beach we didn’t plan to visit but discovered on Google Maps, so we decided to stop by. It’s a hidden gem, offering beautiful views and the sound of crashing waves. The small pebble beach was scattered with the remains of blue lobsters! It was so quiet and secluded in the past that it served as a hideaway for smugglers in the area. There’s a coastal path to explore, but since we had more activities planned, we only managed to walk a small portion of it.

Tresaith – we visited Tresaith a few years ago and decided that seeing the waterfall cascading down onto the beach was worth another trip. Unfortunately, when we arrived, it was pouring rain, the wind was howling, and we hadn’t timed our visit with the tide properly. Although the waterfall could have been accessed by climbing over some rocks, we deemed it too dangerous given the weather, so we admired it from the beach instead. The town was clearly shutdown for the winter, as all the cafes and shops were closed. However, Tresaith is definitely worth visiting during the summer months.

Mwnt – a hidden cove with golden sand, rolling waves, and a Grade I listed church dating back to the 13th century. Unfortunately, it was not only pouring with rain but also getting dark, so our visit to Mwnt was all too brief. I decided to trek up to the top of the hill for a better view, and even on this dreary day, the sights were still fantastic.

Lantern festival – we had a message from out Airbnb host to say Cardigan was hosting their postponed lantern festival, so we decided to walk down to the town to check it out. Despite the bad weather, the turnout was great, and you could truly feel the community spirit. We were even treated to a fireworks display! It was a wonderful way to spend our last evening of the trip. Once back at the house, Santa enjoyed some port and nearly a whole block of Welsh cheese!

Poppit Sands – before we began our long drive home, we decided to take a walk along Poppit Sands. It turned out to be quite a bracing experience! The wind was fierce, sand was blowing everywhere, and the waves were crashing; we were struggling to walk, but we loved it! After that, we thought, “Why not?” and also squeezed in a visit to Newcastle Emlyn and Cenarth Falls.

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.

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!

Durness to Clachtoll 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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We woke up to rain.. and lots of it! It was therefore ponchos on and make a dash for the showers. We had our staple porridge pot, packed up Ruby and headed a few minutes down the road to our first stop.

Smoo cave We pulled into the car park at Smoo Cave and noticed that the cheese toastie van (which everyone raves about and says is the best toastie you will ever eat) was closed, despite their website saying it was open! So.. I got straight onto Facebook messenger to enquire, especially with missing out on Crumbs yesterday. Luckily they replied quickly and had decided to open at 11. This meant we would have plenty of time to explore the cave and then return to a tasty treat. Smoo is a dramatic and spectacular sea cave set into the limestone cliffs. The cave entrance and main chamber have been considerably enlarged by sea action and is now the largest sea cave entrance in Britain. The inner chambers, where the waterfall is located, were formed through freshwater rainfall erosion. During the summer months (and autumn months when the weather behaves) you can go into the cave via boat, however this wasn’t an option for us today. Once we had explored the cave and checked out the waterfall, we headed towards the sea for some rugged views, and was greated by a rainbow. We were the only ones up there, and as the rain had stopped we sat and watched the waves crashing on the cliff edges. We walked back to the car park and luckily, the cheese toastie van was open! We ordered our cheesy treats from the most Scottish woman we have met so far (most people working here are not Scottish!) and just as they were ready, the heavens opened again.. so we ran back to Ruby and had them there. They were INCREDIBLE and so so cheesy 🧀

Oldshoremore beach As this often appears on the list of the UK’s best beaches, we wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Crisp white sand, turquoise blue water – it was like being on a beach in Thailand. It has parking and toilets which was an added bonus, and after navigating a steep sandy path, we made it to the beach. It would be the perfect place to sit with a picnic or just read a book. It was so tranquil and so so clean! It really is a hidden gem in the Highlands.

Kylesku Bridge We got back to Ruby and bashed off our boots (the hire company really doesn’t want a sandy van) and set on our way to our next destination. During this drive we were lucky to see not one, but two animals associated with the Highlands – a stag who ran out into the road and gave us the dirtiest look before running off, and Highlands cows. Mark popped in to get us a latte from the local petrol station (which was awful!!) whilst I went for a closer look. As I love a good fact in this blog.. here are some about the gorgeous heilan coos. They are the oldest cattle breed in the world, male horns are thicker than female horns, and the most exciting fact – the most common breed in the Highlands is the ginger one. After spending far too long looking at the cows, we headed for the famous NC500 bridge. The bridge crosses Loch a’ Chàirn Bhàin, replacing the old Kylesku Ferry, which linked Kylestrome to Kylesku. It was designed to blend into the Highlands it sits within, and even has a viewing area on either side.

Wailing widow falls Doing the NC500 at the end of the season means we have been really lucky with parking. The parking area for these falls fits about 4 cars, and there was only one more there when we arrived. It’s definitely classed as a hidden gem because unless you’ve done your research, you wouldn’t know it was there, especially as there are no signposts to it. There are lots of stories and legends relating to this waterfall, with the most popular one being the name comes from the local legend that a young man was hunting deer in the fog, and sadly didn’t see the gorge of the waterfalls and fell to his death at the top of the falls. Distraught, his mother (a widow) came to see where he had died and, consumed by grief, threw herself off the top of the waterfall. Because of the weather, the route to the falls was rather twitchy arse, and excellent balance was needed as we scrambled over wet rocks and waded through soggy bog. It was worth it though, even if I did nearly slip over at least 100 times as they were really impressive!

Achmelvich Bay & Hermit’s Castle Another award winning beach and said to be one of the most popular on the NC500, although is a bit of a pain to drive to because it is accessed via a single track road. We were really fortunate that again, we had it all to ourselves. Access to the beach itself is super easy and doesn’t involve climbing down sand dunes or other steep paths, and again it feels like you’re on a tropical beach. The water really is a stunning colour. I’d also read about another hidden gem – Hermit’s Castle, and it’s known as Scotland’s smallest castle. The instructions were just keep walking across the peninsula for 10 minutes, but keep an eye out because you might miss it as it’s camouflaged. After wading through sheep poo, we managed to find it quite easily.. and what a strange little structure it is! I think the word castle is a bit of a push.. more like a concrete bothy maybe? It certainly fits into its surroundings, but it just seems a bit pointless! Apparently it was built in the 50s by a bloke called David Scott. It took him 6 months to build it and he only stayed one night 🤷🏼‍♀️ shame really because it does have incredible views!

Home tonight was a lovely campsite in Clachtoll. It had a communal fire pit, a games room, a microwave and a herb garden you could help yourself to. It even had inspirational quotes in its jazzy toilets. What more could you want!

N.I Day 4 🏝

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Today is our last full day on the Emerald Isle. It was a toss up between a visit to Rathlin Island to see the puffins, or more of the coastal drive. As we were incredibly lucky to see the puffins when we did Skomer, we decided to continue with the last few towns and beaches along the Causeway Coastal Drive. Santa decided to have a morning walk whilst I had a little lie in, but unfortunately he didn’t take a coat.. and drowned rat is an understatement when we arrived back at the apartment.

Bushmills No visit to NI is complete without a visit to the distillery (just the shop as we were pushed for time!) Santa enjoyed browsing the many whiskeys on offer, and opted for a Black Bush (🤣) and a glass to go with it. He also got a smaller tot to have on one of the beaches later on in the day.

Ballycastle The eastern gateway to the coastal route. We managed to park in one of the only pay and display car parks in the whole of N.I.. and unfortunately when we were nearly in the town, I had a horrible feeling I hadn’t locked the car, so had to powerwalk back up the hill to check (obviously I had locked it 🤦🏼‍♀) Ballycastle is a bustling town with plenty of bars and restaurants, a harbour and a beach, the ferry to Rathlin Island, and a friary ruin just on the outskirts. It also has its own heritage trail, with information boards dotted around the town. We found a cafe with great views over the beach, and the coffee here was delicious – big shout out to Shorebird Coffee Hut. We had a lovely walk along the beach, then headed to Bonamargy Friary, along the side of the golf course. It’s picturesque, yet eerie at the same time, and is definitely worth a quick visit if you are in the area. As we were walking back to the car park, the heavens opened, and they opened hard! We were very soggy doggies when we got back to the car.

Murlough Bay It is said that this is one of the most overlooked places to visit on the Antrim Coast. The journey to the small car park is dow a long, single track winding road. But with every twist and turn, reveals more spectacular views. On the walk to the bay, a lovely old gentleman stopped us for a chat, and very enthusiastically told us about seal he had seen catching a massive salmon. He was so enthusiastic, he talked and talked for about 15 minutes 🤣 he lives in a very remote place, so he probably doesn’t get much human interaction, bless him! After he got on his way (and found another family to talk to) we turned the corner and got our first look at the bay. Wow. It was breathtakingly stunning. Perfect white sand, perfect blue water, and perfect views of Rathlin Island and the Kintyre Peninsula. I’d say this beach even rivalled some of the ones I saw in Thailand! And for the most part, we had it all to ourselves. This really is a hidden gem and one not to be missed.

Torr Head Not far down the road from Murlough Bay is another very narrow and winding road to Torr Head. This drive requires you to go incredibly slowly and keep your eyes peeled for all the possible passing points. We got to the car park and headed up the mound and towards the building on the top. This used to be a signal station for shipping passing through the North Passage. However, this is now an eerie graffiti filled ruin being battered by the wind and rain. There’s even a rusty old ladder to climb up onto the roof. The views at the top again were fantastic, and we were so lucky with the weather that we could see for miles. The road back to the main route was a bit twitchy arse as we met quite a few vehicles, but we got there after a little bit of manoeuvring and clutch burning.

Fair head The last of the super twisty drives. The car park here is privately owned (£3 all day) and the area and land is also privately owned and farmed by 12 generations of the McBride family. There are so many walks around this area, but unfortunately they were all too long for us to attempt given the time we arrived. We did however manage a little stroll to one of the viewpoints. The rugged landscape here also features in many seasons of GoT, so it is definitely one to visit if you are a fan.

Portrush We had hoped to visit Carrick-a-rede, and had obviously read the opening times wrong because it was closing when we got there… it wasn’t a massive issue because I’ve been before, Santa has been before, and nothing was getting Momma on that bridge! So instead, we popped into Portrush, as we have only driven though it but never stopped. It has much more of a ‘seaside town’ vibe about it, with its funfair and amusements. We grabbed an ice cream and had a walk along the beach, before heading back to Portstewart for fish and chips.

All of the other evenings have been cloudy and rainy, but tonight was clear with minimal cloud, and that meant we finally got a sunset! We found a great spot as recommended by our Airbnb host, and with the sound of crashing waves, we watched the sun go down on our last day in Northern Ireland.

Positano & Sorrento 🇮🇹

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This morning we decided to try out public transport and take the bus to Positano – a beautiful cliffside village. The bus arrived and it was absolutely packed. This however worked to our advantage as we got shoved on so quickly we didn’t get chance to pay! The journey was an incredibly sweaty one and can only be described as like being on a rollercoaster. We flew around the many twists and turns of the Amalfi drive (whilst the driver was on the phone!) and I spent most of the ride smacking the lady sat down by me in the face with my bag. Although the views were incredible, we were holding on for dear life and were very happy when we arrived for some fresh air.

Bus stop views

Positano is an absolute must for anyone in this area. It’s full of charming zigzag streets selling everything from limoncello to colourful ceramics, pastel buildings stacked on top of each other and a pebble beach with turquoise water. It is however an incredibly touristy place, so much so that it is said we as tourists outnumber the locals three-to-one! As it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, we sat down at a lovely boozer overlooking the sea and enjoyed a beer and a cocktail at a very eye-watering price. I even managed to force Momma to have a Sex on the Beach 🍹

We managed to find a smaller and much less crowded pebble beach called Fornillo where me and Santa decided to go for a paddle. Unfortunately we made the error of not wearing water shoes and went barefoot instead, one of the most painful experiences of my life!

For the trip back to Sorrento we decided to go in style, and for €15pp you can go by boat. This is much less crowded and gives another perspective to the incredible coastline, as well as plenty of photos ops should you be sat in the right place!

Boat views

This afternoon we were back to familiar territory and explored more of Sorrento’s bustling streets and busy squares. I purchased a gorgeous bread basket with a lemon pattern (it’s actually pretty terrible and Mark is only just finding out about this 🤣 but it was cheap) which I cannot wait to use when I eventually get round to hosting a sophisticated evening 😀 Santa was keen to get back to the supermarket we visited yesterday as he had spotted a 12% can which he throughly enjoyed this evening after his lounge by the pool.

A quieter corner of Sorrento!

We’re really lucky with the location of our hotel as we are right next to one of the best places for a sunset in Sorrento. Unfortunately we were just a bit too late this evening, but the sky was still a glorious colour, and we’ve certainly sniffed out the bar we will be going to tomorrow night.

As is going to be custom with this blog… here is the food for tonight! Inc finger for scale.. 🤣

Anglesey Day 4 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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Today we lost the chicken and gained a cat and a dog.. but more on that later!

We started the day by heading to Llanddwyn beach – a gorgeous stretch surrounded by dunes and forest, and views of Snowdonia and the Llyn Peninsula. At the end of the beach is Llanddwyn Island where there is so much to explore – you can spend hours here and it’s easy to see why it’s been voted one of Wales’ most beautiful places to visit. The island is named after St Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers and the Welsh equivalent of St Valentine. The giant cross can be seen sitting proud towards the end of the island. There are also 2 lighthouses, both with Grade II status and the remains of St. Dwynwen’s Church – all of which are great to photograph. Llanddwyn Island is technically only an island at high tide as we found out, and this happens incredibly quickly 🤣 due to the very fast rising water, we had to whip the shoes and socks off and run. But my God the water was absolutely freezing – I dont know how people can happily swim in the sea in January! I’ve also recently found out that the beach is often frequented by nudists. Perhaps we should have stripped off and ran for it to save our trousers getting wet, although Santa would definitely have had a soggy sack!

Next stop was another hidden gem – the stepping stones across the tidal river, Afon Braint. Again we had another tide issue, and the middle 2 stones were under water 🤣 but it was so peaceful there. Due to them not being very well known and tucked away on the coastal path, we had it all to ourselves. On the way back to the car we acquired not one, not two, but three cats! And they followed us all the way back to Leon down the A4080. I was very tempted to keep them all to be a new friend for Misty.

All the tidal trauma from today made us gagging for a latte, so we headed to Jollys in Beaumaris for a drink and a Welsh cake. They were incredible! In the summer you can take boats from here to Puffin Island, but we had to settle for a walk around the outside of the castle as it was closing 🤣 this is definitely somewhere I would like to return when there is a bit more life about it and more things are open as it is full of cute shops and cafes.

Our final stop for today was Penmon Lighthouse, marking the passage between Black Point and Puffin Island. It was here we met Santa’s spirit animal. Out of nowhere came a dog carrying a John Smiths beer can and she followed us for the entire time we were there! I tried to throw a stick for her instead but all she wanted was the can. As the light was beginning to go we left our new 4 legged friend and headed back to base to get changed ready for our last supper at The Oyster Catcher. The food there was delicious so would definitely recommend here if you are in the area!