Wanderlust – Page 7 – The Travelling Ginger

Pompeii 🌋 🇮🇹

October 6, 2022 gingertravellerblog1 Comment

Normal order was restored for the coach trip as we were up at 6:30 ready for a super early pick up for our trip to Pompeii. We were lucky as we had a very knowledgeable guide taking us around – but we did look like the ultimate tourist wankers as we donned the headset and followed the umbrella 🌂

A little history lesson for you all… Pompeii is famous because it was destroyed in 79 AD when the nearby volcano, Mt Vesuvius, erupted, covering it in at least 19 feet (6 metres) of ash and other volcanic debris. The cities and their citizens were discovered in the 16th Century, and they remained exactly as they had that summer day, frozen in time. The bodies of Pompeii victims had been covered in layers of fine ash that calcified over the centuries, forming a type of protective shell. When the skin and tissue of the Pompeii bodies eventually decayed, all that was left were voids in the layer of ash around them — in the exact shape of the victims in their final moments.

Made from pouring plaster into the air pockets, letting it harden and then chipping away the outer layers of ash.

There is so much to see here and I would 100% recommend a guided tour. There are many options, from 2 – 7hrs of walking. Although it’s incredibly busy, and at times hard to really take it all in, it is an absolute must in you are in the area. A particular highlight is hearing the word Penis mentioned at least 100 times whilst on the tour. They believed that having a phallus outside the home acted as a good luck charm (other theories suggest you followed the direction of the penis to the nearest brothel) either way I’m definitely going to have a massive peen on the wall outside my house 🍆

This afternoon was a guided bus tour around Naples. I’m going to choose not to write about this as we spent most of the time stuck in traffic, so didn’t really get to see much – Santa and Momma therefore took this opportunity to get a few Z’s in 😴 we did however get a very quick 10 mins to jump out the coach, grab a photo and a super tasty ice cream.

This evening we went back to the bar we sniffed out yesterday for a drink and views of the sunset. It was absolutely glorious and definitely somewhere we will return to during this trip. There is nothing better than sitting with a glass of white with a stunning view and some free nuts and crisps.

Tonights dinner, feat pudding which is also available at breakfast 🍧

Positano & Sorrento 🇮🇹

October 5, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

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.

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!

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.

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.. 🤣

Sorrento 🇮🇹

October 4, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

Another blog can only mean one thing… another coach trip! For months we had been planning a classic Spanish adventure, but a month ago we were told this trip could no longer go ahead. We frantically searched the Newmarket Holidays adventure database and decided to give the Amalfi Coast a try instead! As it was a super early start from Manchester, we chose to stay in Sale Travelodge. Close enough that you get a lie in, but far enough away that you get it much cheaper than onsite hotels.

The whole process at MAN was super quick. We purchased car parking with free speedy security, which I will now be getting every time I go to an airport! Less than half hr from arriving to being in departures.. what an absolute treat! So much time for breakfast, a leisurely shop and a whisky sesh for Santa before boarding my 1000th Easyjet flight of the year.

Our super speedy pilot landed us early, and that together with the super speedy passport control and having our bags off first meant we were in good spirits and ready to go. Unfortunately being with a coach tour means you have to wait for everyone, including definite Karen and her friend who were stood at the wrong baggage carrousel, meaning we were all waiting around for over an hour. I was pleased to see that as always, I am the youngest here by at least 100 years.

Unlike most of these types of holidays, today was a free day, meaning we could explore Sorrento on our own. A gorgeous 26 degrees meant it was time to whack on the shorts and suncream and head out to explore. Everywhere you go you get views of Mount Vesuvius, and I am certain I will see it from every angle possible during the next week. We had a lovely walk into town from our hotel – unfortunately I stood in a massive wet dog turd in my new white trainers 💩 (and on the walk back, it was evident that many more people had done the same thing) which made me sad, so I had to stop at a lovely cafe for something tasty to cheer me up.

As I am getting with the times, research for this trip now included TikTok videos (in all seriousness, there’s so much inspo on there!) so we headed for Bagni Regina Giovanna – Scenic ruins of a Roman villa with coastal views & a secluded beach. It turns out this wasn’t a special find as there was loads of people here, but it was still so beautiful to see and the views were stunning.

It was a fair trek back to our hotel, which was incredibly twitchy arse at times as it involved walking along main roads with no pavements and crazy bus drivers.. but we made it! Santa popped into the local supermarket where he found a Tennants Extra which he enjoyed on the balcony this evening. Dinner at the hotel was a questionable affair.. thank god for the Milka cookies we had earlier!

At least I will return thin.. every cloud!

Day 7 – Continuing the North 🇮🇸

July 11, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

As the trip so far as been very full on with lots of walking, we decided to have a relaxing morning and do something we had seen during our YouTube research – a beer spa! The experience starts in the outdoor wooden hottubs with views over Hrísey island, the mountains and Þorvalds valley. Then the fun part – bathing in a big tub filled with beer, water, hops and yeast. You cannot drink this water, but you get your own beer tap and it’s drink as much as you can in half hour. Bet Santa is gutted he’s missed out on this 🎅🏻 After the bath it’s to the relaxation room for a further half hr where you get wrapped up in a blanket and left to chill. This is a shared room so I had to try and be quiet for 30 whole mins! As we were in a beer establishment it would be rude to not sample any, so Mark got himself a beer flight and I enjoyed a Pepsi Max as the nominated driver 🤣 his favourite was the IPA. I had a taste of the sour and it was probably one of the worst things I’ve ever had in my mouth.

After the spa we headed back towards where we stayed last night to explore the town of Akureyri, the 2nd largest city in Iceland and known as the capital of the North. Although we have eaten well this trip, we decided to treat ourselves to some lunch and stopped at a lovely cafe for eggs, bacon and avocado. As it was a Saturday, it meant the parking was free! So we used our saved small fortune to get a slice of carrot cake as well.

Akureyri is full of cafés, bars and shops, as well as street art, botanical gardens and an interesting looking church. It has its own airport and you can get to pretty much everything in the North in a day’s worth of driving. Just as we were leaving I spotted a discount 66°N shop, the brand all the locals love.. so I treated myself to the cheapest hat!

As the plan is to head to the Westfjords tomorrow we decided to get as close as possible and find a campsite there. But with so much driving it was only right that we had a few stops along the way. The first one being Grafarkirkja – the oldest turf church in Iceland (much to Mark’s delight!) You can no longer get into the church due to preservation purposes, but you are able to walk around the turf ring site. You can still smell that ‘old church smell’ in the air. It looks so tiny with the towering mountains behind and there is something so charming about it that you can’t help turning round every 5 minutes on the walk back to the car for another look.

The last stop on the agenda was Hvítserkur – a 15m tall sea stack. Legend has it that it’s actually a petrified troll, turned into stone by the daylight as he tried to ruin the local church bells. Whether it’s this, or just sea erosion, it’s a fantastic place to visit, especially in the evening as you get the most beautiful light.

We finally made it to our home for the night, a lovely little campsite next to the water, equipped with 2 hottubs to sit and enjoy a beer after a long day driving.

Day 4 – The East 🇮🇸

July 8, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

After a very much needed sleep, we woke to glorious morning number 4, and headed to Netto to stock up on car snacks and other bits and bobs to keep us going. After shopping in Bonus and Kronan, that’s all of Iceland’s ‘discount’ supermarkets now ticked off the list, although prices are more similar to those in Waitrose. We then had the next difficult job of trying to work out how to fill the van with diesel, as the pump system over here isn’t the easiest to navigate. Even the bright yellow Happy Camper next to us couldn’t work it out! Luckily the lovely lady in the shop helped, so £120 and half a tank later we headed to our first proper stop of the day.

We arrived to Stokksness beach and paid the fee to drive down to the 3 parking places, the first one being a Viking film set. It was built in 2010 for a film by universal studios, however it couldn’t be made due to monetary issues, and now lies in wait for all the tourists to come and explore. Grass topped wooden buildings lie waiting with the incredible mountains as a backdrop, and over time they have been hit with the elements, giving them a more authentic look.

Further down the road and you arrive at another black sand beach, with Mount Vestrahorn standing proud. There was a lot of cloud cover today so we were unable to see its iconic peaks, but it did give it an eerie feel. The beach is also covered in little green dunes giving little bursts of colour against the jet black sand.

The rest of our time spent in the East was mostly driving, and dodging sheep who just stand in the middle of the road staring at you. Although I have to say, its clear why the wool here is so expensive! The drive is incredible and the landscape changes every minute, with waterfalls, mountains and miles of moss covered land. Its so hard as the driver to keep your eyes on the road and not the amazing scenes going past.

We did have one last stop before we reached our camp for the night and that was a small hike to the 3rd tallest waterfall in Iceland – Hengifoss. In between the basaltic layers are thin layers of red clay (thanks Google) making a really striking falls and one we had been looking forward to seeing. Again we were really lucky as there was hardly any people there so we were able to sit and enjoy our surroundings.

This evening the home for the night was in the pretty town of Seyðisfjörður, home to the church with the rainbow road. This campsite was super busy due to the ferry leaving the following morning, but we were able to squeeze the van in by the bins 🤣 and still get a great view of the town to wake up to.

Iceland day 1 🇮🇸

July 4, 2022 gingertravellerblog1 Comment

Back by popular demand… I will try to keep this going daily!

After months of planning, highlighting Lonely Planet guides, watching YouTube videos and trawling the Internet for inspo, the day had arrived for us to head to one of my favourite countries – Iceland!

It was another stupidly early start thanks to the joys of an airport at the moment. When we arrived and saw the queue for Easyjet we knew that would be our breakfast time gone.. however it turns out I had booked speedy boarding! This fabulous discovery meant we flew through. Unfortunately I hadn’t done the same for security, but in all fairness that was relatively smooth as well. So it was off to Pret for breakfast, via the Duty Free for a cheeky squirt (top tip.. find the most expensive perfume and cover yourself in the tester 🤣)

On the plane and we had another discovery – extra leg room seats! Obviously Mark being the BFG was delighted. I was expecting to find I’d booked a meal with real china plates.. however as this is Easyjet I had to make do with a can of Coke and a Crunchie.

The airport in Reykjavik was quite simply… a nightmare! Everyone was squashed in trying to get through a tiny gap in the wall to get up the stairs to passport control. Everyone was pretty chill about this.. apart from John (learnt his name thanks to his poor annoyed wife) John was quite simply.. a massive arsehole, who liked nothing more than to moan, try to push in and take people out with his big massive bag. We than had another wait for the cases, and it was a massive twitchy arse moment as mine decided to be one of the last off and I was getting myself mentally ready for the same pair of knickers for 10 days. TOP TIP for anyone heading to Iceland – buy your alcohol in the Duty Free in baggage reclaim.

It was then off to meet our home on wheels for the next 10 days; the mighty green machine. After getting familiar with all his knobs and gadgets, we hit the road to start with the golden circle. This is a staple for all who visit Iceland and is well worth doing. As it was getting quite late, it was a lot quieter, so we really got to appreciate the beautiful surroundings a lot more. Geysir put in another wonderful performance and Gulfoss was as magnificent as ever.

We found a lovely campsite for the night and decided to treat ourselves to a first night beverage in the bar. This will be our first and last if we don’t want to remortage the house 🤣 As its constant daylight here in the summer, we decided to have a super late tea and Mark fired up the BBQ around 22:30, where we enjoyed burgers and much more reasonable beer thanks to the duty free.

Lokrum Island & Dubrovnik old town 🇭🇷

April 30, 2022 gingertravellerblog1 Comment

Today is our last full day, and a free day for us to do whatever we fancy. As the majority of the town was cut off this morning due to the city walls run, we decided to take a boat trip to Lokrum Island. As much as we have enjoyed exploring the hustle and bustle of old towns this week, it was nice to go back to nature and calm.

For those or you who are Game of Thrones fans, it’s an absolute must as you get to sit on the iron throne – which was gifted to them from the production team! Time on the island can be spent doing absolutely nothing apart from enjoying a cocktail and the views, or wandering around the whole place. We decided to do both! One thing to bear in mind is the only way to get around is to walk. There are no cars on the island as it is an uninhabited UNESCO protected nature reserve, although the majority is easily assessable on the well maintained paths. We decided to head to the top of the island to get views from the Fort, however this is a very steep hill and the ticker definitely knew about it! Sensible footwear really is a must for this part of the walk as the paths are rocky and uneaven, but the views are worth it. Other things to see are the botanical gardens, monastery, the ‘dead sea’ and of course, the hundreds of peacocks which roam the island.

This afternoon we headed back to the old town for our last explore around the streets. We found a lovely restaurant which served tapas, so we settled in for food and people watching. After eating we went for a walk around the outside of the walls, and spotted a dead eel in the water being gobbled up by all the other fish. I didn’t realise they were so big! We finished the day with an ice cream before heading back to the hotel to pack ready to leave tomorrow. Although tiring, it has been another incredible trip with 3 more counties ticked off the list (according to my app I’ve now done 57% Europe!) The scenery and landscapes have been beautiful and the old towns full of character and charm. Croatia is only around 2hrs away from England, so why not add it to your list of potential destinations!

Kotor & Budva 🇲🇪

April 29, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

This morning was another super early start as we crossed another border into Montenegro. This however meant more long waits for checks, but more stamps for the passport; every cloud!

As is custom on these trips, we had a toilet stop at one of the petrol stations. Unfortunately nobody knows what a latte is in these parts! So for an energy boost we went for a fat coke and a kitkat 🍫 I was so confident that my card had worked that I took my treats and left the shop, however I was soon chased by an angry lady ushering me back into the shop as I’d clearly been a criminal and walked out without paying.

Our first stop of the day was Kotor; a medieval old town full of windy streets and busy squares. It has so much character and charm about it that I could easily spend a day here. As with all of the old towns we’ve been to, the streets are very slippery and uneaven. Unfortunately I didn’t continue the advice of good shoes and today wore a primark sandal special. This resulted in my slipping over and landing star fish on the floor. Apart from a bruised arm, jolted back and embarrassment, I’m absolutely fine!

Leaving Kotor behind we headed for our next stop; Budva. Driving in I was a bit unsure why they had brought us here, as its basically a giant building site. Luckily we were able to put the vast amount of construction behind us and head into, yep you’ve guessed it.. the old town! We managed to find a square and settle down for some lunch. We noticed something going on in the cafe on the other side, and we were soon treated to a fantastic performance from an all man band, singing all sorts from traditional songs to roll out the barrel! There was also a wedding photoshoot and lots of other tourists getting the perfect gram shots outside the church – it was the best place for a bit of people watching.

We left Montenegro and headed back to Croatia where we will spend the remainder of our trip. Luckily the driver was able to sneak us round the super large Greek group in front at the border, so it wasn’t the massive wait we had prepared ourselves for. This evening we ate in the hotel which seems to have got ridiculously busy over the last day. I was happily eating my meal when the woman on the table next to me leaned over and stole my napkin! No excuse me, no nothing. The absolutely audacity.

Dubrovnik 🇭🇷

April 28, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

Today has been all about Dubrovnik old town. It’s known as the ‘pearl of the Adriatic’ and is popular for a reason due to it being packed with culture and history. This does however mean it’s a very busy place, especially when there are not one, but three cruise ships in!

The old town is so easy to get around and it’s full of cafes, bars and restaurants which are much needed in this heat 🥵 We started the day by tackling the city walls – a 2km loop of the old town. Although it costs around £20pp it is absolutely worth it and is one of the best ways to see the red tiled rooftops below. There is the option to finish the walls half way round, and this is great for those who struggle with lots of steps. As we worked up quite the thirst, we stopped at one of the bars for a beverage. As they only did full fat coke, we had to treat ourselves to something more fabulous, and went with a fresh OJ instead. With views of the glistening Adriatic Sea, red and orange rooftops, bustling squares, fortresses, the beautiful Island of Lokrum and of course an array of GoT film locations, it was the perfect way to start our day.

The other best way to explore is old town is just to wander up and down the narrow streets that feed off Stradun. Make sure you wear shoes with decent grip – the children playing football (in a busy square.. hooligans!) were able to celebrate their goals in style by sliding (a fair distance!) on their knees along the slippery street. There are so many shops and bars.. and cats to discover along the way.

After doing the obligatory steps of Cersei’s walk of shame (for all you GoT fans) we decided it was time for lunch, and found a lovely cafe that served the best beef and cheese sandwich I’ve ever eaten! You really are spoilt for choice for places to eat and drink.

As we love to chase a sunset, we decided this afternoon and evening would be spent on top of Srd Hill which we got to via cable car. This gives you great views over the city, but again comes at a price of £20pp for a return trip. There is the option of walking, but this felt like the best option for our tired legs. There is the option to take in the views from the platform by the cable car, however we decided to venture a bit further. After climbing up some dodgy steps and over a very uneaven path, we found the best place to watch the sun go down. It seemed to be a popular spot, but there is so much space to enjoy the beauty in front of you with all the other tourists. After catching mild hypothermia due to the temperature drop, we headed back to the old town on the cable car, and explored a bit more now it was all lit up and a lot less busy. Whether it’s day or night, the old town really is a great place to explore.

Mostar 🇧🇦

April 27, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

Today we left our lovely hotel in Drvenik and headed over the border into Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to the UNESCO old city of Mostar. Dressed as a giant bar code, we met our guide and had a walking tour of the town.

The cobbled streets were lined with lots of colourful shops selling all sorts from scarves, souvenirs and of course, a genuine (although incredibly obvious) fake. We walked over the iconic Stari Most bridge, which has since been rebuilt following the 90s conflicts. It is also known for people jumping off it into the river below. We were hopeful that the chap in his budgie smugglers would give us the ooooh we were waiting for, however he took the loose change and did nothing else apart from ask for more money off people. From the minute we got there to the minute we left, he was there, ready and waiting for the 23 metre jump. I’m sure he made a fortune today, but whether he took the plunge, we will never know!

We were also taken to a traditional Turkish house, where there was a tortoise roaming free in the grounds. Unfortunately one of the tour group (one half of the friends with benefits) didn’t see the tortoise, and ended up kicking it in the face 🐢

After the tour we were left to our own devices, so following advice from Google we went to the Lučki Most bridge for a better view of the Start Most, and it was indeed the perfect place to see it. As is tradition in Mostar, we had to try the coffee. Traditional Bosnian coffee is freshly ground into a fine powder, which is then put into a special pot called cezve or ibrik. Boiled water is poured over it and the mixture is then put back to the burner, and heated till the coffee starts to rise. I have to say, although verrrrry strong it was actually very nice!

I really enjoyed Mostar. Would I recommend it for a few days.. probably not. But if you get chance to visit for the day I would 100% recommend it. It has a certain charm and is rich with culture, history and beautiful buildings.

This afternoon we returned to Dubrovnik (after being stuck at the border for an hour) where we will be spending the next few days. We are staying on the outskirts of the town in a questionable hotel where the rooms resemble something from a retirement home. However it’s only a base to sleep and eat.. so can’t complain!