Southern Europe
-
A Scenic Walk Around Camp Bay, Gibraltar: Beaches, History & Coastal Views
Our final day in Gibraltar gave us an opportunity to explore more of the territory. From our base at the Rock Hotel we took a morning stroll all the way around to Camp Bay, a small rocky beach overlooking the Bay of Gibraltar. Due to its location at the southern end of the bay, it…
-
Top Spots to Go Paddle Boarding and See Dolphins in Gibraltar
It was such a warm morning that we were pleased to find tables had been laid for breakfast on the sun bathed terrace, which was such a delight during the winter and definitely the nicest possible way to start the day. After feeling recharged with an extra croissant and more coffee we headed to Sandy…
-
Guide to E-Biking Around Gibraltar: Scenic Trails and Bike Hire
After a delicious breakfast at the Rock Hotel we were all set to go for another fun filled day exploring Gibraltar. First on the agenda was something totally new to us, a morning of e-biking up to the top of Rock. EBike Gibraltar are based at Ocean Village and from there one can take a…
-
Exploring the Garrison Library and Spirit of the Rock Distillery in Gibraltar
What more could a girl wish for – our planned morning activities were to visit a heritage library and a gin distillery both of which I love dearly! After a hearty breakfast at the Rock Hotel we headed into town to explore the Gibraltar Garrison Library. Founded in 1793 as a military library, it became…
-
Exploring the Rock of Gibraltar: Skywalk and Siege Tunnels Guide
We started the day with a visit to the Gibraltar National Museum on Bomb House Lane in the centre of town. Standard admission is £5 with a combination ticket being available at £8 to include a visit to the Gorham’s Cave complex viewing platform near Europa Point. Galleries cover the history of the Rock starting…
-
The top of the Rock, Gibraltar
Pulling back the curtains we witnessed the most beautiful sunrise over the bay and it made me so happy to be spending time in wonderful Gibraltar. Breakfast at The Rock Hotel takes place in the Terrace Restaurant where we tucked into a large buffet selection of fresh fruit, cold meats, cheese, bread and pastries. Eggs…
-
Top Gibraltar Highlights: Best Things to See and Do
What better way to escape the bitterly cold British winter weather than to spend a week in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. At only 3 miles (5km) long and 0.75 miles (1.2km) wide it’s a tiny relic of the former British empire but with more than enough to keep us entertained during our stay.…
-
A Day Exploring Espinho, Portugal: Top Attractions and Experiences
Our original plan had been to set a day aside to visit the Douro valley but as organised trips were not operating, this proved problematic. It’s possible to take a train from Porto to Pinhāo from where one can connect to boat trips up the Douro valley. However, with a journey of more than two…
-
How to Spend a Day in Vila do Conde from Porto
We decided to spend a day along the coast in the town of Vila do Conde, a seaside resort 25km north of Porto. It’s a town favoured by locals though perhaps not on the day of our visit as it was cool and overcast. Lying at the mouth of the Ave river, it was historically…
-
How to Spend a Day in Coimbra from Porto
We were interested to visit Coimbra as it was the medieval capital of Portugal for just over 100 years from 1145-1255 when King Afonso moved his court to Lisbon. The city is also home to one of Europe’s oldest universities. Trains from Porto to Coimbra depart from Campanhã station which is on the main north-south…
-
How to Spend a Day in Aveiro from Porto
There’s little need to hire a car whilst staying in Porto as there are numerous interesting places to visit which are easily accessible by train. So, for the third morning in succession we took the now familiar route to the São Bento station, this time for a train to Aveiro. Return fares are priced at…
-
How to Spend a Day in Braga from Porto
After breakfast in our hotel, it was back to Saō Bento station again with its beautiful blue tiled concourse. Our destination was to be Portugal’s third largest city, Braga, return day tickets €7 each. The train was reasonably quiet and we enjoyed looking at the passing scenery from the carriage windows during the 75 minute…
-
How to spend a day in Guimaraes from Porto
After spending the first two days of our holiday exploring Porto we were ready to travel further afield so after a hearty breakfast we headed off to Saō Bento station where we marvelled once again at its exquisite blue and white tiled concourse. From the ticket office we requested return tickets to Guimaraes with discounted…
-
Exploring the Gaia and Foz districts of Porto
After enjoying breakfast in the aparthotel’s cafe we went along to the nearby Trindade metro station to take a train across the Douro to the Jardim do Morro station. Staying in the Bolhāo district appealed to us with its close proximity to Trindade as all lines can be accessed from this interchange station. As we…
-
Discover Porto City Centre and the World’s Most Beautiful McDonald’s: A Unique Travel Experience
Porto is an historic mercantile city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s famous for its port wine, medieval walls and steep sided waterfront on the banks of the Douro river. We had originally planned a visit to this wonderful city for April but eventually managed to get there several months later. I hope you…
-
Pisa’s Hidden Gems: Discover the City Beyond the Leaning Tower
Our final day in Pisa and an opportunity to explore some of the city’s less well known sights. Our first stop of the day was the University of Pisa Botanical Gardens (Orto botanico di Pisa) nestled on the street behind its more famous neighbour, the Leaning Tower. Admission to the gardens and botanical museum is…
-
Day Trip from Pisa to Livorno: Explore Tuscany’s Charming Port City
We were up bright and early and after enjoying our second socially distanced breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant we were ready to go. Our original plan for the day was to take the train to Lucca but on discovering that replacement buses were operating on the route with a reduced timetable, we decided to change…
-
A Day in Florence from Pisa: Must-See Sights and Itinerary
After a good night’s sleep we took the lift downstairs to discover what a post COVID-19 breakfast would be like. At check-in we’d been informed that breakfast would take place in the restaurant as usual so we headed in there to find out what was on offer. To our relief, the buffet breakfast that we…
-
Discover Pisa: A Guide to the City’s Best Sights and Hidden Gems
If I had a spring in my step a few weeks ago as I boarded my first long distance train for over four months, I was even more excited at the prospect of taking to the skies again. As soon as travel restrictions had been lifted, we searched for flights and decided that a weekend…
-
Discover Alicante: Top Highlights and How to Get from the Airport
Our last day in Alicante had come around all too quickly and it was our final opportunity to enjoy some warm, winter sunshine. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then gathered our belongings together so that we could check out of the hotel. Packing was slightly more complicated than usual as we had bought two…
-
Day Trip to El Campello from Alicante: What to See and Do
After the previous day’s high temperatures, it felt much cooler as we set off from the hotel and headed towards the Mercado tram/train station near the central market hall. Our planned destination for the morning was to the small town of El Campello which lies in Zone 1 with adult single tickets costing €1.45 (£1.30)…
-
Day Trip to Benidorm from Alicante by Tram: What to See and Do
After enjoying a relaxing breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant we wandered along to the Mercado tram/train station where we used a machine to buy two Zone 3 return tickets to Benidorm at €6.40 (£5.30) each. The Alicante to Benidorm tram route is on Red Line One, with services every 30 minutes. We took the 10.10…
-
Alicante: The Best Bits – Top Attractions, Beaches & Local Highlights
After the previous night’s lack of sleep, we woke refreshed at 8.00 a.m. and headed downstairs for breakfast. The hotel’s restaurant was surprisingly quiet for a Sunday morning so we had our pick of seating options and enjoyed a selection of cured ham, cheese, fruit and yoghurt. After a couple of large cappuccinos and some…
-
Top Highlights of Alicante: Best Things to See and Do
At the time of booking our 6.20 a.m. flight to Alicante it seemed a good idea, breakfast on arrival and a full day of sightseeing in a new destination. In reality, when my phone alarm woke me at 3.10 a.m. to the sounds of a howling gale and rain battering on the windowpanes I would…
Love Travelling Blog 