Travel
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Belmore Court and Motel, Enniskillen Review
Hotel Review Location: Located in the island town of Enniskillen in Northern Ireland’s Fermanagh Lakelands, Belmore Court is well positioned just a 10 minute walk from the town centre. The scenic town is nestled between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne and dominated by its castle. Enniskillen is conveniently accessible from both Northern…
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Exploring Surrey: Highlights of Guildford and Shere
After another blissful night’s sleep we tucked into hearty breakfasts downstairs in the Percy Arm’s cosy restaurant. As the inn has South African owners included on the menu are some interesting dishes. My husband was tempted to sample the S.A. breakfast which comprised two fried eggs, bacon, Boerewors farmers sausage, polenta, chakalaka spicy bean relish…
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Exploring Godalming and Greyfriars Vineyard: A Surrey Day Out
We’d both slept like logs in our cosy room at The Percy Arms in Chilworth and after enjoying a delicious cooked breakfast sat in the bay window of the charming country inn we drove into nearby Godalming. The small town benefits from several town centre car parks and we easily found a space in the Crown…
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How to Spend a Perfect Weekend in the Surrey Hills
Along with 10 National Parks, England is home to 34 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The Surrey Hills is one of them with its hills stretching across a quarter of the county from the chalk North Downs running from Farnham in the west to Oxted in the East. The region is approximately 35 miles…
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Yeats Country Hotel, Rosses Point, Co. Sligo Review
Hotel Review Location: Yeats Country Hotel is located in the village of Rosses Point on the edge of Sligo Bay. The hotel overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and is just 4 miles (7km) from the county town of Sligo. Arrival and check-in: The hotel commands an impressive location on an unspoilt headland with a large car…
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Experience Derbyshire’s Heritage: White Peak Distillery & Cromford Mills
After starting the day with delicious plates of Egg Benedict we collected our belongings together and checked out of The Cow at Dalbury Lees. This charming country inn had been a delightful place to stay for a mid-winter break with its roaring fires and cosy, well appointed rooms. Our first stop of the day was to…
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Discover the Wonders of Treak Cliff Cavern and The Monsal Trail, Peak District
After starting the day with plates of smashed avocado and eggs cooked to perfection in The Cow’s attractive bar we set off to Treak Cliff Cavern just outside Castleton. Our approach took us through the dramatic limestone gorge of Winnats Pass with its stunning views as we drove along. The Castleton area is a designated…
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Experience the Best of Bakewell and Buxton in the Peak District
The Peak District was the first national park to be created in the United Kingdom back in 1951 and spans 555 square miles of the southern end of the Pennines, mostly in Derbyshire. The park receives more than 10 million visitors each year as it is within an hour’s drive of both Manchester and Sheffield…
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The Causeway Hotel, Giant’s Causeway Review
Hotel Review Location: The Causeway Hotel is located in a breathtaking location next to the Giant’s Causeway UNESCO World Heritage Site on the north Antrim coast of Northern Ireland. This historic hotel dating from 1836 was the first accommodation provided for travellers to stay close to the famous stones. Remaining in private ownership until 2001 it…
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Discovering Hidden Chatsworth: Secrets of the Estate Uncovered
Chatsworth House is one of England’s finest stately homes, located on the east bank of the River Derwent in rural Derbyshire. The vast estate is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire and has been home to the Cavendish family since 1549. After Chatsworth closes its doors following a busy Christmas period one might be…
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A Guide to Riding Lisbon’s Historic Trams and Funiculars
Our stay in Lisbon was drawing to an end but we still had a few hours left on our final day for exploring more of this beautiful city. After one final hearty breakfast in our hotel we took the metro to the Praca Restauradores for a ride on the Elevador da Gloria which links the…
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How to Spend a Perfect Day in Cascais – Easy Train Trip from Lisbon
After enjoying a leisurely breakfast we took the metro from the nearby Marques de Pombal station along to Cais do Sodre and from there transferred to the urban rail line for our train to Cascais. As with our visit to Sintra the previous day, travel to Cascais is included in the Lisbon Card, making it…
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From Sintra to Belém: Must-See Sights Near Lisbon
After breakfast, we caught a train to the charming small town of Sintra from the beautiful Rossio Station in Lisbon’s city centre. Train travel for the 40 minute journey is included in the Lisbon Card making the card extremely good value. Sintra is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of Portugal’s most…
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Discover the Best of Lisbon on a Weekend City Break
In search of some winter sunshine we decided to head south and spend a few days in Lisbon. Our flight with Ryanair departed from a quiet Bournemouth Airport mid-evening and as it was very late by the time we had cleared immigration in Lisbon airport we opted to take an Uber into the city centre…
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The Abbey Hotel, Donegal Town Review
Hotel Review Location: The Abbey Hotel is located in the charming small town of Donegal in north west Ireland on Donegal Bay. It overlooks the pedestrianised Diamond (main square) surrounded by attractive small shops, cafes and pubs. The hotel is also ideally positioned for guests arriving by public transport as Bus Eireann operate regular services to the…
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A Guide to Poznań Old Town: History, Highlights & Hidden Corners
It was our final day in Poznan and at last the sun had decided to put in an appearance, enhancing the beauty of the tall and colourful former merchant’s houses surrounding the Old Town Square. Many of these buildings were reconstructed following heavy damage during the Second World War and are exact replicas of the…
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A Day in Poznań: Visit the Palm House and Lake Malta Ski Slope
It had been snowing throughout the night leaving a glistening white blanket covering everything as we ventured outdoors. After walking down to Wroclawska we caught Tram 5 to Park Wilsona so that we could visit the Palm House. This park is located in the Lazarz district and dates back to 1834 when the city’s first…
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Festive Fun in Poznań: Christmas Market and Must-See Museums
After a hearty breakfast in our hotel we took Tram 3 to Citadel Park in the Kmieca district, just north of the city centre. There had been a light sprinkling of snow overnight which had given the park a winter wonderland like appearance. The park sits on Winiary Hill covering 89 hectares and was a…
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Explore Poznań in Winter: Christmas Markets, Culture & Cosy Cafés
To coincide with the introduction of Ryanair’s new route between Manchester and Poznań we decided to check out another of Poland’s city break destinations. Poznań is the capital of the Wielkopolska region and noted for its Renaissance Town Hall as well as being being home to Poland’s oldest cathedral. Our flight the previous afternoon departed…
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A Festive City Break in Derby: Christmas Markets, Museums, Pantomime & Local Charm
A surprise invitation dropped into my inbox inviting me to enjoy a festive break in Derby on the weekend before Christmas. It’s always fun to visit somewhere new and with the prospect of some sightseeing, shopping, eating, drinking and a night at the panto it took me less than a minute to decide to say…
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Manchester Christmas Market and Pantomime: The Perfect Festive Combo
It wouldn’t be a proper Christmas for me without a visit to Manchester as it’s a city that knows exactly how to put on the Yuletide cheer. Christmas markets are to be found all over the centre and when darkness falls the charming little wooden huts take on even more of a magical charm with…
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Getting festive at the Jet2 City Breaks Christmas Event
A few weeks ago I was excited to receive an email from the lovely people at Jet2 inviting me to attend their bloggers Christmas party and before I knew it the day had arrived. All glammed up with party dress on, I caught a train into Leeds and found my way to Headrow House located…
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Visit Lough Erne & Castle Coole: Hidden Gems of Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
The final day of our road trip had come around much too quickly, a sure sign that we’d been enjoying every minute. Going down for breakfast at Belmore Court & Motel was one of the best as we started with cereals, fresh fruit, cheese, pastries and yoghurt. If this wasn’t enough we then moved onto…
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Northern Ireland Outdoors: Marble Arch Caves and Hydro Biking in the Fermanagh Lakelands
Staying overnight at the Yeats Country Hotel had been a good option for exploring the Sligo section of the Wild Atlantic Way. Breakfast was served in the restaurant and seated at a window table we were able to take in the sea views whilst setting ourselves up for the day. After bidding our farewell to the…