Travel
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Exploring the east coast of Finland Part 2: Strömfors, Hamina and Kotka
The east coast of Finland lies within a 90 minute drive from Helsinki and makes for an ideal side trip from the capital and a chance to explore more of beautiful Finland either for a day trip or a short break. Once you arrive in the region the distance between towns and key sights is…
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Exploring the east coast of Finland: Strömfors and Loviisa
The east coast of Finland lies within a 90 minute drive from Helsinki and makes for an ideal side trip from the capital and a chance to explore more of beautiful Finland either for a day trip or a short break. Once you arrive in the region the distance between towns and key sights is…
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How to spend 48 hours in Turku, Finland
Short Break in Turku Most first-time visitors to Finland naturally head first to the nation’s capital, Helsinki, which is undeniably beautiful but if time allows, and especially for returning visitors, I’d highly recommend a short break in Turku. Located in the southwest of Finland, Turku is the country’s oldest city and is noted for its…
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Review: Tallink Shuttle MyStar Helsinki-Tallinn
On our recent visit to Helsinki we arranged a trip on the flagship Tallink MyStar. As ferries depart up to seven times a day we opted to take the popular 10.30 a.m. service. MyStar entered operational service in December 2022 and has since been sailing on Tallink’s Gulf of Finland route between its homeport of…
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Review: H15 Boutique Hotel, Warsaw
Hotel Review Location: H15 Boutique Hotel is located on one of the oldest streets in central Warsaw. The 19th century building has served as a grand private residence, a Soviet embassy, a headquarters for the Nazi party, and a prize possession of the People’s Republic of Poland. More recently this impressive building has been transformed…
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A foodie weekend in The Malverns Part 2: All Day Fine Dining
Nestled at the foot of the Malvern Hills, the Victorian spa town of Great Malvern has long been a popular tourist destination with visitors travelling from far and wide to take the Malvern spring water for medicinal purposes. In more recent times the town has become a foodie hotspot with numerous high quality bakeries, cafes,…
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Foodie weekend in The Malverns Part 1: Breweries and Bakeries
Nestled at the foot of the Malvern Hills, the Victorian spa town of Great Malvern has long been a popular tourist destination with visitors travelling from far and wide to take the Malvern spring water for medicinal purposes. In more recent times the town has become a foodie hotspot with numerous high quality bakeries, cafes,…
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Why you should visit Stoke-on-Trent as it celebrates its centenary
Stoke-on-Trent might not spring to mind as a top choice for a short break but the city has much to offer as I was soon to discover on my recent weekend stay. Stoke celebrated its 100th anniversary as a city in June so there was no better time to visit with a full calendar of…
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Cruising the Llangollen Canal: Part Two
Part Two: Llangollen to Wrenbury Mill Day 5 Llangollen to Ellesmere After a leisurely breakfast we set off on our return journey at 8.50 a.m and by 11.15 a.m. we had reached Trevor which was even busier with boats than on our arrival two days earlier. We had considered taking a look in the Visitor…
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Cruising the Llangollen Canal: Part One
Wrenbury Mill to Llangollen This post details the first part of our seven night return cruise from the pretty village of Wrenbury in Cheshire along the Llangollen Canal into Wales. Our adventure would take us over the famous Pontcysyllte aqueduct known as the stream in the sky and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Day…
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Sand Lark narrowboat on the Llangollen Canal
This was to be our fourth U.K. canal boat holiday as we’d really caught the bug. Narrow-boating is the perfect way to slow down, unwind and connect with nature whilst chugging along canals at no more than walking speed. This time around we’d opted to take a seven night cruise from the pretty village of…
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Review: Martin’s Dream Hotel, Mons, Belgium
Hotel Review Martin’s Dream Hotel is located in a 19th century Neo-Gothic building that was the home of the Sisters of the Belgian Abbey before being converted into a church. Now a four star hotel, it retains many of the building’s original features which add to its charm. Location: The hotel is located in the…
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The Great Yorkshire Show 2025
One of my favourite summer activities is to attend the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The four day event celebrates agricultural excellence and attracts a sell out audience who snap up all the tickets during the weeks prior to the show’s opening. This year’s show which took place between 8th – 11th July…
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Love Travelling Blog Turns 10: A Decade of Travel Adventures
I’m not usually one for writing annual reviews but I couldn’t let the 10th anniversary of the Love Travelling Blog slip by without a mention. It’s hard to believe that ten years have passed as the time has just flown by and what a journey it’s been. Starting my blogging journey It was on one…
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise Day 7 & 8
Day 7 Our week on board MS Riviera Rose was drawing to a close with just one full day left to enjoy the luxurious facilities on board. After another delicious breakfast served in the ship’s main restaurant we wandered up to the sun deck where we found some comfortable chairs shaded by a large parasol…
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise Day 5 & 6
Riviera Rose – Day 5: The ship set sail whilst we were having breakfast enabling us to take in the spectacular views from the restaurant windows. The engines on Riviera Rose are very quiet and if it wasn’t for the ever changing views one may not even realise that the boat was moving. Riviera Rose…
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise Days 3 & 4
Riviera Rose: Day 3: We enjoyed a leisurely start to the day, starting off with a delicious breakfast whilst taking in the breathtaking views of the Douro Valley as we sailed along the river. We passed through two more deep locks as well as sailing under a very low bridge so we watched with interest…
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise Day 2
We woke refreshed after a good night’s sleep on board the Riviera Rose and started off the day with a relaxing breakfast in the ship’s restaurant. It was just like staying in a luxurious, boutique hotel – barista made cappuccinos, a selection of fresh fruit, yoghurt and pastries, followed by our favourite Eggs Benedict. After…
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise: Day One
Day One We were so excited to be setting off on our first ever river cruise and after enjoying a relaxing overnight stay at the Gatwick Airport Sofitel we woke refreshed and then boarded the shuttle across to the south terminal to check in for our TAP flight over to Porto. Whilst waiting in the…
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Review: MS Riviera Rose
MS Riviera Rose is a luxurious ship that has been specifically designed to sail along the Douro River in Portugal. Newly launched in April 2025, the ship is 80 metres in length and can accommodate up to 114 guests in 57 cabins, including 4 balcony suites with a total of 38 crew. I was excited…
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Holiday Extras: Park, Stay & Fly – Sofitel London Gatwick
We’d arranged morning flights from Gatwick airport and rather than making an early start from home we opted to book a package with Holiday Extras offering parking and overnight accommodation. It was easy to locate the Cophall Parking which was just six miles from the airport. As instructed, we parked in the reception area, unloaded…
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Kynren, Bishop Auckland: A Must-See UK Live Show – Full Review
I was delighted to be invited to attend the press preview of Kynren which is an outdoor theatre spectacle located in Bishop Auckland and now into its 10th year. What is Kynren? Kynren – An Epic Tale of England is a live action show that takes audiences on a journey through 2,000 years of history…
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Denbies Wine Estate: The Perfect Day Out in Surrey
Set amongst the rolling chalk hills of the North Downs, Denbies is one of the largest privately owned vineyards in Europe. The estate is independently owned and comprises 380 acres of which 265 acres are covered in vines. Getting there: Denbies Wine Estate is located in Dorking, Surrey and is easily accessible from Junction 9…
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Exploring the Watercress Line – A Classic Steam Railway Experience
Located close to the historic city of Winchester, the Watercress Line runs through ten miles of scenic countryside between the towns of Alresford and Alton in Hampshire. As fares include all day travel, passengers are able to start their nostalgic journey at either end of the line and stop off to visit the other charming…
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