Tag Archive: Travel

March 18, 2020

Travelling corner: Cornish Delight. A Weekend away in South-East Cornwall

Oh Cornwall, it feels so good to be there, even for a weekend. Today, I’m taking you to South-East Cornwall and we’ll stay in Looe and spend the weekend exploring this part of Cornwall (aka visit my favourite places).

Friday afternoon

I would start with some sea-bathing time and my favourite place (not far away from Looe) would be Seaton Beach. The beach doesn’t have beautiful sand (it’s rather greyish), but the sea is usually warm and beautifully sparkles as the sun sets down to the horizon.

Saturday

I would start the day with a breakfast at Summink Different Café in Downderry. Their menu is rich in good foods, sustainable, often organic and simply delicious. My favourite is their 100 percent cacao soup with coconut milk (oh yes, that’s yummy!). From there, we’ll go to Freathy Beach which is a long stretch of sand with some amazing sea views (quick note that the beach is tiny when there is a high tide). You need to descend to reach the beach, it’s not very steep but may limit the amount of beach games and other necessities you take down with you 🙂

Sunday

Today we’ll go to Readymoney Cove in Fowey. But, we’ll go by boat from Polruan. Polruan is a picturesque village with some marine-like town houses (and a bit of a steep descent to the quay!). It takes around 10 minutes to get to the other shore by boat, and we’re in Fowey! We then walk another 10 minutes and arrive at this small, yet charming beach (with cold water!) where we can enjoy the views of the sailing yachts and boats. We can then go for a walk to see the ruins of St Catherine’s Castle or relax and enjoy the scrumptious Cornish ice-cream (or both!).

You can read more about my previous travels to this part of Cornwall here and here.

That’s a nice weekend, huh? What was your last weekend in Cornwall like? Do let me know in the comments below.

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March 11, 2020

Travelling corner: A day on the most beautiful beach (with kids!)


We went to Wales to finally visit Rhossili Beach which is often ranked as one of the most beautiful beaches in the UK. To give you some context, I’ll add that we went there with our two daughters. It was winter. Cold, windy, rainy… you know the weather (just ideal for a day trip to the most beautiful beach)?!

We arrived there mid-morning and our older daughter (5-y-o) wanted to go for a walk, but our younger girl (15 mnths) wanted to sleep. The youngest didn’t welcome the walking idea well; she was crying loudly. All of a sudden, the sun was out, so I quickly took some (3!) pictures (when travelling with kids and taking photos, it almost feels like having an analogue not a digital camera, you often have just one shot, done!). My youngest was still crying, so I decided to carry her (yes, the photo-shooting is gone and the sun, too!). We’re walking with a very unhappy child who is underdressed and without a hat… After 30 minutes of walking, we decided to go back to the local café, The Lookout, to warm up. It’s warm, cosy and it felt good to enjoy some quieter time after all the crying. Then my oldest daughter wanted to go to the toilet. There is no toilet in the café, so back to the carpark (and to the toilet) we went. After that we decided to see the beach. Meanwhile, our youngest was asleep and it started raining. Greg (my husband) decided to go back to the car with the girls while I continued walking in the rain to take some pictures (again 3 shoots max!). I rushed back to the car to see that my youngest had woken up and was unhappy, and my oldest felt kind of sick. We waited in the car for a bit, as it was super windy, then we slowly went home (we had to stop after 15 minutes, because somebody didn’t feel so well…). Yes, that’s the beauty of travelling with kids. But hey, the beach is truly spectacular!

What special place have you recently visited with your kids? Please let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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February 19, 2020

Travelling corner: Winter in Exmoor

This winter I re-discovered Exmoor. The last time I went to this beautiful part of England was when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter, around 5 years ago! I remember being 7 months pregnant and climbing North Hill and, by mistake, taking the steep route up the hill… Oh yes, it was proper exercise and this winter, surprisingly (!), we avoided this steeper path 🙂 Below, you’ll find my favourite walks from Exmoor. BTW, if you can, please recommend some books/blogs on Exmoor, as I’m curious to learn more about this undiscovered (by me) land.

North Hill

Yes, we did it again, but this time we chose a more humane path. It was beautiful to walk among green ferns at the lowest point, among clouds in the middle and above the clouds and bathed in sunlight at the highest point. We had such amazing weather that day, which turned the whole walk into a magical experience.

Lynton

I had been planning to visit Lynton for a while and somehow it didn’t happen, but this winter I was determined to go there and explore its uniqueness. Lynton is located on a hill with a Cliff Railway train going down to Lynmouth, a picturesque sea village (unfortunately, the train doesn’t operate in winter). We went for a walk to Lee Bay following the coast. Even though we were wet as we walked in the clouds, the views of the rocks on the left and the sea on the right and the copper hills around the valley created a beautiful scenery.

Porlock Weir

I like analysing maps to see where it would be interesting to go and I had a feeling that this little harbour just outside Porlock might be an intriguing spot to visit and I was right! I also read a brochure that said that in the 18th and 19th centuries the place was famous for oysters and recently a community project was established and oyster farming returned to Porlock Weir! Truly intrigued, we went to explore it. We found a long stony beach, a small harbour, a tiny oyster warehouse (!), and a petite gallery with a café (it was true bliss to have a mug of tea there!). We took a long walk along the stony beach and beyond, to the marshland. It was quiet and peaceful, yet so uniquely beautiful.

We so enjoyed our short winter trip to Exmoor that we’d love to return there in Spring/Summer, to see it in its full colours and flavours. Have you been to Exmoor recently? Let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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January 22, 2020

Travelling corner: 5 Best of North-West Cornwall

We returned to Cornwall last summer to re-discover the beautiful area of St Ives Bay, located in North-West Cornwall. It’s a blissful location, if you wish to visit the famous gems of Cornwall, have long beach walks, do some hiking, go to family-friendly places and enjoy some beautiful scenery. Yes, this part of Cornwall has it all and below you’ll find my absolute favourites:

Beach

There are many of them, St Ives alone has several of them, so it’s a true heaven for beach lovers (like me)! My favourite is Godrevy, it stretches long, so walking is very pleasant, and so is the swimming (for surfers, Gwithian might be a better option). You can park at the far end NT parking and go for a walk (see below).

Walk

From Godrevy NT car park you can walk to see the seal colony (remember to be quiet, as seals can be easily distracted by loud voices) or enjoy the views of the lighthouse. Or, you can walk further, along the coast path. Scenic views guaranteed!

Tate

Visiting St Ives is a must if you’re in North-West Cornwall and this summer we went to the famous Tate St Ives art gallery. We started with a quick lunch at their top floor café, which has beautiful views of the town and the sea. The gallery has an activity room for children (with some very friendly staff members), so our pre-schooler was very happy to have some creative time there, while our baby girl had a very comfortable nap among the paintings, so I had chance to slowly go around the galleries and admire the art. I was especially fascinated by the gallery’s temporary exhibition devoted to the Lebanese artist, Huguette Caland.

Train

As much as I enjoy being by the sea, I also like travelling by train! While in Cornwall this summer, we could see the little train going by the coast every day and we knew we wanted to experience it. So we travelled from St Erth to St Ives and the views were truly amazing. We also went from St Erth to Penzance (in both instances the train journey didn’t last longer than 10 minutes).

Sunsets

The sunsets in this part of Cornwall are epic (unless it’s very cloudy or rainy!). The colours of the sky slowly changing, wide landscape and the sparkly silver sea. You can stare at the sky and wonder how nature can be so generous with its amazingness.

Have you visited this part of Cornwall? What did you enjoy most? Do let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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December 18, 2019

Travelling corner: My sentimental trip to Śląsk in Poland

I spent part of my childhood and youth in Śląsk (Silesia), it’s a province in the south of Poland. As I wasn’t born there, there were some aspects which always attracted my interest: the regional history, the industrial character of the region and their regional dialect (gwara śląska). I left this part of Poland in my early twenties to go study in the Czech Republic and then in the UK. These days, every time I re-visit this region, I’m more and more fascinated by the changes that have been made, in terms of new cultural establishments, improvements in the urban landscape and the rich cuisine on offer. I think I feel like my uni professor from Prague who, after living her whole life in architectonically diverse Prague, came to work in Śląsk, found an architectural relief and was fascinated by the industrial character of the region. So who knows, maybe I’ll inspire you to travel to this part of Poland!

Nikiszowiec 

Let’s start with the oldest part of Katowice (Katowice being the capital of Śląsk). It’s a more than one hundred years old settlement built originally for coal miners. The houses called familoki (in German Familien-Block), with red windows, were built for workers and their families. Even though this part of Katowice seems so beautiful, quiet and overall unreal, people actually still reside there. The perfect place for a slow walk to discover its uniqueness and beauty.

Café Byfyj 

If we’re in Nikiszowiec, we need to try some amazing food from Café Byfyj. I don’t go out so often and if I do, I try to visit places that respect our planet and choose sustainable, fresh and local products. The food here was delicious and what’s more, the service was amazing: kind and friendly.

Muzeum Śląskie (Silesian Museum)

Is there a better place to build a museum in industrial Śląsk than on the grounds of the former mine? Yes, in 2015 Muzeum Śląskie opened its new site which was built on the former Katowice mine. It’s now conveniently located in the centre of Katowice in Śląsk. It has art galleries, museum rooms, cafes and restaurants, and a library. I found the whole site beautifully rebuilt and was fascinated by the presentation of the history of Śląsk. I was impressed to see some paintings by well-known Polish artists.

That’s the story of my sentimental travel to Poland. Have you visited an important/inspiring place recently? Please let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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November 20, 2019

Travelling corner: Camping with baby

Is it easy? Is it worth doing? Is it manageable? Yes, you ask yourself all those questions before barking upon a family holiday under a tent. It wasn’t easy for me to decide when to go camping for the very first time, so today I’d like to share with you some advice/tips if you plan your first camping trip with the little one.

When: You’ll know when you’re ready and you’ll feel the same about your baby. Just wait and see. I think our baby was around 9 months when we went away camping.

Packing: Start packing early, to make sure you have all the necessary items with you which you can then easily find in the tent.

Time: I would suggest going for a shorter period, e.g. a weekend. We went for 4 days and it was absolutely enough.

Destination: We chose an off-track campsite within a 2-hour drive, but I think I would have preferred to have chosen a more commercial campsite. We didn’t complain, but I think we’d have had a better camping experience if the campsite was more baby-friendly.

Sleep: As I was still breast-feeding at night, I didn’t sleep so comfortably, because I was woken up every couple of hours. I knew the quality of my sleep would be compromised; out of 3 nights, I had one really good night’s sleep (not too bad, huh?).

Activities: Plan as little as possible, as you don’t know how much energy you’ll have left, after cooking, taking care of the children, cleaning up, etc.

Would I repeat it? Oh yes!!! Organisation-wise was a bit challenging, but overall, we had a great time together. And I love sleeping outside, so even with no uninterrupted sleep, I wouldn’t change it for anything!

Kinga Macalla

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August 28, 2019

Travelling corner: We found our favourite family-friendly beach!

We went there once and immediately fell in love with everything we saw, so we needed to return the following day… Why!? It’s quiet, just off the coastal path, has soft sand, and it is just the right size (not too crowded/not too deserted). The sea is calm (with moderate waves), the water temperature is tolerable (no, it’s not freezing cold!) and it has a beautiful colour (greenish/blueish). The beach is located about 15-minute’s walk from the National Trust car park and a NT café (with some delicious local ice-cream—just saying 😉 ). And there is a bonus: on the way to the beach, you can meet many friendly cows!

Where is the beach? Barafundle Bay in South Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK.

What’s your favourite family-friendly beach?

Kinga Macalla

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July 3, 2019

Travelling corner: Wales with kids

I’m taking you to Wales today! To South Pembrokeshire, to be precise. We visited the exact same location when I was first-trimester pregnant, but back then I only wanted to sleep (and was too tired to explore anything). So we decided to visit Wales again as a family of 4 and today I want to share with you our favourite places/activities to give you some inspiration on what to visit/see/do with kids in South Pembrokeshire:

Beach

I’m a huge sea lover, so a nice beach is a must! It’s more for me 😉 , but I think my family likes it, too (happy!). We visited a few local beaches. Our favourite was Barafundle Bay (there will be a separate blog post on this hidden gem!) as the beach was sandy & clean, the sea was calm & greenish-blue, and it was just off the coast path. A bit further away was Broad Haven, it’s a large beach perfect for walking or playing some games/sports. We also walked to Swanlake Bay, but the beach was too rocky (on this particular day) to picnic. The sea view, however, was beautiful.The closest to our summer home was Freshwater East, it’s a long, sandy beach with a small river (perfect for little swimmers to enjoy) and with moderate sea waves (perfect for more advanced swimmers).

Coast path

How did we walk with kids? We took the younger child (6 months) in the sling and the older is a very good walker (4 years old)! One day, we made an attempt to walk to Swanlake Bay which wasn’t successful as we weren’t prepared for such a long walk and had to return home (yes, preparation is a key, especially when walking with kids). The second attempt was more successful (no, we didn’t give up!). Our other walk was to Barafundle Bay and Broad Haven. The walk is very pleasant and you can take a longer, zigzag route, following the coast, or you can take a more direct route, which is quicker.

Swimming Pool

We wanted to go to the fancy swimming pool (Blue Lagoon Waterpark), but the day we decided to go it was raining, so there were almost no tickets available. Instead, we found a tiny community swimming pool (Swim Narberth) which turned out to be just perfect for the little swimmers. There were many babies and toddlers, so the atmosphere was just right for our family of 4.

Museum

We also wanted to visit Tenby and, on a one rainy day, apart from eating ice-cream in the rain, we fancied treating ourselves to some culture, and the Tenby Museum & Art Gallery was an ideal place to go. The museum turned out to be family-friendly and had many exhibits for kids to explore. It was rather small, but packed with museum pieces and art exhibitions. And the views from the windows…

What do you recommend to visit in South Pembrokeshire, Wales? Please let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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June 19, 2019

Travelling corner: Polperro, Lansallos, Barcelona. Where are we?

Can you guess where you can find all those towns located almost next to each other? I’ll help you: in Cornwall, UK! Yes, I was as surprised as you are when I discovered that some Cornish towns sound more Spanish/Italian than English. Today, I’d like to take you to South Cornwall to explore this beautiful region.

Looe

I visited Looe many times during my summer travels, as my camp-site was located very nearby. The town is small and has a beautiful beach (which can be quite crowded with sun-lovers). There are boutiques, bakeries, cafés and a small harbour. From the harbour you can go to the tiny island called Looe Island or St George’s Island, either as a short tour or a day trip (or you can stay on the island and hire a tipi). From the town, you can also go for a very pleasant walk to the next town/beach, Millendreath.

Fowey 

A cute little town with many tiny shops and boutiques, as well as a beautiful marina and beach. You can go by boat to Polruan or take a longer sea tour. You can walk around all the narrow streets to get a flavour of the town, or head to the beach to relax and chill out (Readymoney Cove).

Polperro

An old fishing town. When you walk through the small streets, you can feel some foreign accents in the architecture and building layout (Italian?). It can be quite crowded with tourists, but it’s still worth visiting for its special charm.

Which towns have you visited in South Cornwall? Let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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May 22, 2019

Italy: Florence – Pisa – Torre del Lago

My travelling destination in Italy was Tuscany, and while there I visited Florence, Pisa and Torre del Lago. Today, I’d like to share with you my observations of those towns and what impressed me most.

Florence

Architectonically, it’s a true gem, breathtakingly beautiful. You can just wander around the town the whole day long and admire its architecture. I was surprised at how crowded the town centre was, there were many tourists. That also meant that the queues to various places, like the galleries or the main cathedral, were very long. Even though the ticket and entrance system is a bit chaotic, we decided to visit the main gallery, Galleria degli Uffizi, which contains paintings by Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Caravaggio, among many other masterpieces. The building itself, with its painted ceilings, is worth your attention and so are the window views. We also walked around the town to see the many famous squares, but we couldn’t miss a cup of decadent hot chocolate in the Caffè Rivoire or a cup of the creamiest ice-cream in the galetaria Grom.

Pisa

I have always treasured those “first time” moments, such as when I first saw Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower, and this time was the same with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I was moved when I had my first glimpse of this monumental tower and yes, it’s very, very slanted! Pisa was much less crowded than Florence, but every time we went to Pisa, it always rained, even if it only lasted 5 minutes. We also visited the botanical garden, which dates back to 1543 and was the first European university botanical garden. Our visit to Pisa wouldn’t have been the same without a scoop of the tastiest ice-cream (read my ice-cream post here).

Torre del Lago

This tiny seaside town is mostly famous for the Puccini Opera Festival which is held here in July-August and is the only festival fully dedicated to the composer Giacomo Puccini. Torre del Lago also has a long sandy beach which we enjoyed almost every day. Its long main street is crammed with many small shops, delis, bakeries, groceries and cafes. For me, it was so nice to see so many Italians cycling to work or to the beach (with the kids being placed everywhere on the bike!). I could definitely slow down and relax here, through walking on the beach, tasting the food, reading books or simply by dolce far niente.

What are your impressions of Tuscany and its beautiful towns? Let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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