Tag Archive: Travelling Corner

February 27, 2019

Italy: A heaven for ice-cream lovers

When in Italy, it’s truly difficult to avoid them… they look & taste amazing… yes, the ice-creams… As I normally don’t eat sweets (I know, shocking!!!), if I wanted to be naughty, I wanted to do it properly and experience the best of Italian ice-cream. Below are my absolute favourites.

Gelateria De’ Coltelli, Pisa

Situated very conveniently alongside the river bank. Natural & delicious. I think they change their ice-cream flavours regularly, as every time I visited them, I was tempted by new flavours (BTW all tasted amazing!).

Grom, Florence

Situated very centrally, just steps from the cathedral Duomo. The ice-cream is so creamy: our daughter had a sorbet which was really smooth & tasty. Buy your ice-cream, sit on the pavement opposite the cathedral and just enjoy the taste, that’s dreamy!

Obviously, there are many more places to taste the absolute deliciousness of Italian ice-cream, if you have some tips, please let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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January 30, 2019

Travelling corner: Her first trip to the seaside

Whilst still pregnant, I started planning our travels together, specifically, our first trip as a family of 4! My daughter was born in mid-November, so when she was around 6 weeks old, she went away with us for 4 days to celebrate New Year’s Eve. We went to Cornwall: it’s obvious that I had to show her this beautiful land first before exploring the rest of the world 😉

How does travelling look with a new-born? Very simple, in a way: they need to eat, sleep and have clean nappies. The frequency and unpredictability – that’s a bit more challenging, as we had to have regular unplanned breaks in local cafes, or stop in the car for breast-feeding and nappy-changing. We rented a house not far away from some coastal paths and beaches, to make sure that we could quickly go home, if needed. We used a sling to carry her when we walked on the coastal paths and on the beach, and a pram to walk around the Cornish towns. After an intensive day, our daughter was a bit unsettled in the evening, but it didn’t last very long. Obviously, having a holiday in winter is limited by the shortness of day time, but I still so enjoyed the sea views, fresh air, walking and having a huge change to my day-to-day routine with a new-born baby. Would I repeat it? Definitely!

Kinga Macalla

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January 23, 2019

Travelling corner: Belgium by train

What’s so great about travelling by train in Belgium? Ticket prices! Yes, the train tickets are not expensive and it does not matter if you buy them in advance or just on the day. They can even be 50 per cent cheaper at weekends! The trains are comfortable and modern. There is a train station right in the centre of Brussels, so do check your train connections before heading off. So, where did we go? We went from Brussels to Ostend and from there we wanted to go to Nieuwpoort by a coastal tram, but tram drivers were striking on this day! J So instead we stayed in Ostend and spent a slow day on the beach – walking, getting some sun-shine and playing. We also visited our friends in Antwerp where from the moment you’re off the train, you can fall in love with the architectural marvel that is their train station. Your appetite for architecture can only grow if you walk through the city and visit the Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS) where you can admire the whole city of Antwerp from the museum’s roof. We couldn’t miss Brugge with its medieval feeling, horses with carriages, cobbled pavements and tiny shops. It’s also a perfect hub for chocolate lovers! We also commuted by tram in Brussels, as we could observe the city from the tram windows or, for example, spot a perfect café (true story: we spotted a fab café and one day when our tram broke down, we were so happy, as we could finally go there for a delicious cocoa!).

I loved our train travels! Do you travel by train? What are your favourite destinations?

Kinga Macalla

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November 21, 2018

Travelling corner: Best secret beaches in South Cornwall

Cornwall is one of my favourite travel destinations in the UK, and finding secret beaches is part of its awesomeness. This year I went to South Cornwall and discovered some amazing beaches which had some breathtaking views of the sea. Where to find them?

Freathy Beach

Beautiful sandy beach with lifeguards and a slightly steep descent towards it. The sea views are spectacular. When driving, turn when you see the sign “Freathy Cliffs”.

Lantic Bay

Amazing beach with turquoise waters. I walked there from Lansallos (NT parking available in the village). It took me around 1.5 hours to get there and the descent towards the beach was quite steep, but completely worth it for the views.

Readymoney Cove

It’s quiet, relaxing & beautiful. The beach is just outside Fowey and you can walk there from the town (around 30 minutes). The beach is small, but not too crowded, with beautiful views of the bay and the coming yachts and boats. Tranquilising.

What are your secret beach recommendations in South Cornwall? Let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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October 24, 2018

Travelling corner: Best camp-site in South Cornwall

We went camping in Cornwall this summer (obviously!) and we had one of the best camping experiences. We went to a campsite called Keveral, which is located not far away from Looe in South Cornwall. There is an organic farm, too, so you can order some super fresh fruit and veg to prepare your meals.

Why was it so special? We loved the atmosphere of the campsite; relaxed and friendly. The campsite is not too big, so everybody has enough space to enjoy some privacy yet, at the same time, not to feel lonely. The area is green and quiet but close to the beach (walking distance), to Cornish towns – Looe, Polperro and Fowey (by car), and to beautiful beaches (Freathy Beach, Lantic Beach and Readymoney Beach). But the best thing about the site was the people; many from Holland and also from Bristol! We met some wonderful people there, had camp-fires and open-air pizza-baking together, and we even managed to organise a get-together once back in Bristol. Magic!

I know we’ll be back (many of the other guests also visit regularly)! It’s a wonderful place for a summer holiday or a weekend escape.

Kinga Macalla

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August 15, 2018

Travelling corner: My bella Italia

This article is to express my admiration and fascination for Italy. I visited this wonderful country for the second time & was so happy to be there and experience all the beauties of it. As I was travelling in breathtaking Tuscany, I was thinking about what I love Italy for: I think I would say that it’s for its amazing architecture, scrumptious ice-cream, many bookshops, tiny pizzerias, delicious sweet shops & cafes, independent bakeries & groceries, smiling people, crazy bike-riders & cobbled streets.

What do I experience when I think about Italy? I smell the fragrance of summer: warmth, flowers, gentle rain in a breeze, forests & freshly baked pizza.

What are your impressions of Italy? Let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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August 8, 2018

Travelling corner: A giraffe adventure in South Africa

Have you ever considered going on a safari? From the moment you disclose this plan, you are faced with the recurring question of whether you aim to see the big five or not.  Interestingly, once you are on the safari, the focus seems to change. Now the question is: “Did you manage to see any lions”. Obviously, I was massively impressed when I saw lions, but, more importantly, I felt relieved. Now this important box had been ticked, I could fully concentrate on watching out for my true favourite – the giraffe. I love giraffes!

My admiration of giraffes as ‘cute animals’ was not shared by a local South African though. “Giraffes are not cute. They are big. We don’t say ‘cute’ for big animals!” Even for my German ears a rather forthright answer. No offence taken though!  This warning remark could not in the least lessen my excitement about our upcoming tour: We would drive though a game park where visitors are allowed to leave the car and roam freely. Super cool! Soon after entering the park, we were lucky and came across a group of giraffes. Wow!!! They are so beautiful, elegant, and majestic. I was in awe. After a few minutes of watching them, I finally recalled that leaving the car was allowed. So I took my chance and walked up to the giraffes. I was sure they would eventually run off, so I approached slowly, dreaming of the chance of touching them – maybe?  They did not run away though. And, while getting ever closer, realisation dawned on me that, actually, they are not cute after all but rather BIG animals indeed! I even noticed that they were not exactly amused with me approaching.

How did my little adventure end? With some quite agitated giraffes, an increasingly nervous husband – taking pictures of the scene(!) – and myself rushing back to the safety of our car. Prefer a safer kind of adventure? Why not study a language at BLS?

Victoria Holderied-Milis

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March 21, 2018

Travelling corner: Weekend in South Devon

We booked this weekend completely and entirely spontaneously! We decided to go to South Devon which is only 2 hours away from Bristol, UK. We stayed in the small village of Malborough, just minutes away from Salcombe. In terms of walking, I recommend a coastal walk from the centre of Salcombe towards the beaches: North Sands and South Sands. On the opposite shore, there are beautiful bays with tiny beaches. In this area I also recommend exploring Hope Cove, Thurlestone Sands and Bantham Sands. If you have more time, you may want to go to Burgh Island accessible on foot at low tide and by tractor at high tide. I’m not going to say any more, just look at the pictures below!

What are your memories from South Devon? Let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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March 14, 2018

Travelling Corner: Tavira – Charming Little Town in Portugal

This charming little town is located in the South of Portugal. It doesn’t have its own beach, but you can easily go by boat to the nearby island Ilha de Tavira. I’ve visited the town on many occasions and below you’ll find my favourites of this place.

Cafes

Bica, galao, meia de leite… the Portuguese love drinking coffee and there are many cafes in Tavira to try them. My favourite café is the middle one on the main square. I go there every time I’m in Tavira. I so enjoy sitting outside, observing life going by and sipping espresso, perfect!

Fado

Fado is traditional Portuguese music. There are also Fado concerts in Tavira performed 3-4 times every Saturday (please check their website or FB page for the latest updates). I went to my first (ever!) Fado concert one Saturday and it was a very emotional and intense performance which impressed me hugely.

Castle, garden & camera obscura

Climbing up the stairs from the market square to the castle ruins, garden and camera obscura can be quite tiring on a hot day, but then the views are completely worth the effort. When I was walking in the garden this year, there were musicians playing and singing Portuguese music, an ideal accompaniment to the colourful flowers & trees.

Museums

If you had enough of the very hot weather, you may want to go to a museum to cool down and to learn something interesting. Tavira Municipal Museum is the main museum in Tavira where you can learn about the town’s history, architecture & art. You can also visit the science museum Centro Ciência Viva de Tavira to do some fascinating experiments, especially since the staff members are so kind and will make your visit truly amazing!

Main square

Tavira is very musical and festive. Every time I visit, there seem to be celebratory events with accompanying performances and concerts. The main square is at the heart of the festivities and I would highly recommend attending some of those events as they’re free and great fun!

Bus, train & boat

You can plan many little trips when you’re based in Tavira. There are good bus connections to many towns & cities. This year I tried to travel by train more often and I was amazed at how comfortable they are (wide train cars, air-conditioning and cleanliness). You can travel by train as far as Lagos or Lisbon and the timetable is available online. Boats are available for tours and also to the islands, e.g. to Ilha de Tavira.

What is your favourite Portuguese town or city? Please leave your comment below.

Written by Kinga Macalla

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February 28, 2018

Travelling Corner: 50 shades of blue. Cornwall in winter.

Those who follow my travelling stories know that I often visit Cornwall (at least once a year) and I’m a huge admirer of the Cornish coast. My most recent visit to Cornwall was in winter and it was spectacularly beautiful. I experienced all kinds of weather which changed from minute to minute, so good shoes for muddy paths is a must (especially if you plan to do some hiking). But this was completely compensated for by the views of the ocean and lots of fresh air. We walked on the South West Coast Path in the areas of Gylly Beach, Swan Beach and Meanporth Beach.

Do you visit the same place every year? Please let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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