Tag Archive: Travelling Corner

June 28, 2017

Travelling Corner: 4 Ideas for a Weekend in Edinburgh

If you would like to visit a historic place with amazing museums, galleries, cafes, restaurants, green spaces and super kind people, you need to go to Edinburgh! I went there for a weekend and here are my highlights:

Royal Botanic Garden

Wow. It’s such a beautiful garden and the greenhouse is just breath-taking (look at the photo below). I don’t think I even walked through the whole garden, but I definitely recommend the terrace café where you’ll find a beautiful view of the city. The out-door space is free of charge, but you need to purchase a ticket to go to the greenhouse (totally worth the price!).

Walk on The Royal Mile

If you’re lucky to have nice weather (yes, blue sky can exist in Scotland!), I recommend a walk from The Royal Mile towards the Scottish Parliament building. You can either stop there or visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse. You could even visit Dynamic Earth just around the corner or continue towards Holyrood Park, then even further on to Portobello Beach.

Dynamic Earth

I was amazed by this science centre: the staff members were fabulous in making every step of the visit so easy and entertaining. Really great learning hub. I must mention that some expositions are quite loud, so it might be a bit too much for younger audience.

Portobello Beach

The perfect place if you want to have a long walk on a beach or simply sit down on the sand to watch waves and seagulls. At weekends, there are many joggers, walkers and children, but it’s never too crowded. There is a café-van selling delicious coffee, teas & cake. You can walk to Portobello Beach or take a bus.

Don’t forget to read my impressions of Edinburgh when I first visited the city. Have you been to Edinburgh? What were your favourite spots? Please share in the comments below.

Written by Kinga Macalla

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May 31, 2017

Travelling Corner: Prague with Kids

Planning to visit Prague with your kids? I visited Prague with my daughter and would like to share some of our favourite spots. Let’s start!

Aquapark & Ice-rink

If you’re into sport, you will enjoy going to sport centres in Prague. I particularly enjoyed the aqua park AquaDream Barrandov which is not far away from the city centre (you need to go by tube and then a few stops by tram). I visited at the weekend and on a week day and both times it wasn’t too crowded. In winter, there are many ice-rinks around the city (both outdoor and indoor) which are not too expensive, but check their opening hours before going there (especially the indoor ones).

Zoo

The Prague Zoo is an impressive size and has a lot to offer. There are many species of animal (including polar bears, elephants, hippos, monkeys, flamingos, etc.) as well as playgrounds, cafes and even a chairlift to the hill. Even though it was winter, we all enjoyed our visit. There were elephant families with the little ones and we found the little elephants so adorably clumsy in the mud.

Concert halls

Why not have some cultural treats when travelling abroad? And what’s more, let’s enjoy them with our kids! We went to a wonderful concert sung by children at the theatre Stavovské divadlo. The tickets were inexpensive and the whole experience was magical!

Divadlo Říše loutek

Prague is famous for their marionette puppet theatre Divadlo Říše loutek. The performance we attended was entertaining and our daughter really enjoyed the story. Even if you don’t speak Czech, I would recommend going, especially for the marionette puppets, decorations and music.

La Veranda

It was a treat at La Veranda. The food was truly scrumptious (!!!) and if you visit on Saturday from 12-4pm, they have a children’s corner there. Worth booking, especially at weekends.

Have you been to Prague with kids? What were your favourite spots? Please share in the comments below.

Written by Kinga Macalla

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April 26, 2017

Travelling Corner: A Weekend in Lisbon

What was my weekend in Lisbon like? Warm, sunny and intense! Keep reading to find out how I spent my time in the Portuguese capital.

Thursday

I arrived in the afternoon and was welcomed by warmth and sunshine. What a treat! I took a tube to my place in Alfama: the old, beautiful, quite hilly (!) district of Lisbon, and the only area that wasn’t affected by the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. The apartment I stayed in was on the third floor and had a magical view on the river Tagus and houses covered in azulejos (traditional ceramic tiles). After freshening up, I went to see the surrounding area and to find the best way to get to the tram stop, local shops and museums. But first, coffee! I adore Portuguese coffee and its variety: bica, carioca, galão… so I went to the nearby Portas do Sol (Sun’s doors) to admire the view and relax to the live music. Feeling relaxed and in a very good mood, I did some shopping in the local grocery stores and decided to go back to the apartment to do some cooking, eating, reading and sleeping.

Friday

Early wake up, as I’m heading to the beach. Yes, just 40 minutes from Lisbon you can have a very pleasant stroll on a beach or even go for a swim. I first took the famous tram no 28 and went to Graça where I did some shopping, had a very tasty pastel de nata (Portuguese custard tartlet) and a cup of meia de leite coffee. Feeling ready for the day’s adventures, I walked to the nearest tube stop to reach the Cais do Sodré train station. From there I took a train to the seaside town of Estoril. It was amazing to be able to walk bare-foot on the beach and observe the repetitions of the waves. I sat on the beach to have some quiet time and read. I then went on the promenade linking Estoril with Cascais. It started raining in Cascais so I decided to go back to Lisbon and visit the Museu do Fado (Portuguese melancholic song). This is a real treat for fado lovers, as the museum has a large collection of videos, concert and audio recordings. Feeling inspired, I went wondering around Alfama, the birthplace of fado, to admire the local architecture and listen to the singing coming from many of the tiny restaurants and bars there.

Saturday

Another early start, as today I want to visit the oceanarium: Oceanário de Lisboa. From my apartment I travel the steep path down to Santa Apolónia tube station and within half an hour I’m at the aquarium (the largest in Europe, by the way!). The visit is amazing, everything is so well-organised and the oceanarium has an impressive collection of different species of sea creatures. I give myself time to embrace this magical place and after observing the fish slowly swimming around, I feel peaceful and calm. The weather is warm and sunny, so I decided to walk back to Alfama which turned out to be quite an ambitious walk, as it took me more than one hour and a half to walk the whole distance! I had a quick lunch in Alfama and decided to climb up to see the cathedral, Sé de Lisboa, and to go even higher to the castle, Castelo de São Jorge to see the spectacular views of the capital and yes, it was worth all the effort! I spent long time just sitting and watching the sun setting, people talking & walking. Beautiful.

Sunday

It’s time to say farewell Lisbon and go home… Till next time.

Written by Kinga Macalla

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March 22, 2017

Travelling Corner: How to have a PERFECT weekend away

I recently travelled to Brecon Beacons in Wales for the weekend, as I wanted to slow down, think through certain aspects of my life and re-charge my batteries. Do you sometimes feel that you need to change your surroundings and just go away for a couple of days? I have the same feeling, especially if I work super hard and my enthusiasm is exchanged for tiredness. Then I need a perfect weekend away. But how should I plan it and where should I spend it? Let me share with you some of my secrets…

LOCATION It’s good to choose a location that’s beautiful, not too far away (up to a 2-hour drive away) and is not too commercial

HOUSE Rent a cosy, nicely decorated, but not too big, house or cottage, maybe with a fireplace. Take some candles with you, they will make every evening magical

GET READY Finish off all important work commitments before heading away, unurgent duties signpost for completion upon your return

INTERNET DETOX Yes, unplug from all social media and don’t check emails every two seconds, live the real life for a couple of days. If you need to send an email or post something, do it and then unplug. Trust me, it is so liberating.

ACTIVE If you lead an active lifestyle, be active, go jogging, hiking, swimming, surfing… whatever relaxes you and makes you happy

READ Take a paper, books and magazines, your favourite unfinished novel or that magazine you’ve mean wanting to read for a while

COOK Plan your meals and make them special, devote more time to cooking & eating, have your partner, friends and children involved in preparations and enjoy this time together. Don’t rush through your meal times, let the dinner last for a couple of hours while you chat about summer holiday plans or a newly published novel by your favourite author

BED TIME Try to go to bed a little bit early and wake up early to prepare a delicious breakfast or to have an early morning walk

How do you plan your perfect weekend away? Do you have any tips? Please share in the comments below.

Written by Kinga Macalla

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February 15, 2017

Travelling Corner: My 5 Best of Prague

Prague, my dear Prague… I always experience a whole load of feelings here: from laughter, disgust, admiration, astonishment or surprise; it’s true, you can be amazed and rationally challenged everywhere. Example one: When I arrived in Prague, I wanted to buy a weekly ticket for public transport. The middle-aged saleswoman was switching between several languages so easily (those I could hear were Czech, Russian, English & German) and managing to answer some very difficult questions without any hesitation (!). Example two: I stayed in a relatively old building which surprisingly had a super-modern lift with touch-screen buttons and glass walls, but the lift stopped between floors so you still had to walk up some stairs (?). Example three: You can find bars where your chosen meal options will be charged by weight (tip: choose lighter dishes to pay less!). Example four: As the Czech Republic is a small country, there are certain customs based on trust, e.g. there are no tube barriers in Prague, but obviously, you’re still obliged to buy your commuting tickets! Example five: We visited Prague in December. The city was beautifully decorated and some squares (including the main square) had nativity scenes, but with real animals, e.g. sheep, goats and a pony.

Personally, I love those paradoxes, but now let’s move to my 5 best of Prague.

Josefov & Španělská synagoga

Josefov. The Old Jewish Quarter. I’m in love with this part of Prague. It’s magical, charismatic and has amazing architecture. It’s a perfect location for wondering around and admiring the beautiful buildings.

If you’re in Josefov, you may want to visit the Old Jewish Cemetery and the synagogues. The Spanish Synagogue Španělská synagoga stole my heart. It isn’t so well presented form outside, but inside it has a breath-taking interior.

Theatre Stavovské divadlo

Prague has many cultural pearls: the Národní divadlo National Threatre, the Rudolfinum Concert Hall, the Klementinum Old Library, and amongst others, the Stavovské divadlo theatre situated in the Old Town. Established and working since 1783, this theatre has an impressive design, both interior and exterior and the great repertoire on offer makes it a perfect place to visit. Interestingly, the premières of Mozart’s Don Giovanni and La Clamenza di Tito took place in this very theatre where the Czech director Miloš Forman also filmed the concert scenes of his Oscar-winning film Amadeus.

Klášter sv. Anežky České

Prague has many art galleries, but I was truly amazed by the Convent of Saint Agnes Klášter sv. Anežky České, a gallery with medieval art and an impressive collection of artefacts. The gallery is located in one of the oldest Gothic buildings in Prague, the monastery of Poor Clares of the Order of Saint Clare and Franciscans which was founded in around 1231.

Public transport

I was so impressed by the public transport in Prague! It was punctual, clean and amazingly connected between train, tube, bus and tram. I bought a three-day pass and could travel with no limits for 72 hours in the city centre. If I wanted to go to the zoo, for example, I took a tube train and then a bus and the bus stop was situated just by the tube station and the whole journey was super short. Very efficient!

Svařený jablečný džus

If you go to a cafe you might be surprised by the wide offer of beverages you can have. I visited Prague in winter, so there were many hot drink options (both alcoholic and non-) to taste. I particularly enjoyed the warm apple juice with spices: pressed apple juice, ground spices & cloves; simmer all for a few minutes until hot, done!

Have you been to Prague? What were your favourite spots? Please share in the comments below.

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January 18, 2017

Travelling Corner: My 5 Favourite Places in Belgium

Belgium is an interesting country with three different languages, five parliaments and 1150 different types of beer! There is a lot to see there too. I used to live and work in Belgium and spent six years in the country in total, three in Brussels and three in Antwerp. In that time, as well as learning Dutch and improving my French, I got the opportunity to travel around quite a bit, on the (very affordable) train and by bike! Here is a breakdown of my five favourite places in the country. Perhaps it will inspire you to take a visit!

Magritte Museum

One thing that Belgium is famous for is its love for all things surreal. René Magritte, one of the most famous surrealist painters, was from Lessines, in the French-speaking part of Belgium. His work is celebrated in a new museum in the heart of Brussels. It is possible to visit the museum in several different languages, including three sign languages.

The Red Star Line Museum

From 1871 to 1935, the Red Star Line, which had ports in Antwerp, Southampton and Liverpool, took European emigrants from many countries by boat to North America. Two million passengers travelled on the ships, including some people who were to become famous. The Red Star Line museum in Antwerp celebrates the stories of some of the passengers and reminds us that migration has always been and always will be part of the human experience.

Ghent (Gent)

Ghent is one of the main cities to visit in Flanders. After Antwerp, it is the biggest city in Belgium, and is the capital of East Flanders. It is built on a series of canals and is a port city. It also has a prestigious university. It is famous for its ten-day-long annual Gentse Feesten (Ghent Festival), which receives about 1-1.5 million visitors every year.

Huy

Huy is a town in the south of Belgium. It is home to a huge ‘citadel’, an 1818 fortress that towers over the town. The ‘Mur de Huy’ (Huy Wall) is a 128-metre high slope that is a feature of many cycle races in the country, including the Flèche Wallonne (Walloon Arrow), of which it is the finishing climb. Every seven years, a religious procession commemorates the ending of a drought in 1656. The last one took place in 2012.

Béguinages / Begijnhoven

A beguinage is a building or series of buildings built to house beguines: religious women who lived in a community but did not take vows or retire from the world. Belgium boasts a number of impressive and beautiful beguinages built around courtyards. They are very peaceful places and offer a welcome (and surprisingly quiet) respite from the hubbub of the city. This is a bit of a cheat because there is more than one beguinage but I couldn’t choose just one to mention!

I hope you enjoyed this whistle-stop tour of some of the sights Belgium has to offer. Why not visit the country and send us a list of your favourite places?

Written by Suzannah Young

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December 14, 2016

Travelling Corner: My 5 Best of CRETE

“The truth is that the Cretans are the Scots of Greece; they have lived through countless crises to emerge always just as truly themselves – indomitable friends or deadly enemies” Lawrence Durrell writes in The Greek Islands. Alexandra Fiada in the Xenophobe’s Guide to the Greeks points out that ‘[t]he Greeks come second only to the Japanese as far as cleanliness is concerned. Home scrubbing is a point of honour.” What a mixture… You feel exactly that while being in Crete; everything is perfectly in order yet so chaotic: it’s sunny, yet so windy, it’s modern, yet so old fashioned, and the list goes on. But still, my trip to Crete was amazing. Below you’ll find my 5 best of Crete.

Elafonisi Beach

Paradise beach. One of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been to. It has a shallow sea shore (safe for children) and a deep part, too. The colours are spectacular, from light blue lagoon to turquoise green and deep dark blue. It has a flat, sandy beach with pink sand. You can easily spend hours in the sea, relaxing and admiring its pure beauty.

Chania

Charming town. The old Venetian harbour is beautiful; you can walk amongst colourful houses surrounded by the sea and the old port which is several kilometres long. I enjoyed wondering the small streets, visiting museums and churches, having a few stops for coffee and a sweet or savoury Cretan delicacy. Even though it was low season, the town was quite crowded, particularly in the cafes and restaurants. The supervised parking experience was quite interesting; they took our keys and re-parked our car in our absence, then delivered it to the exit when we were back. Scary, but convenient!

Grammero Camping

Seaside camping with private access to the beach. Sounds amazing? Yes, it truly was. The campsite is not far away from Paleochora and is situated just on the beach. It is a relatively small site, clean with plenty of shady pitches. The internet connection is excellent. Be aware that the mountainous wind can be quite strong at night, so fasten your tent well. It’s amazing to be able to see the sun rise or set, or go for a jog or swim whenever you fancy!

Food

The taste, the colour, the price! Yes, food in Crete is delicious: olives, feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh bread, olive oil, honey, oranges, oregano… do we actually need anything more? It’s a feast in its pure form; it’s simple, tasty and pleasant. You can buy kilogrammes of tomatoes and create the most scrumptious stew. It’s best to find a local fruit & veg shop or a side-road stall and buy fresh, ready-to-eat food; I would avoid bigger shops or hyper-markets. If eating in a restaurant or café it’s good to choose one that many Cretans eat in (for better prices and food) and if you hesitate, the waiter will quickly give you some recommendations. Then when you nod, he’ll take it as a ‘yes’ and disappear to bring the most delicious meal!

Kindness

Have you ever met a Greek who wasn’t nice to you? I haven’t. Cretans are the same; they’re kind, smiling, positive people who enjoy life to the full. They may drive a bit too fast at times and serve you a Cretan salad with a fag in their mouth… But still, I love them and love their hedonistic approach to life, it’s refreshing.

Have you been to Crete? What was your experience? Please share in the comments below.

Written by Kinga Macalla

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November 16, 2016

Travelling Corner: How to afford all the travelling you want

Do you dream about travelling? I used to feel the same, but I’m no longer dreaming, I’ve started to act on it. Keep reading to find out how I organise my life in order to pursue all my travelling desires.

Make it a priority
Travelling is one of the biggest priorities of my life. Apart from all of life’s daily necessities (bills, food, etc.) and books, I spend most of my money on travelling. Unless necessary and very carefully chosen, I rarely buy new clothes, furniture, equipment or eat out (I usually invite friends to my place instead). Apart from work and family, I focus all my attention on all travel-related activities, doing research, reading, watching documentaries and obviously travelling. I’m very happy with my lifestyle now.

Cheap flights
Even though my head is full of ideas of where to travel to, I always do a reality check. I simply look for the cheapest flights available. Very often that means that I need to change my travelling plans, either to travel to my chosen destination later or even to change my chosen destination to go somewhere else. Yes, I’m flexible, but also I plan my travels way in advance. I follow this mantra that the world is beautiful and wherever I go I’ll have a new wonderful and inspiring experience.

Clothes
I have a set of travelling clothes (quite worn now) and I only take a very few of them with me. The reason is that I do not want to be seen as a holiday-maker, but more as an average traveller who would like to learn more about the world. Since applying this rule, I’ve noticed that I’m rarely approached by waiters/sellers who would like to offer me some good. It works well and I feel comfortable, too.

Camping
If I travel to warmer places, I always camp. And personally, I love it. It gives me the opportunity to meet new people (you can easily bump into someone and start an interesting conversation), to be outside from sunrise to sunset and to completely change my routine. I also like the fact that I can organise the inside of the tent and make it homely and cosy (I always bring some extra pillows/blankets/electronic candles).

Food
I rarely eat outside to reduce the cost and simply prepare my meals using local ingredients. The items I always bring with me are tea, porridge and raisins. That way I can have breakfast every day – one meal sorted!

Beach tent
I bought my beach tent a year ago and it was one of the best purchases I’ve made. It’s so practical, it can protect you from wind, sun and rain and you can have some quieter time to eat, read or sleep there. It’s not too big nor too heavy, so I carry it with me whenever I go to the beach.

Obviously, all the above is very personal and you may have a very different approach to travelling. How do you organise your life to be able to travel? Let me know in the comments below.

Written by Kinga Macalla

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September 21, 2016

Travelling Corner: 5 Ideas for Short-Distance Walks in Bristol (Part 1)

I am a keen walker and I always give my legs priority over any other form of transportation. However, it is not always possible to have enough time for a long walk (but there will be a follow-up post on long-distance walking ideas, too!). Below I have prepared my favourite smaller green spots where you can have a picnic/lunch, go for a short walk or sit on a bench and relax. It’s refreshing and energising.

Queen Square, Centre: a perfect location if you are in the city centre or near the train station.

Brandon Hill, Clifton: well-hidden behind high buildings, not far away from the museum and Park Street.

Suspension Bridge, Clifton Village: there are many routes to walk and admire the bridge, on the edge of Clifton Village.

Lover’s Walk, Redland: one of my favourite streets in Bristol, I could walk up and down the street all day long! Next to Redland train station, near Gloucester Road.

Kings Weston Park, Shirehampton: perfect picnic area and a very cosy café with tables inside & outside, walkable form Shirehampton train station, parking available, too.

Do you have any favourite small open areas in Bristol? Please share your favourites in the comments below.

Written by Kinga Macalla

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August 24, 2016

Travelling Corner: A Frenchman in America (Part 2)

Salut! I’m Nicolas, a French teacher and new recruit at Bristol Language School. I love to travel, as I’m very keen on discovering new cultures, but I had never left Europe… until I went to the U.S. a few weeks ago! Here is my report about this experience.

Day 2:

After a looong night, I wake up in great shape at 7am, before everyone. The sun is already shining! I decide to go running, and I head for Venice Beach which is not far. What a fantastic view! And it’s the very first time I’ve seen the Pacific Ocean in my life. It is very quiet: a few runners and surfers of course, but the weather is perfect, and so is the moment.

As I knew I would only stay in LA for one day, I booked a tour on a sightseeing bus (I know… lazy, but easy!). I struggle a little to find the bus stop, and I have to walk for 30 minutes (btw, I am used to walking in Europe, but walking is a nightmare in the US, especially without GPS!). Once again, there is absolutely nobody in the street. This is clearly not a country for pedestrians. At last I reach the (almost empty) bus. Now with the audioguide in French, I am the perfect tourist! Ready for the day!

The first part of the tour is from Venice Beach to Pacific Avenue. Venice was founded by a rich man who wanted to recreate the Italian city of Venice. Next on the tour we reach Brentwood and see the house where Marilyn Monroe died, and a bit later Westwood Graveyard where she was buried, which became the “stars” graveyard.

We go through Beverly Hills, of course, and the bus stops for a few seconds so we can photograph the famous sign (there are only 5 of them, and you must pay a lot of royalties to use it in a film or a show). Finally, we reach Hollywood. It’s easy to recognise it, of course, because it is written on the hill! I want to take a closer picture, but the closer you get, the more buildings and adverts there are and you can’t see it anymore.

I leave the bus for a lunch break on the Walk of Fame. There are so many stars on the pavement! There are hundreds, and most of the names are not very famous (well, not to me!). The shops are only for tourists (fake Oscars, caps, postcards, etc.). I have another Burger + Fries but in an Irish pub, near a couple of Banksy stencils and it starts to rain (I feel at home for a while!). It’s $15 for a simple meal (burger+fries+beer), because of the taxes and the tips that are not included on the menu… I’ll get used to it, I guess!

On our way back to Venice, we see Sunset Boulevard and many other famous places: we see the Château Marmont, then the club from the Blues Brothers film (made out of corrugated metal structures), then the Viper Room club where River Phoenix died in 1993…

Finally, one last turn on Pacific Avenue, and the sun is back…

That was a long day, and now my mission is to reach downtown to get the coach to San Francisco. And when you’re a foreigner, on your own at night, that’s quite a challenge! This is a completely different atmosphere. One guy kindly explains to me how to reach downtown, and when I say I want to reach the coach station on foot, he litterally says “please, don’t do that.” Very reassuring! So I take the bus again, and finally get on the coach to San Francisco…

Written by Nicolas Salmon

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