Tag Archive: Wales

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

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…

perfect weekend away

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

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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

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

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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.

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

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

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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

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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

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

Written by Kinga Macalla

December 2, 2015

Travelling Corner: Late Autumn in Wales

Late autumn in Wales is beautiful, it allows us to experience different weather conditions, from strong winds, pouring rain, unexpected morning storms to warm sunny spells. I was planning to travel around the Welsh coast and to have a very slow-paced, relaxing trip. But the reality was quite the opposite; I was rushing from one place to another soaking in the rain, fighting with strong winds and carrying too much of everything. But I could forget about all that within seconds when amazed by the calm steely sea or rough hazel-brown waves, mountains and hills covered in clouds, a whole pallet of colours on mountain slopes and astonishing architecture.
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And my travels would not be the same without John Winterson Richards’s brilliantly written  “Xenophobe’s Guide to the Welsh”. I have not climbed Snowdon yet, neither can I pronounce “Penrhyndeudraeth” correctly, so I will definitely come back to this magical land of contrasts and passion.

Written by Kinga Macalla

Edited by Alicja Zajdel