Europe – Tyler's Travel Tales

Finland | 3 days in Helsinki, a beautiful arctic edge getaway 🇫🇮

Helsinki has everything you could need, from wandering on beautiful beaches, to the stunning architecture & getting lost on a historic fortress island

Setting the scene

The conclusion of my EU trip was Finland. Having been in Tallin previously (you can read the post here), I made my way onto the Ferry into Helsinki. Way back in my university days when I had a full head of hair & weighed about 30KGs less, I visited Lahti. There was supposed to be a weekend trip out to Helsinki, but I’d overindulged in the Salmiakki shots & missed the tour bus. Ever since, I have aspired to visit Helsinki & by chance I met 2 awesome Finnish people in Alicante in February. I was able to practice some of my Finnish speaking with them, which subsequently got me excited to visit, so I booked it up & hit the road. This article will cover places to eat & drink, getting around, money & where to visit. Alongside a customary tale or two, including a calamitous attempt at charming over a local in a karaoke bar!

About Helsinki…

Helsinki is an interesting city with a unique history. Originally founded by Sweden’s King Gustav in 1550, it was supposed to serve as competition to the sea trading dominance of Reval (Modern Day Estonia). However, for the first 100-150 years it struggled, so was relocated to it’s current location in 1640. Then from 1748 to around the 1770’s the Soumenlinna fortress was built to defend Helsinki against Russian expansion.

In the early 1800’s in the Finnish war, the Russians took over, with Finland becoming an autonomous region in the empire. Towards the latter decades of the 1800’s Finland went through rapid growth in industrialisation etc. By 1917 Finland became independent from Russia but ended up in a civil war by 1918. During 1939-1944, Finland was attacked by Russia again, but the country wasn’t flattened due to effective air defences. In the 1950’s they hosted the summer Olympics (which is something of an oxymoron considering how cold it can be there). Since then they have been growing rapidly in terms of culture, politics & business. I owe a large part of my childhood to the Fins, they gave us the bulletproof Nokia phones & I spent many a nights playing snake on my 3310. I was still using my Nokia when my friends were onto their first, second & third I-phones 😂.

Some photos of the trip… 🤳🏼

Soumenlinna fortress
Helsinki Port
Russian Cathedral
Sunset at the beach
Esplanadi way
Meal from Zetor
Soumenlinna fortress
The scene of my heartbreak
Ferry into Helsinki
Disastrous meal from food market
Lost in Soumenlinna fortress

Story time 📚

The backdrop to this story, as you can imagine, is a bar with cheap (well cheap for Helsinki) beers. It was an epic little karaoke bar, which only had around 15 people inside. There was a group of ladies, I think 7 or 8 of them taking turns at the singing. I love listening to songs in other languages & having no clue what is going on. One of the ladies absolutely smashed the karaoke, she was really cool, cute & quirky. Whenever you ask a married couple how they met, they often have funny & unusual stories, well why couldn’t it be me & the Finnish pop star to be? Rocking up to a group of girls when you only know about 25 words in the language & you are on your own is nerve racking & you also don’t want to look creepy! I am a big believer in that all it takes is 10 seconds of courage & you miss all of the shots you don’t take. In hindsight, It would have been preferable to have sat this one out 😂

The 10 seconds felt like a lifetime! I just went for it, “Moi, mitta kulu?” (That spelling is definitely incorrect but it means hi how are you). Standard intro really, then I didn’t get given my marching orders so moved onto stage 2 of Scottish charm & said “Mina Olet Kaunis”, to which she replied in English “No you are not”. It was like someone had shot a bolt through my heart, it took me a couple of seconds to realise what she meant. I hadn’t practiced my Finnish in a long time, I always get mixed up with mina olet & sina olet (You are/I am). Kaunis means pretty/beautiful. I had tried to say she was beautiful, but accidentally told her I was beautiful. She didn’t see the funny side of the language error on my part 🤭. It was going so well up until that point. Never in my life have I so desperately wanted the ground to swallow me up whole & fade into a perpetual state of obscurity.

There are free walking based tours, of course you should tip if you can, but they run regularly & are well worth joining. However, make sure you join one in your language. I joined one & the guy started talking Spanish, I tried to keep up. However, whilst Duolingo is a useful tool to learn some basic Spanish, It hasn’t equipped me with the skills to follow a tour. I didn’t want to interrupt the guy while he was speaking, so slyly slipped off at the first chance I got. I then googled it & there was an English one running from the same place a couple of hours later. Subsequently, I returned, low & behold it was the same tour guy! He asked me why I bailed & then we had a good chuckle once I explained to him the error of my ways 😂.

Useful tourist site information & costs🧑🏼‍🎓

Soumenlinna has to be top & centre of your travel itinerary. It is an old sea fortress covering several islands, boasting museums & fortifications you can visit. Aside from this, it has the most stunning scenery & topography for you to walk around. There are a couple of shops, cafes & a small amount of people live there now, so whilst it is remote, please be respectful to the inhabitants when taking photos etc. You get there by boat from the South Harbour, they run very regularly & cost around 3 euros. You can just pay for the ferry at the machine when you get there, don’t let a tour company rip you off. The island itself is free to enter. I would definitely suggest taking a map or a photo of a map, it’s easy to get lost which definitely didn’t happen to me (cough cough).

Other places I would recommend are the Rock Church, Uspenski Cathedral, Helsinki Cathedral, Old market hall & Esplanadi park. You can go swimming at one of the saunas but I didn’t get much free time & they were expensive from what I had seen.

Whilst it isn’t a site you might find on a tourist map, I would strongly recommend Hietaranta Beach to watch the sunset. On my first night I spent a couple of hours there just relaxing & taking in the scenery. It has a very special place in my heart!

Where to eat & drink 🍻🍽️

It’s important to note that food & drinks in Helsinki are expensive compared to some European countries. I thought I would crack the code & get something cheap from the food market in South Harbour. Do not do this, the food was an absolute tragedy & it wasn’t all that much cheaper 😂. If you want to try Finnish dishes I would recommend the Zetor, the food was great but a little pricey. I got a really nice reindeer starter & stew main, with a beer for about 50-60 euros.

For a beer, the best place I found that wasn’t too expensive was Eerikin Kulma in Kamppi district. A local beer was about 5.50 euros, although the locals call it reindeer wee, I quite liked it. They have karaoke in that bar, it is also the scene of my failed love escapade.

A lot of restaurants do lunch buffets at around 15 euros, there are several in Kamppi district. This is a great option if you do not want to break the bank & get a decent meal to set you up for the day. The best one I found while there was Kimchi BBQ Asian Buffet.

Getting about

Helsinki is pretty flat, so easy to walk everywhere. However, they have excellent public transport, the trains, trams & buses go everywhere. They also have Uber & if you want to visit the Suomenlinna fortress you have to take the boat, it operates in pretty much the same way that a bus does, it just goes back & forward on the one route.

Within Helsinki everywhere is in walking distance, the cycle lanes etc are great too, so you could always rent a bike. If arriving by ferry it’s about 30 minute walk to city centre, if arriving by flight you can easily get a train into the centre of Helsinki.

Where to stay 🏨

The hotel I stayed in wasn’t fantastic (which is me being diplomatic) so I am not going to recommend it. However, the area was lovely, easy to get to from the train station or port, with plenty of bars & restaurants. The area is called Kamppi district & there were lots of hotels I spotted that looked good.

What is coming next? 🤔

My next post will be about Croatia, which was one of my favourite solo trips ever. I tried to swim to an island, lost most of my stuff & made a nuisance of myself in a bar by telling everyone a local fighter had won in the UFC match, which he didn’t. It also have me the opportunity to go into Bosnia & visit a couple of places there.

Hit subscribe to get notified when the next post goes live, thanks for reading through & as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️

Estonia | My essential guide to the most stunning places you need to see in Tallinn! 🇪🇪

Wandering through a stunning medieval town & drinking far too many beers, the perfect European getaway!

Setting the scene

My mini Euro trip brought me from Riga into Tallin, Estonia. Tallinn old town is absolutely stunning, lots of big movies have been shot there, however I am surprised it isn’t the go to place for period dramas & films of that genre. I spent an entire day just walking around looking at buildings, it is that beautiful! This guide will cover everything from places to visit, getting around, costs & where to eat / drink.

About Tallinn..

As with Latvia, the recent modern history of Estonia has been brutal. In 1870 the Baltic railway officially opened, leading to an economic boom through rapid industrial growth, with tracks into Russian. By the early 1900’s there was a major revolution across the Russian empire against limited political freedom & awful working conditions. Although this was quelled by Russia, it laid the ground work for the freedom movement & eventually in 1918 Estonia became independent, with Tallinn becoming the capital.

In 1940, the USSR occupied Estonia, however this didn’t last long as the Germans took over from 1941-1944 throughout the second world war. By 1944 the Soviet forces re-took Estonia where they would remain for almost 50 years. Interestingly Tallinn hosted some sailing events from the 1980 Moscow summer Olympics. Leading up to 1991 there were many protests against the Soviet occupiers & in 1991 Estonia regained it’s independence. They have been building ever since, the capital is truly stunning. The people are the most welcoming & friendly I have ever had the good fortune to meet. Although, if I do have any beef with Estonia, it’s that Skype was invented there & I still have nightmares of the pinging sound at work every 2 minutes 😂

Some photos of the trip… 🤳🏼

Fortifications
Church tower
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Outside of maritime museum
My arch nemesis, Mulgipuder
Scottish Bar!
Bastion tunnel passageways
Inside of submarine at Seaplane Harbour
The coolest Polar bear showing off
Round tower in Old Town
Food from Balti Jaam Market
Estonian open air museum
Random church building

Story time 📚

Whilst I was wandering around the old town, mesmerised by the architecture & beauty of it, I stumbled upon a Scottish bar. My initial premonition was that it would be similar to when you see an Irish bar abroad, Irish in name only. I had a jam packed itinerary the next day so wasn’t planning on indulging in any beers, however stumbling upon this hidden gem was surely a sign? It is called Highlander Scottish pub & it is actually really cool, well worth checking out. As is standard practice, I was wearing my kilt, leading to the staff throwing free drinks at me. Subsequently it was not a quiet night, leading me onto a magical mystery tour of an evening.

I ended up meeting a gent from the Estonian Eurovision band, I have since listened to their song & it is very catchy. If you search for 5MIINUST x Puuluup on YouTube, you will find it. No idea what the song is about , but the guy & his Finnish friends were lovely people. After a few beers I was feeling a boogie down the discos, so went off into another bar & ended up meeting the Estonian rugby team (didn’t even know they had rugby there 😂). It ended up being a 3am karaoke bar job, sightseeing was a struggle in the morning! The Estonian people really made this trip special & I hope to see them again some day soon.

Just outside of the city there is a place called the Estonian open air museum & it is a wonderful hidden gem. I highly recommend a visit there & they have an old cafe inside the grounds. I am incredibly blessed & humble to have seen a few countries around the world & I will always try to find some local food recipes or dishes. One of the rugby lads had advised against this for Estonian food, I wish I had taken his advice. In the cafe they had a dish called Mulgipuder, I am glad I tried it, but it was absolutely savage, on par with Scotland’s level of culinary expertise. The server was a lovely lady & came to ask me what I thought of it, I didn’t have the heart to say, so just told her it was great & I would be having more before leaving Estonia. Sadly however, a full stomach is never guaranteed for a lot of people around the world, so I always finish my food with gratitude. Although, I certainly won’t be in a hurry to get it again, finishing it was a tough effort!

Useful tourist site information & costs🧑🏼‍🎓

The cost of visiting a couple of tourist sites & paying individually adds up really quickly, especially as there are so many places to see. I would highly recommend buying the Tallinn card, you can get it online or buy it from the tourist information centre which is right in the heart of Old town. The Tourist centre is better than online, as they hand out booklets with all of the sites you can visit, but when I checked online it did not have as many places as the booklet. (As of September ’25) It cost 43Euros of for 24 hours, 63Euros for 48 hours & 76Euros for 72 hours. Whilst that may sound expensive, some of the sites are almost 20Euros individually.

You can maximise the value of the card if you plan ahead. A decent strategy if you only want to pay for one day, is to buy it around 12/1pm, spend the whole afternoon / evening going round as many of the sites in Old town as you can & then getting up early the next day to visit a couple of places. Then if you pick one of the big attractions last, as long as you are in before the 24 hours elapses, you still get to stay in. You can do the Seaplane Harbour museum, Open air museum & Zoo this way as they are all within relatively close distance to each other.

I did not visit every place on the card, however places that you definitely should visit are the 3 mentioned above. All included in the card & worth seeing are the KGB holding Cells, Estonian Maritime Museum (Different from Seaplane), Bastion Passages, St Olav’s Church observation platform, Kiek in de kok fortifications & the Estonian History Museum – Great Guild Hall. There are several Holy buildings worth stopping by as they are really beautiful but also have high towers where you get great views of the town. They are Church of the Holy spirit, The Cathedral of Saint Mary the Virgin & the Bell Tower, Niguliste Museum & Viewing Platform

Getting about

If you are staying in Old town, everything is within walking distance. However if you are outside of Old town, the cheapest & easiest way to get around is Uber. The prices were comparable to Egypt, incredibly cheap. A 15/20 minute journey was around £7/£8, so really easy for getting around.

Whilst I came in on bus, the airport isn’t far out from the city either, so getting an Uber wouldn’t be too expensive. There are lots of buses & trains, which look very modern so that is an option too.

Where to stay 🏨

Standard caveats apply here, I am not making any commission or anything like that from this recommendation (however, if in the unlikely event that the manager sees this & wants to offer me a free stay, I am on the next flight there 😂). I stayed in MyApartments Kotka you can find it here. If you read my blog regularly you will see I don’t always recommend places to stay, as I usually opt for cheap hell holes. However, these apartments were beautiful, I think it’s newly built. They have a small kitchen & washing machine too, so if you are stopping for a few days this really helps. It’s on the outskirts of the old town, under 10 minutes Uber into the centre. I paid around £110 for 4 days.

Where to eat & drink 🍻🍽️

For food I would recommend the cafe inside the open air museum, however don’t get Mulgipuder 😂. There is an epic market called Balti Jaam, where they have all sorts of food & drink stalls etc. I got some amazing food there, dumplings & some Borscht soup 😍. Old town has a restaurant called Olde Hansa, it has an old Viking theme feel to it. Whilst it is a little expensive, it is worth the experience & the food is really on point. There are lots of little bars that are worth visiting too. Moutai is a cute Asian place, which is quite cheap compared to other bars. There are a few Irish bars that aren’t actually Irish, but the fun locals hang out there. Whether you are a Depeche Mode fan or not, there is a tribute bar to them, it was voted inside the top 10 weirdest bars in the world on some magazine. They only play Depeche Mode music & they have all kinds of memorabilia there. The drinks aren’t cheap (7-8 euros a beer), but it’s worth stopping by for a couple.

Gruuv bar is really cool, they have decent drinks specials on so it isn’t expensive. There is also karaoke on some nights & people there really go for it! Tallinn is quite popular with international post graduate students & this bar is popular with them, so you can meet people from all over the world there. I met so many cool people that I still keep in touch with now 😊

What is coming next? 🤔

Next up I will be posting about Finland, which was a short hop skip & a jump over the Baltic Sea! I can speak a little Finnish, but nowhere near as much as I thought, leading to a calamitous attempt at charming over a Finnish girl, you won’t want to miss this one. I am currently in 2026 planning mode & I would love to take any trip recommendations, if I can get there by bus, boat, train or plane, I will go🤠

Hit subscribe to get notified when the next post goes live, thanks for reading through & as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️

Riga, Latvia | A beautiful city, with a brutal history 🇱🇻

A weekend in Riga, immersed in stunning architecture & losing myself in the history of the 20th century. An important lesson in the human condition, both good & bad

Setting the scene

I was incredibly fortunate to have a couple of weeks off work & some funds saved up to travel around Europe. Starting in Krakow, I worked my way up to Riga, through into Tallin & then ending up in Helsinki. I was particularly interested in modern Latvian & Soviet history. Having previously read the Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, I knew that some of the historical & cultural elements of this trip would be deeply unsettling. However, I have a strong conviction that it’s important to understand the lessons of the past.

About Riga..

Riga is the capital of Latvia & is a stunning city, pre world war 1 it was one of Europe’s Art Nouveau capitals for several years. It is full of colourful buildings with unique architecture. The Old Town is packed with bendy streets, trendy bars & amazing restaurants. You can do everything from gun shooting, to archery, to canal boat rides or spend a day lost in history visiting the plethora of Museums. Judging Riga purely on it’s aesthetic, you couldn’t begin to imagine how brutal & savage some of the last 125-150 years have been for the Latvian people. If I had to sum them up in one word it would be resilient.

During WW1 Riga was occupied by the Germans, in 1918 Riga became the capital of the newly independent Latvia. However, this was short lived as the Soviets annexed it in 1940, only to be “liberated” shortly after by the Nazi’s. Post WW2, the Soviets occupied Riga once more. For a few years, Riga went through a massive period of industrial growth becoming a key hub of the Soviet union. However, this wouldn’t last & the soviets ruled with an iron grip, leading to some truly harrowing times. In 1989 the Latvian people took part in the “Baltic Way” protest, forming a human chain interlinking arms with people from Estonia & Lithuania charting a route of 600+km demanding freedom from the Soviets. In 1991, Latvia became an independent country again. If you travel outside of the city centre, you can still see a lot of the old Soviet architecture. We often tend to think of history as being some distant relic from the past, but the lessons are more important today than ever.

Story time 📚

Whilst I hesitate to describe it as a tourist attraction, the Cornerhouse was one of the most important stops in my visit. It is the old KGB headquarters, the building itself has not been touched & remains now how it always was. Some of these other places of that nature have been turned into big exhibitions or actual museums. Keeping the building in the same state that it was previously, gives you a profound appreciation for just how haunting life was for anyone imprisoned there. You go into the interrogation rooms, prison cells, dungeons & walkways / kitchens. There was a certain moral quandary about posting the photos from this place & whether it is appropriate on a blog. However, pretending evil doesn’t exist doesn’t do justice to the people who had or continue to live in such circumstances. It’s important to remember, that if you live in a relatively ‘free’ country, you are very fortunate, freedom is never guaranteed.

Given that you are walking through decades of torture & anguish, the mood inside this place is very sombre. The tour guide did an incredible job of finding the right balance of tone & it certainly isn’t a place where you would go & find something funny. There was a small tour group of around 12 people & the guide directed us through into the interrogation room, I was straggling along at the back of the group. A lot of the rooms & walkways have limited lighting. On route to the room, I saw a side door that was completely dark inside, with some trepidation I wanted to pop my head in the door to see what was inside. The tour guide had went in there behind the door to let everyone past into the interrogation room. However there was no lights in that room, it was quiet & the guide was dressed all in black. I crept in behind the door & bumped into the guide, almost face to face, any closer & I would have kissed him. The building was eerie enough, but I really got the fright of my life & let out a wild tumultuous squeak. The gent laughed it off, I felt a bit disrespectful for laughing in such a place, but thankfully it wasn’t taken in bad faith.

In Latvia they have a recycling scheme where if you return bottles & cans to a store you can get money. Prior to my arrival I was oblivious to this & was wandering down a dark alleyway, not for any nefarious reason, I just love to walk through neighbourhoods & get a feel for the place rather than sticking to tourist areas. There were some massive wheely bins on this quiet street & some guy jumped out of one of the bins, I almost passed out from the fright. However, I later came to realise that he was looking for things to recycle & he wasn’t trying to kidnap me. I think that is a great scheme, it keeps trash off the streets, improves recycling & helps people to earn some money 😊

In the shadows of St Peters Church, a stunning building with incredible views of the city, you will find an archery stand where you can fire about 12 arrows for 8 euros. I desperately wanted to partake as it looked great fun. However, there was a group of drunken lads fannying around (excuse my French, I couldn’t think of any other appropriate description) with the bows, pointing the arrows at each other & just generally being a nuisance. Absolutely an accident waiting to happen, so I decided against it 😂. If you have ever done the archery, let me know, at least that way I can live vicariously through you. I have posted some additional photos & videos to my Instagram here.

Some photos of the trip… 🤳🏼

St Peters Church
Riga sign
Latvian War Museum
Beautiful Church door
Awesome Latvian sausages 😍
Narrow back streets
Archery antagonists
Cornerhouse KGB Headquarters
Cornerhouse KGB Headquarters
Cornerhouse KGB Headquarters
Cornerhouse KGB Headquarters
Cornerhouse KGB Headquarters

Where to eat & drink? 🍻🍽️

If you want to try some Latvian food in the city centre I would recommend going to the restaurant Golden Coffee – Kungu iela 7/9 Riga 1050. The food here was really good (photo above) & it wasn’t too expensive for the location. It is right beside St Peters Church, it cost me around 19 euros for a large bottle of water & a great main course. It is a little strange when you go in though as you can just sit anywhere & order on the QR code on your phone, but it isn’t inherently obvious that’s what you’re supposed to do.

I didn’t go for a beer, so can’t recommend any bars, however what I did notice was that a lot of bars had different happy hour times. Therefor you could just bounce between different bars to take advantage, Riga wasn’t cheap so it’s best to keep an eye on the purse strings.

Useful information 🧑🏼‍🎓

Public transport around Riga looked pretty decent, although everything is quite central so I walked everywhere. I stayed a little further out, so got to experience some of the older buildings etc. They do not have Uber but do have Bolt, so something to be wary of. The airport is quite far out, you can easily get a taxi there, or just pre book on booking.com. I find this the most useful way, although it can be a little more expensive, the driver is there waiting for you & you know the price in advance.

Whist it was a harrowing experience, I would recommend visiting the Cornerhouse KGB headquarters. It is shocking to learn what depths of evil people are capable of, given the circumstances & what happened there was brutal. There are no amount of superlatives that do any justice to how unsettling the experience is & must have been for anyone living in those times. However, you leave with a heartfelt reverence for the resilience of the Latvian people. Other places that must be on your visit, the Latvian War Museum, St Peter’s Church, Vecriga, Central Market, House of the Blackheads, Townhall Square, a boat tour & the Freedom monument.

What is coming next? 🤔

Next up I will be posting about Estonia, where I ended up hanging out with the National rugby team & the Eurovision band, it’s quite the story! I am currently in 2026 planning mode & I would love to take any trip recommendations, if I can get there by bus, boat, train or plane, I will go🤠

Hit subscribe to get notified when the next post goes live, thanks for reading through & as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️

Krakow | The first stop on a mini Euro trip 🇵🇱 🥟

A cracking place for a weekend away 😍

Setting the scene

I was incredibly fortunate to have a couple of weeks off work & some funds saved up to travel around Europe. Usually I love to just wing it & see where the wind takes me. Starting in Krakow, I worked my way up to Riga, through into Tallin & then ‘Finnishing’ up in Helsinki (see what I did there? 🤭). Initially, this was to be a completely solo trip, however my friend decided to join me for the Krakow leg. This somewhat changed the complexion of the trip from a purely cultural & historical visit, to a little culture & lots of beers. As you may expect, things escalated pretty quickly.

About Krakow..

Whilst Krakow is often synonymous with the stag do & party people, it is actually a beautiful city & incredibly well kept. The architecture of the buildings is stunning, the people are really friendly & everywhere is just bustling with life.

Krakow used to be the Polish capital & it’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Whether you are looking for cheap beers & food, or something more cultural & historic, Krakow has it all.

Littered with beautiful Castles, Churches & Cathedrals, you can easily spend an entire day walking around with your head in the clouds. There is a Jewish quarter to learn about the history there, Schindler’s factory & of course Auschwitz Museum is nearby. I only spent 3 days in Krakow & unfortunately it was nowhere near enough time to get through everything, so I shall have to return some day soon.

Story time 📚

If you have ever done a trip on a shoestring budget, you will have played the Ryanair postcode lottery of being sat in random places away from your friends. As my entire row was free, we won the game & my friend came to sit beside me at no extra cost, post take-off. Don’t pay Ryanair extra for specific seats, just wing it 🤭

Traditionally you might associate a bar crawl with marauding morons climbing on statues naked, swinging from chandeliers & diving into water fountains. However, the Krakow one was very well run & we got to meet some lovely people from all over the world. My friend left early for the apartment. We only had one set of keys, so decided to leave them in the lockbox in the stair as it was a key code to get in the stair door. A genius solution that meant nobody would lose the apartment keys. Alas, our genius was undone by a power cut, rendering the key pad to get into the stair nothing more than decoration.

When my friend returned, he ended up just getting a hotel room nearby, but didn’t send me the details. When I got back, I was stuck outside in the middle of the night & it wasn’t particularly warm either, exacerbated by the fact I was in my kilt. I had thought the owner would have lived in one of the other apartments in the block, so called the ‘on call number’ to come & let me in the stair, I felt awful when the worker told me they had to walk from the other side of the city to save me. It also resulted in me having to provide a chunky tip of Polish Zloty for coming to let me in. Normally things that happen after 10pm don’t make the blog, but it was a character building experience 😂.

Despite this less than fortuitous set of circumstances, we must have been very well behaved on the bar crawl, as on the second evening we weren’t on the bar crawl, but we did see the organisers when they were moving between bars & they offered us to join back on for free. I maintain that it was my wonderful magic tricks with the cards, providing untold unparalleled levels of entertainment to the other revellers.

Some photos of the trip… 🤳🏼

Cathedral inside Castle complex
One of the many Cathedrals
View from Castle
Worlds greatest shop, although I was full of Polish dumplings, definitely need to get on a diet!
Lovely Vodka to try
Vodka Cafe
Cool funky bar
Street down from Castle
Random street
The Polish version of ‘Vodka Orange’, this is genuinely attempted murder 😂

Where to eat & drink? 🍻🍽️

We went to a couple of places for food but by far the best was Krakowskie Klimaty & it’s also beside a cool market with lots of little individual stalls. The food here was decent & very well priced. We got 2 lots of Polish dumplings, 2 main courses & 4 pints, costing only £35 including a tip. These days you’d be lucky to get a Big Mac Meal & a Fish Finger Happy Meal in McDonalds for that price! If you want something closer to Old Town, Pierogarnia Krakowiacy was alright. The food wasn’t fantastic but it’s cheap & cheerful (which is code for, they sell decent Vodka).

If you are looking for somewhere to play Pool or watch sports, Diament Billiard Club was incredible. It has lots of tables, TV’s & a good variety of drinks so a great place to start your night. If you want to try different Vodka flavours without breaking the bank, there is a lovely little spot on the edge of Old Town called Wódka Café Bar. Now these types of places are usually tourist traps & there are a lot of them in Krakow, but this was the best I found, you get a paddle of 6 Vodkas & it’s around £10-£15, the staff are awesome too. You can find it at address; “Wódka Café Bar, Mikołajska 5, 31-027 Kraków”

Useful information 🧑🏼‍🎓

If you are staying in & around the old town, everything is within walking distance. Uber isn’t particularly cheap, so I would suggest walking is a good method of getting around. You will also see golf buggy type tours starting on a lot of street corners. These are good ways of getting around the town & up hills etc, however they can be expensive, I would suggest shopping around a couple of different ones before joining as they all have different prices.

If you are looking to pick up some groceries & essentials, Zabka has to be on your list. It is the most incredible corner shop, a true Polish institution. If they opened in the UK, they would blow Spar out of the water! The candy & crisp scene in Poland is absolutely jumping, you need to get a massive goody bag with one of everything while there.

When visiting a bar, if you are looking for the cheapest beer I would suggest Warka, it’s decent enough & usually the cheapest. We found a couple of bars that did 2 euro Warkas, however that is pretty much corporate manslaughter for it to be so cheap. If you order a Vodka orange, they don’t give you it mixed, they give you an orange juice & a double shot of Vodka. If you don’t want to be carted off by the cops, ask for a glass so you can mix it together yourself 😂.

What is coming next? 🤔

Next up I will be posting about Latvia, Estonia & Finland. I am currently in 2026 planning mode & I would love to take any trip recommendations, if I can get there by bus, boat, train or plane, I will go🤠

Hit subscribe to get notified when the next post goes live, thanks for reading through & as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️

Caerleon, Wales | The Romans were there, an ancient history nerds dream! 🗡️

Wales’ Ancient Roman Gem!

Setting the scene

Caerleon has always been somewhere I have wanted to visit, however have never had the opportunity to do so. Some friends recently got married in Usk, which is a beautiful town nearby Caerleon, providing the perfect opportunity to swing by! Having recently visited Conwy (Post here) & Llandudno (Post here), I have absolutely fallen in love with Wales, it is an incredible place with such a rich history & fantastic people. In 2026, I will be visiting all over Wales. so any recommendations on hidden gems would be much appreciated ❤️

About Caerleon..

Caerleon is one of only 3 permanent Ancient Roman settlements in Britain. With the others being York & Chester. They did not have one in Scotland, so it’s either that the local tribes were too mental & couldn’t be defeated or the weather was awful & Scotland wasn’t worth the hassle. As a proud Scot, I would suggest its the former. However, it is more than likely the latter 😂.

The area was initially inhabited by the Silures tribe, who for years fought against the Romans, resisting their rule.

Eventually the Romans took over & built out their legionary fortress in Isca, later named Caerleon. The historical sites here are remarkably well preserved, considering how long ago the Romans ruled! You can visit an Amphitheatre, Roman Baths, Barracks & the National Roman Legion Museum.

The city has a strong links to King Arthur & his knights, which is mentioned in a few different texts. The Arthurian legend lives on, although whether he was real & at Caerleon in the early centuries remains to be seen. However, with the Romans having already built & left behind so much useful infrastructure, it would make sense for Arthur to have been there a few centuries later. One thing is for sure, is it is a very cool city & I would loved to have been there to see it back in the day!

Story time 📚

Within the National Roman Legionary Museum there was a cool little mock soldier’s quarters. They have plenty of props you can play with, such as shields, swords & helmets. Being the man child that I am, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity & it was pretty quiet so nobody around. I get myself kitted up to the hilt ready for war. As I was trying to take a series of selfies, I was getting really into the mood to start fighting the enemies of Rome. Using the Gladiator speech I was ready for my vengeance on the murdered family wife & kids that I don’t have. As I began swinging the sword around a couple of children came into the little room & started laughing at me. Usually, I don’t get embarrassed, it’s all in good fun. However, I think they thought I was a worker there as they started asking me all sorts of questions about the Romans etc. I managed to just about wing a best guestimate of a couple of the answers, but I am no Maximus Decimus Meridius, that’s for sure!😂.

This story I really thought to leave out as it will lead to me taking some fierce ridicule from my friends, however when I heard they had a Roman Baths here, I’d thought they were actual baths that you could swim in. Especially considering the website for the place explicitly highlights that it is an indoor attraction. As you are probably guessing already, you can’t swim in the baths. I felt like a right wally stood at the ticket office with my towel & trunks. However, it is still an epic place to visit!

Although my post is about Caerleon, I must give a special mention to Usk, the Town of flowers. My friend’s got married there & it’s truly beautiful, if you are driving it’s a short trip & you can combine it with a day out in Caerleon. You can take the bus if not, but double check the times as they are pretty infrequent.

Some photos of the trip… 🤳🏼

Roman Gardens
Amphitheatre
Roman Museum
My battle attire…
River Usk
Roman Museum
Roman Gardens
Roman Baths
Roman Museum
Usk Bridge

Useful information 🧑🏼‍🎓

Entry into the National Roman Legionary Museum is free, so is the remains of the amphitheatre & barracks. You do have to pay to get into the Roman baths. These tourist sites are all within walking distance of each other, there is plenty of space to park at the amphitheatre & you can have a wander from there. According to Google there is a Castle ruins, but I couldn’t find it 😂.

There are a couple of nice looking country type pubs but I didn’t go into any so can’t offer any real advice. In Usk I stayed in The New Court Inn, which is a cute little country pub & hotel. The food was really good & the owners are lovely, so check it out if you need somewhere to stay! The Usk bridge is really pretty & worth stopping by if you have time.

What is coming next? 🤔

Next up there will be posts about my mini Euro trip to Poland, up through Latvia, Estonia & Finland. I had the most amazing time & am so grateful for having had the opportunity to go!

I would love to take any trip recommendations, if I can get there by bus, boat, train or plane, I will go🤠. Hit subscribe to get notified when the next post goes live, thanks for reading through & as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️

Conwy | The most beautiful town in North Wales?🏰⛵

My first time in North Wales, a must visit for anyone living in the UK!

Setting the scene

For my 30th (Plus VAT) birthday this year I wanted to do something other than cheap beers with my friends until someone passes out! When exploring weekend trips, North Wales cropped up as my friend Terri had mentioned it a few times (Thanks T). After a quick Google of Llandudno, I was instantly sold on the trip. Then I was subsequently delving further into the area & towns round about I randomly discovered Conwy. Massive Castle, beautiful Quays & city walls to explore, need I say more?

About Conwy…

Conwy is a stunning market town sat on the river Conwy with city walls surrounding it. The river itself is rather large, which results in really beautiful sandy beaches & a Quay that you can spend all day relaxing on.

Besides the enchanting scenery, the town is very historical & one of the top 2 or 3 coolest medieval towns I have seen, although admittedly I do still have so much more exploring to do!

Wandering around Conwy you feel like you are lost in a moment in time, where things are more slow paced & life is simpler. Being from Scotland, I have a unique affinity with historic Castles & Conwy’s is truly special. In addition to this, there is so much more to experience. You can take boat safaris out to see sea lions & dolphins, the town has a plethora of quaint local independent shops, there’s an awesome suspension bridge, the smallest house in Britain, Plas Mawr & the Conwy estuary trail is a must visit!

Story time 📚

Usually my adventures are solo, however as it was my birthday a couple of friends travelled down with me, one of them coming all the way from Scotland. He had never been to Wales before so we convinced him that you needed a passport to enter (For my non UK readers, you can move freely in UK without a passport). In order to really sell the prank, I brought my Lilo & Stitch passport holder, whilst ensuring my oblivious friend saw me bringing it. After alighting the train, I handed my passport holder to him & sent him up to the help desk to find out where passport control was. The gentleman working at the station was perplexed to say the least, but he saw the funny side once he realised what was going on. My friend then threatened to throw my passport across the rail tracks, still unaware that my passport was at home & he was walking around with my prop, Bazinga!

As alluded to above, the Conwy Quay is a wonderful place to spend time, just be sure to avoid the seagulls if you are eating! You need a PhD in Takeshi’s Castle to fight them off. We were eating some fish & chips down by the water front in an outdoor seating area. I was telling a story about a parent I saw in Egypt, whereby a youngster was running feral & his Mum grabbed him by the earlobe to move him along. It was done very tenderly & without any real force or malice, it just made me chuckle. Whilst I was telling this story to my friends, I stood up to give them a demonstration, with me acting as the Mother, I didn’t realise there was a small step / kerb behind me. So walking along, dragging my imaginary child by the ear, I slipped and went flying face first into the ground. The fall was only 0.5-1 meters so wasn’t high enough to do any major damage but did scrape my arms & legs. Much to the amusement of other people sat there, it resulted in a few cheers from the nearby pub beer garden. Although this was a fairly calamitous incident, it could have been so much worse. 😂

Once we had completed the tourist sites on our itinerary, we had to work out how to get over to Llandudno, which was where our apartment actually was. So we decided to stop by the first bar we saw, freshen up & devise a strategy. Subsequently, the first bar happened to be a comrades club. With some trepidation we went in, keeping an open mind. The club itself was actually lovely & the staff were really friendly, so I would recommend a visit. However, when we entered they were insistent upon getting our contact & address details. My first thought was that I would end up in some mad American McCarthyism trial one day if I signed away my details. However, everything seemed above board so I signed up. It wasn’t until we left that my friends told me they put fake details, so if I suddenly disappear & get carted off somewhere, it’s my own fault for being too honest with the comrades about my identity!

Some photos of the trip… 🤳🏼

Conwy river & Estuary trail in distance
Conwy Castle
Conwy River
Conwy River
Suspension Bridge
Conwy Castle
View from Estuary trail
Conwy Castle
Conwy River/Quay
Conwy Castle
Comrades club…

Where to eat & drink? 🍻🍽️

For food, you can get lovely fresh caught fish products down at the mongers on the Quay. Or if you are looking for something more quick & easy I would recommend the aptly named “Fishermans Chip Shop”, which is only a few minutes from the Quay. The fish & chips from there was awesome, although they do cook the fish to order, meaning it’s really fresh but does take a bit of time to prepare. Like most places these days, you also get charged for the sauce sachets too, capitalism has gone rogue when you’re paying for ketchup pots!

If you are looking for some drinks on the waterfront, the Liverpool arms was decent & has a big beer garden. Ye Olde Mailcoach doesn’t look much from the outside but also has a nice big beer garden out the back & is reasonably priced. I wouldn’t stop there for a cute date night, but if you want to watch sport & don’t mind a place with a bit of character, this is the one for you! Then of course, the Comrades club is a nice bar, just give them fake details or you could sign up if that is your thing, you’ll probably end up on the same hit list I am on somewhere! 😊

Useful information 🧑🏼‍🎓

The city walls are beautiful to walk round & you get some lovely views of the town & surrounding hillside. However, there are certain sections of it closed off & it isn’t so easy to tell which parts you are allowed on. There is a little tourist information centre you can pop into & they will explain which sections are open. Conwy Castle is awesome, however it’s important to call out that the towers & staircases are very narrow, steep & can be dangerous. So take every precaution you can when climbing the steps. When you reach the summit, you are in for a real treat, the views are breathtaking, almost spellbinding. The backdrop could have been a scene from Harry Potter, it is that magical!

Conwy isn’t massive, so it’s easy to get around, however if moving between towns, do not trust Uber. The app says it is on it’s way but never comes, a couple of locals also said they didn’t think Uber was a thing there. Conwy does have a train station, although services are infrequent, if you time it well, it makes for an efficient exit.

What is coming next? 🤔

My next post will be on Llandudno, where I almost died (slight exaggeration but it was terrifying), then there will be posts about more historical places like Edinburgh, Chester, Caerleon, York & Liverpool (mainly for the Beatles history). I will be taking a small break from posting in September as I have been very lucky & am getting the chance to do a mini Euro trip from Poland, up through Latvia, Estonia & Finland.

Knutsford | The UK is awesome mini-series! 🦌

Thrown out of a wine shop, chased by a scary dog & a really important poll at the end! All in a days work, not to be missed 🤠

Setting the scene

In spite of its problems (brutal weather & expensive chip shops), the UK is an awesome place to live with so much to do & see. Given that we have to hibernate for most of the year, I wanted to do a mini series on some wonderful trips you should consider for this Summer that won’t break the bank. From beautiful scenic sprawling countryside to incredible historic towns & cities, the UK has something for everyone! Plus I am more likely to make a nuisance of myself on a domestic trip, which should make for a more interesting blog post. Todays post is about Knutsford & Tatton Country Park, with a very important poll at the bottom, please do vote, even if only anonymously 😊

A bit about Knutsford

Knutsford is a cute little town in Cheshire, England. The name actually goes all the way back to King Canute, if you’re a Viking history nerd, the name will be familiar to you. The town has an interesting history & was very important during the second world war. Unfortunately, it is one of the most expensive places to buy a house in the UK!

There is a famous TV show about bored rich housewives based in the Cheshire region, I haven’t see it but I am always on the lookout for a rich sugar mumma! Alas, I haven’t managed to find one whilst visiting Knutsford 🤭

Story time 📔

Whilst I was sauntering around the town on route to Tatton Park, fortunately by sheer dumb luck I stumbled upon a wine store offering free tastings. Given that it was around 25 degrees & I was melting, a lovely refreshing glass of wine was just what the Doctor ordered. However, I outed myself as a chancer almost instantaneously, it transpires that I in fact have a rather miniscule bank of knowledge pertaining to wine. Some free advice, if you are ever in Majestic wines for a free tasting, you have to at least pretend to be interested in making a purchase. When the worker asks what type of wine you usually like, you don’t have to be a seasoned connoisseur, but at least attempt something more believable than ‘that Red badboy out of Lidl, the £6.99 one’ (I panicked & couldn’t think of anything more realistic!). I was unceremoniously turfed out.

Tatton Park was the real reason for my Knutsford trip, it is the most stunning picturesque country park. All sorts of animals roam freely, there is a cool mansion you can visit & a great little farm with funky animals! Dogs are supposed to be kept on leads, so as not to scare the animals but a dog had escaped it’s constraints. A whole herd of deer came running towards me, which was mildly terrifying & I could hear the dog before I saw it. Suddenly, I was looking for a tree to climb thinking it was an XXXXL Bully coming to eat me for supper, turned out it was the tiniest poodle type dog just trying to play with the deer. Maybe it was a sheep dog in a previous life. Eventually the dog started getting too big for its paws & the deer decided to chase it off, it was a rather amusing sight to behold!

Whilst watching the baby pigs roaming around, I managed to land myself in a live episode of Jeremy Kyle Family Feuds. A pig was snoring loudly, the guy said “Oh it sounds like Grandma”, all hell broke loose. The Grandma was annoyed with the Dad, the Mum was annoyed at Dad for laughing, the toddler was in hysterics at the whole episode!

You should stop by The White Bear, it is the Oldest pub in Knutsford, really cool & authentic, feels a little like a time warp. The building has a lot of the original features, however that means there are a lot of low ceilings & no matter how many signs there are you still club your head on something. So either be really small or make sure & crouch down when entering. I managed to bang my head 3 times, I think that has reduced me to a single digit IQ now. Sometimes it is okay to drink sewer water lager, you don’t always have to go for something new. I decided to be exotic & pick something random, ended up with a Theakston bitter, which was more shambolic than exotic. If that is for you, each to their own, but you won’t catch me on the bitter again! Lesson learned the hard way!

Some cheeky snaps 📸

A big day ahead…
Lovely Lake in Tatton Park
Very expensive photo
Where are the T&C’s?
The absolute guvnor
Beautiful scenery
Very expensive photo
Very expensive photo
Beautiful scenery
Nap time!
Beautiful scenery
Just goating around
Old houses you can go inside
Blurb on White Bear
Inside the White Bear

Useful information 🧑🏼‍🎓

If you walk or cycle to Tatton, entry is free but you have to pay if in car (Around £10 I think per car). Thousands of animals all roam freely in the park, but if you want to go in to see the pigs, lambs, goats, horses & chickens you have to pay extra. This is a little expensive (£10 for an adult), but is well worth it as there is a little play park (although you look weird if you go on it alone & don’t have kids with you). You also get a chance to hold lambs & chicklets, but the events are all on at different times & dates so check ahead.

If you are susceptible to midge bites, I would highly recommend bringing some insect repellent. There are plenty of places to eat & drink, or you can bring a picnic, however if you share your lunch with the sheep you will get a shake down from the park ranger (I did this once & the ranger appeared out of nowhere, like some mad apparition). Tatton park has a variety of events on, ranging from flower shows, to concerts to classic car shows, even if you don’t go for the animals, I highly recommend looking at upcoming events, there is plenty of fun to be had.

The most important poll of all time… 🐷

There are a few different Pigs at Tatton & some of them are rare breeds. All of them are super cute, but each with their own funky personality, one thing they all have in common is they are fat & smell 😂. I am going to make a donation / sponsorship of one of the Pigs on behalf of this blog. Please let me know in the comments or poll which one sounds most like you or that you want me to sponsor. I want to say I am like Lola, although being realistic I am probably closer to Bonnie, slow & lazy!

What is coming next? 🤔

I am going to be posting much more regularly. Next up I will be posting travel guides for some domestic places ahead of Summer! The UK is awesome when the sun comes out, for that whole week once a year. There will be a mini series on spots in the Peak District, then more historical places like Chester, North Wales, Edinburgh & York. Would love to take any recommendations, if I can get there by bus, train or plane, I will go 🤠

Hit subscribe to get notified when the post goes live, thanks for reading through as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️

In Bruges | Quaint, Charming & Ethereal 😍

Wonderful day trip, but a serious over indulgence of… 🧇🍫🍻

Setting the scene

Another ‘Anywhere trip’ on Skyscanner brought me to Brussels for a few nights, so I decided to take a trip out to Bruges for the day. My perception of Bruges was always that it was a cute place you would visit with your spouse or partner. However, since those are thin on the ground these days, I went solo & loaded up on all of the good stuff, Belgian Beers, Fries, Waffles & Chocolates! Needless to say my Samsung Health Tracker calorie counter was surplus to requirements. I got the steps in though, so surely it all balances out?

About Bruges…

Bruges is the capital of West Flanders in Belgium & is a World heritage site with UNESCO. It’s origins stretch all the way back to a Julius Caesar conquest & was a really important coastal settlement for trade etc!

Between the 12th & 15th centuries Bruges went through a significant period of growth & innovation, attracting all sorts of wealth & traders. Onwards from here Bruges fell behind Antwerp as an economic power (I would love to visit Antwerp, any recommendations welcome 😊).

During both World Wars Bruges was occupied by Germany, although it wasn’t destroyed like a lot of other cities. Today it is an absolutely stunning place, with bendy narrow streets, beautiful canals, historic monuments & awesome architecture. I promised honesty in this blog, so want to call out that the city is very popular & subsequently extremely busy. I went in October, so it may be more quiet if you want to brave the cold in Winter. It was still an incredible experience, however if you aren’t comfortable with really busy crowds etc Bruges may be a little overwhelming.

Story time 🏰

An absolute must visit is the Bruges Beer Experience, there are a lot of rip off places, so I am sharing the link to the actual one here . Usual caveats apply, I am not on commission for this recommendation, but if the boss sees it & wants to send me some free beers, sign me up 😂. They have 16 different beers in the bar & you get 4 for 10 euros, which in Bruges is exceptional value.

They are not full pints, but you get a little paddle of 4 & the % of them is really high. I decided I was going to complete all 16, as they say, when in Bruges! This was not one of my brighter ideas, by the time I stumbled out, I almost missed the tour bus back to Brussels. If you are going to do this, do it at the end of your day so it doesn’t ruin your sightseeing etc.

I could ramble on for pages & pages about the chocolate! As I went to go into a little chocolate shop a friendly local started talking to me & advised that shop had counterfeit chocolate, not to waste my money. “No good, I show you good place”. Now I may look like a dimwit, but I am usually good at spotting scams. To me, chocolate is chocolate, so I went in anyway, turns out the gent was right, it was pretty grim! He explained that there are authentic stores as part of a collection of chocolatiers, that have a little sign outside the window. I will share the sign in the photos. The chocolate in there is next level 😍

Some photos of the trip…

Rozenhoedkaai canal panorama view
Beer Museum
Beer Museum
The beginning of the end
Street Performer
Random canal
Random canal
Beautiful Holy building
Random canal
Some famous building according to the tour guide
Some famous bridge according to the tour guide
Sign of chocolate authenticity (Image from Google)

Where to eat & drink? 🍻🍽️

The food in this place was nothing to write home about, however it’s a set menu, at a decent price, with quick service & the best pint of Leffe I found in Belgium. It was called Brasserie Rozenhoedkaai & It also has the most stunning view of the famous Quai du Rosaire / Rozenhoedkaai upstairs on the first floor. If you don’t fancy the food, just pretend you are going to the loo upstairs to get a photo of the view!

Getting around 🚕

I only stayed in the city centre & everything is within walking distance. They do have horse & carriage, which I wouldn’t take, however I must say the horses seemed a lot better looked after than other places I have been. If you wanted to travel out to the Pier/ waterfront , I would recommend taking an Uber.

What is coming next? 🤔

Next up I will be posting travel guides for some domestic places ahead of Summer! The UK is awesome when the sun comes out, for that whole week once a year. Next weeks post is on Knutsford & Tatton Country Park, which has been my favourite post to write & I will have a very important poll for you, you won’t want to miss it! Then there will be a mini series on spots in the Peak District & more historical places like Chester, Edinburgh & York. I would love to take any recommendations in the comments, if I can get there by bus, train or plane, I will go 🤠

Hit subscribe to get notified when the post goes live, thanks for reading through as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️

Buying bread from a man in Brussels, He was six-foot-four and full of muscle 🍞

A couple of days in Brussels with under 24 hours notice, what could possibly go wrong?

Setting the scene

Belgium wasn’t somewhere that was on my radar, but Skyscanner popped it up as a suggestion & it turned out to be a fantastic adventure! An incredibly fortuitous set of circumstances led me to having the opportunity to see the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on one of the evenings (more on that later in the post!) 🎹🎻

Modern Day Brussels

Brussels is the Capital of Belgium & plays host to elements of the European Parliament, the NATO headquarters, awesome Museums, Cathedrals, Art galleries & cool tourist sites. There is a real mixture of cultural influences within Brussels. There are all sorts of amazing foods & beers to try. I made a solid attempt at completing the culinary scene, however my waistline will never forgive me!

Story time 📔

When I was doing my obligatory Google search for things to get up to in Brussels, I spotted the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra were playing 2 pieces, Dvorak9 & Elgar Violin Concerto. I really wanted to go, but it wasn’t exactly on Ticketmaster & the venue site wouldn’t translate into English. I managed to scrape by but ended up paying hundreds of euros & it turned out I had bought a premium champagne reception ticket. A humble guy from the hood, did what any guy from the hood should do, try to make the money back in complimentary booze! I must admit I felt a little out of my depth pre-show mixing with people who were most certainly not from the hood. However, the arts are for everyone & if anyone tells you differently, tell them to sling their hook. The concert was worth every penny 😊

The Brussels bar crawl was great fun, I am pretty confident when speaking to new people, but normally on holiday I just wander around with my head in the clouds, this is the first time I have went to a bar crawl type event. Everything was going so well until a French lad sank 20 Jagarbombs in one go, I often wonder how he is or even if he is still alive, he wasn’t looking too clever about 25 minutes later & that was the end of the bar crawl, photo below of the aftermath! 😂

In Brussels they have these mental trains that are double deckers, they are really cool & an ingenious solution. We need them in the UK, as I type this, sat cramped on a Cross Country train boiling alive 😂. Prime minister, get it sorted, we want double decker trains!

Photos from the trip 📸

Grand-Place Square
Random Cathedral
BOZAR Centre of fine arts
French lad post 20 Jagarbombs
Grand-Place Square
Leffe is a game changer
Random Cathedral
European Parliament
Brussels most famous photo bomber
European Parliament

Useful information 🧑🏼‍🎓

Public transport in Brussels was really great, although I walked most places, the buses, trams & trains were very regular! Some of the bars etc were expensive, but if you read the boards outside you can usually find cheaper local beers etc. If you go to an ‘Irish bar’ & buy a Heineken, you’ll get hit for a pretty penny, try the local stuff! Depending on the length of your stay, if you need to stock up on supplies, the Aldi’s there are banging! Much better than the UK 😂

Leffe is bloody strong, don’t drink it at the same pace you would drink a normal beer. You will end up being an absolute nuisance!

What is coming next? 🤔

Next up I will be posting about Bruges & then onto travel guides for some domestic places ahead of Summer! The UK is awesome when the sun comes out, for that whole week once a year. There will be a mini series on spots in the Peak District, then more historical places like Chester, Edinburgh & York. Would love to take any recommendations, if I can get there by bus, train or plane, I will go 🤠

Hit subscribe to get notified when the post goes live, thanks for reading through as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️

Elche | A must visit when in Alicante! 🦕

Amazing tapas & a near disaster catching flight home!

Setting the scene

The conclusion of my Alicante region tour brought me to Elche for a day trip. I wanted to find somewhere awesome to spend my last day & Elche definitely delivered the goods! The town has a cool history, there are ruins of an ancient Synagogue & over the centuries it has had Roman, Greek, Byzantine & Goth (Germanic people) rulers.

Modern Day Elche

Elche is the third most populated city within the region & quite big compared to some of the other towns I visited.

You can visit the world heritage site – Palm Grove, the stunning Basilica de Santa Maria, Museo Paleontológico (cool dinosaur museum), Palau dels Altamira, Elche museum, beautiful parks & Huerto del Cura (one of the most impressive botanical gardens I have ever seen).

Story time 📔

Never trust Google when it comes to small local bus routes! I had planned the day trip meticulously, if you have read previous posts from me you will know I haven’t done this well in the past. For this trip, I knew where I was going, how long I was spending there & my travel plans between sites.

My whole day was going exactly to plan, I found all of the sites without issue & even found an amazing little spot for tapas. With a full belly & slightly merry from the lunch time beers, I made my way to the bus stop to head back to the airport, which according to Google was a 30/40 minute journey.

A few buses had passed but none of them were the airport bus, I started to worry ever so slightly. So I jumped onto the next couple of buses that came & tried to ask the driver where the ‘aeropuerto autobus’ was. I can speak basic Duolingo Spanish, I cannot speak rapido Elche Bus Driver Catalan language, but I quickly came to realise there was no airport bus coming to save me. I still had a couple of hours until wheels up, no need to panic.

I looked to get an Uber, turns out there were no Ubers or street taxis, the heart rate starts to increase apace! I had however remembered that on the way to Elche I passed the airport on the train, I could just get the train back & get off at the stop closest to the airport. I had to run my fat ass back to the train station to catch a train to Torrellano (which was the closest to the airport).

Once I got to Torrellano, thinking surely I could find a taxi to the train station, alas I was wrong. I also couldn’t pin point myself on Google maps, or see any airport or planes in air, so I had to make a best guess judgement & decided on a road. My thinking was it looked like the sort of road that would take me to the airport. After around 40 minutes walking (with my luggage I might add), I saw a sign on the roadside saying aeropuerto & I have never wanted to kiss a road sign so much in my life! I made the flight home, all is well that ends well.

Photos from the trip 📸

Basilica De Santa Maria
Huerto del Cura
Palau dels Altamira
Parc Municipal
I am saved!!!
Basilica De Santa Maria
Street Art
Huerto del Cura
Basilica De Santa Maria
Basilica De Santa Maria
Beside Palau dels Altamira
Parc Municipal
Random Holy Building
Random Street
Dinosaur Museum

Where to eat?

Jam on toast & fish 😂
Calamari
Patatas Bravas

I highly recommend “Restaurante + Que Tapas”. They haven’t paid me for this post, but if the manager sees this & wants to offer me some free tapas, sign me up 😍

They do great Tapas, beers & the place has a chilled out vibe! Be careful what you order if your Spanish isn’t great, I ended up with Jam on toast with cold fish 😂. Either it’s a delicacy or I made a tit of the order (more than likely the latter!)

What is coming next? 🤔

Next up I will be posting about my trip out to Bruges & Brussels. From there I will be posting travel guides for some domestic places ahead of Summer! The UK is awesome when the sun comes out, for that whole week once a year. There will be a mini series on spots in the Peak District, then more historical places like Chester, Edinburgh & York. Would love to take any recommendations, if I can get there by train or flight, I will go 🤠

Hit subscribe to get notified when the post goes live, thanks for reading through as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️