travel – 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 ❤️

Beyond the Pyramids: My essential guide to navigating the chaos & wonder of Cairo

From haggling taxi’s, to eating Pidgeons, hunting relics & drinking rooftop beers in the sunset. Cairo taught me there is magic to be found in the chaos 😍

My love letter to Egypt

Egypt is the most remarkable melting pot of Cultures, History, Architecture, Artistry, World Cuisines & Grandeur. Traverse through thousands of years of history all the way from the Ancient Egyptians, through Macedonian, Mesopotamian, Roman & Arab rule to Modern day Egypt in all of it’s beauty & charm.

I was so incredibly fortunate to have visited Egypt & it was such a deeply profound experience, that I will always be grateful to have had. As with every country, Egypt does have some issues. In order to really maximise your enjoyment, it is important to plan ahead, know what to look out for (read on for detailed explanations) & take appropriate precautions. All of the major sites are well policed & very safe, so don’t let cultural differences deter you.

Modern day Cairo

Cairo was established as the Capital in 969, however it’s historic roots stretch much further back all the way to the building of the Ancient Babylon Fortress & the early Coptic Orthodox Church. In addition to sharing some stories, This guide to Cairo will include everything you need to know about Tourist Sites, Staying Safe, Food & Drink, Getting Around & Money.

It is important to call out that Cairo is absolutely chaotic, if you want an authentic hustle & bustle experience you should look to stay in Downtown Cairo. It is very busy, very loud & the roads are mayhem (the lanes on the roads are little more than decorative splashes of paint), but you get an intimate cultural experience. Otherwise, if easily overwhelmed, you would be best staying a little further out.

From the moment I stepped out of the airport terminal I was already causing mayhem, there were lots of news reporters, people playing Bongos & a taxi rank which is carnage. Here was me thinking they had rolled out the red carpet & I was now a small time celebrity. However, it turned out there was a homecoming celebration for the Egyptian Paralympic athletes returning. I was so focused on the bedazzling lights in front of me that I didn’t realise I had inadvertently cut off the Paralympic team queued up behind me. I felt awful when I realised what I had done, I am hoping I wasn’t plastered all over the Arab news channels! Little did I know, this was the first of many sticky situations I would get into 🤷‍♂️

Tourist sites ☀️

Cairo has a plethora of extraordinary Tourist sites, I spent over 10 days in Cairo & sadly was unable to see everything I wanted to. If you click the name of the place, it will take you to a specific guide for that site, with all of the information you need to make the most of your visit. Must visit sites; The Egyptian Museum in Cairo (this is where I got an AK47 pointed at me 😂), The Cairo Tower, The Great Pyramids (technically in Giza, but including in this post), Al Azhar Park, Coptic Cairo Complex & Zamalek district.

If you have a lot of time, it is worth considering additional stops, including Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate, Al Azhar Mosque, Al Horreya Garden, Korba District, The Cairo Opera House & Aquarium Grotto Garden.

Some places that I wish I had been able to see were the Citadel Saladin, Cave Church, Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Abdeen Palace (I did rock up but it was closed due to a public holiday) & Khan Al-Khalili Bazaar.

Food & Drink 🍻🍷🍲

Cairo has some of the most incredible food anywhere in the world! Depending on your level of adventurousness with cuisine, you can be trying anything from amazing Shawarma all the way through to Cow brains! Click here for recommendations, along with photos & addresses.

There are lots of really nice bars in Cairo, but it is important to note that it is a very religious country & as such not everywhere will have alcohol. As a consequence, the bars on the streets have blacked out windows, however there are some awesome rooftop bars that I highly recommend. Click here to find out more.

Keeping Safe 🥷🏼

Whilst it pains me to have to write a section like this, I feel like it’s really important to be objective & give you an honest view. As is clear from my post, I love Egypt, the culture & the people. However, some parts are very poor & unfortunately there are some people with nefarious aims. It is a tiny % of the people you will meet, but a tiny % of a big population, is still a big number.

Not everyone is trying to scam you, but a lot of people are trying to sell you things & whilst that in of itself is not a bad thing, it can be a little overwhelming as it is pretty full on depending on where you are.

My general advice for keeping safe is do not take directions from anyone who isn’t a Police officer. Don’t walk great distances between sites (I did, which got me into some sticky situations). Plan out where you are going that day & organise your travel plans. Unless you see a specific store you want to go into, don’t let someone stop you in the street & invite you to their shop etc. Then finally (this was the hardest for me, as I feel it’s very rude), but you have to be comfortable walking away from people in the street & ignore them. Whether they are selling, offering to take you on tours or asking what country you’re from.

Having said that, taking those reasonable measures & planning ahead can minimise those types of interactions you would rather avoid. So please don’t be deterred, I am a man who hasn’t won a fight since I was around 9 years old & that was against a bin & I survived the trip solo. Just keep your wits about you, like a Ninja!

All things money💰

When I visited, the exchange rate was £1 GBP to 63 EGP, which meant that things were very inexpensive. Some places accept card, but not all, so you definitely need to have cash. Some places do not accept cash (i.e the Pyramids ticket office), so you need to ensure you have a card with you too. I used Starling, it was free to join & they didn’t charge any exchange fees, giving you the current market price.

You can bring money into Egypt, but they say no more than 5,000 Egyptian, although nobody asked when I landed. There are cash machines everywhere so withdrawing local currency is easily done. I would look for National Bank of Egypt ATMs & buildings (the badge is green & yellow). These banks have armed police & workers monitoring the cash machines, so it’s all very safe.

Tipping or “Baksheesh” is a part of the culture, if you receive good service you should tip. For good service I tipped around 2/300 Egyptian which seemed to go down well, however you can always tip more. I was on a bit of a budget unfortunately!

Getting around 🚕

There are lots of ways to get around Cairo, I decided to walk most places to get a feel for the city. However, it would have been a better option to use public transport. Uber is ridiculously cheap & saves time haggling with street taxis.

Otherwise, the metro is pretty modern & the new line 3 is lovely!

Thanks for taking the time to read my post & hope you found it useful. I originally wrote this 1 year ago & it was my first ever article. I wanted to come back to it & do a slight re-write now that I understand WordPress reader, categorisations & tags a lot better. Additionally, I have more subscribers who could benefit from the information. If you have found it useful or entertaining I would love it if you followed along, I will shortly be posting about Latvia, Estonia & Finland, where I will be sharing some epic travel fails!

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 ❤️

Llandudno | Sun, Sea & Seals 🦭

A beautiful location for a weekend away!

Setting the scene

For my 30th birthday (Plus VAT) 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. Starting out in Conwy (Blog post available here), I made my way over to Llandudno for a couple of nights 😍

About Llandudno..

LLandudno is a remarkable place to visit on the North coast of Wales. Perched on the Irish Sea it boasts pristine beaches, wild seals, stunning topography/geology & lovely walking trails.

As far as seaside towns go, I don’t think you can get much more beautiful than Llandudno, however from the photos Anglesey looks pretty special, so will be visiting there in ’26 (any recommendations would be appreciated).

Whether you are visiting the Great Orme or Little Orme, you feel like you are in a fantasy novel. This is an analogy I have exhausted, so will have to get the thinking cap on for my next post. However, this time it is fully appropriate. Unbeknownst to me, some of The House of the Dragon (Game of Thrones spin off) was filmed in parts of North Wales. It wasn’t until somebody recognised it on my Instagram post (you can see here) that I realised. I did watch the first couple of episodes, but gave up after they changed some of the actors halfway, I couldn’t keep up.

Story time 📚

I love my friends, but you wouldn’t want them on your Team for a group health & safety Project! They talked me into going on the Big Wheel (It isn’t quite as big as the London one, but big enough to cause you a serious mischief should it malfunction). When I say talked, what actually happened was they cleverly used juvenile reverse psychology to make me go on it. You’d hope to be impervious to such childish behaviour, but I wouldn’t have heard the end of it. There was nobody else on it & all 3 of us in a small singular cabin. We got halfway up, so 9 on a clock & it began to break down, which did absolutely nothing to allay my safety concerns. The guy brought us back down & whilst I couldn’t work out what he was saying, it was most likely along the lines of “You are 3 fat numpties, the weight distribution needs to be more even”. My thinking was, ideal scenario I will hop out & my 2 mates can go at opposite ends. Wrong, given that I am the heaviest, I had to go in one carriage myself & my 2 mates at the opposite side, so we could get the ride going. I didn’t even want to go on the thing! By the time I get to the top, I notice that half of the metal beams are held together by cable ties & they were not looking all that sturdy. I really thought that was the end of my journey, my hangover was so bad the next morning, I was retrospectively wishing the cable ties had snapped 😂

We had booked a slick looking apartment on Booking, but didn’t realise it was above a first floor Curry House restaurant & they shared a stairway. When we were returning the first night, we convinced my friend that it was open 24 hours & we would pick up a curry on the way home from the discos. He stood in the hallway for about 5 minutes trying to catch a servers eyes to get in for a curry, for the avoidance of doubt it was not a 24 hour place. This was the same friend we convinced you needed a passport to get into Wales & that you could swim to the Isle of Mann from Llandudno in under 20 minutes. An empiricist might come to the conclusion that he is in fact a rather gullible fellow. He claims to read my blog, so when I next see him, we will see if he gives me a shake down for calling him gullible or not!

There is a beautiful little cove where lots of Seals live, to some people it may just be a Seal, but to see them in the wild hanging out on a beach was really special for me. The area they live is call Little Orme or Porth Dyniewaid on Google Maps. The walk here is stunning as you can see from the photos below. However, we were hungover & trudging along at a very slow pace, we didn’t notice some of the signs. When we arrived, we climbed down the side of the mountain onto the beach, which was pristine. After around 15 minutes though, we became aware of a commotion up above. It turns out you aren’t actually allowed down onto the beach in case you disturb the Seals, I felt awful but there were none there when we first landed or we wouldn’t have went down. We came back up & the Seals visited later, unfortunately I couldn’t get a good photo of them. Coming back up the hill was pretty tough, I slipped but thankfully managed to grab a rock sticking out of the terrain. Otherwise, it was a long way down!

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to visit everywhere. But if you have time in Llandudno, there’s a plethora of things to do. There’s a cool Great Orme railway, cable cars, a zoo, wild Kashmiri goats, walks along the pier & scenic drives to take if you have a motor.

Some photos of the trip… 🤳🏼

Beach at Little Orme
Seal cove (there were seals that came a shore, but couldn’t get a decent photo)
Little Orme
Llandudno Pier
Seal cove
Llandudno Pier
Little Orme
Little Orme
Craft Beer Cave

Where to eat & drink? 🍻🍽️

Usually I would suggest a nice local restaurant here, but we didn’t go to many. There was a cracking fish & chip stall at the beginning of Llandudno pier I would recommend. Look for the one that has a slide in it, they cook the fish at the top & then slide it down. Great quality & at reasonable prices. The Palladium Wetherspoons was actually alright too. We got our food in under 10 minutes, they must have had all 15 microwaves running at full speed!

There are a couple of decent places to grab a drink. The Craft Beer Cave is awesome, you can try all kinds of different beers from across the UK & abroad. The people who own it are lovely & it’s a great vibe there. For general bars, karaoke or a boogie there is a couple of cool places on Mostyn Street 🫡

Useful information 🧑🏼‍🎓

The seal cove at Little Orme is awesome, but if you don’t drive it’s quite a bit away from the main pier at Llandudno. The buses are frequent & takes about 15 minutes to get there. I wouldn’t trust Uber, the app says it is connecting but it never comes. There are a couple of places you can rent bikes, the beach front would make a lovely cycle route.

If you have your heart set on spending the day at the beach, I would check ahead to see when the tide is going to be out. We also didn’t get the chance to go, but if you want to do the cable cars to the top of Great Orme, I think it is cash only, so definitely bring some paper! If you are getting the train and/or on a tight budget, I found it much cheaper to get the train to Llandudno junction than Llandudno.

What is coming next? 🤔

Next up there will be posts about more historical places like Caerleon, Chester, Edinburgh, York & Liverpool (mainly for the Beatles history). I have not yet built out my posting schedule but I am just back from a mini Euro trip to Poland, up through Latvia, Estonia & Finland. So, I’m keen to do the write up on them too.

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.

Hathersage, the birth place of Robin Hood? | The UK is awesome mini-series 🏹

A great day out, especially when on a tight budget!

Setting the scene

Who does not love the tale of Robin Hood & his band of merry men? Well for this trip, I was able to visit the town where he was born (allegedly). It is pertinent to highlight top & centre that this blog post may or may not contain information that is entirely factitious or completely true when referencing Robin Hood 😂. Usually I do my best to provide accurate & useful information on the trips, so you can make the most of your day. However, I would take the Robin Hood references with a pinch of salt, personally I believe in all of the stories & he was definitely real 🏹

About Hathersage…

Nestled on the Eastern side of the Hope Valley, Hathersage is an awesome place for a day trip.

It has such a unique charm & character to it. Charlotte Bronte was inspired by the town when writing Jane Eyre, although admittedly I haven’t actually read it. The area is so picturesque it has provided the back drop for some major movies, such as Pride & Prejudice.

Hathersage also plays host to one of the few outdoor swimming pools in the UK. I didn’t go for a dip though, I’m still carrying a few lbs from Easter & Christmas, so a bit chubby for the swimming unfortunately 😂

Whilst all of the above is enough to make the trip worthwhile, my main reason for visiting was the connections to Robin Hood & his merry band of men. It is said that he was from Loxley in Hathersage, which is not far from Sheffield. Robin Hood & his men would steal from the rich & give to the poor, given how expensive being alive is at the moment, we could sure use a Robin Hood to save us! One of Robin Hood’s right hand men “Little John”, is actually buried at the Church of St Michael. He is called Little John because he was said to be 7ft tall. Now, if Robin Hood & Little John were not real, how come there is a grave for Little John? The Churchyard & the grave etc are in a really beautiful area, so I highly recommend it as worth stopping by.

Story time 📚

One of the things I love about visiting these quaint towns/villages is that they are high trust. You often see people leaving things outside their house for sale & you are trusted to just leave the money. Now, there was a lovely big house with books outside for sale & a sign to deposit the funds into ‘The pipe’. I looked for a good minute or so & couldn’t find the elusive pipe, I even went down onto my hands & knees checking under the shelf etc. So then I was trying to peep over the hedge to see if one of the residents was around so I could buy the book. After a couple of minutes someone did walk by & I caught their eye, but they scurried off. It was only then I realised how I must have looked, a scary big Scottish guy window peeping 😂. I didn’t manage to buy the book & decided to shoot off as quickly as possible once I realise I looked like a window peeper!

By the time I had scaled the hill to Little Johns grave, I was truly desiccated by the sweltering heat (well sweltering may be a slight exaggeration, it was about 27 degrees, but to a Scottish person that is like the Sahara desert). I took refuge within St Michael’s Church, I was the only person inside at the time. Or so I thought, I was wandering around taking photos & as I got to the front there was a mannequin in one of the front rows of the benches about 1.5 meters away from me. I had been in for around 10 minutes in total silence, in my own little bubble. Then I hear a voice say “Hi dear”, I just about fell to the floor with fright, it wasn’t a mannequin at all but a lady who had just been sat still in tranquillity. In the photos you can decide for yourself if you would have thought it was a mannequin (the lady gave me permission to post the photo).

I am not necessarily sure it’s a funny story but I have to own up to my flaws. One of the cool places I wanted to visit was Robin Hood’s cave, where him & his men used to hang out & devise their battle plans. Google maps is good at the directions, but didn’t tell me the trek to the cave would be like traipsing through Middle Earth. I am ashamed to admit it, but I got halfway up the hill & thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest & I didn’t have it in me. I had to give up & turn back, it was too hot & I was woefully underprepared. If you have ever been to the cave, please do share any short cuts or tips for not dying on the walk!

Some photos of the trip… 🤳🏼

Cool sign at train station
The mannequin
There was no pipe…
View from the walk to the cave
Lots of these dotted around the place
St Michael’s Church
‘Myths & Legends’ should be title ‘Historically accurate people’
Tale of Little John
Grave of Little John
Grave of Little John
Inside Church
A lot of the streets are cobbled like this

Where to eat & drink? 🍻🍽️

There is a wonderful big country pub called the Scotsman’s Pack which is a great place to stop by. I didn’t get any food there but when I was having a nosey at other peoples plates, it looked great! It’s also within close proximity of the Church & Grave of Little John. Failing that the Cafe at the swimming centre was decent for a coffee & it is nearby the outdoor bookstore that may or may not have a pipe lurking somewhere.

Useful information 🧑🏼‍🎓

The town isn’t massive & everything is within walking distance. There is a trainline that drops you within short walking distance to the centre & they run between Manchester to Sheffield every hour. There was plenty of places to park though & if you want to visit Robin Hood’s Cave, you’re probably best to drive up a bit closer rather than trying to walk from the train station. As outlined above, it’s a gruelling walk.

Hathersage has a useful little tourist/information centre place where they have public toilets etc but once you get up into the hills past the Church of Little John, there doesn’t seem to be many places when nature calls, so definitely plan ahead. I initially experienced a bit of a moral quandary about taking photos at a grave, however when you get there you realise it is a tourist site & to be expected. There is also a chance that nobody is actually buried there & Little John wasn’t real 😂. Whether you believe it or not, is up to you!

What is coming next? 🤔

Next up there will be posts about more historical places like Edinburgh, Chester, Caerleon, York, North Wales & Liverpool (purely 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.

New Mills | The UK is awesome mini-series 🌉

A wonderful day trip & a biblical storm!

Setting the scene

Living in Manchester UK, I am blessed with the opportunity to visit the Peak District regularly as it is right on the door step. This mini series will be covering the best places in the Peaks to visit that are easily accessible by train & gentle on the purse strings (One day I will learn to drive 😂). It is one the most verdant & ineffable places in the UK, with some truly incredible day trips!

This post covers New Mills, one of my favourite towns! It has all of the useful information you need to know to make the most of your trip alongside a customary tale or two.

About New Mills…

Whilst New Mills is in the Peak district, it is a more lively town & much less rural than some places I have written about. New Mills was a powerhouse during the industrial revolution & also had the longest continuous running textile mill in the UK, in operation for over 200 years. Whilst no longer an active mill, the building is beautiful & is perched on a glorious gorge, with a stunning waterfall.

The mill used to be powered by the water & then later moved to steam & finally electricity.

Within New Mills there is a plethora of cute little independent shops, several scenic walking trails, countryside pubs, rock climbing walls, unique towering architecture & there are even alpacas you can see! For the science nerds, be sure to check out the man made hydro energy generator type of thing, that provides free electricity which is community owned & funded, providing power to lots of houses by the force of the water 🤓

Story time ⛈️

Whilst I hesitate to cast aspersions on the weather forecasting people, on this trip I definitely called into question the validity of their analytical proficiency. New Mills was supposed to be glorious sunshine with a gentle breeze (which was certainly the case when I left Manchester). However, it ended up being a storm of biblical proportions! Although, you can’t let the weather determine your fun, so I powered on through. It was too wet to take any photos on this visit, but I am a regular attendee of New Mills, so have used older photos from Winter time. Soaked to the bone, I set out on my wanders!

The Torr Vale Mill & Millennium walkway are really resplendent, once you get over the fear of how high up the bridge is, it’s very scenic & peaceful. The Mill building now has a bar/restaurant in it & some smaller things. I had been a couple of times, but never realised it doubled up as an incredible wedding reception venue on occasion (if you happen to know anyone single, I am taking applications, hit me up, we might as well get this booked in advance 😂). I was attempting to go into the bar to escape the rain, but I was covered in mud & all sorts, the bridal party was hitting me with a barrage of vociferous verbal abuse to get out. There was not any signs up or anything, completely honest mistake!

Given that the Gorge is so peaceful, whenever I visit I love to just stand on the bridge watching the waterfall go by. However, I must have looked really lost & broken, as someone asked me if I was okay & planning to jump in. The thing is, I love open water swimming & jump into water often, so before I could really process what the lady had said, I replied with “no the water isn’t deep enough” (In my head thinking of open water swimming, the water being shallow would cause me an injury & not what she meant). Once I had understood her concerns, it was a deeply profound moment. I’m very, fortunate, humble & grateful for the opportunities I have had in life, taking nothing for granted. I’m just a happy go lucky guy, wandering through life enjoying myself. In that moment though, it may have been a person who was struggling with mental health issues or just having a really bad day & that random lady checking in with them would have made all of the difference to someone. There are awesome people out there who really care for others, sometimes the internet would make you think otherwise, but they are out there! If you know of someone having a tough time or you haven’t heard from that friend in a while, check in on them from time to time ❤️

Some photos of the trip… 🤳🏼

Artificially created waterfall for the Hydro
Alpacas
Torr Vale Mill
Torr Vale Mill Gorge
Upstream from waterfalls
Hydro electricity generator
Railway Viaduct
Streams in every direction
Information board
Rock climbing wall
Torr Vale Mill

Where to eat & drink? 🍻🍽️

So long as there isn’t a mental bridal party trying to dice you up, I would highly recommend the bar/restaurant in the Torr Vale Mill, the food is lovely! If the weather is respectable there is also a massive beer garden to catch some sun. There are also plenty of little cafes, bars & delis on the main street in New Mills so you have plenty of options to choose from. It may have just been an anomaly because there was a football match on but the Royal Oak New Mills Pub had free pizza going when I was there, so definitely recommend stopping by for a beer!

Useful information 🧑🏼‍🎓

There are lots of different walking/running trails around New Mills but it’s also got a hustle & bustle small town vibe to it, therefor it’s busier than a usual countryside retreat. You can use all trails or hiking apps to map out routes & there are plenty of websites with routes. New Mills isn’t huge, so I wing it whenever I go but I believe there are a range of circulars for every ability & fitness level.

Given that I don’t drive, I am at the mercy of the train companies to get around. It’s generally the case that you have no issues, but the last thing you want is to get stuck in New Mills! A useful tip is that there are actually 2 train lines that run through it, the Buxton line & the Sheffield line. The stops in New Mills are a 15 minute walk apart. Therefor if something causes a delay or cancellation to New Mills Central, you can walk to New Mills Newton & vice versa. If you visit on a Friday or Saturday, they have a mini market with all fresh food etc that is worth checking out, it’s positioned opposite the Sainsburys. If you are going to try the rock climbing wall, make sure & strap in & use an instructor, don’t try to climb it bare like I did 😂

What is coming next? 🤔

Next up I will be posting travel guides for some more domestic places during Summer! The UK is awesome when the sun comes out, for that whole week once a year. There will be more spots in the Peak District, then 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 ❤️