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A long weekend in Funchal, Madeira

A long weekend in Funchal, Madeira
Madeira is an island that I knew virtually nothing about when we were invited to go on holiday with James’ family. It’s not somewhere I would have chosen to visit or that had ever really made it onto my list of places to see, but I was happy to go and explore somewhere new and different to where I’ve been before. The thought of getting some sun and warmth in the winter was also appealing! It’s a good location to go for a long weekend but like many places will also work for a slightly longer break if you planned to get out and explore the rest of the island. View Post

New Year on the Isle of Bute

New Year on the Isle of Bute
I am very lucky to have a friend who has a cottage on the Isle of Bute. In fact, it’s the highest cottage on the island which means that when it’s clear you can see some fabulous views. My friends had been encouraging James and I to visit for a while and at New Year we decided it was the perfect time. The island that had cast my friends under its spell did the same to us, and I definitely think we’ll be back again some day. View Post

A Three Day Guide to Boston

A Three Day Guide to Boston
Whilst I found New York City really exciting, and Buffalo was much more interesting than I’d expected, Boston was my favourite of the three cities that I visited in the USA. It was the only one of the three where I could imagine living there myself and I would have happily stayed there a lot longer. Boston had all of the things I look for in a city; history, culture, green spaces and good food! Read on for my advice for how to spend a three day short break in Boston. View Post

A short break in Kraków

A short break in Kraków
Kraków isn’t somewhere I’d always dreamed of going to, and it hadn’t been one of my first considerations when I started to think about a Christmas market city break in December. However I noticed a few places were offering deals to go there. Curiosity piqued, I soon realised I could get there myself much cheaper (always look around!), there were direct flights from Bristol, and it came recommended by various friends. Suddenly I had a plan! Recently returned, I feel like I’m recommending the city to everyone I see. It was a great place for a short break, and I’d happily go back (although maybe when the weather’s a bit warmer…). Here’s my guide to a short city break in Kraków. View Post

An Autumn Weekend in Bakewell, The Peak District

An Autumn Weekend in Bakewell, The Peak District
Take 12 friends, who all have different jobs, different leave entitlements, who all live in different parts of England (and one currently in France), and try to organise a weekend together. It’s a little bit of a challenge. However, with a bit of discussion it was decided that autumn would be the best time to go. A weekend in October was selected, and then the next challenge was picking a location. It needed to be somewhere that wasn’t too far to drive from Cumbria, the North East, Bristol or London. It needed to have access to a train station, and possibly be near an airport. However we also wanted somewhere reasonably rural so that we could go out for walks in the countryside. Eventually it seemed like the Peak District was the place to go, and Bakewell offered us the opportunity to stay in the beautiful Haddon Villa. View Post