Holiday destinations: Jersey, UK

June 19, 2020September 16, 2021Leave a comment

I recently visited Jersey-the largest of the Channel Islands.

The island of Jersey is absolutely stunning. It was my second visit to Jersey and I loved it even more than before.

It is a great place for a short break and if you are flying from London you can get there in around 40minutes. From the airport, you can either take a taxi or a bus that will take you to St Helier in 30 minutes.

There are a few must see places on the island:

Elizabeth Castle – Jersey

The castle is located 20 minutes’ walk from the Jersey city center. We took the Castle Ferry to get to the castle from across the bay as the tide was high and came back to Jersey by foot when the tide was low. Elizabeth Castle is a beautiful castle and the perfect place to spend an afternoon. You can climb the battlement and visit various exhibitions whilst in there.

Mont Orgueil Castle

The Mount Orgueil Castle overlooks the harbor of Gorey. The interesting fact to know is that the castle is depicted on the 2010 issue Jersey 50-pound note. Castle provides lots of attractions to its visitors and most importantly once you reach the top you can admire some stunning views of the coast. During the sunny days you can even see the French coast from the top of the castle.

Jersey War Tunnels

The Jersey War Tunnels Museum was established on the grounds of the German Underground Hospital. Nowadays, the attraction is definitely worth seeing for anyone who is interested in the history. By walking the various rooms all visitors will get a good understanding of what the Channel Islanders had to endure during the German occupation-their challenges and worries. It took us around 2 hours to see all the exhibits but it was unquestionably worth it.

Durrell Wildlife Park

Durrell Wildlife Park was established a while ago in 1959 by naturalist Gerald Durrell (1925–1995). It is around 20 minutes’ drive from St Helier so it is easily accessible by anyone staying on the Island. It is a relatively small wildlife park but you can see several mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. Most importantly for me, you can see that the animals that are based in there are happy. Looking at the gentle gorilla family and meerkat sanitarium, I was glad to see that they had a lot of space to run freely-not like in some Zoos where animals are kept in the cramped cages / enclosures.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

Paulina

Holiday destinations: Porto, Portugal

February 14, 2020September 16, 2021Leave a comment

Last week, I traveled with my husband to Porto in Portugal. Porto is Portugal’s second largest city after Lisbon set on the northern bank of the Douro River.

The city is located inland from the Atlantic and the visitors can visit one of its popular beaches which I just a short train ride away.

Although, Porto is not known as a city-break / weekend break destination, it is quickly becoming one of Western Europe’s most respected tourist destinations. In 1996, the historical center of Porto was classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This year, the city was nominated by WTA (World Travel Awards) in these 2 categories:

Europe’s Leading City Break Destination 2017
Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2017

The city boasts an extensive history, interesting tourist attractions and a buzzing nightlife.

If you like sightseeing then there is a lot to see and the city will appeal to a wide range of different visitors. As we arrived quite early on Saturday morning, we decided to take one of the sightseeing bus tours to quickly see all the main sites prior to exploring this colorful city on foot. There were lots of opportunities to admire the viewpoint of the terracotta rooftops and the city’s dreamy architecture.

Here is a short list of my suggestions of places worth visiting:

The Ribeira district – the oldest district of the city which is filled with ancient houses, narrow cobbled streets and numerous family owned restaurants, cafes and bars.

São Bento train station – a 19th-century railway station located in the centre of Porto that features some beautiful tiles.
A mini-cruise down the Douro rivers admiring the architecture of the city and its beautiful bridges.

Dom Luís I Bridge – a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the River Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal.
Palácio da Bolsa – a historical building built in the 19th century by the city’s Commercial Association in Neoclassical style.

Casa da Música – a modern design, 12-floor concert hall & top floor restaurant completed in 2005.

How to get there?

It’s never been easier to get there and Monarch, the scheduled leisure airline, operates year round flights and holidays to Porto from Birmingham, London Luton and Manchester airports with fares, including taxes, from £42 one way (£77 return).

For further information or to book Monarch flights, Monarch Holidays or Monarch Hotels, please visit www.monarch.co.uk

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

Pauline

Holiday destinations: Bansko, Bulgaria

January 10, 2020September 16, 2021Leave a comment

Are you looking for some winter holidays inspiration? If yes, then you should head to Eastern Europe to Bansko in Bulgaria. Bansko mountain resort is an excellent choice for your ski and snowboard holiday in Bulgaria.

It is the best winter resort in Bulgaria with the longest ski runs and the richest cultural history. The town of Bansko is situated at the foot of the Pirin mountain in the south-western Bulgaria, 160 km from Sofia (around 3.5 hours’ drive from the airport).

12809664_10208477071235050_5611088006470020472_n

The resort offers excellent ski and snowboard conditions and infrastructure. There are a lot of hotels of various standards and prices based in there. I would personally recommend Premier Mountain Resort or Kempinski Hotel if you like staying in luxury hotels.

12805833_10208483859884762_4294684761774287767_n

12795433_10208483859804760_168850158546731480_n

What’s worth mentioning here, the prices of hotels, ski rentals etc. are probably 50% cheaper than in Alps so you can stay in a 5 star hotel for the price of 2/3 star hotel in Austria or France.

11694905_10208477072115072_6101624326959465864_n 10620677_10208477072555083_3551818561897482751_n 12803216_10208488867849958_6875448052295767815_n

Après ski

So what to do after a day on slopes? Après ski in the resort is really good and offers hundreds of bars, traditional restaurants and clubs where you can indulge after your skiing or snowboarding adventures.

12803066_10208508960352258_192856451909648226_n

Location

Bansko is a ski and mountain resort located in the south-western part of Bulgaria. The town is situated 6 km from the town of Razlog and 160 km from the capital of Sofia. The town of Bansko is located 925 m above the sea level whereas its ski area – at an altitude of 2000 – 2600 m.

Resort information

12841243_10208603675040066_1237412954124716290_o

Bansko ski resort is attractive in all seasons nut I’ve only been there twice during the winter as I love skiing. The ski season in Bansko lasts from 15 December to 14 April. During the recent years a multimillion Euros investment in a brand new skiing area has been made by Yulen, the company that runs the skiing area of Bansko. Numerous new luxury hotels and facilities in the area of the Gondola lift station have been constructed. It provides excellent ski and snowboard facilities, as well as a unique history and architecture of an old and new part of the town.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Our lunch at BeAbout Burger, Bratislava, Slovakia

September 25, 2019September 30, 2019Leave a comment

I normally focus on fine-dining and top-end meals we’ve had. Having said that, today I would like to tell you about BeAbout Burger which we visited for a quick lunch whilst in Bratislava as it is definitely worth a visit. The restaurant was recommended to me by one of my Slovakian friends as: ‘the best place to have a gourmet burgers in.’

Atmosphere:

When we entered the restaurant, it was already buzzing with many dinners. We sat in the middle of restaurant and were welcomed by a waiter who kindly brought us English menus.

When you enter BeAbout Burger it feels a bit like being in an American dinner and the place has a vibrant atmosphere. The dining room has a contemporary, simple décor.

Food:

The restaurant serves a selection of starters in addition to their signature burgers. All dishes are made from high quality, fresh, local ingredients. There is also an extensive cocktails menu on offer in addition to a wide selection of local and imported alcohol being served.

We were quite hungry when we arrived so we decided to order 3 sides to share:

Buffalo wings & rings – barbeque glazed chicken wings, onion rings, BBQ a Blue cheese sauce.
Papa T’s chicken pieces – crispy chicken breast in homemade coating and Ranch sauce.
Crispy chicken strips – crispy chicken coated in panko mixture and Honey-mustard sauce.

All starters were tasty and tender. I really enjoyed our crispy chicken strips which were delectable.

For my main I decided to have a ‘Maple Syrup Burger’ with guacamole, bacon
beef meat, cheddar and mayonnaise. My husband decided to have ‘Tex Mex Burger’
with beef meat, cheddar, nachos, chilli beans, jalapeño peppers and Mojo sauce.

Both burgers were served with fries, onion rings, tomato, red onion and pickles. The portion sizes were very generous and unfortunately after finishing our starters and mains we were unable to have any desserts so I hope that I will be able to try some next time we are around.

Overall experience:

If you like burgers then you should definitely visit BeAbout Burger for a lunch / dinner. Our food was served quickly, was tasty and the service was good so I would definitely recommend it. What’s more, all dishes were reasonably priced and we could customise our burgers which is always a plus.

Address:

You can experience BeAbout Burger at one of these two locations:

Prešernova 4, Bratislava / Dulovo Námestie 5/A, Bratislava

For more information and to book visit:

https://www.beabout.sk/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Holiday destinations: Washington D.C., USA

June 21, 2019September 16, 2021Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Washington D.C., the capital of the United States. Washington, D.C. is formally known as the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as “Washington”, “the District”, or simply “D.C.”.

Statistics from last year show that Washington had an estimated population of 681,170 however commuters from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the city’s population to more than one million during the workweek. Washington, D.C., is located in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. East Coast.

There are many places worth visiting in Washington. Please find a quick summary listed below:

Learn more by visiting free Smithsonian museums so you can absorb culture the way it was meant to be experienced — in short encounters in the midst of everyday life.
Take flight at the National Air & Space Museum.

Learn about the freedom of the press and take some cool photos at the Newseum.

You should also visit the Pulitzer Prize photographs gallery which features all the winning photographs.

Go and take some photos of the White House. Unfortunately, it is difficult to get the access to the building but there are quite a few good places where you can view it from.

Visit United States Capitol. You can still access it and the tickets are available from a kiosk just outside the building.

Stroll down The National Mall. It is definitely the best way to see most of Washington’s monuments starting from the Capitol all the way to the Lincoln Memorial.

Visit Washington National Cathedral. This beautiful Gothic cathedral has been used for state funerals for three presidents and many other important burials and memorials.
Go shopping at Tanger Outlet. It is located 20 min drive from central Washington and if you like a bargain then you should definitely go there and check it out.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

Pauline

Holiday destinations: Tudor Place, Washington D.C., USA

June 7, 2019September 16, 2021Leave a comment

As some of you might know, I traveled to Washington D.C. a few weeks ago. During my stay, I decided to visit some historic homes and gardens. Today, I would like to tell you about the Tudor Place. The name of this place is a bit deceiving as it doesn’t have anything in common with a Tudor era but even though it is definitely worth visiting.

Tudor Place South Facade, elevated view_CREDIT Ron Blunt

Tudor Place Saloon-Portico view_CREDIT Bruce M White

Tudor Place Kitchen Arbor, South Facade_CREDIT Bruce M White

Tudor Place House and Garden is an elegant neoclassical house dating back to 1816. To start with it was a home of Martha Custis (a granddaughter of Martha Washington) who built her estate with her husband Thomas Peter.

Tudor Place Owners

The house was extended and through six generations (until 1983), the Peter family celebrated their heritage here while also embracing contemporary art and fashion.

Today, visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the estate, giving them an opportunity to admire displays of family artifacts. I enjoyed walking through the drawing room, dinning room and kitchen while admiring the antics and listening to the stories of each of these rooms.

Tudor Place Dining Room_CREDIT Bruce M White

Tudor Place Drawing Room_CREDIT Bruce M White

Tudor Place Kitchen with stove_CREDIT Bruce M White

Tudor Place Kitchen_CREDIT Bruce M White

After the tour, as I love the gardens, I really enjoyed relaxing at the expansive, quiet historic gardens that are located in front of the property. Perfect to unwind when you are busy and fancy a bit of peace and relaxation.

Tudor Place

Location:

Tudor Place is located in Georgetown Heights at 1644 31st Street, Northwest.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Holiday destinations: Zagreb, Croatia

May 10, 2019September 16, 2021Leave a comment

Two weeks ago, I travelled with my husband to Zagreb in Croatia. Zagreb is not the first city that comes on anyone’s mind when thinking of Croatia but it should definitely change. For me, it was the third Croatian city we’ve seen so far as we previously visited Split and Dubrovnik known from Game of Thrones.

Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of Croatia. It is located in the northwest of the country, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb’s metropolitan area is the biggest in Croatia with a population of over one million.

Zagreb is a city with a rich history dating from the Roman times to the present day. The city smells of roses and there are many flower shops as well as a flower market located in center of the town.

I love how colorful and vibrant it it. It is a perfect destination for a weekend / city break. There are hundreds of great restaurants and bars located in there and even the most demanding foodies like me can choose from a range of local and international cuisines.

If you like sightseeing then there is a lot to see. Here is a short list of my suggestions of places worth visiting:

The Upper Town
Zagreb Cathedral

Zagreb Eye

King Tomislav Square

Maksimir Park and Zagreb Zoo
Ilica Street (for a bit of retail therapy)

Museum of Broken Relationships (if you would like to read some heartbreaking stories told by hundreds of personal belongings of past lovers from all over the world).
And many more hidden gems like these:

How to get there?

Monarch, the scheduled leisure airline, operates year round flights and holidays to Zagreb from London Gatwick and Manchester airports with fares, including taxes, from £42 one way (£79 return). It is a great cheap airline with the friendliest flight attendants I have ever met.

For further information or to book Monarch flights, Monarch Holidays or Monarch Hotels, please visit www.monarch.co.uk

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

Pauline

Holiday destinations: Cologne, Germany

April 12, 2019September 16, 2021Leave a comment

Last week, we traveled with my husband to Cologne for 3-days weekend break.

Cologne is the fourth-largest city in German located within the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region, one of the major European metropolitan areas, and with more than ten million inhabitants, the largest in Germany.

The city is less than 80 km from Belgium and it is located on both sides of the Rhine River.
When we arrived to Cologne, before we started our sightseeing we decided to visit Cologne Tourist Information Center which is located just opposite of cathedral.

We bought two KölnCards, that provided us with free public transport as well as reductions at various restaurants, museums, bars and so on around the city. As Cologne is a major cultural center it hosts more than thirty museums and hundreds of galleries so the discounts we received using KölnCards were significant.

There are lots of places worth visiting whilst in Cologne. Here is a short list of my suggestions:

Cologne Cathedral – beautiful Roman Gothic cathedral that is the main tourist attraction of Cologne and attracts over 6 million visitors per year.
Museum Ludwig – great place to visit for art lovers. It holds extensive collection of Picasso works.
Romano-Germanic Museum – holds a lot of Roman artifacts and antiques.
Cologne Cable Car – a gondola lift that runs across the River Rhine.
Fragrance Museum – perfume museum that holds artworks from 1685.

In addition, I would also recommend one of the city sightseeing bus tours. They take around 1.5 hour and you will be able to see all of the main attractions. There was a couple of companies running them and the tickets were 11 EUR.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

Pauline

Holiday destinations: Helsinki, Finland

March 22, 2019September 16, 20212 Comments

At the beginning of March I was on a business trip in Helsinki in Finland. It was my third trip to that city and honestly speaking it is not one of my favorite destinations.

Helsinki is the capital city of Finland. It is located in southern Finland and has a population an urban population of over 1.2 million. Helsinki is located some 80 km north of Estonia, 400 km east of Sweden and 388 km west of Russia.

Here is a short list of my suggestions of places worth visiting while in this city:

Esplanade Park;
Helsinki Cathedral;
Helsinki Zoo;
Market Square;
Old Market Hall.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

Pauline

Holiday destinations: Rome, Italy

July 20, 2018September 16, 2021Leave a comment

Rome is the capital of Italy and of the Lazio region. It is the country’s largest and most populated and fourth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits. The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula.

Rome’s history spans for more than two and a half thousand years so it doesn’t matter how long you are planning to stay here-you should be prepared to step into the world’s biggest open air museum. I would personally advice you o travel for a minimum 4-5 days so you can see all the famous areas and monuments. It was my third visit to Rome and with each trip I enjoy it more.

Last time, I travelled there for my fiancé’s birthday and firstly we decided to follow the typical tourist paths and then we became brave enough to go off the usual tracks and discover the hidden germs of the city. The places and monuments that you definitely need to visit whilst in here are:

The Vatican City-an independent country geographically located within the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city: for this reason Rome has been often defined as capital of two states.
The Trevi Fountain.
St Peter’s Square.
Spanish Steps.
Colosseum.

ruins