Tag: holidays

Holiday destinations: Paris, France

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Last weekend we went for our mini-moon to the most romantic city in the world – Paris. It is a capital city of France and it has a population of 12 million (2014) which covers 18 percent of the residents of France. In 2015 Paris received 22.2 million visitors, making it one of the world’s top tourist destinations.

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Travel:

We travelled to Paris by Eurostar as it is the easiest way to travel to Paris from London. It takes under 2.5 hours and trains depart from King’s Cross Station in central London every hour. Prices vary from £29 for a standard single ticket booked in advance to £249 for a business premiere ticket including an access to the Executive Lounge and some complementary drinks and a meal on-board. Our meal was disappointing both during our morning and evening journeys and on our way back the service was extremely slow so I am not sure if it was worth paying £1000 for 2 return tickets…

Attractions:

The Central area of Paris along the Seine River is classified as a UNESCO Heritage Site, and includes many notable monuments. In addition, Paris is the home of many important museums and cultural institutions. There are many places worth seeing however if you are in Paris for a limited time (we were there for 3 days) then you should definitely visit:

  • The Eiffel Tower – an iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars that was named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.

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  • The Louvre – the most visited and the largest art museum in the world.
  • Arc de Triomphe – is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle, at the western end of the Champs-Élysées.
  • Notre Dame Cathedral – is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité built in the 12th century.
  • Pont Alexandre III Bridge – is a deck arch bridge that spans the Seine in Paris. It connects the Champs-Élysées quarter with those of the Invalides and Eiffel Tower.
  • Basilica du Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre – is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus that opened in 1914.

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Furthermore, I would definitely recommend that you either take a walk down the river or alternatively you can take one of many mini-cruises especially if the weather is nice. We were extremely lucky with the weather and we decided to have a romantic walk around the River Seine on our way from The Eiffel Tower back to our hotel which was located just a minute walk from the Arc de Triomphe. In addition, if you love live-shows and cabaret then you should definitely visit Moulin Rouge but be prepared-tickets for a show and dinner are quite expensive and start at 190 Euros per person.

Hope you enjoyed reading this review.

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Split, Croatia

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This week I would like to tell you about Split.

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It is the second-largest city in Croatia, one of the oldest cities in the area and the largest city of the region of Dalmatia.

Split has an exceptional location. It is placed in between the coastal mountains and the turquoise waters of the Adriatic. It can be described as a lively city and as soon you step inside Diocletian’s Palace and you’ll see many restaurants and shops thriving amid the atmospheric old walls where Split life has been going on for thousands of years.

I love sightseeing and together with my fiancée we decided to climb the Bell Tower of St. Domnius. Honestly speaking, it was one of the scariest experiences ever as the stairs felt really unstable and wobbly… We were brave (or foolish) though and reached the top of the stairs to admire some stunning views from the top of the tower but I would never dare to do it again for safety reasons. Whoever is responsible for the maintenance work on these stairs needs to do a better job as I seriously feared for my live half-way through to the top!

After this frightening experience we needed to grab a drink and sat down in one of many local bars located in the Old Town. Subsequently, we continued our sightseeing around the walls of Diocletian’s Palace and admired this beautiful city whilst learning about its vibrant history.

I would definitely advise you all to go and visit Split if you ever travel to Croatia but then again probably climbing the stairs of the Bell Tower is not the best idea unless they are replaced.

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Barcelona, Spain

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A few months ago, I joined my parents for a few days break to Barcelona.

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There are lots of places to visit and things to do while in Barcelona but in my opinion these are the top 3 attractions you definitely need to see:

1. Basilica of the Sagrada Familia

The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, designed by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí. It is absolutely stunning and if you ever visit Barcelona then you should definitely put it on your list of places worth seeing.

2. Park Guell

Located in the city of Barcelona, the Park Guell is one of the most beautiful icons of the city. It’s a work of Antoni Gaudi located in the upper part of Barcelona, which has wonderful views of the city. You can enjoy a fantastic green walk surrounded by a modernist works.

3. Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya

The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya is the national museum of the arts located in Barcelona. It is one of the largest museums in Spain, housed in a huge Palau Nacional dating back to 1929. The museum is situated on Montjuïc hill and leading down to the famous Placa Espanya. If you are into art then this museum is especially notable for its outstanding collection of church paintings, and some Catalan art and design from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Food:

We went to many local restaurants and bars but to be honest I wasn’t ‘wowed’ by any of them so I am afraid that I won’t be able to recommend any places in particular. Although, the food we had in Barcelona was average, I would definitely recommend you go to any local cuisine i.e. some tapas or paella accompanied by the Sangria.

Hotel:

We stayed in the city centre in the Barri Gothic area in NH hotel. Hotel was very conveniently located-just 5 minutes’ walk from the tube station. It had a nice, artistic décor and very friendly staff. We arrived around 9p.m. and were greeted by extremely friendly receptionist who checked us in quickly and made us feel welcome. When we arrived in our rooms-they were really spacious and had a clean, modern décor. I would definitely consider staying there again the future.

Overall experience:

Once again, I really enjoyed my stay in Barcelona with my parents. It is still one of my favorite cities in Europe and I will definitely visit again soon.

Holiday destinations: Argostoli town Kafalonia, Greece

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I recently visited Argostoli with my fiancée. As we were there only for a day we decided to take a prearranged coach tour to see the most sought after attractions on this Island.

Argistoli is a town on a Greek island of Kafalonia. Our coach left the port of Argostoli and drove around stunning coastline to reach the Robola winery. When we arrived at the winery we had a guided tour around it and listened about the process of elaboration of Robola wines from the grapes to the bottle. In addition, our guide described the history of the area and took us around the different rooms where the wine is produced. Our experience ended with some wine tasting. Honestly, their sweet dessert wine was to die for and even though I am not much of a drinker I had a couple of glasses. The interesting fact that we learnt during the tour was that Robola winery donates all unsold wine from the previous year to the residents of the island for their August bank holidays celebrations. Would like to check it our someday!

After our visit to the Robola, we took a short coach journey to our next stop – Fragata village and the Monastery of St. Gerasimos. This part of the island is a destination for pilgrims especially during festival celebrations when it can attract hundreds, even thousands, of pilgrims. The Monastery of St. Gerasimos (patron saint of Kefalonia) is built on the side of the older church which wasn’t suitable to host thousands of worshipers thus a larger monastery was constructed next to it. It is a definitely a go to place if you are Christian and happen to visit this Island.

Once, we completed our spiritual experience, we took a trip to the Melissani lake in the village of Karavomilos. It was my favourite part of our trip to the Island. Melissani lake is known to be one of the most beautiful underground lakes in the world. After a short walk through a tunnel we reached the lake and climbed aboard a wooden boat. We were sailing slowly around the lake for around five minutes and admired the surrounding caves. The sun was getting into the caves from one of the sides which gave rise to changes in shades of water. We were admiring thousands of shades of blue. It was truly magnificent.

Following on from our trip to the lake, we took a tour around the island where we were able to appreciate all it has to offer.

To conclude, I think that anyone who is considering visiting Kafalonia should go there at least for 2-3 days as 1 day is definitely not enough to discover its full potential. I would love to return here in the future.

I hope that you enjoyed reading my review!

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Clarion Congress Hotel, Prague, Czech Republic

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I recently stayed at the Clarion Congress Hotel with my mum for 4 days. The hotel is located 10 min by metro (20min by bus) from the historical centre of Prague in the area of Vysocany. It has great transport links as it is connected to the shopping centre which has a metro station (‘Vysokanska’ – B line) underneath. The shopping mall – ‘Galerie Fenix’ has everything you need if you wish to visit Prague for some retail therapy. The mall has a range of shops selling clothing, pharmacy, supermarket, jewellery shops and restaurants etc.

Reception area

I traveled to the hotel by taxi from the airport which took around 40 min. The reception area was large, looked chic and had a nice lounge with some lovely large leather sofas. From one side of the corridor, the lobby leads to the restaurant and there are lifts leading to the rooms are on the other side. I was welcomed by an amicable receptionists who checked me in and welcomed me to Prague. He also gave me some suggestions of what I should do and where I should visit whilst in Prague with my mum. As my mum was arriving day after, I was also advised about the easiest way to pick her up in the morning. The reception also as a money exchange desk which was convenient as I only had pounds on me so I converted them to the local currency CZK-Czech Koruna .

Room

When I checked in, I decided to quickly go to my room as it was almost midnight and I was sleepy and tired after my flight. My room was located on the 7th floor (executive floor) so I enjoyed some amazing views of Prague from it. Let me tell you about my room… My first impression was that I was staying at the fashionable and spacious room. It had a double bed, chest of drawers at the each side of the table, a nice coffee table and armchairs. Opposite of my bed was a large LCD satellite TV, a work table as well as some coffee and tea making facilities. The Room also had a massive wardrobe and ironing set. Clarion hotel management team left a fruit basket, a welcome drink and mineral water in the room-a lovely gesture. I always appreciate these little touches that make your stay just a little more special. The room was cleaned daily thorough my stay.

Bathroom

Bathroom was modern and stylish. There were also a couple of bathrobes, spa slippers, towels and lots of mini toiletries that smelt divine.

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Overall experience:

I genuinely enjoyed my stay at Clarion Congress Hotel. My room was specious, modern, chic and clean. Staff were, beyond doubt, very friendly and professional. The Hotel has all the facilities you need – restaurant, bar, spa, great transport links with metro underneath and buses leaving from outside. You should check it out if you are planning a trip to Prague anytime soon. I will definitely visit again.


I hope that you find this review beneficial.

If you wish to book a stay at the Clarion then visit their website:

http://www.clarioncongresshotelprague.com/en/conference-hotel-prague

 

Holiday destinations: Kotor, Montenegro

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Today I would like to tell you about my short trip to Kotor in Montenegro.

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Montenegro is one of Europe’s smallest countries but at the same time, one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.

I recently visited the Bay of Kotor for a day, which was way too short to experience it, so I will definitely come back there next summer.

Kotor is a fortified town on Montenegro’s Adriatic coast, in a bay near the limestone cliffs of Mt. Lovćen. It was built in the main by the Venetians, with city walls that climb quite implausibly up the mountainside .It is characterized by winding streets and squares, its medieval old town has several Romanesque churches, including Kotor Cathedral. It is absolutely stunning.

The water was crystal clear and I saw the shades of blue that I’ve never seen before. The bay is surrounded by cliffs so it feels like you are visiting Norwegian Fjords however it is much warmer so you can appreciate it more. The coast drive was truly magical-it is one of the natural splendours that have made tiny Montenegro one of the most attractive Adriatic destinations so I would definitely recommend you to go for a short drive outside of Kotor.

We visited the ‘Risan Mosaic’ museum which is just a short drive from Kotor. The museum is small but it has a good quality Roman mosaics which are well preserved. The other museum worth visiting is Cats Museum based in Kotor city.

Currency:

The currency used in Montenegro is EURO. ATMs are widely available. Credit cards are accepted in larger hotels but aren’t widely accepted elsewhere so try to always have some EUROS on you otherwise it might be a bit challenging to pay outside of the city center.

Getting there and getting around:

The only direct flights from the UK are with Montenegro Airlines http://www.montenegroairlines.com

Airline offers flights from Gatwick to Tivat (close to Kotor and Budva) and to the capital, Podgorica. There are local transfer busses travelling to Kotor from both of these airports. I would personally advise you to rent a car and admire the beautiful Adriatic coast.

The alternative is to fly via Dubrovnik, over the border in Croatia. You can fly from UK to Dubrovnik with many airlines such as: British Airways, easyJet, Flybe, Jet2, Monarch and Thomson.