Sunsets in Salou

I recently was lucky enough to visit Salou, Spain for a week and also visited Barcelona for a day.

I absolutely fell in love with Salou on day one. There’s the right mix of stunning beaches and nightlife to make this the ideal place to come with either family or friends. It’s somewhere I’d definitely go to again in a heartbeat. 

We stayed at an all inclusive hotel which isn’t something we have done since I was a child. It was nice to be able to not worry about food and know that everything was catered for but we couldn’t resist finding the odd small local restaurant for a break away from the bustling buffet at night. 

On our first few days we visited the beach. It was nice to just relax and not worry about anything. We found a really nice alcove which was a bit of a secret as nobody was there. It was like you could be somewhere else entirely. 

After a few days looking around Salou and visiting the local market, we then went into Barcelona on a bus trip. We used a local tour company and they gave us a brilliant guided tour of Barcelona as well as stopping at iconic locations. We was there all day and was lucky enough to see the magic fountains at night which is something I can’t recommend enough, even just seeing the city come together like that is such an incredible experience and I found it to be one of the less touristy parts of the trip. 

I was very sad to leave Salou and Spain has become one of my favourite countries but I hope to go back soon and as always am always looking forward to the next adventure. 

J x

Relaxing in beautiful Budapest

Hey Guys!

So earlier this year in November I took a break with my boyfriend to Budapest to celebrate our 1 year anniversary together! 

We stayed in a stunning Airbnb which was within walking distance to all the main attractions, it made a nice change to a hotel as I feel we had a more authentic experience and it was nice to have the added independence. Although we rented the entire apartment to ourselves our hosts family picked us up from the airport for the same price as a taxi. It gave us an added peace of mind as we were arriving late and was a kind gesture. As well as the apartment being close to the centre it was well equipped with everything we would need to cook our own meals, however we found Budapest to be really cheap so ended up eating out most nights! 

I would definitely recommend trying Hungarian food whilst in Budapest! It’s such a great opportunity to dive into the culture and a lot of the local restaurants sell this at great prices so there’s plenty of chances to try this! Kisharang Etkezede is somewhere I can’t recommend enough for traditional Hungarian food! 

If you love ice cream be sure to visit Gelarto Rosa, right near St Stephen’s Basilica. Despite being close to one of the main tourist hotspots an ice cream there will only set you back a few pounds and whilst being a work of art in themselves, they are also delicious. 

It’s also worth visiting St Stephen’s Basilica whilst in Budapest. It’s a stunning building both inside and out and again is very cheap to go right up to the top to get some gorgeous views over the city. 

Budapest is known for it’s thermal baths and after visiting I can see why. We visited Gellert Baths which was also very popular with locals. It’s a slightly pricier attraction but it’s very easy to spend the whole day there like we did. There’s a variety of baths to choose from with temperatures up to 40 degrees, as well as a steam room and sauna included in the price. 

We also made a trip to the central market hall whilst in Budapest where I ate the biggest burger I’ve ever seen! It was delicious but I couldn’t get through it all! The market is a great place to experience the culture in Budapest whilst also picking up some souvenirs! 

When I was researching Budapest I was constantly coming across the same thing, “you have to see parliament building at night!” Luckily this was only a short walk from our apartment and it was beautiful to see it all lit up. We went there before heading to one of the famous ruin bars in Budapest, Szimpla Kert which is again a must do when travelling to the city! 

Towards the end of the week we was becoming a little tired from constantly being on the go but we didn’t let that stop us! We took the funicular up to the castle where we were then able to stroll around a lot of the area free of charge. It’s a nice way to spend the best part of a day and again gave us some incredible views of the city. 

We also explored the fisherman’s bastion whilst there which was a great experience. It’s definitely worth a visit to see the stunning architecture Budapest has to offer!

We did spend another day relaxing and taking in some of the sights. We visited the Christmas market in Vorosmarty Square and went on a walk around the city in some of it’s parks. On our last day we had our suitcases with us so we didn’t want to do too much, we took a river cruise down the Danube where we learnt more about the history of Budapest whilst seeing the city from a different angle. 

Overall we had a fantastic stay in Budapest which is now one of my favourite places in the world and I can’t wait to visit again!

J x

It’s okay to have lazy days

Hey guys!

So I know the title of this blog post is probably quite an obvious statement for a lot of people but it’s something I’ve only recently come to realise after meeting my boyfriend. 

I’m a naturally busy person, out of choice. I’m always working, going to events, socialising etc and I feel that if a weekend isn’t spent “going out” then it’s wasted, at least I used to anyway. 

However having now spent a few weekends simply relaxing, staying in bed watching films, reading blogs and even taking some naps I’ve realised not only are lazy days actually quite fun but they’re also really important for your body. It gives your body time to rest and recover from all the ‘out and about’ stuff. It doesn’t mean you have to spend the whole day in bed (although I have on occasion) a relaxing walk and a bit of fresh air is also beneficial. 

On a typical weekend before I met my boyfriend I would be out with friends Friday night and then possibly even visiting a different city early the next day, with a trip to town Sunday to finish off the weekend. I wasn’t relaxing at all other than when I was asleep, I rarely took naps and although I didn’t realise it at the time, I was exhausted. 

I’ve now learnt to balance myself and feel a lot healthier. I still go out some weekends and go to events if they appeal to me but I also spend some days in bed watching Netflix (using the bf’s account because he’s the best like that❤️) but I’m not constantly draining my body and I’m also receiving the best back massages I’ve ever had and waking up at the weekends with the person I love, no amount of going out could beat that. 

I’m not saying waste life staying in bed either (I’m a travel blogger) but finding a balance is really important. There’s so much pressure from reading other blogs and social media to be doing and seeing things all the time but a lot of good can be had by taking a bit of time out too. 

J x

An Amsterdam Getaway

Hey Guys,

So I’ve finally had the time to sit down and write this little post for you about our spontaneous trip away to Amsterdam! I had the luxury of having a few days of work so wanted to make the most of it as much as I could (I hate sitting still!).

We grabbed a Pizza at Doncaster Airport before flying straight to Amsterdam, a great flight time in under an hour! 

We wanted to make the most of our three nights in Amsterdam so even ended up taking a wander around the city despite getting there fairly late at night. We was always surprised by how easy it was to get around and how friendly and helpful everyone was if we was ever stuck for directions! 

We stayed at the beautiful Pension Homeland. An oasis of calm and walking distance to the centre of Amsterdam. There are so many things which make this hotel unique but the one that stands out the most to me is the location. It’s situated on what is known as the Marine Land and is formerly an old naval base. From our room we could also look out onto all the boats which was certainly a lovely view to wake up to each morning! 

The rooms are large with murals like the one in the picture above. Although we stayed here as a couple it would also be perfect for families looking for a sense of calm amongst the buzz of the city. 

Another unique aspect of this hotel is that it has its own brewery on site! I’ve never been much of one for beer myself but this is one of the nicest I’ve had (my partner who does drink beer also agrees!). It’s definitely worth popping in for a drink or two if you’re ever in the area especially at these prices! 

The thing I loved most about Amsterdam was how close everything was to each other! I’m not usually much of one for walking but we literally walked everywhere and saw so much and everyone was so friendly! We wandered round the markets where I picked up some bargain clothes, ate waffles by the canal, had a peek at the red light district and overlooked the city at a rooftop bar as well as tucking into some delicious food! We couldn’t have wished for a better experience. 

We also busted the Resistance Musuem which I’ll be talking about in a separate post. Amsterdam was the most perfect little getaway for us and somewhere we never wanted to leave. 

We can’t wait to see where our travelling will take us next! 

I worked with Pension Homeland for the purposes of the review but all opinions are my own. You can keep up to date with all their latest news and offers on their social media and website. 

https://www.pensionhomeland.com/en/

Instagram: @pensionhomeland

Facebook: Pension Homeland 

J x

Exploring York!

I have just returned from a lovely few days in York with my mum! York is a city which I had only been to a couple times before and that was when I was very young so it was great to go back and take in the sights. It is a beautiful historic city and we found that everything was within about a ten minute walk away which made it easy to fit in everything we wanted to do!

We stayed at the stunning Middleton's Hotel, which despite having a country charm, is just minutes from the city centre making it a unique hotel and perfect to get away from the bustling city as it feels so peaceful and homely.

 

 

 

 

 

Our room was a lovely family size room with three single beds, one of the main benefits about our room was how spacious it was compared to many of the other family rooms I have been in. The beds were really comfortable and we both got a good nights sleep on both nights that we was there. There was a separate dressing room within our room where we could hang all our clothes which was very useful and added to the spacious feel. The room was equipped with a fridge and we thought it was such a lovely touch that it was stocked with a few bottles of water for us. It was lovely to have a drink when we came into our room to refresh us from the journey and it was a very nice thought that not many hotels would think of.

 

 

 

 

After checking into the hotel we decided to have a short walk to explore the local area, we ended up going on a boat trip which showed us some of the sights of York and told us about the history of the area, luckily the weather was on our side and we chose a sunny afternoon to go on the trip!

The following day we started with breakfast at Middleton's which was delicious, I had the salmon and scrambled egg whilst my mum went with the full English. This was something that I wouldn't normally go for so it was great to have the opportunity to try new foods! Before we left on the Friday I even tucked into an Eggs Benedict which isn't something I've ever had before but tasted delicious! The breakfast was a great way to start the day off and the staff were so friendly and helpful throughout our time at the hotel.

We then visited the Castle Museum which was a great morning out, I actually took so many photos there that I'll be writing a separate blog post soon all about it! I really enjoyed the Shaping the Body exhibition which showed how aspects of our body has changed through the years focusing on fashion, food and life and the York prison was a great addition and something I really enjoyed visiting within the museum.

After that we took a short walk up to see the York Minster. This is something we was recommended to do and it is definitely worth seeing! It's an amazing building and one of the key aspects of York's history, definitely not to be missed if you're heading to York anytime soon.

 

 After our day out in York we headed back to the hotel for a much needed rest and to pack some of our stuff so we wasn't rushing to get ready on the Friday. On the way back home and after a final walk around York to take some last minute photos, we stopped off at York Designer Outlet for some retail therapy, the perfect finish to a lovely break away!

J x

We can strongly recommend staying at Middleton's if you're visiting the York area. Visit their website or follow them via Twitter or Facebook for more details.

*We worked with Middleton's for the purposes of this review, however all opinions are my own.