tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18798814004766109962024-03-13T23:17:01.385-07:00Lets Go Somewhere NiceKel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-68539996881908870632019-03-10T14:39:00.001-07:002019-03-11T02:14:51.248-07:00Working around those Ryanair baggage restrictions <div style="text-align: justify;">
I've done a really bad job so far at uploading those promised catch-up posts! I'm on it, honest - its just taking longer than I'd hoped sorting through the mess of photos hoping to find anything useful! </div>
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A bit bored with that tedious task, I thought I'd share instead some quick notes on a more recent trip - a quick family visit to Dublin! I've been promising to take the kiddos to Ireland for a couple of years now, and while this mini holiday wasn't quite the epic Irish road trip I've been dreaming of, it certainly did a great job of keeping us occupied for a couple of days on the recent half term while simultaneously making sure I kept that long-ignored promise! </div>
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When I say a 'quick visit', I mean it - we had about 36 hours in Ireland, but an early morning flight one morning and an evening one back the next day still meant we had not far off two full days to enjoy, and we filled them well, with mountains and lakes, castles and museums, and parks and doughnuts! </div>
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I managed to justify the short trip because I got the flights ludicrously cheap in the pre-Christmas Black Friday Ryanair sale - but keeping those flights ludicrously cheap means foregoing 'extra luxuries' like, y'know.... bags. Yup, changes in Ryanair's baggage policy last year mean that now even hand-luggage-only passengers can't take a decent size cabin bag without paying extra. There's a 'small bag' allowance which might have just stretched to a small backpack,... if I'd not left it work on the day before the trip. Whoops! So I essentially set off for our two day trip with nothing more than a fairly chunky handbag. </div>
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Once the handbag was filled with everyone's passports, spending money, and the other holiday essentials of camera, book, bag of sweets,... it didn't have a lot of room left for superfluous wardrobe changes. Luckily, a few days before we set off I received the perfect jacket for unpredictable weather from Rydale! </div>
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The <a href="https://www.rydale.com/products/cayton-2-toggle-jacket?variant=13496354603079">Rydale Cayton II Toggle Jacket</a> was absolutely spot-on for a trip like this - as it gives enough protection from the wind and rain when necessary, but is light enough to wear indoors. The hood is generous enough to actually go over my head and stay there (I've got a big head, and bigger hair!), and that colour! Love it! </div>
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Of course, I'm hoping I won't need it on my next trip - I'm hoping for uninterrupted sunshine next time I'm away - but questionable weather is an unavoidable fact of life in Yorkshire so I know this jacket will be an invaluable addition to my wardrobe for a long while to come. </div>
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And while we all managed just fine with out limited luggage on this trip - I do admit I've already added cabin bags to our next Ryanair flights. I'm happy enough to pack light for a couple of days, but it hurt me that I couldn't bring home half a case of shamrock biscuits, leprechaun chocolates and other various assorted holiday tat! </div>
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Anyone else guilty of too much tourist shopping? Any great tips for packing light?</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">* Massive cheers to Rydale for my gorgeous jacket! Apologies that the inevitable result is pictures of me, arrgh! </span></div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-34010569742851595432019-01-27T12:37:00.001-08:002019-01-27T12:37:31.196-08:00Catching Up<div style="text-align: justify;">
Woah, it's been a while! </div>
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Honestly, I didn't expect to be back here after my extended hiatus but I accidentally let the domain auto-renew so here I am! </div>
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It's quite nice to be back though.... I've really enjoyed a bit of quiet offline time, but blogging always helped me really appreciate and focus on the great things I've got to do throughout the year. </div>
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So, what <i>did </i>I get up to through 2018? (Since it's been more or less that long, eek!) </div>
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Pompeii</div>
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At one point, too long ago to remember now, little missy was learning about volcanoes in school. She as simultaneously learning about the Romans. I love me an excuse for an 'educational' excursion so booked us all a quick trip to the intriguing buried city of Pompeii. </div>
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Over a couple of days we explored the once-lost ruins, climbed to the top of the deadly Mount Vesuvius, discovered the archaeologically fascinating Herculaneum, and ate some insanely good pizza. </div>
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Scotland</div>
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We've had a summer holiday in Scotland for the last few years, and we love it. This year we rented a cottage in the grounds of a castle in South Ayrshire. It was new area to us and we spent a wonderful week exploring the castles, museums and beaches of the region. </div>
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Amsterdam</div>
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I actually visited Amsterdam twice in 2018, how spoilt am I? I spent a lovely cultural couple of days there in the summer with a couple of my fave ladies, and a flying visit in November with KC as part of one of the P&O Ferries mini-cruises. I was sure to make sure delicious pancakes featured heavily in both trips! </div>
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Disneyland Paris</div>
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I can't quite remember if my brother invited us to join him and his kids on a trip to Disneyland Paris, or if I invited myself. Either way, the seven of us had a magical time filled with exciting rides, lovable characters, and a LOT of walking! Having my five year old niece with us gave me me the perfect excuse to get out of any of the scary rides! </div>
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That's covered all the biggies, but we had a lovely selection of local days out too. I'm hoping to fill 2019 with some equally exciting plans and hopefully the blog can be an incentive to get out and about plenty (as so far the weekends have been a bit 'ooh its too cold to go out', and I need to stop finding excuses to be lazy!)</div>
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If I get organised, the above will give me plenty of new-post fodder - if you want me to start anywhere in particular please let me know! </div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-74088003798222026082018-11-15T12:11:00.000-08:002019-01-20T02:41:31.786-08:00Autumn Must-Haves<div style="text-align: justify;">
You might not have noticed, but it's getting cold out there! Brrr! Cold AND dark! </div>
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Yup, Autumn is definitely in full-swing. Since I can no longer live in denial about the increasingly depressing weather, I figured its about time I got myself prepared! </div>
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I think I've ticked all the boxes with my newest addition! The Joe Browns Favourite Parka was perfect for an autumnal trip to the woods. I love me a classic coat style (if it's not a duffle coat or a parka, then what is it?) but this one has those pretty little details - like the floral embroidery and jacquard panels - that put it a cut above similar items. </div>
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Plus, the huge fluffy hood! </div>
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You can find this beauty, along with a range of <a href="https://www.jdwilliams.co.uk/shop/womens/coats-jackets/_/N-1ytvwy7/products/show.action">winter coats and jackets, at JD Williams! </a></div>
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So now that the most important thing is taken care of, what else do you need to see you through the winter season?</div>
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Hot Chocolate - I'm a dedicated tea drinker, but when you start to feel that cold right down in your soul, nothing warms it up like a rich sweet hot chocolate. I have a cupboard full of flavoured options. None of that cheap just-add-water instant nonsense, of course, and it goes without saying that you need cream and marshmallows to finish it off!</div>
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Netflix - Even with the new coat, I'm happy to stay in when possible over the colder months, and there's few finer ways to wile away the evenings that with a nice big hot chocolate, and hours and hours of TV. Who needs to go out when there's so much still unwatched on Netflix? We've been working our way through Doctor Who as a family, and I've started American Horror Story once the kids are in bed.</div>
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Big Stack of Bath Bombs - I grew up in one of those Yorkshire families where we just didn't put the heating on. You might have been able to see your breath, and there may have been ice on the inside of the windows, but you didn't put the heating on. Now, as an adult in my own house? I put the heating on. But never above a '1'. Somehow though, I manage to convince myself that the necessary energy needed to create a bathful of super hot water comes from a difference source.... so sitting in a hot bath is not only totally ok, it's one of the most pleasant ways of warming up (while simultaneously getting some degree of peace and quiet. I love baths, and a big stack of bath bombs just help make the experience more of an 'event'! </div>
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Basically, winter is depressing so finding a way to make those necessary items more pleasurable can do wonders for your happiness levels. A coat will keep me warm, but a coat with pretty embroidery will bring me so much more joy. A bath is nice, but a pink, lavender-scented glittery bath is so much better! </div>
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Have I missed anything important off my must-haves list? What little luxuries help get you through the cold and dark times?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">* Coat was provided, but I do proper love it!</span></div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-21010612600460252362018-05-28T12:58:00.002-07:002019-01-20T02:41:56.836-08:00A Cosy Scottish Stay<div style="font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">
(Again, I'm 'recycling' as this is from a little while ago! We are just looking at similar places to stay this summer though, so this place has been in my thoughts!)<br />
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When I first starting thinking about what I wanted to do for our family summer holiday this year, my first thoughts were of sunshine, outdoor swimming pools, all inclusive ice creams and exotic beaches. However, vocalising these thoughts to the children I was met with '....can we go to Scotland instead?'</div>
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<a name='more'></a>I wasn't initially besotted with the idea, but I aim to please! Once we'd definitely decided on Scotland, I knew to look at <a href="http://www.sykescottages.co.uk/">Sykes Cottages</a> for accommodation. I've stayed in a couple of cottages on their books before and was certain they'd have something for us north of the border. As the sole driver in the household, I didn't want to be venturing too far up the country and we were all quickly won over by <a href="http://www.sykescottages.co.uk/cottage/Scottish-Borders-Cockburnspath/The-Tack-Room-Cove-Farm-904533.html">The Tack Room, Cove Farm</a> both for it's favourable location and general prettiness. </div>
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<b>House Tour</b> </div>
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I will do away with any suspense by telling you right now that we LOVED our cottage! We really couldn't have asked for more from it. I know that appearances aren't everything, but pulling up to a house this cute sure can put you in a good mood! </div>
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Everything was spotlessly clean and tastefully decorated throughout with an emphasis on nautical colours and cute seaside-themed knick-knacks. Clean towels and bedding were plentiful, and a selection of books, CDs etc was also provided. </div>
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It's a three-bedroomed cottage, so the youngsters got a twin room each - it's weird how much mess they can make with only a small bag of stuff if the have the space to really spread it out! </div>
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They share a room on holidays a lot without complaining but they tend to keep each other up late and wake each other up early so them having a room each was probably more restful for all of us! </div>
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The bedrooms and bathrooms were downstairs and the communal areas upstairs, which is a little unusual but the 'upside down' design of the house really worked to make the most of the natural light in areas like the kitchen.</div>
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The kitchen was so bright and airy, as well as exceedingly well supplied for making a number of family meals - so much so that I feel like I wasted it by pretty much just using it for putting together sandwiches and making toast, but I was on holiday after all! </div>
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It's really only the lack of a bath that made me ok with moving out at the end of the week, otherwise the owners would have never got rid of me! </div>
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<b>A Warm Welcome</b> </div>
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The house was utterly beautiful but we knew we'd be well taken care of before we even set off. A week or so before our visit we got the most lovely email from the owners, with loads of brilliant suggestions about where to visit/walk/eat in the area .</div>
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The email also mentioned a 'welcome pack' of goodies provided to help us settle in - but I was still surprised at how generous the welcome pack was! I would have been over the moon with a couple of tea bags and a drop of milk just to get me through 'til we could do some shopping (there was no ay we could take a lot in the way of groceries along with our weeks stuff in the back of my teeny car!), but as well as the tea and milk we had bread, butter and jam, eggs, orange juice, wine (much appreciated after that long drive!) and best of all, shortbread and teacakes! </div>
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Such a thorough pack meant I didn't even have to think about shopping until well into the next day, and could get straight on with my holiday relaxing! Plus, in a brilliant but unexpected twist, turns out that despite their initial excitement about them neither of the kids liked the chocolate tea cake things so they were ALL for the adults! </div>
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<b>Lazy Mornings and Relaxed Evenings</b></div>
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We knew we were headed to a rather quiet and secluded area, and though we've gone on family holidays in the past with a heavy emphasis on evening entertainment and kids activities, we were really looking forward to some peaceful downtime. No discos or party games, just us and our biscuits in our nice little house. </div>
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We had activity-filled day times, visiting local attractions and exploring nearby towns, but the evenings and the mornings were all about chilling. We read books, we watched TV, we drank tea (ok that was mainly me!), and we just had a really well-needed break. Evenings usually consisted of a DVD and a selection of sugary treats (Irn Bru floats were an inspired highlight!), cuddled up under one of the snuggly blankets provided in the cottage. Perfect. </div>
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<b>The View</b></div>
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One of the nicest things to do at The Tack Room though, was to simply sit and admire the view. We had beautiful clear days...</div>
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....the odd foggy morning....</div>
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...and some truly spectacular evenings! </div>
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<b>The Beach</b></div>
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With a sea view like that, we weren't going to be far from the beach! In fact, just a few minutes walk, a nature-riddled path and a secret tunnel were enough to bring us to a pretty little beach. </div>
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This was a perfect spot for building sandcastles, exploring caves, climbing on rocks and generally enjoying beachy things, but without the usual school-holiday crowds! We felt so luck to have such a quiet little spot more-or-less to ourselves ! </div>
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We all had such a wonderful holiday, and the kids both agreed that this was their favourite yet. I wasn't overly sold on their grand Scottish plan to begin with but I'm very glad that the young 'uns got their own way! This was a truly lovely cottage in a truly lovely area and I will (and have) recommend a visit to anyone!</div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-64892435977433244272018-05-22T05:56:00.000-07:002019-01-20T02:42:12.444-08:00Belhaven Fruit Farm<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>So firstly, a disclaimer! I'm totally cheating with this post, as it's an old one posted elsewhere previously (so no, the kiddo's haven't shrunk!) In my defence, I've been meaning to move a lot of stuff over for,.. well the last year or so! Not everything, just the bits that seem to fit here most.... and there'll be plenty of new stuff to come too, so I hope you forgive my 'recycling'! Anyway,....</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1WQ1dbmYYBrDOvGX9Cr3KGq_cW7l18vF4iDZ-mDixsP9C0vln-anVAVX29ZaouhdVSgIAIOivFjpqN-COx0cC9Tp6omr9_4rm-D_mPxmj8mf5ENaEBWAxs0WtvlaemYrgTfV_wBN5RUO/s1600/pyo+strawberries+scotland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1WQ1dbmYYBrDOvGX9Cr3KGq_cW7l18vF4iDZ-mDixsP9C0vln-anVAVX29ZaouhdVSgIAIOivFjpqN-COx0cC9Tp6omr9_4rm-D_mPxmj8mf5ENaEBWAxs0WtvlaemYrgTfV_wBN5RUO/s640/pyo+strawberries+scotland.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a><br />
<i><b></b><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></i>
Unexpected roadside farm shops with attached tea rooms are pretty much the best reason in the world for learning to drive. </div>
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So, when I saw the sight for <a href="http://www.belhavenfruitfarm.co.uk/">Belhaven Fruit Farm</a> just a stones throw away from our <a href="http://www.adventuresinteaandcake.com/2016/08/a-week-at-tack-room-with-sykes-cottages.html">Holiday Cottage in Scotland</a>, I was in my element! </div>
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Belhaven
Fruit Farm was just the cutest little stop off, with a lovely café,
well-stocked shop, outdoor play area, and opportunity to <a href="http://www.belhavenfruitfarm.co.uk/pyo.aspx">pick your own strawberries!</a><br />
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We
all love fresh juicy strawberries (who doesn't?!), and as we passed the
farm on the way back from many of our day trips out we tried to
incorporate a strawberry-stop into our journey whenever possible! </div>
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The
kids loved picking their own, with just a little adult supervision for
quality control purposes ('There's thousands to choose from guys, they
don't all have to come off <b>that one plant</b>!')</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt97Uq8sY55EtKLmyRjvDjo_cB8BOFZx4Ks_xtM7nmi3EMe9QTtz8NNRP-Q7liO85ObrmK_B8CPKGLbBZP9wjicILgRZRY1MH0HG0o0_2T6cnc1zr2rS7jYE9Lwa0khyphenhyphen4kZpzQJuAbvD7z/s1600/pick+strawberries+belhaven+fruit+farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt97Uq8sY55EtKLmyRjvDjo_cB8BOFZx4Ks_xtM7nmi3EMe9QTtz8NNRP-Q7liO85ObrmK_B8CPKGLbBZP9wjicILgRZRY1MH0HG0o0_2T6cnc1zr2rS7jYE9Lwa0khyphenhyphen4kZpzQJuAbvD7z/s640/pick+strawberries+belhaven+fruit+farm.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Not
only where they cheaper than supermarket strawbs (and more fun to
pick!), they literally couldn't be fresher. These beauties went from
plucked from the vine to home and covered in cream in less than half an
hour, and were absolutely gorgeous! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtj7nWMlP8OMW1-WvYIDERhs4yq7VOix6RWjlmMdjKOQOwM9CEX0v_M4HhjBCOPhn9hUg4RyIfqRiRez7esQJfo2m2aLQoMLeOgFtkhsqu5I_zB1x4-RYZ9Qm0n6Xl-UXZLPj37ZnZ23d7/s1600/strawberries+and+cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtj7nWMlP8OMW1-WvYIDERhs4yq7VOix6RWjlmMdjKOQOwM9CEX0v_M4HhjBCOPhn9hUg4RyIfqRiRez7esQJfo2m2aLQoMLeOgFtkhsqu5I_zB1x4-RYZ9Qm0n6Xl-UXZLPj37ZnZ23d7/s640/strawberries+and+cream.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Despite
having strawberries lined up for dessert, it wouldn't have been polite
of me to not try the onsite café at least once. I was on holiday after
all, so two desserts was definitely allowed! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLlWSyY0E1U2w_JRdFjws8IDruCmDlxSFurtOAAybQZAn_kYl_LXP45dPyihhccpck3OUOKQWKtExeNzo4KZtE1ZX63Vp-ZOIu-yV_Jsf06cX5aaUytRT8buLoNgBxjBB5SXuLaizNzzA/s1600/belhaven+farm+and+cafe+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLlWSyY0E1U2w_JRdFjws8IDruCmDlxSFurtOAAybQZAn_kYl_LXP45dPyihhccpck3OUOKQWKtExeNzo4KZtE1ZX63Vp-ZOIu-yV_Jsf06cX5aaUytRT8buLoNgBxjBB5SXuLaizNzzA/s640/belhaven+farm+and+cafe+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The
café itself was pretty quiet when we visited, as most of the customers
were taking advantage of the nice weather and had perched themselves on
one of the playground-adjacent picnic benches instead. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRZeyq-nN0Pfg4O-_VqBT1khllUdQG6wQyEytaP0oMC7vbmhnnuCKKIGIaOCRUnMRQSF12MBzWAUmp4q_xJJA71stSGgt0dXw_gFIebBy9pIgq5NgD6aFBsg8PUKInN4XwMiTvKc6ucsc/s1600/tea+pot+egg+timer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRZeyq-nN0Pfg4O-_VqBT1khllUdQG6wQyEytaP0oMC7vbmhnnuCKKIGIaOCRUnMRQSF12MBzWAUmp4q_xJJA71stSGgt0dXw_gFIebBy9pIgq5NgD6aFBsg8PUKInN4XwMiTvKc6ucsc/s640/tea+pot+egg+timer.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our
main 'north-of-the-boarder' faux pas of the week was when KC asked
for a pot of English Breakfast tea before being informed (in friendly
fashion of course) that it's Scottish Breakfast they serve, oops! I
played it safe with a pot of Earl Grey! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3dGLGEgzsS6bLll4g3LR6aqwGi5YMyN_nDGOGCUQRiIgQ8KtHzukUdbuugk7DsKCui-7ZznIRoKTLpmFNzLQPnyC7eRxiTJuCbySyd0Gy96u0UbVLE7Y4Fv6NB_GIjk9pCZlixdSbDUPv/s1600/chocolate+brownie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3dGLGEgzsS6bLll4g3LR6aqwGi5YMyN_nDGOGCUQRiIgQ8KtHzukUdbuugk7DsKCui-7ZznIRoKTLpmFNzLQPnyC7eRxiTJuCbySyd0Gy96u0UbVLE7Y4Fv6NB_GIjk9pCZlixdSbDUPv/s640/chocolate+brownie.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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No
matter where we go for cake, no matter the interesting and unique
flavours to choose from, the young ones both always go for the most chocolatey
thing available - on this occasion it was chocolate brownies for the
both of them, neither of which lasted more than a minute once they got
them to the table! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4afJiyo1LNDXHiAYk1qTEN_J7Er2ZI5-D9Wa_ApHsqsTIF2iCO-oQEXwwl_krLV2MSDTu5CI5_QYTXUC_a-G1tqNCVmTdtOLbtb98_2InbZ-lq30IWraJX-XSp5Ezu6Gmh_NAQaXy9HuJ/s1600/pear+and+elderflower+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4afJiyo1LNDXHiAYk1qTEN_J7Er2ZI5-D9Wa_ApHsqsTIF2iCO-oQEXwwl_krLV2MSDTu5CI5_QYTXUC_a-G1tqNCVmTdtOLbtb98_2InbZ-lq30IWraJX-XSp5Ezu6Gmh_NAQaXy9HuJ/s640/pear+and+elderflower+cake.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My Pear and Elderflower cake was light and tasty, and best of all - no one else wanted to try any! </div>
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The
shop was full of awesome looking local products, from chocolates to
coffee, and more gin than you could shake a stick at! I always want to
buy all the jams, I have a fondness for pretty little jars, but settled
on a box of Bellhaven Farm's very own IceDelight! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHTzTSPa0jr2ETVL53e-tXOAI2IPPghdH7h28Ussf_uZRQqRKiwItJf8nVVmWVyZKqJVoJV91biwFPygty8WMA7bo2-YKmu40XjiXfMWWx1eSywvXo1OyX6hnfaAncJ9xMgAh-_39cew6/s1600/Ice+Delight+Lemon+belhaven+farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHTzTSPa0jr2ETVL53e-tXOAI2IPPghdH7h28Ussf_uZRQqRKiwItJf8nVVmWVyZKqJVoJV91biwFPygty8WMA7bo2-YKmu40XjiXfMWWx1eSywvXo1OyX6hnfaAncJ9xMgAh-_39cew6/s640/Ice+Delight+Lemon+belhaven+farm.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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IcedDelight is a frozen dessert absolutely packed with fruit (this can <i>genuinely</i>
be counted as one of your five-a-day, not in the same way I tell myself
fruit scones count...), it's dairy-free, gluten-free and absolutely
delicious! The lemon is sharp and zesty, and the texture is so much
creamer than I'd expected from a dairy-free iced dessert. This is no
ordinary sorbet! </div>
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Unfortunately we didn't get to try any of the other flavours but the stuff is available from a bunch of <a href="http://www.belhavenfruitfarm.co.uk/ice-delight/stockists.aspx">stockists (mainly in Scotland but a couple of others about!) </a>and I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for it! </div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-89453548898920042732018-05-03T04:13:00.000-07:002019-01-20T02:42:32.002-08:00The London Problem<div style="text-align: justify;">
KC started a new job recently which has led to him, on occasion, travelling to London. He hates London with the passion of a proud Yorkshireman, and returned from his first work-based jaunt to the capital and declared 'I am never, ever, going to that city again unless I have to for work'.</div>
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And I get where he's coming from, I really do. I have no deep love for London, and I certainly wouldn't want to travel there on a regular basis. The thing is, and I feel weird just saying this, but for a few reasons I can't quite bring myself to hate it either. And while I'd rather cut off my on toes that than actually live there, I don't hate the idea of visiting occasionally.</div>
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In the aim of providing a fair, balanced view as to why we shouldn't entirely dismiss any future trips, I thought I'd present him with some of my London pros and cons..</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbt79maB05l0O9dkDF5wa9SOLmMVQLfHklKAGQyPnNmq4Qas4j5_sm0oriw6RoQZnPpq-v_Uo-b-AXsWk5GWhBd7V17kYD5anHHMMWsUfBWOFm9i-x9OejqFEQvzeD8bzZ_NVM2D0ODLko/s1600/10+OCT+LONDON.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbt79maB05l0O9dkDF5wa9SOLmMVQLfHklKAGQyPnNmq4Qas4j5_sm0oriw6RoQZnPpq-v_Uo-b-AXsWk5GWhBd7V17kYD5anHHMMWsUfBWOFm9i-x9OejqFEQvzeD8bzZ_NVM2D0ODLko/s1600/10+OCT+LONDON.JPG" /></a></div>
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Con - It's Expensive. I know this is a really obvious complaint, especially coming from a Northerner, but my gosh it's true! Three nights in the city's cheapest Travelodge would have set me back more than my monthly mortgage payment, and I don't even want to think about how much I was paying per pint! </div>
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Pro - The Food. I love my home town, but it's not exactly known for its culinary delights. I nearly drowned in a sea of possibilities just looking at <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/12/a-midsummer-nights-dream-afternoon-tea.html">London Afternoon Teas</a> alone, and even KC was impressed by how easy it was to find tasty vegan food. Sure beats our local eating-out options of 'the Nando's at the top of town' Vs 'the Nando's at the bottom of town'.</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Con - London Underground. It's not that I'm not impressed by a the fast and efficient service provided, but its just so.... so hot and dirty and airless. Going underground genuinely feels like you are getting closer to hell. It's great you can get to so many places so easily but the act of just getting around makes me feel so dirty and gross that I feel I shouldn't be out in public!</span></div>
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Pro - There's SO MUCH TO DO. There are so many museums, galleries and theatres I barely knew how to begin narrowing down everything I wanted to do on our last trip. A quick search for <a href="https://www.groupon.co.uk/vouchers/london/things-to-do" rel="nofollow">the best things to do on a trip to London</a> really does provide some enticing ideas, and using sites like Groupon can help with my first big issue by helping cut down on the cost. I do like that a lot of the big museums are free too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHZg2SzttzJ57cahYcI11dRnQuOSZROGBEo-9T-XICQN4ORZGO-wb4pjefj_77ypL6KT2oDNtrHG4sTmdm5cwLzRdFk_XnxESPza_zDhS1UzFeDgUnZrLDEefnEU17u1kPkDaI6Dck1uF/s1600/View+from+The+Swan+London+Globe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHZg2SzttzJ57cahYcI11dRnQuOSZROGBEo-9T-XICQN4ORZGO-wb4pjefj_77ypL6KT2oDNtrHG4sTmdm5cwLzRdFk_XnxESPza_zDhS1UzFeDgUnZrLDEefnEU17u1kPkDaI6Dck1uF/s1600/View+from+The+Swan+London+Globe.JPG" /></a></div>
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Con - I can't drive there. I mean, I know I technically<i> could</i>, but I definitely wouldn't - the very idea of it stresses me out, and that's without even thinking of the parking costs. But the necessity of booking train tickets adds to the expense and levels of organisation needed to consider a trip, where I could just jump in my car and drive to pretty much anywhere else in the country. </div>
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Pro - I can't drive there. Yes, I know I just said this. But there is also joy in not being the one responsible for getting us from A to B. I love that on the train I get to relax for a couple of hours with a cup of tea and a book - something I definitely can't do while driving!</div>
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I don't know if I've done more here to convince KC we should go to London again, or convince me that we shouldn't so I think the jury is still out on this one! Is there anything in particular you love about London that could convince us either way? Or any reason we should avoid the big bad city like the plague? </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Sponsored like, but you know I only speak the truth.</span></div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-73245509434195374412018-04-25T09:01:00.001-07:002019-01-20T02:42:50.026-08:00A Winter visit to Jurmala, Latvia<div style="text-align: justify;">
During my Riga research, I found a whole bunch of sources telling me about what a how popular the nearby beach resort of Jurmala is in the summer. Locals and tourists alike flock to the sunshiny seaside town to soak up the rays and frolick in the sea.</div>
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There was no sunshiny frolicking on my visit! But, even in the depths of winter Jurmala is well worth a visit - perhaps even more so. After all, nice beaches in the summer are ten a penny, but somewhere you can walk on the frozen sea? That's pretty special!</div>
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I woke up in Riga on the day of my intended visit to find that it had snowed overnight - would the weather affect the running of the trains? We'd have had no chance in the UK, but the Latvian trains were running perfectly on time still. Not only efficient but cheap too, with the one-way 30 minute journey costing just E1.40, and a discount for the way back if you buy as a return.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtIGTG-8ML-dd9uLdslcDvdHMAAVmLoF57YO-kVRQl2dNReWRWvlMvJ2Oo8TPqy8tenLy-ek-iSOA2kY2TLaa6sM_CParjUnClt7O4cTsSHSaygyhOtnZnSNqpegHfIdTV6w-bSDKEVuj/s1600/Snowy+buildings+marjori.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtIGTG-8ML-dd9uLdslcDvdHMAAVmLoF57YO-kVRQl2dNReWRWvlMvJ2Oo8TPqy8tenLy-ek-iSOA2kY2TLaa6sM_CParjUnClt7O4cTsSHSaygyhOtnZnSNqpegHfIdTV6w-bSDKEVuj/s1600/Snowy+buildings+marjori.JPG" /></a></div>
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Don't make the mistake of looking for a train to 'Jurmala' though, as there's not a station with that name. Your best bet might be 'Majori', with a tourist information centre and a ten minute walk to the beach.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TOIi_RPXqU1OoqkfL6O1K073N3KLDi3sLdyTluFKQ8-Yu9QEjw0Tx7cm2dx0uA0DXX24h4Of84o0YyjcVtRkuNhJsCXcgtHDbafpe7o-Pkp0171I25EdxNJVI-zaJ6Ues3w5oj8FpzcT/s1600/Summer+houses+jurmala.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TOIi_RPXqU1OoqkfL6O1K073N3KLDi3sLdyTluFKQ8-Yu9QEjw0Tx7cm2dx0uA0DXX24h4Of84o0YyjcVtRkuNhJsCXcgtHDbafpe7o-Pkp0171I25EdxNJVI-zaJ6Ues3w5oj8FpzcT/s1600/Summer+houses+jurmala.JPG" /></a></div>
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The beach is easy to find too - well signposted, and there's a big map just over the road from the station if you need any extra help. I was a little wary, as I'd already gotten a bit out of my way that morning looking on the way to the train station in Riga (I took a short cut that wasn't that short....!) but had no trouble at all finding where I wanted to be. </div>
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And then, there I was. Snow on ice, as far as the eye could see! </div>
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I didn't really know what to expect, visually. With fresh snow covering everything, how would I know I was walking over the frozen sea, as opposed to just snow-topped sand? But even under the snow you could see ridges and waves where the water had frozen solid.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6GzxvzGfjrkbaGXRQI5frA4jcZx2VdAtoMw4MLxESdOqfxWsXQ1nrzmc9gDMpPz3A7EWiSeNBucufoTSUiC7cqMTTa7X-ze2WmL8kusU7zxJX160cKpFdz-YcButf6JZArkVhjKtRBPK/s1600/Frozen+beach+latvia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6GzxvzGfjrkbaGXRQI5frA4jcZx2VdAtoMw4MLxESdOqfxWsXQ1nrzmc9gDMpPz3A7EWiSeNBucufoTSUiC7cqMTTa7X-ze2WmL8kusU7zxJX160cKpFdz-YcButf6JZArkVhjKtRBPK/s1600/Frozen+beach+latvia.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #000120;">That, and I had an excitable old German chap yelling 'Is water underneath!' at me with a massive smile on his face! </span></div>
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There was a temptation to keep edging towards the (liquid) water, but even I could see the possibilities for disaster there! </div>
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Of course, the fact that everything was frozen should give you some indication that it was <i>pretty cold</i>, so it wasn't too long before I headed back the relative warmth of the train and the comfort of some of <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2018/04/cake-in-riga.html">Riga's finest hot chocolate</a> but I'll always be grateful for the opportunity to visit this incredible place! </div>
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I'd love to see it in the summer to compare the two! </div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-74342258610004281122018-04-15T04:57:00.001-07:002018-04-15T04:57:05.119-07:00Cake in Riga<div style="text-align: justify;">
When I was in <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2018/03/february-happenings-march-plans.html">Riga in February</a>, I booked a walking tour on Riga's Old Town. I didn't book a private tour, but I ended up getting one anyway - I can only assume everyone else chickened out because of the ungodly weather - but 'twas just me and my lovely guide Inga wandering round the gorgeous Old Town for a couple of ours In that time she many many things relating to the history and culture of Latvia, but one thing she said stuck with me above all else I learnt on that tour. She told me 'we Latvians love our pastries'. Now THAT is a cultural statement I can get behind! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2upe3oEppy5PQXzf_nqsMW3XCvnfePBn_v0g39mbMVXxfcEwQv7FuIf40vEYT7cfUX0yNu0P0zsuBnhcNN00whPloKzRx4mY38ft2_XOg9lKGllpp2ME1QdmJ6jVDtzCLy_SuJyfuHpXl/s1600/Tea+and+eclair.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2upe3oEppy5PQXzf_nqsMW3XCvnfePBn_v0g39mbMVXxfcEwQv7FuIf40vEYT7cfUX0yNu0P0zsuBnhcNN00whPloKzRx4mY38ft2_XOg9lKGllpp2ME1QdmJ6jVDtzCLy_SuJyfuHpXl/s1600/Tea+and+eclair.JPG" /></a></div>
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Earlier that day, I'd visited <a href="http://bakeberry.lv/">Bakeberry</a>, somewhere that was on my radar for it's impressive array of pretty cakes. Though to my surprise, it wasn't one of these complex, highly decorated and beautiful looking concoctions that grabbed my attention,....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZ00c1Lus7pVNWXep2yKGPGd8Xkx6ZpB52a85fl3xShIJ-Rh776NvBKaShpzSyjpddpgA5hDk2qRdPlT49FfBLxDBof1fzgMMAwK0unYsAAK9L2bgD1ib_Ootj-CJ_pGRI0jcGhNBiR1U/s1600/Bakeberr.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZ00c1Lus7pVNWXep2yKGPGd8Xkx6ZpB52a85fl3xShIJ-Rh776NvBKaShpzSyjpddpgA5hDk2qRdPlT49FfBLxDBof1fzgMMAwK0unYsAAK9L2bgD1ib_Ootj-CJ_pGRI0jcGhNBiR1U/s1600/Bakeberr.JPG" /></a></div>
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...but a comparatively simple Coconut Pastry.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetL3ui7ZglwUNFQ-0PTLGz0VOydk94Uxgt1s2GshTvvtj7mOnPPBGV-khDrn9PYanSw5UfWQ8RuKPBfRDfEhype0qTs9AYtbZBKRAM4ccchMdvt3Gq5mGfeC9sPc0tE4gfKQT3bHBY65D/s1600/Coconut+pastry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetL3ui7ZglwUNFQ-0PTLGz0VOydk94Uxgt1s2GshTvvtj7mOnPPBGV-khDrn9PYanSw5UfWQ8RuKPBfRDfEhype0qTs9AYtbZBKRAM4ccchMdvt3Gq5mGfeC9sPc0tE4gfKQT3bHBY65D/s1600/Coconut+pastry.JPG" /></a></div>
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There could be a couple of reasons for this decision. For example, the pricing structure that put this flakey, buttery, coconutty delight at a mere E0.75 cannot be ignored.</div>
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But I think the main this was I couldn't consider a cake that wold in any where interfere with the enjoyment of my frankly magical hot chocolate!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5Y8VScHNaAHD3jrUjFvKnMIrMwhjlwA_NcpXewJY3bCkbuDGXJzymaokBBvGQ-Ng8jM7bQguNOhQMIGp9_2VneAnKjQgef0XaC_NzwhvMKegvRWnH-Suzhyphenhyphenf25oCXYYQXTijTj820Ynn/s1600/Hazlent+hot+chocolate+Riga.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5Y8VScHNaAHD3jrUjFvKnMIrMwhjlwA_NcpXewJY3bCkbuDGXJzymaokBBvGQ-Ng8jM7bQguNOhQMIGp9_2VneAnKjQgef0XaC_NzwhvMKegvRWnH-Suzhyphenhyphenf25oCXYYQXTijTj820Ynn/s1600/Hazlent+hot+chocolate+Riga.JPG" /></a></div>
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There's no mistake - THIS was the star of the show. The bitterly cold weather had left craving something both warming and comforting, and this was it in spades! So it seemed obvious that my accompanying food chose should be something that complemented, not competed with, the extravaganza that was my beverage. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlAS28Emu0fJQ-uNgiYcR_79My9fGsM-c5A6BnwRxw0SGKpYTN5BFVwi_GsiF_FGS2W1qiHliNe4SxLNzUmUXnF_6Ml1zzW8-OttVm09TsRBwN7mAGsVMPajf2IN_wvkb7HEzsDZbxTA2/s1600/Pastries+Riga.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlAS28Emu0fJQ-uNgiYcR_79My9fGsM-c5A6BnwRxw0SGKpYTN5BFVwi_GsiF_FGS2W1qiHliNe4SxLNzUmUXnF_6Ml1zzW8-OttVm09TsRBwN7mAGsVMPajf2IN_wvkb7HEzsDZbxTA2/s1600/Pastries+Riga.JPG" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhI0IWrUwXYWZBSfwHzTjrVSrPdvzL2qq2BycemC6WEp1tJL6wrIkMi2GVEYTlARXH-oPXrlK0qm4l99Gu2EpsN4pVPrr8Hx-0ZJGwmx-gYGBGfjMlqg9ype9YDLPpgDm85dTWcOjk0nA/s1600/Bakeberry+Riga.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhI0IWrUwXYWZBSfwHzTjrVSrPdvzL2qq2BycemC6WEp1tJL6wrIkMi2GVEYTlARXH-oPXrlK0qm4l99Gu2EpsN4pVPrr8Hx-0ZJGwmx-gYGBGfjMlqg9ype9YDLPpgDm85dTWcOjk0nA/s1600/Bakeberry+Riga.JPG" /></a></div>
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Still, much as I am sure I made the right decision on the day it was a shame to not indulge in some of their sweeter, fancier options. But worry not, this was not my only opportunity for overly sugary goodies! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLJF9JNiF8PdEXRkADJOvNZoHg2aNNt4OaRRFyxHeKA4zY1sc-dYwa4sUm-VY8ME43II7-dOxH_H3InVQl2yqk15UgrvDApi4aOW7YY1y2yrISR9X3VrZ61IQc44K4mGzVXQg8-N7H5zC/s1600/Dulche+De+Leche+eclair.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLJF9JNiF8PdEXRkADJOvNZoHg2aNNt4OaRRFyxHeKA4zY1sc-dYwa4sUm-VY8ME43II7-dOxH_H3InVQl2yqk15UgrvDApi4aOW7YY1y2yrISR9X3VrZ61IQc44K4mGzVXQg8-N7H5zC/s1600/Dulche+De+Leche+eclair.JPG" /></a></div>
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Possibly my favourite of the cafe's I stumbled across in Riga was the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fatcateklernica/">Fat Cat Eklernica</a>. Yup, that's an eclair cafe. A cafe full of eclairs. Lots of different flavours and fillings of eclairs. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvRq1QrYx6E4BAYGM46twQpYDqYIf02pNW8HqTpaoRbqbiX6LjjexeY4rnzeQwqUFgQEv2sua9auoWMTj-rICyhQ9SMogrD0NCgf9a9K7eWlsb8ckL1wxpX3yhla22yACEe7BLW7h8ldI/s1600/Eclairs+Riga.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvRq1QrYx6E4BAYGM46twQpYDqYIf02pNW8HqTpaoRbqbiX6LjjexeY4rnzeQwqUFgQEv2sua9auoWMTj-rICyhQ9SMogrD0NCgf9a9K7eWlsb8ckL1wxpX3yhla22yACEe7BLW7h8ldI/s1600/Eclairs+Riga.JPG" /></a></div>
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Eclair's aside for the moment, Fat Cat is just a beautifully cosy and cheerful little spot, with really lovely service - the lass behind the counter was more than happy to offer recommendations.</div>
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So based on her suggestion, I settled down in a snug corner with my dulce de leche eclair and a nice cup of earl grey. Heaven! </div>
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This is almost the opposite of my Bakeberry set up - the eclair was sooo sweet that anything fancier than a plain brew would have been way too much, but as it is this combo was perfection. </div>
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I did of course hit up a couple of other cakey spots in Riga - I needed to make sure I got out of the cold every so often just so the blood didn't freeze in my veins - but this pair were my favourites, as well as the only two my hands stopped shaking long enough to get pictures in! I might have to make a return visit in better weather to do them all proper justice! </div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-17296085329527939142018-04-08T04:19:00.000-07:002018-04-08T04:19:00.668-07:00March Happenings, April Plans<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another month has gone by with very little from me in the way of blogging - I'm a bad 'un! </div>
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March is always a tough one though because it's one of the busiest times at work - not that I need an excuse for being slack! I keep thinking 'oh I'm just gonna knock the blog on the head, I don't have time for it'... but then I wouldn't have an excuse to buy the new camera I've been eyeing up so I better stick with it for a while! </div>
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So, March. March I've been mainly up to my eyeballs in receipts and VAT and other boring work things, but I did manage a couple of nice breaks from that! </div>
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The biggest and best thing in March was our nights stay at Crab Manor's gorgeous <a href="http://www.crabandlobster.co.uk/hotel/rooms/luxury_bedrooms">Bardola Lodge</a>. Designed to look and feel like a Norwegian Ski Cabin, this cosy little lodge is in North Yorkshire. We were there for a wedding and I was more than happy to take the excuse to stay over at this stunning place. We even had out own hot tub! It was almost a shame to leave the lovely lodge and go to the wedding! </div>
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A couple of other March plans went astray because of the snow (in <i>March</i>? Seriously?!), but hopefully that's all behind us now! I was worried that my brunch date with <a href="http://www.glassesgirl.co.uk/">Lizi </a>and <a href="https://www.carolineelgeywhite.com/">Caroline</a> would be snowed off, but thankfully we managed to defy the weather and indulge in some pretty awesome breakfast foods. </div>
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April sees a long-awaited trip away with the family. Between them, the kids covered both volcanoes and Romans in school last year and they inspired me to book us a visit to Pompeii - for educational purposes of course! </div>
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I'm also looking forward to getting out and about locally a bit more, now that the worst of the weather should finally be behind us! Also I'm really hoping to actually getting some blog posts written - I'm building up quite the backlog that I need to clear! </div>
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How was your March? Anything fun coming up in April?</div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-22936148230566126842018-03-18T12:00:00.008-07:002019-01-20T02:43:54.880-08:00Visit Nairn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
The kids only had two key criteria for picking a location for our Scottish holiday last year - they wanted to be near the beach, and they wanted to be able to visit Loch Ness. Armed with these expectations, I began trawling the Sykes Cottages page in earnest 'til I found a cute looking cottage that fit my budget and would do us nicely for the week - and thus it was decided we were staying in Nairn! </div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I'd never heard of the town before, and the place itself had little to do with our initial decision to head there - but we loved both the time spent in Nairn and it's usefulness as a base for exploring some gorgeous areas of Scotland. Here's my guide to visiting Nairn: </span><br />
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<u>The Nairn Highland Games</u></div>
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Completely by accident, we'd booked to arrive in Nairn on the same day as their annual <a href="http://www.nairnhighlandgames.co.uk/">Highland Games</a>. This did mean that instead of a leisurely drive to the highlands, arriving late afternoon for a relaxed check in just in time for tea - we wanted to make sure we were hitting Nairn before lunch time!</div>
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Before the official opening there was a free-to-enter kids race, and we wanted to make sure we were there for that as it might be the youngsters only chance to say they've competed in a Highland Games! Being there so early meant we could grab prime spots to watch the rest of the day's events unfold! </div>
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A particular favourite event was the Tug-O-War... I never realised before that there are actual Tug-O-War tactics and the like! We had a favourite team to cheer for and it was really exciting watching the competition unfold! </div>
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The events that make up the Highland games ranged from fairly standard athletic events involving running and jumping, to those that definitely felt more highland-specific (which usually involved throwing something heavy), but really we were all there for the Caber Toss! </div>
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The Caber Toss feels like the quintessential Highland Games event, and was the headlining game of the day. It was a brilliant thing to see, and I can't begin to get my head around the strength and skill that must be involved in manouvering these massive cabers! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZvd05HdUiiRrLUWUwLjU7IobWOROfxEJQf7yuUvQaE4XSPNIsYyzk6iAhVfbv6YJ5UMZ9hCI5sdNmtxxk2UXYcZOUFG6FH2u7xjCV1xqw3fQmqhkDrBQDUrHuwOcV35mfGrJvMIO1QDG/s1600/Hook+A+Duck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZvd05HdUiiRrLUWUwLjU7IobWOROfxEJQf7yuUvQaE4XSPNIsYyzk6iAhVfbv6YJ5UMZ9hCI5sdNmtxxk2UXYcZOUFG6FH2u7xjCV1xqw3fQmqhkDrBQDUrHuwOcV35mfGrJvMIO1QDG/s1600/Hook+A+Duck.JPG" /></a></div>
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There was a fair in town to accompany the games, and it was only a matter of steps away from the games arena to the rides, games and flashing lights of the fair. When we needed a break from watching (it was really exciting but it was a long afternoon with two children who'd already sat still for hours in the car on the way!) we didn't have to go far for exciting distractions! </div>
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The contrast between the busy noisy fair, and the quiet peaceful town throughout the rest of the week was quite something! It was really fun to have this here on our arrival day but I'm glad it cleared out the next day! </div>
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<u>Where to Eat in Nairn</u></div>
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I didn't expect a small town on the Scottish coast to be culinary hotspot, but we ate really well in Nairn. The<a href="http://sun-dancer.co.uk/"> Sun Dancer restaurant</a> was a firm favourite, for it's fantastic beach front location and views across the Moray Firth as much as its food! </div>
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Apparently you can sometimes even see frolicking dolphins from the restaurant! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8Dm-bZ8Fi3V0gn-vTpmKcnSHmWslGXrNvrrQFrbA_nxpBJqt9IE7PSa4ezqAy86GqES4Gm9Tu8X2vaPOpWIVuSwbVrmUVkwZpM_9YUZe9JdzCOcxCc8eT23eSI-mUl4utI_mXA6M_FwT/s1600/View+fromSundancer+Nairn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8Dm-bZ8Fi3V0gn-vTpmKcnSHmWslGXrNvrrQFrbA_nxpBJqt9IE7PSa4ezqAy86GqES4Gm9Tu8X2vaPOpWIVuSwbVrmUVkwZpM_9YUZe9JdzCOcxCc8eT23eSI-mUl4utI_mXA6M_FwT/s1600/View+fromSundancer+Nairn.JPG" /></a></div>
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We had been warned that me might need to book a table, but since it was just round the corner from where we were staying it cost us nothing to call in and see about availability and luckily they managed to squeeze us in! There's a small but carefully considered menu, with vegetarian options alongside meaty ones, and there's always fresh fish! </div>
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You know I'm all about the puddings, and the Sun Dancer was also the site of my first Cranachan - a Scottish dessert made with whipped cream, whisky, honey, rasperries and oatmeal.... this alone would be worth a return trip to Scotland! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdBgieJGju40XSIGLeiW_EwMVp95-Q6DYmTwVHbi-GwWiD754KQs8ZyII9lCEtXKDVhE2jMpeUTkWNdbxJ5-l5A5-TzvkWzUCtBSZglD9pRQRBGPE-ICtGV5SvvVUlIveeSUj3418X98S/s1600/Cranachan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdBgieJGju40XSIGLeiW_EwMVp95-Q6DYmTwVHbi-GwWiD754KQs8ZyII9lCEtXKDVhE2jMpeUTkWNdbxJ5-l5A5-TzvkWzUCtBSZglD9pRQRBGPE-ICtGV5SvvVUlIveeSUj3418X98S/s1600/Cranachan.JPG" /></a></div>
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For something a little less formal, there's a small cafe underneath the restaurant - great for an Ice Cream stop on a beach day! I was also impressed with the Tearoom At The Links - another one right by the beach, great value and with vegan options!</div>
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A few other local eateries came highly recommended so I probably wasted an opportunity by choosing to eat at the caravan park restaurant one night, but I figured it'd be relaxed and child friendly as well as being only a couple of minutes walk from the house, so I really don't regret my decision! </div>
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An extra night in town and I'd have hopefully found myself at <a href="http://www.braevalhotel.co.uk/barandres.asp">The Bandstand Restaurant</a>, because eating is always better with a sea view! </div>
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<u>Where to Stay in Nairn</u></div>
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There's a couple of accommodation options in Nairn - the <a href="https://www.muthuhotels.com/newton-hotel/en/index.html">Muthu Newton Hotel</a> is a grand looking place where you might be lucky enough to spot the resident highland cows, and there's a <a href="https://www.parkdeanresorts.co.uk/location/scotland/nairn-lochloy/">caravan park</a> complete with onsite entertainment right by the harbour. I love a cosy holiday cottage though, and we found the perfect place for us at <a href="https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/cottage/Northern-Highlands-Cairngorms-National-Park-Nairn/Coorie-Doon-934120.html">Coorie Doon</a>! </div>
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Coorie Doon literally means 'cosy down' and that's exactly what we did! The living room came complete with DVD's, board games and blankets aplenty for snug nights in.</div>
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And I've rarely been as comfortable and content as my time spent in that gorgeous bathtub after a long day at the beach! </div>
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There was plenty of sleeping room for everyone too - the kids shared the downstairs bedroom,...</div>
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... while the adults 'cosied down' upstairs! I think the kids liked being on a separate floor - the 'independence' of being a whole floor away also meant they were closer to the kitchen and the TV!</div>
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There's also a small single room just off the upstairs double, perfect if you have younger ones that need a closer eye kept on them.... one of ours kept threatening to sleep in there if her brother annoyed her but thankfully they managed to stay friends all week so we could enjoy the upstairs in peace! </div>
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I didn't do a whole lot of cooking in the kitchen - I was on holiday too of course so anything much more complicated than 'sandwiches' was not on my itinerary - but it was a bright and cheery area great for preparing snacks and putting together picnics as well as that most important of kitcheny tasks, making a brew! </div>
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We booked through <a href="https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/">Sykes Cottages</a>, as we've booked a few places with them in the last few years and never been less than thrilled with our accommodation, and the cottage owners too were great at providing info about the house, the town and the surrounding area (as well as providing an always-welcome bottle of wine - cheers guys!) </div>
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<u>The Beach in Nairn</u></div>
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I'd mentioned that the proximity of a beach was one of the top requirements of the trip, and we probably spent more time on Nairn beach that we did anywhere else! </div>
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In fact sometimes we spent a little too long for my liking on the beach considering it wasn't exactly sunbathing weather, but the youngsters never wanted to leave - so mornings, afternoons and evenings were spent walking, exploring, digging, sandcastle-building, snoozing, raft-creating, paddling and ice-cream eating!</div>
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The beach was only a couple of minutes pleasant walk from the house, so it was hard to say no if they wanted to go over - and it is a lovely beach, with miles of soft sand and not a lot of people (a great combination!) I loved how easy it was to find plenty of space for ourselves, even though we were there in August! </div>
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As well as a couple of cafes already mentioned, there was a play ground, paddling pool and mini golf course just a stones throw from the beach too, as well as the harbour for watching the boats come and go.</div>
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I'm really glad we stumbled across Nairn for our holiday, and I can definitely recommend it for a lovely, relaxing family trip! </div>
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(And when I say 'relaxing', I don't mean to imply there wasn't loads of exciting things to do in the area - I was going to include some of my favourites here but I figure this is already too long, so I'll put together some of my favourites for a separate post!)</div>
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Have you ever been to Nairn? I'd love to know some of your favourite UK towns for holidaying! </div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-84785026032608862692018-03-05T11:22:00.001-08:002019-01-20T02:44:09.071-08:00February Happenings, March Plans <div style="text-align: justify;">
Hurray for March! The first few days of the new month didn't exactly scream 'spring has sprung', but the worst of the weather has to be behind us now.... right?</div>
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Before I realised Yorkshire would come to look (and feel) like Siberia in February, it seemed like a good idea to spend a couple of days in Riga. I'd expected the pretty snow and sub-zero temperatures would be a nice novelty - oh, what a fool I am! </div>
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Though the snow felt infinitely more charming and enjoyable when I wasn't trying to get to work on time, or figure out whether the kids schools were opening or not. Yup, snow should be reserved for holidays where you can appreciate it properly! </div>
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Riga was as pretty as it was chilly - and it was very chilly! One morning I headed over to neighbouring Jumala (on the train that was running on time despite the snow - what is this magic?!) where freezing temperatures meant the sea had frozen. THE SEA HAD FROZEN. What an amazing thing to see - definitely worth braving the weather! </div>
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Ironically, we didn't do too much in February other than this because of the miserable weather! </div>
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I'm hoping for an improvement in March but uncertainty has meant I haven't planned much in - it's more likely to be impromptu trips whenever it doesn't look too terrible out! We do have a wedding to attend at the back end of March, which I'm really looking forward to - not only do I love weddings, but we are staying over at the venue, the gorgeous <a href="http://www.crabandlobster.co.uk/">Crab Manor</a> in North Yorkshire and it looks SPECTACULAR! </div>
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Already this month, the little one and I managed to sneak out for a cheeky brunch date with<a href="http://www.glassesgirl.co.uk/"> Lizi</a> and <a href="http://www.carolineelgeywhite.com/">Caroline</a>. In fact, I got to double-brunch as missy didn't like her pancakes (waste not, want not!), so a great start to March - hopefully that's set the tone for the rest of the month! </div>
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How was your February? Anything fun planned for March? Am I just being blindly optimistic in expecting better weather? </div>
<br />Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-12002072639244265622018-02-28T01:02:00.001-08:002019-01-20T02:44:31.114-08:00The Cairngorm Reindeer Centre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I found so many things I wanted to do when we were on holiday in Scotland last year, way too many to fit into our week - but if there was one thing I knew I wanted to prioritise it was a visit to the <a href="http://www.cairngormreindeer.co.uk/">Cairngorm Reindeer Centre</a>! These are the UK's only free ranging reindeer and I loved the idea of meeting these beautiful animals on their stomping ground.</div>
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On the drive back home from Nairn, we were practically driving past (this may or may not be strictly true) and it seemed like it'd be a great place to stretch our legs and get some fresh air on the long journey southwards.</div>
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The webpage had given directions tot he Reindeer Centre with instructions to NOT follow the SatNav, so I was a little worried about finding it... I don't go anywhere unfamiliar without it and wasn't overly confident in my navigational skills (I didn't even tell the kids we were going just in case I didn't manage to find the right place in time!) </div>
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Thankfully we did though, with no trouble - and generally if I can follow directions, anyone can! </div>
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There are reindeer to see at the paddocks by the shop throughout the day for most of the year, but it's the Hill Trip that we really fancied - a guided trip to the mountainside where the maid herd live. </div>
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It's a 20 minute walk though Scottish terrain to get to where the reindeer live, but nothing too strenuous for most. The guide will not only show you the way but offer plenty information on the reindeer as well as advice on how to interact them. There's plenty of opportunity to hand feed the lovely fellas too! </div>
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Though, in their keenness to get to the food, the sweeties could be a little .... not gentle with the positioning of their antlers! I thought we might be in trouble when missy was clonked on the head early on, but she took it like a trooper and made sure to take precautions! </div>
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Once the food was all gone, we were told we were welcome to hang out, take photographs and spend time with the reindeer. We may have been there a while! They were all so lovely though, they were hard to leave! </div>
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The reindeers have been roaming wild on the Cairngorms since 1952. The founders of the company, on honeymoon in Scotland, realised the sub-arctic qualities of the Cairngorms would provide a perfect home for them, and brought the first few over from Sweden. There are now over 150 members of the herd! </div>
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While you'll usually find a lovely big group of the reindeer here at the hill enclosure, the rest of the herd are wandering freely in the mountains. The reindeer are rotated at different times of the year. It seems like a pretty good life for a reindeer! </div>
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It's a stunning place to visit even without the reindeer - and if you need any help tackling the elements you can buy midge spray and hire wellies at the visitor shop. I can't recommend more highly you take advantage of both of these, those midges were fierce!</div>
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Meeting the reindeer was honestly such an unforgettable experience - both kids listed it as their favourite of the holiday and I'm really glad we had the chance to go! If you ever find yourself in this beautiful part of the world, I'd definitely recommend a visit. The hill walks go at 11am everyday for eleven months of the year, as long as the weather allows.</div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-75024922495018911372018-02-23T06:07:00.000-08:002018-02-26T06:40:30.524-08:00Local Heroes and Scottish Villages<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Have you seen the film 'Local Hero'?</div>
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If you aren't familiar with Bill Forsyth's 1983 classic, I can only urge you to watch it as soon at the next available opportunity - not only because it will explain why we were keen to visit Pennan, filming location for the fictional Scottish town of Ferness, but because it a wonderful, sweet gem of a film.</div>
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Local Hero is a film about a Texan's attempts to buy a tiny Scottish town to turn into an oil refinery. Like in all great narratives, things don't exactly go to plan. It's a simple story, told with warmth and wit and wonder.</div>
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We made the lengthy but picturesque drive to Pennan while we staying in Nairn last year. We weren't exactly 'in the neighbourhood', but we were a great deal closer than we usually are, so it seemed obvious that we should take the trip over! </div>
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I was, if I'm being honest, as little less sure of the kids enthusiasm for visiting this pretty spot, as its not exactly bursting with fun filled attractions. We'd shown them the DVD a couple of days before our visit, and was thrilled that they fell for the film's obvious charms! OK, I did rely on a very fresh-faced Doctor (Peter Capaldi) to hook them in, but it didn't take long before they were fully invested in the fate of this fictional village.</div>
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Watching the film beforehand was definitely the right call, as the kids loved spotting familiar sights they'd seen on TV just days before. </div>
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The youngsters, like the adults, were particularly enamoured by the iconic red phone box that played an integral part of the film. They even made their very first phone-box call. Unfortunately grandad had already left work for the day, so they just briefly spoke to his secretary...</div>
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It's not a big place, just a few houses and a pub - the walk from one end of Pennan to the other takes about three minutes at a relatively leisurely pace. But we still managed to spend a lovely few hours piling up rocks on the beach at one end and clambering around the harbour at the other.</div>
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KC bought a Pennan T Shirt from a lovely lady who makes and sells them from her home, and she spoke to us fondly about the film, sharing memories from the screening put on in Pennan to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary, and pointing out specific filming locations we may not have spotted (we knew that the prop phone box used in the film had been in a different position to the one we made calls from earlier, but may not have recognised which of the little white buildings was used as a stand in for the local pub, for instance).</div>
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Aware that I might be dragging the family all the way there so we could have a quick peek at a phone box, I'd made sure to book into the <a href="http://www.thepennaninn.co.uk/">Pennan Inn</a> for lunch - figuring that it'd buy us at least an hour or so, helping to justify the drive over. </div>
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There were a few nods to Local Hero around the pub - I imagine a lot of their visiting customers are there for the same reason we were - but the Pennan Inn doesn't just rely on the popularity of the film.<br />
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The small menu is made up of local ingredients with a surprising Asian twist. There's a lot of fish, which makes perfect sense considering the location - both kids had and loved the fish n chips - and they even sorted us out with a vegan Thai curry. </div>
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These days there's not so many folk that actually live in here, but a few of the gorgeous little cottages are available as holiday properties. Pennan, picked by location scouts to be the perfect place to represent a good and simple life, and virtually untouchable by mobile phone signal, would be an incredible place to spend a few peaceful days watching the waves and keeping an eye out for dolphins. I hope our next visit is for longer! </div>
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Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-29477867604128264352018-02-02T13:26:00.000-08:002018-02-26T06:40:44.962-08:00January Happenings, February Plans<div style="text-align: justify;">
So,... in January I went to Jamaica. </div>
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Poor old KC doesn't always get a lot of say in out holiday destinations but he's had his eye on Jamaica for a few years now. We've put it off a bunch of times for a bunch of different reasons, but then we ran out of reasons to not go.... so we went! <br />
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It's not that I didn't want to go, I just thought... a week on the beach in the sun? Is it really 'me'? </div>
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Turns out it absolutely is! </div>
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I'll do a full post on our stay soon, but honestly it was absolutely heavenly. The sunshine was a much-needed tonic to the frankly depressing weather we've had here of late, and the relaxation was just what I needed to recover from an intense Christmas period and the stresses of work. I didn't know how much I needed that holiday 'til I was there! </div>
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That did mean that the rest of the month was relatively quiet. Time at home was spent getting the house back in order after Christmas. A couple of cinema trips and a trampolining session helped break up the month a little, but mainly on the weekends we were too tired and too cold to muster up much enthusiasm for going out! </div>
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Hopefully I can re-find that enthusiasm in February - I don't want the year to disappear while I wait for it to warm up (which it easily could!) We have made a mental commitment to finally decorate the eldest's room, and there's a lot of shifting and organising that needs to be done in there before we can get the paint out, so I'm sure that'll keep up plenty busy throughout February! </div>
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I do have a trip to Riga planned later in the month - it's my first trip away by myself in a really long time and I'm really excited (and a little bit nervous!) </div>
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How was your January? What have you got planned for February? </div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-67694265017009733462018-01-31T05:43:00.000-08:002018-02-26T06:40:55.968-08:00Reasons to Spend a Day in Bruges<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bruges is such a beautiful city, and a surprisingly cheap and easy one to visit from Yorkshire (check out the Minicruises from P&O Ferries!) The minicruise gives you about eight hours in the centre - it's not tonnes of time but it's certainly long enough to tick off a couple of the main things Bruges has to offer. Here are a few of my favourite reasons to visit:<br />
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<u>The Chocolate</u></div>
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Chocolate is always the best reason for anything - but especially in Bruges. The city is practically dripping in the stuff!</div>
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Not only is Belgian chocolate largely agreed upon to be the best in the world, but the sheer variety on offer here is astounding. Pretty much anything you can think of, you can get - in chocolate. I brought home chocolate swans and chocolate frogs, chocolate toolkits and chocolate shoes. Novelty shaped treats sit alongside classic bars and the most beautiful individual chocolates you can imagine. And lets not forget about the hot chocolate, rich and dreamy and available in flavours I'd never have dreamed of!</div>
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<a href="http://www.thechocolateline.be/en/">The Chocolate Line </a>might have the prettiest and most unique chocolates, and I have a real soft spot for <a href="http://www.chocolatierdumon.be/en">Chocolatier Dumon</a>, but really you can't take many steps in the city without tripping over another adorable chocolate shop.... and a lot of them offer free samples too! </div>
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<u>The Beer</u><br />
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When I think of Belgium, I think of chocolate. When I've finished thinking about chocolate, I think about beer. And like the chocolate, Belgian beer is generally of great quality and available in a huge range of styles and flavours. </div>
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I'm particularly fond of the fruity beers commonly found in Bruges, and the <a href="https://www.historium.be/en/duvelorium">Duvelorium</a> (above the Historium attraction) is one of our favourite places to call in for a drink - it's an obvious tourist spot but has a great beer range and the balcony has fabulous views of Markt Square! </div>
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<u>The Waffles</u><br />
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So this is closely related to the chocolate, as waffles (like so many other things) can be hugely improved by the addition of chocolate. All chocolate-d out? Opting to concentrate on the chocolate in the form of an accompanying hot cocoa based beverage? You can also get delicious Belgian waffles with a variety of other fruity or creamy or gooey toppings! </div>
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<u>The Fries</u></div>
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Yes, I realise that all my reasons are food based. But food is really good, so what's your point? </div>
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Fries might not strike you as a particularly 'exotic' food to be eating in a new city, but they sure do take their fries seriously in Belgium! Bruges even has a <a href="http://www.frietmuseum.be/en/">museum dedicated to the humble potato snack</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvK5ASFFTxD2MG4hixML3yuEfFw_kCVjJ_cwDUwrPb1cgd_cmEdxV1QXsMRVcsvU84WRUHGdq8QRbhfbYLYOsjajsjjWHlpdpdYWf8nis_4ya9HZj2dClZ1mmUL2veYHfadmJKQmW1E7FG/s1600/The+Potato+Bar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvK5ASFFTxD2MG4hixML3yuEfFw_kCVjJ_cwDUwrPb1cgd_cmEdxV1QXsMRVcsvU84WRUHGdq8QRbhfbYLYOsjajsjjWHlpdpdYWf8nis_4ya9HZj2dClZ1mmUL2veYHfadmJKQmW1E7FG/s1600/The+Potato+Bar.JPG" /></a><br />
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As he's not particularly excited by waffles <i>or</i> chocolate (I know, right?), fries are KC's food of choice when we are in Bruges. On our most recent visit we hit up <a href="http://www.thepotatobar.be/">The Potato Bar</a> for beautifully cooked fries serves with a pot of delicious homemade smoky pepper sauce. If I had one word of advice? The large is not a one-person portion. SO. MANY. FRIES.</div>
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<u>The Christmas Shopping</u></div>
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On this occasion, we were lucky enough to visit Bruges just as their Christmas market was getting underway. It's not the biggest or most impressive European Christmas market, but its certainly not without charm. </div>
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<span style="color: #000120;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0N3l56OUWHMX-hpFhx21Msv9uRofFLyvQE-SHCvFcLqGg4Dnj0vG9y0S_ONzmwPnCZhBygO2QZcq7pab5iFaNDl2y16-dPtoaTD9hgZzP__SCvmj1yKOdPznhzr1QWnWsi296REBGDtF/s1600/Bruges+Christmas+Market.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0N3l56OUWHMX-hpFhx21Msv9uRofFLyvQE-SHCvFcLqGg4Dnj0vG9y0S_ONzmwPnCZhBygO2QZcq7pab5iFaNDl2y16-dPtoaTD9hgZzP__SCvmj1yKOdPznhzr1QWnWsi296REBGDtF/s1600/Bruges+Christmas+Market.JPG" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000050;">However, even if your visit isn't directly pre-Christmas, there's Christmas-themed shopping to be had year round in Bruges! There's a number of permanent Christmas shops in the city, my favourite of which is the festive wonderland that is <a href="http://www.dewittepelikaan.be/voorstelling/en">De Witte Pelikaan</a>.</span></div>
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A visit to this beautiful shop fills me with festive joy no matter what time of year we visit, and I've never been able to resist bringing home some cute Christmassy critter for the house - out house will look like this one day! </div>
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<u>Because It's Just So Darn Pretty</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI71s3ZDkcCRiuKnl9VgmLNaTzuLjhGZJPZf2PuNpjOin6deMIRa0pIu37nswyy31Xre6l1CRnxWFGHAzfbssjcsKW7WMhCqS8-ey2EOd1GuUOlavslB7qQM6ubEYeYeOndifgJTdLRb72/s1600/Bruges+Belfry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI71s3ZDkcCRiuKnl9VgmLNaTzuLjhGZJPZf2PuNpjOin6deMIRa0pIu37nswyy31Xre6l1CRnxWFGHAzfbssjcsKW7WMhCqS8-ey2EOd1GuUOlavslB7qQM6ubEYeYeOndifgJTdLRb72/s1600/Bruges+Belfry.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Bruges really is a fairy-tale town. Though there's lots to do (as well as allllll the eating, you can climb the Belfry tower for great views of the city, take a boat trip on the picturesque canals or take a tour of one of the many breweries or museums), one of my favourite things to do is just wander around the beautiful ancient streets. </span></div>
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It's many canals and bridges have earned Bruges the nickname 'Venice of the North', and give you the opportunity to spot the famous Bruges swans. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuFU1TXNpgzU70dV00HWuNXLbaKarthyphenhyphenzHp2rR0ZOp5FKl_hmF2U3q1grHsYdKeRaNgUXDyVpHCy4ESu2HA-jK5GeGM-kThhwkxKC03_LQUED5T6QN_x2dPQULtK0RWtWwC5kKomaKDy3/s1600/Bruges+canal+buildings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuFU1TXNpgzU70dV00HWuNXLbaKarthyphenhyphenzHp2rR0ZOp5FKl_hmF2U3q1grHsYdKeRaNgUXDyVpHCy4ESu2HA-jK5GeGM-kThhwkxKC03_LQUED5T6QN_x2dPQULtK0RWtWwC5kKomaKDy3/s1600/Bruges+canal+buildings.JPG" /></a></div>
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One day I'd love to visit Bruges for longer than a 8 hours, but its certainly not a bad way to spend a day! </div>
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Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-23267358160246153762018-01-27T13:51:00.000-08:002018-02-26T06:41:09.867-08:002017 In Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I didn't necessarily start 2017 aiming to take a trip away from home every month - but when we almost 'accidentally' seemed to have a mini-holiday booked for the first couple of the months of the year I did like the idea of seeing how long I could drag it out!</div>
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To be fair, the trip we took last January was initially meant to be taken the previous month but a change of circumstances meant we had to re-schedule. In retrospect though, January is a much better time of year for a relaxing weekend away than December, where neverending to-do lists would probably prevent me from really chilling out anyway! </div>
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<a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/02/a-much-needed-weekend-away.html">Fern Cottage in Butterknowle</a> was the perfect venue for cosying up and well located for exploring local spots like Barnard Castle and Richmond. </div>
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In February, we had a couple of days in <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/04/iceland-postcards-from-reykjavik_2.html">Iceland</a>. I can't imagine there's anywhere else in the world that speaks to my heart and my sole like Iceland does, and this trip was all too brief - but we still managed to fill our short hours with <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/04/iceland-horse-riding-with-eldestar.html">horse riding,</a><a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/04/iceland-whale-watching-tour.html">whale watching</a>, and basking in the incredible beauty of this incredible country. </div>
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That's not to short-change our own green and pleasant lands - and our March trip involved a weekend much closer to home. KC was booked in for a day's experience as a zookeeper at the <a href="https://www.southlakessafarizoo.com/">South Lakes Safari Zoo</a>, and it just made sense to make a weekend of it in the Lake District. Amongst the feeding and sweeping at the zoo, visits to <span id="goog_543064126"></span><span id="goog_543064127"></span><a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/03/a-wet-day-at-muncaster-castle.html">Muncaster Castle</a> and <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/03/furness-abbey.html">Furness Abbey </a>were made. </div>
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The Easter holidays opened up the option of a longer family trip, and we all headed for a sunny week in <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/06/postcards-from-malta.html">Malta </a>in April. I managed to drag the kids away from the pool long enough to explore the intriguing city of<a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/05/malta-mdina-silent-city.html"> Mdina,</a> and the former-film set <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/05/malta-popeye-village.html">Popeye Village</a>, but most of out time was spent swimming, eating and relaxing by the <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/06/malta-hotel-db-seabank-family-review.html">hotel.</a></div>
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The dual-excuses of some leftover euros and a spare bank holiday encouraged me to book a quick getaway to <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/07/postcards-from-dublin.html">Dublin </a>in May. It's a grand city, so easy to get to and with plenty to see and do. We went on a 1916 Rebellion walking tour, drank <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/07/dublin-jameson-bow-st-experience.html">whiskey at the Jamesons Experience</a> and explored <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/07/dublin-kilmainham-gaol.html">Kilmainham Gaol</a> in between pints of Guinness. </div>
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We had a rather animal-based weekend in Leicestershire in June, with a day each at <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/09/twycross-zoo-leicestershire.html">Twycross Zoo</a> and <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/09/stonehurst-family-farm.html">Stonehurst Family Farm</a> as part of one of <a href="http://www.stayplayexplore.co.uk/">Go Leicestershire's </a><a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/09/stay-play-and-explore-leicestershire.html">Stay Play and Explore</a> deals.</div>
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One of my most eagerly awaited trips of 2017 was a July weekend of <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/11/medieval-glamping-at-warwick-castle.html">Medieval Glamping </a>at Warwick Castle! From the iconic medieval tents to the activity filled Knight's Village, this might be my favourite ever stop-out! </div>
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August was the big one - we needed to fill those school holidays with something! We all fell a bit in love with Scotland when we visited in 2016, so we were all keep to head back and explore! We never made it to Loch Ness on our first visit, and it was top of the kids' list of things they wanted to do in 2017, so we made sure we stayed a little closer this time. As well as a day on the Loch we visited castles and palaces, spent time with Highland cows and reindeer, went on boat trips and roller coasters, and spent tonnes of lovely time on a peaceful Scottish beach. </div>
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September marks the birthday of my little lady, so we lined up a couple of activities that we thought she'd love. Her Sunday surprise was a day of looking after an array of animals at the <a href="http://wildlifeoasis.co.uk/">Lakeland Wildlife Oasis</a>, but the early morning start necessitated a stopover and so we worked our way up the day before, stopping to climb and explore the weathered limestone of Malham Cove.</div>
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We trailed to London in October to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. It was such a long wait between getting hold of the tickets and actually getting to see the show, but it was absolutely worth the wait! An accommodation-hiccup meant we were't left with a tonne of time to explore London aside from the show, but we did manage to squeeze in a touch of shopping and an excellent <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/12/a-midsummer-nights-dream-afternoon-tea.html">Afternoon Tea</a>. I am generally a little wary of London, but it didn't actually seem too terrible! </div>
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Beautiful Bruges was our destination for November - it's a surprisingly easy and pleasant trip from Yorkshire on the overnight ferry, leaving you with a solid eight hours to explore the medieval town - plenty of time to squeeze in chocolate shops aplenty and have a good Belgian beer or two! </div>
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And in December? Well,.. in December we didn't go anywhere! So close though, right? I had a few great ideas in mind for the week between Christmas and New Year (my birthday, incidentally) but instead of booking in something nice and early I got caught up in the festivities of the season! I told myself repeatedly 'I'll sort something when I'm organised for Christmas' but there were a number of flaws in this plan - most notably 1) I'm <i>never </i>organised for Christmas and 2) Once I worked out how much I'd spent over Christmas I couldn't begin to justify spending anything else! I did mull over the idea of booking myself into the cheapest local Travelodge I could find just to tick it off - but to be honest after all the Christmas chaos nothing sounded more appealing than a couple of quiet days at home!<br />
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I may have fallen at the last hurdle, but I can't have had a year like this and be disappointed with how things turned out! </div>
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I do have a couple of things lined up of course for 2018,.. I'm not sure yet if that'll translate into a full year of trips but we'll have to see! </div>
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What exciting things have you lined up for this year?</div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-2658263948154938602018-01-13T07:52:00.000-08:002018-02-26T06:41:23.369-08:00December Happenings, January Plans <div style="text-align: justify;">
So once again, I was a terrible blogger last month. That makes me rubbish for,... pretty much all of 2017! (And 2018 didn't exactly get off to a flying start either but I won't worry too much about that for now!)</div>
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I had planned to get so caught up during my time off at Christmas, get loads written, take loads of pictures, get really organised. It didn't happen. Too busy eating Celebrations and playing board games...<br />
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There's always too much going on in December though to find extra time for things like blogging, so I don't know what I was thinking! There's barely enough hours in the day to get through the necessary tidying, shopping, wrapping, visiting and eating that are all vital to the festive season - with, if you are lucky, a couple of extra fun things thrown in! </div>
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A visit to the big man is a family must on the run up to Christmas, and this year <a href="http://www.butterflyhouse.co.uk/">Sheffield's Tropical Butterfly House Wildlife and Falconry Centre</a> was chosen as out venue for seeing Santa. I don't know exactly how we made the leap from 'tropical house' to 'festive winter wonderland', but any doubts I had about suitability were quickly swept away when I read about the festive afternoon tea they offered! </div>
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It was a lovely day, but a freezing cold one and we'll definitely make plans to revisit when the weather is warmer! </div>
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As part of out Christmas festivities, the kids and I had a *cough* cultured night out at the theatre. And I when I say theatre I mean pantomime.... but technically it was *in* a theatre, so still counts at culture, right? We've gone every year for the last seven or eight years now to the one at the Bradford Alhambra and they are showing no signs of getting bored of hearing the same jokes every year yet!</div>
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In between everything else I managed a morning runaway by myself to the<a href="https://uk.lush.com/spa"> Lush Leeds Spa</a> - I'd been given a voucher for one of the spa treatments for Christmas in 2016 and I thought I better get it used before it expired! My voucher was for Synaesthesia - you decide (from a list of words) how you want to feel, and your massage, products, and even your follow-up cup of tea and selected to suit. Seeing as I knew I had loads of Christmas prep to do when I got home, I thought I could do with being 'energised'! The treatment was everything I dreamed it would be and I'm determined to try a few of their other offerings once I have a good enough excuse for such an indulgent treat!</div>
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The last thing I want to mention is a bit silly and totally awesome in equal measure, but in December I was awarded the high acclaim of Student of the Year at my (karate) dojo. I'm stupidly proud of this, and I'm so lucky to train with so many awesome people - looking forward to another year of being kicked and punched by them all!</div>
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I've almost left it too late to talk about January plans, since we are more or less half way through the month - oops! The first half of the month was all about recovering (emotionally, financially, tidily) from Christmas but the festive season is now truly behind us.</div>
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We do have a holiday booked for this month, that I'm really looking forward to! There'll be plenty of details next month,.. but this is one KC picked - not my usual jam but should have levels of sunshine and relaxation that I think actually might suit me just fine!</div>
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How was your December? Get through Christmas without too much trauma? What have you got planned for January? </div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-2384304475795150892017-12-13T06:15:00.002-08:002018-02-26T06:41:35.374-08:00Escapism and Ukeleles - Why KC wants to go to Hawaii <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Boys and girls of the internet, I have a cold. My brain is all fuzzed up from a combination of horrible gooey coldy stuff and as much medication as I can safely take, and I suspect any attempts to string a sensible sentence together may fall sadly flat. So I've enlisted the help of my much perkier boyfriend to tell you about his upcoming holiday hopes! The poor chap doesn't usually get much of a look-in when it comes to making holiday plans but - particularly after our most recent big-coat-weather-and-bunk-bed-accommodation trip to Bruges - his dreams of sunrises, beaches and <a href="https://www.luxuryretreats.com/vacation-rentals/hawaii/">mansions in Hawaii</a> seem pretty darn appealing!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpDo7hKZr4LNHf_jfmb4mmSkuK0f67z77SLJtc0EyvqheFXsDkfJspoRNT7ZEwaW76VeMW4nCRq_rNmF1C_ZLw9H3Uy0EnmMm1GCxGcSVwV2m-TGEzGVvqeeVu2MqAIVdWHQrZ6fK2aSh/s1600/hawaii.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="875" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpDo7hKZr4LNHf_jfmb4mmSkuK0f67z77SLJtc0EyvqheFXsDkfJspoRNT7ZEwaW76VeMW4nCRq_rNmF1C_ZLw9H3Uy0EnmMm1GCxGcSVwV2m-TGEzGVvqeeVu2MqAIVdWHQrZ6fK2aSh/s1600/hawaii.PNG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit goes to <a href="http://www.kerrylouisenorris.com/">Kerry</a> who was lucky enough to visit Kauai on her honeymoon!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Hello everyone. It’s a delight and pleasure to be able to write a few words here at Let’s Go Somewhere Nice! By quick way of introduction – Kel is my better half and you may have heard me referred to as “KC” on this site previously. I go lots of places with Kel but I’m often quite shy so you may not have seen my face on here before! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> (When I say “shy”, what I mean is that I’m usually too busy taking my own photographs of birds and wildlife whilst Kel does the important task of actually documenting our trips with the kids. If the photography was left to me, there’d be no pictures of the two young ‘uns growing up, but lots of excellent close-ups of the Wall Lizards of Malta and the massive cranes of Bruges).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> As you can tell by this quick intro, I don’t think it’d be unfair to call me a nerd. Aside from wildlife photography, my other hobbies include watching wrestling (I’m 35), painstakingly creating spreadsheets for my fantasy football team, and committing myself to seeing far too many movies. I don’t think it would surprise you, at this point, to let you know that I once did an MA in film in my spare time and tried to progress to a PhD whilst working 40 hours a week too. Sadly, I’m on infinite sabbatical from my comparative research on North and South Korean post-war cinema. Such a shame for the academic world, I’m sure you’ll agree!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> The reason I’ve run through all of this is that, I think you’ll have noticed, all of my interests and hobbies have one thing in common: escapism. How can I find room in my brain to worry about adulthood when my entire mind is focused on getting the perfect close-up shot of a cow (my favourite animal), or if I’m cheering on Kevin Owens to lay the Smackdown on Shane McMahon in a WWE ring, or if I find myself transported to far away worlds by the magic of cinema?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> It’s the latter of these, though, which feels closest to micro-holidays. Whilst I’m fortunate enough to actually travel to a fair few places each year (and have found the tranquillity of Iceland and remote Scotland as my favourites so far), cinema gives me the chance to dream of places I’ve never so far had the opportunity to set foot in. Whilst I’ll never get the opportunity to travel back in time to Bogart’s Casablanca, and Florin (in The Princess Bride) proves something of a handicap by being fictitious, there’s quite a fair few places that the silver screen has inspired me to get to.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Having previously mentioned “remote Scotland”, one of my favourite places in the world is Pennan – AKA the place they shot Local Hero. If you haven’t seen this absolute classic, I insist you stop reading this piece now and track down a copy. Back? It’s pure joy and wonder isn’t it? Getting the chance to visit this summer (thanks Kel!) was one of my favourite days and has made me thirsty for similar opportunities. I’ve stood next to the legendary phone box in Scotland – but where next?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> A part of me was once always tempted to visit Pyongyang (the North Korean capital) after becoming enchanted by watching more communist propaganda movies than one healthy man ever should, but those plans are probably no more for at least a little while. The splendour of Paektu (the mountain in which all Korean people have, by fable, originated from) is something I will have to forgo at least until the feud between Kim Jong-Un and Donald Trump dies down somewhat. So, instead, where could I head which is both inviting, safe, and inspired by the movies?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> The answer came to me during the trailers preceding James Franco’s hilarious and touching The Disaster Artist. The preview advertisements included a short spot for Alexander Payne’s forthcoming Downsizing – a fascinating looking movie starring Matt Damon. Yet, it wasn’t this film itself which provided inspiration of where I’d like to head to next. It was, instead, the fact that seeing Alexander Payne’s name jogged my memory – I was delighted to recall how much I’ve enjoyed each of his previous films (from Citizen Ruth and Election onwards) but, as the first drops of snow fell, it was one of his more recent efforts that stuck in my mind: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1033575/">The Descendants.</a></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo is Kerry's again - check out her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kerrylouisenorristravels/">Instagram</a> for more luscious travel shots!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> As Bradford turns dark and glum over the winter months, there’s few places I’d rather be than the languid, tropical climate of Honolulu, Hawaii which gives Payne’s film its setting. I don’t think Kel would argue too much, either, to the idea of being stuck on the island with George Clooney. In December, the amount of natural light West Yorkshire gets is minimal – a fact which is bound to effect SAD in even the most stoic of us. I can only dream of watching the sun rise and set in Honolulu, and how calm the surroundings must be as night turns into day and vice versa. For context, as I write this one evening, my typing is sound-tracked not by waves crashing against the shore, or the stereotypical twangs of a ukulele but, rather, two dogs fighting one another as my neighbours blare out UB40 at an ungodly volume.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Why else, would I like to be in Hawaii then? I’m more of a day-dreamer than a surfer, but the sprawling beaches would give me the chance to do either. There’s the chance to soak up history (another hobby of mine) at Pearl Harbour or hike by Diamond Head. Perhaps, best of all, there’s the chance to soak up a whole new array of wildlife – I’m giddy even imagining the type of birds I could spot. As snow softly falls in dull and grey Bradford, I’ve begun to dream once more of a holiday away. If we go, though, I’ll trust Kel to take the pictures of our actual holiday – I’d be too busy snapping Hawaiian honeycreepers, Palilas and crows. I did mention, I think, that I’m a bit of a nerd?</span></div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-79019218010251050552017-12-01T08:52:00.000-08:002017-12-07T08:52:34.672-08:00November Happenings, December Plans<div style="text-align: justify;">
I know I've been complaining all year that time is running away from me too quickly, but that's never more true than when Christmas is approaching! </div>
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I <i>think</i> I'm nearly at a place (at home at least, work is a very different kettle of fish!) where I can start to kick back and enjoy it all a little but November has seen a lot of packing away and tidying up of miscellaneous stuff, so I can get the house clear enough to get 'Christmas' down from the loft! I know it wouldt be such an arduous task if I didn't let it all spiral out of control throughout the year, so I have no one to blame but myself - but it seems this annual tidy-up is now almost as big a Christmas tradition as Home Alone and Chocolate Oranges.</div>
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I have managed to fit in a couple of bits and pieces alongside all the tidying though! I <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/11/october-happenings-november-plans.html">mentioned last month</a> that a couple of us had a big karate tournament coming up, so the first half of the month was spent in extra training sessions whenever possible. Sadly we came home medal-less on this occasion but 'twas a grand day out and I'm sura all the extra practice will do us the world of good! </div>
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That didn't leave us with a lot of time for adventuring in early November, but we did manage a sneaky trip over to Bruges towards the end of the month! It's surprisingly easy to take a quick trip from the Yorkshire (overnight ferry!) and it's not only such a pretty place to visit but it always feels very Christmassy!</div>
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I also managed an actual evening out too - Simone and I were invited over to the Lush store in Leeds to chek out their new Christmassy bits and learn about the latest addition to their spa treatment offerings! Lush always put on the nicest blogger events, and I always end up leaving with a strong determination to fully move into their spa! </div>
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And while I've not moved in yet, this is related to one of the thigns I'm very much looking forward to in December - I finally got myself booked in for a Lush spa treatment, woooo! I received a voucher for their signature treatment, Synaesthesia, last Christmas and it's taken nearly a year to gey myself organsied enough to book it in, so I'm thrilled to actually be going soon!</div>
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Apart from that, everything is going Christmas crazy! We have the house to decorate, santa to visit, pantomime to see, and christmas parties aplenty - and thats before the day itself! (Hopefully I can find time for some shopping!) Our Christmas Day usually consists of a painfully early morning and too much food - pretty much standard! I can't wait for a nice break from work too, as we shut down from Christmas Eve 'til the New Year, and the idea of some nice quiet family time away from the spreadsheets sounds like all I want for Christmas! </div>
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Please tell me I'm not the only one that has loads to do still! What does your December look like? Any fun Christmassy tradtitions or activities you've got planned? </div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-13239758834114373042017-11-29T14:08:00.000-08:002017-12-01T14:09:42.887-08:00A Midsummer Nights Dream Afternoon Tea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
When we were in London last month, the one thing I knew I wanted to do was treat myself to a proper nice afternoon tea. </div>
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Picking one was tricky - there's a lot of places offering very nice sounding afternoon teas in London! On top of that, I needed somewhere I could order afternoon tea for one (I had company, but it was a non-afternoon-tea-eating kind of company). I also can't deny that price was a factor in my decision - as a tight northerner, some of the prices I came across in my research were eye-watering!</div>
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After some extensive and very enjoyable research, I decided I loved the idea of an <a href="https://www.swanlondon.co.uk/afternoon-tea/">A Midsummer Nights Dream Afternoon Tea</a>, and I got myself booked into <a href="https://www.swanlondon.co.uk/">The Swan at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.</a> </div>
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We'd planned on coinciding the tea visit with a tour around the theatre, but like many things on my London trip, this didn't exactly go to plan! Still we arrived in plenty of time to admire the historic building, relaxing by the river in the autumn sunshine. I did just manage to resist buying my self an ice cream, since I knew I had plates of goodies on the way!</div>
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We were seated upstairs, where the opportunity to spot a few famous landmarks through the sunlit windows was a nice addition to the afternoon (typical northerner maybe but I'd never really considered the possibility of London being occasionally quite pretty).</div>
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The afternoon tea menu basically consists of two very different afternoon tea options - the A Midsummer Nights Dream afternoon tea is the more traditional of the two, with the little sandwiches, scones and minin cakes you'd expect, and this sits alongside an interesting sounding Gentlemen's Afternoon Tea with 'manly' goodies like scotch eggs and fish finger sandwiches.</div>
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It was the cakey one for me though, of course!</div>
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The afternoon tea came with the optional addition of a thematic cocktail - the Love Potion is a 'magical mix of Earl Grey infused gin, honey from the London Honey Co, blackberry puree and prosecco, topped with fresh blackberries'.</div>
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I wasn't not getting that, to be fair. Especially as I was in the rare position of not having to drive that day. I liked the combination of getting to mix my own magic potion, but without needing any of the skill required to actually make a nice cocktail!</div>
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The savoury selection served up was a pleasingly varied bunch: a wild mushroom and leek quiche, ham and mustard finger sandwich, smoked salmon on rye and an egg mayonnaise brioche. I don't really dig salmon or egg, but that's just me being fussy - I <i>do</i> dig the different sandwich types and varied breads. </div>
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I was presented with a plain scone and a mulberry scone, both of which were delicious - especially served with clotted cream and jam. My problem was that I tried to eat them both in the same sitting as everything else - so by the time I came to the cakey bits I was too stuffed to fully appreciate them. Hindsight would have me box up at least one of them to enjoy later. (Still, it's always hard to truly regret eating scones!)</div>
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(By the way, how amazing are the plates? The crockery was designed specifically for the Swan, and it's stunning - I want the full set myself for home!) </div>
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I make no secret of the fact that the little cakes that usually make up part of an afternoon tea are my favourites! The Elderflower and Violet Macaroon was my favourite - so pretty and delicate, and light enough to enjoy even after finishing off those scones! </div>
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The Rose infused raspberry mousse and lemon cake, and blackberry compote with lavender cream were lovely too - I'm just nuts about those floral flavours and while I'm not familiar enough with A Midsummer Nights Dream to say just how closely these relate to the theme but they certainly evoke a lovely summertime woodland setting! </div>
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The menu describes the remaining item as a glazed white chocolate brownie but I definitely feel it was more straight-up chocolatey than that - - though to be fair I was in a bit of a sugar coma by this point it could have been anything, but I know it was sweet and goooood!</div>
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The afternoon tea was priced at £28.50, or £35 with the extra cocktail. Though that still feels highly extravagant to me, it seems this is actually incredibly reasonable for a London afternoon tea - especially for one of this standard and in this setting. The Midsummer Nights Dream afternoon tea was the perfect choice for a London afternoon tea and I'm really glad I had the chance to visit!</div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-45581579119726755982017-11-20T01:08:00.000-08:002017-11-20T02:10:13.747-08:00Medieval Glamping at Warwick Castle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
A weekend of <a href="https://www.warwick-castle.com/accommodation/stay-at-warwick-castle.aspx">Medieval Glamping at Warwick Castle</a> couldn't be more my cup of tea if it was an actual cup of tea. When I first learned that this was a possibility I was SO excited, and even more so when lovely KC offered to sort out a visit as my birthday treat! </div>
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I couldn't wait to head off and pretend to be in a much more family-friendly Game of Thrones, but a December birthday does not make for a good camping weekend so we thought it best to wait for the weather to warm up a tad, and finally our weekend rolled around.</div>
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I'll admit I had pretty high expectations on out night at the Knight's Village, but I still couldn't get over how perfect it was! </div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">There are a few different accommodation options in the Knights Village, which is made of a number of different lodges and tents. The lodges were gorgeous and came complete with shower, tv and even a hairdryer, but on my first browse of the 'short breaks' section of the site, it was the Medieval Tents I'd fallen for!</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">There were a couple of different classes of tent - the basic 'Warwick Tent', a pink princess themed one and the fancy-pants 'Kings Luxury Tent'. I was perfectly happy with my common serfs tent but I did sneak a peak at the Kings tent on my exploration of the village and it did look spectacular - with the best location right by the river, four poster beds and throne-like seats so you can sit outside with your included chess set to while away the hours like royalty.</span></div>
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That's not to say I wasn't thrilled with our less-Kingly accommodation! I've never been a 'camper' if I'm honest - I'm too much of a fussy sleeper to make a sleeping bag on the ground seem like a tempting option - so I met the sight of our proper double bed with great enthusiasm! </div>
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So, cosy double bed with proper sheets and everything for us, yay! Single bed apiece, likewise, for the kiddos, proper wood floor boards, storage trunks, mirror and table with suitably medievalish chairs... plus electric lights which was super as I'm useless and forgot torches (I did mention I wasn't much of a camper!) </div>
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The tent was so cosy - and after a long drive down to Warwick, a <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/11/a-weekend-at-warwick-castle.html">day full of castle-y activities </a>and an evening full of even more castle-y activities we were all happy to fall into out beds!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZh4KkroAY8ovGDm0F3D0eu8MvWjEU_wPmNb_tujUCUAlXZle4KJj00lF-nEusuQfiZTQyP-DxIulcoP_fxLpSBMXo3W06fy8lA4yrpFsu0-3WSk21JQPB07RpEx1kPjE8SC_6zcq0LCL/s1600/Bedtime+at+Warwick+Castle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZh4KkroAY8ovGDm0F3D0eu8MvWjEU_wPmNb_tujUCUAlXZle4KJj00lF-nEusuQfiZTQyP-DxIulcoP_fxLpSBMXo3W06fy8lA4yrpFsu0-3WSk21JQPB07RpEx1kPjE8SC_6zcq0LCL/s1600/Bedtime+at+Warwick+Castle.JPG" /></a></div>
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Despite not being the warmest of weekends, we were all perfectly snug, with blanket options a-plenty, and noise from the other villagers wasn't a problem either! </div>
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I had a surprisingly good (k)nights sleep, woke up to this lovely view from our tent, and headed off to our medieval banquet breakfast!</div>
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<u>Food at the Knights Village</u></div>
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I was crazy about the Banqueting Hall, and so glad that we'd booked our evening meal there as well as the included breakfast. The place was all decked out beautifully and just as we sat down with our food a pair of knights charged in and declared battle in front of us which definitely added to the medieval ambience! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUg48rZ6nno3l-JNwM9nzmjc5dJEzWyFuP9n4Iiye-Ha9pmxKU3Y9YY3jnsKusp2rnjT2aBGdwvN-_OeY5lQp6k511-1t1KeqvmURPx5kAukVVXJgP-4Rap_GOChxuDyTJaeKrKvF-5E0/s1600/Warwick+Castle+Knights+Village+Food+Hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUg48rZ6nno3l-JNwM9nzmjc5dJEzWyFuP9n4Iiye-Ha9pmxKU3Y9YY3jnsKusp2rnjT2aBGdwvN-_OeY5lQp6k511-1t1KeqvmURPx5kAukVVXJgP-4Rap_GOChxuDyTJaeKrKvF-5E0/s1600/Warwick+Castle+Knights+Village+Food+Hall.jpg" /></a></div>
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I didn't get too many photos of the food as I was way too busy eating it! I don't usually expect too much from a buffet style meal like this but was genuinely pretty impressed with not just the quality of the food but the variety - there were a couple of vegetarian dishes on the main menu, and at breakfast I noticed they had containers for regular, vegetarian and gluten-free sausages ready-prepared (so none of that awkward asking and waiting for them to be cooked separately!) </div>
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The kids discovered the ability to make their own pancakes in the morning at breakfast (though the use of a very safe, very easy machine - no one let them near a hot pan!) and both ate so many that it bordered on the obscene!</div>
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<u>Entertainment</u></div>
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Since I'd learned that I'd booked a week too early for a lot of the main school-holiday entertainment at Warwick Castle through the day time, I'd expected the same would hold true for the evening activities at the Knights Village. This wouldn't have been a problem, as exploring the serene little woodland village and chilling out in our cosy tent would have suited me just fine - but the youngsters loved the extra entertainment available to them after the castle closed up to the public!</div>
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After seeing the phenomenal birds of prey shows earlier in the day, there was the opportunity to get close to one of the little feather fellas. Little Casper was significantly smaller than some of the huge birds we'd seen at the castle (who I imagine some of the little kids wouldn't have wanted to get too near to, for fear of being eaten!), but he was ever so charming, and loved posing for photos!</div>
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The bird handing was the only one of the extra activities that was charged, and I did think this was a little excessive at £7.50 for just a few minutes, but the kids really did love doing it so was worth the cost - especially when you balance it out over the included activities.</div>
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Like the archery, which was free in the Knights Village. I wish I'd knows that before paying for them to do it earlier in the day at the castle, of course, but hindsight is a marvellous thing! And it's not like it's something they get to practice a lot at home...!</div>
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After watching the expert sword fighters do their thing, the kids all got a spot of weapons training... </div>
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... and got to sped the rest of the trip practising their newfound skills against each other!</div>
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I've stayed in some pretty nice places in my time, but the Knights Village at Warwick Castle might just be my favourite. I know its a bit cheesy, I know it's meant for kids, I know its not for everyone - but I'm a big nerd, a knights-and-castles devotee, and I absolutely loved it! I really hope we get to stay again next year! </div>
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Would you fancy a historical weekend of medieval glamping? Where's the best/silliest place you've ever stayed? </div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-49214113946283475392017-11-10T07:30:00.000-08:002017-11-20T02:12:54.527-08:00A Weekend at Warwick Castle<div style="text-align: justify;">
My most exciting discover of 2017 was that you could have <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/11/medieval-glamping-at-warwick-castle.html">medieval sleepovers</a> at <a href="https://www.warwick-castle.com/">Warwick Castle</a>! We spent a brilliant night away in the Knight's Village over the summer, and there's a full post on that coming soon, but while we were there we of course spent plenty of time around the castle too! </div>
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<u>Climbing the castle walls </u></div>
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An exploration of the castle towers and ramparts seemed like a great place to start! </div>
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There were a LOT of steps, but some of the views were totally worth it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAGX7KRWBjxsCbizymtAMOxxG1SgrKWNCQCH5Y-ITzCbj_ARJ3KQtdjgkWhep2h9RlOHdWBVM74XrgRZi06wGqn33zy7w6VCPDF4mWqt2YbHpvMrhrecrF6jhlQ8YZibPo2VCaYyr9-kb/s1600/View+from+Warwick+Castle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAGX7KRWBjxsCbizymtAMOxxG1SgrKWNCQCH5Y-ITzCbj_ARJ3KQtdjgkWhep2h9RlOHdWBVM74XrgRZi06wGqn33zy7w6VCPDF4mWqt2YbHpvMrhrecrF6jhlQ8YZibPo2VCaYyr9-kb/s1600/View+from+Warwick+Castle.JPG" /></a><br />
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The glimpses we got of the surrounding town were lovely - we didn't have time to explore outside of the castle on this trip but I'd love to get back and have a proper look around!</div>
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There s a one-way system in place around the towers as some of the staircases and corridors are a little tight, but of course not everyone wants to follow simple directions so I'd suggest hitting up this section early on in the day if possible, before it gets too busy. Based on the queues visible by early afternoon, I'd imagine uncomfortable squeezes weren't uncommon! </div>
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<u>Inside the Castle</u></div>
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The inside of the castle is stunning, with various rooms decorated to replicate how they would have looked at different points through the castle's history.... unfortunately our exploration of this part of the castle was relatively quickly paced as the little lady has an irrational fear of wax figures and didn't want to hang around them too long!</div>
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There seems like so much to see and learn in the castle interiors, so we plan on trying to toughen her up for next year! I was half hoping to visit the <a href="https://www.warwick-castle.com/explore/the-castle-dungeon.aspx">Dungeons at Warwick Castle</a> at some point, but at this rate we have no chance!</div>
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Still, she felt a little braver with a helmet for protection!</div>
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<u>Horrible Histories Maze</u></div>
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The Horrible Histories Maze is new since our last visit, and is something the kiddos were really looking forward to - they're both massive Horrible Histories fans and this looked like a fun way to incorporate even more gruesome historical knowledge into our visit! </div>
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The maze is separated into different time period settings, made with corresponding materials and with various facts, challenges and activities. There was also a card to get stamped at each of the different sections, which once complete could be exchanged for a small gift at the shop afterwards.</div>
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We did get a bit lost and confused in there, but I suppose that's the point! We had lots of fun though! </div>
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<u>The Flight of the Eagles Show</u></div>
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Honestly, one of the things I was most excited about on our visit was the Flight of the Eagles show. I have a real love for birds of prey, and we've visited a number of bird sanctuaries and centres over the north so we can see these amazing birds.</div>
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But none of them have come close to the birds at Warwick Castle! Not only did they have an amazing array of birds, some that I've never seen before, but the sheer size of them was unbelievable!</div>
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A combination of the huge birds and the great space on site resulted in the most impressive flying display I've ever seen. We got to see an array of beautiful eagles, owls and vultures soar from the highest towers of the castle and swoop over the the heads of the crowds.</div>
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It's hard to pin down a favourite - but a special shout-out has to go to Rosie, the UK's only free-flying Andean Condor and. With a wingspan of over ten foot, we thought we'd stumbled across a living pterodactyl and watching her ascend the castle walls like steps was a truly astounding thing to see.</div>
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They do a show in the morning and on in the afternoon, but they're both different so it's worth getting to them both if you can! (We caught it three times over two days and I regret nothing!) </div>
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<u>Archery</u></div>
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As well as the Birds of Prey show, there's also an Archery Display a couple of times a day. I always wonder how you find yourself on a career path with 'archer' at the end of it - though sadly I imagine it's a bit too late in life to tread that path myself! This guy knows his stuff though and puts on a great display with some very impressive looking historical weapons! </div>
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And then, once their appetite for death and destruction has been whetted, the kids get to have a go themselves! </div>
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<u>Refreshments</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjd-sqYDMKa8ERTeaxPf3LDBKx1SF6hH9-QLnKTIBgTx9HhiV3EdSL9Xg5kP7mmXjhcnFYI0RGtQgb3QiVKYJPg0NJNbSgFKnqmdUM5BeGwH9NPK9OUv8-P58eNnzEmnH7ib41pbsdRex/s1600/Warwick+Castle+Tea+Room.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjd-sqYDMKa8ERTeaxPf3LDBKx1SF6hH9-QLnKTIBgTx9HhiV3EdSL9Xg5kP7mmXjhcnFYI0RGtQgb3QiVKYJPg0NJNbSgFKnqmdUM5BeGwH9NPK9OUv8-P58eNnzEmnH7ib41pbsdRex/s1600/Warwick+Castle+Tea+Room.JPG" /></a></div>
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We did most of our eating at the Knight's Village, but a day out wouldn't be a day out without a tea-and-cake stop! There's a bunch of places to eat around Warwick Castle, from pizza buffets to sit-down restaurants, with ice cream stands and burger huts between. But I had my eye on The Conservatory and all the baked goodies held within.</div>
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It's a lovely peaceful spot in the gorgeous peacock gardens, and a great place for a sugary re-charge. Plus I could send the kids off to run round the fountains and hang out with the peacocks within eyesight of my outside seat and cup of tea. Great scones too! </div>
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And, though the weather wasn't the greatest on the weekend of our trip, we still had to get an ice cream! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYsVw-QmibbbGF-3VqsIHDdqTuoFPq1LB5wNOHpMLVf3Nl9cwMcB9GzcaeFnZmiCJSXP79IL9jRwX40Rq6_hw6VW9owzKCRKK2aJTdul2uFLczf0sawqgdlItBXTgA41RNBHAT6L001Sl/s1600/Warwick+Castle+Mighty+Trebuchet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYsVw-QmibbbGF-3VqsIHDdqTuoFPq1LB5wNOHpMLVf3Nl9cwMcB9GzcaeFnZmiCJSXP79IL9jRwX40Rq6_hw6VW9owzKCRKK2aJTdul2uFLczf0sawqgdlItBXTgA41RNBHAT6L001Sl/s1600/Warwick+Castle+Mighty+Trebuchet.JPG" /></a></div>
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The Mighty Trebuchet is a working recreation of one of the most bad-ass military machines of all time. It's essentially a huge catapult, and (from a safe distance) you can see them fire this monstrosity up to a couple of times a day. It has an impressive range of nearly 1000 foot! </div>
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I couldn't talk about the attractions at Warwick Castle without giving a should out to the adorable baby ducklings in residence! These little cuties weren't shy at all and we spent a great deal of time watching them follow their mum around and pester visitors for food! </div>
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We've seen jousting here before on a previous visit and was really looking forward to seeing it again this time, so I was a bit gutted when I found out that the jousting and other extra activities didn't actually start 'til the weekend following our visit. Despite my worries that without them we'd struggle to fill two days, we actually managed just fine without a hint of boredom - but still I'd definitely check the calendar a bit more carefully before planning another trip! </div>
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Still it's always nice to leave a couple of things left undone to give you an excuse to return and I think we've got plenty of reasons to aim for another trip down next year! Hopefully we can even convince my little scaredy-cat into the Dungeons, but I think that's probably a step too far! </div>
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Have you been to Warwick Castle? Or have any big nerdy days out you can recommend? </div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-87376637685362488102017-11-03T08:30:00.000-07:002017-11-20T02:13:08.657-08:00October Happenings, November Plans <div style="text-align: justify;">
As, I imagine, was the case for many people, much of our October goings-ons were Halloween based. The night itself was spend trick-or-treating around my brothers house, with him and his kiddos. It's always an interesting place to go trick-or-treating as the confused responses to the holiday make for a very eclectic goodie haul. They've come back with apples, cakes, crisps, bottles of pop and cash alongside the expected sweets but my favourite reactions are where the person opening the door clearly has no idea what's going on! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeajqpvM2qb3bu7laX9msTVPUZVt6LJ_nbcM-ydKuRVSKweI1yf_oXYwJV_PPoqlW_betCTK4hGXUA7fmk6P84pWFL47o9T8jhidX_qtP3HgVziV0LINr0LW-2SaPh998-2Qq3t9qVpC2/s1600/Bettys+Hlloween+Cakes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeajqpvM2qb3bu7laX9msTVPUZVt6LJ_nbcM-ydKuRVSKweI1yf_oXYwJV_PPoqlW_betCTK4hGXUA7fmk6P84pWFL47o9T8jhidX_qtP3HgVziV0LINr0LW-2SaPh998-2Qq3t9qVpC2/s1600/Bettys+Hlloween+Cakes.JPG" /></a></div>
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We popped over to York on one of the weekend days as it makes sense to visit England's most haunted city for Halloween! This year we booked onto the <a href="https://www.yorkschocolatestory.com/event/trick-treat-halloween-walking-tours/">York's Chocolate Story Trick-or-Treat walking tour, </a>a kid-friendly and sugar filled alternative to the evening's spookier ghost walks. This was really good fun and the chocolate was delicious! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvQMDl2JSdeTXrd8ypS4WPGhoZ_N1tc-wIA4siIMgI7TpsFqiiYgxOJT0q-8rfRhWi3mpQKHwJutnpQ3F9b_A1EmziaoeMbCBbNzkJfGZYmjD7wBEgRhuArTpJOFPVH9wRwor7nx9sEih/s1600/Yorks+Shockolate+Story+Trick+Or+Treat+Walk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvQMDl2JSdeTXrd8ypS4WPGhoZ_N1tc-wIA4siIMgI7TpsFqiiYgxOJT0q-8rfRhWi3mpQKHwJutnpQ3F9b_A1EmziaoeMbCBbNzkJfGZYmjD7wBEgRhuArTpJOFPVH9wRwor7nx9sEih/s1600/Yorks+Shockolate+Story+Trick+Or+Treat+Walk.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Unfortunately bad traffic on the way over meant we got in late and couldn't do everything wed hoped in the city - but of course we found time to pop into <a href="https://www.bettys.co.uk/">Bettys</a> and stock up on their Halloweeny goodies! Their marzipan pumpkins are sooooo dreamy! </span></div>
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And speaking of pumpkins, another fun seasonal day out was had at <a href="http://www.letsgosomewherenice.com/2017/10/farmer-copleys-pumpkin-festival.html">Farmer Copley's Pumpkin Festival</a> - the kids loved picking and carving their own pumpkin! </div>
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The other big thing that happened in October was my long awaited trip to London to see <a href="https://www.harrypottertheplay.com/">Harry Potter and the Cursed Child</a>! I obviously don't want to say too much about the play but it was truly special and I couldn't recommend it more! </div>
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The rest of the London trip was a bit more hit-and-miss sadly, with a huge hiccup with our accommodation and then a tragic mishap with my camera going some way to balance out the other wise great food, sights and company! </div>
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Novembers plans are limited - as gets colder it really does seem to take the edge of planning days out in advance as you don't know if the weather is going to be up to it!</div>
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The eldest and I have a karate tournament coming up in a few weeks, so a lot of the time before that will be spent in training. Even if we don't end up with shiny medals to make it worthwhile, its a day out in Sheffield that should be fun!</div>
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I've also booked a very quick getaway to Bruges towards the end of the month. The 'minicruise' (fancy name for an overnight ferry) from Hull can be remarkably cheap and after all that training I'll need all the chocolate and beer Belgium can offer!</div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-84167444553775369382017-10-31T09:44:00.001-07:002017-11-20T02:13:20.900-08:00Farmer Copley's Pumpkin Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
It's hard to put my finger on when pumpkin carving became really popular
in the UK. I'm sure I never did it when I was a kid. I remember carving
turnips, but that may have been more to do with my dad's distrust of
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Still, picking and carving pumpkins is something we've done with the kiddos now for as long as I can remember and is an integral part of out Halloween preparations. This year we headed off to<a href="https://www.farmercopleys.co.uk/event/pumpkin-festival-2017/"> Farmer Copley's Pumpkin Festival</a> in Pontefract to get in the spooky spirit of the season! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJ-84F3lYcV_RpGu7pYuUvG4JpMUTdCs17nbWZLYImtbfJJve7FfD_9BZ-LlGpwpQooMh-0EVusWMQgC9JtSuap9fwr8KlXwIVKcAHdqiOxPdXbB_atU5v-gp3rk1A1I-97LsJAM82qFw/s1600/witches.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJ-84F3lYcV_RpGu7pYuUvG4JpMUTdCs17nbWZLYImtbfJJve7FfD_9BZ-LlGpwpQooMh-0EVusWMQgC9JtSuap9fwr8KlXwIVKcAHdqiOxPdXbB_atU5v-gp3rk1A1I-97LsJAM82qFw/s1600/witches.JPG" /></a></div>
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We have been to Farmer Copleys before for Halloween, but our last visit was a couple of years ago (I think I got myself muddled up with York Maze, which is where we did our pumpkining last year, oops!) As well as a massive pumpkin patch with loads of different kinds of pumpkins to pick from, they have all the traditional ways to get parents to part with cash - small rides, face painting, candy floss - that sorta thing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvCUrgFCJQY2o9bj4Q5Qsr2FT_lPr86DYGNmfc5bsYU8TFsVn-9SRZSjI05DN58M3OgaZestGP-Rz21BantZq20Wox9NGH55sbH3Qp0blybRHpyiML5Xgfxk_StMFG4KwTNDlOhjrMOf3/s1600/farmer+copleys+pumpkins.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvCUrgFCJQY2o9bj4Q5Qsr2FT_lPr86DYGNmfc5bsYU8TFsVn-9SRZSjI05DN58M3OgaZestGP-Rz21BantZq20Wox9NGH55sbH3Qp0blybRHpyiML5Xgfxk_StMFG4KwTNDlOhjrMOf3/s1600/farmer+copleys+pumpkins.JPG" /></a></div>
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(I'm not bitter about the 'ways to get parents to part with cash' by the way, even if it sounded otherwise - 'twas free entry with no obligation so it's all good, I'm just aware of how quickly these things can tot up!)</div>
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Thankfully the only one my two were bothered about was the 'rodeo pumpkin' - something they'd remembered from a previous visit and were keen to have another go on. I secretly think I'd be awesome at this but of course wasn't about to prove it in public!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71zSDg30FJ0XabV4cUMnJ51lo3vOhXQqfLYLCL1BSNG2rOWENY8nfuspLFJl8Uz7R96lT8Qxj25VC7h2YzERcu9aqB7CEOw1G8Fi_tAyduG4EpGT11pNxTvFHcHzFKQI9-01oSf4CznNl/s1600/rodeo+pumpkin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71zSDg30FJ0XabV4cUMnJ51lo3vOhXQqfLYLCL1BSNG2rOWENY8nfuspLFJl8Uz7R96lT8Qxj25VC7h2YzERcu9aqB7CEOw1G8Fi_tAyduG4EpGT11pNxTvFHcHzFKQI9-01oSf4CznNl/s1600/rodeo+pumpkin.JPG" /></a></div>
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(Ok thats a lie, I'm very aware that I'd be terrible at it!) <br />
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Anyway, pumpkin time! As mentioned, entry was free so if you just wanted lots of pumpkiny pictures for instagram you could wander round to your hearts content, posing away.</div>
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Not good enough for these two though, they wouldnt be happy 'til they were covered heard to toe in pumpkin goo! (Yes, there is a very good reason we tend to leave the house to do the pumpkins, those things are messy!)</div>
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I don't know why but they seem obsessed with finding the biggest pumpkins they can, with no thought to texture or shape. Thankfully I managed to reign them in a little - by telling them they would have to carry their chose massive pumpkin round with them for the rest of the day (you could actually borrow wheelbarrows for the carting around of pumpkins but I definitely downplayed that possibility as to avoid going home with the two biggest pumpkins - and most expensive, they were charged on size - in the field!)</div>
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Thankfully they settled on a couple of somewhat sensibly sized pumpkins, and got to work on hollowing them out. Despite my suggestions of carefully planning an idea before hacking away, I suggest that's not exactly what happened! Still, a big of improvisation and a bit of imagination and we ended up with a not-very-scary pug and a cat! </div>
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It would be a poor day out if we didn't make a tea and cake stop off, so we made a move to the café before heading off. It's moved from its previous spot in the farm shop to a much bigger site just next door, and is a bit less cosy but probably easier to find a table on a busy day like this one!</div>
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I've never (!?!) had a pumpkin spiced latte, or a pumpkin spiced anything actually so we ordered a slice of the pumpkin spiced latte cake to split between us. This worked out <i>really </i>well for me as neither of the kids were keen so I got to eat pretty much all of it myself, woo! (Don't feel sorry for them, they got treats from the farm shop to take home so were not badly done by!)</div>
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As the kids get older it's getting a little harder to find Halloween activities that suit both of them (the littlest one is a massive scaredy cat so is not interested in anything that might actually be the vaguest bit spooky!) so it was lovely to get another good pumpkin session out of the pair! Here's hoping for another one next year! </div>
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PS My dad has informed me that it was a swede that we would carve up as kids! </div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879881400476610996.post-85837482077001186762017-10-17T06:25:00.002-07:002017-11-20T02:13:32.892-08:00Yorkshire Lavender <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
It feels a bit weird writing about my summer adventures with it being so grey outside, but I'm trying (not succeeding, but trying!) to get all caught up. I really should probably just skip a couple of months so I'm covering more recent events but I took way too many pictures for that, so to that end - here's <a href="https://www.yorkshirelavender.com/">Yorkshire Lavender</a>! </div>
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To be fair, it probably works out quite well as I'm sure this would have been lost in a sea of lavender based posts a few months ago, and I get to bring a bit of sunshine back to these dull days!</div>
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I would usually save the inevitable café visit 'til the end of the trip but we'd skipped breakfast in a bid to get out and on our way early so by the time we arrived I was definitely ready for some tea and baked goodies. We settled in the adorable EJ's Tea Room for lavender flavoured treats. Much as I loved the sound of the Lavender Scones, I'd already seen the cake and there was no going back!</div>
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It didn't take long to demolish the massive Victoria Sponge slice, filled with blueberry and lavender jam, nor my pot of lavender tea, so it was soon time to head outside and explore! </div>
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The first thing you notice on entering the gardens is the beautiful smell of lavender in the air - absolutely beautiful! There are a few different sections to wander around, including a lavender maze... </div>
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... a little garden centre where you can buy a variety of plants but mainly (obviously, I suppose) lots of different kinds of lavender... </div>
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... and some sweet deer in a field at the bottom of the hill. They were shy but very lovely! </div>
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There was also a little pond, a small play area,... </div>
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... and a sightly odd collections of blue metal sculptures. The 'Spirit Of Yorkshire', for example, is these blue cut-out figures indulging in a game of cricket.</div>
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There were also blue pyramids and a random blue gate or two. I'm not sure I get it to be honest, but whatevs.</div>
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Still, we were there for the lavender and there was plenty of that! </div>
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And bees! So many bees! Sorry if this is way too many bee pictures, but I love them and it made me so happy to see so many of them buzzing away!</div>
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If you head right into the middle of the lavender rows you could hear them so loudly too, I've never heard anything like it! Just be very careful where you step! </div>
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I was very tempted to treat myself to a lavender plant or two to take home but my senseible head was very aware of the fact that my garden needed a lot of work before I could plant anything else in there! Next year though hopefuul, I'd love to be able to re-create this pretty, fragrant bee-haven at home!</div>
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I did pick up some of that amazing blueberry and lavender jam from the gift shop though, so I can at least enjoy the cake-eating part while I wait for summer to roll back round again!</div>
Kel McKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16979585662279184297noreply@blogger.com6