Category Archives: Trips

Top 10 Moments of 2019

December 28, 2019 betweenthetread 2 Comments

A year ago today we were sat at home in the West Midlands, mindlessly scrolling through Facebook and the camper-van/motorhome pages. Writing a “2019 top 10 moments” post was a dream not a reality. We had been thinking about the van life dream for some time and although we had a short wheel base VW, it wasn’t really big enough for what we wanted to do.

We were scrolling through one page where a lady was celebrating. She had been to see a van yesterday and brought it home today. It was an Iveco Daily. As happy as we were for this stranger, we were also sad that we had not yet found the van for us, despite looking at several. One of the top runners was an old minibus we had prematurely nicknamed Sweet Pea, however when we took her for a test drive (past our mechanic) he strongly advised we disregard her.

We read the comments and saw others also saying they were looking for a van too and then this guy pops up with “I am selling one of those…”. We arranged to drive to Hull and back to see her and collected her on the 5^th January. The rest, as they say, is history.

A new beginning!

Chewy (short for Patchouli when she is being good and Chewbacca when she is grumpy) has changed every aspect of our lives in the last year. Through her we have been able to travel most of England and Wales over the last 9 months and we have seen some amazing places. Many of these have not made it on to the blog as there was just so much that we were involved in and not enough time to document it.

Over the last few months we have been working really hard to remodel the van ready for next year’s adventures and although it has taken longer that we had initially anticipated, I am happy to say that we are coming along well now with the kitchen being installed as we post this. Neither of us have converted a van before and if we had a penny for every time we wondered “what are we thinking trying to convert a van!” we would be able to afford fuel for next year’s adventures! However, we have been very lucky with family and friends lending their help and experience to get our vision to work.

This post we wanted to treat you to some of our favourite moments of the last year. It has been jam packed with our calendar now full of memories to treasure for the rest of our lives. It has been so hard to narrow them down to just a few. However here we go with our favourite top 10 moments of 2019!

#1 Collecting Chewy!

Chewy van — Chewy – before we got her dirty!

January 5^th has to be a new National Holiday if we ever become Prime Minister! We were so excited to be driving to collect her – it was a 175 miles each way from our house. We left early, full of excitement and loaded with snacks. Arriving a little later than scheduled due to traffic, we checked the van over once more, happy to do the deal and sign paperwork / transferred funds before returning home.

The driver’s seat is one of those truck driver ones with the suspension. You have to adjust the dial on the side to your weight in kg and it automatically calibrates for the correct amount of spring! I am old school and still do stones (the numbers are lower) and just guessed. I got into the driver’s seat with Louise driving the VW behind me and started to make our way West. After successfully navigating a narrow road and a double decker bus with a van much larger than I was used to, I felt a little bit smug. That was until I found a speed bump that sent me shooting up to the roof and my feet completely left the pedals! Needless to say we had to stop and readjust the seat to ensure that didn’t happen again!

All doors have locks on right?

It was only when we got home that night, that I realised I couldn’t find reverse. I spent ages edging further down the road than needed before we could back onto the driveway. Once we parked, the 2^nd realisation happened when we went to lock the driver’s side door to find that where there should be a lock, there was just a black seal. The previous owner had wanted to slow down any possible theft and taken the door lock out from the outside (could still be opened from the inside) and the rear door was held shut with a ratchet strap! We had to lock the door from inside and climb across the van to exit from the passenger side!

Next time we go looking for new vehicle, we will be looking for all the locks on the doors and not just assuming they will be there!!! Without this event, the other top 10 moments of 2019 wouldn’t have happened.

#2 of our top 10 moments of 2019 – Foraging course!

Being on the road and on a budget, we wanted to ensure that we had some skills to help us along the way. I looked into survival skills courses but I felt that these were a little overkill for surviving in the UK as we were unlikely to be far from civilisation at any point. It was our first great adventure and we were going to ease ourselves into it. I booked Louise and myself on a foraging course to teach us about the wild edible plants – and also the ones to be aware of.

This was a great day out for us as we got to try some samples of things you can make out of the wild edible plants that we would be seeing and help us to identify which ones were safe to eat or deadly! Unless you are beyond certain – never eat something if you can’t 100% identify it. We are now able to spot plants on our travels that we couldn’t have done before and now understand the benefits of finding free food when on a budget. If you haven’t been and are looking for something interesting to do, we would totally recommend going on a foraging course!

#3 The cheap pub stopover that cost more than a campsite!

We are often mindful about money and having no income (living off of savings) we were well aware of trying to keep costs down. Campsites are lovely but if we could find a free spot tucked out of the way or a little pub stop over, we would go there and then have more pennies to spend in local independent shops.

On our way between foraging and a visit to Ross-on-Wye, we found a cute little pub stop over that looked promising. It was getting dark when we arrived one April evening and after checking with the owners that they were happy for us to stay, we moved the van to a quiet spot out of the way. We went in to have ourselves a drink and some food (all they asked for in return) to then find they were having live music on that night. A Welsh man turned up with his guitar and was really good, playing a mix of his own music and songs we all know and love from all decades. He even took requests!

Although there wasn’t many people in the pub that night, the atmosphere was great and the drinks were flowing well. It ended up costing us more for a pub stop over than it would have done if we had booked a campsite with electric hook up and showers! Did we mind? Not really!

#4 Tuckers Grave Meet Up!

One of the things that Louise and I were worried about was becoming so disconnected with society that we wouldn’t want to be around people anymore. However, our online van-life friends turned into reality when we went to a meet up at Tuckers Grave inn and campsite. I was really nervous about going and we had some van trouble the weeks leading up to the event. It wasn’t until the day that we knew 100% if we were able to make it, but it beat sleeping outside Iveco’s dealership in Avonmouth near Bristol for another night!

Lots of vans were parked on the field close together, all with their doors open so people could come and look at the self-build designs. Way too much cider was drunk. One lady had brought a bottle of Bakewell Vodka and was sharing it with people that were drinking it out of normal sized glasses! Well, a night of live entertainment, fire pits, BBQs and great friends ended up being a whole weekend as we all nursed hang overs and had to spend another night there until we were all safe to drive!

That night we went into the pub and took over a side room with a log fire and shove ha’penny board. We played Bingo, with a new friend supplying the prizes she could rustle up in her van – a banana, a hard boiled egg and a bulb of garlic! Sometimes, the adventures that are unplanned turn out to be the best nights and the most amazing memories can be made. As far as top 10 moments of 2019 go, this one couldn’t be left out.

#5 Making do with what you got!

On occasions we have had to overcome challenges that we were unprepared for. From little things like creating the Boxer Bunting (Seen by over 1,659 people on Facebook) when they hadn’t dried overnight (so I hung my pants over the stove when cooking breakfast), to having to climb over the seats to get in and out when the side door got jammed shut in Ross-on-Wye.

We have also had to get ourselves out of some tricky situations when driving Chewy too. Recently, we were in Wales and trusted our satnav to take us to a monkey sanctuary. We ended up having to go up a steep hill on a single track road, that was windy and narrow. On our way up we came face to face with a delivery driver in his van, looking as traumatised as we did. He had to reverse up the hill a short distance to let us pass as he was closer to a gap. Once we had passed him, we then had to drop back down the hill again a little bit before Louise took a good run, beeping the horn to warn oncoming traffic and just flooring it up the hill. I had my eyes shut the whole way up!

Making up our own recipes has also been a great adventure. We have invented many a dish that we would struggle to recreate. We managed to make bread in the van using the summer heat in the cab to make the dough rise, flatbread and pittas. “Whatever we have left” soup, if we have an odd potato, carrot or other veg, it all gets made into a soup to save it going in the bin and these have cured ills and hangovers on many occasions. Thank you Louise for always making me feel better when I can’t hold my drink!

#6 Many firsts

Being on the road has provided us with some great opportunities. Things that we had not been able to do before, whether through fear or lack of funds etc. We made a promise to ourselves to take advantage of those moments and grab them with both hands. In the last 9 months, we have learned how to drive a New Holland tractor (Thanks William!), been on a speedboat, climbed a mountain, swam in a waterfall and so much more! Swimming in a waterfall is not just on my top 10 moments of 2019 list, but of my all time top 10 bucket list items that we have managed to achieve!

It was the first time we had been able to have an adventure on this scale before and although we only left the UK once, we are planning many more trips abroad now that we have dipped our feet in the water. We have some amazing plans in the pipe line for 2020 and can’t wait to share them with you! If we were writing a top 100 moments of 2019 instead of top 10, we would be able to list every single first, including my first bonfire on a beach and first time we slept next to a nuclear reactor (we didn’t realise why it was so quiet until we googled where we were!).

#7 Visiting Spain

We took a couple of weeks out from our busy schedule of exploring the UK to travel to Spain. We did cheat a little and left Chewy at home, opting to fly instead. The weather here had been awful we were keen to get some sun! My aunt has a villa near Torrevieja so we flew into Alicante and we were met there by one of her friends. We spent the time we had there going on some coach trips to see cave houses, towns on top of massive cliffs, swam in a waterfall and visited Benidorm… We still laugh about the mobility scooters for 2 that we saw there!

It was the first time I left the country without my parents and it did feel strange. We absolutely loved this experience and have written a few blog posts on our adventures there. One of the best evenings we had there was our last night at the Olive tree restaurant and then we took a slow walk home before laying on the sun loungers on the roof terrace watching the stars and satellites. It was so romantic and one of the most beautiful nights of my life.

#8 Ponies on the Gower

I was born in London and lived there until I was 18/19, my heart always craved the countryside. My grandparents on mum’s side had a caravan in Bognor Regis and my grandma (dads mum) lived on the edge of the New Forest so we had plenty of opportunity to get out of the city.

For number 8 of our top ten moments of 2019 we had to include the ponies! We found a lovely free camping spot on the Gower Peninsular that we have stopped in a few times. Cows and Horses roam free on top of the hill there. When we were up there, there were some young ponies in the group, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

This blue one caught my attention and allowed me to get quite close as I slowly edged towards it – keeping an eye on mum’s whereabouts of course! I have a decent zoom on the camera and managed to get some lovely pictures. Once they got used to me sitting there, they would come closer on their own and choose to be near us.

One morning we woke up to the van shaking. Unsure if we were being broken into or if it was an earth quake we looked out of the window to find a cow having a good scratch on the rear ladder!

#9 Polar Express

Christmas is all about the kids but when you are still a kid trapped in the body of an adult, Christmas is all about the Polar Express! Louise and I are both massive festive fun-bags and love the season of goodwill and cinnamon. Everything gets covered in decorations and we love to visit Christmas Fayres and all the aromas of the bratwursts and mulled wine, new pyjamas and cosy nights in with a blanket watching the telly-box.

This year I treated Louise to a trip on the Wensleydale all singing, all dancing, fully immersive trip on the Polar Express steam train to the ‘North Pole’ to meet Santa. All the characters were there from the movie, the singing chefs, the conductor, the homeless man/ghost and of course the real Santa with real beard. As part of the trip we also got hot chocolates and cookies as well as our first gift of Christmas, a silver bell!

It was a really fun event and one that we would love to go on again. There were whole families including grandparents dressed up in their pyjamas and dressing gowns on board the train. The children’s faces were incredible when Santa came to see them and the atmosphere created by the staff was worth a million pounds!

#10 My favourite top 10 moment of 2019 – when I proposed to Louise.

It was a hot summers day and we were in Whitemill, Wales. We had found a stunning campsite called Quarry Lodge with beautiful pitches, great facilities and friendly hosts. The site was in an old Quarry – I know! It’s like they knew there was going to be a campsite called Quarry Lodge built there in the future!!! Anyway, the site was on a few levels with little openings and groves poked here and there. We had walked around the site earlier in the day and I knew it was the place that I wanted to propose.

I had been carrying the ring around since Cambridge and had asked the permission of her closest family – all had given me their blessing. The sun was starting to set and it looked to be a beautiful evening. We had gone for another walk outside the campsite but I had not seen anywhere as special as this spot. I encouraged Louise back to the site so that I could put my plan into action.

Perfect plan!

On the way through the site, we found some long grass. Lou asked if I had ever done the trick where you put the grass between your thumbs and blow to make a squeal/whistle/random noise. I had not, so Louise proceeded to give me a tutorial without blowing it herself. She helped me place the grass between my thumbs and told me to blow. Well, the noise was so loud I scared myself, tried to run away and stumbled about flailing. Louise was killing herself laughing the rest of the day and wished she had videoed it. I didn’t realise the noise would be that loud and I wasn’t prepared.

A few minutes later I had reached the perfect spot with Louise, the sun was glowing orange as she was sinking and lighting up the sky as if it was on fire. Louise was still laughing about me scaring myself and had turned away from me to compose herself. When she turned around it took her a moment to realise that I wasn’t where she left me, I was on the floor on one knee, with a ring in my hand. Luckily she said Yes!!!

So as for a rundown of our top 10 moments of 2019 go, these just touch the tip of the iceberg. We have so much more to share with you next year and we would love it if you could leave us a message of your top moments of 2019. Tell is what you got up to and what you have planned for next year! We cant wait to #goexplore again next year.

England, Trips, yorkshire

Wensleydale Polar Express

December 18, 2019 betweenthetread Leave a comment

MASSIVE SPOLIERS!

Saturday evening Louise and I embarked on a magical journey. I had purchased the tickets in advance as I knew they would be popular and secured the last train ride of the evening for our 2 year anniversary. We were going to be immersing ourselves into the fantastical world of Polar Express hosted by Wensleydale railway.

“WELL… ARE YOU COMING?…” said the conductor.
“Where?” said the little boy.
“Why to the North Pole of course. This is the Polar Express!

We received the tickets in advance. Not just any tickets, but golden tickets – replicas of the ones used in the movie as well as instructions on where to park and what to wear. When I gave them to Louise she was so excited. I explained to her that it was a fully immersive interactive experience on board a real steam train with hot chocolates and cookies!

The event organisers were encouraging all attendees to wear pyjama’s and dressing gowns to fully experience the magical atmosphere aboard the train. You could purchase Polar Express PJ’s as well as other merchandise at the check in desk however these were subject to availability of course.

Arrival

The instructions told us to park at the Leeming Bar services no sooner than 45 minutes before your train to ease parking congestion and there would be a shuttle bus to the station. On entering the services, a car park was clearly marked for the Wensleydale Polar Express passengers. It was lit up with flood lights and staffed by several people directing cars to the vacant spots. Once parked, and wrapped up in coats and gloves, we were instructed to cross the road over to the entrance of a building. A double decker bus was waiting outside with some passengers already boarding.

Inside, was a Polar Express backdrop screen where you could take pictures of your family or selfies as a reminder of the event. A selection of merchandise was available here but there is much more at the end of the experience. A very friendly woman approached us and asked if we had our tickets. Once she had checked them over she told us that we could now board a bus, there were 3 in quick rotation so was plenty of opportunity.

The bus that we had seen as we were entering was full up now and was starting it’s journey onward to the station with whole families wearing matching pj’s, onesies, elf hats and dressing gowns. Kids jumping up and down full of excitement and wonder as the staff, all in character, entertained the children by asking if they had been a good boy or girl this year and if they were excited to see Santa at the North Pole tonight! They were oblivious to the freezing temperatures that we were experiencing!

Wensleydale Station

Once we boarded the next bus and arrived at the station, just a few minutes away, we could see the bright lights of fast food vendors in Swedish chalet style huts. There was a Donut and waffle stall, a bar and a grill serving bratwursts and pork baps. Of course, for you readers we felt it was our duty to try them all! We started with the hot dogs – I had a bratwurst and Louise had a regular hot dog. Large sausages ensured we were well fed for our evening. By the Marquee, a condiment station was set up with big containers of sauces and almost cows udders fixed to the bottom of them so you had to squeeze them to get the sauce out.

We then treated ourselves to 2 hot mulled wines, sweet and full of flavour these really got us in the festive spirit. They did also serve a small selection of wines beers and spirits. The Donut and Waffle hut was the busiest, with lots of choice. We opted for the 5 donuts with a sauce and topping. There were a fair amount of options to choose from but we went with marshmallows and chocolate sauce!

Most of the stalls did accept card payments but the donut stall was having some technical trouble so were cash only on the night we visited.

Magical Marquee

After the food and drink we opted to look inside the marquee. A large screen at the end of the room was showing the film on a projector with rows of seats spanning most of the room. An aisle in the middle was left clear and people were standing around the edges of the room. Children had all congregated on the floor at the front to better see the film and all seemed to be making friends whilst parents, grandparents, reluctant older teenagers and adults all talked amongst themselves.

Although predominantly family groups were in attendance there were also groups of adults that loved the film and we were not looked at any differently for not having little ones with them. Everyone was welcomed and in great spirits. As the clocked ticked by to the start time of our tickets, an excited hush blew over the room. What was going to happen now? Where was the train? When would it start?

Christmas Spirit

A voice came over the speaker and then a man appeared. He was sporting an American accent and was telling us that his friend had lost her Christmas spirit so would we all help her get it back? Over the next 10 minutes or so, the children were encouraged to shout out what made them happy at Christmas. One shouted food, one shouted singing and the last little boy said his family made him happy. The whole audience felt their heart strings being ruthlessly tugged as we then sang Christmas songs together. The other lady in the performance was even using sign language when performing Jingle Bells.

After the performance was over they pushed the screen back to reveal the exit onto the platform. Each carriage was marked on the platform so you knew where to stand and Christmas music was being played. Slowly the platform filled up but there was no sign of the train yet! We waited for a little while before the first gasps and cries could be heard from our left. “Its coming!” a little child said. One thing we did notice is that years ago, children would have been lifted high onto adults shoulders for a better view, but now people were raising their mobiles instead (yes, me included).

The steam from the train was all we could see at first as she slowly approached the platform, the black engine barely visible in the dark and carriage after carriage, windows steamed up promising a warm space inside. Chefs waiting at the doors waving as they passed and lanterns on the tables glowing orange and flickering. Fake snow was sprayed above us and ‘When Christmas comes to town” was being played from the movie soundtrack announcing the arrival of the Wensleydale” Polar Express!

The Conductor

MASSIVE SPOILERS!

Once the train stopped the conductor stepped onto the platform talking to a boy who hadn’t been at his best this year. He had not sent his present list to the North Pole, or had his picture taken with a department store Santa and had left his sister to put out the milk and cookies. The conductor encouraged the boy to get on the Polar Express and after a little persuasion, he agreed! Once he was aboard, the conductor asked if all of us would like to join them too and a roar of cheers erupted from the crowds!

The famous “ALL ABOOOOOARD” echoed down the platform as everyone started to board the train.

Once everyone was seated we set off for an adventure on the Wensleydale Polar Express all singing, all dancing, interactive ride no one will forget! Every ticket holder will receive a freshly baked cookie and a hot chocolate on board the ride as well as the first gift of Christmas – A silver bell from Santa himself.

I had purchased the premium tickets for us and this gave us a few extra goodies. We came away with our very own Polar Express ceramic mugs and also the best views of the “North Pole” as we arrived. With the carriages now in motion, we were treated to the singing and dancing chefs who entertained and sang along to the Hot Chocolate song as they brought us our refreshments and the Polar Express song!

It’s a magic carpet on a rail 
Never takes a rest 
Flying through the mountains and the snow 
Ride for free and join the fun (You can ride for free) 
If you just say yes! 
'Cause that’s the way things happen
On the Polar Express 
You bet!

Tickets Please!

The conductor came down the train to check tickets taking the children’s golden tickets and punching their initials into it, just like the film. Our conductor made sure to do this right above the children’s head so they got covered in confetti! (It looked as though every carriage had its own set of characters to make sure all passengers got the same experience).

The homeless man/ghost also made a few appearance’s talking to the children about their persuasion with the Big Man Santa. An emergency stop did need to be made because of caribou on the line, but once they had moved the train was free to continue onwards!

The first gift of Christmas

Once at the North Pole, Santa boarded the train and worked his way along the carriages meeting the children. It seemed that this Santa had a real beard and was incredibly authentic. He loved to meet the children and signed his autograph in the Polar Express books they had brought at Wensleydale station. A little girl – maybe 3 or 4 years old, was calling down our carriage to him “Santa, I love you!” and when he got to her he picked her up and she wrapped her arms tightly around him, burying her face in his neck.

It was so sweet to watch all the children, who still believed in Santa, bursting with excitement. Santa gave each child their silver bell and his trusty elf dished out the adults so he could spend a few extra seconds with the children. Once he had left they continued to shake their bells, staring at them with wonder as they could hear the Christmas spirit in each one.

They all rung their bells together, the whole carriage was alive with the sound of sleigh bells whilst the train started its return journey to the station. On the way back the singing chefs continued to sing to us and the train driver began to tell the story of the Polar Express. The chefs held up giant illustrated books for all the passengers to see as the story was being told and with one last visit from the ghost and conductor, the Polar Express pulled back into Wensleydale station.

Santa’s Workshop

On exit from the train we were directed into Santa’s workshop where you can linger for as long as you want. There is the SCANtaclaus 5000, a doorway scanner that sorts the good children from the naughty children and lots of merchandise you can purchase as gifts for others or to remember this event for years to come.

Once you have finished, there are busses waiting to take you back to the car park, the children were starting to get a little tired and restless at this point and I saw a post on a facebook group a few days ago that came to mind.

It said that at this time of year, we should be patient with children. They have likely been plied with sugar and will have higher highs and lower lows. Children are excited by Christmas as will likely overdo it on adrenaline before crashing out. They will not have set out to embarrass or disappoint you, but it is harder for them to regulate their behaviour when their routines are so out of sync compared to other times of the year.

So if your little one throws a tantrum because they didn’t get to hug Santa, or they want matching pyjamas, don’t be too hard on them. They are only young once, and when they stop believing, Christmas will never be the same again. Embrace them and encourage them to imagine great possibilities.

Wensleydale Polar Express

We loved our trip to Wensleydale and the Polar Express ride. The staff were amazing, friendly and helpful. They gave us all such a gift and for just a few hours, we were all children again waiting for Santa.

I would highly recommend taking this trip if you can. The level of details and effort put in from the organisation to the casting of the staff is fantastic. It was easy to believe you were part of the film and everyone was included to feel the magic. So whether you believe still, or maybe a little part of you hopes Santa is real, or you just want to see the faces of your kids and gradnkids, this event is one of the more fun activities we have ever been a part of!

If you would like more information on the Polar Express, click here to visit their website. At the time of printing there are still a few seats available before this years run finishes just before Christmas but we hope it will return again next year!

Don’t forget to check out other locations we have visited too!

Trips, yorkshire

A broken van and trip to Whitby

September 25, 2019 betweenthetread 2 Comments

Before we start on our adventure to Whitby, we need to discuss breakdowns! One of the few drawbacks of living on the road is what happens when your home breaks down. It was something that we had thought about and planned for extensively before travelling. We always keep some spare money in the bank for repairs and a hotel!

This was a wise choice and something everyone needs to remember. When your house is in the garage, some mechanics won’t let you stay on their premises). Luckily for us we happened to be staying with our daughter when we noticed we were dripping on her driveway. Possibly something we wouldn’t have noticed if we were moving around every day. We tried to have a look at where the issue was coming from but the leak seemed random at first.

We quickly realised (after taking her to a mechanic, letting her cool down for a few hours and her refusing to leak on command) that she only leaked from a very cold start. At first, we thought it was oil but it was actually diesel. We left her with Jason to investigate what was going on and find where the leak was coming from. Luckily for us we had somewhere we could base ourselves and we stayed with our daughter. Read on to find out if she makes it.

Get up and go!

A few days of being lazy and we soon wanted to get up and go. A quick call to a hire car company and we had ourselves a Toyota Yaris for a week. After being in Chewy for 6 months it felt very odd to be in a car again. It’s so low – but a lot easier to park! We couldn’t help but feel so sad to leave our home behind and felt like we were being unfaithful.

Whitby and the famous Whitby Abbey.

The drive to Whitby was easy and picturesque. We picked a lovely sunny day to travel but wished we had the van and could have stayed over nearby. We puled over when we saw the silhouette of the abbey and parked. Arriving at around 11am we found a parking spot on the road with a pay meter. Adding 6 hours on the clock we still didn’t have time to see everything! We puled over when we saw the silhouette of the abbey and parked. We took some photos and then started our walk down narrow roads and tiny passageways to the harbour and town. There is a large car park down by the estuary if you want to get closer.

Holiday cottages are available for rent here but parking could be tricky. There was a real bustle to the town even though it was mid-September and mid-week, indicating the popularity of Whitby. The first thing we noticed walking around was this mysterious black gemstone in all of the jewellery shops.

Whitby Jet

The jet-black stones adorning the necks of display mannequins and stands showcasing the beauty of this ‘Gem-stone’ intrigues you as you walk past them. They are possibly darker than obsidian and leave you gazing at this black hole in awe. The mystery deepens when you learn that it is a not a gemstone as you would think, its actually made from wood. Whitby Jet is a natural organic gemstone formed from the compressed wood of the prehistoric Monkey Puzzle or Araucaria tree.

Queen Victoria was to become Whitby Jet’s most prolific patron when her beloved Prince Albert died in 1861. Queen Victoria took to wearing Jet jewellery in remembrance of him. It soon became the etiquette to accessorise the period’s elegant mourning fashion with jewellery made from the Whitby Jet gemstone. So much so, that the only jewellery allowed to be worn in court during the period was Whitby Jet.

St Mary’s Church

We crossed over the river to visit St Mary’s Church. Founded as early as 1110AD with its interior now chiefly from the late 1800’s, this church is an important piece of Whitby’s history. There are weather beaten headstones in the cemetery clearly from the 1600’s. The church is perched upon the cliffs with 199 step, steep climb to reach it. It is now in serious jeopardy after two landslides (due to broken drainage and torrential rain) as recent as 2012, caused skeleton parts to drop to the streets below. The town councilor has stated the church is stable.

The origin of the steps is an interesting read, some research into this seems to point to St Hilde. She felt that it was a test of faith to climb the stairs. Possibly due to this is it widely believed that even in the 19th century, when the grounds were open for burials, people preferred to be carried up the stairs to their resting place rather than be taken in a horse drawn carriage. Along the sides of the stairs today are benches stationed to share a wonderful view of the town. This was not their initial use though. The pall-bearers had wooden platforms where seats are now, on which to rest the coffins whist they caught their breath.

Tombs from 1600

Plaque from Francis and Mary Huntrods — Francis and Mary Huntrods

Among the history surviving at the church are the remains of Francis and Mary Huntrods. Their bodies are entombed on the outer wall of the church. A plaque above them tells of their magnificent partnership. Born hours apart on the same day of the same year (19th September 1600), they married on the anniversary of their birthday and after having 12 children passed away within 5 hours of each other aged 80, also on their birthday of the same year.

Whitby Abbey

After wandering around the Church, we made our way to the iconic Whitby Abbey just behind. The silhouette of the abbey had been tempting us since our arrival and we were very keen to explore it. The Abbey is famous for many things, perhaps best known to be the inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula. 2 festivals a year are held to celebrate the gothic community in Whitby. One in spring and one at the end of October. This festival, founded in 1994, comprises music from live acts and DJ’s as well as stalls and other events across the town over several days.

Recent excavations have shown that the Whitby headland was settled during the late Bronze Age however it was around 664AD that the centre for religious business took place.

Synod of Whitby

Whitby Abbey was once the most important religious centre in the Anglo-Saxon world. In 664 it was the setting for the Synod of Whitby, a landmark in the history of the Church in England. The Romans and the Celtics, both practicing Christianity, had different ways of calculating the date of Easter. Although it was agreed that it had to be a Sunday and was calculated by the position of the moon, they could sometimes have dates 4 weeks apart from each other. This was beginning to cause upset as neither knew if they were practicing in vein. They called a big meeting with eminent clerics to settle the debate once and for all.

The two laid out their case, Bishop Colman of Lindisfarne led the Irish faction, while the Roman point of view was put forward by Wilfrid, abbot of Ripon. The two sides claimed authority from the Apostle John and from St Peter respectively. After a lengthy debate, it ultimately came down to one question. Who is the gate keeper of heaven? It is reported that King Oswiu chose the method that would allow him into heaven, declaring:

“Then, I tell you … I shall not contradict him. I shall obey his commands in everything … otherwise, when I come to the gates of heaven, there may be no one to open them, because he who holds the keys has turned away.”

The Ruins

The Abbey stands tall towering over the town and coastline, a sure landmark for fishermen and sailors. Throughout history the Abbey has been demolished and rebuilt several times. Not much evidence remains of its earliest structure. The Danes pulled down the building in the 9th century possibly during a raid. During the 1700 and 1800’s the structure fell to the elements and in the 19th century, the popularity of Whitby grew and the ruins were opened as a tourist attraction.

Although most of the structure has vanished from sight it is easy to imagine how impressive this monastery, serving both monks and nuns, would have been. It had many windows and stood tall, stamping its mark on the landscape. Birds now roost in the highest recesses occasionally flying off to stretch their wings and ride the currants of air, before landing and taking shelter from the North Sea winds.

Don’t forget to check out our article on cheap attraction tickets. We got in for free with our Cadw passes!

Captain Cook and the sea.

lifeboat trip — A trip on a retired lifeboat

Captain Cook was born not far from here. It was in Whitby that he served as an apprentice before setting out as an intrepid explorer. He had many achievements in his career including mapping the Pacific, New Zealand and Australia and radically changing western perceptions of geography.

Whitby has long had a history with the ocean. Its location is a given that it will have a fishing trade but Whitby is also well known for its Whaling success. It was just as Captain Cook had gone exploring that 2 vessels from Whitby decided to begin a whaling business. Over the years this expanded and it is thought that Whitby’s whaling industry was responsible for the harvest of over 25,000 seals, 55 polar bears and 2761 whales. These were brought back to Whitby where great boiler houses built alongside the harbour rendered the blubber into oil.

Today a fishing community still operate from the harbour catching a wide range of fish as well as lobsters and other crustaceans. Commercial fishing also takes place and you can opt to go out on various fishing trips. It has also benefitted the local restaurants with the Magpie Café being the locals favourite place to get their fish and chips from!

We opted instead for a scenic river cruise for £3 each on a retired lifeboat. This trip wasn’t long, but was a nice experience and we first took a trip up river, before coming to the mouth of the river as the tide was coming in fast. We experience a bit of rocking from the waves but were in the safe hands of our lifeboat crew member.

The Town

The town of Whitby is busy today. It’s a weekday in the middle of September and the kids are back to school. The coach trips are in full swing today with 5 that we have seen in the larger car park. People pour into the town to take in the history and the atmosphere.

A friendly town that seemed to welcome tourism rather than scowl at it. With shops selling handcrafted items, gifts, a smoke house and the black Jet jewellery you are spoilt for choice.

As a seaside town there are also a number of cafes, restaurants and arcades to enjoy some leisure time. There are 9 beaches in Whitby ranging from sandy to rocky. Fossils have been found here following storms and a complete fossil of a dinosaur has also been recovered.

What about the Campervan?

A few days later we received word from the garage. The fuel pump has a plate on top and the leak was coming from there. Initially the garage was unsure if this could be repaired or if it would require a whole new fuel pump, and therefore best to do the timing belt too.

We eagerly awaited news and just wanted her back. Luckily, the mechanic managed to source parts for a repair and we didn’t need to replace the pump. We were lucky this time and Chewy is back safe and sound after her maintenance work.

We are so grateful for having a fantastic mechanic and that he was able to ensure she was safe for more adventures.

As always, we love to hear about your adventures so please drop us a few lines below if you have been here and tell us about your adventures.

Travel, Trips, Wales, West Wales

Amazing Coastal Locations in Ceredigion, West Wales

August 5, 2019 Leave a comment

As far as holidays go, you are spoilt for choice. From sweeping golden beaches to a sunken city myth to rival Atlantis. From dolphin watching to steam trains through a mountain and a Land Rover discovery safari. Amazingly – you can do ALL of these things in West Wales – Ceredigion to be precise! Ceredigion covers the bulk of the west coast of Wales as you look at the map. The area is from Aberdyfi to Cardigan and boasts 50 miles of the most spectacular coast line in the UK. Considered to be the centre of Welsh Culture and still mainly rural, a coastal path runs from top to bottom allowing back packers or day trippers to safely navigate the sometimes rugged coastline.

Lets just get straight in and tell you about this amazing county!

Aberdyfi

Aberdyfi, also known as Aberdovey, is one of the most northern locations on the West Wales coast of Ceredigion. Now a beautiful and charming village on the north side of the estuary on the River Dovey it was once sparse. With early mentions of boats docking here with nothing but 3 houses, it has now expanded a lot to include bars, restaurants and miles of beaches in its own micro-climate.

Offering free water refills from participating stations it is trying to do its bit to cut plastic pollution. Activities include The Dovey Yacht club, Bowling Club and is an organiser of Welsh Cycling events, you will fall in love with this charming village.

Borth

Picture By Matt Wilby – Check out his Insta! He is a Graphic & Web designer, Duck film poster maker, Social media marketer, Tent Inventor, wanna be Photographer & actual Technician.

7 miles north of Aberystwyth is a village and seaside resort called Borth. A seaside resort with a magical difference. At low tide, a submerged forest becomes visible. Preserved by the acid in the peat, stumps of oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel can be seen. These have been carbon dated back to 1500 BC and may be connected with the myth of Cantre’r Gwaelod!

Borth is an old fishing village and along with Ynyslas, claim to have the longest and most golden beach stretching to meet the Dyfi National Nature Reserve.

Cantre’r Gwaelod

Wrapped in myth and legend, this is Wales’s version of the lost city of Atlantis! It is possibly one of the best known of the Welsh Legends. Legend tells of a rich and fertile lowland. 16 cities governed by Gwyddno Garanhir and a palace, Caer Wyddno, close to Aberystwyth. The land stretched across the expanse of the Cardigan bay sea.

The cities lay lower than sea level but were protected by mighty sea walls. A guardian was responsible for ensuring the sea gates were shut every night. One night, the guardian had a little too much to drink and when, at a feast with the king, he forgot to return and close the gates. That night there was a storm and the high spring tides broke through and flooded the area.

Locally to the Ceredigion region in West Wales you will find links to these lost cities all over, from a petrified forest in Ynyslas where strong tides wash away the sand and mysterious bells from under the waves. At Borth, a sculpture has carved tales of the scene on a giant slab of slate!

Aberystwyth

From the amazing views and beacon on top of Constitution hill, which you can access by taking the Electric Cliff Railway, to the 13th century castle ruins. This university town has a whole hosts of independent shops showcasing local artists and enterprises to the high street named brands we all recognise.

The promenade is 2000 meters long and is full of joggers, walkers and people wanting to relax. Some food and drink stalls line the way where you can pick up a snack. We had a fish and chip lunch with a seagull when we visited! We recommend you check out Constitution Hill at the northern end of the Prom. It has a lovely cliff railway (opened in 1896) to save the legs from climbing up – always a bonus! And at the top you will find a camera obscurer and views covering 1000 square miles. Attractions such as a kids play area, gift shop and café are available at the top.

Aberystwyth Castle

The castle ruins now house a park and play area. Construction began in 1277. In 1404 the castle fell to Owain Glyndwr and was occupied until it was recaptured by cannon in 1408. In 1649, it was at the wrong end of an order to have it blown up. Today the remains are the inner and middle walls which would have had an outer wall.

Rheidol Valley Steam Train

A narrow gauge railway from Aberystwyth to Devils Bridge. 11 ¾ miles of the stunning Welsh valleys rising around sharp corners and steep gradients. From here you can access the Devil’s Bridge falls. It was built in 1902 to provide a link between lead mines and the Aberystwyth harbour. From the train you can visit the Devils Bridge Falls.

Devils Bridge Falls

The Devils Bridge falls are a world famous attraction at the heart of the Cambrian mountains. Even William Wordsworth visited here and wrote about “The torrent at Devil’s Bridge”. There are two different walks available as well as a tea room and gift shop.

Visit devilsbridgefalls.co.uk to print off a 20% discount voucher. (If you liked this tip check out our post on cheap attraction tickets).

Silver Mountain.

If you and your family like caves and mystery then you could also visit the Silver Mountain experience! Located in the western Cambrian mountains of Mid Wales approximately 11 miles from Aberystwyth on the A44, the Silver Mountain Experience was originally a silver-rich lead ore mine. By 1973 the Mine was derelict.

Now the attraction has been opened following careful restoration work. There is the original old mine “count house”, other buildings connected with the ore dressing process, plus many ancient photographs, tools, equipment and mining documents from the industry displayed in the museum.

Above ground are collections of mining machinery and working water wheels which were actually made in local foundries which closed long ago. (10% off if you book tickets on line!)

Land Rover Safari

Not enough adventure yet? How about a Land Rover Safari? With several tours and prices varying from £20pp for a 2 hour adventure to £150+ for 1-3 people on a half day tour, you can discover Devils Bridge, Hinterland, The Elan Valley and the silver lead mines in a Land Rover enabling you to get to places other tours cant reach!

Aberaeron

A Georgian fishing port town turned picturesque focal point for the rural community. Aberaeron is a great location to use as a base in order to reach a multitude of locations. Whether you are staying in a hotel, guest house or self catering cottage or campsite, you will be met in a friendly town with a variety of excellent restaurants.

Full of elegantly painted town houses, you can stroll along Quay Parade where the harbour is or take a boat out to explore Cardigan bay and the coast.

Llanerchaeron Estate

A national trust property, is home to an elegant Georgian Villa in the Aeron Valley. Self sufficient with a farm, walled garden and lake, the property has lots to offer. From Butter making sessions to Nordic walking and wild bat walks, there is something here for everyone to enjoy!

New Quay

Oh New Quay! This place will blow your mind. We stayed on a caravan site here for a week and used it as a base to travel from one end of Cardigan bay to the other. Home to the UK’s largest pod of Dolphins, they can be easily seen here with the naked eye just by sitting on the harbour wall. You don’t need binoculars but they will get you a closer look! A few cafes and restaurants line the tiny harbour wall. It isn’t a big town but it is very pretty.

The beach is a must to walk on. When we visited, we had access direct from the caravan site to the beach and even though for a day or two the weather was awful, we still went to the beach in wellies and waterproofs! The best thing was that we had the beach all to ourselves!

If you want to try and get a closer look at the dolphins and seals that live in the area, you can take a boat trip from several of the cardigan bay harbours. Do be warned though – these dolphins are wild and have their own agenda on if they will show up on time! Sightings cannot be guaranteed even though the captains will do their best and point out all other animals they see on the way.

New Quay – Cardigan Bay Watersports

wellies and Waterproofs! hard core beach addicts!

If you fancy something with a little more adrenaline, perhaps Cardigan Bay Watersports are more up your street? From sailing and sea kayaking , paddle boards, water skiing and wake-boarding sessions you will really get your blood pumping! With courses starting from £55 and rentals from £18 +4 if you require a wet suit. They also offer a ladies only sailing lesson, lead by a female instructor.

Llangrannog

An excellent beach for families all year round, this is also a good spot for a bit of surfing in the right conditions. It is a really relaxing location with a traditional pub that overlooks the sea and a beach café selling home made ice cream.

When the tide is out, you can walk around to the next beach which is also accessible from the cliff top steps. Take a walk around the headland or join up with the Ceredigion, West Wales coastal path. The views here are among the best you will ever get. Being west facing, Ceredigion is one of only a few counties that can boast sun sets over the sea!

Another great place to see the marine wildlife of seals, and sometimes their pups, the bays provide safety and a rich spot in which to find yourself. It has a blue flag beach award and is a sandy beach perfect for picnics and castle building!

According to legend, a Ceredigion giant called Bica was suffering from toothache and spat out the offending tooth in anger. Imagine the size of Bica when you see the weathered rock known as Carreg Bica at Llangrannog, which was allegedly the giant’s tooth.

Cardigan

The beautiful market town of Cardigan is the gateway to the Teifi Valley (pronounced Tie-Vee) as well as the coastal paths for Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. To the untrained eye, nothing much has changed here in decades. It has narrow streets and untouched buildings dating back to Georgian and Victorian times. These are now inhabited with quirky gift shops, traditional butchers, grocers and independent stores.

Cardigan Castle

Not your typical castle experience for sure! From a Georgian mansion to the medieval castle ruins and grade 2 listed gardens full of rare plant species. The castle houses temporary and permanent exhibitions. It even has a live bat-cam! There are lots of activities on their calendar throughout the year so do check what is on when planning your trip!

Cardigan town

There is also a good variety of refreshments on sale in cafes and pubs featuring a range of locally sourced food. This even includes Sewin, a sea trout that is a speciality of the river Teifi.

The Guildhall market.

A Georgian building built around 1860. It has high arches decorating the walls outside and these are also reflected within the building. A crypt like arched basement houses the lower tier of stalls. These range from a friendly café serving artisan pasta, quiches and pastries, to dress making, clothing, home appliance and pre loved furniture stalls.

A new addition is a gallery that opens onto the street, full of beautiful carved wooden items and paintings of the local area. It is certainly worth exploring some of the side roads too as we found a few interesting shops selling unusual gifts. we find it helpful when we travel to check out these types of shops for unique gifts and keep them for Christmas or birthday presents for people.

Poppit Sands.

A short drive away from Cardigan is Poppit Sands. This is a wide beach with parking and a café on the roadside. Sand dunes and a lifeboat station block your view of the beach from the car park but a very short walk later and you are rewarded with a magnificent beach.

There are rocky areas on the left with plenty of rock pools to investigate and a lovely sandy beach where we watched the horses being ridden along the shallow water. Driftwood was in plentiful supply if you are looking for a project so bring a ‘bag-for-life’!

Coasteering

If you fancy a close up look at the rocky cliffs, why not book onto a coasteering taster session for you or your family. Everything your mother told you not to do at the beach can be achieved under the watchful eye of Adventure Beyond staff. They offer a wide range of activities including white water tubing, gorge walking and climbing.

Ceredigion, West Wales, simply put has it all. From relaxing beaches to full on exhilaration. Myth, Legend and modern museums. For more information on the West Wales Coast including Ceredigion, check out the Visit Wales website.

For other locations we have visited, for example 12 amazing experiences in North Wales or where to find cheap attraction tickets, check out our menu above!

England, Trips, Wiltshire

Why you should visit Longleat Safari Park this summer!

July 29, 2019 2 Comments

One of the best examples of a safari park you will find in Britain is Longleat. The UK’s original and world famous safari park, is set within 900 acres of land. You will be amazed by the abundance of attractions. There are boat and train rides, animal experiences where you can get up close and personal as well as the safari where you can drive through the animal enclosures and get really close to lions!

If you are looking or a bit of culture too then there is also the Longleat House. With over 450 years of history and still lived in today, this is one of the finest Elizabethan stately homes in the country.

Visit Longleat Safari Park

This attraction is split into 3 areas.

The adventure park (Main Square),
The safari park,
The house and gardens.

Car parking is free for the attractions and the ticket gets you into all 3 sections. The only additional cost you may incur for the standard ticket (except for purchasing food and drinks) is for the Safari bus. If you want to protect your mode of transport, we suggest taking the safari bus for £5 each. This will take you safely through the monkey enclosure without risking losing your rear wipers!

The Adventure Park / Main square

Longleat safari park cruise — Longleat Jungle Cruise

This area is free for you to roam on foot. Explore the Animal Adventure area where you can handle a tarantula or python in the handling hall. Parrot displays show you all the tricks the resident birds can do, including riding a scooter!

Hang out on the Jungle River Cruise where you can feed the impressive Sea Lions, see the Hippo’s that live there and marvel at the Gorillas on Gorilla island! Hippo’s are considered one of the world’s most dangerous animals. You can get pretty close to them on this cruise overlooked by Longleat House.

On the boat trip, they have a set amount of fish per trip and these cost £1, cash only. Once they are gone, they are gone, so get in the queue quick!

As you leave the boat you will be close to the Monkey Temple where you can see the red pandas and marmosets. Jungle Kingdom lets you walk with meerkat’s in their enclosure as well as see the aardvarks and porcupines.

The Family Farmyard lets you get up close and personal with the donkeys, goats, rabbits, emus and wallabies.

New additions

Longleat Safari Park have new enclosures that are absolutely amazing including the Crocodiles, Giant Otters and Koalas. The Koala Creek enclosure is something like you have never seen before. So much has been spent on designing the new enclosure to ensure the experience is world class for both the Koalas and the visitors.

There are trees for the Koalas to sit in, either inside or outside and just a glass panel about 4 or 5 foot high to separate you. This is great for photography as there is no glass or wire fencing in the way to mask your shots! This enclosure has to be one of our favourite as you feel so close to these animals that you don’t see in this country very often.

One of our other favourite places is the Bat house. A dark enclosure where the bats are free to fly about around you. They go so close that you can feel the wind as they fly past your head. See them hanging upside down from the ropes or eating fruit – a rare chance to examine these mysterious creatures close up. Keepers are in the enclosure (for the animals protection, not yours!) and we heard her ask someone if they wanted to tickle a bat with a feather! It was the cutest thing to see this bat enjoying a tummy tickle!

There are also a small handful of rides, like Rocking Rhino, a maze and an adventure castle that the little ones can enjoy. The adventure castle also has an ability swing and wheelchair accessible picnic table.

Food and Drink

There are plenty of options for food and drink including Pizza Piazza, a fast food kitchen, donut hut and boathouse snacks. For a healthier option you can check out the Chameleon Tree, the Picnic Basket, Cellar Café or the Orangery. You are welcome to take your own food and drink to Longleat and this can be especially helpful when counting the pennies. There are plenty of picnic benches as well as nice grass areas for you to put a blanket out under the shade of a tree.

Extras at Longleat Safari Park

There are some optional extras you can add if you wish to enhance your experience. VIP experiences are a one-in-a-lifetime gift that you can indulge in yourself or buy for a loved one. From feeding gorillas to a safari tour in the iconic zebra striped 4×4’s, a Big Cat photographic experience, meet the meerkats or feed a giant anteater/tiger among other packages. For information on these, do check the main sites website.

Longleat Safari Park – Drive Through Experience

Are you ready for the biggest adventure you will undertake this summer?

At Longleat, take the safari tour to get up very close with some of the park’s residents! You can drive through in your own vehicle but do be warned – the monkeys do have their own car parts franchise and take great pleasure in stealing bit and pieces. We saw so many cars with Monkeys sat on top of them unscrewing the aerials and pulling of wipers! We have information from good authority that their favourite vehicles to dismember are Minis and VW Polos!

Monkeys on a car longleat — Mini Monkey’s!

We decided that our camper-vans air vents were far too precious and being robbed by the little monkeys was not an option. We opted to take the Safari bus! For around £5 each you can travel in style with an average speed of 5 MPH. This enables you to learn more through the commentary of the driver/keeper including a fact at the first section – the Elands. The Eland is a breed of antelope with sharp horns that twist gracefully to a very sharp point. As stunning as they are, they can be very dangerous. The first zoo keeper ever to be killed at work was killed by an Eland.

Longleat antelope — Longleat Safari Park

The driver knows all the spots to look for the animals as she has driven through so many times and knows lots of their characteristics. A good tip is to look for the zebra patterned 4×4’s. The keepers will always ensure they can see the animals they are caring for. If you can spot them, the animals will be close by!

Feed the Giraffes

Giraffe close up longleat safari park — Longleat Giraffe

You can stop for a while in African Village and see the Giraffes. There is a raised viewing platform where you can be at head height to these incredible giants. During feeding time, you are able to purchase a branch for £3 and feed these gentle and semi graceful animals yourself. It makes for a great photo memory. If you do not wish to feed the giraffes there are still plenty of opportunities for a great snap or selfie! The African Traders shop and conservation centre are great to explore. Christmas is
coming so we started our Christmas shopping with some of their unique gifts.

Back on the bus you continue around the Safari through Tapirs, vultures, rhinos, Annie the elephant (rescued from the circus and now in her retirement home), lions, tigers, cheetahs, wolves and of course
the monkeys! There is a bypass lane for the monkey enclosure if you want to give that a miss.

Honestly, so much damage was being done!!! There were whole families of monkeys sat on the roof of a mini cooper writing a Haynes manual for the new edition and collecting a heap of wheel trims and bumper parts for their Ebay account. (These items were not for resale in the gift shop!)

We managed to get some really good photos of the animals and they all seemed really well looked after in huge enclosures. The bus driver was very knowledgeable and we all had a great time! We are glad to report that we got a good glimpse of the tiny magnificent 7 wolf cubs that were born but we were too early to see the 2 new tiger cubs that were born on the 20th July 2019!

Longleat House

Following our Safari and tour of the park at Longleat, we decided to visit the house. We were unsure if we would fit it all in during a day and it was a bit of a push but it is possible. Longleat House and gardens are a majestic accompaniment to the park. They couldn’t be so different yet to seamless! Perhaps it is the rolling parkland that means you can see the house from many parts of the adventure park or the Capability Brown landscaped gardens that connect them together. All we know is that we loved it!

The house is still inhabited by its current occupiers, the eccentric Marquis of Bath and his family. Some rooms have been opened to the public. Lord Bath has been known to pop up out of the private quarters to meet visitors and talk about his home.

Longleat house has so much history. Sadly no photos are allowed inside the house. It is packed to the rafters with Elizabethan architecture and artefacts to marvel at. The house was finished in 1580 and although the exterior maintains a Tudor feel, the inside has been altered to keep up with the latest fashions in country houses!

The house was built specifically to impress the then Queen, Elizabeth 1st. It was the first stately home to open its doors to the public and is the site of the first, and best, safari park outside of Africa!
The house has:
128 rooms
365 windows
36,010 tonnes of Bath stone.

In 1966 the 6th Marquess decided to open a safari park at Longleat and made headlines as visitors queued for four miles to get a glimpse of the only animals on show – 50 lions. Today there are over 500 animals in residence spanning 130 species.

Rent a cottage or hold a function

If you are planning a really special event you can hold it at Longleat. From a 4* spa hotel to a historic inn, you can make your home at Longleat. From properties to buy or for a romantic weekend away, the Longleat estate has many options to cater for you.

The Longleat Safari park estate is also connected to Cheddar Gorge and you are able to buy a ticket to get you into both attractions at a further discounted price.

Prices

Prices are always going to be more on the door but the great this is that you are able to buy on line and the more in advance you can be, the better!

STANDARD TICKET PRICES

Visitor	Gate Price	Online Price*
Adult (16-59yrs)	£34.95	£29.70
Child (3-15yrs)	£26.20	£22.27
Senior (60yrs+)	£31.45	£26.73
Under 3 (0-2yrs)	£0.00	£0.00

* Prices show 15% discount. Applicable if purchase is made 2+ days in advance of visit. 10% discount 1 day in advance. 0% for tickets purchased on the day of the visit. Taken from the Longleat website on day of publishing.

There are also other offers you can search for. We booked out tickets the evening before the event on www.picniq.co.uk and saved 20%! Check out our post on how to find Cheap Attraction Tickets.

Check out our other locations HERE and don’t forget to give us a like, a share or subscribe!

Europe, Spain, Travel, Trips

Alcala De Jucar

July 26, 2019 Leave a comment

The Journey to Alcala De Jucar

Today we are taking another coach trip with David’s Coaches. We are heading 2 and a half hours North of Torrevieja to a town called Alcala de Jucar. It is here that we will get to see and experience the Cave Houses.

Boarding our coach for an early start we are able to fully relax. The air conditioning and USB charging points in the bus mean we can relax. Time to enjoy the scenery, something that usually only one of us can do at a time! We collect the other passengers and continue our journey. As we travel our rep brings us lots of information about the towns and villages that we pass.

The bus is a happy one today. People say hello to the new additions as they board. A steady chatter fills the coach. There is a real mix of age groups on the tours we have been on. Sometimes there is an age bracket and personality type associated with coach trips. We found that to be untrue. The tours was were filled with people from all age groups and backgrounds.

Almansa

As the journey was so long, we broke our route with a brief stop in Almansa. Almansa stems from the Arabic المنصف (al-manṣaf), “half way of the road” and this was very apt for us. Set in the province of Albacete and built at the foot of a white limestone crag. At the top is a castle built during Moorish times. During the Reconquest, a long period in history where the Christians and Muslims fought over territory in Spain and Portugal, this area became a ‘frontier’. This was between the Christian kingdoms of Castile and Aragon and the Muslim kingdom of Murcia.

The castle was built in the early 12th century. Quite a few remains of this original building survive in the present structure. As with many historic castles, the building we see today is a vastly modified castle. Over the years, and changes of inhabitants, it has seen parts added and removed. The castle finally fell inactive at the end of the 15th century, after the expulsion of the Moors and a unified nation emerged.

Over the hundreds of years the castles fell into decay. In 1919 the Mayor requested its demolition. The castle was saved and declared a national monument following an outcry to save it. Restoration work continues still today to save the castle. Sadly during our visit we could not go inside due to this work.

Almansa Town

That didn’t stop us having a wander around the charming town’s high street and narrow side lanes. There were local bakers with windows full of sweet pastries. Cafes with chairs on the pavement serving hot drinks as well as refreshing cold drinks while the sun warmed up.

The town hall was absolutely stunning and well worth a few pictures. It had a lovely shaded garden with lots of sculptures in and this beautiful courtyard.

River Jucar

The Jucar River is on the Iberian peninsula of Spain. It runs for around 510km from its source in Montes Universales to the sea in the resort of Callera. The gorge where the road runs is very deep in parts, especially as we get closer to the town. Our rep for the day, a delightful woman with a bit of wiggle room on her sense of humour, announces that we are about to start our ascent to the top of the gorge we are currently in. She advises us (tongue in cheek we hope) that our coach driver only passed his test last week and that he is nervous about the road ahead… Great!

Soon we start to see the road ahead. Winding left to right up the side of a mountain reminiscent of Lombard Street on San Francisco but on steroids. Louise and I look at each other and hope we get to tell the tale. Spoiler alert – she was joking and we survived.

Alcala De Jucar winding road — View from the top of Alcala De Jucar

Cave Houses

We are heading to the top of the gorge for lunch before visiting the cave houses. There are lots of cave houses here and we find out that during the time of the reconquest, the Moors fled for safety. Due to the relatively soft rock in Spain many of them hid in caves. These caves are visible from the road as we drive.

Originally seen as a sign of poverty, recent building and home shows such as Grand Designs, have started to make these cave houses popular. It is interesting to note that these cave houses are subject to the same planning permissions as ‘normal’ houses. This is especially relevant if they want to dig out another room.

There are a lot of benefits to living in a cave house in a hot country. The caves stay an ambient 18-20 degrees. Due to the thickness of the walls and that the windows are at the front of the house only, it stays nice and cool in the summer and retains the warmth in winter. A quick scan of the internet will bring you up plenty of examples of cave houses for sale in the region of 30,000 euros upwards. A point to remember is that walls are hardly ever straight or symmetrical. If you have OCD or want to hang a large mirror, take your spirit level with you to the viewing!

El Mirador Restaurant views

Reaching the top of the gorge after a half hour see-saw of winding roads, we stop for lunch at a stunning restaurant. The town, clinging on the edges of the gorge walls, seems peaceful. An odd shape bull ring lies further down. A tear drop shape.

Standing in the garden of the restaurant you get some amazing views of the gorge. They leave you breathless and suddenly the drive seems worth it. We stop for a few photos before heading inside.

Lunch at Alcala De Jucar

El Mirador Alcala de Jucar — View from the restaurant

Entering the restaurant you find yourself in an elegant bar area. To the left is the dining area. The tables pulled together to form 4 long banqueting tables to seat the 52 guests and complimentary wine is on the tables ready for our arrival. Organised into our groups we are then seated. We manage to grab two window seats and get to know our neighbours.

For starters we had a serving of traditional of hams and cheese with fresh slices of bread. The main course was a delicious turkey stew (and the vegetarians had a fried vegetable dish). The deserts were what ever they had in stock so we all feasted on Cornetto ice creams!

Wine Drama.

Louise writes – The wine was going down a little too well. More had to be brought to the tables. Imagine this… each table was given 3 bottles of red and 3 bottles of white to SHARE between them! One lady didn’t get that memo and happily polished off a bottle of white before the main course had been served. She then asked the gentleman, sat to my left, to pass our bottle over and down the hatch it went too. Well, this lady had no idea that the 2 ladies from Germany were watching her and so was I at this point, all the while trying to contain my giggles silently. Em kept looking at me and trying to ask discreetly what was going on.

The chap then asked the waiter for another bottle of white and it arrived promptly……. Drum roll please……. The same lady took it from his hands and filled her glass once again. Bearing in mind these were large glasses and could hold over half a bottle. Well the German ladies rolled their eyes, looked at me watching them and we burst out laughing.

If you thought that was bad – just wait for this!

We got back on the coach to drive us down to the town to the cave house museum. Our rep clocks a bottle of wine in someone’s bag and it turns out that some of the guests felt it was appropriate to steal a bottle of wine from the restaurant. This was a total disgrace. If you took the cost of the trip (27 euros each) and looked at the cost of the menu from the restaurant (17 euros without wine), you would see that they were already offering a highly discounted menu to the tour operator. Bottles of wine in Spain are not expensive and start from around 2 euros a bottle.

Our rep made it very clear to the individuals that this is not what is expected and that what they did was wrong. The told the rep that another couple in the group asked them to do it and lets just say it was made very clear to these people, in front of the whole coach, that this behaviour would not be tolerated. You may expect this from the younger generation but actually this couple were retired and living in Spain.

The Cave House Museum

entrance to the caves at Alcala De Jucar — Entrance to the caves

Moving on, we approached the drop off point for the coach. The rep advised that the paths were very steep and the cobbles could be slippery. A safety briefing warned us to use our own initiative. If we felt it was not suitable for us then to stay on the coach. Most of us decided it was worth the risk, after all – that is what we had come to see. She wasn’t wrong! Steep narrow lanes zig zagged from the drop off point to the museum. Ee don’t think anyone ended up on ‘You’ve been framed’ but it was a miracle!

The outside of the museum looked rather discrete. If you didn’t know it was there you could easily have walked past it. The history of Alcala tells us that there are two important caves here. Garaden and Devils cave. Garadén, has 750 years of history and was used as a sentry post. Due to the gorge, anyone who came through from Castilla-La Mancha towards the east had to pay a tribute. The 170m long tunnel essentially acted as a mini customs area!

Juan Jose Martinez

The owner of the caves is Juan José Martínez, an ex Mayor of Alcala De Jucar. Perhaps better known as the bull fighter El Diablo he is also the owner of the restaurant we visited. I can’t help but wonder how far his influence stretches. We are warned that he is a larger than life character and that he is a poet. He has written in excess of 2500 poems, some of them receiving awards. Best known for his moustache and is often at the caves ready to great guests. Juan Jose Martinez is happy to pose for photos. Be warned – he may try to kiss you as it’s customary in Spanish culture!

We each pay 3 euros and are told that at the end of the tour there is (here we go again) a free glass of wine. We are not sure how much of the caves half of our coach saw as they bee lined to the end for their alcohol… The rest of us had a good look around as we saw all of the artefacts that now reside in the museum. Some not seeming to have a specific reason for being there we might add but most demonstrating the layouts a stereotypical cave house may have looked. There were old farming tools, taxidermy animals, mirrors and old cinema equipment.

Strange goings on in the cave disco!

At the end of the bar is a larger section with the walls full of pictures of Juan Jose Martinez with high profile individuals and images of him with lots of beautiful women hanging on his arm. We get the impression he is a bit of a play boy. Not surprisingly perhaps, when we have a look around the area he commissioned as a disco, we see something our rep hasn’t seen before. We have alcohol fuelled minds in the gutter so we will just let the pictures do the talking!

We asked our rep about the rounding of the wooden bar tables and the strange shapes in the concrete ones. We tell her what we see and she blushes a little before trying to explain to the poor lady working the bar what we are asking! Is that table for more than drinking on? Why is it curved like that?

Bemused we watch as the lady and the rep have a conversation in Spanish before heading off to the area in question. A few moments later our rep is laughing and shaking her head! Apparently the tables are old farm tools, a little like ploughs, that were used to harvest crops. They just flipped them over and made them into a table. The bar lady found it very comical that we thought it was used for secret sex parties!

Back to the coach!

We had some time to walk around the small town of Alcala De Jucar after the cave museum and see some of the houses still being used today. There was a lovely Roman bridge to cross the river and as we were leaving it looked as though they were setting up for a fiesta.

Little shops selling gifts for the tourist trade adorned the streets near where the coach would collect us. Around 2500 people can visit here each day in the height of the season. Something you would never expect on entering the picturesque location clinging to the side of the mountain and carved out of the rocks.

If you are interested in the other trips we have done in Spain.

Click here to find out where you can swim in a stunning waterfall used in the Timotie adverts.

Click here to find out about Guadalest – the most beautiful town in Spain

And here to find out about our journey to Torrievieja

Click here for other locations and don’t forget to Subscribe via email and follow our social media platforms!

Europe, Reservoir, Spain, Travel, Trips

Visit Guadalest

July 19, 2019 1 Comment

We journey from a stunning waterfall to a town that looked photo-shopped. Our Guadalest visit was an incredible find with so much beauty it made us emotional. It has white washed streets and fruit trees hanging over the paths showing off its idyllic natural beauty. Picture postcard alleyways around every corner. A bell tower forced to sit outside the walls of the town as there was no space left inside. An incredible reservoir that is crystal blue like you have never seen before! So many components make up the beauty of this walled mountain town and we can’t wait to tell you more!

A modern way to travel.

Davids coaches had picked us up early from our resorts local collection point on the Costa Blanca. We had all the home comforts you could expect from a modern 52 seater coach including the new additions of USB charging points. Between all of the seats were 2 USB ports to charge your phones, cameras or other devices as we travelled. The coaches were also fitted with Wifi but as we were travelling long distances there were some black spots. Air conditioning was also part of the draw to a coach trip given our 40 degree heat.

Sadly the coach is quite a large space to cool down so some people on our trip were unhappy at the back. The driver did all he could to keep the vehicle cool but it is worth remembering that there is a lot of space to cool down. It is still cooler than without any air conditioning at all – just be aware and maybe just don’t take it out on the driver or the reps. (You can close the curtains if the sun is coming through the window too!). Bring plenty of water and a little fan to help keep you cool.

Bucket List Tick!

You may recall from the Font’s De L’Algar post that we had just visited the most breathtaking spot. The waterfalls from the Timotei advert where we were able to swim in crystal blue water by the falls. We are still so excited to talk about this moment as it had always been on our bucket list. Admittedly it also included a skinny dip (or chunky dunk) but that would not have been appropriate! We got to swim in a waterfall! We want to shout it from the roof! We have goose bumps just thinking about it. We want to do it again! People were jumping off of the rocks into the water and Emma didn’t do it as she got scared. Next time she will for sure!

The waterfalls were an incredible moment in our life and one that makes us so glad that we are living this adventure together, and us with you! We thought that moment would be the highlight of our day. We didn’t think it could be topped! That was until we paid a visit to Guadalest.

A visit to Guadalest

View of Guadalest from the coach — The view from the coach up to Guadalest

Just under an hour East (and up mountain paths that our driver deserved an award for scaling) we see Guadalest. The roof tops at the edge of the town emerge balanced on a cliff edge. White buildings with beige roofs jutting out as though they have been built into the mountains. Clusters of houses wedged in to keep each other in place and further up, a tower, on its own and a visual marker for our driver as we continue to twist and turn up the mountain side.

We pass Nispera and Almond trees, pine forests and citrus groves. Carob trees are common here too. Our rep explains that these trees possess a fire retardant quality so by strategically planting Carob trees they can slow down wild fires often caused by the blistering heat.

Arrival

On arrival, we see that the town is quite large and has a fair sized car park to accommodate the many tourists who visit Guadalest. It’s not a surprise that this location is so popular even from the car park! Strange to think that this little place is only home to 250 inhabitants but is reported to be one of the most visited towns in Spain! It is in complete contrast to the bustling tourist resorts full of English bars that we often associate with Spain. In keeping with its historical past it is a town that time forgot about. Ancient ruins, traditional homes and packed with character.

Our rep gives us our return instructions. We have around 3.5-4 hours to walk around. Unbeknown to us there was a lunch option and half of the coach continue on to their restaurant and will join us in the town later. We feel smug, we packed a lunch today. We start to explore the town. To our surprise we find a Salt and Pepper Pot Museum, a Museum of Medieval Torture, a Museum of Dolls Houses and the Micro-Gigantic Museum featuring items such as a bull ring on a pin head and the bible written on a grain of rice. Most of these venues were just 1 euro or so to get in.

Cobbled alleyways and a light lunch

We walk down cobbled paths amongst white washed walls. Sloping streets with houses next to shops with window boxes full of flowers in bloom and bowls of water left for dogs and cats to drink from on the door steps. Spanish radio floating out of windows where wooden shutters keep the sun out but let the air in. A side street catches our eye. An apricot tree gives shade to a low wall opposite a little house. An old bicycle leans against the wall and a dog lead is tied to a wooden door, ready for the evening stroll when its cooler. All of these things make up the perfectly relaxed atmosphere of this charming town. Guadalest is worth a visit for sure.

Back in our resort, the local supermarket was full of spanish hams so we feasted on mortadella, gherkins, feta and Spanish bread for our picnic lunch. Fresh flat peaches dripping with juice and a taste that can only be found in Spain itself are our refreshing dessert. Topped up with food we continue to explore the town.

El Castell de Guadalest

guadalest vanlifediary.com — Tunnel to the castle at Guadalest

Guadalest tunnel — Looking up through the tunnel

The town of Guadalest is home to a castle you can visit whilst here. As you follow the signs from the town below you are taken through a short stone tunnel. Top tip – on a hot day, this is a good place to find some shade and a breeze as it flows through the tunnel. On your way up you may have local photographers take your picture to print out for a keepsake if you wish. Once through the tunnel you are met with further squares, shops and cafes.

The castle is open to visitors and is well worth a look around. Again just a few euros to enter. The castle was built under the Moors occupation in the 12th centuary. On 22 July 1644 an earthquake destroyed the Castle, and in December 1644 another earth tremor destroyed part of the town. Now rebuilt and turned into a museum, you can find information on its former inhabitants through the years, rare Jewels, artwork and artifacts from the area. Unsurprisingly most of the information is in Spanish. If you have downloaded the google translate app on your phone you may be able to hover over the text to translate it to English.

Local goods for sale.

Leather shops display their goods on cobbled street corners and a stall selling herbs and spices fills the air with the aromas you expect from Spain. Some gift shops have sprung up selling more commercial items such as the good old fridge magnet and key rings. Other shops are also dedicated to items such as pottery, glass wares, jewellery and embroidery/lace. Food items such as honey, wine and dried fruits are also available here.

One shop, quite large from the outside, and further up the hill, displayed really unusual gift items. This location also had a conservatory out the back of the shop and gave our first glimpse of the reservoir below! Interest peaked – we set off for a better view.

Reservoir

It’s hard to believe with your own eyes that it is real and not a photo-shopped image from Insta or a postcard. Did you see my ‘expectation vs reality’ picture on the last post? We all know it’s hard to find spots these days of outstanding beauty where pictures haven’t been touched up.

We walked to the view point and looked over the stone wall to the incredible views. The colour is caused by tiny particles of salt suspended under the water. Guadalest overlooks the ‘Embalse de Guadalest’ reservoir, built between 1953 and 1963 feeds the Valencian region and Benidorm.

40 Degree sunshine

Vanlifediary Guadalest — Louise and Emma in Guadalest

We spent some time taking pictures and marvelling at the view. Behind us we found a little shade to cool down in as it was the hottest part of the day. A beautiful square dotted by trees and some seats to relax in. Across the square were a few shops and cafes so we purchased an obligatory ice cream. Our water bottles, frozen overnight, were now warm enough to boil eggs in and the heat was tiring. We gathered under the shade of a tree by a wooden door and looked back over the photographs we had taken.

On our way down to the car park we did stop to look around the Ethnological Museum. This is a small museum which displays a typical house from the 18th century built on the rock. This was part of the Old Town originally and the Arabian origins are reflected throughout the display. Access to the house it through is just past the tunnel and the original entrance is still preserved today. From the kitchen and bedrooms through to a small display on farming and agriculture, this attraction may help answer some questions you may have. Another ‘must’ for your visit to Guadalest.

Homeward Bound

A short walk back through the tunnel starts our descent to the car park. Views stretch out over miles to the sea. The clean streets and proud residents remain a fond memory. Images of the streets remind me of wall hangings in my parents house that I adored as a child. Terracotta roofs and little white houses winding up hills and the sky as blue as a primary colour paint set. I wasn’t sure if they were of Spain or Italy, I just wanted to smell the air. It smells sweet. Of fruit, leather and spices. I feel the cobbles under my shoes and I feel the grain of the painted white walls. I imagine I could lose myself here quite easily in the romance of Spain.

The time comes to gather back for our return journey. Our Visit to Guadalest was full of surprises. We have plans to take another coach trip and wonder how it will compare. Today has been packed full of things it is hard to attach the right words to. Sometimes there are not enough words to describe beauty. We highly recommend a visit here if you can fit it in and have a day away from your resort.

Whats Next?

Next trip is to a town with Cave houses. We are going to see how the Moors lived after fleeing the Christians and what was once deemed a symbol of poverty are now in fact becoming sought after locations thanks to shows like Grand Designs!

For now, a little doze on the coach and a quiet evening in on the roof terrace. A couple of bottles of wine and some beautiful food (Louise made Crevettes with a garlic and butter dip). We listen to the crickets and smell the evening flowers as a gentle breeze rolls in from the sea. The sky is clear and the stars are out. We are even lucky enough to catch sight of a satellite or two!

Goodnight Moon

Rolling into bed at midnight, the air conditioning keeping the bedroom cool, we slip into a silent nights peaceful slumber.

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Derbyshire, England, Trips

Visit the Heights of Abraham, Matlock

July 15, 2019 Leave a comment

Whether you are 6 years old or 60 years old, a visit to the Heights of Abraham is great day out. From the second you arrive and take your seat in the cable cars you know this is an attraction with something a little bit special about it – if you like heights and caves!!!

Those who are not lovers of heights, beware! The only other way up is a long climb up a steep hill. If you can close your eyes and pray that no one rocks the cable car it’s the quickest way up! Oh, it’s the best way to take pictures too.

Parking for your Heights of Abraham visit.

Parking at heights of abraham — Parking the Beast!

Findng parking for your visit to the Heights of Abraham is easy. There’s a large car park, just off of the main through road, that doubles up as the train station car park. It is a pay and display car park and there are restrictions about sizes of vehicles. Louise managed to park Chewy (I was too scared to try) as we found a spot at the end where we could overhang the grass and still be inside a bay!

A short walk to the ticket office later and we had our tickets for the cable car. They advertise that this cable car ticket get you into all of the attractions once at the top. It may seem a little steep (the ticket price and the hill) £18 for an adult and £12 for a child. They do have family tickets and senior tickets too. Our advice is to book in advance online and save a small amount. (They do also do a season ticket if you don’t manage to see it all in a day).

Cable Car

Louise and I had both been here when we were children and remember it fondly. It’s strange to think that not much has changed in that time. That said, the attraction is still fresh and up to date. Originally the site opened in the Victorian times, thanks mainly to the development of the railways. Victorians had a passion to travel and desired to be entertained. The owners of this site saw a goldmine (well a lead mine at least) that could couple up as a tourist attraction. Displays here that show you how the caves transformed from working mines to the attractions you see today.

The heights of Abraham visit is synonymous with its cable cars. It was only when we were half way up on the cable car, that it slowed down. Louise remembered her dislike of being stuck half way up a gorge suspended by a cable car not going anywhere fast. I can’t say I was much happier about it. The views were stunning and you get a good spot for some aerial photography. There are 4 cable cars working when you visit the Height of Abraham and they do slow down. This is so that guests can get on and off. It does mean that the cars will slow down half way up so that the opposing carriages can change guests. It is normal and nothing to worry about.

Once you reach the top, a journey of just a few minutes on the cable car, the attraction really starts to reveal itself.

Victoria Prospect Tower

Visit heights of abraham vanlifediary — View from the tower

A tower built in 1884 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s reign takes you higher for panoramic views of the Derwent Valley. The steps are narrow with only a handrail on the outer wall. If you have your sensible shoes on then you should be ok. It is amazing how much difference those extra 50 or so steps makes!

Show Caverns

During your visit to the Heights of Abraham there are 2 different cave systems accessible to enter. Masson and Rutland caverns. Included in your ticket price are guided tours that run periodically through the day. These tours tell you about the history of the mines, how women and children also worked here and not just men.

Masson Cavern

There are 160 ish steps in this cave system. We gave up counting at that point! The only good thing is that 7 of them were down – the rest were up! Descending into the cave and adjusting to the light, the guide tells us about the mining that took place here. We move through the dimly lit caves, with the sound of water dripping gently through the rocks. Narrow and dark, we begin to understand how hard it must have been to be a miner.

The guide moves us on to another large cavern where he begins to tell us of the early tourism trade. The Victorians loved a good show and also loved their ‘curiosities’. They didn’t have all of the mod cons and technology that we have now. We had great light shows, lasers and a host of video projection. The Victorians did it as good as they could. Often, orchestras were brought down to play their instruments to entertain guests. Chandeliers were hung from the ceiling to provide ‘amazing’ light shows. The last part of our trip has the most amount of step out of the cave. Around 80 steps bring you out just below Tinkers Shaft.

Tinkers Shaft

Tinkers shaft is an old mine shaft with a huge vertical drop into the Masson cavern below. This would have been used for raising the excavated lead, by women using a hand winch, in all weathers. Nowadays, there is a viewing platform with allows further views and photos to be taken of the valley. After your climb out of the cave this is a picturesque and welcome spot for a short rest.

cable car heights of abraham — View from cable car half way up!

Rutland Cavern

This cavern is lower down the hillside on the attraction and is a fair walk down some steep paths. This cave is smaller than Masson cavern but does feature a day in the life of a 17th century lead mining family. It is very interesting to find out also that the phrase “looking a bit peaky” originated in this area. Being underground and working with the lead, the miners would often look quite pale and sick. It was coined ‘Peaky’ due to being in the Peak District!

Picnic and Play

Walking back down the path through some woodland you rejoin the attraction near where the cave entrance was. It is a good time here to mention that there are picnic spots around the site including a children’s play area. This seemed quite popular with the kids on our visit and they were having loads of fun swinging like monkeys and making up their own games.

If you need a rest but the kids are still full of it, this is a great place to keep an eye on them whilst letting them burn off some energy!

Food and drink

With a terrace cafe, a bar, restaurant and a tavern, there are options for food and drink. Just one little note, the terrace cafe is directly under the bar and restaurant. If you are not savvy you may think they are the same place. We had intended to have a light snack but ended up in the restaurant where our eyes were bigger than our bellies! Look at the size of this Burger!!!

Big Burger at Heights of Abraham — Lunch at the Heights of Abraham restaurant

Fossil factory and Rock Shop

A visit to the Heights of Abraham is not complete without a trip around the fossil factory. With interesting facts on fossils and local rocks the kids will be educated! The may even enjoy the film about how the landscape and caverns were formed over millions of years. The highlight has to be the fossilised remains of a giant Ichthyosaur, alive at the same time as the dinosaurs. Coming in at 3 metres long it is one fossil you won’t want to miss!

The rock shop has some beautiful rocks and crystals that you can purchase either for yourself or for a gift. Decorative stones to Jewellery and from Geodes to minerals. We could have spent hours looking at the shiny crystals and picked up a little present for a friend here. If crystal’s don’t grab your attention like a magpie, you can also check out treetops gift shop for other treasures to take home!

Matlock Bath

We really loved our day out here and after visiting the Rutland cavern we decided to walk down the hill rather than take the cable car! It took maybe half an hour/ 45 minutes as a slow ramble and was quite easy to navigate. We can guarantee we wouldn’t have made the walk up!!!

Matlock Bath is just as quirky as the Victorians. With a high street that should really be on a beach promenade! From amusement arcades to chip shops it’s no surprise that this was one of the first developed tourist destinations. In 1698 warm springs were discovered here and a bath house was built. Since then a steady increase in tourism has seen the quaint riverside town bloom into what we see today – a quaint riverside town! No high rises and high street chains will be found on this road, but a throwback to a time where women wore long dresses and carried umbrellas to shield them from the sun and men wore top hats and opened the doors for women!

Today you are more likely to bump into a group of watersports fanatics who kayak in the river rapids or motorbike enthusiasts who gather here most Sundays and sunny evenings. Nothing quite beats a steady amble along the River Derwent followed by a cold pint and a portion of fish and chips.

We loved that we could reminisce about our visit to the Heights of Abraham as kids and now as adults how things have changed.

Things to do in the area

Not far from here are loads of other attractions worth a visit if you are staying here for a few days.

Stunning Chatsworth House

Home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Complete with its 150 acre gardens and over 30 rooms in the house to explore, full of artwork and history. You can easily spend a day here imagining what life would be like to live here and mosey about on the lawn in a ball gown!

Bakewell

Known best for its pudding and the possibility that Jane Austen visited here whilst writing Pride and Prejudice. Bakewell is a photogenic town of honey coloured houses. Monday is market day here, following a long tradition and a medium sized cattle market also takes place in the town – however a larger agricultural centre with a larger cattle market has been built across the road.

We are constantly updating our Locations page so do check back as we add more!

If you have visited the Heights of Abraham, drop us a comment below and tell us what you thought of it, share your pictures with us on Insta #vanlifediary and share with your friends!

If you are looking for a way to find cheap attraction tickets, check out our post!

Europe, Spain, Travel, Trips

Fonts De L’Algar – Is swimming in a waterfall on your bucket list?

July 12, 2019 3 Comments

We are driving towards Fonts De L’Algar following our 8:45am coach pick up. Travelling with David’s Coaches we are now collecting passengers from Quesada, Rojales and Gran Alicant. The rep is educating us about the stunning pink salt lakes on our left as we pass mountains of white granules stacked on our right. Exported for gritting roads, the salt process has considerably shrunk since some of the land is now a protected nature reserve.

Torrievieja salt lakes — Pink Salt Lakes

Torrevieja Lagoons Nature Reserve is approx 3700 Hectares. 2100 hectares correspond to water surfaces and the remainder is the land around the lagoons. This consists of salt marshes, plant formations, reed beds, and Mediterranean scrubland. Marsh land originally and gifted by the King to the locals. Channels were cut to drain the marsh land back into the sea to dry it out, however the land is below sea level and they flooded it by accident. That is how the salt lakes of today originated. A fabulous disaster!

There are museums dedicated to the salt works if you would like more information

“Be a Flamingo in a flock of Pigeons.” Savannah Larsen

Stock image from Unsplash — Stock image of Flamingos

We spot tall birds standing in the strawberry angel delight coloured lakes. A slight pink tint to their feathers, a large flock scattered over the watery fields. Flamingos! They come here in their droves to feed off of the crustaceans. There is an usual bacteria in the water here called halobacteria. It is the pigments from these that colour the shrimp, that the flamingos eat and it turns their feathers pink. Emma remembers seeing these as a teenager when she last visited the area on a family holiday. Emma has some very good memories from that trip!

Grapes and Roses

Roses on a vineyard — Roses at the end of a vine

Sitting on the coach gazing out of the windows at the Spanish region we are now driving through, with mountains in the distance we are soon to drive up, we are educated about the vineyards flashing past us. There are odd flashes of colour at the end of every 4th row, Roses! They are susceptible to the same diseases as the vines and the farmer will inspect the roses. If they are being attacked then the farmer will know which rows to treat and which rows are OK.

Our rep tells us that when the grapes are starting to grow, the farmers attach paper bags to the stems. This is so that at harvest they are pre bagged. A process that protects them from the damage of the sun, insects and birds and is easier to harvest. Farmers just snip the stems which is quicker and means less bacteria is being passed to the fruit. It’s information like this that really help you to understand the intricacies of the area you are holidaying in. It helps you to understand their traditions and customs but also gives information you wouldn’t be told if you just hired a car and drove yourself. We hadn’t thought of doing coach trips before but we really enjoyed the experience and would do it again.

Arriving at Fonts De L’Algar

Fonts De L'Algar waterfall — Emma at Fonts De L’Algar Waterfall

After a long but educational drive we twist and turn through the mountains. Soon we pull into a large car park by a restaurant at 11am. We get given our tickets and are told we get a free drink here with one half of the stub. The other half gets us into the attraction.

A gentleman just behind us whispers that the drinks are still free after a swim and don’t feel pressured to drink it first! He had been here before and said it gets very busy. His advice is to go for a swim and get your photos first, then come and relax with your drink.

Never dismiss a free drink!

We take his advice! Continuing on foot up hill for another 100 meters and see the entrance on our left. We pass some little shops on the way up with all the provisions you may have forgotten. For example, suitable shoes for wearing in the water, sun cream and clothing. There is also a fresh local/traditional Spanish fruit and veg stall.

Famous for the early Timotei adverts and then for its inclusion on an episode of the TV Series Benidorm, Fonts de L’Algar is really worth a visit if you are visiting the Costa Blanca. Crystal blue waters and mountain views, you can’t help but feel in one of the most exotic locations in Spain. Ever wanted to tick ‘swimming in a waterfall’ off of your bucket list? Now you can!

You can’t buy happiness but you can buy a ticket to Spain, that’s pretty close!

Just under half an hour from Benidorm (15 km) and an hour and a half from Torrieveija, Fonts De L’Algar is the complete opposite to the busy tourist resorts Spain is more commonly associated with. It is also very popular with the local inhabitants given its proximity to them and ability to keep cool. According to the Valencian government this area has a high degree of ecological richness, tourist services and environmental education. It has now been declared a wetland and is protected.

Entering the waterfall area you’re greeted by stunning pools of crystal blue water, known as ‘tolls’ or “source of health”. The water stays a constant 18 degrees all year round. It is a refreshing, but startling, way to cool down on a hot day. Bridges and paths have been added at Fonts De Algar to enable access to parts of the site. The site has a 1.5km circuit path where you can walk through the bed of the river. Do be warned there are a fair amount of steps given the location. If you want to have a drink or a bite to eat there is a restaurant by the entrance but the main attraction is definitely the water!

Expectation Vs Reality

Sadly the sun was not in the right spot during the limited time we had there so the expectation shot and the reality shot were slightly different than we had hoped as you can see below! Still, undeterred we got a picture! The water was freezing and the closer you got to the waterfall, the less air their seemed to be. Once out of the swell of the falls, the water drops down to the pools where the light was better. The water was so clear it was incredible. Once you have your shoulders under the water you quickly get used to it. It was very refreshing given that the temperature was around 40 degrees when we visited!

We managed to spend around 2 hours here which was enough to cool off. There were not any areas by the water for lounging, as it is a natural formation, so we were glad we hadn’t opted for the full day excursion here. The crowds were really stacking up now and the queues were getting long. We decided to let the other guests have their time and head down to the restaurant for our free drink.

No rest for the wicked!

Glad to be drying out we sipped our Fanta lemon (it tastes so much better in Spain!) and sat astonished at the fact we had just swam in a waterfall. The restaurant had a shallow pool just deep enough to paddle your feet in. The umbrellas were giving a little bit of shade and we relaxed while the other guests gathered together. We had a set time to depart as after this we were going to a very special location… A town that looks as though it is photo shopped!

Join us in the next instalment to find out where we went!
Read about our journey to Torrievieja if you missed our last post!

Spain, Travel, travel tips, Trips

Torrevieja

June 25, 2019 4 Comments

Today marks the first time that I will travel abroad since I was 18. That was *cough* 19 years ago. We are Torrevieja bound! Last week we were so bored of the wet and damp weather in Yorkshire that we embarked on a mission for warmer climates. What we didn’t realise was that the weather was going to get much better in the UK too just as we were due to leave. Typical! That being said as we drove down to Gatwick airport yesterday ready for our flight this morning, we were driving into a reported 60 hour thunderstorm that was sweeping its way northwards.

M25. Always a pleasure!

As per usual the M25 decided to be slow moving and seemed just down to the amount of traffic rather than accidents. It gave us plenty of time to watch the planes taking off from Heathrow and imagine how we would be feeling in just 12 hours time!We arrived at my brother’s and parked Chewy on his drive with about an inch to spare before kissing the gutter. We checked we had our passports about 20 times and had a shower before heading to bed. It was only on the last round of checks that I thought about doing the bag up and realised the carry on bag I had chosen had a broken zip. It’s 11pm and we have to be up at 2:30…We scan the guest bedroom in a panic as we can’t be slamming the van doors at this time. Spying a sports bag on the wardrobe -we borrow/steal it. I make a note to tell my brother in the morning!As night sets in, so do the storms. At 2:30 we awake to thunder and lightning. A rumble that fills us with a little bit of worry. Taking off in a thunderstorm is not ideal! The journey to the airport came free with a light show but luckily by the time we arrived at Gatwick it was passing. It was almost dawn but already the airport was buzzing with people all excited to be flying today.Check in went well with just a small technical hitch over my hair gel being in a bottle that was too big, even though it was almost empty. I hadn’t realised it’s not on the quantity left in the bottle that counts, it’s the bottle size. Noted for next time. We headed through security and Louise told me we were going to the No1 lounge. She had booked us in as a surprise. As I haven’t travelled around very much I hadn’t experienced a lounge before and I loved it! How relaxing! And a prosecco at 5am isn’t a bad start to the day!Soon we were boarding the plane via a short shuttle bus ride from the gate to the plane. A Boeing 737. Smaller than Louise would like but just happy it didn’t have propellers! Taxiing to the runway we felt the excitement and suspense build as the rain was just stopping but the clouds were still dark. The captain said there may be some initial turbulence but should be a good flight. Norwegian airlines have in flight WiFi and an app that let you see where you are on your journey as well as speed and height.

Where did we fly?

According to the captain our flight took us out over Brighton to the English channel and across to France. We coasted down past Bordeaux and over the Pyrenees mountains. Even in June they were topped with snow still! After a quick trolly dash up the aisle with drinks and duty free, our two hour 20 minute journey was over just as quick as it had begun. Coming in to land in Alicante was a delight as we descended close to the mountains and were able to see the stunning landscape unfold before our eyes. It seems the captain was also distracted by the scenery as his landing was quite sudden but safely down, we were able to disembark.

To Torrevieja

We are heading to the Spanish mainland city of Torrevieja. It’s a sunny city on the Costa Blanca. Known for its Mediterranean climate and sandy beaches. Torrevieja translates to Old Town and was once a town demolished by an earthquake in the 1800’s. A recent renovation initiative has seen a brand new city emerge built for tourism. It has the largest market on the mainland every Friday and we can’t wait to go! We were very lucky to have had a lift to our villa and we were given a small guided tour along the way. We drove past some stunning salt lakes where the flamingos hang out before moving on.

The villa

So here we are. Having found our way to the local Aldi (I know… We flew to Spain to go to Aldi but we needed food!) We made ourselves a fresh lunch with meat and cheese, salad and pickles. No bread, cakes or crisps! A glass of wine to toast our arrival and lots of plans to be made. We decided it was far too hot, 30 degrees in the shade, so went for a little walk to find the swimming pool. How beautiful it was with palm trees tapping in the breeze, colourful flowers a small pool for the local residents of this villa block. The water was nice and cool but not cold, so was a delight to cool off after the belting rays of the sun. After a short swim we took advantage of the sunshine and basked in her heat, talking about destinations we want to visit and that we could easily fall in love with Spain!It’s day one of our trip to Torrevieja. We are so excited to experience the rest of what is on offer and will keep you up to date on our adventures. Right now, time for a short nap before we BBQ some fresh fish! Please comment, share and tag your friends. Let us know where to visit below if you have any suggestions for us!