Home in Time for Tea

My cousin from New Zealand recently went travelling in Europe and when he came to us in the UK I asked him what his favourite place was. He gave an unexpected and unusual answer: Romania. The people, the scenery, the history - it seemed to have it all, so I decided to head on over there too, and what better time to do it than at Halloween... The first notable thing about any of this is that everything was so cheap! It was also a fantastically exciting and unusual holiday, needless to say. We flew for £82 each to Bucharest (Ryanair), got the 3.5 hour train from Bucharest to beautiful Brasov in Transylvania for £5 each , and stayed at the immaculate and well-equipped Kron Studios in Brasov for £28 per night , per 3/4 star double studio apartment! (booking.com) Brasov Town Brasov is a traditional Transylvanian town, located within a few miles of major attractions Bran Castle and Rasnov Fortress, as well as the Libearty Bear Sanctuary and the Carpath...

Road-Trip to Amalfi Through France, Switzerland & Italy If there is one thing that makes a road trip worthwhile, it is most definitely the  freedom to go where the wind takes you, and I mean that metaphorically, because another major draw to the road trip holiday is that you can actually escape bad weather like wind. Rain also - and we did. Our choice to book just our first hotel in advance, and no others until we were there meant that we could leave early, stay late, and simply do as we pleased until we had to get the ferry home to the UK! Beaune, France Our first stop was brief but extremely pretty. Beaune's passion for everything wine is wonderfully expressed in the Musee du Vin de Bourgogne with everything from antiquated tools and ancient wine bottles through the ages, to detailed information on tasting and wine production in Burgundy. Beautiful wine boutiques and surrounding vineyards also make Beaune a fantastic wine-lovers' destina...

Stunning Scenery and Scrambling in Snowdonia A hike up the Tryfan mountain had us gasping with surprise at the stunning views of the Welsh mountains and valleys as we scrambled up the varied terrain, climbed steep rock faces, and crossed babbling brooks...  It was a lovely weekend, based solely upon the idea of going for a good walk in the mountains, and my friends and I were pleasantly surprised by the stunning views of the countryside and how unspoilt it all was.  The Tryfan mountain is around half an hour South-West from the lovely town of Llandudno. The car park is just off the A5 beside Lake Ogwen and there are rocky trails leading upwards from the car park and toilets.  We stayed in Llandudno at the lovely hospitable Westbourne Hotel Guesthouse. The owners are so friendly, rooms are spotless and tastefully decorated, and the full-English breakfast is delicious. On the way home back into England we stopped at quaint little Welsh town Langollen, and a...

Being a warm and sunny year-round holiday destination, it is little wonder that Gran Canaria has afforded itself such a beach holiday reputation. However there is so much more to this tiny island and its mountains and ravines than sun, sea and sand. When I visited this year I barely had time for any beach encounters at all...  Gran Canaria: Artenara Cave Dwellings This fascinating set of ancient cave dwellings has been adorned with furniture and pottery/craft workshops to demonstrate how they were lived in and worked in, during the 1800s. The views across to the other mountains are breathtaking and you can even spy some prehistoric cave dwellings on the other side which were used by the ancient Guanche people - the natives of the Canary Islands who were non-Spanish.  To find these cave dwellings head into the town of Artenara and follow the brown tourist signs. Buses from Las Palmas should stop in Artenara, and hiring a car is cheap. Entry is free to the caves, but d...