Picture Diary of Cologne, Germany | Travel

I've been away recently to the very lovely German city of Cologne and whilst I would usually do a "5 Things To Do in..." style of post I think I just wanted to do a little photo diary instead so I hope you enjoy!  

Padlock bridge 

German flea market

Cologne Zoo!

Kolsch!!

Jazz Bar

Sculpture Park 

I just love how dark this Cathedral can look against a stormy sky! I had such a great time in Cologne and if you want a little weekend get away the Cologne could be the place for you! 

Have you visited Germany?

What's in my overnight bag | Travel

Today I thought I would have a little chat about what's inside my overnight bag for when I am away with work! I go up north every couple of weeks or so and because last year I traveled SO much with work I kinda have my work packing down! 

First we have to talk about my Longchamp bag, I literally take it everywhere and this bag folds down to nothing as you can see BUT it is bloody big which means you have enough room to get everything in and it looks simplistically chic! I also use this as hand luggage on flights even if it looks a little big at times, no airline ever moans. It's a little more expensive than I paid for it in Italy but I would say it's totally worth it and will go with whatever you wear! 


This PJ Bag is not all it seems, so whilst it is technically a bag for your pjs and I got it when I bought some from Boux Avenue, I don't actually use it to store my pjs. Instead I put my bras and underwear in there so if I ever have to root around my bag I won't be embarrassed if it falls out in the train station. You can also use it to put used items in as well which is pretty handy!

Of course I have to have my make up bag and this one is from a cute little garden centre near me but this bee wash bag is quite similar! I love anything with bumble bees on and this bag is just like the perfect size to get my make up essentials in! 

Moving onto the beauty products, I have the obvious stuff such as cleanser, dry shampoo, perfume, moisturiser etc but sometimes I do like to take a little something extra like a face mask or something because most hotels have baths and it's just the perfect time to have a bit of a pamper after you've had your meal and just want to relax for the evening! 

Obviously have a change of clothes in there for the next day and because usually I work from home when I go and visit the Lincoln office I like to dress up a little bit! Right now I am trying to shake up my dress sense and have fallen in love with this leather skirt from New Look  which actually isn't something I ever thought I would wear until I tried it on! I love it, it does kinda draw attention to my hips but in turn it accentuates my waist so its ok. I have paired it with a body suit which is fractionally sexy for work because of the v neck but it's still decent! 

Also I have to admit that I do carry snacks with me, peanuts and raisins are my FAVE but sometimes I gotta have a bit of a chocolate as well and water! I am so surprised how many places don't have bottled water in the room, I'll bloody dehydrate guys, so I always get a bottle! 

What's in your over night bag that you think I should add to mine?

Places to Eat and Drink in Albufeira, Portual | Travel

I recently spent 6 glorious days in Albufeira, Portugal and I thought today I would just share with you some places to eat and drink in this beautiful town. Some of the places are in the old town and other in the new town, we stayed in the new town which was about a 45 min walk from the old town. For those of you who don't know where Albufeira is it's kinda near the Algarve, so let's get started with a beautiful little place to drink...

Sal Rosa 
This had to be a first mention because it was a place we just stumbled across and wasn't expecting it to be as beautiful as it actually was. Sal Rosa is situated in the old town and is right on the beach front, so you can have a little drink over looking the stunning beach from up high. like most places the beer is really cheap especially if you drink something like Super Bock you're looking at 2€ but even if you wanted wine or cocktails this place offers something for everyone.

Donaldo's
We kind of got pulled into Donaldo's because the food looked so good! We tried to stick with places that were a little more traditionally Portuguese, which I must admit was quite hard! Donaldos really did showcase some Portuguese food in a simplifed way. My boyfriend had squid and prawn kebab served on a giant skewer and I had some of the squid and it was incredible, but I am a big fan of calamari anyway. Also they had for starters Sardines which is a typical Portuguese thing and they gave you 3 of the things which is a pretty hearty starter, however personally I prefer the sardine pate...I love a bit of pate! 

Blue Sky Restaurant
This is another Portuguese retaurant we got lured into and I'm really glad we did. Blue Sky Restaurant is a quiet little restaurant just off the main road and very easy to just walk past, we were welcomed by the very lovely Nuno who had worked in the restaurant since he was like 14, who offered great advice when discussing what to eat and the wine. In the picture above you can see the dish my boyfriend had which was steak, in a rich gravy with sliced potatoes. I went for the tuna steak which was cooked to perfection and severed with a tomato sauce with onions and boiled potatoes. As you can see the portion sizes are great and the price is actually quite low for what you get. 

Stews & More
I must admit, I have a whole post coming up next week on this place so expect more info then!  Stews & More is definitely NOT a traditional Portuguese restaurant but more of a fusion on Dutch and Portuguese flavours, as the name states, they serve predominantly stews and some other stuff but anyone go here are going for the yummy stews! This place gets busy REALLY quick so make sure you book in advance!   

Rock Cafe
This one is for the people out there that love cheap cocktail and good live music, whilst we didn't try the food I have heard good things about it so it's a place that ticks all of the boxes. Rock Cafe is located in the lively centre of the old town which is surrounded by lots and lots of different bars and restaurants but we actually went because we saw so many good reviews. When we walked in the girl just looked at me and said "you need a pornstar martini"....I mean....how's a gal to say no to that!! 



Top Tips:- 

*Tuk Tuk - These little things are bloody everywhere and a really quick and easy way to get from the old town to the new town. Have a laugh and take a tuk tuk ride! 
*House Wine - Alcohol is bloody cheap but the wonderful thing about the house wine is that it's actually really delicious and at 2€ for a large glass, can't go wrong.
*The Strip - Stag and Hen weekend paradise! Not quite my scene but down the side streets there are some gems and SOME of the bars have live music so it's not too bad. 
*Couvert - a standard starter in every restaurant but it's basically bread, sardine pate and olives and the prices range from 1.50€ to 3€ - perfect!!
*The People - I bloody LOVE the Portuguese, they are by far the friendliest people but some have a bad opinion on the Brits (I blame the people on the strip) but everyone welcomes you in with open arms

There we have my recommendations on places to eat and drink in Albufeira! Have you ever been to Portugal? 

5 Things to do in Warsaw | Travel

Travel has made a WELCOME return to Honeypot Blogs with a post about my recent trip to Warsaw. If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen a few post up there of the BEAUTIFUL architecture and you guys will know I love all of that. 

As you can see in the picture however the sky was somewhat moody so we definitely didn't have the best weather but we definitely made the most of it, so this post is more of a 5 things to do in Warsaw, if the weather is utter pants! 

Bars...
Let's face it, if you have heard of Poland or Warsaw you will know that the drinks are pretty cheap so why not enjoy that side of it and discover some wonderful bars. I would have to say Polyester Cafe was probably one of my faves and we only discovered it because the weather was so naff we had o duck in somewhere. It had a super chilled vibe, with some utter classic music playing. If you or the person you're with are into craft beers then Warsaw definitely has something for ya such as Same Krafty Vis-a-vis There is also a nice Belguim Beer place pictured above called Elephant if you fancy a little something different. 

Restaurants...
There are literally tonnes of different restaurants in the Old Town and I was surprised at the amount of different cuisines available, I noticed there were a lot of Italian style restaurants which is always lovely. I would say if you are looking for something a little more rustic and traditional you should check out Celi Bar - wonderful hearty Polish meals! For started we had some Polish Dumplings that were filled with minced meat and I tell you want I bloody enjoyed those dumplings, I could have had another plate! For my main I had the Farmers Sausage platter which had 3, that's right THREE giant sausages with chips. Those sausages were bloody delicious I tell you!  

Views...
If you guys have been following my blog you'll know when I go away I like to explore and go up tall buildings to see the city from a different angle and Warsaw was no different. We went up the Palace of Culture and Science, which in itself is a really stunning building standing out from the other skyscrapers.I think one of the things that really surprised me about Warsaw was just how modern the skyline really is there and seeing it from this angle was perfect! It was rather windy but thankfully there is a little cafe at the top where you can get an indulgent hot chocolate and a little cake before taking the lift back down.  

History...
Warsaw is drenched with History especially from the Second World War and I would advise you either have a little read up or even watch the film The Pianist to just give you a snapshot into what it was like for the Polish Jews back then. There are a lot of plaques and monuments around so just take a moment to stop and read them. There is a Jewish Uprising Museum which I would recommend if you like museums but I would suggest buying on of those walkie talkie things that guides you through each part because there is a lot to take in and there are a lot of people! 

Shopping... 
Ok this one is a bit of a sore subject for me but basically I lost my cashmere scarf in an Irish bar a matter of hours of landing in Poland and because the weather was SO awful it meant I had to buy a new one, which of course the shopper in me loved but the sentimental girl was still weeping! Anyway, turns out Warsaw has a bloody huge shopping centre plus lots of little areas that have all the high street favourites such as Zara, H&M and even Marks and Spencer (London). Also IF you wanted a Starbucks or Costa Coffee and I can confirm there is one on every damn corner, which I didn't indulge in but if you wanted to you could. 

Things to remember:- 

*It's about 4.90 Polish złoty for ever £1 so it is wonderfully cheap out there 
*Use Uber to get places - Warsaw is quite big and Uber works perfectly out there 
*Ask the bar staff what beer they recommend they know their stuff
*Thanks in Polish is - dzięki which sounds like Jen Kee 
*The Old Town is seriously beautiful 

Have you been to Poland before? 

Longchamp Travel Luggage | Travel

So today I am talking all about this classic but gorgeous Longchamp travel bag. Obviously as you guys know I travel a lot for work and I've had a lot of little breaks away this year so I thought now was a good time to invest in a Longchamp bag.

I think there are two types of people when it comes to weekend trips away, those who need a travel suitcase on wheels, plus like another hand bag filled with stuff or there are the people who have one big bag and their little handbag as well to travel with. I am the latter, always. I don't know why, but I have a thing against those little suitcase trolleys, they just get in everyone's way and there always is a fuss with them at the airports when the airline makes sure it fits into that stupid little grid, it's just a hassle to me. In the past I have always travelled with a large black handbag, you'd be surprised at how much I can fit in there. However my good ol' Warehouse bag I've had for about 6 years is looking rough, it's tired and it needed to go so it was time for an upgrade.

I have seen Longchamp everywhere, it's one of those brands you do see around a lot and think they kind of fit into the high end high street bracket because their stuff is super affordable if you go for their classic design like the one pictured. Personally, I never liked the Longchamp shoulder bag, I think it's just because I have seen it too much and in so many different colours. This being said, I decided to take a look in the store in Florence. They literally had every colour in every size available, but the thing I really liked was that there was one on display in every size so I could get a proper idea of what they look like. I had to consider that this bag should be "airplane approved" because you know what Ryanair can be like *rolls eyes dramatically*

I picked up this Longchamp travel bag and immediately I just liked the feel of it, super lightweight but the material appears quite durable. We all know which colour I picked, it obviously had to be the black one, though I kind of wish there was an option for the black leather as well but I'm still super happy about this bag regardless. It cost me like 75€ which I think is a bloody good price, for the quality and the look of this bag. I can fit a lot in it, way more than my previous bag and I'm seriously in love. When I bought it in literally had to wait months before I could use it as I was taking more than just hand luggage but boy was it worth the wait. If you'd like me to do a post on what's inside my hand luggage bag, just let me know. In all honesty, I think if you're like me and prefer a handbag to travel with then Longchamp will definitely have something for you.

Are you a suitcase trolley kind of gal or do you prefer to travel with a big ol' handbag

5 things to do in La Spezia | Travel

You guys know I love going on my little trips and last month I decided to stay local and go somewhere different in Italy. This year I have done a lot of travelling but actually haven't been to that many places on Italy so it was about time really.

We decided to go to La Spezia because it was close to the ocean as it's more a of a port town and only like a two and a half hour train ride from Florence so really handy.

Here are my top 5 things to do in La Spezia...

Eat seafood
As La Spezia is obviously a port town, you all know that the best seafood you can get is by the port because it's so fresh. In all honesty there are a lot of places you can go but I would say if you can visit Dai Pescatori because the reviews are great and the food was yummy, we totally should have got more. It's such a popular place that there is a queue but I'm telling you the calamari and whitebait alone is worth it, but they also do a lot of other seafood dishes as well. However it's not a very formal place it, you won't be waiter on, you get your food and drink first and then sit down but it's perfect for lunch or a light dinner for the price! 

Get a boat to Cinque Terre
Before I even get started, if you have never heard of Cinque Terre then stop reading this post and just do a quick Google image search and then come back and finish reading...obvs! Cinque Terre is essentially 5 little towns along the coast that a built on the cliffs and are just so beautiful. To get to any of the towns from La Spezia is so easy, you can actually get trains cheaply or you can get a boat that drops you off at each one and takes you back to La Spezia! We definitely opted for the boat even though it was a bit more expensive 30 euros but I love boat rides and being on the ocean. I would definitely recommend visiting Manarola because it's just so pretty.

Walk to the port
Well obviously!!! I know that's what you guys are thinking but the reality is La Spezia has a very relaxed vibe about it and I feel that sometimes it's just really nice to grab a drink and just watch the boats come and go. The port is pretty big and I probably only wandered just half of it but definitely made sure I stopped as some of the seafront bars along the way.

Aperitivo at Kadinsky 900
I've told you guys before about Italy and their aperitivo, food when ever you order drinks, I'm a massive fan! We stumbled on this really cool bar called Kadinsky 900 just to stop for a drink and the aperitivo that was served with it was by far one of the best I have had in Italy and they didn't even increase the price of the drinks to include the food like some places do!  There was two of us and we go these amazing little foccia sandwiches, 3 different fillings, crisps, nuts and beans! So yummy! The bar staff were so lovely and welcoming! On a side note the foccia in La Spezia is beyond amazing!

Drink prosecco
Seriously guys, it's like 3€ for a glass that would be considered a large glass of wine! The thing I noticed was that La Spezia is way cheaper than the likes of Florence, Pisa or even Bologna! I've always been a fan of prosecco but even more so now in Italy, not only does it taste even better but when the sun is setting on the port after a long hot day, there is literally nothing better. If prosecco isn't your thang, don't worry they do lots of beer which are around 4€ so you can't go wrong really.

There we have it, I would say that La Spezia probably has a slightly older demographic but if you're looking for a little weekend away somewhere then you should really check it out! We spent 3 nights and rented an airbnb apartment and had a great time!

What sea side towns do you love?

Favourites in Florence | Travel

So I thought it was about time I gave you guys some tips for my favourite places or things to do in Florence, I'm not gonna lie, there will be a lot of food and drink places in my list but ya know, sometimes it really is the simplest things in life.

Favourite Gelato
There are a lot of gelato places and if you're in the centre I'm telling you now, avoid the places that have the ice cream piled high in giant towers, it's tourist ice cream, so not great. If you're in the centre then you need to visit La Carraia. Hands down the best gelato ever and for a good size cup it's like 2.50€ totally worth it. I go for the cookies and Nutella, need I say more..?

Favourite wine bar
Il Santino - This one is a tiny little place but if you can get a seat you are laughing, I would say go a little earlier rather than later, the Italians are always late so you have more chances of getting a seat inside if you go around 7ish. They serve little crostinis with your wine choice depending on what you order will depend on what crostini you will receive, the wine is delicious, the food is delicious, something very rustic and understated about this place. It's right next to a restaurant of the same name but the wine bar is like a little hole in the wall so go an check it out.

Favourite place along the river Arno
I'm telling you now, if you want to see something beautiful, go a grab a drink by the river arno in the evening before the sun sets. It's almost magical. I love nothing better than going to get a prosecco and sit along the river, the place I go is Rivalta it's a little more expensive per drink but aperitivo is included so you can fill up on the food they have to offer.

Favourite pizza place

This one I have written a review about it's called 'O Munaciello. It's a very traditional pizza place with it's roots from Napoli which is where pizza actually came from. If you're here then you have to have a traditional limoncello to finish the meal. It's delicious. It's a super popular restaurant so make sure you book it a table!!

Favourite tuscan meat restaurant
All'antico vinaio is another place I have mentioned before and is easily the most popular place in florence for their sandwiches, just look at the reviews on trip advisor. The thing that I love about this place is that one shop just sells sandwiches and the other just sells platters of meat, I mean, you can't go wrong. There is a queue for the sandwich place but I'm telling you now it's worth it and they are huge!! If you can get a seat in the other place then snap it up, again I would say go a little earlier to beat the Italian rush or try and book a table in advance.

Favourite view of Florence
If you are ever in Florence then you must walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo, it's a tourist hot spot, which totally makes sense because the view is breath taking. But I would say, after the walk if you're feeling good then carry on to the church a little further up called Basilica San Miniato al Monte, the view is even better and it's less crowded and more peaceful.

Favourite attraction 

It's obvious but the Duomo is by far the most beautiful thing ever, the sheer size of it is so vast you have to lean back to take it all in. It's smack bang in the centre to expect it to be crazy busy but honestly there is nothing more beautiful, during the day, at sunset, at night it always looks good. Unless you want to walk to the top I would suggest not bothering going in because all the beauty is on the outside for sure.

So there we have some of my faves! Have you been to Florence or are you going?

Work Travels | Lifestyle

If you have been following my blog a little while now or even if you follow me on Twitter you will notice that I travel a lot for work! I mean, 6 months into this year and I have been to 5 countries and 6 cities. I never really envisioned my life taking this sort of adventure but I can honestly say I love it.

Right from the start of the year I made sure I shared with you guys each new city I went to because it was something I personally would like to write about and kinda felt like most of you guys might like to read about.  Recently though I haven't written about my two last trips, LA and Madeira. I feel like these two trips were actually very hard to put in words what it was like because I actually didn't get a lot of opportunity to be a tourist and that's the catch when you travel for work, I'm still very much working.

When we went to LA I was told quite last minute but I was so excited I mean, LA everyone knows where it is and everyone wants to go there at some point in their lives. The thing was with this trip though was that we landed on Thursday and flew home on Monday, it was basically a long weekend, which is a 13 hour flight, plus a little extra because there are no direct flights from Florence, it's pretty exhausting. My company was there for an event on Saturday, but we still had to set up our booth on Friday. We did get some free time but the thing with downtown LA is, it isn't all that safe, you have to get Ubers everywhere and for me I prefer to walk. On Monday before heading the airport we had to sort out shipping of the items to go back to Italy which is always a bit of a headache. I did like LA but I just didn't have enough material to write a post.

Moving onto Madeira, this was a bit of an odd one, whilst it was definitely for work it was also a sort of get away that our partner wanted to do for us, which was lovely but can you imagine going up a mountain side whilst checking your phone for emails? On the one hand breathtakingly beautiful but on the other hand not very relaxing. I definitely got a lot more down time than in LA because I stayed and extra day and the whole set up was a little different but I got a little lonely! I stayed out there for an extra 2 nights which isn't long at all but when you are by yourself it's a little boring plus the average age of Madeira is like 55 so the night life isn't exactly buzzing.

I am so lucky to be able to visit all these wonderful places but sometimes I do miss being a tourist and seeing a city from a different perspective.

Do you travel for work?

5 things to do in Budapest | Travel

I've written a few travel blog posts but I think they often waffle on a lot and let's face it people can't be bothered to actually read them so this time I'm gonna try something shorter with giving you guys just 5 things you MUST do if you visit budapest.

Let's jump in with something you guys know I love, food...

Hungarian food
This kinda seems like an obvious one but I have got to say that street food is definitely something they specialise in, I think if you like quick and flavoursome food then you need to visit one of the many food markets. The kind of things you'll find are langos which is basically a pizza with sour cream base instead of tomato and cheese on top or this hot dog thingy which is basically a bread cone with sausages, melted cheese and fried onions on top and of course a vast range of burgers and goulash. There is a fantastic Street food market called Karaván not far from a great ruin bar which moves me onto my next point

Ruin bars
So if you love quirky bars with a chilled out vibe full of thousands of things to look at then Budapest definitely has something for you. Essentially the ruin bars started a few years ago it was kind of a way to dress up the bar using things available such as bikes, computers, street signs, hundreds of lights it's a really great idea. The one that I loved the most was Szimpla Bar, it's probably one of the most popular but it's pretty big and has a bit of something for everyone with the various different rooms to discover. There are a lot to discover though so I would definitely suggest that you go on a ruin bar crawl.

Sightseeing
Yeah yeah I know this is obvious but there is a LOT to see in Budapest, depends on how you want to spend your time but there are many ways to see the city. Fun fact : Budapest is actual split into 2, Buda on one side of the river and Pest on the other. Pest is pretty flat and Buda is the hilly part so go to Buda for the best views. Places like the Citadella and Fisherman's Bastion are pretty bloody high but you can totally walk up to both view points if you like a walk like I do. There are also pretty cheap boat tours that run down the Danube to Margaret Island and back which takes just over an hour, it's great because you get to see some of the sights and learn about the history.

Zoo
This one is a bit of a marmite choice like I get it, the whole animals in captivity argument is one that always gives me a little bit of a moral dilemma especially with the larger animals. However I can't help but love being able to see all these amazing creatures so close to me. I have to point out that personally I think this is one of the best zoo's I have visited in years! They have everything from Kolwalas to grizzly bears to orangutans so amazing. Also I have to mention the little ice cream treats, you can buy this cup of tiny little ice cream balls that are so bloody yummy. The zoo can be found in Pest in the City Park Városliget with loads of other interesting things...

Thermal baths
...like Szécgenyi baths! There are a lot of baths dotted around Budapest but I think this bath house is probably the most popular and isn't it just bloody beautiful, think about the Roman baths in Bath but this is far more modern and you can actually just chill out in them! It's a super busy place but I think if you want to do something a little different you should visit here. There are two main baths in this complex on is about 30° and the other is 37° which is actually pretty damn hot when you get in! I would definitely say get a cabin instead of a locker, it just gives you space to get changed and sort your life out in your own privacy.

I also thought I would share some key things to note as well

Top Tips

• Budapest does accept Euros but it's far easier to pay in HUF (Hungarian Forints) 
• To drink spirits and sodas/tonics is far more expensive than drinking the local beers so definitely try those out instead
• Don't expect amazing customer service, in most places, it's not bad but it's something where small talk isn't really encouraged but I think it's more of a cultural thing 
• Use the tube, it's cheap and really easy to use
• Prices vary in quite a big way, you can get a beer for 550 Forints in one place and then the same beer for 990 in another so make sure you are aware of the prices, don't assume it's all the same

Have you been on holiday this year?

Tips for Travelling for work | Travel

If you are a regular reader of my blog then you'll know that this year I have travelled a lot for work, I'm super lucky but this means I've definitely had to become more organised with a few things. So today I thought I would share with you my tips on travelling for work

Currency

This one is more about what to do with the change you have left over, in an ideal world you would spend the exact amount and not have to worry about having excess dollars or pounds but let's face it you always end up with change. What I have started doing is bagging up separately the different currencies so I know that if I am going to America I simply just take that little bag with me so at least I have some money for a drunk when I land. If I travel in Europe I'm really lucky because any left over euros I'll just use in Italy when I get home.

Expenses
Literally the bane of my existence, I am the worst person at keeping receipts and I always forget to ask for for the receipts with taxis it's a nightmare. When I travel I hate travelling with a purse, it's bulky and actually I very rarely use one when I'm not travelling so this is how all my receipts get lost. Instead of taking a purse with me I have this little draw string pouch that doesn't take up any room and I can easily just keep it in my bag. I took it out to LA with me and can you believe I didn't lose any receipts. Woo

Handbag prep
I hate packing luggage but love preparing my handbag before, I probably do it like the week before. The way I see it is that as long as I have my passport and flight docs it doesn't matter what else I forget because I can at least get to where I am going everything else you can buy when you are there if you need to.

Lip balm
This seems like such an obvious one I know but oh my god! I never wear lip balm during the day because I feel I end up applying it too much and then licking it off and then using it more making my lips drier. My tip is to apply it at night because you have less chances of licking it off and you'd be surprised how much is still left on you lips in the morning (little beauty tip for you girls there) The only time I apply lip balm during the day is when I am flying because the air con just dries you out completely so it's an

Business cards
So important for work travel, there is nothing worse than attending an event without your business cards. I know other people may have them but it's always so much better if you do as well. Also, always bring more than you think you need.

Headphones
Oh my god, I have often made the mistake of forgetting my headphones on a long haul flight. The thing is that yes, airlines do provide you headphones so it's not as bad but they are poor quality and they hurt my ears. Also what about shorter flights? C'mon what's better than listening to a bit of James Bay or Del Amitri during take off?

So there are my little tips on travelling for work, what tips do you have?

Trip to Porto, Day 3 | Travel

The last day... how heartbreaking ay!

No trip to Porto would be complete without a trip to at least one of the port cellars. On the side of the river with the cable car is basically where you will find all of the port houses and caves, really popular ports like Taylor's, Cockburns  (pronounced Co'burns because let's face it, nobody wants cock burn) and Offley but there are some lesser known houses (well to me anyway) such as Calem, Sandeman and Barros. So many options but which one do you choose? In all honesty, I think they would all be great but we went for Calem's tour, bearing in mind it was our last day we didn't want to venture too far so Calem is based on the river front, nice and easy to get to! We decided to go nice and early at 10:30 to make sure we could fit other things into our last day, the tour started at 10:45 and was only 6€ each which again I think was such a good price, the whole time I never once thought oh, that's a bit pricey! Anyway, I digress, the tour was hosted by a wonderful guy who really explained everything in great detail, there are actually like 4 different types of port, White, Rosé, Ruby and Tawny. Ruby is probably the most commonly known in the UK at least and looks exactly the same as red wine bur tastes sweeter, where as Tawny which you guys know throughout the trip I've had quite a dabble in, is lighter in colour but tastes more like a whiskey, then the White I'd say isn't very far off from dessert wine but far smoother and Rosé is part of the Ruby family but the grape isn't left for as long which creates the lighter colour. We went through the different ways in which the ports are made and after the tour got to try a White and a Tawny, bloody delicious I tell ya!

After the tour we decided to have lunch by the river one last time, there was a nice little restaurant that it a little higher up than the river so gives a bit of a better view, I decided to have a nice big glass of sangria which was really nice and refreshing whilst we decided what last things we could squeeze into the day. We did decide on visiting one of the most famous cafes in Porto which is called Majestic Café, it was so delicate in design and kind made me think of the titanic when I saw it, it was busy because it's a real tourist hotspot but we actually managed to get a table very easily in there when I first arrived I thought we would struggle or that there would be a queue but actually we had no problem what so ever. Having looked at the menu we opted for tea and scones...very British I know but I kinda missed some home comforts. They had run out of scones so we did have to wait for new ones to be baked but I mean who doesn't love freshly baked warmed scones? I would say it was a little fancy but you did have people from all walks of life having a drink or food so I felt very relaxed there. After this little break, we decided it was time to make our way to the airport...

In all honesty, Porto took me by surprise in many ways, I never expected it to be so beautiful, the people were amazing and so friendly, we walked everywhere but it's so well connected you could get the metro or bus, I would go back there in a heart beat.  It's just a shame with these types of holidays because as soon as you land it's like the hour glass has just been turned over and it's the countdown before it's over. This being said, we definitely made the most out of it and I'd say if you like exploring you need to go to Porto.

There we have it, did you enjoy my little travel posts? I want to know one city you unexpectedly fell in love with!

Trip to Porto, Day 2 | Travel

Ready for day 2? I know I bloody am!!

As we knew that our time in Porto was limited we wanted to make sure we didn't waste time sleeping for hours, so on Sunday we wanted to get up and get going straight away. We were really fortunate in the sense that our hotel was in a pretty good location with lots of things to do around it. As you may or may not know, I love walking and I love walking up lots of stairs to see an amazing view, so wherever I am, if there is an option so be really high up and see a city from another angle I'm literally all over it. So you know I just had to go and walk up the tower of Igreja e Torre dos Clérigos! I must admit I didn't feel like this tower was too exhausting to walk up but it definitely gave us a beautiful view though, I really loved it.

After the tower, we were actually really keen to see whether we could do a little boat tour so walked back to the river! Unfortunately there were no boats on the river at all that weren't moored up and there was a notice saying that some of the tours couldn't operate, I think this was down to the tides or current, the river was moving at quite a pace so instead we settled for a little drink by the Douro! It was so nice just to sit and relax for a moment in the sun and watch people go by, not gonna lie I love people watching. The weather was beautiful on Sunday, with barely a cloud in the sky, I wasn't actually expecting it to be as hot as it was I caught a bit of colour, though the chap I was with probably caught it just a fraction worse than me, by fraction I mean lobster red. The map was out in true tourist style, not that we cared and we were planning our next little excursion. Porto isn't actually that far from the beach, in theory you could probably walk it, but when you have the option of getting a tram there you best believe I went with that option and headed to the beach. When we turned up we actually just missed our tram so got some food at a nearby restaurant and waited for the next one.

Is there anything quite as good as walking along the seafront with the sun shining? The only thing that could have made it better was an ice cream cone, but I mean that's just a tiny thing! The beach isn't your typical sandy beach, I would say some parts have sand and others are a bit pebbley but it was beautiful nonetheless and we got to see the little lighthouse too. We even attempted a bit of crabbing amongst the rocks but had no luck so instead carried on walking until we came across a bar/restaurant actually on the beach it was just perfect!

In the evening we just had to have dinner by that beautiful river Douro and see the skyline at night, honestly it was so pretty the way the buildings were lit up casting the most stunning reflection on the river, I truly loved it! The restaurants were really full and closed a little early however we managed to get into a place called Chez Lapin, though the waiter advised it would be a little wait for mains but we didn't mind too much! For starters we went with bread and a barbecue sausage tapas dish! When I read barbecue sausage I just thought they would turn up with a little dish of sausage that had like barbecue flavouring or cooked in a certain way, no no, they turn up with a sausage on a skewer and a dish of something flammable and light it at your table leaving you to turn the skewer, so random but such a nice touch! The waiter was so charming as well and really gave good advice when it came to the food choices, I went for the beef in a red wine sauce! The sauce was amazing, the meat was also really well cooked with just a hint of pink in the middle which made me happy! Half way through dinner all of a sudden there was fireworks on the river, which I'm gonna totally pretend were just for me, after the fireworks we asked the waiter for some port but he refused to serve us port until after the main because he suggested it should never be served with a main course but with dessert or after the meal instead. I actually really like that the waiter was so informed and clearly passionate about what he was serving. After the meal he came over with a 20 year old bottle of Tawny port and poured a very generous glass for each of us and told us it was for free! The waiter was totally right and it was perfect to have after the meal.

On the way home we noticed that just around the corner from the hotel there was a massive concert playing in support of a Portuguese protest, I will be honest I don't know really what the protest was about but the red carnation was symbolic of the whole event. So we just stood in blissful ignorance and enjoyed the music for a moment, a pretty great way to end the day.

The final Porto post will be live on Sunday, make sure you come check it out!

Trip to Porto, Day 1 | Travel

Recently I went on a little holiday when I came back to England, but decided that we would go to Portugal and I just loved it so much I wanted to share with you guys my trip! So I am splitting all 3 days into 3 different posts over one week! I know, it's been a long time since you have seen 3 posts in one week from me, but I didn't want to drag this trip out over 3 whole weeks.

OK,  so let's get started basically we caught the earliest flight we could which was at like 6:30 in the morning on a Saturday! I think when you only have a limited time in a different country you want to make sure you make the most of your time there. Even more so when you are looking forward to it as much as me, like every hour counts. When we landed we decided to get the metro to the centre, which was not only cheaper (4:30€ for two of us) but is kinda fun as opposed to getting a cab, it only took like 20 mins!!

One of the first things I noticed was how pretty the buildings are, when I used to think of Portugal I kind of envisioned more simplistic buildings like in italy or even Spain but in Porto they had beautiful intricate designs, some had painted blue and white tiles on which was so striking, I wasn't expecting it. Another thing to note is how hilly Porto is, I mean it's on another level...literally! Some of the hills are so steep but I actually love walking so it doesn't bother me.

We found ourselves walking over the famous Ponte Luis Bridge which gave an utterly beautiful view of the river Douro. Once we got to the other side we realised we would have to walk down the steep hills to get down to the river or take a cable car down...well you know I just had to take the cable car at like 5€ each it's definitely the best way to get down, not only this but you got a free little taster of port when you get down at a nearby port house. My first actual experience of tasting port...not gonna lie, it's pretty lush! I will go into more detail about the different ports on a later post. Keeping with the port theme though we were having a bit of a wander and stumbled across this really small port place that was family run called Augusto's! It was very welcoming and the guy gave us a bit of insight into the company and explained how they can't sell the port in supermarkets because it is just such a small place they cannot mass produce the port! They give you a little taster and if you buy the bottle they deduct the price of the taster from it. Needless to say, of course we walked out with a 10 year old Tawny port.

After having our hearts warmed by the port we decided to go and get some food at this little tapas style place down a side street called Tappas Caffè, where we tried a traditional portugese or at least Porto dish called Francesinha we kinda ordered it and had no idea what it was when it turned up! The best way to describe it is a sandwich with 5 different meats layered into it with melted cheese poured over the top finished with a tomato kinda sauce. Very random, but kinda worked! The staff we're incredible though, just as we wanted to pay the bill, we were told to wait a moment and then 3 members of staff came around and poured us all a little shot and we just randomly toasted, you gotta love a free shot. Though the shot did have coffee beans in which we both swallowed but the staff didn't...

After this we decided to retreat back to the hotel to get ready for the evening! For dinner we actually decided to stay closer to the hotel and not go as far as the river because we had done a lot of walking but we stumbled across this really lovely restaurant called Avendia! Now, let me just tell you, I had possibly one of the best steaks I have ever had in my life at this restaurant and it was served with a delicious peppercorn sauce! I even love the fact the waiter didn't ask how I like it, because a steak like that can only be served rare! It was delicious but amazingly only like 12€ or something. The staff was amazing,  asking if we were ok and enjoying the food! I'll have to be honest here, I couldn't fit in any dessert but the chap I was with managed to squeeze something in and opted for a cheesecake! When it turned up, I was a little jealous but too full to even try it, however I was informed that the topping was like a black forest gateaux-ey thing, lush!

To end the evening on the way hotel we ducked into a couple of bars just for one drink, a bar called Baixa Bar serves a wonderful red fruit caprioska and played some great music with a very relaxed atmosphere.

So there we have day 1. Make sure you check out my blog on Thursday for day 2...