October Break

I’ve just recently been away on a family holiday to one of my favourite places on the English coast – Sheringham. My parents are fortunate to have friends who own a lovely fisherman’s cottage, located in the centre of Sheringham. The cottage was free for five nights, so my parents, the dogs and I set off last Thursday for a short October getaway.

On the coast of Norfolk, Sheringham is small seaside town with quaint shops and cafes, and local pubs. The beach has lots of rocks and pebbles, like Brighton, but you don’t have to wander down far to the sand when the tide is going out. I joined my dad for morning walks along the beach with our dogs, which always made a refreshing start to the day.

Morning walk in Sheringham

We all caught the train to Cromer on Friday, which only takes less than 10 minutes from Sheringham. Cromer is another one of my favourite seaside towns, which also has lovely shops and cafes, and many pubs. A family tradition of ours is to have fish and chips from Mary Janes; these were enjoyed with a view of Cromer Pier. My dad and I then walked the dogs along the beach and later joined my mum for a hot chocolate at the Rocket Cafe. We sat outside on the balcony area where the dogs had a much needed rest.

Barney having a nap at the Rocket Cafe

Sunday was my most active day, with my morning planned followed by a spontaneous decision in the afternoon. I went for a run on Sunday morning, trying to rejig my memory from three years ago when I last ran in Sheringham. I ran most of the way up Beeston Bump, which is a rather steep hill to the east of Sheringham. I then ran along the Norfolk Coast Path to West Runton and back around the bottom of Beeston Bump. My route deviated from what I had planned beforehand on Mapometer and from my memory, but I reckon I completed about 6km.

At the top of Beeston Bump

After a refreshing shower and breakfast, I decided to have a day on the Poppy Line, a heritage steam railway which operates between Sheringham and Holt. I have visited Sheringham station many times, but had never been on the steam train until Sunday. I caught the steam train from Sheringham to Holt, and then a diesel train from Holt to Weybourne. All of the stations are interesting to look around, especially Holt which has a couple of small museums and a Railway Cottage, a disused rail carriage used as affordable housing in the early 20th century.

Weybourne’s Signalling Box

After looking around Weybourne station, I decided to take a wander into the village of Weybourne. I enjoyed a cappuccino and a slice of cake at a quaint cafe before wandering down to the beach. I was blown away by the views around Weybourne beach and took the opportunity to practice mindfulness. The sea was so calm and the sun was pleasantly warm, which made me feel relaxed and at ease. It was a lovely feeling and took me back to my previous holiday in Llandudno.

My original plan was to catch the steam train back to Sheringham, but with the pleasant weather and no sense of urgency, I decided to walk back along the Norfolk Coast Path. I’m so glad that I walked back to Sheringham, as the views and the cliffs were spectacular; I could even see and hear the steam train along the Poppy Line. I took a few breaks along the way back and really soaked in the surroundings. Despite walking about 3 1/2 miles (circa 5.6km) after running 6km in the morning, I felt rejuvenated.

Weybourne Beach

I’ve never known the weather to be so nice in Sheringham, especially in October. Every day brought blue skies and sunshine, which made it pleasant to site outside with the dogs at pubs and cafes. I enjoyed a pint of fruity cider here and there, with a view of the sea in Sheringham.

Jarvis looking very cute!

It tends to feel like a long haul after the last summer bank holiday in August, so I’m glad that I’ve had a break in the run up to Christmas. It was also nice to spend some time away with my parents and the dogs, and relax at the English coast.

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂

xx

Me Time

Sorry it’s been a while since my last post – I’ve been going through a difficult time. I recently separated from my boyfriend and as a result, I have temporarily moved back in with my parents to my home town, Leicester. I’m lucky to have family and friends who have been extremely supportive, which I’m so grateful for.

I had booked a cheap getaway to Llandudno for my ex-boyfriend and I. After some thought, I decided to go on my own for some me time. Last Sunday, I headed off nice and early in my car from Leicester to Llandudno. I’m not sure why, but I’ve always wanted to try going away on my own somewhere. I guess it’s the freedom you have to do what you like. I felt nervous at first, but once I parked up my car and checked into the apartment in Llandudno, I felt at ease.

Llandudno is a lovely seaside town on the North Wales coast. The apartment I stayed in was only a few minutes walk away from North Shore beach and the pier, and was close to plenty of shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs. I spent quite a bit of time at West Shore beach, which offers stunning views of nearby Conwy and Deganwy. The weather was nicer than I expected, and even the sea was fairly warm which made paddling a pleasant experience (I just had to watch out for the jellyfish!).

Feeling relaxed at West Shore beach

I caught the train on Tuesday to Llandudno Junction and walked across the bridge leading to Conwy. The castle at Conwy is truly magnificent with stunning views from the top of the various towers. It was nice to see people enjoying their picnics in the castle grounds and I offered to take photos for families and friends when they were trying to take selfies. Overall the castle was an enjoyable experience and I highly recommend a visit to anyone heading to North Wales.

At the top of Conwy Castle

View of Conwy and the coast

After exploring the castle, I relaxed in the sun with a cup of tea at the Castle Gallery café. It was nice feeling so much at ease, I even heard someone comment how relaxed I looked while enjoying my tea. Throughout my holiday in Wales I made time to sit and soak in the atmosphere, whether that was in a café or just finding a nice spot somewhere. I did a lot of walking so having little breaks here and there was a welcome relief to my feet. Practicing mindfulness felt like second nature to me while I was away.

After enjoying my tea, I ventured along the town walls which, just like the castle, offered lovely views. I spent some time in the centre of Conwy, looking in the shops and treating myself to a salted caramel and lemon and raspberry meringue ice cream, which was as delicious as it sounds! I was going to visit the smallest house in Great Britain, but the queue was fairly long and I had already seen what it looks like online.

On the town walls

My final day in North Wales was spent at the Great Orme, a headland north west of Llandudno. I rode on the Great Orme tramway to the top and made the descent down in a cable car. I certainly saved the best until last, as the views were stunning. I could even see the Isle of Man from the top of the Great Orme. Like my day in Conwy, I spent a lot of time practicing mindfulness by sitting down at various spots across the Great Orme, appreciating the views and feeling at peace with myself.

View of Llandudno from the cable car

My original plan was to spend the day in Chester on my way back to Leicester on Thursday. However, as my parents were away and I still had the rest of the week off work, I decided to stay overnight in a boutique hotel in Chester. The host let me check in early so after checking into my room, I spent the afternoon exploring the fascinating city of Chester.

I always love visiting cathedrals and Chester’s was certainly worth a visit. The only thing I didn’t get to do was a tower tour as they were fully booked, so I will have to return to Chester at some point to venture up the tower.

Chester Cathedral

After the cathedral I paid a visit to the recently opened Deva Roman Discovery Centre. I love Roman history and the museum was set up as if you were in a Roman city. There were also some excavations in the museum with details of what was built there before. Another interesting museum in Chester is Sick to Death, a history of diseases and medicine located in a former church. Like the Deva museum, Sick to Death transported you back to various points in time, starting off with a city street during the Great Plague of London in 1665. There were also some gruesome parts in the museum, such as a dissected human dummy and examples of amputations!

Chester offers plenty for everyone, so I’m glad that I decided to stay overnight. There were so many shops to look around in the original buildings; one thing I really liked were the Chester Rows, a series of walkways on the first floor with shops and cafes. On Thursday evening I walked along Chester’s city walls after a tasty meal at a Japanese restaurant. I also discovered the remains of a Roman amphitheatre, Roman gardens and the suspension bridge over the River Dee. There was also an open air theatre set up in Grosvenor Park with a production of Romeo and Juliet. I sat on a park bench near the theatre and listened to a bit of the play just before the interval, whilst enjoying a McDonald’s McFlurry.

Beautiful buildings in Chester

After exploring more of Chester on Friday morning, I headed back to Leicester in the early afternoon. I was knackered and spent the weekend recovering after what had been a great holiday. I expected my family and friends to be surprised that I decided to travel alone; on the contrary, they were supportive of my decision. I only felt awkward a couple of times, such as when I dined in restaurants alone however, I found it easy to start conversations with others.

It was a pleasant feeling not having to rush around and I took things at my own pace, deciding when to visit shops and attractions when I wanted to. I didn’t feel bored at all as I had plenty to explore and made sure to make time for relaxation. My feet felt achy from lots of walking, especially while I was exploring Chester on Thursday (my Fitbit recorded 29,658 steps!).

I would consider travelling alone again as I enjoyed the me time and flexibility to explore at my own pace. At the same time, it is nice to explore new places with someone, whether that’s a friend, partner or even family. Both options have their pros and cons but overall, my holiday to Llandudno and Chester has benefitted my mental health, and despite the sweet treats I had, my physical health has benefitted as well from all of the walking I did.

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂 xx

Stratford Christmas Treat

I’ve had such a lovely few days recently, with fantastic weather to boot. Over the recent bank holiday weekend, I saw a production of Cats at an outdoor theatre, enjoyed good food and company at a charity garden party and went on thrilling rides at Thorpe Park with my boyfriend and one of my university friends. I went back to work for one day (yesterday), and then I’ve the day off today for a trip to Stratford upon Avon with my sister.

My sister and I were treated to a river cruise and afternoon tea as a Christmas present from our godparents. I booked the afternoon tea back in February, so I couldn’t quite believe how quick it had come around (and how quick today went as well!).

I went to Stratford a few years ago with one of my friends, so I took my sister on a little tour around the town before the river cruise. We went past Shakespeare’s family home and his birthplace, and we both enjoyed looking around the quaint shops dotted around Stratford.

Shakespeare’s Birthplace

The river cruise was very relaxing along the River Avon. My sister and I saw key sights in Stratford, including the Holy Trinity Church (where Shakespeare’s grave is laid) and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. There were a lot of swans and ducks along the river, and they got very close to the boats to the point where I thought they might try to nip my elbow/arm for some bread (of which I didn’t have any).

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

After the river cruise, my sister and I enjoyed one of the finer things in life which we both absolutely love. We had an afternoon tea at the Arden Hotel, which is just opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The sandwiches were salmon, egg mayonnaise, coronation chicken and ham. The bread for the salmon sandwich (far left) looks more like chocolate cake, but I think it must have been some sort of multi grain bread. Whatever it was, the sandwiches were lovely.

Yummy sandwiches

After eating the sandwiches and washing them down with some Earl Grey tea, my sister and I indulged in some delicious cakes. We had carrot cake, lemon meringue, matcha cake and a fruit mousse. Then we had our favourite part of an afternoon tea – scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream!

Delightful cakes

I had such a lovely day with my sister, and it was also her birthday which made the day feel even more special. I’m grateful for the Christmas present from our godparents and it was nice to spend some quality time with my sister in such a lovely and picturesque town.

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂

Fiesta Española

I’m very pleased to have returned from a two week holiday in Spain with a very good sun tan! I’ve not had a decent tan for a few years now, so it feels good to have a lovely colour on my skin (plus my arm hairs have been dyed by the sun, so they are currently blonde). It was nice to have two weeks off work and spend some time relaxing and exploring a part of Spain I hadn’t been to before.

I stayed in a villa with my parents, a few friends and my dog Barney. The villa was beautiful with a much needed swimming pool and air con in all parts of the villa, including the bedrooms. Every day it was hot and sunny with the temperature increasing while we were away. The hottest temperature while I was there was 39 degrees, which was during the second week of the holiday. We all made sure that we stayed hydrated, had plenty of sun cream on and avoided being in the sun for too long. Barney was in the swimming pool most of the time to stay cool!

Barney recharging his batteries

The villa was just on the outskirts of a town called Peñíscola. We did walk into the town on our first visit, but it was a rather tidy step and the heat didn’t help either, so we drove down for future trips. Peñíscola is not quite a tourist hot spot yet – the beaches were very busy but the castle was fairly quiet and there were some nice bars and restaurants in the main town. There was also an outdoor market on Mondays which we all had a good look around.

A view of Peñíscola castle

As I love exploring, I paid a trip to the castle in Peñíscola. It isn’t one of the most grandest castles I’ve ever visited, but it was interesting to look around and the views from the top were amazing, such as the one in the photo below.

A view from the top of the castle

Since the castle is only small, it didn’t take too long to look around the ramparts and in the main citadel. There are some quaint streets which I enjoyed walking down, and some shops which I had a look around too.

A street in the citadel

We found some decent beaches which my dog Barney could go on. We spent a couple of days during the holiday relaxing on several beaches and swimming in the sea. Barney loves swimming so he joined in too and swam for long periods of time (I held him now and again in the water so he could have a rest!). I had an explore along the coast as well while we visited the beaches. The views of Peñíscola are stunning along the coast.

Exploring in my new swim suit

One of my favourite parts of any holiday is trying out local cuisine and drink. One lunchtime we visited a restaurant near the castle which we all called the ‘meat place’. You could have a platter of different cuts of Spanish cured ham with sheep’s cheese. I shared one with my father, which came with two different cuts of Spanish ham, a helping of cheese and bread covered in a tomato sauce (which looked more like strawberry jam but still tasted good).

Meat platter with sheep’s cheese and bread covered in a tomato sauce

My father decided to have a go at making paella at the villa one night. He included chicken thighs, chorizo, mussels, prawns, squid and cuttlefish. For a first attempt, it was delicious. One of my friend’s bought my father a paella pan off the market in Peñíscola, so I’m sure he will cook another paella at home sometime soon.

Paella

I drank sangria and lemon beer, but also tried out an alcoholic drink called tinto de verano. Suggested by a colleague at work, tinto de verano is similar to sangria but I much preferred the taste and found it more refreshing than sangria.

The past two weeks have flown by, but it won’t be long until I’m away on holiday again. I’m off to Benidorm for a short break in September. I love the television series Benidorm, so I’m going to experience what it’s really like. I imagine it will be a short break full of laughs and probably plenty of drinking! It will be my first time staying in an all inclusive hotel, so I’m very excited!

 

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂

A trip around Belgium

Sorry it’s been a while since I last posted on here. I haven’t even got round to writing an update for November, so I’ll just leave it for this month. It’s not long until 2018 so you’ll see an overall update looking back at what I got up to in 2017.

I recently went on a mini interrailing trip around Belgium which was so much fun! One of my friends went to Ghent for a conference and asked if I wanted to join her and a friend for a pre-Christmas tour around Belgium. I immediately said yes, as I had always wanted to go to Belgium, plus I wanted to give interrailing a go. My parents have said many great things about Belgium, especially Bruges. So after many Skype calls, booking and planning, we travelled around Ghent, Bruges and Brussels for 5 nights/6 days.

After a very early start travelling on three different trains and a tram last Friday, I arrived in the heart of Ghent. I spent the rest of the day and the following day with my friends exploring this magnificent city. A Christmas market surrounded the stunning churches in the centre of Ghent and the city with buzzing with tourists and locals. The atmosphere of Ghent was electric and the history was very interesting, especially the castle known as Gravensteen. We also visited MIAT, a textile museum and I really enjoyed a boat tour around the canals of Ghent. We also saw the famous Ghent altar piece known as The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, which was pretty awesome to see!

Gravensteen

 

A view of one of the canals in Ghent

After a busy day exploring the rest of Ghent, we caught the train to Bruges in the evening. I went on my first ever walking tour the following morning which was a fantastic experience. The tour guide was so enthusiastic and took us on a 3 1/2 hour walking tour around Bruges. We covered a lot of the beautiful city seeing the truly outstanding architecture and learning so much history from the tour guide. He also gave us recommendations on where to buy popular tourist goods, including beer and chocolate. After the tour we relaxed with a well-deserved hot chocolate at one of the best tea rooms for a hot chocolate in Bruges. I had a ‘Death by Chocolate’, which was so tasty but also an overload of chocolate!

Death by Chocolate

As with Ghent there were Christmas markets dotted around Bruges, with the main ones in the centre near the Belfort Tower. We climbed up the steps of the Belfort on Monday morning where we were treated to stunning views of Bruges. Despite the sweetness overload from the hot chocolate, we visited the Choco-Story, a chocolate museum near the centre of Bruges. We could help ourselves to as much chocolate as we desired during the tour while learning about the history of the sweet delicious substance. After another day of exploring Bruges, we then caught the train in the evening to our final stop, Brussels.

A view of Church of our Lady Bruges with the Old St John’s Hospital in the forefront

 

View of Bruges from the top of the Belfort

Out of all the cities we visited, Brussels was definitely the busiest and buzzing with excitement and life. We went on a walking tour around the centre of Brussels, looking at the main sights including the famous Manneken Pis (which was a lot smaller than I was expecting!), the Royal Palace and the Cathedral of Saint Michel. We also managed to visit EU Parliament on the same day! It was really cool going inside the hemicycle where the main talks and debates happen, and a museum dedicated to the history and the countries which make up the EU. We then looked around the Christmas markets around Brussels- there were so many of them dotted around the city!

Selfie in the hemicycle

A cool sign I spotted in Brussels!

On our final day we visited the comic book museum. It was really cool to see artists’ original first drafts of their work compared to the final piece. I also learnt about the birth of the Smurfs and Tintin, and the architecture of the museum was stunning. After a final look around the city and some essential shopping for beer and chocolate, we caught the Eurostar back to London and made our way back home.

In the Comic Book museum 

I loved all of the cities we visited in Belgium. Each once had its own unique characteristics with stunning architecture. Out of all of the places, I really want to go back to Brussels. We only really skimmed the surface as Brussels is so big compared to Bruges and Ghent. I also enjoyed the experience of interrailing. Travelling by train is so much cheaper on mainland Europe than it is in the UK, and we stayed in hostels which made the trip more fun and affordable. Another thing that fascinated me about Belgium was the bilingual aspect. All three cities spoke different languages, so I tried out my French in Brussels as that is the dominant language there.

Happy reading and blogging!

 

Clare Bear 🙂

Un séjour en france

It was 10 years ago last month when I went camping abroad for the first time with my father. We went away to France for three weeks, travelling down to southern Brittany and then to a resort called Saint-Hilaire-De-Riez, further down on the west coast. The following years saw delightful summers away in France, exploring more of the beautiful French coast and eventually venturing further afield into Spain, and even making it to the west coast of Portugal.

While I don’t have the time off during the summer that I used to, I join my father for a week or two while he is away (he works as a teacher, hence why he goes away during the summer holidays). This year he is staying in a house with my mother for a month in a French town called Cancale in northern Brittany, which is renowned for oysters. I went out with them on a ferry to Calais and we drove down to Cancale. I had been to Cancale and all of the other nearby towns before on previous holidays, so it was nice to be back in one of my favourite parts of France for a 12 day break.

A view of Cancale from the top of a hill

 

There is a market on Sundays in Cancale, so on our first day we explored the market and walked down to the seafront where people were eating oysters fresh from the sea. I tried oysters for the first time last year when I went to Guernsey and I wasn’t a fan. I tried them again this year… I’m still not a fan.

Oysters fresh out of the sea

My mother hadn’t been to this part of France before, so while I was away my father and I took her to our favourite places, including some beautiful French towns called St-Malo, Dinard and Dinan. We also had some friends who stayed with us so they joined us as we explored around the local area.

While most of my holiday was spent travelling around I also had the chance to relax and recharge my batteries. We had one day at a nearby beach where we could take our dog Barney and the weather was beautiful. I had several swims in the sea and topped up my tan. We also saw a dolphin in the distance which was pretty cool!

A beautiful day at the beach

The day after relaxing at the beach my mother and I drove to Le Mont St-Michel, which you can see in the distance from Cancale. I had been to this fascinating place as well, but I was excited to go back as I got to show my mother around. It’s a bit manic as Le Mont St-Michel is very popular with tourists. It’s also a good workout because once you enter the citadel, you have to go up a steep hill and a lot of steps to reach the abbey at the top.

I hadn’t been in the abbey before, so it was exciting to look around an attraction that was new to me. The views from the top were stunning and I could just see Cancale in the distance. The tide is very strong in this part of France and the sea on the day I went was very far out. Quite a few people walked around the outside of the citadel on the sand, which I had done before when visiting Le Mont St-Michel in the past.

Le Mont St-Michel

I drank quite a bit of wine and ruby beer, which is fruit flavoured and red coloured beer. I also had a lot of treats including Breton sausage in a crepe, Breton tart (light custard tart with prunes) and the classic French custard tart which is my absolute favourite French treat. My father made a beef bourguignon which was delicious, and we had quite a few BBQs as well.

I don’t know where my 12 days away went- they’ve just flown by! I went to France by ferry and came back to England by plane on Thursday. I flew from the airport in Dinard, which is the smallest one I have ever been to. There is only one departure lounge and the runway is rather short. At least you can’t get lost in the airport!

My parents are in France for another two weeks and they have more friends joining them. I’m sure that they’ll enjoy the rest of their holiday. In the meantime I am house sitting, back at work and will soon resume my training for the half marathon on the 15th October!

 

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂