Budapest, Hungary

I decided to take up an Easyjet package for a city break to Budapest for the Christmas markets. It was only a 2hr flight from London. It is a lovely city with lots to see and do. I got a 72hr travelcard from the transport stand at the airport so I could get around easily. I was only there for 2 days, so this is a short post. I stayed at the Grand Jules Boat Hotel. This is a boat docked on the river Danube by Margaret Bridge. It is easily accessed from the bus (no.9), the tram (no. 4 and 6) and the City sightseeing bus (stop 18). The room was super hot and rather small, but came with a mini-fridge and some great views from the decks. I visited the Széchenyi Thermal Baths nearby Hero's Square. I pre-booked, which got me a wrist band that allowed entry and provided me with a locker. There are lots of different indoor and outdoor pools at a variety of different temperatures. I enjoyed my visit, especially as the water was warm and the air temperature was cold. You need to take a towel and 'slippers', or you can buy these there. If you want to go into the swimming pools then you need to wear a swimming hat. The Christmas markets were lovely, with lots of food and crafts to buy. I am a big fan of Chimney cake, so that certainly featured in my trip. I enjoyed the night time views from the Budapest Ferris wheel and the light show projected onto the front of the Basilica. Fashion street was also beautifully lit up and connected two of the markets with a short walk. I decided to take a city sightseeing bus to take me around the sights as I hadn't done much preparation. It took me past the Dohany Street Synagagoue, which is the largest in Europe, past lots of pretty buildings and included a boat ride on the Danube. I walked over chain bridge which is the oldest Bridge in Budapest to get from the bottom of Castle Hill to the dock for the hour long boat ride, which also gave great views of the impressive architecture, including the Parliament Buildings. I was planning on taking the funicular up to the top of Castle Hill, but the que was long and stationery, so instead I walked up, which wasn't as bad as I expected. There is a Church at the top that you can visit and a collection of places to eat. I chose to visit the Hospital in the Rock Museum. This consisted of a 1hr guided tour of the caves that were used as a hospital and nuclear bunker towards the end of WW2 (1944-45) and during the failed uprising in 1956. It was built as a small emergency facility, but was heavily used during the two periods it was open. As nuclear weapons have developed it would not be able to function as a nuclear bunker in the present day, so is now solely a museum.

Cairo Tour, Egypt

I booked onto a group tour through WeRoad, meaning that I was part of a group of 13 exploring Cairo. I flew out with EgyptAir who were pretty affordable, included checked baggage and a meal in the cost and provided pretty good service. Most of us had used the e-visa service online prior to travel, so hadn't needed to do this at the airport.

The first day we visited the Cairo Tower which provided great panoramic views of the city. You could just about see the pyramids through the haze, but it was tricky. We had lunch at Cairo Kitchen in Zamalek, which served great food. Our hotel for the trip was the Cosmopolitan Cairo Hotel, which was acceptable as a hotel, but pretty basic. Dinner was in Café Richie where the service was incredibly slow.

Cairo Tower

The next day we visited the Pyramids, accompanied by a local guide who had organised our itinerary and transport for the next three days. The Pyramids were incredible to visit and for an additional 900 EGP (approx £15 at time of writing) you could go inside the great pyramid. We visited various view points to see the pyramids and even had the option to go on a short camel ride in front of them. The Sphinx is located at the second pyramid and is very majestic in its place. We had lunch overlooking them which was super enjoyable.

We then visited Saqqara, which is home to the first Step Pyramid. Here we were able to go inside a Pyramid (included in ticket price) for King Teti. His burial chamber still has hieroglyphics inside and it was interesting to see the inside of a pyramid, with small corridors and then big, spacious rooms. Our final stop of the day was to Memphis, which has an outdoor museum, mostly of sculptures. The highlight here is the Ramesses colossus, which is huge and lays on its back in its own gallery.

Saqqara Step Pyramid

The third day was mainly museums which were a great experience. We started with the Egyptian Museum which opened in 1901 and does not have air conditioning. Amongst all the treasures, sculptures and mummies displayed here, is some of the items removed from the tomb of King Tutankhamun. The 11kg gold death mask is an absolute masterpiece in its own right and the items were beautiful. We followed this with a visit to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (which is a lot more modern). The highlight here was visiting the 22 Royal mummies (17 Kings and 3 Queens) that were moved here during the Pharaoh's Golden Parade in 2021, which was televised as a great procession. Each one had some information about the person and it was certainly an experience seeing the mummies out on display. To end the day we went out on a Felucca ride on the river Nile.

Egyptian Museum

The final day involved visiting 2 Mosques, 2 Churches and a Synagogue. The Cavern Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus is built over a Roman fort, and it supposedly one of the places the Holy Family stayed for 3 months whilst escaping King Herod. We then went to the market to attempt to haggle for our souvenirs, with mixed success.

For dinner we went to Nile Pharaohs Cruising Restaurant which provided a buffet dinner and entertainment whilst cruising on the Nile. This was a lot of fun and definitely something that I would recommend.

Koshari

Another place that is good to eat is EL Hamra ST. Restaurant which we all enjoyed and went back to a couple of times. A good Egyptian dish to try is Koshari, which is the Egyptian national dish and is very nice. One restaurant we visited only served this.

View from Cairo Tower

Belfast

I I flew into Belfast City Airport and caught a bus into the city centre, which took less than half an hour and cost £2.60. The bus to Belfast International Airport, however is £8.50. 

The first place on my agenda was to visit Titanic Belfast. I pre-booked my ticket, including entry time, which was £25. The Titanic was built and launched in Belfast and the building reflects the height of the ship. It goes through the journey of ship building and how the ship was laid out and decorated, the launch into the water and the sinking of the ship. It's really well done and the end was certianly emotive. I highly recommend it as a place to visit. 

Included in the ticket is a visit to SS Nomadic which was used to transfer 1st and 2nd class passengers from the dock to the Titanic in Cherbourg. It has been restored and, whilst significantly smaller, was really interesting as it was also used during the war, before becoming a floating restaurant in Paris. 

I was in Belfast so went to see the parade in the city centre. It lasted about an hour (I was near the start) and enjoyed the music, dancing and floats. There was also live music and entertainment in Cathedral Square. 

I had some really great service when I ate out, so just recognising the great food and service at Frankie and Benny's Belfast (in Victoria Square) and Mumbai 27 

For £28 I booked onto a coach trip from City Tours Belfast for a day trip to see the Giants Causeway. It made lots stops along the way, with particular visits to places filmed in Game of Thrones as well. The Causeway itself is a walk down from the visitors centre, although there is a free shuttle bus too. The National Trust charge for the visitors centre, but you can walk down to the stones for free. I was not blessed with good weather and therefore the stones were rather slippery, but it was nice to be able to visit and see the area. 

I took a bus down to the Botanical Gardens, which were very pretty and includes a Palm House and a Tropical Ravine, both stunning and under roofs. It is a lovely place to wander around in. The Ulster Museum is located in the Botanical Gardens and is free to visit, so I spent some time visiting the museum galleries before heading back to the city centre.

I went to Victoria Square shopping mall which has a glass dome at the top. I recommend checking it's open before you go, but it is free to go to the top of the dome and enjoy panoramic views of the city. There's still a lot of things I would like to visit in Belfast, so might have to visit again, but it's a great city with lots to do and the people are very friendly. I would certainly recommend it as a place to visit.

Madrid

 Travel

I bought a tourist travel pass, which is a bit like an Oyster card and you load your ticket onto it. It may not be the cheapest way to travel, but I find it the easiest. Be aware that the tourist travel cards work on calendar days, not hours (Athens does 72hrs from validation of ticket for example). The metro is pretty regular, there is the odd charging point and you also get full mobile/4G signal everywhere on the metro. 

Food 

As usual as a solo traveller I get poorer service in restaurants than groups. It does mean sometimes I will go to a big chain because it's faster and easier. I fitted in Paella and Sangria though, so all was not lost on local cuisine.

Palaces

There are a couple of palaces to choose from including Cibeles and Palacio Real. I didn't go into either but they are very grand from the outside. At opening time the que for Palacio Real was already quite long.

Palacio Real

Almudena Cathedral 

This is next to Palacio Real and from the dome roof you can see into the palace courtyard. I paid €7 for entry to the museum and dome, although entry to just the Cathedral is free. You can't take photos in the museum. There are laminated guides to explain what is there because all the labels are in Spanish. There are a lot of intricate and beautiful artefacts to see as you walk around. You can walk around outside the dome and the panoramic views of Madrid are worth the effort. The Cathedral itself is nice, I get the impression it's relatively modern.

Basilica San Francisco

This is free to enter, but I think has shorter opening hours than the Cathedral. The artwork inside is amazing and the ceiling is just incredible. It was absolutely worth the visit. 

Jardines del Buen Retiro

I bailed on going to the botanical gardens because I didn't want to pay the entry fee. However, the park is just behind it. The park has lots of paths and water features, including a boating lake. There's also lots of places to sit and eat in the park. Unfortunately the weather during my visit wasn't great, but on a sunny day it really would be worth a longer visit.

Sol

This is a very busy area, with lots of shops and restaurants. It has some significant statues, but is mostly shopping. Plaza Mayor is also another significant place to visit that's a short walk from here, with some grand buildings and historic importance.

Plaza Mayor

Prado Museum

Be prepared to que to get in, although it was a bit better earlier in the day. There is a free cloakroom - you can't take water in, but you can leave it in your bag in the cloakroom. I hid from the rain by looking at paintings for most of the day. It's a big museum with lots to see - from Picasso to Rafael and Rembrandt. I even discovered a copy of the Mona Lisa, so I learnt something too.

La Vuelta 

The final stage in Madrid involved 10 circuits of some of the main streets. I was stood in the same spot for several hours, all to see the cyclists fly past in a few seconds.

Sweet Space Museum

I found this through Google and decided to give it a try. It's in a quiet shopping mall and is a contemporary art museum on the theme of sweets. It has 10 rooms designed by different artists and you get given a sweet as you enter some of them. It's the kind of place that's good to go if you want to take selfies for your socials. Was different but fun to go to, so I would recommend it, but I think it would be better for a group rather than solo as the staff are very hands off.

Puerta de Europe

This is a pair of towers leaning towards each other, with a giant golden pole and a sculpture which are quite photogenic, although there's not much else nearby to do.

72hrs in Athens, Greece

I went to Athens as I wanted to visit the Parthenon and the Acropolis. I booked an EasyJet package, very basic airline but the hotel I chose was lovely. The Acropolis Hill Hotel has a roof terrace with a view of the Acropolis, which is lit up beautifully at night. It also has a pool.

View of the Parthenon from the hotel at night

I bought a 72hr metro ticket, which included a return trip to the airport. I found the metro to be a really good way to get around within the city. However, metro trains that run all the way to the airport don't run very often (around every 36mins). There is an express bus (X95) that would take you into Syntagma, where you could then take the metro, but I didn't take that route, so I can't comment on if it's any quicker. There are 3 metro lines and tickets need validating on entering and exiting. Some of the metro stations (including Acropolis, Syntagma and Evangelismos) have displays of ancient artefacts and excavations which are quite interesting, especially if you want to save a trip to the Acropolis museum. 

If you are aged under 25 you can try and get a reduced price ticket to enter places. They don't accept student cards, just proof of age. 

Changing of the Guard

Every hour at Syntagma, outside the Parliament building, the guard changes at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The soldiers dress in traditional military uniform and perform very ritualistic/traditional manoeuvres. It is worth going to see it as it is certainly interesting. On Sunday's at 11am there is a parade alongside the guard change, this gets VERY busy and the road is closed. If you want to see this I recommend going early to try and get a spot you can see the parade and ceremony from as it gets packed.

Acropolis Museum

Tickets are €15, which includes the museum and entry to the excavated part of the city underneath the museum. I found the museum to be very busy, but at the time I appreciated the air conditioning. It contains a recreation of the Parthenon frieze, which is in the British Museum and a lot of statues and artefacts from the Acropolis and that time in history. It was interesting to visit and you can spend as much or as little time looking around as you want. All the history and exhibit labels are in both Greek and English.

The Acropolis

The Acropolis site was cash only and the tickets are €20, it's a long walk up a steep hill with uneven ground, so something to be aware of if you have mobility issues. The site contains a lot of historical sites, including temples and a theatre (think Amphitheatre). It felt like a long, steep walk up, although there was a water fountain and a toilet up at the top. It was interesting to see the Parthenon and learn more about its history from all the information provided. Lots of bits of column lying around too. The top of the Acropolis is very exposed, so take water and sun cream.

Parthenon

Piraeus

I took the metro out to Piraeus and Dimotiko Theatro. I walked down to the port to look at the ferries which go to various different Greek islands. There were a couple of nice Churches and buildings, but otherwise I didn't find a huge amount to do there.

Church in Piraeus

Syntagma/Monastiraki

These two metro stops provide good access to shopping. There is a mix of high end retail shops and smaller shops selling souvenirs. One area is called Plaka, but there are lots of side streets you can walk down and plenty of places to eat. There is also a flea market and access to the hop on - hop off sightseeing buses. I found that I could walk around for quite a while and still pass historical sites in Athens, such as the Temple of the Winds. There were also a number of Churches in the area, including the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens.

I recommend planning what you want to do in advance to make the most of your visit. I did the Changing of the Guard, museum and Acropolis in one day. This left plenty of time to explore other areas of Athens and still spend some time by the hotel pool.

Moon rise from the hotel

Iceland

This was my first trip abroad in 3 years due to Covid. I booked an Iceland Air package including flights, hotel and 2 trips. They appear to have partnered with Reykjavic Excursions who also run the Flybus between the city hotels and the airport.

Moon rise over the glacier

They are very proud of their volcano which erupted last in 2010 and stopped international air travel. The pilot pointed it out as we flew into Iceland and it came up at least once on the tour.

Iceland in winter is very cold so I highly recommend plenty of layers. The food is really expensive, which is something to be aware of if you plan on eating out. My hotel was very basic with barely any facilities, so I spent most of my time there out and about. Apart from that Iceland is an absolutely beautiful country.

Reykjavic

I had a full day in Reykjavic, starting at the Northern Lights Centre which even came with a complimentary hot drink. It's quite a small centre but it tells you a lot abut the Northern Lights and how best to photograph them. There was even a set-up to allow you to practice and a photobooth that you could email yourself a photo from. This is definitely worth a visit, especially if you plan on going in search of the Northern Lights.

There are lots of other attractions near the centre and I chose the Whales of Iceland museum which is home to 23 life-size model whales. I watched an hour long documentary on sound pollution (shipping, military, oil etc.) in the sea and its impact on Marine life. Whilst it was a tad depressing it was very educational and I definitely learnt something. There are audio guides next to each model Whale to help you learn more about these beautiful creatures.

Model Whale

When I headed back towards the centre I visited the Icelandic Phallological Museum, or, as described on the tourist map - the Penis museum. I didn't really know what to expect but I felt it had to be visited, so off I went. It has a wide range of specimens of penis' from different animals, including a human one. There was lots of facts on each mammal and I actually found it quite interesting, if not very niche. They also have a café which specialises in penis shaped waffles, which again had to be done. The waffles were very nice and I had the Christmas one which I would certainly recommend.

Christmas Waffles

My next visit was to Hallgrims Church and went up the tower for a panoramic view of the city. It's quite modern and is very impressive. Inside was free to visit, but there was an admission fee for the tower.

Hallgrims Church

My final stop of the day was to Sundhöll geothermal pools. This was probably the cheapest thing I did and cost a fraction of some of the bigger, more well known spots. It has full facilities, including lockers and showers and is open from early morning to late evening. There is a steam room, plunge pool, hot tub and swimming pool. I definitely enjoyed this a lot and it's another thing I would highly recommend.

The below is a picture of the sculpture called the Sun Voyager which sits along the shoreline.

Northern Lights Tour

I did this tour which starts late evening and involves about an hours drive out of the city. I wasn't lucky enough to see the Northern Lights. Reykjavik Excursions do allow you to rebook onto the next available tour to try again if you don't see them. This did involve standing in a freezing cold car park in the dark for an hour and a half and I can't say I was in a rush to repeat that experience. Good place to get some night photography practice in though - got some lovely photos of scenery I couldn't even see.

Night photography of scenery I couldn't see without the photo.

The Golden Circle Tour

This was a day trip from Reykjavic Excursions with 4 decent length stops to visit some of Iceland's beautiful nature. The disadvantage of this is the places are all tourist attractions, so lots of coach parties were around at each stop. Again it could get very cold out, so go prepared.

The first stop was to Fridheimar which are greenhouses for growing tomatoes hydroponically under artificial lights. We were given a brief explanation of the business and on growing tomatoes in Iceland. They have a tomato themed bar, serving drinks and tomato soup, which was very nice.

Our second stop was to the geothermal area, with hot springs and a Geysir that erupts around every 5-10 minutes. It was absolutely stunning to see. I didn't make it round the full site because it was really icy and slippery - plus I don't own crampons. There is a visitor centre consisting of a shop and restaurant across the road to go and warm up in once you have visited the geothermal areas.

Hot springs in the geothermal area

We then stopped at Gullfoss which is an absolutely beautiful waterfall which can be viewed from a couple of different points. It's pretty spectacular, but another very cold stop.

Gullfoss Waterfall

Our last visit was to Gestastofa visitor centre, from which there a couple of different paths you can walk along and it links back to the start of democracy in Iceland. The views from here really were incredible. We were there as the sun was beginning to set over the glaciers and mountains which just added to the incredible views. I rate my photos, but they just don't so it justice.

One of the many stunning views

Suffolk Staycation

It's been a long time since I have been able to go anywhere due to the coronavirus pandemic, but we finally made it away for a short staycation in Suffolk, so here are my photographic highlights.

Sutton Hoo

Sutton Hoo is an Anglo-Saxon burial ground, made more famous by a Netflix film called 'The Dig'. Most of the artefacts are held by the British Museum in London, as some very significant objects were found here. It is set in some beautiful surroundings and there is a small exhibition building, but in all honesty there isn't masses to see here and the site itself is owned by the National Trust. It has an interesting history, it could just do with showcasing it more over the actual site. Nice place for a walk though.

Below is one of the burial mounds at the top of the site. Next door is a pig farm, which I found much more interesting.

This is a lifesize replica of the impression left by the boat under the burial mound in which the King was buried:

Woodbridge

Woodbridge is a town situated by water and by crossing the train line you can walk down by the Quayside, where we spotted a pair of Oyster Catchers (birds), which was a treat for my inner bird watcher, It has a collection of cafes and shops and is a pretty little town.

Oyster Catchers at the Quay

Sculpture at Woodbridge Quay Church

Southwold

Southwold comes with all the great aspects of the English coast; brightly coloured beach huts, a pier complete with an amusement arcade and a great high street for shopping. It is also home to Adnams brewery, which although we didn't visit, we could certainly smell.

Southwold Beach Huts

The pier not only has a great cafe, but is also home to this water clock, which on windy days you have to be careful walking around if you wish to stay dry. Every half an hour the water drains and the figures shorts fall down :) which makes it all the more entertaining.

Southwold Pier Cafe - just take a moment to admire my hot chocolate :)

Southwold also seem to have taken to knitting hats for all of their post boxes, which make for great amusement and photography. This one is a beehive but I also saw one with a Church and another with a Seagull. Brilliant for a good game of eye spy.

Dunwich 

Dunwich used to be a large costal town with a population of around 4000, however much of it has fallen into the sea and only a permanent population of around 50 remain. It comes with a beachside cafe and a small museum and appears very popular with visitors.

It used to be home to several Churches, although all by St James' have been lost to the sea. In the Churchyard of St James' is a pillar from All Saint's Church which was relocated just before it fell into the sea in the 1920s and the remains of St James' Leper Hospital, seen below.

St James' Leper Hospital

St James' Church

Boxford is a village, but it is home to what is recorded to be Britain's oldest shop dating back to 1420 which sits next to a rather nice cafe. It is a regular village shop, but it has labelled a lot of it's produce with a sticker for the tourists visiting Britain's oldest recorded shop.

Sudbury

Sudbury is a much larger market town with lots to do, including a Church in the town centre and lots of shops.