Weekend Trips | With Love From Mel

October 31, 2023October 31, 2023

Menorca

If you are looking for a place to switch off and do nothing completely (this is not easy for me), then Menorca is for you.

October is an excellent time to visit the Mediterranean, the temperatures are not scorching and it’s still warm enough to enjoy the pool or beach, with the added bonus of not being crazy busy. The pure blue skies will lift and restore your soul.

Arriving in Mahon on a Monday afternoon flight (delayed by a couple of hours – subsidized by a very ungenerous £5 from the airline), I collected my hire car – a snappy little Fiat 500, (for excellent prices use rentalcars.com). So my first challenge was attempting to connect my phone to the car – the Sat Nav location would only recognize saved contacts – I did not pre-save the hotel as a contact – who does?! Then it was complaining of no internet connection – lies lies, all of them lies I tell you. Even the young assistant at the rental car desk was of no help. He did all the things I had tried. Bless him.

Anyway, so driving off, now keep in mind, I cycle in London… so don’t need a car there as London is very well connected. Thus, I haven’t driven a manual car for several years, but I nailed it. However, realised within a few moments that I had to consciously remind myself to drive on the right, drive on the right, drive on the right!

I stayed at the Artiem Capri in Mahon for two nights. There is an open-air car park around the corner which is ridiculously affordable – a maximum of 3€ per day (coins or cards will work – however take the right change!). The hotel would like you to pay 16€ per day. Probably for the same spot mind. Free parking in Mahon is in the white-marked street spots, the blue is paid for at pay points.

The Artiem has a nice rooftop pool and jacuzzi – the latter was filled (literally) by the same two very overweight, bald, middle-aged spread men each time I visited the area. Artiem Capri provides complimentary drinks (both sans and con alcohol) and snacks from 3 p.m. to late.

I found two excellent restaurants, both worth mentioning – Perla Kitchen & Bar and Anna & Pepe [Bon Aire, 12 Mao, Menorca – 971.853681]. Whilst I persevered with my Spanglish, they do speak excellent English. Both dinners came to less than 30€ [sans alcohol].

Definitely get out onto the water for an hour tour or more and visit the Hauser & Wirth art gallery – situated on an island, the ferry ticket includes the entrance fee of 7€.

Moving onto Cala Galdana (Serpentona) for a further five nights, staying at the Atriem Audax hotel, with stunning views over the local beach and natural forest. A spa for massages and treatments and rooftop pools. Two restaurants worthy of a visit are Restaurante Cala Mitjana and Restaurante Trevi.

I hiked over to Cala Macarella one morning, this requires good shoes as the terrain is very rocky. It is not as busy as the local Cala Galdana beach.

I also went for a horse ride with Menorca a Carvall. They are an exceptional horse riding company, who obviously care for their steads. Humorously, they named you by your horse’s name, I had Xaoxao, which I liked. They very kindly line you up on a cliff overlooking a beautiful beach to take photos and send them to you. If you are planning this sort of adventure, make sure you pack covered shoes or at least socks. They do have ankle-high riding boots in case you forget. Of course, they also provide helmets.

Ciutadella

I visited Ciutadella, which is about a 30-minute drive from Cala Galdana and is definitely worth it. Parking is cheap but not abundant, with 1€ per two-hour limit on the meters. As I was collecting my car, there was a parking warden doing the rounds.

One restaurant which was outstanding in Ciutadella was Maramao. Their tapas is both creative and fresh. The “conflex chicken” (I thought it was a misspelt “cornfed”, but actually misspelt “cornflake chicken”) was creative and refreshing guacamole and prawn glass.

The many alleyways in Ciutadella are delightful to explore, with artesian shops to explore and historic buildings to visit, it is well worth a visit.

Close to Ciutadella is a picturesque viewing spot of a naturally made rock formation – Pont d’en Gil. It is a short 15-minute drive from the centre. I recommend taking sensible walking shoes to Menorca as there are beautiful trails to secluded beaches and you will need them to walk to the best viewing spot for Pont d’en Gil.

September 14, 2021September 14, 2021

Newcastle Upon Tyne

Being a Novocastrian (but from New-Newcastle Australia), I thought it time to visit Newcastle England. I don’t know why it’s called Newcastle Upon Tyne, or Newcastle Gateshead… there is a Gateshead, a Jesmond, and a Wallsend in both the English and Australian versions. Regardless, the locals loved hearing I am from Newcastle Australia, even got discounts.

The town is quite pretty – with many buildings similar to the brownstones in Edinburgh, but thrown in is the University with ultra-modern and sleek buildings. The Sage building is quite beautiful with undulating curves, it is a conference and performance centre.

I was there for four days, and pretty much crossed off every notable tourist attraction – the Castle and the keep, the mini Sydney Harbour bridge, Sunday Market at the Quay, the art galleries, shopping high street, and even went to Bingo!

If you go to Newcastle, you must visit the Biscuit Factory art gallery – all the pieces are for sale, and reasonably priced, ranging from £100 to £8000. Their collection is breathtaking. If you had to choose between the Laing and the Biscuit Factory, definitely go the latter!

Down Grey street, there are a couple of independent art shops (Castle Fine Art in particular) which are worth a visit. I had to exit quickly before I purchased something. Unfortunately due to restricted time openings, I missed the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art Gallery – so if someone has been to both the Biscuit Factory and the Baltic and the latter is better – do let me know!

Close to Newcastle is a beautiful place on the coast – Tynemouth with a proper sand beach. There is a restaurant on the beach – Riley’s Fish Shack. You can watch the waves roll in and listen as they break on the shore whilst you warm your digits over your private fire pit and of course, eat fantastic seafood.

July 4, 2021July 6, 2021

Norwich

Due to current traveling restrictions and to avoid a mad scramble to get back to the UK in case of sudden re-assignment of safe travel countries, I decided to stay localish and visit Norwich, Norfolk.

I took a train and prebooked my cycle as I had read of nice country lanes easily accessed by cycle near Norwich and I wasn’t disappointed. I’m pretty sure I was the only one to pre-book my bike, as when I was boarding at London Liverpool Street, I noticed there was only one designated bike carriage – already full with four bikes, and a couple with bikes walking down the platform in search of another bike carriage. They admitted they had not booked. As it was an early train, I was advised by a train guard to just board anywhere. So on I hopped. It’s a nice journey – taking only two hours to the center of Norwich.

I couldn’t access my accommodation until 2 pm, so I first visited the Norwich Cathedral. It’s a stunning church, constructed in 1096, unmissable with its towering spire, stunning ornate gateways, and eye candy architecture.

I took advantage of the reasonable weather (i.e. it wasn’t pouring down) and went for a ride around and out of town. Cycle paths are well marked, although I did end up along one rather muddy track which was more suited to off-road cycles.

Some locals recommended restaurants to me – in particular, Haggle was excellent – a Turkish restaurant offering outside seating, a cozy flame oven, authentic Turkish lights and floor tiling. I also tried Shiki Japanese which has excellent food but forgettable service.

I prebooked the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts on Sunday morning, an aircraft hanger-like building designed by Norman Foster and Wendy Cheesman. It hosts a wide range of historic World art, several pieces by Henry Moore, and is surrounded by a lush sculpture park.

December 30, 2019January 24, 2020

Christmas in Casablanca

Rather then stay in London for a typically over indulgent damp Christmas or fly to the other side of the World for a hot (and again) over indulgent Christmas, I decided to do something completely different: a Yoga retreat in Casablanca. And it was fabulous!

After some research into what was available around Europe and Morocco, I found a six day retreat at Om Yoga in Casablanca. Flights are not cheap at Christmas time (£550 with Air Maroc). But it was totally worth it – the villa is lovely, the yoga excellent and the staff make every effort to make you feel comfortable. The package (€ 1,390) included a private room, three vegetarian meals per day, a Hammam at the Mosque and unlimited Yoga. Airport transfer was also included – which is very helpful if you are not fluent in Arabic or French.

Om Yoga in Casablanca has three pristine studios – even the room used for aerial yoga and Bikram didn’t smell of the typical sweaty locker rooms that seem to go hand in hand with other Bikram studios that I have scuttled past.

There is a wide variety of yoga classes (Yin, Aerial, Power, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Hatha, Bikram, Wall (yes there is such a thing)), provided by well trained teachers (Pablo Ruiz and Ahlam Khafi were my personal favourites). Over the holiday period, there was a reduced number of classes but I still managed five and a half hours of yoga in one day. Something to note; many of the classes are instructed in French – with about 10% English when the teacher remembers that not everyone is French speaking. So having some experience in yoga classes (or being fluent in French) is highly recommended.

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is totally outstanding – it can hold 25,000 people inside and the craftsmanship is breathtaking. Beneath you can enjoy an authentic Hammam with three rooms of varying heat.

For Christmas day itself, Om Yoga provided a special Christmas meal for us which included a typical Moroccan dish – Pastilla (spiced chicken wrapped in flaky pastry and sweetened with cinnamon and icing sugar).

Casablanca itself is quite polluted, the diesel fumes can be overwhelming, but the beaches are clean and the waves are powerful. Before dawn each morning, hundreds of soccer players practice their skills on the sand – which makes an early morning beach walk a little nerve racking as you have to be on alert for stray soccer balls.

Two restaurants to look for in Casablanca are Le Bistrot and Basmane – coincidently they are right next door to each other. Both had excellent service and food.

I had a couple of days after the retreat to explore… so took a train to Marrakech for one day – definitely not long enough (so I guess I will just have to go back!). Book premier class as the train takes about three hours and the comfort is worthwhile – plus your seat is guaranteed (not so in 2nd class) . Marrakech is a very colourful city and definitely a shopper’s mecca. If you see something you like, stop immediately because the chances of locating that shop again are slim – however don’t show too much interest as haggling is a sport in Morocco.

A nice lady from Vienna in our yoga group had been to Marrakech a couple of times and recommended the Zeitoun Cafe – it has a great view over the market square and the staff are friendly and accommodating. It is an excellent place to get your bearings and prepare yourself for the rattle snake charmers, acrobats, drummers, monkeys and the hustle bustle of the Marrakech souks.

Visit Dar El Bacha – Musee des Confluences in Marrakech (entry is 60 Dirhams) – artefacts include historic caftans, vases from China and relics from Columbia. It hosts a stunning cafe offering coffee from all around the world. The architecture and tile designs are marvellous.

Worthy of a visit is the Yves Saint Laurent garden – a beautiful green sanctuary in the heart of the bustling city centre (entry for International guests is 70 Dirhams). Go early as it does get very busy.

In both Casablanca and Marrakech it’s a good practice to agree a price with a taxi driver before getting into the car (the Petit Taxi drivers in Casablanca are adamant for you to NOT wear a seat belt…. and the way they drive well… I definitely prefer to have some sort of safety assurance when two lanes become three… and then four. For short trips around each city pay no more then 20/40 Dirhams. Take some back up cash in the local currency but note that the duty free shops at the airport only accept Euros or USD. We found that some cards just don’t work at every automatic teller.

October 6, 2019January 24, 2020

Seville

After just a couple of hours in Seville, I was asking myself, why had I not visited before? The city is magnificent! The architecture is pure eye candy and being October with the northern hemisphere hurtling towards bitter winter, having 30C days with bright blue skies was wonderful. Seriously considering a yearly pilgrimage.

It’s very easy to get around as the city centre is compact and flat, there are hire cycles, trams and an extensive bus service. Take the bus from the airport – it makes a couple of stops in Seville and is about 40 minutes to the final stop at Plaza de Armas. One way is 4€ and its possible to buy a return for 6€. Tickets are purchased at the airport bus stop or from the driver on board.

No visit to Seville would be complete without visiting a flamenco show or two. I prefer the more rustic performances over the glamorous touristic shows. I pre-booked a show for Friday at El Callejón del Embrujo which is very central. The dancers and band were both excellent. A glass of vino and one tapa is included in the price for 20€. Don’t opt for a dinner and show package at venues because you will get a better and more affordable meal at a restaurant nearby.

It is a must to visit Alcázar – rich in history hosting three palaces. It is breath-taking in detail. There are beautiful sculptured gardens and you are allowed to stay as long as you like. There is a restaurant is inside the gardens with peacocks strolling around the tables.

Purchase Alcázar tickets online prior to the day because you will waste hours lining up – the queue is ridiculously long and moves very slowly. I didn’t realise this and on my last day wanted to visit so the only way to avoid the queue was to join a guided tour group for 36.50€. The online tickets without a tour are less then 10€ – buy tickets from the Alcázar web site . Note that entry is free on Mondays!

I visited the ancient baths for a 3-hour session, there are five pools as well as a roof top infinity pool for after your treatment – so pack your swimmers. Access to the pools is included with a treatment – although not cheap but compared to London prices was value especially with the baths. The massage areas are separated by hanging curtains, so you do hear the whispers and movements of others. It is a very relaxing experience nonetheless.

If you like Seville then consider visiting Rome, Vienna and Bilbao.

May 20, 2019January 24, 2020

Paris in May

More a year ago I purchased two tickets to go and see Ravi Shankar’s daughter – Anoushka Shankar – undisputedly they are the World’s best Sitar players. The venue was Paris. Unbeknownst to many people, Anoushka is the half sister of Nora Jones…. a more familiar name.

The two sisters collaborated in creating one of the most beautiful songs – Traces of You. Listen to that and your heart will sing guaranteed.

So anyway I bought two tickets, not knowing who might join me because it’s a unique style of music and perhaps not everyone likes such different variety. Plus the concert is in another country and a year in advance – all things to be considered in fairness.

Unfortunately the person I invited did not like the style one little bit… Nor the country and culture.

On top of that they booked the wrong outgoing train and had to change it in rush when their ticket didn’t work at the gates. Now if you had to change an International train ticket, a mere £40 additional cost is a bargain if you ask me. To also have availability on the preferred train as well! And the seat next to me…. I thought they were lucky…. but people react differently to the World….

What was very insulting was that they checked their phone of my communication to them before they could accept their mistake. What a start to the weekend. Great.

Also I did not realise was that the performance was a collaboration of Phillip Glass & Ravi Shankar – and coincidently I had seen the symphonies of Phillip Glass and the legendary David Bowie in London a couple of weeks prior…. So I saw Mr Glass twice on stage in two weeks. And I just learnt that Phillip Glass has also worked with Aphex Twin! How diverse.

I love Paris, its a magical city with a wide variety of art, landscaped gardens and beautiful architecture. The musee D’orsay is my favourite museum in Paris – the sculptures and paintings and the space itself is beyond words. Treat yourself and eat at the restaurant – it looks much more expensive then what it is and its truly majestic – you are sitting in an art gallery within an art gallery.

Wandering the streets of Paris is always colourful and the Marais is my favourite area. Definitely visit Fleux – https://en.fleux.com/ for shopping. Keep in mind that a lot of their goods are available online for 1/3 the price, but some are not – like their terrariums – definitely not available on line – I have looked!!

Careful on the ordering of steaks in France. They do prefer to serve them still kicking and grazing on the garnish – my friend ordered medium rare, but seriously it was still moving. Unfortunately as the first meal in Paris, it didn’t go down well. At all. Was returned for a couple of more minutes on the grill S’il Vous Plait (and probably spat on).

We stayed at a lovely hotel in the 8th arrondissement at the Le Mathurin Hotel & Spa – about £400 for 3 nights. A great location. Not appreciated by my travelling companion in the slightest.

I learnt an important lesson this trip. Careful who you travel with. If your travelling partner(s) are not open to new experiences, possibly insecure recluses, or even have a touch of borderline personality disorder…. don’t take them. Better to travel Hans Solo.

March 3, 2019January 24, 2020

Jersey

Travelling to Jersey from England is extremely easy. There is no passport control as it is a ‘principle’ of the Crown, so you will pass through just the regular airport security scanning.

Taking a flight from London City Airport is a doddle on a Friday evening and then return on the Sunday afternoon for a nice weekend out of the rat race. Jersey is quiet and relaxed. So upon arriving into the hotel around 9:30pm we were told that there was fifteen minutes to order food or we could chance it out in St Helier.

My travelling companion was Portuguese and we decided to run the gauntlet and head out to “down town” St Helier. You need to know; this is not a party town. This is not a place that stays open till dawn. Restaurants close at 10pm. Sharp.

So, also know that there are a tonne of Portuguese inhabitants in Jersey. Very lucky for us – as we made friends with some local Portuguese and they kindly directed us to a great restaurant – Restaurant Do Porto (Minden Street JE2 4WR, +44 1534 632969).

Go hungry. Go very hungry. The portions are massive and the food is excellent – so you will want to finish. It was so good that we returned on the Saturday night (this time a little more reserved when ordering).

We stayed at the Hotel Savoy (Rouge Bouillon JE2 3ZA, +44 1534 727521). Which is well located and features a lovely open fireplace in the lounge. There is a jazz bar and afternoon tea if you need more food – (breakfast includes both cold and hot dishes).

Jersey is quite small. I think you could walk one end to the other in about four hours. If you visit in the low season (i.e. before end of March if it’s the start of the year), then a lot of attractions are not open. So what to do… well definitely visit the Castle at Gorey – Mont Orgueil Castle. This stronghold has 800 years of history and is quite impressive. The views from the top are superb – take comfortable shoes because you are about to climb.

The one thing you must try is Jersey oysters and the local seafood. Everything is really fresh – oysters, crab, lobster and sea-bass. In Gorey, we visited the Crab Shack and had Oysters and excellent seafood linguine.

On Sunday in St Helier there is an excellent silver service restaurant offering three courses for £27 – Quayside Bistro & Grill (Liberty Wharf JE2 3NY, +44 1534 877004). Service is excellent and the food was perfect.

It would be really lovely in summer time as they have an open deck with stunning views.

February 4, 2019January 29, 2020

Bansko – Bulgaria

For the last few years, some friends have converged to a ski resort for a week. Past trips include Cervinia (Matterhorn) and Val d’Isère (the three valleys). This year, inspired by my long weekend in Sofia in September, I suggested we hit Bansko in Bulgaria.

For one thing, Bulgaria is very reasonably priced. For example, our transfer to Zurich from Val d’Isère last year took about five hours and was a set price of 80€ per person. The transfer from Sofia airport to our resort was just 100€ for seven people.

The pistes are not extensive like the three valleys, and there are only a couple of black runs. But for three days on the slopes, we were all happy. From novice to expert there is something for everyone. One piste on the way back is seven kilometres long and its a very nice easy run in the afternoon.

I was advised by a friend to buy the priority pass for the gondola. As of 2019, the normal ticket for 3 days is 180 Lev. The priority is 240 Lev and it is very worth while. This will save you at least an hour of queueing for the ride up to the slopes. The gondola ride itself takes about 20 minutes.

One thing though is the food on the slopes… The canteen options are what can only be imagined as a very budget USSR canteen for mutants. Simon and I took one glance from the door way and about turned. That is something I will never un-see. Think very un nutritious. I wouldn’t feed an animal that.

I highly recommend that you visit the VIP Room for lunch – and its best to make a booking. Lunch will be around 40-50€ and well worth it. We had a birthday boy with us and the VIP Room presented him with a massive cake and a trick candle that kept re-lighting (its the little touches). Plus they have boot warmers and will give you slippers for the restaurant. The treat of putting on warm boots ready to hit the slopes for the afternoon is amazing.

We had a fantastic guy for our transfer – Svetlio (+359 88 7485174) – he collected us from the airport, was totally fine that we had a couple of people delayed due to snow. He took us to Decathlon for sports gear, Lidl for food shopping, a service station for beers for the journey and also toilet breaks (necessary after the beers!). On the way back, my flight was a couple of hours after the main group, so he was happy to take me into Sofia, wait for me and return me in time for my flight in the afternoon. Svetlio looked up details for us to ensure that everything ran as smoothly as possible.

We stayed at Predela apartments – which initially I booked via air bnb and then directly with Jane Dickinson – she manages a couple of the apartments there. The location of our apartments was excellent. Only 200m walk to the gondola and there is a ski hire shop in the complex which will charge you 20Lev a day for boots, poles & skis.

And of course a ski holiday is never complete without a massage or two. Across from our apartments, there is the Sport Hotel – and they offer a range of services. I had my first HAMAN – what a treat after a hard day of skiing. All hotels require pre-booking and payment for spa and services.

Do take some Bulgarian Lev cash with you – some places just don’t accept cards – or if they do, it might not be the card type you have. It’s better to be sure.

January 23, 2019January 29, 2020

Bilbao / San Sebastian

If you like tapas (known as pinxtos in the Basque region) and amazing architecture then this is your dream destination. The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is totally out of this world. The shapes of light that dance through the building is more then worthy of a visit (and yes, they do have great art to admire).

But oh the display of food! I do remember thinking that I wish I had more stomachs. Greedy I know. But when you visit, you might easily feel the same. How the locals aren’t wider then taller is beyond me.

It is very easy to take a coach to San Sebastian for a day or two. And to earn your pinxtos for the day; climb Mount-urgull and admire the view.

The beach is pristine and well worth a visit, you can stroll along the sidewalk if you’re adverse to sand…

January 1, 2019January 26, 2020

Amsterdam NYE

My friends who live in Amsterdam say that is more of a small village then a city. I guess the ease of transportation (cycling, trams or by foot) does produce this ambiance.

If you get the chance, take a boat ride! Luckily for me, some of my friends have boats and love to show people around the town on the water. During the winter months, Amsterdam has a Festival Of Lights show which is best seen from the water.

I prefer celebrating New Years Eve in Amsterdam rather then London for several reasons – primarily as I have a number of amazing friends there. It is easy to get around, the music is 2000% better and the crowd are always friendly. There is of course the matter of their love of fireworks. This is on another whole level.

We watched the fireworks from a roof top garden in the Pijp on the NYE itself and we had 360 degree views. The spectacular lasted in earnest well over forty minutes! And petered out through the next day.

For New Years Day itself, I went to Thuishaven with friends. Marcus is a professional photographer and has a studio within the complex and knew pretty much every person that works there. This resulted in us having backstage access, our own private room and free everything.

Thuishaven is set in a huge circus fairground, and has several tents hosting great DJs and a jumping crowd. The music was excellent and after several hours of dedicated dancing, I was exhausted. The site hosts parties during the summer which I think I will visit this year.