19 February 2014

Visiting The Algarve in July means long, hot days. Not a cloud in the glorious blue sky from 7am to 7pm. There is something for everyone here. Young or old, wanting to party or relax, the Algarve is a playground of luxury hotels to more affordable apartments and stunning villas with private pool. If you don't want to spend time relaxing on one of the many sandy beaches in rocky coves, there is shopping, water sports, sailing or what about a game of golf on beautifully manicured courses. Meander around the Marina at Villamoura having lunch in the many excellent restaurants all around the water. Rummage around the tiny streets of Albufeira picking out somewhere to try the local port. Or maybe nip to the waterfront at Portimao to have sardines from the fishing boats cooked fresh for you straight from the daily catch. I stayed near Praia da Oura, which gave me great access to both old and new town Albufeira. Albufeira is an old fishing village with a relaxed feel with a lovely central square surrounded by places to eat, drink and shop. The ‘strip’ in the new part of town is not for the faint hearted! Full of lively bars, partying visitors and neon lights, this is the place to go if you are in the party spirit. Lots of other towns are villages are a short drive from Albufeira. I found them all interesting each with their own style and character. There are also lots of different beaches around the area. Some with lots of activities for children and others more secluded and quiet. I would recommend hiring a car to explore the area more. Car hire is good value and the roads are easy to navigate.

19 February 2014

I hadn't expected Istanbul to be so cold! A friend and I visited in April and hoped for sunshine. Instead we wrapped up warm and instead of walking to the sights, we hopped on a city tour bus. What a good decision. The bus took us to all of the main historical attractions and many less known sights. Mosques, museums, monuments and towers galore. The operator was friendly and the multi lingual commentary meant everyone is catered for. We managed to lose ourselves for an entire day in the Grand Bazaar. There are over 60 streets and 5000 shops selling a variety of local goods, gifts and jewellery. Every stall holder wants visitors to go and look at what they have to offer. They do everything they can to entice you in but they remain friendly and will leave you alone if you ask them to. We dined in local restaurants where we were entertained by traditional, folk musicians. Then later we found plenty of bars and nightclubs to suit all tastes. After the hustle and bustle of the city we then moved for a couple of days on Princes Islands. We took a ferry which was comfortable and fun. It was a great experience to walk or explore in horse and carriages as no cars are allowed on the islands. It was like stepping back in time and a complete contrast to the city. Boat transfers around the islands are frequent and inexpensive. This gave us an opportunity to hop around and try a number of beach clubs and beaches. We had a very relaxing time on the islands. No nightclubs here!

19 February 2014

My partner and I cruised on Norwegian Sky in the Bahamas. I had never cruised with NCL before so wasn't sure what to expect. But I wasn't disappointed. In the weeks before we set sail I was able to check in online to speed up the boarding process. It worked very well and embarkation was quick and easy. Unlike other some other cruise liners, this was casual and relaxed without any 'fanfare' as we boarded. We were able to quickly go and check out our cabin. We had a balcony cabin, mid-ship. It was exactly as we had expected with plenty of storage and space saving designs. The bathroom whilst small, had a powerful and good sized shower. When we had checked in online we also took the opportunity to pre-book the speciality restaurants. Each night of our cruise we dined in these rather than the main buffet. Each of these restaurants whilst having a limited menu, served excellent food and there was a very good wine list to choose from at prices to suit all budgets. With so many bars to choose from it was hard not to keep moving around. It was great to move around the ship taking in the variety of entertainment available. We also made use of the very good spa facilities. Prices were similar to any 4* hotel spa and the treatments were a similar standard. We enjoyed each port around the Bahamas on our cruise so we weren't on board much during the day. But when we did we had no trouble getting a space out on deck or a seat in the bars. This was a small ship for a short cruise. But no quality of service has been lost and we look forward to cruising with NCL again.

19 February 2014

Do you believe in Father Christmas? You will by the time you leave Lapland! What an amazing adventure for children. I have never seen such excitement before. As the plane started to land and the kids saw snow out of the windows, the atmosphere started to build. But nothing could have prepared me for the giddiness of the little ones when elves, yes elves, greeted us as we reached the terminal. First stop was collecting everything we needed to keep us warm. Well it was -20 degrees! Then the journey to the hotel keeping an eye out for Rudolf in the bushes as we passed. Many of the hotels offer chalets away from the main accommodation. This is where we stayed. Small but comfortable and very cosy. We had a wet room and a sauna which was great for relaxing those aching muscles after a full day of fun. And fun it was. Skiing, sledging, reindeer riding, skidoos, husky dog rides, snow games, and of course snow ball fighting. The highlight for the children though was a visit to Father Christmas. The real one of course! With Rudolf and his helpers, and gifts for everyone. We were lucky enough to witness the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) whilst we were there. A spectacular natural light show. Whilst this can't be guaranteed there is a high chance of witnessing this phenomenon when visiting in Dec/Jan. The plane journey home was quiet. Almost everyone slept, exhausted after such a wonderful adventure.