Giro D'Italia & The North Coast of Ireland

 

In May, the Giro D'Italia commenced in Northern Ireland. We decided to fly over for the weekend as the race went straight through Ben's hometown. I had no idea what to expect from a cycling race and it was over in 90 seconds - blink and you could miss it! Disappointingly it was pouring with rain in the morning as the race travelled from Belfast up through the North Coast of Ireland and back to Belfast. However, we were incredibly lucky as the sun came out on the Saturday afternoon as we headed up the coast, perfect for walking, relaxing and admiring the stunning vistas.

Warsaw!

For a town that was largely destroyed during WWII, there is a strong spirit of hope and resilience. It is a town that was deliberately annihilated by the Nazi's as a repression of the Polish resistance. After the war, the Old Town was meticulously rebuilt to create an exact replica of what stood before. It was a beautiful place full of colourful houses, lively squares with hidden streets to explore.

Highlights of the trip include:
*Walking Tour - we participated in the both the Old Town and Jewish Walking Tours. These tours were incredibly informative and interesting
* Uprising Musuem - this musuem provides a first hand account of the thousands of Poles who fought back against the Nazi forces in 1944 for a heroic 63 days of resistance.
* Lazienki Park - a peaceful park in the middle of the city, stroll through the park enjoying the peacocks, feeding the red squirrels and admiring the magnificent Palace on the Water.

Cornwall!

Cornwall is a truly magnificient part of England - full of the nicest and friendliest people. The water is so clear and such amazing shades of blue that it is easy to forget that you are in England at all. It is a place that you can do nothing but relax and enjoy the great outdoors, the good food and drinks.

The Easter Weekend saw Ben and I travel and explore the beauty of Cornwall. We arrived in St Ives at lunchtime on Friday to see the Brits enjoying the sunshine and the beach - for me it was still too cold and I was definitely the odd one out wearing my winter coat! We checked into our amazing accomodation, Lamorna Lodge (which has gorgeous views of Carbis Bay from both the patio and bedrooms. Not to mention the amazing breakfasts which are included!) before we decided to explore the town and the beaches.

Saturday was spent exploring part of the South West Coastal Walk, Land's End (England's most South Westerly Point), St Michael's Mount (which is an occupied castle on an Island - can you imagine living there?) and the beach of Carbis Bay before watching the sunset over St Ives.

After amazing weather on Friday and Saturday, we woke to gloomy skies on Sunday. Ben and I still decided to persevere with our plans and proceeded to hike from our accommodation along the South West Coast to Zennor. However, half way through the 8 mile walk it began to rain and we were very glad when we arrived at lunch at a traditional English Pub to thaw out and relax.

Monday and it was time to head back to London, but first we decided to treat ourselves to lunch at Rick Stein's first restaurant, The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow. We arrived early and took in a walk around the town and along the beaches, building our appetite for an amazing meal.

Golden Circle!

Our final day in Iceland consisted of touring the sites that make up the Golden Circle. We had been staying at the Lambastadir Guesthouse, which was this incredibly cute guesthouse in Selfoss, and perfectly located for all the day trips we had planned (also the food is incredible! I highly recommend   Tryggvaskali, Kaffi Krus and Fjorubordid).

Our first stop, Urridafoss, was suggested by the owner of the B&B and it was untouched by the hordes of tourists we would encounter for the rest of the day.

Next was Geysir from which the English word Geyser is derived. The nearby geyser is now the main attraction, erupting every 10 mins sending a wall of water 30m into the air.

Gulfoss, or golden falls, is a powerful and awe inspiring site. It makes you truly appreciate the power of nature, making you feel incredibly small.

Last stop on the Golden Circle Tour is Pingvellir - the site of Iceland's first parliament around 930.

Our last stop before heading back to Reykjavik was Kerio - a volcanic crater lake which was completely frozen over when we visited in March.

The incredible sunset as we drove to Reykjavik.