How to spend 48 hours in Plymouth

As I mentioned in my last post, I spent a long weekend in Plymouth last month. It's a great place in a great part of the world. There's just something about the salty sea air that pulls me in. So here is how you can spend 48 hours in Plymouth.

Day one:
Breakfast
As with any busy weekend a good breakfast is essential. Now this isn't Instagram worthy but you have to make it down to Jake's Cafe. A proper greasy spoon, its the best place to set you up for a long day of breathing in the sea air. I opted for a cheese and hash brown baguette with a side of curly fries. So much beige food, it was glorious. Sometimes you just want comfort food rather than a fancy brunch dish that costs the earth.

Barbican
After breakfast, take a walk through the town centre and head down to the Barbican. The dainty cobbled streets and the picturesque Sutton Harbour are the perfect places to get lost. With more than 200 listed buildings, make sure you spend your time looking up. Be sure to stop at the Mayflower Steps where the pilgrim fathers are said to have boarded the Mayflower ship bound for a new life in America in 1620. Stop for cream tea in one of the many tea shops, have a cider on the harbour front or grab some chips from the chippie - just make sure you keep an eye on the seagulls!

Plymouth Gin Distillery
Hands down, Plymouth Gin is one of my favourite gins so we just had to take the distillery tour. With some of the building dating back to the early 1400s, it is the oldest working distillery in England. Tours cost £7 and include a gin and tonic in the lovely cocktail bar upstairs. Make sure you stay for a few as they're delicious! One tip is to make sure you book in advance.

The Hoe
Once you've enjoyed a few cocktails take a stroll along The Hoe. Offering stunning views over the Plymouth Sound, its flagged by Smeaton's tower, an art deco seawater lido, the Royal Citadel and a statue commemorating Sir Francis Drake. It's the perfect place to wander aimlessly marvelling at just how beautiful the coast of England can be.

Smeaton's Tower
For a view over the city and beyond, pay the £3 and climb the red and white lighthouse. Standing 72 feet tall, its a little steep but a pretty easy climb. The reward is definitely worth it.

B bar
Once you've headed back to the hotel to freshen up, it's time to head out for some dinner. Located in the Barbican, B Bar is a thai restaurant in a theatre. Offering killer cocktails and a whole host of different Thai dishes, it's a great place to fill your belly. We opted for prawn crackers, spring rolls, vegetable tempura and chicken satay to start before having a mixing of curries and Pad Thai for our mains. Reasonably prices and generous portions got it a thumbs up for me. There is also a DJ or  a band once it hits 9pm. If you fancy carrying on the party elsewhere, head outside where you'll find lots of bars before retiring home to bed!

Day two:
Breakfast
As we had stayed in the Travel Lodge, we popped downstairs and had breakfast in Bella Italia. Now I'm not usually one for chains when I'm in a new city but it was convenient. And it was absolutely delicious! I opted for the breakfast pizza piled high with bacon, sausage, tomatoes and mushroom before being topped with a fried egg. Just the ticket for the morning!

Ferry to Cawsand
If the weather is playing ball, take a trip down to the Barbican and catch a ferry over to Cawsand in Cornwall. It costs £3 and takes 30 minutes. There's nothing there to be honest but it's like taking a wander back in time. Head to one of the pubs to have a drink or sit on the pebbly beach and watch the waves crash against the rocks. If the ferry stops running - as it did for us! - there a bus that takes an hour to get back into Plymouth from the top of the hill. Ask the pub for directions!

Cream tea
No trip to Devon or indeed Cornwall is complete with stopping for a cream tea. We wandered around until we found somewhere that tickled our fancy so stumbled across The Old Boatstore Cafe. It offer gorgeous views of the sea. For a fiver we got two gigantic fruit scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam and a large pot of fruit tea. Bargain of the century right?! I'm still dreaming about the scones now.

Quay 33
All that sea air can make you peckish. If you fancy another sit down meal then I can't recommend Quay 33 enough. Using fresh local seafood, the shabby-chic style restaurant has a great vibe. It's cosy and the waiting staff are attentive. I went for the fish stew which was absolutely delicious although the fish pie looked just as good too! They're open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Harbourside fish and chips
Alternatively, fish and chips can equally hit the spot! Award-winning Harbourside offers a takeaway and a sit in option. The crispy chips and battered sausage are just the ticket to end a trip to the seaside. The curry sauce is pretty darn good too!

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Exploring the UK: how to spend 24 hours in Bristol

Last weekend I travelled down to Bristol with four of my favourite people for a weekend of laughs, food and lots of gin. It was such a lovely weekend and I'm suffering from major blues having to come back to real life. Bristol is such a fun, vibrant and great city that I thought I'd put together a little guide to make the most of 24 hours in the city

Where to eat
Bristol is home to an incredible food scene and I wished we fitted in more meals. We started our Saturday with a bang with brunch at Porto Lounge.  Located in the Fishponds area of the city, it overlooks Victoria Park. Looking to fuel up for the day I opted for the Vegetarian breakfast, but judging by noises of appreciation, the pancakes were an excellent shout. Piled high on the plate was a courgette and sweetcorn fritter, crispy hash browns, juicy baked beans, sweet slow-roasted tomatoes, sautéed button mushrooms, wood-roasted peppers, fried egg, spinach and a slice of wholemeal toast. A beauty of a breakfast and one that went down very well indeed!

For dinner we plumped for for a bite to eat at pizza and cider specialists Stable in Harbourside. I've been to the branch in London so was pretty excited to see how the two compared. It's a fantastic place to go with a group of friends as you simply wander up to the bar to order your pizza and drink - no headache of spilting the bill! The pizzas as predicted were absolutely delicious thanks to the thin crispy base and generous toppings. As a massive fan of Caribbean food, I decided to go for the special of Jerk chicken. Spicy, tender chicken, salty bacon and a combination of red onion and fresh spring onions was topped gooey mozzarella cheese on a tomato sauce base. It had a great kick to it and I was pretty sad when it was demolished.

Where to drink
We started our night with a couple of cocktails at The Milk Thistle. Hidden away in a old building and accessible only by an intercom, this classy, old-fashioned bar has a cocktail menu to die for. It felt like we had stepped back in time and set up shop in someone's living room. The staff were fab and we put the world to rights in front of a stuffed badger wearing sunglasses. As you do. I'd fully recommend booking a table here to kick off your night.

We ventured towards Harbourside and further into town to a bar called Kongs. With an industrial vibe, this bar boasts retro arcade machines, a ping pong table and table football. The perfect place to hang out with a couple of gin and tonics while laughing with friends. It had a really diverse crowd and was somewhere I could imagine spending the night. But we had a club beckoning us so we only stayed for a couple.

Like I mentioned, in a bid to hang onto our fast disappearing youth we decided to hit the town hard and ended up at Pryzm, a stones throw away from the Habourside. Full to the brim of stag and hen dos, I haven't been to a club like this for years. But it was so much fun! With seven themed rooms, five bars and two clubs, it was absolute massive but we spent our time in the cheese room dancing to the likes of Five and Spice Girls. The floor was sticky, only plastic glasses were allowed and I lost count at the amount of people who trod on my feet. But it was so good to dance until 4am with my favourite girls and really let our hair down. I was feeling pretty smug at stumbling in my friends house at 4.45am but was soon feeling very sorry for myself on the train home.

What to do
Bristol is a great place to just wander aimlessly, soaking up the quirky streets. I would definitely recommend a self-guided Banksy walking tour. We managed to spot his most recent street art above - the girl in the pearl earring. I know people have mixed views on street art but it's something I really enjoy seeing. It's just a shame some people have tried to devalue a few pieces by chucking paint over them. A walk along the harbour is also a fab way to whittle away a few hours. For only 90p you can get a short boat journey across the harbour to S.S Britain. If shopping is your jam, head to the undercover Cabot Circus for an incredible selection of shops, restaurants and bars. We actually hid out in the crazy golf to hide from the rain!

This is my second visit to Bristol and each time I visit I fall in love a little bit more. I'm very grateful for having a friend there and will try not to leave it so long before I visit next!

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A weekend in The Cotswolds

Last weekend I took a three hour train journey down to a part of the UK I'd never been before. The beautiful Cotswolds. I won't be leaving it 27 years until I'm back this time. The occasion was to help celebrate Sarah's birthday with a large group of blogger friends. Every time we meet up, I'm so glad that these ladies are in my life. Who would have thought those weirdos on the internet would turn out to be so darn great?

It was just what the doctor ordered. Since the beginning of the year, getting used to regularly commuting into the city has taken it's toll on me and I've been burning the candle at both ends. I ended up being ko-ed for an entire week with an awful cold and sleeping for 10-11 hours. And it still wasn't enough. This weekend gave me a chance to totally recharge my tired batteries.

We all hired an absolutely beautiful house in middle of nowhere at the end of a dirt track. Located in Herefordshire, the 18th Century National Trust property was the perfect size for nine ladies eager to catch up and eat their weight in food and bubbles. Boy did we eat! We mooched around in our pyjamas until the late afternoon, laughed until our bellies hurt, had a lazy pub dinner, discovered charades talents we never knew we had, snacked on cake all day long and had a cheeky bucks fizz for breakfast. Just because.

Until we meet again ladies! Thanks for such a lovely weekend Katy, Gem, Sarah, Maria, Rosie and Char.

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Exploring the UK: Tain, Ross and Cromarty, The Highlands, Scotland

On our final day in Scotland, we decided to stay a bit closer to where we were staying and explore the town of Tain and the surrounding areas.

You can't visit Scotland without a trip to a whisky distillery can you? Luckily Glenmorangie was a five minute drive - if that! - from where we were staying in Tain so we had one on our doorstep. I'd been on a tour around a distillery before in Illinois so I had an idea of the process. But it was interesting to find out what separates Scottish whiskey apart from the rest. There's a reason why it's so sought after! Generations upon generations have worked at the distillery and it's such a fine art to make sure it's perfect. I always find the process of making alcohol fascinating - something you never really think about when you're ordering your voddy and diet coke in a nightclub.

After a couple of samples of whisky, we headed back to the town of Tain to find out about the history. We met a very enthusiastic lady who had moved up from Devon 30 years ago at the museum - she was a fountain of knowledge! Tain is pretty famous all over the world for it's production of silver. Who knew?! We marvelled at some pretty expensive artefacts before heading out to the St Duthac Collegiate Church to learn the story of medieval pilgrimage. King James IV of Scotland actually made 18 pilgrimages to this shrine.  As someone who doesn't particularly believe in God, I have a soft spot for religious buildings and often seek them out. St Duthac has the most amazing stained glass windows and is said to be one of the finest preserved medieval churches in the Highlands.

After exhausting ourselves with history, we got ready for dinner and headed to Tarbat Ness Lighthouse to watch the sun go down. Definitely one of the highlights of my trip. There's something therapeutic about climbing the rocks, breathing in the sea air and watching the sun set. I'd been promised there were seals in this part of the world so imagine my excitement when we caught them bobbing along in the water! In the summer they clamber on the rocks above so guess that means I'll have to plan a trip back.

Time flew and it was time to make our way over to Portmahomack for our dinner reservation at The Oyster Catcher. A seafood restaurant in what I can only really describe as someone's living room. The menu changes as they use local, seasonal, fresh ingredients with lots of emphasis on seafood. It was honestly one of the best dining experiences of my life. We had endless courses, good wine and quirky yet excellent service. I'm still dreaming about my lobster confit now.

It won't be too long until I'm back in The Highlands!

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Exploring the UK: Loch Ness, The Highlands, Scotland

Another post about my trip to Scotland! We arrived at Inverness Airport around 11am and after picking up our hire we drive into the city for a city bite to eat before meeting our friend. After stuffing our faces at The Filling Station - similar to Frankie and Bennies - we hit the road in search of Loch Ness.

Loch Ness is the second largest Scottish loch by surface area but thanks to it's sheer depth, it's the largest one in volume in the British Isles. Safe to say, it's pretty impressive to see in the flesh. It's most famous for its mythical sea creature that's said to loiter in the water - the Loch Ness Monster. Known affectionately was Nessie, there have been many reported sighting over the years. Sadly she stayed hidden whilst we were there!

While we were there, we hopped on a Jacobite Cruise* to help us see the loch in all its glory. We boarded the boat at the Clansman Harbour before being take on an hour long cruise around the loch. Despite a drizzly day, it was brilliant. The information on the loudspeaker was top notch - they even threw in some traditional Scottish music for good measure! The boat sailed over the ruins of Urquhart Castle so we could have a closer look and learn about its turbulent history.

A great way to see the sights of Loch Ness!

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