Two places to have brunch in Krakow

I often find it hard to find a decent brunch in other countries. We have such a solid brunch culture here in the UK that nothing ever really seems to live up too. I think we're a bit spoilt! But Karkow didn't disappoint. We were only there for a couple of breakfasts and each one we picked got our seal of approval. Good work Krakow!

Ranny Ptaszek
If you're after a quick and casual breakfast, then this is a place to go. Sitting at the bar I ordered one of my favourite breakfast dishes, the Middle-Eastern speciality of Shakshuka. Accompanied by a basket of warm pitta bread, pickles and siracha mayo, it was just the ticket to begin a day. The breakfast menu isn't the biggest but it's great value and service is very quick.

Alchemia Od Kuchni
Located in the trendy Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz, this restaurant is just off the main square. Full of hip exposed brickwork, industrial-themed decor and a good solid breakfast menu, it's perfect to enjoy your first meal of the day. I decided to pump for the chorizo hash brown. A chunky round chorizo hash brown topped with wilted spinach and two poached eggs drizzled with tangy hollandaise sauce and chopped chives. It was great value, priced at about £5, and a good centre location for a day out in the Jewish Quarter.

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Three places to visit in Warsaw outside the Old Town

Wilanov Palace
When we go away I always drag everyone to some sort of palace or castle. I love them. Everyone else? Not so much. But this one was a winner for everyone. Over my 28 years I've seen lots and lots of palaces but this 17th Century one might just be my favourite - it's one of the most beautiful buildings I've seen. It doesn't hurt that yellow is my favourite colour too! It's an easy 30 minutes bus journey from the Old Town and couldn't be simpler to get to. Just one straight journey and you can use your travel card (a must for getting around Warsaw). Amazingly this grand royal palace survived the Second World War. I find this incredible as so much of Poland was destroyed and rebuilt. A stunning yellow colour, the palace is now an art gallery so we never made it inside as galleries aren't really our jam. But we did pay a couple of pounds to go in the gardens and they were absolutely beautiful. There's a lake where you can hire rowing boats, a gorgeous rose garden, the Baroque garden which is the oldest part of the park and an English-Chinese garden.

Neon Museum
Located in the Praga district of Warsaw, the super cool neon museum is a collection of vintage neon signs from the communist area. It is quite a trek from the Old Town but Praga is said to be the hipster district of the city so it's a great place for a bar crawl. It's very different from the Old Town, a lot more grittier but it's a great place to get a 'real' feel for the city, away from the hoards of tourists. The museum reminded me a lot of God's Own Graveyard in Walthamstow. It's not a place you'd spend hours wandering around but it's really interesting, cool and something a little bit different.

Palace of Culture and Science
Built by the Soviets in 1955 as a 'gift', the tallest building in Poland has such a presence in the Financial District of the new town. Now it's home to a huge congress hall, theatres, a multi-screen cinema and museums. Catch the lift to the top to the observation tower and you've be rewarded with amazing views over the city. It's well worth a visit just for this but beware, it gets windy on the 30th floor!

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A day trip to Sopot, Poland

When I mentioned to people I was planning on squeezing a beach trip into our visit to Poland, everyone was surprised that it even had a coastline. And the fact that the country actually enjoyed hot weather. Yet another misconception about this beautiful country.

The seaside resort Sopot is part of the Tri-City - known as the place to party - in Eastern Pomerania, just six miles away from Gdansk. Or a 20 minute train journey. It gave off similar vibes to Brighton. It was full of cool, young people, quirky independent restaurants and shops alongside seaside-esque style housing. But one plus is the fact it has a sandy beach so make sure you bring a towel to relax.

It's the ideal town to have a lazy day. Check out the longest wooden pier in Europe - be aware there's a charge in the summer months -, the town's most iconic building known as the "Crooked House", the famous Sheraton seafront hotel and take a stroll alongside the beach, checking out the souvenir and ice cream shops. We never had dinner in the town but I've heard that you must seek out the fish restaurants as the quality is second to none.

One place you absolutely need to visit is Flamingo & Co for a couple of scoops of ice cream. It was the best ice cream I had in the entire two weeks in Poland - which is saying something as Lody is amazing! I opted for the salted caramel and strawberry which turned out to be the ideal combination. I'm willing to go back to Sopot just to have some more ice cream!

Have you ever thought of visiting Sopot?

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Three places to visit with your Gdansk city card

As I mentioned in my first post about Gdansk, we were very kindly gifted city cards to help us get to know the city in depth. So many different attractions and free public transport was included so we made sure we got our use out of them! They absolutely worth it if you have quite a few days in the city to enjoy so you can make the most out of it. These are my favourite places that are included free of charge with the city card...

The Crane
One of the most defining landmarks of the city, represents Gdank's trading history with the current design dating back to 1444. Amazingly it was 80% destroyed during the battle for Gdansk in 1945. You would never have thought it! Part of the Polish Maritime Museum, it offers a fascinating insight into the port's history and the view from the very top is pretty impressive. The best way to get a feel for any city is from above it!

SS Sołdek
Sitting majestically in the port, this ship was the first one of it's kind built in Poland after the Second World War. Originally built as a coal and oil freighter, it is now part of the Martime museum in Gdansk. It's well worth exploring with a great insight into the city's shipyard history.

Church of St John
One of the special perks card users can enjoy is climbing the tower of the Church of St John. Dating back to the 1300's (I never stop being in awe of Europe's incredible history), it is now an exhibition space. But it still holds mass once week. Twice a day city card holders are able to climb the tower to be treated to great views of Gdansk.

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Why Gdansk should be your next European city break

I think I stumbled across Gdansk on a blog somewhere and soon popped it top of my list if I ever made it back to Poland. When we started planning our two week jaunt across the country, we decided to peg it onto the end. I'm very glad we did! Gdansk was my favourite city on the whole trip - there's just something so serene about being close to the water.

Located in the north of the country, Gdansk is a port city with a rich history. It's the place where the first Polish shots were fired in WWII and the place which is said to kickstart the fall of the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe. Part of a 'Tri-city' with Sopot and Gydnia, the narrow, cobbled streets are perfect for getting lost and spending a few hours admiring the architecture. It's a great location to base yourself to enjoy the Polish Baltic coast.

Still fairly undiscovered, it doesn't have the insane hustle and bustle that many other popular European cities have. Sure it's busy but it isn't unbearable. The heart of the city is Main Town where you'll find numerous restaurants, cafes and bars to refuel. Check out the city's landmark Żuraw for a fantastic view over the city. Or, head to MS Sołek to find out about the rich maritime history. The European Solidarity Museum offers a fascinating insight into the Gdansk Shipyard movement that kickstarted the fall of Communism. It's worth investing the Gdansk tourist card* as you get invaluable unlimited public transport around all the Tri-City, free entrance into certain attractions and discounts off others alongside restaurants. If you're looking to really take advantage on everything on offer, it's worth investing.

But the best way to enjoy the city is to simply walk. Walk and walk and walk. Always remember to look up and don't worry about getting lost. It's a small city so you'll always find your way back home. It's so rare to find somewhere in Europe that feels so new and authentic. Make sure you visit before too many people find out about this gem of a place.

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How to get European flights for £20 with Ryanair

People always remark how I manage to travel so many times a year so I'm about to reveal my secret. £20 Ryanair flights. Yes £20. Amazing right? Simply click on Farefinder, select your local airport and the maximum price of £20. Once you've clicked search, then the magic begins.

Book last minute
I've found the flights tend to come on sale the same month or the month before. If you're lucky, you might get them two months before like we did for Ireland. So book a period of time off work and sit and wait. I recommend to keep checking daily until something tickles your fancy. Book fast as they soon sell out!

Be flexible
I know it's good to make the most out of your annual leave by booking weekend and bank holidays. But this isn't where you're going to find cheap flights as it's when EVERYONE wants to go on holiday. So be prepared to go midweek. I tend to find Wednesdays to Saturdays work really well for finding flights.

Be willing to go anywhere
The key to this whole shebang is not to be fussy. There tends to be lots of German cities and French cities listed. Some you haven't really heard of but this is all part of the fun of discovering somewhere knew. Recently I've found a couple of cities in Denmark and you can usually find places in Ireland to venture too.

This isn't a sponsored post at all, I'm just obsessed with finding £20 flights and thought you should be all in on the secret too!

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Exploring London: Colombia Road Flower Market, Hackney, east London

Colombia Road Flower Market was one of those places that I knew I would love but somehow had never made it down. Now I finally have, I want to visit every Sunday!

Just a short walk from Bethnal Green Station, the street market has been drawing Londoners in since 1869. A sea of vibrant sunflowers, trendy cacti, bushy shrubs and fragrant herbs, it's an attack on your senses as soon as you turn the corner onto Colombia Road.

Taking over the road from 8am - 2pm, it's best to go in the morning to beat the crowds. But it's also fun to go during the late morning when it's absolutely heaving for the great atmosphere. Make sure you take some cash in case you see anything that tickles your fancy. The surrounding area is a great place to stop for a leisurely drink, a bite to eat and a place to people watch the hipsters of east London. 

Have you visited the market before?

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Four places to visit in the Scottish Highlands

The Scottish Highlands are one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I still can't quite believe they're in the UK. And that it took so long for me to finally visit! Make sure you don't wait as long as I did as trust me, you're missing out. We're lucky to have friends living up there who knew all the best places to take us. If you're planning a trip to the east coast, here are four places you should definitely add to your intinerary. 

1. Golspie
This little town is famous for being the home of the beautiful Dunrobin Castle, a fairytale chateau-style castle build an incredible 700 years ago. Make sure you spend an hour or so taking in the walled gardens and catching the fun falcon show. Once you've enjoyed the castle, it's time to refuel with some cake at a little tea room in the high street before heading out to explore the waterfalls. The city girl in me had no idea that scenes like this existed in the UK. I don't get out to the countryside much! The Big Burn is an easy 2.5km walk through lush, green woodlands. Pack sensible shoes and wander until your heart's content.

2. Tarbat Ness
This lighthouse is the perfect places to watch the sun go down. Climb over the rocks and you're greeted with the amazing sight of seals splashing about in the water below - this was by far a highlight of my trip. If you visit during the summer, you'll find the seals soaking up the rays on the rocks themselves.

3. Loch Ness
Probably the most famous loch in Scotland, Loch Ness is the largest one in the UK thanks to the sheer volume of water. It's around 45 minutes from Inverness and makes a great day trip. We explored the Loch with an hour long boat ride with Jacobite Cruises who helped to set the scene. It was fascinating to listen to the folklore and history of the area. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking, even on a gloomy day.

4. Glenmorangie Distillery
No trip to Scotland is complete with squeezing in a trip to a whisky distillery. Book yourself into the fascinating tour and learn about the history of this famous whisky. You'll be able to try a sample at the end. Even if you're not a whisky fan it's still worth doing because it really is such an interesting process and the guides are so enthusiastic.

Have you been to the Highlands before? Anywhere I should add to my list? I'm definitely planning on heading back soon!

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