Our Travels with a Christmas Tree .....

As Christmas approaches, it's time to put the blog on hold and spend some quiet time wrapping presents and getting ready for the Christmas festivities.

I've been everywhere man ...♬

The image below features our well travelled tiny Christmas tree and we thought it relevant to use it on our travel blog for this post. 

This Christmas we've yet to decide!  Hard to imagine, but when there's just the two of you and your children's turn to go to the in-laws we can leave it a last minute decision.

Quite a special little tree.🎄

Past Christmases this little tree has travelled with us near and far.  Actually it has been as far as the Caribbean!  

May your Christmas be merry and bright wherever you are this holiday season.

We'd like to thank you for taking the time to visit and read our blog and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  

We look forward to seeing you back here in 2018.
We have lots more to share on our stays in Malta, Madeira, Antigua, Sardinia, not to mention local garden visits
just to name a few.

💝* Merry Christmas from Jan and Malcolm *💝

Be safe, be kind, be happy and make every moment count.

😎Wherever you go becomes part of you somehow.

Share your travels with us.  Be out guest blogger next year.

It's easy to get in touch.

A Little Smitten with Malta and Travel Photos to Prove It

A big thank you if you have been following our travel blog.

I thought it might be an idea to tell you why the posts on Malta keep coming. 

Always on my places to visit list but, until last November, we had never been to Malta.

One reason being people had put us off!

Comments such as:

• No Beaches
• Bad Drivers

2nd reason being - affordability

Anyway it was our anniversary coming up and as 5 days in Malta was the same price as a long weekend in Cornwall, Malcolm decided it had to be done.

Well we didn't find beaches on our first visit but plenty of seaside walks! 

However we haven't seen Malta in its entirety yet.

There are lots of lovely hotels with huge complexes if that's your kind of holiday.

As for the drivers - if you can drive in London you'll have no problem in Malta.  Well, that's according to Malcolm. 

I didn't drive at all, only from the passenger seat (nothing unusual there then!)  😏

So, thought it might be a good idea to share our recommendations, just in case you haven't followed us until now.

STAY, VISIT, EAT

Stay

Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa - I guarantee this Hotel will be hard to beat for the wonderful service and welcoming staff.

Visit

Marsaxlokk - the fish market on a Sunday is a must see.

Visit

Valletta - the hustle and bustle of this city is a mixture of old and new and has a great atmosphere.

Visit

Mdina - like going back in time

EAT: 

San Anton Rickshaw Restaurant -wonderful food and service and if staying at the Corinthia Palace Hotel not far to go 😍

Marsaxlokk Terrone great place for food, drink and people watching

St Julians Bay Caviar & Bull - amazing fish dishes and eating experience

Mdina Fontanella amazing views, welcoming staff and great coffee

And just to whet your appetite a little more .....

Poolside at Corinthia Hotel and Spa

The gastronomical cheese board at Terrone.

Well I've got my taste buds going so will definitely be going back to Malta!

Now you could say we are a little smitten with Malta.

As for the photos, that's what we do and to be honest how could I possibly describe that cheese board without an image?  Yum Yum.

See you next time :)

It All Started as a Hobby - Fontanella

We had wandered around the beautiful walled city of Mdina for a while.

Time for a little sustenance perhaps

As we got to the top looking out over Malta island the weather looked as if it was about to change!

Thankfully we saw a sign that could mean we could take shelter and get a coffee maybe?

Indeed it was time for shelter and sustenance we found in a great cup of coffee.

Being outdoors but with shelter

Fontanella verandah is really pretty and with the most amazing views and umbrellas to protect you from the sun - and on this occasion, the rain!

 Even the birds appreciated this magical view 😊

Drink coffee and the magic

Everything is freshly prepared in Fontanella. As we were full from breakfast we had to make do with a coffee. 

However it allowed us to drink in the magical view of the bastions and Maltese island. Ah and be entertained by the cute little birds.

Be careful what you wish for, as they say ....

Fontanella apparently started out as a hobby by Louisette Sant Manduca.

Long may it continue ..... hopefully next visit we will time it a little better and eat there too!

Coming next our visit to the most amazing fishing village.

Get Packing for a Trip to Fowey in Cornwall

The winding streets of Fowey can't fail to enchant you.  Brimming with cafes, pubs and restaurants there's plenty of choices of where to eat.

We stayed at The Old Quay House Hotel

Absolutely delightful and attention to detail was second to none.

Our room overlooked the quaint narrow street.  

I adored the quotes on the walls as I'm into 'love' and 'motivational' quotes.  Gave me a warm and cosy feeling straight away!

And it's the little things that matter!  Ear defenders just in case the seagulls are too noisy!  We weren't bothered at all by them, but maybe that was because it was the end of November.  Raincoats hanging in the wardrobes on the off chance that it rains!

Because of the time of year we were prepared for rain, but we thought it was a lovely thought.

The breakfasts  were delicious.  We are early risers and always managed to get a table in the window with the best estuary views ever!

Oh and before I forget just 'upalong' the hill from Old Quay House you will find 'upalong' cottage.  So cute!

A walk whatever the weather 

is beautiful here.

Sam's And Bouillabaisse to die for!

Sam's Restaurant and Cocktail bar is always on our list of somewhere to eat and drink in Fowey.

Just to let you know you can't book a table at Sam's it's turn up and hopefully get a table or have a drink whilst you wait.  In the hub bub of this place it never seems long to wait and it's always worth it.  

As I said before, we highly recommend the boullabaisse, it's the best we've ever tasted.

This was an anniversary trip so on the evening of our anniversary it was raining hard so we decided to stay in and eat in the Hotel restaurant.  We weren't disappointed.  It was delicious.

Unknown 25 years ago and hidden in a tangle of weeds

The Lost Gardens of Heligan now restored and one of the finest gardens in Cornwall is a must visit.  

It was a wet day when we visited but we still enjoyed it.  There's lots to see and makes a very interesting walk with lots of faces to make you smile.

Sadly the rope ladder was closed.  (Shame that - as we all know how adventurous I am and was so looking forward to it - not!)

Sadly our trip to Fowey is over once more.  We had a lovely time and one of our favourite places to visit.  We will be back.

The Old Quay House

Sam's Restaurant & Cocktail Bar

Lost Gardens of Heligan

Essential Images Photography

Where to next?

On Our Travels and Our First Levada Experience - Marocos

Levada from the word 'levar' meaning to carry, a mini canal.  Irrigation channels specific to Madeira and a staggering 1300 miles of them!

Staggering meaning = 'that's what you're doing after walking one of them'! :)

For our first Levada experience we chose the Marocos Levada walk also known as 'Levada das Mimosas' - Mimosa Valley. 

It appealed to us as it was described as 'relaxing Levada walk between mountains and valleys'

Difficulty degree - Easy/Moderate - Distance 9km - Duration 2.5hours

So our walk begins in Marocos and ends in Ribeira Seca.

At this point I would suggest comfy walking shoes.  Most of the group we were with had trainers on.  I failed to pack mine as we were travelling light and my trainers would have taken up too much room.  It was a mistake, I should have made room!

Note to self:  Two and a half hours of walking requires shoes that support adequately.   

This walk, we discovered, takes you along the valley of Machico, which in the past was the first capital of Madeira.

We got to see fabulous landscapes and views and the famous "Poios Madeirenses" (agricultural terraces)

You will see the locals going about their daily chores, even hanging out washed carrier bags.   And, of course, there was the occasional goat and cat!

Most homes grow their own fruit and vegetables and there are boxes of seasonal fresh fruit at points along the walk which are available to buy and you just pop your money in the honesty box.

Spending a couple of hours in a typical environment on Madeira Island was a fabulous experience and to be honest a little humbling to see how hard these people work.  

If you, like us, are not the fittest of people then the Marocos Levada is  a good walk to do.  

We loved our time on this walk.  

Back at Hotel Saccharum that evening we relaxed with a glow and a glass of something cool on our balcony.  Well all that walking was thirsty work.

Don't worry, we did drink lots of water on the walk to keep hydrated.

Thank you for travelling with us once more.  We hope to see you again soon.

If you have experienced a Levada Walk or tour let us know!

Travel to a Place Near You For One Day Only

When you have kids, you just can't beat the beach.  

Actually, I love the beach too and a day at Avon Beach with the weather on your side is perfect.

And to begin .. a breakfast at The Noisy Lobster is a very good place to start.

Loads to choose from.  My favourite and one grandson's was the pancakes, maple syrup and apple puree.  Among the family favourites were good old English breakfast for Malcolm, eggs benedict for my son and his wife and granola and fresh fruit for the other grandson.

Orange juice and coffees - perfect.

All delicious!

You can also hire a beach hut for a day.  We did!

  A word of warning.  

If you want daily hire you can't book in advance. 

You have to arrive by 8.30am to ensure you get your beach hut.  They are very popular.  We arrived at 8.30 on the dot and some had gone already as we weren't first in the queue!

Our beach hut was No 87 and away from the restaurant, shop and eateries.  But that's exactly where we wanted it.  We wanted to be at a quieter part of the beach. 

If you like the hustle and bustle within easy reach of the shop, coffee bar etc. you will want to be in the lower numbers. 

The beach huts are basic with deckchairs and a table.  To be honest you really don't need much more.  It's just great to have a base and be able to sit out of the sun or rain!

You can also hire Celebration Huts too with all facilities to cater for your party.  Great fun.

And, of course, if you don't want to self cater at all, you can always go back to The Noisy Lobster for lunch and supper.

For one day only this staycation in a beach hut on Avon Beach.  

A most enjoyable day it was too.

Highly recommended.

Who'd Have Thought It Me in a Cable Car in Madeira

We took a slow meander past all the pretty cafes (we were tempted to stop and watch the world go by but if time allowed we would do that on the way back)  and finally arrived at the departure station which is situated at the park Almirante Reis.

I was comforted to see how clean, modern and safe it looked!

We joined the queue, but these cable cars are efficiently run and there was not much waiting to be done! 

Come fly with me .... 

 Up, up and away, but not in our beautiful balloon, in our cable car.

This is truly the most amazing experience.  I am not one for being brave in any way shape or form, but this cable car ride is incredible and you never feel unsafe and, coming from me that's saying something!  

See below a very smiley me!

But then it was tinged with sadness.

We just couldn't believe it.  We were totally shocked by the devastation of the fires in Madeira. 

It was quite surreal that some homes had totally disappeared, yet some seemed to have escaped any fire damage at all.  

It is said that Madeira's very own world class footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo has donated thousands of pounds to help the people of Madeira who have been affected by the fires.

As you can see Funchal is a popular destination for the cruise ships.

Who'd have thought it ....

At the beginning of the 20th Century here was a steam train.  It would take the Tourists up the Monte hills.

  

Now replaced by a modern and the most amazing cable car ride with views as far as the eye can see.

And who'd have thought it indeed that I would go in a cable car ride! 

Stay with us on this trip for the surprise at the top.