Taking a look back at the highs of 2020 amidst all the Covid restrictions - a year to explore what's on the doorstep and travel round the UK! These are my top travel experiences of 2020. #UKTravelIdeas #2020review #TravelJunkieGirl #2020BestInTravel #Disneyworld #Orlando

Discover attractive woodlands at Clock Face Country Park, an old colliery site just south of St Helens in Merseyside. Free parking & perfect for dog walks. #ClockFace #ClockFaceCountryPark #Merseyside #Walks #WarringtonWalks #CheshireDogWalks

Explore the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail which is a 4.5 mile walking route taking in many spectacular waterfalls along the Rivers Twiss & Doe. #Ingleton #waterfalls #NorthYorkshire

Autumn is definitely here to stay – the fleeces, scarves and boots are out and the heating is set to come on for when we wake up (yes, I’ve finally done that for the first time since April!) But while I’m planning autumnal walks amongst crisp fallen leaves while collecting conkers, I’m taking a look back at my summer spent exploring lots of nooks and crannies of the UK. I’ve been to some exciting new cities, discovered some fabulous historic properties, experienced some excellent walks in stunning countryside with my pooch Roger and indulged my passion for sculpture trails with a plethora of Wild in Art trails around the UK. So without further ado, here’s what I got up to… St David’s: Pembrokeshire I began my summer travels by visiting a new city to me and the smallest in the UK: St David’s in Wales is situated right out to the far west of Pembrokeshire and my visit has been a long time coming! With family situated not a million miles away I can’t believe I’ve not made it there before. As it is such a small city, it’s easy to see in a day without feeling like you’ve missed out on something and it really has a quaint seaside town feel to it, despite its imposing cathedral and neighbouring Bishop’s Palace. I think the cathedral has the best setting of any UK cathedral I’ve seen, nestled amongst hills and beautiful countryside. It’s proximity to some of the most beautiful beaches in Wales, the glorious Pembrokeshire coastal path and the access out to Ramsey Island are a huge draw too, so if you were ever in 2 minds about visiting St David’s, be assured you won’t be disappointed! Porthgain: Pembrokeshire While visiting St David’s, I also stopped off in Porthgain, a cute little fishing village on the Pembrokeshire coast. I discovered this little gem while researching online for a dog friendly beach in summer to take my dog Roger to. With a perfectly formed harbour overlooked by dramatic remains of the brick-making industry, an excellent restaurant serving the best fish ‘n’ chips I’d had in a long time, the typical gift shop with necessary ice-cream and postcards on hand and a superb stretch of Pembrokeshire coastline in each direction – Porthgain is a worthy stop if you’re in the area! London June also saw me return to London for the first of 2 summer trips. It was a highly cultural trip with visits to Tate Modern to see the ‘Picasso 1932’ exhibition, Tate Britain to see ‘Aftermath: Art in the wake of WWI’ and the National Academy to see the ‘Monet and Architecture’ exhibition. I also finally visited Southwark Cathedral after about 20 previous occasions of walking past it and spent a delightful few hours roaming around Regent’s Park. I must have spent a full hour just photographing the roses in Queen Mary’s Garden which were out in all their glory and I think this is probably the best array of roses I’ve ever seen. My second foray to London in August was a theatre and retail therapy trip. 42nd Street at Theatre Royal Drury Lane was fantastic and I’m so glad I travelled down to see it. Following what was becoming a London parks theme (as on another previous trip I explored St James’s Park) this time Hyde Park was my focus as I wanted to see the London Mastaba – a giant sculpture of barrels floating on the Serpentine Lake by land artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Wow: it was quite a sight and although public opinion was definitely divided between love and hate, no one can deny it made an impression! What do you think? The Peak District I made a couple of day trips to the wonderful Peak District, the UK’s oldest National Park. I spent a day walking in Monsal Dale and finally saw one of the most well-known views in the Peak District from Monsal Head. There’s something so majestic about the old railway viaduct spanning the bend in the valley that just makes you gasp. It is such a beautiful dale to walk through with an attractive waterfall on the route as well. I then spent a day visiting Bakewell and Haddon Hall, one of the best fortified medieval manor houses in the UK, with Elizabethan gardens situated on the River Wye. Dating back to the 12th century, it’s a real delight to walk around and has been on my list of places to visit for so long. Bakewell proved to be a rather charming town to explore, with its many food and artisan shops and an attractive riverside setting. I particularly liked the Austrian restaurant we found called ‘Tiroler Stüberl’ where we consumed plenty of sausage and apple strudel. This place alone would make me return to Bakewell. Dundee July saw me head to Dundee in Scotland to follow the first of my summer sculpture trails: Maggie’s Penguins. 80 penguins took up roost around the city with some placed further afield as far as St Andrews and Perth. It was a trail that certainly needed a car to complete and I found 68 of the 80 penguins in total. The trail took me to places I probably wouldn’t have visited in Dundee in the time I was there and I found some lovely little gems, such as the botanical gardens, Broughty Ferry, Newport-on-Tay and the Dundee Law with its epic 360° views over the city, river and the Sidlaw Hills. While on the trail I took in the McManus Museum and Art Gallery, St Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral and Discovery Point where the newly opened V&A museum is; as well as spotting a whole host of other places I’d love to visit when I return to Dundee. The V&A tops that list closely followed by the Jute Museum which looked fascinating. Falkirk En route up to Dundee I stopped at Falkirk to visit the Kelpies, the largest equine sculpture in the world. Constructed in 2013, the Kelpies are the work of Scottish sculptor Andy Scott and are a monument to the role horse power played in the area’s industry and agriculture. Called Duke and Baron, the Kelpies are modelled on real life horses of the same name. Dunblane En route home again, I called at Dunblane to visit its impressive cathedral. Although no longer the seat of a bishop, churches that were once cathedrals still retain the title and Dunblane sits up there with one of the most beautiful cathedral interiors I’ve seen. Eden Valley: Cumbria My next July trip was to the Eden Valley in Cumbria where I spent time visiting the market towns of Appleby, Penrith and Kirkby Stephen and a number of castles including Brough, Brougham and Pendragon. I scouted out Andy Goldsworthy’s Pinfold sculptures of which there are 6 dotted around various villages in the Upper Eden Valley. He is one of my favourite artists so when I realised some of his work was still visible in the area, I knew I had to find them. Penshaw Monument: Tyne & Wear While on one of my regular trips to the north east of England to see family, I finally visited Penshaw Monument near Sunderland. You can see this Greek temple from miles around but up close it’s something else entirely and its elevated position provides epic 360° views. You can even climb up to the top of the monument via spiral steps hidden in one of the columns though this is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Nottingham My second summer sculpture trail was in Nottingham for the “Hoodwinked” trail of 33 oversized robins. In contrast to Maggie’s Penguins, this trail was fully walkable and easily doable in a day. You can read all about the trail here, as well as all the things I saw in Nottingham on the route. St Mary’s Church: Nottingham’s ‘would be cathedral’ was a highlight which I recommend visiting. Ashby-de-la-Zouch Castle On my way home from Nottingham, I called in to Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire to visit its impressive castle ruins (managed by English Heritage.) Amazingly, you can get still climb to the top of the ruined tower and the views from the top are superb. Bee in the City: Manchester If Dundee had penguins and Nottingham had robins, there is only one creature that Manchester could consider for a sculpture trail: the bee! The worker bee is synonymous with Manchester so the ‘Bee in the City’ trail saw 100 large bees and even more small bees take flight through the city. They were fabulous, but unfortunately despite my proximity to Manchester, I only managed to spend one day bee-spotting (capturing 36 bees), so I have tickets to go see them all at the farewell event (12-14th October) Exciting! Worcester My last sculpture trail of the summer took me on a short break to Worcester, where 30 8ft tall giraffes and 27 calves hoofed on in to raise money for St Richard’s Hospice. Like the Nottingham ‘Hoodwinked’ trail, this trail was walkable and an ideal route provided. Why the giraffe though? Well you’ll have to have a read of my blog to find out… I loved Worcester’s stunning cathedral and discovered a number of fascinating museums including the Royal Worcester Museum, the city’s art gallery, the Tudor House Museum, Greyfriars’ House and the Commandery. I can’t wait to explore them all more on a future trip and visit Elgar’s Birthplace: “The Firs.” St George’s Hall: Liverpool This August I managed to tick a huge item off my UK bucket list. While I have visited St George’s Hall in Liverpool on numerous occasions, the original Minton mosaic floor in the Great Hall remains covered for most of the year for preservation. However, for about 10 days every August, the 30,000+ tiles are revealed to show off the hall in all its glory. This year I made it… and it is epic! Lancashire Walks One of my goals for 2018 was to discover more of my neighbouring county of Lancashire, so I decided to start doing some walks in the area with my dog Roger. One of my favourites was along the Heysham heritage coast from Half Moon Bay to Morecambe. There is a beautiful section of this coastline that is maintained by the National Trust and commands excellent views across Morecambe Bay to the Lake District Hills. It was a lovely surprise to stumble across the ruins of the eight century St Patrick’s Chapel and rock-hewn graves. Morecambe’s seafront was a surprise as it is littered with bird themed sculptures which I love and of course the Eric Morecambe statue. Then to top off a great walk I popped in to the dog-friendly Midland Hotel for refreshments. This art deco hotel certainly appealed to me and is easily the best positioned hotel in Morecambe. The Lake District I ended my summer back in my favourite place…in…the…world: the English Lake District! Based in Windermere, I racked up some lovely walks with my Dad and Roger, with the best day spent walking Lingmoor Fell and the Langdale Valley. The weather was superb the day we chose to head up what was to become my 19th Wainwright. For those that aren’t familiar: ‘Wainwright bagging’ is a popular activity up in the Lakes – it relates to the 214 Lakeland mountain summits detailed by famous walking guide Alfred Wainwright and one day I’d love to bag all 214 of them… Just a few to go then! I spent a good deal of time shopping for new much needed walking gear and equipment. Ambleside, Bowness and Grasmere are excellent for this activity and I am now the proud owner of a super new Osprey rucksack. It’s so light and comfy that you’re not even aware you’re wearing one. Lastly, I discovered the ‘Time Mirror’ installation by Di Mainstone on a visit to Blackwell Arts and Crafts House near Bowness. Part of the Lakes Ignite festival 2018 which saw 6 new artworks placed around the Lake District in response to its new UNESCO World Heritage status, this interactive sculpture which overlooked Windermere (lake) reminded me of a kaleidoscope. When you looked through it the reflective surfaces showed distorted and abstracted images of the landscape in front of you. I had great fun trying to get photos with me in them too! So, what’s in store for autumn then? I haven’t got too much planned as yet, but I did start my autumnal journeys in style with a trip to the South coast of England to follow the Snailspace sculpture trail in Brighton and Hove. I also explored Chichester, Arundel and Petworth while I was there too. I’ll be checking out Hamburg for a few days in October and then heading to Lanzarote in November for a week – my first trip to the Canary Islands. If you have any suggestions of things to do in either of those places please get in touch and let me know. After checking out Preston earlier this year, I’m also keen to explore Lancashire’s other city: Lancaster, as well as a few other Northern cities in England. Let’s see how many I manage to get to…. What did you get up to this summer? Let me know if you discovered some lovely hidden UK gems in the comments below. PIN IT! If you’ve enjoyed reading this, please subscribe to my blog via email over on my profile page or through Bloglovin’. Then head on over to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to keep up with all my travel related news. Hope to see you there.

Discover attractive woodlands at Clock Face Country Park, an old colliery site just south of St Helens in Merseyside. Free parking & perfect for dog walks. #ClockFace #ClockFaceCountryPark #Merseyside #Walks #WarringtonWalks #CheshireDogWalks

Discover what to see on a walk to the Dream Sculpture which sits on the site of an old colliery at Sutton Manor Woodlands in St Helens, Merseyside. #DreamSculpture #LandArt #Merseyside #SuttonManor #OutdoorArt #JaumePlensa #England #DogWalks

Discover what to see on a walk to the Dream Sculpture which sits on the site of an old colliery at Sutton Manor Woodlands in St Helens, Merseyside. #DreamSculpture #LandArt #Merseyside #SuttonManor #OutdoorArt #JaumePlensa #England #DogWalks

As one of the larger villages in Cheshire, Tarporley resides right in the heart of the Cheshire countryside and towards the west of the infamous Cheshire Plain which is a predominantly flat, rural and fertile farming area. It is populated with dairy farms, cow-dotted meadows, pasture and woodlands and broken up by snaking countryside back lanes, the odd black and white timbered cottage and small hidden villages with quaint churches. By this standard, Tarporley could be considered a small town in comparison to the hamlets and tiny villages that Cheshire is well known for. It’s a perfectly formed village, spread along a main street with small roads leading off to residential areas and with all the amenities you could need, from boutique shops, stores, eateries and churches to schools (for all ages), estate agents; even a bank, a funeral directors and a solicitors. On arriving in Tarporley, the best place to park if you don’t spot an on-street space is in the free car park to the rear of The Rising Sun Pub. If you’re approaching from the North, the entrance to the car park is immediately before the pub on the right. There are no time restrictions on the car park so as a result it gets full quickly as walkers of the Sandstone Trail use it to park for the day. So, what sets Tarporley apart and why should you visit? Let’s see…. Well, one of the main attractions to Tarporley is that it’s situated only half a mile from the Sandstone Trail and about half the way along the 34 mile route, so it’s a popular place to begin, end or base yourself for circular walks along the trail. The trail is the main reason I had indeed heard of Tarporley before, as I have wanted to walk the route for several years now. If you’re not aware, The Sandstone Trail follows the line of the mid-Cheshire ridge, where the sandstone deposits that underpin the Cheshire Plain are most apparent in the sandy coloured escarpment that opened up and eroded over time leaving a gentle sandstone ridge. This runs from Helsby and Frodsham in the North of Cheshire, via the Peckforten Hills and the Beeston ‘lump’ (which Beeston Castle sits atop of a couple of miles south of Tarporley), to Bickerton in South Cheshire. It is considered the perfect introduction to long distance walking trails as the gradients are generally pretty gentle, it can easily be done in 2 or 3 days and there’s lots of places en route or nearby to use as accommodation or watering holes. To illustrate this Tarporley has 4 Pubs in the village centre: The Rising Sun, The Swan Hotel, The Foresters Arms and The Crown Hotel and there’s a host of charming tea rooms and restaurants to choose from too. While I was in Tarporley I chose to grab a bite to eat at No. 6 Tea Room which holds a prominent position on the High Street. The cosy tea room delivers a varied patisserie menu of cakes, pastries and desserts which are served all day and in addition there is a breakfast menu served till 11.45, a light lunch menu served 12-3pm (4pm on weekends) and a specials board. I opted for a toasted Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Bagel from the specials board accompanied by the “The Works” Harry’s Hot Chocolate with Madagascan Vanilla Whipped Cream, Cadbury’s Flake, Maltesers and Mini Marshmallows. I can certainly recommend the latter especially on a cold day! As I was exploring the High Street, I also pinpointed ‘Latte Da’ Coffee House for a future trip and many restaurants also took my fancy. Piste Wine Bar and Restaurant looked very upmarket with a quality inspiring menu, and ‘STREET’ Restaurant appealed to me with its ‘around the world’ menu constructed from Mexican, American and Eastern inspired dishes. My method of exploring Tarporley was to set off to the North along the High Street from the Rising Sun car park till I ran out of buildings around the bend in the road. Then to turn round and continue down the other side of the road, through the village as far as the High School before returning to the Rising Sun. En route, I delved into nooks and crannys, through into courtyards, up side streets, along pathways and down back alleys to see what wasn’t always apparent from the main road. It wasn’t long into my wander where I found my first surprise… Down a little ‘no-through’ road called The Close was a beautiful line of highly instagrammable matching houses with imposing doorways, easily one of the quaintest sights in Tarporley. The extravagant entrances started my love affair with Tarporley doorways and I will dedicate a separate blog post to show off all the stunning entrance ways I found, for those of you who have a similar passion. Continuing on from The Close I passed what was obviously an old coaching inn, signalled by the bright red door which heralded the name The Old Red Lion with a fabulous lion door knocker. I’ve tried to find out about his place online but to no avail, so if anyone knows about its origins, please get in touch with me. As I rounded the corner at the northern end of the village, I came upon Brickfield Farm and as I drew level with the gate, a disgruntled goose started up a right commotion directed purely at me. Clearly fulfilling the role of the farm’s very own guard dog, I’d like to think that perhaps she was just telling me to turn around as I’d run out of village. Crossing over and making my way back down through the village, I passed attractive houses and cottages and it wasn’t long before I was eye deep in quaint boutiques and independent stores. Tarporley has a wealth of upmarket ladies clothing and accessory shops such as Elegance, Papillon, Caran D’ache, Sarah’s Shoes, The Wardrobe, Vivienne Rowley and Si Belle. Along with these there is Sophie’s Nail and Beauty and Skin Deep Beauty Salon. In contrast I only saw the one clothing store for men called Dettagli . Tarporley has numerous quirky gift shops worth a visit such as Bottega, The Willow Tree, Millard & Lancaster and The Copper Tree Gallery; plus 2 florists: The Little Potting Shed and The Flower Room. And all these amenities can be found along what is quite a short stretch of road so easy to get round and see everywhere. Other buildings worthy of a look along Tarporley’s High Street (and in line with the Old Red Lion), is The Old Fire Station… …And the Old Police Station. I love how the frontages and features of these old buildings have been retained despite current usage. Another surprise is the splendid Manor house which still stands in the centre of the village. Dated 1586 it was built by Ralph Done, who also built a small hall called The Done Room which is the building I found around the back of the neighbouring St Helen’s Church. A listed building, it is now home to Tarporley’s pre-school. St Helen’s Church is certainly a delight to visit. You can approach the church from either side as it sits back from the High Street and only glimpsed between buildings. Luckily I approached from the Southern entrance and passed through the gorgeous Lych Gate, one of the cleanest and prettiest I’ve seen and on walking through the graveyard you get the best view of the church in my opinion, amongst berry rich bushes and lavender clumps. The entrance to the church is around the other side and it was nice to find it open. At mid afternoon on a Monday I had the place to myself and it’s considerably larger than it looks from the outside. The church has some impressive stained glass and a number of great artistic displays and embroideries in the entrance presumably made by the community and/or Sunday School. I learnt during my visit that St Helen’s Church was just one of three churches in the Tarporley Parish Church. The others are St Thomas’ in the neighbouring village of Eaton (east of Tarporley Village) and St John’s in Cotebrook, 2 miles to the North of Tarporley. I didn’t get chance to visit these but looking at photographs of them, they’d certainly be worth a trip in future. Keep them in mind if you’re in the area. In the grounds of St Helen’s Church is where you’ll find Tarporley’s war memorial and at the Northern entrance to the church yard, the village sign and a homage to the village’s efforts at winning ‘best kept village’ and ‘community pride’ awards. Tarporley also has a Baptist Church founded in 1866 and a Catholic Church which can be located as you’re exiting the village to the south. There is map showing all the places of interest and surrounding footpaths on the side of The Rising Sun Pub. Here I found reference to the Salters’ Well which I located as I was driving out of Tarporley, and many other places sparked interest for a future visit. In the waning daylight of the day, I decided I didn’t have enough time to head out walking on the Sandstone Trail to the nearby section of the Shropshire Union Canal at Wharton’s Lock, so I drove to the nearest possible place on the canal to have a look. This is where Bates Mill Lane crosses the canal at The Shady Oak Pub and from here you get great views of Beeston Castle, though it was a bit too hazy to see a huge amount. I cannot wait to actually tackle the Sandstone Trail in its entirety and I can recommend nearby Beeston Castle as a place to visit on any visit to Cheshire. One of Cheshire’s few English Heritage sites, I’ve visited so many times over the years and the views from the top are amazing on a clear day! So in answer to my previous question, why should you visit Tarporley? Well, just to wander round a beautiful and perfectly formed village with lovely architecture, quaint shops, and a bite to eat at one of its numerous eateries… Then don a pair of walking boots or sturdy trainers and head out on the Sandstone trail into gorgeous countryside and visit a local castle for stunning views of Cheshire and neighbouring counties! It’s certainly my idea of a fantastic day out! Get in Touch! Have you visited Tarporley before? What’s your favourite place to eat there? Drop me a line in the comments box below – I’d love to hear from you. If you’ve enjoyed reading this, please subscribe to my blog via email over on my profile page to receive notifications of when new posts go live. You can also sign up to receive my newsletter, or follow me through Bloglovin’. Then head on over to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to keep up with all my travel related news. Hope to see you there. Further Reading… Out and About in Cheshire? Check out these other places for inspiration of where to visit. Explore the history, heritage and architecture of Combermere Abbey on their house tour. Investigate the beautiful black and white timbered building of Little Moreton Hall. Visit the Cheshire Ice Cream Farm – so much more than just ice cream! Find inspiration in this round up of the best beauty spots in East Cheshire. Check out my favourite Cheshire farm shop: The Hollies. Everything you need to know about the Cheshire Steam Fair, a fun filled event usually held in July near Warrington. What to see on a walk at Risley Moss Nature Reserve near Warrington. Visiting Macclesfield? Then stop in at Amy’s Courtyard and gallery for lunch. Head out on a walk at Wigg Island in Runcorn Right on the border with Greater Manchester is Dunham Massey – have a look at their gardens in spring. PIN FOR LATER!

Embrace your creativity at Potfest in the Park ceramics festival, held at Hutton-in-the-Forest: a striking Cumbrian Country House with extensive grounds. #Potfest #PotfestinthePark #HuttonintheForest #Cumbria #ceramics

Discover the many intriguing features that make Wakefield Cathedral a joy to visit from the sensational Rood quire screen to the impressive misericords. #WakefieldCathedral #Wakefield #Yorkshire #WestYorkshire #misericords

Penshaw Monument is the Greek Temple of North East England, situated on a hill overlooking Sunderland: an architectural folly managed by the National Trust.

Discover what to see on a walk to the Dream Sculpture which sits on the site of an old colliery at Sutton Manor Woodlands in St Helens, Merseyside. #DreamSculpture #LandArt #Merseyside #SuttonManor #OutdoorArt #JaumePlensa #England #DogWalks

Explore the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail which is a 4.5 mile walking route taking in many spectacular waterfalls along the Rivers Twiss & Doe. #Ingleton #waterfalls #NorthYorkshire

Discover what to see on a walk to the Dream Sculpture which sits on the site of an old colliery at Sutton Manor Woodlands in St Helens, Merseyside. #DreamSculpture #LandArt #Merseyside #SuttonManor #OutdoorArt #JaumePlensa #England #DogWalks

Discover exciting things to see and do in Hartlepool & County Durham from the breath-taking Durham heritage coastline to the roaring waters of High Force waterfall. #Hartlepool #Durham #HighForce #heritagecoast #Beamish #BishopAuckland

Discover all the fabulous arty designs on the Burton Swans sculpture trail in the town of Burton-upon-Trent during the summer of 2020. Despite the restrictions the Covid-19 pandemic imposed, following the trail added a bit of normality and fun to the uncertain times. #BurtonSwans #sculpturetrails #sculpture #BurtonUponTrent

Find out why Wakefield goes mad for rhubarb at the Wakefield Rhubarb Festival which takes place every February against the backdrop of the cathedral. #Wakefield #RhubarbFestival #WestYorkshire #Yorkshire #Rhubarbproducts #YorkshireRhubarb

Paris Travel Guide: Top things to see and do in Paris. There is such a wealth of history & culture, any trip to Paris will leave you wanting more and more.

Junkyard Golf in one of the most fun things to do in Manchester. There's 3 themed 9-hole courses, all set in the dark & lit with UV neon lights. #JunkyardGolf #Manchester #CrazyGolf #AdventureGolf #England

What to see and do at Risley Moss Nature Reserve near Warrington, Cheshire. Follow an easy level trail around this unusual peat bog landscape. #RisleyMoss #Cheshire #NatureReserves #SculptureTrail #Warrington #Walks #PeatBogs

Discover the highlights of East Cheshire: full of wonderful green landscapes on the edge of the Pennines, from Lyme Park - Mow Cop along the Grtistone Trail

Discover the many intriguing features that make Wakefield Cathedral a joy to visit from the sensational Rood quire screen to the impressive misericords. #WakefieldCathedral #Wakefield #Yorkshire #WestYorkshire #misericords

Discover the many intriguing features that make Wakefield Cathedral a joy to visit from the sensational Rood quire screen to the impressive misericords. #WakefieldCathedral #Wakefield #Yorkshire #WestYorkshire #misericords

Tried and Tested: 13 Best Western hotels that demonstrate the huge variety of accommodation available across the largest independent hotel chain in the UK. #BestWestern #BestWesternHotels #UKHotels #BestWesternGB

The Knife Angel is a 27ft monumental sculpture with a powerful message. Made from 100,000+ surrendered knives, it tackles the issue of knife crime head on. #KnifeAngel #KnifeAngelonTour #Liverpool #BritishIronworkCentre

Discover the Halo sculpture walk in Rossendale, Lancashire. It is short but steep and packs a punch! It features a weird and wonderful panopticon sculpture with an exhilarating panoramic view. #HaloSculpture #TheHalo #Haslingden #Rossendale #Lancashire #LancashireWalks #panopticons

Discover the Halo sculpture walk in Rossendale, Lancashire. It is short but steep and packs a punch! It features a weird and wonderful panopticon sculpture with an exhilarating panoramic view. #HaloSculpture #TheHalo #Haslingden #Rossendale #Lancashire #LancashireWalks #panopticons

Taking a look back at the highs of 2020 amidst all the Covid restrictions - a year to explore what's on the doorstep and travel round the UK! These are my top travel experiences of 2020. #UKTravelIdeas #2020review #TravelJunkieGirl #2020BestInTravel #Disneyworld #Orlando

What to see and do on the Hoodwinked sculpture trail in Nottingham - an exciting and walkable trail of 33 5ft robins, all hand painted by artists.

2020 sees the Blackpool Illuminations shining for longer than ever before as the lights continue till 3rd January 2021, including a moving tribute to NHS and key workers. #Blackpoolilluminations #Blackpool #Lancashire #travel

Discover attractive woodlands at Clock Face Country Park, an old colliery site just south of St Helens in Merseyside. Free parking & perfect for dog walks. #ClockFace #ClockFaceCountryPark #Merseyside #Walks #WarringtonWalks #CheshireDogWalks

Tried and Tested: 13 Best Western hotels that demonstrate the huge variety of accommodation available across the largest independent hotel chain in the UK. #BestWestern #BestWesternHotels #UKHotels #BestWesternGB

I confess I’d never done an official walking tour, having shunned them in favour of my own walking itineraries based on research before visiting a place and suggestions from guide books. When you do your own walks you can go at your own pace and detour off the route when you see anything that intrigues, something you cannot do on a guided tour. And for this reason only I’ve never joined a walking tour. However after reading so many blogs since starting Travel Junkie Girl, I’ve kept coming across recommendations for free and paid for walking tours, so on my latest stay in my local city of Liverpool, I decided to bite the bullet and join the free walking tour by Sandemans. The company run a number of walking tours across many European cities and a couple of different ones in Liverpool itself, but I chose the free ‘New Liverpool’ Tour as it best fitted in with my other plans for the day. Meeting at 11 am outside prominent attraction St George’s Hall by the Prince Albert statue, I was joined by a huge group which I was amazed at for a Sunday morning and we were met by guide Portia. Guides will be dressed in red Sandemans t-shirts and likely have clipboards and company passes visible, so no worries about not finding your group. Starting outside St George’s Hall opposite Liverpool Lime Street Station at what I’ve always considered the top of Liverpool, the tour winds its way down through the shopping and historic districts to the waterfront where the beauty and grandeur of Liverpool’s UNESCO World Heritage listed waterfront is explored. Here there’s a wealth of commercial and maritime architecture and some of the best world-renowned museums and galleries in the country. The tour ends at the Albert Dock which is widely regarded to be Liverpool’s No.1 tourist attraction. Along the way, the tour offers great insight in an informative but highly amusing manner into key moments in the city’s history. Liverpool is after all the main port of the biggest empire in history and so has touched the lives of so many people the world over, whether for good or bad. I am quite well acquainted with Liverpool with it being my local city, but I learnt so much about the city’s history I wasn’t aware of and learnt some intriguing and quirky details I don’t think I’d have ever found out anywhere else, for example who knew that Liverpool has a castle? Yep…me neither! Liverpool’s history is littered with impressive characters and fascinating stories and Portia brought them all to life with amazing wit and quirkiness. So, here are some spoilers about what you’ll see and discover on the tour. Starting outside St Georges Hall which faces Liverpool Lime Street station (the main railway station in Liverpool) seemed an appropriate choice as what you’re looking at is also the first site most visitors arriving in the city would see. I didn’t realise that Liverpool’s railway was the first fully operational railway line in the world with the Manchester-Liverpool line built by George Stephenson opening in 1830 and this brought hoards of people to the city. It’s not surprising therefore that St George’s Hall was built where it was – a fine neo-classical building; a statement of Liverpool’s pride and wealth, qualities sought after by Victorians arriving in Liverpool. To city planners, it therefore had to be the first thing people saw on arrival. For most grand houses built in the period, the ‘fancy’ facade was built on the private side, so it could be enjoyed by the owners from their gardens, but with St George’s Hall the garden side is plain, with all the pomp delivered on the public side for all to see. You’ll learn all about the interior too, which will have you immediately adding a trip inside to your Liverpool itinerary. Learn more about St George’s Hall on the Visit Liverpool website. St George’s plateau where we’re stood as well as being home to Liverpool’s Grade I listed cenotaph is also where many public gatherings occur from events following the death of Beatles members John Lennon and George Harrison, to the homecomings of Liverpool and Everton football clubs after cup final victories. Leaving St Georges Hall, the tour skirts its northern flank past the Empire Theatre, Liverpool’s primary theatre space; then the Walker Art Gallery, Central Library and World Museum, three impressive buildings that make up the shortest street in Liverpool: William Brown Street. This road literally just has these three buildings on its length. Not a bad address though is it? These buildings are seriously impressive! At the bottom of St John’s Gardens, the gardens which back on to St George’s Hall, the tour stops by the Hillsborough Memorial sculpted by Tom Murphy and Portia delivered details on the tragic football disaster of 1989. In case you’re not familiar with the disaster, it involved a human crush at Hillsborough Football stadium in Sheffield, England during the 1988-89 cup final semi final game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. With 96 fatalities and hundreds more injured, it’s the worst disaster in British sporting history and this memorial was unveiled in 2013. The next main stop on the tour is Matthew Street, the heart of the Cavern Quarter and Liverpool’s vibrant music scene. This is the place to come for a good night out with live entertainment in its many venues and a host of bars and restaurants to suit all tastes. You’ll come across buskers at various intervals and the music of the infamous Cavern Club is projected out on to the street. Matthew Street is at the centre of Beatles culture and a must on any Liverpool itinerary for Beatles fans. Spot the statue of Cilla Black, another musical name synonymous with the Cavern Quarter, as well as the statue of John Lennon alongside the musical ‘wall of fame’. Your guide will fill you in on all sorts of intriguing pieces of trivia surrounding Matthew Street but I’ll leave you to find those out yourself. No more spoilers from me! Turning left at the end of Matthew Street and you’ll be alongside the Hard Day’s Night Hotel, the worlds only Beatles inspired hotel. As your guide will no doubt tell you, make sure you look up to see the fantastic statues of each of the band members along the length of the building. Joining Lord Street, the edge of the main shopping district, you’ll soon come upon the large open area of Derby Square and the ‘rude’ statue of the Queen Victoria Monument. ‘Rude’ how? Well, you’ll just have to take the tour to find that out! This is also where you’ll discover Liverpool’s ‘lost castle’. There’s a reason why the road opposite is aptly named Castle Street. It’s for a good reason that the tour of Liverpool goes down Castle Street. Largely off the tourist trail, there was hardly a soul in sight and yet its home to some stunning buildings including the domed town hall at the other end of the road and the temple-like former Bank of England building half way along which was more recently used (though illegally) as a shelter for the homeless in Liverpool. Taking Brunswick Street opposite the Old Bank of England, it’s not long before the tour arrives at Pierhead and Liverpool’s waterfront, but not before passing the towering art deco structure of the George’s Dock building which houses the ventilation tower for the Queensway tunnel that runs directly beneath linking Liverpool to Birkenhead. Arriving at Pierhead amongst the Three Graces is impressive. The Three Graces is the name given to the trio of landmark buildings which stand side by side on Liverpool’s waterfront comprising of the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building (from left to right as you look at them) Built between 1903 and 1916 they were constructed to show off the city’s international prestige and commercial prowess. They have formed one of the world’s most recognisable skylines and are now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Liverpool’s Maritime Mercantile City, given UNESCO status in 2004. The history of these buildings is fascinating and the tour delivers all sorts of information about not just the Three Graces, but on the history of the port in general, where the announcement of the Titanic sinking was made, how the ‘made up’ Liver bird has become the city’s emblem and all about the ‘Fab Four’ sculpture. (Yep, there’s the Beatles link again) But hey, what a great environment for the Beatles to command! Opposite the Cunard Building is the Pierhead Ferry terminal where you can get passenger ferries across the Mersey to Wallasey and Birkenhead and to the Isle of Man by the IOM Steam Packet Company. Read about how to have a great day out on the River Mersey with Mersey Ferries here. Now accompanying The Three Graces on the waterfront is the new Museum of Liverpool which opened in 2011, re-housing the original Museum of Liverpool Life. The opening of this world-class museum ended the revitalisation of this section of Liverpool’s waterfront which is now a joy to walk around. Passing the Museum of Liverpool, the tour ends outside the cute and slightly dwarfed Pilotage building and its neighbouring equine sculpture called “Waiting” which appeared in 2010. This is a life-size monument to Liverpool’s working horse and you’ll learn all about the part the horse played in Liverpool’s history, particularly in relation to the docks area. Lastly your guide will introduce you to all the Albert Dock area has to offer, including the TATE gallery, the Maritime Museum, the Beatles Museum and the Liverpool Wheel, setting you up perfectly to enjoy the rest of your afternoon in this area. So, what’s so cool about a guided walking tour? You get a great overview of the city and its history without having to do hours of reading/research yourself. I learnt so much about Liverpool in those 2 hours and in such an entertaining way that the information has stayed with me more than it would have done if I’d just read about it. The guides are usually locals or at least been in the area for a considerable time meaning they can impart all sorts of valuable information. You receive information you may not be able to find out easily elsewhere. You’re bound to see things you may not have found on your own, for example, I’ve walked down through the area around St John’s Gardens so many times, but never come across the Hillsborough memorial. And this is what’s so great about a FREE walking tour! While a free walking tour is technically free, tips are expected, but it means you can give what you think the tour was worth. No leaving a tour thinking ‘that was a rip off’ or ‘it wasn’t worth what I paid’ Also, as the guides work on a tip only basis they will make the tour as informative, engaging and enjoyable as possible making sure you leave a satisfied customer. So, would I do a guided walking tour again? After this….most definitely! If you’re like me and usually prefer to discover a place yourself, I hope I’ve convinced you to try out a walking tour. They really are worth it. Next time I’m in Liverpool I’d like to join the “Beatles to the Blitz” tour also run by Sandemans which covers a completely different area of Liverpool. If you’ve done it, let me know what you think! As always, please leave your comments below. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on walking tours. Visiting Liverpool and want somewhere else unique to visit? Then head just north of Liverpool’s Docks to Crosby Beach where you find the fabulous Antony Gormley iron men sculptures of ‘Another Place’ – it’s well worth a visit! If you’ve enjoyed reading this, please subscribe to my blog via email over on my profile page or through Bloglovin’. Then head on over to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to keep up with all my travel related news. Hope to see you there. PIN IT!

Planning a visit to Hamburg in autumn? Here's 5 top spots to see autumn colour in the city centre from the Alster Lakes to the Planten un Blomen.

Explore the weird & wonderful rock formations at Brimham Rocks in the Nidderdale AONB. Seeing them in snow is magical & like stepping into England's Narnia. #BrimhamRocks #Yorkshire #NorthYorkshire #snow

Explore the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail which is a 4.5 mile walking route taking in many spectacular waterfalls along the Rivers Twiss & Doe. #Ingleton #waterfalls #NorthYorkshire

May 2018 has seen an extraordinary group of residents fly in to Ironbridge to take up perch. This World Heritage landscape in Shropshire has become a little more colourful with the arrival of the Let’s Go Quackers sculpture trail – a flock of 10 oversized ducks sporting vibrant and jazzy plumage. Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, this project adds even more fun to any visit to Ironbridge and aims to raise significant funds for two local charities: the Severn Hospice and the Jayne Sargent Foundation. If you aren’t aware of these kinds of projects, late spring sees temporary public art sculpture trails popping up all over the UK. They continue through the summer to take advantage of long daylight hours and into the autumn, with the aims of attracting visitors to an area, increasing awareness of widespread issues and raising money for local charities. I am a huge fan of these types of sculpture trails having discovered many over the years from the ‘Go Herdwick’ sheep in the Lake District to the ‘Herd of Sheffield’ elephants. Let’s Go Quackers is my first sculpture trail of 2018 and my first thoughts were: Wow: these ducks bare an uncanny resemblance to the traditional yellow children’s bath toy! What do you think? Beautifully decorated, each of the 10 ducks has been placed in a roadside or footpath location extending along a 3 mile route of the Ironbridge gorge. Starting at Dale End Park, the trail winds through the centre of Ironbridge, past the iconic bridge to Lloyds Head and back along the Severn Way to the opposite side of the bridge. You can pick up a trail leaflet marking each duck’s details and location from the cafe by Dale End Park. Now, I’d never been to Ironbridge before so I had no idea what to expect of the area. I knew of the existence of all the different museums and sites that make up the World Heritage landscape, but I hadn’t expected them to be so spread out along the gorge and surrounding area. I also hadn’t realised the area would be so green despite it being a gorge. I thought I would have seen much more of an industrial landscape being the birthplace of the industrial revolution so I was delighted by how beautiful the trail turned out to be and as I walked along the river I was constantly accompanied by birdsong. Several of the ducks are positioned by key World Heritage attractions such as the Museum of the Gorge. As a result I’m sure the attractions and nearby businesses receive increased footfall and additional trade, one of the many aims of the sculpture trail. This has certainly proved to be the case at all other sculpture trails in the past. It’s just a shame that the iconic iron bridge itself (in the care of English Heritage) is currently undergoing a massive restoration programme and is completely encased in scaffolding. Unfortunately it will remain this way for the duration of the trail, so if you visit please be aware of this and don’t be too disappointed. It does however pave the way for a return trip and you can still walk across the bridge. So, Let’s Meet the Ducks on the Trail 1. Natural Bee-uty Assuming there’s space, park up in Dale End car park. The first duck Natural Bee-uty is positioned just inside the park entrance nearest the access from the main road. Designed by Ria Davies and painted by artist Alicia Hollis, this duck is dressed in beautiful spring flowers and features the creatures that are attracted to them such as bees and butterflies. It seems fitting she is placed in a park and no less in front of a cherry blossom which as you can see was out in full glory during my visit. Take a wander through the park to the river and head along the gorge path to the east where you’ll come to the antiques, arts and crafts centre. The tearoom inside here is where you can pick up your trail map so make sure you pop in. Rather than taking the river path at this point, make your way through the car parks beyond to the co-op where you’ll find duck no.2. You might miss him if you continue along the river. 2. Mr Darby Situated just inside the entrance to the co-op car park, Mr Darby could not get more ‘Ironbridge’ as the main feature of his plumage is the one and only bridge itself. He is named after Abraham Darby, the famous ironmaster who ran the blast furnace at Coalbrookdale (just up the road) in the 1700’s. He was the first person to smelt iron using coke instead of charcoal, a fact that is considered one of the most important technological breakthroughs in history, paving the way for the industrial revolution. Designed by Traci Moss, the sculpture also alludes to how green the setting of the gorge is too, something you’ll remember I was particularly struck by on arriving in Ironbridge. Make your way across the car park and pick up the riverside path till you reach the Museum of the Gorge. Here the tree-lined path comes to an end at a mooring area where you’ll see old rail lines leading from the museum building down to and along the water’s edge. Here you’ll catch a glimpse of the cloaked iron bridge in the distance. As you round the edge of the building, No.3 pops into view. 3. Dr. Duck This yellow bath toy sports a fun doctor’s uniform and has taken up perch in an enviable roadside position against the fabulous backdrop of the Museum of the Gorge. Like any good duck doctor, he highlights the danger to a duck’s health on feeding them bread through a friendly warning message on his plinth accompanied by healthy feeding tips and the reasons why bread isn’t good for ducks. This is a widespread issue that I see highlighted all over the country in places where you have the ability to feed large flocks of ducks or geese. Signs are frequently put up warning you not to feed bread to the bird life. The importance of this issue is possibly why the Let’s Go Quackers team has positioned Dr Duck in a place where you cannot miss him as you walk or drive through the gorge. Dr Duck is designed by James Harwood from Charlton School and painted by artist Nicky Meechan and he really is fabulous! If you have time, pop into the Museum which is one of the ten museums in the Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust that make up the World Heritage site. You’ll learn all about the history of the gorge and the surrounding area of Coalbrookdale through a fascinating short film and there’s an amazing 12 metre long model of the gorge to check out too. Entry price is £4.50 for adults or is included in the Ironbridge annual passport which you can buy online in advance for £25.15 and gives you entry to all 10 Ironbridge attractions for a year. (Prices correct at time of writing) From the museum, continue walking along the road where you’ll pass a mixture of buildings from private residences with gardens built into the hillside, old industrial remains, converted warehouses and a variety of pubs, coffee shops and gift shops, the number of these increasing as you approach the centre of Ironbridge. The odd glimpses of the river soon give way to more open views of the gorge as you reach the centre of town and eventually you’ll get THAT view of the bridge. I can’t wait to return when the work has been finished to see the bridge in all its glory. 4. Coalbrookdrake At the entrance to the iron bridge, you can’t miss the fourth duck: Coalbrookdrake. I love the clever pun on this name, mixing the name of the area with the name for a male duck and the design is equally clever at bringing together all sorts of elements of the iron industry: the typical boot design of industry workers hanging from the gates to the blast furnace site of ‘Coalbrookdrake’ along with the cogs and wheels associated with the industrial revolution and the pattern of sheet metal being held together with rivets. Plus I just adore the use of fiery colours to hint at iron being smelted. Hats off to designer Donna Newman who has done a quacktastic job (sorry, couldn’t resist) at portraying the rich history and industry of Ironbridge. Continuing on along the road, keep right at the roundabout and the next duck on the trail can be found outside Bedlam Furnaces, the remains of a purpose built coke-fired blast furnace. 5. Peace Duck You cannot miss the Peace Duck as he is a bright rainbow of multi-coloured swirling patterns amidst a backdrop of dark brick and green vegetation. Sporting messages of peace and love in his plumage and the colours and images of the flower-power hippie movement of the 1960’s, the Peace Duck is truly hypnotic and I’d still consider him to be so even if his chest didn’t feature the eye-watering pattern associated with hypnotism that you often see used in animated films. Designed by Amber Whitaker from Charlton School and painted by artist Jenny Leonard, the Peace Duck is an assault on the senses and would definitely brighten up the dullest of days. Not far beyond Bedlam Furnaces, you’ll come to Jackfield Bridge which you cross to continue on the trail. Take time to admire this feat of engineering which uses an asymmetric cable stay design with a single A-pylon. When it was commissioned in the early 1990’s to replace the previous bridge that had decayed and was eventually demolished, an innovative design was required to match the cutting-edge iron bridge that had won the area its place in UNESCO history. However it also had to meet the challenges of the gorge environment and the demands of heavy tourism traffic. 25 years on and the bridge is still going strong and it certainly holds its own when it comes to Ironbridge attractions… after all – I’ve featured it here haven’t I? So I’d say the planners succeeded. 6. Once Upon a Fairytale Look left after you cross the bridge and you’ll spot a golden delight. Designed and painted by artist Lois Cordelia, Once Upon a Fairytale is sprayed gold with a black collage of fantastical creatures. There’s some obvious fairytale characters portrayed here such as Cinderella’s coach, but the design has me thinking more of steampunk with the image of the kraken (the adopted steampunk symbol), the Victorian style of dress, the images of feathers, locks and keys as well as steam powered vehicles and early bicycles. The female silhouette is the epitome of steampunk with her goggle adorned top hat. All of these images are typically used by the steampunk genre which of course goes cap in hand with period of the industrial revolution and the Victorian era. Once Upon a Fairytale stands next to a section of the original Jackfield bridge which has been left to mark the site of the first ‘free’ bridge to span the gorge (the iron bridge was originally a toll bridge.) A plaque on the structure gives details about the old and new bridges and indicates on a diagram which bit of the bridge the remains are from. Take the left turn after crossing the bridge onto Lloyds Head and continue till you pass the Black Swan pub. Here the road turns sharply to the right to cross the path of an old railway line, now the footpath of the Seven Way. Railway sleepers are still visible here, as is duck no.7. 7. Mawster Peaquack Designed by Hazel McNab and painted by artist Jackie Coyle, Mawster Peaquack (another fabulously punerific name) is a combination of duck and peacock and sports a vibrant peacock plumage. The design resembles the techniques used in stained glass and ceramic decoration of outline and block colour fillings. The gold outline and bold colours remind me in particular of the Royal Crown Derby paperweight ceramics. This link to ceramic design can’t be a coincidence as this area of the Ironbridge gorge was once at the centre of the British decorative tile industry. Just up the road is the Jackfield Tile Museum, another of the 10 Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage museums. By positioning Mawster Peaquack at Lloyds Head, the Let’s Go Quackers team showers attention on this industry, not to mention some of the pitfalls associated with it. An information board situated near the duck tell you all about the problems with landslides on this bank of the river due to historical deposits of tile waste and detail how these problems were thwarted to stop further erosion and avoid blockages in the river. This is not something I would have known anything about if I hadn’t have been following the Let’s Go Quackers trail. It just goes to show how educational these projects can be. The trail now continues back towards the iron bridge along the Severn Way and this is where you’ll find the next two ducks. 8. C-Ellie-Brate Designed by Ellie Perks from Abraham Darby Academy and painted by artist Traci Moss, C-Ellie-Brate features a joyous collage of celebratory imagery from balloons (by the hundred) and banners to cake and confetti. A riot of colour, she stands for all there is to celebrate about these sculpture trails. I saw so many children running towards and hugging the ducks once they’d spotted them whilst breaking out in laughter and this really demonstrates the joy these sculptures bring to a family day out. That’s definitely something to celebrate in my book! 9. Paddlington Duck Further along the Severn Way, you may recognise the outfit of duck no.9 as that belonging to the much loved Paddington Bear. Designer Laura Palczynski has given Paddlington (love this pun) his very own hat and he looks super smart in his red coat complete with marmalade sandwich. Painted by artist Betti Moretti, the message painted on his tag ‘Please look after this duck, thank you’ referencing the adorable Paddington bear stories, is a touch bittersweet now as unfortunately several of the ducks have been intentionally damaged since they took to their perches in early May. This became apparent when I got to the site of the last duck on the trail. The path of the Severn Way eventually ends in a car park and you’ll find Lady Victoria at the far end next to the iron bridge entrance. Make sure you stop to admire the best view of Ironbridge on the way. 10. Lady Victoria Designed and painted by artist Megan Evans, unfortunately I didn’t get to see Lady Victoria as she was sadly vandalised on the very first night that the ducks flew in to roost. As a result she had to be removed for repair to the duck hospital. Following her progress on social media, the damages garnered much support and I’m pleased to say she is now back on her perch. Unfortunately the Peace Duck was stolen from his perch a few weeks later and was found downstream having been thrown into the river. He is now undergoing repair at duck hospital and hopefully he’ll make it back out onto the trail soon. It’s such a crying shame that there are individuals out there who are destroying the experience for other people and ultimately denying the charities significant funds as these ducks are to be auctioned off at the end of the trail to raise money. I’m gutted not to have seen Lady Victoria but have loved exploring the Let’s Go Quackers trail. It’s time now to walk across the bridge, though pop into the toll house before you do – it serves as the town’s tourist information centre and there’s also a small museum about the history of the bridge. If you’re here before 3.30pm, you’re able to walk across on the lower path (though this is one way from the other side) and here you can access a series of information panels and displays about the restoration project. Otherwise walk across the top, admire the view up the gorge and then find yourself a pub or tearoom on the other side. You’ve earned yourself a drink! I can highly recommend The Tea Emporium which as the name suggests serves a huge variety of loose leaf teas, ideal for big tea drinkers like me. You can even buy some of your favourites to take home too. There is so much more to see in Ironbridge than is accessed on the Let’s Go Quackers Trail, but it’s definitely succeeded in introducing me to the gorge and highlighting the history of the area in a fun and interactive way. I can’t wait to return to Ironbridge to explore the rest of the World Heritage museums and historic sites. As I walked back to my car at the beginning of the trail, I was plotting my return visit in my head. Let’s Go Quackers is on till the 8th July 2018 in Ironbridge, when the ducks will fly off to take up their second perch in Southwater, Telford from the 14th July. So, here’s the most important question now! Which duck is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below. If like me you’re a fan of sculpture trails then check out my trips to see the Herd of Sheffield elephants and the Go Herdwick sheep in Keswick and Grasmere, then in Windermere, Bowness and Ambleside. If you’ve enjoyed reading this, please subscribe to my blog via email over on my profile page or through Bloglovin’. Then head on over to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to keep up with all my travel related news. Hope to see you there. PIN IT!

Cathedrals, Churches and Chocolate… These are a few of my favourite things! So on my recent trip to Brussels, my second time visiting the city; I made a day of these fine things! Staying in the hotel district of Brussels near Rogier metro station, it was a short walk to the Hotel Metropole for morning coffee, or in my case a hot chocolate, the first of the day! I had read about the hotel cafe’s sumptuous renaissance decor prior to arriving and decided I had to visit just to see its interiors! A hot chocolate and accompanying pastry seemed like a good excuse to have a nosy at the hotel’s fine interior. And the hot chocolate was delicious, though as I was to discover later in the day – was not the best on offer in Brussels. Eglise Saint Jean-Baptiste au Beguinage Set up for the morning, I set off in search of my first churches of the day, both very close to Hotel Metropole. Crossing the main Boulevard Anspach from the hotel, head down Rue des Augustins and bear right on Rue du Cypres to reach Place du Beguinage where on rounding the corner the stunning baroque edifice of Eglise Saint Jean-Baptiste au Beguinage (St John the Baptist at the Beguinage) greets you. The church stands in what was once the largest beguine community in Belgium, the beguinage being the architectural complex which housed beguine women. These women were lay nuns, who opted for a secluded existence of voluntary poverty, and devoted themselves to charitable deeds and religious devotion, but were not bound by permanent vows. The beguine movement swept across Western Europe in the 12th century and this beguinage was home to 1,200 women. The complex typically consisted of a church, courtyard, cottages and houses for the women, communal rooms and work rooms. Most beguinages disappeared in the 16th century during the Protestant Reformation; indeed the previous church on this site was destroyed by Calvinists (a major branch of the Reformed Church) in 1585. As a result the beguines decided to rebuild their church in the baroque style and the building of the current Eglise St Jean-Baptiste was started in 1657. The structure was inspired by the Gesu Church in Rome (which is reported to have been constructed with the first truly Baroque facade), and combines lavish Baroque style decoration inside and on the facade with some Gothic structural components. Designed by Luc Fayd’Herbe, a student of Rubens, this Flemish Baroque Masterpiece is often cited as Belgium’s prettiest church. Now I’ve not ventured outside of Greater Brussels, so I can’t comment; but of all those I’ve seen in the city, this certainly takes the award for the most ornate and if the exterior was cleaned up, it’d certainly be in the running for the most beautiful. Unfortunately the church was closed when I visited, so I did not get to experience it’s equally stunning interior. Eglise St Catherine From the Place du Beguinage set off down Rue du Peuplier to emerge into a large elongated square and to your left you’ll see the Northern side of the Eglise St Catherine. It’s hard to imagine but this area was once the site of the now invisible and diverted River Senne with moorings to serve the city’s famous fish market. The restaurants which line both sides of the square feature fish-strong menus, so the area has kept its reputation as ‘fish centre.’ Situated in front of the present water basin (which turns out to be only a few inches deep) is a large iron wheel which formed part of the mechanism of the old revolving bridge “de Bargues”. The wheel was found in 1979 when new basins were being excavated and its position here forms a stark contrast between the quiet religious and bustling industrial markets. It’s also serves as a reminder of the days when the river used to come right through the area. As you move round to the front of the Eglise St-Catherine, the first thing that comes in to view is the separate bell tower which is the only remaining feature of the original 15th century church. This Baroque bell tower added in 1629 would have flanked the choir in the old church. The present church building was re-designed in 1854-59 by Joseph Poelaert in a mix of Gothic and Baroque styles, with rounded Norman style arches and is thought to be inspired by the Eglise St-Eustache in Paris. Inside you can find a 14th century statue of the Black Madonna and a portrait of St-Catherine. The entrance to the church is particularly imposing and mimics the height and width of the spacious nave arches of the interior. The Place St-Catherine which extends out in front of the main entrance was only laid in 1870 after the basin was filled in. There was a vibrant market in action while I was there and a pervasive smell of fish from the fresh fish stalls and many restaurants that surround the square. This would definitely be the place to come to sample some seafood. And on the subject of food, I think it was time to locate some more chocolate, maybe lunch, but definitely chocolate. Lunch & Chocolate (not necessarily in that order) Take the Rue Ste-Catherine back to Boulevard Anspach and cross over to the imposing Bourse (to the right) – Belgium’s 1873 stock-exchange building. Walking down the left hand side of the grandiose building, you’ll come upon the Eglise St-Nicolas. This 1956 gothic-style west end of the church is the best view of it as the rest is almost completely hidden by surrounding shops and houses. On the approach to the Grand Place, the chocolate shops reign supreme! Check out Corne Port-Royal and La Cure Gourmande. The latter I discovered earlier this year in Paris and is a Parisian brand, but their biscuit fancies are divine and worth spending a few euros on for a snack. The delicacies that are shaped like a loom’s shuttle and flavoured in Vanilla, Cinnamon and Chocolate chip are gorgeous. And if you fancy a savoury version, they sell bags of bite-sized ones flavoured with herbs. So moreish! If you can tear yourself away from the magnificent architecture of the Grand Place, I recommend a visit to Godiva located towards the Eastern corner of the square – the chocolate covered strawberries in the window are delish! Mark this as a place to return to for dessert later! You will fall over chocolate shop after chocolate shop on any of the roads leading off the Grand Place so go explore – Brussels really is a chocolate lovers dream! But it was now time for lunch (and another hot chocolate) and I can recommend Mokafe in the Gallleries St-Hubert. Their hot chocolate was probably my favourite that I tasted on this trip to Brussels. The food was excellent too, so after amazingly presented salads which tasted equally as nice, superb crepes and (more) hot chocolate it was time to hit the pavements again! Delices du Roy, next door to Mokafe enticed me with chocolate macaroons, but don’t spend too long looking in all the deli’s and chocolate shops at this point as they stay open till late evening, so it’s worth coming back then after all the churches and other attractions have shut for the day. Brussels Cathedral Exit the Galeries St Hubert at the opposite end to the Grand Place and turn right up the Rue d’Arrenberg to the intersection where looking up through the tree lined pathway to the left, you’ll spot the Cathedral of St Michel and St Gudule, the national church of Belgium. Not dissimilar in appearance to the frontage of Notre-Dame in Paris, this is my favourite church building in Brussels, (and probably the cleanest!) Like with most church and cathedral sites, the current building was not the first. A chapel to St Michael has existed on the site from the 9th century, followed by a collegiate church in the 11th century. After the relics of St Gudule were brought to the site, it became known as the collegiate church of both saints. The building of the current gothic church was begun in the 13th century at the behest of Henry I, Duke of Brabant and took 300 years to complete. It was only given cathedral status in 1962. The interior of this building should not be missed as it is spectacular! After the nave’s restoration in the 1980’s, the stones, vaults and windows were returned to their former glory and the nave is flooded with light, with magnificent stained glass delivering a luminescence throughout the interior. The extremely colourful stained glass windows of the nave’s side aisles were designed by J.B. Capronnier in the 19th century and the rather large transept windows were made by Jean Haeck, a master glass-worker from Antwerp, from paintings by Brussels painter Bernard Van Orley. They are particularly unusual as they are single images picked out against a clear glass background and therefore it’s very easy to unravel the story in the glass. They represent the rulers of Belgium in 1537/8. Also of particular note in the cathedral is the stunning and architecturally beautiful organ created by German organ-builder Gerhard Grenzing in 2000. A total of 4,300 pipes occupy an unusual position split into three high up on the northern side of the nave. I would have loved to be present for organ practice or a service to hear what it sounded like. It’s free to enter the cathedral, but if you want to visit the crypt and/or the treasury, there is a small admission charge. 3 more churches You probably won’t have time to fit in all the rest of the following churches, but if you’re happy to just marvel in awe at the exterior of the buildings, take the following route to see the next 3 churches. Pass round the southern side of the cathedral and take the road curving off to the right, then turn left to head up to the Parc de Bruxelles. On reaching the corner of the park walk along the edge alongside the tram route until you reach the Place Royale. The Eglise St-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg dominates this square, though looks more like a Greek temple than a church. Continue along till you see Notre-Dame du Sablon on the right, then walk down to the Place du Grand Sablon, exiting out its western side on Rue Stevens to reach Notre Dame de la Chapelle. This building is a joyful mismatch of different construction styles due to repeated damage as a result of fire and bombardments. Therefore numerous reconstructions have heralded a rather attractive building despite its mismatch of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque styles. In the spirit of making comparisons, the tower and roof line are not out of keeping with a typical German or Romanian castle. Do you agree? More Chocolate! After all this walking, it’s either time for a drink, a meal or both: it certainly was for me; so make your way back towards the Grand Place and reward yourself with a little of what you fancy, but don’t forget to head back to Godiva for chocolate covered strawberries afterwards to be enjoyed while stood marvelling at the magnificently lit Grand Place! Spend the evening taking in more chocolate culture as the stores typically stay open till 11pm. Make sure you find La Belgique Gourmande: their chocolate offerings are varied and the truffles were my personal favourite amongst all I tried. Pick up some of their dark chocolate covered orange peel – Oh my – I didn’t think I’d like it, but it was extraordinarily delicious! Other chocolatiers I can recommend are Bruyerre, Leonidas and Elisabeth. It’s worth noting that there are many outlets of each chocolatier across the city centre, so no need to get to a specific location as you’ll likely pass another elsewhere. I lost count of the number of Godiva’s I saw. And one last church! If you have time on another day in Brussels, there’s one last church you must check out! It’s a little way out of the city centre, so you’d need to hop on public transport…. and that’s the National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in the Koekelberg district. This is a magnificent Art Deco monument and ranks fifth among the world’s largest churches, after the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Paix in Yamoussokro on the Ivory Coast, St Peter’s in Rome, St Paul’s in London and Santa Maria Dei Fiori in Florence. It was built under the instruction of King Leopold II to honour the 75th anniversary of Belgium’s independence and was inspired by the Sacre-Coeur in Paris. Work began on the basilica in 1905, but wasn’t completed till 1970 due to funding complications and the influence of two world wars. Architect Albert van Huffel designed the art deco masterpiece that eventually came into being in the 1920’s in order to make it less expensive to build while embracing the new and greatly admired design movement. Inside there are 2 museums, the Museum of the Black Sisters and the Museum of Modern Religious Art. I recommend jumping on the Number 2 or 6 metro line in a clockwise direction to Simonis (Leopold II) and walking up the tree-lined approach to it! Do you recommend visiting any other churches in Brussels? Which is your favourite chocolatier? And where are your favourite hot chocolate spots? I’m sure you’ll agree with me that churches and chocolate are great companions! PIN IT!

After spending many days in this wonderful city, I’ve come up with the ideal single day itinerary for those who only have 24 hours to explore the Belgian capital of Brussels! There are so many things to do and see in and around Brussels but with limited time, this itinerary concentrates on the historic centre. I’ve detailed my one day itinerary by starting in the morning and finishing late evening, but you could easily change the day around to fit any 24 hour period depending on when you arrive in the city. Around The Grand Place Any trip to the Belgian Capital be it one day or one week should begin in the Grand Place, one of the finest city squares in the world and rightly so became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. Whichever way you approach the enclosed cobblestoned square, stunning architecture greets you and the further you venture in, the bigger the wow factor becomes. Just find yourself a position in the centre and slowly turn around and around taking it all in. The grandeur will not fail to impress! The Grand Place is the geographical, historical and commercial heart of the city and remains the civic centre centuries after its creation. It displays the best example of 17th Century Flemish ornate architecture. Originally, the guild houses lining the square were a concoction of different styles, but after the fire of 1695, most of the facades were destroyed and the trade guilds instructed to rebuild their frontages in approved styles, resulting in the harmonious unity of baroque buildings we see today. The focal point in the Grand Place is the unnaturally tall spire of the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) which towers 315 ft high and is resplendent with ornate stone carvings. Standing opposite is the equally ornate Maison du Roi, home to the Musée de la Ville (City Museum) and worth a visit if time allows. If you are visiting on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday morning, the famous flower market will greet you; however, if you’re looking for a truly memorable experience, keep in mind the unforgettable flower carpet that happens every 2 years and plan your visit to coincide. Head round the back of the Maison du Roi to the Tourist Information Office where you can pick up a map if you don’t already have one, then delve into the side streets around the Grand Place checking out the many chocolate shops and lace and tapestry emporiums, three of Belgium’s greatest exports. Head down the Rue Charles Buls off the Grand Place (which turns into the Rue de l’Etuve) which I apologise is extremely touristy, but 3 blocks from the Grand Place and you’ll stumble across the Manneken Pis, a fountain statue of a little boy relieving himself into a small pool. At only 2ft tall, you’d be forgiven for wondering what all the hype is about but whatever your thoughts are about this most unlikely of attractions, this famous ‘pisser’ has become the symbol of the city. Most of the time, his nakedness is hidden beneath a costume which changes on a regular basis and his ever-growing wardrobe is displayed in the city museum at the Maison du Roi. Lunchtime Depending on how long you’ve spent exploring the streets around the Grand Place, it’s probably now time for a bite to eat. For those on a budget, choose one of the many eateries along the Rue des Bouchers, a tourist attraction in its own right. Here restaurants fall over each other with seating sprawled out onto the pavements practically touching each other, so pick your way through with care and expect to get accosted by restaurant staff trying to get you in to their establishment. The offerings are plain and simple and menus very similar from one place to the next with moules frites and steak frites being popular options, but the food very tasty and served quickly. For more salubrious surroundings with a bigger budget, head to the nearby area of Ste-Catherine and chose from a plethora of seafood restaurants in the shadow of Eglise Ste. Catherine. Afternoon: Take in a Museum After lunch, choose from one of the city’s excellent museums. As already mentioned, back on the Grand Place there’s the Musée de la Ville at the Maison du Roi where you’ll learn all about the history of the city. Maps, paintings, models and architectural relics tell the story of Brussels including such detail as why there’s no river running through the centre as you would expect from most inland cities. Also see a good selection of the Manneken Pis’s many costumes, for me a far more intriguing prospect than seeing the statue itself. If costume and textiles are your thing, check out the Musée du Costume et de la Dentelle – the Costume and Lace Museum. Lace is one of Belgium’s finest crafts since the 16th Century so it’s not surprising there is a museum dedicated to its development and applications for under and outer wear over time. For art buffs, visit the Musées Royaux de Beaux-Arts, a prestigious museum split into the Musée d’Art Ancien (ancient art), the Musée Fin de Siècle (19th/20th Century Art) and the Musée Magritte, the latter of which houses the world’s largest collection of the Belgian surrealist painter’s work: René Magritte. A quirkier offering is the Underpant Museum located above above the Dolle Mol Cafe, which features collages incorporating the underpants of Belgian celebrities. Other options are: The National Bank of Belgium Museum Musee BELvue, which charts Belgium’s history from independence to the present Coudenberg: a subterranean archaeological site of the remains of Brussels old palace The Musee des Instruments de Musique – Brussels famous music museum housed in the Old England building where there are more than 2000 historic musical instruments on display with audio clips of most delivered by a headset provided on entry. Lastly there’s the Museum of Comic Strip Art: the Centre Belge de la Band Dessinée. This museum pays tribute to many world famous comic strip artists from Belgium and abroad with a large concentration of works featuring Tintin: probably the most well known Belgian comic character. After getting your cultural fix, ascend the Mont des Arts Kunstberg admiring the impressive 1958 clock which features figurines marking each of the hours. Stop for a drink at Kwint’s open air terrace while enjoying a lovely view over the city. Admire the Old England Building (home of the Music Museum) whose imposing black facade with wrought iron detail and arched windows easily makes it the most beautiful Art Nouveau building in Brussels. Continue on up to the Place Royale and pop in to the Eglise Jacque sur Coudenberg if it’s open, then head round the corner to take a selfie in front of the impressive frontage of the Palais Royal. Cross the road to walk through the Parc de Bruxelles enjoying the largest area of green in Brussels centre, exiting at the other end by the Palais de la Nation and down to the Brussels Cathedral of St Michel and St Gudule. Open until 6pm, the cathedral is free to enter, with admission only charged to enter the crypt and the treasury. Marvel at the stained glass on display – it’s some of the most colourful I’ve seen and floods the nave with light so you should get some good photos! Read more about a visit to the cathedral here Evening Take one of the many routes back down to the shopping area bordering the Grand Place and wander through the attractive Galeries St-Hubert, a 19th Century neo-classical shopping arcade and the first of its kind in Europe. Choose from one of the eclectic cafes/restaurants inside for tea: I can recommend Mokafe. Then conclude your evening meal with a few chocolate truffles and sweet fancies at a nearby chocolate shop, such as La Belgique Gourmande or Elisabeth. Finish off the day where you started back at the Grand Place which is truly magical at night-time when all the buildings are beautifully illuminated and a sight that should not be missed! TIP! You can keep enjoying the Belgian chocolate scene until late as stores typically stay open till 11pm, so don’t use too many of your daylight hours doing this when you could be sight-seeing instead. Here is a further Brussels day itinerary centred on Churches and Chocolate, two of my favourite things! What are your favourite parts of historic Brussels?

Austria in winter has lots to offer the non-skier. At mountain level near Zell am See, ascend the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier & Schmittenhohe for stunning views! #ZellamSee #Austria #Kitzsteinhorn

Cast from your mind the image of sun-seeking beach holidays. I’m here to create a different impression of this sun-trap in the Mediterranean. Historic pride with a mix of cultures and beautiful cities – this is the Malta I found back in January. Despite the puzzled looks on friends’ faces querying why you’d visit Malta at this time of year, I had planned a 3 night break staying in the capital of Valletta which held a certain draw being a UNESCO World Heritage city and the European Capital of Culture for 2018. I found a Maltese city break very much alive in January, so if you’ve never been, here are my impressions of this beautiful island and the ideal starting point for planning your travels round Malta. Arriving in Malta I’ll let you in on a secret though – I didn’t always consider the island of Malta beautiful. For those few minutes before touchdown at Luqa International Airport, grazing over what looked like messy run-down unfinished towns and villages; masses of white grey blocks strewn amongst untidy field lines dotted with dull dead trees, (no leaves of course in January to increase the greenery) I was seriously considering what I was thinking when I booked this trip. It did not look attractive from a bird’s eye view. However once in a taxi speeding towards Valletta, those white grey blocks were actually more sandy yellow at ground level, and although the areas we passed still largely looked run down and missing lovely slanting roofs in favour of flat tops, it kind of had a charm all of its own. Roads are busy and taxi drivers are speedsters and a tad crazy, but marvel at the beautiful churches which stand out amongst the mish-mash of blocky buildings en route to the capital (just a few miles away) and before you know it, the seriously impressive bastion walls of Valletta greet you and the narrow back streets at silly angles become the norm. Speeding down Old Mint Street is quite a hair-raising experience. Valletta: Capital of Malta Let loose on the streets of Valletta and suddenly you find yourself catapulted back in time to the 16th century when the city was built and buildings largely date from this era. As well as impressive baroque facades, a very unusual architecture emerges on the back streets: three storey town houses with windows and balconies adorned with different coloured shutters built out over the street. In various states of disrepair they generally look rustic and what I considered a little weather beaten and in need of a new coat of paint, but this rustic look became very much part of Valletta’s charm. Although my trip was largely based in Valletta, it became clear when I did venture beyond the city that the architectural style reached the other towns too. Then ah! I couldn’t believe it? Did I spy a red pillar box?! No way – but we’re so far from the UK – the only place I’ve seen them before! Then, rounding a corner – Really? Another one…and right next to a British red telephone box too. How surreal! There are so many of these red accents in the Maltese landscape that my head felt like it was back in the UK, but in foreign climbs set against old sandy yellow buildings. Before you know it, you’ll be snapping away seeking out those specks of red in unusual settings (but that’s another post entirely!) Then, as I walked down the main shopping street, I spied Pizza Hut, Costa Coffee, New Look and Marks & Spencer and ‘surreal’ took on a whole new level, my head now completely confused! England…or Mediterranean Island? It’s then that I thought about the history of Malta – the fact that there have been so many countries that have ruled Malta over the centuries; it’s hardly a surprise that the country is such a mixing pot of cultures. There are large Italian and Arab influences, particularly visible in the architecture and the language, but it made me giggle to myself that the legacy of the British rule was the adoption of the red phone and post boxes, and the ability to get a good cup of tea! Yes, it did not go unnoticed to me that in the various cafes I went into, tea was at the top of the menu, so if like me you miss your finest cup of Tetley’s or Yorkshire when visiting other countries, you won’t have this problem in Malta. Although Maltese is an official language, everybody seemed to speak English, so it’s an easy country to travel to if you find language barriers a problem. They also drive on the ‘correct’ side of the road too! OK, so maybe there is more to the British legacy than just those specks of red in the landscape! Many attractions in Valletta grabbed my attention, but none more so than the interior of the co-cathedral of St John. Oh my, what a vision, a golden spectacle! And after being mesmerised by the magnificent interior, the want to visit Mdina, Malta’s ancient capital to see the country’s other co-cathedral of St Paul was immense. Mdina: Malta’s ‘Silent City’ As Malta is such a small island, nowhere is particularly far to get to and being based in Valletta makes getting anywhere easy as all bus routes start/end in the capital. As a result, it’s easy to decide at the last minute to pop off somewhere else. Mdina was something else! Perched on a hilltop, this ancient walled city looked impressive on approach. The Maltese certainly knew how to build a wall. Full of narrow alleys with 90 degree turns leading you this way, that way, the other way: the city is just marvellous! The old original walls although crumbling are clean and bright, producing a photo opportunity around every corner. On seeing St Paul’s and various other churches throughout Malta, it became clear just how much all Maltese churches are modelled on the twin towers of Valletta’s St John’s cathedral. Both co-cathedrals have relatively plain and unassuming exteriors with lavishly decorated interiors. Mdina’s cathedral contains pinky marbles and rich red drapes, in some ways resembling a West End theatre and I much preferred this interior to that of St John’s as in my opinion too much gold can feel oppressive. Exploring Valletta Back in Valletta, a walk around the coastline (which extends around 3 sides of the city) reveals a bit of everything inherent to Malta. Extensive bastion walls and fortifications extend right round the city, as well as beyond to the other side of the Grand Harbour (on the eastern side)where the ‘3 cities’ of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua sit, all still fortified cities. Because of its historically and strategically important geographical position in the centre of the Mediterranean leaving the island heavily sought after amongst ruling nations, it’s not surprising there are so many fortifications visible along its coastline. Walking past St Elmo’s fort on the Northern tip of Valletta, you reach Marxanssett Harbour on the western side of the city; the high rise hotel and apartment blocks lining the shores of Sliema and beyond on the other side. Coastal resorts such as these are where the hoards of summer tourists flock to soak up the famous Mediterranean sun, sea, beach-life and water sports. A great overview of Malta can be seen at “The Malta Experience”, a 45 minute wide-screen documentary in a theatre, detailing the history of Malta from the Neolithic period right up to the country’s independence in 1954. No wonder much of Malta looks run down and crumbling as World War II saw Malta bombed beyond recognition and areas are still being rebuilt and restored today. This film only exacerbated my thirst for discovering more of Malta’s historical sites, and ideas for a future trip itinerary were already formulating in my head before even heading back to the airport. This definitely needs to include the Neolithic temples and Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, as well as exploring coastal beauty spots such as the Dingli cliffs and Blue Grotto, and Comino’s Blue Lagoon. Malta’s history under different countries rule may have brought influences from all over the place, but these all combine to create a special Maltese culture and an incredibly friendly bunch of people whose only intent seems to be to make sure you get the best holiday of your life! Nowhere did I see this more acutely obvious than at the Casa Rocca Piccola where the Marquis de Piro invites you into his home on a Friday evening and shows you round his traditional Maltese mansion, the only one of its kind left in Valletta, whilst plying you with champagne and nibbles ‘a la Malta’, telling stories of old and generally just having a chat as if you were personal family friends. Always guaranteed a tour lead by a family member, I was lucky enough to get the Marquis Nicholas himself and his wife Frances, two incredible personalities and it was the best possible itinerary for a Friday evening in January when it’s dark outside and you’ve just arrived on the island. The spirit of Malta was alive in this tour and these people and I could not have asked for anything more! Get in Touch! 3 days was nowhere near long enough to discover all Malta has to offer, but it was certainly a great start and I cannot help believing it will not be long before I return Have you been to Malta? What did you think to the country? Please let me know in the comments below – I’d love to hear from you… If you’ve enjoyed reading this, please subscribe to my blog via email over on my profile page to receive notifications of when new posts go live. You can also sign up to receive my newsletter, or follow me through Bloglovin’. Then head on over to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to keep up with all my travel related news. Hope to see you there. Further Reading: European Cultural Travel Discover the ancient city of Perge and Aspendos amphitheatre in Turkey Discover Penshaw Monument – the Greek Temple of North East England Learn about the U.K. Knife Angel – a contemporary sculpture and monumental memorial How to spend 24 hours in the Belgian capital of Brussels Go underground in a Welsh Gold mine: Dolaucothi Gold Mine Discover the monumental Dream sculpture at Sutton Manor Woodlands in Merseyside, England PIN FOR LATER!

The Knife Angel is a 27ft monumental sculpture with a powerful message. Made from 100,000+ surrendered knives, it tackles the issue of knife crime head on. #KnifeAngel #KnifeAngelonTour #Liverpool #BritishIronworkCentre

After spending many days in this wonderful city, I’ve come up with the ideal single day itinerary for those who only have 24 hours to explore the Belgian capital of Brussels! There are so many things to do and see in and around Brussels but with limited time, this itinerary concentrates on the historic centre. I’ve detailed my one day itinerary by starting in the morning and finishing late evening, but you could easily change the day around to fit any 24 hour period depending on when you arrive in the city. Around The Grand Place Any trip to the Belgian Capital be it one day or one week should begin in the Grand Place, one of the finest city squares in the world and rightly so became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. Whichever way you approach the enclosed cobblestoned square, stunning architecture greets you and the further you venture in, the bigger the wow factor becomes. Just find yourself a position in the centre and slowly turn around and around taking it all in. The grandeur will not fail to impress! The Grand Place is the geographical, historical and commercial heart of the city and remains the civic centre centuries after its creation. It displays the best example of 17th Century Flemish ornate architecture. Originally, the guild houses lining the square were a concoction of different styles, but after the fire of 1695, most of the facades were destroyed and the trade guilds instructed to rebuild their frontages in approved styles, resulting in the harmonious unity of baroque buildings we see today. The focal point in the Grand Place is the unnaturally tall spire of the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) which towers 315 ft high and is resplendent with ornate stone carvings. Standing opposite is the equally ornate Maison du Roi, home to the Musée de la Ville (City Museum) and worth a visit if time allows. If you are visiting on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday morning, the famous flower market will greet you; however, if you’re looking for a truly memorable experience, keep in mind the unforgettable flower carpet that happens every 2 years and plan your visit to coincide. Head round the back of the Maison du Roi to the Tourist Information Office where you can pick up a map if you don’t already have one, then delve into the side streets around the Grand Place checking out the many chocolate shops and lace and tapestry emporiums, three of Belgium’s greatest exports. Head down the Rue Charles Buls off the Grand Place (which turns into the Rue de l’Etuve) which I apologise is extremely touristy, but 3 blocks from the Grand Place and you’ll stumble across the Manneken Pis, a fountain statue of a little boy relieving himself into a small pool. At only 2ft tall, you’d be forgiven for wondering what all the hype is about but whatever your thoughts are about this most unlikely of attractions, this famous ‘pisser’ has become the symbol of the city. Most of the time, his nakedness is hidden beneath a costume which changes on a regular basis and his ever-growing wardrobe is displayed in the city museum at the Maison du Roi. Lunchtime Depending on how long you’ve spent exploring the streets around the Grand Place, it’s probably now time for a bite to eat. For those on a budget, choose one of the many eateries along the Rue des Bouchers, a tourist attraction in its own right. Here restaurants fall over each other with seating sprawled out onto the pavements practically touching each other, so pick your way through with care and expect to get accosted by restaurant staff trying to get you in to their establishment. The offerings are plain and simple and menus very similar from one place to the next with moules frites and steak frites being popular options, but the food very tasty and served quickly. For more salubrious surroundings with a bigger budget, head to the nearby area of Ste-Catherine and chose from a plethora of seafood restaurants in the shadow of Eglise Ste. Catherine. Afternoon: Take in a Museum After lunch, choose from one of the city’s excellent museums. As already mentioned, back on the Grand Place there’s the Musée de la Ville at the Maison du Roi where you’ll learn all about the history of the city. Maps, paintings, models and architectural relics tell the story of Brussels including such detail as why there’s no river running through the centre as you would expect from most inland cities. Also see a good selection of the Manneken Pis’s many costumes, for me a far more intriguing prospect than seeing the statue itself. If costume and textiles are your thing, check out the Musée du Costume et de la Dentelle – the Costume and Lace Museum. Lace is one of Belgium’s finest crafts since the 16th Century so it’s not surprising there is a museum dedicated to its development and applications for under and outer wear over time. For art buffs, visit the Musées Royaux de Beaux-Arts, a prestigious museum split into the Musée d’Art Ancien (ancient art), the Musée Fin de Siècle (19th/20th Century Art) and the Musée Magritte, the latter of which houses the world’s largest collection of the Belgian surrealist painter’s work: René Magritte. A quirkier offering is the Underpant Museum located above above the Dolle Mol Cafe, which features collages incorporating the underpants of Belgian celebrities. Other options are: The National Bank of Belgium Museum Musee BELvue, which charts Belgium’s history from independence to the present Coudenberg: a subterranean archaeological site of the remains of Brussels old palace The Musee des Instruments de Musique – Brussels famous music museum housed in the Old England building where there are more than 2000 historic musical instruments on display with audio clips of most delivered by a headset provided on entry. Lastly there’s the Museum of Comic Strip Art: the Centre Belge de la Band Dessinée. This museum pays tribute to many world famous comic strip artists from Belgium and abroad with a large concentration of works featuring Tintin: probably the most well known Belgian comic character. After getting your cultural fix, ascend the Mont des Arts Kunstberg admiring the impressive 1958 clock which features figurines marking each of the hours. Stop for a drink at Kwint’s open air terrace while enjoying a lovely view over the city. Admire the Old England Building (home of the Music Museum) whose imposing black facade with wrought iron detail and arched windows easily makes it the most beautiful Art Nouveau building in Brussels. Continue on up to the Place Royale and pop in to the Eglise Jacque sur Coudenberg if it’s open, then head round the corner to take a selfie in front of the impressive frontage of the Palais Royal. Cross the road to walk through the Parc de Bruxelles enjoying the largest area of green in Brussels centre, exiting at the other end by the Palais de la Nation and down to the Brussels Cathedral of St Michel and St Gudule. Open until 6pm, the cathedral is free to enter, with admission only charged to enter the crypt and the treasury. Marvel at the stained glass on display – it’s some of the most colourful I’ve seen and floods the nave with light so you should get some good photos! Read more about a visit to the cathedral here Evening Take one of the many routes back down to the shopping area bordering the Grand Place and wander through the attractive Galeries St-Hubert, a 19th Century neo-classical shopping arcade and the first of its kind in Europe. Choose from one of the eclectic cafes/restaurants inside for tea: I can recommend Mokafe. Then conclude your evening meal with a few chocolate truffles and sweet fancies at a nearby chocolate shop, such as La Belgique Gourmande or Elisabeth. Finish off the day where you started back at the Grand Place which is truly magical at night-time when all the buildings are beautifully illuminated and a sight that should not be missed! TIP! You can keep enjoying the Belgian chocolate scene until late as stores typically stay open till 11pm, so don’t use too many of your daylight hours doing this when you could be sight-seeing instead. Here is a further Brussels day itinerary centred on Churches and Chocolate, two of my favourite things! What are your favourite parts of historic Brussels?