...Bath

Probably one of England's most historical cities, owing to its Roman heritage. Ideal for group visits, romantic breaks or the entire family. There’s probably something for everyone. Just remember, just because Bath is a City, it is small, which is one of its charms.

The Roman Baths is probably the most famous and popular attraction. And there is a reason why.  It’s fantastic.  And, if you do visit the Roman Baths and feel the need to take a dip, the Thermae Bath is definitely for you.  I’ll be honest.  I've been to better spa’s/Baths. However, this is England's only natural, thermal spa!  You do pay for that privilege, but there is a reason you go to the Thermae, and that is for the view! The rooftop spa is wonderful.  The panorama you get of the City , with steam rising from the water is well worth the price. We went in the winter, with snow on the hills and roof tops and it was magical. In the summer, I can imagine it to be just as spectacular.

There is of course plenty of shopping to be had in Bath, all the major high street brands and many independents too. And the surrounding areas have lost of active pastimes, so if you are staying for a couple of nights and want to do something a hit more exhilarating, check out the possibilities. (See links at the end of this Blog).

Where to stay:

We stayed at Henrietta house. A lovely old building run by a German couple.  Honestly, I stayed there because it was within budget and catered for a one night stay.  But it was a lovely place, with some lovely touches, like homemade biscuits in the room, but if you’re staying for longer then do look around. The rooms are not huge (well, ours wasn’t). The breakfast was lovely I should add.  It reminded me of our stay in Salzburg.

The staff were extremely helpful, offering us towels etc for the Thermae Bath, to save us some money.  The location is ideal.  You can walk into the main part of the City within minutes, having crossed over the river and passed some lovely independent shops. You can walk from the train station to the Hotel,but we opted for a taxi. There is parking if you drive.

Where to eat:

I researched lots of places to eat. I was on a budget and ended up settling on Brown’s.  Set in a Grade II listed building, I hoped it would a lovely setting with reasonable food.  I was right on one count. The building is lovely.  However, I would hate to go there on a busy night.  We ate on a Friday and it wasn't hugely busy, yet we were served warm food. How long it had been waiting around is anyone's guess. The flavours combinations were good but to be quite frank, for what were ordered, you can do better at home. A note to the chef, fancy plates do not make food tastier.

On a positive note, I did have a voucher for a discount on their fine wine selection. And when i scanned the receipt the next day, i noticed the wine had not been charged at all. Somewhat of a win after a decidedly limp culinary experience. I would not suggest you avoid Brown’s. I try and give places the benefit of the doubt.  If you’re with a group of people and the food is not the main event, then it’s is probably ideal. And don't forget the setting.  the restaurant itself is exceptionally comfortable and has a nice ambiance to it.  I didn't wholly dislike my experience there.

Now strictly speaking, a cocktail bar is not somewhere to eat. And I think i’d struggle to suggest Door 34 is.  However, when we visited on Burns night, there was not only Haggis on offer, delivered by a kilted man, but there was also cheese and biscuits (probably more of a regular occurrence).  Door 34 is one of these backstreet cocktail bars where the tables need a bit of a clean.  You felt surfaces were a bit sticky.  But the staff are extremely entertaining, the cocktails are fabulous and if you’re lucky they throw in the odd freebie too!  We were so glad to have made the effort to find this place.  It was a real talking point.  Other, more ‘shiny’ cocktail bars can be found in Bath!

The oldest Tea Room in the Land (or so they say) can be found in Bath.  the famous Sally Lunn’s. My partner nearly went here on her last visit to Bath, with friends.  they couldn’t get in so went else where.  We did get in.  And I wish we hadn’t. Sally Lunn’s, aside from being the oldest tea room, is famous for the Bath bun. There’s not much you can’t serve with or on a Bath bun, it would appear.  The safe option, would be traditional rarebit, or so you would think.  Soggy bread (er sorry, Bath bun) with melted, cheddar cheese on it and a side of bitter salad is not really what I call rarebit. It was a pathetic attempt.  I looked around and the soup looked lovely, as did the smoked salmon on, yes, a Bath bun. Plates were being left empty all around us. (my plate left me empty too).

The tea there undoubtedly good. I can recommend the Russian Caravan. if you do decide to go, then don't sit on a table for two. They’re not big enough. And hopefully they’ve shown the place a lick of paint.  It just looked very tired in there.  Maybe they were trying to emphasise the fact it’s old(?).

Links:

Thermae Bath

Restaurants - Tripadvisor

http://www.henriettahouse.co.uk/

http://www.browns-restaurants.co.uk/locations/bath/

Sally Lunn’s Tripadvisor reviews

...Seville

Aire de Seville

As city breaks go, you can’t beat Seville. And i’ll tell you for why. It has the most perfect blend of history and architecture at every turn. Stylish people lining every road, sipping coffee or refreshing themselves with a cana.  Yes, in the middle of the summer it is hot. Very hot, but this forces you to explore the cool and shaded side streets in which you can easily get lost.  You discover the most fantastic ice cream parlours and little cafes where the old wooden stools and tables balance dangerously on the cobbled street.

And if you’re really lucky you’ll discover Aire de Sevilla. A bath house from history, with moorish decor and music which transports you into a different time. I visit the bath house every time I find myself in Seville. It’s a must do.

Where to stay:

Roof terrace at Vincci La Rabida

The last time I was in Seville, we stayed in a boutique hotel.  It was nice enough and right in the centre of town.  But my preference would be to stay at the Vincci la Rabida

The hotel just feels like Seville and the terrace bar has some amazing views of the city, especially at night when the Cathedral is lit up. Ideal for a pre going out drink.

As drinks go, if you find yourself in the vicinity, as it is just out of the historical centre, there is a bar, la Fabrica, where you can pour your own beer and the bar snacks are good too.  It’s just a novel place but the beer is really good and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.

Bodega Santa Cruz

Where to eat:

Now for the food. We got ripped off one night when we ate out in Seville.  It can happen everywhere.  Unfortunately the owner who was eating on the table by us didn’t anticipate the fact that we understood Spanish, so we heard each time the poor waiter was ordered to add things to our bill, or ensure that we were given large glasses etc so we incurred higher charges.  I forget the name of the restaurant but it was tucked away in its own little square and had a large outside space at the front where they had tables.   

So here’s the trick. When in Seville, do as the locals do and hit the tapas. Most bars have their own speciality, so it’s worth asking and trying something new. You might expect that the street by the Cathedral is rip off central, but you’d be wrong. It’s where you find many locals and the prices are fair.  We tend to bar hop.  Order a cana or two and a couple of tapas and move on. You can’t go wrong (unless you order pickled mussels which are foul). You can explore countless streets and you’ll find good tapas bars on all of them, just try and look for locals.  It’s a simple theory but it seems to work.  But my favourite tapas bar and this is endorsed by rick Stein (we found it first!), is halfway up the road from the cathedral, Calle Mateos gago, and sits on the corner of a side street. It’s called Bodega Santa Cruz Las Columnas and the this is where you find the best flamenquines but all the Tapas is good here.  Your bill is chalked up on the bar and the staff are friendly in their own shouty way.  Tips are nonchalantly tossed over shoulders and into the trophy high up on the wall.  The bar itself doesn't look like much but the atmosphere is superb and all the patrons are friendly.  If you want to experience true Andalusian spirit, come here.

Links:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destination/spain/72346/36-Hours-in...-Seville.html

http://www.spanishfoodworld.co.uk/rick-stein-tapas/

http://www.airedesevilla.com/

...Algarve

So where to begin... lets just pluck a destination out of the air.

And it's Portugal, the Algarve. Moncarapacho to be precise.

I visited Portugal in May 2012 with my partner. We stayed in a little village called Moncarapacho, near the coastal 'resort' of Fuseta, not more than 40 minutes drive east from Faro.

Where to stay:

If there's 2-4 of you then you can't go too far wrong with this place.  Located a stones throw from the main square, Casa Rua do Carmo.

The house itself is set over two floors, with a stylish kitchen and comfortable living room.  It is quite beautiful and you can tell the owners have an eye for interior design.  The only fault we could find with the facilities was the poor TV.

Upstairs you have two double bedrooms, both with en-suite and very comfortable beds. The stair case was solid stone and quite steep, just in case you're wanting to talk kids.

Outside, there was a small corner pool. Ideal for relaxing in with a gin and tonic and a book.  There was another area for a couple of people to sit and relax and there was also a roof top terrace, to catch some rays on.  the BBQ was also up here.  You need a head for heights for when you're carrying your supplies up here.

The roof terrace had some superb views towards to the sea and to the surrounding hill sides.

The castle gardens at Tavira

What you’ll find:
The village has everything you’ll need, from supermarkets (not so super but you’ll certainly find everything you’ll need to be self catered) and patisseries, to local markets and banks.  It has it all.  The Museum, is well worth a visit.  When we were there a lovely British woman who lived there showed us around.  For a small village, this museum had some very interesting pieces. The main square, with its floral trees and church, is a great place to people watch.  There are two cafes here and the locals agree with the tourists, Ana’s is the place to be.
You’ll want a car.  For all it’s charm, you’ll not want to spend your week in Moncarapacho.  You’re not far from the famous town of Tavira. We agreed that Tavira was stunning but preferred Moncarapacho as a place to stay.  But then we like it quiet. Tavira has your usual array of tourist traps when it comes to restaurants and shops. The walk up to the castle is well worth it.

Now for the food:
I can barely bring myself to say it but the best place for food in Moncarapacho was ‘Tapas y Pizza’.  Don’t hate me but it was.  This wonderful little place serves great pizza but also serves a great variety of dishes, all home cooked and loving prepared by the owner.  
The other local restaurants such as Colibri’s, which is raved about on TripAdvisor is, well, bland by comparison. It’s famous steak on a stone was good admittedly, really good.  But it was just a chunk of meat. The seafood, despite being by the sea, was frozen and tasteless. Everything was too salty and the service was quite frankly, rude.  

For the same money we could have feasted like kings back at the house, with a panoramic view.  Maybe we were just unlucky but maybe we just have higher standards. Afterall, this is why i’m writing this blog. I want others to be able to find those gems, where you get a really good dining experience, and not necessarily have to break the bank to get it. Colibri’s isn't that gem.
So where was the gem of this holiday.  Well,Ana’s was friendly and delicious but the winner has to go to the little seafood cafe in Fuseta called (I think) O Corvo.

This is where you find the locals, and we all know that’s a good sign. Young families, old and not so grumpy me, lovers and son’s taking their mama out for lunch.  Everyone can be found here.
We ordered the plate of the day (sardines) and one salmon.  When the sardines arrived our initial reaction was, ‘they’re ripping off the tourists’. When the salmon arrived, we thought our initial thinking was compounded. We were wrong. The portions are huge. I must have had a dozen big sardines and when i was done, the table of men next to us who were clearly there for the afternoon offered me some of theirs! 

The fish was fresh, the salad was crisp and the potatoes were not fussy.  It was a heavenly simple but delicious meal.  I felt sorry for the scrawny man glugging at ice cold beers to stay cool, stoking and attending to the BBQ (furnace) but he seemed quite content, the master of the food.
I may be wrong, in fact I know I am, but the cost of this meal for 2, including a cold drink and a coffee each, was just over 12 euros.  A bargain. A steal. A gem!
We returned one other time, when Frango, piri piri was the dish of the day. No fish, as it was a Sunday, no boats had left the harbour. Still just as delicious.

The BBQ at O Corvo, Fuseta

The island beaches in Fuseta. Take the boat.
 Well worth the trip for a private beach afternoon.