On our 10 day trip around Ireland the highlight was definitely a trip to the island of Skellig Michael, off the south west coast just off the Ring of Kerry.
A rocky outcrop and hour and a half by boat from the mainland on a little old boat its worth the effort to get there.
The ancient remains of a stone monastry, with beehive huts, cemetary and churches is reached by a steep stone cliff walk. Not for the feint hearted. Both Skellig Michael and nearby Small Skellig are home to many birds incl...
Porto, Portugal recommendation
We visited Porto as part of a 2 week trip through Portugal and it was one of the highlights. Of course there is the sun and warmth of the rest of the country but it also has many other attractions.
We really enjoyed visiting the port wine lodges on the other side of the river- most offer free tastings and you can buy some to take home (yum). We really enjoyed just walking through the narrow colour full streets, although there was obvious poverty which was a confronting at the same time.
In t...
Ypres, Belgium recommendation
If you're interested in modern history then its definitely worthwhile going to see where some of the bloodiest battles of WWI were fought. We went on a tour with Salient Tours who were very good. It was moving to hear the last post at the Menin Gate in Ypres- it is played every night at 8.00pm. Its not a party town so dont expect it. However those lovely Belgian beers are available in the bars around the Cloth Hall in the main square.
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Bordeaux, France recommendation
We went to Bordeaux and its surrounds for a long weekend at the start of May. Its well worth the trip. I would recommend hiring a car as it allowed us to see a lot in the short time we were there. Bordeaux itself was nice for about a day but the highlights were in the nearby medieval town of St Emilion for visiting fantastic vinyards. We splurged and stayed at Chateau Roque- a good 20 minutes drive from St Emilion. Also recommended is a drive to the coast on the otherside of Bordeaux to visit Ar...
Bath, England recommendation
On a long weekend we took ourselves out of London and off to Bath on the train to take in the waters and see the sights. We stayed at a good little B&B in the centre of town called The Henry- with great cooked breakfasts and close to all the action.
Highlights included:
- high tea at the pump house attached to the roman bath ruins.
- looking through the roman bath ruins and learning about the long history Bath has had with high society.
- half day tour to Stonehenge with Scarper Tours- high...
