Steph's Travels

My madeleine moment – one pierogi and I’m back in Poland

Have you read ‘In Search of Lost Time’ by Marcel Proust? Don’t worry if you haven’t, you’re not alone. It’s a biggie – 4,215 pages, over a million words. Quite an undertaking. I doubt if I will read it twice. It’s the French version of War and Peace.

But I do love the idea of food having the power to take you back to certain moments in your life, just like music can. For Proust, it’s a cake that does the trick. For me it was a Polish dumpling or ‘pierogi’, on a recent visit to a local restaurant, Bistro Story.

Pierogi filled with cheese and potato, onion sauce, sour cream, divine.

The word ‘dumpling’ doesn’t really do pierogi justice. They’re not like the suet monsters we had with stew as kids (sorry Mum). Altogether lighter and fluffier and definitely tastier. They are a absolute food highlight of any Polish trip. Although I’m also partial to a potato cake with smoked salmon. It’s all about the food.

I’ve been to Warsaw and Krakow. Gdansk is next on the hitlist. Poland has all of the things I love, in spades. Interesting architecture, friendly people, enthralling history, and food, I think we’ve covered.

In Warsaw old town square. The city was destroyed by the Nazis after WW2 – only 15% was still standing and they nearly moved the capital elsewhere.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I visited Warsaw, and that was the draw. I love the unknown. I got a real bargain deal with British Airways too. It’s worth searching out those places in Europe that haven’t made it into the top ten. They are usually still lovely, but cheaper and quieter.

Another view of Warsaw old town, you would never know it’s all been reconstructed.

I know it’s hypocritical to go around the world and moan about all the tourists, but the hordes do tend to spoil the atmosphere. Obviously, Warsaw is a capital city, it’s not exactly undiscovered, but we quite often found ourselves alone, just walking along quiet streets.

Palace of Culture & Science – right opposite our room at the Intercontinental Hotel. A gift of friendship from the old Soviet Union.

As a result of the WW2 devastation, architecture in Warsaw goes from one extreme to the other – monumental Communist statements to pastel painted palaces which have been lovingly restored. It’s an interesting place for a saunter.

Warsaw also has a castle (above), unfortunately not the 14th century original or even the 17th century replacement. It has some great museums documenting the the extraordinary history of this city right at the heart of Europe – its location as much a curse as a blessing. And it has an excellent bar scene. We checked out a few places on ul Mazowiecka, which is apparently the place to go in the city centre. Needless to say, we were tucked up in bed before the bars turned into clubs, so I can’t report on whether they are any good. As soon as the music gets cranked up, I make myself scarce!

Outside the Museum of the History of Polish Jews. More than 1000 years of Jewish history in Poland was wiped out in WW2.

Because we loved Warsaw so much, we booked a trip to Krakow. Now, Krakow is firmly on the tourist trail, but we still found some hidden nooks and crannies. It’s a fact that most people are quite lazy and don’t stray far from the beaten track, which is a huge bonus if, like me, you are prepared to to wear out you shoes in search of somewhere just a bit different.

St Mary’s Basilica on Krakow’s main square. Very pretty, but by far the busiest place in town.

The tourist trail in Krakow goes from the main square to the castle and back again. After that, your average tourist will have just enough energy left to order an overpriced hot chocolate. We took a seat in one of the cafes and got ripped off by a waitress claiming to have no change. Get into the backstreets of the old town, and you can eat and drink with the locals. Tony enjoyed the beer very much, especially at €1.50 per pint.

The castle. Sacked and vandalised by various invaders over the centuries but now back to its former glory. Poor old Poland!

Go past the castle to the lovely footpath along the river Vistula, and on towards the Jewish Ghetto of Kazimierz, and you will have the place to yourself, during the day anyway. It’s beautiful, peaceful and a bit sad. We had lunch at a brilliant Israeli restaurant, Hamsa, where I tried my first (very good) Israeli wine overlooking a green square. At night, everything changes and this is the happening part of town. Getting a table for dinner can be tough but the food will be worth waiting for, and the portions will be hearty.

Travel is about experiencing the best, and the worst, of the human race. Personally I think it’s important to see both, to bear in mind what we are capable of at either end of the spectrum. The Acropolis and the Ypres Gate, the Eiffel Tower and the Berlin Wall, the temples at Angkor and the Viet Kong tunnels at Cu Chi. So going to Auschwitz-Birkenau was a given for us.

Auschwitz, the most eerie part is how serene it all feels, compared to the horrors that took place.

We caught a pre-booked minibus outside our hotel and drove through immaculate Polish villages and countryside to get to the camps. This must be one of the neatest countries in Europe. And both Auschwitz and Birkenau are well tended, manicured. On a sunny day, they are almost park-like. It makes the stories jar even more. Clearly, it’s a day out that will provoke some strong reactions, but I’m glad I went. Lest we forget is easily said, just look around at what’s happening now in our world. We do forget…

The perimeter fence at Birkenau. The camp is huge, it stretches as far as the eye can see.

So, that’s Poland for you in a nutshell. From dumplings to death camps, it will arouse your emotions. I’ll definitely be going back.

Why France will always top my holiday list

My love affair with France started at school on the French Exchange. It was the 80s. People didn’t travel as often or as widely as they do now, so it was much more exciting. We drank egg-stinky water in Vichy, went up the Puy de Dôme volcano, visited chateaux, climbed the Eiffel Tower. My best friend Threaders and I, with the longest fringes known to man, smoked our first cigs, drank in our first bar and flirted in French. France was cool and so were we!

Just your typical group of teenagers on tour at the palace of Fontainebleau. Threaders and I are mid back row.

In the early 90s when my sister, Vick, and I were at uni, my parents bought a house near Angoulême in south-west France. Now, don’t go thinking we were posh; when I say house, it had 4 rooms. Initially, the loo was outside and getting bathed involved a plastic tub in the garden.

We cycled everywhere on some old bikes left behind by the previous owner. God, they were hard work. We rode to the town of Cognac one day, 30km away, and were so knackered when we got there we immediately fell asleep on a park bench. When we woke up it was time to cycle back again.

Vick and Tony in Cognac – we did eventually get to see it properly. It’s famous for cognac, surprise!

We rode off in a different direction most days, getting fitter, blonder and browner. In the evenings, we drank cider and ate walnuts from the tree in the garden. Most people our age were heading to Spain or Greece, but we thought chilling in Charente was way cooler.

There’s always a chateau when you need one in France, pity there was no Instagram. Vick in Balzac.

Tony and I had our first holiday together at the cottage in France and we keep going back. To Champagne, to Burgundy, to the Riviera, to the Atlantic coast. And I still have a French wishlist as long as my arm. Strasbourg, Biarritz, Carcassonne are just three places that spring to mind. So what makes it so blinkin’ great?

Outside our home away from home in Charente. Sadly, it’s no longer ours.

One, the location. It’s easy to get to from the UK. You have the choice of plane, boat, train. You can take your car, your bike, your dog or your ferret. Yes, the Eurotunnel website specifically states that you can take your ferret. I’m intrigued – can you please get in touch if you’ve ever taken a ferret on holiday to France?

Where are you dragging us now, Mum? En route to France.

We love taking our dogs to France. Hurrah for Eurotunnel, only 90 mins away on a good run, and so easy with a pooch in tow. Ours show a distinct lack of enthusiasm for the journey, but the dog exercise areas go down well, and the pet reception centre in Calais (always full of dogs) is their idea of heaven. They sniff like mad as soon as they hit French soil, obviously it’s a whole new set of exciting and delicious smells. I tend to agree.

In the Dordogne. Three-course lunch followed by a walk around another chateau. So civilised.

Two, the roads. Driving in France is lovely. You have the choice of paying to use the nice quiet autoroutes and zooming to your destination, or spending a bit more time and taking the characterful routes nationales. Then you get to play ‘Who lives in a place like this?’ as you pass through yet another deserted village with all the shutters closed. France feels very empty in a mostly crowded world.

A tip. To avoid scrabbling for cash or card at each motorway toll barrier, I ordered a liber-t tag from Emovis. It takes the payment by direct debit, which is much less painful. And you just speed through the dedicated lane. ‘Best thing you ever bought me,’ grins T every time. He loves any kind of priority treatment.

Three, the food. This should actually be number one. I will never understand why a bit of bread and cheese in France tastes better than a gourmet meal anywhere else. It just does.

Lunch at the beautiful Moulin de Larcy near Ribérac. Much more than just bread and cheese!

Nowhere else in the world does Tony get up and immediately tootle off to the bakery, whistling. At home, if I suggested that he pop to Sainsbury’s for a loaf at 7am on a Saturday I suspect I would get a rude response.

Four, the attitude. The French just know that they live in the best country in the world. They pity everyone who doesn’t, particularly us poor rosbifs from the UK. This is why we will never get a good table in a restaurant, we’re just not cool enough. Just accept that you’ll be relegated to a corner and your dog will be trod on. It’s actually quite funny. We should take a leaf out of their book and talk up the UK a bit more, in my humble opinion.

The old port in Marseille from our hotel room. For once we weren’t given something overlooking the carpark.

Five, the style. Les Français just have a way of doing things. It’s that ‘je ne sais quoi’. I love the way everyone in France shouts a big, sassy ‘Bonjour’ as they walk into a shop, bank or cafe. If I did that in Maidenhead I’d get locked up. We Brits tend to skulk into places almost apologetically, trying to be inconspicuous.

Colmar in Alsace – France just *knows* it’s better looking than the average country.

In my early 20s I was invited to dinner by some French friends. What would I like as an apéritif, they asked. Huh? I really had no idea. We were the same age, but they were so much more sophisticated. There’s a ritual around mealtimes in France that I love. Everything has its time and place. Since then, I’m pleased to report, I have adopted the custom of apéro with gusto. I still think Pastis is revolting though.

Sampling the wines of Beaune, Burgundy. I don’t think that’s the first!

Six, the wine. Keep your New World stuff. Loire Valley white and rosé would be my choice, preferably in situ. For red, Saint-Émilion is a gorgeous place that produces equally lovely wines. But to be honest you can’t go wrong so feel free to go for the house wine. Plus, it’s the only country in the world where proper champagne is made and that’s got to count for something.

He’s the man! And if you love your champers then Épernay is the place to visit.

I could go on and on, but I’ll save it for future blogs. Hopefully I’ve given you a taste of why I love the country so much. To me, France is still as effortlessly cool as it was in when I was in my teens. And I guess I’m hoping that if I spend enough time there it might rub off a bit on me.

Travels in my neighbourhood: The River Thames

I honestly do believe that adventure is right outside your front door. You just have to switch off the telly and go and find it. You might not even have to go very far.

I’m lucky enough to have the amazing Thames Path just down the road from where I live. In around 10 minutes I can be wandering along the banks. ‘What’s so good about that?’ you may say. Well, let me explain…

The Thames Path at Maidenhead in Autumn, yes, wow!

Turn left at the Maidenhead bridge, heading west, and within a few miles you come to Cookham, officially one of the richest villages in England. Residents include Carol Vorderman, Ulrika Jonnson and Timmy Mallett (bear with me, my name dropping will get better). It’s a small and friendly place with a large selection of pubs and restaurants (11 I think).

In the garden at Bel & the Dragon, Cookham.

Our kind of village, in fact we’re often to be found relaxing in one of the numerous beer gardens in Summer. If there’s one thing we do brilliantly in this country it’s a country pub and there are plenty of them along this stretch of the Thames. When we saw Timmy Mallett in the King’s Arms he was wearing Union Jack trousers. Only in England hey?

In the garden of the King’s Arms in Cookham. That *may* be an alcoholic drink.

Next stop along the river is Marlow, home of Tom Kerridge’s gastropub, the Hand & Flowers. Going from one end of the cultural spectrum to the other (I’m catering for everyone in this blog), Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein whilst living in Marlow, and Shakin’ Stevens is a current resident. It’s a lovely little town, whether you’re a Shakey fan or not. Check out Marlow Bridge, which was used as a template for the bridge connecting Buda and Pest in Hungary.

Keep walking. A little further along is Henley-on-Thames, where the famous rowing Regatta takes place each year. Dusty Springfield is buried in the cute St Mary’s churchyard just off the main street.

Famous (I use the term loosely) living residents include Philip Schofield, Russell Brand, Mary Berry and Lee Ryan of the band Blue. I probably shouldn’t admit this publicly, but I’ve been to see them play live, and enjoyed it immensely.

Alternatively you can turn right at the Maidenhead Bridge and head east along the Thames. You soon go past Bray, where Heston Blumenthal runs not one but three eateries. Bray is the place to go for posh grub – it has two Michelin 3* restaurants, and there are only five in the whole country. I haven’t been to either, as my hubby is a Yorkshireman (how much?!). Parky and Rolf Harris are amongst those who own lavish riverfront homes here, although Rolf is currently in more ‘secure accommodation’ elsewhere!

Swans on the river, you’ll see more birdlife than people.

Next stop is Eton, home to the UK’s most famous public school. Founded in 1440, it costs more than £40,000 a year to attend. PM Boris Johnson is just one of many eminent ex-pupils, along with Prince William, Bear Grylls and Ian Fleming. No girls allowed! But the poor boys are made to wonder around town in a very bizarre uniform – tailcoat, starched white collar and pinstriped trousers. Again, only in England! The school buildings are stunning though.

View across the river to Windsor from Eton.

Finally, walk up Eton High Street and you’re in Windsor, where you might find the Queen and company at home in their castle (I told you it got better!). The fortress itself is pretty impressive. It’s the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. The newly ‘unroyal’ Harry and Meghan got married here. And you can go inside and have a look around for a not insubstantial fee.

Inside Windsor Castle. Free for locals, saving us £20 each, result.

There are nice shops in Windsor, and a huge park to explore, just in case you’re not a royalist or a fan of castles. My parents love Windsor (they are castle freaks) and highly recommend a pie in the Duchess of Cambridge pub on the High Street.

Dad, Mum and Tony in Windsor Great Park. It’s called The Long Walk for a reason!

On a typical walk along the river, you are unlikely to meet anyone famous. I’ve never bumped into Charles & Camilla out for a weekend stroll, unfortunately, although I live in hope. You’ll mostly see happy, smiling dog walkers (like me), a few cyclists, and hundreds of noisy geese, ducks and swans. But it’s gorgeous, believe me, especially on a sunny day. I challenge you not to feel happy ambling, trekking or running along the Thames, or indeed any river, there’s just something special about it.

It’s hard to take a bad photo, whatever the season.

If you don’t fancy a walk, there’s an even more leisurely alternative between April and September. Jump on a riverboat from Maidenhead to Windsor and you get the bonus of having a nosey into celebrity gardens along the way. Plus there’s a bar on board. It can be quite exciting – the last time I took a trip, the trainee driver ran the boat into one of the islands.

The Thames Path actually runs along the whole of the river, from its source near the village of Kemble in Gloucestershire right through the centre of London to the Thames Barrier, where the river meets the sea. A total of 184 miles, so definitely more than just a ramble. One day maybe I’ll do the whole lot, but for the moment there’s enough to keep me occupied on the lovely stretches close to home.

Make it a win-win situation, or how I got to Jerusalem

Got a partner who’s not quite as obsessed with travel as you are? Me too.

Don’t get me wrong, the husband likes to travel. He just doesn’t have the constant urge that I have to be on the move. He enjoys weekends chilling at home. I get twitchy. Every so often he declares, ‘This is ridiculous. You need to cut down on these trips.’ It’s a problem.

How to persuade the reluctant other half to take that extra trip? You can beg. You can bribe. You can rave on about how fabulous it will be, ‘Just look at the pool, and there’s a bar / curry house next door’. At a pinch, you can just take someone else with you, although this option should be used sparingly if you value your relationship.

In my experience though, nothing works quite so well as building your trip around the thing they love most. For my other half, that’s cycling.

How do I get him to look this happy on holiday? Simple.

Anywhere there’s a bike race, I get to go, no questions asked. Devon when the Tour of Britain’s going through, no problem. Andalucia at Vuelta time, absolutely. Krakow, oh look, the Tour of Poland is starting there. ‘Book it kiddo.’

On the left is a famous cyclist, Vincenzo Nibali. On the right is a happy visitor to Poland. Job done.

I don’t really even need an event, anything bike-themed will do. There’s a Bianchi cafe in Stockholm, go for it. Girona is where all the pros live, how soon can we get there? It’s a magic formula. Later this year I get to see Ghent, courtesy of the Ronde van Flanderen. Brill!

In Girona there could be a pro cyclist around the next corner.

There are some places where the husband just doesn’t want to go. It’s a no, simple as that. Israel was one of them for years, damn it, I was desperate to see Jerusalem. And then one miraculous day, it was announced that the Giro d’Italia would kick off in the Holy Land. Yippee! I think I booked our trip the next day.

My first view of the Dome of the Rock gave me goosebumps.

Once we got to Jerusalem, I think we were both actually a bit blown away. We’re not religious, but you can’t help but be awed by the weight of history hanging over the city. Outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, he asked, ‘So what happened here then?’ ‘Jesus was crucified.’ I’ve never seen him disappear into a church at top speed before. For once I was bringing up the rear. I’m usually sprinting in front to buy tickets before he can object to the price. ‘I can see it fine from out here’ has been a regular assertion on our hols.

I wasn’t prepared for the food in Israel, probably because I don’t know anyone else who’s been. Now, I am very food orientated. On holidays, I particularly like a good breakfast, and it has to be savoury. Don’t give me cake! Asia never disappoints, from tofu in Tokyo to amazing lentil curry in Borneo. Israel is up there. Hummous for brekkie, it’s a winner! And if you haven’t tasted Shakshouka (baked eggs in spicy sauce), you have a treat in store, believe me.

Cheese pastry with gherkins to start the day, top marks.

A food highlight of Jerusalem is the Mahane Yehuda market. As well as food stalls, it has restaurants too. Oh joy. At Michmoret, you order the type of fish you fancy, and it comes with six different types of salad, yes, six. This is normal for Israel. You won’t need multiple courses, even if you’re greedy like me.

The Italian bike race just kept on giving – there was also a stage in Tel Aviv and of course we were going. The two cities aren’t far apart, but on Shabbat there’s no public transport, which meant a rather hair-raising minibus ride, all part of the fun. I avoid taking cabs whenever possible, it’s much more entertaining riding with the locals by bus, train, camel…

Tel Aviv feels quite big city, but right along the seafront there’s an amazing walking / running / cycling / whatever pathway that goes on for miles, from the marina to the ancient port of Jaffa. At the time I was reading The Templars by Dan Jones and I honestly felt like I was inside the pages as we walked along the coastal path to where the Knights disembarked all those years ago.

Inevitably, there’s quite a bit of bike-themed activity on these trips. Luckily, I’m a bit of a cycling fan myself. As a spectator that is. I used to ride too, but I just couldn’t get my head around the cleat thing – the bits that join your shoes to your pedals. They’re lethal! At traffic lights I didn’t manage to get my shoes detached in time, so I fell over. Many times. It was just embarrassing (and it hurt). So I’ll stick to running thanks.

A rare photo of me on a bike, in the days when lycra was less unkind.

The moral of the story is, by all means incorporate your partner’s hobby to get you where you want to go, but don’t feel obliged to take it up yourself.

I work at an airport – dream job?

Yes and no. It might seem like the perfect place for a travel nut to work, but it’s both inspiration and torture on a daily basis. We’d just moved back to the UK from Brisbane when Tony saw the ad. ‘They’re hiring at Heathrow, you’ve got to check it out’. Seven years later…obviously there are more pros than cons.

The view from the canteen. I managed tp pick the one time when there were zero planes in the sky.

For someone like me, watching all those planes take off while I’m grounded can be hard to stomach. Thousands of happy travellers are heading off on adventures, while I’m answering yet more emails, attending yet another meeting. Argh, let me on that flight! Unless it’s windy, then I don’t go near the windows. Watching planes come in sideways will definitely quench any desire to fly.

The view from the control tower on a non-windy day, so it’s OK to watch!

I love reading the departure boards. We even have them in head office to remind us why we actually come to work. Riyadh, Lima, Chennai, I haven’t been there, what’s it like? Lisbon, LA, ah to go back! I could spend hours in happy ponderings, if it weren’t for those emails and meetings. There’s a whole world of possibilities right in front of my eyes. It’s like reading a book.

People in reception stared a bit when I did this.

I know lots of people hate airports with a passion. As the checks, requirements, queues and general inconveniences multiply some see the airport as a hurdle they simply have to get over before their holiday begins. I still love them and consider the whole experience an integral part of my trip. All the more as I’ve got to know about what goes on behind the scenes. There are over 70,000 people working at Heathrow to keep thousands of passengers happy. The vast majority of them arrive on time and with their bags, which is a minor miracle. The day I don’t get that airport buzz is the day I’ve given up on life full stop. But I admit that lounge entry helps.

Anything can happen at an airport. The thrill of meeting Kajagoogoo at Manchester Airport when I was twelve set the tone for years to come. I was equally excited in my 40s to escort Ringo Starr and his wife, Carrie Fisher and her dog, Russell Brand and his ego etc. I’m a sucker for a celeb, a real one that is, not just some nobody from Essex or Chelsea. I’ve also bumped into old Uni friends and neighbours from Aus. You just never know who you’ll meet, so keep your eyes peeled.

Talking of celebrity, Concorde is still on the tarmac but it’s tiny.

I’ve been lucky enough to have access to all areas of the airport – the VIP area where the wall art is matched to the guests’ taste, the Windsor Suite that the Queen flies from, but the most fun was to race along the runway in the dead of night as part of the Midnight Marathon team. They may say it’s only 2 miles long but it feels a hell of a lot longer in the dark. But who else gets to do that? It’s something quite unique.

Obviously, on the days when it’s actually me jetting off it’s even better. I have my ‘usual’ (and free) parking spot, I know exactly where I’m going and what to do, it’s a well practised process. And I sometimes get hugs as I’m going through security. Not many people can say that.

Yes, I may be a little bit smug as I breeze past people who just don’t get the liquids rule, but really, how hard is it? You know that some people will actually smash bottles of booze rather than hand them over at security? I know flying can be stressful but that’s really taking things to extremes.

Airports are getting a bit of bad press at the moment, what with coronavirus and climate change. Admittedly, the romance of air travel fades when confronted by a sea of face masks (although not to quite the same extent as cruising!). As a business, we’ve just introduced a flight offsetting programme internally, and if you travel a lot like I do then this is one option for guilt-free flights – https://chooose.today/

Alternatively, going by train is pretty nice. Come to think of it, I’m pretty immersed in train travel right now – reading ‘Around the world in 80 trains’ by Monisha Rajesh and watching Michael Portillo in Malaysia. I’ve met him, by the way, he’s lovely, but disappointingly he was wearing a normal suit at the time. Oh, I can definitely feel a rail blog coming on, but I promise no photos of me (or Tony) wearing a yellow blazer with pink slacks!

Seriously? You waited almost half a century to visit Athens?

I’m ashamed to say it’s true. As a self proclaimed travel addict and history buff, it should have been top of my list. The best excuse I can come up with is that I spent over a decade on the other side of the world, with other wonders on my doorstep.

But when I finally did get around to visiting the cradle of civilisation, for my 49th birthday, I played a blinder! Athens in February is amazing – lots of blue skies and sunshine, hardly any of those pesky tourists (I’m a ‘traveller’ I’ll have you know).

Only in my dreams did I see myself walking straight through the gates of the Acropolis, not one other person in the queue. But it happened. Every ancient site was sunny and peaceful, we just strolled around and soaked up the atmosphere. Not even a single complaint from Tony, who can sometimes get a bit temple-phobic. I suspect it’s actually the people he objects to…

Parthenon – OK, so there are two other people here, but still…

When I revisit places I went to in my 20s, I’m sometimes disappointed, the hordes make it impossible to appreciate the vistas, to imagine how it used to be. Rome and Prague spring to mind. In Athens, we had the Temple of Zeus to ourselves. The Keremeikos burial site was deserted. It was a really special experience, like going back in time.

The local wine in Athens is quaffable, that’s about as much as I can say. Paying a couple of quid for a carafe, that’s probably all I deserved. But the food comes fast, fresh, and jam packed with flavour. Feta baked in foil with tomatoes, herbs and olive oil is one I’ll be adding to my repertoire. Fried saganaki, crumbled feta – cheese was a big part of our trip it’s fair to say.

Spanakopitta and dolmades for breakfast, my idea of heaven

We did scratch our heads a bit over the service though. Don’t expect to finish your starter before the main arrives. Do expect to feel very full, very quickly. We worked out it was better to just order one course and then ask for more if we weren’t totally stuffed. Even in a local curry house, everything came pretty much at once.

Other highlights: The winding streets and steep staircases of Anafiotica on the Northern slopes of the Acropolis, empty during the day but filled with tables and buzzing in the evenings. Filippou Taverna on the way up Lykavittos Hill, a real old-style neighbourhood restaurant – full of pensioners when we visited, all quizzing the chefs on what was good that day. Answer, everything!

One minute it’s just a flight of steps, the next it’s the place to be

Finally, walking the coast between the port of Piraeus and the football stadium at Neo Faliro gives a totally different perspective on the city. Comfy shoes are a must but it’s worth the effort for some cracking views, bars and restaurants.

A visit to the seaside, only 20 minutes on the metro

One word of warning to soft hearted animal lovers like me. There are a lot of stray cats and dogs around Athens. Cats, in particular, are everywhere – curling around ancient columns and sunning themselves amongst the ruins.

They all looked quite happy and healthy to me, and we saw locals out feeding them. In fact, many homes and even shops had bowls and blankets outside the front door, proof that they care for their furry neighbours. But one old doggie waiting for food outside a restaurant made me feel very sad. My old Golden Retriever is so well looked after in comparison.

I’m officially blogging!

Hi I’m Steph, and I decided to start a blog after friends told me I should, and assured me they would read it – they actually wanted my advice. Amazing! So here goes…we’ll see if anyone’s interested.

I love to write, and I really love to travel this amazing world we live in. It’s a bit of a no-brainer really, I don’t know why I’ve waited this long to put pen to paper (showing my age there). I want to share my experiences in this blog and hopefully pick up some new ideas from like-minded travellers too. If you like history, food, architecture, nature, walking and wine then you will probably enjoy reading this.

Happiest when travelling – walking Girona’s city walls

I’m constantly thinking about the next trip, and the next, and the next. I’m usually about a year ahead of myself in terms of planning, but there’s so much to see and learn. My wish list just keeps growing, it’s like an addiction. The long-suffering husband has given up trying to set limits on the number of trips we take. Now he just comes along for the ride, mostly with a smile on his face (and a drink in his hand).

Why have one beer when you can have five – in a Viennese Bierkeller

It’s not about the most exotic destination for me. I get as much out of a trip to Wales with the dogs as I do from jumping on a plane to the Middle East. Brighton, Bruges, Brisbane, who cares? They’re all amazing in their own way. You can honestly take me anywhere, and I bet I’ll find something to enjoy. Typically we Brits like to follow the sun, but the weather has never stopped me from having fun – there’s always a bar nearby if all else fails. I don’t travel light, I carry appropriate clothing.

The dogs enjoying a magical frosty morning at Chepstow Castle

One last thing – I don’t do budget! I’ve done my share of back packing and camping in the past, but those days are gone. I like to travel in style nowadays – flight upgrades, flash hotels, gastropubs, yes please. Call me a Princess, but that’s how I roll.