If you’re looking for a holiday in the sun in Cabo San Lucas, this guest article will give you ideas on the beach and accommodation options you’ll find in this popular Mexican Resort.

Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas

On Medano Beach, lazy waves quietly roll onto the shore, washing over the feet of children trying to build a sand castle. Parents relax nearby, keeping a watchful eye on their children while enjoying the sight of boats sailing past one of Mexico’s most comfortable and friendly beaches. Just to complete the holiday experience, vendors pass by offering anything from temporary tattoos and jewelry to snacks and beach supplies to anyone who needs them. Restaurants and beach clubs like Billygan’s Island and The Office are popular with people passing by and looking for refreshments.

Medano beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Whether you’re looking to relax in the sun, head out onto the water, or just settle down and watch people pass by, Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas will probably meet your every need. It even has boats, jet skis, and other equipment available from shacks out on the water and luxury vacation rentals. Medano Beach is a bit of a nonstop party, but if that’s not what you’re looking for then try…

Lover’s Beach and Divorce beach

Lover’s Beach and Divorce Beach are more serene locations that can be accessed by Water Taxi (or similar transportation), and they’re located a little further away from the main entertainment areas in downtown Cabo. For a very reasonable fee, it’s easy to hire somebody who will take you out to the area, as well as show you which areas are safe for swimming and diving; you might even be able to do it yourself if you have access to rental equipment and know where to go.

Lover's beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Once you’ve had your fill of excitement, Cabo San Lucas villas, hotels, and resorts are all options for sleeping after a day out having fun, but not all bedrooms were created equal. A traditional hotel is probably your best bet if all you really want to do is swim, relax on the beach, and perhaps go shopping in downtown Cabo; it’s inexpensive and will get the job done.

Casa Theodore, a luxury villa in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Accommodation options in Cabo San Lucas

However, with everything from jet skis and kayaks to golf courses by designer Jack Nicklaus available in the region, you’ll probably end up missing out on a lot of things to do if the sun is all you’re looking for. If you’re going all the way to Cabo for a trip, you may as well do it right. The most effective way to get access to things in Cabo is to stay at a resort; places like Palmilla Resort offer fine dining, access to spas and recreation, effective concierge services, and other features that can help you get the best deals on activities in the region. The initial price tag may be higher than a hotel, but if you plan properly, you might end up saving a lot of money you might otherwise have spend on activities not connected to a resort. You should compare services, though, since different resorts offer different things.

From shopping to surfing and everything in-between, there’s no place in Mexico like Cabo San Lucas for a truly tropical vacation.

My thanks for this sponsored article to Lacure Villas who offer holiday villas in Cabo San Lucas and many other worldwide destinations.

More holidays in the sun

Diving and party time – a budget getaway in Cancun, Mexico
Swimming, Surfing and Snorkeling – best beaches in the Dominican Republic
Our top 5 sights on Awesome Aruba

Photo Credits: Medano Beach by Price Travel, Lover’s Beach by Minnemom,

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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If you only have a few days to visit the San Diego area with your family, this article from Vacation Home Rentals will give you a taste of the beach, natural coastline and the experience of the San Diego zoo.

Last fall my daughter and I headed to San Diego for a short break and a friend’s wedding – although we only had 3 days in the area, we decided to make the most of the time and see as much as possible. Arriving at San Diego International Airport in the late afternoon, we got a rental car and headed straight to the beach. After a long and tiring flight, swimming in the Pacific was the first thing on our vacation checklist.

Mission Beach in San Diego

Our first destination was a two-mile urban beach, the North Mission Beach. It has everything you would expect from a typical Southern California beach, but for someone coming from the east coast, the warmth of the water which was almost 70ºF was a surprise. The paved boardwalk allowed us to wander along, taking in the beach scene – from volleyball players on the sand, rollerbladers wearing next to nothing, to bicyclists and skateboarders showing off their moves. We shopped for souvenirs in the little stores until late in the afternoon and then watched the sun setting over the ocean.

Flamingo lagoon in San Diego Zoo

Tired out from the travel and sea air, we checked into our San Diego vacation rental that was close to everything we wanted to see with a full size kitchen so that we could have the flexibility to eat out or eat in. The next day, we woke up refreshed and ready to see more of what San Diego has to offer.

Elephant Odyssey in San Diego Zoo

My daughter had never been to a zoo, so I agreed that we could go to the San Diego zoo. Dubbed as one the world’s largest zoo, it would take more than a day to see everything. In the Flamingo lagoon, we were able to survey the flamboyant colors of the flamingos from the elevated walkway along the lagoon, enabling us welcomed to observe their behavior close-up. There was also a rainforest aviary housing a collection of more than 200 birds of different species with all the sights and sounds of a real Southeast Asian jungle environment. The best part of the zoo was Elephant Odyssey where my daughter enjoyed exploring the remnants of extinct animals and prehistoric fossil evidence. Nothing beats our experience being stepped down by an elephant as we went into a tunnel passage that goes under part of the elephant exhibit. Our first zoo experience was amazing – although I had my doubts about zoos, we both ended up loving it.

Wild flowers at Torrey Pines State Park in San Diego

While visiting San Diego, we also visited a nature-protected area of Torrey Pines State Park. Basically a bluff rising from the Pacific ocean, along the trail were sandstone canyons and there were arches and alcoves on the beach. The high road led us to the coastal wilderness of pine trees. Although a local hiker told us that the area is usually dry and brown, we found wild flowers covering the cliffs. We finally reached Yucca point where we were confronted by the magnificent view of the ocean. We had our share of relaxing feel, enjoyed the breeze and inviting smell of pine cones in the park. Of course, we should not miss our purpose of coming in San Diego.

Torrey Pines Reserve in San Diego

After our adventure, we headed back to our rental and changed our clothes from nature-friendly to black-tie ready for my friend’s wedding at the Thursday Club. It was a beautiful ceremony; the perfect conclusion to a great weekend away. The next day we were heading back to the airport, but next time we hope to able to stay for longer than just a weekend.

Photo credits: Mission beach by Kevin H., Elephant Odyssey by Cynr, Flamingo lagoon by r3v|| cls, Wild flowers by christopherallisonphotography.com, and Torrey Pines reserve by Jason Pratt

This article was brought to you by  Vacation Home Rentals - for your vacation rental in the San Diego area.

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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There are some parts of the UK that prove you don’t have to go halfway around the world to find the perfect holiday spot, and one of them recently became officially recognised as such. The South Downs National Park isn’t short of quirky and unusual places to stay.  Nestled in the peaceful counties of Hampshire and Sussex, and within easy reach of London, the South Downs became the newest of fifteen National Parks in England, Wales and Scotland when it opened in 2011, meaning it’s now a protected area of countryside for all to enjoy.

A Yurt in the woods at Adhurst in Sussex

For a region which includes the best of rural and coastal beauty, towns and villages, historical sites of interest and outdoor activities a single day is far too short, and when it comes to accommodation, this beautiful part of the world deserves no less than seriously low-impact tourism. Though that doesn’t mean it can’t be great fun, or even luxurious…

Withyfield Cottage, at Merrion Farm in Sussex

At the centre of the new National Park lies Adhurst Wood, near Petersfield, in Hampshire. Generations of intrepid young explorers have played in this ancient woodland, now home to Alison Lubbock and family, and two yurts, named after the chestnut and birch trees which surround them.

Inside the Yurt at Chestnut place in Sussex

At Chestnut Place, Alison has created the camp with sustainability in mind: there’s a green compost loo, the shower is solar powered, and so are the twinkling fairy lights. She can even bring you sustainable charcoal for the recycled oil drum barbecue. Take the kids (or a well-behaved dog) for woodland walks; discover the excellent, authentic pubs such as The Harrow Inn, a mile away; swim in the river – and try the zip wire, if you’re feeling courageous.

The Shepherds Return, a shepherd's hut on the South Downs

To the east, and still in the rural beauty of the South Downs National Park, lies The Shepherds Return, at The Hollow, in Sussex. Chintzy and charming, Lizzie’s shepherd’s hut sleeps two in cosy comfort: you burn ‘Eco logs’ wood fuel in the stove, and curl up in organic wool duvet and pillows. After a day of walking, you’ll enjoy a great night’s sleep here, and wake to a guilt-free hamper of Irish Soda bread, hot croissants, yoghurt, muesli, local preserves and organic fruit compote delivered to your doorstep. There are deer on your doorstep, too.

Inside the Shepherds Hut

Just outside the National Park, you’ll still be perfectly poised to explore all it has to offer.

Families are very welcome at Withyfield Cottage, at Merrion Farm in Sussex. Designed and built by Ben Law and his team, who featured on Channel 4′s Grand Designs with his first straw bale house, this creation has been built with equally high environmental – and aesthetic – ideals in mind. Partly constructed by local craftsmen, there’s a real sense of community behind the house, and from the wooden veranda you can sit and see the wood where the trees to clad the house were felled, and replanted.

Withyfield Cottage, at Merrion Farm in Sussex

My thanks for this sponsored post to Canopy & Stars, provider of quirky and unusual glamping holidays in the UK and Europe

More outdoor living adventures

How to find the perfect campsite for your family?
A fairy tale of camping in mid-Wales
Camping in Sunshine and Showers on the Gower in Wales

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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Looking for ideas for your next family holiday? This article will give you some destination ideas that are ideal for a family villa holiday that won’t break the bank…

The ideal way to get yourself luxury family holiday accommodation at a price you can afford is to hire a big villa and share it with another family too.

Once you become a parent, you have to accept that some things will never be the same – like how you approach annual holidays. No more leaving things to chance and grabbing a last-minute deal to somewhere exotic. Now it can feel more like an exercise in strategic planning – negotiating children and adults’ holiday expectations, arranging flights that won’t break the bank, or finding enough things to keep little ones entertained on a mammoth car journey can all make the longed-for break seem too stressful to bother with.

But it is still possible to combine a bit of everything in a holiday, with enough variety to satisfy everyone – and renting a villa gives you the opportunity to indulge in a little luxury and give the kids plenty of space to run riot without other guests tut-tutting under their breath. Although the cost of hiring a villa may initially seem high, if you go for a larger one and share the cost with either extended family or friends you’ll be surprised at the value they offer. The kids have mates to play with, you have company too. And you get pool, barbecue, fantastic views and more.

Palma on Majorca

Magic Majorca

Spain is an increasingly popular holiday destination and Majorca may be a sensible choice if you’re travelling with younger children. The largest of the Balearic Islands, Majorca has long sandy beaches and fun-filled waterparks.Aquacity claims to be one of the world’s largest water funfairs, and even has a small zoo and parrot shows to keep non-water babies happy. The Palma Aquarium is home to the deepest shark tank in Europe and holds four different species – blacktip reef, smooth hound, sand tiger and sandbar sharks. Qualified divers can jump in and swim with the sharks, should they so wish, while younger children who have tired of the marine world, can let off steam in the play area or large rooftop jungle garden.

Villas in Majorca come in many different styles, from the traditional finca or farmhouse, to the super modern, so you should find something to suit you. Sharing your holiday with friends with similarly aged children means that the kids will entertain themselves and you can share evening childcare with your friends, giving everyone a chance to have a little quality couple time too.

Villa Tomeu in Pollensa has five bedrooms and sleeps up to ten people, so will give you plenty of space in which to relax. There’s a pool, and grassy terraced areas equipped with a barbecue which are perfect for al fresco dining. Pollensa itself has several bars and restaurants if you are tempted away from the villa, and there are many beaches to explore.

Beautiful Kefalonia

With spacious gardens and barbecue areas, villas in Kefalonia may prove too tempting to leave. But if you do manage to drag yourself away, take the opportunity to visit one of the world’s most beautiful beaches – Myrtos Bay. Just remember to pack sandals as the sand stops at the waterline, and the pebbles can be painful on bare feet. Argostoli Town, Kefalonia’s capital promises a bustling town square, great shops and waterfront tavernas, so would also make a good day trip.

Fiskardo, Kefalonia, Greece

Villa Astria, just outside the picturesque fishing village of Fiskardo, boasts not one, but two pools and enough space to sleep ten comfortably. The smaller pool is perfect for children and there are terraced gardens as well. This villa is separated into the main building and an annexe, so is perfect for two families who want to holiday together but might enjoy a little more privacy.

Cool Corfu

Corfu offers many choices for family holidays, from bucket-and-spade to high action watersports. Head to the north of the island for shallower waters and family-friendly beaches, or the west for sandy beaches and watersports – including pedalos, paragliding, waterskiing or windsurfing.If the kids need some cultural stimulation, take a day trip to the island’s attractive capital Corfu Town which offers lots of shops for souvenir hunting, pleasant café-culture and several interesting museums including the Archeological museum which is stuffed with impressive Roman remains. Head into the interior of the island for complete away-from-it-all countryside and wonderful views out to sea.

Beautiful beaches on Corfu

You’re spoiled for choice with villas in Corfu. If you’re more of a modern family, with children of different ages ranging from young adults to little ones, Triton House in AghiosStefanos may provide the solution. A separate guest house with twin beds would provide older teens with the privacy they seek, while being close enough to enjoy the benefits of a larger villa – including the swimming pool and covered terrace to make the most of those balmy days. AghiosStefanos has bars and a busy harbour with yachts – so get your sailing shoes on and make the most of this seaside holiday.

My thanks for this sponsored post, written by Belinda Weber on behalf of luxury villa holidays specialist Meon Villas. All the villas mentioned above can be found on their website: www.meonvillas.co.uk

Useful links

Meon Villas – the luxury villa holidays specialist
Aqualand water park on Majorca
Palma Aquarium on Majorca

Photo credits: Palma on Majorca by Piutus, Fiscardo, Kefalonia, Greece by sisaphus, Beach on Corfu by mickpix

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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This article from Central London Apartments, will give you some great ideas for some of the key things you’ll want to explore when visiting London.

Capital cities don’t come much more interesting or diverse than London. There is plenty to keep you busy, whatever your budget and however long you plan on spending there. I opted for a four-day stay, a long weekend. The problem was that it was probably not quite long enough, although at least it gives me an excuse to return again soon.

Getting around

The obvious tourist attractions were my first port of call. Despite planning to do a lot of my sightseeing on foot, I also purchased an off-peak travel card for the London Underground that allows unlimited journeys within zones 1 and 2, which is effectively central London, on the day of purchase for £6.60, just in case. It proved a good investment and using the tube is pretty straightforward. It is an essential part of the whole London experience.

The London Eye on the South Bank

The London Eye

Thousands of tourists flock here every day and it is easy to see why, if only for the backdrop. It is best to book online if, like me, you fancy a “flight” (as it is dubbed) on the London Eye. Booking online means you’ll receive up to an 18 per cent discount and beat the queues, which can be lengthy. In the end, it cost just over £16 for 30 minutes in the spacious capsule and it was without doubt worth every penny. You can pretty much see all of London’s must-see landmarks, from the huge arch at Wembley Stadium way off in the distance, to Buckingham Palace and the Mall, which I later enjoyed a leisurely stroll down. Sadly, as I was told by a friendly policeman, the Queen wasn’t home that day. Shame – I could’ve done with using one of her many WCs.

10 Downing Street and Trafalgar Square

My little ramble around this part of central London also took in number 10 Downing Street, where admittedly there is not a great deal to see as visitors are kept some distance away, and Trafalgar Square. I didn’t fancy feeding the pigeons under Nelson’s Column and instead headed for the Vista Bar at the Trafalgar Hotel, a rooftop establishment that, although a tad on the pricey side, gave me another glimpse of that distinctive skyline. I could have stayed for hours, but unfortunately my spending money had to stretch a little further before I hit the ATM with empty pockets.

The Natural History and Science Museum

London accommodation is plentiful and you should carefully consider where you want to stay within proximity of the types of places you want to visit. My stay in one of an attractive block of Hyde Park executive apartments, for example, gave me excellent access to arguably the most well-known park in the city, as well as the Natural History Museum and Science Museum, which are both free of charge. If you have children, these are a must. Even as a self-confessed big kid in my late 20s, it kept me entertained for an afternoon and they are right next door to each other.

Mammals Gallery at the Natural History Museum, London

Trendy Markets and shopping

Next stop was nearby Notting Hill, famed for its annual carnival every August. This is considered to be a trendy area to hang out and watch the world go by. It was possibly a little too trendy for me. I felt out of place in a big way.

Fortunately, I was much more at home in Portobello Road Market, where you can pretty much buy anything and everything from an impressive selection of independent stores. Anyone with more than a passing interest in antiques could spend hours here. I’m not one of those people, but I appreciate good workmanship when I see it and there was plenty on show.

Another prime place for a spot of bargain hunting is Camden Town. The unique sights and sounds of this part of London will live long in the memory for me. It’s a bustling place – sometimes a little too busy for my liking – with a mishmash of bars, pubs and quirky shops, as well the opportunity to chill out down by the canal. If the weather is good, as it was on my visit, then it’s a perfect spot to refuel.

The Globe Theatre, South Bank, London

A Bus sightseeing tour

It would be fair to say that I’m not a city ‘cruise’ person, nor the type who goes on bus tours. In London, though, I made an exception, simply because of the sheer size of the place. And I’m glad I did. For just over £20, I was whisked around the streets and shown a wide variety of sites, like Fleet Street and the Globe Theatre on the South Bank that I would’ve otherwise missed. Along the way you are told little nuggets of information by a chirpy guide. For example, did you know Big Ben is actually the name of the bell in the Westminster clock tower? No, me neither.

A London River Cruise

A cruise down the River Thames is included in the price and offers the opportunity to take in the city from a different perspective as you float effortlessly from Westminster past the Tower of London, under London Bridge and down to The O2 Arena – formerly known as the Millennium Dome – that now houses a huge arena and a cluster of bars and restaurants.

Victoria Embankment in London

West End Shows

Back in central London, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus are manna from heaven for those who like to be trigger happy with their cameras. After almost getting a sun tan from all the flashing lights and huge plasma screens, I decided to round off my break by seeing a West End show. No stay in London is complete without doing so, I was told. Avenue Q tickled my fancy. It’s basically an X-rated version of the Muppet Show. Not up everyone’s street, I admit, but very funny. And I managed to get cheap tickets (around £20) directly beforehand from the box-office – what a bonus! A great way to end a memorable trip.

Photo Credits: All photos by Heather on her travels

My thanks for this sponsored post to Central London Apartments, specialists in serviced London apartment rentals for leisure and business travellers

More things to see in London

Into Churchill’s Underground Bunker – the Churchill War rooms in London
A River trip in London up the Thames to Greenwich – video
They’re changing the guards at Buckingham Palace

www.flickr.com  heatheronhertravels’ London – around London photoset

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For all train enthusiasts out there, this article from San Diego resident,  Joann Whetstine will give you some family friendly ideas for visitors to San Diego who enjoy everything to do with trains.

San Diego, CA, is chocked full of family-friendly things to do, from its world-famous Zoo, to Sea World, to great beaches.  If you’re looking for something fun for the entire family that is a little more unusual, and you and your youngsters love trains – here are 5 Best Kept Secrets for train lovers visiting San Diego.

1. San Diego Model Railroad Museum

At 28,000 square feet, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum is the world’s largest operating model railroad museum. Located in Balboa Park in the basement floor of a historic building, the unique museum contains four enormous scale and model layouts which depict railroads of the Southwest in O, HO, and N scales. In addition, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum features a Toy Train Gallery with an interactive Lionel layout. Your kids can push buttons to make trains stop and go and just watching the trains run in the beautifully decorated mini-cityscape is a feast for the eyes.

Balboa Park Miniature Railroad ticket office, San Diego

2. Balboa Park Miniature Railroad

While you are in Balboa Park, head on over to the San Diego Zoo about a 5 minute drive north of the Model Rail Road Museum. Tucked off to the left side before the zoo entrance you’ll find the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad. Take a 3-minute, ½-mile trip through four acres of beautiful Balboa Park on a model G16 – antique mini-train. Enjoy the “Burma shave” style signs along the route to make you laugh. This train ride is a treat as the rare G16 model is one of only fifty of this style train currently running in the U.S.

Balboa Park Miniature Railroad, San Diego

3. Poway Midland Railroad

Looking to ride another antique train, but full sized? Head on up the I-15 freeway to the city of Poway, just 30 minutes from San Diego. There, at the Poway Midland Railroad, you’ll find not only a 100+ year old Steam Train, but also a running Trolley train and speeder with gondola cars. A train lover’s delight! Located in the quaint Old Poway Park you’ll find these three trains operational and available to ride on certain weekends:

• 1907 Baldwin 0-4-0 Steam Locomotive and tender pulling a replica 1870 Passenger Coach;
• 1894 Los Angeles Yellow Line Trolley Car;
• 1950 Fairmont Speeder pulling four 1883 Mining Gondola Cars converted for passenger use.

The Poway Midland Railroad, San Diego

4. San Diego Red Car Trolley

Gorilla at Balboa Park Miniature Railroad

San Diego’s Red Car Trolley system is not only inexpensive, but is a fun way to get around town. The system operates three lines, and with over fifty miles of track you can travel just about anywhere in San Diego County, from Old Town to Gillespie Field to the Mexican border.

Tickets cost just $2.50, and on the weekends a family special allows two children 12 and under to ride free with any paying passenger 18 and over. 

5. Santa Fe Depot (Amtrak Train Station)

Otherwise known as the Amtrak Train Station, the Santa Fe Depot is distinctive in its mission-style architecture, and has been taking care of train passengers since 1915. Today the Depot provides Amtrak train service, The Coaster commuter train service, and access to the San Diego Trolley. Enjoy a walk-through of this beautiful historic train station, amid the bustle of arriving and departing trains, or take a fun day trip on The Coaster, up the California coast a ways, and then back to San Diego as you watch a spectacular sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

Another family-friendly tip for your San Diego vacation is to enjoy a San Diego timeshare rental – a budget-friendly way to stay at any number of beautiful San Diego area resorts.

Visitor Information

Accommodation: San Diego Timeshare Rentals
Website – San Diego Model Railroad Museum
Website: Balboa Park Miniature Railroad
Website: Poway Midland Railway
Website: San Diego Red Car Trolley
Website: Amtrak Train Station/ Santa Fe Depot

My thanks for this sponsored post to Redweek.com, where you can find timeshares rentals for your holiday accommodation.

Photo Credits: Joann Whetstine

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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This is the story of our weekend at Buckshead eco-cottage in Shropshire, a taste of how generations of farmers lived on this land and how wind and wood from the farm are powering the future. This is the story of the ‘Thinking cottage’.

Trevor was born a mile or so over the hill from Bynmawr farm where he now farms with his wife Sue. Just up the track from their farmhouse, Trevor’s great aunt and uncle ran the smallholding at Buckshead cottage until they were into their 90s, and when his great uncle died, Trevor bought the cottage at auction.

Buckshead eco-cottage in Shropshire

Once he had set the land around it in good order (as he said, you can’t do much maintenance when you’re 91), Trevor decided to renovate the cottage following ecological principles, without even having the cottage connected to the mains electrical supply. All this he told us over a cup of tea on the chilly evening we arrived, as we sat around the Clearview wood-burning stove that he had stoked up for us earlier. Trevor gently chastised us for using the gas cooker to do two things that could just have easily been done on the stove; boil a kettle and make the toast. We hastened to put the kettle, with its old fashioned whistle, firmly on top of the stove to keep it on the boil and set the boys to work in front of the stove with the toasting fork.

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What about those storage heaters on the wall, how do they work? Oh no, Trevor told us, those are the power dump for the battery. Here’s how it works – the wind turbines charge the battery but if the battery is full then the overflow will start to warm those heaters. We felt them hopefully but they were cold. And the little box under the stairs that looked like a thermostat was in fact there to tell us when the power in the battery was getting low. If it registered anything below 46, we should start getting worried that the lights would go out. Now we started to understand why Trevor had told us that this was a ‘Thinking Cottage’ – it got you thinking about how to stay warm, especially when it was minus 3 outside! Worried about being left in the dark we realised how much power we were consuming and started turning off the lights sharpish. The powdery white-wash on the walls, traditionally used in these cottages as it lets the lime plaster breathe, dusted our clothes as we ran up and down the stairs, turning off all the lights we had carelessly left burning.

We warmed ourselves around the stove, trying to stoke it up as much as possible before we went to bed- ‘I don’t think I’m going to take off many clothes while I’m here’ joked Guy. I hunted around upstairs and found some hot water bottles that Trevor had left for us in the bed – thank goodness for that, at least my toes would be warm. We stoked up the wood burner and closed it down as Trevor had instructed but in the early hours I woke up with an icy nose. Grrr, the stove had gone out and I had to give Guy a nudge to go down and employ his best boy scout skills to get it going again. Clearly we soft city dwellers had some work to do to hone our country skills of setting a good fire.

Buckshead eco-cottage interior in Shropshire

Things looked up in the morning once we sent the boys out to the wood shed to bring in the logs and get a good supply warmed in the basket by the fire. Soon we’d had breakfast and Trevor was tapping on the door again ready to take us out on his quad bike up to the Rhos Fiddle Nature Reserve just up the road. Once this area of moorland was common land where the villagers from nearby Newcastle could come to cut peat to stoke their fires. Now it is protected by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust as a Site of Special Scientific interest, where the boggy areas are rich in sphagnum moss and yellow mountain pansy blooms, where the buzzard soars overhead and where lapwing and curlew make their nests among the heather.

Trevor grazes his longhaired highland cattle here and they love nibbling the bracken tops and grazing the rough moorland where lowland cattle would never thrive. As we drove through the reserve, they came lolloping up to follow the trailer and crowded around us hoping for a handful of corn from Trevor. He told us how he doesn’t use the farm sheepdogs Lad and Jess with the cattle, prefering that the cattle follow him as their leader, and they eyed us watchfully from behind their long, shaggy fringes.

Highland Cattle in the Rhos Fiddle Nature Reserve, Shropshire

Highland Cattle in the Rhos Fiddle Nature Reserve, Shropshire

Trevor pointed out to us a long walk that would take us around the ridges and valleys surrounding the farm, but after a good pub lunch and a pint or two at the White Horse Inn in Clun, our enthusiasm for a yomp across the hills was waning. On the way back through the village of Newcastle, however, we spotted signs for Offa’s Dyke, the long distance path that runs all along the Welsh border with England, from the Severn Estuary on the south to the Irish Sea in the north. The earthwork that runs alongside much of the path was built on the orders of King Offa of Mercia in the 1st century, who knows why, but probably for some defensive reason or marking of boundaries. Guy had walked a stretch of the path before and wanted to try a bit more, so we climbed up to the top of the rise and walked along for a way, over a few stiles, scattering sheep beside the path as we went.

Clun, Shropshire

Trevor and his tractor at Brynmawr Farm, Shropshire

On the way back to the cottage, we stopped at the farmhouse to get some finest beef that Trevor had ready in his freezer to sell at the farmer’s market. Trevor keeps 58 highland cattle, but the 59th had been taken to slaughter last week and we felt the benefit that evening, as we tucked into some of the best sirloin steaks we’d ever tasted. We treated No 59, as we dubbed the object of our supper, with the respect it deserved, frying the steaks in hot butter with a mixture of Trevor’s fresh and crisp organic carrots, potatoes and swedes – so fresh they were genuinely bursting with flavour. By this time we’d got the measure of the wood-burning stove that had been warming the cottage all afternoon and made sure we got a good blaze of hardwood going before we shut it down for the night. Thankfully it didn’t go out and we kept cosy with the help of the hot water bottles.

Master bedroom at Buckshead eco-cottage in Shropshire

Bedroom at Buckshead eco-cottage in Shropshire

On Sunday morning we walked up to the Cantlin cross -there’s a story in that! We found that Trevor had a story for most things hereabouts and was happy to tell you them. The story goes that in 1611 a pedlar named Bill perished as he travelled along the ridgeway, an old drover’s route that dates back to Roman times. He met his end on the border between 2 parishes, who wrangled over which should bury him. Eventually he was buried in Bettws-y-Crwyn churchyard and later the Cantlin cross was erected on the spot he died to mark the boundary of parish land. How did the Cantlin cross get it’s name? Well according to Trevor, the peddler was called Bill but as for his surname ‘Can’t tell’ -so it became the Cantlin cross -  well that was Trevor’s story anyway! The cross was set in the middle of open land, at the edge of the forest, with the road running along the ridgeway nearby, and a pack of hunting hounds, with no visible owner ran across our path to the call of distant horn.

The Cantlin Cross at Bettws-y-Crwyn in Shropshire

Our weekend at Buckshead eco-cottage or the ‘Thinking Cottage’ as we now know it, was a window on another world where the hardy Shropshire farmers who have farmed this land over generations look to the future with wind turbines, solar power and sustainability. We returned to our city lives with rosy cheeks and fresh air in our lungs and just a few stories to remember from our stay at the ‘Thinking Cottage’.

We highly recommend a stay at the Buckshead eco-cottage to get away into glorious unspoiled countryside and close to nature, to enjoy walking and pub lunches and most of all Trevor’s stories.

Thanks to Trevor and Sue Wheeler who hosted us at Buckshead eco-cottage through One Off Places. Buckshead eco-cottage may be booked through One-off places, who specialise in places to stay that are just a little bit different and special, which Buckshead eco-cottage certainly was.

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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Last Autumn, I spent a 4 day half term break with my family with Eurocamp at the holiday parc of La Croix du Vieux Pont at Berny-Rivière, in northern France quite close to Paris – read on for my account of our holiday and review of the parc.

As a child, our family summer holidays were spent camping in different European countries each year. Like many families of that generation, camping enabled my parents to have an affordable budget holiday while enjoying some sunshine and exploring Europe. We would squeeze our tent and everything else into the car, pack as few clothes as possible and cook all our own food on a single gas burner. Our big treat was to have an ice cream every day.

Lake at La Croix du Vieux Pont

Move on 30 years and how things have changed! The family campsites that we stayed in as children have transformed themselves into holiday parcs, offering every entertainment under the sun. The average family now wants the tent put up for them or to walk into a mobile home where they can expect all the conveniences they enjoy at home. Companies like Eurocamp have set up bases in these parcs throughout Europe, with couriers on site to greet their guests, and now offer tents, mobile homes, chalets and even apartments in certain resorts. Now you can have the outdoor life and family fun without having to rough it in the slightest.

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When our children were younger we stayed on a number of these parcs either with our own tent, or renting chalets on site and had found them ideal as a base for a family holiday. Our children could roam freely around the parc without us worrying about them going too far astray and they would quickly make friends with other children of their own age. We would choose a parc in a region or close to a city we wanted to visit and then divide our time between seeing the sites and swimming and relaxing at the parc. We managed to see the sites of the Dordogne, Barcelona, Granada and Venice in this way, with manageable amounts of sightseeing and the promise of the pool or the beach in the afternoon.

Our Eurocamp Mobile Home at La Croix du Vieux Pont at Berny-Rivière

This autumn we had the opportunity to try something a bit different from the summer holidays of the past; an Autumn break near Paris with our two teenagers at La Croix du Vieux Pont near Berny-Rivière in the Aisne region of France. Our 4 day break was to be in one of the Eurocamp Superior Mobile Homes, which were as nicely fitted out as any holiday apartment that I’d stayed in. The parc of La Croix du Vieux Pont is well established and our mobile home was neatly laid out next to others, along a road with dividing hedges, a parking space  and an area of lawn.

Inside we found a sitting area with cushions and an expandable table, with an adjoining kitchen which had everything that you might expect at home such as a proper oven, microwave and plenty of kitchen equipment. Outside was a deck with chairs and sun loungers, a BBQ and sun umbrella, although as it was the end of October, it would have been a bit keen to start firing up the barbie.

Our Eurocamp Mobile Home at La Croix du Vieux Pont at Berny Riviere

The master bedroom had a double bed with plenty of cupboard space, a desk and even a wired-in hair dryer. There were also 2 smaller cabin bedrooms suitable for children, one with 2 single beds and the other with a bunk bed, both with wardrobe space. The bathroom with sink, shower and toilet was next to the master bedroom and there was even a CD player with i-pod dock and a gas fire to keep the place cosy. The only concern we had was that at the end of October the nights were chilly and once the small gas fire was turned off turned off, the temperature dropped rapidly – some electric heating would have been welcome for low season visitors.

Our Eurocamp Mobile Home at La Croix du Vieux Pont at Berny Riviere

Our Eurocamp Mobile Home at La Croix du Vieux Pont at Berny Riviere

The parc at La Croix du Vieux Pont is well established and organised with a very wide range of amenities and entertainments on site. There is a shop with everything you might need, a bar with upstairs games room and internet area that was a popular haunt for older children, and a traditional French restaurant, as well as a take-away pizzeria. There was an indoor family pool with water slides that was open when we were there, as well as several other outdoor pools that are open in the summer season. The other great attraction of the parc is the large lake with fishing, canoes and pedalos to hire and a smaller lake with a sandy ‘beach’ surround with a cafe next to it. There are also plenty of sports facilities, cycle hire, a beauty spa and many different childrens’ activities organised by age group. While we were there at October half term, there were plenty of activities such as climbing and abseiling available to entice our teenagers.

Our Eurocamp Mobile Home at La Croix du Vieux Pont at Berny-Rivière

Our Eurocamp Mobile Home at La Croix du Vieux Pont at Berny Riviere

You could definitely have a great Eurocamp holiday without ever leaving the parc at La Croix du Vieux Pont, but being more adventurous travellers we used the parc as a base from which to explore the surrounding region of northern France and the attractions of Paris and Disneyland.  Here’s how we spent our 4 days at the parc;

On the first day, after driving down from Calais the day before, we just wanted to relax and explore the parc. We wandered around the lake and had a look around the village of Vic-sur-Aisne with it’s pretty Chateau and military cemetery. There were several small shops, a couple of boulangerie and a few bars and restaurants that we eyed up for a future visit.

Parade at Disneyland Paris

On the second day, we drove to Disneyland Paris – there is also an organised coach trip from the parc but it was not going on the day we wanted to visit and we knew that there would be plenty of parking at Disneyland resort. The children were really excited as we had never been to Disneyland and we had a supercalifragilistic day trying out as many rides as we could fit in, exploring all the different Disney lands and watching the parade at the end of the day.

The next day, we drove north towards Arras and Cambrai, where my husband, who is a former tank commander, was keen to show us some of the battlefields of this area that was hard fought over during the First World War. We had a driving tour of the battle of Cambrai, visited the small but beautifully maintained graveyard near Arras where my husband’s great-uncle is buried after being killed in action in 1917, and took a tour of the Canadian war memorial at Vimy Ridge, with one of the student guides.

Eiffel tower, Paris

On the final day, we took advantage of the coach trip that is organised from La Croix du Vieux Pont to visit Paris, and were very pleased we hadn’t attempted to take the car. As the children hadn’t visited Paris before, our first stop was to climb the Eiffel tower and then we walked along the banks of the Seine and spent the afternoon at Musee d’Orsay enjoying the impressionist paintings.

We crossed over the river and walked through the Tuilerie gardens, catching some late afternoon sun on the deckchairs by the boating lake before returning to our coach, and a welcome nap on the drive back to the parc.

I’d highly recommend this kind of holiday with Eurocamp for families with children of all ages and thought that La Croix du Vieux Pont was particularly suitable for those with school age and teenage children, with plenty of activities to keep everyone happy. It’s also a great way to explore the sites of the region, while being based in beautiful rural surroundings, yet having plenty of amenities on your doorstep. In spring and autumn, these parcs are also great for those without children who enjoy the outdoor camping lifestyle, but can stay in the comfort of a mobile home. They also make a great stop off for a few days for those who like to tour around from region to region, as Eurocamp also offers the flexibility of short breaks.

Chateau at Vic-sur-Aisne

Information and resources for visitors

We stayed at La Croix du Vieux Pont at Berny-Riviere as guests of Eurocamp, but a 5 night family break like ours, staying in October half term in a 3-bed Superior Mobile Home would typically cost around £450 including linen, towels, welcome pack and the Dover-Calais ferry crossing.

La Croix du Vieux Pont is around 250km from Calais, and takes approximately 3 hrs to drive.

The parc is around 1hr 30 mins drive  to Disneyland Paris and around 1hr 45 min drive to Paris, although you don’t have to drive as regular day trips by coach to both locations operate from the parc. Visits to the battlefields around Arras and Cambrai, such as the Canadian memorial at Vimy are around 1hr 45 mins drive from the parc but are an ideal stop on the route to or from Calais.

Holidays at La Croix du Vieux Pont may be booked through Eurocamp, where you can find more details of all the parc facilities and entertainments on offer.

Read about what we enjoyed on this holiday

Postcard from the military cemetary at Vic-sur-Aisne
Our supercalifragilistic day at the magical kingdom of Disneyland, Paris
The Eiffel tower – icon of Paris or tourist trap?
Visiting our great uncle’s grave at Arras – thoughts for Armistice day
Visiting the Canadian War memorial at Vimy Ridge

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ France – Eurocamp at Berny Riviere, La Crouix du Vieux Pont photoset

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My guest post from Lara Dunston will leave you longing to visit Essaouria in Morocco, a gorgeous seaside destination that has been on my list to visit ever since I read about it on Lara’s Grantourismo blog. It’s an ideal place to combine with a trip to Marrakech as a place to relax and enjoy a slower pace of Moroccan life.

Why should I visit Essaouria?

Essaouria has that wonderful and unusual combination of Middle East exoticism that you find in places like Marrakech (a tangle of narrow laneways, colorful souqs, carpets draped over balconies etc) and the delights of a laidback seaside holiday town (an attractive beach, salt spray in the air, seagulls everywhere, and even watersports – Essaouira is famed for its windsurfing).

Seagulls and salt spray in Essaouria by Terence Carter

What will I enjoy doing in Essaouira?

Stroll the long wide beach, watch the kids kick a football around on the sand, relax in a steaming hammam, haggle for handicrafts, go watch the fishing trawlers unload their catch at the port, walk around the windswept city walls, feast on fresh seafood, drink cold beers as you watch the sun down, check out a local gnaoua band from a rooftop bar.

Beach at Essaouria by Terence Carter

What will I be eating in Essaouria?

Seafood, seafood and more seafood, and when you tire of that tajines, cous cous and other traditional Moroccan treats. We like Le Chalet de la Plage right on the beach with sea views for plump juicy oysters and tasty fish soup, despite the staff occasionally having a bit of an attitude. The staff are friendlier at Chez Sam, an atmospheric nautical themed place by the port. There are plenty of cheap outdoor stands near the fish market that do fried fish, but they’re unlicensed and we have trouble eating seafood without being able to wash it down with a glass of Moroccan white.

Moroccan tajine in Essaouria by Terence Carter

Where will I stay in Essaouria?

Don’t think of staying anywhere except within the walled medieval medina. It has so much atmosphere and even if you want to spend your days on the beach, it’s only a 5-10 minute walk to the sand. Nothing compares to a stay in a traditional Moroccan riad or courtyard house; see our tips for renting a rhiad in Morocco – they’re so romantic and super-affordable compared to Essaouira’s boutique hotels and you have the added advantage of being able to shop the markets and cook at home. Do take a look at the pretty apartment,  Dar Lazuli where we stayed, which can be booked at Holiday Rentals here. It has cute, colorful apartments, each with their own bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room, spread across a few floors and set around a central courtyard. They’re cool in summer and have open fireplaces for winter. But there are plenty of other riads dotted all over the medina that can be booked through Holiday Rentals.

Strolling in Essaouria by Terence Carter

What will I want to bring home from Essaouira?

Essaouira is fabulous for shopping – you’ll find plenty of Moroccan souvenirs to take home! There are wonderful stores all over the old town, and if you step into the sidestreets you’ll still see artisans, especially woodmakers, at work in many shops. Essaouira is famous for its marble-like thuya wood, and they do beautiful polished wooden trays, dishes, salad bowls, and so on. Bold-coloured kilims, textiles, babouches (the pointy leather slippers), jellabiyas (the long loose-fitting robes with hoods), and silver jewellery are all great buys, and it is perfectly acceptable – even expected – to bargain. Essaouira is also famous for its naïve art movement and the gallery to head to for local art is that of Frédéric Damgardor, just outside the medina walls.

Souvenirs of Essaouria by Terence Carter

Anything to watch out for in Essaouira?

When shopping for handicrafts, carpets and souvenirs, always shop around – no matter how much you love something don’t buy it straight away unless you’re happy to throw money around. It’s best to check the prices at a few places, and then once you’ve made your mind up, start bargaining on the thing you really want. I always start at half the offered price and work my way up to a compromise. Remember the sales guys are never going to settle on a price they’re not happy with, so don’t feel guilty if it does end up being half the price they initially suggested.

The old pharmacie in Essaouria by Terence Carter

How will I get to Essaouira and get around when I’m there?

Most travelers fly into Marrakech and then head to Essaouira for a few days on a side-trip or a longer stay, some drop in as part of a longer trip around the country, while others will fly into Agadir and head up to Essaouira. There are cheap buses from Marrakech, though you can also hire a driver which is more comfortable. You can see a lot in a weekend, but it’s a wonderful spot to really relax for a week or two. Or three. Or four…

Thanks so much to Lara Dunston of Granstourismo for this wonderful guest post – now I want to visit Essaouria even more. Lara and her husband Terence Carter who provided these wonderful photos, are travelling for a year in partnership with HomeAway Holiday-Rentals. They’re travelling slowly, living like locals, staying in apartments and holiday homes to get in touch with the local neighbourhoods they stay in. You can read more about their experiences at Grantourismo

You can also hear more about their travel project in my podcast interview with Lara Dunston here.

All photos copyright Terence Carter and may not be reproduced without permission

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In February we took a short break to escape the city and breathe some country air and found ourselves on a snowy Welsh hillside in the Brecon Beacons. I hope you enjoy my video below as well as reading about what we did there.

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As soon as my husband stepped into our Welsh holiday cottage at Laswern Fawr in the Brecon Beacons and saw the wood burning stove in the open fireplace and the cosy red velvet wing chair, he settled in and took charge of the fire while the rest of us made ourself at home. I concluded that it’s a man thing to fiddle with logs, bellows and firelighters and left him to it.

Sitting room at Laswern Fawr, Brecon Beacons, Wales

We’d arrived in two cars from Bristol following the extremely detailed directions, turning off the main road through the valley and up the hill on increasingly steep and narrow, muddy tracks, along an old tramway then down a steep drive to the cottage, built into the hillside. The 16th century stone farmhouse is surrounded by fields of grazing sheep, and above it rose the Welsh hills covered with bracken,  rocky cliff faces with many walking trails. The views from the cottage down into the valley and the small town of Crickhowell were stunning and we soon felt relaxed and at one with nature in a place where walking boots, wellies and waterproofs are in daily use.

Remote as our Welsh cottage at Laswern Fawr may have been, it was certainly not lacking in comforts and was as well equipped as any family home you might find. The owners of the cottage obviously love the place and come here regularly, as there was no trace of that impersonal feel that you get in some holiday accommodation. The furnishings were warm and comfortable with traditionally whitewashed stone walls, plenty of sofas, stools and easy chairs for lounging in comfort and the sort of antique furniture, ornaments and china that you might find in a good country antique shop. To the background tick-tock and hourly chimes of the old clock on the wall, I could almost imagine myself to be a country farmer’s wife, setting the kettle on the blackened range for a cup of tea.

Laswern Fawr holiday cottage, Brecon Beacons

Sheep at Laswern Fawr Brecon Beacons

Upstairs we found three double rooms and two singles, sleeping 8 people in all and ideal for two families or an extended group to enjoy a relaxing break. We’d elected to spend a few days away from it all in the school holidays, bringing two of our children and a gaggle of their teenage friends to get away from the bustle and traffic of Bristol. As well as the large family bathroom with bath and separate shower, there was a smart, slate-tiled en-suite shower room in the master bedroom which we grown-ups managed to bag just in time. Because of the cottage being built into the hill side, we actually had French windows where the occasional sheep might come and peer in.

Our comfortable bed even had an electric blanket and the bedroom was calm and cream with thick crewel embroidered curtans, easy chair and an original fireplace. In the other rooms were twin or single beds, with cheerfully coloured duvets or patchwork quilt bedspreads. The hay-loft bedroom, bagged by our boys had a steeply sloping ceiling , blue patchwork quilts and a cot for those travelling with babies.

Hayloft at Laswern Fawr, Brecon Beacons

Master bedroom at Laswern Fawr

Descending the steep whitewashed stairs with twisty wooden hand-rails there was a dining room at the front with a large Victorian antique table and sideboard and a porch where we could leave all our boots and coats. At the other end of the house, adjoining the large, cosy sitting room was the modern, cream painted kitchen with dishwasher, large fridge and freezer and plenty of storage space. Here was everything you could wish for cooking up hearty meals, with plenty of crockery and pots and pans and a wide selection of cookery books. Awaiting us was a welcome tray with a personal welcome note and tea and coffee and a bottle of delicious local apple juice.

Down in the valley was the attractive small town of Crickhowell,  with several good pubs and food shops as well as an out door activity shop to supply whatever you might need for all the biking, walking, climbing, cycling and all the other outdoor activities for which this part of Wales is well known. We bought some local Welsh lamb for dinner from the butcher and then adjourned for some tea and cakes in the Court room cafe above the Old Market Hall which serves good home cooked lunches as well. Although we’d made plans to try the Bear Hotel, an award winning old coaching inn, for dinner or perhaps the restaurant at the Nantyffyn Cider Inn for something a bit more gourmet, our plans were thwarted by the incoming snow. Although we made it safely back up the mountain to the cottage on snowy tracks , we didn’t feel like risking another drive down in the dark.

Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons, Wales

Market Hall at Crickhowell, Brecon Beacons

The next day we ventured out on a trip to the Big Pit, the National Coal Museum of Wales which is only a short drive away at Blaenafon but had to abandon our plans when we made it through a minor blizzard to get there, only to find that it had just closed because of the bad weather. I was disappointed as the visit includes a trip underground into the coal mine with helmets and head torches, that I thought the children would enjoy – the museum is also free. After our experience in the blizzard, we gave up on the sightseeing and just enjoyed the walking trails on the hillside in and around the cottage.

The thing that impressed us most were the number of entertainments and conveniences available at Laswern Fawr, clearly showing the owners had thought of everything for our comfort (perhaps they knew that rain and snow are always worth preparing for in Wales). There were two shelves of DVD films, a large rack of music CDs, a chest full of board games as well as WiFi. I have to confess, that as a travel blogger, it was the wifi that sold it for me – sad as it might be, the thought of 3 days with no internet access was unbearable, so I was relieved that it all worked perfectly, despite the remote location! Whatever home comforts you enjoy to spend the evening after a long walk in the Brecon Beacons, our Welsh cottage at Laswern Fawr seemed to be able to provide. If I ever have to shut myself away in comfort from the distractions of the big city to write that long awaited novel, this will be the place.

We booked Laswern Fawr through Brecon Beacons Holiday Cottages who kindly rented it to us at a discounted rate. They are the specialist in holiday cottage rentals in the Brecon Beacons and have over 250 holiday properties of different sizes to choose from in this beautiful area of Wales.

Travel Resources for the Brecon Beacons

Brecon Beacons Holiday Cottages - specialists in holiday accommodation in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Black Mountains National Park and Wye Valley
Visit Wales – the official Wales tourism website with information on short breaks, weekend getaways and family holidays and things to do in Wales
Brecon Beacons National Park Website – the Brecon Beacons website with information on things to do and places to stay in the Brecon Beacons

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In Episode 7 in my travel podcast series, you”ll find an interview with travel writer and blogger, Lara Dunston who’s embarking on a year long project together with her husband, photographer Terry Carter, which they’re calling Grantourismo. They’ll be travelling the world, staying in different apartments around the world sponsored by Home-Away holiday rentals in the UK and you’ll also hear from Sarah Chambers of Home Away on why the company decided to take this approach to promoting their holiday properties.

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Shownotes

In the podcast we talked about;

• How Lara first got started in travel writing, working in public relations, film-making and media studies which developed into travel writing, first on a part time and later on a full time basis.
• The realities of being a travel writer - from the fun bits such as eating out in great restaurants, as well as the more mundane bits such as updating guidebook information.
• How Lara and Terry work together as a husband and wife as well as a working partnership.
• How Lara and Terry deal with the practicalities of moving all their belongings, laptops and camera equipment around the world and how they persuade airlines to waive their excess baggage charges.
• The advice Lara has for those who’d like to adopt their lifestyle as a travel writer or location independent worker.
• How Lara and Terry came up with the idea of taking a contemporary Grand Tour for a year, getting into the culture of each place and travelling more slowly and with an authentic flavour.
• What HomeAway Holiday-Rentals can offer travellers looking for holiday apartments, and how they wanted to promote the benefits of extra space and privacy and staying in local neighbourhoods.
• How Home Away wanted to tap into consumers looking for travel information online and to provide them with something that would inspire them to a different way of travelling.
• The Grantoutismo itinerary that includes Marrakesh, Spain, Paris, Montenegro, Puglia, Sardinia, Venice, Asia, Indonesia, New York, Austin Texas, Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, South America, Kenya and back to Europe in January 2011.
• The trends that Lara sees in travel writing and blogging, with the recession hitting traditional media, leading to travel writers exploring new ways of working on line.
• Sarah Chamber’s view that more travel companies are promoting themselves through inspirational content on-line and will be experimenting with approaches like the Grantourismo project.
• You can follow Lara and Terry’s progress at Grantourismo and on Twitter @gran_tourismo
• You can find holiday apartments like those Lara and Terry are staying in at HomeAway Holiday-Rentals
• To subscribe to all my podcasts in ITunes click here

If you enjoyed this travel podcast please check out my other podcasts in my Travel Podcast Archive

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I’m in the Brecon Beacons in Wales for a short break and this is the snowy scene outside the cottage where we’re staying. We arrived in rain and the next day woke up to steadily falling snow. We ventured out yesterday to see something of the Brecon National Park and just about made it back to the cottage.

Snow at Laswern Fawr near Crickhowell in Wales

The incongruous thing is that although there’s snow up on the side of the mountain where we’re staying, in the valley in the small town of Crickhowell, we can see green grass in the fields as the snow’s only up on the high ground.

Sheep at Laswern Fawr near Crickhowell in Wales

This morning, we had to push my husband’s car up the icy, steep hill up to the road with wheels skidding. Half an hour of gritting and snow shovelling later, he made it and was on his way back to Bristol, where the snow is a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrance. I’m here for an extra day and will have to get up that icy hill tomorrow – wish me luck!

This was posted as part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby - head over to see all the other great Friday Photos.

PS This is the holiday cottage where we’re staying at Laswern Fawr in the Brecon Beacons.

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There was once a princess who lived in Bristol with her travelling mother and father and her stay-at-home brothers, who longed for adventure with her friends. Because she was dearly beloved (although she never kept her room tidy) her parents granted her heart’s desire to go camping with her fellow princesses, and waved a magic wand to make it so.

And so it was that the ten princesses set off in the palace mini-van, driven by the king (the chauffeur was on holiday) and arrived at their fairy dell in the kingdom of Welsh Wales. They found a friendly miller and his wife who had an old water mill with a bunk house and an orchard that was perfect for camping. Here it seemed the perfect place to experience the joys of Welsh camping (damp grass, fresh air and camp fires). They took with them provisions for the finest spaghetti bolognaise, tinned tomato soup and bacon and eggs (for everyone knows that you must have bacon and eggs for breakfast when camping).

The king and queen watched over them as they frollicked in the river and chatted around the campfire about things that interest princesses. Soon the next day dawned and the real adventures began. They found a leafy glade and tiptoed barefoot and bikini-clad through the ferns and the beech leaves that surrounded the mill. There in seclusion they bathed in the river, even jumping bravely into an icy plunge pool to prove their daring. No frog princes were seen, kissed, or even thought of, for these were independent minded young princesses.

Then shivering deliciously, they made their way back to warm up with cups of tomato soup and hot showers.

In the afternoon, when they’d had their fill of leafy glades, they visited the nearby town of Hay-on-Wye where people came from far and wide to buy and sell books. There was even a festival held there once a year, where bards and prophets, such as Bill Clinton and Desmond Tutu could be heard to utter wise words. They sought out yet another bathing spot nearby in the river where canoists drifted past and spent an afternoon relaxing and sunbathing. Naturally they kept their sunglasses on at all times, in order to remain incognito. During the evening they toasted marshmellows over the camp fire and sang songs of friendship.

All too soon the adventure was over and they returned to their kingdom of Bristol to resume their princessly duties, vowing that their little adventure was not one that would show up in any paparazzi book of fairy tales, although they might graciously give permission for it to appear on some obscure little blog.

If you would like to take your princesses (or princes) on a camping adventure in mid-Wales, we can highly recommend Trericket Mill, where Alistair and Nicky Legge will offer you a warm welcome for B & B, Bunkhouse or Camping Accomodation, and vegetarian home cooking.

Trericket Mill, Erwood, Builth Wells, Powys, Mid Wales, LD2 3TQ
Tel 01982 560312
Website http://www.trericket.co.uk/

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My Guest post today will take you into the beautiful Kozak mountains near the Aegean coast of Turkey, where Sharon Egin runs a holiday villa in the resort of Dikili, a favourite with Turkish holiday makers. Sharon shares her experiences of  authentic Turkish culture and warm hospitality.

Pine forests in the Kosak mountains

Nothing could have prepared me for my first visit to the Kozak mountains which are situated just off of Bergama on my trip to Dikili in Turkey. I was stunned by its natural beauty as I drove around the gentle curves of the pine clad mountain. This place was lush and green with natural springs and giant rocks scattered all around.  From time time we would past a shepherd herding his sheep or goats and were greeted with a wave and a smile on every occasion.

Kozak women sorting pinenuts

As you drive higher and higher into Kozak you pass the first of villages which continue all the way up and down again the other side. The inhabitants still retain their traditional tribal Turkish culture. The mountain air, organic food and spring water mean a long and healthy life for the locals is not uncommon. In the main the people live of the land and a large part of their economy is the produce from the pine nut trees. These are extracted by hand by the village women in the Autumn. Livestock and crops are another source of income and sadly also the giant rocks, which are now being dismantled for use as pavements in the surrounding towns and cities.

Kozak Grandmother

The Kozak plateau is also famous for its carpet weaving tradition and the high quality wool on wool carpets they produce.

We were visiting the village of a family friend and upon our arrival the children were the first thing I noticed. They gathered all around clearly delighted to see us and made the most of the opportunity to practice some English. We moved on to the house of our friend and were given tea and börek,  a type of Turkish pastie served with a tomato and onion salad and some bread to scoop it up and a side dish of  pine nuts fried in butter.  It was simple but really delicious and our host explained that all of it was produced in the village even the butter which was made from hand milked cows.

Kozak Mosque

We ate in the traditional way on the floor cross-legged with a large tablecloth over our legs to catch the fallen crumbs. After lunch I was taken to see the rest of the village and was fed and watered numerous times. Although fit to burst at the end of my trip the hospitality I encountered left me feeling humble and grateful to have experienced this day and with a deeper insight into the values and culture of rural Turkey.

Sharon Egin runs a holiday villa in the Turkish holiday resort of Dikili – find out more about Dikili and local places to visit at www.villahanorah.co.uk  situated the stunning undiscovered North Aegean region of Turkey as featured on www.yourholidaymatters.com

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If you like to wear your Wellie boots with style and don’t think that being eco-friendly should mean looking anything but your gorgeous best, then Fernhill Farm, just south of Bristol could be the perfect party venue for you.

Our excuse for a celebration was my daughter Sophie-Anne’s birthday which she shared with her friend Elin and a group of 25 schoolfriends. To find a venue for a weekend celebration involving fun, games, glamour and sleepover to satisfy these young ladies’ exacting standards could have been a headache, but luckily Elin’s mum found out about Fernhill Farm through friends in the area – their accomodation has only been open since Autumn 08.

To get there we passed Chew Valley Lake, where we used to go sailing and climbed up the edge of the Mendip hills and down a muddy pot-holed track. Fernhill Farm is very much a working farm, but the old stone buildings are in the process of being renovated, and the first to be finished is their camping barn. To call it a camping barn is a bit of an understatement, for it is a series of stone former cowsheds which now combine large dining room, cosy drinks parlour, commercial standard kitchen, open barn with a dance floor and crash-out matresses and further private sleeping area.

The whole place is built using recycled stone and wooden beams from the farm with cosy sheepskins from the farm sheep draped everywhere and colourful artwork on the walls. The girls had their own party in the dance barn then crashed out on the matresses while Elin’s mum and I luxuriated on sheepskins in a sort of four-poster bunk bed arrangement, made out of recycled beams.

The day was non stop action of different activities and contests that the birthday girls had devised, including blindfold cheesecake making, birthday cake decorating, a quiz about the birthday girls’ likes and dislikes and an egg throwing contest incorporating a waterfight. We mum’s could only wonder at such energy as we trailed behind clearing up the debris it generated. Finally it was time for some serious glamour with the hair straighteners, high heels and lip gloss coming out for dressing up that I could never compete with, and not a boy in sight!

After dinner (lasagne and birthday cake washed down with Coke) the i-pod was plugged into the speakers for dancing followed by a show from which parents were banned, and we had to resort to pressing our nose against the window from outside to catch a glimpse of the action. Soon we retired to leave the girls to crash out in their own good time and be up in time to provide breakfast and pizzas to a slightly more sleepy group of girls the next day, before ferrying them all home to Bristol.

Fernhill farm would be the perfect venue to a birthday celebration, hen party, or daytime activity with loads of stylish indoor and outdoor space for socialising and room to crash out for up to 30 people if you don’t mind the communal sleeping arrangements. They take their eco-credentials very seriously with heating from a boiler powered with wood from the farm and a wetland ecosystem to filter the water waste through reedbeds just like Prince Charles has at Highgrove. The sheepskins used in the furnishing are all from the sheep on the farm and they sell ther own meat here too. So if you’re looking for a party and sleeping venue within striking distance of Bristol in the beautiful surroundings of the Mendip Hills, then do check out Fernhill Farm (you can keep up with their programme of events on their blog here ).

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See all my photos of Fernhill Farm on Flickr

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Somerset – Fernhill Farm photoset

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Thanks for this guest post on enjoying Tuscany with toddlers to Amie O’Shaughnessy of Ciao Bambino, the travel site that brings you accomodation reviews and travel tips for enjoying your travels with the family.

Tuscany is touristy for a reason—fabulous food, incredible scenery, warm people that love children, fascinating history—the list goes on and on. When it comes to travel with a toddler—arguably the most difficult age range of all—touristy is a good thing because it means there is infrastructure to handle all of those visitors, which in turn means that parents have reliable resources to ensure travel goes as smoothly as possible. English is spoken almost everywhere—unless you speak Italian, the value of this cannot be underestimated as it ensures your needs and/or your kids needs are understood.

There are a few planning basics that should be in place to fully enjoy the region.

Stay in the countryside for a week or more
Keeping logistics to a minimum is key and nothing creates stress faster than packing and repacking multiple times during a relatively short trip. Moreover, most of the accommodations that are truly family-friendly with kitchens and private living space, have week-long stay requirements running from Saturday-to-Saturday. Happy toddlers are active toddlers and while most Italian cities have parks and piazzas that are great for running around, the countryside is ideal for young kids—especially in warmer summer months where swimming is a prime activity—and overall regional sightseeing is easier when you start from outside of the bigger cities. If time permits, plan on staying in Florence for 2-3 nights in addition to the week-long countryside stay.

Select appropriate accommodations
I wish there were as many great accommodations for families in other destinations as there are in Tuscany! What makes them work so well? For one thing, there are many different options to choose from at different quality levels and price points with room configurations that support families. Apartments with kitchen facilities, multiple bedrooms, plus a living room are easy to find. The key is to determine what other kinds of amenities you want—most properties have pools—other things that are worth considering are an onsite restaurant, fitness center, kids program, tennis, playground and/or staff that can help you do things. Independent villas are wonderful for a few families traveling together—but I prefer what we call “resort” options on Ciao Bambino for smaller groups—they are priced better for the quality than villas and families are not isolated from support and services.

Comprehensive amenity lists are outlined on every Ciao Bambino property profile page. To access an easy list of applicable accommodation options, search for “resorts” and Tuscany on our Extended Search page or you can sort by the accommodation category on our Italy Destinations page.

Set realistic goals for sightseeing
While main highways run through Tuscany and are efficient for getting across the region, most of the charming hilltop villages you will want to explore are down windy, narrow, and very slow roads.Things that look like they are in close proximity on a map may actually take quite a bit of time to get to due to the condition of the road. A classic example is exploring the Chianti towns of Gaiole, Greve, and Radda—the roads between these towns are incredibly slow—definitely worth it—but visiting just these 3 relatively nearby villages will take all day when you include lunch (not a fast affair in Italy), potty stops, parking, and of course, getting lost. A good map is a must—Touring Club Italiano has excellent, detailed maps (the key is maps that show small roads).

Favourite excursions
Italians are the best loiterers in the world and this is one of the things I love most about traveling in Tuscany. Travel in this region doesn’t have to be about “activities”—meaning structured things to do. Our best experiences in Tuscany when our son was very young are those where we explored an area or town without a particular agenda—when we were willing to simply sit in one place and let our son run in a piazza around us, giving us an amazing opportunity soak in the life around us. The reality is that toddlers will not appreciate Italian culture in a meaningful way (with the exception of gelato), therefore, the things on this list are about open space—knowing that happy toddlers are active toddlers—combined with something of interest for parents.

Siena
Once you get through the stress of parking in Siena, the reward is significant. The Piazza del Campo—the main public space in Siena—is one of the most beautiful, dramatic squares in Italy. You will be pleased and your toddler will be pleased by the car less, enormous space with hundreds of pigeons to chase.

Lucca
The historical center of Lucca lies within walls that are hundreds of years old—locals and tourists love to walk, run, and bike on the wide road that extends along the top of the walls. You can use a stroller or consider biking, as there are a number of bike rental shops that offer baby seats

Forte dei Marmi
Forte dei Marmi is an upscale, beach town on the border between Tuscany and Liguria. Unlike the better-known Cinque Terre which is not optimized for a toddler with cliffs, steps, and hazards—Forte dei Marmi has a broad, sandy, flat beach with little surf. The beach clubs are open during the summer months and allow families to enjoy the coast Italian-style with good food, coffee, and wine

Chianti Towns
The sad fact is that visiting hill towns in Chianti are a bit like visiting churches—they may all be extraordinary and different—but at a certain point they start to look the same. That said, there are many wonderful, small towns to explore and appreciate. Greve in Chianti is the one my clients raved most about over the years—the main square is picturesque and home to one of Italy’s oldest and most famous butcher shops, the Macelleria Falorni not to mention excellent wine tasting everywhere. Most of the towns are comprised of a center (centro) without cars, making exploration toddler-friendly (noting some towns are hilly with many steps.

Pienza
Pienza is in the Val D’Orcia (on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites)—a part of Tuscany where the landscape is unspoiled and dramatic.Pienza is a Renaissance town famous for pecorino cheese production. The views of the countryside from here are spectacular and cheese tasting is at every turn—fun for every age.

Florence is one of my favorite places on the planet, but it is not optimal with a toddler. Not impossible—but not amazing since it is very crowded and many of the top attractions like visiting museums and shopping are challenging with an impatient child. It is also worth noting that I intentionally left things off of the highlights list that would be great with school-age kids like Pisa and San Gimignano since the focus of this piece is toddlers.

One thing that is very kid-friendly about all of Italy is the food—the bottom line is that the very things that most kids love—pizza and pasta—are plentiful there. Restaurants do not have kid’s menus per se, but many will prepare whatever you want for your children (assuming it is Italian). The result is that finding kid-friendly restaurants is relatively unimportant. Note, parents should travel with a me-too type seat, since not all restaurants have high chairs.

Travels tips on Ciao Bambino has more general information on traveling with kids. Buon Viaggio!

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With Christmas behind us, our holiday season continued with our family gathering at Centerparcs (or Stalag Luft as my husband had affectionately re-named it). The pre-bookings had been changed numerous times to accomodate fluctuating numbers, a food mountain ordered from Tesco, the cobwebs brushed off our bikes and all manner of sporting equipment assembled.

Finally we arrived at the appointed time (3pm) and experienced a warm welcome and efficient check-in, although my sister arriving half an hour later got stuck in a traffic jam and arrived a little more frazzled. Our two adjoining cabins were cosy and well laid out, each one set a little apart and surrounded by pine forest. Getting everything unloaded and cars removed to the car-park in the drizzle and darkness did make me feel a little grumpy. But any bad mood melted away the next day when we woke to find the winter sun filtering through the forest around us and we set out to explore the world of Centerparcs.

First to be investigated was the Jardin des Sports overlooking the lake with facilities for every indoor sport under the sun. The place was buzzing with energetic families and far more tropical greenery than any normal sports centre. Here the teenage boys tried their skills in an American Pool tournament, while the rest of us enjoyed an easy game of badminton.

Next was the pool area, again modelled on some ecuatorial paradise with lush palms, rocky outcrops, a tropical pool, lazy river and waterslides all under the huge dome for which Centerparcs is renowned. A Tarzan call marked the start of the wave machine in the pool, giving you the chance to drift in the gentle surf. The children loved this water paradise, especially the white water rapids slide which took you outside and back in again before splashing you into a deep pool.

There were plently of more adventurous activities for the teenagers, including abseiling and climbing across rope walkways, but as they were quickly booked up we opted for some Laser Clay shooting. Some mastered the shooting better than others – my 10 year old found the gun too big and heavy, but the teenagers enjoyed trying their skill with mixed success. They all seemed to enjoy the grown-up element of shooting, nonchalently slinging the guns over their shoulders like hunters for the photo call at the end.

For New Year’s eve we started with champagne in our cabin and my sister, getting into the Greek carnival spirit produced a box of party hats and streamers for the occasion. We had originally booked for Huckleberries, an American style restaurant near the pool. But when we arrived we decided to change our booking to The Grand Cafe, a bistro which was more attractive and closer to our cabin.

The Grand Cafe was like a converted barn with painted metal beams and a high ceiling open to the rafters.
We all enjoyed the meal which was a mixture of bistro favorites and modern british cooking – full marks too for trying to use local produce. The teenagers mostly had steak and chips – I enjoyed a rather more sophisticated sea bass on a bed of sweet potato and fennel. The staff were delightful, as we found was typical of Centerparcs. We ended our New Year’s eve with a rousing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and a firework display by the lake amongst other happy party goers.

In between the fun and games we managed to do plenty of relaxing and felt fit and rested by the time we came to leave. Even my husband had to admit he had enjoyed himself although I could see his point about Stalag Luft.

Many people enjoy the self-contained world that Centerparcs offers but for the more adventurous in spirit it does have something of the gilded cage about it. As we left I spotted sign for the Longleat stately home just next door – a place I’d always planned to visit. But there was something so cosy and contained about Centerparcs that I hadn’t given it a second thought until it was too late.

The best bits
- Seeing so many families out to enjoy themselves was infectious and put me in a holiday mood.
- All the staff we encountered were lovely – cheerful, friendly, welcoming and helpful
- With such a wide range of sports and activities in an attractive setting, there was something to keep everyone happy, from the toddler to the teenager.
- With no car and having to cycle or walk everywhere, the atmosphere was more relaxed and we felt healthy and virtous.

Must try harder
- The biggest barrier for me was the price – the accomodation was expensive even for peak season and all activities except the swimming were an additional and substantial cost. I would definitely shop around for better value alternatives before booking again (but there seemed to be no shortage of families prepared to fork out, so I may just be a cheapskate and out of touch with reality!)
- Our accomodation, though comfortable and cosy was looking a little tired, although we could see that a renovation programme was going on in some other cabins. Also I felt that for the price, it was a bit much to be asked to provide our own soap and towels.

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When she consulted me on the best place for us to gather, I thought about a large country house, perhaps by the sea with roaring log fires and mulled wine to see the New Year in. But the reality of keeping several teenagers entertained cut in and we slightly regretfully settled on Centerparcs at Longleat. I say slightly regretfully because my husband, whose tastes tend towards the wild and windswept places, finds the place somewhat contolled and contrived. We once took a break there when the children were younger which was a great success for everyone but him, except for the hair-raising incident when the bikes almost came flying off the roof-rack on the journey down. The only drawback on this occasion was the price which seemed extortionate, even for New Year, but luckily our parents were feeling in a generous mood to help out.

So we settled on two 6 bedroom chalets to accomodate our two families and parents – our other sister planned to bring her children for a day visit. A scan through the comprehensive web-site gave us much of the information we needed, although suspiciously with little indication of prices. As we hoped, there were no shortage of activities to entertain the children and over ten restaurants to choose from – you could eat your way from the Mediterranean to the Swiss Alps. We planned to bring most of the food with us to feed the hungry hordes, using the on-site supermarket for top-ups, and splurge on a night out on New Year’s Eve. With the initial booking made I awaited the ‘Planning your break’ pack which is sent out a few weeks before the visit.

To be contined ….

More The West Country to enjoy

New Year in the forest at Longleat Center Parcs
Girly Delights at Sassy & Boo in Tetbury
Lunch at The Priory Inn in Tetbury

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Centerparcs Longleat photoset

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