Shakespeare's Land - Stratford-Upon-Avon

There was a phase where my daughter was mad about Shakespeare. So after we exhausted all the books and did  multiple home-made recreations of different plays, what else was I to do but take her to Shakespeare hometown? I booked an Airbnb in a little village not far from the town centre for 2 nights and off we went! Before you head out, it is vital to pre-book and there's great combination tickets which saves a bit of money. You can find ticket details here: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/visit/ 

Before we went to Stratford-Upon-Avon, we made a quick stop to  Wilmcote to visit Shakespeare's mother's house, Mary Arden Farm. This was such a great place to visit with kids as they had people in character and reenactment of how life was on the far. It had a playground, animal farm. We took part in a reenactment of how meal time was back in those times where the kids were picked to help out with the play. They is so much history so take time and enjoy! A wonderful place for kids little and big. We then headed to Stratford-Upon-Avon and explored the vibrant town centre and its quirky shops like the Christmas shop, Peter rabbit shop and a shop dedicated to just teddy bears! 

The next day, we headed back to the town centre to visit 2 houses. Shakespeare's birthplace and Anne Hathaway's House! As it was a school holiday, there was a lot of kid activities including plays everywhere. Maybe the houses were a bit too much for my son who was 5 who just wanted to move along fast while my 8 year old was transported to Shakespeare's time! Once we were done with the houses, we headed down the high street to MAD Museum (Mechanical Art and Design Museum). This was such a gem of a museum with so much to explore and lots of hands on exhibits. Anyone will have a blast here! I thought the price didn't do justice to what the museum had to offer. It was quite cheap. Next we headed to the back streets to go to Tudor World. As you know, we are a family that loves history and need to absorb as much history as we can. Tudor World was great. Lots of different areas to cover the Tudor time including the plague and witches. It can get quit spooky due to the light effect so if your child is afraid of the dark, then beware. The museum also had a trail going with a prize at the end of it.

On our last day, we headed to the Royal Shakespeare company where we had booked for a free theatre workshop. It was a family event so we all had to get involved and show off our wonderful acting skills! We then also had a tour of the theatre and had a chance to try out costumes, look at set designs, etc... Wonderful gift shop too. Lucky took such a long time to pick what she wanted! Before our train was due, we had a picnic and played by the River Avon.

I love historic town and the rich history. Even if you are not into Shakespeare, I will highly recommend you visit this beautiful town!

South Devon

 After Lake District, this has become one of my favourite places in the UK. It is absolutely stunning and the weather was splendid too!

We stayed in Totnes in a guesthouse 5mins away from the town centre. Upon our arrival, we visited the historic local town centre. It is such a cute town with cobbled streets and a river running through. The high street also had so many bookshops which were calling for me to come and buy books, like I don't have enough books to read. There were also lots of cafes where we had to have cream tea and scones. We also visited Devon's oldest sweet shop. As soon as we entered, it smelled of liquorice. I cans till smell it. We then visited Totnes Castle. It is part of the English Heritage and since we have membership, it was free for us to visit. We loved going up the castle and admiring the views of Totnes and beyond. It was a quick visit as they wasn't much to see or do.

The next day, we packed our beach bags and went to the beaches in Salcombe without having a clue that this will become my favourite beach town. I couldn't believe the colour of water which was aquamarine! Who would have thought? With the setting of hills, boats/yachts and the water, I felt like I was in Sardinia. From Salcombe town centre, we walked to the South Sands beach which was a good 45minutes. We stopped by North Sands to eat in a cafe overlooking the beach. Once our energy was restored, we walked another 15minutes, to the South Sands which was more quieter and nicer. The water was cold but that didn't stop us from playing in the water. We also did lots of rock climbing and cave explorations! Cave exploration is a hobby that both me and my daughter didn't know we would love. My son is afraid of the dark so he was more than happy to guard the cave from outside should something happen to us. There was this particular  hidden cave which was so exciting to explore. We went as far in as possible but it got too dark to see so went we couldn't go all the way. The beach also had lots of little coves which meant us going around the beach, hopping from rock to rock, to explore the beaches. I cannot comment on how stunning Salcombe is. It is a town that you need to visit.

Another beautiful day, another gorgeous town to visit. What was on our itenary this time?? Dartmouth!! However, on our way there, we quickly stopped at Devon's biggest theme park,  Woodlands Family Park. The park had several areas and quite a few rides but don't expect Thorpe Park. The highlight where the water rides! It also had a huge indoor play area. It was a nice couple of hours before we headed down to Dartmouth. Dartmouth is the biggest town that we've been. The scenery was as amazing as Salcombe. I cannot describe it. It had a party atmosphere. There was a funfair and street food stalls. We walked by the harbour to go to Dartmouth Castle which was about 40mins walk from the town centre. On our walk there, we  came across the Bayards Cove Fort. Dartmouth was defence town couple of centuries ago and this fort was used for as an artillery defence. It is free to visit and a nice piece of history. Next stop was Dartmouth Castle located right on the edge of a cliff. It's one of the most beautiful castle setting I saw. The views across Dartmouth Castle, we also saw Kingswear Castle across the estuary. The castle had had a dark underground passage and weapons in the basement. On top of the castle, you were again faced with amazing views. Behind the castle, there were multiple coves, all unique in their own way. We could only do one cove as the tide was coming in and therefore blocking the access to the other coves. It was deserted and an ideal place to have a picnic and a little swim. To head back to the town centre, we took the ferry back and said bye to another beautiful town.

On our last day, we went to a corner of Dartmouth National Park. We went to Becky Falls. I picked this area as it had waterfalls which we lie, great hiking paths and family-friendly. It even had a little zoo, pig and horse enclosures. This is suitable for any ages. It had 3 different paths all with different difficulty levels. The red path took us to the waterfalls. It was beautiful. We can climb the boulders to be close to the waterfall. It was so refreshing to be sprayed with fresh, cold water from the waterfall. We then followed, the water down the path where there were many opportunities to dip your toes and paddle around so bring a change of clothes. There's something about water running between trees that gives me enormous peace and calm to my soul. It is such a peaceful place and extremely child friendly. 

Unfortunately, our time in South Devon came to an end too quickly but it was exactly what I needed to reset my body. South Devon was a complete surprise to me. I didn't expect it to be so beautiful!

The Jurassic Coast, UK

 We tried to fit in another quick holiday the week before school starts so off we went to the Jurassic Coast. This was a bit different from the other holidays as not only did it involved the husband coming but also some friends and their kids!

Off we headed to Weymouth all 8 of us. It was a sunny and warm day, thankfully! We got there after 2 after a slight delay en-route. Once we settled in our respective hotel rooms (no AirBnb 😑😑😑😑😑!!!), we went to Weymouth SeaLife. It was a nice walk by the Weymouth beach. All the kids and the husband in particular were excited about this as they are all fish mad. What caught my attention were the teeny penguins. So cute! The playground was amazing. Theres not much to say about SeaLife. It des what it says on the tin. 

Right opposite it was Sandworld. This is an attraction with sculptures made of sand. It was amazing to see the sculptures and the talent it took. The sculptures vary every time and is worth a visit. Theres also a sand art area where the kids wanted to create their own sand magic. It was at an extra cost but worth it.

The following day we headed to the Jurassic Coast which i was dying to go for a year now. My aim was Durdle Door, Man O'War and Lulworth Cove. We were lucked out with really nice weather! First stop, Durdle Door. It's stunning. The photos don't translate the beauty of it. We headed down the stairs which wasn't pushchair friendly at all and a bit steep. It wasn't as busy as we would have thought and found a space quite close the the arch. As soon as we set up, the kids got to their swimming suits and jumped i the water. The water was clear aquamarine water. I didn't know you could get aquamarine water in the UK!!!! The water was cold but it didn't stop the kids or me. I braved the cold water and jumped in there too. I even swam all the way to the other side of the arch and touched it. Apparently if you touch it, you need to make a wish. The water was a bit rough so I would recommend swimming that far only if you are water-confident. We spent a good portion of the morning there before we headed to the other beaches. That walk back was hard! We had to stop a few times to get back to our starting point and head back to the other beaches. We saw Man O'War but didn't get down as the kids were tired so missed it but took plenty of photos. There were no places to eat here. Next, we walked to Lulworth Cove which took us about 20mins. The views, oh the views, were indescribable. This is the place where there was lots of places to eat, visitor centre, boat rides and gift shops. the cove itself was beautiful. Again beautiful water and more places to discover. I recommend hiking shoes or solid trainers to do all kind of climbing! I discovered a new nook everywhere I turned. I wished I packed another set of swimsuit because the setting looked so inviting. It's absolutely stunning and you can fit it all in 1 days. Just pack a few bathing suits and good slippers as everything was shingles.

The next day was our final day there. We headed to Dorchester to do a few museums. The first one was the Dinosaur Museum for my paleontologist. It was a small museum but kept the kids busy. Next we went to my and Lucky's kind of museum, the Tuthankamun museum. It was all replicas but mind-blowing. There also had mummies which we we had to pay extra to see but we couldn't miss out on the mummies. The kids were totally creeped out! Next, we had a stroll around the market stalls in the town centre and relaxed before heading back to Weymouth. We had fish and chips while the kids played in the sand and water. Once we finished lunch, we went crabbing. We went to the old harbour and took us a while to catch our first crabs. 2 were caught by the husband and 1 by Mahi. The other kids and adults were very patient and tried very hard but couldn't catch anything unfortunately. On our way back, we watched how they made ice cream rolls and it was mesmerising. We bought  a few and you have to eat them quickly as it melted quickly. But delicious!

Another action-packed holiday but more beautiful memories made! Will definitely recommend even as day trips!

Our first ski holiday - Bulgaria

 Every year, I try to introduce my kids to something new whether it’s activities, places, food, etc... So last year, before the pandemic hit the world, I wanted the kids to experience something they never tried before but always intrigued them... skiing. I've done skiing back in France but its been 2 decades since then so I was beginning again too! I was very nervous as I hated ski lifts!but I have to be brave!

 Next which country? As you know I love going to countries which aren't too touristy so I can still experience the people and culture! One of my close friends recommended Sofia so upon reading around the capital and the country, I decided that this is where we will go for our half-term!

Next, to decide how many days, where to stay, what to see and how to get around: 

• Accommodation - We found a 2 bed-flat airbnb right in the capital about 15mins walk away from the centre of the capital with mountain views! I love airbnbs as they are considerably cheaper and you get to live and shop like locals. I love going to local grocery shops with the kids and play with the money, read the signs and learn some words that way too! You'll only find us in a hotel if absolutely desperate!
• Ski - Next a ski resort quite close to Sofia. Vitosha mountain range was literally on our doorstep and they offered skiing lessons too. Through several emails and what exactly I was looking for me and my kids, we were assigned a ski instructor, Yasen (who looked like Gino D’Campo) who will be transporting us there and back for the whole weekend! It was such a fuss-free process! Ski equipments were to be provided too so we only needed the appropriate clothing.
•  Travelling around the country -  I was told that the transport system was a bit dodgy and to get a car if possible. I don't drive, which was never an issue anywhere, and I wasn't going to let this be an issue either. As I planned my itinary and where exactly I wanted to go, I contacted the tourism office on Facebook and asked them for reliable chauffeurs. They have given me a list and after reading reviews, I zoned on 1 taxi firm who again were so nice and professional. They gave me exactly what I needed and very patient with my back and forth as I was amending my itinerary. The chauffeuring service was again very cheap.
• Activities - on top of skiing, we also wanted to experience some other activities. Airbnb was my saviour who listed me a range of activities. We found a couple of things we really wanted to do and so contacted the different hosts and arranged a few things.
• Preparing for the trip - we have 0 ski clothes so off we went to Trespass for some clothes and boots. It was so fun! I had a colleague who goes skiing every year so she gave me a list of what I need but also gave me some of the stuff that her kids outgrew which saved me quite a bit of money!

The trip:

We arrived in Sofia on Friday before lunch and hit the ground running. We were picked up by our chauffeur and off we went to our first destination in Bulgaria which was Bayona church in Sofia. This is a church known for its medieval art! It was absolutely stunning. With snow and the sun hitting, the art was beautiful and one-of-a-kind. The kids, due to their ages, couldn't appreciate the art so they were just snow fighting outside the church. Next, we headed 2 hours away from Sofia to the Rila Monastery. It is 'known as one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments.' It is located in a part of Rila Mountains and so this monastery was in the middle of the mountains and covered in snow. There are no words to describe the place. The church inside the monastery had such vivid coloured paintings. We couldn't make any noise in the church which gave me so much peace. Definitely needs to be on your list to visit. Next we headed back to Sofia. It was evening time by the time we came back so unpacked (yes, I wasn't joking when I said we hit the ground running) and went to do some shopping and also see the centre of the Capital city. In the night, with the lights, it had such a majestic aura! The  Cathedral Saint Aleksander Nevski, which is another must-see in Bulgaria was breathtaking! As a woman of colour with 2 kids, walking around at night, I wasn't scared at all (I don’t do holidays with the husband. It’s too stressful!) The people were very friendly if I needed to find my way again.The interesting bit for me was one of the subways had some preserved ruins of the old Roman city. It had information in English so it was easy to follow what they were.

The weekend was here so our skiing lessons started. Our instructor, Yasen, meet us at our doorstep and took us to the ski resort in Vitosha. He gave us a running commentary of the monuments and places we saw en route!  The weather was great! It was snowing on Saturday but Sunday was sunny and beautiful. Yasen was very patient with us. Mahi loved it more than Lucky. Lucky completely gave it up on Sunday! Skiing wasn't her thing. Me and Mahi got the hang of it and loved it despite falling several times! After we wrapped up our skiing weekend, that evening, we wanted to cook traditional dishes. So Yasen kindly dropped us there. Our host for the night welcomed us with music, warm tea and Banista, a pastry made of cheese, which was absolutely divine and needed after a whole of skiing. We then make Bulgarian meatballs which the kids loved getting their hands stuck in. We loved how our host explained the meaning of each food, spices and the Bulgarian  culture. We finished off the meal with some delicious Baklava. As a parting gift, our host gifted us homemade Bulgarian spices! How nice?! To this day, Mahi still remembers the meatballs and reminds me if I miss a step when we make it!

The next day, we went ski mobiling in Rila Mountains. The organisers picked us up from our flat and took us to where the activity was taking place. The instructors were great and taught us exactly how to do it. The kids jumped with each instructor whereas I had a snow mobile of for myself. I was petrified but acted brave. I thought I was going to be driven around!!! And to make things a bit more challenging, the route we were going to use wasn't smooth apparently as overnight some big vehicles left deep tracks in the snow therefore there’ll be holes to avoid. So off we went. It was scary but i did it without losing control and in 1 piece. I remember there was this particular rough spot and I thought I was going to lose control but thankfully, I still have some grey cells remaining which helped me manoeuvre the ski mobile! Everyone was so impressed and me the most. It was such a thrilling experience! My kids each had turns of their own too in a safe place and Mahi wouldn't let go of the snowmobile. We spent half a day there and we have no idea how the time went. Next stop, after some food, we headed down the mountains to Bansko where we jumped  in natural thermal mineral springs! Unfortunately, i didn't take my phone but with the mountains in the background and us swimming in the hot springs, wow, I couldn't actually believe it! It had several springs and our body needed it after so many days of sporting! The kids loved it and wouldn't come out. 

On our departure day, our chauffeur from our first day, picked us up again for another heavy day. We were heading to Plovdiv, an ancient city built between hills! It is the oldest city in Europe. You can see the Greek influence from the ampitheatre to the ruins. With its cobbled streets and charming houses and workshops, we enjoyed it thoroughly. We visited different museums as part of the same tickets too!  Please visit this city. It has so much to offer! After lunch, we headed to another must-see place, Asen's Fortress. It was built in the medieval times and an important place in the Bulgarian history. The climb was scenic with some amazing views! I cannot comment more on the views as you had to be there to see it.

Unfortunately, this was our last destination before we headed to the airport!

Bulgaria will be a country which we will visit again as we need to do the other side of it as the kids call it! It wasn’t crowded with tourists meaning you can experience the local culture! This country is so rich in history so do visit!