Relaxing Welsh Valleys
Published May 29, 2012 | 
The wonderful unusual British heatwave gave me an excuse to leave the cities behind and venture into the peaceful beauty of Wales this weekend. Nothing quote like taking some time away from it all and just going off into the countryside to recharge the batteries.
As was the case over the whole country, there was not a cloud to see the entire time we were away, the lightest of breezes and the chance to just be outside without fear of cold or need of a jacket. We stayed in the little village of Ruthin, in Denbighshire, North Wales. This is a village still very traditional in its style, with numerous listed buildings, in a conservation area and basically a huge step away from any stress, rush or general hubbub.
Housing about 10 different pubs and restaurants, a dozen at most little shops, two or three banks and a handful of glorious historic holy buildings, this is a place not tainted by the mass-market retail giants. Stepping into the street every day you could hear the odd car, birds tweeting, but more importantly you could hear people talking. We sat in the village square on our arrival to watch the world pass by, and it really was at a snail’s pace. There was even a stall selling fresh fruit and flowers in the square.
We made the little trip up the road (which even for quiet area was a well maintained A-road) to Loggerheads Country Park, to spend the day in the sun and just relax. It was rare for us to go away, even for a weekend, and not have made solid plans. Venturing out and just getting some country air was a massive refreshing change, made us think we should be doing it more often! Loggerheads was full of nature, both floral and fauna, meaning we could take in all the sights and sounds of Summer. Despite being busy, as it would be on a hot Summer’s day, we weren’t overcrowded as the vast area to explore meant at times we were alone under the trees!
We treated ourselves to possible the nicest restaurant in Ruthin on our final night, the venue taking pride in using local ingredients in its dishes and we were not disappointed. Nice surroundings, fantastic service and some outstanding food which would challenge many top class city centre restaurants. I have found you can often get a higher quality of food in the country as chefs seem to take more pride and want to bring you back to their picturesque corner of greenery.
We returned relaxed, well fed and nicely bronzed. If you need a quick relaxing break, Wales is the place to go to see beautiful country, meet nice people and get your fill of anything you want.
London from Above
Published May 16, 2012 | 
Sightseeing in London is one of the main reasons people visit the capital, visiting art galleries and museums, seeing historic buildings and streets and learning about the history of the city. When you think of London, you think of certain iconic images, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Piccadilly Circus, Beefeaters, the Big Red London Bus. These are all great tourist sights and places/things that people flock to the capital to see.
What many people miss though, is the chance to actually use the special London Tour Bus to see most of these sights! These buses are open-topped and provide great opportunities to see London from a fantastic vantage point. There are also friendly, knowledgeable tour guides on these that give insight and educational quality to the tours, plus they’ll answer all and any questions you have.
Using these tour buses couldn’t be easier, there is a great hop-on hop-off feel to them, if you want to stay and look at an area or building in more depth then you can and join another tour bus when it passes later that day. Seeing London’s grand buildings and winding streets from atop an open-topped bus is a unique experience that you shouldn’t miss.
Sky High Sightseeing
If this isn’t the high-spot you were looking for, then you can take London Sightseeing to a whole new level by wandering down to Greenwich. This is where you’ll find the London Eye, itself a sight to behold. Jump into one of its pods and take the trip high above the Thames, from where you can see almost all of London and off into the distance. Make the most of it and find some great hotels near the O2, only a short walk from the eye itself, making your early morning or late night visit much more relaxing.
While up on the eye you can see all the way down the Thames, past The O2 Arena up to the Docklands, and across the river at Big Ben and Parliament from a whole new angle. You are able to see all of London’s buildings in your panoramic pod, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Mayor of London’s offices and very far into the distance you can see the arch of Wembley stadium. If you wanted a real treat, go in the evening and see London at night from up on high. Not to be missed.
Recent Comments