Belgium

It wasn’t my first choice of destination, but for a veariety of reasons I found myself booked for a few days in Belgium: three nights in Bruges, followed by one in Brussels. The bonus is that from the UK you can get the train direct from London to Brussels.

Brussels-Midi station (also known as Brussels South/Zuid) is not the best part of Brussels. My advice is to move on swiftly. From London you can get a ticket through to any Belgian city, or (like I did) you can search around the station for a ticket machine to buy your onwards ticket.

The station at Bruges is a modern affair and only about 10 minutes from the wonderful old town. This area is easily walkable, but if you don’t fancy travelling around by foot you have the option of a pony and trap or a boat tour. Any way is a great way to see the beautiful architecture. The cobbled streets and historical facades are the backdrop to numerous churches doubling up as art galleries and providing respite from the weather.

Church spires are everywhere you look

There are art galleries for real sharing the output of the Flemish Masters and a number of vernacular museums – namely beer, frites and chocolate. The Chocolate Museum gives a full history of chocolate and an insight into how it is made. You can fill a good couple of hours here, fully deserving to take advantage of the tasting room.

You can go on a brewery tour, but almost any bar will give you the opportunity to taste a variety of local beers. The highlight of the menus was the Flemish stew – everything served with chips.

For a bit of a contrast you can visit the four windmills on the edge of the old town – it’s a good way to get some fresh air and to escape from the tourist trail.

One of the four windmills

It felt like a big contrast to return to Brussels: busy, bustling and a plethora of visitor attractions in amongst city life. I only had a short time there and decided to find the “pissing” statues: manneken pis, Jeanneke pis and Zinneke pis. Mission accomplished among the pedestrianised alleys around the Grand Place.

Jeanneke pis

My return was via Brussels-Midi, about a 30 minute walk from the Grand Place (and not through the most picturesque areas of Brussels). Once at the station there are a number of cafes where you can wait for your train, but if you want to eascape the hubbub, head to the bar at the Pullman Hotel adjoining the station. Before you check in for your Eurostarbuy any snacks from the station Carrefour and save yourself some money compared to the international departure area.

A sophisticated pre-departure tea stop

Cinque Terre

“It’ll be busy” they said. And they were right, even in relative off-season May. However, like everywhere there are opportunities to escape the crowds. The train from La Speiza was almost empty – a good sign we thought – however by the time we reached the first of the Cinque Terre villages, we realised that this was a false impression. Day hikers were on their way back to accommodation and party goers were heading out for aperitivi before indulging in the delicious Ligurian cuisine.

Our destination was the last of the villages, Monterosso al Mare (strictly speaking the first, but not in this direction of travel) and we disembarked along with most of the remaining passengers. Looking up instructions to the hotel, I noticed that the first landmark to look for was a tunnel. There was no difficulty in finding it as we simply had to follow the crowd, along the seafront through the tunnel and into the main square. Winding along a couple of the ancient streets and alleys led us to the hotel. The restaurants suggested by the hotel were closed (not quite season yet, or maybe it was a Monday) but we found a small trattoria and enjoyed some pasta.

Coastal views at Moterosso

The five villages are linked by hiking paths, train stations and a boat so there are numerous combinations of ways to get there and back. I’d recommend the hiking option – the paths are well signposted, and if you keep the sea on the same side you can’t really go wrong – the coastal views are spectacular. The bluest of seas butting up against the greenest of woodland, olive groves and a few beaches along the way. They are undulating, but the distances between villages are not that great so with frequent breaks everything is doable.

Coffee with a view between Vernazza and Corniglia

The villages are busy and if you time it wrong with a cruise party traversing from dock to station you can barely cross the road, but weave your way along the back streets and you can just about avoid the crowds. For some time out, hitch a ride on a boat and view the Cinque Terre from the sea: an amazing feat of engineering and precarious positioning. Or extend out of the Cinque Terre villages to Levanto on the western side and Porto Venere on the east – the same ancient villages, hilltop view points and coastal cuisine with a slightly quieter vibe.

My top tips

• Shoulder season is going to be more comfortable, with not so many people and better weather for hiking
• Consider staying outside the Cinque Terre and taking the train to/from start/end points for hiking. You can buy a train ticket for 3 or 5 days that covers travel on the line for that duration
• Although there are a few places to stop between villages, make sure you bring enough water and snacks in case they’re not open
• The villages can be busy so if you want to explore them aim to get there early or late, when most of the “day trippers” have gone home.

Vernazza

On the train again

Tourism is back. Maybe it has been for a while, but this was my first proper post-pandemic travel trip. A hiking tour in the Cinque Terre expanded to a slow travel across Europe/hiking/cultural city break combo.

First stop: Paris. With spring sunshine making an appearance, a slow stroll across the city from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon was a pleasure. Two hours from London and the differences in the city vibe makes it seem much further. The similarities are there – traffic, roadworks – but also the differences – wider pavements, independent shops and parks or gardens emphasised by a market in one of them selling everything from the freshest looking vegetables to dubious quality clothes.

Gare de Lyon was undergoing renovations, but signage to find trains and platforms was clear. I decided against the imposing Train Bleu restaurant in favour of a local place just around the corner from the main entrance. Having just got accustomed to rolling out my school level French I was soon on my way to Italy.

Destination Turin

A standard class seat on the TGV gives wide seats, space for luggage overhead and spacious aisles. I settled in for the 6 hour ride to Turin, relieved I wasn’t staying on for to the final destination of Rome. The train was soon rolling through the countryside, passing by villages and towns that I was trying hard to note down for a potential future visit.

After a trip to the bar for refreshments, the Alps became visible, then closer and then we were amongst the chalets and lodges typical of ski resorts the world over. As if playing hide and seek through the tunnels there were snatched glimpses of the sun set over the peaks and as night fell the train pulled into Turin.

A carefully chosen hotel only 5 minutes walk from the station was a welcome sight. A smooth check-in, instructions for breakfast and a deep sleep closed the adventure for the day.

“Medieval” Quarter, Turin (actually built in 19th Century)

Trwyn Tal

A long and winding road out of Abergavenny, past the landslip and the “Road Closed” sign on to Capel-y-ffin. You’re through the centre of the village in a flash – marked by a tiny church and a working phone box – and on, starting to climb out the valley, hopeful that there would be a clear sign for the farm. Through the gate and up, up the drive When we saw the sheep we knew we were in the right place.

“Come and take in the view for a moment” was how our host, Sarah, greeted us. A few moments of contemplation as we all stood in silence, Dragon’s Breath rolling over the hills, the last sun of the day showing off the autumn colours at their best.

The cottage is warm and cosy despite the stone-flagged floor. The fire is on and it says “Welcome”. Relaxation starts immediately.

valley views

The morning is for exploring the farm feeding the sheep (to help them get used to human contact) and getting familiar with the lie of the land. Some non-planning later and after a late morning cup of tea we set off down the valley and then up onto the ridge for Offa’s Dyke path – destination: Llanthony Priory. For a wild place, there’s a good path – the volunteers have been busy laying a path so that the hill top can reclaim its bog landscape. A few cairns still mark the route and old stone signposts show you the way off the top. The route down to the Priory gave us a good view of the dark stone ruins, leaving the imagination to wonder how it would have looked in its heyday.

friendly sheep

Our return route looked simple on the map, but with dusk approaching and no clear footpath signs there was a little bit of guesswork involved. Once on the right path and able to stick mostly to the contours it was a beautiful to watch the colours fade as darkness set in. Headtorches (and GPS) were put to good use to lead us back down to the Valley Road.

Llanthony Priory

The cottage lights could be seen along the valley and reaching home was celebrated with good food and wine and an inviting mattress. Excellent preparation for the days to come.

I stayed at Trwyn Tal, a self-catering cottage on a small, but working, sheep farm. You can book it through AirBnB. There’s no mobile signal or wifi, but plenty of other connection – in terms of wildlife, nature and peace.

Is Autumn the best season?

I am just back from a trot through the countryside. In almost every direction I looked there was something to remind me what a great season it is to be out and about.

The months of October and November in the UK have a reputation for grey skies and rainy days and whilst this may be true, it is also quite mild and if you can dodge the rain showers you will get a feast of colours. The great thing about trees in the UK is that they are many and varied so there’s never a single hue. At the moment there is every shade of green as well as yellows, oranges and reds.

It’s beautiful. As the days get shorter, it’s important to make the most of being outside in daylight – for both physical and mental health. If you can stretch to 30 mins or an hour, your body will thank you and you will return home refreshed and ready to tackle any challenges in a positive way.

Autumn Views

Why would Autumn be the best season? Autumn feels like it’s pushing with all its might to fend off the winter; it lets us down gently that summer is passing and helps us to prepare for the darkness of the next season. There’s enough going on to fuel us as we prepare for the quiet season but it’s calmer than the summer months. The colours are striking, but not too in-your-face. The land is softer – due to the damp conditions and the fallen leaves – and the carpet of leaves mutes the everyday sounds of nature.

Autumn is a season of gratitude, a chance to take the foot off the pedal after a full on season of summery action. There are still things that need to be done outside but not too much. It’s a season of balance: do what you can, but also rest.

How do you make the most of it? Get outside. Take a stroll, go for a jog or stick some mudguards on your bike and head out into the country or your nearest park.

Adventure on your doorstep

It’s 5pm and the sun is nearly thinking about setting on a day in mid-spring. Walking along the track I’ve run along so many times, I glance to my right and stop. There’s a beautiful garden that I’d never spotted before. The trim lawn and topiary yew bushes are stunning. It feel like I’m in a new place.

Exploring in Spring

I wonder if it’s just the time of year, when the trees aren’t fully leafed yet so I can see through to the garden. Or perhaps it’s because I’ve slowed down. I’m walking rather than running and I am giving myself some time to what’s always been there. Too often I have my eyes focused downwards to make sure I don’t trip over the unmarked speed bumps. It could be a combination of the two.

Finding new views

The privilege of my one trip outside each day means that an evening stroll takes on more significance. An opportunity to notice changes, to engage and explore. The places I might usually choose are too far away so I’m stuck with what I can readily access on foot. Usually there would be more variety in my routes but now I am deeply familiar with a short radius north, south, east and west of my house. I would have predicted boredom with this limitation, but instead I’ve uncovered that there is more to my surroundings than I’d appreciated in my rush to get somewhere else.

I’ve explored some of the footpaths that i’d only ever seen the sign to and I’ve appreciated the change in season from the same few spots.

What will happen next? I hope to continue to explore – as I would if I was travelling abroad – but explore on my doorstep and celebrate the feeling of home.

Sunrise

Not your usual safari

“Is there something a little less touristy?” I’m always keen not to follow the crowd and to find the more unusual things to do when I’m travelling.

This time, in Kenya, I had a few extra days and having already visited some of the animal sites in Nairobi I needed to do something different. Always enjoying nature, and being active, I chose to go hiking.

Longonot is a volcanic crater – in the wilds enough to see some zebra and risk some buffalo, but not wild enough for any large carnivores. The hike doesn’t need a guide, but if you have one you’ll pick up some useful info on the flora, fauna and geology. You don’t need a guide because there’s only one path. Look to the top of the crater and up you go.

The sign at the start tells you it’s 3km. Usually this wouldn’t seem hard, but when there’s 1000m to ascend it’s definitely a challenge. But the journey is worth it. From the rest point at the top you have amazing views to the further mountain ranges. If you take on the challenge of a loop around the crater you can see down to Hell’s Gate and get a great view of Lake Naivasha.

It’s hard work and won’t be everyone’s idea of experiencing the Great Rift Valley, but I can recommend it.

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Margate – Resort of your Dreams

“Why Margate?” someone asked me. “I wanted to go to Broadstairs” was my honest response. Accommodation was limited and so I ended up in a compact apartment in Margate for a couple of days. It was winter so this wouldn’t be everyone’s destination of choice, but there is something intriguing about UK coastal resorts in the off-season.

Things I knew about Margate before visiting was the Turner Contemporary Gallery, and it was near Broadstairs. Of course there’s so much more to it even if it wasn’t the perfect weather for exploring. Wrapped up warm against the sea breeze a stroll towards the town brought us to Dreamland, which was advertising free entry to their winter wonderland. It’s like the end of a pier amusement park, but not on a pier. It felt tired. The Light Walk provided a little boost of enthusiasm and takes you around the edge of the site showing the cages where the zoo animals lived and giving an insight to the history of the park.

Dreamy, not so much in the depths of winter.

The next stop on our whistlestop tour was the Shell Grotto. Shrouded in mystery (not least because signage isn’t great) it is an underground vault covered in millions of shells. Nobody knows why it’s there, and there are many stories as to why it could be there. It’s like stepping into a monochrome world – the colours have faded and restoration is likely to introduce too much water into the basement – and is interesting to think up your own stories, find different pictures in the walls and to consider how long it would take you to collect enough shells to create your own shell mosaic. As a bonus there’s a shop and a café too.

Shell Grotto, in full colour

Finally, the Turner Contemporary Gallery – a modern space with big windows giving endless views across the sea. The exhibition spaces were filled with the Turner Prize. Fortunately, there was a great Gallery Assistant who stepped in to talk through the installations and provide some thinking about contemporary art in general. It’s not easy.

Margate beach is a long sandy affair, there are a couple of bathing pools that appear magically at low tide. An early morning stroll past one of the bathing pools revealed a seal taking the time to enjoy a dip. In the heat of the summer you may even be able to convince me to dive in.

At less than 2 hours from London it is an interesting place to explore. There is a pretty old town area that you can explore and a number of independent cafes and restaurants. UK seaside towns (and I don’t mean seaside villages) definitely have a soul that remains throughout the periods of dilapidation and regeneration. It’s well worth exploring.

I never made it to Broadstairs.

Tour and Tea in Albertropolis

August had been a dire month weather-wise. The conversations you hear are all about how cool it was and how summer must be over. But in a happy turn of events, the weather gods changed their mind and decided that there would be one last hurrah of heat and sunshine to see us through the end of the holidays. Unfortunately for me, I had chosen one of these days over a long weekend to visit London and immerse myself in everything the Royal Albert Hall had to offer. Fortunately for me, London is a great city in the sun, and the RAH is temperature controlled.

First up was a tour of the venue. The rest of the group were visiting from oversees so it felt a little anomalous to even be on the tour. Nonetheless it was an interesting visit with tales of unusual shows, the history of the venue and its continued royal links. Being in a venue outside of normal hours makes you feel a little bit special, and this is the same in the Royal Albert Hall – especially when you get to see some of the rehearsal for the evening’s show. It was great to have a few moments to enjoy the surroundings, reflect on the stories and take in the architecture.

Hyde Park and the Prince Albert Memorial is just over the road, so that was a good place to head to for some shade under a tree. It’s a great place for people watching and to see the hustle and bustle of Albertropolis, even on a Sunday.

Afternoon tea was the next stop and this was a traditional affair with a full tea menu, sandwiches in quarters, scones and some sweet treats. The tea was unlimited, but the cakes were not. Probably a good thing. It was a perfect way to prepare for the show.  Any show in the Royal Albert Hall is worth seeing, but it is probably most famous for the Proms. Originally these were played outside so people “promenading” past could enjoy the music.

Today there’s still an element of promenading that can go on, with standing/lying/walking tickets available on the ground floor and up in the gods.

It’s a fantastic venue to enjoy music (especially in the gods) and well worth a visit just for that, but if you get the chance to dig a bit deeper and explore the history it will add something to the concert.

Nakuru – schools, sanctuary and safari

Leaving Muranga finally gave me some views of the Kenya that I was expecting. I had previously visited Uganda where I was surprised by its lush, green landscape. I expected Kenya to be the same, but in the first few days I had only experienced dry, dusty fields interspersed with small villages lining the side of the road.

But driving through the tea plantations gave a different view – the greenery I was hoping for and some sweeping views. I was heading to Nakuru for the second stop of a volunteering project that I was working on. I know voluntourism can get a bad rap, but if you choose your projects and organisations carefully it can really make a difference to local areas. I was on my second trip with Cricket Without Boundaries – a UK charity that coaches cricket and integrates messages on HIV prevention.

Working mainly with primary school children, you get to see a different side to the main tourist culture of the country and in some cases become the attraction yourself. With chants of “Mzungu, Mzungu” and several hundred little hands reaching out to touch your skin and your hair, it can feel daunting and surprising that it’s such an unusual occurrence to come up close to someone of a different race. But these are children who don’t travel and who are still brought up to think that white people are supernatural.

Nakuru is one of the biggest cities in Kenya and the urban vibe was clear in the town centre with supermarkets and shopping malls to choose from, but even not far outside the rurality hits you. We visited a number of schools with some of the best views over the National Park. Most had a similar layout of single storey buildings around a couple of courtyards. There’s an administration block where the Headteacher’s office is and somewhere at the back will be a playing field. These are a mixture of dust, short grass, long grass and animals.

The National Park has been a rhino sanctuary for 25 years and I was lucky enough to see a white rhino. Despite its protected status however, there are challenges to the park as well. Lake Nakuru in its centre started flooding in 2013 and the cause is still unknown. It is possibly due to tectonic plates shifting, or as a result of climate change and the buildings that were once the entrance to the park are now submerged like some sort of abandoned village. The change in levels has affected the pH of the water so the algae that the once numerous flamingos relied on no longer grows. In turn, many of the flamingos have moved to other lakes in the region.

What travel makes you realise is that although there are differences in facilities (UK schools and playing fields are found in much better condition) and populations (UK has a more diverse racial profile), essentially there are more things the same. Children will play. Come rain or shine they will find a way to run around, kick a ball and make games. Nature is important – to balance a hectic day, give you a distant focal point to help you see the bigger picture and to remind you that we need to look after our planet as well as we can.

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I was in Nakuru volunteering with Cricket Without Boundaries – using cricket to deliver vital health education messages. It’s an amazing thing to do. Check out their website to find out more and why not volunteer yourself?