Salou, Spain: Part 3

My trip to Salou has been far by the most challenging up to date. You can read more about this in my blog Nightmare in Salou part 1 and part 2 nonetheless, I still managed to make the most of the few days where no dilemmas transpired.

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Salou is located in Costa Dorado in the Catalonia region of Spain and is the most popular in Costa Dorado. It has two main beaches Playa Ponent which is the biggest of the two is a sandy beach along Catalonia with a wide variety of cafes and restaurants. The other is Playa Llevant which sports a gym, volleyball and children’s play area. Both beaches offer a number of water sports activities.

Spain’s top theme park PortAventura is just next door, as well as a number of golf courses and a world-class water park.

Salou sets a vibrant pace for nightlife offering a number of bars, clubs and restaurants. And those who want a change of scenery Barcelona is only 90 minutes away via train. Then there’s Tarragona, a city declared a world heritage city by UNESCO in 2000.

This is a tremendous family destination with something for everyone of all generations. But, just how did I spend my time here as a solo traveller?

Day 3

It’s the third day in and the first day I’m actually able to enjoy the holiday. I don’t really have a plan other than to explore the local area.

It’s around 12 noon by the time I leave my apartment. I’m staying at the Salou Pacific Apartments in a self-contained apartment. I would definitely recommend these apartments for low budget travellers.

The sun is beaming down on me from the moment I step outside. It was beautiful! just what I needed! I walked and walked just taking in the scenery. It was definitely that typical British tourist destination. Don’t think I have ever been to a holiday destination surrounded by so many British accents. That being said, it felt rather comforting after everything I’d been through.

It wasn’t long before my stroll brought me here.

It’s was so beautiful and seemed like an endless abundance of palm trees, waterfalls and monuments.

Cambrils

My roaming walk brought me to the small town of Cambrils.

Cambrils is a coastal town, a quieter alternative to its more full-on neighbour, the resort of Salou. It is more low key and is regarded as a foodie place due to its wonderful seafood restaurants and local ingredients.

I enjoyed the quieter beach, the harbour, strolling through the back streets, a fine bite to eat at Denver Restaurant (highly recommend) before heading back to Salou.

On my back through Salou, I come across some interesting architecture but one that struck me the most was the stunning Xalet Bonet.

This wonderful private home was built by Ciriac Bonet in 1918. The architect for the piece was Domenec Sugranyes I Gras disciple and colleague of Antoni Gaudi.

The house is not open to the public but, it is extraordinary just to admire, even if it only from the exterior.

Day 4

This day consisted of more exploring locally around Salou.

Again there were no plans, I just wondered around. This time my wanders took me to Parque Municipal de Salou, a beautiful quiet park in the centre of Salou.

It was such a quiet, relaxing place with only the sounds of the waterfalls and birds twittering away. The ponds had small fish and I’m pretty sure I saw tiny turtles (I think)

The park also had a cafe, a small child’s play area and an outdoor gym, which was pretty cool.

After here arrived at the beach. I walked pretty much the whole way around admiring all the beach bars restaurants, and the beauty of the sea.

On the way back to the hotel I opted to walk on the street that runs parallel to the beach to avoid the crowds. This meant I was walking up the steep streets, which was rather exhausting after a while. Just a few steps ahead was a sign that read Koko Beah Bar, in need of rest I was grateful to see this. I really needed to sit down, my legs were like jelly, I’d been wandering around for so long.

To my surprise, they had the most remarkable terrace with the most incredible views over the sea.

If I hadn’t of wandered down this street I would have never found this place. I was so delighted to have come across it! Not only was it a great place for relaxation and to watch the sunset. It served a great selection of drinks, cocktails and delicious gourmet dishes all at reasonable prices, given it’s the location.

My time in Salou was mostly spent relaxing on the beach. It was a trip with quite a whirlwind of events and emotions, so I needed a lot of time to recharge. Having said that, I did, in fact, make the journey to Tarragona whilst here. Tarragona is an extraordinary place which deserves a blog of its own. I’m super excited to share the place with you, so I will be doing a write-up on this Shortly.

Thanks for reading 😁

Nov 05

My Nightmare in Salou, Spain Part 2

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Hi all!! Welcome back!

This blog is a follow up from my last blog Nightmare in Salou Part 1. If you have not read it yet, maybe have a quick read before reading this one.

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So, it’s been 5 days since my awful arrival, I’ve put it all behind me and I’ve been having a great time. I will share these nice few days with you in my next blog but, for now let’s get all the negative stuff out of the way.

Fraud!

It’s the morning of day 5, I’m still lying in bed thinking of how I’m going to spend my day. I pick up my phone to google a place to visit and notice a text message from my bank. The text message read something along the lines of, it’s the fraud team, you need to contact us immediately. I felt extremely anxious!

Due to unexpected expenses and over spending my budget I had nothing but €1 left! I planned to withdraw some more today using my card. This was not something I needed to hear! All sorts of thoughts started to run through my head. What if my account has been cleared? What am I going to do? Panic started to kick in! My first instinct was to check my bank balance, which I did. Not noticing anything had been taken, just absolutely thrilled to see money in it, I ring the bank.

The bank inform me almost £200 had been taken from my account and there were companies still trying to take payments, which they blocked. I didn’t recognise any of the four companies they mentioned. I just couldn’t understand how and why this was happening to me!

The bank had to blocked my card!

The lady from the bank informs me, she needs to block my card immediately. Well, I can not even begin to describe the panic that overcome me at this point. I asked her if she will give me some time to go and withdraw some money. She begins to tell me it’s irresponsible on their behalf to leave an account unblocked, after having knowledge of fraud. I tell her my situation of being abroad, having no money and the card being my only access to money. She starts asking me if I can lend money from a friend or whoever I’m with. After telling her I’m alone, she allows me time to go and withdraw some money but, not without informing me the danger of my account being cleared. She went on to explain, if one of the companies slip under the net, they would not be responsible for any money taken. Great!! Just what I needed to hear!! As if it wasn’t frightening enough!!

One last attempt before the card gets blocked!

In a frenzied hurry I run down to the cash point, luckily enough it’s just outside the hotel. However, in such a poor state of mind I managed to tap in my pin number incorrectly twice!! I get memory block! Now I’m left with one more attempt!! I’d never felt so anxious in my whole life!

I can’t use my card for Cash back in this country. My only option is to try again! I’m hyperventilating and I’m too scared to try again in case it’s wrong. I just want to cry! But given the fact I look like a crazy lady, in my pyjamas with a huge messy afro currently covering the whole of Salou, I don’t want to draw any more attention to myself. All I can think is my bank account could be cleared right now!

I try again

I sit on the wall for a while to try not to think of anything because, to think would make me over think. Instead, I people watch in the hopes of my pin coming back to me subconsciously.

I have the number in my head but, for some reason doubting myself a little. I go with it and bingo! It’s the correct number! Nothing else has come out the account, I was able to withdraw cash and ring the bank to have the card blocked.

You couldn’t write it!

After the fraud incident I was able to enjoy the last couple of days of my holiday but, disaster strikes again!!

It’s the day of leaving, I’ve been told my coach will collect me at 6.50pm outside my hotel. I decide to sit on the wall outside the hotel at 6pm to catch the last bit of sun also, so I don’t miss my coach.

It’s 7.10pm my coach has still not arrived, I ring the transport number. The lady on the other end tells me the coach has already been! I was quick to correct her it had not been. She apologizes saying the driver informed them 20-minutes ago, to say I wasn’t there. Then tells me I will have to find my own way to the airport, then claim it back through my insurance. I was furious! After a few heated words for her to deliver to the dishonest driver before hanging up. I go back to my hotel to ask reception if they knew how much a taxi to the airport would cost. They discuss with each other in Spanish, then say around €25 however, they seem a little unsure. This made me feel uneasy nonetheless, with €30 left, I have them ring me a taxi.

Whilst waiting for the taxi a guy shouts over in a Scottish accent. “Did they forget you?” I nod at him, and tell him I’m waiting for a taxi. He tells me to take the number 5 bus from the top of the street because, it will cost at least €45 in a taxi. I realise he actually works at the supermarket and seems to have great knowledge about the buses. He explained how the last one was at 7.30pm and tells me to run because, it was 7.30pm now. With not enough money to take the taxi I listened and ran to the bus stop.

It’s 7.45pm, my plane’s departs at 9pm, it takes at least 40 mins to get there and there’s no sign of the bus! To say I was frantic, would be an understatement.

It’s been! I’ve missed it! I’m going to miss my plane! I’m going to be stranded! What am I going to do? And just as I was about to go into a melt down, the number 5 arrives! I could not believe my luck!

I made my flight with 2- minutes to go! 😂🤣😂

Although, these bad experiences happened, I’m actually thankful they did and now take extra precautions in the event of things going wrong. I will be writing a blog on these precautions on a later date, hopefully it helps others.

Thanks for reading :))

Have you been through anything like this? Or have you any thoughts? Would be great to hear.

Thank you so much for reading x

Oct 30

My Nightmare in Salou, Spain Part 1:

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I went to Salou back in May of this year, it was booked for a relaxing break as I hadn’t been away for a few months. Don’t get me wrong, I had a lovely time but just about anything that could go wrong, went wrong.

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*Disclosure* Please note this is my own personal experience and should not be taken at face value. Click the link above to see the full disclosure page for more info.

I booked my break with Onethebeach.com a month in advance. It was an absolute bargain! £230 for a week! This included a self-catering hotel apartment, flights and transfers, I could not wait to go! However, as the days grew closer I began to look through my documents in more detail and come across a problem. The voucher for my hotel said the reception area closed at 8pm and anyone checking in after this time, must contact the hotel. I tried to contact the hotel but was unable to use my free minutes So, I rang Onthebeach.com explaining the situation. The gentlemen dealing with my call said he will ring the hotel to see what to do and get back to me. When he rang me back he explained the hotel had a sister hotel where I could collect the key which was around a 10-minute walk away. I explained to him I was a solo female traveller, I did not feel safe walking around in an unfamiliar place at 10.30pm. With this, he agreed to change my coach drop off to the sister hotel to collect the key, then I would get a taxi to my booked hotel. Although, this was not what happened!!

Stranded!!

On the day of arrival I was dropped off at around 10.30pm at the Hotel where I’m supposed to collect the keys. I walk around the corner which appears to be the front entrance and guess what? It’s closed and the doors are locked! I couldn’t believe it! I walked around the sides hoping there would be another entrance but, there wasn’t. At this point I’m a little anxious but I’m managing to stay calm because I know it’s not going to help if I panic.

When I return back to the main entrance I notice a guy (Emmanuel) stood there with his suitcase, he looks to be in a similar predicament. I ask him, and he tells me he’s supposed to be staying in this hotel but, doesn’t know how to get in. He said his friend who was meeting him there had booked it online, and he was waiting for him as he didn’t know what to do. At this point were kinda both just stood around unsure what to do, a kind lady comes out and tries to help us but, there’s nothing she can do.

No Internet

I dug out my documents to ring on the beach but, guess what? The line was closed!! I knew there must have been another 24hour line but, it was not on my travel documents. I then decided to search for it online but, guess what?? My internet would not come on!! I felt so stressed out!! After telling Emmanuel he kindly offered to give me his password for his WI-FI, then I was then able to find a number and get through. If it was not for the lovely Emmanuel it would have been a lot more stressful.

After, getting through to On the beach I spoke to a lovely agent. I told her my situation, she was so apologetic really concerned for my welfare. She arranged for me to stay at another hotel which was a 10-minute taxi ride away. She also added a breakfast on for me to compensate for the taxi and the inconvenience. In fact, this lady kept in contact with me until I was where I was supposed to be. She rang me to see if I got to the hotel ok then rang me the next day to see if I got to my original hotel (fantastic customer service).

After getting my documents through email and screen shotting them I left Emmanuel who was now with his friend. Emmanuel was a true gent and kept in contact to see I arrived safely. Both him and his friend went to find another hotel after the realisation they were not going to get in to their apartment.

More Problems

I arrive at The best Cap Salou Hotel and show the gentleman on the reception my screen shots. He begins to speak to me in French, I didn’t speak French and he didn’t speak English. He begins to tell me No! Many times whilst pointing to my phone. No! What do you mean No! I was thinking to myself in a state of panic. Then he points to paper, at this point I realise he wants the paper print for the booking. I show him my original voucher for my other hotel and try to explain I don’t have a paper version for this hotel. He continues to say No and points to paper and tries to explain what he needs from me. By this point I was exhausted, tired, frustrated and I just wanted to cry. But, that wasn’t going to solve the situation was it?

The guy then asks for the email, I then ask him for the Wi-Fi, in which he hands me the password. From here were able to eventually communicate me sending the email to the hotel, so, he was able to print the voucher.

It was a stressful situation, but we got there in the end Haha.

It had gone 12.30am by the time I arrived in my hotel room but, I was grateful for a bed.

You couldn’t write it!

The next day I arrive at my original hotel The Salou Pacific and guess what? The lady informs me there open 24hours!! I went through all that stress for absolutely nothing!!

I have no idea which hotel the guy from Onthebeach.com rang but, it certainly wasn’t this one!

I had a lovely time in Salou for the next few days but, I ran in to more problems. If your interested what happens next, look out for the next blog.

Thank you so much for reading 🙂

Oct 25

Panic moment of a rookie solo traveller

Comments 3

Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve written anything on here. I try to write at least once a week however, I’ve been travelling during the last week so my schedule has been a little disrupted.

Anyway in my last post I mentioned how there was a little panic moment on the day of leaving Calella. It may not seem as much as a big deal to some but, believe me when your a rookie solo traveller in a foreign country, something small can seem so much bigger.

Moment of being woken up

It’s the day of leaving to travel back home and I’m suddenly woken by the sound of the hotel phone. I answer the phone, it’s reception telling me my bus is waiting outside. I had to ask the gentleman to repeat himself because I was thinking I misheard him. He repeats himself, this time I’m in a state of panic!! I’ve not had a shower, I’m not packed properly and I’m freaking out. I ask the gentleman to ask the driver to wait, and I was coming, in which he said he would. I quickly started to get dressed and pack up all my things and leave the hotel room.

I left the safe key!

I get to the hotel reception and try to check out. The receptionist doesn’t allow me to check out because I’ve not returned the safe key. I try to apologise and tell him the key is in the room in the door of the safe, I’m not bothered about getting my deposit back and I just need to get my shuttle bus.

The thing is my shuttle bus is not directly outside as the street is too narrow for the bus to wait. The bus is actually on the main road which is about a two-minute walk away.

The gentle man doesn’t understand me and begins to speak to me in Spanish But, I don’t understand him either. I figured he was telling me I had to go back to get the safe key. I did this But, it only made me panic more in case the bus left me.

Eventually I returned the safe key and was able to check out and leave.

The bus left me!

I ran down the street, got to the main road, there was no bus to be seen! If I thought I was in a panic before well, that was nothing compared to now!! I was shaking like a leaf and didn’t know what to do!

Now here’s the thing. My flight was at 9.15am, I was told my pick up was at 6am and i would be the last person to be collected. So, I’ve missed my pick up time, the airport is at least an hour away, I’ve only got 40 euros in cash which will not cut the taxi and will need to find a cash point. I was thinking an hour in a taxi! Wow! it’s going to be so expensive!

In my head I was going to miss my flight! I was beyond the feeling of anxiousness in fact, I’m pretty sure this was a moment of anxiety.

Although it was my fault, I still rang the transfer number hoping they could help me. I dial the number several times and I’m either cut off or it’s the wrong number! I take a few deep breaths and try once more and bingo! I get through! While explaining to lady what had happened, she starts to apologise to me and says she doesn’t know what happened and why the driver come to get me earlier. What!! I couldn’t believe it! Here’s me thinking it’s all my fault! Not only that, I’d been in that much of a panic I didn’t even think to check my phone for the time!! Haha

The lady tells me she’s going to contact the driver to see what happened. When she rang me back she told me the driver decided to collect me first but, when I wasn’t ready decided to collect the other travellers at different hotels Wait for it………He had already collected the others then forgot all about me! Luckily he wasn’t too far out and was able to come and collect me. Ahhhhh fewwww!!

Lesson learnt

Now I learnt a valuable lesson here! My mistake was I panicked. If I hadn’t of panicked I would have thought to check the time and spared myself from all that stress!

Advice: Things can go wrong whilst travelling, the best thing to do is stay calm. Staying calm will help you to be able to deal with the situation better, panicking is not going to help you. Panicking adds to the situation and does nothing but makes matters worse.

This is definitely what helped me in the end. As I calmed down and took a few deep breaths I was able to dial the transfer number correctly. It hadn’t been working as I had been dialling the number incorrectly due to my state of mind.

One Last Thing

It was probably a blessing it happened this way because I actually forgot to set my alarm clock!! I can’t even begin to imagine how that would have gone! Haha

Thanks for reading I really appreciate all the support from each and every one of you 🙂

Be sure to follow to read my next blog on my Solo Trip to Salou x

Oct 07

Calella, Spain #2

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It’s Day 6, yesterday I spent the day in Barcelona. Today I plan to have a walk around Calella and see what it has to offer.

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It’s around 13.30 in the afternoon by the time I head outside. It’s not the most pleasant day, it’s raining and quite miserable out however, it’s not going to alter my plans. I’ve seen glimpses of the area on the way to the beach or to the train station but that’s about it.

As mentioned in my last blog I’m staying at the Hotel Neptuno, it’s right on the heart of Calella and only 50metres from the centre so, as soon as you step out your pretty much surrounded by shops, cafe’s, restaurants etc. It’s quite busy, I spent a short while walking Round the shops browsing although, most of the shops were tacky souvenir shops. There are a few high street shops as well as traditional Catalan food shops so, there are many opportunities to try some good traditional food.

As I walk further in to the old town the crowds seem to get less and less but, still I grow bored with the main streets and start to wonder down the side streets, admiring the apartments and the old feel of the town. I soon come to a small museum that catches my eye in a quiet side street.

Museu-Arxiu Municipal de calella Josep M. Codina i Bague

My entry ticket was €2, there is a combined ticket €3.50 which also gives you entrance to the lighthouse and refuge.

Inside is full of ceramics, tiles, archaeological materials, old machinery, clothes, art, Iberian and roman remains, and an old pharmacy. The museum was bigger than first imagined, spread over the ground floor, first floor and second floor, with numerous rooms to enter which keeps the curiosity going. There’s also a pretty garden with benches for people to sit, on better days than today of course. The museum really gives you an insight to the history and traditions of the municipality, it’s definitely worth the €2 and got me out of the rain for an hour or so, as I refused to buy an umbrella.

From here I venture through more side streets and through the residential areas, making my way more towards the sea end near the Sardana monument on Passeig Manuel Puigvert. The shopping streets run parallel to the sea so, as your walking through you get glimpses of the sea.

The Sardana Monument on Passeig Manuel puigvert

I learnt this was where the locals celebrate all their festivals. Many of the festivals are around June to September around the times when there are fewer tourists. One of the biggest and oldest festival is the Aplec de la Sardana. It takes place on the first Sunday in June and a big traditional dance takes place in a circle. The monument shows people holding hands taking part in the circle dance. Unfortunately I do not have a picture of this to display.

Other festivals include The Calella and Alt Maresme Fair, which includes craft shows, traditions and customs of the region. Then there’s the Oktoberfest which lasts almost all of October. This includes visitors from all over the globe, music bands and beer from the Bavarian culture.

Now, I don’t know where the time went but, it was all of a sudden almost 6pm! I made my way back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner.

I’m all freshened up and ready to go down to the restaurant. I’m the second one of the solo travellers to arrive, the German gentleman is already seated and gives me a wave. After getting my food I go to join him at the solo traveller table. Seriously! We actually had a table! We all didn’t speak the same language but, we greeted each other and always sat together.

The Solo Traveller Table

On my third day at the morning buffet, I noticed a lady sat by herself. The tables were rather large so, I sit on her table but at the other end. Moments later another lady arrives, and a few others appear one after the other. They all seem to know each other as they greet each other and have small conversations on what their doing for the day. Then I discovered they actually didn’t know each other as some only said hi and that was it. This was when I realised we were all solo travellers I thought it was really cool. From this day I became a member of the table 😂

On this table I met Joanna who was also from the UK. On this night after my busy day walking around Calella Joanna comes quite late, we always talked so much so, I stuck around for longer. Afterwards we decided to go for a drink at the Hotel bar, it was a really lovely ending to the day.

You see travelling alone doesn’t always mean you have to be alone all the time. There has been many occasions when people say they couldn’t imagine, not being able to speak to people for a week. Well, this is the proof in the pudding, it does not have to be that way.

Day 7 Not going to lie I literally do nothing on this day. Its another rainy day and I don’t feel like getting drenched through like yesterday. My day consisted of using the Hotel gym, chilling out watching Netflix then around 4pm I’m a little bored so go to the hotel bar to watch the football and chat with the Hotel staff. It was just a nice chilled out day as I had to be up at 5am in the morning to catch my plane.

This trip was a fantastic trip without as much worry as the first solo trip. However, there was a little moment of panic on the day of leaving. I don’t want to make this blog too long so, I will tell you about this in the next one.

Thanks for reading 😁

Sep 24

Calella, Spain #1

Comments 3

Calella is a seaside city situated on the Costa del Maresme in Catalonia Spain and is just 50km north of Barcelona.

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It’s a place that is accommodating to all ages and families with young children in particular, as there are a number of lively facilities nearby. PortAventura is nearby and only a short bus ride away plus a free bus ride to water world is also available. It’s also a place that has a lot of history and culture to be discovered. The lighthouse of Calella is one of its main attractions where you are able to get amazing views over the Mediterranean sea. Calella also has three main beautiful beaches where a number of water sports take place.

I had never heard of the place until searching on Teletext Holidays for a cheap getaway. It came up in the search as one of the cheapest packages at the price of £290, half board for 7days. The price included, flights, hotels, transfers, breakfast and dinner, I had to book it! The holiday was booked for the end of May just before the summer holidays so, was a little cheaper in price.

Day 3 At this point I’ve been here for 3 days but haven’t seen anything of Calella yet. I arrived late on the first night, the second day was spent in Barcelona, and on this day I planned to do nothing but relax on the beach, after a busy day in Barcelona.

So, it’s around 1pm by the time I’m making my way to the beach, it’s just a straight walk ahead from Neptuno Hotel where I’m staying. To be more precise it’s actually only 250metres away from the beach.

On arrival, I’m pleasantly surprised at how empty the beach was, I was expecting it to be a lot busier. But, thinking this, I was thrilled! It meant peace and quiet.

I can imagine this place to be busy in the summer holidays but, it was perfect for me at this time of the year. Being here helped me to relax from my usual busy lifestyle, it gave me time to think with no distractions. In fact, it was almost like time stopped for a short while, allowing me to think of absolutely nothing, whilst being able to appreciate the surroundings.

Bahari Club

I’m a little hungry after a while, there’s a couple of bars along the beach, I go to one called Bahari Club.

The staff were extremely welcoming from the moment I walked through the door. I’m given a menu, I prefer a vegetarian dish but there’s not much choice, so I go for a fish dish which cost almost €9.

The food comes and I couldn’t believe it! Was expecting a big plate of food Although, the plate was big, there was just not much food on it. Ok, so, it’s a la carte menu which I didn’t realise prior to entering. I totally get the concept of a la carte, the dishes are smaller because you can order separate items, rather than part of a set meal. However, I’m not a fan of a la carte, I always find I’m still hungry afterwards. I ordered another dish which was almost €7, and I was still hungry! Don’t get me wrong, the food was delicious but, €16 to still be hungry!! Ha-ha. Are you a fan of a la carte?

Luckily the wine was nice and at reasonable prices too, which helped me to forget I was hungry for a short while. In addition to this, I did receive a complimentary glass of wine with bottled water, after making friends with the bartenders. Would have preferred free food but, never mind I was still very grateful and hungry.

I stayed here until the early evening it was great! Sat outside sipping wine, people watching, watching the waves of the sea and listening to the lovely Spanish music playing in the background.

The bartenders kept coming over to talk to me, think they wanted to keep me company. But, even without that, I felt completely comfortable with my own company. This was the first time I had actually felt completely confident being alone in a bar/restaurant. I’m absolutely fine with being alone traveller however, lack confidence when it come to certain situations like this but, would often push myself to do it. Believing the more it was done, the more confident I would become with it.

It was around 7.30pm by the time I got back to my hotel. On arrival, I take a shower and go to the hotel restaurant for dinner. I’m not there long before returning to my room, watching a film then falling asleep.

Day 4 Its 11am I’m showered, dressed, had my breakfast, my workout at the gym and I’m good to go. I don’t really have that much of a plan today other than to have a wonder around the local area.

No joke! I’m about to walk out the door and it throws it down! So, instead I go back to my room and watch TV for a while.

It’s 3pm and as predicted by the weather forecast it’s turned nice and sunny. At this point its siesta time so, instead I decided to go to the beach again and take a visit to the lighthouse.

This time around I walk right to the end of the beach, well, it’s not the end but, without a boat I can’t go any further.

It was so peaceful and absolutely stunning here. That was until a naked couple appear from the other side of the rocks! I had no idea I was on a nudest beach!! 😂 Didn’t know where to put my face, and they just stroll past me like it was nothing!

Calella Lighthouse

Just above it is the beautiful light house of Calella.

The lighthouse of Calella is one of the main attractions in Calella.

Construction began on the 9th October 1856 and was inaugurated on 15th December 1859. It’s light can be seen from a distance of 35miles and it’s navigation pattern is three short beams and two large every 30 seconds.

The views were breath taking! Right over Calella and over the Mediterranean sea.

Inside the lighthouse is a little museum where you can learn about its heritage and the history of the area.

It was pretty much a chilled relaxed day. Tomorrow I was heading back to Barcelona for my tour and knew it would be a busy day.

The next blog will be the second part of my time here in Calella.

Thanks for reading 😁

Sep 20

Barcelona, Spain:#2

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So, It was on the 5th day of my trip when I returned back to Barcelona, this time with a free walking tour booked from Freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com . You book the tour completely free of charge, the concept is you decide the price at the end. The guide does not look at the amount you place in their hands so, there’s no awkward feeling of paying more than what’s affordable to you. I would highly recommend one of these tours, there a fun way to explore the city, especially if your travelling solo. It’s a way to meet people too, I met a lovely girl called Katie who was also travelling solo. Katie had been travelling solo for quite sometime, she shared some of her stories as we walked around together. It was really refreshing to meet someone like-minded, she was such an inspiring young lady.

The tour was booked for 3pm and the meeting point was at placa de Cataluyna. Placa de Cataluyna is a large square located in the city centre surrounded by and apparently the favourite meeting point.

I’m a little early so, go to a place called EL Triangle, a small shopping centre, to have a coffee and a look around the shops before it was time.

Back in placa de Cataluyna Square and the tour guides are organising our groups, their very organised and have each of our names for a guide who speaks our languages. There are a number of tours to choose from I choose to do the Gothic Neighbourhood one. Before we leave there’s a group photo with our tour guide, which was supposed to be put on the website for us to download free. Maybe our group was stingy with their payments because, ours was’nt on the website haha. It’s kind of a shame, as our guide was brilliant, he was funny, enthusiastic and was filled with so much knowledge. Although, our group was significantly smaller than we started off with as people dropped off towards the end. I paid €10 for those who are wondering, it was definitely worth it but, like I said we didn’t have to pay a thing.

The Gothic tour

First we take walk to the MUHBA Via Sepulcral Romana a Roman funeral way dated back to the 1st century A.D, it’s located in placa de la Villa de Madrid. It is actually an exhibition but, we do the street view as we are doing the free tour.

Here we learn about its history of how they were found during the reconstruction of the road. It was amazing to see how well-preserved they are after all this time. We learn a little more on Spanish history and its civil war before moving on.

We then arrive in El Call which is Barcelona’s Jewish quarter. It’s a full of character area with little market stalls all around the square. Here we learn about history and stories of the Jewish people in the Catalonia area.

We moved on through the narrow streets and were taken to a chocolate shop were we learnt about the Catalan chocolate traditions.

Then on to the art work of Pablo Picasso the Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramic artist, etching artist and writer. Picasso was a fine artist who had a significant influence on 20th century art.

Carmen Amaya the great Spanish Romani flamenco dancer

We stop for a 20-minute break in a pub in this area to have a drink.

Our next stop was City Hall also known as Casa de la Ciutat and The Plau de la Generalitat. The location is in Placa Sant Jaume, the cities political centre which is located in the middle of the Gothic Quarter.

We learnt about the history of the two buildings in medieval times, and how they still govern the lives of Catalans and the people of Barcelona today.

Our last stop was the Barcelona Cathedral one of the cities most remarkable landmarks. It’s full name is The Cathedral Of The Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, dedicated to the Co-patron saint of Barcelona.

Needless to say we learn about the history of the Cathedral

Probably one of the most beautiful buildings I ever seen

I never went inside the building as there was big que, time was getting on and I still had to get back to my hotel which was an hour train ride away. Albeit, just standing outside to admire it was unbelievable in itself, the details are phenomenal!

I don’t return back to Barcelona during this trip but, my next post will be about Calella, as this was the location where I was staying.

Thanks for reading 😁

Sep 13

Barcelona,Spain: #1

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It’s day 2, I arrived late last night in the early hours. It’s around 8am and I’m heading to the restaurant in my hotel for breakfast. I’m staying at the Hotel Neptuno , a lovely little family run hotel located in the heart of Calella, only steps away from the centre and a five minute walk to the beach. Breakfast is buffet style and has a variety of choices to choose from and everything looks so fresh!

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Over breakfast, I decide to go to Barcelona for the day as it’s only an hour train ride away. I haven’t seen anything of Calella yet but, I’m just too excited about Barcelona!

Breakfast is done, I’m now making my way to the train station which is around a 10 minute walk.

Arrived at the train station and purchase my ticket at the counter. It’s €10 for a return ticket which is considerably cheaper than paying €30 for a hop on and off bus.

I arrive in Barcelona quicker than expected! Eventually, after walking around for a little while thinking it was nothing like I expected and significantly quieter than imagined. I realised I was in the wrong place after asking a gentleman where La Rambla was, and him telling me it was in Barcelona. I can’t be the first person to mix up Badalona with Barcelona right?

I return to the train station explaining to the lady at the desk. She’s very pleasant, lets me back through telling me the stop to Barcelona is Placa de Catalunya.

The train comes, it’s a lot quieter than the other train with many empty seats. It’s around 2 minutes into the journey when a man comes and places a plastic bag near me accompanied by a note. Can’t clearly see everything in the bag but it consisted of a packet of tissues, mints and some other small items. In fact, he has placed these bags and notes on every seat. Thinking he has put so much effort into making these packages and clearly wants to make some money, I think about purchasing one. Well, that was until another man, then a lady also come along to place their items next to me. Felt kinda bad at this point as it wasn’t possible to buy from all of them so, decided not buy anything.

As we approached the centre, the train sellers quietly collected their stuff without bothering anybody. It was a relief to get off the train, the whole situation had made it a very uncomfortable train ride. In addition to this, the many signs of “Go home tourists” wrote all over the walls in graffiti had made it an uncomfortable journey. Although, I attributed this to a few angry youngsters, telling myself they were isolated incidents and to ignore them.

Barcelona

On arrival walking through the train station, it was surprising to see street vendors selling fake designer goods out in the open. Don’t get me wrong, people sell fake goods in most places but, never imagined seeing so many and how open it was all being done.

I head towards the exit, up the stairs and wow!! It’s the Barcelona I imagined! Nothing at all like Badalona! It looked so exciting, I couldn’t wait to go and explore.

As it was all a last minute plan with no itinerary, I walk ahead and come to La Rambla, the most iconic street in Barcelona.

Walking through La Rambla was a unique experience crowded with tourists, souvenir kiosks, cafe’s, restaurants, fruit and flower shops and entertainers etc. Then there’s the drug dealers who blatantly offered me drugs! On three separate occasions! (No kidding) In fact, there’s a good few extremely dodgy characters hanging around. As well as this, it’s surrounded by beautiful building as well as the Columbus Monument, which was always in view from the beginning of the street.

It wasn’t long until I was distracted by La Boqueria an iconic market, one of the most visited attractions. Here you can buy and taste local products and experience the Barcelona market life.

I take full advantage of this and end up being in here for one hour! Eating, drinking and tasting everything in sight! It couldn’t be helped everything just looked incredibly delicious!

After my binge eating session, I continue walking up La Rambla stopping to look in stores for souvenirs. Although, it all gets very agitating being followed around the shops and being pushed to buy stuff! It was that annoying I abandoned trying to shop! In fact, I’m sick of Las Rambla now altogether! And opt for walking down the side streets, which are much more admirable and calmer.

I come out near the Columbus Monument then arrive at the port.

There’s a shopping centre here called Maremagnum, it’s very distinctive with its mirrored walls and arched roof. People are sat around it relaxing and watching the boats come in. Inside, it’s a really nice place, with a variety of shops, places to eat and it’s not overcrowded.

From here I wonder around the beautiful city in total disbelief I’m even here. It’s a place I’ve always wanted to visit since watching the Olympics 1992 as a young child when Barcelona hosted the games. There was just something that looked so appealing to me when they shown clips of the city. And here I was, and it didn’t matter I was here alone, its a memory to last a lifetime.

Parc de la Cittadella is a blissful beautiful park in the city. I thoroughly enjoyed my time walking around here taking in all the surrounding nature.

There were many other attractions here such as the zoo, the Catalan parliament, The Museu de Art modern, The Zoological Museum, The Museu Geologia and the lake where you can take a boat ride (it’s definitely worth a visit here).

Learning about Tapas

It’s now around 5. 30pm, I’m making my way back to the train station when I spot a little bar to take a break. I can’t remember the name but, pretty sure it was called Las Ramblas wine & Tapas. It’s a lovely little tapas bar, with the friendliest waiter who tells me how to do tapas the Spanish way. Apparently you don’t order all your tapas all at once in the same place, it’s a social thing. You do tapas the very same way you go for a few drinks in a few different bars.

Vermut The Traditional Beverage

He also tells me to not leave Barcelona before trying Vermut a traditional beverage in Barcelona. On leaving, he points me in the direction of a tavern to try one, sorry, I don’t remember the name of the place.

The vermut was well worth stopping by for. Vermut is an inexpensive tasty wine with spices and botanicals like cinnamon and chamomile. It only cost around €1.55 so, I took two, it was too nice and cheap not to have another one (you definitely need to try one if you come to Barcelona).

Its now time for me to leave but I return in a few days.

If you would like to hear what I get up On my return, follow to receive the alert.

Thanks for reading 😁

Sep 04

Calella, Barcelona Spain: The Late Arrival

5 Tips For Visiting Malta

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My trip to Malta was booked with absolutely no research whatsoever. It was booked solely on the cheap price at the time of booking.

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Everything was learnt and discovered whilst there. This meant I didn’t benefit from some of them as it was too late during the trip. Although, my trip was incredible! These tips would have further improved the quality of my trip.

So, hopefully these tips enhance your trip.

1: Use Public Transport

In my opinion, public transport is the best way to move around Malta. It’s the cheapest way to travel and the best way if you want to explore in your own time. I also believe it’s possibly the safest way to travel around. My experience of the driving in Malta was, it was kinda crazy! Bus drivers are familiar with these driving conditions. Your best bet is, let them do it whilst you enjoy the scenery

Single journey tickets cost €1.50 in the winter, €2 in Summer and €3 if you’re travelling at night. These tickets can take you to anywhere you want and have a 2-hour expiry time. E.g if you travel somewhere local and spend half an hour there, you can reuse your ticket. All these bus tickets can be purchased from the bus driver.

In addition to this, they have Tallinja Cards available

Explore 7 day Adult card €21

Explore 7 day children card €15

12 single day journeys €15

For more information on Tallinja Cards click here

Using the ferries are also a convenient and cheap way to travel. For example, my trip to Gozo by ferry cost €4.65 return.

For children aged 3yrs to 12yrs this would cost €1.15

children under 3 are free

2: Be Prepared When Taking Journeys

Although, I recommend using public transport, bear in mind public transport here is not always efficient. Buses are often late, especially on the popular tourist destination routes. On these routes the buses are often overcrowded. People will hustle their way on to secure a seat or avoid having to wait for the next one.

Avoid travelling through rush hour. Travelling through rush hour in Malta is absolutely horrendous! Many locals avoid using public transport so, there are too many cars on the island. With Malta being such a small place, the roads are heavily congested during this time.

3: Avoid Summer

My trip was booked at the end of February so it was not too hectic. However, when visiting tourist attractions such as Valletta and Gozo travelling back was rather hectic. The buses and ferry were crowded and quite stressful at times, having knowledge of this would have prepared me better for the journeys and made it less stressful. Whilst thinking about this at the time, I did wonder how frantic this could get during peak season.

“When’, speaking with locals they suggested it’s best enjoyed visiting October to April. So, presumably I visited in one of the best months to visit.

They also mention how in Summer temperatures soar, the nights are humid, the beaches are too full, restaurants are full and public transport is a nightmare and with it being such a small place it gets too overcrowded.

4: Spend more than one day in Gozo

Don’t be like me and make the mistake of going for half a day. Gozo is only a third of the size of Malta but it has so much to offer. You will only get to see the main sites and miss many other things. For instance, I arrived in the afternoon so, didn’t get round to many things including the Gozo Coastline. If you can’t spend more than a day here, I highly recommend you leave super early and arrive in the morning to benefit more.

5: Book in Advance

For some of the most popular sites you will need to book in advance to avoid disappointment. Example, I wanted to visit the Hypogeum however, it was fully booked for a good few months down the line.

Malta is such a unique place packed with gems, It’s definitely a shame to miss some of the main attractions. Next time I plan to travel here I’m definitely going to be more organised and plan an itinerary.

Here is website Get Your Guide where you can book excursions or get ideas to create your own itinerary.